Leigh Garner, CBS 42

Leigh Garner

CBS 42

Contact Leigh

Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.

Start free trial

Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • CBS 42
  • WRBL News 3

Past articles by Leigh:

Wives of first responders raise money in honor of Megan Montgomery

HOMEWOOD, Ala. (WIAT) – Megan Montgomery was married to a police officer, Jason McIntosh, in February 2018. A little more than a year later, police were called to the couple’s home because of a domestic incident. According to investigators, Megan had been shot in the arm. A few days later, she filed a Protection From […] → Read More

WATCH: Aniah Blanchard’s mother issues warning to parents at candlelight vigil

HOMEWOOD, Ala. (WIAT) – The Summit Media family hosted a candlelight vigil, Tuesday, in honor of Aniah Blanchard. The 19-year-old has been missing since October 24th. Multiple authorities have said that they believe they found Blanchard’s remains in a wooded, rural part of Macon County on Monday. The results of any forensic testing to formally […] → Read More

Firefighters hosting shave-a-thon to help children battling cancer

MOUNTAIN BROOK, Ala. (WIAT) – Twelve years ago, the Mountain Brook Fire Department rallied around one of their own who had just gotten some bad news. His 12-year-old son, Logan Whitehead, had been diagnosed with leukemia. “We knew he was going to have to fight that battle,” said Lt. Eric Meyer. “We were going to […] → Read More

ADEM holds public hearing regarding Tyson Foods plant pollution

BLOUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WIAT) — The Friends of Locust Fork River rallied ahead of an Alabama Department of Environmental Management public hearing, Tuesday. Since June, they’ve been working to convince ADEM to issue a stricter pollution permit to the Blountsville Tyson Food plant. “They’ve been allowed to get away with putting way too much pollution […] → Read More

Woman thanks ‘angels in uniform’ on anniversary of car crash

PELHAM, Ala. (WIAT) – Cindy Brayman is a walking, talking miracle. She describes herself as a woman of faith. She says that she is blessed. If you’ve seen the way her Honda looked in the moments after it sped off of a ravine on I-65 Southbound last year, you would probably agree. On Nov. 9, […] → Read More

Community remembers ‘The Famous Bartender’ Kim Walker

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) – What brings all you hooligans in here? That’s something Kim Walker would say. Life ain’t that d*mn difficult. That’s another one. The 63-year-old bartender was a staple of the Five Points community. He had been at the Upside Down Plaza for over 20 years. “It was heart-wrenching,” said Robin Veal, co-owner […] → Read More

Southern Ghost Girls investigate the paranormal

DECATUR, Ala. (WIAT) — The Southern Ghost Girls are easily recognizable. They are a team of six female paranormal investigators, decked out in long dresses, elaborate hats, and glitzy jewelry. They’ve gained a social media following, traveling across the Southeast and investigating notorious haunts. Founder and owner, Lesley Hyde said she had known from a […] → Read More

NCAA votes to let college players benefit from their image, likeness, and name

BESSEMER, Ala. (WIAT) – A little less than a month after California passed it’s Fair Pay to Play Act, the NCAA’s top governing board voted unanimously to allow student athletes the opportunity to benefit from the use of name, imagine, and likeness. “We must embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes,” […] → Read More

Riverchase Galleria announces new hours for Thanksgiving, Black Friday

HOOVER, AL (WIAT) — The Riverchase Galleria in Hoover is announcing new hours for Thanksgiving and Black Friday this year. The mall will be closing significantly earlier on Thanksgiving night. “Just to address it out front, we’ve just taken a historic view of activity Thanksgiving night after 9 p.m. and worked in conjunction, as we […] → Read More

Road closures for Magic City Classic, 59-20 construction hits a milestone

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) – We’ve hit a major milestone on the I-59/20 bridge project: the end is in sight. According to ALDOT, they have completed installing all of the segments–2,316 of them–for the mainline bridges. “We’re focusing our attention on phase three,” explained DeJarvis Leonard, East Central Region Engineer with ALDOT, “which is the replacement […] → Read More

Malcolm Gladwell talks about his new book’s connection to UAB

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) – Famed author and social scientist Malcolm Gladwell’s new book has an interesting connection to UAB. Gladwell came to campus Wednesday to speak about “Talking to Strangers” which addresses how people make sense of strangers and the way those interpretations can have a lasting impact. “I was looking for a series of […] → Read More

Sheriff talks law enforcement plans for Fairfield amid takeover

FAIRFIELD, Ala. (WIAT) – Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway hosted a public safety town hall, Monday evening, to give Fairfield residents the opportunity to ask questions about law enforcement in their community. Jefferson County Sheriff deputies are now being contracted out to the cash-strapped city. According to the sheriff, there will be eight deputies working […] → Read More

Body located at Smith Lake near where Kelsey Starling went missing July 4

WALKER COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — Officials report a body has been located on Smith Lake near where Kelsey Starling went missing. Kelsey Starling, 26, disappeared on July 4, 2019, after a boating accident on the lake. The news comes three months after multiple searches to find Starling who went missing during a July 4 boating […] → Read More

Elizabeth Smart talks about her kidnapping and the nonprofit that brought her to Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) – Elizabeth Smart was the keynote speaker, Thursday evening, at On River Time’s fundraising event, Casting Hope. On River Time is a nonprofit, dedicated to ministering to the child survivors of neglect and abuse. “When you think about trying to reconcile and put bags down–your past? She’s probably the best person to […] → Read More

Councilor to recommend increased funding for Magic City Classic teams

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) – Councilor William Parker told CBS 42 that he plans to put forth a resolution on Tuesday to increase funding for both schools that traditionally participate in the Magic City Classic at Legion Field. “The goal is to make sure Alabama State and Alabama A&M by 2022 will each receive $1 million […] → Read More

Alabama’s largest charter school breaks ground in Woodlawn

BIRMINGHAM, Ala (WIAT) — By this time next year, kindergarten through 5th-grade students will be able to attend classes at i3 Academy, a 41,000 square foot charter school in the Woodlawn community. Portions of the charter school will look familiar. While there is brand new construction underway, the school will partially be housed in–what was–the […] → Read More

Chow time! Birmingham Restaurant Week kicks off

BIRMINGHAM, Ala (WIAT) – Hope you’re hungry, Birmingham. Mark your calendar and work up an appetite: Birmingham Restaurant Week kicks off August 16th through August 25th. “We have about 60 restaurants participating, and offering every kind type of deal from $5 to $50, ” said Audrey Pannell, an organizer with Birmingham Restaurant Week. Clifton Holt, […] → Read More

Woman survives night in ravine after crash on Anniston Eastern Bypass

CALHOUN COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) – Ashley Johnson is recovering after spending a harrowing night in a ravine off of the Anniston Eastern Bypass. Her rescue shut down traffic on the northbound lanes from Chocolocco Road to Iron Mountain Road as first responders pulled Johnson from her vehicle and airlifted her to UAB Hospital. Her family […] → Read More

First Look: Inside Museum of Art’s life-size Barbie Dream House

BIRMINGHAM, Ala (WIAT) — On the fashionable heels of her 60th birthday, the Birmingham Museum of Art has decided to honor an icon: Barbara Millicent Roberts, known to many as Barbie. “We wanted to think about Barbie’s legacy and how her figure and form and her status as an icon has been interpreted by artists,” […] → Read More

Murder charges dropped: Tuscaloosa man goes free after 4 years

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WIAT) – Shadrell Matthews spent his Friday afternoon tending to his grandmother’s lawn. It’s a far cry from where he could have been–still in jail, awaiting the start of his murder trial set for Monday. “I wanted to start laughing, crying in the courtroom, but I had to maintain my composure,” Matthews told […] → Read More