News from the South - Alabama News Feed
Help for seniors on Gulf Coast navigating Medicare
SUMMARY: Members of the South Alabama Area Agency on Aging help seniors on the Gulf Coast navigate the complexities of Medicare as they transition to retirement. The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers monthly sessions to explain Medicare Advantage and parts A, B, C, and D, guiding seniors in choosing the best plans for their needs. Many seniors are unfamiliar with Medicare since they often had employer coverage before. Funded by tax dollars, Medicare can be confusing, but SHIP provides crucial support. The next in-person session is in July, with more resources available on wrg.com.
As seniors retire, making the transition to Medicare can be complicated
News from the South - Alabama News Feed
Three kids face criminal charges after they were caught on camera vandalizing a Bay Minette city par
SUMMARY: Three Bay Minette kids, aged 13 and 14, face criminal charges after vandalizing Kids Park with spray paint, including obscene graffiti and threatening images. Despite cleanup efforts, vandals repeatedly defaced the park, prompting installation of security cameras that captured them in the act. Police Chief Al Tolbert stressed the severity of the crime, warning that parents could be held responsible if offenses continue. Authorities are also investigating another group vandalizing Rex Courtyard Park nearby. Police vow to identify, arrest, and prosecute all involved. This incident highlights the city’s firm stance against juvenile delinquency and vandalism.
Bay Minette police have had a few issues with kids vandalizing city parks
News from the South - Alabama News Feed
Report: FBI leadership considering moving training academy to Huntsville
by Anna Barrett, Alabama Reflector
June 11, 2025
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s leadership is considering moving one of its training programs for local, federal and international law enforcement from Quantico, Virginia, to Huntsville, according to the Washington Post.
Law enforcement agencies across the world nominate officers with leadership potential to participate in the 10-week training National Academy.
The FBI has a separate training program for new bureau hires. That program, and other parts of the FBI’s Quantico facilities, including the bureau’s laboratory division, would remain at the sprawling campus in Northern Virginia under FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino’s proposed pilot plan, people familiar with the discussions told the newspaper.
An FBI spokesperson said in a statement to States Newsroom that new facilities would be chosen based on cost and utility. Messages seeking comment were left Wednesday with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency; Gov. Kay Ivey; U.S. Sens. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, and Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama and U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, R-Huntsville were left on Wednesday morning.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that Congress should be “deeply skeptical of any plan to uproot the FBI’s National Academy from its longtime home at Quantico and relocate it to Huntsville.”
“This move raises serious questions, starting with why such a relocation is even necessary, and at what cost?” the statement said. “Quantico is co-located with other critical FBI and national security assets and before we spend taxpayer dollars on a disruptive and potentially unnecessary move, the Bureau owes Congress and the American people a clear justification for this plan.”
In a statement, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said the city would welcome the FBI.
“Expanding law enforcement training capabilities at Redstone Arsenal has long been a part of the FBI’s master plan,” the statement said. “We look forward to welcoming more trainees to Huntsville.”
The FBI moved an explosives training academy to Huntsville in 2016 and employed about 1,500 people in the city at the start of 2023. Republicans in Congress have named the city as a possible place for a new FBI headquarters, claiming the FBI’s current location exposes it to political influence and leads to duplicated services.
The push to move the National Academy to Huntsville has drawn criticism from some FBI personnel, who see little justification for the potentially costly move, the people told the Post. The FBI’s training facilities at Quantico were recently upgraded, and the people familiar with the discussions said critics do not think Huntsville would have comparable facilities without significant new funding.
President Donald Trump’s pick for the FBI’s director Kash Patel, has said that he would move up to 1,500 staff and agents out of the FBI’s downtown Washington headquarters to satellite offices across the country. Five hundred of those employees would go to Redstone Arsenal, the bureau’s large satellite headquarters in Huntsville.
States Newsroom reporter Jacob Fischler contributed to this report. Updated at 12:20 p.m. with statement from Sen. Mark Warner and at 2:32 p.m. with a statement from the FBI.
Independent Journalism for All
As a nonprofit newsroom, our articles are free for everyone to access. Readers like you make that possible. Can you help sustain our watchdog reporting today?
Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Brian Lyman for questions: info@alabamareflector.com.
The post Report: FBI leadership considering moving training academy to Huntsville appeared first on alabamareflector.com
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
This content presents information about an ongoing FBI facility relocation discussion, providing statements and perspectives from figures across the political spectrum, including Republicans advocating for the move and Democrats expressing concern. It avoids emotive or partisan language, focuses on factual reporting, and gives balanced attention to different viewpoints, reflecting a neutral, centrist editorial stance.
News from the South - Alabama News Feed
News 5 NOW at 8 | June 11, 2025
SUMMARY: News 5 NOW at 8, June 11, 2025, covers key stories: A Mobile County school bus driver, Angela Weaver, accused of falling asleep before a February crash injuring six students, will remain as a bus aide but not a driver due to past speeding tickets. Mississippi’s first BIES convenience store opened near Pascagoula, featuring 126 fuel pumps and 165 toilets. Spanish Fort’s Aiden Shamburgger committed to South Alabama Jaguars for college football. Navar High won the Florida Power & Light Electrathon race series with electric go-karts. WKRG and LifeSouth are hosting a blood drive today (10 AM-5 PM) at News 5 studios with incentives.
A Mobile County school bus driver is reassigned, the first Buc-ees in Mississippi opens & WKRG and LifeSouth’s Blood Drive is back.
-
News from the South - Georgia News Feed5 days ago
New Video: No Air Conditioning on Delta flight leaving Savannah, man collapses
-
Our Mississippi Home7 days ago
The 6th Annual Mississippi Pickle Festival
-
News from the South - Kentucky News Feed7 days ago
Rain and storm chances pick up to end the week
-
News from the South - Tennessee News Feed7 days ago
State trooper dashcam video shows deadly end to 50-mile police chase
-
News from the South - North Carolina News Feed7 days ago
Too much of a good thing? Lawsuits take aim at popular food brands
-
News from the South - Florida News Feed6 days ago
South Florida weather for Friday 6/6/25
-
News from the South - Florida News Feed7 days ago
New York won’t rescind Native American mascot ban, despite Trump’s threat of cutting federal funds
-
News from the South - Florida News Feed6 days ago
South Floridians speak out on travel ban