The "skybridge" part of an ambitious project underway in Huntsville may grab headlines, but a contract recently approved by City Council could have just as big an impact downtown.

Why it matters: The stream restoration project for a prominent stretch of Pinhook Creek downtown is the first step in transforming it into a 13-acre linear park and greenway.

Zoom in: The project runs from Holmes Avenue south to US 231. In that stretch, the creek flows under Clinton Avenue, near the under-construction Front Row Huntsville and alongside the Von Braun Center.

• City leaders envision a grass- and tree-lined stream meandering beside concrete sidewalks, benches and landscaping.

How it works: To accomplish that, the city will remove about half of its Lot K, the parking lot at 614 Clinton Ave., city engineer Kathy Martin told Axios.

• The main channel of the stream will be walled on the east side with 15- to 20-foot walls, she said, and widened on the west side to create a "benched-out area," adding capacity for flood mitigation.

What they're saying: "The city's really been working on this project with the [U.S. Army] Corps of Engineers for over 20 years," Martin said. "It's definitely an important moment to finally start work on the site."

• The city also widened bridges over the creek on Clinton and Holmes about 10 years ago, in preparation for this project, she said.

By the numbers: Of the total contract amount, $20 million comes from a federal RAISE grant, and the remaining $92,195 from the city's capital plan dollars, said Shane Davis, director of economic and urban development, at last week's council meeting.

Context: The contract spans two years, Martin said, after which the project will turn its focus to replacing the nearby railroad bridge by Heart of Huntsville Drive, and then work on the project's "skybridge."

• Once those are underway, the city will bid out the finishing work for Pinhook Creek: the sidewalks, benches, landscaping, etc.

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L3Harris has nabbed a nearly $400-million contract to support the Missile Defense Agency's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.

Why it matters: It'll mean more work in Huntsville for the prime defense contractor which has been growing locally in big ways.

Zoom in: Part of the contract will see L3Harris producing additional solid rocket boost motors for the THAAD, manufactured in Huntsville and in Camden, Arkansas.

• The system is one of the nation's primary defenses agains short, medium and intermediate-range missiles, with a 100% success rate, L3Harris notes in an announcement of the contract.

What they're saying: "THAAD is paramount to the security of this nation and our allies, and we are dedicated to delivering our proven propulsion for years to come," said Ken Bedingfield, president, missile solutions, in the announcement.

Catch up quick: L3Harris invested more than $20 million to construct its massive 379,000-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing Facility in Huntsville, which opened last August.

🏗️ UAH has secured $14.2 million in federal funding for its 58-acre Exploration Plaza. (AL.com)

Huntsville music legend Microwave Dave Gallaher was honored with a float in last weekend's Mardis Gras parade. (FOX54)

• Check out parade photos here.

🚁 The FBI's facilities on Redstone Arsenal are playing a central role in helping the agency prepare for counter-drone activities for World Cup games this year. (256Today)

📦 Kaitlin McConnell, of Kate's Creations, has launched The Huntsville Creator's Club Box, a seasonal subscription box with products from local artists, makers and small businesses. (Huntsville Business Journal)

Sunset Landing Golf Course, at Huntsville International Airport, is under new management as clubhouse renovation plans advance.

The big picture: The Port of Huntsville board selected Komara Golf Management as the course's new contract operator, it announced following its meeting Tuesday.

• Komara will oversee operations, maintenance, customer service and programming at the course, with a focus on enhancing the golfer experience, per an announcement.
• The company owns and operates Southern Gayles Golf Club & Grill in Athens.

What they're saying: "Sunset Landing Golf Course holds a special place in this community, and our priority is creating a welcoming, service-driven environment from the moment guests arrive," Greg Komara, of Komara Golf Management, said in the release.

• He added that plans for a full-service bar and grill are part of renovation plans for the clubhouse, for which the airport says more details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Health insurance costs ate up 10% or more of median family income in 19 states, according to a new analysis.

Why it matters: The findings show how tough it can be to afford health care, even with insurance, for many of the estimated 167 million Americans who get coverage through an employer.

• The state-by-state breakdown of federal data by the Commonwealth Fund looked at how much people spent on premiums — their contribution to the cost of their insurance — and on deductibles, their out-of-pocket costs before insurance starts to pay for medical services.

Zoom in: In Alabama, those costs account for 11.7% of median family income, per the data.

What they found: The share of income spent on premium contributions and deductibles for family coverage in 2024 ranged from 15.6% in Louisiana to 5.7% in the District of Columbia, according to the analysis.

The big picture: Health costs are expected to keep rising due to hospital consolidation, higher prices for medical services and supplies, GLP-1 drugs and more demand for behavioral health care, researchers said.

Context: Health benefit costs are expected to increase in the high single digits this year, with many employers planning to limit premium increases by raising out-of-pocket costs for their workers.

The bottom line: If incomes don't keep pace with medical inflation in the coming years, the cost of employer coverage and accessing care could become prohibitively expensive for many middle-class workers.