Broadway Alums in Town - No More Weather Sirens?

Happy Star Wars Day, Huntsville! Let's get caught up on the latest happenings in the city to start your day off right! In today's Daily, we have a UAH professor receiving a grant, one city deciding against weather sirens, and two Broadway alums in town!

First, today’s weather:
Today is a First Alert Weather day with a chance for the storms to become severe and the rain will continue all day. High: 84 Low: 59

Here are the top five stories in Huntsville today:

1. The National Science Foundation has awarded UAH biological science assistant professor Dr. Matthew Niemiller a five-year contract. Dr. Niemiller received $1.029 million to make the first groundwater biodiversity comprehensive assessment in the central and eastern U.S. (NewsWise)
2. HEMSI (Madison County’s not-for-profit emergency medical service) is launching a 10 week course to train new employees while paying them full-time to take classes. Reporter Kailey Schuyler said that at the end of the 10 weeks, students will be able to test for the National Registry to be a licensed EMT in Alabama. (WAFF)
3. The Arab City Council has decided they are in favor of using weather radios instead of sirens, but are getting public feedback before their final vote. According to Sierra Phillips, it would cost over $90,000 to repair their sirens since four out of their 14 are broken. The weather radios would be provided to citizens that needed them and the fire department would help people program and learn to use them. (WAAY)
4. The jury for Officer William Darby was chosen yesterday on the first day of his trial. The chosen jury consists of seven men and five women, with two alternates. Court will pick back up today at 8:30 a.m. (WHNT)
5. Huntsville restaurants like 1892 East Restaurant and Tavern are wasting no time applying for the new Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants. If approved, restaurants are eligible for up to $10 million that can be used to help get them back on their feet. (WAAY)

Today in Huntsville

• 2021 Cyber Insurance for the Defense Industry: Some Legal Issues- Join the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber for a virtual talk (10 a.m.)
• Huntsville City Schools Board of Education Citizen Comments and Work Session (5:30 p.m.)
• Fantasy Flight Book Club- If you enjoy sci-fi, fantasy, new world, or cyberpunk, join the Huntsville-Madison Public Library for this virtual book club! (7 p.m.)
• Broadway at Burritt- Join Broadway alums Rachel Potter and Marty Thomas for a benefit for Ars Nova School of the Arts and the upcoming production of The Light in the Piazza (6 p.m.)

Huntsville Patch Notebook

• Late Officer Billy Clardy III, a Huntsville police officer and STAC agent, will be honored Friday at the Alabama State Fraternal Order of Police’s memorial service. (Details)
• The Huntsville Hospital Foundation has launched a Mother’s Day fundraiser to raise money for expectant mothers with high risk pregnancies and postpartum complications in their Antepartum department. (Details)
• The closure on Bailey Cove Road has been extended due to weather. The northbound lanes between Stone Creek Lane and Chelsey Lane will remain closed until 5 p.m. on May 7, and from May 10-18 will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• The City of Huntsville has released their Greenway Master Plan on the city’s blog. (See here)
• Retired Major General Willie Nance Jr. was appointed by Governor Ivey to be the new chairman of the Jackson County Commission.
• Even though there isn’t a home game until May 11, today is the first game for the Rocket City Trash Pandas! (Details)

You're in the loop for today, Huntsville! May the Fourth be with you, and I'll see you tomorrow!

-Amy