City Council debates use of private funds, upcoming 5% electrical rate increase

During the most meeting, the Huntsville City Council announced an upcoming proposal for a 5% electric rate increase, debated whether to address a grey area between personal and workplace funds, and finalized the 2025 budget. Upcoming Electric Rate Increase Proposal Director of External Affairs at Huntsville Utilities, Joe Gehrdes, announced that Huntsville Utilities will approach city […]

Alabama real estate market sees cooling trend as mortgage rates drop, report shows

The Alabama Association of Realtors has released their Alabama Economic and Real eState Report for the month of September 2024.  The report summarizes the state of the Alabama real estate market -the average of the entire state, not merely our own Huntsville/Madison County market – as ‘cooling, but robust.’  “As the traditional summer home-buying season […]

North Alabama Workforce Summit highlights regional growth, workforce development, and economic challenges

North AlabamaWorks! held the 2024 North Alabama Workforce Summit at the historic Stovehouse on September 24. The all-day program provided updates, insights, and networking opportunities for the region’s workforce development community.  State of the Workforce Report: Stephanie McCulloch, executive director at North AlabamaWorks!, presented the “State of the Workforce Report.”  McCulloch explained that North AlabamaWorks! […]

Local university to partner with AMIIC to boost advanced manufacturing training for students

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) has entered into a strategic partnership with the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Integration Center (AMIIC), a Huntsville-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing manufacturing technologies. The memorandum of understanding, signed on Sept. 16 at UAH’s Shelby Center for Science and Technology, grants UAH students access to AMIIC’s state-of-the-art laboratory space […]

Alabama A&M selected as sole HBCU for multi-million dollar project to shape uncharted career path

Alabama A&M University has been chosen as the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to participate in a $2.8 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant aimed at establishing a groundbreaking undergraduate program in research administration and management. The initiative, led by Dr. Chris Brown, Vice President for Research at the University of Alabama at […]

Real estate update: Federal Reserve cuts interest rates

In a long-awaited move, the Federal Reserve announced that it has cut the federal funds rate by fifty basis points. The new federal funds rate, which acts as a benchmark for borrowing rates across the economy, is now reduced to 4.8%, the lowest rate since March of 2023. This is the first rate cut since […]

Huntsville tops list of emerging north American tech markets

Huntsville has been ranked #1 on CBRE’s list of up-and-coming tech-talent markets in its annual Scoring Tech Talent report, which evaluates 75 U.S. and Canadian cities on their ability to attract and grow tech talent. Huntsville’s had a 17.9% growth in tech employment over the past five years and a 19.6% increase in tech wages. […]

Huntsville CWA workers remain on strike during negotiations with AT&T

It’s been more than two weeks since 17,000 AT&T workers across the Southeast began their strike against the company.  According to officials from the union that represents these workers, Communication Workers of America (CWA), not much has changed and an end to the strike doesn’t appear to be yet in sight.  CWA claims workers face […]

Drake State seeking community input to help bridge digital divide in North Alabama

Drake State Community & Technical College has initiated a new survey to assess broadband availability and digital access in Madison, Marshall, and Jackson Counties. This effort is part of a broader mission to address the digital needs of high-poverty and rural communities, ensuring equitable access to the digital tools necessary for success. As a central […]

Real Estate market adjusts in anticipation of Fed Reserve cuts 

Interest rates remained flat during the first week of September, slowing down a multi-week decrease that experts attribute to the market preparing for the much-anticipated Federal Reserve cuts expected to be announced at the Fed’s next meeting, on September 18.  “I do believe in anticipation of this cut, most of the reduction has been built […]