🌱 Shooting Suspect Pleads Guilty + Transgender College Athletes Bill

Hello all. It's me, Miranda Fraraccio, your host of the Hoover Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with all the most important things happening in town these days.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and very warm. High: 86 Low: 55.

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Here are the top three stories today in Hoover:

1. One of three suspects pleaded guilty to the 2019 fatal shooting of a UAB student outside the Riverchase Galleria. Michael Jaran Brown, 23, is one of three men charged in the killing of 20-year-old Zachariah Taylor Music. He pleaded guilty Friday, Apr. 14, to felony murder, court records show. According to court records in the case against Washington, Music was killed during the course of a theft of cash and THC vape cartridges. Brown was sentenced to 20 years in prison with five years to serve. (AL.com)
2. In an 83-5 bipartisan vote on Tuesday, a transgender college athletes bill passed the house prohibiting college athletes from participating in sports that do not correspond to their biological sex. House Bill 261 (HB261), sponsored by State Rep. Susan DuBose (R-Hoover), would require all public two-year and four-year institutions of higher education to prohibit biological males from participating in athletic teams or sports. The bill will head to the Senate for deliberation. (1819 News)
3. In a new multi-unit franchising agreement with Hoover-based Baba Java Coffee, Popbar will be adding stores in Hoover and Birmingham. This is the third multi-unit franchising agreement that Popbar has signed over the last six months. Popbar stores are currently available in California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Texas, as well as international locations in Canada and Portugal. (Franchising.com)

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Today in and around Hoover:

• Tour 2023: Fronteras At Hoover Public Library (7:30 PM)
• Orville Peck At Iron City in Birmingham (8:00)

From my notebook:

• The road closure at Sulphur Springs Road is being extended for another 10 to 14 days due to a utility conflict delay. As part of the Sulphur Springs Culvert Replacement Program, crews will be replacing the culvert that is under the street. (City of Hoover via Facebook)
• The Hoover Police Department had a special visitor at the chief’s office on Wednesday. Meet Hoover 911 Telecommunications Center’s emotional support dog, Willow. (Hoover (AL) Police Department via Facebook)
• As a reminder, the deadline to purchase tickets for The Mayor's Prayer Breakfast is next Wednesday, Apr. 26. Slated for May 2 at 7:30 a.m., single tickets for the event are up for $35, and a table of ten is $350. (City of Hoover via Twitter)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday. See you all tomorrow morning 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.