🌱 Huntsville Officer Released From Hospital + Mental Health Walk

Hello again, Huntsville! It's me, Sean Peek, your host of the Patch newsletter. Here's everything you need to know about what's happening in town.

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:

Sunny, pleasant and warmer. High: 78 Low: 48.

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Here are the top three stories today in Huntsville:

1. Huntsville Police Officer Albert Morin was released from the hospital Friday evening after being shot in the line of duty late last month. The shooting also took the life of Officer Garrett Crumby. Mornin released a statement thanking everyone who has sent get-well cards and the local organizations like churches for bringing food over to his family while he's been in the hospital. The shooter, Juan Robert Laws, 24, was booked into the Madison County Jail and faces the charge of capital murder of a law enforcement officer. His preliminary hearing is set for Apr. 20. (AL.com)
2. A Huntsville woman has turned the loss of her mother into an inaugural mental health walk called The Freedom Walk. Dee Pitts lost her life to suicide, but her legacy lives on through her daughter, Dr. Cubeon Washington. On Saturday afternoon, attendees from groups like the Veteran Center of Huntsville and the Crisis Services of North Alabama showed up for the inaugural event, which honored Pitts' mother’s life, at Dr. Robert Shurney Legacy Center Park. Washington hopes the event will be hosted annually. (WHNT News 19)
3. The City of Huntsville will host NASA's annual Student Launch Rocketry Competition after two years of virtual events. The annual event is set for Saturday, Apr. 23, at Bragg Farms in nearby Toney. Student Launch challenges middle school, high school, college, and university students to design, build, test, and fly a payload and high-powered amateur rocket. 60 teams from 23 states, plus Puerto Rico, are taking part in this year’s competition; 27 teams are expected to launch in person. (WZDX)

From our sponsor:

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Today in Huntsville:

• Stroller Tuesdays At Huntsville Botanical Garden (9:00 AM)
• Multimodal Safety Action Plan Public Input Session - First Baptist Church Huntsville (5:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• This week, the City of Huntsville will be offering college students free transit on the Orbit buses with valid IDs. The offer applies to students, staff, and faculty at all Huntsville-area colleges and universities. (City of Huntsville, Alabama - Government)
• Citizens and visitors of Huntsville can enjoy the traveling Smithsonian exhibit, “The Bias Inside Us,” starting on Apr. 22. The show will debut at the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library’s (HMCPL) downtown branch. (City of Huntsville, Alabama - Government)
• The third annual Crawfish Festival will be taking place in Huntsville this Saturday. There will be all-you-can-eat crawfish, live music, New Orleans-inspired beverages, beignets, face painting, lemonade and so much more! The event starts at 12:00 p.m. (Huntsville.org)

Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you all tomorrow for another 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.