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West Alabama firefighters recognized for their service

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West Alabama firefighters recognized for their service


TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) – You never know when an emergency might happen, and when it does, you hope someone is there who can make a difference in your life.

That’s why one group of first responders took time to recognize those people who really saved lives.

Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue celebrated those first responders who did their job with excellence when it came to helping others and saving lives.

Firefighters, their families, and elected leaders gathered at the Tuscaloosa River Market for the annual Firefighter of the Year Awards.

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Dozens of Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue personnel were recognized for exemplary teamwork during medical emergencies.

They received commendations from the department for their response to accidents, near drownings, and medical incidents.

Apparatus operator Will McReynolds was also honored as EMS Provider of the year and Lt. David Gill was named Firefighter of the year.

“They surprise you every day. They do things from helping people up off the ground to saving lives,” said Tuscaloosa Fire Chief Randy Smith. “Everybody has always said when you don’t know who to call you call the fire department. And we try to stand up and protect the community as best we can.”

Chief Smith started the Firefighter of the Year Awards started in 2018.

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It’s happened every year but one since then.

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Alabama

Goodman: Alabama’s big test is here, and the Tide is ready

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Goodman: Alabama’s big test is here, and the Tide is ready


This is an opinion column.

______________________

There are two key similarities between Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats and former Alabama football coach Nick Saban.

No.1, they both know how to dress, or at least understand that maintaining a classy image in public comes with the job and is a sign of respect for the people they represent.

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This might seem trivial to some, but those are probably just the guys who think it’s OK to wear flannel shirts with dress slacks, flip-flops away from the beach, workout attire away from the gym, sweatpants in public, tactical pants to church, saggy jeans anywhere, camo, team jerseys outside of stadiums, tucked in T-shirts and square-toed shoes or boots.

Everyone else appreciates the fact that Oats isn’t the best dressed coach in college basketball by accident and that Saban (or at least Miss Terry) has impeccable fashion sense.

Secondly — and this might be a little more important — Oats is like Saban in that he never wavers from the coaching ethos that winning is all that matters.

Too cutthroat? Maybe for some, but that’s one of the things that makes Oats good at his job.

Oats hasn’t turned Alabama basketball into a national contender by handing out participation trophies, which is why sitting point guard Mark Sears against LSU didn’t come as much of a surprise.

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The broadcasters calling the game for ESPN made a big deal about Sears being on the bench, but it’s not the first time that Oats has kept Sears out of the rotation this season and it might not be the last either.

Maybe Oats was trying to send a message by putting his best offensive player on the bench, or maybe Alabama’s coach just wanted more length on defense for the second half. Either way, it was the right call. Alabama won and Oats even noted afterwards that it was some of the best defense Alabama had played all season to end a game.

Sears was back in the lineup on Wednesday against Mississippi State and led Alabama with 17 points, six rebounds and nine assists. Once again, though, Oats made the correct decision late in the game when he subbed out Mark Sears and Aden Holloway in favor of taller players.

If only the football coach at Alabama knew how to manage his team so effectively.

No.4 Alabama basketball (18-3, 7-1 in the SEC) returns to action on Saturday with a home game against Georgia. The Tide is one of the deepest teams in the country, and Oats is going to need it to finish out this season. The remaining schedule is like nothing I’ve ever seen. Ten games remain and Alabama’s final seven opponents are all currently ranked in the AP Top 25.

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Alabama could make it all the way to the championship game of the NCAA Tournament and have an easier road.

No one has it easy in the SEC, of course. The league has never been better. Some are calling it the best conference in college basketball history. Maybe so. No.1 Auburn (19-1, 7-0) plays eight ranked opponents across its final 11 games. Tennessee, which has lost three of its last four games, is grinding through a stretch of nine ranked teams in its first 10 conference games.

Coach John Calipari left Kentucky for Arkansas this season, but the Hogs are only 1-6 in the SEC.

Lamont Paris won SEC Coach of the Year in 2024, but his South Carolina Gamecocks are 0-8 to begin conference play this season.

The toughest football conference in the country is now the best basketball conference, too. The SEC’s greatest February of hoops begins on Saturday, but that’s just a build up for the big finish.

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With Auburn and Alabama one and two in the SEC standings, it looks like league bragging rights and the regular-season title will go through the Heart of Dixie. Alabama and Auburn play twice over the final three weeks of the season. It will be a test of mental toughness like this league has never seen.

In benching Sears, Oats made sure that his point guard would be ready for the fight. And if Sears needs a rest, well, Alabama’s cutthroat, win-first coach planned ahead by taking Auburn’s old point guard and making him better.

BE HEARD

Got a question for Joe? Want to get something off your chest? Send Joe an email about what’s on your mind. Let your voice be heard. Ask him anything.

Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of the book “We Want Bama: A Season of Hope and the Making of Nick Saban’s Ultimate Team.”

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Crimson Tide football star Ryan Williams wants to be ‘on the bench’ for Alabama basketball

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Crimson Tide football star Ryan Williams wants to be ‘on the bench’ for Alabama basketball


Alabama basketball could have a new face on the sidelines.

On the latest episode of the ‘New Wave’ podcast, Crimson Tide football star Ryan Williams said he told coach Nate Oats, “I’m gonna be standing on the bench, ya feel me?”

The joke, capped with a rhythmic clap and “de-fense” cheer, prompted a laugh from co-host Jaylen Mbakwe and Alabama hoops players and guests of the week Aden Holloway and Labaron Philon.

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“I’m there,” Williams said.

The wide receiver phenom has only one request.

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“Just give me the sweatsuit so I look like I’m on the team,” Williams said. “They gonna be like, ‘Is that Ryan?’ I’m gonna be like, ‘It ain’t even me.’ “

Ryan Williams might be incognito for his next Alabama basketball game appearance

Philon thought back to the season opener against UNC-Asheville when Williams’ attendance made waves on social media.

“You couldn’t even watch the game,” Philon said. “Them people, they was way over there and came all the way down to where you were just to take a picture. I saw it with my own two eyes.”

Williams said he was “just trying to talk to my guys. Let them boys eat.”

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Instead, it was another night when having to accommodate his celebrity with the media got in the way of an attempt at just trying to be a college student.

“They on the opposite side of the arena and they done tracked me down,” Williams said. “Can’t even watch the game.”

Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.



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7 Things: Loud federal employees still mad at a buyout offer; Alabama schools worried about immigration raids; and more … – Yellowhammer News

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7 Things: Loud federal employees still mad at a buyout offer; Alabama schools worried about immigration raids; and more … – Yellowhammer News


7. Costco is bucking the trend of companies dumping Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and 18 other attorneys general have sent a letter to Costco demanding the company abandon its DEI policies, calling them unlawful and detrimental to the American ideal of individualism. The letter argues that DEI initiatives promote discrimination rather than equality, citing Supreme Court precedent and aligning with President Trump’s executive order against such policies. Costco, which has remained committed to DEI despite other corporations scaling back, has been given 30 days to repeal its policies or explain its stance.

6. President Donald Trump has signed his first piece of legislation, the Laken Riley Act sponsored by Alabama U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) which requires ICE to detain undocumented immigrants guilty of theft, burglary, or violent crimes, while also granting states the ability to take legal action against federal officials who neglect immigration enforcement. The law, named after a Georgia woman murdered by an undocumented immigrant, was praised as a bipartisan effort to enhance public safety and prevent future tragedies. Additionally, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed that the Biden administration’s previous migrant policies are being reversed, with Guantanamo Bay set to house up to 30,000 criminal migrants temporarily as they await repatriation

5. The wokeness of the U.S. military is undoubtedly under attack and U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks) hailed President Trump’s executive actions eliminating DEI programs and restricting service for individuals with gender dysphoria, stating that these changes will refocus the military on national defense. Trump’s orders emphasize merit-based advancement, troop cohesion, and eliminating policies seen as politically motivated distractions. Rogers and other Alabama Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise), argue that these moves restore the military’s “true mission” of readiness, lethality, and national security.

4. While gambling is expected to be an issues this legislative session, the Alabama Policy Institute is pushing back with their bettinghurtsbama.com website, where they argue against gambling expansion in Alabama, citing risks to free markets, government overreach, and family well-being. API argues that legalizing gambling would lead to increased government control, addiction-related social issues, and economic favoritism through selective licensing of operators. The website provides research, data, and testimonials to illustrate gambling’s negative impacts, with ongoing updates to inform the public and policymakers.

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3. The Left’s domination of public schools and radical gender/sex/race curriculum is the target of multiple of President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting curricula which indoctrinates students with “anti-American” ideology. His orders direct the Department of Education to provide guidance on how states can use federal funds for alternatives like private and religious schools, as well as allow military and Native American families more flexibility in school selection. Missing the point, as always, the critics argue that these moves threaten public education, limit historical discourse on race, and could redirect up to $40 billion in federal grants toward conservative education priorities, the last point is the only accurate point they are making.

2. Immigration enforcement is real and it is happening in Alabama with Gov. Kay Ivey’s full support. ICE agents reportedly made arrests across the state, and the media is scaremongering by saying they are doing this “without warrants,” which are not required. Because disinformation has made schools something people believe are off-limits, State Superintendent Eric Mackey reassured schools that no enforcement actions have occurred on campuses and urged educators to maintain normal operations while verifying law enforcement identities. Although some Alabama teachers have encouraged undocumented families to keep children home, for which they should be fired for spreading fear, Mackey stressed the importance of attendance, warning that fear-driven absences could negatively impact students’ education.

1. The Trump administration has sent an email to 3 million federal employees, encouraging them to take a “deferred resignation” or risk layoffs, a move critics say echoes Elon Musk’s past corporate strategies and is legally dubious, but these same entities defended President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates under the premise that he is the chief executive, a fight they won and then lost after it was relevant and executed. The offer excludes postal workers, military personnel, and immigration/national security positions, but unions and advocates warn that it threatens government stability and essential services. While some fear losing pensions and job security, others say the email has strengthened their resolve to stay, with lawmakers like Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) cautioning workers not to trust Trump’s severance promises.

Listen here:

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN and from 10-11 a.m. on Talk 99.5 and News Radio 1440, with a rebroadcast on WVNN at 10 p.m.

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