🌱 Ford: Next Homegrown MLB Great? + Team USA Wins Softball Gold

Welcome back, Hoover! I'm here in your inbox this morning to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on around town. Here goes...

First, today's weather:

A t-storm around in the p.m. High: 94 Low: 71.

Here are the top three stories today in Hoover:

1. A one-time Hoover baseball player may be headed to the majors. Walter Ford, who transferred from Hoover to Pace High, is considered one of the best pitching prospects in the country. He shared his thoughts on how he's grown through his career so far, and where he hopes to go. The MLB Draft begins at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. (WEAR)
2. Nine women from Harding University's track and field program received All-Academic honors on Wednesday. Among the recipients is Anna Kay Clark, a sophomore at Harding who graduated from Hoover High. She is an accounting major with a stellar 3.97 GPA. She also had a provisional mark of 47.02 meters in the outdoor javelin. Click the link to see the full list of honorees. (Harding University Athletics)
3. That's all, folks! Team USA Softball locked down the gold medal in Wednesday's championship round against Japan. The rivals last squared off in an empty stadium in the Tokyo Olympics where the Japanese were victorious, but Team USA brought the gold home in Hoover with a crowd of 8,200 cheering them on. Haylie McCleney, a native of Morris and a legendary UA softball player, was named the tournament MVP after going eight-for-fifteen with five RBIs and four runs scored. (AL.com)

Today in Hoover:

• Virtual LEGO Competition Deadline Online (Online)
• Mt Laurel Toddler Tales, At Mt Laurel Public Library (10:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Looking for a little somethin' somethin'? Learn all about BUZD, the app for same-day alcohol or cannabis delivery at the link. (Bham Now)
• James Spann shared a beautiful gallery of the summer sunset. Click the link to see the beautiful array of colors. (James Spann via Instagram)
• Don't miss it! Friends of the Hoover Public Library is hosting the Fill A Bag Book Sale from noon to 4:00 p.m. today, Jul. 15. It's only $5 to fill up a bag with books. (Friends of the Hoover Public Library via Facebook)

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Events:

• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (July 20)
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You're all caught up for today! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with a new update.

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander, now living in New York. She works as a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and is a graduate of The University of Rhode Island, where she earned a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.