General

National furniture chain shutting all stores, including 10 Alabama locations

A national furniture chain is the latest retailer to file for bankruptcy and announce it was closing all 370 of its stores.

Franchise Group, also known as FRG, operates American Freight, along with Pet Supplies Plus, The Vitamin Shoppe and Buddy’s Home Furnishings. The company announced earlier this week it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and would shut down its American Freight Appliances & Furniture locations. Pet Supplies Plus, The Vitamin Shoppe and Buddy’s Home Furnishings will remain open.

READ MORE: Retail closures in 2024: Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Big Lots, Rite Aid and more

“(The) announcement to de-lever our balance sheet is a pivotal step forward in enabling our market-leading businesses Pet Supplies Plus, The Vitamin Shoppe, and Buddy’s Home Furnishings to realize their full potential,” Andrew Laurence, FRG’s President and CEO, said in a statement. “Each of these businesses has a demonstrated value proposition and provides great products and services to customers, which they will continue to do seamlessly during this process.”

The closures of FRG come as it has “struggled due to sustained inflation and macroeconomic challenges facing the large durable goods sector.”

American Freight has 10 locations in Alabama: three in Birmingham, Morrow Road, Veterans Memorial Drive and Palisades Blvd; Dothan at Ross Clark Circle; Helena at Highway 52; Huntsville at North Memorial Parkway; Mobile at Moffett Road; Montgomery at North Eastern Blvd.; Tuscaloosa at McFarland Blvd and Prattville at East Main Street.

Closures started Nov. 5 both in stores and online.

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General

Cunningham Bounds Coastal Player of the Week: Quarterback gets Week 11 win

The Week 11 Cunningham Bounds Player of the Week is a first-time winner and second student-athlete from his school to finish atop the poll this season.

McGill-Toolen quarterback Andrew Murchison earned 75 percent of the 2,079 ballots cast in the poll – a total of 1,556 votes – for his efforts last week. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound senior led his team to a 41-14 win over Class 6A, Region 1 foe Baldwin County. Murchison passed for 170 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Yellow Jackets clinched the fourth seed for the state playoffs.

McGill will travel to Hoover to play unbeaten No. 4 Spain Park in the opening round of the Alabama High School Athletic Association state playoffs.

Yellow Jacket place-kicker Jack O’Neil was Player of the Week for Week 3.

Davidson running back EJ Harrison finished second in the balloting with 15 percent of the total. The 5-11, 190-pound senior ran for 5 touchdowns as the Warriors edged B.C. Rain 44-42 in the season finale for both teams. Harrison had 231 yards on 21 carries in the win.

Baker junior running back Speedy Wheeler was third in the poll at 8 percent. The 5-8, 160-pounder ran for 117 yards on 24 carries and the Hornets’ lone touchdown in a 10-9 win on the road over previously undefeated Vigor. Baker, the No. 2 seed in Class 7A, Region 1, will host Hewitt-Trussville on Friday to open the state playoffs.

Watch for the weekly nominees on Sundays this fall and be sure to cast your vote each week.

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5 girls basketball storylines in North Alabama for 2024

Many of the top girls basketball teams in North Alabama will return this season with plenty of talent.

Many of the usual suspects are loaded with talent and primed for a deep run, while some programs are under new leadership and others have started to build something special for this year.

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General

What a second Trump term means for Birmingham’s economy

How might a second Trump Administration affect the Birmingham metro area’s economy?

Voters across America signaled that their wallets figured greatly into their decisions this year at the ballot box. But how the policies of the incoming 47th president of the United States might impact the Magic City and its neighbors remains to be seen.

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General

Inmate found dead on floor of William Donaldson Correctional Facility

A state prison inmate died Wednesday at William Donaldson Correctional Facility in western Jefferson County.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office on Thursday identified the inmate as Wendell Corey Hines of Birmingham. He was 54.

Deputy Coroner Matt Angelo said Hines was found unresponsive on the floor of an open bay style dorm on Wednesday. He was pronounced dead at 11:46 p.m.

An autopsy is set to be performed today, but Angelo said there was no evidence of trauma or foul play.

The Alabama Department of Corrections – Law Enforcement Services is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death.

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General

Walmart has cordless electric scrubber, normally $99, on sale for $29

Cleaning doesn’t have to be back-breaking work.

If you want to make scrubbing your bath, walls and floors easier, check out the cordless electric Spin Scrubber from Hoofun Store at Walmart.com. With a retractable handle and seven replacement heads, it’s perfect for a variety of cleaning chores.

Normally $99.99, it’s on sale for $29.98.

You can order yours here.

Here’s everything you need to know about the scrubber:

Rechargeable battery

The Hoofun Electric Spin Scrubber operates on a 3.7V rechargeable battery, which takes 60 to 90 minutes to fully charge. It has compact dimensions of 20.5 cm by 9.5 cm (approximately 8 x 3.7 inches) and delivers a powerful spin speed of 400 rotations per minute (rpm). This electric scrubber is made from durable materials, specifically silicone and stainless steel, and weighs around 2.6 pounds. It also features an IPX5 waterproof rating, making it suitable for use in wet environments.

Versatility of the dual handles

One of the standout features of the Hoofun Electric Spin Scrubber is its multifunctional design that incorporates both a long handle and a short handle. This versatility allows users to clean hard-to-reach areas like bathtubs and tile grouts without straining their backs or knees. The long handle can be adjusted from 43 to 55 inches, catering to various cleaning needs, while the short handle is perfect for tasks in tighter areas like sinks and countertops.

Lock state functionality

An additional unique feature of the Hoofun Electric Spin Scrubber is its lock state functionality. If the battery indicator begins to flash and the scrubber stops spinning, this indicates that the device has entered a lock state. Users can simply press the button for three seconds to reset and reactivate the device, allowing for seamless operation without the hassle of troubleshooting.

Generative AI was used to create a product description for this story, based on data provided by Walmart.com. It was reviewed and edited by AL.com.

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60-year-old pedestrian fatally struck while walking on Birmingham road

A 60-year-old pedestrian was struck and killed Wednesday night in Birmingham.

The victim’s name is being withheld pending notification of the man’s family, according to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office.

Authorities said the man was walking in the 400 block of Daniel Payne Drive at 7:16 p.m. when he was struck by a vehicle.

The driver stopped, called 911 and remained until police arrived.

The pedestrian was pronounced dead on the scene at 7:21 p.m.

Birmingham police are investigating.

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Drought conditions worsen in Alabama: Is relief coming?

Alabama has gotten some rain in the past few days, but hasn’t affected this week’s report from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

That’s because information for the report was compiled up until Tuesday, so it missed some of the rain the state received in the past few days.

More scattered rain is in the forecast, but likely not the kind that could be a drought buster in the hardest-hit areas.

This week’s report from the U.S. Drought Monitor, which covers the period from Oct. 9 through Nov. 5, shows drought conditions worsened in the state.

Several areas have been upgraded to a Level 3 out of 4 drought. Those include areas in west and north Alabama.

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According to this week’s report 100 percent of Alabama is either in drought or on the verge of drought. Of the areas in drought:

* 1.87 percent of Alabama is now in Level 3 (extreme) drought, an increase from 0 percent last week.

* 29.99 percent of the state is in Level 2 (severe drought), an increase from 16.98 percent last week.

* 83.48 percent of the state is in Level 1 or moderate drought, an increase from 72.91 percent last week.

More rain is in the forecast, however. The seven-day precipitation outlook from NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center suggests that most of the state will get at least some rain in the next week:

Northwest Alabama could get the most if this forecast verifies.

Looking further into the future hold some promise of more rain in the next few weeks. Here is the six- to 10-day precipitation outlook from the Climate Prediction Center, and it shows slightly elevated chances that Alabama will get above-average rainfall from Nov. 12-16:

The eight- to 14-day outlook suggests near-normal rainfall will be possible in Alabama through Nov. 20, with slightly higher chances of above-average precipitation in northwest Alabama:

Things could dry out some closer to the end of the month. The 3-4 week outlook shows drier conditions favored for Alabama from Nov. 16-29. Northwest Alabama has equal chances of above- or below-average rainfall, but the rest of the state has slightly increased chances of below-average precipitation:

The next Drought Monitor report will be released on Nov. 14.

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