West Alabama Tuesday Briefing
It is Tuesday February 27, 2024.
A Wind Advisory will be in effect from noon today until midnight tonight for sustained winds of 15 to 20 mph and gusts upwards of 40mph. (Click here for more information).
Those winds combined by a dry topsoil and low humidity are not helping firefighters battling wildfires across the state. More than 150 fires are currently burning but contained in every area of Alabama.
Six fires are burning in West Alabama but are considered contained by forestry. The largest is a 400-acre fire near Panola in Northern Sumter County. A 200-acre blaze is also contained northwest of Union in Greene County, as is a 40-acre fire east of Reform in Pickens County There are also two smaller fires in Northern Hale County and one just southwest of Sipsey Valley High School in West Tuscaloosa County.
All of this comes on a day that will feel more like summer with highs reaching to 80 in many locations. But unsettled weather will follow. Gusty winds will continue into Wednesday as a sharp cold front pushes across the area. Accompanied by rainfall of less than a tenth of an inch, into the 30s by Wednesday night.
Showers and thunderstorms with some lightning are forecast Wednesday through the first of next week. The good news is high temperatures will rebound into the 70s by Saturday.
The Forecast:
Today: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. South wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.
Wednesday: Rain. Temperature rising to near 70 by 10am, then falling to around 57 during the remainder of the day. Southwest wind around 15 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph.
Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph.
Thursday Night: 40 percent chance of showers after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 48.
Friday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 59. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Friday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 55.
The Weekend: 30% to 40% chances for rain Saturday and Sunday. Highs in the low to mid 70s and lows in the upper 50s to lower 60s.
Topping the News:
Mercedes-Benz is going on the offensive to thwart the United Auto Workers massive unionization campaign across the south. Michael Göbel, who oversees production in North America and is chief executive officer of Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc., addressed employees at the company’s plant in Vance last week. He suggested that unionization would mean work stoppages, costly dues, and obstacles to conflict resolution, according to an audio recording reviewed and reported by Bloomberg News.
The UAW is investing $40 million in an effort to unionize Mercedes and other Alabama and southern non-union automakers.
In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Tuscaloosa Democrat State Rep. Chris England wrote that he believes a constitutional amendment will be needed to rectify the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling that frozen embryos are children. He points out the 2018 personhood amendment to the constitution protects human life with no exception for invitro fertilization.
House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels told a press conference Monday that science says the court is wrong because a frozen embryo is not a living being.
A rally supporting invitro fertilization is planned at the capitol tomorrow.
Northport resident Jack Roberts is continuing his crusade to stop the University Beach water park, hotel, entertainment and residential area in the western section of the city. Appearing on the Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa's Steve and DC Morning Show on 95.3 The Bear this morning.
Roberts told listeners Northport needs to figure out what kind of town it wants to be, "This could be a fundamental and radical shift in the character, the tone of what Northport is and what Northport has always been which is kind of a quiet bedroom community that proudly supports Tuscaloosa and the University of Alabama. Is that what we want to be, or do we want to be kinda the cross the river place where people go to parties, loud, noisy, obnoxious, congestion, traffic?"
Roberts and his backers believe the development is a citywide issue that deserves the attention of Northport voters. He also questioned the $350 million price tag ($11 million from the city) and the spotty record of the Texas developers.
Roberts has started a GoFundMe internet site account to raise money in his fight against the facility. As of this morning, $1,150 of his $100,000 goal have been donated by 32 persons.
The Wendy's restaurant chain, which has locations locally, is planning to introduce a dynamic pricing model similar to ride-sharing companies like Uber. This means that menu prices would fluctuate based on time, location, and demand. Critics call it price gouging.
Parts of Pickens County are receiving internet broadband service this morning via a temporary substation. Vyve Broadband reports a substation on Highway 17 between Carrolton and Reform burned to the ground Monday morning. The outage forced Carrolton City Hall, Bevill State Community College, Pickens Academy and businesses to us hot spots for emergency service until the temporary substation was up and running.
The 59th commemoration of the Selma Civil Rights March and Bloody Sunday reenactment is this weekend and officials there have learned that with this being an election year that President Biden may attend. Jubilee Coordinator Collins Pettway says official word has been given by the White House.
Topping Sports:
Alabama baseball will travel up the road to Regions Field on tonight as they square off with the UAB Blazers. First pitch in Birmingham between the two in-state foes is set for 6 p.m. CT with the game airing on ESPN+ and Tide 100.9.
From UA Athletics: Fifth-year senior outfielder Jenna Johnson was a spark at the top of the order during a 6-0 week for Alabama softball, earning her SEC Co-Player of the Week honors Monday from the league office.
Have a terrific Tuesday!!
More From 95.3 The Bear
