🌱 Sub. Teacher Arrested For Child Porn + Local Country Music Star

Hey, neighbors. It's Thursday in Hoover and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on the most important things happening in the community. Hope you all have a great day.

But first, your local weather:

• Thursday: A t-storm around in the p.m.. High: 85 Low: 61.
• Friday: Beautiful with plenty of sun. High: 85 Low: 58.

From our sponsor:

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Here are the top three stories in Hoover today:

1. Russel John Sweeney, 48, who worked as a substitute teacher for Hoover City Schools, was arrested on Thursday, Jun. 1, on multiple child pornography charges. Sweeney was booked in the Jefferson County Jail at a bond of $60,000. Per state Attorney General Steve Marshall, Sweeney was taken into custody by Special Agents of the Attorney General's Office, in addition to law enforcement officers of the Hoover Police Department and the University of Alabama Police. Sweeney had been a substitute at the Hoover City Schools for roughly a year prior to his arrest. (WBRC)
2. Robert Abernathy, formerly a seventh-grade science teacher in Hoover at Simmons Middle School, struck gold as a country music artist by being discovered at a show at a Tin Roof in Birmingham in 2019. Since then, Abernathy has been on the move — so much so that at the end of the 2021-22 school year he retired from his job at Simmons Middle and moved to Nashville, signing with a record label in November. "These are dreams I've never pursued until I hit this old age," said Abernathy. "It's been an interesting ride. I'm going to do it while I can." (Hoover Sun)
3. Hoover salon T. Fox SalonSpa has been named one of the five Shelby County Small Businesses of the Year by Calera Main Street, the Chelsea Business Alliance, Columbiana Main Street, the Montevallo Chamber of Commerce, Montevallo Main Street, and The Shelby County Chamber. Local businesses were evaluated according to their activities over the past three years, with an eye to staying power, growth in employees, increase in sales, response(s) to adversity, and participation in the community. Owner Traci Fox is on record that she is honored to represent small businesses in the area, and that her success wouldn't be possible without her team. (Hoover Sun)

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Today and tomorrow in and around Hoover:

Thursday, June 8

• Coffee and Contacts At Hilton Garden Inn Liberty Park (7:30 AM)
• Crafternoon At Hoover Public Library (4:00 PM)

Friday, June 9

• Storytime at Lee Branch At East 59 Cafe (10:30 AM)
• Latin Night & Live Music At Cabo Coastal Grill [Birmingham] (6:00 PM)
• Bob Marston Music At Diplomat Deli [Vestavia Hills] (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Heads up, house hunters! Here are the latest homes to hit the Hoover area real estate market. (Hoover Patch)
• A 17-year-old has been charged with the murder of Deunte Jurrell Winston, 23. Winston was shot on Thursday, May 25 in the 4300 block of 44th Avenue North in Birmingham. The teen in question is currently being held at the Jefferson County Jail with no bond set. (ABC 3340)
• The 2023 state legislative session is being called historic, in part because of the record state budget and tax cuts. Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, saidm "If you look at the things we accomplished starting out the session; two priority bills, fentanyl, and adoption, I think that was significant. You look at all the accomplishments with the tax cuts, the largest tax cut in Alabama history, rebates to the people of Alabama, along with the ARPA funds where we're putting more into water and sewer in people's cities ... I mean, it's been a historic session in my opinion." (Alabama Daily News)

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Featured events:

• Father-Daughter Fun Day (Jun. 10)
• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Free Stuff And Great Perks Every Week (Jun. 13)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Thursday off right! I'll be back in your inbox soon with 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.