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Huntsville native Mark McDaniel has been appointed to the Department of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, where he will help advise Air Force leadership on science, technology and modernization priorities affecting both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. The appointment was applauded by U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, who praised McDaniel’s decades of work in aerospace, science and national security.

The Huntsville Museum of Art will bring the work of one of the most influential artists of the 20th century to North Alabama this summer with the opening of WARHOL: film, fashion, photography, a major exhibition featuring more than 150 works by Andy Warhol. The exhibition will be on display from July 31 through Oct. 18 and explores Warhol’s impact on art, fashion, photography, film and popular culture through illustrations, screenprints, photographs, films and couture fashion.

Strong’s telephone town hall: Mail mishaps take center stage Congressman Dale Strong’s latest telephone town hall covered everything from federal spending to national security, but judging by the questions, North Alabama residents have one issue that always delivers: the Postal Service. One caller wondered why an invitation to a neighbor has to take a sightseeing trip to Birmingham before finding its way back home.

From live music and endurance sports to space exploration and community festivals, North Alabama is packed with events this week. Whether you’re looking to catch a concert, cheer on athletes or celebrate the region’s rich history and culture, there’s plenty happening across the Tennessee Valley to fill your calendar. July 15th-26th The annual W.C. Handy Music Festival returns to the Shoals July 15-27 with more than 200 events across Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield and Tuscumbia.

Five months after North Alabama lost one of its most beloved musicians, Microwave Dave Gallaher’s legacy is finding a permanent home in Alabama music history. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame will open a permanent exhibit Saturday honoring the Huntsville blues musician, educator and arts advocate, who died in February at age 80. An opening ceremony is scheduled for noon at the museum, 617 U.S. 72 W. in Tuscumbia.

A HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology-led partnership has been selected for a National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines award that could bring up to $160 million over the next decade to help transform rural economies across Alabama and Tennessee through biotechnology, agriculture and advanced manufacturing. The initiative, known as the BRIDGES Engine, will receive an initial $15 million, with the opportunity to earn additional funding over 10 years based on performance.

Fresh roasted sweet corn, local produce and family activities will take center stage Saturday as the Madison County Farmer’s Market hosts its annual Corn Festival. The festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 18 at the Madison County Farmer’s Market, 1022 Cook Ave. in Huntsville. This year’s event is being held in partnership with The People’s Patch, Madison County’s community farm, which will roast and distribute free ears of freshly harvested, locally grown corn throughout the day.

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt announced that $2 million has been included in the fiscal year 2027 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations to fund safety improvements along the Pine Street corridor at the University of North Alabama. The funding is intended to support upgrades designed to improve safety for students, faculty, staff and visitors traveling through the corridor, a key area adjacent to the Florence campus.

Ralph Petroff has spent decades making sure Huntsville’s space story is told the way it deserves to be. Rocket City Space Fest is where that mission comes to life. As the inaugural Rocket City Space Fest lifts off Thursday evening at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Petroff hopes the nine-day celebration will begin changing the way the world thinks about America’s journey to the Moon and the city that made it possible.

A Huntsville defense contractor is among four companies selected to compete for future task orders under a U.S. Army contract valued at up to $44.6 million for ammunition industrial base engineering support services. The Army awarded Blue Skies Inc., headquartered in Huntsville, along with Dalcom LLC of Galena, Maryland; DBOC JV of Fairfax, Virginia; and The Productivity Team LLC of Lake Orion, Michigan, positions on the multiple-award, firm-fixed-price contract.