Our best for you: The top stories by the Montgomery Advertiser in 2022
Hardly a week went by in 2022 without news breaking that seemed like the biggest of the year. There were stories of joy, grief, trauma and growth that touched every corner of this city and state from January to December. We thank you for sharing them with us.
You showed us who Montgomery is, and we are proud to be a part of this community. That's why we work every day to tell the stories no one else is telling.
That's what you'll find here: 20 of the biggest stories of the year, all reported by the Montgomery Advertiser news and sports staffs.
We couldn't do it without you.
Please consider a digital subscription so we can continue telling your stories well into the future.
'Could have killed all of them': Bowling Alley victim recalls shooting, memories of Jeffrey Reed
As Markarius Watson was splayed out on the ground, with medical personnel covering him, he rolled his head to the side to see Jeffrey Reed next to him.
There was blood. There was chaos.
"'Help him'," he said he told the medical staff. "'Help him like you're helping me.'"
After a shooter one early January Sunday killed Reed and injured six others at the Bama Lanes bowling alley in Montgomery, friends and family remember the 21-year-old gone too soon and offer a somber plea to the city's youth.
"Put the guns down. There's more to life than killing people," Watson said.
Read it now:'Could have killed all of them': Bowling Alley victim recalls shooting, memories of Jeffrey Reed
The journey of Jackson Giles
In 1902, Jackson Giles, a 44-year-old Montgomery janitor born in slavery with decades of political experience, sued Alabama over its racist constitution, passed just months before. The case reached the Supreme Court.
Giles v. Harris is one of the most important and often overlooked Supreme Court decisions in American history. This is the epic story of the the man at its center and how the court's ruling put the final block in the rough marble edifice of Jim Crow, making legal challenges to voter suppression all but impossible for the next six decades.
The case and the events around it are particularly relevant today, as battles over voting rights and voting access consume Congress, state legislatures and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Read it now:The journey of Jackson Giles from Brian Lyman
Lady K's 'American Idol' run ends, but her journey is just beginning
Montgomery native Lady K was in the spotlight of the world stage. She made it all the way to the top 10 on "American Idol," drawing rave reviews from the show's judges. But the people who knew Kezia Istonia before she was Lady K would tell she's always been a star.
"She's been singing ever since she was 3 years old," her great aunt said.
With years of experience and fans cheering her on, Lady K looks to the future, including a possible tour.
Read it now:Lady K's 'American Idol' run ends, but her journey is just beginning, from Shannon Heupel
‘This place doesn’t want me’: How Alabama's trans youth are facing anti-LGBTQ legislation
When Alabama criminalized gender-affirming care for children under 18 in May, lawmakers said they were trying to protect kids. One representative compared it to vaping, saying that kids “do not understand the long-term effects of these surgeries or medications." But the people the law affects — Alabama's transgender youth and their families — say being transgender isn't a problem. It's that other people make it a problem.
In a state where lawmakers try to control how they live, transgender youth in Alabama are facing two challenges: Trying to be who they say they're called to be, and fighting back against a culture they feel wants to exclude them.
“It is hard, because it feels like I call this place home,” Kai said about Alabama. “But this place doesn't want me to have it as home.”
How newly freed slaves created the South's public school systems
The end of human bondage was a critical milestone for public education in the United States, especially in the South. Black communities rushed to create schools after emancipation; in many cases, the organization of students and classrooms were the first public acts of a people long treated as property. And in a region where education had been seen as a luxury of the wealthy, the newly-emancipated communities became the fiercest and most effective advocates of the idea that education was a right.
Read it now:How newly freed slaves created the South's public school systems, from Brian Lyman
Why Fitzgerald Museum is honoring a retired Navy SEAL, and how his books can save lives
Clint Emerson has a unique set of skills. The retired Navy SEAL can write a book, publish it, and could easily find a way to turn it into a functional weapon.
But it's the knowledge he offers in his works — of an average person going from surviving to thriving in a hostile world — that's earned the bestselling author a place of literary honor from Montgomery's Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum.
Read it now:Why Fitzgerald Museum is honoring a retired Navy SEAL, and how his books can save lives, from Shannon Heupel
Living with it: Uniontown residents feel like they’re screaming for help, but no one is coming
Over the past 15 years since Arrowhead Landfill opened in 2007, dozens of people who call Uniontown home describe disruption in their lives. They complain about a strong stench, health concerns and noise at all hours of the night coming from the site. The residents of the small Perry County town, mostly Black and low-income, have filed countless complaints, mostly to little or no response from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.
They say their neighbors are dying from complications of the landfill's pollution, and they're continuing to seek justice from a system that's overlooked them for years.
More updates:Uniontown residents protest state's response to Arrowhead Landfill concerns
'I can't breathe': Inmate dies in Montgomery County prison, sister believes oxygen denied
When Ricky Gibson called his sister from a Montgomery County prison on June 30, he weakly told her that guards had taken him off his doctor-ordered regimen of supplemental oxygen. They didn't tell him why; he couldn't breathe.
He died two days later.
Gibson's death raises serious questions about not only medical care inside prisons, but judges' strict sentencing of non-violent and ill offenders, the application of the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment, and the access of reliable and timely medical information to the families of those incarcerated.
Medical marijuana in Alabama is coming closer. And some out-of-state firms want in.
In a midway point between old prohibitions and mild liberalization of marijuana laws, Alabama is figuring out how it wants to handle the industrial cultivation of cannabis in the state. There's much to be determined, but leaders know one thing: They want an exclusively Alabama industry.
But that might not be so easy.
Out-of-state investors are trying to maneuver around residency requirements as they eye the opportunities coming for cannabis in Alabama. But licenses are limited, and growing isn't cheap. The product won't be cheap, either.
Read it now: Medical marijuana in Alabama is coming closer. And some out-of-state firms want in. From Brian Lyman
'This man just killed me': Tidera Harris recalls being shot by police in October 2021
Tidera Harris sits in a wheelchair in front of the TV at his grandparents’ house, flexing his wrist this way and that, demonstrating what he does when he goes to physical therapy once a week.
“Before my last procedure, I was having to go twice a week,” Harris said. “But I guess, now, I’ll have to start going more, to make sure they exercise my legs, so it won’t swell up or nothing.”
Before, Harris was self-employed: He owned a lawn service with his stepdad. Now, his days are full of just resting.
“I have a lot of appointments,” Harris said. “Most of the time I go to appointments three times a week, sometimes four. My doctor told me sometimes people don’t even want to come for appointments, and he’s proud of me for coming.”
They just get lazy, Harris said. But he’s dedicated to going push through because he wants to stay as healthy as possible for his kids: Tidera, Tierra, Toniya, Tideria and Teon. They were all at the house when a Montgomery police officer shot Harris just outside in October 2021.
Read it now:'This man just killed me': Tidera Harris recalls being shot by police in October 2021, from Destini Ambus
Success story: How west Alabama is growing its skilled workforce — and raising wages
West Alabama, an area that includes some of the nation’s poorest counties, has seen wages rise faster than the rest of the state, where communities are struggling with poor labor force participation and low pay for workers.
That's why school officials, business leaders and elected leaders from Montgomery visited Tuscaloosa this summer and sat alongside contingents from Texas and Georgia to learn more about the west Alabama model. What they learned? The key is a job training program that targets specific high-skill needs at home.
Many of the Montgomery leaders said they believe this could be the answer for the River Region.
Read it now:Success story: How west Alabama is growing its skilled workforce — and raising wages, from Brad Harper
Alabama still sends kids to these mental health facilities despite abuse claims
The facilities were supposed to help them. They were supposed to be safe.
“Xaiver was suddenly and unexpectedly picked up from behind by the staff member and then violently slammed to the ground.”
“Connor was horrifically brutalized sexually, physically and emotionally by other residents.”
“Tevin was placed in a ‘seg room’ for a full week. For two of those days, he was not provided with food or water, and he was not given access to a bathroom.”
Connor Bennett and Tevin Pike were 15 years old at the time of these alleged incidents, just some of those detailed in lawsuits filed against the state-contracted youth mental health facilities in Alabama this year. Xavier, whose last name is excluded from his mother’s lawsuit, was 13.
They were children, sent by the state to learn values, team building and social skills. Instead, former residents and staff say, it was a "living hell."
Read it now:Alabama still sends kids to these mental health facilities despite abuse claims, from Hadley Hitson
'I'm fighting for my life': Inside Alabama's prisons during labor strike
In September, prisoners led a labor strike that garnered national attention. Days into the strike, the Alabama Department of Corrections switched to a “holiday meal schedule” — serving only breakfast and dinner — in most, if not all, of its facilities. The department maintained that the switch was “logistically necessary” and not retaliatory.
Many inside the prison — and their supporters in the free world — disagreed.
Michele Deitch, a professor at the University of Texas Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and director of the university’s Prison and Jail Innovation Lab, followed the situation unfolding in Alabama.
“They're trying to starve them into submission,” Deitch said.
Read it now:'I'm fighting for my life': Inside Alabama's prisons during ongoing labor strike, from Evan Mealins
Dogs euthanized 'to make space' as Montgomery area shelters are overwhelmed by increasing cruelty cases
A rise in cases of animal neglect, strays and skyrocketing care costs are pushing Montgomery Humane Society past the breaking point, and its executive director says the local organization will be out of money and unable to take in new animals by April.
“Please understand, this isn’t the warm fuzzies. These are the things we have to do,” MHS Executive Director Steven Tears said. “When a dog comes in, we have to vaccinate it. If it’s sick, we have to treat it. If it’s hit by a car, it has to go to the vet. We don’t have the authority to destroy animals just because they cost a lot."
The day Tears was interviewed, the organization had to euthanize 65 dogs. After this story was published, MHS saw a surge in pet adoptions.
Feeding cats on public property lands Alabama 'cat ladies' in jail
Sitting in her car on a grassy lot near downtown Wetumpka's Hill and Ready streets on a Saturday morning in June, Mary Alston seemed taken aback but compliant when officers from three patrol cars approached her.
"Y'all have three cop cars because I'm feeding cats?" she said. "Wow, that's unbelievable."
She explained she was there to feed cats and to try to trap them for neutering and spaying to control the population. Police told her the city didn't want her doing that, and that animal control takes care of such things. She was trespassing, they told her, and she had to leave.
About an hour later, police returned to the site where another car was now parked behind Alston. Beverly Roberts, 84, was inside the Toyota Camry. Not long after that, both women were arrested on misdemeanor charges, handcuffed and taken to the Elmore County Jail.
Read it now:Feeding cats on public property lands Alabama 'cat ladies' in jail
The women were later found guilty on all four charges and sentenced to two years probation.
Read it now:Alabama cat ladies say they're living nightmare over love of animals, from Alex Gladden
Bryan Harsin fired as Auburn football coach and new AD steps in
Auburn fired football coach Bryan Harsin on Oct. 31 after a troubled term that didn't last two full seasons, making him the program's shortest-tenured head coach in the last 93 years.
The Harsin era will be remembered as one of Auburn football's most disappointing chapters on the field and one of its most turbulent off the field. He arrived for his introductory press conference on Christmas Eve in 2020 after seven years leading his alma mater, Boise State, during which the Broncos went 69-19. He started 6-2 in 2021 before a five-game skid resulted in the Tigers' first losing season since 2012. Auburn held a double-digit lead in three of those games and a fourth-quarter lead in four of them.
The ensuing offseason was even more calamitous, highlighted by a weeklong university investigation regarding his treatment of players and staff.
Read it now:Bryan Harsin fired as Auburn football coach as new AD steps in, from Bennett Durando
Between Harsin’s departure and Auburn’s hiring of Hugh Freeze — more on that in a moment — an interim coach gave players and fans a little magic they hadn’t seen in a while.
It was the short but sweet tenure of Carnell “Cadillac” Williams.
Read it now:How embattled Auburn football put it all together to give Cadillac Williams a win over Texas A&M
Tense night as Montgomery board renames Lee, Jeff Davis high schools
On Nov. 10, Montgomery Public Schools renamed two of its schools named for Confederate-era figures. What was Robert E. Lee High School now honors Black Montgomery-born chemist Percy L. Julian, and formerly Jefferson Davis High School is now called JAG for Frank M. Johnson, Ralph Abernathy and the Rev. Robert Graetz, three civil rights movement icons.
But the road to renaming the schools wasn't smooth, and the Nov. 10 meeting where it was finally accomplished was no exception. This story offers a look at the school board's dramatic debate over the decision.
Read it now:Tense night as Montgomery board renames Lee, Jeff Davis high schools, from Jemma Stephenson
Auburn hires Hugh Freeze from Liberty
Hugh Freeze was announced as Auburn's next coach on Nov. 28 after spending the past four seasons at Liberty.
Freeze has a well-documented past. He was forced to resign at Ole Miss in 2017 after a scandal broke regarding recruiting violations and the use of a university phone to contact escort services. He was also recently in hot water for direct messaging a woman, Chelsea Andrews, on Twitter after she made negative comments about Liberty's athletics director, Ian McCaw.
One of the first things Freeze did upon joining Auburn was to retain Carnell "Cadillac" Williams on his staff as associate head coach. Williams was interim head coach after Bryan Harsin was fired Oct. 31. When Williams took over the team, a proverbial cloud was over the program and it essentially had no momentum. Fast forward a month, though, and dark clouds no longer loomed. Williams gave the Tigers a fresh start.
Read it now:'These people are special': Hugh Freeze introduced as Auburn football's next coach, from Richard Silva
Montgomery community grieves deaths of mother, son killed in tornado
Chiquita Broadnax was Ceddarius Tell's mother and best friend. They died together in a tornado that ripped through northern Montgomery on Nov. 30.
“It’s just crazy how God knew that if he was going to take one, he had to take both because they wouldn’t have been able to make it without each other," Lutoyua Thompson said.
Thompson was friends with Chiquita Broadnax for 17 years.
Ceddarius, 8, was an only child. He loved dinosaurs, and played football and basketball. He attended Carver Elementary and Arts Magnet School, where he was an honor student, according to a statement from his family.
His uncle, Antonio Broadnax, said Ceddarius was whip-smart. “Ceddarius was a very smart, respectful young man. Had a bright future," he said.
Read it now:Montgomery community grieves deaths of mother, son killed in tornado, from Alex Gladden
Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanMealins.
Your subscription makes our journalism possible. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: The top stories by the Montgomery Advertiser in 2022
