Crimson Tide Icon Laid To Rest; New T-Town Eatery Sets Open Date

Happy Monday Tuscaloosa! Let's get this week started.

In today's Daily, we have more from the Tuscaloosa StoryWalk, a beloved University of Alabama icon laid to rest and your latest refresher to get you primed for Tuesday's municipal election runoffs in Tuscaloosa.

First, today's weather

Tuscaloosa can expect a warm, sunny day with a high near 84 degrees and a low around 55.

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Patch Pick: The Tuscaloosa River Walk was turned into a walkable storybook Sunday as Tuscaloosa County Park & Recreation Authority (PARA) and the Tuscaloosa Public Library unveiled the city's first StoryWalk. Watch my Patch Digital Feature from Sunday on the new concept.

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Here are the top 5 stories today in Tuscaloosa

1. Runoffs for two Tuscaloosa City Council seats are set for tomorrow, as Que Chandler will be on the ballot for District 1 against Matthew Wilson, while John Faile will look to unseat incumbent Eddie Pugh in District 6. (Polling locations, district maps and more)

2. The coal severance tax that results in millions for West Alabama counties has been extended through 2021. Jason Morton reports that several area policymakers played important roles in the extension. (Tuscaloosa News)

3. Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux will host its long-awaited grand opening on May 31. Savannah Bullard reports the New Orleans-style sports bar is also hiring for multiple positions. (Tuscaloosa Thread)

4. Cecil Hurt penned a heartfelt column over the weekend as Alabama Crimson Tide basketball superfan and UA senior Luke Ratliff was laid to rest. Ratliff died earlier this month at the age of 23 due to complications from the coronavirus (Tuscaloosa News)

5. Want the latest on the Crimson Tide's spring football scrimmages ahead of A-Day? Tony Tsoukalas has you covered here. (BamaInsider)

Tuscaloosa Patch Notebook

- Personal note: I'll be speaking to the Tuscaloosa Rotary Club on Tuesday and am grateful for the invitation!

- The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama will host its Business After Hours Tuesday at Jalapeños Mexican Grill on Rose Boulevard in Northport. (More)

- Want to learn how to make a face jug? Sign up for this May art workshop with Tim Whitten through Kentuck Art Center. (Register)

- The No. 6 West Alabama women's tennis team stayed perfect in Gulf South Conference play and won its seventh straight match Sunday by defeating Valdosta State 5-2.

- The Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team (19-12, 5-7 SEC) secured its first road series sweep in SEC play since 2017 on Sunday with a 7-4 win in College Station over Texas A&M. (More)

- Alabama softball (31-5, 11-4 SEC) also saw success on the diamond Sunday, shutting out Arkansas 2-0 to clinch a weekend SEC road series. (More)

- Stillman College baseball (3-21, 1-11 SSAC) saw its struggles continue against No. 5 Faulkner on Sunday, losing 12-3 and 28-6 on the road. (More)

- Stillman's softball team (10-26, 0-16 SSAC) also dropped a doubleheader at Faulkner, 4-0 and 16-4. (More)

Now you're all caught up to kick off this week with everything you need to know going on in Tuscaloosa. Don't miss out during the rest of the day, though. Be sure to follow me on Facebook Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content every day of the week!

I'll see you around!

- Ryan

About me: I grew up in Tuscaloosa. I'm a graduate of the University of Alabama, an experienced journalist, editor and columnist and the founder of Tuscaloosa Patch. You can find me at baseball games, public meetings, events in the local arts community and wherever live music is played!