Encompass, University of Iowa building rehab hospital
Birmingham’s Encompass Health Corp., and the University of Iowa Health System, will jointly own a 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital currently under construction in Coralville, Iowa. The hospital, which will be called University of Iowa Health Network Rehabilitation Hospital, is expected to open in the second quarter of this year. – AL.com
There’s a new state where Alabamians can drive to spend lottery money
Mississippi’s first Mega-Millions and Powerball tickets were sold Thursday morning during a ceremony on the Gulf Coast. Hours later Alabamians were already driving across the state line to purchase tickets. Edward Merriweather sat outside the Sprint Mart in Columbus, Mississippi picking his numbers. Merriweather, a New York native now living in Alabama, has been playing since 1963. – ABC3340
Commerce chief: State’s capital investment grows, but 2020 has challenges
Alabama continued a record-setting pace in economic development in 2019, but both the governor and the head of the Department of Commerce said 2020 is a new decade with new and lingering issues. With the introduction in 2012 of the state’s first strategic plan for economic development, Accelerate Alabama, the state has seen more than $40 billion in capital investment and the creation of more than 130,000 jobs. – Made In Alabama
Police say banker spent customers’ money on designer clothes, food delivery
A part-time Regions Bank employee in Alabama was charged by police after she allegedly spent customers’ money on food delivery and children’s clothing, according to authorities and media reports. Trussville Police charged Amber Jones, 25, with trafficking in stolen identities and two counts of identity theft, the department said in a Facebook post. She was arrested at the bank Friday and had a bank slip in her pocket with a “handwritten debit card number, expiration date and security code” written on it. – AP
Chambers County’s Gray wins top Alabama economic development honor
Valerie Gray, executive director of the Chambers County Development Authority, has been named the 2019 recipient of the David R. Echols Distinguished Service Award for exemplary service in economic development. The award represents the highest recognition in the state’s economic development field. Gray has led the CCDA for 22 years. – Made In Alabama
Companies face $88,482 in fines over fatal 2019 Hoover cave-in
Two Alabama contractors face a total of $88,482 in fines stemming from a July 2019 trench collapse in a Hoover neighborhood. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says OLA Inc. and Calloway Inc. exposed employees to excavation hazards by allowing them to work in a trench without hard hats and cave-in protection. OLA Inc. was operating as Outdoor Living Areas Inc., and Calloway was operating as American Lawn Co., OSHA said. – AL.com
New Genesis SUV could be a game changer for Hyundai’s luxury brand
Competing in the luxury car market without any SUVs in the lineup is like playing football without linemen. It’s asking to get run over. That’s why it was crucial for Hyundai’s luxury brand, Genesis, to finally have its own SUV. The GV80 SUV, which made its US debut at an event in Miami Tuesday night, could be a game changer for the South Korea-based auto maker. Up until now, Genesis has offered only sedans, even as customers have been increasingly turning to SUVs. – CNN
