🌱 Police Impersonator Arrested + School Pays Tribute To WWII Vet

Welcome back, Mobile! I'm here in your inbox per usual to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's going on around town, including updates on:

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But first, today's weather:

A couple of afternoon showers. High: 75 Low: 64.

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Here are the top three stories in Mobile today:

1. A Mobile Catholic school is paying tribute to a World War II veteran who made the ultimate sacrifice. Nearly 80 years after his sacrifice, St. Mary Catholic School is posthumously awarding Lt. Harry Anslem Partridge Jr. with its Distinguished Graduate award. After his plane was shot down during a bombing raid near the town of Boffalora, Italy in 1944, Lt. Partridge's veered his plane into the woods, sparing their village below. (WKRG News 5)
2. About 35 minutes from Mobile, the Bay Minette Police Department arrested a man Saturday night who impersonated a Baldwin County Investigator. David Starke was found impersonating a police officer and carrying knives and a gun. Police said Starke told officers he was investigating a complaint “he had received regarding exploitation of children.” Police were called to West Mango Street on Saturday, Feb. 4 at around 10:20 p.m. in reference to a civil issue but while officers were on the way, the caller said Starke identified as an investigator. (WKRG News 5)
3. Former McGill-Toolen head coach Norman Joseph was told on Dec. 9 that he would not be retained for a third year as the head coach of the Yellow Jackets, but within 24 hours, he had an offer to return to college coaching. Joseph called his new job as the offensive coordinator at Stetson University simply a “God thing.” (AL.com)

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Today in Mobile:

• Learning Lunch: Steve Joynt Feat. The Excelsior Band At The History Museum Of Mobile (12:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• According to a new Bumper.com study, Alabama ranked No. 13 in the nation for driver fatality rates at 23.10 percent. Could our automated red light and speed cameras be playing a role? See how our state stacks up against the rest of the country in the report. (Bumper.com)
• Taste some of the best chili in the area at Ecumenical Ministries’ Chili for Charity 2023. Enjoy live music by Blind Dog Mike and the Howlers, a mechanical Bull, and other great attractions. The event will take place on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m at the Halstead Amphitheater in nearby Fairhope. Tickets are $15.00 at the gate, $12.50 in advance, and children 12 and under are free. (WKRG News 5)
• Baldwin County Animal Shelter's Pet of the Week is a five-year-old Chihuahua mix named Errol. Errol is a sweet little dog who loves people but doesn’t particularly like bigger dogs. Click here for a link to his application if you are interested in adopting Errol. (WKRG News 5)
• Operation Clean Sweep lets Mobile residents dispose of unwanted items for free in an effort to make the neighborhood a cleaner place to live. The event will take place on Saturday, Mar. 4 from 7:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Irving Landfill, located at 7195 Halfmill Rd in Irvington. (Mobile County, Alabama via Facebook)

That's it for today. 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.