Axios Huntsville

February 20, 2026
π We're already back to Friday!
π€οΈ Today's weather: Mostly sunny, high of 70.
π Happy early birthday to our Axios Huntsville member Tad Feeney!
Today's newsletter is 948 words, a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: π Prep for stormy weather, tax-free
This weekend is Alabama's Severe Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday.
Why it matters: State taxes, as well as city and county taxes locally, are waived for a long list of items to help make sure you make it through the next big storm with minimal impact.
How it works: Huntsville, Madison, New Hope, Owens Cross Roads and Madison County are all participating in the state-led tax holiday.
- It covers individual items that cost $94 or less from a list of about two dozen types of items, as well as a single purchase of $1,564 or less for a generator.
- The holiday started at 12:01am today, and runs through midnight Sunday night.
Zoom in: Batteries, save coin batteries and those for cars or boats, are on the list, as is equipment like tarps, plywood for windows, radios, flashlights, tarps and tie-down gear including duct tape.
- Not included are any type of food items or bottled water, but non-electric containers for those are on the list, along with artificial ice or ice packs.
- Fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, first aid kits and gas cans are included, as are cellphone batteries and chargers.
By the numbers: That can save you some real money.
- In the city limits of Huntsville, given the state's 4%, county's 0.5% and city's 4.5% tax rates, that's $9 for every $100 spent.
- With Madison's 3.5%, it's $8 for every $100, and in unincorporated parts of the county (where county taxes are 1.5%), it's $2.75 for every $100 spent.
Case in point: Want to see what you need to fill out your emergency kit?
2. π What to do this weekend
Lows might be in the 20s, but the forecast doesn't look terrible this weekend, so here's some options for getting out of the house.
Friday
β‘οΈ Electric Avenue: The 80s MTV Experience; 7:30pm
- Mars Music Hall; tickets start at $34; available at the VBC Box Office or Ticketmaster.
πΈ Tyler AK LIVE at Stovehouse; 6:30pm
- Stovehouse; free event open to all ages at Stovehouse's The Booth
Saturday
πΊ Huntsville Symphony Orchestra double-header
- HSO has a big Saturday planned at the Von Braun Center, presenting Dmitri Kabalevsky's The Comedians for free at 11am and Brahm's Violin Concerto at 7:30pm.
- Register for The Comedians and get tickets for the concerto at HSO.org.
π¨ African American Art Festival; 10am-6pm
- Huntsville Parks and Recreation is celebrating Black History Month and African American art with local artists and their works.
- Robert Shurney Legacy Center; free
π§Ί Makers on the Mountain: Basketmaking with Invasive Plants; 1-3pm
- Burritt on the Mountain; free with price of admission.
- Craft egg baskets with autumn olive, kudzu, privet, ivy and more, sustainably foraged on site.
π Huntsville Havoc vs Macon Mayhem; 7pm
- Tickets start at $20. Special jerseys for Great Outdoors Night.
Sunday
πͺ Celebration Jam for Microwave Dave; 4pm
- At Tip Top, local musicians will gather to "play music and love on each other," after the loss of Huntsville legend Microwave Dave. Doors at 3pm.
- Donations go to the Microwave Dave Music Education Foundation.
π€ John Mulaney: Mister Whatever; 7pm
- At time of writing, some seats are left for Mulaney's Huntsville stop, starting at $115.
3. Orbit: πͺ Financial strength
π² Dragon Alley, an Asian street food spot at the former Wahlburgers site in MidCity, offered a sneak peek to media, but no opening date's been announced. (Hville Blast)
π° A recent report ranks Huntsville as the most financially resilient city in the country. (Huntsville Business Journal)
π₯ The Southern Fried Film Festival is expanding programming after a $20,000 grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts. (FOX54)
4. πΏ What to watch this weekend
Here's what's new on Netflix, HBO Max, Paramount+, Apple TV and Hulu.
What we're watching: A critical examination of a popular TV show, a true crime story in the midwest and a mystery that shook a Canadian community.
"Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model" β available on Netflix
State of play: The legacy and controversies of the hit reality show "America's Next Top Model" (which aired from 2003-2018) are discussed in this three-part docuseries.
The latest: Creator Tyra Banks says the show will return, but a date has not been specified.
"Murder in Glitterball City" β available on HBO Max
What's inside: This film chronicles a 2010 murder case in Louisville, Kentucky, and focuses on two ex-lovers who were tried separately for the crime.
Behind the scenes: Inspired by a nonfiction book by David DominΓ©, the documentary is told through the lens of community members who join the author in sharing their perspectives.
"Wild Boys: Strangers in Town" β available on Paramount+
Zoom in: Two brothers appear in a small town in British Columbia in the summer of 2003 and claim they've been raised entirely off the grid, prompting suspicions among journalists and local authorities.
Flashback: The docuseries took about a decade to make and gained traction following the release of Campside's "Wild Boys" podcast, which chronicled the same mystery.
More titles:
- "The Last Thing He Told Me" β Season 2 available today on Apple TV
- "Being Gordon Ramsay" β available on Netflix
- "Dreaming Whilst Black" β Season 2 available today on Paramount+
- "The Night Agent" β Season 3 available on Netflix
- "56 Days" β available on Prime Video
- "Strip Law" β available today on Netflix
- "Watching You" β available today on Hulu
- "Sommore: Chandelier Fly" β available on Netflix
π Derek hopes to make some headway on the garage this weekend ... again.
Thanks to Crystal Hill for editing this newsletter.
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