Space Command and Space Force are two different entities, but chances are you've heard references to the latter in conversations around town.

Why it matters: The community is continuing to explore the potential impacts of U.S. Space Command's relocation from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Redstone Arsenal, which is expected to bring jobs to the area.

Zoom in: Space Force is a branch of the military, like the Army or Navy. Space Command is one of the Department of War's (formerly Department of Defense) 11 unified combatant commands.

• The difference between the two is the first question on Space Command's FAQ page. Its answer:
• "U.S. Space Force organizes, trains and equips space professionals and then presents those forces to U.S. Space Command and other Combatant Commands."
• "U.S. Space Command actively employs joint forces from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force to accomplish the command's mission."

The bottom line: Essentially, Space Command leads the military's operational efforts in space. Space Force is the branch of the military focused on space.

• Space Force has one base in Florida, two in California and three in Colorado. It's comprised of around 9,400 active-duty Guardians.
• Space Command is moving its headquarters, and up to around 1,400 personnel positions, from Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado to Redstone Arsenal.

What they're saying: "Our job is to defend American interests in space," said Gen. S Whiting, of U.S. Space Command, during a meeting in Huntsville with Mayor Tommy Battle.

• "So yes, I am a member of the U.S. Space Force, but I have Army personnel, Navy personnel, Air Force, Marine Corps personnel, even some international partners in our headquarters."

Go deeper: Redstone "ready to move dirt" for Space Command HQ

Digital capital-raising platform DealMaker launched a sports division dedicated to fan-led ownership Wednesday.

Why it matters: Fans don't have to be billionaires to invest in the teams they love, so essentially, you could be an Atlanta Braves owner.

What they're saying: "Every team or league is going to need to spend money on fan engagement," DealMaker CEO and co-founder Rebecca Kacaba tells Axios. "Most of the time you spend millions of dollars and hope to see the fans engage later to generate a return [on investment]."

• "With fan ownership, you generate a return at the outset because the fan invests and then they become more engaged with the brand."

How it works: DealMaker Sports allows professional sports teams, leagues, athletes and college athletic departments to raise money directly from the public.

• In turn, everyday fans may be offered direct stake, equity, and/or perks from teams that join the platform.

Zoom out: Community ownership has worked for decades in Europe.

• This includes over 100 professional clubs like Real Madrid, FC Bayern Munich and Manchester United.
• The Braves, New York Knicks, New York Rangers and Green Bay Packers are the only publicly owned franchises among the four major U.S. sports.

Some crowdfunding sites in the U.S. service teams and athletes, including RallyUp, Chisos and GoFundMe, but DealMaker says it's the only company with a division focused solely on sports, featuring account managers who have executed sports deals.

Case in point: DealMaker has already led campaigns for the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland Ballers.

• USL team Westchester FC and the Virginia Beach Arena Project have also joined the platform.

The bottom line: With new pro sports leagues emerging, fans are being offered a seat in the owners' box.

💰 Huntsville School Board member Andrea Alvarez says the state's CHOOSE Act is unconstitutional and is considering a lawsuit against what she calls a misappropriation of state education funds. (AL.com)

• The CHOOSE Act allows families to apply for up to $7,000 in vouchers to pay for private school tuition.

👟 Three men with the Navy SEAL Foundation left Huntsville Sunday to walk 100-plus miles to Franklin, Tenn. to spread awareness about and raise money for the veterans' nonprofit. (WHNT)

Mayor Tommy Battle unveiled the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year at City Council's Sept. 11 meeting.

Why it matters: The city is growing, and so is its budget.

Catch up quick: Huntsville's fiscal year runs Oct. 1-Sept. 30. The next step in the process is a budget workshop Friday, Sept. 19. at 2pm.

• Council is expected to vote on passing the budget Sept. 25.

By the numbers: More than half of Huntsville's total revenue comes from sales and use taxes. For 2026, that's budgeted at $313.8 million.

• Second is ad valorem, or property taxes, set to raise just under $125.5 million for the city in FY26.

How it works: The city's operating budget totals $343.7 million, and doesn't include money for other areas like capital and enterprise funds or debt service.

• Total operating revenue for FY26 is budgeted at $333.5 million, with the $7.8-million gap covered by savings rolled over from the FY25 budget.

Zoom in: Police and fire and rescue take up the bulk of the city's departmental expenditures, together accounting for around 47.4%.

• Total general fund expenditures are up almost 4%, more than $13 million, compared to FY25.
• The biggest dollar-amount changes are a $3.6-million increase for fire and rescue and a $3.5-million increase for police, 5.8% and 4.6% jumps respectively.

What they're saying: "Sales and use taxes, our largest revenue source, are projected to remain stable," says Battle in the budget's intro. "We budgeted conservatively, with no growth assumed, in line with the national outlook."

• He says public safety, economic development and infrastructure are the focuses, and also highlighted road projects, park improvements and tourism efforts.