🌱 Birmingham Teen Hopes For National Title + Two Officers Injured

Hi Birmingham. Like many of you, the Patch staff is taking some time off for Memorial Day, so you won’t see this newsletter in your inbox for a few days. We’ll be back soon, but in the meantime, here’s what’s happening in and around town this weekend.

But first, today's weather:

Times of clouds and sun. High: 80 Low: 59.

From our sponsor:

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Here are the top three stories in Birmingham today:

1. Brooklyn Chandler, an eighth grader at W.J. Christian School in Birmingham, is currently a finalist in the national "Doodle for Google" contest. With her entry titled "Conspicuous Hair," Brooklyn reflects on her personal hair journey and the experiences shared by many Black girls while growing up. As the voting phase of the competition has ended, Brooklyn now eagerly awaits the results, hoping to win the grand prize of a $30,000 scholarship and a $50,000 tech grant for her school. (WVTM13 Birmingham)
2. In an unfortunate incident on I-59, two Birmingham police officers and another individual were hospitalized after their patrol vehicle was struck by a Ford F-150 near the 19th Street exit. The officers were initially blocking traffic for a separate car crash when the collision occurred around 4:00 a.m. The injured parties, including one female officer in serious but stable condition, were promptly taken to the hospital by Birmingham Fire and Rescue. This accident serves as a reminder of the Move-Over Act, implemented in 2009, which mandates motorists to slow down and change lanes when approaching emergency responders with their lights activated. (AL.com)
3. Birmingham mourned a tragic loss as a young child, 3-year-old Irmani Ray, lost her life after being discovered unconscious in a hotel pool. Despite immediate efforts by professionals at Children's of Alabama, she was declared deceased on Wednesday morning. Authorities are currently conducting an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the drowning. (WVTM13 Birmingham)

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Coming up in Birmingham:

Saturday, May 27

• Saturday Crafter-Day At Avondale Regional Branch Library (2:00 PM)

Monday, May 29

• Half Off Happy Hour At Chuck's Fish Birmingham (5:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The RESTORE West End Block Party on Friday brought together over 51 resource providers, offering a wide range of services, such as child care, education, health care, mental health, parenting enrichment, substance abuse support, and workforce development. This collaborative effort involved the Jefferson County Family Resource Center, the Birmingham Police Department, and the Housing Authority of Birmingham District. (City of Birmingham Government via Facebook)
• Congratulations to Birmingham Police Department's Deputy Chief Sheila Frazier-Finney and Deputy Chief Onree Pruitt, who have both been appointed to new positions within the department! (Birmingham Police Department, Alabama via Facebook)
• Birmingham City Schools held a luncheon on Thursday to honor the top students and their families from each high school, featuring guest speaker Deidra Diaz, Mayor Randall Woodfin, and members of the Board of Education. (Birmingham City Schools via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Fresh Perks Every Week (May 30)
• Roaring 20’s Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner Event (June 2)
• REFLECTIONS FROM MOZART TO GOSPEL - Huntsville Choral Festival Concert (June 3)

You're all caught up for today! See you soon for another update.

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.