Capital Heartland

Jackson Thornton kicked off its “100 Years | 100 Acts of Service” to benefit Rise Against Hunger by using its 200-plus team members to pack more than 34,000 meals.

Montgomery County, in central Alabama, is part of the state’s River Region and is home to the state’s capital city, Montgomery.

Residents of Opelika eagerly dove into a citywide charrette called DesignPlace. One result morphed from sticky notes, through local history, into a logo with locomotion.

Forest products and other agriculture have long been the backbone of the economy in these counties. While those industries continue to thrive, newer sectors have joined the mix in recent years — especially automotive suppliers.

Paul Wellborn is having a go at exploration up on Hog Mountain. It’s the closest Alabama has come to rekindling the great Chilton County Gold Rush. Just don’t tell the weekenders ganging up at Gold Camp in Cragford.

Germany’s Berghoff Group chose Auburn for its U.S. precision manufacturing plant because it had the skilled workforce that could hone parts taking 130 hours to perfect.

It’s a hard truth, but retail survival is getting more rare.

Three Alabama towns are robust examples of New Urbanism — traditional communities designed to be practical rather than nostalgic. One was named the National Association of Homebuilders’ 2014 Community of the Year.

Whitewater Express on the Chattahoochee is one of the “top 12 greatest man-made adventures on the planet,” says USA Today.

Teaming with former first lady Marsha Folsom, this Seattle couple, who made bamboo a mainstay in home flooring in the U.S., are forging another bamboo coup — in Alabama’s Black Belt.