🌱 Man Charged With Murder + Schools Expanding Bullying Prevention

Hello and happy Thursday. I'm back in your inbox this spring morning to walk you through the most important things happening in town these days.

Also, FYI: I’m filling in temporarily to write your morning newsletters after Amy’s departure last week. But I wanted to let you know that Patch is looking for a local writer and entrepreneur to take the helm of the Huntsville Patch newsletter and make it their own. We want to pass the torch to someone truly local and in-the-know to write about Huntsville long term. So if you’re interested in earning extra income while making this newsletter a more valuable resource for your neighbors, learn more and apply here.

But first, today's weather:

A morning t-storm; cooler. High: 66 Low: 50.

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Here are the top three stories today in Huntsville:

1. Huntsville local Ismael Tariq Smith, 21, has been charged with the murder of 18-year-old Michael Tremaine Forde-Clark whose body was recovered from Flint Creek last Saturday. On Mar. 27, 911 dispatchers received a report of a robbery at Casa Santiago, a Mexican restaurant where Smith planned to trade an AK47 for a PlayStation 5 that had been arranged through Facebook Marketplace. Officers spotted the vehicle and attempted to make a stop, but it resulted in a chase that reached speeds in excess of 100 mph. After Smith lost control of the car and went into the creek, he was able to swim to shore, but Clark was seen struggling to stay above the water before being dragged downstream before officials could help him. (AL.com)
2. Huntsville City Schools will be expanding its bullying prevention programs in wake of a lawsuit settlement for the death of student Nigel Shelby. Shelby was described by family members as a compassionate and caring young man, but because he was gay, he was a target for bullying, which family members said eventually led to Shelby taking his own life on Apr. 18, 2019. After his death, Shelby's family fought for four years in the legal system to change the way that the school district handles harassment and bullying. As part of the settlement, the school agrees to update its reporting system and provide additional training for staff and teachers on recognizing and properly handling incidents of harassment. (Waay TV)
3. Huntsville's Toyota manufacturing facility officials and Huntsville Utilities announced on Wednesday the development of a 168-acre, 30-megawatt solar project that will be built around the North Huntsville Industrial Park. The new solar project is expected to cut 22,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually and will cost around $49 million to build. Once completed, the solar project will account for 70 percent of the Toyota plant's energy needs. (AL.com)

From our sponsor:

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Today in Huntsville:

• Veggies Everywhere! — Huntsville Botanical Garden (12:00 PM)
• Ribbon Cutting — Cornerstone Wealth Advisors (1:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Better Business Bureau of North Alabama will be hosting "Shred Days" in Florence, Huntsville, and Decatur. The Huntsville event will take place on Apr. 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Calhoun Community College. There will be a limit of three large bags or boxes of documents per car. (WHNT News 19)
• A study from sprinto.com, a security compliance automation platform provider, has identified Alabama as the second most at-risk state for cybercrime. It is estimated that the average loss per claim in the state is 57,477 dollars per one complaint. The most frequent types of cybercrime are non-payment/non-delivery, personal data breaches, credit card fraud, identity theft, and social media. (Fox 54)
• Yesterday was the final roll call for Huntsville Police Officer Garrett Crumby who was fatally wounded during a shooting on Mar. 29. The City of Huntsville said that it will continue to remember and honor the sacrifice and service of Officer Crumby. If you'd like to watch the service, you can find the video here. (City of Huntsville, Alabama via Instagram)

Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll catch up with you bright and early soon with a new update!

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.