Auburn University’s The Laurel Hotel and Spa, an on-campus luxury hotel that’s being billed as a “once in a lifetime experience” for guests, has been selected to receive the prestigious Five Diamond designation by AAA Travels in its first year of operation. In addition to being a highly-rated destination, the extravagant hotel also helps train […]

On Monday, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) voted in favor of a settlement to a number of lawsuits that were blocking the Commission moving forward on licensing in the state due to a court order. Rex Vaughn is the Chairman of the AMCC. He said Monday the AMCC staff and attorneys have produced a […]

Rickwood Caverns State Park is once again hosting what has become an annual holiday tradition that many throughout the state look forward to. The event, ‘Wonderland Under Warrior’, transforms the dark caverns at Rickwood into a place of celebration complete with festive light’s, decorations, and appearances by Santa Claus and other holiday characters. “It doesn’t […]

Thanks to the rain of the past week, burn restrictions have been lifted in 33 counties in South Alabama, the Alabama Forestry Commission announced. The commission also downgraded the status to a “Fire Alert” in 23 North Alabama counties. However, because the rainfall was unevenly distributed throughout the state, 11 counties did not have the […]

QuantHub, a Birmingham-based startup, is joining forces with Innovate Alabama to launch an internship program that will prepare students for careers in data science and artificial intelligence (AI). The duo will collaborate with the Alabama State Department of Education to introduce approximately 38,000 students to QuantHub’s advanced training software within the next year. Joshua Jones, […]

The Birmingham Business Alliance held their inaugural Regional Economic Development Summit at the Historic Greyhound Bus Station last week in downtown Birmingham. The keynote speaker at the Summit was Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield. Canfield, who is retiring at the end of the year, reflected on the economic growth that catalyzed in the state during […]

Hoover will be opening its own Health Care District, the city and its Health Care Authority announced Tuesday. Alan Paquette, chair of the Hoover HCA, said the health care district will meet the right needs at the right time. “Hoover has needed a centralized Health Care District for years, and we are pleased to begin […]

As fans from all over the state prepare to flood Jordan-Hare Stadium to watch the iconic Iron Bowl matchup, there’s one group of students encouraging fans to pay attention to something else entirely. Student veterans from Auburn University and the University of Alabama are putting their rivalry aside to bring awareness to the epidemic of […]

The Alabama Supreme Court has agreed to consider an ongoing legal dispute involving the Harvest Church in Dothan, Alabama.  Harvest Church, one of Dothan’s largest churches, filed a lawsuit in November of 2022 seeking a restraining order against the United Methodist Church’s Alabama-West Florida District.  The 2022 lawsuit expressed fears that the United Methodist Church […]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service and the state of Alabama are partnering to help protect the state’s food supply chain. To accomplish the task, they will award some $5.7 million in grants for supply chain-oriented projects through the federal Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program. “This partnership between USDA and Alabama is allowing […]

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is serving up several safety tips aimed at keeping travelers on Alabama’s roadways safe during the Thanksgiving holiday. “There is nothing better than making memories with family and friends during this extended holiday weekend, even if it means driving for hours and traveling long distances,” ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor said. […]

Medical cannabis advocates are welcoming news of a proposed settlement of the myriad of lawsuits brought against the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC). The proposed settlement would allow the AMCC to move forward with its timeline to make new cannabis license awards in December. The Commission previously made awards in June and August, but those awards have […]

Despite seeing a downturn in home sales, Alabama’s real estate market is showing signs of opportunity, according to the latest October 2023 report from the Alabama Association of REALTORS® (AAR).  Home sales, down 3,488 compared to last October, comes along with a silver lining: Declining interest rates and a noticeable uptick in housing supply. “Declining […]

In 2021 when the Alabama Legislature passed Constitutionally required redistricting and reapportionment plans, a host of civil rights attorneys were present to challenge the Legislature’s work. Three different legal groups filed lawsuits challenging the plan, arguing it violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965. These cases were ultimately combined into one case and a three-judge […]

Governor Kay Ivey is working with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to award a total of $2.5 million in grants to several Central Alabama agencies that aid children who have been neglected or abused. “Child abuse and neglect have a significant negative impact upon the wellbeing of both children and families,” Ivey […]

This year marks a significant milestone for ConcertIDC, a custom software development company based in Birmingham, as it celebrates its 10th anniversary. Over the past decade, the company has grown from a local startup to an international player in the tech industry. Tanveer Patel started ConcertIDC in 2013. At the time, the company focused on […]

Alabama’s largest southern city is being recognized as one of the best places to visit in both North America and the Caribbean in 2024. The rankings were put together by Conde Nast, a media company with publications that include Vogue, The New Yorker, and GQ. Mobile, one of only seven destinations in the U.S. to […]

Most observers expected the Alabama Public Library Service to formally disaffiliate from the controversial American Library Association, last week. In fact, Gov. Kay Ivey called for the state’s libraries to disaffiliate from the national organization. And, last month, Director Nancy Pack acquiesced to the governor. However, last Thursday, the public libraries postponed the vote to […]

Purchasing a home in Alabama continues to be a challenge even as the state remains more affordable than the rest of the United States, according to a recent report from the Alabama Center for Real Estate. In the third quarter report of the Alabama Housing Affordability Index, Alabama recorded an affordability score of 119, while […]

The Alabama State Department of Finance has granted Auburn University $2 million to fund an ambitious health care access initiative aimed at addressing significant health disparities across rural Alabama. Auburn University Outreach, in collaboration with the colleges of Pharmacy, Nursing, Human Sciences and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, first pioneered this groundbreaking project in Chambers […]

For $2,200 a night you can now stay in what has been dubbed as the ‘most luxurious’ Airbnb location in the entire country. No, the property isn’t located in the foothills of Los Angeles, nor Martha’s Vineyard. As a matter of fact, this Airbnb is located in Alexander City on scenic Lake Martin. “Stunning 8 […]

The University of Alabama in Birmingham is continuing to receive national praise for its accomplishments in the fields of medicine and patient care. This time, the medical institution was named the best hospital in the entire state by “Newsweek”. “It is an honor to be recognized by Newsweek as the top hospital in Alabama,” said […]

Alabama’s labor force participation rate reportedly remained steady at 57% throughout October, according to the Alabama Department of Labor. The Department also reported that the total private average weekly wage increased as did the percentage of prime age workers (25-54 years old) participating in the workforce, with a new participation rate of 78.1%. “We are […]

A massive addition to the OWA Parks & Resort destination is set to open in May of 2025. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians announced this week that a resort style hotel with a price tag of over $50 million is now in the works. “We are very excited to add this tropical inspired resort […]