🌱 Automatic Meter Readings In Bham? + $12M Road Resurfacing Project

Hey, friends. It's Thursday in Birmingham and I'm back in your inbox with everything that's fit to print about what's happening locally.

Also, FYI: I wanted to let you know that Patch is looking for a local writer and entrepreneur to take the helm of the Birmingham Patch newsletter and make it their own. We want to pass the torch to someone truly local and in-the-know 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.

But first, today's weather:

Very warm. High: 82 Low: 59.

🏠 If you're a real estate agent in Birmingham, of course you're looking for a way to stand out from the crowd and attract new clients. We can help you do that with an exclusive sponsorship in the Birmingham Patch newsletter. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top four stories today in Birmingham:

1. The Birmingham Water Works Board is exploring a potential solution to address publicized mistakes on customer bills: automatic meter readings. This system would eliminate the need for manual meter readings since trucks would be able to drive by and simply upload the data. The details regarding the cost and timeline are still unknown, as the board is in the early stages of considering this option. (Alabama's News Leader)
2. The City of Birmingham is set to undergo a new $12 million resurfacing project to improve the condition of its roads. Beginning next month, crews will be resurfacing approximately 250 road segments across all districts in the city. The project is expected to take several months to complete and aims to resurface approximately 43 miles of roadways, focusing on neighborhood streets and dangerous roads with reported potholes. A map and a list of the road segments that will be resurfaced in 2023 can be viewed on the city's website. (WBRC)
3. The Birmingham Police Department is seeking the public's help in identifying a potential robbery suspect caught on surveillance camera. On Feb. 14, officials said two people arrived at Ensley Seafood on Carson Road, one of whom went inside the restaurant and demanded money from a worker at gunpoint. Both suspects reportedly ran away without getting any money. Anyone who recognizes the individual pictured at the link is asked to call BPD Robbery detectives at 205-254-1764. (WVTM13 Birmingham)
4. The Birmingham Airport Authority has announced a new partnership with global logistics company Kuehne+Nagel to expand the air cargo business at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. The partnership aims to meet regional businesses' cargo needs and will begin running weekly international cargo flights in April 2023. This partnership, combined with recent airfield infrastructure enhancements and plans for a new air cargo facility, is expected to bring positive changes to the airport and expand air cargo business in the region, according to officials.(WVTM13 Birmingham)

Today in Birmingham:

• Black History Month Celebration At UAB Hill Student Center (12:00 PM)
• History Makers With Maker's Mark At The Six Sixteen (5:00 PM)
• An Evening With Josh Blue At Red Mountain Theatre (5:30 PM)
• Rhythm & Wines Spoken Word At NSLM Birmingham (5:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Will the Magic City Classic stay in Birmingham? At today's Jefferson County Commission meeting, commissioners will consider a three-year agreement to pay $500,000 a year to the Alabama Sports Council in support of the nation's largest HBCU football game. (WBHM)
• Birmingham is one of three local cities where rideshare service Uber will begin testing a new safety feature that allows for audio recordings of trips. Read the full story on WTVM to learn more about what this feature means and how it's meant to keep passengers and drivers safer. (WTVM)
• Yesterday, the Birmingham City Council’s Economic Development & Tourism Committee decided to terminate a redevelopment agreement between the City of Birmingham and the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation for the historic Powell School. Now, three prominent local developers are working together on a plan to restore the site of Birmingham’s first "free school." (Bham Now)

Alrighty, you're all good for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where she earned degrees in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or practicing film photography.