🌱 Mountain Brook Population Decline + Controversial State Bills

Hello, Mountain Brook! I'm here in your inbox today to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's going on around town.

But first, your local weather:

• Tuesday: Times of clouds and sun. High: 72 Low: 55.
• Wednesday: Warmer with periods of sun. High: 82 Low: 58.

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Here are the top three stories in Mountain Brook today:

1. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan area is experiencing changes in its population distribution, with a hollowing-out effect occurring as the center loses residents while the outskirts grow. Many cities in the metro area, including affluent suburbs like Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Hoover, and Homewood, saw a decline in population, while fast-growing suburban cities farther from the center, such as Calera, Chelsea, and Pell City, experienced growth. This shift in population dynamics is a recent trend, and it remains uncertain whether it will continue or if it's a temporary fluctuation. (AL.com)
2. Publix will be winding down its GreenWise brand, including its location in Mountain Brook, which will be rebranded and continue operations as a standard Publix grocery store. The Lakeland, Florida-based company launched the GreenWise concept as a smaller format store specializing in organic products in 2007. All GreenWise locations will be converted to Publix outfits in the coming months. (Produce Blue Book)
3. As the state legislative session nears its end, lawmakers are focusing on controversial bills by either scaling them down to increase their chances of passage or ignoring them altogether. Some bills that successfully made it through last week include designating the Yellowhammer Cookie as the official state cookie, revising the definition of "electronic nicotine delivery system" to include substances other than tobacco, and requiring internet-enabled device manufacturers to activate filters restricting access to sexual content. These bills received unanimous or majority support from the legislators. (Alabama Political Reporter)

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Today and tomorrow in and around Mountain Brook:

Tuesday, May 23

• Chamber Connect: Getting Creative With Canva At Mountain Brook Chamber (11:30 AM)

Wednesday, May 24

• Jewish Culture And Conversation At Levite Jewish Community Center (12:00 PM)

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From my notebook:

• Are you looking to fill your social calendar this week? Check out the list of events happening in and around Mountain Brook this week at the link! (EventBrite)
• Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce invites you to meet Joseph Braswell, the board's executive vice president. In addition to being the Chamber of Commerce's executive vice president, Braswell is the owner of Guin Service and the former chairman of the Better Business Bureau of Central and South Alabama. (Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce via Facebook)
• The Mountain Brook Fire Department shared the sad news of the passing of retired Lt. Daniel Friday, who began his career in 1976 and retired as fire lieutenant in 2005. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, May 24 at Jefferson Memorial Gardens in Birmingham, with a viewing at 11:00 a.m. and service at 12:00 p.m. (Mountain Brook Fire Department via Facebook)

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Featured events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Free Stuff And Great Perks Every Week (May 23)
• REFLECTIONS FROM MOZART TO GOSPEL - Huntsville Choral Festival Concert (Jun. 3)
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You're all caught up for today! I'll see you back in your inbox soon with a new update.

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.