Alabama’s agriculture industry leaders are exploring new methods and markets to extend the reach of the state’s farmers. Agriculture, forestry and related industries have a $70.4 billion economic impact in Alabama and are responsible for more than 580,000 jobs. Products from farms and forests represent key categories in Accelerate Alabama, the state’s strategic development growth […]

https://youtu.be/P7lQFgEHNNY (Video above: Highlights from Slide the City) Residents of Vestavia Hills and Huntsville better get out their inner tubes and water wings this summer because they’re going to have the chance to take slip-n-slides to a whole new level. Slide the City, a three-lane, 1,000-foot water slide will be coming to Vestavia Hills and […]

PRICHARD, Ala. — Apparently some places in Alabama are really serious about residents mowing their lawns. A 70-year-old woman from Prichard, Alabama was arrested last week for not mowing her lawn or responding to a citation. But the whole thing was just a terrible misunderstanding. The woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, was placed in […]

At one time many people accused Alabama legislators for having their fingers in the wrong pi. March 14 (3/14) is known around the world as Pi Day (3.14). Many Alabamians may not know that our state has a unique and interesting relationship with pi. The story goes like this: in 1998, a group of scientists […]

(Video above: TV clips from the Blizzard of 1993) Everyone across the country remembers Snowmageddon in 2014, but given the chance, true Alabamians will always tell you about their experiences with the Blizzard of 93. Officially named the “Superstorm of 1993” by the National Weather Service (and the “Storm of the Century” by Wikipedia), the […]

According to Forbes Magazine, Alabama is currently home to exactly zero billionaires. But if you spent a day with the state’s highest paid government employee, you might assume Forbes must have overlooked something. Dr. David Bronner has been Chief Executive Officer of the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA) for over 40 years. From a palatial […]

By Rep. Mac McCutcheon and Rep. Laura Hall Every modern politician — from mayors and members of city councils, to those who serve in the legislature — has an obligation to ensure that responsible policies are enacted in order to help their residents and businesses compete in a global economy. Part of this obligation is […]

Spain and Morocco put out the welcome mat this week for Alabama business leaders, who visited the countries in an effort to strengthen trade ties. The 16-member state delegation is nearing the end of the trade mission, which kicked off in Spain with business-to-business meetings, networking opportunities and visits to several companies with a major […]

For thousands of high school and college students across the state, March means Spring Break – which means road trips. Caravans of cars will be hitting the road – mostly heading south – full of spring breakers ready for a week off to think of nothing but laying in the sun. Those behind the wheel […]

Passing the bar exam is probably like having to fight a dragon after you just climbed up Mount Everest. It’s not something law students look forward to, but it’s inevitable. Some law schools blow the rest away when it comes to their students passing the bar exam. Most would assume that Ivy League law students […]

(Video above: The entire Hoover community comes together to surprise A.J. Thompson) Thanks to the generosity of Hoover high school students, six-year-old A.J. Thompson, born with a congenital heart defect, and his family will be going to the most magical place on earth later this month. Hoover partnered with Make-A-Wish Alabama and McDonalds to raise […]

By T. Randolph Beard In his recent “state of the state” address, Governor Robert Bentley pledged to reduce regulatory burdens on private broadband service providers (“BSPs”) as part of an “ambitious plan to provide rural and under-served communities access to broadband.” As an economist who studies telecommunications policy, I commend the Governor’s efforts. Easing regulatory […]

TRUSSVILLE, Ala. — Less than three months into the new year, an Alabama robbery victim just experienced what will almost certainly go down as the creepiest crime of the 2016, but ultimately escaped unharmed. Police were initially called to the Trussville Target on Gadsden Highway after reports of numerous car break-ins. While watching the security […]

If the South is the Bible Belt, Alabama is the Belt Buckle. In a yearly study by the Pew Research Center, Alabama tied with Mississippi as the most religious state in the union, with 77% of adults claiming they are “highly religious.” Alabama is also first in the number of people who believe in God, […]

Many Alabama e-book readers will soon be getting money back for their purchases. The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday denied Apple Inc.’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling in an e-book price fixing case, forcing the company to comply with a settlement with Alabama and over two-dozen other states. The case dates back to 2013 […]

By: Todd May, director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center NASA is making great strides on the journey to send astronauts farther into space than ever before. And in a very real sense, the first leg of the journey to Mars is happening right here in Alabama. That’s because America’s next great ship – NASA’s […]

An Alabama soldier is changing the game for female law enforcement officers, and thanks to a new investment, her idea is becoming a reality. Leah Olszewski, from Alabaster, founded FEMTAC in 2013 to help fix some of the problems she saw in tactical gear and apparel for women. “[W]e had just noticed a pattern over […]

He regularly faces bad guys as a tough guy on the silver screen, but Anthony Mackie apparently can’t stomach a ride through real-life Birmingham, Alabama. Mackie, the actor who portrays Sam Wilson/The Falcon in Marvel’s Captain America and Avengers movies, said in an interview that Birmingham is “bananas.” In the interview Mackie lamented that he […]

(Video above: The inspiring story of how Dr. Mustafa Ahmed and his teamed saved Jason Philpot’s life) Alabama native Jason Philpot was leading a normal life in suburban Atlanta with his wife and young son when he heard the words “heart murmur” for the first time. His doctor told him during a routine physical that […]

A six-time world champion athlete and former stuntwoman has figured out a way to fight Alabama’s childhood obesity epidemic, and its sweeping across the state. HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living) is a Birmingham-based organization that is revolutionizing physical education curriculum in elementary schools. HEAL converts physical education class time into more of a personal training […]

OXFORD, Alabama — Canadian automotive supplier Kobay Enstel announced plans today to create at least 75 jobs over three years at a new facility in Calhoun County. The Calhoun County Economic Development Council said Kobay Enstel, which stamps metal parts for auto seats, is leasing a 60,000-square-foot speculative building on McIntosh Road in Oxford under […]

(Video above: How UAB researchers are using tiny, squishy cubes to kill cancer) By Jeff Hansen UAB researcher Eugenia Kharlampieva, Ph.D., makes polymer microcapsules meant to carry cancer drugs to the site of a tumor. Working in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences Department of Chemistry at the intersection of polymer chemistry, nanotechnology and […]

(h/t J. Willoughby) The year was 1966. John Lennon had just made his infamous “more popular than Jesus” comment. The outrage that followed may have started in Birmingham, Alabama. The history of The Beatles can usually be divided into two categories: the early pop years when they toured the world at the height of Beatlemania, […]

MOBILE, Alabama — The first Alabama-made Airbus A321 is sporting JetBlue colors. Airbus said today that painting of its maiden U.S.-built passenger jet has been completed in its paintshop at the company’s new, $600 million facility at Mobile Aeroplex. The aircraft emerged wearing JetBlue livery. “This latest milestone shows that the first aircraft to be […]