The Tuscaloosa News
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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Step back in time at this restaurant
When it comes to classic dining in central Alabama, you can't get much more "old school" than Mossy Grove Schoolhouse Restaurant in Troy, Alabama. "This is kind of like a travel back in time," said owner Katie Romero. History flows around the...
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Trevathan’s big break
When Kaden Trevathan walked out of his American Idol audition in Nashville, Tennessee, he kept the golden ticket hidden. The Northridge High School senior stepped into the hallway with his guitar slung over his shoulder, family and friends waiting to...
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Bowling alley rebrands in Tuscaloosa, Auburn
Bowlero bowling alley in Tuscaloosa has rebranded and is now operating under a new name. The bowling alley at 2001 McFarland Blvd E., is now known as Lucky Strike. The bowling alley closed temporarily for renovations and officially reopened in...
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Handcrafted western boots store opening March 27 in Tuscaloosa
Cavender’s Boot City, a line of stores best known for its handcrafted western boots, will open soon in Tuscaloosa. The 11,200-square-foot store is set to open its doors March 27 in the former home of Party City, across from Barnes and Noble...
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Tuscaloosa principal named state’s best
Tuscaloosa Magnet Elementary Principal Preeti Nichani thought something was fishy March 18 when Superintendent Mike Daria called her away from a Leadership Tuscaloosa event to return to the school. Nichani’s suspicions grew when she drove into the...
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UA Miracle sets new fundraising record
University of Alabama students raised a record $394,178 for Children’s of Alabama hospital in Birmingham. UA Miracle, the University of Alabama’s largest student-led philanthropic organization, hosted a number of events throughout the year, such as...
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Cap and gown season gets closer
Cap and gown season is getting closer in Tuscaloosa as thousands of students prepare for their commencement exercises. Here’s what you need to know college graduations: University of Alabama The University of Alabama will hold spring commencement...
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Selma Jubilee marches on despite weekend violence
On March 8 inside the partially remodeled Brown Chapel AME Church, there was discussion of the role the church played in helping protesters on their march for voting rights, of today’s political climate, and on the recent loss of great activists like...
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Central High senior joins Tuskegee aviation program
Central High School senior Parker Evans is set to soar to new heights when he joins a prestigious program at Tuskegee University. Evans, 18, has been selected for the fall 2026 class of the Tuskegee University Aviation Science Program, one of the...
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‘We have to know our history’
SELMA − Jarquin Ross, 11, walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma for the first time on Friday. “We’re here because Dr. Martin Luther King worked to give me the right to vote,” said the J. Hobbs Elementary School student. The school is in the...
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VISION COMES TO LIFE
Progress continues on the construction of the $120 million Saban Center in Tuscaloosa. The STEM- and arts-focused education hub is expected to open in mid-2027 on the former site of The Tuscaloosa News building. The Saban Center will be home to...
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A rite of remembrance
Roughly 61 years after the late Rep. John Lewis led a group of protestors across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma in what would later become infamously known as Bloody Sunday, a few dozen people gathered around Montgomery’s Civil Rights Memorial...
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‘Safety affects everything’
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall entered Northside High School’s library to a surprise. The Blue Machine marching band played as Marshall walked through a gauntlet of cheerleaders, all waving pompoms. Marshall was at the school Feb. 26 to...
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Martin Fisher steps into new role
“Nerd wearing a dinosaur tie” might sound redundant, but in case visitors overlooked his Triassic-Jurassic-Cretaceous neckwear on first glance, Martin S. Fisher, newly named Ignite executive director, underlined the sartorial flair from the River...
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A coffee shop visit changed author Allen Levi’s life
Allen Levi, the author of “Theo of Golden,” never intended to become a best-selling writer. Levi was a lawyer, a musician, a probate judge and was looking for a new pursuit in life when a visit to his favorite coffee shop changed his perspective and...
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Northridge student plays Carnegie Hall
A Northridge High School student has made school history by performing in a prestigious ensemble at Carnegie Hall. Maxwell Morgan, a sophomore at Northridge High School who plays the trumpet, was one of only 87 students selected worldwide to perform...
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Stillman opens tuition-free charter school on its campus
Stillman College has opened a new charter school offering K–12 students tuition-free education on its west Tuscaloosa campus. Stillman faculty, staff, community members and others gathered Feb. 23 on the Stillman College campus to celebrate the...
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‘It was the place to be’
As Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. poured in 49 points in a 117-115 double-overtime loss to Alabama basketball on Feb. 19, it felt like the kind of night that bends a building’s memory. h Forty-nine should be historic, but in Coleman Coliseum, it’s not...
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HISTORY ON A ROLL
It’s a Tuesday afternoon, and a man in a sharp gray suit and a red, patterned tie heaves open the door to 138 Dexter Ave. in downtown Montgomery. He slides against the wall behind the blue barstools, a string of “sorry” and “excuse me” falling from his...
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BACK FOR A BAKER’S DOZEN OF FUN
It’s time to eat the doughnuts. h After taking a break in 2025, the Tuscaloosa Krispy Kreme Challenge returns Feb. 28 for the 13th time in the Druid City. h According to the organizers’ website, the competition will be held at Government Plaza, 618...
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Mom opens preschool for special needs children
A new preschool designed to support children with special needs has opened in Northport. Archway Academy, an inclusive preschool for children, including those with autism and other special needs, opened its doors in January. The school, at 1302 Main...
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Ignite names its first executive director
Ignite, formerly the Children’s Hands-On Museum, has named Martin S. Fisher its first executive director, under its new name and direction. Chosen from a pool of applicants, Fisher has worked for decades in science centers and museums, including...
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CAPITOL UPGRADE
The new Alabama State House will be ready for use by the end of the year, officials managing the project have confirmed. The project has been in progress for some time, with serious inquiries into the project becoming tangible beginning around 2023....
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UA nursing program enrollment to double
The University of Alabama plans to double enrollment in its nursing program to address a statewide shortage of nurses. Alabama faces one of the most severe nursing shortages in the nation, experts say. According to the Alabama Board of Nursing, about...
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BUILDING CHANGE
Andrew Blake grew up watching hurricanes and earthquakes destroy the lives of people in his native Jamaica. Little could be done to thwart the forces of nature, but the problems nature created never left his mind. Blake, now a build site supervisor for...
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HIDDEN GEM
One of Pike Road’s treasures is also a hidden gem in the area’s food scene — a restaurant with a full menu, daily specials and amazing burgers, set in a Cecil community landmark. “I’m coming up on our four-year anniversary (April 15),” said Grib...
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The tide of doubt
In a Feb. 17 meeting sometimes punctuated by sighs, disbelieving laughter, and the kind of edged “Are you listening?” applause that’s plagued Northport government in recent years, University Beach developer Kent Donahue answered roughly 90 minutes of...
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Spiciest competition crowns champions
More than 30 teams put their chilimaking skills to the ultimate test during the Exchange Club‘s 18th annual Great Tuscaloosa Chili Cookoff. The event, held Feb. 14 at the Paul W. Bryant Conference Center on the University of Alabama campus, allowed...
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Northport Bunny Trail returns with new host, free events
The downtown Northport Bunny Trail will return this spring under the Junior League of Tuscaloosa. In 2023, the Junior League of Tuscaloosa was announced as the new hosting organization for the Northport Bunny Trail. Previously, the event was hosted by...
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Bill could boost health care access, Alabama PAs say
A bill that has already passed in the Alabama House of Representatives has the potential to bring better access to health care in the state, advocates say. H.B. 156 aims to make Alabama part of the PA Licensure Compact, an interstate occupational...
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City of Tuscaloosa drops online sales tax lawsuit
The city of Tuscaloosa has dropped a lawsuit designed to address a shortcoming of an estimated $15 million annually, in favor of working with the Alabama Legislature to correct what the city sees as inequitable distribution of online tax...
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‘Best of the best’
Abriyah White, a homeschooled 10th grader who is a member of the Jaycee Park Boys and Girls Club in Tuscaloosa County, was named the Youth of the Year for 2026. h Abriyah, who was a finalist for the award last year, said that one of the things the Boys...
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Records from Brown shooting released
PROVIDENCE, RI –The Rhode Island city of Providence and its police department have released a significant number of public records relating to the Dec. 13 mass shooting at Brown University that killed two students, Ella Cook and MukhammadAziz...
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FROM CART TO HEART
One might think the color of Valentine’s Day is red and the flavor is chocolate, but for Tuscaloosa area businesses, it’s a very green day. Florists and chocolatiers see dramatic increases in business in the days leading up to America’s official...
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Stillman College parade marks homecoming week festivities
Stillman College celebrated homecoming with a parade Feb. 7 down Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Tuscaloosa. The parade capped a full week of activities as Stillman College welcomed alumni back to campus. In addition to the parade, Stillman hosted...
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A look at Tuscaloosa’s historically Black colleges
Alabama has at least 14 historically Black colleges and universities, the most of any state in the country. Two of those HBCUs call Tuscaloosa home. Here’s a look at Stillman College and Shelton State’s C. A. Fredd campus:: Shelton State C. A. Fredd...
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CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HONORS JONATHAN KOH
Jonathan Koh, president of Shelton State Community College, has earned the highest honor bestowed by the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama to an individual member. Koh on Feb. 5 was named the 2025 Charles H. Land Member of the Year during the 125th...
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Alabamans audition for ‘American Idol’ season 24
Kiera Howell of Geneva, Alabama, has been a singer since she could speak. When she turned 16, Howell decided to put her voice and confidence to the test. She must be doing something right because the nation will get to watch her audition for season 24...
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HISTORIC RENOVATION
On Jan. 25, a Sunday, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church reopened after extensive renovations to the historic building. h “It was the anniversary of the dedication, 180 years to the exact date. January 25th of 1846, the church was dedicated to the...
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MAGA vs. Bad Bunny splits Super Bowl
Sen. Tommy Tuberville was thrilled to attend the Super Bowl in 2025 when he hitched a ride on Air Force One, joining President Donald Trump and several other Republican lawmakers for the big game. “Happy Super Bowl Sunday,” the Republican senator for...
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Garden & Gun names this bookstore the best in the state
In an era when independent bookstores often struggle to stay afloat, one small shop in Alabama has found success by ignoring nearly every convention of modern bookselling. This shop was recently named one of Alabama’s most unusual and best bookstores...
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Princess Ball aims to bolster father-daughter bonds
An annual dance filled with Disney princesses and father-daughter bonding will return to Tuscaloosa. The Princess Ball, organized by Tee Anderson of Tuscaloosa and his event planning company, JustTee, will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 21 at the...
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Sticking to your resolutions
Did you make a New Year’s resolution to get in shape in 2026? Then you’re in luck: Tuscaloosa has several events this spring that encourage participants to get some exercise while helping a worthy cause. Here’s a rundown of four events that will help...
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Children’s theater has grown prior to move
The $120 million Saban Center has numerous donors and supporters, from the state and University of Alabama to the Poarch Creek Indians, from CocaCola, Alabama Power and of course Nick’s Kids foundations, from the city of Tuscaloosa to Mercedes-Benz,...
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Stillman College kicks off spring semester with convocation
Stillman College students received a message of hope, courage and liberation during a convocation ceremony Jan. 29 at the Tuscaloosa campus. Jamal Watson, an award-winning journalist and author, delivered the convocation’s keynote speech. “I am...
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TAKE A BITE FOR A CAUSE
Are you hungry, Tuscaloosa? Food takes top billing at five upcoming events in the Tuscaloosa. The best part is attendees at these events can enjoy delicious dishes while helping out with worthy causes. Here’s what you need to know: Great Tuscaloosa...
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Is it legal to drive with headphones on in AL?
Many drivers love blasting music or podcasts on the road, but can you listen to them while driving with headphones? Across the U.S., states differ on whether drivers can use headphones. While some ban them entirely, others permit one earbud. What does...
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Countdown to spring break
Thousands of students and their teachers will enjoy a weeklong vacation from school during spring break in Tuscaloosa. This year, spring break falls on March 16-20 for schools in the Tuscaloosa area. No classes will be held, and schools will be closed...
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Children’s Hands-On Museum building for sale
As the Children’s Hands-On Museum celebrates four decades serving Tuscaloosa, the University Boulevard building it’s been housed in for 38 of those years has gone on the market. CHOM will close those doors Aug. 1 as it prepares to move, and rebrand as...
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‘Thank you, Claudette Colvin’
Claudette Colvin was remembered at her funeral Saturday as a hero in life, and not just for her stance against Montgomery’s segregation rules from the mid-1950s when she was just a teenager. h Colvin died Jan. 13, and for those she left behind the...
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Cicis in Northport to reopen after temporary closure
Cicis Pizza, a buffet-style pizza restaurant, will reopen its Northport location after temporarily closing its doors in 2025. The restaurant at 929 McFarland Blvd. closed in June 2025, but the site is expected to reopen for business “soon,” according...
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