West Alabama Friday Briefing
It is Friday May 17, 2024.
Weather could play havoc with so many outdoor activities scheduled across West Alabama this weekend. But take heart, forecasters say it will not rain all weekend. Click HERE for the latest update.
The Forecast:
The voting is almost over at Mercedes. We will know later today if United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain’s aggressive $40 million dollar campaign to unionize Mercedes Benz and other southern automakers has been successful at the company's Vance and Woodstock plants. The week-long vote ends today, and the outcome will be announced this afternoon as soon as the 5,000 or so ballots are counted by the National Labor Relations Board.
A simple majority of the votes will carry the vote one way or the other.
Updates on multiple local homicide cases have been given by the Tuscaloosa Sheriff’s Office:
- 27-year-old Jaquon Ladarrion Stewart is now charged with felony murder following the death of the child he had earlier been accused of abusing, The child died Tuesday.
- 62-year-old Russell Thomas Andrews has been confirmed as a murder victim in an incident near the Alcoholics Anonymous building on Warner Parkway Tuesday. A person of interest is being sought.
- 41-year-old Travaris Keandre Banks has been identified as the victim killed in a double shooting at Brookhaven Apartments on James I. Harrison parkway Wednesday. A 2nd victim received non-life-threatening wounds. 37-year-old Aaron Reshad Smith was charged with murder and attempted murder.
See: No Public Threat as Police Seek Person on Interest in Tuscaloosa AA Clubhouse Death
See: Police Arrest Suspect in Deadly Double Shooting in Tuscaloosa Thursday
See: Tuscaloosa Man Charged with Murder after Allegedly Abused Infan Dies
Alabama U-S Senator Tommy Tuberville held a roundtable in Washington D.C. Thursday. It was called to address the state of law enforcement in the nation.
TPD and other departments are having difficulty finding qualified job applicants. Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry told the panel what he believes are the major reasons. he listed the growing number of mental health issues, increased number of shootings and domestic disturbances, physical attacks on officers and intense public and media criticism.
The Tuscaloosa County School System Special Education Department will destroy the special education records of students who were born in the year 1998 and were referred/evaluated and/or identified as an individual with special needs. The records are being destroyed because they have been maintained the maximum amount of years as prescribed by federal law {290-8-9.08(2)}. The records will be destroyed June 13, 2024. Records may be obtained by contacting Kim McGhee at (205) 342-2775 no later than June 10, 2024.
It is graduation weekend in the Tuscaloosa County School System. The following are the times and locations for each ceremony:
Tonight:
- Lloyd Wood Education Center Graduation, Hillcrest High School Auditorium
- Brookwood High School Graduation, BWHS Football Field
- Tuscaloosa County High School Graduation, TCHS Football Field
Saturday:
- Northside High School Graduation, NSHS Football Field
- Sipsey Valley High School Graduation, SVHS Football Field
May 23rd will be the last day for all students with an early dismissal.
Holt High graduation was held last night at the Church of the Highlands and Hillcrest High was also Thursday night at the Mercedes Benz Amphitheater.
Tuscaloosa City School System graduations were earlier this week at Coleman Coliseum.
Topping Sports News:
Hillcrest (31-12) blasted Hartselle (32-10) 14-3 in the first game of the three-game 6A AHSAA Baseball Championship Tournament in Oxford Thursday. The games move to the Jacksonville State campus for games two and three. If the Patriots win game two at 10:00 this morning they are state champs. A loss will force a deciding game three 25 minutes afterward.
The news for Tuscaloosa's other team named the Patriots is not so good. After winning game one Wednesday, American Christian Academy dropped a doubleheader to Corner Thursday, 17-6 and 13-0.
The Pats jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the Yellow Jackets mounted their comeback to take the Class 4A AHSAA State Baseball Championship.
ACA ends their excellent season at 28-18 as one of the last two teams playing for the 2024 season. Corner is 33-7 on the year.
The NCAA Softball Regionals are set to begin today at Rhodes Stadium on the UA campus. However, with the possibility of rain and thunderstorms attendees might should expect some delays.
For the 19th-consecutive season, Alabama softball (33-17) will begin its NCAA Tournament journey at Rhoads Stadium. The 14th ranked Tide's first game is 3:30pm this afternoon against USC Upstate (30-21).
The first game of the day has Clemson (34-17) battling Southeast Louisiana (45-13) at 1:00pm.
Catch the game on the Crimson Tide Sports Network at 97.5 FM in Tuscaloosa.
Auburn took down the Alabama Baseball team last night 4-2 in a defensive duel at Plainsman Park in Auburn. Bama needs to bounce back in the next two games to build momentum heading into next week's SEC Tournament in Hoover and the NCAA Regional the following week. These next two games will be the end of the season for the Tigers who failed to qualify for the conference tournament.
The Tide was fresh from winning a home series against LSU last weekend and defeating Troy on the road during a midweek game. However, Tide bats were cold in last night's game.
First pitch for tonight's game is 6:00pm with tomorrow's finale at 5:00pm. on Tide 100.9.
Keep an eye on the weather this weekend and Go Pat's/ROLL TIDE!!
More From 95.3 The Bear
