Beginning Saturday, June 1st, state and local law enforcement officers in Alabama can issue tickets to drivers violating the state’s hand-free law. WAFF TV reports that for this state law, using your phone while driving is a secondary offense, meaning you must be seen committing another traffic offense to get a ticket. Huntsville’s hands-free law goes into effect in July, making using your phone a primary offense, so if an officer sees a phone in your hand, you could get pulled over.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced the latest wave of funding for school districts to purchase electric and otherwise environmentally clean buses from the Clean School Bus Program. The acting administrator of EPA’s Region 4, Jeaneanne Gettle, says that this new funding “will allow children across the Southeast to breathe cleaner air and communities will reap tremendous health benefits.” The Alabama Political Reporter notes eight cities and counties in Alabama will be receiving funding for purchasing new clean buses including Huntsville and Fort Payne.
The Madison City School Board approved a $49 million construction bid for a new school this week. It will be the eighth elementary school for Madison City Schools, and the first MCS elementary school to be built in Limestone County. The new school will be built inside the new Madison Branch subdivision off of Hardiman Road. Madison City Schools Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols tells WHNT TV they’re looking forward to it opening in the fall of 2026.
The Huntsville City Council has approved two U.S. Department of Transportation grant applications for improvements to Holmes Avenue and Governors Drive. Both roads fall under Huntsville City Councilman Bill Kling’s district. One grant would help fund a study for improvements on a stretch of Governors Drive that will improve traffic flow, and better accommodate pedestrians. Kling tells WAFF TV these improvements could add more lanes or change traffic light timing. The second grant would fund construction along Holmes Avenue. It would add new sidewalks, bike lanes, and street lamps. Kling said this project will transform the area from downtown to UAH.
Huntsville is one of the top 20 cities in the U.S. seeing people move in, according to moving and storage company Pods. AL.com reports Pods ranked Huntsville 16th for the most people moving in. Myrtle Beach, S.C./Wilmington, N.C. topped the list, followed by Ocala, Fla.; Houston, Texas; Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C., and Charlotte, N.C. Pods says it’s seeing more people move to the Southern Appalachian region, which includes Alabama and states such as Tennessee, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Reasons include affordability, food culture, recreation opportunities and quality of life.