West Alabama Tuesday Briefing

Good morning West Alabama! It is Tuesday, April 29, 2025. This is the 119th day of the year with 246 days remaining.

In the Tuesday Briefing:

Weather
News
Sports
Morning Observations

Weather:

Partly cloudy skies to start the day will give way to a slight chance of an afternoon shower or thunderstorm mainly east of a Jasper to Coker to Eutaw to Emelle line in West Alabama. That slight chance will remain into the evening hours. Highs will be in the lower to mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s.

There is a Marginal (1 in 5) Risk for strong to severe storms on Thursday. The threat will mainly be Thursday afternoon and early evening for Pickens, NW Tuscaloosa, Lamar, Fayette and Walker counties.

The Forecast:

Today

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. South wind around 5 mph.

Tonight

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Wednesday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.

Wednesday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind around 5 mph.

Thursday

A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. South wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Thursday Night

A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64.

Friday

A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Friday Night

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60.

Get our free mobile app

News:

West Alabama Highway Construction Announced

Construction is about to get started on the West Alabama Highway. The work to 4-lane the highway between Thomasville and Moundville was officially announced yesterday. Demopolis Mayor Woody Collins told news partner ABC3340 it is a dream come true, "Can you imagine what it going to mean to our community.:

Once complete two of the state's largest cities, Tuscaloosa and Mobile, will be connected by 4-lane highway.

Another Tuscaloosa Shooting Leaves Man in Critical Condition

A male victim is in critical condition after he was shot in a residential area of west Tuscaloosa Monday night. The incident happened just before 11:00 last night in the 2200 block of Reece Boulevard - Greenwood Park. No other information has been made available yet by the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit.

Read More: Victim in Critical Condition After Shooting in West Tuscaloosa Monday Night

Traffic Stop Leads to Chase and Suspect Collision with a Light Pole

A driver who fled from a traffic stop is in custody after a crash that took out a traffic light pole on Highway 69 South. Stephanie Taylor, a spokesperson for the Tuscaloosa Police Department, said a patrol officer attempted to stop a red Honda sedan around 6:51 Monday night. The driver fled, sparking a chase that began near the intersection of Interstate 359 and Investigator Dornell Cousette Street.

Read More: Driver Takes Out Traffic Light Pole Running from Tuscaloosa Police Monday

Woman Charged in Stabbing Incident

40-year-old Notasha Little has been charged with second-degree assault. The stabbing incident took place in the 1300 Block of James I Harrison Parkway. A 41-year-old man was found with several non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

Bodies Found in Vehicle in Fitness Center Parking Lot Still a Mystery

The deaths of two people whose bodies were found in a parked car in a fitness center parking lot does not appear to be the result of criminal activity. That is the initial word from the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit.

The bodies were discovered Saturday evening at the Crunch Fitness Center on McFarland Blvd. Investigator stated their two appear to have been deceased for at least a couple of days.

Anyone who has any information is encouraged to contact the VCU at (205) 464-8690.

Former Walker County Reserve Deputy Held Without Bond in Child Sex Case

Citing the strength of evidence against him, a Walker County Circuit Court Judge has ordered James Earl Keller to be held without bond in the Walker County Jail.

The former reserve deputy sheriff was arrested last week and charged with sexual abuse of a minor. He allegedly used his previous law enforcement position to intimidate and threaten a girl younger than 16 but older than 12.

New Perry County Sheriff Appointed by Governor Ivey

Governor Ivey has appointed Roy Fikes to serve as Sheriff of Perry County. A native of Perry County, Sheriff Fikes has served 30 years in law enforcement including 22 years as deputy sheriff in the Perry County Sheriff’s Office as well as a campus security officer for Marion Military Institute. Sheriff Fikes will replace retiring Sheriff Billy Jones.

“I am truly honored to have been appointed as the Sheriff of Perry County,” said Sheriff Fikes in a release issued by the governor's office. “This is more than just a title – it is a responsibility I take to heart. I am committed to restoring trust, ensuring transparency, and working hand-in-hand with our community to create a safer, stronger Perry County. My focus is on accountability, service and making sure every resident knows that their sheriff’s office is here to serve them with integrity and respect.”

Fikes is taking over the role after the retirement of Sheriff Billy Jones.

Governor Issues Energy Usage Grants

Gov. Kay Ivey has granted $6.2 million to assist Alabamians with reducing their energy bills through the Weatherization Assistance Program. In West Alabama, Community Service Programs of West Alabama received nearly $500,000 for Bibb, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Pickens, Lamar, Sumter and Tuscaloosa counties.

The Alabama Weatherization Assistance Program receives funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ADECA contracts with local community action agencies and the Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission to deliver weatherization assistance to low-income households in all 67 counties across the state.

Infrastructure Upgrades Coming to Moundville

Governor Kay Ivey has announced that the town of Moundville has been awarded a half million dollar grant to pay for infrastructure upgrades and renovations to part of downtown.

Sports:

MSU Baseball Coach Fired, What Have You Done for Us Lately?

Mississippi State Director of Athletics Zac Selmon announced on Monday that Chris Lemonis was relieved of his duties as head baseball coach, effective immediately.

Lemonis was the school’s 18th head baseball coach and was in his seventh season. He was 232-135 in his time at Mississippi State and led the team to its first national title in 2021.

Selman says a national search for a replacement will be conducted.

Congrats to Stillman Softball

The top seed Stillman College softball team went through the 2025 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) Softball Championship unscathed, clinching the title with a 10-3 victory over No. 2 seed Dillard University in the championship game Friday at Wilson Morgan Complex.

The Tigers (33-11) outscored their opponents 29-10 in their three games and only trailed in five innings. The title is Stillman's first as a member of the HBCUAC and eighth conference title in program history. It earned its second consecutive berth into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Softball National Championship Opening Round. The Tigers will find out their site and opponents during the NAIA Selection Show at 5 p.m. on May 7.

Groundbreaking for New Pickleball Courts Tomorrow

Groundbreaking ceremony for the new Bowers Park Pickleball Courts is set for tomorrow morning at 10:00am.

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, District 6 City Council Member John Faile and PARA Community Outreach Director Jay Logan will participate in the ceremonies.

1600 James I Harrison Jr Parkway in Tuscaloosa.

Get our free mobile app

Tuesday Morning Observations:

Today is the 100th day of the second Donald Trump presidency. What is the big deal? Nothing really, it is a creation of the national news media and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Nobody paid any attention to the first 100 days of a presidency until Franklin D. Roosevelt instituted major changes in an effort to deal with the "Great Depression" and convince the American public he was doing the great things he had promised.

Trump’s critics argue the fast-paced strategy he has taken since inauguration day is meant to confuse and overwhelm his opponents. It's the same argument used against Roosevelt.

Where Franklin Roosevelt sought to rapidly expand government, Donald Trump has sought to quickly contract government, which has done nothing but grow since the "New Deal".

FDR's actions during the first 100 days garnered tremendous national media attention. He immediately summoned the United States Congress into a three-month (nearly 100-day) special session, during which he presented and was able to rapidly get passed a series of 15 major bills designed to counter the effects of the depression.

Roosevelt signed 99 executive orders in his first 100 days, more than any other president until Tump signed 142 executive orders in the first 100 days of this second term in office.

The 100th day of Roosevelt's presidency was June 12, 1933. On July 25, 1933, he gave a radio address in which he coined the term "first 100 days." From that point on, national media have made a big hullabaloo about the first 100 days of a presidency. That coverage has applied pressure to every president since to accomplish a lot early in the term.

FDR's New Deal faced considerable opposition from both sides of the aisle. Democratic reformists felt the New Deal did not go far enough and Republicans felt that FDR was overstepping his authority. The business community feared the New Deal would cost too much. Sound familiar? Democrats believe Trump has overstepped his authority and many right-wing Republican wanted more. Many in the business community fear Trumps tariffs and other programs will cost too much.

One of the most controversial actions by FDR was to take the United States off the gold standard, dropping the value of the dollar. That was just about as controversial as Trump's tariffs.

FDR's "New Deal" sought to reshape American society from the political left. Trump is seeking the same thing from the perspective of the political right.

Trump has been battling the federal court system, so did FDR. Roosevelt shocked America by introducing a plan to expand the Supreme Court, to gain favorable votes for his programs. Trump just ignores the federal judges. FDR's court packing failed. Trump's paying no attention to federal court orders probably will too.

So, as we mark Donald Trump's first 100 days of his second term with Democrats and media wringing their hands and claiming he has done too much too fast and overstepped his authority, we need to look back in history. It's nothing new. Whether it is good or not depends on your perspective.

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

Click TuscaloosaThread.com for the latest West Alabama news, sports and weather. Better yet, download the app.

Have a terrific Tuesday!