Aug 12, 2024

Welcome back, friends and neighbors. Hope your weekend was good to you. Thanks for reading,

Ike Morgan

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An over-pressured railcar caused an explosion at the Evonik chemical plant in Theodore, according to the company, reports AL.com's Leada Gore.

The explosion could be heard in the area around 2 p.m., and WKRG had footage that showed a large plume of smoke visible across Mobile Bay.

The railcar contained hydrogen peroxide. No fake blondes or serious injuries were reported.

Evonik said it's cooperating with local authorities and that investigating the incident is a top priority. The Germany-based company employs approximately 750 people at its Theodore plant. Two years ago it announced a $176.5 million expansion that is supposed to be finished this year.

Bill Bussey -- the "Bubba" in "The Rick & Bubba Show" -- will go to work for the Jacksonville State athletics department, reports AL.com's Creg Stephenson.

Early this year Bussey and Rick Burgess announced on their longtime syndicated radio show will end its run in December. Rick & Bubba has been on the air since 1994. Both hosts are JSU alumni.

Bussey's next job will be the university's assistant athletics director for broadcasting.

If you're keeping score, that's two big Alabama radio guys Jacksonville State has hired this year. Former radio voice of the Alabama Crimson Tide Eli Gold will call some home football games and baseball games for ESPN+.

The other half of Rick & Bubba, Burgess will host a solo show beginning next year.

Two of my favorite things in the world are being on a boat and having somebody fix me supper. One would think I would be a sea-cruise regular.

But here's the problem with a cruise ship: I can't always predict when I'm going to suddenly want to be home, but when it strikes you can bet that within a few hours I'll be in my recliner watching Rockford Files re-runs.

But when you're on a cruise ship, you can't just up and go home.

I said all that to say this: Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are living my nightmare because they took an 8-day trip to the International Space Station and might end up spending eight months there before it's all over, reports The Associated Press.

The issue here is concern regarding Boeing's Starliner capsule. During the approach to the space station, Multiple propulsion-related leaks occurred and five thrusters malfunctioned.

Ultimately, they docked safely, and 27 out of 28 thrusters seem OK. NASA is testing from the ground, Boeing is confident in Starliner, and the astronauts are pros with a lot of work they can do up there.

A decision will be made in the coming days on whether to bring them back in Starliner or have them catch a ride on a SpaceX flight that's going up next month -- but won't be returning to Earth until February.

Here are the results and how we did on Friday's news-review quiz:

Local officials recently signed off on the deal that will bring Amtrak service back to this route:

New Orleans to Mobile (CORRECT) 84.4%

Birmingham to Mobile 14.6%

Jacksonville to Mobile 1.0%

Talladega to Sylacauga 0.0%

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is closing the Washington County Public Lake to rid it of this invasive species:

Giant salvinia (CORRECT) 83.9%

Cogon grass 15.1%

Burmese python 1.0%

Dollar General stores 0.0%

The Biden Administration announced recently it had distributed payouts to this group it said had faced discriminatory loan practices:

Minority farmers (CORRECT) 87.9%

Minority teachers 7.5%

Women shrimp-boat captains 4.5%

TV weathermen 0.0%

The Dead Zone is an area that has extremely low levels of oxygen, caused largely by nutrients coming out of the Mississippi River. Although it's centered off the Louisiana coast it does affect oxygen levels and sea life in Alabama waters. Researchers recently determined that this summer the Dead Zone is roughly the size of what?

New Jersey (CORRECT) 59.8%

Texas 26.1%

Cuba 13.6%

The circumference of Dothan's Ross Clark Circle 0.5%

Huntsville native Jimmy Wales had a birthday this week, turning 58 years old. He's best known for his role founding what company?

Wikipedia (CORRECT) 54.3%

Atari 17.6%

Netflix 15.6%

eBay 12.6%

8-13

That's NOAA's predicted range for the number of hurricanes during the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. The agency updated its forecasts recently and still called for an active season.

In 1950, basketball hall of famer George McGinnis of Harpersville.

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