🌱 Arrest In Firefighter's Death + School Employees' Bonus

Good morning, people of Birmingham! It's me again, Michael Seale, your host of the Birmingham Daily. Let us get started, shall we? I mentioned yesterday that a Birmingham firefighter was killed while off duty in Pelham over the weekend. Well, someone has been arrested and charged in his death. Also in the news, employees of Birmingham City Schools will receive a surprise bonus before the holidays. Good news for the hard-working folks at BCS. Read all about it below.

First, today's weather:

Cloudy. High: 50 Low: 35.

Here are the top 5 stories today in Birmingham:

1. A 23-year-old suspect has been charged with murder in the slaying of an off-duty Birmingham firefighter in Pelham. (AL.com)
2. The year is coming to a close, so I looked at some of the people who helped shape the news cycle in the Birmingham metro during 2021. See who made my list here. (Birmingham Patch)
3. Birmingham City Schools employees will receive a $500 salary supplement before the winter holidays. (WBRC)
4. Mayor Randall Woodfin’s deputy director of social justice and racial equity has been accused of domestic violence and burglary. (AL.com)
5. Do you want a chance to win Super Bowl tickets? Well, all you need to do is donate blood at the Red Cross Blood Drive. (Birmingham Patch)

Today's Birmingham Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Ring, the home security company. Ring does a lot more than doorbells: check out their full suite of smart home products at Ring.com. And thank you Ring for helping to make local news happen in Birmingham!

Today in Birmingham:

• Come cheer on the UAB women's basketball team vs Grambling. (11 a.m.)
• Enjoy a holiday matinee at the Alabama Theatre, "A Charlie Brown Christmas." (2 p.m.)
• Curious about Medicare? Come see The ABC's of Medicare at the Homewood Public Library (Noon)
• Learn how to incorporate beer into cooking four different dishes at Publix in Tattersall Park's Couples Cooking: Cheers and Beers class. (6 p.m.)
• Come out to the BJCC Legacy Arena for the C.M. Newton Classic, featuring Alabama vs. Davidson. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Here are 15 fantastic locally-made gifts to buy from Downtown Birmingham businesses (Bham Now)
• Adopt From Birmingham Area Shelters: New Dogs, Cats Added This Week (Birmingham Patch)
• The Athletics Dept. at Ramsay IB High School adopted five families this holiday season. (Facebook)
• Alabama Audubon is looking for a graphic designer who loves birds, to help design various materials to promote the work they do on behalf of birds and conservation in Alabama. (Facebook)

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You're all caught up for today! I'll be in your inbox tomorrow with a new update.

— Michael Seale

About me: I am a lifelong Alabama resident with more than two decades of media under my belt. I have worked for a daily newspaper, a weekly newspaper, a monthly magazine, a television station and a couple of radio stations. I also tried my hand at marketing for a little while. But I love writing news. This opportunity to bring Patch to Birmingham is a chance for my hometown to benefit from a new - and better - way to read and receive news.