Read the story of Black Alabama mayor Patrick Braxton, who locked out of Newbern town hall by his white predecessor. The story was first reported by Tread in June. Read more:
“My Bible?” Kenneth Smith's wife asked. “I’ve brought it to every visit I’ve had. I brought it to every visit the last time you tried to kill him.” The past didn’t matter. The guard took the Bible, left the visitation room, and locked the door behind her.
Patrick Braxton wanted to run for mayor in the small Alabama Black Belt town of Newbern. When he asked for qualifying papers, he was told, this town didn't have elections.
Tread's Lee Hedgepeth witnessed the suffocation of Kenny Smith, the first human ever sentenced to die by nitrogen in the world. Read his eyewitness account:
I've witnessed four previous executions in Alabama. Yesterday's execution of Kenny Smith, the first human ever sentenced to die by nitrogen, was the most violent I'd ever seen. Read my full eyewitness account of the execution for
@TreadbyLee
here:
The condemned Alabamian had a message for those in attendance Wednesday. "I hope everyone who hears this will address any unforgiveness they harbor and give it to the Creator who is constantly creating new things for us and in us," James Barber said.
Appleseed’s newest report TAKEN FOR A RIDE highlights how many AL police departments use federal dollars meant to reduce crash fatalities and injuries to more heavily ticket low-wealth and Black drivers. Read more about this practice & other stats at
Today, Alabama plans to execute James Barber. The state’s last 2 attempts at lethal injection failed. What will happen today? Tread’s
@lee_hedgepeth
will be at Holman Correctional Facility to provide live updates as events unfold:
#deathpenalty
"Then, as the medications began to enter his body, he turned to make eye contact one last time," his victim's granddaughter wrote. "I pray my face provided some sort of comfort to him. He then closed his eyes and met God a short time later."
#deathpenalty
Moving forward, Tread's coverage will focus primarily on the death penalty here in Alabama. Tread's
@lee_hedgepeth
will witness the planned nitrogen suffocation of Kenny Smith on Thursday evening in Atmore. Learn more and sign up for updates here.
How can a garden land you in court for a misdemeanor charge? Read the story of Dr. Ellen Newsom, an Alabama veterinarian charged with the crime of "unlawful growth of vegetation" over her edible garden.
They came to mourn. They came in solidarity. They came to call for action. And when Gov. Ivey spoke, they spoke louder. Check out our coverage from Tuesday’s vigil in Montgomery remembering loved ones who died in Alabama's prisons.
FIRST ON TREAD: Proceedings in a federal lawsuit against Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith and 18 others will move forward, a judge ordered Thursday, despite efforts by the defendants to delay the case in light of multiple criminal investigations.
On this
#IndependenceDay
, Donderrious Williams will continue to live his life at the hands of the state. But he's refused to be its victim. Take a moment to read & share.
Johnny Karris' 9-year-old son, his wife, and his mother were all home when Johnny was shot and killed by Alabama police serving a search warrant miles outside their jurisdiction. Read the full story:
Racheal Gantt says she attempted suicide by jumping off a balcony in an Alabama jail after she was left in her own vomit, urine, and feces overnight. Jail officials have refused to comment on the case.
James Effinger, an Alabama man facing homelessness and schizophrenia, was treated for hypothermia and discharged "with directions for a nearby warming station." No warming station was open. Effinger froze to death. Full story:
The contrast between Birmingham’s investment in its most vulnerable and its most affluent hurts, DeBruce said: “It takes a piece of you. This is our city. And a lot of us do cry. But when we go to get help, it feel like the doors be shut.” Full story here:
“Due to recent statements by him promoting racial stereotypes, white nationalism and other various controversial topics, I feel compelled to distance myself from his ignorant, hateful rants,” Charles Tuberville, brother of U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, said.
Years before they demanded thousands of dollars from lunchroom workers, years before they garnished the paycheck of a bus driver, officials with an Alabama school district considered another option to correct their years-long payroll errors: forgiveness.
When Birmingham
@UUA
's Rev. Julie Conrady was targeted by a homophobic "evangelical" over her church's recent drag show, she knew exactly what to do. She set a boundary. Read the full story:
On Monday, Mary's urn made its final journey home to Piedmont, Alabama. Read about her trip — a story of tragedy, hope, and a stolen car — in a Tread exclusive.
Ted Nugent’s July 18 concert is no longer listed on Avondale Brewing’s website and its Ticketmaster listing was gone on Thursday by 5 p.m. The cancellation follows a wave of controversy and intense reactions to the show's announcement on social media.
Residents of Alabama Village may soon be forced from their homes. Even if they're able to stay, folks like Da'Cino worry about access to water. It's well known, he told
@lee_hedgepeth
: if your house catches fire, there's not much to be done. Read more:
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@treadbylee
? Today we're moving to a "pay what you can" model to ensure everyone has access to quality journalism. If you have the ability to pay, please subscribe or make a one-time donation at . Thank you for your support!
Her family sold their house in Ohio to join Warrior's Church International. The Partlow family said they'd stepped out in faith. Now, they're struggling for food. Full story:
Miles outside their jurisdiction, Alabama police shot and killed Johnny Karris while serving a search warrant for narcotics. His mother, wife, and 9-year-old son bore witness. His family said the only narcotic found was the child's prescribed medication.
In 2021, a driver struck and killed Jasiah Scott, a 14-year-old, as he rode his go-kart just blocks from his Midfield, Alabama, home. More than a year later, his mother is still waiting on an apology that may never come.
A Hoover mom filed a police report after finding out that a staff member at Sugar N Spice Daycare and Kindergarten had apparently given her 4-year-old daughter melatonin, a sleep aid, without her consent, possibly for months.