WEST ALABAMA THURSDAY BRIEFING
Its Thursday!! Finally, a whole day without rain in the forecast. Today should have mostly sunny skies with highs in the low to mid 80s. Tonight, the skies should remain fair with a low near 60.
A peek ahead to the long holiday weekend shows clouds returning Friday with a 20% chance of rain Saturday, mostly sunny skies Sunday and a near perfect sunny Memorial Day with highs in the lower 80s.
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Huntsville Police Officer Garret Crumby was killed, and another officer wounded in March when they responded to a domestic violence call in the Rocket City. During a hearing Wednesday, the body camera of Crumby, a Tuscaloosa native and former TPD officer revealed he and Officer Albert Morin were shot when they walked thru the door after hearing a woman scream. The suspect, Juan Laws then continues to shoot Crumby as he attempts to get to his feet. Madison County Chief Deputy DA Tim Gann told reporter they will ask for the death penalty. The case was bound over to a grand jury.
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West Alabama Democratic Congresswoman Terri Sewell has introduced the “Save Rural Hospitals Act” in the U-S House. Sewell says the bipartisan bill would keep rural hospitals open by ensuring that they are fairly reimbursed for their critical services. Seven rural Alabama hospitals, including the Pickens County Medical Center, have closed since 2005. 195 rural hospitals have closed nationwide during the same time period. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate.
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A $270,000 repair of the Jack Warner Parkway Bridge over McFarland Blvd. will begin in three weeks according to ALDOT. It was damaged when an 18-wheeler struck the structure while passing under it. The contractor will close the Jack Warner Parkway eastbound acceleration lane on the bridge for the entirety of the project, while US-82 lane closures near the bridge will only occur between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.
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Former Alabama Basketball player Darius Miles will remain in jail after a second bond motion was denied in a Tuscaloosa County Court hearing. Miles and his friend Michael Davis face Capital Murder charges for the January shooting death of Jamea Harris on "The Strip" near downtown Tuscaloosa. Defense attorneys claim Harris boyfriend fired the first shots Davis fired in self-defense.
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The Alabama House Health Committee has voted along party lines to approve the “What is a Woman Act”. The bill that now goes to the full house for action would base the definition on a person's reproductive systems.
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In sports:
- The Alabama Baseball Team blew a 3-run lead in the bottom of the 11th inning last night when Florida blasted a grand-slam homerun to come from behind for a 7-6 win. The Tide will play Auburn this afternoon in an elimination game after the Tigers were bested 6-4 by Vanderbilt late last night.
- The NCAA Softball Super Regional begins tomorrow night at the Rhodes House on the UA campus. Alabama will be hosting Northwestern from the Big 10 to earn a trip to the Softball College World Series. Game 1 is tomorrow night at 7:00 on ESPN2 and 97.5FM / Game 2 is Saturday at 8:00pm on ESPN and 97.5FM / Game 3, if needed, will be Sunday at a time to be determined.