🌱 Star-Studded Tribute Concert + Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Hello and happy Thursday. I'm back in your inbox this morning with everything you need to know about what's happening in Huntsville.

Also, FYI: I’m filling in temporarily to write your morning newsletters after Amy’s departure last week. But I wanted to let you know that Patch is looking for a local writer and entrepreneur to take the helm of the Huntsville Patch newsletter and make it their own. We want to pass the torch to someone truly local and in-the-know to write about Huntsville long term. So if you’re interested in earning extra income while making this newsletter a more valuable resource for your neighbors, learn more and apply here.

But first, your local weather:

• Thursday: Showers around; not as warm. High: 69 Low: 59.
• Friday: Couple of thunderstorms. High: 72 Low: 55.

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Here are the top three stories today in Huntsville:

1. The George Jones tribute concert "Still Playin' Possum " has added more notable names to its concert lineup with the Old Ridge Boys, Uncle Kracker, and popular rapper-turned-country-singer Jelly Roll. The star-studded concert will be produced by Jones' wife Nancy Jones and will take place right here in Huntsville at the Propst Arena on Apr. 25. In addition to the sold-out live event, the show will be filmed for a television special on a currently unmentioned network. This concert will also serve as a benefit for two Huntsville officers who were shot in the line of duty, one of whom was killed and the other critically injured. (AL.com)
2. April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the Huntsville Police Department is taking the month seriously as distracted driving can be deadly not just for the driver but for others around the driver. One city leader personally was affected by a distracted driver back in 2008 when he and his family were struck by a driver and he was seriously injured in the accident. Council Member David Little has made it his mission to spread awareness and advocate against distracted driving not just for Huntsville, but for the entire state of Alabama. Throughout the month of April, the Huntsville Police Department will provide helpful tips on avoiding distracted driving and crisis situations. (Press Release Desk)
3. Juan Laws' preliminary hearing for the shooting death of Huntsville officer Garrett Crumby is set for Apr. 20 at 1:30 p.m. Laws will appear in front of a Madison County judge on the charge of capital murder of an officer; he has not been formally charged yet in the shooting of officer Albert Morin, who was critically injured as a result of the shooting. Crumby and Morin responded to a shooting call on Mar. 28 at the Governors House Drive Apartments where the two were shot and Crumby was killed. Since then, Morin has been moved from the ICU to a private room to recover from his injuries. (WHNT News 19)

From our sponsor:

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Today and tomorrow in Huntsville:

Thursday, April 13

• Ribbon Cutting — Residences At Wellpoint Senior Living (4:00 PM)
• City Council Meeting — City Hall (5:30 PM)
• "Love, Loss, And What I Wore" — The Studio Theatre Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment (7:00 PM)

Friday, April 14

• Ribbon Cutting — Cottages At Oak Grove Dairy (12:00 PM)
• CATS The Musical — Huntsville High School Theatre (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Huntsville’s own Nathia Urban of Capstone Realty, Joy Bender of Legend Realty, and Candice Humphrey of Coldwell Banker of the Valley all ranked in the top five best Yelp-reviewed real estate agencies in Alabama, according to a new NeighborWho study. Visit the link for the full list of top-rated real estate agencies in Alabama and across the U.S. (NeighborWho)
• Professional soccer is on its way back to Huntsville with the opening day right around the corner on May 19. Downtown Huntsville had a wonderful opportunity to tour the Joe Davis Stadium while catching a beautiful view of downtown. (Downtown Huntsville, Inc. via Instagram)
• One year has officially passed since the construction of the new Huntsville City Hall began, and the project is still on schedule with the concrete structure set to be topped this month. It will be better for the city to have all government needs under one roof, and with the old building being taken down, the land will be added back soon to Big Spring Park! (City of Huntsville, Alabama - Government via Facebook)

Thanks for following along and staying informed! See you soon for another update.

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.