West Alabama Friday Briefing
It's Friday, October 13, 2023, homecoming weekend at the University of Alabama. A week of activities wraps up tonight with the traditional homecoming pep rally and bonfire on the Quad. Tide Coach Nick Saban and members of the team will be on hand to help celebrate.
They will be lining up at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning for the homecoming parade that steps-off on campus at 7am. The early start is due to network television setting the kickoff time for 11am at Bryant-Denny.
A rare event will occur during the first half of the game when a partial eclipse of the sun takes place. In Alabama, about 57% of the moon will cover the sun during the eclipse.
The eclipse will have no direct impact on the game anymore than a cloudy day would, but it is important for fans, players and the band to not look directly at the eclipse without genuine "eclipse glasses" purchased from a reputable dealer.
Saturday should be a sun shiny day so the eclipse should be easy to see, but again take proper precaution to save your eyes.
The Forecast:
Today: Partly cloudy with a high in the upper 60s to low 70s.
High School Football & UA Homecoming Pep Rally Friday Night: Mostly cloudy tonight with some showers in northern Lamar, Fayette and Walker counties. Lows will be in the upper 50s to low 60s.
Crimson Tide Homecoming Saturday: Clearing by mid-morning with highs in the upper 70s to near 80.
Topping the News:
The Walker County Sheriff's Office will hold a press conference later this morning to give updates on a case involving human remains found near Bremen. One person is in custody after a male victim’s body was found in a shallow grave. The death is thought to have been recent.
Tuscaloosa City Schools Superintendent Dr. Mike Daria has been named Alabama’s ‘Superintendent of the Year’ by the School Superintendents of Alabama. His name will now be submitted for the national award in February.
Thanks to a 2012 constitutional amendment approved by voters, Alabama Legislators will be getting a pay raise. Attached to the medium income level, lawmakers part-time job income will jump from almost $54,000 a year to nearly $60,000 a year. The raise exceeds normal state employee cost-of-living raises.
Gene Poole, the owner of Hudson-Poole Fine Jewelers in Tuscaloosa, and his wife Jamie have made their way back home after their trip to Israel with two other couples ended in the middle of the Hamas Terror attacks. The couple's flight landed at Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport just before 1 a.m. this morning.
Stillman College Cybersecurity Center has received a $500,000 grant and additional support from Google's Cybersecurity Clinics Fund, part of a $20 million collaboration with the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics.
Stillman College will use the grant money to offer free cybersecurity services to organizations and small businesses, hire students for internships in the clinic, provide scholarships and mentor other colleges as they launch cyber clinics.
The cost of what started out as a 5-million-dollar upgrade of Snow Hinton Park on McFarland Blvd. has now doubled. Eric Thompson, Executive Director of the city of Tuscaloosa construction, facilities and grounds tells news partner ABC3340 the increase is unavoidable due to jumps in the cost for material and labor. The city council will vote on the project next Tuesday.
Defense attorneys for former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles have summarized their arguments that he feared for his life when he gave a friend a handgun moments before a 23-year-old mother was killed in the crossfire of a January gunfight on the Strip. They are frustrated by an ongoing inability to get Cedric Johnson and his compatriots, who were also present, to appear in court.
The Coley Agency will host its fifth annual Purple Purse Luncheon next Wednesday. The 10am until 1pm get together will highlight women's issues, educating individuals on how to anticipate and disrupt the cycle of abuse in relationships. The event is free and will be at the Tuscaloosa River Market.
One of West Alabama's longest running, nationally recognized events will take place this weekend - Kentuck. The arts and crafts festival draw vendors and visitors from across the country. The festival will have food, entertainment and of course 270+ artists one hand beginning at 9:00am Saturday and Sunday at Kentuck Park in Northport.
In Sports:
Last night in prep football: Gordo walked past Fayette Co, 35-0.
Tonight, Holy Spirit host Pickens Co., TA is home to Winston Co., ACA is at W. Blocton, Paul Bryant visits Brookwood, Northside hosts Cordova, Holt travels to Sipsey Valley, Hillcrest is home to Bessemer City, Northridge @ Central, TCHS visits Hoover, Jasper is on the road to Carver-Birmingham, Demopolis pays a visit to Jemison, A.L. Johnson at University Charter, Keith at Sweetwater, Marengo visits R.C. Hatch, Francis Marion hosts Washington Co., Greene County at Sumter Central, Lamar is home to Sulligent and Bibb County is at Montevallo.
For the second straight year the Atlanta Braves have choked their post-season play against Philadelphia. The winningest team in baseball’s vaunted pitching staff couldn’t quit giving up homeruns. Philadelphia eliminated Atlanta 3-1.
The odds of the Alabama homecoming game against Arkansas have narrowed a bit. The are down to the Tide being favored by 19.5 points. That is down from 25.5 points in early week. The game's over/under is set at 46.5 total combined points.
Enjoy homecoming and remember, don't look directly at tomorrow morning's eclipse unless you have suitable "eclipse glasses."
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