Good Thursday morning to one and all — and Roll Tide to softball fans….
Weather: We’ve settled into a warm, dry pattern for the next few days, with highs in the middle to upper 80s and nighttime lows in the middle 60s. This continues all the way to Sunday, when another storm system moves in.
Traffic: Normal traffic issues in the Corridor X construction zone on I-65. The paving project that has closed I-20/59 in Bessemer continues; the detour is south on I-65 through downtown, then west on I-459.
Sumiton toddler killed. A 3-year-old boy died in Sumiton Tuesday afternoon of an apparent gunshot wound, according to the Daily Mountain Eagle in Jasper. Landon Kyle Walker was found dead after shots from a pistol were reported at a house. Sumiton police are still investigating; no charges have been filed.
Sports: Tide rolls to softball championship. The game started three hours late because of rain, and was delayed briefly because of more rain. But the rain actually hurt Oklahoma pitcher Keilani Ricketts and helped Alabama, which scored four runs in the fourth inning on their way to a 5-4 victory in the deciding game of the NCAA Women’s College World Series. The Tide, whose roster includes Mortimer Jordan grad Danae Hays (the starting second baseman), won their first ever national softball title. It’s the fourth NCAA championship of the school year for Bama, to go with football, women’s gymnastics and women’s golf. They also were national runner-up in men’s golf…. Basketball: Just across town from the Women’s World Series, the Oklahoma City Thunder came back from an 18-point deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 107-99 to clinch the NBA Western Conference Finals, four games to two. They’ll play the winner of the Boston-Miama series in the NBA Finals…. Hockey: The New Jersey Devils avoided a sweep in the Stanley Cup Finals by beating the Los Angeles Kings 3-1. Adam Henrique scored the tie-breaking goal with 4:29 left; Ilya Kovalchuk added an empty-net goal late. Martin Brodeur had 21 saves…. Golf: The Regions Tradition, one of the major tournaments on the PGA Champions Tour, gets underway today at Shoal Creek. Admission is $20; parking is at the intersection of U.S. 280 and Ala. 119, with shuttles to the course.
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