West Alabama Friday Briefing

Good morning West Alabama! It is Friday, May 23, 2025. Today begins the long Memorial Day Holiday Weekend. It is the 143rd day of the year with 222 days remaining.

In the Friday Briefing:

Weather: A beautiful Friday will lead into a holiday week of scattered severe thunderstorms potential. But it won't be a complete washout.
News: Mercedes-Benz has announced it has selected Sandy Springs, GA, just outside Atlanta for its North American Headquarters.
Sports: Alabama Softball begins NCAA Super Regional play this afternoon in Oklahoma.
Friday Morning Observations (Commentary): Memorial Day Holiday Weekend safety covers a lot of ground.

Weather:

We will have one more nice day today. But, cookouts, ballgames and boating activities during the long Memorial Day Holiday Weekend could get interrupted at times by strong to severe thunderstorm activity. It will not be a complete washout but a Marginal (1 in 5) Risk for severe weather bears paying attention to, especially Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings.

The severe weather risk is low end and does not include a tornado threat. The main concern both days will be damaging winds to 60mph and quarter size hail.

The Forecast:

Today

Sunny, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.

Saturday

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. East wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.

Saturday Night

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Sunday

A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Sunday Night

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69.

Memorial Day

A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. High near 85. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Monday Night

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Back to Work

Shower and thunderstorm chances will range from 80% Tuesday to 20% Wednesday night. Highs are expected in the lower 80s and lows in the lower 60s.

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News:

Mercedes-Benz to Establish North American Headquarters in Atlanta

According to a press release by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Mercedes-Benz is planning to establish its North American headquarters in metro Atlanta, where the automaker will expand its existing U.S. corporate hub by adding hundreds of jobs relocated from other cities.

Although downtown Birmingham has several large buildings that could fit Mercedes' need, the City of Sandy Springs, with 108,000 residents in in northern Fulton County was selected.

Most of the additional jobs moving to Georgia are being moved from the Detroit area, where Mercedes-Benz is closing its financial services headquarters. There is no word on how the selection might impact, if at all, the company's production plant in Tuscaloosa County.

“Bringing our teams closer together will enable us to be more agile, increase speed to market, and ensure the best customer experience,” Jason Hoff, CEO of Mercedes-Benz North America, said in a statement.

Mercedes-Benz said in a news release that the headquarters expansion in Georgia should be completed by August 2026.

Town Halls to Ask State to Purchase BWR Parkway Toll Bridge Planned

Back in September last year, State Senator Gerald Allen (R-Cottondale) proposed for the state to purchase the Black Warrior Parkway Toll Bridge and make it free access. He used the example of the state doing just that with the Foley Beach Express Toll Bridge in May last year. The state paid $60 million for the Foley bridge.

Allen got the backing of Northport as well as Tuscaloosa city and county leaders. A resolution was sent to Gov. Ivey, but nothing came of it.

Now local leaders are planning a series of town halls to get backing from the public. The first meeting is set for Thursday, June 12 at Northport Civic Center on McFarland Blvd.

Read More: State Leaders to Host Town Halls About Buying Black Warrior Parkway Toll Bridge

Memorial Day Marks 1st Holiday Using New ID System at Airports

Triple-A Alabama's Clay Ingram is advising air travers over the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend to get to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International earlier than normal. He points out that this is the first holiday travel period where the "Read ID"/"Star ID" will be used to get through airport security. And to further complicate the situation, a record number, 3.9 million, passengers are expected to board flights nationwide.

"The new I.D. will slow things down a bit, especially when you combine its use with the sheer number of people who will be flying," Ingram advised.

ALEA Advises Holiday Motorists to Practice Driving Safety

More than 40 million Americans are expected to hit the highways during this weekend's long Memorial Day Holiday. That is the most since before the pandemic according to Triple-A Alabama.

So far this year the Alabama highway death toll is down. 179 people have died so far on state highways and ALEA Troop Corporal Reginal King wants to keep highway death numbers low.

“We are encouraging everyone to obey all laws that govern the roads specifically your speed, wearing a seatbelt and things of that nature,” King said.

ALEA is using grant money this weekend to help keep more Troopers on patrol during the holiday.

Waterway Safety is Imperative This Holiday

Every warm weather holiday, Alabama's one million acres of lakes,16-hundred miles of rivers, and 53 miles of coastline are crowded with boats of all types and occupants from youngsters to oldster. Tragically enjoyment on the water can be cut short when an accident takes place.

Just like cars, boating at high speed is illegal, so is drinking and piloting a boat and boating with required flotation devices.

“This weekend is a time for remembrance and celebration, but it is also a time to prioritize safety,’’ said ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor in an press release.

ALEA and Tuscaloosa Police Water Patrols are advising boaters this Memorial Day Holiday Weekend to make sure all safety equipment like life jackets and fire extinguishers are up to date and working.

Those hitting the waterways are also reminded to know the boating laws.

Popular Local Campground and Public Use Area to be Closed

Deerlick Creek and Public Access Area is one of the most popular outdoor areas in West Alabama. Unfortunately, beginning next month it will be closed for the 2025 season.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is closing the area for the foreseeable future due to staffing shortages and maintenance needs. USACE saw its budget and staffing cut by the Trump Administration.

Reading Scores Continue to Rise in Tuscaloosa City Schools

According to the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program, 90% of third graders in the Tuscaloosa City School System are reading at or above their grade level as they prepare to enter the fourth-grade next year.

In comparison, in 2022, only 75 percent of TCS third graders were on target, meaning a growth of 15 percent in two years. Two elementary schools, Rock Quarry Elementary and Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools Elementary, had 100% reading proficiency this year.

Two Tuscaloosa City Schools Recognized as "Schools of Character"

Central Elementary School and Northridge Middle School have been named 2025 National Schools of Character by Character.org. This recognition honors schools that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to character development, creating school cultures that inspire academic excellence and ethical growth.

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Sports:

Weather May Impact Norman OK NCAA Super Regional

The #15 seed Alabama Softball Team (37-21) is just a few hours away from its NCAA Super Regional battle at #2 seed Oklahoma (45-7). But the Tide and Sooners may have to struggle with more than each other. The National Weather Service in Norman has placed an area to the northeast of Oklahoma City under a Slight (2 in 5) Risk for strong to severe thunderstorms this afternoon and tonight. The area to the southwest of Oklahoma City is under a Marginal (1 in 5) risk for strong to severe storms.

The tornado threat is low, but the main threat is for golf ball size hail and damaging wind gusts to 70mph.

As for the game itself, these two teams last met the weekend of April 12th in Tuscaloosa, where the Crimson Tide took two of the three games that weekend to seal the series win. This will also be the first time the Sooners will host the Crimson Tide at Love's Field. Oklahoma is 25-2 at home, while Alabama is 8-9 on the road.

First pitch for today's first round game is set for 4:00pm CDT on ESPN2.

Shelton State Baseball Begins JUCO World Series Play Sunday

The Shelton State baseball team earned the No. 5 seed at the 2025 NJCAA World Series and will face No. 6 seed Florence-Darlington Tech in a first round game on Sunday at 11:00am CDT.

Shelton State (48-12) is making its third straight JuCo World Series appearance, and fourth in the last five years. It's the school's eighth overall trip to Grand Junction.

Shelton State is 5-1 in the post-season. The Bucs defeated NW Shoals, Coastal Carolina and Wallace State Hanceville to win the ACCC/Region 22 championship.

The Bucs lead the nation in ERA (2.75), opponents' batting average (.228), total sacrifices (79) and double plays (39).

Florence-Darlington Tech (50-10) is making its fourth trip to Grand Junction and second in a row.

SEC Baseball Tournament

Both Alabama and Auburn are gone from the Southeastern Conference 2025 Baseball Tournament. They now await to see where they will go in the NCAA First Round Playoffs when they are announced Monday.

However, the tournament is still ongoing and producing some interesting results.

2025 SEC Baseball Tournament Bracket

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Friday Observations (Commentary):

Memorial Day Holiday Weekend is unofficially considered the beginning of the summer vacation season. (Note: The official beginning of summer is less than a month away on June 20.)

While the holiday itself was established as a reminder of the sacrifices made by the men and women of the U.S. Military to keep our nation free; it is also the first lengthy opportunity to take advantage of the late spring weather and have a good time. Unfortunately, that good time too often turns into a tragic time when people do not practice safety.

Safety over the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend covers a lot of ground. If you are planning to travel, barbecue or spend a weekend in the sun, here are a few simple tips from the National safety Council that will help you keep safe this Memorial Day.

Grilling and Fire Safety: It is very important that a hot grill is never left unattended; a responsible adult should stand guard as “grill master” to control flames and keep children and animals away from hot surfaces. Before your first grill of the year and often during grilling season, make sure your grill ready for the job. Keep it clean of grease, inspect propane fuel lines, and position your grill away from structures, trees and high-traffic walkways. You should also take any precautions in case a flare-up or fire were to occur; keep an extinguisher nearby and make sure to know how to cut off fuel lines if you are using propane.
Picnic Food Safey: Most people don't think of making sure what they eat is safe by having been stored properly, is not passed usage date and has not been cross-contaminated.
Sun Safety: This is obvious. You haven't been outdoors for any length of time probably since last fall, so you are susceptible to serious sunburn. Use sunscreen of an appropriate SPF and make sure to reapply as necessary, especially if you are swimming or sweating. Stay hydrated and to keep cool. And don’t forget your eyes – wear a hat and sunglasses!
Travel Safety: Make sure your car is in top working condition; check your tire pressure, fill your tank before heading out on your trip, and make sure you are equipped with emergency essentials. Plan your drive ahead of time to choose direct routes on safe roads and keep an eye on weather forecasts to avoid driving with dangerous conditions. Never drive after drinking, obey speed laws, don't drive and test, keep your eyes on the road.
Boating Safety: Much the same as driving, obey speed laws, do not drink and pilot the boat or let someone not trained to control your craft. Make sure you have running lights on at night. Be aware of your surroundings. Have proper emergency equipment (flares, fire extinguisher, flotation devices and communications capability).

All of that said, HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!

(Opinions expressed in Morning Briefings are those of the author and not necessarily those of the ownership, management, staff or sponsors of Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa.)

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While celebrating, keep in mind why there is a Memorial Day. Have a good one!