On Tuesday, the Alabama Fiber Network (AFN), a coalition of eight electric co-ops and partners throughout the state, announced the hiring of Terry Metze as its Chief Executive Officer. AFN provides critical middle-mile connectivity to last-mile providers and community anchor institutions in the state of Alabama. “We are excited about Mr. Metze’s hiring and welcome […]

U.S. Rep. Dale Strong introduced the “National Training Center for Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act” to establish a dedicated counter-UAS training program. Unmanned Aircraft Systems are also known categorically as drones. Such a program would train personnel to operate counter-UAS detection and mitigation systems, equipment, or technology that helps to lessen the credible threat posed by […]

On the tail end of a high-profile seafood fraud case in Mississippi where a restaurant admitted to selling mislabeled imported fish as local Gulf seafood, a new Alabama law will go into effect on October 1, 2024 to prevent similar deception. The Mississippi case, which concluded with the restaurant forfeiting $1.35 million and pleading guilty […]

State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) was honored in Decatur on Monday for his life-saving response to colleague State Sen. Tim Melson’s (R-Florence) cardiac emergency while on a state visit to South Korea last summer. The Alabama Fire College also thanked the lawmakers for expanding CPR training in public schools to include the use of automated […]

On June 1, a comprehensive package of ten new laws to benefit active-duty military service members, veterans, and their families went into effect. Passed by state legislators during the 2024 legislative session, signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey, and announced on Monday by Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth, the new laws include measures providing tax […]

In testimony that resembled a pep talk, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt offered high praise last week for Huntsville’s Marshall Space Flight Center and its administration. Britt (R-Ala.) participated in a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson regarding the Fiscal Year 2025 NASA and National Science […]

On the same weekend their 168-year-old university closed its doors, the Birmingham-Southern College baseball team experienced a roller coaster of emotions, ending in a heartbreaking 11-10 elimination at the hands of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The Panthers, whose storybook run to the Division III College World Series has captured the nation’s heart, lost their Friday CWS opener to […]

Earlier this year, Alabama lawmakers passed legislation aimed at protecting property owners from squatters. It goes into effect on Saturday, June 1. The new law imposes severe penalties for individuals who illegally enter a residence they do not own and creates a new offense for causing $1,000 or more in damage to a property. These […]

Thursday afternoon, former President Donald Trump was convicted in New York on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The verdict made Trump the first-ever former president to be convicted of a felony. Generally, the betting market is a fairly good indicator of who the next president will be. In 2020, just days before the […]

Starting on Saturday in Alabama, if officers see you holding a cell phone while driving, you can be ticketed. A 2023 law goes into effect on June 1 requiring motorist use “hands free” devices if they want to use their cell phones while they are driving. In Alabama, its already illegal for a person to […]

Lockheed Martin, Department of Defense, state and local officials celebrated the opening of the company’s $18 million engineering facility, labs and demonstration center at Redstone Gateway in Huntsville. The 122,000-square foot facility has space for 500 employees who will advance national security capabilities and drive innovation in North Alabama.    “The crucial work being done here […]

The Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition recently played a key role in helping seven school systems in the state secure $7.8 million to purchase a fleet of new electric buses. The arrangement is part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2023 Clean School Bus Program rebate competition. Casey Foster, fleet manager for the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition, […]

The Alabama Power Foundation has announced it has donated $25,000 to a project aimed at supporting veterans after they return home from combat. Dovetail Landing, an organization created by Alana Centilli in memory of her son, Daniel, aims to give returning veterans a safe, comfortable place to gather and live. Their campus, currently being constructed […]

On Thursday, the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security at Auburn University announced six more senior fellows to its 2024 cohort. The six new senior fellows join 27 other new senior fellows who were announced in February. According to the university, the experts and officials will add expertise in cybersecurity and national security […]

On Wednesday, community leaders and residents lined up around the block of three new modern homes in Bessemer’s Northside neighborhood to witness a milestone that has been a long time coming for those involved in the area’s vitality and growth. The Bessemer Redevelopment Corporation, the Regions Foundation, state lawmakers, city officials and a host of […]

Recent wildfires in Texas have significantly decreased the essential food supply of hay needed to sustain the state’s livestock population. The series of fires has reportedly wiped out over 1.5 million acres of prime cattle land and impacted up to 85 percent of cattle in the state. In response to the growing crisis, the Alabama […]

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama announced it will be expanding its medical scholarship program in an effort to better address health disparities, particularly in rural areas of Alabama. “Blue Cross is working to emphasize improvement in areas that are currently underrepresented,” said Dr. Darrel Weaver, Vice President of Provider Engagement, Blue Cross and […]

A high school student in Tuscaloosa is receiving a very high honor this summer. Maureen York, a student at Northridge High School, was hand-picked as one of just 28 high-performing 11th and 12th graders throughout the entire country to complete an in-depth eight-week U.S. Navy Summer Flight Academy aviation program at Elizabeth City State University […]

State Rep. Terri Collins (R-Decatur) is praising the hard work of students and teachers for the improvement in reading scores among Alabama students. “I think it’s a massive improvement in reading over the last five years,” Collins said Tuesday on WVNN. “I think we’ve seen gains since 2019 that we’ve never seen before. And I’m […]

The University of Alabama’s National Alumni Association received an $8 million gift from the estate of a man who did not attend the school — a record contribution. The huge gift will enhance four existing Alumni Crimson Scholarships for in-state students and create a fifth endowed scholarship for out-of-state students. Bill Decas, who passed away […]

The Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles announced 33 inmates graduated last week from a rehabilitation program offered through the Tuscaloosa Day Reporting Center. The program provides prisoners with a combination of counseling, educational training, and close supervision. A ceremony was held at the Shelton State Community College gymnasium with family members and friends invited. […]

Governor Kay Ivey sent out a message to all of Alabama’s kindergarten through eighth grade students late last week announcing this summer’s statewide reading challenge. “As we approach the summer break, I want to remind you all that while it’s time to unwind and enjoy some well deserved relaxation, it’s also time to keep our […]

A Jefferson County couple is grateful to be completely unharmed after a tree fell on their home and a branch pierced through their roof in the bedroom just feet from where the resident was sleeping: A scary moment for a couple in Jefferson County this morning. Loreleigh Harper woke up to find a branch piercing […]

Billions of cicadas have emerged across the southeastern United States this spring in a natural phenomenon often referred to as a “super brood.” The brood, known as the “Great Southern Brood” or Brood XIX, appears once every 13 years when soil temperatures reach approximately 64 degrees Fahrenheit. The insects function above ground for six to […]