Senate Honors 'Fluffopotamus'; T-Town Bar Gets National Attention

It's Hump Day Tuscaloosa! Let's get this Wednesday started.

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

• National recognition for a Tuscaloosa bar.
• Alabama Legislature honors late Crimson Tide superfan.
• Former Tide star visits T-Town firefighters.

First, today's weather:

Tuscaloosa can expect a cloudy start to the day, before becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 76°

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Here are the top 5 stories today in Tuscaloosa

1. A Senate Resolution mourning the death of University of Alabama basketball superfan Cameron Luke Ratliff was recently presented to the family of the late 23 year old, better known as "Fluffopotamus." The resolution was authored by State Sen. Gerald Allen, a Republican from Tuscaloosa. (More)

2. Severe storms moved over west Alabama Tuesday night, prompting concerns of tornados and flash flooding. Thankfully, no major structure damage or injuries were reported as of the publication of this update.

3. A nationwide media outlet listed The Houndstooth among the '51 Best College Bars In America' in a recent story. (More on Patch)

4. The University of Alabama announced plans to create a campus tree farm, which will become home to many different native plants, including camelias, oaks and magnolias. (More)

5. A large alligator was found dead on the railroad tracks at Kauloosa Avenue Monday night after being hit by a train. (More on Patch)

Patch Pick: Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue received a visit on Tuesday from Academy Sports + Outdoors, Coca-Cola Bottling Co., McAbee Construction, and former Alabama Crimson Tide center Landon Dickerson for International Firefighters Day. TFR was presented with a check from Academy for $500.

Tuscaloosa Patch Notebook

- Reminder: The Tuscaloosa Patch Community Meeting for those impacted by the recent oil spill has been rescheduled due to severe weather Tuesday night. (More on Patch)

- A big Patch Congratulations for Tuscaloosa County High School and CATS-TV, which recently won at the state level for CATS-TV's entry in The Greatest Save Teen Public Service Announcement Competition. Click here to vote in the national competition. (More)

- The Tuscaloosa County Commission will hold its regular meeting Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. Click here for the agenda. (More)

- Looking for something fun to do outside of the city limits this weekend? Check out Colt Ford at the 4th annual Woodstock Music Festival. (More on Patch)

- The Police Athletic League (PAL) will host its next kid's baseball camp at Central High School on May 22. (More)

- The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office is warning of scammers telling callers they will provide coronavirus relief payments up to $150,000 once personal identification and information is surrendered. (More)

From the cheap seats ...

- You've heard of Nick Saban's Process? Now, there's The Advantage — a program developed by University of Alabama Athletics that will provide Crimson Tide student-athletes with education and tools in brand management, maximizing personal social media platforms and financial literacy. (More)

- A limited number of all-session tickets are available for the 2021 SEC Softball Tournament, which will be hosted at Rhoads Stadium on the University of Alabama campus May 11-15. (More)

- Crimson Tide softball infielder Savannah Woodard, a sophomore from Warrior, was named SEC Newcomer of the Week on Tuesday after batting .375 in the series sweep against Georgia over the weekend. (More)

- The University of West Alabama's women's track and field team has signed a pair of sisters from Olive Branch, Mississippi — Kyla and Kaylen Johnson — who will come to Livingston as juniors after running for Meridian Community College. (More)

- On the hardwood, the UWA Lady Tigers basketball team signed Oklahoma native and Dodge City Community College transfer Payton James. (More)

Now you're in the loop and ready for this Wednesday. But don't miss out during the rest of the week! Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content every day of the week.

I'll see you around!

- Ryan

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.