🌱 City Approves $10 Million Fund + Memorial Ride Honors Victims

Hi all. I'm back with your fresh edition of the Birmingham Daily. Let's get this weekend started off right, with a quick dive into everything you need to know about what's happening around town.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly cloudy. High: 70 Low: 60.

🚪 Dear local businesses: Patch invites you to partner with us to build local awareness and set yourself apart from the competition. Showcase your business and drive more customers through your door with a sponsorship in our Birmingham newsletter. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top three stories today in Birmingham:

1. As part of the Birmingham City Council's fund approvals on Tuesday, the city approved $10 million that will go towards an affordable housing fund. City leaders are currently researching how other cities use housing trust funds in order to learn best practices. (WBRC)
2. The Lament and Hope Memorial Ride is scheduled for this Saturday morning. The annual program honors victims who have been killed by gun violence in Birmingham. Lineup begins at 8:30 a.m., with the processional leaving W.C. Patton Park at 9:30 a.m. (WBHM)
3. Police have identified the two victims of Thursday night's fatal shooting at an east Birmingham gas station. The victims were Timmeric Leshan Bryant, 22, and Tobias Estrada McKinstry, 38. Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call investigators at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. (AL.com)

From our sponsor:

Today’s Birmingham Patch newsletter is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99% of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today’s Birmingham newsletter possible.

Today in Birmingham:

• Christmas With The Clauses At Birmingham Festival Theatre (10:00 AM)
• I, Too, Am Alabama At Abroms-Enbgel Institute For The Visual Arts (12:00 PM)
• 5th Annual Ugly Sweater Crawl At Birmingham Bars (5:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• If you're looking to watch some of your favorite holiday movies on the big screen, check out the Alabama Theatre. There are still a few showtimes available for various holiday films! Holiday movies range from "A Christmas Story" to "Die Hard." (Alabama Theatre via Facebook)
• The Sozo Trading Co. here in Birmingham is hosting a Christmas Open House today from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Come down for discounts, free gifts with every purchase, and even visit Santa Claus. (Trussvilletribune)
• Meet the co-owners of A-Train Station! The award-winning food truck now has its first brick-and-mortar location in Birmingham's West End. Visit the link to learn more about the owners behind the restaurant and its loaded fries, Philly cheesecakes, and wings. (Birmingham Times)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Fresh Perks Every Week (December 13)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (December 15)
• Add your event

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

— 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.