ZZ Top Bassist Out For T-Town Show + District 7 Election Tuesday

Good morning T-Town! Let's get you up to speed to start the week.

First, today's weather:

Patchy fog to begin the day, with a slight chance for thunderstorms. High: 94° | Low: 75°

Here are the top 5 stories today in Tuscaloosa:

1. Here's your reminder of tomorrow's special election to decide the hotly-contested District 7 seat on the Tuscaloosa City Council. Click here to learn about where the candidates stand ahead of Tuesday. (More on Patch)
2. Patch caught up with several current law enforcement officials and others who have retired to learn about the life and legacy of retired Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office Lt. E. Don Lake, who died Saturday at the age of 74 after a battle with cancer. (More on Patch)
3. There will be one less iconic beard on stage at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater this upcoming Friday as ZZ Top bass player Dusty Hill has temporarily left the tour to return home due to a "hip issue." The show will go on, though, with a longtime guitar tech filling in. (More on Patch)
4. Elevate Tuscaloosa and the Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority (PARA) will hold a "Day of Play" event Monday at 10 a.m. to celebrate the reopening of the McDonald Hughes Community Center. (More on Patch)
5. The Mayfield Volunteer Fire Department received a KME pumper truck Saturday, which was made possible by outside donations. Check it out here (More)

Today's Tuscaloosa Daily is brought to you by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Tuscaloosa!

Coming up this week

• Kids' Summer Clay Camp 2021 at Kentuck (Tuesday)
• Trivia at Mellow Mushroom (Tuesday)
• Troy Cartwright at Druid City Music Hall (Thursday)
• Three's Company at Southern Ale House (Thursday)
• Tranquility at Hotel Indigo (Thursday)
• Live at the Plaza feat. The Locked Band & The Jous Band (Friday)
• ZZ Top at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater (Friday)
• Tails & Tales — Adoption Event (Saturday)

Other stories I'm reading today ...

• Alabama Democratic Party chair calls for firing of prisons commissioner, parole board chair, (Connor Sheets, AL.com)
• Buffalo Rock adds Fitzgerald Washington As Newest Board Member, (Noah Lueker, Tuscaloosa Thread)
• Alabama Baseball Hires Hunter Morris as Assistant Coach, (Joey Blackwell, BamaInsider)
• PHOTOS: 13th Annual Sokol Park Rodeo, (Gary Cosby Jr., Tuscaloosa News)
• K-12 students will not be required to wear masks in Fall despite recommendations from medical community, (Isabel Hope, WVUA 23)

Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll see you around! If you're liking these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to follow along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

Have a great week!

— Ryan Phillips

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