West Alabama Wednesday Briefing
It is Wednesday, November 8, 2023. Today will be another warm and dry one and firefighters expect more wildfires to break out. Some of the fires are the result of people burning outdoors when they shouldn't and letting the fire getting away from them. Some other fires have been ignited under suspicious circumstances and their causes are under investigation.
Such is the case of a 125-acre blaze that consumed two uninhabited structures in the Griffin Ridge Community near Brookwood yesterday afternoon. The fire spread rapidly and took numerous firefighters from Alabama Forestry, area volunteer fire departments and Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue Service to contain it inside a fire break late yesterday afternoon. It has been monitored all night to make sure it doesn't jump the break.
No injuries resulted from the fire, but property owners nearby had to take steps to protect their animals, including horses. Other residents evacuated the heavy smoke and Red Cross was called in to assist.
It doesn't take much for a fire to quickly spread as the entire state is suffering under a prolonged drought. And despite the forecast for rain toward the end of the week, it doesn't look like it will be enough to end the wildfire threat or help farmers.
The Forecast:
Today: Mostly sunny this afternoon with highs in the lower to mid 80s.
Tonight: Increasing clouds with low temperatures in the mid 50s to lower 60s.
Thursday: Isolated to scattered rain showers northwest of a line from Aliceville to Northport to Gardendale, with highs in the mid 70s to lower 80s.
Friday: Showers likely. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 66. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
High School Football Friday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51.
Saturday (Veterans Day): A 40 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 62.
Crimson Tide Football Saturday (Lexington KY): Sunny, with a high near 58.
Saturday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 53.
Topping the News:
The Brookwood wildfire is one of two currently burning in Tuscaloosa County. The other is an 8-acre fire just off Savannah Drive west of Samantha. It is one of 19 fires across the ten county West Alabama area, 137 statewide.
The City of Tuscaloosa will host its annual foreclosure sale on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. This event will be held in the Council Chambers of City Hall, located at 2201 University Blvd. Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.
During the foreclosure sale, the City will auction off various properties to the highest bidder. Foreclosure deeds or quit claim deeds will be issued to successful bidders for each property, providing them with ownership rights to the acquired real estate.
Nonprofit organizations in West Alabama are looking to expand their teams. Job seekers will have a unique opportunity to connect with nonprofit organizations looking to fill a wide range of positions at the upcoming Nonprofit Hiring Event. The event will take place on November 15th from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the McDonald Hughes Community Center and promises to be a valuable resource for individuals seeking employment in the region.
Aniah’s law went into effect a year ago. Named after Aniah Blanchard from Homewood who was killed by a suspect with a violent criminal history, the law allows a judge to deny bail to violent offenders. State AG Steve Marshall told reporters the law has been imposed a number of times over the past year and it has helped keep people safer. Voters approved the law as passed by the legislature.
In Sports:
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe earned multiple national honors on Tuesday following his standout performance against then-No. 14/13/13 LSU last Saturday.
On Monday, Milroe was tabbed a Manning Award 'Star of the Week'. He then received Davey O'Brien 'Great 8' recognition while being named the Maxwell Player of the Week and the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week on Tuesday morning. All four national accolades were in addition to his SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors to begin Monday.
Alabama and Kentucky meet in Lexington KY Saturday morning at 11:00am. The last met the played in 2020 the Tide dominated the Wildcats 63-3 in Tuscaloosa on their way to a national championship.
This week's game is not expected to be as easy. Kentucky is a better team. However, their 5-and-0 start has turned to three loses out of the last four games.
The Wildcats’ offense features one of the best backs in the SEC in terms of production in 2023. Ray Davis is second in the league in rushing yards with 903 yards and averages over six yards per carry. Keeping Davis in check will be a point of emphasis for the Tide this weekend.
No. 20 Baylor rallied late to an 88-82 win over Auburn on Tuesday night at the Sanford Pentagon in South Dakota.
Have a happy "Hump Day".
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