Tuscaloosa Coronavirus Spike + New Cases In County Jail

Good morning Tuscaloosa! Let's get you all caught up to start this Tuesday off on an informed note.

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

• A reopening in the West End.
• Local lawmaker calls for leadership changes.
• Coronavirus cases spike across the board.

First, today's weather: Possible light rain in the morning and overnight. High: 88 | Low: 72.

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Patch Pick

The City of Tuscaloosa and the Tuscaloosa County Park & Recreation Authority (PARA) hosted a reopening celebration Monday for the McDonald Hughes Community Center.

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Here are the top 5 stories in Tuscaloosa today:

1. DCH Health System on Monday reported its highest number of coronavirus inpatients since February, while also saying more than 90% of new hospitalizations are patients who have not been vaccinated (More on Patch)
2. Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ron Abernathy confirmed to Patch on Monday that six new coronavirus cases were identified last week among inmates in the county jail, which is well over capacity due to state inmates waiting to be moved to other facilities. (More on Patch)
3. Patch caught up with State Rep. Chris England, a Tuscaloosa Democrat, on Monday after the lawmaker and chair of the Alabama Democratic Party called for leadership changes within the Alabama Department of Corrections and Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles. (More on Patch)
4. Team USA Softball and former Crimson Tide star Haylie McCleney will take on Japan in the Gold Medal Game Tuesday morning. The game will air at 6 a.m. local time (More on Patch)
5. Northport City Council President Jeff Hogg is asking for the public's help in naming a proposed aquatic center for the city. What are your suggestions? (More on Patch)

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Other stories I'm reading today ...

• University of Alabama giving vaccinated students $20 (Mary Helene Hall, AL.com)
• After childhood trauma, local author forges ahead (Joushua Blount, WVUA 23)
• After 42 years, Egan's Bar to close this weekend; re-opening soon as Unique (Mark Hughes Cobb, Tuscaloosa News)
• Pelicans announce name of new G-League team coming to Birmingham in November (Phil Pinarski, CBS 42 News)

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Tuscaloosa Patch Notebook

• Two Sumter County women were killed in a multi-vehicle crash Monday morning on Interstate 59, approximately four miles south of Eutaw in Greene County. (More on Patch)
• Many local employers in and around Tuscaloosa are still looking to fill openings on their staff. Let Patch and our friends at ZipRecruiter help you out! (More on Patch)
• If you're in search of a four-legged family member, these pets are waiting for their forever home in Tuscaloosa area shelters. (More on Patch)
• The Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter will host its next Drive Thru Pet Pantry on Saturday, Aug. 7 at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School. (More)
• 70's Soul Jam is coming to the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater in October with The Stylistics, Delfonics featuring William Hart, Harold Melvin's Blue Notes, Enchantment, Blue Magic and Jimmie JJ Walker. (More)
• The Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center will hosts it Quarterly Town Hall Tuesday, beginning at 10 a.m., which will also feature operational updates from Montgomery Regional Veterans Benefits and the National Cemetery Administration. (More)
• Tuscaloosa County Park & Recreation Authority (PARA) announced that registration is now open for its youth soccer leagues this fall. (More)
• The schedule is officially set for numerous events that will take place around the 2021 University of Alabama football home schedule, including Homecoming, award recognitions, team championship reunions and championship ring presentations. (More)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Tuesday. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with another update! If you're loving these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to follow along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

Have a great Tuesday!

— 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.