By Johnny Kampis / Watchdog.org If you build it, sometimes they don’t come. Opelika spent about $43 million to build a broadband network capable of 1 gigabit-per-second symmetrical speeds, financed by a bond issue backed up by the revenue of Opelika Power Services. Four years later (as of Aug. 26), OPS has one subscriber for […]

By Dawn Azok Alabama’s auto industry continues to power new investment and jobs across the state. Over the past year, auto suppliers have announced new facilities and expansions worth at least $924 million and more than 2,500 new jobs in activities ranging from precision machining to engineering. Among the companies growing in Alabama is Lear […]

By Karim Shamsi-Basha As football season approaches, the battle cry of the defending national champions, the Alabama Crimson Tide, is rising up from Tuscaloosa to Dallas to New York to Jerusalem. Jerusalem? The last thing one might expect to find on the ancient streets of Jerusalem is anything having to do with American football – […]

Using data from the 2010 census, Dustin Cable of the University of Virginia has created the definitive map of racial distribution in America. Let’s start with the United States and work our way down to the local level. [Click images to enlarge] United States White: blue dots; Black: green dots; Asian: red; Latino: orange; all […]

By: UBER The wait is over: Uber is coming to Tuscaloosa and Auburn, just in time for the fall semester and football season! Starting on Thursday, riders will be able to request an uberX in both cities. Bringing Uber to these two college towns has been a priority for us, and we’re excited to be […]

AUBURN, Ala. — If you have watched Olympic swimming for the past twenty years, then you know the voice of Rowdy Gaines. Along with his broadcast partner Dan Hicks, Gaines has covered all of NBC’s Olympic swimming events since the 1996 Atlanta Games. Together, the duo have covered what has been deemed the golden age […]

The online dating website eHarmony is now being run by Alabama native and Auburn University alum Grant Langston. The move, effective immediately, puts Langston in charge of the company that has been run founder Dr. Neil Clark Warren since its inception. The former CEO will remain with the company as chairman of the board. “I […]

Alabama is experiencing a surge of youth political participation in light of historical frustration at the state and national level. All across the state, young millennials are running for office and at least some of them are having success. In Florence, an 18 year-old successfully won a federal legal challenge allowing him to run for […]

The crew of the USS Alabama, a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine currently stationed in Washington, had a message for Auburn University this week. “1985 was a great year. Bo Jackson won the Heisman and the USS Alabama was commissioned. And for over 31 years, she’s been defending America’s freedom from under the sea. To all […]

CLEVELAND, Ohio — One Alabama woman is making history at the Republican National Convention this week as the youngest delegate in attendance. Kathleen Moore, 18, is a student at Auburn University and the daughter of State Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise). Despite her young age, Kathleen wanted to make a difference in this historic election. “I […]

AUBURN, Ala. — One Auburn University student is taking on the tremendous task of running for the Alabama House seat formerly occupied by convicted House Speaker Mike Hubbard. Not only is the college junior trying to win the 79th district, but he is attempting to do so under the banner of the Libertarian Party. Gage […]

OPELIKA, Ala. — Former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn) has been sentenced to prison. Circuit Judge Jacob Walker ruled today that Hubbard will spend four years in prison and pay a $210,000 fine. Prosecutors recommended an 18 year sentence with 5 served in prison and 13 on probation. The state also requested a restitution […]

Alabama native and Apple CEO Tim Cook is taking an elevated role at Nike, the sports apparel juggernaut where he has been a director for over a decade. After a shakeup on the company’s board of directors triggered by the retirement of longtime Chairman Phil Knight, Nike announced that Cook will serve as lead independent […]

Every year, the financial magazine and website Forbes publishes its list of highest paid athletes in the world. In order to determine their ranking of the world’s richest active sportspeople, the analysts compile incomes acquired from salary, winnings, sports bonuses, and endorsement contracts. Cam Newton came in at a remarkable number seven on the list […]

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – General Electric Aviation broke ground on two new facilities in Alabama this week that will work together in a partnership that is not found anywhere else in the world. The $200 million project will mass-produce silicon carbide (SiC) materials used to manufacture ceramic matrix composite components (CMCs) for jet engines and land-based […]

AUBURN, Ala. — Before he was convicted on 12 felony ethics charges, Mike Hubbard used his position as Speaker of the House to support his home city of Auburn and Auburn University. His impact on the city and the university was so great, that many buildings and roads there now bear his name. But the […]

OPELIKA, Ala. — Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn) was convicted of 12 of 23 charges by a Lee County Jury in Opelika on Friday night. The jury deliberated for seven hours on various charges to decide if Hubbard used his office for personal gain. The prosecution alleged Hubbard made millions of dollars in various […]

OPELIKA, Ala. — On Tuesday, Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard took the stand in his own defense to fight back against the felony ethics charges being levied against him. Hubbard testified that while he was chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, he and a group of campaign operatives and candidates jointly decided to use a […]

As part of a nationwide analysis, the researchers at cheapcarinsurance.net generated a study that revealed the nine cities in Alabama with the most speed traps. Coming in a clear first is Madison, Alabama with over 39 confirmed speed traps per 100,000 residents. The entire top nine is listed below. 1. Madison – 39.3 2. Decatur […]

It’s no surprise that Alabamians love to give. The state has long had a reputation for its Southern hospitality, but have you ever wondered which Alabama cities are the most generous? Well wonder no longer. Philanthropy.com recently studied how much each state in the country gives and donates to charity. Alabama is the third-most charitable […]

HANNOVER, Germany – The Berghoff Group announced plans today to set up its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Auburn, where it will invest $30 million and create 100 precision-machining jobs over the next five years. John Emerson, the U.S. Ambassador to Germany, announced the deal today at the 2016 Hannover Messe, the world’s largest industrial […]

Launching a business can be difficult, but one small city in Alabama is doing everything it can to make life easier on entrepreneurs. WalletHub, a company that describes itself as a “one-stop destination for all the tools and information consumers and small business owners need to make better financial decisions and save money,” ranked the […]

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Nick Saban has not weighed in on the 2016 presidential race, but Donald Trump supporters on campus at the University of Alabama are hoping to use his likeness to promote their candidate’s platforms. To much controversy, chalk writings of “Trump 2016” or “Make America Great Again” have been popping up all over […]

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — As thousands of college students migrate south for fun in the sun, city officials at Alabama’s beaches are worried that the alcohol-induced spring break frivolity might become too much. This week, the mayors of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach said they are ready to consider banning alcohol on their beaches next […]