Fatal Crash On I-59 + Fiesta BHAM Details

Welcome back, Birmingham, and happy Friday! Let's get you all caught up to start this day off on an informed note. First, a tragic incident yesterday on I-59/20 occurred when a road worker was struck by a FedEx truck and died. To make matters worse, the driver of the truck fled the scene, but was later detained by police. Also in the news yesterday, the restoration project of Birmingham's iconic A.G. Gaston Motel received a financial boost to the tune of more than a million dollars, thanks to a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's Humanities in Place fund. Read those stories and more below. And as always, have a great Friday!

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First, today's weather:

Clear throughout the day. High: 76 Low: 53.

Here are the top stories today in Birmingham:

1. Here's one of the stories I referenced earlier. A FedEx driver was detained after a fatal crash on I-59 in Birmingham when she fled the scene of the crash in her delivery truck. (WBRC)
2. Henry J. Oliver Elementary School in Birmingham is partnering with Whirlpool to give students access to clean clothes. This is the second year of this partnership, and a cool and unique service project. (WVTM13)
3. In honor of Hispanic Heritage this September, Fiesta BHAM, Alabama's largest Hispanic heritage festival, recently announced details surrounding event activities being held at Linn Park on Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. (Birmingham Patch)
4. A project to restore the iconic A.G. Gaston Motel received an added boost recently. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's Humanities in Place fund awarded $1.1 million toward the restoration of the hotel, which in in its second phase. (Birmingham Patch)
5. I sure do love some queso, and our friends at Bham Now have put together a list of the best places to get in Birmingham. (Bham Now)
6. Former Cathedral Church of the Advent Dean Andrew Pearson has started a new church in Birmingham. The first service of Grace Church Birmingham was on Wednesday night. (AL.com)

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Today in Birmingham:

• Furnace Fest kicks off today at noon — a three-day music festival at Sloss Furnaces featuring more than 100 bands on three stages throughout the weekend. (Details)
• The St. George Middle Eastern Food Festival is underway, and kicks off today at Saint George Melkite Catholic Church at 10:30 a.m. (Details)
• Attention Birmingham dinosaur lovers: Come see for yourself why Jurassic Quest is America’s biggest and most popular dinosaur event, and walk among the dinosaurs at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex. (Details)
• Friday Night Flicks continue on the front lawn of Trinity Methodist in West Homewood. Tonight's movie is "Luna." (6 p.m.)
• See why the Pacific Northwest is one of the most unique and delicious food regions in the country, at this cooking class at Publix in Tattersall Park. (6:30 p.m.)

Birmingham Patch Notebook

• Birmingham native and NYC executive, Kathryn Tuggle, is about to publish her first book. (Bham Now)
• Greater Birmingham Humane Society is taking in over 50 animals rescued from disaster areas along the coast of Louisiana. Multiple shelters were destroyed by hurricanes and floods and these animals had no shelter and no safety. (Facebook)
• Opera Birmingham to present “The Three Little Pigs” at the Avondale Amphitheatre. (WIAT - CBS42.com)
• Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service Department would like to thank their South Side fire companies for quickly putting this house fire under control and minimizing possible exposures. (Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday off right! See you all tomorrow for your next update. If you're into these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to read along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— 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.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Birmingham Daily? You can email me at michael.seale@patch.com.