Malique Rankin
firstcoastnews.com
Tampa, FL, United States
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Past articles by Malique:
Father, lawyer of Tyre Sampson address 'accidental death' autopsy report
On March 24, 14-year-old Tyre Sampson fell to his death while riding an amusement park ride in Orlando. → Read More
Gas prices at, near record prices heading into Memorial Day weekend
Florida recorded its highest ever average gas price on Thursday at $4.58 a gallon. → Read More
Sheriff Judd: Disney employees, retired judge among arrested in undercover investigation
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd discussed 100 arrests made in "Operation March Sadness 2," an undercover operation focusing on human trafficking and child predators. → Read More
Florida lawmakers pass bill to create approval process for books
HB 1467 creates an approval process for all school literature, allowing books to be banned on a district level. → Read More
Law enforcement concludes Friday search for Brian Laundrie at Carlton Reserve
Laundrie is a person of interest in a criminal investigation, led by the FBI. The area being searched, nearly 25, 000 acres large. It's swampy and thickly wooded. → Read More
One year later: Birmingham riots, confederate monument removed from Linn Park
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — June 1 marks one year since the city of Birmingham removed a confederate monument at Linn Park. The removal spanned overnight and happened just a day after peaceful protests turned into riots in downtown Birmingham. It took riots for city officials to step up and decide to remove the monument. The […] → Read More
Birmingham area family returns from graduation to find home on fire
GRAYSON VALLEY, Ala. (WIAT) — Center Point Fire Chief Gene Coleman said a home in the Grayson Valley community has been significantly damaged following a house fire on Creely Drive. Dispatch received a call at 10:05 a.m. on Tuesday morning from a UPS driver in the area. Firefighters quickly contained the fire and there were […] → Read More
Fatal drug overdoses up 31% in Alabama, report says
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — According to a recent study in Quotewizard, Alabama has seen an increase in fatal drug overdoses by 31.3%. In 2019, 719 people died of an overdose in Alabama. In 2020, that number rose to 944. Fatal overdoses are not a unique problem to Alabama, but, the state is doing worse than […] → Read More
Concerns over new CDC guidelines: Does maskless mean vaccinated?
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — For the new CDC guidelines to work, people have to follow them and trust that others will do the same. Under the new guidelines, fully vaccinated people can shed their masks indoors and outdoors. Many Americans have not followed guidelines since the pandemic began. Now, many are left to wonder if […] → Read More
Managers hopeful end of pandemic unemployment funding will help labor shortage
MOUNTAIN BROOK, Ala. (WIAT) — Alabamians receiving unemployment may see their checks stop coming in, or the dollar amount drop. On Monday, Governor Kay Ivey announced the state will no longer participate in any of the federal pandemic unemployment programs, effective June 19. Local restaurants are hopeful this move will encourage people to get back […] → Read More
Criminal investigation into oil spill underway in Northport
NORTHPORT, Ala. (WIAT) — The city of Northport confirms a federal investigation is underway regarding an oil spill in Tuscaloosa County. The spill, which is located near Burgess Truck and Equipment Repair, launched an investigation after neighbors began complaining about the incident. Clean-up for the oil spill is now underway. “I was told it won’t […] → Read More
Voices of Black Mothers United announce ‘bad policing’ hotline
April 18 through April 24 is National Victims' Rights Week. In recognition of the week, the Voices of Black Mothers United hosted its inaugural Focus on Victims Forum in Birmingham. → Read More
‘I’m not gonna see my baby anymore’: Family of Desmon Ray demanding answers in police shooting
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The family of Desmon Ray Jr. is demanding answers after an officer-involved shooting resulted in Ray’s death. The 28-year-old died on Easter Sunday after celebrating the holiday with family. Ray’s family tells CBS 42 they have no idea what happened the night their son died and are asking law enforcement to […] → Read More
Highland Lakes neighborhoods face long recovery from tornado damage
SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — Highland Lakes continues to recover after deadly tornados devastated Alabama nearly two weeks ago. Dozens of homes were damaged, some deemed a total loss. One house had the second story ripped off when the storms rolled through. Residents and contractors said it will be months before the clean-up is complete. […] → Read More
Water levels on Smith Lake expected to rise as severe weather approaches
CULLMAN, Ala. (WIAT) — With the severe weather expected this week, it’s not just tornados and straight-line winds that are concerning. For those living along Lewis Smith Lake, the rainfall is already doing damage. The owner of Trident Marina, Jeff Tolbert, said he and his crew have to watch the water levels here on Smith […] → Read More
Restaurant workers share relief over COVID vaccine eligibility expansion
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — This month, more people in Alabama will be able to get their COVID-19 vaccines. On March 22, vaccine eligibility will be expanded to include people over 55, those with high risk medical conditions, additional critical workers, and veterans of any age. The expansion nearly doubles the number of people able to […] → Read More
Alabama ranked 2nd most dangerous state for pedestrians
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Alabama ranks second in the nation for most dangerous walkways, according to a new study conducted by Smart Growth America. Coming just behind Florida, over 900 pedestrians have been killed from 2010-2019 in Alabama. The past four years show an increase in fatalities across the country. The Birmingham metro area ranked […] → Read More
Mt. Olive couple loses home, dogs in devastating fire
MT. OLIVE, Ala. (WIAT) — A family in Mt. Olive lost everything to a house fire on Friday, March 5. It was Dwayne Rickard’s birthday, when he got a call from a neighbor that his home was in flames. The home is a total loss, as well as the couple’s camper that was parked just […] → Read More
Anti-union Amazon workers share concerns over upcoming vote
BESSEMER, Ala. (WIAT) — Amazon employees in Bessemer have less than four weeks to cast their vote for or against a union. The Bessemer fulfillment center is in the national spotlight as 5,800 employees could vote on a landmark decision with one of the nation’s largest employers. On Wednesday, workers that want to see the […] → Read More
Birmingham man released from prison after 37 years: “There are hundreds of thousands of guys in there just like me, who just need opportunity”
A Birmingham man sentenced to life without parole is using his newfound freedom for criminal justice reform. Ron McKeithen was in prison for 37 years, his was released from the Donaldson Correctional Facility on December 16, 2020. → Read More