🌱 Pawn Sales Increase + Two Injured In Shooting + Major Power Outages

Hello all! I'm back in your inbox this morning with all the most important things happening in town these days. Here we go.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny. High: 93 Low: 75.

Here are the top three stories in Birmingham today:

1. Sales at a local pawn shop are surging because of inflation. According to Gene Paul, the owner of Delta Pawn, people of all stripes are coming through that door. Customers are selling items to the pawn shop in order to pay a bill or sometimes to cover the cost of food. Click the link to learn about what people are pawning and what carries the most value. (WBRC)
2. Two people were injured in a shooting on Thursday morning. Officers were called to the 1800 block of 24th Street Southwest at about 5:00 p.m. and found a woman with a gunshot wound. The woman was taken to UAB hospital and her injuries are reportedly non-life-threatening. Police said that a man was also injured by gunfire and was taken to a local hospital in a private vehicle. As of Friday evening, his condition is unknown. (WIAT - CBS42.com)
3. Storms rolling across Alabama have left thousands without power. According to Alabama Power, over 50,000 customers across the state were left without power due to strong storms overnight on Thursday. Roads across the Birmingham metro have been shut down due to fallen trees. Click the link to see the full report. (ABC 3340)

Today in Birmingham:

• Hope & Healing Weekend Grief Workshop at The Vision Retreat Center (All Day)
• Summer Reading 2022 Online (All Day)
• Crochet Class at Five Points West Regional Branch Library (2:00 PM)
• Anatomy of Gray by Jim Leonard, Jr. at Birmingham Festival Theatre (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• James Spann shared footage of flooding and the resulting damage in Central Alabama. Click the link to see the full gallery. (James Spann via Instagram)
• IN Birmingham | Birmingham, AL invites you out to see the Birmingham Legion today. They'll be facing FC Tulsa at Protective Stadium. (IN Birmingham | Birmingham, AL via Instagram)
• Lights, camera, action. City of Birmingham Government is hosting Magic City Spotlight with Mayor Woodfin and Isis Jones. They'll host a conversation with CEOs and directors from local businesses. (City of Birmingham Government via Instagram)

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Saturday off right. I'll be in your inbox Monday morning with a new update!

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander, now living in New York. She works as a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and is a graduate of The University of Rhode Island, where she earned a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.