Jun 20, 2024

Thanks for dropping by. Here's your daily report, led by an important reminder to those who might be visiting a beach.

Ike Morgan

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If you're on the beaches of Alabama or the Florida Panhandle today make sure you check the surf-condition flags and be cautious around the water.

AL.com's John Sharp reports that double-reds were flying along the northern Gulf Coast Wednesday as Tropical Storm Alberto churned up the water near the Mexican coast. That storm, which is the first named storm of this hurricane season, is on its way inland, but double-reds were still a possibility today. The decision on what flags to fly is coming some time after this newsletter's deadline.

Double red flags mean the beach is closed to swimming. And it's not just a suggestion, but enforceable by law enforcement. Even if you see single reds flying, it's not the best idea to go for a swim. Rip currents are a real possibility, and you don't want to get caught in one. If you ever do, it could pull you out pretty far pretty quickly. Try to stay calm, stay afloat and swim parallel to the beach and then start making your way back to shore when you're outside the rip.

And always remember to thank the local that probably had to drag you out of the water you shouldn't have been in.

A man from Alabama who is wanted in connection with murders here and in Oklahoma is being hunted by law enforcement in Arkansas, reports AL.com's Carol Robinson.

Authorities said that 50-year-old Stacy Lee Drake has an active warrant out on him in Alabama for homicide. That warrant isn't public so we don't know what crime it's in connection with or where it might've been committed.

According to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, three people were killed during two carjackings in that state. 

Drake is from Birmingham, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound white male with brown hair and eyes, and described in Alabama court records as homeless.

Baseball celebrities began showing up around Birmingham's Rickwood Field Wednesday for tonight's MLB at Rickwood game between the Giants and Cardinals, reports AL.com's Creg Stephenson.

Derek Jeter and Barry Bonds were honorary captains for the "Fam Jam" celebrity softball game. Also among those on hand were Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, CC Sabathia and Ryan Howard.

Tape of the softball game will air at 1:30 p.m. today on MLB Network. The Giants-Cardinals game this evening will be on Fox at 6:15 p.m.

A mural of Willie Mays was officially unveiled in Birmingham Wednesday. It's located on a 18th Street North between First Avenue North and Morris Ave. Already commissioned as part of events surrounding today's MLB at Rickwood game, it became a memorial when the baseball legend died on Tuesday. (Photo by Michael Casagrande)

One of our fellow southern states now has a law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed at all public-school classrooms by 2025, reports The Associated Press.

Louisiana Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed the bill into law Wednesday. Supporters of the measure argue that displaying Ten Commandments is not just a religious act but one that recognizes the historical significance and legal impact of the Commandments.

However, that's not likely to make the lawyers take the rest of the summer off.

The American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation have already sounded off their opposition.

(I don't think this will help settle the dispute, but I'll point out that, according to the grading scale in Louisiana schools, you can get only 8 out of 10 right and still pass with a C.)

Keep an eye out for two things: lawsuits and similar bills coming up for debate in other states.

In 1911, actress and movie and TV producer Gail Patrick (born Margaret Fitzpatrick) of Birmingham.

In 1949, singer, songwriter, music producer, American Idol judge and former Commodore Lionel Richie of Tuskegee.

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