First Bank acquiring Southern States branches; Brasfield & Gorrie breaks ground on NC center; Colorado fruit-bowl concept opening in Alabama; Shelby County tops wealth study

First Bank buying 2 Southern States branches

Talladega-based First Bank of Alabama is acquiring the Heflin and Ranburne branches of Anniston-based Southern States Bank. – Globe NewsWire

Brasfield & Gorrie breaks ground on NC cancer center

Brasfield & Gorrie is general contractor for a new $38.3 million cancer center at UNC Health Blue Ridge in Valdese, North Carolina. The Birmingham-based company will also be contractor for a six-story tower on the Morganton campus that will break ground later this summer. – Brasfield & Gorrie

Colorado-based fruit bowl concept opening in Alabama

Rush Bowls, a Colorado-based fast-casual brand known for smoothies and fruit bowls, will open in downtown Birmingham later this year. Rush Bowls has 35 restaurants in 20 states, and the location on 20^th Street in Birmingham is the first of several planned in Alabama.   – Alabama

Study: Shelby County has highest per capita wealth

Shelby County topped SmartAsset’s list of wealthiest counties in Alabama. Others in the top 10 were Jefferson, Madison, Baldwin, Limestone, Walker, Tuscaloosa, Houston, Lee and Elmore. The study looked at investment income, per capita income and median home values. – SmartAsset