🌱 School COVID Precautions Approved + Helen Keller Opera In 2024

Morning, people of Birmingham! Kayla Harrison here with a fresh Birmingham Daily.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and beautiful. High: 64 Low: 41.

Here are the top 3 stories today in Birmingham:

1. After 344 employees staged a sickout to demand more protections in schools on Jan. 26, the Birmingham City Schools Board of Education has implemented additional COVID safety measures. The school system temporarily shifted to remote instruction from Jan. 24-25 due to high positivity rates and safety concerns, but the district has been in-person since then. (AL.com)
2. On Monday, a federal judge sentenced a Fairfield man to two years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Cedric Dewayne Young, 33, pleaded guilty to the charge in Oct. 2021. Young was arrested on Nov. 23, 2020, after Birmingham police officers conducted an investigation after complainants said Young pointed a firearm at them. (Birmingham Patch)
3. An opera is in the works and set to make its debut in Birmingham in 2024 based on the life of one of Alabama’s most celebrated women. Opera Birmingham announced on Wednesday. Feb. 9, that it had commissioned an opera to be written on the life of Helen Keller, a Tuscumbia native whose story includes learning how to write and speak despite being deaf and blind. The opera, tentatively titled “Touch,” will focus on Keller’s adult life and the accomplishments that she and her teacher, Anne Sullivan Macy, achieved. (WIAT - CBS42.com)

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Today in Birmingham:

• Famous Alabamians Scavenger Hunt At Birmingham Public Library, Avondale Branch (All Day)
• Creative Expressions Coloring At Birmingham Public Library, West End Branch (All Day)
• Happy Hour At Village Tavern (4:00 PM)
• Virtual Tween Writing Club With YA Author Emma Fox, Hosted By North Shelby Library (4:30 PM)
• Valentine’s Day Chocolate Tasting At Honeycreeper's Chocolate (5:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• The City of Birmingham has released some public safety stats about firearms recovery across the city. Birmingham PD has recovered 189 firearms in 2022 so far, including 34 just last week. (Instagram)
• I3 Academy needs volunteers to help keep its food pantry running smoothly. The elementary school's pantry serves about 30 families every other week. Contact Amanda Mullins at amullins@i3academy.org for more information. (Nextdoor)
• The Springville Road Library (1224 Springville Road) has been temporarily closed due to heating problems. The city just announced that it has ordered a new boiler, which will take an estimated six weeks for delivery. (Press Release Desk)
• What do you think of the Birmingham arts scene? The City wants to know! Fill out this public survey to let city officials know your thoughts. (Press Release Desk)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with another update.

— 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.