Thieves Steal Skid Steer, Halt Birmingham Park Project

0:00A non-profit called Athletic Alabama just started fixing up a park in Birmingham's Fountain Heights neighborhood, turning an old tennis court into a multi-use spot for bipolar, hockey, and youth camps. But right as they kicked off, thieves stole a borrowed Kubota skid steer worth tens of thousands of dollars, needed to dig a trench for water, drainage. The group share surveillance video believed to show the theft and posted on social media with a $1,000 reward for tips. They're asking anyone with cameras in the area to call with info on the 2019 red model, Vin Ending in 3521. Miller, with the non-profit, says they want the machine back, no questions asked or cash to cover their family friend who loaned it. This setback hurts plans to partner with groups like Lakeshore Foundation for adaptive sports and bring more activity to the park. Equipment thefts like this pop up across Alabama. From limestone county trailers vanishing on video to a silicauga case where someone

1:01rent a gear from, Home Depot, shipped it to Illinois, and sold it cheap. Nationally, crooks snag 10,000 to 12,000 construction machines a year, costing the industry between 300 million and 1 billion dollars. Police in Birmingham haven't commented yet, but fingers crossed the skid steer turns up soon so this community project can roll on without missing a, beat. People news, powered by AI, this is Birmingham News today. I'm Corey with the story.