Good afternoon! Here’s what’s going on as Alabama heads toward primary election day next Tuesday…

Hello, I’m (insert name) and I’m running for president. Alabamians are hearing a lot of that over the next five days, as the state’s Republican primary will play a key role in possibly winnowing the field down to three candidates, or even two. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who is banking heavily on wins here and in Mississippi, was in Birmingham on Wednesday at the Harbert Center downtown, while former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum had a stop today in Pelham. Both are expected to go to Mobile over the next couple of days. Meanwhile, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the apparent front-runner, will make a campaign stop at Thompson Tractor near Tarrant at 2:30 p.m. Gingrich and Santorum are committed to take part in a forum sponsored by the Alabama GOP on Monday. Party spokeswoman Shana Kluck said they are still trying to get commitments from Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul, but haven’t as of yet. The forum starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Alabama Theater downtown; doors open at 3:30, with free first-come-first-served admission (capacity is 2,500).

And it’s Undecided in front. A poll conducted by Alabama State University of likely Republican voters says that most still haven’t picked who they will vote for Tuesday. “Undecided” led the field with 29.8 percent. Santorum was supported by 22.7 percent, Romney 18.7 percent, Gingrich 13.8 percent and “all others” — presumably including Paul, since he wasn’t listed individually — with 15 percent. The poll was conducted March 1.

Legalize pot, says — Pat Robertson? That’s correct, the television evangelist and one-time Republican presidential candidate says the U.S. has lost the war on drugs, and that personal marijuana use should be legalized but heavily regulated. “I just think it’s shocking how many of these young people wind up in prison and they get turned into hardcore criminals because they had a possession of a very small amount of a controlled substance,” Robertson said on the March 1 edition of the Christian Broadcasting Network program “The 700 Club,” according to the Associated Press. “The whole thing is crazy. We’ve said, `Well, we’re conservatives, we’re tough on crime.’ That’s baloney.”

Sports: Tigers in point-shaving probe. Suspended Auburn basketball player Valez Ward is being investigated for possible point-shaving, according to a report by Yahoo! Sports. The report cited sources whop stated that Ward and Chris Denson, who served a one-game suspension last month, were subjects of the investigation. The Tigers’ losses to Alabama and Arkansas are the games in question. The university has not commented yet…. Gardendale will play Clay-Chalkville this afternoon in the semifinals of the Jefferson County Tournament. The winner moves on to the championship game Monday at Samford University.

Weather: Rainy and cooler. Wet weather returns to the area tonight, with highs on Friday not likely to get out of the 50s as rain continues. We warm up again on Saturday and Sunday, with highs back into the 70s.