West Alabama Wednesday Briefing
Good morning West Alabama! It is Wednesday October 16,2024.
Wednesday Morning Observations:
If you have checked out any social media posts from the Tennessee hills and mountains of West Virginia you have seen the first snowfall of the season in the southeast. As forecasted, the Smokey Mountains received a dusting of the white stuff. In West Virginia, peaks like Snowshoe Mountain and Canaan Valley both got noticeable snow, but some areas in lower elevations also got a dusting.
As for West Alabama, overnight clear skies and cold temperatures near or just below 40 degrees have prompted a FROST ADVISORY for counties north of Pickens and Tuscaloosa.
There is actually a Freeze Warning for the mountains of north Georgia tonight.
You can tell the holiday season is just around the corner. My favorite holiday drink is now on grocery shelves - eggnog.
Tomorrow, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center will announce the U.S. Winter Outlook — December 2024 through February 2025. Their prediction will be impacted by La Niña which is beginning to immerge and is expected to persist through January-March 2025. Early indications are for a prediction of a warmer than normal winter.
The Forecast:
The Sports Illustrated Resort proposed for Rice Mine Road ran into organized opposition at last night’s Tuscaloosa City Council meeting. Opponents questioned the ownership, lure of the Sports Illustrated name, traffic congestion, size and look of the buildings and potential ecological impact on the Black Warrior River.
The council tabled any further action until next week’s meeting.
Much of last night's Tuscaloosa City Council Meeting was consumed by consideration of a proposal to remove the business license of Skinner Transportation Service, a "for hire" transportation service. At issue was of operating without valid commercial insurance and insufficient inspection of vehicles.
An issue with the 13-year-old son driving a company vehicle was also raised.
The company's license revocation was tabled six months where the company will operate and must meet all legal requirements.
The Tuscaloosa City Schools is explaining why it has become an authorizer for charter schools under the city system. Director of Strategic Initiatives Dr. Andrew Mackey told news partner ABC3340 the system wants to provide additional options for a quality education as authorized by the Alabama Board of Education. He called such activity a trend in Alabama.
Several public meetings to outline how the system will work are planned.
Carlee Russell, the woman who faked her own kidnapping along I459 in 2023, is back in court in Bessemer this morning. She was sentenced earlier this year to probation and required to pay more than $17,000 in restitution. She must also provide proof she is continuing mental health counselling.
The faked kidnapping received considerable national and international media attention.
Travel & Leisure has rated Tuscaloosa as one of the Top 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. The online magazine called Tuscaloosa one of the obvious selections for the list.
The list was heavy on Southeastern Conference cities including Oxford, MS, Austin, TX, Columbia MO, Gainesville, FL, and Athens GA.
Theatre Tuscaloosa has received $22 thousand in grants from the Alabama State Council on the arts. The funding will go toward the upcoming 2024-25 season.
This weekend the University of Alabama Rise Center will be hosting its 21st annual "Buy for Rise" sale. More than 40 local retailers will provide a variety of items for sale.
Tickets for the event will include light refreshments, music, and 75% off all merchandise.
The Rise Center is located at 600 Johnny Stallings Drive in Tuscaloosa.
Shelton State Community College has set November 7th as the date to educate parents and students about the benefits of dual enrollment, including available program options, scholarships, and resources for students looking to enroll at Shelton State.
The program will begin at 6:00pm in room 2255 on the Martin Campus.
With General Election Day less than three weeks away, the State of Alabama has been ordered to stop removing names from voter rolls. Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen had sent notices to 3,251 people, questioning their right to vote and notifying them that their registration status had been changed to inactive.
Federal Judge Anna M. Manasco, a Trump appointee, issued the order saying it is too close to election day.
Topping Sports News:
Tuesday night college football saw South Alabama easily handle Troy 25-9 in Mobile. Both teams have losing records this season.
There are two games on tap tonight:
Western Kentucky is at Sam Houston and Florida International travels to UTEP.
Among the major sports books in Las Vegas, Alabama has remained a steady 2.5-point favorite over Tennessee in Saturday's game at Knoxville.
There are high expectations for the Alabama Men's Basketball Team this coming season as they have been ranked second in the Associated Press Poll. They are the highest ranked Southeastern Conference Team and are picked by league media to win the conference title.
Read More: Nate Oats at SEC Media Days
Click TuscaloosaThread.com to keep up with West Alabama news, sports and weather throughout the day. Better yet, download the app.
Have a wonderful Wednesday, stay warm and ROLL TIDE!!
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