🌱 Joran Van Der Sloot Extradition + DOE Plans Downtown Building Sale

Hello, friends. I'm here with your fresh copy of the Birmingham Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out all the local information you need to know right now.

But first, today's weather:

Humid; a p.m. t-storm. High: 82 Low: 69.

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Here are the top three stories today in Birmingham:

1. Joran van der Sloot is set to be extradited from Peru to Birmingham after being indicted in 2010 on charges of wire fraud and extortion in connection to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway of Mountain Brook. Holloway was visiting Aruba for a high school graduation trip in 2005, and on the last night of the trip, she and her friends met van der Sloot, who is a Dutch national from Aruba. She was last seen getting into a vehicle with van der Sloot, who was later arrested but never charged with Holloway's death. In Alabama, van der Sloot is charged with extorting Holloway's mother for $15,000 for information about her daughter. Van der Sloot is currently in Peru serving a 28-year sentence for the murder of a college student from Lima. (AL.com)
2. The Birmingham Board of Education is making plans to sell its current headquarters building downtown in order to relocate about a block away to Colonial Plaza on 6th Avenue North. Superintendent of Birmingham City Schools Mark Sullivan, Ed.D. explained that relocating would allow the district to consolidate three separate administrative offices into one facility. The Board of Education approved a nonbinding letter of intent on Tuesday to sell the building for $5.5 million to Cubed Partners, a real estate investment firm based in Washington, D.C. (Birmingham Times)
3. Officials with Birmingham Recycling and Recovery are figuring out the next steps after a large fire caused severe damage at the facility a week ago. The warehouse sustained major damage and has been demolished, but plant operations and machinery were not damaged. Birmingham Fire Battalion Chief Jackie Hicks said the area is safe and free from hazardous chemicals or materials. The facility is currently not accepting recycling but hopes to have more information on resuming recycling drop-offs soon. (WBRC)

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Today in Birmingham:

• Create A Mother's Day Card At West End Branch Library (All Day)
• Latin Night & Live Music At Cabo Coastal Grill (6:00 PM)
• Bad Movie Night (FREE) At Sidewalk Film Center And Cinema (8:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Adopt an Animal is back at the Birmingham Zoo! This symbolic adoption program is a great gift idea and provides support, food, and care for animals. Click here to learn more. (The Birmingham Zoo via Facebook)
• In case you missed it, the Birmingham Museum of Art is hosting Self-Soothe Saturday. Tomorrow's program will include an introduction to Pilates, Yoga, and Tai Chi with a certified instructor. Click here to sign up or learn more. (Birmingham Museum of Art via Facebook)
• Birmingham City Schools sent congratulations to West End Academy kindergarten teacher Kimberly Isaac for "going above and beyond the Call of Duty." Isaac is known for her excellence when dealing with students, parents, and colleagues. (Birmingham City Schools via Facebook)

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Featured events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Delighted Every Week (May 16)
• The Best Of Broadway (May 16)
• REFLECTIONS FROM MOZART TO GOSPEL - Huntsville Choral Festival Concert (June 3)
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You're all caught up for today. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with 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.