West Alabama Friday Briefing

Good TGIF West Alabama! It is Friday August 16, 2024.

A Heat Advisory is in effect for all of West Alabama until 9:00 tonight. heat indices could reach 108 degrees. Limit your time outdoors, stay hydrated and DO NOT leave people and pets unattended in a vehicle.

The dry conditions across West Alabama could get some marginal help today and tomorrow from scattered showers and thunderstorms but no one area can expect rain.

The Forecast:

Today

A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 105. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Any new rainfall amounts should be between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight

A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming south in the evening. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday

Showers and thunderstorms likely after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday Night

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Sunday

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 94. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday Night

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly clear, with a low around 69.

Next Week

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Topping the News:

"It is just the tip of the iceberg." That is what defense attorney Scott Brower is calling his clients plea of civil rights violations that led to the death of a Walker County jail inmate. According to documents revealed in Birmingham federal court, inmate Tony Mitchell died after being denied medical or mental health care for two weeks.

Brower told reporter he believes more indictments and/or pleas will be coming in future weeks for jail employees.

Brower's client, former Walker County detention officer Joshua Conner Jones, entered a plea of being guilty of a civil rights violation in the wrongful death of Mitchell. Jones could be sentenced to life in prison.

In the wake of yesterday’s fatal shooting on 17^th Street in Northport, councilors are available today in some Tuscaloosa County System schools. Students at Crestmont Elementary, Collins-Riverside and Echols Middle and Tuscaloosa County High who witnessed the ongoing investigation while waiting for a school bus are urged to talk about their feelings with a counselor.

Tuscaloosa has recorded 19 homicides so far this year. That has prompted plenty of concern voiced on social media.

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox addressed those concerns about recent crime rate statistics in a post on X (formerly twitter). Maddox stated, " According to the FBI, violent crime in @tuscaloosacity has fallen 49% from 1993 to 2022, with a 59% reduction in property crime during that time. During this same time, our population has grown by over 30,000 people. Although crime is down, the number of homicides in recent months are heart-breaking and unacceptable."

The Quarterly FBI Uniform Crime Report reveals most overall crime is down in Tuscaloosa, but violent crime is up. The reports also reveal most violent crimes involve acquaintances, relatives, boyfriend/Girlfriend and friends.

Maddox also discussed the subject on 95-3 The Bear's Steve and DC Morning Show.

The University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa is fast become the center for research and science on the critical commodity of water.

The National Water Center is already located on campus and has now unveiled the Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility. A USGS release says the Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility will play a key role in the USGS Next Generation Water Observing System Program by enhancing the agency’s ability to respond to water hazards and manage monitoring networks.

The Alabama next legislative session is still months away, but Montgomery Democrat Sen. Kirk Hatcher has prefilled a significant bill. It would create an Alabama Voting Rights Commission to prevent discrimination in voting and the Secretary of State would be required to establish an election administration database. It has been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Temperatures may be sizzling, but the Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority is looking ahead to the December 9^th Christmas Parade, and they are wanting some input from the public.

They are taking nominations for grand marshal and votes for the parade's 2024 theme.

To submit a nomination for Grand Marshal:

Online: 2024 GRAND MARSHAL NOMINATION FORM
By Email: Send completed forms to Heather Shipley at hshipley@tcpara.org
By Mail: Send to PARA Building, 614 Greensboro Avenue, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
In Person: Drop off at PARA Building, 614 Greensboro Avenue, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

You have the choice of one of three potential themes:

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,
Christmas for a Cause, and
Santa’s Workshop. Cast your vote at tcpara.org/parade.

Cast your vote now for the parade theme at tcpara.org/parade.

Topping Sports News:

Tyler Booker, Moore, Booker, Graham Nicholson, and Parker Brailsford have all been named preseason All-Americans by The Sporting News.

Nicholson is the defending Lou Groza Award winner. He beat out former Tide kicker Will Reichard for the award and transferred to Bama this past spring.

The Alabama Football Team has been tabbed as playing the sixth toughest schedule in college football this coming season by Yahoo Sports.

According to sportswriter Nick Bromberg, Bama's tough foes include Wisconsin, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, LSU and Oklahoma.

According to Yahoo Sports, the only tougher schedules for 2024 belong to Florida followed by UCLA, Colorado, Georgia and Southern Cal.

Click TuscaloosaThread.com throughout the day for the latest news, sports and weather updates. Better yet, subscribe to the app.

Have a wonderful and blessed weekend!!