Latest news with #WaltMaddox
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tuscaloosa will use $296K SEEDS grant to attract more businesses
Every investment requires seed money, and the Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority can continue laying groundwork with a recently-announced $296,000 grant, through Alabama's SEEDS (Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy) program. The funds will be used for environmental studies, geotechnical analysis and infrastructure planning near the Tuscaloosa National Airport, and its nearby industrial park. This grant is the largest such awarded through the State Industrial Development Authority, TCEDA said. Businesses seeking to move here want to know the footing is solid, so SEEDS money will help provide specifications, to lay foundations for long-term success, said Steven Rumsey, TCEDA board chair. 'By conducting thorough site assessments, we can provide prospective industries with the confidence they need to invest here," Rumsey said in a written release. More: Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox looks to the future as he begins sixth term TCEDA will begin SEEDS work with engineers, environmental specialists, and site consultants at the 1,000-acre Tuscaloosa County Airport Industrial Park, and a more recently defined 390 acres along the Black Warrior River, adjacent to Tuscaloosa National Airport. The industrial park, begun in the 1980s, is currently home to 17 domestic and international investments, employing more than 1,600 people. The other 390 acres should be extra attractive to development, TCEDA said, thanks to local and state-funded efforts to improve the airport's runway, construct a cargo terminal, and renovate and expand the existing terminal. Tuscaloosa area leaders echoed the importance of site preparation. 'Economic development starts with having the right sites ready for investment. This grant will allow us to proactively prepare for the future and make Tuscaloosa an even more attractive destination for industry and job creation," said Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox. 'The ability to provide ready‐to‐develop sites is a key factor in attracting new businesses andexpanding existing ones," said Rob Robertson, Tuscaloosa County probate judge, and commission chairman. "This investment will strengthen our ability to recruit high‐quality industries, benefiting Northport and the entire Tuscaloosa County region," said John Hinton, Northport mayor. Incorporated in 1975 as the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority ― the board adopted the new name in 2021 ― it was among the major players in Project Rosewood, created to lure Mercedes-Benz to Alabama. The 1993 selection of Vance in Tuscaloosa County was a come-from-behind victory that's created billions in local and regional investment. That coup also jump-started the auto industry in Alabama, which since Mercedes-Benz has landed Honda, Hyundai, Mazda-Toyota plants. The Mercedes-Benz U.S. Internationa plant has also drawn numerous satellite supply industries and become the second-largest employer in the county after the University of Alabama, at 4,500 and 6,839 jobs, respectively. TCEDA provides potential investors with site location data, including available places and buildings, and can also assist with information on financing, incentives, employee training, and quality of life. For more about TCEDA and the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Park, see Reach Mark Hughes Cobb at This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: How a $296K grant will help lure industries to Tuscaloosa County
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Five things to know about Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox
On May 19, 52-year-old Walter Thomas Maddox will be inaugurated to his sixth term as mayor of Tuscaloosa. Here's five things to know about Tuscaloosa's 36th mayor, according to Maddox is a Tuscaloosa native who graduated from Central High School in 1991. He went to college at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in public administration. He was a four-year letterman on the Blazers' football team. UAB competed in Division III for Maddox's first two seasons and Division I-AA for his last two seasons. His resume includes a stint as field director with the Alabama Education Association. He's also served as executive director of personnel for Tuscaloosa City Schools. In 2001, he was elected to represent District 6 on the Tuscaloosa City Council. In 2005, he was elected to his first term as Tuscaloosa's mayor, succeeding Al DuPont, who served six terms. Between DuPont and Maddox, Tuscaloosa has had only two mayors since 1981. His hobbies include running (he's completed nine marathons and numerous half-marathons) and studying history (he's a World War II buff). More: Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox looks to the future as he begins sixth term Reach Ken Roberts at This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Walt Maddox: Five things to know about Tuscaloosa's mayor
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
What you need to know about the March 4 Tuscaloosa municipal election
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday for Tuscaloosa's municipal election. Voters can expect dry and breezy conditions with temperatures ranging from the 60s to the mid-70s most of the day, according to the National Weather Service in Birmingham. A stray shower or two is possible later in the day, closer to when the polls close but storms won't arrive until around 10 p.m. In the mayor's race, political newcomer Denson Ferrell II is challenging incumbent Mayor Walt Maddox. The candidates for mayor will appear on all ballots, but the races for seats on the City Council and the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education will appear by the city's seven districts. Council and school board candidates who are unopposed will not appear on the ballot. This also holds true for the school board chair, who is running unopposed. The municipal election is nonpartisan, which means that candidates will run without party designations, i.e. Democrat or Republican. More: Who is running for Tuscaloosa City Council? What to know before the election Any race that requires a runoff will be held April 1. Inauguration will be May 19. Voters should take note that the polling locations for the municipal election may differ from the November 2024 presidential election. Here's where to vote Tuesday: District 1: The Tuscaloosa Department of Transportation Building Auditorium, 1000 28th Ave. District 2: McDonald Hughes Community Center, 3101 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. District 3: Church of the Highlands, 721 Rice Mine Road NE District 4: Calvary Baptist Church Annex, 1208 Paul W. Bryant Drive District 5: Alberta Baptist Church, 2210 University Blvd. East District 6: Belk Activity Center, 2101 Bowers Park Drive District 7: East McFarland Baptist Church, 6007 McFarland Blvd. East Mayor: Denson Ferrell II and Walt Maddox City Council District 1: Que Chandler, Joe Eatmon and Matthew Wilson City Council District 2: Dennis 'Quick' Collins, Raevan Howard and Ashley R. Wheat City Council District 3: Norman Crow City Council District 4: Lee Busby City Council District 5: Kip D. Tyner City Council District 6: John Faile, Eric Gaines and Lisa M. Young City Council District 7: Cassius Lanier and Oliver 'Maurice' Sealey Board of Education chair: Eric M. Wilson Board of Education District 1: Tony V. Humphries and Karen Thompson-Jackson Board of Education District 2: Kendra Williams Board of Education District 3: Lesley Powell Board of Education District 4: Clint Mountain Board of Education District 5: Erica Grant Board of Education District 6: Marvin L. Lucas Board of Education District 7: Erskine E. Simmons More: Who is running for the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education? Voters can confirm registration status, ballot status, polling locations and addresses by visiting the Alabama Secretary of State website at To view sample ballots and for more information, go to Reach Ken Roberts at This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: The 2025 Tuscaloosa municipal election: A last-minute voters' guide
