🌱 New Library Board Leader + Arrests Made In Church Shooting

Rise and shine, Birmingham! It's Thursday, so let's get you started with everything you need to know going on today in town. Two men have been arrested in connection with a shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Jefferson County earlier this month. The 18-year-old shooting victim is fortunately going to recover from his injuries. Read more about it below!

First, today's weather:

Times of clouds and sun. High: 73 Low: 59.

Here are the top 5 stories in Birmingham today:

1. The Birmingham Public Library Board chose a new leader, veteran employee Janine Langston, and announced a public meeting with city councilors. (WIAT - CBS42.com)
2. Two men have been arrested in a Dec. 3 shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 2780 Altadena Road. (Vestavia Hills Patch)
3. Take a look inside the Margaret, a new bar in Alabama, which will be "an excellent hang," according to owner Pam Stallings. (AL.com)
4. The heroic efforts of UAB emergency department nurses were recently recognized by the Alabama State Nurses Association (UAB News)
5. Three shooting deaths occurred in a matter of six hours Tuesday night, including the deaths of a pair of siblings shot in east Birmingham. (Birmingham Patch)

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Today in Birmingham:

• The Alabama Department of Environmental Management is hosting a public hearing about Plant Gorgas coal ash at the Black Warrior Riverkeeper. (6 p.m.)
• Check out the Christmas classic Home Alone 2: Lost in New York at the Alabama Theatre (7 p.m.)
• Want to learn how to make some great holiday drinks? Try Holiday Mixology 101 at University of Alabama at Birmingham. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Drive this way to holiday lights around Birmingham. (Bham Now)
• The Birmingham Zoo's jaguar loves to play. Your Zoo’s Animal Care Professionals carefully create habitats that allow our animals to jump, play, and run. These special habitats help animals like Khan to engage, solve problems and more. (Facebook)
• The Birmingham Board of Education members and Superintendent Mark Sullivan were all smiles as the Jefferson County Commission presented a check for $3,991,775.44 for the district. (Facebook)
• Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service Department's Station 32 has made a strong showing with these bikes and coats. Thanks 32! (Facebook)
• Ever wonder what it’s like to be a professional dancer during Nutcracker season? Follow along as Alabama Ballet dancers take you backstage for George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker through our Instagram stories! (Facebook)

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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you around!

— Michael Seale

About me: I am a lifelong Alabama resident with more than two decades of media under my belt. I have worked for a daily newspaper, a weekly newspaper, a monthly magazine, a television station and a couple of radio stations. I also tried my hand at marketing for a little while. But I love writing news. This opportunity to bring Patch to Birmingham is a chance for my hometown to benefit from a new - and better - way to read and receive news.