SUMMARY: On September 11, 2025, News 5 NOW covered 9/11 commemorations, including first responders climbing 2,000 steps at Hancock Whitney Stadium to honor the World Trade Center’s 110 stories. The Original Oyster House offered free meals to first responders in Mobile and Baldwin counties. The program also reported a new Vibrio bacterial infection case in Escambia County, highlighting health warnings for beachgoers. Additionally, they discussed a study linking chronic insomnia to increased dementia risk, election recounts in Gulf Shores, and a recent political shooting in Utah, sparking debate over harsher punishments for political violence. Viewer opinions on extraterrestrials and political violence were shared in an interactive social media segment.

First Responders in Mobile honored the heroes of September 11th, a Pensacola woman is in the hospital after being infected with the flesh eating bacteria vibrio vulnificus, and a vote re-count wrapped up in Gulf Shores…

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SUMMARY: Dylan Jackson, senior wide receiver for the Vigor Wolves, was named Zaxby’s Player of the Week after leading his team to a dominant region win with over 200 yards and two touchdowns. The Wolves, ranked number one in 5A, emphasize getting the ball to their best players, a strategy credited to Coach Mick S. Jackson’s ability to read defenses and execute plays with quarterback Sammy has been crucial. The team’s hard offseason training, especially in passing, is paying off. Their goals remain to beat Blunt, win the region, and compete for the state championship, treating each game like a playoff.

Zaxby’s Player of the Week: Dylan Jackson, Vigor WR

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by Andrea Tinker, Alabama Reflector
September 9, 2025

An Alabama representative is pushing for chaplains to be allowed in public school. 

Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Hokes Bluff, prefiled HB 8 for the 2026 legislative session, which starts in January. It would allow school boards to decide whether to allow campus chaplains and teachers in public school.

Gidley has filed similar legislation in the past. The most recent version cleared the House with a vote of 91 to 4 in April but did not make it to the Senate Education Policy Committee. He said in an interview Monday that getting the bill in earlier will give it a better chance to pass.

“We were a little bit late getting it on the floor this past year. It didn’t fail in the Senate because of any problems, it just ran out of time. So I think getting it in earlier is going to help us to be able to work it through both chambers this year,” he said.

Gidley’s goal for the chaplains is that they go to the schools as needed to provide services and support for the faculty and staff in schools. He said this could help teachers in rural counties who lack resources for mental health services.

“It could be a resource they could tap into when they may not be able to tap into other resources that could offer support,” Gidley said.

Critics of the legislation said the measure would violate the separation of church and state in schools.

Each local board of education would vote on whether to approve volunteer chaplains for schools under the measure. If approved by the board, volunteers would have to complete a “recognized chaplain training program” and a background check.

The legislation specifies that schools cannot accept a volunteer who’s been “adjudicated or convicted of an offense that requires registration as a sex offender.” 

Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, backed a similar bill last year. SB294 was passed by the Senate, but it failed to get House approval.

He said in a phone interview Thursday that chaplains are needed in schools.

“We have many situations in our schools that require a need for counseling and for support — not only for students, but for staff and teachers as well,” he said.

Chaplains would provide “support, services and programs” as requested by teachers under the measure. But Smitherman said these types of motions are not meant to replace guidance counselors.

“Some of these situations need additional assistance in the areas that those chaplains can provide,” Smitherman said. “And the guidance counselor is not for the teachers and the staff workers, so this will make it available to them as well.”

Gidley said guidance counselors and chaplains serve different functions within the school.

“They’re not even in the same category and so it’s totally absurd to even think that one would replace the other,” he said. “These chaplains are strictly there for moral, and if need be, spiritual guidance. Whatever the situation is, if somebody needs a confidential nonpartisan place to share something they could be dealing with, I think that could be extremely helpful with our teachers and administrators in the school system.”

The Alabama Legislature will begin meeting Jan. 13.

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 Alabama lawmaker revives bill to allow chaplains in public schools 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: Center-Right

This content reflects a center-right political bias primarily through its focus on legislative efforts led by a Republican lawmaker advocating for chaplains in public schools, an initiative often associated with conservative values emphasizing religion in public life. The article presents the bill and its supporters in a factual and balanced manner, including some perspectives of critics concerned about church-state separation, which tempers any overt partisan slant. The respect shown for religious support roles aligned with traditional moral guidance aligns with center-right priorities, while the inclusion of bipartisan mentions adds a moderate tone overall.