Tide Football Practice Begins + Tuscaloosa Unemployment

Happy Saturday, people of Tuscaloosa! Let's get this day started off right. Here's everything you need to know around town today.

First, today's weather: Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day. High: 89 | Low: 68.

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Here are the top 5 stories today in Tuscaloosa:

1. DCH Health System hit a new troubling high for the current surge in new coronavirus cases as the three-hospital logged 27 new admissions as of 3 p.m. on Friday, bringing its overall total to 92 cases. The latest numbers reveal the sharpest upward spike in new hospitalizations for Tuscaloosa since the surge brought on by the holidays. (More on Patch)
2. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) is encouraging citizens to take a moment and share important safety reminders with their children and loved ones before the start of the new school year. Check out their tips here. (More on Patch)
3. The Northport Civic Center will look a bit different to visitors as the contractor finishes giving the building a fresh coat of paint. The work is part of a wider push by the city to make improvements to the entire property. (More on Patch)
4. The Tuscaloosa County unemployment rate was 3.9 in June, up from 3.1% in May. That reflected significant improvement from June 2020. Despite the uptick over the previous month, it still marks an improvement when the unemployment rate stood at 9.1%. (More on Patch)
5. Read more about this class at the University of Alabama that focuses on the need for humans to have a connection to nature and all the reasons society withdraws from it due to phobias such as snakes and spiders, along with getting dirty. (More on Patch)

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Other stories I'm reading today ...

• Man Who Killed Fellow Inmate: 'He Would've Started It Otherwise (Noah Lueker, Tuscaloosa Thread)
• Alabama Credit Union of Tuscaloosa agrees to buy Jasper Bank (Tuscaloosa News)
• Hundreds of Tuscaloosa County School System parents request mask mandate (Annie Mapp, ABC 33/40)
• Opinion | COVID isn't over. The University of Alabama needs to stop acting like it is. (Alex Jobin, Crimson White)
• Dr. Scott Harris: New COVID-19 case graph is "almost vertical" (Eddie Burkhalter, Alabama Political Reporter)
• Alabama health officials say COVID-19 vaccine safe for pregnant women (Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News)
• Practice Report: Alabama Football Hosts First Practice of Fall Camp (Joey Blackwell, Bama Central)
• Five things to watch for as Alabama opens up fall camp (Tony Tsoukalas, BamaInsider)
• Raiders up to 4 former Alabama running backs (Mark Inabinett, AL.com)

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That's it for today! I'll see you around. 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 weekend!

— Ryan Phillips

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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.