Entries by Mike Easterling

Huntsville reopens improved Derrick Street Camp, Focuses on safety and stability

Attempting to get a firm direction relating to the growing homeless community, the City of Huntsville is taking a progressive approach to reopening the campsite on Derrick Street near downtown. Scott Erwin, director of the city’s community development arm, led reporters on a tour of the soon-to-be-open, restructured site that was  shut down by a […]

Huntsville holds steady amid federal uncertainty

In an atmosphere of uncertainty surrounding federal jobs, Space Command, and Huntsville one thing seems sure: The city will carry on with business as usual if the status quo remains. Rumors have run rampant. The FBI is losing at least 50 employees, it was said when the White House announced significant reductions of federal employees. […]

Human trafficking, speeding among topics at HPCAC forum

The Huntsville Police Department reported last month that there has been a decline in city crime rates over the past five years despite extensive population growth.  The drop in violent offenses such as murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault grabbed the most attention. But the rate of other criminal activity is also dropping, at […]

Toyota Field Upgrade: Madison Council Faces Decision on $30M or $7M Option

Two options are on the table for the Madison City Council to choose from as it looks to upgrade Toyota Field, home to the Double-A Southern League Rocket City Trash Pandas, to be in compliance with Major League Baseball’s standards for minor league facilities. One option would cost $30 million, the other $7 million. The […]

HPD prompts drivers to heed safety administration campaign

Huntsville drivers already are subject to a ticket for disregarding the city’s hands-free ordinance, but local police are doubling down on efforts to keep the community’s roads safe. With distracted driving a major safety concern, the Huntsville Police Department (HPD) is reminding drivers that even a moment’s distraction behind the wheel can have life-altering consequences. […]

U.S. Space & Rocket Center debuts weather exhibit

Huntsville continues to reveal its diversity beyond renown as the Rocket City, though space does play a role in an exhibit unveiled Monday at the most visited tourist attraction in the state. A ribbon-cutting was held for the Baron Critical Weather Institute’s “How We Know The Weather’’ exhibit inside the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. […]

Para-cyclists praise Cumings Research Park race course despite weather

A brisk wind and rain greeted early starters Saturday in the 2025 Paralympics Cycling Time Trial in Huntsville, leaving at least one top competitor unsatisfied with the number he clocked on an otherwise popular course. “Not as well as I would like,’’ said Dennis Connors of Beaverton, Ore., a tri-cyclist who earned a silver medal […]

Dallas, Lincoln, Lowe, and Merrimack: The mills that shaped Huntsville’s legacy

Before the space race brought NASA and a team of German scientists to Huntsville, and before the city became a hub for the defense industry, it was manufacturing that drove the local economy.  Standing at the center of an industrial push by city leaders that began late in the 19th century were the major textile […]

HPD credits several factors for city crime rate reduction

The Huntsville Police Department held a roundtable discussion at the Public Safety Complex to review recent crime statistics showing a continued decline in overall criminal activity, highlighted by enforcement strategies and the department’s ongoing focus on public safety. Even as the city continues to experience strong growth, the Huntsville Police Department (HPD) is demonstrating that […]

Kalm Therapeutics receives grant to advance steroid alternative research

Kalm Therapeutics’ effort to find an alternative to steroids used to combat conditions such as eczema and psoriasis received a boost in the form of what the company termed a “significant’’ grant. The grant was awarded by Southern Research’s Therapeutics Development Fund (TDF) and could hasten Kalm Therapeutics’ research. “The awarded grant will enable Kalm […]