Mar. 14, 2025

Don't miss our weekly Alabama News Quiz (link below).

Have a great weekend and stay safe. Thanks for reading,

Ike

Looking for the podcast? Click here or check other options below.

We're all going to need to be on bad-weather watch today and Saturday -- especially Saturday.

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has issued a Level 4 (out of 5) risk for Saturday. They don't use that Level 4 very often, and as AL.com's Leigh Morgan reported Thursday, to have it in place a couple days out indicates that forecasters are pretty confident we're going to see severe weather.

That could mean damaging straight-line winds and baseball-sized hail, and it also could mean intense, long-track tornadoes.

The area in the most recent Level 4 risk zone, as of our deadline, included eastern Louisiana through most of Mississippi, nearly all of Alabama and the western half of the Florida Panhandle.

Supercells are expected to form in the morning and spread northeastward. Forecasters are expecting the storms to move quickly, so if you find yourself in a tornado warning, don't get caught somewhere waiting to see whether it holds together.

We'll hope the forecast is a bust but be prepared. Springtime in the South means you have identified a place in your home that's centrally located on the bottom floor away from windows. If you hunker down, it doesn't hurt to have make sure you have a pair of shoes and maybe a motorcycle or football helmet. It may feel silly, but I imagine our attitude toward our appearance will change if the oak trees start creaking.

Obviously this isn't live and the big day hasn't gotten here, so I didn't want to get too much into timing. Check al.com/weather for updated weather forecasts and news, and make sure you keep your weather apps, radios and other trusted sources on.

The Alabama State Board of Education voted unanimously for the state to take over Dallas County Schools amid the system's financial troubles, reports AL.com's Rebecca Griesbach.

That means the local board will give up control over personnel, finance and operations.

The vote comes after an investigation found that they school system was not exercising proper oversight. Dallas County Schools officials have said the system needs the help righting the ship.

Last summer an audit discovered that the school district didn't properly account for professional-development service that were paid for with nearly $5 million in COVID relief money. As the state looked closer, according to a letter from State Superintendent Eric Mackey to the local board, it found that more than $12 million in federal grant money needed to be returned.

That's a lot of money in Dallas County, where the student population has fallen from around 3,200 to around 2,200 over the past 10 years.

The state now has taken over three local Alabama school districts.

Talk about tempting fate.

AL.com's Howard Koplowitz reports that donations and cancer funds were reported stolen from the Church of Christ at Center Hill in Lauderdale County. The money was apparently taken during Sunday's 10 a.m. service.

Authorities have surveillance video of two suspects, a man and a woman.

According to the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office, the two entered the church foyer, the man asked for gas money, and the woman went to the restroom.

The sheriff's office said they were asked to stay at the church until the service was over but they left in an older model blue Nissan pickup with damage on the passenger side.

Then, after the service, it was discovered that money was missing.

There are more deep cuts than usual in this week's quiz.

“Birmingham is a little jewel down there in Alabama.”

Actor Matthew McConaughey, at SXSW, while discussing the movie “The Rivals of Amziah King,” which made its debut this week and was filmed partly in Alabama.

In 1936, former Auburn football coach Doug Barfield of Grove Hill.

In 1972, former NFL running back Antowain Smith of Millbrook.

If you miss that feeling of sitting down with in-depth, local reporting, consider subscribing to the Huntsville Times, Birmingham News, or Mobile Press-Register.

By subscribing, you’ll get a new daily digital edition in an email link, or you can use an app to download the new edition every day on your smartphone or tablet. You also get exclusive access to stories written for our subscribers.

“Down in Alabama” listeners get your first month free by going to al.com/digitalsubscription/exclusive and enter the promo code DIA24.

You can find “Down in Alabama” wherever you get your podcasts, including these places:

We appreciate you for taking the time to read today. Hope you're able to check back soon. Meantime, reply to this email with any suggestions you might have.

If you're so inclined, we'd love it if you'd forward to friends who might be interested in reading. (And if you're someone who's been forwarded this newsletter, we encourage you to subscribe and get this in your inbox every day.)