West Alabama Tuesday Briefing

Good morning West Alabama! It is Tuesday, April 15, 2025! It is TAX DUE DAY! This is the 105th day of the year with 260 days remaining.

Morning Observations:

Holy Week continues as Christians commemorate "Holy Tuesday". This is said to be the day Peter noticed the fully withered fig tree Jesus had cursed. He had cursed the tree as an example. The tree had leaves, suggesting life, but no fruit, indicating a lack of genuine faith and righteousness. Jesus' action was a symbolic judgment against those who appeared religious but were not truly living out their faith. 

On this day Jesus is said to have taught a lesson to have faith and recognize the power of forgiveness. In Mark 11:26 Jesus makes it known that we must forgive in order to be forgiven. "But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses." (ASV Bible).

The religious leaders attempt to entrap Jesus on "Holy Tuesday" by challenging his beliefs while he teaches at the Temple. First, they question his authority. He answers with three parables: The Parable of the Two Sons, The Parable of the Tenants, and The Parable of the Wedding Banquet. The second trap challenges Jesus’ allegiance, the third trap attempts to ridicule Jesus’ belief in resurrection, and the fourth Jesus answers by claiming God’s greatest command to be “Love.”

This day highlight's Jesus' teaching.

(Opinions expressed on Morning Observations are those of the author and are not necessarily those of the ownership, management, staff or sponsors of Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa.)

Weather:

Today will be as good a spring day as you would want with sunny skies and high bumping up into the mid 70s. That will remain much the story through the remainder of the work week.

Thursday will see the return of a Limited Fire Risk in sports across eastern Tuscaloosa County and more so in East Alabama. For the first time in several months the Current U.S. Drought Monitor shows no Abnormally Dry or drought conditions in Alabama. 

Read More: Early Look at West Alabama’s Easter Holiday Weekend Weather

The Forecast:

Today

Mostly cloudy through mid-morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 72. Northwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tonight

Clear, with a low around 43. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Wednesday

Sunny, with a high near 74. Calm wind.

Wednesday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 49. Calm wind.

Thursday

Sunny, with a high near 82. Light southeast wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning.

Thursday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 55.

Friday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.

Friday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 63.

News:

Tuscaloosa City Council to Consider Resolution on Skinner Transportation License

Skinner Transportation Services in Northport could lose their Tuscaloosa business license during tonight’s city council meeting. A resolution would dissolve the license based on uninsured vehicles and uncertified drivers. This is the second time in 7 months that Skinner has faced loss of their Tuscaloosa business license in a hearing before the council.

Jasper Gets Big Economic News

A plan to modernize its sawmill facility with cutting-edge technology will increase production capacity at Jasper Lumber Company. Officials expect the $135 million investment to raise production capacity from 65 million to nearly 225 million board feet annually. This expansion will necessitate a highly skilled labor force to operate and maintain the advanced equipment.

The expansion is expected to be completed next year and will improve the company's competitiveness and profitability according to a media release.

Jasper Lumber Company has manufactured southern pine lumber for over 25 years.

Gas Prices Drop Unexpectedly

President Trump's plan to increase tariffs had begun to bump up gasoline prices but his temporary freeze combined by increased OPEC oil production has resulted in a surprising drop in gas prices.

 In Alabama gas is down 6¢ to 2.80 a gallon on average. It has dropped to $2.79 on average in Tuscaloosa County with Perry County the highest in West Alabama at $3.06.

Triple-A expects prices to begin rising again as we move toward Memorial Day and the beginning of the summer driving season combined with the change of gasoline blends for summer.

Bibb County Man Charged with Sexual Abuse of a Minor

30-year-old Cody Dewayne Parsons of Brierfield, in Bibb County, has been indicted on first-degree sodomy and first-degree sexual abuse of a child younger than 12. Parsons was arrested April 11 and remains in the Bibb County Jail with no bond.

Town Creek VFD Evicted from Fire Station

It is not often a fire department gets evicted from their fire station. But that is what has happened to the Town Creek Volunteer Fire Department. A property dispute is forcing them out of their station, but Fire Chief Chris Owens says the department will operate out of his personal property.

The department recently provided a significant response to the Walker County Community of Sipsey after it was damaged by a tornado.

The Town Creek VFD is seeking donations to purchase property and a building of their own.

UA Online Fund-Raising Campaign Getting Underway

Beginning at noon today and running through noon Thursday, the University of Alabama will be conducting their eighth-annual "Bama Blitz".  According to the campaign's website the goal is to raise funds for scholarships, research, and student programs that shape the future of virtually all areas of the UA community.

There are numerous challenges from individuals and organizations in which you can participate

Bama Blitz raised more than $5 million last year and has brought in over 11,500 gifts since its inception.

Hillcrest Blood Drive Deemed a Success

The Cameron Tyler Prince Foundation sponsored a blood drive at Hillcrest High School Monday in honor of the memory of the student. The foundation and school voiced pride in the success of the drive.

Cameron Prince passed away on November 18th, 2021, after surgery complications. He was diagnosed with a heart condition at 7 years old.

The Cameron Tyler Prince Legacy Foundation, Inc. was launched on Cameron Prince's birthday, January 3, 2023.

The foundation aims to support and share heart disease awareness, provide educational support, donate to charitable causes, and serve the community with acts of kindness. As part of the foundation’s mission, they aim to provide annual educational support to graduating Seniors of Hillcrest High School.

Vote on Ten Commandments Bill Could Come This Week in Legislature

The controversial legislation that would require the posting of a copy of the Ten Commandments in all Alabama public schools could come to a head with a vote this week. The bill would require the copy to be placed in common areas — like hallways or entrances — of schools.

Conservative Republicans who control both house of the legislature mostly support the bill; however, some religious organizations oppose it. They question which version of the commandments will be posted and some point to the need for a separation of church and state.

The Rev. Julie Conrady, president of the Interfaith Alliance of Central Alabama, claims the bill violates religious freedom. “If we’re talking about our Jewish friends, they would say posting them in English is not even appropriate,” Conrady said. “When we talk about when we get to translating that text into English is when you start making actual theological claims.”

Proponents say the bill is more about history than religion and that the Ten Commandments are the basis of U.S. Common Law. A similar law was signed in Louisiana and blocked by a federal judge.

Walmart Recall

California-based Duda Farms has issued a voluntary recall of more than 1,500 cases of celery sticks sold at Walmart in Alabama due to the possibility they could be contaminated with listeria. The bags have a UPC code of 6 81131 16151 0 on the back of the bag with a “Best if Used By” date of March 23.

Expect Change at Sam's Club Stores

Sam's Club has announced they will remodel all 600 of their stores, including the one in Tuscaloosa.

The remodeling will include an interactive showroom that lets shoppers try out products. The chain will also be offering register-free shopping that allows greater use of Scan & Go technology to skip the lines.

In the announcement, the wholesale retailer outlined plans to double membership and more than double sales and profit over the next 8 to 10 years.

Click TuscaloosaThread.com for the latest West Alabama news, sports and weather. Better yet, download the app.

Sports:

Bama Softball Wins 2 of 3 From Oklahoma

The 22nd ranked Alabama Softball Team gave #2 Oklahoma their first back-to-back losses since 2019. The Tide victory came from a walk off homer by Audrey Vandegriff in the bottom of the 8th to edge the Sooners 2-1 at the Rhodes House last night.

The game was Alabama's (30-16, 7-8 SEC) first extra-inning game of the season and its first walk-off home run since Skylar Wallace against Georgia on May 9, 2019, at the SEC Tournament.

Tide Coach Patrick Murphey was elated: "What a great series. All three games were televised, and we almost had 13,000 people for a three-game series. It showcased what a great sport softball is, and tonight was an instant classic. I say it a lot - 'bend don't break' - and Oklahoma had the bases loaded with one out and we didn't break. That was the key moment defensively, and Audrey [Vandagriff] did what Audrey does. Catelyn [Riley] threw 19.0 shutout innings against one of the best teams in the country and that never happens."

Alabama travels to Florida to begin a three-game series with the 6th ranked Gators Thursday.

WNBA Draft is Best Ever for Bama Women's Basketball Team

UA guard Sarah Ashlee Barker made Crimson Tide Women's Sports history by being selected as the 9th pick in last night's WNBA Draft. The daughter of former Alabama national Championship winning QB Jay Barker was selected by the Los Angeles Sparks.

The history didn't stop with Barker. Her teammate, guard Aaliyah Nye, one of the most prolific shooters in Crimson Tide history, was selected as the 1st pick of the second round and 13th overall pick by the Las Vegas Aces. Nye is Alabama's all-time leader in 3-pointers.

The third star from this past season's NCAA Tournament Team was guard Zaay Green who was selected No. 32 overall by the Washington Mystics. Green is known for her strength on both offense and defense.

Alabama has now had 15 players selected in the WNBA Draft since the league's inception.

Read More:

• Sarah Ashlee Barker Selected as the No. 9 Pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft
• Aaliyah Nye Selected as the No. 13 Pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft
• Zaay Green Selected as the No. 32 Pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft

Bama Baseball Hosts UAB Tonight

No. 15 Alabama baseball (29-8 overall, 8-7 SEC) returns to action for a midweek contest at 6:00 tonight against UAB (19-17 overall, 4-8 AAC) at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide has won seven of the past 10 matchups against the Blazers in Tuscaloosa since 2013, including a 6-3 game earlier this season in Birmingham.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH

• RHP Bobby Alcock (UA) vs. RHP Ryan Olson (UAB)

Click Tide100.9 for the latest sports news.