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General

Dear Abby: My son-in-law is never on time for anything

DEAR ABBY: My son-in-law is never on time for anything.

He’s in charge of driving his young son to elementary school and is consistently late by four or five minutes. He and my daughter have gotten letters reminding them of the importance of being on time. I witness this because we share a home. He was fired from his last job due to lateness.

I am a very punctual person, so his lateness for everything drives me crazy. I have tried to lightheartedly address it, to no avail. My husband and I are retired, and I suggested to my husband that I could offer to take our grandson to school, but my husband says I should stay out of it. How do I cope with this? — PUNCTUAL IN NEW JERSEY

DEAR PUNCTUAL: Your grandson should not have to suffer because of his father’s irresponsibility. It is important that he get to school on time, with no black marks for tardiness on his record. If that means your daughter, you or your husband sees that he gets there in a timely fashion, so be it.

Of course, this does not solve the problem of your son-in-law’s habitual lateness. But perhaps he will learn better habits when word gets around that he can’t punch a clock on time when prospective employers ask for references.

Read more Dear Abby and other advice columns.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

General

This unassuming church played a pivotal role in educating Alabama schoolchildren

A quaint white clapboard church on a small pastoral lot in Marion, Ala., is a favorite of photographers because of its original architecture and picturesque bell tower, topped with a weathervane.

What many passersby don’t know about the church is the role it played in Civil Rights history of Alabama. The First Congregational Church in Perry County is one of two surviving original buildings associated with the Lincoln Normal School, an educational institution for newly freed African Americans founded in Marion two years after the end of the Civil War. Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., was an alumnus of the school.

Because of the church’s ties to Civil Rights history, the church was awarded a grant Monday from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. The church – along with 29 others, including two in Birmingham – will share in funds to help preserve it.

“This $8.5 million investment marks a critical step in safeguarding historically Black churches as enduring symbols of faith, strength and community leadership,” said Brent Leggs, executive director of the fund. “By preserving them, we ensure that their powerful presence continues to live on in their communities and inspire future generations.”

The First Congregational Church of Marion, Ala., was constructed in 1871 by freed enslaved people on the campus of Lincoln School, a teachers college for Black students. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.National Register of Historic Places

A press release about the grant award said money will provide First Congregational with “critical repairs, including the stabilization of the church’s steeple, and accessibility and systems upgrades.” Bethel Baptist Church and St. Paul United AME Church in Birmingham, two large brick structures, will also receive funds from the grant.

First Congregational Church history

First Congregational Church was built in 1871 at 601 Clay Street by freed enslaved people. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

“The Congregational Church is a one-story, frame structure on brick piers and a brick foundation wall and covered with a gabled roof. The gabled ends feature a narthex and bell tower and a semi-octagonal apse,” according to the church’s NRHP documentation. “The bell tower rises from the mansard-type roof of the narthex and consists of a rectangular base with round-headed louvered windows topped with an open belfry with short columns supporting the roof. The ceiling of the belfry is pierced with a star design. The exterior remains unaltered.”

Only two buildings associated with the Lincoln School survive in Perry County: The Congregational Church and Phillips Memorial Auditorium, both of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“There are few other extant 19th-century facilities in Marion that are related with the efforts of the local African American community and the American Missionary Association of the Congregational Church to offer an academic education for Black residents,” says a Library of Congress listing for the church in its Historic American Buildings Survey.

Churches were an important part of education in the community, the LOC entry says. “The strong association between the church and the institution exemplifies the importance of African American churches in providing higher education for African American after the Civil War.”

A historical marker at the church also emphasizes the relationship between church and education: “Wherever a school was operated by the A.M.A. a church soon followed. Religion and education were viewed as a means of improving the conditions of former slaves and as a solution for many problems.”

Phillips Memorial Auditorium is one of two original Lincoln School buildings still standing in Marion, Ala. The other is the First Congregational Church. Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Rural Southwest Alabama

In fact, pastors of the church conducted classes at the school in its earliest years. The marker says the “first pastor was the Rev. G.W. Andrews and T.C. Stewart was the architect and contractor.” It was also led by Rev. Andrew Young, the grant press release said. “The church was the first one led by Civil Rights Movement leader Rev. Andrew Young, who later became the first African American U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations,” it said.

The Lincoln School quickly became a state teacher-training institution. In 1887, several original school buildings burned and the teachers’ college was subsequently moved to Montgomery and later became part of Alabama State University, according to the National Parks Service.

The remaining portion of the school in Marion changed hands from the State of Alabama to the American Missionary Association and back again over the years, closing in 1970.

General

Miss Manners: My husband rudely guzzles our shared wine at restaurants

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I often share a bottle of wine at a restaurant. After the first glass, he doesn’t wait for the server, just pours himself more.

He will go out of his way to finish the bottle, even if it means overfilling his glass. He responds to my shocked look with, “If you want any more, you can drink from my glass.”

I think this is incredibly rude. What should I do?

GENTLE READER: In contrast to rolling stones, repeated sources of friction in relationships tend to gather all sorts of stray detritus. So let us dust this one off.

Miss Manners believes you agree that it is not a crime to finish the bottle of wine you ordered. She further assures you that refilling the glasses yourselves, without the help of the waiter, is acceptable.

You were dismayed at the sight of your husband overfilling his glass, and while his retort was rude enough, it followed your shocked look, rather than having preceded it. Was he rude, then, not to refill your glass along with his own? Yes. What you should do is to say, “Dearest, next time, would you please refill my glass when you refill your own?”

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at missmanners.com, by email to [email protected], or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

General

Comparing Johni Broome and Cooper Flagg’s cases for National Player of the Year

College basketball has reached that time of year again.

Talk of brackets, championships and national awards has dominated many of the discussions about the sport as the season enters the final stretch before March Madness.

Auburn and Duke are often at the forefront of those conversations. Sometimes it’s a discussion as to who’s the best team in the country, other times it’s comparing the best players from each of those two teams and who out of the two deserves national recognition.

Those two players are Auburn’s Johni Broome and Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the two most captivating players in men’s college basketball this season and likely the only two with a realistic shot at winning National Player of the Year.

Both have made a strong case throughout this season, but that hasn’t stopped fans on both sides from having their minds made up on who the best player in the country is.

With all that said, here’s a comparison of the two players this season and a detailed look at Broome and Flagg’s cases for the award:

What the stats say

Cooper Flagg

Points per game: 19.4

Rebounds per game: 7.6

Assists per game: 4.1

Blocks per game: 1.1

Steals per game: 1.5

Raw shooting percentage: 49%

True shooting percentage: 60%

Johni Broome

Points per game: 18.6

Rebounds per game: 11.1

Assists per game: 3.4

Blocks per game: 2.6

Steals per game: 0.7

Raw shooting percentage: 50.7%

True shooting percentage: 55.3%

Analysis

When comparing Broome and Flagg’s stats this season, there’s not much to separate the two. The biggest discrepancy is in rebounds, where Broome has the edge, but that can be attributed to Broome’s size advantage and role as a post player.

The two different roles occupied by each player makes comparing them difficult, but their overall production level in what they do is similar.

Broome is utilized mainly as a back to the basket post player on offense, operating as both a scorer and playmaker in the low post. He’s capable of popping out and scoring on the perimeter, but is shooting just 30.3% from 3-point range on the season and 32.1% in conference play.

His effectiveness in the post allows Auburn to run offense through him. If teams decide to guard him with a single defender, Broome is often able to take advantage of the matchup and score in the post himself. When double-teamed, he’s an impressive passer, boasting a 23.6% assist rate and a low turnover rate at 8.8%.

Duke utilizes Flagg a little differently. The likely future No. 1 pick is slightly smaller, but more versatile than Broome, attacking more off the bounce than from the post.

Flagg can score both inside and out — like Broome — but has proven more efficient as a 3-point shooter. He’s shooting 37.5% from 3 on the season and a hot 44.6% in ACC play, doing so on significantly more attempts than Broome.

Flagg is slightly less efficient from inside the arc this season, but shoots over 20 percentage points better than Broome from the free throw line on 42 more attempts.

The caveat that comes with these numbers is strength of schedule. Both Broome and Flagg played a similarly tough non-conference schedule — including a head-to-head matchup that Flagg won — but Flagg has played a significantly weaker conference schedule, ranking Duke’s overall strength of schedule much lower than Auburn’s.

Flagg has played in nine Quad I games this season compared to 14 for Broome. In Quad I games, Flagg just barely edges out Broome in points averaging 20.7 compared to Broome’s 20.2.

What the analytics say

Cooper Flagg

Plus/Minus: 455

KenPom Player of the Year rating: 2.824 (No. 1 in the country)

KenPom offensive rating: 122.6

KenPom Game MVPs: 14 (28 games played)

EvanMiya Bayesian performance rating: 10.35

EvanMiya Bayesian offensive performance rating: 5.93

EvanMiya Bayesian defensive performance rating: 4.42

Johni Broome

Plus/Minus: 323

KenPom Player of the Year rating: 2.384 (No. 2 in the country)

KenPom offensive rating: 123.8

KenPom Game MVPs: 15 (25 games played)

EvanMiya Bayesian performance rating: 10.13

EvanMiya Bayesian offensive performance rating: 6.97

EvanMiya Bayesian defensive performance rating: 3.16

Analysis

Not as much analysis is needed for this section, but there are a few takeaways.

The biggest thing that jumps out is Broome seems to have an analytical edge over Flagg offensively. Both KenPom and EvanMiya’s offensive ratings favor Broome, but Flagg still isn’t far behind.

Flagg has an edge over Broome in defensive rating, but it creates an interesting question of which player offers more value to their team. Flagg’s plus/minus is higher than Broome’s but he has played in three more games due to Broome missing time with an ankle injury.

Broome has one more KenPom Game MVP than Flagg despite playing in fewer games, but does that speak more to the player himself, or the teammates he’s competing with for that award each game?

The argument for each player

Cooper Flagg

If you talk to just about any NBA scout, executive or coach, they’ll tell you that Cooper Flagg is the most talented college basketball player in the country.

It’s the reason why many mock drafts have him as the projected No. 1 pick, while Broome is projected anywhere between late first round and undrafted.

As described by the stats and numbers above, Flagg can do just about everything on the court. He’s skilled, athletic, a consistent shooter and more than holds his own defensively despite his youth. He’s also the most valuable player on a Duke team that ranks No. 2 in the AP Poll, No. 1 in both KenPom and EvanMiya and even holds a head-to-head win over Auburn.

Auburn has proven it can win without Broome, going 3-0 while he was out with an ankle injury. Duke has yet to prove the same, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not also capable, given it hasn’t had to.

While Duke has played a considerably weaker schedule, Flagg has played well against top competition. He scored 22 against Auburn, 26 against Kentucky and 24 at Arizona early in the season.

Flagg and Duke can’t control the strength of the ACC, but the freshman from Maine’s talent is undeniable.

Johni Broome

There’s hardly been a more dominant player in college basketball than Broome this season.

He comfortably averages a double-double, demands attention from typically at least two, if not more players every possession and is the focal point of everything Auburn does offensively.

Broome is the driving force and most valuable piece of an Auburn team that is having its best season in program history. He has shown the ability to take over games and is a consistent force in the paint, even against a loaded Southeastern Conference.

His numbers are slightly behind Flagg’s in a few areas, but strength of schedule and Broome playing through multiple injuries are both factors to consider when evaluating his stats. Against Tennessee, a top five team, Broome returned after missing two weeks with a sprained ankle to put up a double-double, along with supplying the game-winning assist.

In Auburn’s biggest win of the season over Alabama, he knocked down two 3-pointers to spark a 9-0 Auburn run at the beginning of the game, and finished the day with 19 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.

His numbers rank amongst the best in college basketball and he’s doing it in arguably the toughest league in the history of the sport.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m

General

Can anyone beat that version of Alabama basketball?

Mississippi State coach Chris Jans paused for a second to ponder the question.

Can anyone beat that version of Alabama men’s basketball?

“They were awfully good,” Jans said.

He expounded on that initial thought in a few ways, but this part was the most noteworthy.

“They would have been tough to beat tonight for most teams across the country,” Jans said. “There’s a lot of good teams in our league. There’s probably more teams in our league that have Final Four potential probably in the history of any league … they’re definitely one of them.”

No. 6 Alabama had crushed No. 24 Mississippi State 111-73 at Coleman Coliseum. The score stands out, of course, but it’s how the Crimson Tide did it that begs the question.

Did we, finally, witness the version of Alabama that’s unbeatable?

In particular, the one that showed up in the first half. There was no slow start that troubled the Crimson Tide (23-5, 12-3 SEC) against Auburn and Missouri, both losses. Instead, rugged, stifling defense made an appearance.

The Crimson Tide allowed the Bulldogs to score only .750 points per possession in the first half with 27 total first-half points. Those are elite numbers that will win just about every basketball game. Mississippi State, before halftime, shot 12 of 33 (36.4%) overall and 2 of 12 (16.7%) from deep. Alabama also forced nine first-half turnovers.

Alabama Basketball vs. Mississippi State 2025

That kind of suffocating, efficient defense has not been a constant this season. More often than not, it hasn’t shown up. Did we finally see what this group can do?

The Crimson Tide didn’t maintain that level of defense, ultimately getting comfortable with a big lead and allowing 1.278 points per possession in the second half. But the point is, the first half showed what Alabama can do in a season where there haven’t been many examples like that.

The offense is going to be there most nights. Maybe not to the extent that it was against Mississippi State (19-9, 7-8) to the tune of 22 3-pointers, but Alabama has one of the best offenses in the country. It ranks No. 3 nationally in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 1 in SEC play.

The defense has more often been the source of uncertainty and questions. But if Alabama’s playing defense like that, most teams can’t keep pace with the offense. Especially if it plays like it did against the Bulldogs, who have a top 50 defense.

Chris Youngblood can be a weapon in catch-and-shoot mode from beyond the arc. He made seven triples against Mississippi State with 27 total points.

Alabama has also found ways to better set Mark Sears up for success, and he has flourished these past several games as a result. After the Auburn loss, the Crimson Tide decided to try to make sure Sears is on the floor with someone who can help create shots for him much of the time. He can be most effective that way in catch-and-shoot mode when he’s with another creator.

Take, for example, one play in the first half against Mississippi State. Guard Aden Holloway made a nifty move to dribble past a defender and create an advantage before feeding an open Sears. Sears then knocked down a triple.

That was one of five on the night for him. In total, he scored 21 points to go with 10 assists.

In the three games following the decision to get him on the floor with more creators (Holloway and Labaron Philon), Sears has scored 86 points, gone 13 of 31 (42%) on 3-pointers, made 21 of 23 (91%) free-throws, grabbed 19 assists and snatched five steals.

“I’ve been telling you guys, he’s been playing the best basketball of his career on both sides,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “For him to have a positive defensive leverage, that hasn’t always been the case. When he gets locked into getting stops, doing winning things, doesn’t care who scores …”

Alabama can win. A lot of games.

Too often we’ve seen a version of Alabama that didn’t play well in one or two areas but compensated for those shortcomings elsewhere enough to win. Many games, the Crimson Tide has played solid to good, but it felt like Alabama was capable of more.

Capable of what we saw in the first half, and in parts throughout the game, against a ranked Mississippi State team.

A version that maybe, just maybe, cannot be beat.

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

General

‘Spring forward’ as daylight saving time 2025 is set to begin

People tired of dark afternoon commutes will only need wait a little while longer until they see the light.

Daylight saving time starts Sunday, March 9. The “spring forward” changeover officially takes place at 2 a.m. when we move our clocks ahead one hour, though modern technology has made that much easier. The change means sunrise and sunset will be one hour later on March 9 than the previous day, moving more light in the evening and less in the morning.

The time change is followed by the vernal, or spring, equinox in the Northern Hemisphere on March 20, making the official start of spring.

We will remain on DST until Nov. 2 when we “fall back” to standard time and set the clocks back one hour.

DST, a wartime idea first observed in 1918 to conserve energy, is recognized in every U.S. state except for Hawaii and most of Arizona. It starts each year on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November, a schedule first instituted in 2007 after the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

The idea of abolishing the twice-yearly time change ritual has grown increasingly popular in recent years and is on the radar of the Trump administration. The president has called the twice yearly time change “inconvenient” and “costly’ and said Republicans were using their “best efforts” to eliminate DST.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, recently reintroduced the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act that would do away with the time change by make DST permanent year round. Earlier efforts to establish permanent DST passed the Senate but did not receive House approval, effectively killing the bill.

According to the Uniform Time Act of 1966, states are allowed to stay on standard time year-round – something done in Hawaii and Arizona – but are not able to permanently establish DST, meaning Congress would have to change the law. Nineteen states, including Alabama, have already passed legislation to do away with the time change, pending Congressional approval.

General

Which conference, school have the most prospects at this week’s NFL Scouting Combine?

With 15, Ohio State has more players than any other college program at this week’s NFL Scouting Combine. But the SEC outpaced the Big Ten for the most players at the 2025 event.

The roster for the NFL Scouting Combine includes 105 players from 14 of the SEC’s 16 members. Big Ten members have sent 79 of the 329 players.

Georgia and Texas are tied for the most players among the SEC programs with 14 apiece. Other programs with at least 10 players at the combine include Oregon with 12, Ole Miss and South Carolina with 11 apiece and Miami (Fla.) with 10.

The SEC contingent includes nine players from Alabama and four from Auburn.

The Crimson Tide players at the combine include:

Guard Tyler Booker
Punter James Burnip
Linebacker Jihaad Campbell
Tight end CJ Dippre
Quarterback Jalen Milroe
Defensive back Malachi Moore
Tight end Robbie Ouzts
Defensive lineman Que Robinson
Defensive tackle Tim Smith

The Auburn players at the combine include:

Linebacker Eugene Asante
Running back Jarquez Hunter
Wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith
Auburn linebacker Jalen McLeod

The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine also features 60 players from the ACC, 46 from the Big 12, nine from independent schools, eight from the Mountain West, six from the American, four from the Mid-American, two from Conference USA, two from the Pac-12 and one from the Sun Belt.

Seven players from classifications below NCAA FBS received invitations, including Alabama A&M offensive tackle Carson Vinson.

Joining the Alabama and Auburn players and Vinson at the combine is Jacksonville State guard Clay Webb. Wide receiver Tez Johnson and safety Caleb Ransaw played at Troy, but they arrived at the combine from Oregon and Tulane, respectively.

Johnson played at Pinson Valley High School, and Ransaw starred at Sparkman High School in Harvest. Webb was a high school standout at Oxford, Moore went to Hewitt-Trussville, and Robinson prepped at Jackson-Olin in Birmingham. There are five other prospects who played at Alabama high schools at the combine:

Kansas cornerback Cobee Bryant, Hillcrest High School in Evergreen
Florida linebacker Shemar James, Faith Academy in Mobile
Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins, Pike Road High School
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard, Fairhope High School
Memphis wide receiver Roc Taylor, Oxford High School

The combine roster also includes eight players who went to Alabama colleges but have arrived in Indianapolis from outside the state:

Ole Miss defensive back Trey Amos (played at Alabama in 2023)
Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond (played at Alabama in 2022 and 2023)
Louisville wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks (played at Alabama in 2021, 2022 and 2023)
Oregon wide receiver Traeshon Holden (played at Alabama in 2020, 2021 and 2022)
UCF wide receiver Kobe Hudson (played at Auburn in 2020 and 2021)
Ohio State center Seth McLaughlin (played at Alabama in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023)
UCF cornerback Mac McWilliams (played at UAB in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023)
Ole Miss defensive tackle JJ Pegues (played at Auburn in 2020 and 2021)

The combine’s SEC roster beyond the players coming from Alabama and Auburn includes:

ARKANSAS: Five players

Wide receiver Andrew Armstrong
Defensive tackle Eric Gregory
Running back Ja’Quinden Jackson
Edge Landon Jackson
Wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa

FLORIDA: Nine players

Wide receiver Elijah Badger
Punter Jeremy Crawshaw
Offensive tackle Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson
Wide receiver Chimere Dike
Defensive tackle Cam Jackson
Linebacker Shemar James
Running back Montrell Johnson Jr.
Cornerback Jason Marshall Jr.
Quarterback Graham Mertz

GEORGIA: 14 players

Defensive tackle Warren Brinson
Running back Trevor Etienne
Guard Dylan Fairchild
Defensive tackle Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
Wide receiver Dominic Lovett
Linebacker Smael Mondon Jr.
Guard Tate Ratledge
Wide receiver Arian Smith
Defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse
Safety Malaki Starks
Guard Xavier Truss
Linebacker Jalon Walker
Edge Mykel Williams
Center Jared Wilson

KENTUCKY: Four players

Center Eli Cox
Linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson
Cornerback Maxwell Hairston
Defensive tackle Deone Walker

LSU: Eight players

Cornerback Zy Alexander
Offensive tackle Will Campbell
Guard Garrett Dellinger
Guard Miles Frazier
Offensive tackle Emery Jones Jr.
Edge Sai’vion Jones
Edge Bradyn Swinson
Tight end Mason Taylor

MISSOURI: Four players

Wide receiver Luther Burden III
Quarterback Brady Cook
Offensive tackle Armand Membou
Wide receiver Theo Wease Jr.

OKLAHOMA: Three players

Safety Billy Bowman Jr.
Edge Ethan Downs
Linebacker Danny Stutsman

OLE MISS: 11 players

Cornerback Trey Amos
Running back Ulysses Bentley IV
Quarterback Jaxson Dart
Wide receiver Tre Harris
Edge Jared Ivey
Defensive tackle Walter Nolen
Linebacker Chris Paul Jr.
Defensive tackle JJ Pegues
Edge Princely Umanmielen
Wide receiver Jordan Watkins
Wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr.

SOUTH CAROLINA: 11 players

Safety Nick Emmanwori
Cornerback O’Donnell Fortune
Defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway
Defensive tackle DeAndre Jules
Edge Kyle Kennard
Linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr.
Linebacker Bam Martin-Scott
Running back Raheim Sanders
Defensive tackle T.J. Sanders
Tight end Joshua Simon
Center Torricelli Simpkins III

TENNESSEE: Six players

Wide receiver Bru McCoy
Defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott
Edge James Pearce Jr.
Running back Dylan Sampson
Defensive tackle Elijah Simmons
Wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr.

TEXAS: 14 players

Offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.
Cornerback Jahdae Barron
Running back Jaydon Blue
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond
Defensive tackle Vernon Broughton
Defensive tackle Alfred Collins
Guard Hayden Conner
Quarterback Quinn Ewers
Wide receiver Matthew Golden
Tight end Gunnar Helm
Center Jake Majors
Safety Andrew Mukuba
Edge Barryn Sorrell
Offensive tackle Cameron Williams

TEXAS A&M: Three players

Edge Nic Scourton
Edge Shemar Stewart
Defensive tackle Shemar Turner

SEC members Mississippi State and Vanderbilt are not represented at this week’s combine.

The players will be on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium from Thursday through Sunday. The defensive linemen and linebackers will be on the turf on Thursday, the defensive backs and tight ends will work out on Friday, quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs take their turn on Saturday and the offensive linemen concluded the combine on Sunday.

The prospect list includes 74 defensive linemen, 56 defensive backs, 50 offensive linemen, 49 wide receivers, 31 running backs, 29 linebackers, 21 tight ends, 15 quarterbacks and six specialists.

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.

General

Miss Manners: I can’t keep rejecting my persistent admirer at work forever

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am the event manager at a very sexy and trendy nightclub. We host fun parties every week.

We have a regular guest who is absolutely smitten with me, but he is not my type. I feel obligated to cordially socialize with him whenever I see him, due to the customer service standards at my job.

When it comes to relationships, I firmly believe we are all entitled to our own preferences; no one should force any kind of relationship — physical or otherwise — for any reason. Thankfully, my employers agree with that. We have a very strong culture of consent with regards to any liaisons that happen as a result of being at our club.

The guest in question is absolutely respectful of this safe atmosphere, and has been very gracious when I decline his advances. Yet he continues to flirt with me. While I have been able to dodge his advances so far, I can’t keep this up forever. It is simply exhausting.

How do I turn him down and maintain the social relationship? To be fair, he is a pleasant gentleman — very sweet, actually. Just not my type.

GENTLE READER: It may surprise you to hear that Miss Manners does not share your good opinion of your employers. From your description, it sounds like the interactions between customer and employee at the club are, in fact, a key part of the success of their business.

Yet your employers assert, and you accept, that these interactions are entirely social. This burdens you with all of the work of keeping customers in line, while absolving your employers of any responsibility. This is, at best, naive, but probably very dangerous.

It is time to tell your employers that you need assistance with this particular customer.

General

Lengthy rap sheet, ‘build-to-rent’ boom: Down in Alabama

Quite the rap sheet

Last time we checked in on Damien Laron McDaniel III’s legal problems, he had been charged in 11 murders over just a few months in the Birmingham area.

Now, as AL.com’s Carol Robinson reports, the 22-year-old is up to 14 cases in which he is charged with murder.

The charges started coming down after police arrested him in the September mass shooting that killed four and injured 17 outside a Birmingham night spot. A sixth suspect, by the way, has been arrested in that case. Police have also tied McDaniel to another shooting that resulted in four dead.

The new charges also come in high-profile murder cases.

McDaniel has been charged in the 2023 shooting death of firefighter Jordan Melton at Station 9. He’s been charged in the January 2024 killing of 21-year-old Mia Nickson outside her home. And he’s been charged in the ambush shooting death of UPS worker Anthony Lamar Love Jr.

McDaniel currently resides at Kilby Correctional Facility after his probation in a 2019 shooting case was revoked.

Build to rent

The build-to-rent home market is booming, and Alabama is right up there among the leaders, thanks mostly to Huntsville.

AL.com’s Ramsey Archibald reports that a recent analysis found there are nearly 2,400 rental homes somewhere in the process of being built in the Rocket City — and 3,200 in the state.

The analysis was done by Point2Homes using data from YardiMatrix. It defined “build-to-rent” as “single-family homes for rent that are located in build-to-rent communities containing at least 50 single-family rental units.”

Or the kind of communities that in the past you might find near growing urban business centers. That can be seen as applying to the Huntsville area, but the analysis overall showed these neighborhoods being planned and built in the South, and notably in Texas. It likely also is another result of more people doing more remote work; a modern professional might want a little more room at home and, in order to afford it, look toward farther-flung metro-area neighborhoods.

Whatever the reasons, Alabama ranks eighth in the nation for total build-to-rent homes on the way. And the Huntsville metro ranked 10th nationally — with those 2,400 homes enough to rank 12th among states.

A cool spread

Even those of us who lean more toward fish camps than apartment buildings will do a double-take at the cool factor in this listing.

AL.com’s William Thornton reports that the City Federal Building penthouse is up for sale. The listing is for $1.9 million.

The City Federal Building is 27 stories high and was built in 1913 as the Jefferson County Savings and Loan Building. It’s definitely one of the most iconic towers in Birmingham with its neo-classical architecture and inset penthouse with the balcony that goes all the way around.

The listing says it has 3,945 square feet, four bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, nine-foot ceilings, hardwood and tile floors, walk-in closets, a garden tub and a double shower.

It also has quite the view from up there, as you can imagine.

If you’re interested, the broker is Ben Hedden of Bham Realty. Tell ‘em Ike from the fish camp sent you.

Calling ‘canes

Some victories aren’t the kind that come with fist pumps.

It was a busy and a destructive 2024 hurricane season for the U.S. We had five hurricanes make landfall, including two major hurricanes.

This spring the National Hurricane Center will release its storm verification report, which will hold forecasts to account. This week it released a preview of that report, reports AL.com’s Leigh Morgan, and said its forecasted hurricane tracks were the best in its history.

That’s the kind of work that might save lives even if we never realize it.

There was no shortage of tracks to forecast. There were 18 Atlantic named storms, 11 hurricanes and five major hurricanes. The NHC issued 347 forecasts during the year, a little above the 33-year average.

Quoting

“Many high-level politicians follow this page, both Democrats and Republicans. I would encourage them and all of you to support my colleagues at the National Weather Service during this time. Their service is absolutely invaluable.”

Meteorologist James Spann, on his Facebook page, regarding the news that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (which includes the NWS) has been told by DOGE to make deep cuts.

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General

Brace for dense fog in Mobile and Baldwin counties until Wednesday morning

The National Weather Service issued a report at 3:22 a.m. on Wednesday for dense fog until 9 a.m. for Mobile and Baldwin counties.

“Areas of dense fog have developed across far southeastern Mississippi, coastal Alabama, and portions of the western Florida Panhandle. Visibilities will locally be reduced to below one quarter of a mile at times. Visibility conditions may rapidly change over short distances in ground fog. Please exercise caution while driving this morning and be prepared for rapidly changing conditions. Use low beam headlights and slow vehicle speeds to account for the changing visibilities over short distances. Visibilities are expected to rapidly improve after 9 am cst as fog dissipates,” according to the weather service.

Navigating fog: Safety tips by the weather service

If you need to drive through fog, remember these safety guidelines:

Reduce speed:

Slow down and allocate extra travel time to reach your destination safely.

Visibility priority:

Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which also activate your taillights. If you have fog lights, use them.

Avoid high-beams:

Refrain from using high-beam headlights, as they create glare that impairs your visibility on the road.

Maintain safe gaps:

Leave a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.

Stay in your lane:

Use the road’s lane markings as a guide to remaining in the correct lane.

Zero visibility protocol:

In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, initiate your hazard lights and locate a secure spot, such as a nearby business parking area, to pull over and come to a halt.

Limited parking options:

If no designated parking area is available, pull your vehicle as far off the road as possible. Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.

By adhering to these precautions from the weather service, you can navigate foggy conditions more safely, reducing the likelihood of accidents and ensuring your personal safety.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.