🌱 Birmingham COVID Relief Funds + Two People Charged In Shooting

Hello again, hello! I'm back with your fresh copy of the Birmingham Daily. Here's all the local news you need to know right now.

First, today's weather:

A t-storm around in the p.m.. High: 94 Low: 77.

Here are the top three stories in Birmingham today:

1. On Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council voted to allocate federal COVID relief funds to public safety, public works, and councilors' projects. Roughly one-third of the remaining relief funds will be dispersed among the city’s police department, fire and rescue, public works, and “district-specific and citywide council projects.” The city’s public works department will receive $2.43 million, the Birmingham Police Department will receive $3.99 million, Fire and Rescue will receive $1.12 million, and district-specific and city-wide councilor projects” will receive $18 million — $2 million per councilor. (Birmingham Watch)
2. Two people were charged in a shooting that critically wounded a 15-year-old Birmingham boy. Omar Smith and Martez Jefferson, both 19, have been charged with attempted murder and discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling. According to investigators, at least one additional suspect is being sought. If you have any information on the identity of the third suspect, please call detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. (AL.com)
3. The 41-year-old man who was killed in a Birmingham crash has been identified as Eric James Ratcliffe. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the victim on Tuesday morning. Ratcliffe died in a crash on Sunday when the vehicle he was driving left the roadway and struck a tree along Wenonah Road SW. (WIAT - CBS42.com)

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Today in Birmingham:

• Movie Mania: Oceans Of Possibilities, At Birmingham Public Library (11:00 AM)
• Cooking Demo With Chef Matthew Murphee Of Arlington House, At Birmingham Public Library (11:30 AM)
• 2022 Alabama Triennial, At The University Of Alabama At Birmingham (12:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Here are five things you need to know about the new Birmingham Xpress rapid transit system. (Bham Now)
• Don't miss this week's Birmingham area real estate roundup! (Birmingham Patch)
• Birmingham experts are weighing in on the Roe v. Wade decision's economic impact in Alabama. Click the link to hear their thoughts. (The Business Journals)

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Wednesday! I'll see you around.

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander, now living in New York. She works as a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and is a graduate of The University of Rhode Island, where she earned a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.