🌱 Omicron In Alabama + Fatal Wreck On I-59

Hey, Trussville! It's Thursday, so let's get you caught up on everything you need to know going on today in and around town. Let's start with some statewide news, that the Alabama Department of Public Health confirmed that the state's first case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus has been reported. Health officials in the state said it was just a matter of time. Also, I-59 was shut down near Trussville for several hours after a fatal wreck. Read more below.

Here are the top 5 stories today in Trussville:

1. A wreck involving two vehicles — a garbage truck and a pickup truck — resulted in a fatality Thursday morning, shutting down I-59 near Trussville for several hours. (AL.com)
2. Alabama health officials have confirmed the first case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus in the state, as cases of COVID-19 have started to increase. (Birmingham Patch)
3. Orletta Rush was sworn in as the city’s newest council member in front of a packed house during the Clay City Council meeting. (Trussville Tribune)
4. Three Clay-Chalkville High School football players signed letters of intent on Wednesday to play football at the next level. (Trussville Tribune)
5. A 59-year-old Birmingham man was killed in a hit-and-run incident in Leeds early Wednesday evening. (AL.com)

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From my notebook:

• Check the Trussville Calendar to see what's happening in the area this weekend. (Trussville Patch)
• Hewitt-Trussville athletes signed football scholarships Wednesday. See who went where. (Facebook)
• The Trussville Tribune: "Coroner: Birmingham bicyclist killed in Leeds" (Facebook)
• ACTA Theater-Trussville's Community theater's production of “The Little Prince” is this weekend! Get your tickets to this beautiful story. (Facebook)
• Congratulations to the Trussville City Schools Foundation M.U.S.H. (Motivational, Unique, Strategic, Helpful) Grant Winners at Hewitt-Trussville High School. (Facebook)
• Trussville Public Library will be closed December 22nd - December 26th for the Christmas holiday, and will reopen to the public on Monday, December 27th. (Facebook)
• The Cross at Clay Baptist Church will be collecting Walmart or Visa gift cards to be forwarded to the victims of the Kentucky tornado. (Nextdoor)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Thursday off right! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with another update.

— Michael Seale

About me: I am a lifelong Alabama resident with more than two decades of media under my belt. I have worked for a daily newspaper, a weekly newspaper, a monthly magazine, a television station and a couple of radio stations. I also tried my hand at marketing for a little while. But I love writing news. This opportunity to bring Patch to Birmingham is a chance for my hometown to benefit from a new - and better - way to read and receive news. You can contact me at michael.seale@patch.com., and follow me on Twitter @mpseale.