🌱 Montgomery Botanical Gardens Expanding + Officer Carlos Taylor Dies

Hello, hello! It's me, Danielle Fallon-O'Leary, your host of the Montgomery Patch newsletter. Come along for everything you need to know about what's happening around town.

But first, your local weather:

• Tuesday: A stray afternoon t-storm. High: 90 Low: 75.
• Wednesday: Couple of thunderstorms. High: 88 Low: 73.

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Here are the top three stories today in Montgomery:

1. The Montgomery Botanical Gardens has plans to expand. The two-acre expansion plan includes adding a historic Montgomery fountain, a Japanese maple garden, and a pedestrian entrance to the garden. In the expansion project's first step, a civil survey will be conducted. (Montgomery Advertiser)
2. Former Montgomery Police Officer Carlos Taylor died suddenly after suffering critical injuries from an on-duty crash in 2017. Taylor, who was supported by the community following the 2017 crash that left him unable to walk or communicate verbally, died 10 days after his 29th birthday. It is currently unclear what Taylor's official cause of death was, and funeral plans have not yet been publicly announced. (WSFA)
3. A nearby Jackson Lake Island home that was featured in the film "Big Fish" was recently fully burned after a lightning strike. According to a Facebook post by Jackson Lake Island, all goats that live on the island were unharmed by the storm. Click the link to view photos of the damage. (Montgomery Advertiser)

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Today and tomorrow in Montgomery:

Tuesday, July 4

• Independence Day Boat Party At Sip-N-Cycle Pedal Cruise (11:00 AM)
• Montgomery Independence Day Celebration At Riverfront Park (5:00 PM)

Wednesday, July 5

• Edible Sprouts: Montgomery County Lunch And Learn At Montgomery Cultural Arts Center (12:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Due to the Fourth of July holiday, the Montgomery Sanitation Department's Tuesday/Friday routes will be worked on Wednesday and Friday. Monday/Thursday routes are being worked Monday and Thursday as normal. (City of Montgomery, Alabama Government via Facebook)
• The City of Montgomery Public Pools are now open and will remain open throughout the weekend. Admission to public pools is free, and weekday hours are from 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. (City of Montgomery, Alabama Government via Facebook)
• Montgomery native and rising senior at Brewbaker Technology Magnet High Ken Jimmerson was recently selected to attend the U.S. Naval Academy. Congratulations to Ken! (Montgomery Alabama Public Schools - Official Site via Facebook)

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

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.