Tracking Hurricane Ida + Accused Kidnapper In Custody

Good morning, Magic City neighbors! It's me again, Michael Seale, your host of the Birmingham Daily. Hope everyone is getting a good start to their weekend. Unless meteorologist extraordinaire James Spann has led me astray, next week is going to be wet and stormy, so enjoy whatever sunshine we can get this weekend.

First, today's weather: Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day. High: 90, low: 74.

Here are the top stories today in Birmingham:

1. Week 2 of the high school football season concluded last night. Check out the Patch Scoreboard to see all the scores of games in the Birmingham area. (Birmingham Patch)
2. Hurricane Ida is expected to bring multiple storms — and possibly tornadoes — to Alabama next week as it hits the Louisiana coast. The Birmingham area is likely going to get drenched. (Alabama NewsCenter)
3. The accused kidnapper of a newborn baby in Fairfield Tuesday is in custody. A friend of the baby's mom, Lakesha Brown, has been charged with kidnapping and is in custody at Jefferson County Jail. The investigation has indicated that Brown may have done this before. (Birmingham Patch)
4. I hate hearing this, but it is certainly newsworthy to note that Children's of Alabama officials say some patients with COVID-19 are struggling to breathe. These stories about children affected by COVID-19 are heartbreaking. (WBRC)
5. Those of you dreaming of a high-speed rail system in Birmingham may want to check this story out from CBS 42. It looks like the concept is making strides in the city. (WIAT - CBS42.com)

Today in Birmingham

• Check out the US National Floorball Championship at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (7 a.m.)
• Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark is offering a unique opportunity for photographers with this 1-day workshop taught by Meg McKinney. (8 a.m.)
• I love a good yard sale. And this one, coupled with a market, looks promising — especially since it benefits the Fellowship House, Inc. It takes place at Sloss Furnace, so it's also at a cool location. (10 a.m.)
• Charles Barkley is hosting a COVID-19 vaccine rally at Legion Field, part of his "Get Stuck With Chuck" campaign. (11 a.m.)
• Weather permitting, of course, the Birmingham Barons are still in town, hosting the Montgomery Biscuits at Regions Field. Tonight, each time the Barons record an out, one lucky fan will win a bridal gift bag, thanks to All About That Dress. (6:30 p.m.)

Birmingham Patch Notebook

• This is a head-scratcher. The Birmingham Water Works Board is $1 billion in debt, but they're buying lake homes. CBS 42's Jack Royer has more. (Twitter)
  
• Frothy Monkey will be taking over the former home of Urban Standard in downtown Birmingham. No firm date has been determined for opening, but look for updates. See more from IN Birmingham. (Instagram)
• This newsletter wouldn't be complete without an awesome sunset photo from the James Spann Instagram account. This one is from Lake Guntersville, photo from DeLisa Hutchins. (Instagram)
• Birmingham City Schools really needs substitute teachers. The system tweeted out info yesterday on how you can become a sub in the Birmingham school system. (Twitter)
• City of Birmingham Government: "The Pride Where I Reside" campaign is all about making all our communities as beautiful as possible. That includes Ensley, which was spruced up this week thanks to our Public Works crews. (Instagram)

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You're all caught up for today! See you all tomorrow morning for your next update. If you're loving these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to follow along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— 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.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Birmingham Daily? You can reach me at michael.seale@patch.com.