Festival Canceled + Civic Hall Of Fame + National Merit Scholars

Good Morning, Tuscaloosa! Here's everything you need to know to get your day started!

In today's Daily, we have these stories and more ...

• Tuscaloosa scholars excelling.
• A donation for veterans in Tuscaloosa.
• Man convicted of murder in 2019 killing.

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First, today's weather: Possible light rain in the morning and afternoon. High: 81 | Low: 70.

Patch Pick

Tuscaloosa Elks Lodge #393 donated $2,500-worth of backpacks, first aid kits, personal hygiene items and a check to be used to buy canteen vouchers for veterans at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center.

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Here are the top 5 stories in Tuscaloosa today:

1. The 33rd annual Moundville Native American Festival set for early October has been canceled due to lack of participation from school groups and travel restrictions for some Native American participants as a result of COVID-19. (Ken Roberts, Tuscaloosa News)
2. Tyler Battles was convicted of murder in the death of Willoe Watkins, whose body was found at the bottom of a well on an abandoned property in Vance in 2019. (Tim Reid, CBS 42)
3. Stillman College on Wednesday shifted to virtual learning as the school conducts a campus-wide testing effort. The changes will last through Sept. 26. (Tuscaloosa Patch)
4. The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama announced the 2021 inductees to the Tuscaloosa County Civic Hall of Fame on Wednesday. See the honorees here. (Tuscaloosa Patch)
5. Seven Tuscaloosa area students have been named among the thousands of semifinalists for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship. (Tuscaloosa Patch)

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Today in Tuscaloosa:

• Hey Coach! @ Baumhower's (Thursday)
• Shawn Williams @ The Lookout Rooftop Bar (Thursday)
• Cherub @ Rounders Rooftop (Thursday)
• Lanco @ Druid City Music Hall (Thursday)
• Laugh at Loosa (Thursday)

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Other stories I'm reading today ...

• Alabama providers no longer directly ordering monoclonal antibody treatment (Eddie Burkhalter, Alabama Political Reporter)
• What Nick Saban said about starting cornerbacks, practice effort for Florida (Mike Rodak, AL.com)
• Five things to watch for heading into Alabama's SEC opener against Florida (Tony Tsoukalas, BamaInsider)
• No, Nick Saban Hasn't Lost His Sense of Humor (Joey Blackwell, Bama Central)
• Updates on Josh Jobe, Jalyn Armour-Davis prior to game at Florida (Charlie Potter, BamaOnline)

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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow morning with a new update. If you're loving these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to read along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

Have a great Thursday!

— RP

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Ryan Phillips is the founder and field editor of Tuscaloosa Patch. A Tuscaloosa native and graduate of the University of Alabama, he has won numerous awards for investigative reporting, feature writing, editing and commentary. To reach him with comments or feedback, email ryan.phillips@patch.com.