Huntsville

Mobile and Birmingham rank among the worst in a new study on most relaxed cities in the United States. The landscaping company LawnStarter commissioned the report on 500 municipalities and ranked them based on eight issues like mental stress, hours on the job, and drug and cigarette use.

Engineers at NASA and Boeing continue troubleshooting the new Starliner space capsule that’s docked to the International Space Station. One issue that appears unresolved is the possible impact on jobs here in Alabama.

NASA is preparing for a planned May launch of an Atlas-V rocket, built in Alabama. The booster is set to carry the first crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner space capsule to the International Space Station. Once the vehicle docks with the orbiting outpost, there will be a meeting of two “penguins."

Boeing’s new Starliner space capsule is on the launch pad at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, next door to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The vehicle, on top of an Alabama built Atlas-V rocket, is scheduled for an early May blastoff to the International Space Station.

Israel has hailed the success of its defenses in the face of an unprecedented attack by Iran. The U.S. military took part in defending against the more than three hundred drones and ballistic missiles that were launched. Alabama reportedly played a role in developing the weapons used by the U.S. Navy.

Huntsville International Airport began its Gateway Star route linking Mexico to the Middle East. The Qatar Airways Boeing 777 arrived in Huntsville from Mexico City at the airport’s International Intermodal Center bound for Luxembourg with a final destination of Doha, Qatar.

A local arts festival in the Rocket City turns 10 years old in 2023, and hundreds of people are expected to attend the event this weekend.

Fans of the original Star Trek TV series can meet the actor who played Captain Kirk this weekend. William Shatner is a guest at the Huntsville Comic and Pop Culture Expo that lasts through Sunday.

Residents of Huntsville aren’t waiting for March 17th to hold their annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. The event in the Rocket City is set for Saturday starting at 11 am. For the first time ever, the processional will be led by the music of the pipes. Organizers say The Huntsville Fire and Rescue Pipe Band will be leading the parade.

The National Association of Realtors named an Alabama city among the top ten real estate markets to watch in the new year.