Entries by staff reports

Forrest Harrington joins First Horizon Bank’s Huntsville Commercial Banking Team

First Horizon Bank has announced that Forrest Harrington has joined its Huntsville Commercial Banking Team as Senior Vice President, Senior Commercial Banking Relationship Manager. Harrington comes to First Horizon with 30 years of commercial banking experience and an extensive background in commercial real estate. He is a strategic partner, providing customized financial solutions that help […]

Rep. Dale Strong Visits Drake State, Highlights Workforce Development on 65th Anniversary

U.S. Representative Dale Strong (AL-05) visited the Leidos Advanced Training Center on the campus of Drake State Community and Technical College yesterday, joining Drake State president Patricia Sims, faculty and staff to celebrate the enduring partnership between Drake State and the Huntsville community.  The visit celebrated the college’s 65th anniversary and its continued role as […]

Bank Independent launches Food and Family Share drive today

Bank Independent has announced the launch of its Food and Family Share initiative, which begins April 6. For the past 12 years, the bank has hosted the Food Share drive to address food insecurity in the communities it serves. Last year, the initiative expanded to include a Family Share component, collecting not only nonperishable food […]

FirstBank’s Customer-First Approach Drives No. 1 J.D. Power Ranking

FirstBank ranked No. 1 for retail banking customer satisfaction in the South Central region in the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study. The ranking is based on feedback from more than 100,000 retail banking customers nationwide. The study also found that FirstBank received the highest ratings in the region for trust and for […]

Limestone County Named Alabama’s Fastest-Growing for Seventh Straight Year

For the seventh consecutive year, Limestone County was the fastest-growing county in Alabama in 2025, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The county’s population reached 122,928, reflecting an increase of 3,877 residents, or 3.3%, from 2024. Since the 2020 Census, Limestone County has added more than 19,000 residents. The figures cement Limestone […]

UAH Professor’s Research Challenges Traditional Marketing Strategies

In a crowded digital marketplace where brands compete for attention across social media, search engines and streaming platforms, one marketing approach may appear counterintuitive: telling some consumers, “This isn’t for you.” Known as “dissuasive framing,” the strategy is central to research led by Dr. Karen Anne Wallach, a professor in UAH’s College of Business. Her […]

HudsonAlpha affiliate GeneCapture unveils rapid infection testing breakthrough

GeneCapture, Inc., is cutting the time to diagnose an infection from several days to a few hours. This week, the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology associate company demonstrated its breakthrough diagnostic technology to local clinicians and physicians. Their portable, lab-free platform enables identification of the correct antibiotic treatment in near real-time. While traditional hospital diagnostics can […]

Protect the Local Deposits that Power Alabama’s Growth

Op-Ed provided by: Bank Independent CEO, Macke Mauldin The Vital Role of Community Bank Deposits Most conversations about new digital payment tools often miss a crucial reality: when money exits community bank deposits, local lending is directly impacted. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized, “In a fractional banking system, deposits finance lending. When deposits flow out, […]

Prudent Growth purchases Hampton Cove Shops for $7.6 million

Hampton Cove Shops, a retail center adjacent to Walmart in Owens Cross Roads, has been purchased for $7.6 million, Prudent Growth Partners announced.  Prudent Growth is a private equity real estate firm based in Chapel Hill and Charlotte, N.C. According to the firm, the 41,681-square-foot center is 96.64% leased to 12 tenants with staggered lease […]

Raytheon completes $115 million expansion of Huntsville missile integration facility

A cornerstone of Raytheon’s missile production on Redstone Arsenal just got a little bigger. The company announced it has completed a 26,000 square-foot expansion of its Redstone Raytheon Missile Integration Facility. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Raytheon officials said the $115 million capital investment will increase the facility’s integration and delivery capacity by over 50% and […]