🌱 Real Time Crime Center Success + What's New At Pizitz Food Hall

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.

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First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 83 Low: 61.

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Here are the top three stories in Birmingham today:

1. Six months after its launch, the Birmingham Police Department's Real Time Crime Center has helped solve over 150 crimes throughout the city. According to the BPD, the Real Time Crime Center has helped take 70 people into custody in connection with crimes such as robberies, homicides, and drugs, as well as taking 17 guns off those suspects. It's also assisted in the recovery of 37 stolen vehicles as well as rescuing an abandoned child. (WBRC)
2. Downtown Birmingham's Pizitz Food Hall has become a mainstay among the city's weekday lunch crowd and weekend visitors. This year, three new food stalls have opened up, and a new restaurant is on its way. The next time you're at the food hall, you can grab a milkshake at The Spun Cow, a New York-style sandwich at Tina & Gina's, or a bubble tea at ThirsTea Café. If you're looking for a full-service restaurant, SOCU Southern Kitchen and Oyster Bar is scheduled to open at Pizitz later this year. (Yellowhammer News)
3. Oak Mountain State Park, Alabama's largest state park, is growing with the purchase of over 1,600 acres in metro Birmingham. According to a statement from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the agency will use the acreage to expand biking, hiking, and horse-riding trails. With the additional space acquired through the Forever Wild Land Trust, Oak Mountain State Park will span more than 11,000 acres in total. (AL.com)

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Today in Birmingham:

• Ashtanga Yoga In The Gardens At Birmingham Botanical Gardens (8:30 AM)
• Checkout Raffle: National Library Week At Powderly Branch Library (9:00 AM)
• Afternoon Matinee At Levite Jewish Community Center (1:30 PM)
• Language Club At North Shelby Library (5:00 PM)

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From my notebook:

• Looking for a new home or real estate opportunity? Check out the latest properties to hit the market in the Birmingham area. (Birmingham Patch)
• Congratulations to Minor Elementary's Jacquisa Gibson and W.J. Christian's Deonna Boston for being recognized in Ed Farm's Teacher Fellow/Innovation Fellow Spotlight Features! Both teachers from Birmingham City Schools are working hard to make their classrooms innovative spaces for our scholars. (Facebook)
• Need to report a pothole or an issue with the sewer system? Jefferson County now has an app for that. Click to learn more about the county's "My Jeffco" app. (WBRC)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow with a new update!

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander, now living in New York. She works as a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and is a graduate of The University of Rhode Island, where she earned a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.