Dale County in the running for another aviation contract
Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday welcomed plans by Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. to assemble the U.S. Navy’s next-generation training aircraft in Dale County, should Bell win a competition for the helicopter. “Bell could have not selected a more ideal location to conduct final assembly of the Navy’s new advanced helicopter trainer than Ozark and Dale County,” Ivey said. “The area is home to many skilled aircraft mechanics, so I know Bell’s workforce will be world class.” – Made In Alabama
Bassmaster Classic coming back to Birmingham in 2020
The 50th GEICO Bassmaster Classic will be held in Birmingham in Spring 2020, officials with the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex announced during a press conference Monday. The event is a professional fishing tournament lauded as one of the biggest and most prestigious pro fishing tournaments in the world. The 2020 event will be the 13th time the Classic has been held in Alabama and the ninth time the event has been held in Birmingham, making it the destination that’s hosted the event more than another. – AL.com
$10 million Bessemer project would use former city hall
Bessemer’s historic former City Hall is being eyed for a mixed-use development. Wisconsin-based Scott Crawford Inc. is purchasing the former municipal building, vacant for the past two years, for $200,000 from the city. The property on Third Avenue North could become a $10 million, mixed use housing development with 60 units and about 4,000 square feet of retail space. – AL.com
Old school lottery bill comes before Senate committee
A lottery proposal is headed to its first vote in the Alabama Legislature. The Senate Tourism and Marketing Committee will vote Tuesday afternoon on a bill by Republican Sen. Greg Albritton of Atmore. Albritton’s bill would attempt to limit a lottery to paper tickets instead of allowing video lottery terminals. If approved by the committee, the bill could go before the full Alabama Senate Thursday. – AP
Here comes some of that infrastructure we were promised
Gov. Kay Ivey announced Monday that the Alabama Department of Transportation is purchasing the right of way for the expansion of McFarland Boulevard in Tuscaloosa from State Route 69 to Rice Mine Road, as part of the Rebuild Alabama First Year Plan 2020. “Enhancing this particular section of US 82 will provide safer and more efficient travel on one of Alabama’s busiest four-lane roads,” Ivey said. – AR
March Birmingham median home prices up 13 percent from a year ago
Birmingham-area residential sales totaled 1,357 units during March, down 4 percent from 1,413 sales in the same month a year earlier. March sales were up 26.4 percent compared to 1,074 sales in February. Results were 10.6 percent above the five-year March average of 1,227 sales, according to the Greater Alabama Multiple Listing Service. – ANC
In the hot/cold world of auto sales, a chill expected
More than two dozen new cars, trucks, crossovers and concept vehicles are making their debut at this week’s annual New York International Auto Show. But despite the almost uniformly bullish speeches at the show’s media preview Wednesday, there’s a sense of growing concern, if not outright pessimism, from industry leaders and analysts. “At best, stagnation is expected for 2019,” said Steve Rich, a vice president with auto supplier Autoneum. – CNBC
