West Alabama Wednesday Briefing
It is Wednesday March 6, 2024.
There is a Marginal (1 in 5) Risk for strong to severe thunderstorms between 9:00pm Friday and 9:00am Saturday roughly south of the I20/59 corridor. However, the Storm Prediction Center Convective Outlook places the higher Slight (2 in 5) Risk area in South Alabama.
The biggest threat to West Alabama will be flooding, flash flooding and river flooding from 2" to 5" of rainfall with locally higher amounts. However, a brief tornado cannot be ruled out although the greater storm producing energy will be well to our south. It all depends on how much rain falls to produce a more stable atmosphere before the cold front moves across the area.
The Forecast:
Super Tuesday produced few surprises. Donald Trump won the GOP primary with 83% of the vote and Joe Biden took the Democrat primary with 89%. Both men won every West Alabama County.
Sara Stewart defeated Bryan Taylor in the GOP Supreme Court Chief Justice race.
In West Alabama U-S House races, Incumbent Robert Aderholdt easily won the GOP 4th District House primary and Incumbent Congresswoman Terri Sewell won renomination in the Democrat 6th District U-S House race.
There were 18 candidates competing for Alabama’s newly aligned 2nd Congressional District seat Tuesday, included 11 Democrats and seven Republicans. Results indicated a likely runoff election between Democrats Shomari Figures and Anthony Daniels and Republicans Dick Brewbaker and Caroleene Dobson.
Voters narrowly rejected Amendment One which would have allowed legislators to vote on state and local bills before their annual budgets.
Incumbent Margaria Hamner Bobo outpaced two challengers to win the Republican nomination for Tuscaloosa County Circuit Clerk.
Click here for results from across West Alabama and the state.
Kirk Garner, a leader in the unionization movement at the Vance Mercedes Benz plant, has said in a union video that workers were inspired to again push for a union because of the success of lengthy strikes at the big three automakers in Detroit.
"The big three got a really good contract and so people down here got excited and wanted to organize. So, we're organizing now," Garner says in the video while other workers stand behind him.
Garner states the union is increasingly moving toward the solid majority needed to hold a union election. He also vows the employees will fight efforts by politicians to thwart the development of a union at the Tuscaloosa County plant.
Gov. Ivey has issued statements claiming unionizing Alabama's non-union auto plants will damage the state's economy.
Alabama lawmakers facing public pressure to restart in vitro fertilization services have advanced legislation to shield providers from the fallout of a State Supreme Court ruling that equated frozen embryos to children. But there is a problem area that could lead to a court challenge. The legislation confirms the state high court ruling that a frozen embryo is a child.
A vote is expected today in both houses. If it passes both houses, Gov. Ivey has indicated she will sign it into law.
Recently, some 200 University of Alabama students rallied to oppose the anti-Diversity, Equity and Inclusion legislation now headed to the House for a final vote. The bill would make it illegal to maintain a DEI office in state agencies, public schools and universities.
Retired UA professor Patrick Hermann told a public hearing at the State House Tuesday that the left on campuses use DEI as a divisive weapon. Bill opponents claim approval of the bill will make Alabama campuses unwelcoming. If the bill passes the house it will go to Gov. Ivey for her signature to become law.
40-year-old Jarvos Jermaine Osborne has been charged with murder in the Tuesday morning death of 35-year-old Jessika Lyn Andrews on 47th Avenue in Holt. The Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit said Andrews had been assaulted and her cause of death appeared to be blunt force.
The victim's children had been at home and reportedly told police that a man with whom Andrews had a past relationship had been there earlier and left after an argument. Andrews had taken out protective orders against Osborne.
UA begins spring break at the end of classes Friday, but students headed to Panama City, Daytona and Ft. Lauderdale beaches and other Florida spring break hot spots need to be aware that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is sending State Troopers to assist local police in keeping the beaches safe from drunken revelry.
In 2022, more than 160 people were arrested and roughly 75 weapons confiscated. Half of those arrested were Alabama residents.
Steven Cieroke has been missing in the Cottondale area since last week. Yesterday afternoon a body believed to be his was found dead near Hurricane Creek. An autopsy will be performed.
Topping Sports:
The Alabama men's basketball team is in free fall as the regular season comes to an end. For the first time since the calendar switched to 2024 the Tide has lost two games in a row. And it wasn't just two losses, it was two embarrassing losses.
Silly fouls, turnovers and cold shooting from the 3-point line doomed Bama to a 105-87 beatdown in Gainesville. That followed a Saturday flop at home against Tennessee.
Look for the 16th ranked Tide to plunge even further in the polls and the NCAA Playoff Seedings. UA is also flirting with not receiving a first-round bye in next week's Southeastern Conference Tournament.
Bama Coach Nate Oats was brutally honest in postgame comments last night. "It's one of those deals where our guys have to understand that there's a defensive mindset that has to be there every play no matter what happens on offense and really, to be honest with you, no matter what happens on defense. You can play great defense and they throw in a tough shot, a tough call goes against you, whatever, you can't let that frustrate you. You can play great defense for four or five minutes, offense isn't going well, you have a couple of turnovers, you miss some open shots, like, that can't frustrate you if you're really a defensive-minded team. And right now, we have too many guys get frustrated and then have too many let-downs."
Bama wraps up the regular and home game season Saturday morning at 11:00 am against a dangerous Arkansas team.
Have a Wonderful Wednesday!
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