The city of Huntsville has been picked as one of the Top 100 places to live in the U. S. by Relocate America. It was the only city in Alabama to make the Top 100.

Cities are ranked on various factors including education, environment, economic and housing considerations. For the record, ranked No. 1 in the nation was Asheville, N.C. The state with the most cities making the top 100 was Florida, with seven.

Alabama's manufacturing employment dropped 2% over the past 12 months according to the 2007 Alabama Manufacturers Register, a manufacturers directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI (http://www.manufacturersnews.com) reports Alabama lost 7,380 manufacturing jobs and 175 plants since March 2006.

"This is a trend we've seen in other states," said MNI President, Thomas Dubin. "Although manufacturing output is at record highs, industrial employment is stagnant or declining. This is partly the result of outsourcing, mergers and consolidation, but the nature of today's manufacturing also plays an important role. Fewer employees are needed due to automation and technology; instead of four assembly line workers, now you may have just one controlling the manufacturing process through a computer."

Northeast Alabama accounts for the most manufacturing activity with 52% or 181,485 of the state's jobs, with nearly half of these centered in Jefferson and Madison Counties. 19.5% or 70,422 of Alabama's industrial jobs are located in Southeast Alabama, while Northwest and Southwest Alabama account for 15.2% and 13.4%, respectively.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. and COURTLAND, Ala., April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin today opened its doors in Huntsville and Courtland, Ala., to students, aged six to 18 years, for the company's annual Young Minds at Work Day. Approximately 150 students in Huntsville and approximately 30 students in Courtland participated.

A Lockheed Martin employee, contractor or customer sponsored each student. Each student "shadowed" his or her sponsor during part of the day and participated in hands-on activities and tours of the company.

RobinElla in Concert at Three Caves
HUNTSVILLE, AL — Dualtone Records artists “RobinElla and the Ccstringband” will headline the 2nd Annual Spring Concert at historic Three Caves on Thursday, May 3. Guest artist Jay Clark will begin the program. The concert highlights The Land Trust’s 20th Anniversary celebration and is sponsored by First Commercial Bank and Enfinger Steele Development.

The concert venue is Three Caves Quarry – a former limestone quarry quickly becoming a natural cave. Individual tickets are $15. When purchasing tickets, concert goers may pre-order from two of Cyn Shea's boxed dinner selections for an additional $15 each. The event is BYOC (bring your own chair.) Dress is “cave casual.” No pets or small children, please.

Gourds are much more than birdhouses on poles these days.

You can learn about growing, crafting and decorating gourds for your home and garden at Gourd Education Day on Saturday.

This free event will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Jaycee Community Building at the Madison County Fairgrounds off Johnson Road/Airport Road in Huntsville.

The Huntsville Gourd Patch, a division of the American Gourd Society, will sponsor the spring meeting of the Alabama Gourd Society along with Gourd Education Day.

The event will feature demonstrations of gourd crafting (cleaning, carving, cutting, painting, wood burning and more) and a children's "make and take" corner, where for $2 they can make and decorate a gourd basket, birdhouse, rattle, dipper or mask.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Michael Kynard, manager of the Ares I Upper Stage Engine in the Exploration Launch Projects Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., has been appointed to the federal government's Senior Executive Service.

The Senior Executive Service is the personnel system covering top managerial positions in approximately 75 federal agencies.

"I am excited and humbled to be named to the Senior Executive Service," said Kynard. "To serve NASA, alongside senior leaders who shape the government, is a tremendous honor."

Get ready for a dynamic show stopping talent event showcasing male singing groups competing for cash and prizes in more than five categories including: new school, old school, doo wop-a cappella and contemporary styles with choreographed routines.

The first “Alabama Statewide Talent Show Competition” will be held at the Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts in Decatur, Alabama. This pre 4th of July event is scheduled for Friday, June 29, 2007. Potential participants must register online. The deadline to submit applications is Thursday, May 31, 2007 by 5:00 p.m. You may also inquire about applications from your local radio station. Further questions that potential participants have should call (205) 383-4978 or go to the website www.talent.eventbrite.com.

The National Chicken Cooking Contest is coming to Birmingham next week, and that means lots of visitors to the city, lots of chicken cooking at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex and $100,000 to the winner of the competition, which will include one contestant from each state and the District of Columbia.

Not only is this a big event for the city, it also is an opportunity to show off Birmingham's brightest sides. The contest, sponsored by the National Chicken Council and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, will be hosted by the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association.

Elise Durbin, secretary-treasurer of Marshall Durbin Co., is chairman of the event, and has hundreds of volunteers helping out. Additionally, she has planned events for contestants and media guests during the two days of festivities.

The Tweeter store in Hoover, which carries audio and video electronics, will close after stock at the U.S. 31 location is liquidated, store officials said.

The Hoover store is one of 49 nationwide and two in Alabama being closed by Tweeter Home Entertainment Group of Massachusetts. A Huntsville store also is closing.

Tweeter's exit from Hoover leaves vacant a 12,000-square-foot building in the Hoover Square shopping center. Competitors Best Buy and HH Gregg have stores less than a mile away off Lorna Road.

Tweeter opened in Birmingham with a store on Crestwood Boulevard in 1998 and in Hoover in 1999. The Crestwood store closed several years ago.

Parisian Spring Festival of Fashion, Huntsville Botanical Garden, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave., 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., $25, reservations 430-3572 ext. 241 or hsvbg.org.

"Disappearing Capital: The High Cost of High School Dropouts," speaker Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association, Ernest L. Knight Reception Center, Alabama A&M, 4-5 p.m., 372-5509.

Cupid's Cafe, romance novel discussion group focusing on Lisa Gardner, Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, 915 Monroe St., noon, $3 for pizza, 881-5834.

Songwriters open mike, for all doing original music, Coffee Tree Books and Brew, 7900-A&B Bailey Cove Road, 7 p.m., free, 880-6464.

Cajun/Zydeco CD dance, Fraternal Order of Eagles, 2500 10th St., lesson 7-7:30 p.m., open dancing 7:30-8:30 p.m., free, czdance.com or 882-2627.

Country couple group, different lesson weekly, Hog Wild Saloon, 2407 S. Memorial Parkway, free lesson at 7:30-8:30 p.m., open dancing follows, 882-9361 or 533-7446.

Rocket City Dance Club, ballroom and Latin dance, 2614 Artie St., 8-10 p.m., $10, 534-4994 or rcdcdance.com.

Single Squares, square and line dancing, Berachah Gym, 3011 Sparkman Drive, 7 to 9:30 p.m., 859-3608.

E-mail events to Cathy.Hales@htimes.com a week in advance or mail to P.O. Box 1487, Huntsville AL 35807.