Rocket City News

Here's the Average Social Security Retired Worker's Benefit by State The Social Security Administration (SSA) publishes monthly snapshots detailing the average benefit paid to different beneficiary groups. For instance, the average retired-worker benefit was $1,838.58 in July 2023 , and the average spousal benefit was $891.32. The SSA also publishes an Annual Statistical Supplement that breaks the data down differently. I recently discussed the average retired worker benefit by age, but the annual report also provides geographic information. The table below shows the average Social Security benefit paid to retired workers across all 50 states (and Washington, D.C.) in Dec. 2022. Reference: www.fool.com

Is downtown Huntsville safe? Medium Risk Overall, the Huntsville area is a medium risk for danger, though many pockets of the area outside of Madison County, where Huntsville is located, would be considered low risk. ...Places to Avoid in Huntsville: The North Precinct of the Huntsville Police Department reported the most robberies and burglaries in 2020. Reference: www.travelsafe-abroad.com

7 Good Reasons Why Owning a House is Better than Renting Home Sweet Home! That’s what we all want, right? Yes, and to complicate matters, there are so many choices to make to find the just-right place for you. Let’s start from the beginning. If we want to make the right choice, we need to first look at whether to rent or to own. This gets down to the basics, and in this article, we’ll make 7 arguments for owning rather than renting. By the end, you can decide if you agree with it for your own situation. Let’s count the ways. Reference: homeia.com

Permits were issued last week for more than $7 million apartment buildings in northeast Huntsville. Signature Pointe is still under construction with one and two-bedroom apartments ranging from 735 to 1.081 square feet. Chase Creek apartments are 738 to 1,087 square feet with rent ranging from $1,199 to $1,564 per month. Reference: www.msn.com

Misdemeanor convictions won’t affect Devyn Keith’s status as a councilmember or candidate The agreement includes two years of probation, a suspended jail sentence and fines. The charges stemmed from four alleged shoplifting incidents at Walmart stores, totaling just under $500. The plea agreement...A review of the Huntsville City Council candidate qualifying rules and Alabama law shows that his misdemeanor theft convictions are not disqualifying for either serving in public office or running for public office. Reference: www.msn.com

As Huntsville moves to increase water [and electric] rate, another hike may be on the horizon “What about the Garbage rate study,” an elderly man asked several minutes into the discussion about the City’s proposed 35% water rate increase. “Don’t even go there,” an elderly woman responded at the library meeting. “No, we can go there,” Kling said at the Aug. 21 District 4 meeting at the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library. Reference: www.al.com

Trump scores huge mug shot windfall Former President Trump's 2024 campaign had its best day of fundraising yet after the release of his mug shot in Fulton County, aides tell Axios. The big picture: The iconic image — the first of a U.S. president and representing 13 of Trump's 91 pending criminal counts — took over the internet in the hours after its release. His campaign pulled in $4.18 million on Friday, an official told Axios. Reference: www.axios.com

Huntsville Utilities proposes 35% increase in water rates | Will Madison County Water Department Customers be Impacted? What Huntsville Utilities is proposing is no small increase. Water rates will go up 35 percent across the board - for residential, commercial and industrial consumers - if the city council gives its approval . The new rates would go into effect with the October billing cycle. Currently the monthy charge is $1.33 per 1,000 gallons for the first 3,000 gallons. After the rate hike, it would go up to $1.80 per 1,000 gallons for the first 3,000 gallons. The next 3,000 gallons, under the proposal, would cost $2.31 per 1,000 gallons - up from $1.71 per 1,000 gallons. Reference: www.al.com

Huntsville Utilities proposes water rate increase, cites increase in cost of doing business The rate increase would be about 35% and, if passed, could start as soon as this fall. Huntsville Utilities says that the increase is necessary because of inflation Reference: www.rocketcitynow.com

Alabama congressional reps vow to ‘correct’ Biden’s Space Command HQ ‘error’ Congress will “correct” President Biden’s decision to put Space Command headquarters in Colorado rather than Alabama, House members from Alabama said Saturday. ...The president overruled a military evaluation protocol on July 31 that rated Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal the best location among the candidates to host the command. ...“We’re pretty good at finding documents and we think there is a little bit more to this than what the administration is telling us,” Palmer said. “I’ve gone to (committee chairman Rep. James Comer) and we intend to launch an investigation into how this decision was made, we think it was done illegally.” Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Mobile), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said “ every dollar that they need that I can cut off will be cut off. If it’s my choice, they’re going to be walking….” Reference: www.al.com

Huntsville Utilities proposes 35% water rate increase Huntsville city council members held a first reading for a proposal allowing Huntsville Utilities to raise water rates by 35%. ... due to inflation. Reference: www.waff.com WE NEED TO VOTE OUT HUNTSVILLE CITY COUNCIL THAT WANTS TO ROB ITS POPULATION THROUGH HIGH ENERGY COSTS

Alabama's 'Rocket City' Tops List of North America's 25 Tech Markets for Growth Potential Huntsville, Alabama, tops a list of lesser-known and underdeveloped U.S. and Canadian markets that the world's largest real estate brokerage is betting has the strongest growth potential for technology companies. The 25 smaller tech markets have talent pools for employers... The "Next 25" markets in the U.S. are primarily concentrated in the Midwest and South. Huntsville ranked as No. 1 Reference: www.costar.com

This Huntsville-based stock took a major hit Huntville and Alabama Stock Report, but the most gawdy numbers were definitely on the negative side. Adtran, a Huntsville-based telecommunications equipment company, plummeted 19.2% to hit a 52-week low of $7.31 a share. Reference: www.al.com

Rocket City Octane Auto Show returns this weekend At the show, Smokey the Bandit’s semi-truck, a Hot Wheels life-sized geo tracker, the world’s largest radio flyer, Ferris Bueler’s Ferrari, and more will be on display. ...Tickets are $10 and kids 12 and under get in for free. Tickets can be bought online or at the VBC box office! Reference: www.waff.com

Huntsville, Alabama library caves after Brave Books and Kirk Cameron stand up to its attempt to deny Americans a venue Huntsville, Alabama library caves after Brave Books and Kirk Cameron stand up to its attempt to deny Americans a venue The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library ( 256.532.5950 ) System in Huntsville, Alabama, had said in a release on Wednesday afternoon it would no longer accommodate the book reading event due to concerns about logistics and security as popularity for the event grew this week. Almost immediately afterward, Cameron and Brave Books challenged that decision to cancel it. ...after law firm First Liberty Institute sent a letter to the library system saying it was "prepared to vindicate this violation of our client’s civil rights in court ," the library has reversed course... Reference: www.foxnews.com Huntsville-Madison County Library Did Not list 'See You At The Library' Event [Screen Capture of ' ALL EVENTS '

See You at the Library on August 5th, 2023 On August 5, 2023, we are calling on all families who love God and love America to gather at our local public libraries to pray, sing, and read BRAVE Books and other books of virtue. Imagine thousands of local public libraries filled by you, your friends, your pastors, your teachers and your local representatives on this date. We are on a mission to turn our nation back to God. Are you with us? If so, we want to See YOU at the Library on August 5! Reference: bravebooks.us

Mayor Battle Statement on USSPACECOM announcement “We are deeply disappointed in the reversal of a meticulous decision-making process that selected Huntsville, Alabama for the permanent home of USSPACECOM. This community went through a lengthy selection process – twice. To have that process invalidated, and to have our selection taken away is demoralizing. Reference: www.reddit.com

Alabama leaders react to SPACECOM headquarters staying in Colorado U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville released the following statement: “Over two and a half years ago, the Air Force chose Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville for the headquarters of Space Command over 59 other cities on the basis of 21 different criteria. As soon as Joe Biden took office, he paused movement on that decision and inserted politics into what had been a fair and objective competition—not because the facts had changed, but because the political party of the sitting President had changed. The Biden Administration has been talking a lot about readiness over the past few months, but no Administration has done more to damage our military readiness in my lifetime. They’ve politicized our military, destroyed our recruiting, misused our tax dollars for their extremist social agenda, and now they are putting Space Command headquarters in a location that didn’t even make the top three. They are doing this

President Biden moves to keep U.S Space Command in Colorado, rejecting move to Huntsville Article Excerpt: ""President Joe Biden has moved to keep United States Space Command in Colorado, according to reports from the Associated Press. The move overturns a decision made by the Air Force that selected Huntsville as the preferred home for the military command . ...the House Armed Services Committee, said Huntsville remains the best place for Space Command. “It is clear to anyone who has looked at the facts: Huntsville, Alabama is the best place for U.S. Space Command Headquarters. Repeated investigations and objective reviews have proven that to be the case. It is shameful that the Biden Administration is ignoring what is best for our nation’s security and is instead using their woke agenda to make this decision. To this point, the administration has refused to answer questions brought forth by the House Armed Services Committee’s investigation of their actions in this proce