Cullman authorities hold news conference ahead of Rock the South

Yahoo13-06-2025

CULLMAN COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — Members of the Cullman Police Department, Cullman County Sheriff's Office and Cullman County District Attorney's Office are holding a news conference ahead of next week's Rock the South festival.
The news conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. and can be seen in the video player above.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Iranian Trump Supporter Detained By ICE, Wife Shocked

Buzz Feed

3 days ago

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.

Law enforcement preparing with less than a week until Rock the South

Yahoo

14-06-2025

Yahoo

Law enforcement preparing with less than a week until Rock the South

CULLMAN, Ala. (WIAT) – The annual country music festival, Rock the South, is less than a week away. As thousands of people get ready to attend the event, local law enforcement agencies want to bring safety to the front of everyone's mind. Headliners like Hank Williams Jr., Kid Rock and Nickelback will draw a large crowd to Cullman County. Cullman Police estimate between 12 and 13 thousand people will be at the event each night. With that many people in one area, it can be easy for things to get rowdy quickly. 'What happens in an event like that is everybody is shoulder to shoulder, right next to each other, and all it takes is an intoxicated person pushing, hitting, elbowing, doing something inappropriate to a lady, and then there's a fight,' said Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry. Two years, a fight broke out that sent one man to the hospital and put three more behind bars. 'I think everybody saw the footage, of course it made the news, and hopefully it was a wake-up call,' Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker said. 'A wake-up call that you just shouldn't act that way and a wake-up call that there can be consequences if you do.' Concerts coming to Birmingham area in June According to the Cullman County Sheriff's Office, at least 250 law enforcement officers from sheriff's deputies to police officers to state troopers will be patrolling Rock the South. 'Main thing I want to tell people is you're in the county. So, we have people from all 50 states and other countries that come here, and they think because it's a venue inside that can sell alcohol that they can do things outside, well that's not correct. The outside is dry. A lot of people have never been part of that, so we try to educate them,' Gentry said. 'We're not going to put up with nonsense. When you're outside that venue, if you're going to be a knucklehead, then we're going to deal with you. We will have a mobile jail on site, so if you're going to be doing knucklehead things, you know, aggravating the neighbors in the area. If you think it's ok to go and urinate around their house or just cause problems, then we're going to put you in that mobile jail and that's where you'll be, so you won't get to attend the concert.' Cullman Police Chief Joey Duncan says most of the calls during Rock the South are dehydration and medical related. He encourages everyone to drink water before and during the event and to take advantage of the water stations around the venue. 'If an individual becomes highly intoxicated or displays disruptive behavior, they're going to be escorted outside the event. They're not getting a refund, and they're probably going to face criminal charges,' said Duncan. 'We need everybody to act like an adult.' Rock the South is June 19-21. The sheriff's office says traffic information will be released next week. You can find ticket information, the lineup and more at the link here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Yahoo

13-06-2025

Yahoo