PATCH DAILY: Haunted Half Shell?; Bama RB Sanders Talks Recovery

Good Morning Tuscaloosa!

In today's Daily, we have additional coverage of one controversial Tuscaloosa City Council race, a paranormal show investigating a possible haunting at a popular downtown eatery and one news outlet speaking with an injured Crimson Tide running back about his road to recovery.

First, today's weather:

Sunny, with a high near 72 degrees and a low near 43. Chance of rain: 0%

Here are the top 5 stories today in Tuscaloosa

1. WVUA 23 caught up with Councilor-elect Cassius Lanier following his narrow win in the race for the District 7 city council seat over incumbent Sondra McKinstry. Lanier's ascent to office is still in jeopardy, however, as he is a convicted felon turned business owner and motivational speaker who has had his voting rights restored, but has not yet obtained an eligibility certificate of election from the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles. The deadline for the certification is inauguration day on May 17.

2. A new Ace Hardware will open in April at 623 Bear Creek Road in the Taylorville shopping center off Highway 69 South - (Tuscaloosa News).

3. A feature was published Tuesday about Druid City Social — the gastropub in the former L&N Train Station that opened last fall. The establishment embraces its quirks and heritage, making for a memorable experience - (Harrison Holland, WVUA 23).

Half Shell Oyster House in downtown Tuscaloosa will host an interactive paranormal investigation Saturday, which will examine a possible haunting of the Brown's Corner building. - (Noah Lueker, Tuscaloosa Thread).

Volunteers reportedly picked up more than 850 pounds of trash from the Northport Riverwalk in late February. - (Aaron Bonner, Northport Gazette)

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Here are the top 5 sports stories today in Tuscaloosa

1. Cecil Hurt offers a word of cautious optimism following the announcement that Alabama football plans for a full Bryant-Denny stadium in 2021. - (Tuscaloosa News).

2. No. 8 Alabama men's basketball will take on the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens Saturday at 1 p.m. - (Tyler Martin, Bama Central).

Alabama running back Trey Sanders suffered a season-ending hip injury in a car accident in 2020. On the upswing, his 2021 comeback is already making headlines. - (Kyle Henderson, BamaInsider).

Alabama gymnastics coach Dana Duckworth says the team still has room to improve before it takes on the undefeated Florida Gators Friday. - (Robert Cortez, Crimson White).

Alabama football coach Nick Saban has reportedly hired Mark Orphey as a defensive analyst after the coach spent the last two seasons as the defensive backs coach at Utah State. - (Matt Zenitz, AL.com).

Happening today in Tuscaloosa

- Live Music On The Patio at Hotel Indigo, located at 111 Greensboro Avenue. The event will offer tunes from Charlie Wilson from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Thursday on the rooftop bar.

- Kameron Marlowe will be performing at Druid City Music Hall Thursday night. Click here for ticket information or here to view the up-and-coming pop country singer's YouTube channel.

- Alabama women's basketball vs. Missouri in the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. Thursday and will be broadcast on SEC Network+.

- Alabama women's soccer vs. Montevallo in Tuscaloosa Thursday, beginning at 6 p.m. The match will be broadcast on SEC Network+.

What I'm chasing today

- I've been working angles on a major local partnership that I will have more on soon. Stay tuned.

- Despite the application window closing Monday for the open city administrator position with the city of Northport, I've yet to receive any additional information as to the number of applicants or their identities. I will continue to follow this story, so watch for updates.

- Look for an update on the improving coronavirus situation for DCH Health System, which reported 25 total virus-positive inpatients on Tuesday — down from 107 this time a month ago. See the latest DCH update here.

So that's what's happening in Tuscaloosa today — you're fully in the loop.

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— Ryan

About me: I grew up in Tuscaloosa and graduated from the University of Alabama's community journalism master's program. Before founding Tuscaloosa Patch, I developed my skills at the Starkville Daily News, Weather.com, Associated Press, the Birmingham Business Journal and the Anniston Star. You can find me at public meetings, events in the local arts community and wherever live music is played!