West Alabama Christmas Eve Briefing
Good Christmas Eve morning! It is Tuesday December 24, 2024.
Tuesday Morning Observations:
All the hustle and bustle, hype, buildup, anxiety, anticipation and preparations are just about over. The peak of the Christmas holiday season is here. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are what everyone has been focusing on, actually since before Thanksgiving.
I don't remember a year when so many houses and businesses had Christmas decorations up well before Thanksgiving. One theory is we had grown tired of the controversy, name calling, debate and anger of the just completed elections. When you combine that with wars and threats of war the need for relief was even greater. People were ready to turn the page and bring some light, joy and happiness to their lives.
The problem is the weeks of buildup are over so quickly. Once the Christmas Eve Communion Services, the Christmas Day present unwrapping and meal are over it is back to the everyday life. The world gets a bit darker once the holiday lights are taken down.
New Year's is next week, and it provides promise for change and improvement but those resolutions we make typically don't last too long and the world quickly gets back to its contentious self.
That is why we need to take time tonight and tomorrow to emphasize the true, "Reason for the Season"! Luke 2:11 delivers the message succinctly, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
The story of the manger some 2,024 years ago is as relevant as ever. It is the true light of Christmas. It is the hope of this and every year to come. No Christmas tree lights, and no New Year's resolutions give us more hope, joy and better news than the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Have a Merry Christmas and remember the reason for the season.
(The opinions expressed in Morning Briefing are the author's and are not necessarily those of the ownership, management, staff or sponsors of Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa.)
Weather:
After a sunny day with temperatures in the mid-50s to near 60 today, Santa and his reindeer will have a relatively cool ride across West Alabama tonight. However, low temperatures in the upper 30s forecast for tonight should not be a problem for the gentleman and his team from the North Pole.
The Forecast:
Two entities in Tuscaloosa County will receive a portion of those funds:
- $245,474. goes to the University of Alabama to provide advocacy and emotional support, judicial assistance and more for UA students and other adult and child sexual assault victims in Tuscaloosa County.
- $36,744 is being provided to Turning Point, the Tuscaloosa-based agency providing emotional support, advocacy and more services to sexual assault victims in Bibb, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter and Tuscaloosa counties.
Gov. Ivey awarded the grants to 29 counties from funds supplied to the state through the U.S. Department of Justice.
After a year of construction began, the MLK, Jr. Blvd. bridge in Northport has now reopened. The popular cut through is expected to take some traffic off Lurleen B. Wallace Blvd. 2nd District Councilman Woodrow Washington tells news partner ABC3340 that it will now be safer crossing the bridge. Additional improvements are planned along MLK in the future, making it what Washington calls the best road in the city.
It will soon be easier parking at DCH Regional Medical Center. The new $30 million parking deck that has been under construction the last couple of years is expected to open January 6th.
The four-level deck on the DCHRMC southside will have parking spaces for 800 vehicles. It was constructed for the potential of a new hospital wing to be built on top.
Last minute Christmas shoppers typically purchase a lot of gift cards, but the Better Business Bureau warns consumers about the potential for scams that could turn a thoughtful gift into a frustrating experience.
BBB recommends taking a few key steps to protect your gift cards from scammers:
- Check the Balance Immediately. Verify the card’s balance as soon as you receive it to ensure the funds are still intact.
- Register the Card Online. If the retailer allows it, register the card online. This adds a layer of security and makes it easier to report any issues.
- Keep Your Receipt. This can serve as proof of purchase if the card is compromised.
- Consider giving cash instead because it eliminates the risks associated with gift card fraud.
Investigators seeking clues into the disappearance of 1-year-old Kahleb Collins in Fayette County say they are tracking down leads but are giving no further information. The case that has garnered national attentions stems from a single vehicle crash that killed the child's father and 2-year-old sister and serious injured his mother. The grandfather, James Bailey, reported his grandson as missing. But leads sent to law enforcement indicate the 1-year-old may have disappeared weeks or months before the crash.
Bailey was charged with failure to report the child's disappearance as investigators searched the family's property amid reports of child abuse.
Good news for those of you flying out of Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International this morning most flights are running relatively on time. Only three American Airline flights, 10:30am to Chicago, 11:12am to Charlotte and 5:41pm to Dallas have revised departure times. That is a result of a nationwide technical issue that caused the FAA to place a "Ground Hold" on all AA flights. That hold has since been lifted. If you are on one of these flights, you need to contact the airline or your travel agent.
Most arriving flights at BSI are on schedule this morning but at least a dozen flights of American and Delta are operating on a revised arrival time.
Santa has already begun his Christmas Eve deliveries. He was last tracked on satellite leaving Brisbane, Australia.
Thanks to NORAD, which has been tracking Santa since 1955, you can easily find out where he is so that you can have the kids in bed before he arrives at your home tonight.
You can also call NORAD at 1-877-HI-NORAD to speak to someone about Santa’s location.
NORAD monitors and defends North American airspace 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, but on Dec. 24, it has one additional mission: tracking Santa Claus.
Topping Sports News:
Former University of Alabama star running back Josh Jacobs gained 107 yards and scored a touchdown for Green Bay in their 34-0 win over New Orleans in Monday Night Football last night. It is his sixth straight game to put a TD on the board. That puts him just one shy of the mark held by the great Paul Horning in the 1960s.
Jacobs also caught four passes for 38 yards.
On Monday, the NCAA announced it is granting a waiver for additional eligibility for junior college players who would have exhausted their eligibility in 2024 and will be unable to play in 2025.
The decision could affect one player on the Crimson Tide's roster, linebacker Justin Jefferson. He previously exhausted his eligibility after the 2024 college football season.
Read More: New NCAA Ruling Could Impact Alabama LB
Ther is one college football bowl game scheduled for today. It is the Hawaii Bowl in Honolulu. The University of South Florida, which game Bama a tussle early in the season takes on San Jose State. Kickoff is set for 7:00pm CST.
Three games will be played Thursday. With five more on Friday.
The teams for Friday's Birmingham Bowl at Protective Stadium downtown have arrived in the Magic City. Vanderbilt (6-6) of the SEC will challenge Georgia Tech (7-5) of the ACC. The game kicks off at 2:30pm CST.
Click TuscaloosaThread.com for the latest West Alabama news, sports and weather. Better yet, download the app.
Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas Eve. May it be everything it should to you and your family. God Bless!
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