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Above Freezing today? And "Selma" premieres in Selma

Alabamians are hoping to warm up past the freezing mark today following the coldest weather so far this winter Temperatures plunging into the single digits before dawn Thursday in Birmingham, Huntsville, Decatur and Muscle Shoals. A-P-R’s Stan Ingold has more…

Among the coldest spots was Haleyville. That's where it was 4 degrees at 5 a.m. Thursday. Utilities from the Tennessee Valley to southeast Alabama asked residents to cut back on power use. That's because heaters were working extra hard. Dozens of school systems are opened later than normal yesterday because of the cold. Tim Troutman is the lead forecaster for the National Weather Service in Huntsville. He says the Tennessee Valley may only warm up to the mid thirties today, so bundle up…

“Wear several layers of clothing if you have to venture out for any extended periods of time. Cover your hands and extremities such as your head and feet. Make sure you’re well covered during this time period.”

Even southern Alabama wasn't spared from the cold. Officials in Orange Beach warned property owners about the threat of freezing pipes in sprinkler systems.

The civil rights historical drama entitled Selma premiers today and the film’s producers are inviting Selma residents to see it on the house. The movie depicts the events leading up to the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights march and the clash on the Edmund Pettis Bridge that became known as Bloody Sunday. Ashley Mason is director of tourism for Selma and Dallas County. She says the bridge sparked interest among sightseers and history buffs even before the movie Selma came out...

“They really want to walk across the bridge. I mean, it’s an icon for Selma just like the Eiffel Tower is an icon for Paris. They want their picture with the bridge. And I’ve actually heard of someone planning their wedding in Selma so they can have the bridge as part of their wedding.”

Residents of Selma are being invited to screen the movie for free. Producers of the film Selma say it's to say thank you for the city's participation during filming. Fans of President Lyndon Johnson are complaining about the movie. They say it inaccurately shows LBJ obstructing the voting rights movement.

The 2015 River Fest has been cancelled. The Gadsden Times reports the festival lost money in each of the last two years. That's despite events that featured acts like Kenny Rogers, Third Eye Blind and STYX. Money problems ultimately led to city officials denying organizers the right to stage the event this year. Gadsden Mayor Sherman Guyton was still optimistic about Riverfest. He hopes the festival can return for 2016.

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