AGP Executive Report

NFL & College Football Buzz: Patriots fans got a boost as Romeo Doubs looks more comfortable in New England’s offense, while the league’s preseason spotlight keeps rolling with Jaguars–Saints live updates and Cowboys–Seahawks kickoff info. Local Sports Spotlight: Montgomery Catholic’s flag football program lands in the AHSAA Kickoff Classic, and Alabama’s college scene keeps moving with conference realignment talk for 2026. Alabama Arts & Culture: Storyteller Dolores Hydock is set to lead a weekend of tales at the Greensboro Opera House. Food & Community: Chris’ Hotdogs in Montgomery celebrates a dramatic health score jump to 98 after major upgrades. Music & Entertainment: Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery gears up for the country legend’s 103rd birthday celebration with Moe Bandy headlining. Pop Culture: Shanna Moakler is teasing more in her memoir after reigniting drama with Kourtney Kardashian. Weather: First Alert Weather Days warn of dangerous heat across central Alabama.

Local Music & Community Events: Scottsboro’s Two Sisters Square hosts Josh Allison (Aug. 22) and Soul Karnival (Sept. 4) with free outdoor shows under the stars, plus Woodville Public Library keeps the momentum with weekly Sing & Sign preschool reading and other monthly activities. Veterans Support: John Pinion breaks down VA benefits at Highlands Medical Center’s Community Resource Lunch and Learn, including how service-connected issues are handled. Film Spotlight: Matthew McConaughey appears in Andrew Patterson’s “The Rivals of Amziah King,” a rootsy, Southern-flavored movie set for a major festival run. Sports (Alabama ties): Gunner Rivers, a Fairhope standout and Philip Rivers’ son, shines in a St. Michael Catholic exhibition as he heads into his senior season. Alabama History & Memory: ALPLM honors victims of the 1908 Springfield Race Riots during a ceremony with soil collected from the lynching sites. Weekend Picks: Abe Partridge (with Jack Barksdale) plays Eddie’s Attic, and Shelton State’s Hoops & Paddles pickleball tournament benefits student-athletes at Bowers Park (Aug. 22).

Alabama High School Football: A new list spotlights 15 Alabama quarterbacks to watch in 2026, led by Thompson’s Trent Seaborn, Saraland’s Jamison Roberts, and St. Michael Catholic’s Gunner Rivers. College Football Buzz: Alabama’s preseason AP ranking has a jolt—one AP voter reportedly has the Crimson Tide at No. 20, lower than most expect. NFL Draft/Pro Prospects: Seahawks interest in former Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold stays hot as he’s expected to sign with Seattle despite legal questions. Local Community Spotlight: Cullman is a finalist for Hallmark’s “Merriest Christmas Town,” and the town is asking residents to vote. Arts & Culture: Lee University hosts a West African dance presentation and workshop with CJ Wade and a djembe performer. Reality TV: An Alabama couple, Daisha Wilks and Dalton Hamby, is set for Season 29 of CBS’ “The Amazing Race.” Health Watch: Cyclosporiasis cases keep climbing, with FDA inspections in Mexico tied to the outbreak.

Alabama Death Penalty: Alabama carried out its first execution of 2026, killing Jeremy Williams (41) by lethal injection for the 2021 capital murder and sexual abuse of 5-year-old Kamarie Holland. Regional Death Penalty Watch: The same day, Tennessee and Oklahoma also executed men, marking the first time in more than 15 years that three states carried out executions on the same day. Sports—NFL & Alabama Ties: Cornerback Terrion Arnold, a former Alabama player, is expected to sign with the Seattle Seahawks after being cut by Detroit amid felony kidnapping/robbery allegations. Arts & Culture: Seattle art director John Lavin discusses filming in Alabama for “The Rivals of Amziah King,” starring Matthew McConaughey. Local Arts Education: Trussville and Pinson students were accepted into the Alabama School of Fine Arts for 2026-27, with spots across dance, music, theatre, and visual arts. Community & Youth: Alabama A&M’s Action Kids Tennis Camp returns for its ninth year, mixing tennis with health education and college awareness.

Music & Tourism: SkyDog: The Shoals Experience in Florence just released single-day general admission tickets for Aug. 28–30, with daytime programming and a lineup built around Muscle Shoals legends and local makers. College Football Culture: Jayden Daniels is pushing back hard after LSU issued his retired No. 5 to sophomore DJ Pickett, sparking a jersey-retirement rules debate. Entertainment Buzz: Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” keeps climbing—after Matthew McConaughey covered it on The Tonight Show, Langley joked she “may never recover.” Arts Spotlight: Orange Beach is hiring a director for the Coastal Arts Center, overseeing events, grants, and the city’s nationally recognized art festival. Local Business: Cullman approved a $58M shopping center plan, The Shoppes at Heritage Park, targeting 15–20 new businesses. Sports Watch: Ole Miss WR Deuce Alexander landed on The Athletic’s “freak athletes” list after topping 23 mph. Public Health: Vibrio vulnificus cases are spiking across the Gulf Coast, including Alabama reports and at least one death.

College Football Buzz: Former Alabama QB Greg McElroy’s preseason top 10 puts Georgia as his top SEC team at No. 5, with Alabama at No. 13 in the SEC pack. Preseason Rankings: CBS Sports’ ladder has Florida surging 49 spots to No. 22, while Alabama lands among the SEC’s top 15. Public Health Watch: Alabama cyclosporiasis cases top 100, with most infections in North Alabama and links to a Mexican restaurant chain. Local Tragedy: Family members remember Alabama A&M student Ta’Lyjah Vontrelle Moore, killed in a Huntsville-area gas station shooting; two men face reckless murder charges. Food & Community: Oak Mountain State Park’s Field to Future program brings students outdoors for environmental and STEM learning. Music & Books: John Green’s Salt Lake City stop on his tour adds Brandon Sanderson as a special guest. Sports & Talent: North DeSoto TE Miller Warren commits to Northwestern State, teaming up with a longtime friend already on the roster. Foodie News: Sister Schubert’s Sausage Wrap Rolls are returning to Publix after a five-year absence.

High School Football Buzz: Jackson ranks No. 2 in the ASWA preseason poll, while Central High’s Lady Red Devils enter the season with a massive winning streak and a No. 1 national preseason spot from USA Today. Local Sports Spotlight: Mary G. Montgomery cancels its Aug. 21 televised opener after Saraland, with the program still dealing with recent AHSAA recruiting violations and a coaching shakeup. Pro Wrestling in Alabama: TikTok comedian Matt Mathews lands a guest appearance on WWE Raw in Birmingham on Sept. 7. Community Food & Local Flavor: Sweet Grown Alabama’s 6th annual Farm to Table Dinner is set for Aug. 13, spotlighting Alabama farmers and fishermen. Alabama Business & Jobs: 2A USA announces a $32 million Auburn expansion creating 50 jobs. Tech & Growth Watch: Brookwood advances plans for a second major data center after a planning commission recommendation. Driving Prep Deal: DriveTestIQ.com opens all 657 written test questions free across 35 states through mid-September. Sports Media: Ravens camp Day 11 focuses on tight ends as Baltimore works to stay healthy.

Huntsville Arts & Community: Mayor Tommy Battle married Broadway veteran Jo Lynn Burks in a private ceremony, adding another spotlight to the city’s growing arts scene. Youth Sports Spotlight: Phenix City 12U Little League is headed to the Southeast Regional championship after a rain-delayed run, with a win sending the team to the Little League World Series in Williamsport. Local Sports Schedule Buzz: Ole Miss and Mississippi State’s 2026-27 women’s basketball SEC slate is set, with Ole Miss playing Alabama twice and a Feb. 7 matchup in Starkville. Music & Pop Culture: Alabama country star Riley Green says Luke Grimes helped kickstart his acting career, landing him a role on CBS’s “Marshals.” Entertainment & Food: Einstein Bros. Bagels opened its fifth Birmingham-area location, keeping the breakfast-and-coffee momentum rolling for local fans. Tech/Local Watch: Somerville’s Bitcoin mining plans are moving forward with utility work despite a county moratorium.

Movie Review: “The Rivals of Amziah King” brings Matthew McConaughey back as a honey producer in a Southern, music-heavy mess of genres—heist, revenge, coming-of-age, and Tarantino-style bite—without fully landing its mix. Local Health: Crestwood Medical Center in Alabama is among six state hospitals reporting a zero MRSA infection rate, per Becker’s Hospital Review data. Music & Live Events: Comedian Nate Bargatze is coming to Neville Arena in Auburn on Oct. 16, with tickets rolling out Aug. 12–14. Sports Business: A new look at SEC endowments shows Alabama sits near the bottom of the league’s wealth rankings, highlighting the financial gap behind college sports’ arms race. Community & Education: Gulf Shores opened a new $137 million high school campus with robotics, a broadcast/recording studio, and a theater—students start Aug. 12. True Crime/Local Courts: A Clay County Alabama man’s “dead” IRS status story shows how federal mistakes can freeze accounts and derail life fast.

NFL & Alabama ties: The Seattle Seahawks hosted former Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold for a tryout even as he faces felony kidnapping and armed robbery charges in Florida, with coach Mike Macdonald saying the team is doing “due diligence” while working through the situation. Pop culture: Travis Barker sat down on the New York Times Podcast to discuss surviving a deadly plane crash, plus his family life and a new Hulu documentary, “Louder Than Fear,” arriving Aug. 13. Local sports media: WTVY News4 is expanding its “Friday Night Football” coverage for 2026, adding a live Game of the Week broadcast and streaming through its app and website. College sports policy: A federal college sports bill aimed at regulating NIL hit pushback in the Senate, with Utah’s attorney general warning it could override state rules on transgender athletes. Alabama community news: Congressman Dale Strong’s office says the Owens Cross Roads post office project is still moving, but with a new site being pursued after a prior location fell through. WWE: Chelsea Green shared her “green light” marketing strategy for carrying her titles everywhere, even as she recovers from an orbital bone injury.

Arts & Culture: Edinburgh International Festival director and famed violinist Nicola Benedetti talks about the power of art and how the festival’s postwar roots keep evolving. Tech & Travel: States are rolling out digital driver’s licenses and passports in Apple Wallet/Google Wallet/Samsung Wallet to speed airport TSA checkpoints. Music: Alabama native Whitmer Thomas drops “Terminal Crew Of Dudes,” with an HBO special premiering 8/14 and a live album on Fire Talk the same day. Sports (Local + National): Alabama fall camp observations highlight QB/WR rotation and a new look at the RB room; meanwhile, the Commanders face a major OL hit as Laremy Tunsil needs surgery. Food Safety: Taylor Farms recalls jalapeño products tied to salmonella concerns sold across multiple states, including Alabama. Community & Lifestyle: Heart Stompers bring dance, sisterhood, and service to the Gulf Coast. Business/Entertainment: Sports Illustrated Resorts lands a $10.9M permit for its Tuscaloosa project slated to open in 2028. Local Sports: Guntersville pickleball players push for more court upgrades after complaints at city council.

Alabama Fall Camp Buzz: Tuscaloosa is officially in football mode as Alabama wrapped up its 4th fall camp practice inside Bryant-Denny, with fresh looks at freshman RB EJ Crowell and the QB competition between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. Local Sports Spotlight: Phenix City’s Little League team is battling Chaires-Capitola from Florida in the Southeast regional, chasing a spot in the Little League World Series. West Alabama Careers: WOW 2026 (Worlds of Work) returns Oct. 14-15 at Shelton State’s Martin Campus, with registration open for sponsors and exhibitors and a hands-on career experience for 4,000+ students. NFL With Alabama Ties: The Seahawks reportedly hosted former Alabama CB Terrion Arnold for a visit as he works through legal proceedings. Pro Football Roster Moves: Green Bay claimed LSU WR-speed prospect Chris Hilton Jr. off waivers and added another receiver look as preseason nears. Community News: Deputies helped wrangle a 1,500-pound bull that escaped into a Pickens County neighborhood near Pickens Academy. Entertainment/Pop Culture: A “nepo baby” roundup is making the rounds again, spotlighting the latest Gen Z celebrity heirs chasing Hollywood breaks.

Alabama Football: The Crimson Tide kicked off fall camp with Media Day coverage, spotlighting the QB battle between Austin Mack (“Human Playbook”) and Keelon Russell, plus pass-catchers weighing in on what each signal-caller brings as the season opener vs. East Carolina approaches. Little League (Alabama): Phenix City, Alabama kept its Southeast Regional run alive in the LLWS path, facing Chaires-Capitola in a must-win matchup for a spot in the regional championship. Music & Culture: Rita Moreno returned to the Drum Corps International World Championships in Birmingham as a longtime fan and host, bringing star power to marching music’s biggest stage. Sports Business: Alabama regulators moved toward lowering gas utility profits for the first time in 40 years, with hearings tied to Spire Alabama/Gulf rate-of-return disputes. Entertainment Spotlight: Sierra Ferrell’s Heavy Petal Tour stop in Los Angeles highlighted her songwriting evolution and live-show momentum. History & Representation: A profile celebrated Oscar Stanton De Priest, the first Black person elected to Congress in the 20th century, with roots traced back to Florence, Alabama.

Alabama Football: At Alabama’s media day, players leaned into the “disrespect” narrative as the Tide open Sept. 5 vs. East Carolina, with Ivan Taylor and others saying the doubt will fuel them on the field. NFL Draft Talk: Crimson Tide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams addressed the drops that have followed him, framing 2026 as his chance to prove he can make the impact plays scouts want. Defense Spotlight: Second-year DB Ivan Taylor is positioning himself as a breakout name after a grindy offseason and special-teams reps in 2025. Local Sports News: UTA’s Lady Movin’ Mavs named John McPhail head coach, promoting from volunteer assistant after Morgan Wood stepped down. Arts & Culture: Royal Street’s Dirty Linen Night brought galleries and shops to life with a full-on French Quarter arts vibe. Business in Alabama: Executives at the Business Council of Alabama conference discussed what brought major companies to the state, including Eli Lilly’s Huntsville expansion. Golf: Samford senior Gabi Nicastro reached the U.S. Women’s Amateur semifinals after winning Alabama’s event. Community Support: Not One More Alabama hosted a Huntsville walk to connect families with addiction recovery resources.

Alabama Football: Alabama Sports Marketing just dropped its 2026 Champions Lane pregame concert lineup—free shows outside Bryant-Denny before seven home games, kicking off Sept. 5 with the M-80s and featuring Parmalee, Congress The Band, Justin Moore, and more. Local Arts & Access: Pyramid Studios in Alabama is staging “Radio Underground!,” an original jukebox musical built with students at its nonprofit arts program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Music Spotlight: Yo-Yo Ma brings reflections on America to audiences through his “We The People” project at Tanglewood, blending concerts and conversations around the country’s big questions. Sports on the Ground: Gadsden City QB Sam Sollie made his Auburn commitment official in a hometown ceremony. Community Events: Marshall is rolling out a “temporary” pickleball setup with portable nets at Legion Park to keep games going while courts get used for more than one sport. Baseball at the Movies: MLB is returning to the Field of Dreams site in Iowa with Phillies vs. Twins, continuing the event’s big-screen legacy.

Alabama Football Buzz: Todd McShay’s SEC pass-rush rankings put Alabama LB Yhonzae Pierre at No. 3, fueling preseason hype for a defense that’s also adding size up front. NFL Injury Update: Broncos coach Sean Payton says Jaylen Waddle’s “strain” should sideline him only 4–5 days. College Sports Policy: The Protect College Sports Act appears to be stalled again as lawmakers miss the Senate clock, keeping the NIL/eligibility fight in the headlines. Music & Culture: Birmingham’s Alabama A&M student Jordan Todd danced onstage with Usher during two local shows. Local Arts/Design: A Mountain Brook home leans into maximalist color and pattern, including an Yves Klein-blue moment, as part of a broader Alabama design spotlight. Community & Events: The 127 Yard Sale keeps DeKalb County’s tourism rolling through Sunday. Food Safety: Salmonella and cyclosporiasis outbreaks tied to jalapeños and lettuce are expanding—health officials urge shoppers to check recalls. Sports Spotlight: Samuel Ogazi’s Commonwealth Games 400m win lands as a record-setting sports story with Alabama readers in mind.