🌱 Patch AM: What Hoover’s 2.0% jobless rate really says about local jobs

Good morning Hoover! We're back in your inbox this morning to keep you in the loop with what's happening in and around town. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• What Hoover’s 2.0% jobless rate really says about local jobs
• Hoover families lean on this Riverchase minister during life’s hardest moments
• How Hoover police helped crack a deadly prison fentanyl operation

Today's riddle: What did one pirate say to the other? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Saturday: Some rain and a thunderstorm, with a high of 66 and low of 38 degrees.
• Sunday: Cooler; breezy in the morning, temps: high: 47, low: 29.
• Monday: Plenty of sunshine, with a high of 53 and low of 29 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Alabama's unemployment rate drops to 2.7 percent in November (alreporter.com) — Hoover’s unemployment rate has dropped to a very low 2.0%, placing the city among Alabama’s best-performing job markets as the statewide rate fell to 2.7% in November. State officials report record-high employment, labor force participation, and average weekly wages, with strong growth in sectors like leisure and hospitality, health services, and construction.
   

2. How Faulkner Alumnus Malvin Sanders Serves Families in Faith (faulkner.edu) — A longtime youth and family minister now serving at Riverchase Church of Christ in Hoover has been honored by Faulkner University as a Distinguished Alumnus. Malvin Sanders, a 2013 graduate, has spent nearly 12 years guiding teens and families in faith. He and his family live out that mission locally while he also pursues advanced training in marriage and family therapy.
   

3. Cartel member convicted in 2008 Shelby County quintuple murder ran prison fentanyl, money laundering scheme (al.com) — Hoover residents should know that local police helped investigate a major prison-based fentanyl and money laundering ring tied to a cartel member already imprisoned for a 2008 Shelby County quintuple murder. Federal prosecutors say the inmate used contraband phones and local business fronts to move more than 19 kilograms of fentanyl and launder hundreds of thousands of dollars before receiving another life sentence.
   

4. Week in Review: Jan. 3-10 (prepbaseballreport.com) — Hoover baseball fans will spot familiar names in this statewide high school baseball roundup, including standout Hoover High prospects Will Adams, Jaxson Wood, and 2028 star Hudson Oliver. The piece recaps recent scouting events, previews upcoming showcase camps, highlights new recruiting commitments, and points readers to detailed team previews and uncommitted player spotlights from across Alabama.
   

📸 Around Hoover

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Hoover

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Monday January 12

• Libby Meet & Greet
  Hoover Public Library - Circulation Lobby
  10:30 am
• Crafting Kindness
  Hoover Public Library - #Friends Meeting Room
  3:00 pm

Tuesday January 13

• Word: Crash Course!
  Hoover Public Library - #Friends Meeting Room
  10:00 am
• Monthly Luncheon
  Vestavia Hills Civic Center , 1090 Montgomery Highway , Vestavia Hills
  11:30 am
• Libby Meet & Greet
  Hoover Public Library - Circulation Lobby
  3:30 pm
• Complimentary Tasting: Hoover Steaks & Wines
  Hoover Steaks & Wines , 5868 Elsie Road , Hoover
  4:30 pm

Wednesday January 14

• On Wednesdays We WINE for half-off!
  Hoover Chamber of Commerce , 5426 Hwy 280 Suite 6 , Hoover
  3:00 pm

Thursday January 15

• Coffee and Contacts - Arise Knox Square
  Hoover Chamber of Commerce , 3000 Riverchase Galleria, Suite 375 , Hoover
  7:30 am

📣 Hoover Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Saturday January 10

• LEGO Club every 2nd Saturday
  Chelsea Public Library Come to the library for LEGO free play. Use our bricks to create your own creations or try occasional challenges.  - Chelsea AL 35043
  10:00 am
• Crafterday: Now with Extended Hours!
  O'Neal Public Library , 50 Oak St , Mountain Brook
  10:00 am
• Aesthetic Room Decorating
  O'Neal Public Library , 50 Oak St , Mountain Brook
  10:00 am
• Basic Crochet Lessons
  Hoover Public Library - Plaza Cafe
  11:00 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Hoover PatchAM possible:

• Refine Weight and Wellness — (205) 223-3215
  New Medically subscribed Weight Loss Clinic in Hoover
• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• "The Appendices" by J.
  R.R. Tolkien - A Book Review… Sort of http://newdayinklings.com/2026/01/09/the-appendices-by-j-r-r-tolkien-a-book-review-sort-of/ (Nextdoor Bluff Park)
• Report of police activity prompting road closures in Birmingham, Alabama.
  2:24PM on Jan 8: Police have blocked off several intersections downtown. (Nextdoor )

Ok Hoover! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I sea you!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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