Jefferson County Sheriff's Office unveils initiative to spread autism awareness
Poarch Creek Indians complete purchase of Birmingham Race Course Casino
In an effort to spread awareness about autism, JCSO will provide car decals for free. The mission is to alert emergency responders that there is a person with autism in the home or vehicle.
'The decals enable our deputies to draw on their autism training and understand that there isa person in the home or car that may not speak, respond to or comply with verbalcommands, may hide, or wander off, or may have no awareness of danger,' Sheriff Mark Pettwaysaid. 'The Sheriff's Office is providing these decals to anyone who wants to place themnear the front door of their home or in the rear window of their car so that law enforcementofficers can be aware there is an occupant with autism.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
25-07-2025
- Miami Herald
7-year-old boy attacked and killed by pack of nine dogs, Alabama cops say
Nine dogs have been euthanized in connection with the killing of a 7-year-old boy in Alabama, according to investigators. The pack included multiple breeds, some weighing up to 60 pounds, and their remains are being sent for 'testing as part of the investigation,' the Chilton County Sheriff's Office said in a news release posted to Facebook. Investigators say the boy was attacked around 6 p.m. July 22 as he rode a four-wheeler, and his grandmother was bitten trying to save him. Details of her injuries were not released. 'The owner of the dogs is cooperating fully,' the sheriff's office said. 'These animals were not stray dogs; they belonged to a local resident and were kept on private property prior to the incident.' The attack happened on a sparsely populated dirt road near Calera, about a 35-mile drive south from Birmingham, officials say. The boy has been identified as Noah Burnett by WBRC, which reports his grandmother was hospitalized with multiple bites but is expected to recover. A fundraiser for the boy's parents says he was 'the life of the party, and he was always dirty; he loved being outside and playing in the dirt.' 'Our hearts are broken for the child and the family affected by this unimaginable loss,' Chilton County Sheriff John Shearon said in the news release. 'We are fully committed to a thorough investigation to determine how this tragedy occurred.' The owner of the dogs lives on the same property as the child's family, WIAT reports. The dogs 'humanely euthanized' as part of the investigation: 6-month-old male shepherd mix, 34.2 pounds6-month-old male pit bull terrier mix, 31.5 pounds6-month-old male shepherd mix, 26.4 pounds1½-year-old female lab mix, 24.6 pounds2-year-old male hound mix, 36.4 pounds6-month-old female lab mix, 28.4 pounds6-month-old female pit bull terrier mix, 23.6 pounds3-year-old female pit bull terrier/Akita mix, 60.2 pounds2½-year-old male shepherd mix, 48.4 pounds
Buzz Feed
26-06-2025
- Buzz Feed
Iranian Trump Supporter Detained By ICE, Wife Shocked
An Alabama woman married to an Iranian immigrant says her family regrets supporting President Donald Trump and his aggressive immigration policies after ICE detained her husband over the weekend as part of a recent round-up of Iranian nationals. 'We believed in his [Trump's] immigration policies and were completely blindsided and truly believed that only criminals were being detained,' Morgan Gardner told Newsweek. Gardner's husband, Ribvar Karimi, was one of 11 Iranian nationals arrested Sunday and taken into the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security claimed the arrests reflect its 'commitment to keeping known and suspected terrorists out of American communities.' DHS has painted Karimi as a threat to national security, saying he served as a sniper in the Iranian army from 2018 to 2021 and had an Islamic Republic of Iran army identification card. Military service is compulsory in Iran for all men aged 18–49. Draft evaders face prosecution and may lose their social benefits and civil rights, including employment, education, and the ability to leave the country. Deserters face imprisonment. 'We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out—and we are. We don't wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump's mandate to secure the homeland,' DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. Gardner told CBS affiliate WIAT that her husband 'never fought any American forces or our allies,' and said 'he actually fought ISIS himself and was captured at one point' during his service. According to the couple's wedding website, they first met online playing the video game Call of Duty: Mobile. 'He brought happiness back to me, and taught me what it is like to be loved correctly,' Gardner wrote on the site. 'He encouraged me, and still encourages me each and every day. He sees the best in me, and never has given up, despite how difficult I can be sometimes.' Gardner's cousin Cyndi Edwards wrote in a GoFundMe set up to offset legal fees that the couple spent years 'meeting in Turkey while navigating the complex immigration process.' 'Ribvar quickly became a beloved member of Morgan's rural Alabama community, supporting her family and friends, and caring for Morgan's father during a health crisis,' Edwards wrote. 'Most importantly, Ribvar helped Morgan find her self-worth and guided her toward a healthier, happier life.' DHS said Karimi entered the US legally in October 2024 under a K-1 marriage visa reserved for people engaged to American citizens. However, he never adjusted his status, which is a legal requirement, and not doing so can trigger a removal order. Gardner told WIAT that her attorney said previous administrations would not have let her husband be taken away and that he should have been protected because he is married to a US citizen. She added that she and Karimi put his green card application on hold after she found out she was pregnant and had pregnancy complications. 'I understand that they've got a job to do, immigration, but I just feel like he was specifically targeted because of what's going on where he's from, his home country,' Gardner told WIAT. Gardner is seven months pregnant, but remains hopeful that her husband will be with her when she gives birth. 'My heart is broken,' Gardner told the outlet. 'Our baby shower is going to be next weekend, and he's not going to be at home to go to that with me.' Giving birth alone is not Gardner's only fear. She told Newsweek that Karimi's family worries that if he were to be deported back to Iran, the government would kill him due to his open support for the US and opposition to the Iranian regime. 'My husband himself, even being from Iran, supported Trump, his immigration policies, and understood he was trying to protect the American people and was praying he helped free the Iranian people,' Gardner told Newsweek. While Morgan told the outlet she did not vote in the previous presidential election, her family has supported Trump in the past and now feels betrayed. 'Everyone feels like a fool and regrets the decision. I personally didn't vote in the last election, and neither did my parents. At this point, I believe there are bad people on the left and the right,' Gardner said.
New York Post
26-06-2025
- New York Post
Amber Alert issued for missing Idaho teens, mom believes FLDS members took them after she escaped church
Idaho officials have issued an Amber Alert for two missing teens who may be heading to Utah over their 'religious beliefs,' according to authorities and local reports. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office believes Allen Larand Fischer, 13, and Rachelle Leray Fischer, 15, both members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), left their Monteview, Idaho, home and returned to Trenton, Utah, where they previously lived, around June 22. Their older sister, Elintra Dee Fischer, 18, was reported missing on Jan. 1, 2023. The Sheriff's Office believes the children 'willingly left to return to Trenton, Utah due to religious beliefs.' Advertisement 4 An Amber Alert was issued for Rachael Leray Fischer. Jefferson County Idaho Sheriff's Office 4 Allen Larand Fischer is missing. Jefferson County Idaho Sheriff's Office On Tuesday, the sheriff's office said that through the course of its investigation, 'detectives have been unable to find concrete evidence regarding a vehicle Rachelle and Allen Fischer may have left in.' 'We have confirmed that the vehicle that was initially reported as being involved has not traveled to Idaho during the time that Rachelle and Allen went missing,' the sheriff's office said in a Tuesday Facebook post. 'Detectives have narrowed down the time frame that the children went missing to [Sunday, June 22] between the hours of 6 [p.m.] and 8 p.m.' Advertisement The sheriff's office said it was 'unsure' at this point 'if they have left the immediate area or are still close by.' 4 An Amber Alert was issued for Allen Larand Fischer. Jefferson County Idaho Sheriff's Office The children's mother, Elizabeth Roundy, spoke with FOX 13 Salt Lake City and said she used to be a plural wife, or in a polyamorous marriage, and left the FLDS church in 2020. Advertisement 'They consider me to be an apostate now,' she told the outlet. 'I was sent away to repent, and I came back for my children, and I had to go through the courts to get them back.' Court documents obtained by FOX 13 show Roudy was awarded custody of Allen, Rachelle and Elintra, her three youngest children. 4 Mother claims children disappeared after religious brainwashing as Amber Alert issued. Jefferson County Idaho Sheriff's Office Advertisement Authorities believe Elintra may be taking her two siblings back to Utah, but that information has not been confirmed, according to FOX 13. 'They've just been brainwashed and turned against me,' Roundy told the outlet. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information about the missing juveniles to contact their dispatch center at 208-745-9210 option 7.
