🌱 Gov. Ivey Gives Millions To Nonprofits + Sentencing For AL Mother

Hey, everybody. It's Friday in Birmingham and I'm back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening in the community today.

But first, today's weather:

Plenty of sunshine. High: 57 Low: 38.

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Here are the top 3 stories in Birmingham today:

1. Gov. Kay Ivey awarded millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations to help fight homelessness. Many of these organizations are facing difficulties providing homeless families with shelter due to the rising costs of living, but these funds will help reduce the challenges. One of the organizations that was awarded is YWCA of Central Alabama in Birmingham, and they were given $200,000 to provide resources to those who are experiencing homelessness and domestic violence. (WVTM13 Birmingham)
2. Micia Sharika Gamble, 48, of Birmingham was sentenced to 90 years in prison for the shooting death of her 21-year-old son, Tim'Darius. Back in 2021, her boyfriend, Gregory Peck, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for pleading guilty to the same charge. The incident took place early in 2020 when police responded to a call and found Tim'Darius unresponsive and pronounced dead in the backyard of the home in Pratt City. (AL.com)
3. Guitarist Tommy Emmanuel will perform live at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Alys Stephens Center on Jan. 22, and guitarist Gareth Pearson will open the show. Emmanuel is considered to be one of the planet's best guitarists due to his "lyrical melodies" and "multi-dimensional arrangements" on the acoustic guitar. Tickets for the 6:00 p.m. performance are $49 and areavailable at AlysStephens.org. (University of Alabama at Birmingham)

Today in Birmingham:

• Pickleball Open Play, At Levite Jewish Community Center (9:00 AM)
• Always Write, Never Wrong - Expression Through Writing, At North Birmingham Regional Branch Library (9:00 AM)
• Learn a New Quilting Block, At Springville Road Regional Branch Library (9:30 AM)
• Bards and Brews Open Mic, At Birmingham Central Library (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• First rehearsals for Don't Tell Me I Can't Fly took place at the Birmingham Children's Theatre on Thursday, and they'll be sharing more behind-the-scenes info as they bring the show to life! Tickets for the Feb. 11th and 25th showings are available now here. (Birmingham Children's Theatre via Facebook)
• The Birmingham Botanical Gardens' Thyme to Read book club will be meeting on select Tuesdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m. each month. The club is free and open to the public; view the 2023 schedule here. (Birmingham Botanical Gardens via Facebook)
• Nominate an incredible woman in your life who is changing our community for StrongHer, the city of Birmingham's annual salute to outstanding women. This year's theme is "Born to Make a Difference: Then and Now." Learn more about nominations at the link. (City of Birmingham Government via Instagram)

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

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where she earned degrees in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or practicing film photography.