Daily: Skateboarder's Gift - Protests Fallout - 'Pandas Latest

Rise and shine, Rocket City!

This is the debut edition of the Huntsville Patch Daily — the quickest way to get caught up on the biggest news and events happening in town. I'm Amy Young; I grew up in Bibb County and have lived in Huntsville for the last five years. I was a writing major at UAH, and I love the diversity of Huntsville — a city that has a little bit of everything. I hope you'll become a regular reader, and if you like what we're doing each day, tell your friends!

In today’s Daily, we'll look at what famous athlete is helping out in Huntsville, what Huntsville City Schools and the City of Huntsville are working together on, and get an update on the latest fallout from last summer’s protests.

First, today’s weather:
A perfect, cool Spring day: partly cloudy with a high of 65 and a low of 43

Patch Pick: Taterly Awesome

- A group of homeschooled students in Huntsville are responsible for Senate Bill 171, which would make the sweet potato Alabama’s first state vegetable. The bill currently awaits Governor Kay Ivey's signature. (WAFF)

Here are the top five stories in Huntsville today:

1. According to the City of Huntsville, professional skateboarder Tony Hawk has donated $10,000 to the new skatepark at John Hunt Park. Hawk says that the old skatepark in Huntsville was legendary, and having some of the elements from that park represented in the new version. There will be a virtual meeting on the future of the skatepark on April 20 at 6 p.m. (Facebook)
2. Providence in Huntsville has broken ground on “2020 in Providence,” a mixed-use development with 360 apartments and 20,000 square feet of retail space. Despite the (literally) outdated name, the project is expected to be finished by the end of 2022, according to reporter Paul Gattis. (AL.com)
3. Huntsville City Schools is making plans to move their central office. The city is in the process of buying land on North Memorial, and they will donate a portion of that to the school system in hopes that it will help revitalize the area. (WAFF)
4. Protesters from last June's Black Lives Matter protests downtown are now speaking out after having arrest charges dropped. According to reporter Caroline Klapp, as a condition of dropping charges, the city is requiring some of those arrested to sign a form saying that they will not sue the city. (WAFF)
5. Huntsville Hospital honored Daisy Pruitt, their first African American ICU manager, yesterday on her 83rd birthday. Pruitt died of Covid-19 in August. In her memory, Huntsville Hospital will dedicate a scholarship in her name and hang her photo in front of the SICU. (AL.com)

Today in Huntsville

• Kendra Scott Gives Back Party- Shop at Kendra Scott on Bridgestreet or online and 20% of your purchase will go to the Morgan County Child Advocacy Center (All day)
• Charlotte’s Web Drive-In Performance- the Academy Children’s Theatre for $10 (5 p.m.)
• Spring Plant Sale @ the Huntsville Botanical Garden- Choose from a wide variety of unique plants grown by the Garden staff. The event starts today, but some dates are members-only. (9 a.m.)
• Paint and Plant Succulents @ Pinot’s Palette- For $40, you will be given three mason jars to paint how you want, and then you’ll receive live succulents to plant in your jars! (6:30 p.m.)
• Calhoun Community College will be hosting a job fair for essential workers (9 a.m.)

Huntsville Patch Notebook

• Huntsville International Airport will be adding a nonstop flight to Miami in June.
• Korn Ferry Tour Golf Tournament will be held April 29- May 2. (Details here)
• The Army at Redstone Arsenal conducted an extremism stand-down earlier in the month to address rising extremism issues in the military ranks. (Details here)
• Yesterday marked 55 years since Wernher von Braun and 102 other German scientists became U.S. citizens. (Details here)
• Radiance Technologies is hosting Tee it Up Fore Kids, a golf tournament to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the TN Valley. (Details here)
• The Trash Pandas have released their promotional schedule full of giveaways and themed nights! (Schedule here)
• Nonprofit groups can apply for grants to go towards existing horticulture projects that need financial support. (Details here)
• The Trash Pandas are hosting a two-day job fair April 21 and 24 to fill positions for their inaugural season. (Details here)

You're all caught up on what's happening today in Huntsville. We'll see you in your inbox tomorrow - have a great day!

-Amy

About me: I grew up near Tuscaloosa and graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. You can find me wherever there’s good food, good music, or at any play in town.