Dead Goat At Petting Zoo; Amazon Breaks Ground: The Week In News

BIRMINGHAM, AL - This past week, October 1-6, the dominating headlines were mostly national, with the confirmation of Supreme Court justice Bret Kavanaugh. But locally, some news items turned heads as well. Birmingham-Southern College named an interim president after the resignation of its current leader, retail giant Amazon broke ground on its new fulfillment facility and some state fair goers were shocked to find that the petting zoo included a dead animal.

Here are some of the big headlines for the Birmingham metro this week:

Dead Goat Part Of State Fair Petting Zoo, Police Issue Statement

When children arrived at the petting zoo portion of the Alabama Fair at Oak Mountain over the weekend, they were met with an unfortunate sight. Apparently one of the goats in the petting zoo was dead. This sparked a wave of controversy over social media bringing into question issues of animal cruelty and poor conditions at the fair for the animals.

Birmingham-Southern President Resigns, Interim Named

Although leadership was expected to change soon at Birmingham-Southern College, that timetable was moved up considerably last week, as the school's president stepped down earlier than expected. Linda Flaherty-Goldsmith announced her resignation this week, after an announcement in August saying she would finish out the school year.

Amazon Breaks Ground On New Bessemer Facility

Ground has now officially been broken for the Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer, slated to open next year. The retail giant held a formal groundbreaking for its fulfillment center in Bessemer on Tuesday. The $325 million project, expected to be completed before peak holiday shopping season in 2019, will employ at least 1,500.

Arson Suspected In Lakeview Fire

A fire that destroyed an apartment building under construction in Birmingham's Lakeview district - and an adjacent law office - is being investigated as a case of arson, according to officials. The fire occurred just after midnight September 27, and caused the relocation of several nearby residents and a serious leg injury to a Birmingham firefighter.

Former Birmingham Police Chief, City Councilman Dies

A former prominent Birmingham public servant has died, according to a report by the Birmingham Police Department. Former police chief and Birmingham City Council member William "Bill" Myers was pronounced dead Wednesday morning at his home in Mount Royal Towers in Homewood. He was 88 years old.

Image courtesy of Amazon