🌱 Hoover Students Participate In United Event + Fatal Car Accident

Hello, hello. Miranda Fraraccio here with your fresh copy of the Hoover Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out all the local information you need to know right now.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: Times of clouds and sun. High: 79 Low: 57.
• Sunday: Mostly cloudy. High: 72 Low: 45.

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Here are the top three stories today in Hoover:

1. After the recent loss of several students in the Birmingham area, a group of students from different schools — including Hoover High — hosted an event on Friday called United to bring students together and support one another. The event at the Shades Mountain Baptist Church youth building featured speakers, worship songs, and testimonies and is open to anyone seeking support. Three students, Camron Glover, Grant Tincher, and Elijah Joseph, organized the event to continue the legacy of their friend Channing McGuffee. (WBRC)
2. Khalia Smith, a high school student from nearby Helena, was killed in a single-vehicle accident on County Road 52. The accident happened when the vehicle left the roadway and hit several trees while negotiating a curve. The Shelby County School district will make available counselors at the Helena High School to assist students and school personnel who may need help or assistance. (WBRC)
3. A recent study by Zillow has found that the Birmingham-Hoover area is one of several metros in the United States where households are “severely burdened” by the cost of rent, with more than half of a household's income going towards paying for housing. While Birmingham-Hoover was not among the leaders such as Orlando, Austin, and Phoenix, the area still demonstrates one of the problems facing low-income families, including diminishing government assistance. The study also shows that housing shortages were already an issue before the COVID-19 pandemic, causing rent prices to rise while incomes remained stagnant. (AL.com)

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Today and tomorrow in and around Hoover:

Saturday, April 29

• Kharris' Drag Brunch At Stardome Showroom (12:00 PM)

Sunday, April 30

• Live Jazz Brunch At FIVE, Birmingham (9:00 AM)

In partnership with T-Mobile:

Do you know a Hoover student who’s making a difference in the community? We want to hear about them! Click here to nominate a student to be featured on Patch.

From my notebook:

• The City of Hoover thanked participants for joining the free, statewide 100 Alabama Miles Challenge that encourages people to get 100 miles of activity annually through various physical activities. You can see photos from the event at the link! (City of Hoover via Facebook)
• On Saturday, Apr. 22, several fire engines, rescue units, and district cars responded to a two-story house fire in which no occupants were found and were able to extinguish the blaze, while a good samaritan alerted the occupants and helped a person with limited mobility from the residence. (Hoover Fire Department via Facebook)
• The next Hoover City Council meeting will take place on Monday, May 1 at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Click here to view the agenda when it becomes available. (City of Hoover)
• A new study by Bumper.com found that electric vehicle ‘charging deserts’ – places where charging stations and ports are in short supply – stretch across states, largely divided by economic and racial lines. On average in Alabama, there are 0.91 charge ports per 10,000 people. Learn more about EV charging rates in Alabama and nationwide at the link. (Bumper.com)

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That's it 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.