🌱 Montgomery Teen Charged In Murder + Lawsuit Against Mayor

Hello, friends. I'm here with your weekend edition of the Montgomery Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about what's happening in town these days.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: Showers and a heavier t-storm. High: 59 Low: 51.
• Sunday: Low clouds and warmer. High: 72 Low: 51.

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Here are the top three stories in Montgomery today:

1. A 16-year-old Montgomery teen was arrested as the second suspect in the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Antarrio Hubbard of Montgomery. Both the teen and the other suspect in the murder, 23-year-old Deandre Byers, are being held with no bond at the Montgomery County Detention Facility. (Alabama News)
2. On Mar. 30, Charles Lee, the owner of the youth nonprofit That’s My Child, filed a $100,000 claim against the Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed. According to the lawsuit, the mayor "damaged" the Montgomery community activist's character by calling him a “liar,” “charlatan” and “shyster.” Mayor Reed said the audio recordings referenced were in the lawsuit are "carefully selected sound bites of my voice" and was surreptitiously recorded three years ago. (AL.com)
3. The overcrowding problem in Alabama prisons may not be solved by opening new mega prisons, according to recent data. The new prison near Montgomery will cost about $1 billion and another mega prison that is set to open in 2026 will cost at least $600 million more. But as the two new men’s mega prisons open, four older prisons are closing. All the inmates from those four overcrowded prisons then move into the new prisons, meaning the occupancy issue may still persist if prisoner numbers remain similar. (AL.com)

Today and tomorrow in Montgomery:

Saturday, April 8

• Easter Bunny Pictures At Eastdale Mall (11:00 AM)
• Easter Egg Hunt At Trinity Memorial Baptist Church (2:00 PM)

Sunday, April 9

• Hip Hop Hooray Pedal Party At Riverfront Park In Downtown Montgomery (1:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Montgomery Zoo is grieving the loss of a beloved giraffe, Jenna. She was a five-year-old Reticulated Giraffe and leaves behind a sister named Ashley. Jenna was humanely euthanized following an injury. (Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum via Facebook)
• The City of Montgomery is hiring about 125 summer 'Rec Aides' and 40 full-time positions! Available positions include camp counselor, lifeguard, admin staff, and more. Apply in person at P&R HQ, located at 1010 Forest Avenue. (City of Montgomery, Alabama Government via Facebook)
• Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed has named former Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base Vice Wing Commander Jerime Reid as Chief Operating Officer! Mayor Reed said, "Jerime will identify ways to cut red tape and navigate bureaucracy to create departmental operating strategies that will enhance the level of service we offer our residents. He will help foster a more responsive, efficient and effective city government by using data to drive decision making and performance improvement." (City of Montgomery via Instagram)

Thanks for following along and staying informed! See you all soon for another 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!