🌱 WWII Vet Receives Quilt + Jefferson County Drug Bust + Bookmobile

Morning, everybody. I'm here with your Tuesday edition of the Birmingham Daily, filled with all the things you need to know about what's happening in town.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 61 Low: 48.

Are you tired of blending in with all the other real estate agents in Birmingham? Stand out with a premium sponsorship in our newsletter. Gain valuable exposure for yourself to our highly engaged local readership. Click here to learn more about this exclusive opportunity.

Here are the top three stories today in Birmingham:

1. On Saturday afternoon, a 103-year-old WWII vet was awarded a quilt of honor from Quilts Of Valor. Birmingham's Cecil Parker, who was in charge of Army tank ops, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and took part in all five major battles in Europe, received a quilt from the foundation, which has provided over 318,000 quilts to veterans so far. The hero's quilt was made by the Birmingham Quilting Guild; various members of the organization took turns quilting the blanket. (WVTM13 Birmingham)
2. On Friday, police seized nearly 50 pounds of cocaine, heroin, and meth in a massive drug bust in Jefferson County. After a 10-month investigation, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office carried out search warrants in five different locations — mostly apartments — and found a total of 19.5 pounds of cocaine, 5.74 pounds of heroin, 22 pounds of methamphetamine, 30 ounces of marijuana, and 150 grams of a fentanyl/ heroin mixture. Two Birmingham men, Antonio Powell, 33, and Lumon Layton, 49, were taken into custody. (AL.com)
3. The new Birmingham Public Library Bookmobile will be revealed to the public today (Jan. 10), after more than a year of planning. The unveiling of the new vehicle, which was designed to offer traveling library services across the city, will be revealed during a ceremony at 3:30 p.m. at the Central Library. "This library on wheels will allow the Birmingham Public Library to continue putting people first by expanding our high-quality services and programs outside our physical walls to neighborhoods across Birmingham," said Janine Langston, the executive director of the Birmingham Public Library, in a press release from Birmingham Public Library. (AL.com)

Today in Birmingham:

• Basketball Open Play, At Levite Jewish Community Center (6:00 AM)
• Stop, Drop & Breathe, At North Birmingham Regional Branch Library (10:30 AM)
• Drink Specials & Jazz Jam, At Little Italy's Pizza & Pints (3:00 PM)
• Paper Dragons, At Birmingham Public Library (3:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Slutty Vegan, located at 5 55th Place South, has reopened in Birmingham after a temporary shutdown. (AL.com)
• Two crashes over the weekend in Jefferson County claimed the life of two individuals — Jose Rodolfo Cruz Vargas, 25, of Pelham, and Procha Patrice Williams, 34, of Birmingham. (Trussvilletribune)
• The Jefferson County Department of Health is hosting free COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics every Tuesday & Friday in January from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. No need for ID, legal status, or insurance. Click the link for more information. (Birmingham City Schools via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Roaring 20’s Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner Event at Birmingham’s Historic Arlington House (January 21)
• Add your event

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

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where she earned degrees in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or practicing film photography.