Jun 10, 2024

Hey, folks. Thanks for having us back. Our minds are own some Mountain Brook people who went through some life-changing trauma -- particularly for one teen girl -- down on the coast.

Let's get caught up on some news.

Ike Morgan

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Two of the victims from Friday's shark attacks off Walton County, Fla., beaches are Mountain Brook teenage girls, reports AL.com's Alaina Bookman.

The teens were injured during a shark attack in Seacrest Beach a few miles east of and about 90 minutes after another woman was bitten and seriously injured in another shark attack.

The Mountain Brook teens were identified by St. Luke's Episcopal Church as Lulu Gribbin and McCray Faust. According to reports, Faust suffered minor injuries.

Gribbin, however, lost a hand and a leg. But her mother posted an update on social media that said her vitals had improved and she was breathing on her own. She also said her daughter had lost 2/3 of her blood during the ordeal, and that the first words she got out were "I made it."

One other thing I'll clarify on this: The Walton County Sheriff's Office let people know that while patrolling on a boat the next day -- Saturday -- they spotted a 14-foot hammerhead shark several miles to the west of Seacrest Beach. But that in no way ties that shark to the attacks. It's just obvious confirmation that there are always plenty of sharks of all kinds in Gulf waters. Hammerheads are not among the most aggressive sharks, and I certainly would not presume that species unless I heard strong confirmation of it.

The Mobile County Sheriff's Office arrested 23 people Saturday morning during a dog-fighting investigation, reports AL.com's Alaina Bookman.

A search warrant was executed in Axis, Alabama, according to the sheriff's office, and while deputies made the arrests, Mobile County Animal Control showed up to remove an estimated 14 dogs.

Marijuana, spice and firearms were also seized during the search.

Bloomberg News is reporting that Colombia is banning coal exports to Israel in order to pressure the country to stop its military operations in Gaza.

Colombia is the biggest source of coal for Israel, and one of the two companies that supply it to Israel is the Alabama-based Drummond Company.

The ban is expected to begin when President Gustavo Petro returns from a European trip and signs off on it.

Colombia and Israel have a free-trade agreement in place, but their relationship has suffered during Israel's response to the Hamas terrorist attacks of Oct. 7, with President Petro calling Israel's campaign in Gaza "genocide."

A new league has meant more success for the Birmingham Stallions pro football team.

After the reboot of the United States Football League, the Stallions won the league's 2022 and 2023 championships. Then the USFL and the XFL merged to create the United Football League, or the UFL. And AL.com's Mark Inabinett reports that the Stallions will play for the championship this coming Sunday.

Birmingham beat the Michigan Panthers in a semifinal game -- the USFL Conference championship -- 31-18 after trailing 18-3 during the first half.

The Stallions' opponents in the title game will be the San Antonio Brahmas, winners of the XFL Conference. In its conference championship game, San Antonio outlasted A.J. McCarron and the St. Louis Battlehawks 25-15.

The UFL title game will be 4 p.m. Alabama time Sunday at the Dome at America's Center in St. Louis on Fox.

In 1929, pioneering sociobiologist E.O. Wilson, who is originally of Birmingham but also spent parts of his youth in Decatur and Mobile.

I reflect a little on our beginning and evolving news media.

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