Alabama News

General

Hyundai shifting some production to Alabama to combat auto tariffs

Hyundai is shifting some production of its Tucson SUVs to its Montgomery plant in response to the Trump Administration’s automotive tariffs.

Financial Post is reporting the move has already begun and affects Tucsons to be sold in the U.S. market.

Previously, they had been made at the South Korean automaker’s affiliate Kia Corp.’s Mexico plant.

It is also moving production of Canada-bound cars, which had been made in the U.S., to the Mexico plant.

CFO Lee Seung Jo, head of the planning and finance division, talked about the moves during a conference call.

The company also plans to offset some production hiccups through its new Georgia plant, which is gradually increasing production capacity.

“We expect a challenging business outlook to continue due to intensifying trade wars and other various unpredictable macroeconomic factors,” Hyundai said in a statement, according to the New York Post.

Last month Hyundai created a tariff task force to minimize the impact of the tariffs through local sourcing of auto parts in the U.S.

Earlier in April, Hyundai announced it is ending its free scheduled maintenance visits for new car buyers as a tariff measure. The company also announced that it doesn’t have any immediate plans to raise prices in response to the tariffs, and last month revealed plans to invest $21 billion on its U.S. manufacturing operations.

Read More

General

2025 NFL Draft: Who slipped to the second round?

At last year’s NFL Draft, six of the first 12 picks were quarterbacks. On Thursday, the first round of the 90th NFL Draft included only two quarterbacks, with the Tennessee Titans taking Miami (Fla.)’s Cam Ward at No. 1 and the New York Giants trading back into the first round to pick Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart.

When the Giants’ trade with the Houston Texans to pick at No. 25 was announced, the assumption might have been that New York had Shedeur Sanders in its sights, as many projections had the Colorado QB as the Giants’ likely pick at No. 3.

Instead, New York picked Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter at No. 3 and came back up to secure Dart.

Sanders didn’t get selected in the remaining seven choices in the first round, leaving him among the players available on Friday, when the NFL will make its second- and third-round picks.

The NFL Draft continues at 6 p.m. CDT Friday. NFL teams will make 32 second-round picks, then select 38 more players in the third round. ABC, ESPN and NFL Network will televise Friday’s event.

Another quarterback who mimicked Sanders’ experience — received some first-round buzz and didn’t get picked – was Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, who attended the first round of the draft on Thursday night in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Other players who had been considered first-round possibilities but will be available on Friday night include Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, Marshall outside linebacker Mike Green, Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III, Boston College outside linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku, South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori and Texas A&M defensive end Nic Scourton.

Milroe’s Alabama teammates, guard Tyler Booker and linebacker Jihaad Campbell, were chosen in the first round. The Dallas Cowboys took Booker with the 12th pick, and the Philadelphia Eagles acquired Campbell with the 31st selection.

In addition to Milroe, Friday-night’s top prospects with Alabama football roots include:

• Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos (Alabama)
• Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond (Alabama)
• Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins (Pike Road)
• Ole Miss defensive tackle JJ Pegues (Auburn)

The SEC led all conferences with 15 players picked in the first round. The SEC pipeline to the NFL should continue on Friday. The probable picks from the conference in the second and third rounds include:

• Alabama: Quarterback Jalen Milroe
• Arkansas: Defensive end Landon Jackson
• Florida: Defensive tackle Cam Jackson
• Georgia: Linebacker Smael Monday Jr., guard Tate Ratledge, wide receiver Dominic Lovett
• LSU: Tight end Mason Taylor, defensive end Sai’vion Jones, defensive end Brady Swinson, guard Emery Jones Jr.
• Missouri: Wide receiver Luther Burden III
• Oklahoma: Safety Billy Bowman Jr., linebacker Danny Stutsman
• Ole Miss: Cornerback Trey Amos, wide receiver Tre Harris, defensive end Princely Umanmielen, defensive tackle JJ Pegues
• South Carolina: Safety Nick Emmanwori, linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr., defensive tackle T.J. Sanders
• Tennessee: Running back Dylan Sampson
• Texas: Wide receiver Isaiah Bond, defensive tackle Alfred Collins, outside linebacker Barryn Sorrell, safety Andrew Mukuba
• Texas A&M: Defensive end Nic Scourton, defensive tackle Shemar Turner

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

Read More

General

Alabama middle school teacher arrested for sex with student 8 years ago

An Alabama middle school teacher has been arrested on charges that she was sexually involved with a student eight years ago.

Opelika police on Friday announced the arrest of 47-year-old Jill Brisendine Campbell. The Opelika Middle School teacher is charged with second-degree rape and second-degree sodomy.

The investigation began on April 15 when police received a report from a former student. That student told police an inappropriate sexual relationship had taken place while the student was in the seventh and eighth grades at Opelika Middle School.

Police said an investigation revealed evidence that corroborated the victim’s statement.

Opelika City Schools is fully cooperating with the investigation, police said, and has placed Campbell on administrative leave.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call detectives at 334-705-5220. Tips can also be submitted through the Opelika Police Mobile App.

Read More

General

Baldwin County school board meeting: Supporters outnumber critics amid controversy

What started as a social media uproar over a disruptive student at Elberta Elementary turned into a public referendum on school leadership in Baldwin County.

But when the dust settled at Thursday’s school board meeting, it wasn’t torches and pitchforks that filled the room — it was mostly praise for the school.

“Eddie Tyler has turned the school system around to be one of the most innovative and successful ones in the state,” said Anne Davis of Daphne, a retired teacher, summing up the tone of most who spoke.

Only three voices dissented against the school, including Elberta parent Whitney Scapecchi, who demanded Tyler’s resignation and accused the administration of prioritizing politics over students. “This district doesn’t have a PR problem, it has a leadership crisis,” she said. “We’re not satisfied. We’re not done. You have lost the trust of the teachers, children, and families.”

Scapecchi’s criticism came after a month of online furor, much of it targeting Tyler and longtime political consultant Jonathan Gray, who resigned Tuesday. Gray, a key figure behind many of the district’s initiatives over the past decade, will officially step down at the end of April.

“This (meeting) is positive,” Tyler said afterward, brushing off the backlash. “People get angry. They are parents. Lashing out at me, that’s OK. That’s their right. It doesn’t accomplish anything.”

Tyler, after the meeting, said any citizen can come before the board and call for his resignation at any time. It would be up to the School Board to remove him, and there was no indication on Thursday that it was under consideration. Tyler’s current three-year contract doesn’t expire until July 2027.

Political consultancy

Tyler will continue leading the school system without Gray, who he praised for having a positive influence on education in Baldwin County. He said the school system, through his office, had an agreement with Gray that paid him $9,500 a month.

School Board member Ken Bradley had requested the school board discuss “pressing pause” on its political consultancy. But Tyler said the relationship with Gray was through his office, and not the school board.

“There was an agreement with myself, and I have discretionary money (to pay for the consultancy work),” Tyler said. “We don’t bring those agreements to the board.”

Tyler, in a statement to AL.com, said Strategy Inc. began discussions with the school system a year ago, noting that the time commitment did not align “with the compensation we could provide. He said that this week, the agency informed the school that they had new business engagements requiring them to move on.

“We will forever be grateful for his work on behalf of our system,” Tyler said.

Gray has worked with the school system three times over the past 20 years.

“Even though I have worked with nearly a dozen school systems across the state of Alabama including Mobile County and Jefferson County, my work in helping make Baldwin County the best county school system in Alabama will always be among the (top) of that list (of achievements),” Gray said in a statement to AL.com.

He added, “Over the last couple of months, I have had to step back from some of my former time commitments to take on some new and amazing opportunities. As a result, I tendered my resignation on Tuesday and wish nothing but continued success for this amazing school system.”

Gray wasn’t at the board meeting, but he said he was pleased it was filled with mostly positive comments. He acknowledged there had been threats and negative commentary on social media about his role with the school system, and over the school’s handling of the situation in Elberta.

Tyler said some of the statements on social media have been “slanderous and libel.” He said he felt “blessed” to be at the Baldwin County School System for the past 10 years.

Indeed, most of the comments during the board meeting included praise for the school system under Tyler’s leadership that began in 2015. At that time, the school system was reeling from a stinging property tax referendum defeat and had few answers over how to proceed with a major capital plan to address overcrowded schools.

The school system, with assistance from the county and state lawmakers, has stabilized its finances. It has also since created a pay-as-you-go capital building program that has led to new school buildings throughout the county including the opening last August of the Baldwin Preparatory Academy, the $100 million career tech and vocational school in Loxley.

Gray was at Tyler’s side during most of that time, helping provide consultancy and contacts in getting the so-called penny tax stabilized and creating a reoccurring revenue source for school building projects.

Gray said the successes over the years have been “game changing.”

It hasn’t always been smooth sailing. The split of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach from the county school system created friction with the beach communities, which has reignited this year over a dispute over a sales tax distribution.

Elberta situation

On top of that, the concerns in Elberta include parents upset over claims of being largely ignored with their concerns about a special needs student who has become aggressive to peers.

Sarah Young, the school system’s attorney, said the situation is complicated because of multiple federal laws, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), establish requirements for public schools regarding the education of special needs students.

Federal laws require public schools provide special needs students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

“We are open,” Young said. “We know we make mistakes.”

Young noted that every school in Baldwin County has law enforcement officers present to respond to any problematic situations. In addition, the school board has a crisis alert system allowing school staff and law enforcement officers to respond quicker if a teacher is in need of help.

Some parents with special needs students who spoke during the board meeting praised how the school administers its programs.

“Their documentation on things going on with my children is impeccable,” said Kristen Townsend of Daphne, who has twin 9-year-old boys who both have autism who are also attending school at Belforest Elementary School. “It’s challenging to send special needs students off every day. But my children are thriving and it’s due to the Baldwin County Schools.”

Damage control

Critics of the school system mostly did not discuss the issues in Elberta, acknowledging privacy rights prevented specific details from being aired in a public venue.

Scapecchi argued that “empathy for one child does not outweigh the rights of others.”

She claimed Gray’s resignation was because of “public pressure” online.

“That’s not accountability, that’s damage control,” she said.

Rebecca Watson, who heads up the Baldwin County chapter of Moms for Liberty, said the school system was putting “politics ahead of our kids.” She said the board meeting amounted to being a “dog and pony show” filled with pro-Tyler and school system speakers that also included relatives of board members.

“To pretend everything is happy and everything is great is just going to make it worse,” she said.

Bradley, the school board member, said he felt the concerns about the school system illustrated a passion people have about it.

“Broadly speaking, parents have concerns about public education across the country,” he said. “The difference in Baldwin County is that people really care about the public school system. I designed my retirement after I retired from the Army, so my son could go to Perdido School. This is a good school system, and it’s where we want our children.”

Read More

General

53-year-old Fairfield man found fatally beaten, stabbed on Pratt Highway

Authorities have released the name of a man found slain Wednesday in Forestdale.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office on Friday identified the victim as Demetrius Dwight Broom. He was 53 and lived in Fairfield.

Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched at 2:03 p.m. to a report of a person down in the 1500 block of Pratt Highway.

Broom was pronounced dead on the scene by Forestdale Fire and Rescue, said sheriff’s spokesman Henry Irby.

Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates said the victim sustained both blunt and sharp force injuries during an apparent assault.

It wasn’t immediately clear when the deadly attack happened.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 205-325-1450 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.

Read More

General

2025 NFL Draft: How much will each first-round pick be paid?

Miami (Fla.) quarterback Cam Ward will sign a four-year contract worth about $48.84 million with the Tennessee Titans after being the first player picked in the 90th NFL Draft on Thursday night.

That’s about $9.354 million more than Caleb Williams signed for after the Chicago Bears selected the Southern Cal quarterback with the No. 1 choice in last year’s NFL Draft.

Players chosen in the first round receive four-year contracts that carry a team option for a fifth season. Each will be fully guaranteed.

The values of those contracts are based on the NFL’s salary cap, which jumped $23.8 million to $279.2 million for the 2025 season, and this year’s rookie compensation pool in a formula spelled out in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and its players association. That makes it possible to estimate the money allotted to each draft slot (and the sports financial web site overthecap.com has done so).

The values of the contracts lessen as the draft goes on, of course, but they don’t decline at a standard rate. In the first round, the biggest difference between contract values is from the fifth to the sixth pick. There’s a gap of about $4.978 million in the pay for the selections.

Two Alabama players were selected in the first round on Thursday night. Guard Tyler Booker went to the Dallas Cowboys at No. 12, and linebacker Jihaad Campbell went to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 31. For Booker, that’s about a $22.554 million contract, with $14.904 million for Campbell.

For most of the first-rounders, more than half of the money in their contracts will be in the form of a signing bonus. While that results in a windfall for the player, teams can prorate the signing bonus across the four years of the contract for salary-cap purposes, so instead of Ward being around a $33 million salary-cap hit for the Titans in 2025, he’ll count about $8.88 million against Tennessee’s cap

Here are the estimated four-year contract values for the 2025 NFL Draft first-round picks (with the figures from overthecap.com):

· 1. Miami (Fla.) quarterback Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans: $48.84 million, including a $32.16 million signing bonus

· 2. Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars: $46.649 million, including a $30.566 million signing bonus

· 3. Penn State outside linebacker Abdul Carter, New York Giants: $45.255 million, including a $29.553 million signing bonus

· 4. LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell, New England Patriots: $43.662 million, including a $28.394 million signing bonus

· 5. Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham, Cleveland Browns: $40.874 million, including a $26.367 million signing bonus

· 6. Boise State running Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders: $35.896 million, including a $22.746 million signing bonus

· 7. Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou, New York Jets: $31.913 million, including a $19.85 million signing bonus

· 8. Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers: $27.930 million, including a $16.953 million signing bonus

· 9. Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., New Orleans Saints: $27.731 million, including a $16.808 million signing bonus

· 10. Michigan tight end Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears: $26.636 million, including a $16.012 million signing bonus

· 11. Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams, San Francisco 49ers: $24.943 million, including a $14.781 million signing bonus

· 12. Alabama guard Tyler Booker, Dallas Cowboys: $22.554 million, including a $13.043 million signing bonus

· 13. Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant, Miami Dolphins: $21.956 million, including a $12.608 million signing bonus

· 14. Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts: $20.961 million, including an $11.884 million signing bonus

· 15. Georgia outside linebacker Jalon Walker, Atlanta Falcons: $20.562 million, including an $11.594 million signing bonus

· 16. Ole Miss defensive lineman Walter Nolen, Arizona Cardinals: $19.368 million, including a $10.725 million signing bonus

· 17. Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart, Cincinnati Bengals: $18.969 million, including a $10.436 million signing bonus

· 18. North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel, Seattle Seahawks: $18.471 million, including a $10.074 million signing bonus

· 19. Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $18.173 million, including a $9.857 million signing bonus

· 20. Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron, Denver Broncos: $18.073 million, including a $9.784 million signing bonus

· 21. Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, Pittsburgh Steelers: $17.974 million, including a $9.712 million signing bonus

· 22. North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers: $17.774 million, including a $9.567 million signing bonus

· 23. Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden, Green Bay Packers: $17.575 million, including a $9.422 million signing bonus

· 24. Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson, Minnesota Vikings: $17.177 million, including a $9.132 million signing bonus

· 25. Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, New York Giants: $16.978 million, including an $8.988 million signing bonus

· 26. Tennessee outside linebacker James Pearce Jr., Atlanta Falcons: $16.779 million, including an $8.843 million signing bonus

· 27. Georgia safety Malaki Starks, Baltimore Ravens: $16.58 million, including an $8.698 million signing bonus

· 28. Ohio State defensive lineman Tyleik Williams, Detroit Lions: $16.48 million, including an $8.626 million signing bonus

· 29. Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., Washington Commanders: $15.681 million, including an $8.044 million signing bonus

· 30. Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston, Buffalo Bills: $15.258 million, including a $7.737 million signing bonus

· 31. Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell, Philadelphia Eagles: $14.904 million, including a $7.479 million signing bonus

· 32. Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons, Kansas City Chiefs: $14.675 million, including a $7.312 million signing bonus

The NFL Draft resumes at 6 p.m. CDT Friday, when the Cleveland Browns are scheduled to make the first selection in the second round.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

Read More

General

Walmart’s $300 Michael Kors Jet Set Tote is on sale for as low as $82

Walmart just dropped new online Flash Deals and Rollbacks this week, including a major discount on the Michael Kors Jet Set Travel Tote.

With this deal, Walmart customers can get the Michael Kors Jet Set Travel Tote in the color black for just $82 compared to its original list price of $340. All other colors/designs are also on sale at various price points for anywhere from $83 to $247.

RELATED: Walmart’s Blackstone 28″ Omnivore Griddle is the cheapest available

The Michael Kors Jet Set Travel Tote is a best-selling, top-rated item with an impressive 4.7 stars on Walmart’s website.

“I bought this purse in the color black, and it’s very pretty. The chain straps are elegant, making this great for date nights. However, this purse is nice for casual wear as well. This is actually one of my favorites out of my entire collection!” one recent review states.

Another promising review says, “If you are like me and thinking this deal is too good to be true, go ahead and buy it! I was so pleasantly surprised that this is actually an authentic Michael Kors for such a steal of a price. This was a gift for my mom and she is in love. Great size purse if you like larger purses.”

Those interested in this deal can checkout the full listing on Walmart’s website here.

Read More

General

‘Trusting God’s plan’: Deshler basketball star taking renewed approach to recruitment process

A coaching change is never easy.

When the women’s basketball staff changed at Auburn the then-Tigers commit Reece Davis remembers the moment as “devastating.”

But, with her recruitment reopened and a season of AAU ball ahead, the Deshler star and top 2027 prospect has a renewed approach to finding a future college home.

“I’m just trusting God’s plan, and it’s going be a prayer where I’ll end up going,” she told AL.com. “I’m not trying to stress about it and just kind of see where it takes me.”

Her decommitment from Auburn following the departure of head coach Johnnie Harris was followed a month later by another Southeastern Conference opportunity, as Davis’ most recent offer came following a visit to Ole Miss.

“They’re like a family,” she said. “I can tell that the whole community kind of loves them, and especially the coach went to eat with her for lunch, and they were all chanting her name and waving at her. I can tell it’s real, a small community and feeling like home.”

The trip to Oxford, Mississippi, was a positive one for Davis, who attended camps at Ole Miss as a kid and was impressed with the upgrades to the facilities, head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin and her staff.

“They’re like a family,” she said. “I can tell that the whole community kind of loves them, and especially the coach went to eat with her for lunch, and they were all chanting her name and waving at her. I can tell it’s real, a small community and feeling like home.”

Even with her recruitment back open, Davis said the line of communication has remained open with Auburn and new head coach Larry Vickers.

Along with planning to visit Auburn, Davis told AL.com she’s trying to visit Baylor, where former Tigers coach Johnnie Harris serves as an associate head coach on Nicki Collen’s staff; Davis has built a relationship with Harris since she was an assistant at Mississippi State under Vic Schaefer.

“They haven’t had anybody on staff, he’s had to hire a whole new staff, they had two people on their roster, so they’re really, really busy,” Davis said of Auburn. “But I have talked to him, and I think I’m going to get up there sometime next month. But, he’s really nice.”

As a sophomore last season at Deshler, Davis averaged 23.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game and shot 52% from the field as the Tigers finished 30-5 and advanced to the Northwest Regional final.

The first-team all-state pick in Class 4A scored 30 points or more in nine games last season and heads into her junior season with 1,848 career points.

Among the things coaches have been impressed with in Davis is her jumper; the Deshler star shot 108-for-256 (42.1%) from beyond the arc this season.

“I’ve been trying to work on it a lot,” she said of her jumper. “Being gritty and having confidence in yourself; they call it swag. I’m a gym rat, I stay in the gym. They say that, and I’m willing to work and do anything I can to help.”

In looking for a college home, Davis is looking for a program that prioritizes making an environment geared towards feeling like a family.

“I’m super close to mine, and I bring a pretty good crowd, so staying at home would be great,” Davis said. “Very family-oriented, and I like to play in transition and getting up and down the court fast.”

In talking with coaches across the country, Davis has gained confidence in trusting the recruitment process in the ever-changing landscape of college hoops.

With her AAU schedule set for this summer and two more years of high school ball at Deshler High, she has goals on and off the court as she embraces her journey.

“For high school, I definitely want to win another state championship,” Davis said. “I won one my seventh grade year and it’s been a while. AAU, we’re now on the Adidas circuit, so I want to make our mark or a statement being our first year on there.”

Read More

General

Farmers’ Almanac summer 2025 forecast: Alabama faces ‘brutally’ hot, humid, stormy season

Meteorological summer doesn’t begin until June 1, although Alabama is already feeling summer-like heat.

But what will the summer bring to the state?

The Farmers’ Almanac (which differs from the Old Farmer’s Almanac) has offered a guess with its summer forecast.

But it’s not much of a surprise for those accustomed to Alabama summers.

The Almanac is forecasting a “brutally humid and wet” summer season for Alabama, and the rest of the Southeast as well.

(The Almanac includes Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi and Florida in its Southeast region.)

The Almanac also said it could be wetter than usual along the Gulf Coast over the summer months.

And there could be a possible hurricane threat.

The Almanac said that a hurricane will be possible for the Florida Gulf Coast during the second week of August, and that storm could go on to threaten the southeast Atlantic coast of the U.S.

The Almanac also said a second hurricane threat will be possible along the Atlantic coast during the second week of September.

August and September typically are some of the most active months for hurricanes in the Atlantic.

What about the Fourth of July? The Almanac has a forecast for that.

The Almanac says to be on the lookout for “big thunderstorms” in north Alabama (as well as parts of Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia) on Independence Day.

What about the forecast for the rest of the U.S.? Here’s the Almanac summer forecast for the rest of the U.S.:

• Northeast and New England (New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C.): Broiling with average precipitation. 
• Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and Midwest (Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Wisconsin): Sultry, thunder-filled.
• North Central (Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana): Scorching with average rainfall.
• South Central (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico): Sizzling, showery.
• Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho): Warm, dry.
• Southwest (California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona): Hot, very dry.

What about other summer outlooks?

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center has an outlook for temperature and precipitation for the months of May, June and July.

The temperature outlook, shown at the top of this post, includes higher chances for above-average temperatures in Alabama over those three months.

South Alabama has a 50-60 percent probability of above-average temperatures, and the rest of the state has a 40-50 percent probability.

What about rain?

The precipitation outlook, also for the months of May through July, includes above 40-50 percent probability for above-average rainfall for Alabama’s coastal areas.

The rest of south Alabama and the southern half of central Alabama has a 33-40 percent probability for above-average rainfall.

The rest of the state will have equal chances for above-average or below-average rainfall over those three months.

The Climate Prediction Center will update those forecasts frequently.

Some upcoming dates:

• May 26: Memorial Day
• June 1: first day of meteorological summer, which is June, July and August
• June 1: first day of Atlantic hurricane season (ends on Nov. 30)
• June 20: First day of astronomical summer
• July 4 falls on a Friday in 2025

Read More

General

Celebrated Alabama chef’s new restaurant opening for lunch

Downtown Birmingham diners will soon have a new lunch option.

Bayonet, the new raw bar and seafood-focused restaurant from celebrated Alabama chef Rob McDaniel and his wife, Emily, will start opening for lunch beginning Thursday, May 1.

The restaurant — at 2015 Second Ave. North, next door to the McDaniels’ first restaurant, Helen — has offered happy hour and dinner service since opening in March.

Beginning on Thursday, Bayonet will offer continuous service from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

The lunch options will change frequently, but highlights will include:

Egg Salad Sando with chives and caviar.

Dry-Aged Tuna Tartare with matsutake garum and potato chips.

Tuna Burger with whole-grain mustard, lemon aioli and fries.

Swordfish Reuben with caraway slaw, Triple Crown Sauce and fries.

Cobia Schnitzel with gribiche and piparra peppers.

Also beginning Thursday, Bayonet will start accepting reservations for both lunch and dinner service. Guests may make reservations through Resy. Walk-ins will still be welcome.

From raw oysters to black grouper

Located in the historic Berry Building, the Bayonet space boasts 17-foot ceilings, a custom-built raw bar, subway tile trim, and commissioned artwork from Birmingham chef and artist Roscoe Hall.

The restaurant’s name refers to the Spanish bayonet plant, a resilient evergreen with white, bell-shaped flowers and long, sharp-tipped leaves that “symbolizes strength, protection, endurance, growth and resilience . . . a lot of things that we represent as a restaurant,” Rob McDaniel said in an earlier interview with AL.com.

Bayonet’s raw bar showcases oysters from the Alabama and Florida Gulf Coasts and from North Carolina to New Brunswick, Canada, along the Atlantic Coast.

Other current selections include seafood gumbo, firefly squid and black grouper.

A Haleyville native and Auburn University graduate, Rob McDaniel attended the New England Culinary Institute and worked under Chris Hastings at Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham and Drew Robinson at Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q before becoming the founding executive chef at SpringHouse restaurant near Lake Martin in 2009.

After a decade at SpringHouse, McDaniel and his wife moved to the Birmingham metro area to open Helen in August 2020.

Emily McDaniel is the hospitality director and co-owner for both Helen and Bayonet.

During his time at SpringHouse, McDaniel was a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: South for five consecutive years.

In 2024, as the executive chef at Helen, he was selected as a James Beard semifinalist for the sixth time.

Bayonet is at 2015 Second Ave. North in Birmingham, Ala. The phone is 205-829-1899. For more information, go here.

Read More