Tuscaloosa Rolls Back Restrictions; Merrill Addresses Allegations

Happy Wednesday Tuscaloosa! Let's kick this day off right.

In today's Daily, I have the latest on the City of Tuscaloosa rescinding the mayor's emergency authority, an exclusive comment from Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill about recent accusations of misconduct and all of the other stories I'm reading and working on.

First, today's weather:

Sunny weather will give way to a 10% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m. in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday, with increasing clouds and a high near 81.

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Patch Pick: Tuscaloosa County High School Principal Darrell Williams and several other educators from different Northport schools spoke to the Northport City Council Monday to express their gratitude for the recent funds awarded to the schools by the Council. The money comes from revenue generated by the city's 1% sales tax.

Here are the top 5 stories today in Tuscaloosa

1. The Tuscaloosa City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to rescind the emergency powers it granted to the mayor at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and will now defer to state guidelines for measures on masking, social distancing and other areas. Gov. Kay Ivey is expected to allow the state's mask mandate to expire on Friday, along with rolling back other restrictions. Mayor Walt Maddox made the recommendation to the Council as new cases and hospitalizations continue to fall. (More)

2. Brookwood-based Warrior Met Coal responded to a request from Patch on Tuesday after it was announced a new tentative collective bargaining had been reached with United Mine Workers of America. This could bring a labor union strike to close after it began last week when 1,100 union workers walked off the job at the company's three west Alabama mines.

Here's Warrior Met Coal's official statement to Patch:

"Throughout the negotiations process with the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), Warrior Met Coal’s vision has remained on the future. A future where we provide our employees with a competitive package while protecting jobs and the longevity of the Company and its workforce. We have always valued and appreciated our employees’ hard work and our priorities remain keeping people employed with long-lasting careers and ensuring Warrior Met Coal remains financially stable in a particularly volatile coal market. We are pleased to have reached a tentative agreement and hope it gets ratified by the UMWA in order for our miners to resume work and continue the positive impact this industry has on our state’s economic growth."

3. The Tuscaloosa City Council under suspended rules Tuesday night unanimously voted to extend the current temporary outdoor dining program by 30 days to monitor the changes potentially handed down by the state in the coming days and weeks. The measure currently allows restaurants to have expanded outdoor seating where alcohol can be served under the active ABC emergency guidelines.

4. ICYMI: Tuscaloosa Patch caught up with Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill on Tuesday and received a lengthy response to allegations of an extramarital affair as he mulls a potential run for United States Senate. Merrill told me his accuser has harassed him and his staff for months and denied all of the accusations. Read my full coverage here.

5. The National Weather Service forecast office in Birmingham says severe storms are possible tonight through Thursday morning across all of central Alabama, beginning as early as 10 p.m. Wednesday in the northwest, and lasting as late as noon on Thursday in the southeast. Potential threats from these storms include isolated damaging winds up to 60 mph and a brief tornado.

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Today in Tuscaloosa

- The Tuscaloosa County Commission will hold its regular meeting this more at 9 a.m. Follow me on Twitter for live updates and click here to read the full agenda.

- Discover Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama: The free event will be held at the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Alabama at 2201 Alberta Parkway at 5:30 p.m. For more information, email Ginger Hanson at ghanson@girlscoutsnca.org.

- Comedy from The Big Earl Show at Copper Top (6 p.m.)

- Open Mic at VFW Post 6022 in Cottondale. All instruments and audio equipment provided. (7:30 p.m.)

- Wrestling Trivia at Houndstooth Sports Bar (8 p.m.)

Tuscaloosa Patch Notebook

- The City of Tuscaloosa's Deputy City Attorney Thomas D. Bobitt was unanimously approved to serve as acting city attorney in place of Glenda Webb as she leaves to become the city administrator in Northport. A search to fill the position in a full-time capacity will be held over the next 30 days. Webb's first day on the job in Northport will be May 1.

- Tuscaloosa City Schools was recently named a 2021 Green Ribbon District for the state and will represent Alabama at the national level of the competition later this month. TCS says the award recognizes innovative efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility costs, improve health and wellness, and promote environmental and sustainability education.

- The City of Tuscaloosa is reminding the public that the Druid City Arts Festival (DCAF), a free two-day event highlighting local artists and musicians, will be held Friday, May 14, from 5-10 p.m., and Saturday, May 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Government Plaza in downtown Tuscaloosa.

- Shelton State Community College student organizations, in partnership with the 2021 statewide “Don’t Drop It on Alabama” Spring Cleanup, will be spending Fridays in April beautifying the Martin and Fredd campuses.

- A Pickens County judge sentenced John Robert Taylor, 65, to serve life in prison without parole after attempting to shoot Aliceville Assistant Police Chief Tony Thrasher outside of a convenience store in 2015. Taylor was sentenced as a habitual offender, with prosecutors citing more than 40 arrests on his record prior to shooting at the officer.

- The University of Alabama will hold its annual online fundraising event, Bama Blitz, beginning at noon April 12 and ending at 11:59 p.m. April 15. (More)

- In partnership with the Atlanta Falcons and NFL FLAG, the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) announced on Tuesday at that girls flag football will be a sanctioned sport in 2021 and will be available for member schools beginning in the fall. The AHSAA says the season will culminate in December with a championship game at the 2021 Super 7 State High School Football Championships in Birmingham.

- UA's College of Communication and Information Sciences recently held its Honors Day 2020-2021, which honors the achievements of the department's alumni. Click here for the list of honorees.

- Tuscaloosa County High's Nora Crowe and Francesca Muniz won their singles tennis matches against Oak Mountain on Tuesday.

- Shelton State's men's basketball team defeated Bishop State 79-57 Tuesday night in the ACCC Basketball Championships' Men's Quarterfinals. The Bucs will advance to the semifinals against Chattahoochee Valley on Thursday at 7 p.m. The tournament is being held on the SSCC Martin Campus.

Area baseball scores

Tuscaloosa County 3, Hoover 2

Hillcrest 7, Bryant 0

Northridge 10, Bryant 3

Tuscaloosa Academy 12, Pickens Academy 2

Gordo 8, American Christian 4

Stat line: Hillcrest's Payte Williams tossed a complete game shutout against Brookwood, striking out 11 over seven innings in the 7-0 win.

Area softball scores

- Northside 9, Carbon Hill 4

- Thompson 9, Tuscaloosa County 0

- Northridge 10, Bryant 3

- American Christian 13, Holy Spirit 3

Stat line: Northside's Becca Leigh Chadwick and Bo Clark combined for 11 strikeouts over five and two-thirds innings of work as the Rams defeated Carbon Hill 9-4.

That's it! You're all caught up to start this Wednesday. But don't miss out the rest of the day! Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content 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!