Alabama News

A weather alert was issued by the National Weather Service on Tuesday at 2:36 p.m. for strong thunderstorms until 3:15 p.m. for Lawrence, Limestone and Morgan counties.

Residents may experience wind gusts of up to 50 mph.

“At 2:36 p.m., Doppler radar tracked a strong thunderstorm near Trinity, or 7 miles southwest of Decatur, moving northeast at 25 mph,” according to the weather service. “Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects.”

Locations impacted by the alert include Decatur, Hartselle, Moulton, Priceville, Trinity, Falkville, Hillsboro, Mooresville, Belle Mina and Chalybeate Springs.

The weather service states, “If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.”

Preparing for impending lightning strikes: Expert safety recommendations

Lightning strikes the United States approximately 25 million times each year, with the bulk of these electrical discharges occurring during the summer months. Tragically, lightning claims the lives of about 20 individuals annually, as reported by the weather service. The risk of lightning-related incidents escalates as thunderstorms draw near, reaching its peak when the storm directly looms overhead. However, it gradually recedes as the tempest moves away.

To protect yourself during a thunderstorm, take these recommendations into consideration:

Lightning safety plan:

• When venturing outdoors, it’s crucial to have a lightning safety plan in place.
• Monitor the sky for threatening signs and listen for the sound of thunder. If thunder is audible, it’s an indication that lightning is nearby.
• Seek a safe place to shelter, preferably indoors.

Indoors safety measures:

• Once you’re indoors, avoid using corded phones, electrical devices, plumbing fixtures, and stay away from windows and doors.
• Lightning can follow conductive pathways, and these precautions reduce the risk of electrical surges.

Wait for the all-clear:

• After the last lightning strike or thunderclap, wait at least 30 minutes before resuming outdoor activities.
• It’s important to remember that lightning can strike even when a storm seems to have passed, so exercise caution.

When indoor shelter isn’t available:

If you find yourself outdoors without access to indoor shelter during a thunderstorm, take these steps to maximize your safety:

• Avoid open fields, hilltops, or ridge crests, as they expose you to greater lightning risk.
• Steer clear of tall, isolated trees and other prominent objects. In wooded areas, stay close to lower stands of trees.
• If you’re with a group, ensure individuals are spread out to prevent lightning current from transferring between people.
• Camping in an open setting during a thunderstorm is strongly discouraged. If you have no alternative, set up camp in a valley, ravine, or other low-lying areas. It’s crucial to note that a tent provides no protection against lightning.
• Do not approach water bodies, wet objects, or metal items. Although water and metal do not attract lightning, they conduct electricity effectively and can pose significant risks.

In summary, when facing the threat of lightning, vigilance and preparedness are your best allies. By following these guidelines, you can significantly reduce the chances of lightning-related accidents and prioritize your safety.

Driving through downpours: Safety guidelines for wet roads

When heavy rain pours, the risk of flooding and treacherous roads rises. Here’s your guide from the weather service to staying safe during downpours:

Beware of swollen waterways:

Avoid parking or walking in close proximity to culverts or drainage ditches, as the swiftly moving water during heavy rain can potentially carry you away.

Maintain safe driving distances:

Use the two-second rule to maintain a safe distance from the car in front of you and allow an extra two seconds in heavy rain.

Slow down and drive with care:

On wet roads, slowing down is paramount. Gradually ease off the accelerator and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding.

Choose your lane wisely:

Stay toward the middle lanes – water tends to pool in the outside lanes.

Visibility matters:

Enhance your visibility in heavy rain by activating your headlights. Be particularly vigilant for vehicles in blind spots, as rain-smeared windows can obscure them.

Watch out for slippery roads:

The first half-hour of rain is when roads are slickest due to a mix of rain, grime, and oil. Exercise heightened caution during this period.

Keep a safe distance from large vehicles:

Large trucks and buses can reduce your visibility with tire spray. Avoid tailgating and pass them swiftly and safely.

Mind your windshield wipers:

Overloaded wiper blades can hinder visibility. If rain severely limits your sight, pull over and wait for conditions to improve. Seek refuge at rest areas or protected spots.

When stopping by the roadside is your only option, position your vehicle as far off the road as possible, ideally beyond guardrails. Keep your headlights on and activate emergency flashers to alert other drivers of your position.

In the face of heavy rain, these precautions can make a significant difference in ensuring your safety on the road. Remember to stay informed about weather conditions and heed guidance from local authorities for a secure journey.

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.

The Atlanta Braves play against the Athletics in an MLB game tonight. The matchup will begin at 9:05 p.m. CT on MLB Network. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV.

The Braves enter this matchup with a 39-50 record, and they have lost four consecutive games. In their most recent game, the Braves lost 2-1 against Baltimore.

In order to bounce back this evening, the Braves will need a great performance from their star player Matt Olson. He leads the Atlanta offense with 17 home runs and 58 RBI, which highlights his offensive prowess.

Olson was 0-4 at the plate in his last game, so he will look to turn things around tonight.

The Athletics enter this matchup with a 37-55 record, and they have lost three of their last four games. In their most recent game, the Athletics lost 6-2 against the San Francisco Giants.

In order to win tonight’s game, the Athletics will need to rely on their star player Jacob Wilson. He leads the team with a .335 batting average, so he will try to continue his offensive success this evening.

Fans can watch this MLB game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV.

The National Weather Service issued an updated report at 2:23 p.m. on Tuesday for strong thunderstorms until 3:15 p.m. for Jackson County.

Residents may experience wind gusts of up to 40 mph.

“At 2:22 p.m., Doppler radar tracked a strong thunderstorm 9 miles south of Cowan, or 13 miles southeast of Winchester. This thunderstorm was nearly stationary,” says the weather service. “Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects.”

Locations impacted by the alert include Winchester, Cowan, Sewanee, Anderson, Hytop, Jericho and Sherwood.

The weather service comments, “If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.”

Shielding yourself from approaching lightning: Expert safety guidelines

Each year, lightning strikes the United States approximately 25 million times, with the majority of these electrifying events occurring during the summer months. Unfortunately, lightning is responsible for claiming the lives of approximately 20 people annually, as reported by the weather service. The threat of lightning becomes more pronounced as thunderstorms draw nearer, peaking when the storm is directly overhead and gradually waning as it moves away.

To guarantee your safety in the midst of a thunderstorm, take into account the following recommendations:

Lightning safety plan:

• When venturing outdoors, it’s crucial to have a lightning safety plan in place.
• Stay vigilant by monitoring the sky for ominous signs and listening for the telltale sound of thunder. If thunder is audible, it’s a clear indication of nearby lightning.
• Seek a safe place to shelter, preferably indoors.

Indoors safety measures:

• Once you’re indoors, avoid using corded phones, electrical devices, plumbing fixtures, and stay away from windows and doors.
• Lightning can follow conductive pathways, and these precautions reduce the risk of electrical surges.

Wait for the all-clear:

• After the last lightning strike or thunderclap, wait at least 30 minutes before resuming outdoor activities.
• It’s important to remember that lightning can strike even when a storm seems to have passed, so exercise caution.

When indoor shelter isn’t available:

If you find yourself outdoors without access to indoor shelter during a thunderstorm, take these steps to maximize your safety:

• Avoid open fields, hilltops, or ridge crests, which expose you to greater lightning risk.
• Steer clear of tall, isolated trees and other prominent objects. In wooded areas, stay close to lower stands of trees.
• If you’re in a group, ensure that individuals are spaced out to prevent lightning current from transferring between people.
• Camping in an open setting during a thunderstorm is strongly discouraged. If no alternative exists, set up camp in a valley, ravine, or other low-lying areas. Remember that a tent offers no protection against lightning.
• Do not approach water bodies, wet objects, or metal items. Although water and metal do not attract lightning, they conduct electricity effectively and can pose significant risks.

In summary, when facing the threat of lightning, vigilance and preparedness are your best allies. By following these guidelines, you can significantly reduce the chances of lightning-related accidents and prioritize your safety.

Driving through downpours: Safety guidelines for wet roads

When heavy rain strikes, safety is paramount. Equip yourself with these guidelines from the weather service to navigate wet roads and avoid hazards:

Beware of swollen waterways:

In heavy rain, refrain from parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a grave danger.

Maintain safe driving distances:

Adhere to the two-second rule for maintaining a safe following distance behind the vehicle in front of you. In heavy rain, allow an additional two seconds of distance to compensate for reduced traction and braking effectiveness.

Reduce speed and drive cautiously:

On wet roads, slowing down is paramount. Gradually ease off the accelerator and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding.

Choose your lane wisely:

Stick to the middle lanes on multi-lane roads to minimize the risk of hydroplaning, as water tends to accumulate in outer lanes.

Visibility matters:

Enhance your visibility in heavy rain by turning on your headlights. Watch out for vehicles in blind spots, as rain-smeared windows can obscure them.

Watch out for slippery roads:

Be extra careful during the first half hour after rain begins. Grime and oil on the road surface mix with water to make the road slippery.

Keep a safe distance from large vehicles:

Large trucks and buses can reduce your visibility with tire spray. Avoid tailgating and pass them swiftly and safely.

Mind your windshield wipers:

Heavy rain can overload the wiper blades. When visibility is so limited that the edges of the road or other vehicles cannot be seen at a safe distance, it is time to pull over and wait for the rain to ease up. It is best to stop at rest areas or other protected areas.

If the roadside is your only option, pull off as far as possible, preferably past the end of a guard rail, and wait until the storm passes. Keep your headlights on and turn on emergency flashers to alert other drivers of your position.

By following these safety measures, you can significantly reduce risks and ensure your well-being when heavy rain pours down. Stay informed about weather conditions and heed advice from local authorities to make your journey safe and sound.

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.

The Huntsville Museum of Art (HMA) will reopen at the end of summer.

Museum leaders closed their doors on March 2, 2025, to make updates to the building.

They announced that they will open on August 31, 2025, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the Betsy and Peter Lowe Community Free Day.

They installed a new state-of-the-art HVAC system. They need the system to preserve and conserve their permanent collection.

Its “Keep it Cool” community-driven fundraising initiative raised $50,000 to cover operating costs during the museum’s closure.

Alabama men’s basketball has its opponent for a matchup at Boutwell Auditorium set.

The Crimson Tide will face Florida State in an exhibition game October 17 in Birmingham. This marks the second consecutive preseason in which Alabama has played at Boutwell Auditorium. In 2024, the Crimson Tide faced Wake Forest in an exhibition game.

Alabama women’s basketball will also face Florida State that week.

A season ago, it was called ‘Bama in Boutwell.’ Now, it will be ‘Ballin in Boutwell’ because other schools will be participating as well. That includes the Alabama women’s basketball program.

In attendance to announce the matchups Tuesday: Alabama men’s assistant coach Preston Murphy, Alabama women’s coach Kristy Curry, Auburn men’s basketball assistant coach Steven Peal, Birmingham mayor Randall Woodfin, Hibbett CEO Jared Briskin, Knight Eady president Michael Eady and Alabama A&M men’s coach Donte’ Jackson.

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

The shortest offseason in sports belongs to the NBA, as things move very quickly following the end of the season. The Oklahoma City Thunder just won the NBA Finals, with the draft taking place just three days later.

Another major milestone of the NBA offseason will be this weekend, as the Summer League will take place. A showcase for younger players to earn a place on the regular season roster, the Summer League is essential for any major NBA fan.

To continue the Salt Lake City League, the Memphis Grizzlies will take on the hometown Utah Jazz. For the Jazz, the talk has been about rookie Ace Bailey, who posted eight points, seven rebounds and an impressive block in their first Summer League win over the weekend against the Sixers.

Fans looking to watch the Grizzlies vs Jazz game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Here’s everything you need to know before the Grizzlies and Jazz tipoff tonight:

When: Monday, July 7, 2025

Where: Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City, UT

Time: 9 p.m. ET

Fans looking to watch the Grizzlies vs Jazz game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.

SweepNext is one of the most intriguing new sweepstakes casino to launch in the US. This modern sweeps casino is gaining major hype for its variety of slot games and an extremely generous welcome offer for new players.

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Each of these slots is fun, easy to play and provides some great payout opportunities.

Three top slots to play with your SweepNext promo code bonus

Sweepstakes casinos are growing more popular every day. With real money casinos legal in only seven states, more people around the country are turning to sweeps casinos to play their favorite slots online.

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I highlight three exciting slots available to play right now:

Majestic Wild Buffalo

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Buffalo-themed slot games are fairly common. This game shakes things up, focusing on a wide variety of animals in the Old West, including coyotes and bears.

This game is packed with fun bonus features, too. The free spins round is fun and comes with a double wheel to help players land some huge multipliers.

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Northern Gold Rush

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Catch the Leprechaun

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SweepNext promo code: How to claim this offer

It’s incredible to see so many players already listing SweepNext as one of the best sweepstakes casinos in the US. Many of its players are praising the welcome bonus, offering a huge number of both Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins for one small purchase.

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Learn more about our gaming editorial staff.

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Mac Gipson, a businessman and state lawmaker who ran Alabama’s state liquor agency for more than a decade under two governors, has died.

“Mr. Gipson was a dedicated public servant whose impact on this agency and the State of Alabama will be felt for years to come,” Curtis Stewart, who succeeded Gipson as administrator of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, said in a statement.

“During his 12 years as the Administrator for the ABC Board he oversaw operations with over 800 employees and 168 stores, and he also served as a member of the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA) in a variety of capacities.”

See more: Retiring ABC Board chief says Alabama’s liquor controls mean more revenue, less consumption

Gov. Robert Bentley appointed Gipson as ABC Board administrator in 2011. Gov. Kay Ivey kept Gipson on the job when she became governor in 2017.

Gipson stayed on the job until December 2022, when he retired at age 87. Gipson, who had started working at age 13 at his father’s Standard Oil station in downtown Prattville, said he would have continued if not for health problems.

“Along the line I’ve tried golf,” Gipson said. “Tried hunting. I just didn’t have any hobbies. I enjoyed working.”

Gipson was born in Camden in 1935 and served in the Army.

He started a tire business in Prattville in 1981, Gipson Tire Pros, that he later sold to his sons.

Gipson was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1994 and served four terms.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends, and all those who had the pleasure of getting to know him,” Stewart said.

A month after he claimed President Donald Trump is in the so-called Epstein files, Elon Musk alleged on Tuesday that a key architect of the MAGA movement is also in the files.

Musk leveled the allegation while responding to Trump ally Roger Stone’s strongly implying that Steve Bannon, who was White House chief strategist at the start of Trump’s first term, was in the files.

“Bannon is in the Epstein files,” Musk tweeted Tuesday afternoon.

Musk, the world’s richest man and the largest donor to Trump’s 2024 election effort, did not offer any evidence linking Bannon to the files.

Musk was responding to a series of Stone’s tweets that included a Business Insider story alleging Bannon, a friend of Epstein, filmed the financier for 15 hours — supposedly for a documentary — but the film was never released.

“Why would Bannon meet with Jeffrey Epstein both at his New York home and in Paris after Epstein was convicted on sex crimes in Florida?” Stone tweeted. “Why would he coach Epstein for his 60 minutes appearance?”

Musk formed a third party over the weekend after falling out with Trump, ostensibly over the “Big Beautiful Bill” that passed Congress last week.

During their feud, Musk claimed the Epstein files have not been released because the president is in them.

Commercial space launches hit an all-time high last year, with one blasting off every two to three days.

And that pace is ramping up fasts as U.S. regulators predict the country could see more-than-daily launches by 2034.

A new report by the Federal Aviation Administration – which licenses U.S.-based commercial space launches and re-entries, counted 142 operations in 2024 by seven companies. SpaceX accounted for 83% of the total, or 118 launches.

The remaining 17% were conducted by:

• Rocket Lab (12 launches)
• Virgin Galactic (four launches)
• Blue Origin (three launches)
• United Launch Alliance (two launches)
• Firefly Aerospace (two launches)
• Stratolaunch (one launch)

The report did not include six National Security Space Launches conducted by the Defense Department last year.

Why does all of this matter to Alabama?

North Alabama – where United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin have significant manufacturing and integration operations – stands to gain with a rise in both commercial and national security launches.

Besides being an annual record, the 142 licensed commercial launches of 2024 account for 17% of all 824 commercial launches and re-entries conducted by U.S. companies since 1989.

And the pace is increasing. In June, there were 21 licensed launches, which broke the previous monthly record of 20 set in November. Four operators — Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance — send up payloads last month.

The commercial launch landscape is becoming increasingly competitive, according to the report, with two operators – ABL Space Systems and Virgin Orbit — withdrawing from the sector since 2023.

“The list of firms intending to launch is dy­namic, with smaller launch providers strug­gling in an increasingly competitive market,” the report stated. “New arrivals to the industry face steep barri­ers to entry, including high development costs and intense competition from their es­tablished counterparts.”

Despite that, the advent of larger launch vehicles like Blue Origin’s New Glenn, ULA’s Vulcan, SpaceX’s Starship and Relativity Space’s Terran R – most of which are at least partly reusable – is driving down launch costs. That in turn is leading to more frequent launches.

The FAA report predicts authorized space operations could range from 2,067 to 4,010 over the next 10 years. The high range of the forecast would mean up to 566 launch operations in 2034 – well over one per day.

Satellite deployments, including SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper constellations, account for the majority of missions in the FAA forecast.

One of the ULA launches in June lifted the second batch of Kuiper high-speed broadband satellites. The company expects full deploy­ment of 3,232 satellites by 2031.

Starlink, meanwhile, already consists of over 7,000 satellites in orbit.