🌱 Kwanzaa Week-Long Celebration + The Patch Boys In Birmingham

Good morning, everybody! It's me, Miranda Fraraccio, your host of the Birmingham Daily — here to tell you all the most important things happening in town.

But first, today's weather:

Partly sunny and pleasant. High: 60 Low: 44.

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Here are the top three stories in Birmingham today:

1. The Birmingham area is celebrating Kwanzaa with a week-long festival. The seven-day celebration began on Monday and incorporates seven different principles celebrating African culture. During each day of the celebration, one principal will be celebrated. One event will take place tonight (Dec. 28) at East Lake United Methodist Church and another will take place tomorrow (Dec. 29) at Omega Psi Phi 9 Fraternity House. Both events will take place at 6:00 p.m. Click the link to view all the events. (WVTM13 Birmingham)
2. A home repair franchise is expanding to serve the Birmingham metro area. The Patch Boys, a drywall and ceiling repair service brand, began offering mobile services to Birmingham and the surrounding areas on Dec. 12. The brand does not have a brick-and-mortar location. (The Business Journals)
3. Authorities have identified three men who were killed in Birmingham over a four-day period. Between Thursday and Monday, victims Orlando Dewaun Ruffin, 37, Charles Edward Smith, 25, and Kamarian Morris, 18, were all shot to death. The city's death toll is now at 144 so far this year. (AL.com)

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Today in Birmingham:

• American Red Cross Blood Drive, At Levite Jewish Community Center (10:00 AM)
• Movie: Encanto (PG), At Irondale Public Library (2:00 PM)
• Curtain Call, At Birmingham Public Library (3:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Four new food spots are open near Birmingham — including Cappella Pizzeria — and more are coming soon! (Bham Now)
• A landfill fire at the Environmental Landfill, Inc. near Birmingham has burned for more than a month. State officials, local fire departments, and county commissions are trying to determine who will cover the costs associated with putting it out and what the next steps are. (WBHM)
• Are you in the market for a new home? Browse some of the latest listings to hit the market in the Birmingham area. (Birmingham Patch)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you all 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.