🌱 Taco Bell Tests New Menu Item In B'ham + 40th St Ensley Shooting

Hey, everybody. I'm back in your inbox this morning with the most important things happening in town today. Enjoy...

First, today's weather:

Cloudy, a thunderstorm; humid. High: 82 Low: 71.

Here are the top three stories in Birmingham today:

1. A fresh new Taco Bell menu is hitting the streets of Birmingham for a limited time. The crispy melt taco is a soft corn tortilla with a cheese blend and your choice of protein; it will be available in and around Birmingham soon. Taco Bell will also be offering a plant-based protein made with soy and peas and seasoned with classic Taco Bell flavors. The protein can be added to any dish on the menu with order customization. (WBRC)
2. A man was shot on Wednesday night near the 1200 block of 40th Street Ensley. According to police, officers responded to reports of gunshots in the area just before 6:00 p.m. The man was discovered at the scene with a gunshot wound and was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police say over 30 rounds may have been fired in the area. As of Thursday evening, no arrests have been made. (CBS 42)
3. A new science lab was opened by Birmingham City Schools on Wednesday. A partnership with Verizon and the nonprofit Heart of America allowed the school to develop the lab. It will provide opportunities for Hudson Middle School students to work with augmented and virtual reality, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and coding. (Birmingham Times)

Today in Birmingham:

• School of Dentistry 16th Annual Hygiene Symposium at Hyatt Regency Birmingham (All Day)
• Deebs Days At Avondale Brewing Company (5:00 PM)
• Dragon Fest at McWane Science Center (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• I guess there is such a thing as a free lunch. McPherson Oil provided an appreciation luncheon for the Birmingham Police Department. The gesture was in appreciation for officers' work during the World Games. (Birmingham Police Department, Alabama via Facebook)
• Calling all homeschoolers! The Birmingham Zoo wants you to know about a learning and discovery experience for you. Animal demonstrations, interactive discussions, and other programs are available for you. Register at the link. (The Birmingham Zoo via Facebook)
• Birmingham is one of the top cities in the country to produce NFL players. According to BeenVerified, Birmingham is home to eight current NFL players, five of whom are quarterbacks. That puts Birmingham at 18th in producing NFL players overall, and seventh in producing NFL quarterbacks. (BeenVerified.com)

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