🌱 Rams Win Area + Mercedes Hiring + Tuscaloosa Unemployment

Good day, neighbors! It's me again, Ryan Phillips, your host of the Tuscaloosa Daily.

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

• Northside volleyball wins big.
• New renovations at Bryant-Denny.
• Public high school rankings.

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First, today's weather: Partly sunny, warm and humid. High: 86 | Low: 66.

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Patch Shoutout!

A big Patch Shout Out to my alma mater at Northside High School, which saw the Lady Rams volleyball team win its area championship earlier this week.

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Here are the top 5 stories in Tuscaloosa today:

1. Looking for a job? Mercedes-Benz U.S International in Vance is looking to fill over 700 positions as expansion efforts on its campus show no signs of slowing down. (Annie Mapp, ABC 33/40)
2. U.S. News & World Report recently published its list of the Best Public High Schools in America, so click here to see how Tuscaloosa-area schools stacked up with one another. (Tuscaloosa Patch)
3. The University of Alabama's Western Equestrian Club is in dire need of financial assistance after it was dropped last year from the school's athletics division. (Sarah Erickson, WVUA 23)
4. The Tuscaloosa-based Hank Poore Foundation reportedly raised more than $60,000 to help people with cerebral palsy last week during its inaugural Ale on Wheels fundraiser. (Tessa Worley, Tuscaloosa Thread)
5. Here's a look at Week 9 high school football rankings from the Alabama Sports Writers Association. See how area teams fared.(Ben Thomas, AL.com)

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Patch Pick

Congratulations to Tuscaloosa United Soccer Club's 2010 Academy Girls for earning 2nd Place at the 2021 Capital Cup Tournament!

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Other stories I'm reading today ...

• UA to add 20 new elevators to Bryant-Denny Stadium (Tim Reid, CBS 42)
• University of Alabama graduate lands job of starship captain on "Star Trek: Discovery" (Ken Roberts, Tuscaloosa News)
• 2 inmates killed within a week in state prisons (Associated Press)
• Sewell votes to prevent U.S. default (Josh Moon, Alabama Political Reporter)
• A child care crisis worsened in the pandemic. Meet the Southerners working to fix it. (Anna Claire Vollers, Reckon South)
• Brian Robinson is running hot, but what about Alabama's other backs? (Tony Tsoukalas, BamaInsider)
• Even with a Loss, Alabama Still Looks Like Alabama to Mike Leach (Katie Windham, Bama Central)

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Tuscaloosa Patch Notebook

Northridge High School senior offensive lineman Kenton Jerido is set to be Tuscaloosa County's lone representative on his home state's roster for the 2021 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic Football Game in December. (Tuscaloosa Patch)

Those on Social Security will receive a 5.9% increase in benefits in 2022 — the largest boost in a generation. Here's what you need to know. (Tuscaloosa Patch)

The Tuscaloosa County unemployment rate was 3.6% in August, down from 3.8% in July. That reflected significant improvement from August 2020, when the unemployment rate stood at 8.2 percent. (Tuscaloosa Patch)

The Robert Hasson Community Center will host a family-friendly event this weekend featuring a petting zoo, food, face-painting, games and more. (Tuscaloosa Patch)

Shelton State Community College announced the following students as fall 2021 Psi Beta inductees: Erica Barnes, Sydney Cox, Macey Crabbe, Wes Junkin, Sarah Kelley, Shaquanda Mckenzie and Rachel Potts (More)

Theatre Tuscaloosa's Page to Stage program will return for the 2021-2022 season with Busy Day, a musical memoir about and performed by Rickey Powell, in the Bean-Brown Theatre on October 29 and 30 at Shelton State Community College. (Tuscaloosa Patch)

The Beach Boys are set to take the stage tonight at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater to bring their legendary brand of surf rock. Learn more here. (More)

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You're all caught up for today. See you all tomorrow for another update! If you're liking these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to read along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

Have a terrific Thursday!

— RP

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Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com.