🌱 780 Paxlovid Doses Coming To AL + Recycling Service Fee?

Good morning, Montgomery! Your usual curator, Sammi, is off today, but I am here to fill in and keep you up-to-date on all of your local happenings. Now, here's what you need to know, in 5 minutes or less. — Nicole Fallon-Peek

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First, today's weather:

Areas of morning fog. High: 69 Low: 62.

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Here are the top 3 stories in Montgomery today:

1. Alabama will be receiving 780 doses of a new drug that can be used to treat COVID-19, says the Public Health department. Local pharmacies will be distributing the state's initial supply of the Pfizer oral drug Paxlovid, which has been approved for emergency use in adults and children by the FDA. As Alabama COVID-19 hospitalizations soar, health officials say they're worried the state's health system will be strained due to the fast-spreading omicron variant.(WTMV)
2. For the second time in two years, Montgomery is considering charging residents a $2-per-customer monthly fee to keep its recycling service going. Currently, all Montgomery trash is collected at a $37 million, city-owned facility on the outskirts of town, where it's separated and processed into re-sellable goods like plastic, glass, and aluminum. Plant operator RePower South pays for the service by selling those recyclables, but when commodity prices tanked early on in the pandemic, re-sell prices fell below what the company needed to keep operations going. (Montgomery Advertiser)
3. On Thursday, Montgomery police responded to a disturbance call in the 5600 block of Eastdale Road South, where they found two murder suspects, 22-year-old Se'Quan Gorman and 16-year-old Kha'Maury Gorman, barricaded inside an apartment. After SWAT and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency surrounded the building, the suspects finally came out and were taken into custody. They were charged with first-degree robbery for an incident that had happened on Dec. 17 on West South Boulevard, as well as the capital murder of Mario Carter, 38, of Montgomery. (WSFA)

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Today in Montgomery:

• Paint & Sip - Game of Thrones Trivia Night At Wine & Design (7:00 PM)

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From my notebook:

• Ms. Ausley's kindergarten class at Forest Avenue Academic Magnet had a holiday-themed Zoom singalong for parents to enjoy on Christmas Eve. (Facebook)
• From Dr. Scott Harris to Nick Saban, no one has been immune to the pandemic's impact. Click to read Montgomery Advertiser's in-depth piece about how life has changed for these Alabamians. (Facebook)
• Is your four-legged friend afraid of fireworks? Click to read a blog post by PawBoost about how to keep your pet safe this New Year's Eve. (Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll be in your inbox tomorrow with a new update.

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.