WEST ALABAMA FRIDAY BRIEFING
It is Friday, July 28, 2023, and the weekend is almost here. However, you may want to spend it in your recliner under the air conditioner. Heat indices will once again climb above the 105-degree mark. That sets into motion issuance of a HEAT ADVISORY over the next couple of days and possibly through the entire weekend.
Today's forecast: Partly cloudy and hot with highs in the middle and upper 90s. A Heat Advisory for heat indices 104 to 108 degrees thru 9:00pm. A chance of afternoon thunderstorms.
Tonight: A chance of evening showers or thunderstorms. Otherwise, mostly clear overnight with lows in the 70s.
Saturday: Partly cloudy and hot Saturday with highs in the middle and upper 90s. A Heat Advisory for heat indices 104 to 108 degrees thru 9:00pm. A chance of afternoon thunderstorms
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 97. Northwest wind around 5 mph. (A Heat Advisory is possible Sunday).
Next week: Expect above normal temperatures to continue into next week, but a weak front should reduce the heat index values below advisory criteria. Temperatures to be in the mid to upper 90s with high humidity and small chances of rain.
Topping the News:
Less than two weeks after closing the structure that once house Cheeky’s Family Style Restaurant in Gordo has burned. Fire Departments from Gordo and Reform fought the blaze for several hours but were unable to save the structure. Cheeky’s had been in business for 13 years before closing July 16th. The building was undergoing renovation for a future tenant. Cause of the blaze has not been released.
Northport Mayor John Hinton has vowed to veto a plan to sell the Northport Community Center to a property developer if it is brought to a final vote at Monday night's city council meeting. However, there are indications that there are enough council votes to override the veto and approve the $1.1-million project.
The Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center will be hosting its annual Caregiver Summit Resource Fair next Wednesday morning. It is the 4th year for the summit which is designed to provide support and resources for caregivers of veterans. It will be at Building 136 Sports Atrium between 9:00 and 11:00. Between noon and 2:00 a free caregiver and family resource fair will provide information about nutrition, advance care planning.
The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama will welcome local officials for the 2023 Chamber in Session: State of the Community, presented by TTL, Inc., on Aug. 9 at Bryant Conference Center.
The 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., event will include Mayor Walt Maddox, City of Tuscaloosa; Mayor John Hinton, City of Northport; and Judge Rob Robertson, Tuscaloosa County Commission. Each will provide a comprehensive update on the State of their Community.
Registration is $45 for Chamber members, and $55 for non-members. Registration closes at 11 a.m. on Aug. 2. Register here.
There is more controversy for the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission. The commission and Chair, Dr. Steven Stokes are the center of numerous lawsuits over the process the commission used to select medical cannabis licensees.
Now one of the plaintiffs is asking a judge to declare Stokes chairmanship illegal and invalid. Kimberly Holcomb is wanting a judge to remove Stokes because his appointment violates state law prohibiting a public official from being on the commission. Stokes is a University of S. Alabama Trustee.
Emergency Managers from across the state will be at the Bryant Conference Center on the UA campus next Wednesday for a "Disaster Resilience Summit". According to Alabama EMA, the purpose of the summit is to enhance disaster preparedness in Alabama through resiliency, planning, partnership development and improved communications.
According to FEMA, disaster resilience is, "anticipating, planning and reducing disaster risk to effectively protect persons, communities, livelihoods, health, cultural heritage, socio-economic assets and ecosystems.
The Murphy African American Museum is hosting a classic car and motorcycle show fundraiser tomorrow (Saturday) at the McDonald Hughes Center on MLK Jr. Blvd. The event runs between 10:00am and 2:00pm. There is a $25.00 fee for persons entering a vehicle or motorcycle in the competition. Public admission is free.
In Sports:
Week 0 of the 2023 college football season will be the weekend of Saturday, Aug. 26. There are 10 Division I games scheduled for that weekend, with the most high-profile teams being Notre Dame facing Navy in Dublin, USC hosting San Jose State and Hawaii visiting Vanderbilt.
Alabama's first game is 6:30pm, Saturday, September 2nd when they host Middle Tennessee at Bryant Denny on the newly resurfaced playing field.
Auburn kicks of the new season at Jordon Hare at 2:30 when UMass pays a visit on Saturday, September 2nd.
Bama Basketball Coach Nate Oats completed signing his 2023 recruiting class yesterday. Including transfers, 247 Sports ranks the class is as10th in the nation overall. Those transfers are ranked the 5th best transfer class by 247 sports.
Clemson is facing some of the same media scrutiny as Alabama. The��Crimson Tide has only missed the CFP twice, once in 2019 and the other last season. The Tide lost two games by one point each on the last play of the game and sports talking heads made it sound like the Tide dynasty is crumbling.
It was the same for Clemson during ACC Media Days yesterday. Clemson has been to six College Football Playoffs. But former Tide player and Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney was answering question yesterday about why his Tigers missed the playoffs last year and if his team is on a downward trajectory. Clemson was 11-and-3 last season.
Luke Holman has become the second Alabama pitcher, along with RHP Kade Woods, to transfer to SEC rival LSU since the end of the 2023 season. The right-handed pitcher from Pennsylvania made the announcement on social media.
Have an enjoyable weekend and stay safe!
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