West Alabama Wednesday Briefing
Wednesday, August 23, 2023, is feeling a lot like yesterday and the same can be said for tomorrow and the rest of the work week. An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect for all of West and Central Alabama. Heat index values could rise to as high as 112-degrees. This could cause heat stress for those with prolonged exposure to the heat.
Excessive heat can be deadly but 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.
There is hope just over the horizon for a break in the intense heat. Highs next week will remain in the upper 80s and lower 90s, but the elevated heat index values will drop.
The Forecast:
Today: Sunny and hot, with a high near 100. Heat index values as high as 109 to 112 have prompted an Excessive Heat Warning. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 78. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
Thursday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 100. Heat index values as high as 109 will prompted continuation of an Excessive Heat Warning. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 75. East wind around 5 mph becoming south after midnight.
Friday - Weekend: Sunny and hot, with highs near 100. At night, clear and lows in the upper 70s.
Topping the News:
The immunity Request hearing for former Bama Basketball star Darius Miles is in a state of limbo. Yesterday’s 2nd day of the hearing was late starting due to a key witness, who had to be subpoenaed, showing up late. Shu'bonte Greene’s testimony conflicted with some earlier testimony in the January shooting death of 23yo Jamea Harris on the Strip.
Tomorrow night, that is when the new high school football season kicks off with a handful of games, followed by a full slate of action Friday night. But the excessive heat is impacting teams. Some players in the Huntsville area were overcome by the heat yesterday and several other schools have reported heat related issues. The high heat index is prompting some school to push back starting times for their games. Pickens County and Holy Spirit have decided to move back their kick offs until 8 p.m. Most other teams will kick off at 7pm.
20-year-old Frederick Lewis of Moundville is in custody in the Southwest MS town of Brookhaven after leading Mississippi Highway Patrol on a multi-county high speed chase Monday. Radar revealed his 2020 red Chevy Camaro was speeding near the South Brookhaven exit in Lincoln County and when troopers attempted to make a traffic stop he fled. Lewis is charged with speeding and felony fleeing. More charges are pending.
The annual Education Summit is set for September 19th at the Bryant Conference Center. The breakfast meeting will feature Tuscaloosa City Schools Superintendent Dr. Mike Daria, Tuscaloosa County Schools Superintendent Dr. Kari Johnson and West Alabama Works’ Donny Jones. You can Register here.
The African American Land Retention Network, which represents black landowners in Alabama and 7 other southern states, is applauding an announcement by the White House it will spend $150 million to help owners of small parcels of forestland partner with companies willing to pay them for carbon offsets and other environmental credits. The goal is to protect more tracts of U.S. Forest to help fight climate change.
Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox has appointed Jessica Junkin the new Municipal Court Administrator, effective at the end of the week. Junkin has worked with the city for just over seven years and has been serving as the Acting Court Administrator.
LGBTQI+ rights advocates are calling a ruling by a three-judge federal panel that allows Alabama's law banning transgender medical procedures "heartbreaking".
Reece Chavez is in custody on charges that he attempted to elude police in the Highway 171 area during a warrant check on August 7th. According to jail records, Chavez is also charged with fourth-degree theft of property, possession of drug paraphernalia, escape 3rd degree and possession of a controlled substance.
In Sports:
The St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants are playing a regular-season game at Rickwood Field on June 20, 2024. The game will honor the history of Black baseball in America and will be called MLB at Rickwood: A Tribute to the Nego Leagues. It will also honor Birmingham Hall-of-Famer Willie Mays.
To make the nation's oldest professional ballpark ready for the national spotlight, the playing field and stadium will undergo significant renovation to make it ready for a major league baseball game.
Former Crimson Tide and Las Vegas Raiders RB Henry Ruggs III has entered the High Desert State Prison in Nevada. The 24-year-old has begun serving a 3-to-10-year sentence in prison in connection to a fatal DUI that killed a 23-year-old woman and her dog in November 2023. He was driving at speeds up to 150mph when he collided with the woman's car on a Las Vegas city street.
Have a happy "Hump Day"!!
More From 95.3 The Bear
