🌱 World Games Opening Ceremony + Alabama Gas Prices Drop Slightly

Good morning, everybody! It's Saturday in Mountain Brook and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on all the most important things happening in our community today. Because community news matters!

First, today's weather:

Heavy thunderstorms. High: 95 Low: 73.

Expect a rainy weekend. (CBS 42)

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Here are the top three stories in Mountain Brook today:

1. The opening ceremonies for The World Games showcased the best of the Cotton State. A theme song, "Hope of Alabama," showcased the best of the state's talent. “You see people from all over the world here to see what great things Birmingham can offer,” said Scott Reed from Mountain Brook. He added, “While we have little cities around the city of Birmingham, we’re all one community.” (Alabama NewsCenter)
2. Local businesses from the Birmingham area have the chance to feature themselves to international visitors (and locals) at Merchants Market, which is in the Uptown area from July 7-17. There might even be some outposts from Mountain Brook. (WVTM 13)
3. Gas prices are finally dropping modestly across Alabama, averaging $4.31 — down from $4.63 on June 16. That being said, there's very few spots where you can find gas for less than $4 per gallon. The closest one to Mountain Brook is $3.88 at an Exxon in Alabaster. (AL.com)

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Today in Mountain Brook:

• Band Camp - Mountain Brook High School (all day)
• Outdoor Pool open today - Levite Jewish Community Center (all day)
• Summer Thyme: Herb Gardens with O'Neal Library (3 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• A little jazz music accompanied the opening of the World Games. (Twitter)
• The Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce has a monthly newsletter that you can sign up for here. (Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce via Facebook)
• Fall sports registration for Mountain Brook Athletics is now open for softball 🥎, volleyball 🏐 and cheerleading 📣. (Mountain Brook Athletics via Facebook)

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You're officially in the loop for today. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Dashiell Allen

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Mountain Brook Daily? Contact me at mountainbrook@patch.com