TA Hoops Star Earns Top ASWA Honor; Vaccine Expands To 16 & Older

Out of bed and on your feet Tuscaloosa! Let's get this Monday started.

In today's Daily, we have a Tuscaloosa-area basketball star earning a top statewide honor, a big time hire for the football staff at County High and the latest on a fundraiser for the family of Luke Ratliff. These stories and more in your five-minute guide to everything you need to know for today in Tuscaloosa.

First, today's weather:

Sunny in Tuscaloosa, with a high near 78 degrees and a low around 50.

Tuscaloosa Daily is made possible in part by Patch sponsors JamisonMoneyFarmer and PRIDE of Tuscaloosa. To become a sponsor of Tuscaloosa Daily or the Tuscaloosa Patch website, email ryan.phillips@patch.com.

Patch Pick: If you're looking to get out and enjoy this beautiful day, check out Capitol Park in Tuscaloosa!

Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.

Here are the top 5 stories today in Tuscaloosa

1. Beginning today, those 16 and older in Alabama will now be eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine as more doses are made available statewide.

2. Tuscaloosa Academy boy's basketball guard Sam Rowley was named AISA Player of the Year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association. The 6-foot-3 senior was also a 1st Team AISA All-State selection as he helped lead the Knights to a 24-2 record in 2021.

3. The University of Alabama's Student Government Association's Elections Board will now required to publish violations on its website, Kayla Solino reports election violations on its website following an amendment to its constitution during Thursday’s senate meeting.(Crimson White)

4. As of the publication of this story, the GoFundMe online fundraising campaing for the family of the late Alabama basketball superfan Luke Ratliff has raised $47,475. Ratliff died Friday at the age of 23 due to complications from the coronavirus. Click here to donate.

5. Joey Blackwell provides his takeaways after the Crimson Tide football team hosted the first of three spring scrimmages on Friday afternoon inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.(Bama Central)

Tuscaloosa Patch Notebook

- Tuscaloosa County High football coach Adam Winegarden is already generating excitement after naming Antonio Ford as his defensive coordinator. The former head coach at Lloyd Wood Middle School and Sipsey Valley High has coached under Winegarden at Hillcrest and most recently at Auburn High. He is a 1996 graduate of Holt High School.

- The Northport City Council will hold its regular meeting tonight at 5:30 p.m., with several visitors set to address the council. These include principals from schools within the Northport city limits and a representative from Pinnacle Group — the hospitalist group that DCH Health System has opted to drop in favor of other options. Click here to view the full agenda.

- The Alabama Department of Transportation reported a vehicle fire Sunday night at the intersection of Alabama Highway 215 and Veterans Memorial Parkway.

- The City of Tuscaloosa recently completed its Elevate Tuscaloosa public transit survey and says results can be expected this summer. The survey was launched in February, with city officials saying the responses from those in the community will help to shape future improvements to the city's public transit system.

Now you're in the loop to get this week started. Don't miss out on the rest of your day, though! Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the day.

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.