Let there be lights! And a Chelsea family had the best and brightest to win “The Great Christmas Light Fight.” The Cloutiers, whose displays are legendary in the Birmingham area, came out on top in the ABC TV competition. For Ricky Cloutier, it’s more than a source of pride. He said he enjoys seeing the […]

The holidays are a time where people get together with those they love. And Alabamians are no exception: Folks will be driving across town, across the state and out of state over the coming days. To help ensure the travels are safe, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is urging motorists to take it easy and […]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing more than $13.6 million to expand the Wilcox County Water and Sewer Authority’s water system. The project is part of the agency’s program to expand clean, safe, and modern drinking water utility services into areas not served by a modern water system. “In some areas of the state, […]

There are thousands of jobs available in the construction industry across Alabama. To help close the gap to fill the positions, Skills for Success is offering no-cost training in several operator positions. A program of the Alabama Community College System, Skills for Success is developed in partnership with the state’s businesses and industries. More than […]

While waterfowl population growth is strong, more than half of U.S. bird species are in decline, according to this year’s State of the Birds report. The data showed birds in the United States are declining overall in every other habitat — forests, grasslands, deserts, and oceans. Some 70 species have been identified at “tipping point,” which […]

Auburn University’s College of Agriculture, the Auburn Research Technology Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service broke ground this week for a research facility housing the National Soil Dynamics Laboratory. The project will have four buildings: two in Auburn University’s Research Park and two constructed near campus. “With these new buildings and […]

For those wanting a career change or, even, to start a career – and get paid while learning, Alabama’s community colleges provide the solution. Every community or technical college has at least one apprenticeship registered through the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship and supported by the state’s business and industry. “Apprenticeships offer an excellent opportunity to […]

Hoover Tactical Firearms was recently purchased for $3.225 million by Sanders Capital Partners. According to Sanders Capital, the acquisition is the latest in its investments throughout the Southeast, Midwest and Southwest over the past seven years. In its announcement, Sanders Capital cited Hoover Tactical Firearms’ support for veterans and charitable organizations. The 51,960 square-foot retail […]

Nearly 2,000 acres has been added to the Red Hills Wildlife Management Area in Monroe County, thanks to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant. The federal agency awarded $2.57 million to purchase 1,728 acres of critical Red Hills salamander habitat. The purchase will protect the habitat as well as increase access to outdoor recreation […]

Lockheed Martin recently delivered the first flight software package for the nation’s next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) interceptor ahead of schedule. The defense juggernaut’s milestone is the first step toward flight testing and fielding, noted Lockheed Martin in a press release. Lockheed officials said this software is critical for NGI to complete its mission: to […]

Boeing recently received recognition for its focus on hiring veterans. Forbes’ 2022 list of “America’s Best Employers for Veterans” ranked the company No. 10 out of the top 200 companies in veteran employment. The annual “Employer of Choice for Veterans” from Forbes was just one of several accolades that Boeing received for the efforts to […]

Job and career opportunities for Etowah County students were on display for educators last week, thanks to a workforce development program. The program – the Etowah Qualified Workforce Immersion Program (EQWIP) – is through a partnership with the Chamber of Gadsden & Etowah County, East AlabamaWorks, Gadsden State Community College, the Etowah County School System, […]

Wallace State Community College has been awarded a more-than $1.1 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission for an electric vehicle project. The grant, awarded through the commission’s Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) initiative, was for $1,169,958 for the Supporting Electric Vehicle Manufacturing and Maintenance in North Alabama project, according to a news […]

The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is hiring a manager for the Walker County public fishing lake, the agency announced. According the department’s website, the lake manager is contracted with the state for a three-year term, which is renewable at the discretion of the state. Duties include […]

Located off Exit 205, Clanton will become the newest city to host a Milo’s Hamburgers establishment on Thursday. The grand opening will have several specials associated with it, according to Milo’s CEO Tom Dekle. “We tested the Clanton market last year through various Burger Bus events, and each time it proved to be a tremendous […]

Last week, Auburn announced a new institute for real estate development. This new program will bring Auburn national recognition for exceptional real estate instruction, thought leadership, and research innovation across all major property sectors. An anonymous donor gave a five-million-dollar gift to the program to get it started. The plan is for the institute to […]

Employees at Lockheed Martin’s Huntsville site are celebrating a population crucial to their work – veterans and military service members. This is being done in recognition of World Space Week. World Space Week is an international space event recognized by the United Nations and commemorated in over 95 nations to celebrate science, technology, and space. […]

VirtuOwl, a Birmingham-based online tutoring company, has received an additional round of investment from Birmingham’s Concert IDC Inc Tank to help make its platforms more available. The platforms help locate, book, and engage students and their parents with private tutors. “We think VirtuOwl is the ideal way to close the gaps in today’s online education,” […]

Mercedes-Benz will be exclusively producing the all-electric EQS SUV at its North American passenger vehicle plant in Tuscaloosa, AL. Since building the plant in Alabama Mercedes has invested over seven billion into operations in the state. One billion of the investment was for the new battery plant that they also located in Bibb County in […]

Hispanic entertainers and pro wrestlers will be in the spotlight Saturday at the 20th annual Fiesta Birmingham in Linn Park. The festival’s theme is ¡Somos Familia! (Feels Like Family!) and it runs from noon to 8 p.m. The annual event has celebrated and educated thousands of people about Alabama’s growing Hispanic community. More than 20 […]

As president of Ducks Unlimited, Huntsvillian Doug Schoenrock oversaw the organization’s record-breaking conservation efforts. Now the organization’s chairman of the board, Schoenrock will ensure Ducks Unlimited is meeting its goals while he represents the more than 640,000 Ducks Unlimited members at international, national, regional, state, and local events. Schoenrock further led the organization’s Presidential Lands […]

Registration is underway for the youth deer and duck hunts dates at M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area in Hale County. The hunts are November through January and registration ends Nov. 1. To register for a hunt, visit https://publichunts.dcnr.alabama.gov/Public/AvailableHunts. “Youth hunts like these create great bonding experiences for families and help young hunters […]

Birmingham-Southern College continues to move up among the ranks of the country’s top liberal arts colleges. In this year’s ranking by U.S. News and World Report, BSC climbed 17 spots to 111th of some 1,500 bachelor’s degree-granting institutions. “We are pleased that BSC has once again moved up in the rankings,” said BSC President Daniel […]

Answering the call to serve their community, three law students were recently awarded scholarships from the Alexander Shunnarah law firm. The trio received the firm’s “Call Me Alabama Scholarship,” based on Shunnarah’s famous tag line from his advertisements. Demarcus Joiner, a second-year student at the University of Alabama Law School, was awarded $5,000; Sam Leffert, […]