Good morning West Alabama! It is Monday, October 7, 2024.

The sun came up Sunday morning and again this morning, so I guess the world is still rotating and life is still going on despite the Alabama Football team's embarrassing loss to Vanderbilt Saturday in Nashville.

I said Saturday that I hoped Coach Kalen DeBoer sought medical treatment for the team because there seemed to be a widespread case of rat poisoning among the squad.

The team had vowed determination to not let a "trap game" get the best of them. But it was obvious as the game went along the Tide was not prepared for the intensity Vandy brought to the game. The Commadores dominated throughout the game. Every time you thought Alabama was going to break through, Vandy dropped the anchor down.

Coach Bryant used to say you learn more from losing than winning. If that is the case, the Crimson Tide learned enough to fill a book. Bama apparently learned nothing from losing the second half of the Georgia game, hopefully they learned from being outplayed by a lessor team Saturday afternoon. If they haven't it could be a long first year for Kalen DeBoer.

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Hurricane Milton is strengthening in the Gulf of Mexico, but all indications are that it will have no impact on West Alabama whatsoever., not even a raindrop for the next seven to ten days. And that is not necessarily good news.

Most of West Alabama is either Abnormally Dry or in Moderate Drought due to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor and the forecast is for that Moderate Drought area to spread wider. The U.S. Climate Prediction Center is forecast weather leaning toward below normal in the 8-14 Day Outlook.

The upside of the forecast is a hint of fall in the air with highs near 80 and lows near 50, with some areas in the upper 40s.

The Forecast:

Today
Sunny, with a high near 87. North wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight
Clear, with a low around 56. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 81. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night
Clear, with a low around 59. North wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 83. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night
Clear, with a low around 58.
Remainder of the Week

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Topping the News:

Brookwood High School is mourning the tragic Sunday morning death of a 17-year-old student. The Cottondale teenager died in a single car crash on Alabama Highway 216 about three miles east of the Tuscaloosa City Limits.
Brookwood Principal, Mrs. Kellie Hubbard, posted an online letter to Brookwood High Students, Families, Faculty, & Staff:"I know many of you are already aware of this, but I am very saddened to let you know that we lost one of our Brookwood High students in an accident this morning. Tomorrow and beyond, our district support team of counselors and social workers will be available to our students, faculty, and staff. Families, please encourage your students to reach out for support. We are here for them.

"Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. We love our Brookwood High students and families dearly and want to make sure you are all cared for during this difficult time of loss."

The youth has not been publicly identified.


 

A major crash at the Daimler Benz Blvd. eastbound exit on I20/59 just after 5:30 this morning backed up traffic for a little more than three hours this morning.

The accident happened at Coaling, Exit 89. No further details have been released by ALEA.


 

Unemployment claims have dropped slightly in Alabama at the same time unemployment claims rose nationally.

The drop in Alabama claims comes as the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments today in a case challenging the slow pace of claims and appeals handled by the State of Alabama during and after the COVID19 pandemic. Plaintiffs claim the state mismanaged the program. The state points out that law requires claimants to complete the appeals process before turning to court action.

Alabama continues to struggle with the slowest rate of claims in the nation.


 

The North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church now has a new bishop. Jonathan Holston was ceremonially installed Sunday night in Birmingham.

Holston will now oversee all of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, after both conferences were reduced in size by a significant number of churches left the denomination in a dispute over allowing same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBTQ clergy, both of which had previously been banned.

Holston addressed the split during the ceremony, “Our community is needing for people, clergy and laity, to sing the songs of faith, to walk the songs of faith, and to live the gospel of Jesus Christ, here and now. The question is, Will we be willing to do it? It’s hard work now. Folk don’t believe we can do it. They’re fixing to join another thing. But the thing that you have now is important, and we’ve got to lift the savior up right now in this moment in this time."


 

Alabama, like most states, is experiencing a shortage of emergency medical technicians and paramedics, especially in rural areas. The Alabama Fire College, located by Shelton State, hopes to do something to resolve the problem.

A $14 million expansion will include new classrooms, advanced simulation labs and a focus on hybrid learning, blending online coursework with in-person training. The expansion will be aimed at primarily filling the gap in rural areas.

Additional jobs will be created by the expansion.



 

Topping Sports News:

Not surprisingly, Vanderbilt Quarterback Diego Pavia, after leading the Commadores to an astoundingly dominant win over Alabama Saturday has been selected the SEC Offensive Player of the Week. He completed 16 of 20 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 56 yards on 20 carries in a dominating performance.

No Alabama players had performances worthy of note from the SEC honors this week.


 

Vanderbilt knock Alabama from the ranks of the undefeated and out of the top spot in this week's Associated Press and Coaches Top 25 Polls. Texas is back at #1 in both, Bama is 7th in both.

AP POLL:

1Texas
2Ohio State
3Oregon
4Penn State
5Georgia
6Miami (FL)
7Alabama
8Tennessee
9Ole Miss
10Clemson
T-11Iowa State
T-11Notre Dame
13LSU
14BYU
15Texas A&M
16Utah
17Boise State
T-18Kansas State
T-18Indiana
T-18Oklahoma
21Missouri
22Pittsburgh
23Illinois
24Michigan
25SMU

 

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