HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Take a look at what's happening in Huntsville and the Tennessee Valley from your FOX54 News Team.
Registration open for Huntsville Parks & Rec Fall Break Programs
It’s time to start thinking about fall. For those with students attending Huntsville City Schools, the City’s Parks & Recreation Department is offering several options, including some new additions, to keep children entertained over fall break.
Day camps
Fall break day camps will take place at five recreation and community centers from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Oct. 3-7. Open to grades 1-6, the camps cost $50 for the first child and $30 for each additional sibling.
Participating locations are Cavalry Hill Community Center, Dr. Richard Showers, Sr. Center, Dr. Robert Shurney Legacy Center, Fern Bell Recreation Center and Mark Russell Recreation Center.
Day camps will offer art activities, outdoor play and games, supervised by professional recreation staff. A snack will be provided. Children should bring their own lunches.
Specialty camps
Parks & Recreation is also offering three specialty camps Oct. 3-7, each costing $25 per child.
NASC Indoor Soccer Camp will take place from 9-11 a.m. at Johnson Legacy Center. Participants, ages 7 to 12, will receive hands-on instruction from certified coaches in a supportive environment. Gym shoes, shin guards and a soccer ball are all that’s needed.
Youth Basketball Camp will be held at Max Luther Community Center from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The clinic will focus on basketball fundamentals for children in grades 1-6. Participants should wear gym-appropriate clothing and shoes.
Little Picasso Art Camp will take place from 1-4 p.m. at Optimist Recreation Center. This camp is also open to grades 1-6 and will include several themed projects for children to enjoy. Art supplies will be provided.
Registration opens Tuesday, Aug. 30, and must be completed on our website by completing the form under day camps or specialty camps. A separate application must be submitted for each child attending. Spaces for all camps are limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline to register is Sept. 23.
“Not only did we want to provide a safe and affordable place for parents to send their kids, we also want our kids to have an exciting and engaging experience,” said Community Services Recreation Superintendent Dorianne Johnson. “We are offering a soccer camp, art camp and basketball camp this year, in addition to all-day camps.”
Huntsville Transit seeks public input
From City of Huntsville:
As the City of Huntsville grows, Huntsville Transit is exploring ways it can improve operations while also evaluating an expansion of its service area.
To that end, a series of community outreach meetings will be held next month to hear comments from Huntsville Transit users or anyone who has an opinion about operations. The City will use comments to help shape a strategic plan designed to guide future service improvements.
“Receiving public input is such a critical part of what we do because it not only guides what we do now, but it also shapes our future,” said Quisha Bryant, Director of Huntsville’s Parking and Public Transportation Department. “We hope to receive insight on not only our challenges, but also our successes. We want Huntsville Transit to be a resource valued by all residents, so we take their feedback seriously.”
Huntsville Transit will hold five meetings over two days. The meeting schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, Sept. 13
- 10 a.m. to noon – Brahan Spring Recreation Center
- 1-3 p.m. – Huntsville Transit Center
- 4-6 p.m. – Dr. Richard Showers, Sr. Recreation Center
Wednesday, Sept. 14
- 7-10 a.m. – Huntsville Transit Center
- 4-6 p.m. – Sandra Moon Community Complex
Those who can’t attend the meetings can visit GoHuntsvilleTransit.com and complete an online survey.
Representatives from Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. will also be at the community meetings. The firm is working with the City to update its Transit Improvement Plan. In addition to gathering public input, the firm will look at 2020 census data as well as demographic development changes since 2019.
Preliminary results will be presented to the City Council later this year, while a final report will be finalized in early 2023.
Visit GoHuntsvilleTransit.com to learn more about the community outreach events.
Women in Technology Job Fair
Women in Technology Huntsville (WIT // HSV) is hosting a CareerNAV event on August 31st, 2022 at the University of Alabama at Huntsville’s I2C from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This free event will feature panel sessions, job speed dating, and networking opportunities with actively recruiting companies.
Participants can enjoy a free headshot session in the GigaParts Photo Booth as well as food and drinks during the event. ID is required for beer and wine.
This free event is open to all women. RSVP is required due to limited seating.
Participants can register at https://bit.ly/WIT_HSV_CareerNAV.
Huntsville-Madison County Public Library Computer Classes
Did you know that your local library has computer classes and resume workshops that can help you boost your skills? Click here to learn more.
Fans can get an early look Alabama A&M football when the Bulldogs host Fan Day 2022 at Louis Crews Stadium on Saturday, August 20.
The day will kick off at 3 p.m. with Fan Day going until 6 p.m., an event that will be followed by a full scrimmage between A&M's offense and defense. Fan Day will feature the Bulldog Walk, the Marching Maroon and White, cheerleading, inflatables and a 360-degree photo booth.
On top of the fun to be had and the sneak peek at what the Bulldogs will look like post-Aqeel Glass, fans can also pick up a schedule poster featuring multi-time All-Americans Gary Quarles (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) and Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim (Miramar, Fla.).
For those with a desire to keep the schedule in the palm of your hand, we'll also have schedule cards available along with concessions throughout out the stadium.
Alabama A&M opens the season under the lights at Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) member Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) on Thursday, September 1. Stay tuned to www.AAMUSports.com, the official online home of Bulldogs Athletics, for complete coverage of the 2022 season.
Grocery Giveaway August 20
Union Chapel members will hold a free food box giveaway on Saturday, August 20, 2022, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. or when all boxes are distributed. Church members will distribute 200 food boxes filled with nonperishable and fresh food items. Members of the public will remain in their vehicles for drive-thru pick-up service. One box per vehicle will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Huntsville Police Recruiting
The Huntsville Police Department is accepting applications through Sept. 30, 2022 for its March 2023 class.
Applicants must meet the following criteria to be accepted into the Huntsville Police Academy
- U.S. Citizen
- 20 years of age to apply, 21 years of age at the time of Academy graduation
- Valid driver’s license
- Graduate with a high school diploma or GED
- Pass interview board, drug screening, medical examination and polygraph
- Previous military must have received an honorable discharge on DD214
Want to getaway? Enter to Win HSV's Magical Hunts-Vegas Contest
Breeze Airways begins nonstop service to Las Vegas at Huntsville International Airport next month. To celebrate, HSV, Breeze Airways and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority have conjured up a Vegas getaway for a lucky local.
The Magical Hunts-Vegas Vacation Getaway contest runs through Sept. 6. The vacation package include a $500 Breeze Airways flight voucher, three nights at any of 10 Caesars Entertainment properties, two tickets to Piff the Magic Dragon at The Flamingo Las Vegas, and a $300 Visa gift card.
You can enter the contest here. Contestants must be 21 or older to enter. The trip must be completed by June 10, 2023.
Huntsville Skate Park:
A cutting-edge sports complex is under construction at John Hunt Park in the three-acre site between Kids Space and the championship soccer fields in Huntsville, Alabama. This innovative skatepark will challenge skaters, from professional to novice. The facility will be world-class and include supporting facilities such as restrooms, pavilions, sunshades, lighting, landscaping and expanded parking.
Friday, August 4, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in Huntsville's Big Spring Park. This weeks vendors:
2 Chicks on a Roll
Bruster's Ice Cream
Delicious
HIPPEA Camper
Highway Kabobery
Forever Grateful
O Taste and See BBQ
Southerland Snow Depot
New South Hotdog & Sushi
Nanny's Old Fashioned Lemonade
Piper & Leaf
Regale Cupcakery
Suzy's Pops
Discovery LIfe Sciences
New Point Mallard Hours
Point Mallard Water Park will be updating their hours of operations to 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm for the remainder of the summer. September 5th will be the last day the waterpark will be operational this year.
Huntsville Parks & Rec After School Program signups open
The City of Huntsville’s Parks & Recreation Department is bringing back last year’s highly successful after-school program. The program will begin Monday, Aug. 8, and continue throughout the academic year at select community and recreation centers in Huntsville.
The program, which runs from 2:30-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, will include homework time, arts, snacks, physical activities and more for students in grades 1-6 who attend Huntsville City Schools. Trained staff will lead all programming.
Cost
The fee to attend the after-school program is $20 a week per student or $10 a week for siblings. Payments may be made weekly. The first payment must be received before the child’s start date.
Registration
Online registration will open Monday, July 25, at 8 a.m. at HuntsvilleAL.gov/afterschool and continue through Monday, Aug. 15. Spaces are limited, so families who intend to enroll are urged to do so as quickly as possible. Applicants may also print the online form and drop it off at their selected recreation center. A registration form must be completed for each child to attend.
Locations
The program will be offered at the following facilities:
- Brahan Spring Recreation Center
- Cavalry Hill Community Center
- Dr. Richard Showers, Sr. Recreation Center
- Dr. Robert Shurney Legacy Center
- Fern Bell Recreation Center
- Mark Russell Recreation Center
Friends of the Library 25 cent Book Sale
Friends of the Library hosts a 25¢ Book Sale Saturday, July 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Madison and Downtown Huntsville Libraries
Limestone County Christmas Theme Vote
The choices this year include:
- The Music of Christmas
- A Christmas Tradition
- Christmas in Candyland
- Christmas Now & Then
- Dreaming of a White Christmas
Round 1 voting begins at Noon on Monday, July 18, 2022, and ends at midnight on Saturday, July 23, 2022. Those who are interested in voting can vote here.
The top 3 will then go into Round 2. Round 2 will begin at Noon on Monday, July 25, 2022, and end on Saturday, July 30, 2022, at midnight. The theme will be announced on August 1, 2022.
Athens-Limestone County Chamber Program and Events Manager Brooke Pettus is excited to kickoff this voting period.
“I encourage the community to vote for their favorite theme and get excited about the holiday season,” Pettus said. “The chamber and our community partners are gearing up for an exciting Christmas in Limestone County.”
If you're feeling crafty this summer, there's a place you can stop by in downtown Athens. The owner, Sara Ogles, just launched a new initiative called the "craft corner" where you can simply come and grab free art supplies or donate art supplies you no longer want. "I really hope that it will bring all the artists of Athens together because there's a few of us up here on the square and I think that we can do so much more together if we band together to do something cool instead of keeping it in our own isolated pods. So, I'm really hoping it will just be a nice little unification for all of us."
Ogles says this was inspired by a TikTok trend and the traditional "take-a-book" and "leave-a-book" idea, but instead with art supplies. She hopes to have this craft corner up and running by the end of the July and welcomes donations during her open hours every friday from 10 a-m to 5 p-m.
How to vote for Madison Google Doodle finalist Sophia Ewing
The polls are now open to help a Madison City student win the national Doodle for Google competition and have her creation displayed on Google for millions of viewers.
Sophia Ewing, a rising 5th grader at Heritage Elementary, was the state winner and now positioned to be one of five national finalists.
You can access public voting on the Doodle for Google website
(https://doodles.google.com/d4g/) starting at noon today (July 7) local time ending 2 a.m. local time on Wednesday July 13.
Anyone can vote but only one time. One finalist will be selected across five grade groups K-12. Sophia is in the Grades 4-5 group. Scholarship money and a technology package for the school go to the winner.
Free Prostate Cancer Screening
On Tuesday, July 12, 2022, the Urology Health Foundation will hold a free prostate cancer screening for men 40 years of age and older from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Madison County Health Department on 301 Max Luther Drive, N.W. in Huntsville, Alabama. Face masks will be required. No appointments are needed.
Huntsville Hospital Toy Drive
It's Christmas in July! The Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children Child Life team is in need of toys for pediatric patients, ages 0 to 19. You can share joy when you gift a toy through our online toy drive.
All you have to do is shop the online wish list and your purchase will be shipped directly to the hospital. Get started at bit.ly/HHregistry.
OneGenAway Backpack & Food Box Giveaway
One Generation Away and the city of Huntsville’s youth program are partnering up to help Huntsville families prepare for school as the summer comes to a close.
OneGenAway will bring its mobile food pantry to Calhoun Community College on Saturday, July 16, where individuals and families will not only have the opportunity to receive a load of groceries but also a backpack and school supplies, thanks to Community Awareness For Youth (CAFY).
OneGenAway will bring enough food to serve over 300 families, and CAFY will provide 750 backpacks filled with back-to-school essentials for anyone in need.
The mobile food pantry and backpack giveaway will take place in the college parking lot at 102 Wynn Drive Northwest in Huntsville from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. or as supplies last. Volunteers will begin sorting and organizing food and backpacks at 7:30 a.m. No registration is required to receive or volunteer.
Suicide Awareness Walk
The Suicide Awareness Walk is occurring this Friday (July 8) at the Swann Creek Park in Athens, Alabama. The walk is being organized by a local family that lost a beloved family memory by suicide. The event’s goal is to raise awareness of the prevalence of suicide and to help promote a culture where people can find solace and support in one another- helping remove the stigma that suicide can have. Please see press release and flyer attached.
Location: Swan Creek Park at 101 Hwy 31 S, Athens, AL..
Date: Friday, July 8, 2022
Time: 4-8 PM. Walk begins at 7 PM.
Huntsville Police Family Fun Night
The Huntsville Police Department (HPD) North Precinct is hosting a family fun night. There will be inflatables, kickball and outdoor games, and a live DJ. Come out and enjoy free hamburgers, hotdogs, popcorn, snow cones, and more.
WHO: Huntsville Police
WHAT: Family Fun Night
WHEN: Thursday, July 7, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Dr. Robert Shurney Legacy Center, 3011 Sparkman Dr NW, Huntsville, AL 35810
Huntsville Police Dept. Back-to-School Supply Drive
The Huntsville Police Department (HPD) will host its annual Back-to-School Supply Drive during July. The department is seeking donations of backpacks, pencils, pens, markers, notebooks, cleaning supplies, and hygiene items. HPD also seeks coats for students to have during the winter months. Supplies will be donated to Huntsville City Schools and distributed to teachers and students throughout the year.
Donations can be dropped off at the following locations through Friday, July 29:
Public Safety Complex: 815 Wheeler Ave., Huntsville, AL
North Precinct: 4014 N. Memorial Pkwy, Huntsville, AL
South Precinct: 7900 Bailey Cove Road, Huntsville, ALWest Precinct: 2110 Clinton Ave., Huntsville, AL
City Hall: 308 Fountain Circle, Huntsville, AL
Drake State STEM Summer Camps
Middle school and high school students can learn new technological skills this summer to design and build robots at Drake State Community and Technical College.
Thanks to Drake State’s 2022 Meta Community Action Grant, rising 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students will spend one week building and programming solar robots.
When: July 11 – July 14 Time: 8 am - Noon Where: Drake State (3421 Meridian St.) Application deadline: extended to July 7
High school students can sign up for the Robotics Bootcamp through NASA's Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP). This bootcamp will expose students to the fundamentals of robotics and allow them to participate in a design challenge to build a basic radio-controlled robot chassis. There are few spots available.
When: July 9 Time: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Where: Drake State (3421 Meridian St.)
Crawfish Festival at Toyota Field
The Rocket City Trash Pandas are excited to announce full details for the 2022 Crawfish Festival to start Independence Day weekend at Toyota Field on Saturday, July 2
Toyota Field gates will open at 4 p.m. for the Crawfish Festival. Presale tickets that are available until June 25 cost $30 include a crawfish platter. Presale tickets that only feature entry to the festival cost $10. Tickets on the day of the event cost $15, with crawfish on sale inside the ballpark. Guests can purchase crawfish from J&J Seafood and Bubba Luke’s on the day of the event for $20. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased HERE.
Contests will take place for fans to enter, including competitions in Crawfish Eating, Hot Dog Eating, Watermelon Eating, Sack Races, and a Hula Hoop Contest.
Activities and inflatables will be open from 4-8:45 p.m., such as a 30’ Radical Obstacle Course, Rocket Combo Bounce House, Excalibur Bounce House, Front Loader Combo Bounce House. Activities for fans of all ages are Putt Putt, Cornhole, Volleyball, Top Toss, Kan-Jam, Giant Kick Croquet, Shuffle Board, the Main Event Kids Zone, and a Mojo Speed Pitching Machine.
A wide variety of Food Trucks will be on hand for fans to enjoy, including Hippea Camper, Mac N Snacks, Thai Food Truck, Forever Grateful, Nomads Road Dogs, Kona Ice, and Bill’s Lemonade. Live Entertainment will feature a performance by the Zydeco Band from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and the Pat Jammar Band will follow from 7-9 p.m.
At 9 p.m., an incredible fireworks show will light up the Rocket City sky to end the night’s festivities.