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State Unemployment Down, Entrepreneurs and the Blue Angels

The Blue Angels
http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/aircraft/
The Blue Angels

Governor Robert Bentley is getting closer to being able to collect a salary, but he is not there yet.

The state announced Friday that the unemployment rate dropped to 5.8 percent in February. Bentley has promised not to accept a paycheck until the state's unemployment rate drops to 5.2 percent.

Alabama Labor Commissioner Fitzgerald Washington says another positive sign is that the number of initial unemployment compensation claims in February were the lowest in 40 years.

Alabama's unemployment rate is still above the national average of 5.5 percent.

Shelby County has the lowest unemployment rate in Alabama at 4 percent. Wilcox County has the highest at 13.5 percent.

If you have an idea for a better mousetrap, then the University of Alabama wants to talk to you. UA’s Business School is hosting its second annual startup weekend for entrepreneurs starting today. Participants are broken into teams to present their ideas to a panel of judges on Sunday. The top three teams are awarded prizes. Pam Hill is a Clinical Instructor for UA’s STEM Path to the MBA program. She says the prizes are items to help their businesses move forward.

All of the prizes are intended to – it’s not monetary – but they are items to encourage that business to continue and further develop.”

Hill adds it’s important for entrepreneurs to take risks, build a great network and believe in what they’re doing to have a successful business. The event will be held at UA’s South Engineering Research Center with registration beginning at 6:30pm.

The Tuscaloosa Regional Air Show will be held tomorrow and Sunday at the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport. The Blue Angels will be performing along with authentic World War II aircraft and much more. There's another group performing, and APR's Alex AuBuchon went along for a spin...

Tuscaloosa landmarks like Bryant-Denny Stadium look pretty small from up here. Team Aerodynamix is a group of ten pilots who fly experimental aircraft in tight formation --really tight. You can see the pilot in the plane next to you in formation with no trouble. He’s just a few feet away.

These tiny planes loop, roll, and paint the sky with smoke. Len Leggette is one of the ten pilots in the group. He says the pilots have a great background for performance.

We have about half the team as retired military, and those guys have been really good about teaching those of us that are not military the art of formation and the discipline of formation.”

Team Aerodynamix calls itself the world’s largest formation aerobatics team. They'll be performing along vintage World War Two bombers and the Blue Angels.

I’m Alex AuBuchon, APR news.

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