🌱 Hoover's Low Unemployment Rate + Local Daycare Under Investigation

Hi all! Miranda Fraraccio here with your Saturday edition of the Hoover Patch newsletter, filled with all the community information you need to know right now.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: A shower and t-storm; warmer. High: 79 Low: 63.
• Sunday: Humid; a stray p.m. t-storm. High: 82 Low: 64.

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Here are the top three stories in Hoover today:

1. On Wednesday, May 3, Governor Kay Ivey announced that three of Alabama's metropolitan areas have the lowest unemployment rates in the country. The Birmingham-Hoover area was ranked the lowest in the nation at 1.8 percent and that includes a population of nearly one million people. These ranks are compiled each month by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. (ALReporter.com)
2. Hoover's City Council recently agreed to spend nearly $1.4 million on correcting four stormwater drainage problems in and around Bluff Park. The biggest project is roughly estimated to be $1,080,526 and includes replacing a culvert, increasing the capacity of a roadside ditch, and constructing a retaining wall meant to keep cars out of the ditch. According to City Engineer Chris Reeves, this specific project will be extremely challenging as there is a dam nearby, so contractors believe heavy machinery might compromise it. (Hoover Sun)
3. A Hoover mom, whose 4-year-old daughter attends Sugar N Spice Daycare and Kindergarten, filed a police report after finding a staff member gave her child melatonin without her permission. The mother, Averill Perkins, now believes that this sleep aid is negatively impacting her daughter, as well as the health of another daughter who previously attended the facility. The owner of the daycare is disputing her claims, but the Jefferson County Department of Human Resources is investigating. (AL.com)

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Today in and around Hoover:

• Birmingham Folk Festival at Avondale Park, Birmingham (11:00 AM)
• STEP Birmingham String Ensembles at Hoover Public Library (1:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Representatives from the Hoover Parks & Public Spaces Plan will be hanging at Shades Mountain Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. answering questions and receiving feedback about their newest initiative. The plan will focus on improving Blueways, Greenways, and Trails — including spots like the Cahaba River, which is an integral space to the ecosystem. If you're unable to attend, you can also share feedback by taking the survey linked here. (City of Hoover)
• The Birmingham Botanical Gardens will be hosting its Rosé in the Roses event from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 11. All attendees will be able to sip on a glass of rosé provided by Finch Fine Wines and bask in the Gardens' roses. If you're interested in registering for the event, visit here. (bbgardens.org)
• It's time to channel your inner Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia as the Birmingham Art Museum pays tribute to the Golden Girls during their Art After 5 event on Thursday, Jun. 1. The event will be a night of nostalgia where art and pop culture collide and all attendees will be able to enjoy music, maker activities, and much more. (Birmingham Art Museum)

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You're all caught up for today. See you all soon for another update!

— 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.