Construction crews are working on the Aldridge Creek Greenway after a railroad bridge collapsed along the trail Tuesday morning. WHNT TV reports Governor Kay Ivey awarded the Huntsville Madison County Railroad Authority a $1 million grant in 2024, dedicated to repairing railroads, including the Aldridge Creek bridge. Mark Lumb with the HMCR said those funds will be available in October, and repairs to the bridge and railroad could start around then. The greenway area surrounding the bridge will be closed while the investigation continues, and will likely remain closed for repairs.
A Limestone County judge has denied two landowning companies’ request to be dismissed from a legal battle over a rock quarry in Belle Mina. At a hearing held Tuesday, Judge Matthew Huggins denied Elephants R Us and Landquest Properties’ motion to dismiss, meaning they will stay on the case. WHNT TV reports the motion was filed in Limestone County Circuit Court on Wednesday.
Huntsville City School’s Central Office and Center for Technology held a ribbon-cutting and grand opening on Thursday morning. The $40 million center covers over 120,000 square feet on North Memorial Parkway and Max Luther Drive. AL.com reports some Huntsville City School system administrators were already working in the new central office on the day of the grand opening. Students in workforce development will come from their schools to take classes at the new Center for Technology.
School leaders broke ground on a new middle school in Hazel Green this week. The Madison County School System says the surrounding areas, Hazel Green, Meridianville and New Market, are experiencing some of the fastest residential growth in North Alabama. WHNT TV reports the school is located on the north side of the existing Hazel Green High School campus. To further accommodate growth in the Hazel Green feeder pattern, the Madison County School Board also approved a
20,000-square-foot addition to Hazel Green High School.
At Thursday’s regular meeting, the Huntsville City Council approved an agreement with the General Services Administration to acquire the now-vacant former U.S. Courthouse on Holmes Avenue. The transaction is a property swap and involves no money. Huntsville provided the site for the new U.S. courthouse that opened this year at the intersection of Lowe Avenue and Gallatin Street. 256 Today reports the agreement includes protections for the historically significant elements of the building, both interior and exterior. Huntsville officials have not determined a use for the former courthouse, which opened in 1936 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Home sales in Alabama continued growing in June, climbing 8.2 percent from May and rising 10.9 percent compared to June 2024. That’s according to the Alabama Economic and Real Estate Report released Monday by the Alabama Association of REALTORS. This marks the second straight month of growth for the state’s housing market. Alabama REALTORS economist Evan Moore tells the Alabama Political Reporter that factors ranging from available inventory to slowing median price growth to Alabama’s robust economy point to the market favoring buyers, and it is a suitable time for buyers to consider taking action.