Troy's Chancellor, Suspect's Bail, Medical Malpractice Lawsuit: Down in Alabama

Listen to today's podcast to learn more about polling trends in the election campaign in general (and the current presidential campaign in particular).

The rest of today's report can be found below.

Impending retirement

How long has Jack Hawkins Jr. been Chancellor of Troy University?

• Hawkins became chancellor of Troy less than three years after George Wallace's last term as governor ended.
• Larry Blakeney became Troy's football coach two years AFTER Hawkins became chancellor. He's been retired for 10 years, but he coached at the school long enough that they named the football field after him.
• When he retires in October 2025, he will be the longest-serving chief executive officer of a public university in the country, according to Troy.

Rebecca Griesbach of AL.com reports that the school announced his impending retirement on Tuesday, bringing his tenure at Troy to over 35 years.

During this time, the college's student enrollment grew from under 5,000 to over 14,000, and in response to the system's many campuses and broader focus, the name was changed from Troy State University to Troy University.

Previous shooting by the suspect

Yesterday we published an article about the triple murder last Friday at a gas station in Bessemer.

Now AL.com's Carol Robinson reports that the 20-year-old charged in the shootings was out on bail at the time of the shooting of a 15-year-old girl in February 2022. Police said at the time they thought Raukeem Cunningham, of Lipscomb, and the victim were playing with a gun and a shot was fired.

Cunningham's bail in that case has since been revoked, and he is charged with manslaughter. For his alleged involvement in Friday's killings, he has been charged with capital murder, meaning he faces the death penalty.

Terrible claim

A Muscle Shoals widow says her husband died at a hospital in Okaloosa County, Florida, after a surgeon mistakenly removed his liver instead of his spleen, AL.com's Howard Koplowitz reports.

Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast is not commenting on or confirming any of the claims. An attorney for Beverly Bryan says her husband, 70-year-old William Bryan, was at their rental property in the Florida Panhandle when he began to experience pain, went to the hospital and was told he needed immediate surgery to remove his spleen.

The lawyer said the surgeon removed his liver, severing a major artery, and labeled the organ as a “spleen.” The mistake was not noticed immediately, the lawyer said, and the man suffered a sudden loss of blood and died.

Quote

“Alabama is the best place to live. That’s the truth.”

Haitian immigrant and pastor Johny Pierre-Charleswho said he chose to live in Alabama instead of New York City.

More Alabama News

Born on this date

In 1932, Vince Dooley, the legendary coach and athletic director of the University of Georgia, came from Mobile.

1950, former major league pitcher Doyle Alexander from Cordova.

In the podcast

We talk to Leada Gore of AL.com about presidential polls.

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