West Alabama Wednesday Briefing

It is Wednesday March 27, 20024.

It is Holy Week in the Christian Church. It began this past Sunday with Palm Sunday, the day recognized for Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Monday through Wednesday and Saturday get little attention leading up to the major events of Thursday, Friday and Easter Sunday. But there were events on those days.

Monday Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.

Tuesday, seeing a fig tree by the road, Jesus went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then He said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

When questioned by His disciples, Jesus responded with a description of faith, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Wednesday is called "Dark Wednesday" or "Spy Wednesday". It is the day marked by Judas agreeing to sellout Christ for 30 pieces of silver.

Thursday is called Maundy Thursday by much of the Christian Church. It is believed to be the day when Jesus celebrated his final Passover with His disciples. It is the evening of the Last Supper.

On its own, the word maundy means command, reflecting Jesus' command for His disciples to love one another and to serve others. It takes place as Jesus’s is washing His disciples’ feet on Maundy Thursday.

Later in the Garden of Gethsemane, after Jesus prays in earnest to the Lord and the disciples cannot stay awake, Judas Iscariot leads a mob to Jesus to arrest Him and try Him in a kangaroo court, which ultimately leads to His crucifixion on Good Friday.

Saturday, many believe Christ descended into hell before being raised from the dead on the first Easter Salvation Sunday.

The weather for the remainder of Holy Week couldn't be much better as sunny skies lead to warming temperatures.

The Forecast:

Today

Increasing clouds, with a high near 65. North wind around 10 mph.

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42. North wind 5 to 10 mph.

Maundy Thursday

Sunny, with a high near 68. North wind around 10 mph.

Thursday Night

Clear, with a low around 40. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Good Friday

Sunny, with a high near 73. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.

Friday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 48.

Easter Weekend

Get our free mobile app

Topping the News:

Tuscaloosa County Republican Rep. Cynthia Almond is sponsoring childcare tax credits legislation. It allows parents the flexibility to find jobs It is part of the “Working for Alabama” bipartisan workforce development legislative package, Rep. Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville introduced to create a tax credit of up to $25,000 for companies that construct their own childcare facilities. Childcare facilities also could qualify for up to a $2,000 credit for each child participating in the Alabama Department of Human Resource’s Childcare Subsidy Program, depending on the quality of the childcare offered.

Almond believes the legislation would help parents get jobs that will increase Alabama's anemic 57% workforce participation rate, lowest in the nation.

2023 holiday spending saw 3% growth in the state according to the Alabama Retail Association. The group also predict slow to no growth in spending for the remainder of 2024.

Taxed sales in Alabama exceeded $18.5 billion in November and December 2023, a record level of spending for the holiday season.

“In spite of rising inflation and interest rates, consumer spending remained resilient in 2023,” said Alabama Retail Association President Rick Brown in a press release. “Our members expect flat to slow growth in 2024, although they say consumer spending continues to surprise them.”

In January, total sales tax collections in Alabama dropped almost 6.6%, compared to the double-digit growth experienced in January 2023.

Authorities in Walker County area searching for Lonny Tatum. He has been identified by the Walker County Sheriff's Office as a murder suspect in Carbon Hill.

Carbon Hill Police have confirmed “an incident” took place Tuesday afternoon in the 500 block of Mays Road in Carbon Hill but have given no further details.

Tatum is considered armed and dangerous.

After 156 years, financial shortfalls have forced the Birmingham Southern College trustees to vote unanimously to close its doors at the end of this school year. Students and faculty are finding out about the close while on spring break.

The United Methodist school is highly regarded academically and has produced six Rhodes Scholars

At the urging of State Treasurer Young Boozer, a former Tuscaloosa resident, the legislature killed a public funds bailout of the private institution.

The drought is past history now. Since the first of the year the area has received 18.64' of rainfall. That puts us 2.35" above average to this point of the year and April showers are still ahead.

Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen is cautioning voters to be aware of misleading information leading up to the November General Election. He says mailouts and social media with incorrect information about voting in the state have already begun.

Allen, the son of Cottondale State Senator Gerald Allen, is warning of a misleading and unsolicited mass mailing of pre-filled voter registration forms from the Voter Participation Center and Center for Voter Information targeting Alabama mailboxes. In a release Allen cautions that the mailer has no affiliation with the State of Alabama and has been officially discouraged by his office.

Topping Sports News:

Alabama baseball claimed a 6-3 win over Belmont on Tuesday evening at Toyota Field in Huntsville. With the victory, the 15^th-ranked Crimson Tide is now 19-6 on the year.

Bama will host 10^th-ranked South Carolina at The Joe from Thursday through Saturday.

No. 13/14 Alabama Softball (25-6, 2-4 SEC) jumps back into SEC play on the road this weekend, facing Kentucky (21-11, 0-6 SEC) for three games at John Cropp Stadium beginning Thursday, at 5:30 p.m.

From UA Athletics: Alabama will send eight swimmers to the NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships in Indianapolis as competition at the four-day meet begins today.The Tide will have four individual swimmers compete in the competition with Kaique Alves, Charlie Hawke, Tommy Hagar and Jake Marcum securing a spot at the national meet. Additionally, Leonardo Alcantara, Bernardo Bondra de Almeida, Tim Korstanje and Zarek Wilson will compete as part of the Crimson Tide's relay contingent.

Stillman College Softball (23-5, 7-5 SSAC) is scheduled to travel to Thomas University on Friday for an 11:00am Tuscaloosa time first pitch. They spilt a doubleheader with Brewton-Parker earlier this week.

Shelton State has won 11 of its last 12 baseball games to improve their record to 18-11 on the year. The Bucs host Snead State for two games tomorrow and then return the favor on the road for two Saturday.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!!