West Alabama Wednesday Briefing
Good morning! It is Wednesday May 22, 2024.
Every day of the year is designated as some type of special day. For instance, today is National Vanilla Pudding Day, National Solitaire Day, National Julie Day, National Craft Distillery Day, National Maritime Day and more. But one of the more interesting ones is National Sherlock Holmes Day.
Sherlock Holmes is one of the most popular mystery/detective characters ever. He is the central character of books, a long-running radio series, tv shows and movies about his super-sleuth abilities. Along with his partner Dr. Watson, they have solved many baffling mysteries and oddly enough a BBC poll finds 21% of the British public think he was real.
Sherlock Holmes has remained relevant for nearly 150 years and shows no sign of losing popularity. But was he a real person?
Holmes is actually the product of the brilliant mind of British writer Sir Arthur Connan Doyle who was born on this day in 1859.
But that information of course is, "elementary".
The Forecast:
37 men have been arrested in connection to multiple human trafficking investigations according to the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force. The investigations began with the arrest of 31-year-old Marquis Spencer, Jr. of Tuscaloosa when an investigator became suspicious that a woman at a Tuscaloosa hotel was being trafficked.
For the third time in a week TPD has responded to shots fired at Brookhaven Apartments. This time there were no injuries.
According to TPD multiple apartments were struck by bullets at the complex formally called Watergate Apartments.
Two separate shootings last week left one person dead and another injured. The second shooting wounded two people who sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The investigation into the latest incident is ongoing.
Last Memorial Day weekend there were no boating fatalities in Alabama, a rarity. The long weekend draws thousands to lakes and rivers across the state and ALEA Trooper Reginald King reminds us that one of the top reasons for boating accidents involves alcohol, "If you drink while operating a vessel on Alabama waterways, you are breaking the law and if you are caught you will be arrested. There are penalties."
King also reminds us that everyone in a boat is required to wear a lifejacket.
A 19-year-old Guatemalan female who was rescued from Hurricane Creek just NE of Tuscaloosa Monday has died. Two other teens pulled her from the water and performed CPR. She later died at DCH.
Greene County Schools are part of the significant improvement in grade-level reading skill scores for Alabama third graders. Ninety percent of all third graders at Eutaw Primary scored at or above grade reading level in the latest testing.
In 2023 41 of 71 Greene County third graders failed to achieve a passing score. The most recent testing found only six of 61 failing to achieve grade-level reading.
Statewide, 91% of students were reading on grade level.
It is not known if the Tuscaloosa and Northport Walmart Neighborhood Market stores will be involved but a company press release says they are looking at "thoughtful" approach to redesigning stores some 150 stores.
The concept will be a groceries first design. New stores and the redesigned stores will be larger with increases in the size of the bakery, produce, meat and dairy sections. Aisles will be wider, and more space will be made for pickup and delivery. There is also more dedicated room for refrigerated goods.
There will also be dedicated private space for healthcare consultation, vaccinations and rooms for nursing mothers.
Topping Sports News:
The Alabama Baseball Team led early 3-0 over South Carolina in the second SEC Baseball Championship Tournament game of day one. But Tide pitching couldn't hold the Gamecock offense down. USC had lost six games in a row coming into the tournament but blasted Bama 10-5 to eliminate Alabama.
The Tide is listed as a bubble team for the NCAA post-season. So, players and coaches will have to wait until this weekend to see if they will be able to sneak on to the "Road to Omaha".
UA's Track & Field Team begins competition today in the NCAA East Preliminary Round at Kentucky. The event concludes Saturday. The schedule has men's teams competing Wednesday and Friday, while the women's competition will be held Thursday and Saturday.
A big upset took place at the NCAA Tennis Championship Round 16 and involved a University of Alabama star. 29th ranked Alabama player Filip Planinsek knocked off 17th ranked Cannon Kingsley of Ohio State.
Planinsek faces Texas senior Micah Braswell in the Round of 16 today.
Fand who watched the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway are talking more about what happened after the race than during. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. punched Kyle Bush and now faces the possibility of a fine and/or suspension.
Stenhouse has vowed to wreck Bush at Charlotte.
Enjoy your Wednesday, the holiday weekend is just ahead!
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