Train car explosion, update on Bubba: down in Alabama

The hydrogen peroxide incident

An overpressurized rail car caused an explosion at Evonik’s chemical plant in Theodore, the company said, AL.com’s Leada Gore reports.

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

The car contained hydrogen peroxide. No false blondes or serious injuries were reported.

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

Bubba’s Update

Bill Bussey, “Bubba” on “The Rick & Bubba Show,” will be working for Jacksonville State’s athletic department, AL.com’s Creg Stephenson reports.

Earlier this year, Bussey and Rick Burgess announced that their long-running radio show will go off the air in December. Rick & Bubba has been on the air since 1994. Both hosts are JSU alumni.

Bussey’s next job will be as assistant athletics director for college broadcasting.

If you’re keeping count, those are two big-name Alabama hams that Jacksonville State has hired this year. Former Alabama Crimson Tide radio announcer Eli Gold will call select home football and baseball games for ESPN+.

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

A long stay, a long journey

Two of my favorite things in the world are being on a boat and having someone cook me dinner. You’d think I was a regular cruiser.

But here’s the problem with a cruise: I can’t always predict when I’m going to suddenly want to be home, but when I do, you can bet I’ll be on my couch watching Rockford Files reruns within hours.

But when you’re on a cruise, you can’t just get 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 could end up spending eight months there before it’s all over, The Associated Press reports.

The problem is Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which suffered multiple propulsion-related leaks during its approach to the space station and five thrusters stopped working.

Finally, they managed to dock without any problems and 27 of the 28 thrusters seem to be working well. NASA is carrying out tests from the ground, Boeing trusts Starliner and the astronauts are professionals and can do a lot of work up there.

A decision will be made in the coming days on whether to bring them back on Starliner or whether they will travel on a SpaceX flight that will take off next month but not return to Earth until February.

Questionnaire results

Here are the results and how we fared on Friday’s news review quiz:

Local officials recently signed the agreement that will bring Amtrak service back to this route:

• New Orleans to Mobile (CORRECT) 84.4%
• From Birmingham to Mobile 14.6%
• From Jacksonville to Mobile 1.0%
• Talladega to Sylacauga 0.0%

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is closing Washington County’s 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 recently announced that it had distributed payments to this group, which it said had faced discriminatory lending practices:

• Minority farmers (CORRECT) 87.9%
• Minority teachers 7.5%
• Female captains of shrimp boats 4.5%
• Television meteorologists 0.0%

The Dead Zone is an area with extremely low oxygen levels, largely caused by nutrients coming out of the Mississippi River. Although it is centered off the coast of Louisiana, it affects oxygen levels and marine life in the waters off Alabama. Researchers recently determined this summer that the Dead Zone is about the size of a lake.

• New Jersey (CORRECT) 59.8%
• Texas 26.1%
• Cuba 13.6%
• The circumference of the Ross Clark circle of Dothan 0.5%

Huntsville native Jimmy Wales had a birthday this week: he turned 58. He is best known for his role as founder of which company?

• Wikipedia (CORRECT) 54.3%
• Atari 17.6%
• Netflix 15.6%
• eBay 12.6%

In figures

8-13

That’s the range NOAA expects for the number of hurricanes during the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. The agency recently updated its forecasts and continues to predict an active season.

More news from Alabama

1. City of Fairhope asks residents to water lawns after midnight, sparking outrage on social media
2. Eufala Walmart ‘temporarily closed for the foreseeable future’
3. New private K-12 school planned for site of former Butler campus in Huntsville

Born on this date

In 1950, Basketball Hall of Famer George McGinnis of Harpersville.

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