Governor Ivey Proclaims Will Roberts Day in Honor of His Bravery and Inspiration to be Strong, Keep Hope and Have Faith
MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday issued a proclamation in honor of William “Will” Roberts, son of ALEA SBI Captain Jason Roberts and his wife Brittney. At just 15 years old, Will passed away on Thursday, July 23, following a long and courageous battle with stage 4 bone cancer. The proclamation recognizes Will’s life and establishes August 1, 2026, as Will Roberts Day in the state of Alabama.
“Alabama is remembering Will as a brave young man whose courage inspired us all,” said Governor Ivey. “God has called him home, where he is healed and with our Savior. I am proud to honor his life well-lived by officially proclaiming Will Roberts Day in the state of Alabama. He inspired me, and he inspired us all.”
For over a year and a half, Will bravely fought osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. His online call for help provided him access to experimental treatment and garnered widespread public attention from thousands of strangers across the nation, including the Trump Administration. Many offered their support through generous donations, which helped cover the cost of his extensive experimental treatment in California.
Will was a light to everyone around him. Despite his difficult journey, he could always find a reason to smile or encourage someone else. His journey united many in prayer, faith and community. He exemplified true bravery in the midst of suffering, and his life is a testament to every child in the state of Alabama and the nation who has battled cancer.
Will’s passing occurred in the early morning hours of his mother’s birthday, and according to her, he “is finally ringing his forever cancer-free bell.” His life was an inspiration to thousands, and his legacy will be remembered.
Will’s funeral will take place this Saturday, August 1, 2026.
(DOTHAN, Ala.) On July 29, 2026, the Dothan Police Department was notified that a suspect wanted for Kidnapping of a Minor and Probation Revocation charges from Orlando, FL was possibly in the Dothan area. Orlando Police Investigators also relayed that there was an emergency pick-up order for a child under 10 years old out of Orange County, Florida that was currently with the suspect. The suspect was identified as Jenay Dominique Burns (38). Florida authorities used License Plate Readers (LPR) to confirm the vehicle was near the Dothan area.
Investigators with Dothan Police Department and Houston County Sheriff’s Office assigned to the United States Marshal Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force immediately began following leads and utilizing all available technology in order to assist in locating Burns and the child.
With the description of the vehicle and photos from the LPRs, Dothan Police Drone Operators utilized drones to locate the vehicle on West Main Street. The vehicle was described as a red Nissan Rogue with a Florida Tag.
Based on that information, investigators were able to locate and stop the vehicle near the intersection of U.S. 231 South and Highway 109 just south of Dothan. Burns was taken into custody without incident. Burns was transported to the Houston County Jail to await extradition back to Florida. The missing child was found in the vehicle and taken into the custody of the Department of Human Resources. DHR will facilitate the return of the child to family members in Florida.
The Dothan Police Department would like to thank the Houston County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshal Service for their assistance in getting Burns into custody and starting a path to reuniting this child with her family in Florida. This case was a great example of how layers of technology, good police work, and interagency cooperation can help lead to successful resolutions of potentially dangerous situations.
OZARK: This morning Bill Sullivan of Holman Funeral Home in Ozark and JOhn Cawley of Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home in Ozark held a joint press conference.
Each funeral home has had the cots which are used for body removals stolen from the funeral homes. Stolen from the vans used for institution calls such as hospitals.
Ozark Police Department and Dale County Sheriff Department are working the thefts and the persons responsible for stealing the cots.
Anyone with information are urged to contact Ozark Police, Dale County Sheriff Department or either funeral home. THEY HAVE VIDEO so a matter of time. Better give up before law enforcement and two funeral directors locate you!!!
REHOBETH: It was six years ago that Kimberly Trotter was elected Mayor of Rehobeth. Incorporated in 1996, Kimberly Trotter is the third Mayor to ever serve in Rehobeth.
A progressive and innovative lady, Kimberly Trotter, with a supportive town council, hit the ground running. All she has ever done is increase in speed and never slow down.
On Tuesday evening a over packed room of the community center in Rehobeth was on hand for the REHOBETH REVEAL of the Town Center presentation. Unlike Dothan who has attempted to rehab existing buildings in downtown Dothan, Rehobeth has the opportunity to begin from ground up.
Since 2010 the population of Rehobeth has increased by 40%. They have a great school system, kindegarten through 12 with Rehobeth Schools, which are under the leadership of Supt. Brandy White. The twon has been innovative with a full time fire – rescue under the leadership of Todd Phillips and Nick Floyd.
Being in the funeral service profession, I have helped prepare hundreds of obituaries. While given the information directly from their loved ones and at their direction, something that is such a standard part following the death of a loved one, how in just a few paragraphs, and it is often used as a reminder of the life and legacy of that persons life. Today, I have anxiously awaited for Will’s obituary to be updated, as if we didn’t already know the things we were going to read. Whoever prepared this below did a tremendous job, although Will helped write it the past 15 years, as you’ll see below, this isn’t just his “obituary”, it truly is the “Life of Will.” Over the last few days, my feed has been flooded with post from not only here in my small corner of the world in Southeat Alabama, but literally all over the world. I have read countless post and comments of complete strangers who have shared how Will impacted their life. There is no doubt, Will has touched so many lives in his brief 15 years, without ever even having to meet 1% of them, while I never knew him, he definitely touched mine. I pray for peace and comfort for the family, close friends, and those who may have been touched by his time here on earth, additionally, I pray for my fellow funeral service profession colleagues who have had the honor of being apart of his final services.
“The hour is dark, And it’s hard to see, What You are doin’ here in the ruins And where this will lead, Oh, but I know, That down through the years I’ll look on this moment and see Your hand on it And know You were here”
The Life of Will
Some people measure a life by the number of years lived. If that were true, you would miss the story of William Britton Roberts entirely. Will packed more life into fifteen years than many people do in a lifetime. He loved Jesus. He loved his family. He loved hunting before daylight, fishing until dark, getting muddy, making people laugh, and asking questions that usually left everyone else wondering how in the world he came up with them. He never met a stranger, and somehow people were drawn to him from the moment they met him. He had a smile that could change the atmosphere of a room and a heart that made everyone feel important.
On January 9, 2025, Will was diagnosed with Stage IV osteosarcoma. Most people would say that cancer changed his life. The truth is that cancer revealed it. The world got to see what those closest to him had known all along; that courage isn’t loud, strength isn’t measured by muscles, and joy isn’t dependent on circumstances. Will endured surgeries, months of chemotherapy, radiation, countless hospital stays, and treatments that took him more than two thousand miles away from home. He learned to walk again after losing his leg to cancer, never allowing what he had lost to determine who he would become. His journey eventually led him to California, where God wrote chapters none of us could have imagined. Through Will’s life, strangers became family, doctors became friends, nurses became heroes, and hundreds of thousands of people around the world stopped what they were doing to pray for a little boy they had never met. That wasn’t coincidence; that was purpose.
Will never stood behind a pulpit, yet he preached one of the most powerful sermons many people will ever witness. His life reminded us to laugh often, love deeply, trust God completely, and never waste the gift of today. Cancer never won. It stole time, took comfort. took a leg, took his breath but it never took his smile, his faith, or the victory that belonged to Jesus Christ.
On July 23, 2026, held by his parents, Will stepped from the arms of his family into the arms of his Savior. The body that had fought so hard was finally made whole. The little boy who once dreamed of running on two legs again now runs without pain, without cancer, and without limits.
Will leaves behind his parents, Jason and Brittney Roberts; his little sister, Charlie, his many grandparents, along with a large family and countless friends whose lives will forever carry pieces of him.
Will was preceded in death by his baby sister, Darby Kate Roberts, who passed away May 26, 2013.
His family would like to thank every person who prayed, visited, encouraged, donated, and stood beside them throughout this journey. Every act of kindness became part of Will’s story.
If you wish to honor Will, don’t simply remember how he died. Remember how he lived. Go fishing. Take your kids hunting. Laugh until your stomach hurts. Tell someone about Jesus. Love your family fiercely, and when life gets hard, fight with everything you’ve got and never waiver in your faith. That’s exactly what Will did. His story did not end here. It simply continues where there is no more pain, no more tears, and no more cancer.
Pallbearers will be Tyler Rivera, Keith Johnston, Colby Wilson, Russell Andrews, Dexter Roberts, Jack Sanderson, Cooper (Little Buddy) Gradwell, Brock Roy, Greyson Miller, Brody Smith, Noah Isaacs, Crosby Smith, and Briar Chambless.
The family would also like to recognize as honorary pallbearers: Dr. James Flint of the University of California San Diego, whose compassion and unwavering support meant more to our family than words can express; the physicians, nurses, and staff of Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham, Alabama; MD Anderson Cancer Center of Houston, Texas; Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, California; the Sarcoma Oncology Center of Santa Monica, California; the faculty, staff and students of Sipsey Valley Middle School; our Alabama Law Enforcement Agency family along with federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who have supported our family; the countless prayer warriors who faithfully carried us through this journey; and every childhood cancer warrior who continues the fight.
Public Visitation will be 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Saturday, August 1, 2026, at the Shelton State Community College Gymnasium, 9500 Old Greensboro Rd., Tuscaloosa, AL 35405, with funeral services immediately following at 12:00 p.m. Burial will be in Wesley Chapel Cemetery, 15882 Wesley Chapel Rd., Ralph, AL 35480, with Magnolia Chapel South directing.
GENEVA COUNTY: ALEA Trooper Austin Arnold activated the blue lights and siren on the Trooper car on a vehicle. This was at Highway 27 and Geneva County Road 40.
The vehicle in front of the ALEA Trooper car made a conscious decision, a stupid decision, that he was not going to stop.
Well, the driver did not realize that it was Trooper Austin Arnold in the car behind him. The chase was on. The motorist fleeing the ALEA Trooper forced Trooper Arnold to perform a pit manuever on the motorist. The driver is reported to have attempted to continue on after the pit but his tires were flat. The driver exited his vehicle attempting to flee on foot.
Well, ALEA Trooper Arnold practices running. He chased the suspect down on foot attempting to take him into custody. Well, the suspect decided he wanted to fight Trooper Arnold.
WRONG THING TO DO! Trooper Arnold was forced to deploy the taser to get the suspect under control.
ALEA Trooper Arnold requested ALEA – State Bureau of Investigation apparently because there was more to the suspect fleeing and not stopping. Geneva Rescue was called to the scene to pull the taser prongs from the suspect and check him out.
STUPID – the person not stopping now has felonies for alude, assault on Trooper Arnold, and whatever else found that forced the State Bureau of Investigation Agent to leave his recliner and have to respond to someone being STUPID!!
Great job to ALEA Trooper. They are 2 and 0 in Geneva and Covington County today.
