West Alabama Tuesday Briefing
It is Tuesday March 12, 2024.
If you happened to be up before the crack of dawn this morning you would have seen quite a show to our west. The SpaceX manned capsule cut a bright trail across the heavens as it rocketed back to earth for a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
Many people reported being awakened by the sonic boom the spacecraft created as it reentered the earth's atmosphere. The trail of fire was visible over much of the midsouth as the flight pattern took the spacecraft over Arkansas, Mississippi, South Alabama and the Florida Panhandle as it headed to a perfect landing just south of Pensacola.
Aboard were astronauts from NASA, the European Space Agency and Japan along with a cosmonaut from Russia. The SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico, about 12 hours after undocking from the orbiting lab. The crew took off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida May 21.
It was perfect weather for the splashdown, but it won't stay that way this week.
A series of upper-level disturbances will move across the southeast U.S. with periods of rain and thunderstorms Thursday evening through Sunday. A frontal boundary will likely set up and stall somewhere across Alabama. It will bring heavy rain and potential severe storms.
The severe weather will be limited but the rainfall will reach between 2" to 4" with spots of higher totals. Because soils are now saturated there could be considerable runoff creating flooding and flash flooding situations. Portions of the Blacks Warrior River, Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers could reach minor flooding levels.
Oh, and by the way, the drought is officially over as rainfall amounts have brought West Alabama to almost two inches about the normal average of 13.88" at this point each year.
Topping the News:
Things are looking up for the Pickens County Ambulance Service. The county saw their hospital close then their ambulance response erode and virtually disappear due to a lack of funding.
Municipalities in the county on the Alabama/Mississippi state line have agreed to assist in funding the ambulance service. They’ve agreed to help with the budget shortfall by bringing on sufficient personnel to staff one ambulance 24 hours a day and another 16 hours a day.
Gov. Ivey has signed two key bills so far this session, a school choice bill and an invitro fertilization protection bill. She wants to sign another one now pending in the legislature, gaming and a statewide lottery.
The house passed bill that went to the senate was considerably changed -, What emerged was legislation that eliminated casinos and sports betting. It also moved the date for the gaming and enabling constitutional amendment vote from the General Election in November to September,
Those differences must be worked through. The house will either concur with the senate, a conference committee will need to work out the difference or the bills will die.
Three Tuscaloosa men Ta'keldrick Ke'Anthony White, 19, Rodney Delshawn Rice, Jr. and Davian Nazir Scott, who are both 18, have been charged with committing armed robberies targeting Hispanics.
According to court documents filed Monday, several people in and around a neighborhood off Hargrove Road told Tuscaloosa Police last month that they were robbed at gunpoint by several young men.
A total of six victims said they were targeted in late January and on four different dates in February.
Lamar and Marion counties will receive a portion of a $30 million allocation from the Alabama Industrial Development Department to attract new development. The seed money is providing cities and counties across the state with funding to start prep work to help develop business growth.
Prioritizing caregivers by updating laws that prevent elder abuse and providing home health care is a priority of AARP-Alabama for the current legislative session. According to AARP family caregivers provide more than $8 billion in unpaid care to their loved ones.
AARP's Jamie Harding says her organization's goal is to educate lawmakers about the problems facing caregivers and get them to understand how important it is for the state to expand home and community-based services as our population ages.
Topping Sports:
The University of Alabama has made it official, Chris Stewart, who has been with the network in a variety of positions since 1998, will replace Eli Gold as radio play-by-play voice and host of "Hey Coach." The change will take place for the Golden Flake A-Day Spring Football Game next month.
Alabama softball avoided its first SEC series sweep in 20 years with a 3-0 shutout over Florida Monday night at Rhoads Stadium.
After posting a combined four hits in the first two games, Alabama (20-3, 1-2 SEC) scored three runs on eight hits in Monday's finale while holding the Florida (21-4, 2-1 SEC) offense scoreless on five hits, all of which were singles.
The Tide goes on the road to face a tough Florida State team Wednesday at 6:00pm.
Alabama baseball will travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., for a midweek contest with Southern Miss on tonight. The 12th-ranked Crimson Tide and Golden Eagles are scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch at Pete Taylor Park.