School-system takeover

On Thursday, the Alabama Board of Education voted to take over the Sumter County School System, reports AL.com’s Trisha Powell Crain and Rebecca Griesbach.

This was not an unexpected move. Financial issues, falling enrollment and low test scores have been issues in the system, and the state board has indicated this vote might be coming.

Then earlier this week the Sumter County board wouldn’t consider Superintendent Marcy Burroughs’s proposals — which means faculty and staff hires were not made and the start of school was pushed back to next week. State Superintendent Eric Mackey said he’ll work with Burroughs and get at least some of those hires done.

State board member Tonya Chestnut represents Sumter County. She said it was a tough decision to make, but “it was obvious that at this point, we couldn’t just sit back and not consider what’s best for children.”

The last school district the state took over was Montgomery Public Schools from 2017-2021.

Tragedy at school

A Pinson Valley High School star basketball player has died, reportedly while working out with his team, reports AL.com’s Carol Robinson and Ben Thomas.

Caleb White was at the school late Thursday morning when he had a medical emergency. His grandfather said on social media that he collapsed during a workout.

White was first-team all-state and a finalist for Class 6A player of the year as a junior.

His grandfather, George Varnadoe Jr., said “Caleb was an honor student, very respectful, high intellect, excellent role model, phenomenal basketball player … RIP Caleb. I love you man.”

Caleb White was 17 years old.

Eli’s partner

When Eli Gold returns to the University of Alabama broadcast booth this season he’ll be alongside a new color analyst, reports AL.com’s Mark Heim.

Gold is a regular guest on Mark’s WNSP-FM radio show “The Opening Kickoff,” and he went on Thursday and said another former quarterback will be replacing John Parker Wilson, who is moving on to a weekend game-day job for coach Nick Saban.

Sources have Crimson Tide Sports Network analyst Tyler Watts moving into the color role but an announcement has not been made.

Gold said Wilson wasn’t looking to leave the job.

Quoting Gold here: “He said, ‘How the heck do I tell coach Saban no?’ I said, ‘You really don’t tell coach Saban no.’”

Alabama opens its season Sept. 2 at Bryant-Denny Stadium against Middle Tennessee. Auburn opens the same day at home against UMass.

Floribamian?

The question over whether Tommy Tuberville actually lives in Alabama has been raised again by a Washington Post report that said, after selling $1.4 million worth of parcels last month, the senator no longer owns any Alabama property.

The Post also pointed out that, based on the notary used during the sale, Tuberville was in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, when the sale went through, and campaign-finance reports show monthly travel to the Florida Panhandle but less to Alabama.

A Tuberville spokesperson maintains that the former coach’s primary residence is an Auburn house owned by his wife and son.

Quoting

“We’ve got to work on getting 50,000 folks who aren’t looking for jobs, get them off their fannies, get them looking for jobs because there are jobs to be had.”

— Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, on the state’s low workforce participation despite its low unemployment.

More Alabama news

The podcast