West Alabama Thursday Briefing
It is Thursday March 7, 2024. A Dense Fog Advisory is in effect for West Alabama until 9:00 this morning. Visibility is reduced to less than a quarter mile in some places due to patchy dense fog. Slow down on your way to work or school this morning.
We will see increasing clouds today as week move toward some unsettled weather tomorrow through Saturday morning. There is a Marginal (1 in 5) Risk for strong to severe thunderstorms from 6:00pm Friday until (;00am Saturday. That area is roughly south of the I20/59 corridor. There is a lower end chance for damaging winds and a brief tornado.
A Slight (2 in 5) Risk exists south of that area for the same time frame. Damaging winds to 60mph and a brief tornado are possible.
A Flash Flood Watch for excessive rainfall 2 to 4 inches has been issued by the NWSBMX for all of West Alabama. That Watch is in effect from 6 tomorrow night through Saturday morning.
The Forecast:
TPD and the Feds are hoping to reduce criminal firepower. Police in Tuscaloosa have partnered with federal agencies to identify, indict and arrest people using illegal modifications to turn ordinary semiautomatic handguns into fully automatic machine pistols.
TPD Chief Brent Blankley joined U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, and Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to announce the success of their operation Tuesday.
These devices, commonly referred to as "Glock switches" are illegal, aftermarket parts not manufactured by the Austrian firearms manufacturer. They alter the entire firing mechanism of otherwise normal handguns meant to fire a single shot per pull of the trigger so that entire magazines can be "dumped" with one trigger pull.
Union organizers at the Vance Mercedes Benz plant claim they have fallen further behind for years while the company has been making bigger and bigger profits. Mercedes worker Jeremy Kimbrell, surrounded by his Mercedes coworkers, has announced the majority of his co-workers have signed union cards.
Gov. Ivey has vowed to fight unionization at all Alabama auto production plants because she believes that would hurt the state’s economy.
Alabama lawmakers have passed the school voucher-like program called the CHOOSE Act, and Gov. Kay Ivey moved quickly to announce it will be signed into law. The state Senate passed the bill 23-9, and it already passed the House last week. Ivey scheduled the signature signing for later this morning.
The bill, formally titled the Creating Hope & Opportunity for Our Students’ Education Act, has been a priority for the governor. It provides state funds for eligible families for private school tuition, tutoring or transfer fees to move to another public school.
West Alabama Democrat Congresswoman Terri Sewell won her 6th District primary, but the winner of the Republican primary will not be the challenger she faces in November. Christian Horn won the Republican primary but had already dropped out of the race, so the GOP has tabbed her runner-up Robin Litaker to take her place on the General Election ballot.
Alabama has 40% fewer childcare providers than is needed. A report by several childcare advocacy groups found in 2000 Alabama had more than 4,000 active childcare providers. Since the pandemic there are half that many. Low pay, lack of resources, people unwilling to work are among the issues blamed for the shortage. The report urges state lawmakers to assist.
A murder investigation is underway in Perry County following the death of a 69-year-old inmate — at the county jail. Twenty-six-year-old Damion Allen of Marion is accused of brutally assaulting 69-year-old Frank Russell during the overnight hours.
Topping Sports:
Former Bama Football Coach Nick Saban gave ESPN some insight as to why he retired when he did. He said it happened when the Tide returned to Tuscaloosa, and he began planning for the 2024 season and began his annual meeting with players. .
"I thought we could have a hell of a team next year, and then maybe 70 or 80 percent of the players you talk to, all they want to know is two things: What assurances do I have that I'm going to play because they're thinking about transferring, and how much are you going to pay me?" Saban recounted. "Our program here was always built on how much value can we create for your future and your personal development, academic success in graduating and developing an NFL career on the field.
"So, I'm saying to myself, 'Maybe this doesn't work anymore."
From UA Athletics: Alabama baseball used a three-run seventh inning to defeat Troy, 8-7, on Wednesday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. With the win, the 13th-ranked Crimson Tide improves to 12-1 on the year and a perfect 9-0 at The Joe.
Alabama men's basketball signee Derrion Reid has been named to the Jersey Mike's Naismith Boys High School All-America Honorable Mention Team, organizers announced Wednesday.
Have a great day!!
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