West Alabama Tuesday Briefing
It is Tuesday, October 24, 2023. Don't be surprised if a Red Flag Warning is issued today or tomorrow for continued drought, low humidity and windy conditions. That would signify a high fire danger.
Already, more than 50 wildfires are burning across Alabama, all but eight are north of Centreville in Bibb County. Several are right here in West Alabama.
Two fires each are burning in Bibb, Lamar, Tuscaloosa and Pickens Counties. Three are burning in Walker County, four in Fayette County and one in Sumter County. All are listed as under control.
Lamar, Fayette, Walker, extreme east Tuscaloosa and eastern Bibb and Perry counties are in severe drought. The remainder of the region in Moderate Drought.
According to the National Weather Service in Birmingham there is no relief in sight from Mother Nature. No rain is in the forecast through next week.
The Forecast:
Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 82. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Southeast wind around 10 mph.
Remainder of the Week: Sunny days and partly cloudy to clear nights. Highs in the lowers 80s, lows in the lower 60s.
It is Republican Primary Runoff Election Day in Alabama House District 16. That is the seat vacated by Kyle South when he became the new head of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama. 55yo Northport attorney Bryan Brinyark will face 33yo Fayette County Commissioner Brad Cox. Only 15 votes separated the two in the September 26 primary.
District 16 covers Fayette County, northeast Tuscaloosa County and West Jefferson County. The general election for the seat is in January.
An employee is a suspect in the disappearance of $300,000 from the St. Francis of Assisi University Parish. According to the Catholic Diocese in Birmingham, that employee is no longer with the parish located on 5th Avenue in Tuscaloosa. Church officials have not decided if charges will be filed.
With Joren van der Sloot’s admission that he brutally murdered Mountain Brook teenager Natalie Holloway in 2005, Aruba has requested federal court documents in which he described the murder on a beach in that island country, although the statute of limitations for murder in that country has expired.
After three weeks without a speaker, House Republicans are again trying to fill the top spot after rejecting Rep. Jim Jordan. But they will have one less candidate to consider. Alabama 6th District Republican Congressman Gary Palmer has dropped out of the race for the powerful position.
Palmer issued his withdrawal on his House website:
“Congress and the American people needed a Republican Speaker three weeks ago. If withdrawing my name can help expedite that process even a little, then I will gladly step aside,” said Rep. Palmer.
Rep. Palmer continued, “I will work with the next speaker on the ideas I have laid out so Congress can come together and do the job the American people sent us here to do. With this in mind, I am withdrawing my name from consideration for Speaker.”
Gunfire broke out around 6:30 p.m. Saturday evening around the 3100 block of 21st Street. 14yo and 45yo males were wounded. The father of the youth, Ossie Carpenter, told news partner ABC3340 his son and others were grilling out when the incident happened.
The youth took a bullet in the spine which Carpenter says will have to remain there. The older man sustained non-life-threatening wounds.
MLK Jr. Blvd. in Northport will be closed today for the beginning of long anticipated upgrades along the heavily used roadway. A groundbreaking ceremony is set for Thursday at 9:00 am at the 2-mile Creek Bridge.
In Sports:
Half of the World Series is set. Texas knocked off Houston 11-4 last night to win the American league title. Now we wait for game 7 tonight between Philadelphia and Arizona. The Diamondbacks pushed that series to a deciding game seven with a 5-1 victory over the Phillies.
May this day be a blessed one!
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