West Alabama Friday Briefing

Good morning West Alabama. It is Friday July 26, 2024. TGIF!

The new U.S. Drought Monitor reveals the rains of recent days have reduced the drought coverage area in West Alabama and statewide. However, West Alabama is still experiencing conditions from Abnormally Dry to Severe Drought.

The almost static line of showers and thunderstorms reaching back into northeast Mexico is beginning to breakup on the northeastern end over the southeast U.S.

However, rain in the forecast through the middle of next week should help further erode drought conditions.

Today

A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tonight

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm. Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Saturday

A chance of showers and thunderstorms between 10am and 1pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday Night

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Calm wind.

Sunday

Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. High near 88. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday Night

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.

Next Week

Good rain chances are in the forecast through Tuesday, but the percentage of probability will drop by midweek. Highs will be back into the low 90s with lows in the mid 70s.

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Topping the News:

At least one tornado death in Demopolis in 2020 and others nationwide have exposed gaps in the National Weather Service’s weather radar coverage. The gap in coverage is a result of the Doppler Weather Radar shooting out a beam too high to detect low level storm rotation.

Hale County EMA Director Russell Weeden is hosting a meeting of federal, state, local and weather service officials and community organizations today to discuss how to fill that gap. West Alabama Democrat Congresswoman Terri Sewell will attend the 10am meeting at the Greensboro Recreations Center.

Northport residents opposed to the multi-purpose University Beach Resort planned on U-S 82 West have sued the city. They want to review public records for the $365-million-dollar project approved by the council in March. The plaintiff group alleges the city is in violation of the “Open Records Act”. Opponents of the project angrily voiced their disapproval at a District 5 Town Hall earlier this week.

Former Bama and Kansas City Chiefs player Isaiah Buggs surrendered his business license at his troublesome hookah lounge on Greensboro Avenue earlier this summer. That came after he was arrested on animal cruelty charges and then domestic violence charges. He was convicted of the animal cruelty charges in municipal court and sentenced to a year of hard labor. The conviction has been suspended pending outcome of his appeal.

Former Lake View Mayor Paul Anthony Calhoun was arrested earlier this month on charges of possessing child pornography. Now he faces additional charges of attempting to produce it. A Preliminary Hearing for the case will be held September 24, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. at the Tuscaloosa County Jail.

Former UA student Aden Willis Yeager has reached a plea bargain with federal prosecutors in his child exploitation case. Yeager has been sentenced to 300 months in prison for sexual exploitation of at least 19 minors dating back to 2019. He will also have to pay $92,620.00 in restitution to the victims.

The case emerged in 2020 when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provided a "CyberTipline" report to the West Alabama Human Trafficking Taskforce. That case involved Yeager in enticing a 15-year-old to send sexually explicit pictures to him for a payment of $700 in March of that year.

Topping Sports News:

Pay for play, the transfer portal, potential student athlete unions, salary caps, are among the major changes to or coming to college athletics. Clemson Head Football Coach Dabo Swinney has told ACC Media Days the end of the walk-on program is probably another change coming and he thinks that will deprive players who just want to participate in and assist a team college football that opportunity.

Swinney was a walk-on under Coach Gene Stallings at Alabama.

A series of fires has hit French high-speed rail lines, hours before the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. Rail company SNCF says it's a "massive attack aimed at paralysing the network"; France's transport minister condemns the "co-ordinated malicious acts". As many as 800,000 are expected to use the service during the Olympics.

Have a blessed and enjoyable weekend!