Huntsville news recap — 9 big stories we covered in September

A lot happened around Huntsville during September, so we don’t blame you if you didn’t read every story we covered.

But, we want to make sure you’re up-to-date on all the important Huntsville happenings — so, here are nine of the biggest news stories we covered back in September! 👇

Read more below, and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to get news like this delivered to your inbox.

Jeni’s Ice Creams opening

Perhaps no opening was more highly anticipated this month than Jeni’s Ice Creams, and all you had to do was attend the grand opening to see that proven true.

The ice cream spot, known for signature flavors like Salty Caramel and Gooey Buttercake, opened on September 17 and saw a line so long it wrapped around the building.

Trash Pandas win Southern League Championship

On September 23, the Trash Pandas made history when they defeated the Biloxi Shuckers and claimed their first-ever Southern League Championship.

What makes this victory even sweeter is the fact that the Shuckers used to play in Huntsville (for nearly 30 years) before relocating to Biloxi in 2014.

Sandra Moon Community Complex opening

The long-awaited opening for the Sandra Moon Community Complex finally came on September 15. Located at the site of the old Grissom High School, this has been in the works for over 10 years, with planning beginning back in 2015.

The complex offers an immense amount of amenities, like a basketball court, fitness center, multimedia room and much more!

Decatur’s Aquadome closes

Decatur’s Aquadome had its last day of operation on September 13, after nearly 60 years of community use. It was closed to make way for the new Decatur Rec Center (which we will go over next).

It truly was state-of-the-art when it was built — the facility featured a 100-foot-diameter dome with 36 Plexiglas panels, making it the largest domed pool in the United States at the time.

New Decatur Rec Center opens

On September 22, the ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the $52M Decatur Rec Center, which had been under construction since March 2025.

General community membership is free, and the center offers amenities like indoor basketball courts, elevated walking track, 10-lane pool, fitness areas and much more.

Resolute Way Project receives funding

The City of Huntsville received a federal grant of $10.8 million to help fund the first phase of Resolute Way, a new road connecting Interstate 565 to Gate 9 at Redstone Arsenal.

More than 100,000 vehicles pass this area on a daily basis, so this infrastructure project will go a long way in improving traffic.

Huntsville annexes 236 acres of land

It seems Huntsville never stops growing, and September was no different. This month saw the city annex 236.58 acres of land located in Limestone County, known as LeCroix Farms.

Right now, the area is just farm land, but the current plan in place calls for the construction of single-family homes. So, it’s very likely this area will become a neighborhood development in the near future.

UNA hosts first on-campus football game in school’s history

On September 19, the first-ever football game was played on the campus of UNA. The school has had a football program since 1912, but never hosted a gridiron matchup on campus.

As you might’ve guessed, this was because the university never had a home stadium located on campus grounds — that changed earlier this year when the school completed the new $55M Bank Independent Stadium.

Medical cannabis dispensary opens in Athens

The first medical cannabis dispensary north of Talladega officially opened on Monday, September 14, after nearly five years of legal battle in the courts.

Obviously, there are strict regulations regarding who can purchase products from here. You must receive a medical cannabis recommendation from an AMCC-licensed doctor, have a valid ID and be registered with the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission.

Want more content like this? Follow Hville Blast on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, and be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.