🌱 Rent And Utility Assistance Approved + Lioness Killed At B'ham Zoo

Good morning, everybody! I'm back with your new edition of the Birmingham Daily. Let's get this Friday started off right, with a quick dive into the most important things happening in town...

First, today's weather:

A t-storm around in the a.m.. High: 91 Low: 74.

Here are the top three stories in Birmingham today:

1. The City of Birmingham has allocated additional money for rental and utility assistance for residents in need. $6.6 million was allocated for the purpose of supporting those residents, which is a continuation of the $10.2 million provided throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. First-time applicants looking for support can apply through Jul. 29, but prior applicants will get priority. Click the link to learn more. (WVTM13 Birmingham)
2. A 17-year-old African lioness was killed on Monday afternoon after she was introduced to a male lion. According to Carole Baskin of "Tiger King" fame and the CEO of Big Cat Rescue, the violent end is an unfortunate result of commonplace zoo practices. She did admit that similar lion deaths occur in the wild, but said that the attempt to control outcomes in a zoo is trying to "play God." Click the link to read a full statement from the zoo and from Baskin. (WRBL)
3. Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport was the landing site of a diverted flight. According to fire officials, Fire and Rescue received a call about injured passengers aboard the flight at 3:13 p.m. on Wednesday. The passengers had been injured by turbulence during the flight. The seven passengers were taken to the hospital with minor injuries while three others were treated on location. (WVTM13 Birmingham)

Today in Birmingham:

• Smokey And The Bandit at Alabama Theatre (2:00 PM)
• Friday Movie Matinee at Woodlawn Branch Library (2:00 PM)
• Hope & Healing Weekend Grief Workshop at The Vision Retreat Center (3:00 PM)
• Chill Mode at Smithfield Branch Library (3:30 PM)
• Anatomy Of Gray By Jim Leonard, Jr. at Birmingham Festival Theatre (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Looking good! Birmingham Botanical Gardens worked with Birmingham Parks and Recreation to restore the main entrance fountain at the garden. Click the link to see a photo of the beautiful pond and fountain. (Birmingham Botanical Gardens via Facebook)
• Birmingham Public Library brought firefighters to the West End Branch Library for the Summer Reading activity. Kids got to meet firefighters and tour Corrine, the pink firetruck painted for breast cancer awareness. Check out the pictures at the link. (Birmingham Public Library via Facebook)
• Work incoming! City of Birmingham Government, with recommendations from Mayor Woodfin and approval by the city council, will be repaving Jefferson Avenue Southwest. The more than half-a-million dollar project will begin in four to six weeks. (City of Birmingham Government via Instagram)

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning with your next 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.