🌱 COVID Hits Homewood Band + Leeds Man Sentenced To 10 Years

Good day, neighbors! It's me again, Michael Seale, your host of the Birmingham Daily. Hope everyone stayed warm last night. We are supposed to get a brief break from the cold today. So, let's talk news. The Homewood High School marching band had the honor of performing in the Rose Parade in Pasadena Jan. 1, which would have been great if band members did not return with COVID-19. Well, they did, and the school has gone to virtual learning because of it. Read all about it below.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and milder. High: 57 Low: 49.

Here are the top 5 stories in Birmingham today:

1. Homewood High School shifted to virtual learning when marching band members tested positive for COVID after performing in the Rose Parade in California. (AL.com)
2. UAB Hospital leaders confirmed they have received the first shipment of sotrovimab, the newest monoclonal antibody which has been shown to be effective against the omicron variant.(WBRC)
3. A Leeds man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to multiple robbery charges. (Trussville Patch)
4. The former Adamson Ford property was bought for $21 million, and the new owners plan a mixed-use development for the property. (Bham Now)
5. Birmingham police have arrested two men and charged them with capital murder in the October shooting death of Justin Rasha Lee. (Birmingham Patch)

Today in Birmingham:

• Have a blast and solve a mystery at America's Largest Interactive Mystery Dinner Show. (6 p.m.)
• A Birmingham favorite is playing at The Nick tonight. Raquel Lily is in town to rock the house. (9 p.m.)
• Blues artist Robby Davis is playing a live show at then Tin Roof in Lakeview. (10 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Here are some Black artists in Birmingham you'll want to check out now. (Bham Now)
• With the recent scam alert, the Birmingham Police Department would like to equip our citizens on a few safety tips to protect them from future scams. (Facebook)
• The Five Points West Regional Library (Birmingham Public Library System) is offering free computer classes for those needing to refresh or upgrade their computer skills. (Facebook)
• Free 2nd doses of the COVID-19 vaccinations will be available on Monday, Jan. 10 at Central Park Elementary School. The clinic will run from 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Only pediatric doses will be administered at this clinic. (Facebook)

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That's it for today! See you all tomorrow for your next 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.