After nearly 70 years, Birmingham's Fountain Heights is getting a grocery store of its own

For generations, getting groceries in Birmingham’s Fountain Heights neighborhood has meant traveling outside the community to find fresh food. Fountain Heights Farms Cooperative will open the We All Eat Market on Saturday, Nov. 7, bringing a neighborhood grocery store to Fountain Heights for the first time in nearly 70 years.

You Could Spend Hours Wandering Through This Massive Fabric Warehouse In Alabama

There are stores you visit, and then there are stores you experience, and Wilson’s Fabric in Boaz, Alabama falls so firmly into the second category that the first category barely applies. Clearing your afternoon schedule before you go is not optional, it’s just good planning. Let’s be straightforward...

Seniors 65 and older in Alabama’s Blount and Covington counties vote Tuesday on freezing their homes’ assessed value for property taxes

Voters in two Alabama counties decide Tuesday, Nov. 3, whether homeowners 65 and older can freeze the assessed value of their homes for property tax purposes. The questions are on the ballot in Blount County and in Covington County. Each is a separate constitutional amendment, and each is worded almost the same way. What a […]

North Alabama distribution center expected to close, laying off 593 workers

Almost 600 employees at a North Alabama distribution center received word this week that it plans to close early next year. The Children’s Place in Fort Payne anticipates shutting down its operations on Jan. 5, 2027, according to a letter to employees. The 700,000-square-foot center at 1377 Airport Road...

You Could Hunt For Treasures For Hours Inside This 120,000-Square-Foot Alabama Antique Mall

Most buildings in Alabama don’t make your heart beat a little faster when you walk through the door, but Irondale Pickers in Irondale, Alabama is not most buildings. It’s a 120,000-square-foot antique mall and indoor market with around 500 vendors, and it earns that elevated heart rate completely.

Fort Payne distribution center facing potential closure, 600 jobs could be impacted

A distribution center in DeKalb County is facing a potential closure.

Charnita and Jason Horton bet big on Black wealth in Alabama

Charnita and Jason Horton have spent years building businesses together. Now they own the building, too. The entrepreneurial couple and television personalities have acquired a nearly 15,000-square-foot commercial property in Birmingham, Alabama, that will serve as headquarters for Just Tax Pros, a new tax preparation, training, recruiting and entrepreneurial development company founded by Charnita Horton. The 14,990-square-foot property at 8315 1st Avenue North officially changed hands in September.

Jack’s Western and Outdoor Wear Founder Larry Allred named Bronze Alabama Retailer of the Year

GOOD HOPE, Ala. — For Larry Allred, the story of Jack’s Western and Outdoor Wear has always been about more than boots and western wear. It is a story of family, hard work and a community that helped shape his life. Fifty years after opening a small store connected to Jack’s Truck Stop and Café, Allred has grown the Good Hope business into a nearly 30,000-square-foot destination. In recognition of his success and the legacy he has built over five decades, Allred has been named the Bronze Alabama Retailer of the Year by the Alabama Retail Association. Allred’s connection to the business runs deep. As a boy, he spent long days working on his grandfather’s farm. In 2013, he purchased that same land, once owned by his great grandfather, and built the store that stands there today. As Allred puts it, “We are still working the land.” Family remains at the heart of the business. His daughters, Sara Allred Barnett and Kristin Allred Mazur, and son-in-law Les Barnett help keep Jack’s moving forward, while all four grandchildren pitch in, too. From boots and inventory to marketing and modeling outfits, everyone finds a way to contribute. Allred’s commitment to community is

South Poll Cattle – An Efficient Composite Breed

The South Poll is an American composite breed created by Teddy Gentry, the founding member of the country music band Alabama. He started developing these hardy cattle in 1989 for his ranch – Bent Tree Farms near Fort Payne, Alabama – because he needed animals that could thrive in the hot, humid summers on fescue pastures.

Techstars EnergyTech Accelerator brings new innovators to Alabama

Birmingham, Alabama — Since launching in 2019, Techstars Alabama EnergyTech has quietly built a bridge between early-stage founders and the industrial backbone of the Southeast. . Now entering its seventh year, the 13-week program is run in partnership with Alabama Power, Innovate Alabama and the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama....

32 homes on the market now in Alabama

Are you looking for a new home across Alabama? We’ve got 32 new and coming soon listings for you to check out this weekend – you’re sure to find the perfect home for you. Enjoy!. For more info, contact Roxanne Hale at 205-352-7742 or email rhale@realtysouth.com. For...

Photos: Candy manufacturer plans $3.8M expansion, 60 new jobs in Irondale

IRONDALE, Ala. (WBMA) — A candy manufacturer in Irondale is planning a multimillion-dollar expansion that could bring dozens of new jobs to Jefferson County, with city leaders considering tax incentives to help make the project happen. Sandblast by Creative Concepts Inc., an existing candy manufacturer located at 1500 Georgia...

Husky Barbershop: A Trussville icon returns

The Husky Barbershop has reopened at its longtime location under new ownership, with the original chairs still in place after the shop sat empty for an extended period.

How Clotheshorse has thrived in Vestavia Hills for 34 years

Before Clotheshorse upscale consignment was a Vestavia Hills staple, it was a habit passed down in Becky Sager’s family. Her grandmother took her everywhere to thrift, sparking a bargain-hunter instinct that would reshape life with her husband, Tim. “It was in my blood,” Becky said. “I knew I loved...

This Massive Alabama Antique Store Is Where Bargain Hunters Score Amazing Treasures Under $30

If you’ve ever stood in a big box store holding something beige and forgettable and thought “there has to be a better way,” Irondale Pickers in Irondale, Alabama is your answer. It’s an antique mall and indoor market where the inventory is interesting, the prices are reasonable,...

Providers General Store opens near Birmingham’s Ruffner Mountain

Providers General Store, the much-anticipated retail store with a community cafe, opened October 31, 2026. A “gateway to Ruffner Mountain,” Providers is located a couple of blocks from the popular nature preserve, at the former Ruffner Relics spot on 8039 Rugby Avenue, Birmingham, AL in the South East Lake Neighborhood.

Construction Underway at New Saban Smart Home

Alabama Power plan to demolish structure next to Powell Avenue substation stalls over wall design

Your support helps us grow and sustain a newsroom for the City Built to Change the South. Donate today to help Birmingham stay informed. Publisher’s note: The story has been updated on Nov. 2, 2026, to properly identify the project and the property in question. Alabama Power Co. is...

Developers move closer to releasing proposed plan for old Brookwood Village mall

Plans for a mixed-use project for the old Brookwood Village mall may not be moving quickly, but they are moving. Local leaders say more details on the mixed-use redevelopment may be released by the end of the year. “There is movement,” said Mountain Brook Mayor Graham Smith. “The developers are...