🌱 Election For New Commissioner + New Women's Foundation Headquarters

Morning, everybody. I'm here right on time with your Saturday edition of the Birmingham Patch newsletter, full of everything you need to know about what's going on locally.

But first, today's weather:

Plenty of sunshine. High: 91 Low: 71.

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Here are the top three stories in Birmingham today:

1. A special date to fill the Jefferson County Commission District five-seat has been set by the Jefferson County Election Commission after Steve Ammons vacated the spot. The new election will take place on Sunday, Jul. 18 and if a runoff day is needed, that will be scheduled for the beginning of August. Each candidate that is interested in running will be required to file at least 21 days prior to the election, and in the interim, there will be four members operating the commission. (AL.com)
2. Joran van der Sloot pleaded not guilty in federal court during a Friday morning arraignment hearing on extortion charges in connection with the 2005 disappearance of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway, whose body was never found. According to U.S. prosecutors, the 35-year-old suspect reached out to the victim's mother seeking $250,000 to disclose the location of her daughter's body. Magistrate Judge Gray Borden told van der Sloot that he would only accept a not-guilty plea in the extortion and wire fraud case and that if he decided to plead guilty at a later date, he could still do so. (WSFA)
3. On Thursday, Jun. 8, the Women's Foundation of Alabama opened its brand new headquarters in Birmingham. The foundation held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and invited guests to an open house where they could tour the space for themselves. This new building is roughly 5,000 square feet and will give the foundation a renewed opportunity to continue working to fulfilling its mission. (AL Reporter)

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Today in Birmingham:

Saturday, June 10

• Father-Daughter Fun Day At ArtPlay (12:00 PM)
• MCAC In The Pride Parade At Magic City Wellness Center (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• In honor of Juneteenth, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) is hosting a cookout and inviting all community members to attend. The cookout will be held at the center from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and will feature a variety of different food trucks, live entertainment, tournaments, workshops, and much more. Learn more here. (Birmingham Civil Rights Institute via Facebook)
• In an announcement from Governor Kay Ivey, Alabama's metropolitan areas have the lowest unemployment rates in the nation for the month of April. This is the second consecutive month Birmingham-Hoover has ranked on the list. (AL Reporter)
• The Birmingham School District has a variety of employment opportunities available for any rising juniors and seniors to participate in. Learn more about these opportunities here. (Birmingham City Schools via Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday! I'll see you soon.

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.