West Alabama Wednesday Briefing

Good morning West Alabama! It is Wednesday July 17, 2024.

It will be another scorcher today in West Alabama. A Heat Advisory is in effect for the entire area until 7:00 tonight.

Drink plenty of fluids, stay inside as much as possible otherwise limit you time outdoors and take frequent breaks, stay out of the direct sunlight, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.

Temperatures are expected to moderate for the remainder of the week with highs in the mid to upper 80s. Cloudy conditions and scattered showers and thunderstorms will help to further reduce drought conditions. The new National Drought Monitor will be released tomorrow morning.

Those scattered showers and thunderstorms helped moderate the temperature in many areas across the region and also extinguished wildfires across the region. There are currently six wildfires burning in the state but none in West Alabama.

The Forecast:

Today

Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 94. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tonight

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Thursday

A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. High near 90. Light and variable wind becoming west 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday Night

A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Friday

Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Friday Night

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70.

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Topping the News:

West Alabama is expected to be the site for the next state veterans' home. With all current state veterans' homes filled, a sixth state veterans' home is among the upcoming major projects under consideration by the Alabama Department of Veteran’s Affairs and according to Commissioner Kent Davis it will most likely be constructed somewhere here in west Alabama.

The state’s fifth veterans' home will open on September 13^th in Enterprise with planning for the sixth beginning soon after.

Students returning to Tuscaloosa County Schools next month will notice some enhanced security measures. Weapons detection systems will be placed in all secondary schools. Tuscaloosa County Schools Director of Student Services Ty Blocker tells news partner ABC 3340, it is part an ongoing effort to provide a safe learning environment at each school in the system.

Students in the county system return to classes on August 8^th. In the city system, classes begin August 7^th.

There is another water outage in West Alabama. A water main break at the corner of Spencer Street and Prairie Avenue in the Greene County Seat of Eutaw has left residents high and dry until repairs are completed. The city says those repairs could take some time.

DCH Regional Medical Center has now added new parking for its expecting visitors - future moms. The Hospital has added reserved parking for pregnant patients that come to the hospital. DCH says it is an attempt to enhance convenience and safety for expectant moms.

A traffic crash at the intersection of 55th Avenue East and Old Birmingham Highway has killed one person and injured another. TPD reports a 53-year-old Brookwood man died when his Ford F-150 that crossed the center line and hit an oncoming Jeep Wrangler.

The 45-year-old Brookwood woman driving the Wrangler was transported to the hospital where she is listed in stable condition this morning.

The third annual Kennis Croom Foundation Scholarship has been awarded to five Alabama and Mississippi high school graduates.

The scholarships are named after the Tuscaloosa native and Meridian Police Officer who was killed in the line of duty responding to a domestic disturbance call in 2022.

The recipients are:

Tuscaloosa County High's Mallory Rucker will use her $10,000 to enroll at Auburn University where she will major in aviation management.
Central High's Kayle King will take her $10,000 to Maryville College in Tennessee where she will major in publishing or editing.
Meridian High's Lachoicia Stribling's $10,000 will go to Tougaloo College in Mississippi, and
Booker T. Washington High's Jace White will use $10,000 to attend the University of Alabama.
Legend Nave from Meridian High School received a $5,000 scholarship for Meridian Community College.

You can learn more about the Kennis Croom Foundation and the scholarships program at The Croom Foundation - The Croom Foundation.

Topping Sports News:

It is Alabama Day at the Southeastern Conference Football Media Days in Dallas, Tx. Tide Coach Kalen DeBoer will make his first appearance before the annual SEC media gathering. Here is the schedule today:

Alabama (9:05 a.m.) -- Kalen DeBoer | QB Jalen Milroe, OL Tyler Booker, DB Malachi Moore
Mississippi State (10:35 a.m.) -- Jeff Lebby | QB Blake Shapen, OL Albert Reese IV, LB John Lewis
Florida (12:50 p.m.) -- Billy Napier | QB Graham Mertz, LB Shemar James, RB Montrell Johnson Jr.
Texas (2:20 p.m.) -- Steve Sarkisian | QB Quinn Ewers, OL Kelvin Banks Jr., DB Jahdae Barron

A 3-run homer by the Dodger's Shohei Ohtani didn't help the National League during last night's midsummer All-Star Classic. The American League won 5-3 in Arlington, TX.

Have a wonderful Wednesday and ROLL TIDE!!