🌱 Local Rep. Speaks On New Spending Bill + Car Crash Leaves 4 Injured

Hey, friends! It's Thursday in Montgomery and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on the most important things happening locally.

But first, your local weather:

• Thursday: Warmer with sunshine. High: 72 Low: 57.
• Friday: Heavy rain and a thunderstorm. High: 69 Low: 41.

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Here are the top three stories today in Montgomery:

1. On Mar. 14, the Alabama House of Representatives passed a $1.06 billion spending bill that will use the last of the federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act. The bill allots up to $400 million toward health care-related services, another $660 million for water, sewer and broadband infrastructure, and then $55 million for health emergency economic programs and services. Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, said he was "pleased" that the bill passed. About concerns over dispersing the funds correctly, Ensler said, "A lot of [the funding allocations] will be worked out in the memorandums of agreement that the state agencies or departments have, and that’s going to be really key what those details are, making sure that it is dispersed in an equitable way." (AL Daily News)
2. On Mar. 14, Montgomery police and fire department medics responded to a single-vehicle crash on I-85 near Exit 2. The driver, who sustained life-threatening injuries, and three passengers, with non-life-threatening injuries, were taken to a local hospital. (AlabamaNews.net)
3. The Montgomery Kiwanis Club awarded $327,000 in grants, which was raised through the Alabama National Fair, to help 17 local organizations. The grants will be distributed to a variety of organizations, from substance abuse awareness to providing a safe place to sleep for at-risk children. Some of the organizations include The Children’s Center of Montgomery, Alabama Sheriffs Youth Ranches, Alabama Dance Theatre, Black Seeds Arts Academy, and The Family Sunshine Center. The 2023 National Fair will take place from Oct. 6-13. (WSFA)

Today and tomorrow in Montgomery:

Thursday, March 16

• Coffee With Andrew At Hilltop Public House (4:30 PM)
• Karaoke Nights At Yellowhammer Bistro (6:00 PM)

Friday, March 17

• St. Patrick's Day Party At Corner Pocket (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• U.S. District Judge W. Keith Watkins ruled against the Alabama laws prohibiting panhandling, ruling that the statutes are unconstitutional. The state can no longer enforce the laws against begging and pedestrian solicitation. The litigation was originally filed in 2020 on behalf of people who had been ticketed or jailed for panhandling in Montgomery. (AL.com)
• Three singers with major ties to Montgomery made it past the “blind auditions” on season 23 of NBC’s "The Voice!" (Montgomery Advertiser via Facebook)
• On Mar. 14, a mature Collie dog with a weathered black fabric collar was found near Woodley Road and Hawthorne. Please call George Taylor at (334) 818-1515 if you know the pup's owners! (Montgomery, Alabama - Lost Dogs, Cats & Pets via Facebook)

You're all caught up for today. I'll be back in your inbox soon with your next update!

— Rose Mendez

About me: Rose Mendez is a freelance writer. She is studying English Literature at Hunter College. She loves reading, walking around the city, and coffee!