West Alabama Friday Briefing

Good afternoon West Alabama! It is Friday, March 7, 2025. This is the 66th day of the year with 299 remaining. Spring Break is next week for UA and Tuscaloosa City & County Schools.

NOTE: Today's briefing was delayed due to technical issues.

Friday Morning Observations:

You might want to think about getting to bed an hour earlier than normal Saturday night. At 2:00am this coming Sunday morning Daylight Savings Time (DST) begins.

Every year controversy arises over whether DST should be abolished. The American Medical Association has advocated doing away with it since 2022. That is when the U.S. Senate voted to make daylight saving permanent, a proposal called the Sunshine Protection Act. The House did not pass the legislation, and it died.

The AMA claims some studies suggest the body clock does not adjust to Daylight Saving Time even after a few months.

Farmers don't like it because even when clocks change, animals' needs don't. Those needs occur at the same time each day, meaning farmers have to adjust their schedule for an hour earlier than normal.

Proponents of DST like the extra daylight after they get home from work, giving them more sunlight for evening outdoor activities. However, critics say the extra hour of daylight increases energy usage because of addition air conditioning needs. (Apparently, they have never been in the south at midnight during midsummer. Most air conditioners are running full speed.)

There have been efforts in congress and various state legislatures (including Alabama) to make DST permanent. So far, the status quo remains. The states that participate in DST still do. The few that don't still don't.

So, remember, Sunday is National “How Do I Change the Clock on my Microwave” Day!

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

Weather:

A rainy weekend is ahead but keep thinking positive, it will be warmer and maybe the rainfall will help douse more of those wildfires.

According to the National Weather Service the highest (60-80%) rain chances will be Saturday night. There's only a low (20-30%) chance of rain exceeding 1 inch. There are low to medium (20-40%) chances of lightning, with very little, if any, threat for severe storms.

The Forecast:

Today

Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. South wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. South wind around 5 mph.

Saturday

Partly sunny, with a high near 72. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the morning.

Saturday Night

Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 50. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday

A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Sunday Night

A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42.

Next Week

Sunny days and clear nights through Wednesday. Highs from the upper 60s to mid 70s. Lows in the lower to mid 40s. No chance of rain is in the forecast until Thursday.

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Topping the News:

Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit Call Press Conference Concerning Cold Case

The Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit has a press conference schedule for 1:00 this afternoon to address the unsolved June 1987 murder of 24-year-old Chanda Fehler.

The body of Fehler, a University of Alabama student and kindergarten teacher, was found on the banks of the Black Warrior River. Her body, tied to a cinder block, washed up on the shore of the river near the Peterson community.

Fehler disappeared from the University of Alabama Riverside pool. On the night of the day she disappeared, her black Honda CRX was found in the parking lot of Riverside Pool in Tuscaloosa with the interior light on and the door ajar. Her towel, driver's license and other personal items were left in the car. Her whereabouts were unknown until her body was found by a fisherman.

The case was investigated by UA, Tuscaloosa, State and FBI but was never resolved.

Another UA Campus Anti-Israel Protest

A handful of UA students showed up to protest the war in Gaza on campus yesterday. As in previous protests, they demanded UA divest from all investments in Israel, calling them unethical. The protest remained peaceful despite the presence of counter-protestors.

Northbound Amtrak Crescent Strikes Truck in Vance

The northbound New Orleans to New York City Amtrak Crescent train hit a vehicle in Vance yesterday. A spokesperson for Amtrak said the vehicle was obstructing the track. There were no injuries. Alabama has one of the highest rail crossing accident rates in the U.S.

Spring Break Begins at the End of Today's Classes

Students, faculty and staff at the University of Alabama and in the Tuscaloosa City and County school systems begin Spring Break at the end of classes today. Classes will be out all next week and will resume on March 17th.

One of the major by-products of spring break is traffic will be reduced in the Tuscaloosa/Northport area next week.

Jubilee and Bridge Crossing Re-enactment in Selma This Weekend

The seminal moment for voting rights in the United States took place in Selma in 1965. The attempt by 600 protestors to march to Montgomery to demand voting rights was met with violence on the east side of the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Alabama State Troopers and Dallas County Sheriff's Deputies wielding batons and throwing tear gas, injured marchers in the event that will forever be known as Bloody Sunday. It led to the 1965 Voting Rights Bill.

Commemorative activities will take place this weekend in Selma.

Rep. Sewell Opposes Trump Federal Building Disposal

West Alabama Democrat Congresswoman Terri Sewell and SE Alabama Rep. Shomari Figures have issued a statement critical of Trump Administration plans to dispose of federal buildings in Alabama and across the country. The disposals would include civil rights landmarks.

Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville claims the cuts will not hurt. He says the GSA would dispose of the buildings to eliminate costly maintenance and allow it to reinvest in high quality work environments.

Bill to Protect Alabama Law Enforcement Officers Moves Forward

During her State of the State Address Gov. Ivey introduced a package of bills known as “Back the Blue”. One bill would give additional protections from prosecution for law enforcement in the state. But during floor debate, Tuscaloosa Democrat Rep. Chris England told lawmakers it is not needed. he says there have been few prosecutions of officers for wrongdoing.

The bill passed the house and now goes to the Senate.

Manslaughter Charges Brought in 2-year-old Bryce Assault case

27-year-old Kendarious Pickett has been charged with manslaughter. The victim, 68-year-old Walter Rogers, Jr., an army veteran died from injuries received in a beating at the Bryce Hospital state mental health facility in Tuscaloosa. The investigation by state mental health officials instead of homicide investigators was not made public for months.

Read More: Patient Charged with Manslaughter 2 Years After Deadly Assault at Bryce Hospital

Topping Sports News:

Bama Women Eliminated From SEC Tournament

Was it a case of complacency after easily beating Florida twice during the regular season or did the Alabama Women's basketball Team just want an extended rest before the start of the NCAA Tournament? Either way, No. 6 seed Alabama was embarrassed by 11th seed Florida 63-61 in Greensboro SC last night.

The Crimson Tide will now await its fate in the NCAA Tournament which will be announced March 16 on Selection Sunday at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN

Bama Men Face Toughest Road Trip of the Year

The Crimson Tide (23-7 overall, 12-5 SEC) faces arch-rival Auburn (27-3 overall, 15-2 SEC) in perhaps the toughest playing environment in the SEC tomorrow. They faceoff with the #1 ranked Tigers in "The Jungle" at 1:30pm on ESPN and the Crimson Tide Sports Network (95.3 The Bear, Tide 100.9, 1230AM WTBC.

This will be the first time in the Alabama-Auburn series where both meetings during the regular season are AP Top 10 matchups.

Auburn is an 8.5-point favorite.

Undefeated Tide Baseball Wrap-up Non-Conference Play

The 14-0 Bama Baseball nine host Presbyterian College in a 3-game set this weekend at "The Joe". The weekend schedule:

Tonight, March 7 vs. Presbyterian – 6:00 p.m. CT – SEC Network+
Saturday, March 8 vs. Presbyterian – 4:00 p.m. CT – SEC Network+
Sunday, March 9 vs. Presbyterian – 1:00 p.m. CT – SEC Network+

The Right Field Terrace at Sewell-Thomas Stadium is open to all fans for Alabama's upcoming weekend series against Presbyterian from March 7-9. Fans of all ages are welcome to sit in the Right Field Terrace area for the Spring Break series.

Click TuscaloosaThread.com for the latest West Alabama news, sports and weather. Better yet, download the app.

Don't forget to turn that clock forward Saturday when you go to bed. ROLL TIDE!