West Alabama Tuesday Briefing
It is Tuesday, August 22, 2023, and if you want to know what it feels like in a sauna, just step outside. A Heat Advisory is in effect until 9:00 tomorrow night for all of West and Central Alabama. Heat index values as high as 109-degress will be possible during the day creating a dangerous situation for those outside for any length of time.
Heat can kill and heat related deaths are preventable. Protect yourself and others from the impacts of heat waves. Stay hydrated, take frequent breaks, check on those that may not have AC, never leave kids or pets in vehicles, and limit time outside if possible.
The Forecast:
Today: Mostly sunny with highs in the upper 90s to lower 100s.
Tonight: Mostly clear with lows in the mid to upper 70s.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny with highs ranging from 100 to 102.
The Remainder of the Week will see highs in the upper 90s to lower 100s through Saturday.
Topping the News:
Northport Mayor John Hinton has told the city council he is happy to see a number of significant projects moving forward in the city, like the sports complex, but especially the long-awaited bridge replacement on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. That street improvement will also add sidewalks to both sides of the street, along with LED Street lighting and landscaping.
Juneteenth is now an official city holiday in Northport. The city council last night unanimously voted for Northport to make the day the last slaves learned they had been freed a holiday.
Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox has told the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama that, not surprisingly, the largest share of e-commerce shoppers in the United States consists of adults aged 18 to 24, which comprises 46.9 percent of online sales. Adults between the ages of 25 and 34 make up almost 32 percent of the e-commerce shopping. According to Statista.com., Auburn has the youngest online shoppers at age 25; Tuscaloosa’s median age for e-commerce is 29. The oldest is age 40 in Dothan while 39 is the state median age.
An immunity hearing in the capital murder case against former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles will resume this morning after three hours Monday resulted in little more than injured feelings and a writ of arrest for a witness who failed to show up. Miles attorney is asking the judge to dismiss the case in which Miles is charged being involved in the shooting death of 23yo Jamea Harris in January. The defense claims Miles and a friend who did the actual shooting were acting in self-defense.
28yo James C. Hoskins of Tuscaloosa and 59yo Donna M. Cline of Braselton Ga. have been identified as the motorist who lost their lives in a head-on collision on I20/59 Saturday. The crash happened 2-miles north of Tuscaloosa.
Walker County contractor David A. Smith has been indicted on several charges after being accused of taking money for projects and never completing them.
The Black Belt of West Alabama has among the highest infant mortality rates in the country and critics claim a ruling on birthing centers by the State of Alabama will make things worse. The state has adopted new regulations for birthing centers with midwives requiring them to be within 30 minutes of a hospital, be affiliated with a doctor and apply for a hospital license. Most rural counties in Alabama have seen their hospitals close. The ACLU has filed a lawsuit to block the new state rules.
The first major cannabis-focused conference in the history of the state is set to be in Birmingham this October. Medical Cannabis was legalized in 2021, and event organizers want the public to be prepared when it finally is time to start production.
In Sports:
Eli Gold will be back on the play-by-play call when Alabama kicks off the new football season. Eli told news partner ABC3340 he is fortunate that his time behind the mic has coincided with some great Crimson Tide success. Gold missed all of last season as he battled cancer, which is now in remission.
Have a terrific Tuesday and stay as cool as possible!
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