🌱 East Bham Shooting Victim IDed + John Merrill Lawsuit

Hello again, Birmingham! Important update: You all, as readers, have made the Birmingham Daily so successful that it is my honor to announce the next stage of the newsletter. Patch is looking for a local writer and entrepreneur to take the helm of the Birmingham Daily. Although I have loved getting to know this community, we want to pass the torch to someone truly local to write about Birmingham long term. So if you’re interested in earning extra income while making this newsletter a more valuable resource for your neighbors, learn more and apply here.

First, today's weather:

Mostly cloudy and warm. High: 74 Low: 51.

Here are the top three stories today in Birmingham:

1. The victim in an East Birmingham shooting that occurred on Tuesday night has been identified as 30-year-old Demetrius John-Mario Young. Young was shot and killed around 6:30 p.m. in the 500 block of 83rd Place South. Birmingham Police believe he may have been involved in a verbal altercation that led to the shooting. No suspects have been arrested, and anyone with information about the incident should contact the Birmingham PD Homicide Unit at (205) 254-1764. (Birmingham Patch)
2. On Tuesday, Greater Birmingham Ministries filed a lawsuit against Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill over his denial of a voter records request. The group claims Merrill denied a request in May of 2021 to provide a list of every Alabama voter "removed from the active voter rolls after the 2020 election" and their contact information. The lawsuit alleges that Merrill is in violation of the National Voter Registration Act and should be compelled to provide those records "without cost related to photocopying." (alreporter.com)
3. Students' mental health during the pandemic has been an area of concern for parents and educators alike, and one UAB professor wanted to do his part to help. Dr. Martez Files, a professor in the Ethnic Studies department at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, created "mental health kits" to be distributed to students across the state. Each kit contains items like essential oils, stress balls, pens, journals, and cards of affirmations, which can help students cope during times of stress. "My hope is that these kits will be there to help those youth who may be struggling with fear and anxiety and let them know we care about them and their mental health," Files told WVTM. (WVTM13 Birmingham)

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Today in Birmingham:

• Get Control Of Your Personal Finances With The Weiss Financial Ratings Database At Central Library Branch (9:00 AM)
• Homeschool STEAM Week At Birmingham Public Library (9:30 AM)
• Boardgames For Adults At Birmingham Public Library (10:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Birmingham City Schools reminded local high school seniors that Alabama's second Free College Application Week event for this school year is being held Feb. 27 through March 5. Seniors will have opportunities to apply to participating colleges and universities with no fees. Learn more here. (Facebook)
• Tomorrow (Feb. 25) is opening night of "Blue Suede Shoes" by the Alabama Ballet! This Broadway-style ballet is set to the music of Elvis Presley with costumes and sets designed by Bob Mackie. The show runs Feb. 25 through 27, and tickets are available at alabamaballet.org. (Facebook)
• There's no better time than Severe Weather Preparedness Week to sign up for alerts from JeffCo EMA! Register for free at jeffcoema.org. (Instagram)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday! I'll see you soon.

— Kayla Harrison

About me: Kayla Harrison is a Writing Arts professor, as well as a freelance writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. In her free time, you can find her listening to podcasts, writing poetry, and visiting local coffee shops.