West Alabama Thursday Briefing
Good morning West Alabama. It is Thursday, November 14, 2024.
Thursday Morning Observations:
Christman shopping season is underway and the next two nights there will be an opportunity to purchase some unique gifts and feel good about the money you are spending and where it is going.
The Purchase with a Purpose Party is set for tonight and tomorrow night at Northport Baptist Church (1004 Main Avenue, Northport). Run by the shop with the same name and in partnership with several area churches, the Thursday and Friday night parties will provide items from across the world.
The nonprofit store helps fund mission trips and other projects throughout the year and with even greater emphasis during the annual party. The shop does business worldwide and has sold items from over 60 countries and 15 states.
6:00pm to 9:00pm tonight, and tomorrow night marks the 12th straight year the shop has sponsored the party that helps women who have been trafficked, disaster victims and families. 100% of what you spend funds local and global missions, and it does so for a fare wage to those who produced the merchandise.
Admission is free and refreshments will be available. You can enjoy coffee by Send Me Refuge, cocoa and Indonesian treats by Charis Lee, and desserts by Hope Remembered as you shop. Aso, partake of Mediterranean cuisine by Esi's Foodbank, funding missions in Venezuela.
The party is not just an opportunity to buy gifts but to purchase them with purpose.
(Opinions expressed in Morning Observations are not necessarily those of the ownership, management or staff of Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa)
Weather Outlook:
Dry air will clear things out as we move through the day in West Alabama. That will create pleasant days and cool night through the first of next week.
A cold front late Tuesday into Wednesday will return rain to the area in advance of colder temperatures.
In the Tropics, Potential Tropical Cyclone 19 is expected to live up to its potential and become Tropical Storm Sara today and reach hurricane force late Friday. Most computer models show Sara weakening as it approaches the lower Florida peninsula next week and having no impact on Alabama.
The Forecast:
Topping the News:
Another shooting incident took place near downtown Northport early last evening. Shots were fire in the area of 501 Bridge Avenue, near the Chevron just off Rice Mine Road. Investigators found shell casings but no evidence of victims. The incident is still be probed.
Alabama has one of the highest rates of prison recidivism in the nation. A state commission is attempting to reverse that trend. Critics claim the problem is with warehousing prisoners in giant dormitories where bunks are stacked four high. They say prisoners are not being taught how to adjust to society when they are released.
All 10 American Freight Stores are closing. As we told you last week, the Northport store just off McFarland Blvd. is one of them. The furniture and appliance retailer blames inflation and macroeconomics challenges for the closure.
Yet another national chain closure will impact Tuscaloosa/Northport. The Advance Auto Parts Store #5946 in Northport will close i700 locations because of what the company is calling the result of inflation and the economy.
The Tuscaloosa County Board of Education has approved a one-time “extraordinary compensation supplement" for their employees.
The new mega state prison under construction will be named after the person who fought for its construction most, Gov. Kay Ivey.
Topping Sports News:
During his "Hey Coach appearance last night at Baumhower's, Tide Football Coach Kalen DeBoer voiced pride in his team's performance at LSU last weekend but told the audience he has already moved forward to 9-1 Mercer this weekend.
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