Hello Monday, and let’s start a new school year…

Weather: Drying out. There’s a slight chance for scattered storms today, but after that well be sunny and warm for the next few days. Highs today around 85, lows tonight in the middle 60s. We may reach 90 tomorrow.

Traffic: Watch your school zones. It’s the first day of classes in the Jefferson County Schools, so watch out for children as you drive around town today.

Once more, with order (maybe). The Jefferson County Commission will reconvene a meeting that was cut short by protesters in their regular session last week. That meeting, in which the commission discussed the shutdown of inpatient Services at Cooper Green Mercy Hospital, was recessed when demonstrators started chanting and singing to show their displeasure with the plans. Today’s meeting starts at 1:30 p.m.; the hospital’s fate is not scheduled to be on the agenda.

Class action one step closer. A Jefferson County circuit judge denied two motions by the Fultondale Gas Board in a lawsuit against the board, in which the plaintiffs are seeking class-action status. Judge Michael Graffeo said that the plaintiffs were specific enough in their charges of overcharging customers, and also denied a procedural motion regarding the discovery process. The plaintiffs include a company which includes John Douglas as a shareholder; Douglas is running for mayor against incumbent Jim Lowery, who by virtue of his office is also superintendent of the Gas Board.

Sports: Torches start hot. Tabernacle began the defense of its Christian Football Association eight-man championship by rolling over rival Tuscaloosa Christian 44-20 on Friday at Gardendale’s Moncrief Park. The Torches didn’t seem to miss graduated league MVP Fred Goodgame, opting to spread the scoring around among six different players and two separate quarterbacks. Tabernacle travels to Bessemer Academy to play Flint Hill Christian on Thursday night; a win will all but lock up a spot in the CFA playoffs — all before their AHSAA counterparts even play a regular-season game…. NASCAR: Greg Biffle took advantage of Jimmie Johnson’s blown engine, and beat out Brad Keselowski in a green-white-checkered finish to win at Michigan Sunday. Kasey Kahne was third and Dale Earnhardt Jr. fourth. Biffle takes over the points lead, with three races left before the Chase races.