Category: General

General

Quincy Jones, music icon, dead at 91: ‘An incredible loss’

Music icon Quincy Jones died Sunday. He was 91.

Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, said that Jones died at his home in Los Angeles, surrounded by his family.

“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement, per The Hollywood Reporter. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”

Jones received the Motion Picture Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1995, an honorary Oscar in 2024 and the Grammy Legend Award in 1991 and reeled in 28 Grammys from an all-time best 80 nominations.

Survivors include one of his seven children, actress Rashida Jones.

Lionel Richie, who co-wrote “We Are the World” and was among the featured singers, would call Jones “the master orchestrator.”

In a career which began when records were still played on vinyl at 78 rpm, top honors likely go to his productions with Michael Jackson: “Off the Wall,” “Thriller” and “Bad” were albums near-universal in their style and appeal. Jones’ versatility and imagination helped set off the explosive talents of Jackson as he transformed from child star to the “King of Pop.” On such classic tracks as “Billie Jean” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” Jones and Jackson fashioned a global soundscape out of disco, funk, rock, pop, R&B and jazz and African chants. For “Thriller,” some of the most memorable touches originated with Jones, who recruited Eddie Van Halen for a guitar solo on the genre-fusing “Beat It” and brought in Vincent Price for a ghoulish voiceover on the title track.

“Thriller” sold more than 20 million copies in 1983 alone and has contended with the Eagles’ “Greatest Hits 1971-1975″ among others as the best-selling album of all time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

General

This wild, beautiful, long-awaited moment for Alabama basketball

Brian and Jenny Neill had to time things just right to avoid a tornado.

Tornado warnings popped up in Alabama one March night in 2023, and the Neills were trying to drive from Tuscaloosa to Huntsville. When one warning hit, the Neills were driving south of the area. Then they went north, getting home right before the next tornado warning. At one point that night, a tornado touched down in their county. The Neills bobbed and weaved to avoid a twister on what wasn’t the safest time to be traveling.

“We were so over the moon, we didn’t even care,” Jenny Neill said.

That night, Alabama men’s basketball had just beat Auburn in overtime to secure the SEC regular season title, and the Neills were there to witness it. About two weeks later, the Crimson Tide won the SEC Tournament and received the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Since then, Alabama has reached two Sweet 16s as well as the first Final Four in program history this past spring.

“It’s just so unbelievable to see the high level of play consistently from this team,” said Neill, a fan since the 1990s. “That’s what we haven’t had in so long.”

The past few years, Alabama has transformed from a program with solid history into a nationally relevant program competing with the best in the sport. Coach Nate Oats has been at the center of it, with his teams winning the SEC regular season title twice, the SEC Tournament twice and then making a Final Four appearance in April.

Now, preparing to open his sixth season Monday (8 p.m. CT, ESPNU) against UNC Ashville at Coleman Coliseum, Oats has the No. 2 team in the country, the highest preseason ranking ever for the program. For what was a perennial bubble team not even a decade ago, Alabama finds itself in a moment like never before. In a position to chase a championship fresh off a Final Four, the Crimson Tide has created a surreal and wild moment for the fans who’ve been there through many decades.

“There’s no question it’s the most highly anticipated season,” said Dick Coffee, a longtime fan from Birmingham. “It’s just exciting. Just can’t wait for it to start.”

Alabama men’s basketball finds itself in a moment like never before: Fresh off a Final Four with plans to go win a national championship.AL.com illustration/Photos via AP, SEC

Coffee’s been around since the C.M. Newton era. Now 68, Coffee listened to games on the radio in the 1960s and attended a few games at Foster Auditorium. Then he kept going to games when Memorial Coliseum (what is now Coleman Coliseum) opened in 1968.

Ever since the 1970s, Coffee estimates he has attended about 20-25 games per year.

Over that time, Coffee has witnessed highs such as coach Wimp Sanderson’s teams making 10 of 11 NCAA Tournaments from the early 1980s to the early 1990s. Then Coffee watched as coach Mark Gottfried led Alabama to five straight, including the first Elite Eight appearance for the program in 2003-04.

Coffee also experienced the lows, mainly during the span from 2006 through 2019, when Alabama made the NCAA Tournament only twice over 14 seasons. He was watching in those rough years, with all those NIT trips under Anthony Grant and Avery Johnson. Coffee was one of the 2,086 in attendance in March 2019 when Alabama lost to Norfolk State at Coleman Coliseum in the first round of the NIT.

“That was a real dismal night,” Coffee said. “And that wasn’t that long ago.”

It’s moments like those when the first Final Four trip in program history couldn’t have felt farther away.

“I didn’t expect it,” Coffee said. “I really did not expect it. I think the closest we came was in the 70s, that team that lost to the last undefeated team Indiana … That team could have won a national championship.”

Joe Corona, 57, cried that day as a young boy sitting in the den of his home in Vestavia Hills. He watched on TV as Indiana beat Alabama 74-69 in Baton Rouge on March 18, 1976. This was right before seeding began in the NCAA Tournament, and Alabama got a tough draw in the second round with the undefeated Hoosiers who went on to finish 32-0 and win the national championship. The Crimson Tide finished that season 23-5.

“In my lifetime, without a doubt, ’76, ’87, this year, and I felt our ’90 and ’91 team were definitely good enough to possibly cut the nets down,” Corona said. “We had other teams good enough to get to the (Final) Four. But this is different.”

Alan Worrell, 77, of Montgomery has also attended games since the Newton era. Worrell became a season-ticket holder in 1999, and in 2022-23, he became a believer Alabama could soon reach the Final Four, even though the Crimson Tide fell in the Sweet 16 that season.

Through the decades, Worrell never gave up hope.

“It’s what you live for,” Worrell said.

And sometimes must wait for. Worrell did. So too did Neill. And Corona. Coffee, too. Now, finally, these dutiful fans have their moment, their surreal moment, to enjoy and support a nationally relevant program.

“Everybody is really geared up and ready to see them get to that pinnacle they’ve really never gotten to before in making the championship,” Worrell said. “That’s what we’re all counting on and hoping for.”

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

General

Regional men’s clinic coming to new shopping center in Daphne

Gameday Men’s Health has leased 2,126 square feet of space in the newly developed M&A Center at 1703 U.S. 98 in Daphne, according to Jeff Barnes and Steadman Bethea of Stirling, who represented the landlord. Dell McCraney of CARR worked for the tenant. The men’s clinic is scheduled to open in early 2025.

Also …

⁕ A local investor paid $240,000 for 1.93 acres on Renaissance Boulevard in Daphne, according to Dobbson Vickers of White-Spunner Realty. The property will be developed as additional space for Kia of Daphne which is around the corner on Frederick Boulevard in Daphne.

General

Year: Senior

Position: Guard

Height/ Weight: 6-foot-5, 200 pounds

What to know: Transferred to Alabama from Pepperdine this offseason. Earned an honorable mention all-WCC nod last season.

General

New plant will ease pressure on north Alabama city’s strained sewer system

A new wastewater treatment plant in Owens Cross Roads will replace the city’s aging sewer system while taking a burden off Huntsville’s infrastructure, state and local officials said at a groundbreaking Friday.

The 40-year-old sewer system has been plagued by infiltration and inflow of stormwater into its sewer lines and lacks the capacity to treat the wastewater from its current residents and businesses, according to city officials.

About 60% of the city’s sewage volume is pumped into Huntsville’s sewer system under a 2019 agreement that will be canceled after construction is completed, Owens Cross Roads Mayor Tony Craig said in a news release.

General

College football TV schedule for Week 11 of 2024 season

Below is the college football TV and live stream schedule for Week 10 of the 2024 season. All times Central:

Tuesday, Nov. 5

Bowling Green at Central Michigan, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2 (ESPN+)

Miami (Ohio) at Ball State, 7 p.m., ESPN (ESPN+)

Wednesday, Nov. 6

Northern Illinois at Western Michigan, 6 p.m., ESPN2 (ESPN+)

Ohio at Kent State, 6 p.m., ESPNU (ESPN+)

Thursday, Nov. 7

Appalachian State at Coastal Carolina, 7 p.m., ESPN (ESPN+)

Florida Atlantic at East Carolina, 7 p.m., ESPN2 (ESPN+)

Friday, Nov. 8

Dartmouth at Princeton, 5 p.m., ESPNU (ESPN+)

California at Wake Forest, 7 p.m., ACC Network (ESPN+)

Iowa at UCLA, 8 p.m., Fox (Fox Sports)

Rice at Memphis, 8 p.m., ESPN2 (ESPN+)

New Mexico at San Diego State, 9:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1 (Fox Sports)

Saturday, Nov. 9

Florida at Texas, 11 a.m., ABC (espn3)

Purdue at Ohio State, 11 a.m., Fox (Fox Sports)

Minnesota at Rutgers, 11 a.m., NBC (Big Ten on NBC)

Miami at Georgia Tech, 11 a.m., ESPN (ESPN+)

Navy at South Florida, 11 a.m., ESPN2 (ESPN+)

Texas State at Louisiana-Monroe, 11 a.m., ESPNU (ESPN+)

West Virginia at Cincinnati, 11 a.m., Fox Sports 1 (Fox Sports)

Syracuse at Boston College, 11 a.m., The CW (affiliates)

Liberty at Middle Tennessee, noon, CBS Sports Network (CBS Sports video)

Connecticut at UAB, 1:30 p.m., no TV (ESPN+)

Georgia at Ole Miss, 2:30 p.m., ABC (espn3)

Michigan at Indiana, 2:30 p.m., CBS (Big Ten on CBS)

Clemson at Virginia Tech, 2:30 p.m., ESPN (ESPN+)

Iowa State vs. Kansas (Kansas City), 2:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1 (Fox Sports)

Duke at North Carolina State, 2:30 p.m., ACC Network (ESPN+)

San Jose State at Oregon State, 2:30 p.m., The CW (affiliates)

Army at North Texas, 3 p.m., ESPN2 (ESPN+)

Temple at Tulane, 3 p.m., ESPNU (ESPN+)

South Carolina at Vanderbilt, 3:15 p.m., SEC Network (ESPN+)

Jacksonville State at Louisiana Tech, 3:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network (CBS Sports video)

Colorado at Texas Tech, 4 p.m., Fox (Fox Sports)

Mississippi State at Tennessee, 6 p.m., ESPN (ESPN+)

Central Florida at Arizona State, 6 p.m., ESPN2 (ESPN+)

Maryland at Oregon, 6 p.m., Big Ten Network (Fox Sports)

Alabama at LSU, 6:30 p.m., ABC (espn3)

Florida State at Notre Dame, 6:30 p.m., NBC (Notre Dame on NBC)

Oklahoma at Missouri, 6:45 p.m., SEC Network (ESPN+)

Nevada at Boise State, 7 p.m., Fox (Fox Sports)

Oklahoma State at TCU, 7 p.m., Fox Sports 1 (Fox Sports)

Virginia at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m., ACC Network (ESPN+)

UNLV at Hawaii, 8 p.m., CBS Sports Network (CBS Sports video)

BYU at Utah, 9:15 p.m., ESPN (ESPN+)

UC-Davis at Montana, 9:15 p.m., ESPN2 (ESPN+)

Utah State at Washington State, 9:30 p.m., The CW (affiliates)

Fresno State at Air Force, 9:45 p.m., Fox Sports 1 (Fox Sports)

General

Alabama ranked as one of worst states for fall foliage and fun: Do you agree?

Is Alabama really one of the worst places to visit for fall foliage and festivities? A recent study says so, but folks in the state may beg to differ.

The LawnStarter site basically trashes Alabama as a fall destination, giving the state a bottom-of-the-barrel rating in its list of “2024′s Best States to Visit This Fall: Foliage and Festivities.” A total of 48 states were including in the rankings —Alaska and Hawaii were omitted due to “a lack of fall foliage data” — and Alabama came in at No. 44, landing in the bottom five.

Only Mississippi (No. 45), Oklahoma (No. 46), Delaware (No. 47) and Louisiana (No. 48) fared worse than Alabama in the study, which ranked states for qualities such as “the projected length of fall foliage and peak foliage, scenic drives and pumpkin patches,” according to a press release.

California was ranked at No. 1, followed by Washington (No. 2), Oregon (No. 3), Vermont (No. 4) and Michigan (No. 5).

“California scores at the top enjoying a unique advantage as the changing leaves slowly trickle down the state, with patches peaking between mid-October in NorCal and mid-November in SoCal, so folks can enjoy the colorful atmosphere for a longer period of time,” the LawnStarter site says. “The state is also full of parks, forests, trails, and scenic drives for admiring the hues.”

Several Southeastern state appear to be at a disadvantage in the rankings, but it should be noted that Tennessee came in at No. 12, North Carolina was No. 13 and Georgia was near the middle of the pack at No. 25. (See the full rankings here.)

So why did Alabama get major side-eye from LawnStarter? All we can do is point to the methodology for the study, as described on the company’s site:

“First, we determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the Best States to Visit This Fall. We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into 4 categories: Fall Scenery, Outdoor Recreation, Entertainment, and Safety. … We calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each state to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A state’s Overall Score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest Overall Score ranked ‘Best’ (No. 1) and the lowest ‘Worst’ (No. 48).

In the fall scenery category, LawnStarted considered the projected number of weeks with fall foliage, projected number of days of peak fall foliage and the number of scenic drives. The outdoor recreation category included numbers of national and state parks, total acreage of forest land, number of hiking trails and more.

In the entertainment category, the study emphasized numbers for outdoor attractions, fall festivals, apple orchards, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, hayrides and more. The safety category focused on wildfire and hurricane risk.

Autumn foliage in Alabama typically peaks in late October or early November, but can last well into November. (Joe Songer/[email protected]) al.com

Alabama earned an overall total score of 24.13 out of 100 in the study, earning the state its spot in the bottom five. In a breakdown of the four main categories in the study, Alabama received a score of 43/100 for fall scenery, 31/100 for outdoor recreation, 38/100 for fall entertainment and 27/100 for safety.

But let’s not get too upset about the rankings right now. Alabama people can make their own decisions about the state’s fall foliage and entertainment (including 50+ fall fairs and festivals) simply by heading out the door.

Much of the state is typically at peak fall color right now, according to the Alabama Tourism Department’s website. “Fall colors will begin showing in the mountains of North Alabama in early October and then sweep across the region,” the site says. “Colors will be at their peak from late October to early November.”

The tourism department’s recommendations for a “Fall Color Trail” include Oak Mountain State Park, Bankhead National Forest, Joe Wheeler State Park, Monte Sano State Park, Little River Canyon, Cheaha State Park, Noccalula Falls and more. There’s also a North Alabama Fall Color Trail, courtesy of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association.

Southern Living has weighed in on fall foliage in recent years, naming the “The Best Places In Every Southern State For Incredible Fall Color.” Two spots in Alabama earned kudos in the 2024 list: Lookout Mountain Scenic Parkway and Little River Canyon Nature Preserve.

Little River Canyon in Fort Payne was was touted by Southern Living for “a glorious autumn view of its 45-foot waterfalls. You’ll also find vibrant fall foliage as the preserve’s sassafras, flowering dogwood, hickory, dogwood, oak, and maple trees change colors.” Lookout Mountain Scenic Parkway, which runs from Gadsden to Chattanooga, received a thumb’s up as a “93-mile parkway (that) runs alongside waterfalls, canyons, small towns and villages, state and national parks, and some of the state’s most colorful trees.”

AL.com has kept its eyes on the fall foliage, of course, recommending visits to Little River Canyon, the covered bridges in Blount County, DeSoto State Park, Bankhead National Forest. Cheaha State Park, Oak Mountain State Park and more. Also, fall color in Alabama can last well into November, depending on where you live and what the weather’s like.

“The state’s northern area typically receives colder air temperatures first and onlookers can track the color change as it makes its way down the state,” says the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. “The most prominent colors of fall are yellow, orange, red and purple. When all shades are present at the same time, it creates a dazzling scene of beauty.”

Autumn color 2020 drone — Autumn color from the drone on Simmons Mountain in Springville along Newton Road. (Joe Songer | [email protected]).Joe Songer | [email protected]

General

5 bold predictions for Auburn men’s basketball’s 2024-2025 season

Basketball season is here and Auburn goes into the 2024-2025 season with high expectations.

Bruce Pearl’s team ranks 11th in the preseason AP Poll and was picked to finish second in the Southeastern Conference. Much of the hype is warranted, though, for a team coming off a conference tournament championship and returning much of its production.

It won’t be an easy to match last year’s success, though. Auburn plays one of the toughest nonconference schedules in the country and the SEC continues to be one of the deepest conferences in college basketball.

With Auburn officially getting started on Wednesday, here are five bold predictions for the Tigers’ upcoming season:

Auburn will lose at least three nonconference games

With a tougher nonconference schedule often comes more nonconference losses. Auburn plays one of the toughest nonconference schedules in the country this season, so it’ would be unrealistic to expect the Tigers to run through the beginning of the season unscathed.

Games against Houston, at Duke and Iowa State in Maui standout as the toughest early-season matchups. Auburn might not lose all three of those games, but those along with other tough games like Purdue and Ohio State force the Tigers to come together quickly.

With how strong the schedule is overall, a few losses early on won‘t negatively impact Auburn’s tournament resume much. Auburn has more to gain than to lose from these games and some early lumps could help the team later in the season.

Auburn will win the SEC

There‘s a very good chance the SEC comes down to the state of Alabama’s two teams this season. The Crimson Tide was picked to win the conference in the preseason poll, but Auburn wasn’t far behind in second place.

Both teams are more than talented enough to win the SEC and it wouldn‘t be a surprise if either team won it. That’s not to say only Auburn and Alabama can win it either, with teams like Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas A&M all looking like contenders.

This season feels right for Auburn, though. When you combine a returning All-American, multiple returning starters, two instant-impact freshmen and proven transfers with enough early tests to figure out what works, you get a team that’s going to be hard to beat in the second half of the season.

Johni Broome will win the Wooden Award

Fourteen seniors have been awarded the Wooden Award in the past 24 seasons. Auburn’s Johni Broome has a chance at being No. 15 if he mirrors what he did a season ago for the Tigers.

Broome was named to the preseason All-SEC first team after averaging 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game in 2023. His other accolades include SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player, All-SEC first team and an SEC All-Defensive team pick.

A Wooden Award to Broome’s college career resume would put him up there with the greats college basketball has seen in recent years.

Tahaad Pettiford and Jahki Howard will be named to the SEC All-Freshman team

Pearl brought in two highly touted freshmen in guard Tahaad Pettiford and forward Jahki Howard. The duo turned heads early in the Tigers’ two exhibition games, pointing to great signs for a good year from both players.

Pettiford signed as the No. 29 overall recruit in the country and scored 12 points with five assists in Auburn’s last exhibition game against Florida Atlantic. He drained two of his five 3-point attempts, nearly dropping a third that rimmed out due to a foul.

Howard scored 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting while adding four steals on the defensive end. With his unbelievable athleticism, his ability to create shot opportunities will be key down the stretch in conference play.

Nineteen players have been named to the SEC All-Freshman Team in Auburn’s history. The most recent Tiger players to be named to the All-Freshman Team were Aden Holloway (2024) and Jabari Smith (2022).

Miles Kelly will lead the team in 3-point percentage

Georgia Tech transfer Miles Kelly will be Auburn’s secret weapon on offense. Coming off averaging 13.9 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Yellow Jackets a season ago, Kelly’s experience will add deep depth to a loaded Auburn backcourt.

Kelly’s 184 career 3-point field goals made ranks ninth most in Georgia Tech history. After missing the Tigers first scrimmage against Furman, Kelly lit up the court for 15 points against Florida Atlantic. He was 4-for-8 from the floor drilling three 3-pointers.

General

Let’s start by imagining Alabama vs. Auburn in the ultimate Final Four ending

This is an opinion column.

And so it begins tonight, with greater expectations and possibilities than ever, in a most unlikely place at a most opportune moment. It’s basketball season in this suddenly basketball state, and if your favorite football team has let you down, chin up. Your favorite basketball team is here to lift your spirits, climb a ladder and cut down nets.

Again.

General

Week 11 state college football schedule

Below is the in-state college football schedule for Week 11 of the 2024 season (all times Central):

Saturday, Nov. 9

West Alabama at Shorter, 11 a.m.

Cumberland (Tenn.) at Faulkner, 11 a.m.

Huntingdon at Southern Utah, noon

Miles at Tuskegee, 1 p.m.

Connecticut at UAB, 1:30 p.m., ESPN+

Alabama A&M at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 2 p.m.

Alabama State at Grambling State, 2 p.m., ESPN+

Tennessee Tech at Samford, 2 p.m., ESPN+

North Alabama at Southern Utah, 2 p.m.

Jacksonville State at Louisiana Tech, 3:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network

Alabama at LSU, 6:30 p.m., ABC

OPEN: Auburn, South Alabama, Troy