WEST ALABAMA MONDAY BRIEFING
It is July 31, 2023, believe it or not the last day of July. That means just nine days after today Tuscaloosa city and county schools will begin classes for the fall semester.
Where has the summer gone you ask? It's still here, it's just schools start earlier and earlier each year. Oh, those memories of the lazy, hazy days of summer so long ago when it seemed summer days just went on and on.
What is going on and on is the heat. Humidity will be high but below advisory levels through Wednesday. However, beginning Thursday through Sunday, expect heat indices to rise at or above 105 to prompt heat advisories and dangerous conditions.
For today, expect mostly sunny and dry condition. Highs in low to mid 90s with less humidity than the last few days.
Tonight, there will be partly cloudy skies. Lows in the upper 60s to lower 70s.
Tuesday will be partly cloudy and dry with highs in the lower to mid 90s.
Topping the News:
Fallout continues from the nationally covered fake kidnapping of Hoover’s Carlee Russell. Friday the 25yo was charged with two misdemeanors. Now officials are asking the legislature to create stiffer penalties for tying up first responder resources and causing a large expenditure of taxpayer dollars in such searches. Hoover PD Chief Nick Derzis told reporters be backs the idea. Russell could receive 2-years in prison if convicted.
Volunteer Fire Departments comprise the largest number of fire fighters in the nation but departments everywhere, including Wiley, in north Tuscaloosa County are struggling to get young people interested in helping their communities. The Wiley Department has just 3 fire fighters. That shortage has dropped the areas insurance rating, which means residents, will pay more for home insurance.
Voting rights activists are returning to court on August 14th to fight Alabama’s redrawn congressional districts. They claim the state Republican controlled legislature failed to follow federal court orders to create a district that is fair to Black voters. Plaintiffs in the high-profile redistricting case filed a written objection Friday to oppose Alabama’s new redistricting plan. They accuse the GOP of flouting a judicial mandate to create a second majority-Black district or “something quite close to it” and enacting a map that continues to discriminate against Black voters in the state.
Greensboro Democrat State Senator Bobby Singleton is asking the federal court to accept his map of Alabama congressional districts not the one from the recent legislative special session. His map makes the 6th district, which includes south and east Tuscaloosa County, the 2nd majority-minority district as order by the U-S Supreme Court. Singleton told the GOP dominated legislature they should have done what was right. A federal district court will hear both sides on August 14th.
Each year the Tuscaloosa City Council budgets money for various non-governmental civic agencies like the library, PARA, schools and tourism. The requests usually run from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. The council has one more week of hearings on funding requests before beginning work on the FY24 budget.
A rush on incandescent light bulbs is expected today. Tomorrow a Biden Administration ban on the sale of incandescent and halogen bulbs. Only LED bulbs, which are 3 to 5 dollars more expensive, but last longer, will be available. Consumer groups warn there could initially be a shortage of LED bulbs.
In Sports:
It is just 26 days until the 2023 college football season kicks off.
Alabama Football players are set to report on campus Wednesday for physicals and to begin pre-season practice. Fan day will be this Saturday at 2:30pm.
All 2023 Alabama home football games are now sold out except one, Chattanooga on Saturday, November 18th. You can go to rolltide.com to purchase tickets for the 11:00am contest.
Have a great week!!
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