🌱 Hoover Man Bids For World Record + Joran Van Der Sloot Extradited

Hello, everybody. I'm here with your fresh copy of the Hoover Patch newsletter, full of all the local news you need to know right now.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: Plenty of sunshine. High: 90 Low: 69.
• Sunday: A stray thunderstorm. High: 83 Low: 67.

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Here are the top three stories in Hoover today:

1. Hoover's Patrick O'Mara completed his bid to get into the Guinness World Records for most speeches given in a 24-hour period on Thursday, Jun. 8. O'Mara went up against Gujarat, India's Piyush Viyas, who gave 30 speeches in 24 hours - so on Thursday, O'Mara gave 33 speeches at 33 different locations in Hoover, Bessemer, Homewood, and Birmingham. O'Mara won't know for sure whether or not he's beat the record until video evidence has been sent to and documented by Guinness, but he's confident that he has beat the record: "We have accomplished our goal," he told the roughly 35 people who attended his final speech at 9:30 p.m. at Brock's Gap Brewery. (Hoover Sun)
2. After eighteen years, the primary suspect in the death of Mountain Brook teen Natalee Holloway has been extradited to Alabama to face charges. Joran van der Sloot, previously serving a 28-year sentence in a prison in Peru for an unrelated alleged murder, has been extradited by the Peruvian government to appear in court in Jefferson County on charges of extortion and wire fraud. Prosecutors claim that van der Sloot extorted $25,000 from Holloway's family for information that led to the discovery of her body. Van der Sloot is being held in a Hoover City jail as of Jun. 9, but will ultimately be returned to Peru after appearing in court in the United States. (1819news.com)
3. A rising junior and baseball player at nearby Trussville's Hewitt-Trussville High was hit by a falling oak tree branch while driving a golf cart at a local country club on Tuesday, Jun. 6. Grayson Pope, 16, is currently at UAB hospital suffering from brain trauma and a fractured skull, among other injuries; he is receiving love and support of friends and family. "The doctors say it's going to take some time. But my wife and I and Gray's sister Emma are with him," said his father David. "We believe in the power of prayer. We believe our son will heal. Because God's got this." (WVTM13 Birmingham)

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Today and tomorrow in and around Hoover:

Saturday, June 10

• Leeds Main Street Music Fest And Founder's Day At 1408 9th St NE, Leeds (3:00 PM)
• Michael Blackson At Main Room, Birmingham (9:15 PM)

Sunday, June 11

• ET At Jubilee Joe's Cajun Seafood Restaurant (4:00 PM)
• Maddie And Tae At Greystone Golf & Country Club, Birmingham (4:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Birmingham metro-area schools Hoover High and Vestavia Hills have been highlighted by the National Merit Scholars for their eight and 10 winners of National Merit Scholarships respectively! The state of Alabama has seen 97 National Merit Scholarship recipients this past school year, with 16 private school students and three homeschoolers. (AL.com)
• Per Governor Kay Ivey, all 12 metro areas in Alabama saw some of the lowest unemployment rates in the whole country in the past fiscal year. (AL.com)
• Oak Mountain is hosting the Annual Bump N' Grind Mountain Bike Race from Jun. 9 - 11 for the 29th year in a row. The 2023 Bump N' Grind is expected to host more than 500 athletes at one of the longest mountain bike races both in the state of Alabama and throughout the entire United States, all organized by volunteers from the Birmingham Urban Mountain Pedalers (B.U.M.P.). (Hoover Sun)

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

— 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.