🌱 Warmer Weather Expected After Freeze Warning + LEAD Academy Scandal

Hi all. It's me, Rose Mendez, your host of the Montgomery Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with everything that's fit to print about what's happening in town these days.

But first, your local weather:

• Tuesday: Partly sunny. High: 66 Low: 43.
• Wednesday: Sunshine, pleasant and warmer. High: 78 Low: 50.

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Here are the top three stories in Montgomery today:

1. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a freeze warning last night until 9:00 a.m. today, Mar. 21 for the northern two-thirds of Alabama, including Montgomery. Temperatures will be near or below freezing during the morning, but temperatures are expected to rise afterward. The NWS predicts the highs will be in the 80s by Thursday, Mar. 23. (AL.com)
2. LEAD Academy, a four-year-old charter school in Montgomery, had another scandal last week after Crave Cafeteria Solutions, the school's lunch vendor, was accused of improperly inflating the number of students served. Crave Cafeteria Solutions blames LEAD and said that LEAD counted the students and the meals served before reporting the number to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). LEAD must return $2 million, the cost of the over-inflated meals, to the USDA, but LEAD officials blame Crave Cafeteria Solutions and have filed a lawsuit against the company for $2 million. (AL Reporter)
3. On Saturday, Mar. 18, six Alabama schools, including Montgomery’s Loveless Academic Magnet Program (LAMP) High School, took part in the third annual Seaperch ROV Competition, an underwater robotics competition. Each team built a Seaperch underwater remotely-operated vehicle and maneuvered it through an obstacle course and mission course for the competition. LAMP’s teams CAA and ARG5 finished first and second respectively in the high school division of the competition. (Fox 10 TV)

Today and tomorrow in Montgomery:

Tuesday, March 21

• Montgomery County Council Session At Council Office Building, Third Floor Hearing Room Or Zoom (9:00 AM)
• LEGO Night At The Maxwell Club (5:00 PM)

Wednesday, March 22

• Woodson, Weldon, and Woodson - Live Jazz At Echelon Grill (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Looking for something fun to do in Montgomery this week? Check out the Montgomery Adviser's list of ten spring events for the week of Mar. 20! Events include The Mavericks concert at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre on Mar. 23 and photos with the Easter Bunny at Montgomery’s Eastdale Mall on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays now through Apr. 8. Click here for the full list. (Montgomery Advertiser via Facebook)
• Multi-Dove and Grammy Award-winning recording artist David Phelps will perform at the Eastmont Baptist Church in Montgomery on Mar. 24! Visit www.davidphelps.com, www.itickets.com, or call 334-277-6300 for event information. (Montgomery Independent)
• The Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum is looking for volunteers! Volunteers are especially needed for the annual spring fundraiser, Zoo Weekend, on Mar. 25 and Mar. 26. Click here and scroll to the "volunteer" tab or call 334-625-4905 to learn more about volunteering. (Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum via Facebook)

Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll see you around!

— 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!