West Alabama Friday Briefing

Good morning West Alabama! It is Friday, May 9, 2025. This is the 129th day of the year with 236 days remaining.

In the Friday Briefing:

• Weather
• News
• Sports
• Friday Morning Observations

Weather:

Extreme southern Marengo County has a small chance for strong to severe thunderstorms between 2:00pm and 10:00pm today. Damaging winds to 60mph and quarter size hail are the main threats

Isolated showers will be the main issue for today and tonight across the rest of West Alabama. Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are probable Saturday with a Limited (1 in 4) Risk for Excessive Rainfall southeast of a Tuscaloosa to Demopolis line. High temperatures will be in the coolish upper 60s to lower 70s.

Weather for Sunday's all-important Mother's Day looks ok for church but showers and thunderstorms are likely after 1:00pm. There will be a Marginal (1 in 5) Risk for strong to severe thunderstorms southwest of a line from Reform in Pickens County to Eutaw in Greene County to Marion in Perry County Sunday, into early Monday morning.

The Forecast:

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1-year-old's Remains Thought to be Found in Fayette County

Remains of what authorities believe to be missing 1-year-old Kahleb Collins have been found on his family’s property in Fayette County. The disappearance of the child was not known to authorities until a traffic crash killed his father and sister and seriously injured his mother.

Extensive searches for the youth turned up nothing until yesterday when bones thought to be the 1-year-olds were found in a burn pile at the family residence.

The boy's grandfather finally reported he has been missing since December 2024. A subsequent investigation led to John Bailey's arrest. Once she was released from the hospital, the boy's mother Wendy Bailey was also arrested. Both are charged with aggravated child abuse and domestic violence.

The mother and grandfather remain in jail on a $1.8 million dollar bond. However, prosecutors have asked for bond to be revoked based on Aniah's Law.

Former UA Grad Student Leaving for His Home Country

After 45 days in ICE custody for a revoked visa, UA Graduate Student Alireza Doroudi is electing to return to his home in Iran. Doroudi requested the voluntary departure following his hearing yesterday to avoid a longer process where he would have to remain in detention at an ICE facility in Jena, Louisiana.

Doroudi's attorney David Rozas issued a written statement in which he quoted the now former graduate mechanical engineering student as saying, “I love this country, but they don’t want me here so I will go home.”

No evidence was ever presented to prove the claim by the Trump Administration that Doroudi was a national security threat. His visa was revoked by the Biden Administration, but that revocation would not have become effective until Doroudi graduated from UA. ICE had acknowledged that and was intending to drop charges according to Rozas.

Rainy Weather Potential Moves Stillman's Saturday Commencement Indoors

Birthright Alumni Hall will now be the location for Stillman's graduation ceremonies tomorrow as rainy weather is in the forecast for Saturday's planned outdoor commencement.

Read More: Stillman College Commencement Moves Indoors Due to Weather Concerns

Cynthia Burton Passes Away, Had Major Impact on West Alabama

Longtime Community Service Programs of West Alabama Executive Director Cynthia Burton died Wednesday at DCH.  Burton led the organization that serves low-income residents in 10 West Alabama counties for 15 years.

Burton was inducted into the Tuscaloosa County Civic Hall of Fame in 2019. She was born in1947 in Gadsden but moved to Tuscaloosa in 1980 to open and manage the Legal Services office in West Alabama.

She was actively involved in the local and West Alabama community since moving here.

Funeral services have yet to be announced.

Hemp Bill Goes to Ivey for Signature

A bill awaiting Gov. Ivey's signature will rigorously restrict hemp products, the manufacturers that make them, and the stores that sell them.

House Bill 445 will ban inhalable hemp products such as vapes and flowers, restrict where the remaining products are sold, and limit the amount of THC in some products to five milligrams.

Protestors at the state capitol are urging Ivey to veto the bill claiming hemp products are essential to helping some people live normal lives.

Federal Judges Rule Alabama Broke Voting Rights Act Law Intentionally

A three-judge panel permanently blocked Alabama from using a state-drawn map that they claim flouted their directive to draw a plan that was fair to Black voters.

intentionally diluted the voting strength of Black residents when it drew congressional lines and said the state must continue using a court-ordered map that led to the election of the state’s second Black congressman Shomari Figures.

There have been no reactions from Secretary of State Wes Allen or Attorney General Steve Marshall's offices at this point.

The Judges scheduled a hearing on plaintiffs’ request to again make Alabama subject to the preclearance requirement of the Voting Rights Acta a measure that West Alabama Democrat Congresswoman Terri Sewell has been fighting for.

Sports:

Bama Baseball Trying to Find a Way to Stop the Long Ball This Weekend

The 23rd ranked Alabama baseball team (37-12 overall, 13-11 SEC) wraps the home regular season with the nation’s leading homerun hitting team this weekend – #6 Georgia (39-11 overall, 15-9 SEC). The bulldogs have, "gone yard" 113 times this season.

Tide Coach Rob Vaughn is telling his pitchers to be aggressive. He says trying to nibble on the corners will only help their batters.

First game of the series is at 6:00 tonight at the Joe followed by "Senior Day" tomorrow at 4:00pm and will host "Mother's Day at The Joe" at noon on Sunday.

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION

• Tonight:
  • RHP Tyler Fay (UA) vs. RHP Brian Curley (UGA)
• Saturday:
  • RHP Riley Quick (UA) vs. TBA (UGA)
• Sunday:
  • LHP Zane Adams (UA) vs. RHP Leighton Finley (UGA). The Sunday game will be televised on the SEC Network.

Alabama High School Baseball Playoffs Heading Toward Title Round

Four West Alabama High School Baseball Teams in four classifications are still alive in the playoffs.

AHSAA 2025 Baseball Playoffs
Semifinal Pairings

(Some pairings will be decided from quarterfinal series being finished Monday, May 5.
All series will be Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10 unless otherwise denoted)

CLASS 3A
Glenwood (33-5) 8-3-11, Prattville Christian (35-6) 4-4-1 (Glenwood wins series 2-1)
Gordo (26-15) 2-5-5, Winfield (32-8) 7-4-3, Game 2, 10 innings (Gordo (26-15) wins the series 2-1)

CLASS 4A
Bibb County (29-10) 2-3, Oak Grove (30-5) (Bibb County (29-10) wins series 2-0)
Deshler (22-10) 2-6, Etowah (26-14) 1-0 (Deshler (22-10) wins series 2-0)

CLASS 5A
St. Paul's Episcopal (26-9) at Elberta (26-8). Fri., May 9, 1 & 3:30 p.m. (Game 3, Sat., May 10, 1 p.m., if needed) - REVISED
Madison Academy (35-7) at American Christian (30-13-1), Fri., May 9, 3:30 and 6 p.m. (Game 3, Sat., May 10, 1 p.m., if needed) - TIMES REVISED

CLASS 7A
Enterprise (33-1) 4, Fairhope (31-11) 2, Game 2, Fri., May 9, 1 p.m.  (Game 3, Fri., May 9, 3 p.m., if needed) - REVISED
Bob Jones (36-10 at Tuscaloosa County (30-12), Fri., May 9, 5 and 7 p.m. (Game 3, Sat., May 10, 1 p.m., if needed)

Friday Morning Observations:

Sunday is the annual observance of Mother's Day. A time to thank our mothers for all they have done and all they mean to us.

If your mother is no longer with us, stop, remember her for the impact she has had on your life. My mother, Audrey Hartley, is no longer with us but I thank God for giving me such a caring, loving and hard-working mother who sacrificed much to give me life and then raised me to love The Lord, respect others, help others and work hard. I sometimes fell short of her example, but she never did.

Mothers, like mine and probably yours, often serve as role models, teaching valuable life lessons and setting examples of strength, compassion, and resilience. 

Giving gifts, cards, and flowers are common ways to say "thanks mom" but what mothers treasure most is quality time with their children, or if you are too far away, a call just to say, "thanks for everything and I love you".

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

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

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Have a wonderful Mother's Day Weekend and ROLL TIDE!!