🌱 Birmingham Addresses Flooding + FBI & BPD Offer Reward For Info

Hello all. It's me, Miranda Fraraccio, your host of the Birmingham Patch newsletter. Here's all the community news you need to know right now.

Also, FYI: I wanted to let you know that Patch is looking for a local writer and entrepreneur to take the helm of the Birmingham Patch newsletter and make it their own. We want to pass the torch to someone truly local and in-the-know to write about Birmingham long term. So if you’re interested in earning extra income while making this newsletter a more valuable resource for your neighbors, learn more and apply here.

But first, today's weather:

Breezy, warm. High: 81 Low: 68.

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Here are the top three stories today in Birmingham:

1. Birmingham Public Works crews have been repairing and cleaning out the inlets around the city to help address the flooding. The City of Birmingham is also finalizing a contract with a company that will go underground and check the piping system for drainage infrastructure issues. Director of Birmingham’s Capital Projects Denise Bell said it would cost the city around $400,000 to $500,000 for the underground deeper analysis of flooding-prone areas. Bell said Birmingham's system, as a whole, "is like any other system in the United States, aging." (WBRC)
2. The FBI's Birmingham Field Office and the Birmingham Police Department have asked the public to help identify those responsible for six homicides in Birmingham between Apr. 4, 2021 and Jan. 4, 2022. The FBI is offering up to $60,000 for information leading to the arrests of those responsible for the murders. View the link to see the pictures and names of the victims, along with a short description of each incident. Call 1 (800) CALL-FBI or the Birmingham Police Department at 205 with any relevant information. (FBI Birmingham via Twitter)
3. Fife's Restaurant was named one of the "seven tastiest breakfast joints in the South" by Garden & Gun! Fife's Restaurant, located 2321 4th Ave. N. in Birmingham has been serving breakfast since 1959. (Bham Now)

Today in Birmingham:

• Black History Storywalk At Birmingham Public Library - Springville Road Branch (9:00 AM)
• $5 Wine Wednesday At Carrigan's Public House (4:00 PM)
• 2023 Foundations Exhibition At The University of Alabama, Birmingham (4:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Alabama's annual Severe Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday is this weekend! The "holiday" begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 24, and ends at midnight on Sunday, Feb. 26. Shoppers can purchase certain weather preparedness items without paying the state’s four percent sales tax. View the link to see a list of eligible items. (WVTM 13)
• Yoga instructor Adi Kaur, or TheBlkYogi, is building a studio called TheBlkYogiTribe. When it opens, Kaur hopes by the fall of 2023, it will be the first Black-owned yoga studio in Birmingham! (WVTM13 Birmingham)
• The local housing scene is buzzing with activity, and there are a variety of homes to choose from these days. Check out the latest homes for sale in Birmingham, including a beautiful four-bedroom on Walnut Avenue for $129,900! (Birmingham Patch)
• A beautiful black and tan calico Domestic Short Hair kitten named Mercy is looking for her forever family! See Mercy and more adorable adoptable pets in the Birmingham area. (Birmingham Patch)

Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. I'll see you around!

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where she earned degrees in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or practicing film photography.