🌱 Robot Teaches Safety + Mobile Annexation Map + Teachers Win Awards

Hi all. It's me, Miranda Fraraccio, your host of the Daily. Here's all the local news you need to know right now.

But first, today's weather:

Turning cloudy and cooler. High: 60 Low: 47.

Are you a business owner or marketer in Mobile who wants to build awareness, connect with customers and increase sales? If that's you, then I invite you to see how our newsletter sponsorships combine our local audience reach with your expertise to attract new customers. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top three stories in Mobile today:

1. The Mobile County Public School System will be using a robot to teach students about bus safety. The fully-functional, animated robot named Buster — the first of its kind in the state — was delivered to Mobile on Thursday morning. "This is fun. I mean when you get to come to work and play with a robot, that’ll be cool!" said Patrick Tolbert, the MCPSS CDL bus driver trainer, and the voice and operator behind Buster. (NBC 15 WPMI)
2. On Wednesday, the Mobile Mayor released proposed annexation maps for the city. Mayor Sandy Stimpson released the boundaries for four potential annexation areas, which could grow the city's population by anywhere from 16,700 to 26,100 residents (depending on which map is approved). Preliminary numbers from the mayor show that all proposed areas would leave the city with a majority African-American population and voting-age population. (WKRG News 5)
3. Three Mobile area teachers were given top teaching awards by The Alabama Science Teachers' Association. Three out of the four awards from the association were given to local teachers. Hutchens Elementary's Maegan Gayle was named Alabama Elementary Science Teacher of the Year; Barton Academy's Doctor Megan McCall was awarded the same honor in the middle school category. E.R. Dickson Elementary's Micaela Ross was named the Fannie Mae Teacher of Promise. (WJTC)

Today in Mobile:

• Encaustic Workshop With Julie Snidle At Mobile Museum Of Art (9:00 AM)
• Mobile Job Fair Hosted By CloudHire (11:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Ready to get rid of that junk that's been lying around? Register for Mobile's Largest Yard Sale at The Grounds on Mar. 11! (NBC 15 WPMI)
• Some Mobile businesses are concerned over the Springhill Avenue closure, which is shut down for railroad repairs. Store owners state that the closure and the traffic it's causing are affecting their businesses. (WKRG News 5)
• Be on the lookout for crypto scams. According to the Better Business Bureau, these kinds of scams are up in the south Alabama area. (WKRG News 5)

Alrighty, you're all good for today! I'll see you around.

— 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.