General News

General

Beth Thames: Storytellers sharing their Bramble Stories

This is an opinion column

Melissa Ford Thornton has always been a storyteller. When she was a student at Huntsville’s Mountain Gap School, she won first place in a mini mystery story contest. Later on, in her high school years, she won first place in the short story competition sponsored by the Huntsville Literary Association. Decades after that, she headed up that organization’s Young Writers Contest. She’d come full circle. And there was more.

Her early decision to keep on writing has paid off. She’s published in magazines and journals and is working on a novel. As former Communications Director for the Princess Theatre in Decatur, she’s been witness to performances of all kinds and has learned about the craft of performing herself. She’s the author of “The Princess Theatre: A Grand Ole Dame.” It tells the story of the historic building which started as a livery stable in 1887.

Thornton has told her stories on local public radio WLRH, at area storytelling events in Huntsville as well as Nashville, and won a place on the prestigious Moth Story Slam. She just found out that she’s been accepted to a week long storytelling workshop in Paris this summer, where she’ll continue to hone her craft and perform a story in front of the class. “Not in French,” she adds.

Her introduction to live performing came when she was on the stage with Ricky J.Taylor, a singer/songwriter, who pushed her in front of the microphone at a story and song event in Birmingham. She admits she was shaking. But she was hooked.

Along with local story telling friend Sam Mitchell, Thornton founded Bramble Stories, a collection of storytellers who perform with no notes in front of a live audience. The first time she performed with the group, she was filling in for someone. It’s stressful, she admits, since you can’t use notes or written prompts, but it was a great opportunity to keep telling tales.

The name Bramble Stories comes from the small black fruit that grows on a bramble berry bush. It’s both wild and sweet. Some see it as a weed and a nuisance, but others know that its jams and wines are sweet. The story tellers don’t ramble, Thornton says, they “bramble.” They create a ten minute tale based on a theme which changes from show to show.

Their upcoming show will be held at Shenanigans Comedy Theatre on April 11 at 7:00 PM. The theme is “The Last Straw.” Tickets are available on line at the theatre’s website. For the first time, one of the performers is hearing impaired and will tell her story out loud, but with an interpreter on stage with her. The event offers storytellers a venue where they’ll be “safe, seen, and heard” in a non profit space with reasonably priced tickets and a friendly atmosphere.

How do storytellers find topics? Where are the stories? Thornton says they’re everywhere. She takes a notebook with her and finds topics in other people’s conversations. She’s an inveterate eavesdropper and listens to people on the street, in line, and in restaurants. If you have a story-catching gene in you, stories will appear.

She remembers times she’s been lost on the road, back before GPS told us where we were. Did her friend say to turn left at the pasture with the goats in it, or right? “If I ever get out of here,” she thinks, “this will make a good story.”

“Stories have power,” Thornton says. “Without stories, we wouldn’t know our own family history or pass down our values and traditions. She believes there is something cathartic about telling your own story and something beautiful about hearing someone else’s. Children always want to hear their own origin stories, too. “Tell me a story” is what children say to the adults in their lives. If they’re lucky, someone will.

More information about Bramble Stories is at [email protected]

Contact Beth Thames at [email protected]

Read More
General

We’ve reached the state where the Sweet 16 is not enough for Alabama or Auburn

This is an opinion piece.

This is great. This is wonderful. This is the stuff that hoop dreams are made of. This is not quite basketball heaven, but you can see it from here to Newark to Atlanta and back. This is not unprecedented, but it’s as rare as an SEC basketball coach banking a larger salary than his football counterpart.

It’s also not enough. Not near enough.

Not for the University of Alabama.

Not for Auburn University.

Not for the basketball state of Alabama.

If the road to the Final Four ends here, in the East Regional semifinal this evening for Alabama or in Friday night’s South Regional semifinal for Auburn – or, perish the thought, for both – it will feel like someone took a wrong turn onto an unfinished stretch of interstate and plunged into the abyss.

Alabama as a 2 seed is not supposed to lose to a 6 seed in BYU.

Auburn as the No. 1 overall seed is not supposed to lose to a 5 seed in Michigan.

The NCAA Tournament is not supposed to continue on to the Elite Eight and beyond without Mark Sears and Johni Broome, without Nate Oats and Bruce Pearl, without the two teams that played the first 1 vs. 2 game in SEC history just six weeks ago.

Alabama started this season ranked No. 2 in the AP poll and never dropped out of the top 10. Auburn began at No. 11, immediately jumped to No. 5 and then No. 4 and never fell lower, a school-record run that included eight straight weeks at No. 1.

With both teams playing in the Sweet 16 together for just the third time, for the first time since 1986, it’s tempting to say it’s Final Four or bust for each. No one saw this 1-2 punch coming back then. Most everyone sees this dance going one step farther. At least.

Getting to the final weekend wouldn’t be a novelty for the Tide or Tigers. The problem is the word “bust.”

No Alabama season that earns a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and reaches 25 victories and the Sweet 16 for a third straight year can be fairly considered a bust. Ditto for an Auburn season that ties the school record with 30 victories and includes the program’s first No. 1 overall NCAA Tournament seed and an SEC regular-season title in a year the league sent a record 14 teams to the Big Dance and seven to the Sweet 16.

No matter what happens tonight against BYU, Sears will always have the floater to beat Auburn as part of a first-team All-American season. No matter what occurs Friday night against Michigan, Broome will always be the Sporting News national player of the year. But these programs have set a standard they now expect to sustain them to the second weekend of March Madness and beyond.

Their collective accomplishments for the better part of a decade would’ve felt like a fever dream a decade ago.

They have combined to win nine of 15 SEC championships in the last eight years, seven of 10 in the last five seasons. Since Oats got to Tuscaloosa, Alabama has won 144 games. So has Auburn. No one in the conference has won as many although Tennessee is just one win behind.

The IBOB adversaries have reached that rare atmosphere where virtually every victory is expected and every fan is gutted by each defeat. So of course Alabama should get back to the Elite Eight for a second straight year with a returning core of Sears and Grant Nelson in their final college seasons with a surrounding cast that makes them the No. 1 scoring team in the country.

Naturally, Auburn should return to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019 with a familiar foundation of Broome, Dylan Cardwell, Denver Jones and Chad Baker-Mazara fortified by a deep rotation that fills every need for a team that’s No. 1 in the nation in Strength of Record.

Neither Alabama nor Auburn has to act like they’ve been here before. There’s no acting required. If this is a new experience for freshman phenoms Labaron Philon and Tahaad Pettiford, well, it’s familiar territory for the brands.

Neither rival has to play a perfect game to survive and advance. When Alabama reaches or even approaches its ceiling, it’s good enough to beat Houston on a neutral floor and Auburn on Senior Day in the Jungle. BYU is not Houston. In fact, BYU is 0-2 against Kelvin Sampson and company.

When Auburn achieves or approximates maximum efficiency, it’s good enough to beat Houston in Houston and Alabama in Tuscaloosa in the most hyped Iron Bowl of Basketball ever. Michigan is not Houston. State Farm Arena is not Coleman Coliseum. Quite the opposite. It will look, feel and sound a lot like the Jungle given the short drive from Auburn to Atlanta.

So there is every reason to believe that, for the third time each, Alabama and Auburn will advance to the Elite Eight, and for the first time, they will do it together. If either of them stumbles before the regional finals, it will not render this season a bust. It will mean the losing team didn’t do everything it was capable of doing and fell short of the horizon within its grasp.

It’s time for Alabama to take the next step toward history and for Auburn to do the same. This season has been too good and too special with too much historic potential – some fulfilled and some unfinished – for it to end right here.

We should see them both in the Elite Eight.

Read More
General

New season brings new role for former UAB pitcher with Cincinnati Reds

In all 60 games of his Major League career, Graham Ashcraft has worked as a starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds. But if the Reds carry a lead into the ninth inning in their season-opening game on Thursday, could Cincinnati call the Huntsville High School and UAB hurler out of the bullpen to close the contest?

Alexis Diaz saved 28 games for the Reds in 2024. But after recording a 13.50 earned-run average in four Cactus League appearances, Diaz is starting the regular season on the injured list, leaving a hole at the back of the Cincinnati bullpen.

On Wednesday, Reds manager Terry Francona said he didn’t know who would close if a save situation arose on Thursday against the San Francisco Giants.

“It depends on how we get there,” Francona said.

The Reds decided to switch Ashcraft to the bullpen late in spring training, and the right-hander aims to become the closer.

“At the end of the day, if I’m in the bullpen that’s where I want to be,” Ashcraft said. “But you’ve also got to earn that spot. That’s the biggest thing.”

Ashcraft worked as a starter in his first five Cactus League games. He had a 5.41 ERA, and in 13.1 innings yielded 14 hits and six walks while striking out nine.

In his final spring-training appearance on March 20, Ashcraft worked three hitless innings out of the bullpen against the Kansas City Royals, yielding one walk while striking out two.

“The adrenaline rush is awesome,” Ashcraft said. “I’m excited to kind of get to experience that side of it.”

In his only season at UAB, Ashcraft made nine starts and eight relief appearances in 2019. But in all 46 games of his minor-league career at four stops in the Cincinnati system – Greeneville Reds, Dayton Dragons, Chattanooga Lookouts and Louisville Bats – Ashcraft was used strictly as a starter.

Called up during the 2022 season, Ashcraft went into the Reds’ rotation.

“It’s something that’s been going around for a while,” Ashcraft said of the switch to the bullpen. “When they originally called me up, that was kind of what they wanted me to do, and then I just had to fill a role when (Connor) Overton got hurt in ‘22. It just kind of stuck.”

Ashcraft has a 17-20 record with a 4.91 ERA in 328 innings with the Reds.

“We’ve all kind of teetered on that idea and what it would look like,” Cincinnati pitching coach Derek Johnson said of the switch. “Obviously, we haven’t seen it, so we don’t know. But he could be kind of that really nice piece in the bullpen that we didn’t have to go out and acquire. It’s a homegrown guy that has got a really good arm and the kind of disposition that it takes to pitch in (a late-inning role).”

The Reds and the Giants start the season at 3:10 p.m. CDT Thursday at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.

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

Read More
General

Baseball movies we loved: Down in Alabama

For Major League Baseball’s Opening Day we’re going deep on our favorite baseball movies of all-time. That discussion — done in draft form — is exclusive to the podcast below.

If you quote baseball movies on nearly a daily basis, it’s a must-listen (the regular daily news report follows the podcast player below).

‘National security space missions’

United Launch Alliance, a company with a big investment in North Alabama, is now authorized to fly national security space missions, reports AL.com’s John R. Roby.

The authorization is for United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket. Blue Origin makes the BE-4 engines that are integrated into Vulcan at United Launch Alliance’s Decatur plant.

Until now, only SpaceX had certification to fly the missions, but United States Space Force is expecting to ramp up its national-security launches.

The Vulcan can deliver National Security Space Launch spacecraft directly into geosynchronous orbit.

School with a long history

A Jackson County school is closing after educating students for 120 years, reports AL.com’s Heather Gann.

Flat Rock School serves Pre-K through sixth-grade students. The entire school’s enrollment was only 64 this year. Superintendent Jason Davidson said they had teachers covering multiple classrooms and as many as five subjects. He also said there’s currently no counselor in place.

So the Jackson County School Board unanimously voted this week to close Flat Rock at the end of the school year.

Even with its dwindling numbers, some in the area hoped to save the small community school, even launching an online petition to save it.

Flat Rock School was founded in 1905 by the United Methodist Church Conference, and it was sold to the state in 1929.

This doesn’t matter … until it really matters

There are many, many lists of state rankings on every issue you can imagine that come down the pike.

Most of them we pass by. Some of them we share here. And then there are the rare ones we simply cannot ignore because they speak to us as a people.

The math-and-stats website GIGACalculator has produced a study that ranked Alabama the second-most-likely state in the U.S. to survive an alien invasion, reports AL.com’s Mary Colurso.

How would one rank states on such a thing? Well, GIGACalculator examined the number of UFO sightings, access to food and water, numbers of medical professionals and scientists, military presence, population density and places to run and hide.

And just glancing at that criteria, we probably would be in a decent position. And somebody out there still has a toilet-paper stockpile from summer 2020.

Although military and places to run and hide aside, I think we might could win them over with southern hospitality. Take them to a ballgame and a pig picking and they might be ready to invest instead of invade.

Unless they ally with the pigs first.

Picture That

State of Alabama

Braves fans take note: A new vanity license plate showing off your favorite MLB team (and its retro lower-case “a” logo) became available in Alabama this month.

More Alabama News

Born on This Date

In 1921, 30-year Congressman Tom Bevill of Townley.

The podcast

We’re going deep on baseball movies.

You can find “Down in Alabama” wherever you get your podcasts, including these places:

Read More
General

No changes to No. 1 teams in latest ASWA softball rankings

There were no changes to No. 1 teams in this week’s ASWA high school softball rankings.

Class 7A Thompson, Class 6A Spanish Fort, Class 5A Springville, Class 4A Orange Beach, Class 3A Saint James, Class 2A Pleasant Valley, Class 1A Waterloo and AISA Bessemer Academy all remained atop the rankings.

Orange Beach is ranked No. 10 nationally by MaxPreps and No. 11 at SI.com while Thompson is No. 20 at MaxPreps and No. 19 at SI.com. Other teams ranked among the MaxPreps top 50 nationally are No. 26 Springville, No. 28 Central-Phenix City and No. 31 Curry.

ASWA SOFTBALL RANKINGS

CLASS 7A

1. Thompson (23-2)

2. Central-Phenix City (21-3)

3. Daphne (17-2)

4. Tuscaloosa County (23-3)

5. Enterprise (15-4)

6. Hewitt-Trussville (14-10)

7. Huntsville (16-8-1)

8. Austin (16-8-1)

9. Sparkman (21-6-1)

10. Auburn (13-5)

Others nominated: Dothan (13-11), Fairhope (15-8), Hoover (12-8), Oak Mountain (11-9), Opelika (13-11), Vestavia Hills (12-10-1).

CLASS 6A

1. Spanish Fort (19-5)

2. Athens (16-8)

3. Chelsea (17-8-1)

4. Baldwin County (12-7)

5. Gulf Shores (17-10)

6. Saraland (17-7)

7. Helena (14-8-2)

8. Spain Park (17-12)

9. Pell City (13-7)

10. Chilton County (20-4-1)

Others nominated: Benjamin Russell (8-10-1), Buckhorn (13-8), Gardendale (18-11), Hartselle (9-8-1), Hazel Green (14-8), McAdory (14-5-1), Oxford (6-8), Rehobeth (11-6), Southside-Gadsden (13-7), Stanhope Elmore (6-13), Wetumpka (30-4).

CLASS 5A

1. Springville (24-2)

2. Moody (17-6)

3. Lawrence County (18-9)

4. Boaz (12-3)

5. Houston Academy (11-3)

6. Scottsboro (13-8)

7. Holtville (12-8-1)

8. Ardmore (14-6-1)

9. St. Clair County (14-9-1)

10. Andalusia (16-6)

Others nominated: Central-Clay County (12-8), East Limestone (13-6), Elmore County (7-8), Headland (13-7), Northside (10-8-1), Sardis (10-5), Shelby County (6-3).

CLASS 4A

1. Orange Beach (12-1)

2. Curry (22-1)

3. West Limestone (22-2)

4. Alexandria (15-3-2)

5. Cherokee County (13-2)

6. Plainview (9-1)

7. White Plains (11-7)

8. Madison County (12-9)

9. Prattville Christian (17-4)

10. Opp (16-8)

Others nominated: American Christian (10-12), Ashville (15-8-1), Brooks (9-6), Central-Florence (12-5), Cordova (11-7), Etowah (11-8-2), Good Hope (12-7-1) Handley (12-12), Hatton (9-12-1), Hokes Bluff (10-8), Munford (17-3), Satsuma (13-10-2), Tallassee (8-6-1), Westminster Christian (8-7), W.S. Neal (9-9).

CLASS 3A

1. Saint James (26-5)

2. Wicksburg (23-5)

3. Madison Academy (18-3)

4. Winfield (12-4)

5. Mars Hill Bible (14-5)

6. Ohatchee (17-6)

7. Thomasville (17-5)

8. Cottage Hill (7-3)

9. Randolph County (8-6)

10. T.R. Miler (11-9-1)

Others nominated: Colbert Heights (11-1), Collinsville (7-7), Phil Campbell (10-10), Rogers (9-8), Whitesburg Christian (8-4).

CLASS 2A

1. Pleasant Valley (18-4)

2. G.W. Long (19-2)

3. Sumiton Christian (15-7)

4. Pisgah (11-7)

5. West End (10-3)

6. Horseshoe Bend (8-1)

7. J.U. Blacksher (13-9)

8. Tuscaloosa Academy (7-0)

9. Lindsay Lane (15-7-1)

10. Ariton (14-9-2)

Others nominated: Belgreen (13-10), Tharptown (7-6).

CLASS 1A

1. Waterloo (15-5)

2. Hackleburg (12-2)

3. Ider (17-6-1)

4. Kinston (19-6)

5. Brantley (10-6)

6. Maplesville (10-9)

7. Skyline (7-10)

8. Woodland (16-3)

9. Leroy (11-6)

10. Spring Garden (7-6-2)

Others nominated: Athens Bible (6-8), Florala (9-4), Lynn (7-5-2), Red Level (9-9).

AISA

1. Bessemer Academy (18-7)

2. Crenshaw Christian (16-6-1)

3. Clarke Prep (13-2-1)

4. Chambers Academy (13-3)

5. Edgewood (9-9)

Others nominated: Abbeville Christian (5-6), Cornerstone-Columbiana (10-4).

Read More
General

ASWA Baseball Rankings: 2 new No. 1s in latest statewide polls

Leroy and Oak Grove both moved to the top of their respective classifications in the second Alabama Sports Writers Association baseball poll of the season.

Leroy is the new No. 1 team in 1A. The 16-2 Bears replaced Hackleburg, which fell to No. 4. In Class 4A, Oak Grove improved to 17-1 and replaced Westbrook Christian at the top. The 15-3 Warriors slipped just one spot.

Last week’s unbeaten No. 1 teams – 7A Hewitt-Trussville and 3A Prattville Christian – each lost for the first time this season since the last poll. The Huskies dropped a 5-2 decision to IMG Academy. Prattville Christian also lost to an out-of-state team (Oak Ridge) 12-2. However, both Hewitt and PCA remained No. 1 in their classes.

Here are this week’s rankings as compiled by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.

CLASS 7A

1. Hewitt-Trussville (21-1)

2. Bob Jones (20-7)

3. Enterprise (19-1)

4. Central-Phenix City (20-7)

5. Vestavia Hills (14-4)

6. Fairhope (15-7)

7. Hoover (13-10)

8. Thompson (18-11)

9. Tuscaloosa County (17-8)

10. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (16-7)

Others nominated: Auburn (12-8), Baker (9-9), Dothan (14-9), Grissom (15-8), James Clemens (15-7).

CLASS 6A

1. Hartselle (13-6)

2. Mountain Brook (15-5)

3. Spain Park (12-7)

4. Chelsea (13-9)

5. Homewood (16-4)

6. McGill-Toolen (15-3)

7. Helena (13-8)

8. Oxford (14-7)

9. Southside-Gadsden (19-3)

10. Hazel Green (20-8)

Others nominated: Athens (12-5), Buckhorn (11-10), Cullman (8-8), Gardendale (12-7), Gulf Shores (11-8), Hueytown (16-9), Northridge (13-6), Pelham (13-7), Rehobeth (11-7), Saraland (13-9), Spanish Fort (11-10), Stanhope Elmore (11-9), Wetumpka (16-5).

CLASS 5A

1. Springville (17-3)

2. Northside (18-3)

3. American Christian (19-10)

4. Madison Academy (19-5)

5. Faith Academy (13-3)

6. Marbury (18-3)

7. Russellville (17-4)

8. Headland (14-6)

9. St. Paul’s (12-7)

10. Leeds (15-5)

Others nominated: Boaz (14-6), Elmore County (14-6), Guntersville (14-9), John Carroll (11-11), Lawrence County (12-7), Shelby County (10-9), UMS-Wright (10-8).

CLASS 4A

1. Oak Grove (17-1)

2. Westbrook Christian (15-3)

3. Bibb County (15-5)

4. Opp (15-3)

5. Haleyville (14-6)

6. Deshler (14-6)

7. Alexandria (12-9)

8. Etowah (13-10)

9. Orange Beach (12-7)

10. Trinity (11-7)

Others nominated: Bayside Academy (11-10), Central-Florence (14-7), Cherokee County (12-11), Cleburne County (10-7), Dale County (12-7), Hatton (13-7), Madison County (12-4), New Hope (9-9), Satsuma (11-6), Straughn (8-5), Tallassee (12-8), W.S. Neal (11-5).

CLASS 3A

1. Prattville Christian (19-1)

2. Glenwood (15-3)

3. Winfield (17-6)

4. St. James (11-5)

5. Thomasville (10-6)

6. Thorsby (19-5)

7. Gordo (11-11)

8. Vinemont (16-6)

9. Collinsville (13-4)

10. Fyffe (13-3)

Others nominated: Elkmont (12-4), Flomaton (9-7), Lauderdale County (8-10), Lee-Scott (13-7), Montgomery Academy (10-3), Phil Campbell (13-8), Piedmont (7-8), Providence Christian (8-10), Slocomb (10-6), T.R. Miller (10-6), Whitesburg Christian (11-9), Wicksburg (8-8).

CLASS 2A

1. Ariton (17-4)

2. Vincent (17-5)

3. Decatur Heritage (15-2)

4. G.W. Long (12-7)

5. North Sand Mountain (15-2)

6. Mars Hill Bible (10-7)

7. Sumiton Christian (11-6)

8. Cedar Bluff (13-8*)

9. Red Bay (11-5)

10. Lindsay Lane (11-10)

Others nominated: Bayshore Christian (7-12), Cottonwood (13-4), Pike Liberal Arts (9-11), Pleasant Valley (11-8), St. Luke’s (12-5).

*–Record includes 4 forfeit losses.

CLASS 1A

1. Leroy (16-2)

2. Appalachian (14-2)

3. Lynn (14-5)

4. Hackleburg (14-4)

5. Addison (12-8)

6. Millry (18-4)

7. Athens Bible (11-4)

8. Sweet Water (12-9)

9. Florala (10-6)

10. Billingsley (12-5)

Others nominated: Brantley (5-2), Coosa Christian (9-7), Fayetteville (12-6), Kinston (8-3), Red Level (10-3), Spring Garden (9-6).

AISA

1. Lakeside (30-4)

2. Chambers Academy (18-5)

3. Macon-East (15-8)

4. Edgewood (15-7)

5. Hope Christian (14-5)

Others nominated: Abbeville Christian (8-9), Fort Dale Academy (13-5), Snook (10-7), Southern Academy (11-6).

Read More
General

Miss Manners: My conservative neighbors may ruin my diverse holiday party

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Should I warn particularly conservative guests that an annual party they attended last year has grown in size and will include a more eclectic group of people?

My husband and I hosted a last-minute holiday open house last year. Many of the attendees were generally conservative, reflecting the nature of my immediate neighborhood. This year, we planned the party well in advance, and it has doubled in size. It will include many new friends — including gay couples, ardent liberals and a trans woman. Several of last year’s attendees are very conservative, and a couple of them can be loudmouthed bullies. They are not our close friends. Should I advise them prior to attendance that the makeup of the party will be different this year, and that they may be offended by some of the other guests? It feels “icky,” and my instinct is just to let it go and trust people to be kind and tolerant. But I worry about friction.

GENTLE READER: Rather than testing everyone’s kindness and tolerance too much — including your own tolerance for your neighbors — Miss Manners would like to focus on a different virtue: responsibility.

A good host seeks to make her guests reasonably comfortable and welcome. Your warning will accomplish that for no one, and therefore needs to be rethought.

At the very least, Miss Manners wonders at your inviting people you believe will yell at your other guests.

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.

Read More
General

Rip current statement issued for Mobile and Baldwin counties from Friday to Monday

On Thursday at 3:37 a.m. a rip current statement was released by the National Weather Service valid from Friday 7 a.m. until Monday 6 a.m. for Mobile and Baldwin counties.

The weather service comments, “Dangerous rip currents expected.”

“Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water,” describes the weather service. “If caught in a rip current, relax and float. Don’t swim against the current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.”

Navigating rip currents: Your survival manual

Rip currents, swift channels of water flowing away from the shore at surf beaches, can turn a day at the beach into a dangerous situation. Understanding how to respond when caught in one is crucial. The weather service offers these life-saving tips:

Keep your cool – they won’t drag you under:

Don’t panic – rip currents won’t pull you underwater.

Don’t swim against the current:

Trying to swim directly toward the beach when caught in a rip current is futile and exhausting. The current is too strong. Instead, swim parallel to the shore and away from the rip current’s grip.

Signal for help if necessary:

If you feel you can’t reach shore, relax, face the shore, and call or wave for help.

Seek lifeguarded beaches:

Whenever feasible, choose beaches with lifeguards on duty. Their trained eyes and rapid response can be a lifesaver in water emergencies.

Never brave the waves alone on unguarded shores:

If you choose to swim at beaches without lifeguards, make it a rule never to swim solo. Always bring a friend, and ensure that person has a cell phone to call 911 in case of an emergency.

Rip currents are formidable natural forces, but knowing how to react can significantly increase your chances of safely navigating these challenging waters. Stay informed, stay vigilant, and prioritize safety when enjoying the surf.

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.

Read More
General

Dear Annie: I need boundaries with my mother-in-law

Dear Annie: I’m struggling with how to handle my mother-in-law, “Karen.” My husband, “Jake,” and I have been married for five years, and we just had our first baby, “Emily,” three months ago.

Since Emily was born, Karen has been over constantly. At first, I appreciated her help, but now it feels like she’s taking over. She drops by unannounced, critiques how I feed and dress Emily, and insists on holding her the entire time she’s here. If I take Emily back, Karen pouts or says passive-aggressive things like, “I guess I’m not needed.” She once even commented on how quickly I’m “dropping the baby weight,” which I guess was supposed to be a compliment, but it made me uncomfortable.

Jake thinks it’s no big deal, but it’s making me anxious in my own home. I don’t want to start a big fight, but I also don’t want to feel like I’m competing with my own child’s grandmother. How do I set boundaries without causing a family rift? — Feeling Pushed Aside

Dear Feeling Pushed Aside: Boundaries aren’t about starting fights. They’re about protecting your well-being.

Talk to Jake first, and let him know how important it is that you feel in control in your own home, especially now that you have a baby. Together, you can calmly but firmly communicate some ground rules to Karen.

If she pouts or makes a passive-aggressive comment, let her. It’s not your responsibility to manage her emotions.

Read more Dear Annie and other advice columns.

“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology — featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation — is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit Creators Publishing for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to [email protected].

Read More
General

Today’s daily horoscopes: March 27, 2025

Venus slips into her Pisces gown to dance through a cycle of soulful connection. She moves like water, dissolving boundaries, softening edges, turning love into something more than an emotion — a current, a calling, a surrender. Here, associations are felt beyond words, understood in glances, shared in silence. The heart dreams in a language only the soul remembers.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You’ve made it through tough moments, and now you’re on the other side, moving forward with focus and determination. The fact that you’re still showing up for people and work in the midst of everything says a lot about your resilience and grit.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You feel great about the work you’ve done; it’s the work left undone that’s making you uneasy. But the good news is you have every last thing you need to get this handled, including a helper if you want it. Tap another earth sign. Make a list, get organized and dive in.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Negativity can sometimes be exactly what you need to process emotions, find clarity or tackle a difficult task. Not all creativity arises from a place of positivity; sometimes, frustration, anger or other “negative” emotions can spark the most innovative ideas and breakthroughs.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You don’t need anyone else to define your worth or your path forward. You’ll have peace, focus and a sense of self — mostly because you realize it’s entirely yours to create. The more you believe you can build this world for yourself, the easier it will be to make it happen.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Give yourself a little more credit. You’ve already shown you can work through the difficult challenges. What you’re building now is going to be a reflection of your heart, your drive. The world is waiting for it.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’ll know the power of setting clear expectations. When boundaries are firm but reasonable, they don’t feel like walls but rather a natural part of the landscape. You’ll move freely within them, confident in the stability they provide.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). True growth comes not from relentless pressure but from a balance of discipline and self-compassion — the kind that sustains effort without breaking the spirit. Pause to enjoy your success without the pressure of chasing the next benchmark.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Don’t ever doubt for a second how much your strength, your creativity and your kindness matter. You bring something to the world that no one else can. You are irreplaceable, and all who truly see you know it.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Sometimes you believe you’re entirely in control of your life, and other times you believe you’re trapped. You also entertain numerous variations along this spectrum; don’t stop. Keep trying on thought processes to find your best motivation and empowerment.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You can always tell when you’re in a transactional relationship. Some relationships need to be that way. And there’s a lot of gray area with today’s give and take. It may seem today that generosities are bestowed and no one is keeping track, but it’s an illusion.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’ll hit moments when it’s essential to maintain self-awareness and check your behavior. But there are also times when self-judgment isn’t helpful, and it’s OK to just let yourself be. The key is recognizing when to let those feelings flow without turning them into self-criticism.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). This project you’re involved with is like a forest with its own unique ecosystems, and each matters to the big picture. Sure, from the aerial view it looks like tall trees, but the shrubs, grubs, birds, bugs and fungi are equally important.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (March 27). Moments of clarity become a regular fixture in your life, and you’ll be led by a transcendent vision of what could be. You’ll lean into challenges, work efficiently and push yourself beyond your comfort zone. It all leads to your greatest achievement yet. More highlights: Meeting your heroes, the fulfillment of a long-held wish and a surprising friendship that changes your perspective. Cancer and Aquarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 5, 12, 26, 19, and 31.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: In addition to his theatrical pursuits, Aries auteur Quentin Tarantino has been involved in the revival of classic films, managing revival theaters in Los Angeles and contributing to the preservation and appreciation of cinematic history. The iconic Aries filmmaker was born when both the sun and communication planet were in the fiery, headstrong warrior station. Mars was in Leo, the sign of entertainment, and Neptune, the planet of dreams, was in intense Scorpio.

Holiday Mathis’ debut novel, “How To Fail Epically in Hollywood,” is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit creatorspublishing.com for more information. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

Read More