Dec 07, 2023

Today is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

We have some news and links from last night's GOP debate in Tuscaloosa, and much, much more.

Ike Morgan

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Four of the Republican presidential candidates were at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa last night for their fourth and final debate before next year's primaries.

Once again former President Donald Trump chose not to attend. That certainly makes the debates a little less lively perhaps than the 2016 versions.

Although Wednesday night the candidates did occasionally speak above each other, and Vivek Ramaswamy made a thinly veiled reference to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's weight, so there was a little of that Spirit of '16 in the house.

Even though they were in Tuscaloosa, nobody made a big deal out of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' pledge that the state would pay for legal costs if Florida State decides to dig into the College Football Playoff Committee's decision to leave the Seminoles out.

However, Christie did take very fleeting swipes at a couple of Alabama senators present and past.

First, “These jokers in Congress ... they couldn’t promote someone in the military who earned their own rank.” That had to be a knock on U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville's blockade of military promotions that he ended earlier this week.

Then he included former U.S. Sen. and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions while listing recent AGs he believed were less effective than John Ashcroft.

Just a few hours before the debate, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt of Enterprise announced her endorsement of Donald Trump, the frontrunning candidate who was NOT coming to her state. The timing may seem weird, and you might wonder whether such a thing might take some air out of the debate. But others might suggest that endorsements are about as valuable as an unbeaten ACC record and not nearly as exciting.

You've seen in the movies where prison inmates use primitive tools to make their escape. A piece of wire found in the yard. A spoon baked into a cake they use to slowly dig their way through their cell wall.

And you always think, man, if they only had better tools they could escape quicker and this movie would end before I hit the rack.

Well, AL.com's Carol Robinson reports that two people have been charged with trying to smuggle contraband into the Fountain Correctional Facility that included wire cutters, black clothing, a night vision monocular, a big hunting knife, a couple of throwing knives and a couple other knives.

Also found in the vehicle pulled over near the prison were a pre-paid cell phone card, 17 cell phones, a used syringe and phone chargers.

The two suspects were from Mobile. They were booked into the Escambia County Detention Facility in Brewton.

All win streaks come to an end, and Thompson High School saw its state-championship streak end at four during the first night of the Super 7.

Central-Phenix City's Cam Coleman caught a pass from Andrew Alford and scored on a 73-yard catch-and-run to beat Thompson 21-19 Wednesday night in the Class 7A state finals at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, reports AL.com's Ben Thomas.

That caps a 13-0 season for Central-Phenix City with the school's third state title.

That was just the start of the Super 7. The rest of the schedule looks like this:

Thursday

11 a.m. -- Class 3A Mobile Christian (14-0) vs. Madison Academy (14-0)

3 p.m. -- Class 1A Coosa Christian (9-5) vs. Leroy (13-0)

7 p.m. -- Class 5A Gulf Shores (14-0) vs. Ramsay (12-2)

Friday

11 a.m. -- Class 4A Montgomery Catholic (14-0) vs. Cherokee County (13-1)

3 p.m. -- Class 2A Fyffe (13-1) vs. Reeltown (13-0)

7 p.m. -- Class 6A Saraland (14-0) vs. Clay-Chalkville (13-0)

“I never would have thought that the day I went to my first football practice ... when I was 6 years old that I’d be on a football team every day since then.”

Mark Fleetwood, who has retired after seven years at Huntsville High School and nearly 40 years as a head football coach.

In 1973, NFL Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens of Alexander City.

Today is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

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