The Senate on Thursday unanimously passed two bills as amended to advance a 21st-century Alabama economy in which innovation and entrepreneurship can flourish. HB 540, sponsored by Rep. Bill Poole (R-Tuscaloosa), and HB 609, sponsored by Rep. Jeremy Gray (D-Opelika), both stem from interim policy recommendations made by the Alabama Innovation Commission, of which Poole […]

The Alabama House of Representatives on Tuesday debated SB 46, which would legalize and regulate medical marijuana in the state. After gaveling in just after 2:00 p.m., the House met until 11:43 p.m., considering SB 46 as substituted and amended. However, the body could not get to a final vote on the bill before the clock […]

Alabama residents now have an opportunity to receive additional savings on Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans through the Federal Marketplace. Effective April 1, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 extended the current Special Enrollment Period to August 15, 2021, allowing consumers to purchase or change their […]

Yellowhammer Multimedia on Tuesday released the second class of the Yellowhammer 15, the preeminent honor for those in the private sector that are moving Alabama forward to better days. The class of 2021 follows the inaugural class of the Yellowhammer 15, which was launched in 2019. Unlike Yellowhammer’s annual Power & Influence 40 list, a […]

Governor Kay Ivey on Tuesday announced she has signed into law legislation that will raise pay 2% across the board for public education and all state employees. SB 188, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) and Rep. Bill Poole (R-Tuscaloosa), makes the pay raises official for teachers and other educators. HB 320 does the same […]

Young golfers had a unique opportunity to kick off Regions Tradition week by participating in the first Junior Regions Tradition Sunday. But in addition to getting to tee off on the same course the golf pros will compete on later this week, junior players also got to hear from a financial pro. Drew Miller, Financial Wellness relationship […]

Austal USA on Tuesday announced it has earned an Excellence in Safety award from American Equity Underwriters (AEU) for the Mobile shipbuilder’s strong commitment to safety in the workplace. AEU is the leading provider of workers’ compensation for waterfront employers. The AEU Safety Awards program recognizes the strongest safety programs in the maritime industry nationwide. “This […]

Global nonprofit Points of Light on Monday announced that Montgomery’s Bryan Stevenson has won one of three of the annual George H.W. Bush Points of Light Awards to be presented September 28, 2021. Created in 1990 to promote the spirit of volunteerism described by then-President George H. W. Bush in his 1989 inaugural address, Points of Light […]

The third annual HEAL Day is being held Tuesday, May 4, and everyone is invited to tune in. This year’s free event will be held virtually from 10:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. This action-packed 15 minutes is aimed at inspiring children and adults to embrace healthy behaviors that fuel academic performance and workforce readiness. Participants […]

Later this week, the House of Representatives is expected to hold a floor vote on a so-called comprehensive gaming proposal, which, if passed, would be a key move toward the proliferation of legal gambling within the state of Alabama. However, the version the House is considering appears to have some significant differences from the bill […]

Two Alabama chambers of commerce on Monday were recognized with prestigious Mac Conway Awards for Excellence in Economic Development. This honor is presented annually by Site Selection Magazine to the nation’s top 20 local economic development organizations for their exemplary results in bringing prosperity to their communities. The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber won the award for […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Legislature on Tuesday will convene for the 28th day of its 2021 regular session. The House and Senate will each convene at 2:00 p.m. and undertake respective special order calendars. The chambers could also act on conference committee reports regarding the General Fund budget bill and SB 215, related to broadband, […]

Yellowhammer Multimedia on Monday announced it will present this year’s Power of Service Award to State Rep. Bill Poole (R-Tuscaloosa). Yellowhammer will present the award at its annual Power of Service event set to take place on May 19 in Montgomery. Yellowhammer is honoring Poole in recognition of his outstanding service to the state of […]

Governor Kay Ivey on Monday announced that Alabama’s COVID-19 public health order and state of emergency have both been extended — but for the final time. The public health order — currently called “Safer Apart” — will end Monday, May 31, 2021, and the state of emergency will end Tuesday, July 6, 2021. Ivey first […]

Potentially, one of the big losers should Gov. Kay Ivey’s lease-build prison plan become a reality, which is now on life support after losing an underwriter, would be Sen. Billy Beasley’s (D-Clayton) 28th state senate district. Beasley’s district includes Barbour and Bullock Counties, home to three of what are deemed to be Alabama’s 15 major […]

The Haughery family arrived at Greystone Golf & Country Club early Sunday morning, as they do many weekends. By day’s end, they were trying to figure out how to get the spoils of the day home. Son Simon competed in the age 14-15 boys group in the Junior Regions Tradition, sponsored by Alabama Power. A […]

Huntsville physician Aruna Thotakura Arora, M.D., M.P.H., was recently named president of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama (MASA) during the association’s annual meeting. According to a Monday release by MASA, Arora served the association as president-elect in the term immediately prior. “The Association welcomes Dr. Arora’s continued service to the Board of […]

Protective Life Corporation on Monday announced significant enhancements to its available investment options, advancing the company’s presence in the variable annuities space. To help clients better capitalize on growth opportunities, Protective’s commission-based variable annuity solutions and their fee-based advisory solutions will now offer investment options from four national investment managers: AllianceBernstein, BlackRock, Columbia Threadneedle and […]

Montgomery TechLab (MTL) last week hosted a demo day for its inaugural accelerator cohort of 10 tech startups. An engaged audience of potential investors, stakeholders and technology professionals from across Alabama attended in person and virtually to see the businesses and solutions that have been developed over the past 12 weeks through MTL. MTL, a […]

Judge Mary Windom on Monday announced via a social media post that she will not seek election to the Supreme Court of Alabama in the 2022 election cycle. “After prayerful consideration and discussion with my family, I have decided that I will not seek election to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2022,” she wrote. “I […]

There has been some speculation that if the Alabama Legislature cannot finish out the 2021 regular session without completing some big-ticket issues, Gov. Kay Ivey could be willing to call the legislative branch back into session for a special session later this year. A special session is a certainty for redistricting given the late arrival […]

The newest development at Cedar Rock Farms in Leeds is no ordinary project for Katie McLaughlin and her father, Joe White. “This project is special to me,” McLaughlin said. “We’re tying it into the original phase of Cedar Rock Farms that my father developed 30 years ago. I remember riding my bike as a kid […]

A unique storage system for a U.S. Navy Submersible developed by a senior design class team in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) will be in the running for actual Navy use. “I have had teams work with the U.S. Special Operations Command in previous […]

Alabama’s rural counties are the source of some of the state’s most distinctive products, from handcrafted, all-natural items for health and home to innovative technologies that are charting the future for business and industry. “Rural Alabama is making a remarkable impression both at home and beyond our state’s borders,” said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the […]