Remembering “Street James”
A public memorial for James Griffin will be held tonight at Urban Standard in downtown Birmingham. Griffin was homeless and beloved by many people throughout the city. He was found dead under Caraway Boulevard on August 17.
Known as “Street James”, the 59 year old Griffin struck a chord with those who came to know him. AL.com reports, local business owners said he was a fixture downtown and that he was homeless by choice, not by circumstances.
“You’re just in there and you sleeping with 100 guys in one room cramped up-coughing, sneezing, farting all of that –all through the night—that ain’t me. I’d rather live in a box,” says Griffin in a 2011 documentary.
“He could be loud and bawdy, he could be soft spoken uh it was just an interesting character and he always had an angle,” says Steve Gilmore, the owner of What’s on Second. He says there was something that endeared Griffin to just about everybody that he ran into. “He could come at the wrong time and you just dread seeing him come in the door but by and large I thought of him as something of a friend-something of a neighbor in this downtown area.”
Griffin was shot in the arm and apparently died from his injury. No arrests have been made.
Auburn tabs USF’s Alex Golesh as its next coach, replacing Hugh Freeze on the Plains
The 41-year-old Golesh, who was born in Russia and moved to the United State at age 7, is signing a six-year contract that averages more than $7 million annually to replace Hugh Freeze. Freeze was fired in early November after failing to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three seasons on the Plains.
Alabama Power seeks to delay rate hike for new gas plant amid outcry
The state’s largest utility has proposed delaying the rate increase from its purchase of a $622 million natural gas plant until 2028.
Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones announces run for Alabama governor
Jones announced his campaign Monday afternoon, hours after filing campaign paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office. His gubernatorial bid could set up a rematch with U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Republican who defeated Jones in 2020 and is now running for governor.
Scorching Saturdays: The rising heat threat inside football stadiums
Excessive heat and more frequent medical incidents in Southern college football stadiums could be a warning sign for universities across the country.
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor to join our award-winning team covering important regional stories across Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
Judge orders new Alabama Senate map after ruling found racial gerrymandering
U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, issued the ruling Monday putting a new court-selected map in place for the 2026 and 2030 elections.
