LEEDS — 1819 News awarded three Alabamians the Albert Patterson Courage Award on Friday in front of a sold-out crowd of 500 attendees at Barber Motorsports Park.

The first Albert Patterson Courage Award went to Craig Monger for his November 2023 reporting on the late Smiths Station Mayor Bubba Copeland, who was also a pastor. The story exposed that Copeland was leading a double life by posting sexual photos of himself dressed in drag, as well as posting memes encouraging children to transition, and writing explicit homoerotic fiction stories.

1819 News also gave former Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Kent Davis an Albert Patterson Courage Award for his advocacy for veterans' mental health funding and enduring a months-long campaign from Governor Kay Ivey that eventu

See Full Page