Greyhound Bus Lines provides passenger bus service to Tuscaloosa. Neither the mayor nor the members of the city council is term-limited. Walt Maddox, Mayor of Tuscaloosa said he was running for Governor, “to build a brighter future for Alabama and make Alabama a better state for everyone.” He highlighted his record of rebuilding Tuscaloosa after the April 2011 tornadoes and making it the ninth fastest growing city in America. Emerging in the early first millennium of the common era were the people of the Mississippian culture. He was 94. Following Congressional passage of the Indian Removal Act, in 1832 the Creek National Council signed the Treaty of Cusseta, ceding their remaining lands east of the Mississippi to the U.S., and accepting relocation to the Indian Territory. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. City leaders adopted the moniker "The City of Champions" after the Alabama Crimson Tide football team won the BCS National Championship in their 2009, 2011, and again in their 2012 seasons. TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WIAT) — Walt Maddox has won a fifth term as mayor of Tuscaloosa, defeating University of Alabama professor Serena Fortenberry and former UA running back Martin Houston. The Board appoints a Superintendent to lead the school system. The airport also supports private jetcraft and commercial charter flights, but passengers of regularly scheduled commercial aircraft from Tuscaloosa embark at either the convenient and well equipped Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, located 53 miles (85 km) away on the east side of downtown Birmingham, or the much larger and busier Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, located 210 miles (340 km) away in Atlanta, Georgia. Most water within the city limits is in Lake Tuscaloosa, which is entirely in the city limits, and the Black Warrior River. Additionally, the Bama Theatre has recently been serving as a concert venue, hosting recent performances by Joan Baez, Aimee Mann, the Drive-By Truckers, Umphrey's Mcgee, Ryan Adams, Chuck Leavell and many other performing artists. KCS previously provided service to the area before leasing its lines to Watco in July 2005.[97]. [74][75], Tuscaloosa was ranked in the November 2009 issue of Fortune Small Business as one of the "50 Best Places to Launch a Small Business" (ranked #11 among metro areas with populations of 250,000 or less).[76]. [20][21] The State House was built at the corner of 6th Street and 28th Avenue (now the site of Capitol Park). Because the City of Tuscaloosa does not have a civic center, the demand for events grew rapidly and the Coliseum doubled its capacity in the 1970s. As the Jan. 26 application deadline approaches, three candidates seek election for Tuscaloosa’s next mayor: Martin Houston, pastor and former UA football player; Serena Fortenberry, UA professor and community activist; and Walt Maddox, Tuscaloosa’s mayor since 2005. “And I have to communicate more effectively about what we are doing, and even more importantly the why behind it. Incorporated as a town on December 13, 1819, it was named after Tuskaloosa, the chief of a band of Muskogean-speaking people. The Tuscaloosa County Parks and Recreation Authority, known by the acronym PARA, is a county agency that receives a large amount of its funding from the city, and operates several parks and activity centers within the city. She was active in civil rights for a time, but withdrew later that year. The Tide won the College Football Playoff in the 2015, 2017, and 2020 seasons. World renowned putter company, T.P. These teams play in athletics facilities on the university campus, including Bryant–Denny Stadium (capacity of 102,000+), Coleman Coliseum (formerly Memorial Coliseum), Sewell-Thomas Stadium, Rhoads Stadium, Foster Auditorium and the Ol' Colony Golf Complex. The coliseum has hosted a diversity of events including commencement exercises, a visit by President Ronald Reagan, alumni gatherings, student convocations, concerts, operas, ballets, appearances by political figures, WCW Saturday Night, etc. On the state level, the city is split among the 5th, 21st, and 24th Senate districts and 62nd, 63rd, and 70th House districts in the Alabama State Legislature. “I would hope that (Maddox) learned that candid acknowledgement of problems and their causes is the best way to begin solving them,” Fortenberry said. Holy Cross Lutheran Church is a church reflecting on the Evangelical Lutheran community of Tuscaloosa. “This is easier said than done with the full administrative responsibilities of the position, therefore, I will need to realign some roles and responsibilities. In the end, the electorate overwhelmingly chose the familiar, with almost 60% of voters opting for Gov. The company was formerly the Gulf State Paper Corporation, with headquarters in Tuscaloosa from 1927 until 2005 when it sold its pulp and paperboard operations to the Rock-Tenn Company of Norcross, Georgia. As of January 2021, the mayor in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is Walt Maddox. During the summer, the jet stream flows well to the north of the southeastern U.S., and most precipitation is consequently convectional, i.e., caused by the warm surface heating the air above. Kids Life Magazine is a free publication which focuses on family friendly events in the Tuscaloosa area. [16] Instead, he aggressively pursued plans to move all Indian tribes living east of the Mississippi River.[16]. The Tuscaloosa News' offices are located west of downtown on a bluff overlooking the Black Warrior River. Tuscaloosa is also home to many non-Christians as well. “I truly believe the March 2 election will make me a more effective mayor in the future.”. The central gazebo was renamed to Bicentennial Square on December 13, 2018, Tuscaloosa's 199th birthday. The Westervelt Warner Museum of American Art is located on the grounds of NorthRiver Yacht Club in northern Tuscaloosa. They had already been under pressure from new settlers encroaching on their territory. [49] Obama pledged the full resources of the federal government toward aiding the recovery efforts. During the last weeks of the War, a brigade of Union troops raiding the city burned the campus of the university. Maddox has served as mayor since 2005. “With these initiatives and projects, we have an opportunity to dominate this decade in terms of job creation, education, public safety, housing and quality of life,” Maddox said. It was created by sculptor and architect Craig R. In addition, Alabama's senior senator, Richard Shelby (R), is a resident of Tuscaloosa. Since then, 393,000 cases have been confirmed in Alabama and more than 8,000 people in the state died from COVID-19 or COVID-19 complications. [39] In all, the cost of damage from the tornado amounted to $2.45 billion, making it, at the time, the costliest tornado in U.S. history, though it would be surpassed less than a month later by the devastating Joplin, Missouri tornado of May 22. The Tuscaloosa News reports DuPont, who died Wednesday, was first elected mayor in 1981 and served six terms before he retired on his 80th birthday in 2005.. DuPont lived in Tuscaloosa until his health worsened a few months ago. PARA is known for its participation in work therapy programs with the local VA. Additional public recreational sites are owned and maintained by the University of Alabama and federal agencies such as Corps of Engineers. Elevate explained: What the mayoral candidates are divided over this election, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The Jones Archaeological Museum is located 15 miles (24 km) south of Tuscaloosa at the Moundville Archaeological Park in Moundville. [24][25] During her first day of class on February 6, students and others rioted on the campus, where a mob of more than a thousand white men pelted the car in which she was taken to her classes. [54], The city of Tuscaloosa celebrated its 200th birthday on December 13, 2019 with city officials holding various dedications and commemorative events throughout the city, including the displaying of a "bicentennial quilt" and a fireworks display following the 44th Annual West Alabama Christmas Parade, which was dedicated to the city's birthday. The Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra, in its 35th year, is based at the Moody Music Building and is conducted by Adam Flatt. During the Civil War following Alabama's secession from the Union, several thousand men from Tuscaloosa fought in the Confederate armies.