Stories from surrounding communities, closest first.
The Cullman Times · Holly Pond, AL
Nearby: Holly Pond, ALThe town of Holly Pond may soon be looking to have more control over the types of businesses that are allowed to operate within its town limits. Mayor Carla Hart asked the members of the Holly Pond Town Council if they would be open to considering a type of ordinance that would prohibit what she described as “offensive” businesses from obtaining a business license during the council’s meeting on Monday, Nov. 2. Hart said, at the moment, said that she wasn’t aware of any rumors about any individual business looking to open up shop in Holly Pond and that she didn’t want to limit entire industries other than to say she felt that prohibiting “places that might have pictures with nudity and things in their window” would be in the town’s best interest. “I’m not going to name anything in particular because I’m not that prejudiced against things, but I do think there are some things that shouldn’t be around children,” Hart said.
Athens News Courier · Danville, AL
Nearby: Danville, ALThe state cross country meet took place in Danville this past weekend, and numerous area standouts put together solid days at the Oakville Indian Mounds. See capsules for each local school below. The top 15 runners in each classification earned All-State honors.
Athens News Courier · Boaz, AL
Nearby: Boaz, ALAthens and Tanner saw their respective flag football seasons come to an end this week. The Golden Eagles, which defeated Pell City 12-6 in the opening round, fell to Boaz by a score of 27-6 on Tuesday. Athens finished its season at 9-5. The Rattlers, meanwhile, lost to Moody 40-0 on Tuesday after earning a 31-0 win over Sipsey Valley in the first round. Tanner finishes its season at 6-6.
Brookhaven Daily Leader · Huntsville, AL
Nearby: Huntsville, ALMississippi college students have until Nov. 30 to apply for the Fall 2026 Space to Succeed Scholarship from The Storage Center, which operates six facilities in the state across the Jackson metro and the Gulf Coast. Three students nationwide will each receive a $5,000 award in recognition of measurable, self-initiated community leadership. Now in its fourth cycle, the Space to Succeed Scholarship has granted $45,000 to nine students since launching in spring 2025. Past recipients include a Texas A&M student who has collected more than 9,500 coats for families in need, an LSU Eunice nursing student and mother of four, and a University of Alabama in Huntsville student whose stroke-awareness initiative has raised more than $10,000 and helped save six lives. The Spring 2026 cycle drew more than 2,000 applications from across the country.
The Spectator · Huntsville, AL
Nearby: Huntsville, ALBy Tahmira Fryson, Sports Reporter As the season opener nears, the VSU men’s basketball team is putting the final adjustments on their game plan. The Blazers will hit the hardwood on Nov. 9 at The Complex against Thomas University. Valdosta State men’s basketball enters into the oncoming game after going 18-11 overall in the 2025-26 campaign. Last season, the Blazers finished with a 13-9 record in the Gulf South Conference play and earned a support in the conference tournament. However, they lost their quarterfinal match to the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Still, the team returns with thirteen players ready to take on the action and bring the heat. Senior standout Blaise Wallace enters the matchup averaging 13.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game as one of the only two returning players on the roster. On the defensive end, he also contributed 32 steals and 13 blocks while recording 47 assists throughout the season.
St Clair News Aegis · Odenville, AL
Nearby: Odenville, ALThe Greater Odenville Chamber of Commerce celebrated the success of its 2026 Odenville Car Show by presenting a $17,500 check to the St. Clair County Athletic Boosters Club during its Nov. 5 luncheon. The annual car show event, held Oct. 17 at the St. Clair Agriculture and Multi-Event Center, raised approximately $22,000 to support local athletics, the Chamber’s high school scholarship program, and other Chamber initiatives. Beautiful fall weather, an impressive variety of classic cars, hot rods, trucks, motorcycles, and custom vehicles, and enthusiastic participation from throughout North-Central Alabama helped make the annual Car Show another outstanding community event. Visitors enjoyed food trucks, arts and crafts, local business vendors, music, vehicle awards, and family-friendly activities. Participating car clubs and vehicle owners showcased their automobiles while supporting a worthwhile community cause and 30 trophies were awarded.
Athens News Courier · Athens, AL
Nearby: Athens, ALWorld War I drew to a close when Armistice with Germany took effect in 1918. It was the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month — an occasion that prompted President Woodrow Wilson to proclaim November 11 as Armistice Day in the United States. The observance was marked by parades and public gatherings with an emphasis on peace and gratitude for victory. By 1926, annual observances of the day had grown into Congress officially recognizing its significance and encouraging public participation. Then, in 1938, November 11 was recognized as a federal holiday. The increase in U.S. Veterans following the World War II (1935-1945) and the Korean War (1950-1953) broadened the significance of the holiday. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation renaming Armistice Day as Veterans Day, honoring all U.S. veterans past and present.
Athens News Courier · Athens, AL
Nearby: Athens, ALAll Athens city and Limestone County offices will be closed on Wednesday, November 11 in observation of this year’s Veterans Day holiday. All Limestone County and Athens city schools also will be closed on Wednesday. In Athens, sanitation routes will run as scheduled on Wednesday. The city asks residents to have their Wednesday trash bins to the curb by 6 a.m. County sanitation routes also will run at their normally scheduled times on Wednesday. For the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, Limestone County sanitation routes will not run on Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving Day). Sanitation pickup will instead resume on Friday, November 27 and will cover trash collection for both Thursday and Friday routes. Two Veterans Day events will take place in Athens on Wednesday, each at 11 a.m. Athens State University and the Alabama Veterans Museum and Archives will present an 11 a.m. program featuring Col. Steve A. Erikson (ret.) as the guest speaker.
Gadsden Messenger · Gadsden, AL
Nearby: Gadsden, ALBy Craig Scott, Director of Gadsden Public Library One of the things I’ve learned throughout my career is that no matter how long you’ve been doing something, there’s always something new to learn. Sometimes the best ideas don’t come from sitting behind your desk. They come from stepping outside your surroundings, listening to others and discovering how different communities approach the same challenges we face here in Gadsden and Etowah County. That’s precisely why I recently traveled to Winter Park, Florida, to participate in the 2026 Library Journal Directors’ Summit. I was honored to be selected as one of 100 public library directors invited to this national gathering. The opportunity to exchange ideas with fellow library leaders, hear from respected voices in our profession, and reflect on the future of public libraries was both rewarding and thought-provoking. But perhaps the most important part of attending isn’t what you learn while you’re there.
Gadsden Messenger · Gadsden, AL
Nearby: Gadsden, ALBy Danny Crownover [The Vagabond] Gadsden’s first public well was located at what is now Broad and First Streets — on the bluff overlooking the Coosa River — according to the legend handed down by the earliest settlers here. The well was sunk there in order to provide water for both man and beast, long before there was much of a village in the area or any thought of such a place as Gadsden. Six stage lines ran through here from Atlanta, GA and Jacksonville, AL, and the small acreage on the bluff known as Emma Sansom Park was used as a hitching and camping ground. Later, a log hotel was built by General D.C. Turrentine at the corner of First and Broad; it was the accommodation of travelers in those pioneer days. In the late 1830s and early 1840s — and in fact, in later years, too — that first public well was the central point around which the village began to grow.
