West Alabama Monday Briefing
Good morning, it is Monday June 3, 2024.
You have got to give credit to the Alabama Women's Softball Team. They had the worst team batting average of any of the teams in the Women's Softball World Series but still was able to eliminate Tennessee in the Knoxville Super Regional and a very strong Duke team in the world series.
Their old nemesis Florida beat the Tide twice to send them home and end their remarkable post-season run to Oklahoma City. The Gators have dominated the rivalry in recent years.
Between now and next season Bama Coach Patrick Murphey needs to find a way to increase offensive output while maintaining good pitching.
The Bama Baseball Team was two and through in the NCAA Tallahassee Baseball Regional this past weekend. This was only the first year of Tide Coach Rob Vaughn's tenure at The Capstone. It will be interesting to see if he can add some more improvement next season.
Bama Football begins pre-season practice in just about eight weeks and basketball not far behind. The upcoming 2024-25 season for all Bama teams looks promising.
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It is still spring, but summer is straight ahead. The National Climate Center is forecasting cooler than normal weather the next 6 to 10 days but after that we could be looking at a record warm summer.
The Forecast:
According to UA’s “Alabama Real Estate Journal” new home sales in Alabama are up 13% over last year. New home listings saw a seasonal increase and home prices are up 10.6%.
Stillman and University of Alabama’s recent graduates are facing an uncertain, at best, job market. The U-S unemployment rate for this year’s grads is now 12% for those who earned bachelor's degrees and 4% for advanced degrees according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. 40% of young adults were underemployed in 2023. It is taking recent college grads a year to find a job.
The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is called the 100 Deadliest Days on our nation’s highways for a serious reason. More people are on the roads for vacation and more young people are driving. ALEA Trooper Reginald King points out statistics reveal 30% of traffic deaths result from distracted driving. That number rises to 60% for young drivers
"Driving while texting or on the phone, is the same as driving while intoxicated," King warns. ALEA is conducting an intense summer diving safety operation called 101 Days of Summer Safety.
43-year-old Rosanna Latrice Wilson remains in Tuscaloosa County Jail without bond this morning. She is accused of shooting 46-year-old Lashonda Leigh Street to death late Saturday night during an argument at the Shell Gas Station on Crescent Ridge Road NE. Wilson received a non-life-threatening wound.
SEE: Woman Arrested After Deadly Shootout at Holt Shell Station
Over the weekend stricter laws against squatters went into effect. In early May, Governor Kay Ivey signed HB 182 into law providing harder punishments for people squatting in homes not belonging to them. The law also gives homeowners more power when attempting to remove squatters from properties.
Buddy's Rib and Stake has been a restaurant staple for hunters heading into the woods, early morning fishermen, those heading to work and Bama Football fans celebrating another Tide home win for a half century, but the long run is coming to an end.
Buddy's Rib and Steak was listed for sale last year and owner Phillip Guy said he hoped to find someone who would be willing to keep its name on the marquee and the spirit of the diner intact. But that has not happened.
June 13 will be the last day of operations for the iconic eatery.
SEE: Decades-Old Northport Restaurant Permanently Closing Soon
Northport Community Center has now been rebranded as the Northport Senior Center. It has also been revitalized and will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. to anyone 60 years and older.
The center survived a plan by the city council to replace it with a multi-use facility.
Topping Sports News:
Three names related to the University of Alabama Football Program are on the ballot fo the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025. They are: Retired Tide Head Coach Nick Saban, Heisman winning RB Mark Ingram and OL Chris Samuels.
SEE: Alabama Featured Thrice on CFB HOF Ballot
Less than 24 hours after Alabama baseball was eliminated from the NCAA Baseball Region in Tallahassee by Stetson, Alabama softball was eliminated from the Women's Softball College World Series by the Florida Gators 6-4 in a loss in Oklahoma City last night.
SEE: Alabama Softball's Season Comes to an End Thanks to Florida
After bonding out of Tuscaloosa County Jail on animal cruelty charges, a lawyer for Kansas City Chiefs and form Alabama football player Isaiah Buggs claimed the arrest is part of a concerted effort to besmirch the reputation of Buggs over ongoing legal issues with Buggs' Kings Hookah Lounge on Greensboro Avenue.
Buggs claims he doesn't own and knew nothing about the dogs left peened and starving in a house he used to occupy in Diamond Circle.
SEE: City Says Isaiah Buggs Shoved Tuscaloosa Police Chief in April
SEE: Isaiah Buggs Booked in Tuscaloosa County Jail for Animal Cruelty
Have a magnificent Monday!!
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