West Alabama Thursday Briefing
It is Thursday December 7, 2023. This date in 1941 was labeled the "Day of Infamy" by President Franklin D. Roosevelt after aircraft of the Imperial Japanese navy bombed, torpedoed and strafed Pearl Harbor, HI to bring the United States into World War II.
The aging pool of Pearl Harbor survivors has been rapidly shrinking. There are none left from the State of Alabama.
There is now just one crew member of the USS Arizona still living, 102-year-old Lou Conter of California. More than 1,100 sailors and Marines from the Arizona were killed and more than 900 are entombed inside. One of the names on the memorial wall above the hull of the Arizona is a relative that the attack kept me from ever knowing. But standing in front of that wall, seeing his name, brought home the humanity of that day. It wasn't just a historic event, it was a family tragedy, like so many families suffered from that day.
So why is it still important to "Remember Pearl Harbor"? Despite the passage of 82 years, Pearl Harbor remains a poignant symbol of freedom and sacrifice. In the space of a few hours, America became the world’s foremost defender of liberty. It reminds us that we must always be willing to fight for our freedom and for that of others.
The attack taught us we must always be vigilant and prepared. The world is small today, what happens on the other side of the world can impact us in our own country quickly. That is why we must not be isolationists but rather be proactive. For if one country loses its freedom due to aggressive tyranny, other countries cannot be far behind, including our own.
A moment of silence will be held at 7:55 a.m. (Hawaii Standard Time), the same time the attack began on Dec. 7, 1941.
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Today will be another sunny day but cloudy skies and possible severe weather is just ahead. A Marginal (1 in 5) Risk for strong to severe thunderstorms has been issued for Saturday across West Alabama.
Showers will begin Friday night and continue into Saturday afternoon. The bulk of the precipitation will be Saturday afternoon according to the National Weather Service in Birmingham.
The most likely scenario will be a broken line of storms with a few damaging wind gusts and a possibility for a tornado or two across the area.
The good news is 1 to 3 inches of rainfall will be beneficial to further ending drought conditions.
The Forecast:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 60. South wind around 5 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39. South wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 67. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. South wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday: A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. South wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 49. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly before noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 31.
The New Work Week: Sunny days and mostly clear nights with highs in the mid 50s and lows in the lower 30s.
Topping the News:
Tuscaloosa is basking in the aftermath of last night's GOP Presidential Debate at the Moody Music Building on the UA campus. The candidates sat down for interviews with Fox & Friends at the Brick & Spoon at Temerson Square the morning after last night’s debate at UA.
The debate itself at Moody Music Building was contentious with considerable name calling, finger pointing, and accusations being made.
- Former pharmaceutical company CEO Vivek Ramaswamy called former Ambassador Nikki Haley corrupt, holding u a crude sign to emphasize his point.
- Former New jersey Governor Chris Christie said front runner Donald Trump didn't have the guts to show up for the debates.
- Florida Governor Ron Desantis called for a for a new generation but generally avoided directly answering questions.
- Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley didn’t stumble but she didn’t dominate the evening as she did the last couple of debates.
Last night's debate in Tuscaloosa was the final one before party primaries begin in January.
The lawyer for 24-year-old Micah Washington, who was tased by a Reform Police officer while handcuffed wants the white female officer fired and charged for her actions, which Attorney Leroy Maxwell called excessive.
Maxwell told reports outside the Hugo Black U.S. Courthouse in Birmingham that he will file a federal lawsuit within 30 days.
Washington bonded out of the Pickens County Jail yesterday after felony fentanyl trafficking charges were dropped. The officer is on administrative leave.
The family of former New Orleans Saints player Glenn Foster, Jr. has filed a federal lawsuit against the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and the county jail. They claim Foster's 2021 death resulted from mistreatment while incarcerated on reckless endangerment and resisting arrest charges by Reform Police.
Nationally known attorney Ben Crump is representing the family and claims Foster was beaten before being transported to Northport Medical Center where he later died.
A defamation lawsuit filed against the New York Times by Alabama Basketball walk-on Kai Spears will precede. U-S District Court Judge Scott Coogler denied a dismissal motion by the Times. The suit claims the Times acted with malice and libel by intentionally portraying Speers as being directly involved in the January shooting death of a Birmingham woman near The Strip.
Former Tide player Darius Miles and a friend are charged with Capital Murder in the case.
Colorado Police say 22-year-old T.J. Bostic died after a shooting in late November at an apartment complex near Denver, Colorado.
Bostic was a native of Northport but moved to Colorado to live with his dad when he entered high school.
A Go Fund Me page to help pay for funeral expenses has been setup for the family.
In Sports:
Central –Phenix City beat Thompson 21-19 at Bryant-Denny last night to win the 7A High School Football Championship.
1A through 6A games will be played today and tomorrow.
From UA Athletics: A total of 13 University of Alabama athletics programs scored 90-or-better, with 11 earning perfect 100s to lead the Southeastern Conference in their respective sport in Graduation Success Rate (GSR) figures released by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Wednesday.
Alabama improved its overall GSR to 95, ranking the Crimson Tide in the top two among SEC schools (only Vanderbilt's 97 is better). The average GSR for all NCAA Division I student-athletes is 89. This year's GSR spans the period covering student-athletes who attended the University during 2013-16.
The GSR measures graduation rates at Division I institutions and includes those transferring into the institutions. The GSR also allows institutions to subtract student-athletes who leave their institutions prior to graduation, as long as they would have been academically eligible to compete had they remained.
Tomorrow night is preview night for the University of Alabama Women's Gymastics Team. The free event is set for 6:00pm at Coleman Coliseum.
Kids are encouraged to wear pajamas and get their picture taken with Santa before the peek preview of the coming season's team.
The first meet is January 6 for the Super 16 event in Las Vegas. The Tide's first home meet is against Missouri on Friday, January 12 at Coleman.
Have a great day!
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