West Alabama Tuesday Briefing

Good morning West Alabama! It is Tuesday, February 11, 2025. This is the 42nd day of the year with 323 days remaining.

Tuesday Morning Observations:

Last night emphasized a sad fact about Alabamians top priority in schools, it is sports, not academics or quality facilities. Last week the Tuscaloosa County School System announced a plan to drop athletics at Holt High School after next year due to poor participation and financial shortfalls. At the same time a public meeting was announced to discuss the matter.

The place was packed with mainly angry residents ready to do battle over retaining Ironmen athletics. To many, having sports at the school is what identifies Holt as a school and community. Others voiced concern about having a marching band with no team to perform for.

Compare this angry concern with the February 2023 vote on a pair of proposed property tax increases for county schools. There were two proposals, a 3-mill increase, and a separate 5-mill increase. They would have represented about a $75 per year increase for a home worth $100,000. Taxes on property including vehicles, boats and other items would have increased some as well.

Of most importance was the impact the hike could have had on county schools. They represented a potential $15 million yearly increase in funding for new buildings, improved facilities and more school resource officers.

Special interests mounted a concerted effort to defeat the measures, claiming there was no need. Worse, the special election saw only a turnout of just over 16% of 64,835 registered voters. It is easy to defeat proposals like that when, so few people show interest.

But talk about curtailing sports in any form or fashion and everyone is up in arms. If our state could be more concerned with providing a quality education to every child, we wouldn't have the poverty riddled state we have. We would also have enough revenue to fund sports adequately.

As a former football play-by-play radio voice of Holt High during the heyday of Coach Woody Clements, I didn't want to see the proud heritage of the Ironmen die. The battle between sports and academics has produced an irrefutable fact - sports have been a significant positive influence in many athletes' lives, but a quality education system can be a significant influence on the life of the entire community.

Here is hoping for greater support for Holt Athletics and academics.

(Opinions expressed in Morning Observations are those of the author and not necessarily those of the ownership, management, staff or sponsors of Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa.)

Weather:

There is a Slight (2 in 5) Risk for rainfall 2" to 4" and severe weather across West Alabama through Thursday. However, uncertainty at the National Weather Service could result in those rain amounts being raised or lowered.

Damaging winds to 60 mph and a tornado or two are possible between 6:00pm Wednesday and 6:00am Thursday.

The highest rainfall totals are expected west of the I-20 Corridor. There is also a 40-50% chance for minor flooding along the Tombigbee and Black Warrior Rivers.

A second, more significant threat for severe weather is expected Saturday.

Read More: West Alabama Faces Heavy Rain, Flooding Risks & Tornado Threats

Read More: Can Tornadoes Happen in Alabama During February?

The Forecast:

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Holt Athletics Will Continue

Heated debate over the future of Holt High School Athletics last night led to a decision by the Tuscaloosa County School System to retain the Ironman Sports program. A notice by the school system had stated the decision to drop athletics next year was made due to declining participation and financial issues.

After the anger filled meeting got out-of-hand it was announced that athletics would be retained. Holt Principal Daniel Dickens told news partner ABC 3340 that the school board had not voted on the future of the program and dropping sports was one of several solutions discussed.

Revenue from varsity sports at Holt is significantly lower compared to similar schools in the county.

Hotel/Motel Occupancy Drops Again

2024 revenue for Tuscaloosa Hotels and motels was down $8.5 million. In December alone, occupancy of the county's more than 4,200 hotel rooms was at 40 percent, which was a 3.7 percent drop from December 2023.

Experts say inflation and the growing short-term rental market may be partly to blame. Tuscaloosa has also seen a boom in hotel construction since 2015 with another downtown hotel currently in the planning phase.

Read More: Tuscaloosa’s 2024 Hotel Revenue Down $8.5 Million As Demand Dips

Trial Begins in Pickens County Murder Case

The murder trial of Jeremy Colvin is underway today after a jury was seated yesterday in Pickens County Court in Carrollton.

Covin was charged with the shooting death of 21-year-old Venson Barnes Jr. in Aliceville in 2021. Four other people were also wounded at a home on 7th Street Northeast.

High Character Cudos to Four Local Schools

Rock Quarry Elementary, Central Elementary and Northridge Middle School in the Tuscaloosa City System and Huntington Place Elementary School in the county system are among only 12 schools in the state to receive the School of Character designation.

Character.org only named 98 State Schools of Character across the U.S.

Read More: Four Tuscaloosa-Area Schools Among Just 12 in Alabama Honored for Character

Attempt to Recruit and Retain TPD Officers on Tonight's Council Agenda

On the agenda for tonight’s Tuscaloosa City Council meeting, members will consider extending an ordinance for police hiring and retention bonuses through February 28, 2027. The current ordinance is currently scheduled to expire at the end of this month.

Ground Broken on New PAL Courts

Ground was broken yesterday on the new facilities at Tuscaloosa Police Athletic League located across the street from the PAL Gym.

Two new outdoor basketball courts, a pickleball court, new lighting, fencing, and security cameras are being funded through a combination of city money and HUD funding that totals more than half a million dollars.

Completion is planned for July.

Congratulations to TCHS JV Cheer Squad - National Champs!

Tuscaloosa County High's Junior Varsity cheerleading squad made history this past weekend at the 2025 UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando. They won the school's first-ever National Championship.

Read More: TCHS Junior Varsity Cheer wins First Ever National Championship