🌱 $7M For Inpatient Sexual Assault Victim + Mobile Litter Collection

Good morning, neighbors! It's me, Miranda Fraraccio, your host of the Patch newsletter. Let's get this Friday started off right with a quick review of everything you need to know about what's happening in town.

Also, FYI: I wanted to let you know that Patch is looking for a local writer and entrepreneur to take the helm of the Mobile Patch newsletter and make it their own. We want to pass the torch to someone truly local and in-the-know to write about Mobile 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 gusty t-storm in the a.m.. High: 81 Low: 52.

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Here are the top three stories today in Mobile:

1. A young man who was sexually assaulted by another patient while in the care of AltaPointe Health System’s BayPointe Children’s Psychiatric Hospital in Mobile has been awarded $7M in a jury verdict. The victim, who is mentally incapacitated, was placed in a “timeout room” for 18 hours after the assault, before being transferred to a local hospital for a sexual assault nursing examination. The jury found that AltaPointe had breached its duty of care and awarded $3M in compensatory damages and $4M in punitive damages. (NBC 15 WPMI)
2. As of Thursday afternoon, the Mobile Police Department is asking for help from the public to locate a missing individual, 24-year-old Coniah Dubose, who may be in danger. Dubose is described as having black dreads, brown eyes, and a height of 5'11" with a weight of 175 lbs. If anyone has information about his whereabouts, contact the police department at 251-208-7211 or leave an anonymous tip via text, by calling 844-251-0644, or online at mobilepd.org/crimetip. (Fox 10 News)
3. In 2022, the City of Mobile collaborated with community groups and individuals to collect an impressive 257,000 pounds of litter from roadsides and waterways through their Litter-Free Mobile initiative. The project included the development of a Litter Dashboard to track the efforts of the city, its contractors, and local partners in combating litter. Mayor Sandy Stimpson expressed gratitude to everyone involved, from the City of Mobile Litter Crew to citizens who participated in clean-up events or picked up trash during their daily routines. (NBC 15 WPMI)

Today in Mobile:

• Mobile Boat Show, At Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center (12:00 PM)

Tomorrow, Mar. 4:

• Ella And The Sunday Sinners, At River Shack (4:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Mobile Literary Festival will be headed to the Ben May Main Library on Mar. 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The event is free and features creative writing workshops, poetry readings, publishing industry panel discussions, and The Haunted Book Shop pop-up shop. (Fox 10 News)
• A construction contract worth $4.7 million for Phase 2 of the Miracle Field Park in West Mobile has been approved by the Mobile County Board of School Commissioners. (NBC 15 WPMI)
• Looking for some fun this month? Check out this month's list of events scheduled with the Mobile Parks and Rec department! (Fox 10 News)

You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you soon.

— 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.