The Tuscaloosa News
AL stadium ranks among North America’s biggest
Massive college football venues continue to define the sport’s culture across the United States, where more 100,000seat stadiums exist than anywhere else in the world. From the Big House in Michigan to the cathedrals of SEC football, college football...
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Detours will affect motorists
The long-in-the-making Martin Luther King Jr./Jack Warner Parkway improvements project, the city’s largest infrastructure undertaking, begins its third and final construction phase Monday, June 1. Those roadways will be closed from June 1 until...
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SPORTS: NOT JUST ENTERTAINMENT
When first presented to the city in September 2024, the $150 million Tuscaloosa Sports Illustrated Resort was intended to be the flagship for Travel + Leisure, first of its kind. At the May 27 official ground-breaking, under misty skies at the Rice...
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WHERE MAIN STREET MEETS EASY STREET
Relaxation in travel isn’t just about spas or packed resorts; it’s also found in quiet mornings, mountain air and unhurried small towns. The sense of ease is exactly what World Atlas captured in its recent list of the 9 Most Relaxing Southern United...
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MORE ‘THYME’ TO MINGLE
The Tuscaloosa Farmers Market will add weekly Tuesday markets throughout June and July at the Tuscaloosa River Market, city officials said. The markets will be held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. each Tuesday at the River Market, 1900 Jack Warner Parkway. They...
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THE TIDE IS IN
See more coverage of Alabama softball at tuscaloosanews.com and tidesports.com
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Tuscaloosa Habitat dedicates new Women Build home
Habitat for Humanity of Tuscaloosa dedicated a new Women Build home for one deserving family. Habitat officials, volunteers and others gathered May 15 at Milestone Circle to dedicate a new home for Rickelle Riley, a certified nurse assistant in the...
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‘Preparing students for the next level’
High School joined the exclusive ranks of Apple Distinguished Schools just before the end of the 202526 school year, a recognition of the school’s achievements in computer education, involving Apple computer products. Northside opened a Career...
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What the declaration says about God
A look at its 4 references, and how Americans heard them On the Fourth of July in 1776, the congressional delegates in Philadelphia adopted the Declaration of Independence, then ordered that it be widely “proclaimed.” Couriers carried the printed...
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RIGHT PAGE
Jodi Wilson was born in Eutaw and lived there until she was 13 when the family moved away. On May 16, she was back in her hometown to help open the new StoryWalk in United Memorial Park. h Wilson is the program manager for the United Way of West...
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LEADERSHIP LAUNCHPAD
The University of Alabama will host hundreds of high school students from across the state over two weeks for programs focused on leadership and government. Alabama Boys State is scheduled for May 24–30, followed by Alabama Girls State from May 31...
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PETAL POWER
Beauty is blooming in Gordo as the 34th annual daylily sale at Holliman Farm approaches. Rene and Len Holliman received their first six daylily plants as a gift from Len’s father about 38 years ago and the passion multiplied, just like the root bulbs...
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Tuberville, Doug Jones to clash in governor race
Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville won Alabama’s Republican primary Tuesday, officially setting up a high-profile rematch against former Democratic Sen. Doug Jones in November. Gov. Kay Ivey, who has served since 2017, is barred from seeking...
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Ghana delegation visits Tuscaloosa schools
Tuscaloosa rolled out the red carpet for some visitors who had traveled more than 5,000 miles. A delegation from Ghana led by the Hon. Joseph Akwaboa, regional minister of Bono, municipal officers and community leaders gathered May 13 at the...
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Memorial Day events will honor the fallen
Residents in the Tuscaloosa area are invited to take time during the Memorial Day weekend and show their appreciation for all those who have died while serving in the military. The University of Alabama’s Denny Chimes will host a free outdoor carillon...
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UA works with Choctaw Nation to restore native species
The Choctaw Nation once inhabited most of central Mississippi with land extending to the Tombigbee River in West Alabama. They would have seen many things familiar to modern eyes and some things that White settlers eventually drove from the area along...
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TURNING TASSELS
TOP LEFT: Brandi Boyd, who said she is the auntie of Central High, gets hugs from students as they march in the recessional during the Central High School graduation for the Class of 2026 at Coleman Coliseum on May 11. TOP RIGHT: Paul W. Bryant High...
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President Trump leaves Beijing with few wins
BEIJING – President Donald Trump left China on May 15 with no major breakthroughs on trade or tangible help from Beijing to end the Iran war, despite two days spent heaping praise on his host, Xi Jinping. Trump’s visit to America’s main strategic and...
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‘We are in this together’
DCH Regional Medical Center pledged to increase security efforts after an employee was fatally shot in the Tuscaloosa hospital’s parking lot. Ada Doss, 27, died May 12 during an attempted robbery, according to Tuscaloosa police. “We are all grieving...
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‘Magical’ advice for Stillman graduates
Basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson passed along some magical advice to the graduating class at Stillman College during the school’s May 9 commencement ceremony. h “You have this big opportunity in front of you. It’s what you do with it that’s...
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UA campus sees $575M in construction
The University of Alabama has about 65 construction projects underway, totaling about $575 million, said Jennifer Sumners, campus development communication manager. The most immediately noticeable temporary change for most is right at the heart of...
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Mayor: Airport project will make city more competitive
Runway expansion and upgrades for Tuscaloosa National Airport’s Runway 4-22 will reach beyond convenience and safety, and stretch to greater potential for economic and air traffic growth, said Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox. The added 1,100 feet, with...
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Michael Baygents says police chief job ‘highest honor’ of his life
Baygents has been officially sworn in as the new police chief for the Tuscaloosa Police Department. Baygents was named chief of the Tuscaloosa Police Department on April 24, replacing Brent Blankley. Blankley stepped down in January 2025 to take a new...
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PATCHWORK OF MEMORY
No cheating now: Grab a paper map of Alabama and find Gee’s Bend. h Chances are, if you don’t already know where it is, you probably won’t find it. While the Wilcox County community off the Alabama River is tiny, gathered around a short loop road at...
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MAKING A SPLASH
Alabama’s summer story has always been written in the water. From quiet coves framed by pine forests to sprawling reservoirs built for adventure. Now, a new list from Southern Living is putting the spotlight back on the Yellowhammer State’s most...
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Tuscaloosa honors 99 top high school students
Ninety of the brightest students in Tuscaloosa city and county high schools earned recognition from the Tuscaloosa Education Foundation. The top 10 students from each high school in Tuscaloosa City Schools and the Tuscaloosa County School System...
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Fallen Tuscaloosa officers posthumously promoted
The Tuscaloosa Police Department on May 1 posthumously promoted two officers who died in the line of duty. Law enforcement officers, family members and more gathered at the Tuscaloosa Police Department headquarters to honor fallen officers Trevor...
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Tuscaloosa students get a new computer science lab
Tuscaloosa City Schools on April 29 showed off a new Computer Science Innovation Lab at the Tuscaloosa Career and Technology Academy, where administrators hope students will find doors into their futures. “This classroom represents more than new...
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UA’s class of 2026 graduates with notable achievements
Friends and family gathered May 2 in Tuscaloosa to celebrate spring graduation for the class of 2026. Around 6,865 students became University of Alabama graduates during commencement exercises at Coleman Coliseum on the UA campus. Nine...
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Greensboro Ave. construction will affect driving routes
Lane and road closures will be seen along Greensboro Avenue in downtown Tuscaloosa, on the two blocks between University Boulevard and Seventh Street, beginning May 4, with construction work continuing through spring and summer. The city of Tuscaloosa...
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DOWN TO A SCIENCE
Three brilliant University of Alabama students have won Goldwater Scholarships, recognizing their outstanding contributions in areas of science, engineering and mathematics. Katy Butler, 20, of Oakwood, Ohio; Colton Byrne, 20, of Rockford, Michigan;...
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FAIR MAP FAULT LINES
When word came down April 29 that the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled race can’t be a consideration when crafting voting districts, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall celebrated. “The Supreme Court has spoken,” said Marshall, a two-term incumbent...
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UA to award over 6K degrees this spring
The University of Alabama is set to award about 6,865 degrees during spring commencement exercises May 1-3 at Coleman Coliseum. According to UA, the spring class of 2026 includes 5282 undergraduates, 1423 master’s degree or education specialist...
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Newly expanded plant makes atomic clocks for global use
To grasp what the newly expanded Tuscaloosa Microchip Technology plant creates, you needn't study quantum physics, stimulated emission of radiation, or copper vacuum cylinders stuffed full of atoms seeking a lower energy state. Though it might...
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New free baby boutique opens in Tuscaloosa
A new baby boutique designed for families in need has opened, thanks to a partnership between the Junior League of Tuscaloosa and Tuscaloosa’s One Place. Members of two nonprofit groups gathered April 23 at TOP’s Family Resource Center, 810 27th Ave.,...
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TSO’s new season features ‘Home Alone’ in concert
The Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States’ Declaration of Independence, adopted July 4, 1776, with a 2026-27 season threading at least one American composer through each of seven concerts. And when in...
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UA professor’s tornado experience inspires safer building research
Shane Crawford was a student at the University of Alabama who was nearing graduation when tragedy struck in the form of an EF4 tornado on April 27, 2011. Crawford saw with his own eyes how devastating the tornadic winds were, and the experience changed...
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15 YEARS LATER
Cars were upended and buoldoncs were destroyed alonc 1Wtm Street and tme surroundonc neocmbormoods on Tuscaloosa on Aprol 27, 2011, aTter a stronc tornado moved tmroucm tme coty. In more prosperous times, The Tuscaloosa News spanned several counties:...
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CAKE CONCERT IN TUSCALOOSA
The Cake show kicking off the Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater’s 2026 concert season on April 25 was also its first announced. Los Angeles-based booking agent Danny Wimmer Presents released information about the Tuscaloosa concert back in mid-October,...
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‘More than the notes’
The University of Alabama’s Afro-American Gospel Choir is marking 55 years of ministry and serving God through song and dance. h The choir will celebrate its 55th anniversary with a free concert April 25. The concert will begin at 4 p.m. at Weeping...
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Magic Johnson to speak at Stillman College graduation
Earvin “Magic” Johnson, a basketball legend and billionaire businessman, will serve as the commencement speaker at Stillman College’s spring graduation ceremony in Tuscaloosa. Johnson, a 66-year-old native of East Lansing, Michigan, won an NCAA...
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Lake Lurleen State Park gets major upgrades
The Coker community on April 17 celebrated the opening of the new and improved Lake Lurleen State Park in Tuscaloosa County. Alabama State Park officials, city leaders and people in the community gathered at Lake Lurleen to cut the ribbon on the newly...
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High school graduation schedules are here
Graduation ceremonies for the class of 2026 have been scheduled at the nine public high schools in the Tuscaloosa County and city school systems, along with five private schools. Tuscaloosa City Schools will hold graduation for its three high schools...
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New playground opens in Samantha community
The Samantha community on April 15 celebrated the opening of a new playground. Members of Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority and people in the community gathered at Northside Park to cut the ribbon on the new playground, which is next to...
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GATHERING STEAM
Along-in-the-making expansion of wooden train trestles over Jack Warner Parkway as it turns into Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard gathered steam April 7, when the city of Tuscaloosa’s projects committee approved a $43,985,655.51 outlay. h That evening,...
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PLATE EXPECTATIONS
Think Alabama’s only sweet tea and barbecue? Think again. This state hides surprising, delicious restaurants in unexpected places. Southern Living writer Nicole Letts explored every corner of Alabama, dining at more than 80 restaurants for her debut...
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Tuscaloosa community garden celebrates 10 years
Jeremiah’s Community Garden in Tuscaloosa is celebrating 10 years of service. h The community garden will celebrate its 10th anniversary with an open house April 18. The free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Jeremiah’s Community Garden, 606...
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Morgan Wallen concert brings traffic changes
Morgan Wallen, one of the hottest country acts of this century, will hit Saban Field in Bryant-Denny Stadium on April 18, potentially raising an even bigger fuss than he did on a previous visit to Tuscaloosa, during shutdowns from the COVID-19...
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See the 2026 ‘Death by Chocolate’ winners
The 2026 winners have been declared in Death by Chocolate, a sweet competition between local bakers and chefs to find Tuscaloosa’s best chocolate dishes. Attendees were able to taste various chocolate delicacies from West Alabama restaurants and...
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Tuscaloosa summer camps offer fun for kids
As the end of the school year approaches, lots of parents will be searching for opportunities to keep their kids active this summer. Here are some summer day camps and programs happening around Tuscaloosa: The Alabama Blues Project will offer a...
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Tuscaloosa Schools teacher of the year finalists named
A librarian at Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools–Elementary is being recognized statewide for her commitment to education. Katy Busby has been named one of the top 16 finalists for Alabama Elementary Teacher of the Year. The announcement was made April 6...
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A fan’s guide to Alabama’s 2026 football season
Spring practice is over: University of Alabama football fans can now start planning for the fall. Here’s what you need to know about the Crimson Tide’s 2026 football season: Chants and chops For the first time since 1974, Florida State will visit...
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Southern Living shares its top Gulf Shores spots
Sand, sun and Gulf waters make Gulf Shores and Orange Beach ideal for a beach getaway. But what do you do after soaking up the sun or building sandcastles? From hidden local eats to scenic trails, quirky attractions and family-friendly fun, there’s...
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Tuscaloosa police open new logistics building
The Tuscaloosa Police Department celebrated the opening of a new $1.27 million logistics building, a facility that officials say will boost public safety. The city of Tuscaloosa on April 2 cut the ribbon on the new building, which features 7,600...
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‘A SIGNATURE EVENT’
The University of Alabama on April 3 recognized the achievements of outstanding students and faculty during the Tapping on the Mound ceremony, a UA tradition since the early 1900s. The event caps off Honors Week at UA. The ceremony was held at its...
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Setting a new standard of luxury
A heart. A brain. The nerve ... endings. Sten Ola Källenius, the Västervik, Sweden-born CEO and chairman of the board of management and CEO of the Mercedes-Benz Group, could well boast of his eclectic background of study and industry, but after a...
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‘I can always carry the spirit of Alabama with me’
Patricia Schrouth traveled all the way from San Mateo, California, to watch her daughter’s senior ring be ensconced in the Denny Chimes along with about 300 other rings on April 1 at the University of Alabama campus. For 24 hours, the rings soak up...
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K-9 retires after 30,000 hours with UA police
The University of Alabama Police Department is wishing happy trails to Boomer, its longtime K-9 officer. The department on April 1 celebrated Boomer’s retirement with a special ceremony that included a “final call,” a tennis ball salute and a custom...
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RESPONSIBILITY, OBLIGATION AND EXPECTATIONS
When Mercedes-Benz U.S. International hosts a rollout, that’s literally as well as figuratively. h At an all-morning celebration March 31 featuring some of the top executives from Mercedes, along with Alabama Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, and...
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15 North Alabama sunset spots you must visit
From rolling hills to riverfront vistas, North Alabama boasts some of the state’s most breathtaking sunsets. Whether you’re a local seeking a peaceful spot or a visitor chasing golden hour, Northalabama.org has gathered the best places to watch the...
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A berry big bash
The City of Tuscaloosa will host its first joint farmers market and Strawberry Festival this spring. The event will be held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. April 21 at the Tuscaloosa River Market. The festival will feature three Chilton County strawberry...
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Saban Center reaches construction milestone
The topping out of the $120 million, 118,000-square-foot Saban Center on March 30 brought out numerous and varied players with hands on and hearts in the project, showcasing the workforce strata reflective of the visible bones, the soaring walls and...
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Mayor: New pickleball courts increase city’s quality of life
Araceli Baker grew up playing pickleball during high school in her native Seattle back in the late 1970s when her high school tennis coach introduced pickleball as a means of training for tennis. She picked up the game of pickleball years later in...
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Indiana retirees build Tuscaloosa Habitat home
They wore orange, not the best color to wear in Tuscaloosa, but to man, they swore no allegiance to the Auburn Tigers or the Tennessee Volunteers. Just as well as the group, known as the Tiger Team, was in town to build a house, not cheer on a...
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Down Syndrome group celebrates World Down Syndrome Day
all started years ago at Mr. G’s restaurant in Northport, where Teri Terry used to take her son, Ian, and a few of his friends out for pizza every March 21, which is World Down Syndrome Day. March 21, 3-21, was chosen because Down syndrome, known...
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HISTORY IN EVERY STITCH
The Tuscaloosa Bicentennial Quilt, which was created in 2019 for Tuscaloosa’s 200th anniversary, is the centerpiece of a quilting exhibition at the Catherine and Pettus Randall Welcome Center at the University of Alabama. Yvonne Wells, the artist...
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WATCH YOUR SSSTEP
With temperatures on the rise and spring on the horizon, Alabamians are flocking to parks, trails and rivers for some fresh-air fun. But as the mercury climbs, so does the activity of one of the state’s most common venomous snakes: the...
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Jimmy Gracey was ‘was such a light in our chapter’
The University of Alabama’s Theta Chi fraternity mourned student James “Jimmy” Gracey, who died during a spring break trip in Barcelona, Spain. Theta Chi fraternity members, UA faculty, students and others gathered March 24 fora vigil held at the...
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Alabama Blues Project fundraiser for music education
The Alabama Blues Project’s primary fundraiser, the 16th Annual Evening of Art and Blues, is coming March 27 at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center from 5 p.m. until 7p.m. “Officially, blues music has been around since the 1930s, but there were...
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Alabama BBQ spot a must-try for rib lovers
In the South, barbecue isn’t just a meal, it’s a way of life. From smoky pits to tangy sauces, fans have strong opinions about what makes a plate truly unforgettable. Each year, Southern Living asks readers across the region to weigh in on their...
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Druid City Arts Festival returns to Tuscaloosa
The two-day Druid City Arts Festival, a free and family friendly event created by a University of Alabama student-led group, then transitioned to the city of Tuscaloosa, will hold its 17th version April 10-11 at Government Plaza. Hours will be 5-9...
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Warrior Met Coal volunteers build home for local family
Volunteers from Warrior Met Coal Inc. joined forces with Habitat for Humanity staff and volunteers to begin a new house March 9 on Milestone Circle in Tuscaloosa. The house, which will belong to Tayla Brown and will be occupied by Brown and her two...
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‘A GREAT HONOR’
Tuscaloosa City Schools Superintendent Mike Daria had planned to retire at the end of this school year, but a strong push by the TCS Board of Education persuaded him to stay on through December 2027. h Part of that push was a massive pay raise from...
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Troops deployed to Middle East region
Despite President Donald Trump’s promises of the war with Iran ending soon and broad domestic disapproval of further involvement, the United States is sending more troops to the region, a defense official said. The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit,...
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SHELLING OUT THE SMILES
It’s nearly time for Tuscaloosa area kids to grab an Easter basket and find some eggs. Easter falls on April 5 this year, and the Tuscaloosa area has several events where families can hunt for Easter eggs. Here’s a look at four egg hunts coming up...
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