Good morning West Alabama. It is Friday, March 21, 2025. This is the 80th day of the year with 285 remaining.

Friday Morning Observations:

Spring is a busy time at the University of Alabama Athletics Department as Kalen DeBoer puts together next season's football team and conducts the annual A-Day Game. Tide Gymnastics, swimming and diving, golf, track and field, tennis, soccer, and rowing teams are competing well. Bama softball is struggling a bit, but the baseball team is off to a tremendous start.

After a 6-5 win over #1 ranked and defending national champion Tennessee at "The Joe" last night, 12th ranked UA is 22-1 on the season, 4-0 in the SEC. The best start since the Jim Wells era. The Tide and Vols play again tonight and Saturday afternoon with great crowds expected.

Bama Basketball Coach Nate Oats has his team in Cleveland facing Robert Morris in their NCAA Tournament 1st Round Game this morning. The Crimson Tide is a 22.5-point favorite but as yesterday proved, favored teams better be on their game.

Spring is a time when hope springs eternal and at UA Athletics that hope is running high.

Roll Tide!!

Weather:

An overnight freeze will give way to a warming trend that will feel more like spring. Temperatures have now climbed above the freezing mark and are on the way to a high in the lower 60s with sunny skies.

It should be a weekend that will be perfect for getting outside as temperatures bump into the 70s and even near 80 Sunday with sunny skies.

A low-end Marginal (1 in 5) Risk for strong to severe thunderstorms with 60mph winds gusts return Sunday night into Monday.

Read More:

Sunday Alert: Marginal Severe Storm Risk for Parts of Alabama

The Forecast:

Today

Partly sunny through mid-morning, then becoming sunny, with a high near 66. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

Clear, with a low around 41. South wind around 5 mph.

Saturday

Sunny, with a high near 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming west in the afternoon.

Saturday Night

Clear, with a low around 49. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph after midnight.

Sunday

Sunny, with a high near 79. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Sunday Night

Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 56. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Next Week

20% chance of showers Monday followed by sunny days and mostly clear nights through midweek. Highs in the upper 70s and lows near 50.

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Topping the News:

Tuscaloosa Youth Tragically Killed in Texas Car Crash

4-year-old Judah Cleveland died in a car crash while his family was returning to Tuscaloosa from Texas last Sunday. His 6-year-old sister and 2-year-old brother suffered serious injuries, and his mother, Jasmine, is now recovering from surgery.

According to the Sunnyvale, Texas, Police Department, 33-year-old Dakota Chase struck the Cleveland family’s vehicle from behind early Sunday morning. Chase and a passenger were charged with Intoxication Manslaughter and Intoxication Assault.

Northport Man Charged

29-year-old Hunter Garrett Shirley of Northport was arrested Wednesday and charged with a Tuesday attack after becoming angry with a woman at a residence in Northport.

Shirley has been charged him with first-degree rape, two counts of first-degree sodomy, second-degree domestic violence assault and felony domestic violence strangulation.

Walker County Deputy Pleads Not Guilty

Walker County Sheriff’s Deputy Carl Carpenter has pleaded not guilty to civil rights violations in the jail death of inmate Tony Mitchell. Carpenter is one of two Walker County Sheriff’s deputies that was indicted in the case.

James “Matt” Handley is charged with deprivation of rights and witness tampering, accused of kicking Mitchell in the legs while he was handcuffed and ramming his body into a patrol car before driving him to the Walker County Jail. he is also accused of witness tampering.

According to court documents, Carpenter was admitted to the psychiatric ward of the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center after his indictment.

Train Derailment in Greene County

18 empty hopper cars of an Alabama & Gulf Coast Railways train derailed in Green County Thursday afternoon according to the Greene County Sheriff's Office. The incident happened near Highway 39 and Greene County Road 20.

Cause of the derailment is still under investigation.

Bibb County Sheriff's Office Issues "Scam Alert"

According to a post on the Bibb County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, Individuals are posing as "Deputy Steven Scafford" and are asking residents to return their calls, often leaving a callback number and saying you have a warrant. They are also spoofing our phone number and calling from it to make you think it’s the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office."

The post from Sheriff Jody Wade states, "This is not how the Bibb County Sheriff’s office handles warrants, nor any other agency handles warrants."

Wade notes if you receive a call like this or have any doubts about the legitimacy of a call from his office to not hesitate to verify by calling 205-926-4683.

Boligee Getting New Water Lines to End Outages

Major upgrades to water lines in the Greene County Town of Boligee are resulting in a temporary suspension of service to the area of just over 300 residents today. The panned outage will last until the new lines are installed and tested.

Bill Allowing Limited Resentencing Makes Progress

A Republican-led bill that would allow resentencing hearings for people serving life in prison for nonviolent offenses narrowly advanced in the Alabama Senate on Tuesday in a rare demonstration of bipartisanship as nationally both Democrats and Republicans push for tough-on-crime policies.

The legislation, dubbed the “Second Chance Act,” passed 17-8 in the Republican-dominated chamber. It was endorsed by Gov. Kay Ivey, who called it a “common sense reform.” Similar legislation has been introduced in previous years but failed.

Ivey to Sign State Employee Paid Parental Leave Bill

State lawmakers have approved a bipartisan bill that would make teachers and state employees eligible for paid parental leave. The House of Representatives passed the legislation 94-2 on Thursday. It now goes to Gov. Ivey, who has endorsed the legislation.

The Bunny Trail Hops into Easter Preparations in Northport

The Northport Bunny Trail kicks off the Easter season tomorrow at 10:30am. The event is hosted by the Junior League of Tuscaloosa.

Topping Sports News:

Bama Baseball Takes Down Number One UT

In the first of a three-game series, the 12th ranked Alabama Baseball Team held on for a 6-5 win over #1 ranked and defending national champion Tennessee last night at "The Joe". The win improves the Tide to 22-1 overall and 4-0 in Southeastern Conference play.

The Tide has now won its first four conference games of 2025, marking its first 4-0 start in SEC play since 2003.

Bama fell behind 2-0 in the first inning but tallied five runs in the top of the second and led the rest of the way stymying a late Vol comeback attempt.

Game two is set for tonight at 6:00 p.m. CDT start, with the game airing on SEC Network+ and the Crimson Tide Sports Network.

Tide Men's Basketball Begins NCAA Post Season This Morning

The 2nd seeded Crimson Tide (25-8 overall, 13-5 SEC) takes on 15th seeded Robert Morris (26-8, 15-5 Horizon) at 11:40 this morning in Cleveland, OH.

Of major interest to Alabama fans is the status of Bama Forward Grant Nelson who injured his knee against Florida in the SEC Tournament. He is still listed as questionable.

Alabama is 1-0 versus the Colonials with their only match being in 2014 in Tuscaloosa. Robert Morris actually led 23-20 at halftime of that game. Bama eventually won 64-56.

Alabama matches the program-record, appearing in its fifth-straight NCAA Tournament set back in 2002-06 and 1982-86. This is the 10th time in program history and the first time since 2020, Robert Morris is in the NCAA Tournament.

On a side Note, Robert Morris' Kam Woods was an AAU backcourt mate of Alabama’s Mark Sears

The Crimson Tide is a 22.5-point favorite.

NCAA Men's BRACKET

Bama Women Begin SEC Play Tomorrow

The 5th seeded Alabama Women's Basketball team meets No. 12-seeded Green Bay in the College Park Maryland in the Birmingham 2 Region, tomorrow at 12:30 CDT. This marks the Crimson Tide's 14^th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and third consecutive trip to the Big Dance. UA has made the tournament four times in the last five years.

Saturday's game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 and the Crimson Tide Sports Network.

The winner of the opening round game will face the winner of No. 4 seed Maryland and No. 13 Norfolk State.

NCAA Women's BRACKET

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Have a wonderful and blessed weekend! ROLL TIDE!!