Nov 10, 2023

Thanks for coming back to read us. We have a pretty full newsletter today, right down to the "More Alabama news" links at the bottom. But my favorite news item might be the one that involves an electric buggy from Piggly Wiggly.

Please share us with any friends who might enjoy unpretentious, fairly PG-rated, nonpartisan Alabama news. Then go have a great weekend.

Ike Morgan

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The third GOP primary debate has taken place, again without the frontrunner, and the next one will be the first official presidential debate to take place in Alabama.

AL.com's John Sharp reports that media personality Megyn Kelly will be one of three moderators when the debate takes place 7-9 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Frank Moody Music Building at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

The other two moderators will be NewNation's Elizabeth Vargas and Washington Beacon editor-in-chief Eliana Johnson.

The Hill reported that a representative for Donald Trump said the former president is again unlikely to participate. The moderator announcement seems unlikely change that. If you recall, he has previously bowed up at debate questions from the conservative Kelly about several of his statements about women. He infamously said after that 2016 debate that she had "blood coming out of her eyes ... blood coming out of her wherever."

Last night the high school football playoffs got underway, and first round games continue tonight.

One of the highlights is tonight's Class 5A game between the two winningest coaches in Alabama high school football history, reports Jimmy Wigfield for AL.com.

Not just the winningest active coaches. Not just the winningest coaches in the playoffs. But No. 1 vs. No. 2, all-time.

Terry Curtis at UMS-Wright and Danny Horn of Central-Clay County have combined for 705 victories and 16 state titles over 70 seasons.

Curtis, at 73 years old, is No. 1 in wins with 354, and 61-year-old Horn is knocking on his door with 351.

The drought has officially been promoted to "exceptional drought" status in three Alabama counties by the Drought Monitor, reports AL.com's Leigh Morgan. That's a Level 4 out of 4, and it's the first time any part of the state has reached that category since 2016.

That was the year of the Gatlinburg wildfires.

DeKalb, Jackson and Cherokee counties in northeast Alabama have reached the "exceptional" designation, and more than 99 percent of the state is under at least some level, according to the Monitor.

Some rain will probably fall over the next few days, but we're not talking about drought-busting levels.

We're currently under a statewide no-burn order from Gov. Kay Ivey. More than 300 wildfires have been reported in Alabama over the past two weeks.

People have driven away in automobiles that didn't belong to them for as long as the world has had automobiles. Here in Alabama we've had 12-year-olds taking the family SUV for a joyride. We've had people hopping in airport buses and taking off. We've had people seeing how far they can get in bulldozers, school buses and ambulances.

With that in mind, AL.com's Warren Kulo reports a story out of Mobile where witnesses reported a man driving off in a Piggly Wiggly electric shopping buggy.

Those things top out around 2.5 mph if you don't have a drafting partner.

Witnesses gave police a description of the suspect. Otherwise, officers might've engaged everybody driving electric grocery buggies down Navco Road on Wednesday afternoon.

Police took the suspect into custody and booked him into the Mobile Metro Jail. Hopefully it was just a little alleged mischief and he'll be OK.

“I had to straighten (Miss Terry) out this week with relief syndrome, too. I wake up on Sunday morning, and she looks up at me and says, ‘Man, it’s going to be hard playing at Auburn.’ I said, ‘What are you talking about? Are you kidding me? We play Kentucky this week. Then, we have Chattanooga the next week. We’ll worry about that when we get to that."

Alabama football coach Nick Saban, whose wife is now among those he's caught looking too far ahead on the schedule.

310,000

That's how many tons of sand were used during the first phase of Gulf Shores beach renourishment following Hurricanes Nate and Sally. That's just a start: There are 18 phases to go until the project is expected to e completed in February 2024.

Saturday is Veterans Day. In Alabama we have the longest-running parade to celebrate the day: The 76th Annual National Veterans Day Parade, which will take place in downtown Birmingham from 1-4:30 p.m..

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