Listen to the podcast below for a weather chat with reporter Leigh Morgan. The newsletter follows.

A long-long-term housing development

Some housing developments are more involved than others. The one that’s coming to Interstates 65 and 565 is an ambitious one.

AL.com’s William Thornton reports that a planned development between Huntsville and Decatur near Mooresville covers 411 acres, will cost $2.2 billion, result in 3,500 homes and could take three decades to complete. (Think the market might go up and down during that time?)

1818 Farms Co-owner Laurence McCrary and his sister, Margaret Anne Crumlish, are selling the property to the developers in a land-partnership model that will make the project a slow build. McCrary said it’s not something they went after, but since growth is coming anyway, “We think a well thought out, predominantly residential development is the best way to do it. Not something quick, fast and cheap, and the key was finding like-minded developers.”

The developers are Rochford Realty & Construction of Nashville and Land Innovations of Brentwood, Tenn.

If you’re interested in seeing what the concept might look like, it was modeled on the Stephens Valley planned community near Nashville. Swing by on your next trip to the Opry.

RIP Hootie Ingram

Former college football player, coach and athletics director Hootie Ingram has passed away, reports AL.com’s Creg Stephenson.

Cecil “Hootie” Ingram was born in Tuscaloosa, he was living there when he died, and he’ll be buried there Saturday at Calvary Baptist Church.

He played football and baseball at the University of Alabama in the 1950s and was an ALL-SEC defensive back as a sophomore. He played a year in the NFL and then coached high school and college ball, culminating in three seasons as Clemson’s head coach from 1970-72.

According to Clemson University, it was Ingram who pushed for a logo design that resulted in that Tiger Paw print.

After that he was an associate commissioner for the SEC, then was athletics director at Florida State as the Seminoles rose to national prominence in the 80s and at Alabama in time to hire Gene Stallings as head football coach.

He resigned from Alabama when it was placed on NCAA probation in 1995.

Hootie Ingram was 90 years old.

Court setback for the AG

A federal judge denied Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit claiming he can’t prosecute people who facilitate Alabamians seeking abortions in other states, reports AL.com’s Howard Koplowitz.

The lawsuit was filed by abortion-rights groups and alleges that Marshall violated free-speech rights when he made a statement claiming anyone who helps women travel to and obtain abortions in states where it’s legal can be charged with conspiracy.

U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson would not throw out the case. He wrote that Marshall’s claims on the right to travel defy “history, precedent and common sense.”

“Such a constrained conception of the right to travel would erode the privileges of national citizenship and is inconsistent with the Constitution.”

By the Numbers

That’s how long it took for the MLB at Rickwood Field game (Cardinals-Giants, June 20) to sell out on Monday. More than 5,000 available tickets went on sale for Alabama residents who had pre-registered and were selected in a lottery. They could buy one or two tickets with prices starting at $275 per ticket. Secondary markets had tickets priced from around $600 to more than $1,500.

More Alabama News

Quiz results

Here are the answers and how we did, cumulatively, on this week’s Down in Alabama news quiz:

Demonstrators at the University of Alabama, calling for the school to cut ties to a defensive contractor because of the Israel-Hamas war, and counter-protestors at times both voiced disapproval of this person:

• Joe Biden (CORRECT) 64.3%
• Benjamin Netanyahu 30.4%
• Donald Trump 4.1%
• Sean “Diddy” Combs 1.2%

According to the most recent CDC data, this city has the highest STD rate in the state:

• Montgomery (CORRECT) 59.6%
• Mobile 20.8%
• Birmingham 18.4%
• Smuteye 1.2%

Which of these cities has NOT had its police chief be suspended, resign or get fired this year?

• Madison (CORRECT) 74.9%
• Selma 12.0%
• Montgomery 7.6%
• Mobile 5.6%

Birmingham Police’s effort to curb street racing and illegal exhibition driving has been dubbed what?

• Operation Knight Rider (CORRECT) 61.4%
• Operation Fast and Furious 28.9%
• Operation Hazzard 9.1%
• Operation Leave it to Beaver 0.6%

What grabbed attention when it landed next to the track at the Children’s of Alabama IndyCar Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park?

• A mannequin (CORRECT) 72.2%
• A sandhill crane 15.5%
• An Alexander Shunnarah billboard 7.6%
• A spy balloon 4.7%

The podcast

Weather reporter Leigh Morgan joins us to talk about storms, heat and the coming hurricane season.

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

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Montgomery’s Heart of Alabama Food Bank serves those in need across 35 counties, and leaders say they are about to see an increase in demand.

“We have thousands of children who will leave school during the summertime who normally very much depend on the breakfast and lunch that they get at school,” Heart of Alabama Food Bank CEO Michael Coleman said.

Some schools in the area have summer feeding programs, but transportation can cause an issue for many kids in need.

“Only 6% of the population that it’s intended for are reached by the summer feeding programs,” said Coleman. “So they’re going to naturally revert back to what are the other sources, and that’s when they go back to the food pantries, and then ultimately to us who is sourcing all the food for the food pantries.”

Inflation is also sending many families to food pantries for the first time. Coleman says there’s no shame in asking for help.

“We don’t necessarily care why they’re there. We just know that people are coming. They’re in need,” Coleman said.

For those that want to help, the food bank accepts food donations but prefers monetary donations. You can donate through its website.

WSFA 12 News is also taking action this summer by partnering with the Heart of Alabama Food Bank for our Summer Fund and Food Drive on June 7. All monetary and food donations will benefit the food bank.

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