West Alabama Wednesday Briefing
It is Wednesday December 13, 2023. With temperatures hovering just above freezing across West Alabama earlier this morning, you may have thought it was cold. But think of how residents of Los Angeles must have felt on this date in 1938 when they woke up to an extremely rare 28°F. Although it has come close several times, it hasn't been quite that cold in the "City of Angels" since. Hopefully it will be nice for the Tide's Rose Bowl appearance on January1.
We shouldn't see low temperatures in the 30s again until next week, but only in the low 30s.
The Forecast:
Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 41. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 62. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 42.
The Weekend: Rainy days and rainy nights with highs in the lower 60s and lows in the upper 40s. 20% to 40% chance of widely scattered showers. No sever weather is expected.
In the News:
Tuscaloosa Councilman Lee Busby was the lone dissenting vote on a proposal to request the Alabama Legislature approve a public referendum on a proposed property tax increase for Tuscaloosa City Schools. Council President Kip Tyner pointed out that last night's vote was not for or against a property tax hike, it was to ask state lawmakers to set a referendum so the people of Tuscaloosa can vote on it.
Because there is limited home rule in Alabama, the legislature must approve all property tax votes.
The council will vote again next week on the request, but it will not require a unanimous vote to pass.
The future of the Kentuck Arts Festival in Northport is still clouded. Monday night the City Council made a one-year offer to host the prestigious festival at Kentuck Park and a promise to discuss long-term plans.
Kentuck Board President Bobby Bragg has issued a statement to news partner ABC3340 that says, "The board of directors and our professional staff look forward to continuing to run our year-round arts programming and the festival in a first-class manner. We are still continuing deliberations. We are not ready to make any announcements yet".
Kentuck has had offers from other Alabama cities to host the nationally recognized fall festival.
Fresh from winning massive contract increases at Detroit’s Big 3 automakers, the United Auto Workers is embarking on a major push to organize non-union auto plants across the south, including Mercedes here in Tuscaloosa County. The union claims workers are falling behind in salaries and benefits while the companies are making giant profits.
32 year old Ciriaco Pablo Jimon and 22 year old Kaylen Ke’von Douglas have been charged in separate child abuse cases. Both arrests resulted from tips to the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit.
Alabama U-S Senator Tommy Tuberville continues to oppose sending aide to Ukraine in their fight to stave off Russian aggression. He discounts those who fear Russia defeating Ukraine then turning it aggression toward other European nations. Tuberville told reporters Russia is not capable of attacking other European countries.
Critics of Tuberville claim the U-S cannot be isolationist as it was before Nazi Germany gobbled up most of Europe in Worl War II. They also point out that Putin has allies willing to back Russia.
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission has voted to award integrated facility business licenses to five applicants.
Those are Trulieve AL, Inc.; Sustainable Alabama, LLC; Wagon Trail Med-Serv, LLC; Flowerwood Medical Cannabis, LLC; and Specialty Medical Products of Alabama.
The chosen businesses now have 14 days to pay the license fee, which is roughly $50,000. This is the final round of awards.
Current and former inmates in the Alabama prison system have announced a lawsuit challenging the state's prison labor program as a type of “modern day slavery.” The suit claims prisoners are forced to work for little pay — and sometimes no pay — in jobs that benefit government entities or private companies.
The class action lawsuit also accuses the state of maintaining a discriminatory parole system with a low 10% release rate that ensures a supply of laborers while also generating money for the state.
In Sports:
Former Auburn football player, legendary Jacksonville State Head Football Coach and Alabama Sports Hall of Fame member Bill Burgess has died. Burgess was a fullback for the Tigers in 1961 and 1962. He coached high school football at Woodlawn and Oxford before taking the Gamecock's job in 1985.
During his 11-year tenure at Jacksonville State, Burgess led the Gamecocks to the 1992 NCAA Division II National Championship.
Bill Burgess was 82.
The Alabama Men's next basketball opponent is the Crighton Blue Jays. The two teams meet in Omaha, Neb. Friday night. If you want to get an advanced look at the 8th ranked Blue Jays you can tune into Fubo tonight at 8:00 CST.
There is some championship football tonight on ESPNU. East Mississippi Community College (better known as "Last Chance U") will take on powerhouse Iowa Western in the NJCAA DI Football Championship game. It is being played at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, AK at 7:00pm CST.
Have a wonderful Wednesday. The rest of the work week is downhill to the weekend from here.
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