Home Care In Huntsville, NC

As Southerners, we often crave the lesser known. We're humble about our hidden gems, be it the roadside stand only we know how to find or a secluded beach we intend to keep secret. But just because we're not boastful doesn't mean our region isn't teeming with treasures worth bragging about.

Many of these riches are often waiting in smaller cities across the South. Here, the classic trappings of a small town blend with the innovation of a bustling metropolis in a way that'll make anyone want to put down roots. These cities have long flown under the radar, filed away as some of our region's favorite cultural hideaways, but not for much longer. From flourishing downtowns to burgeoning food scenes, these up-and-comers are rising in the ranks as destinations in their own right. Here are the South's Cities on the Rise as declared by our readers.

15. Metairie, Louisiana

For those looking for a detour from a default New Orleans experience, Metairie is the spirited neighborhood visitors may not know to seek out. Take a drive through the oak tree-lined streets of Old Metairie to behold the beauty of New Orleans's first suburb or spend the day on Metairie Road where a bustling corridor of shops and restaurants await. Here you'll find some of the best takes on regional dishes, including crawfish gumbo. With the Mississippi River to the South and Lake Pontchartrain to the north, plus plenty of green space, you just might forget the French Quarter is only 20 minutes away.

14. Lynchburg, Virginia

The beauty of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains is just one of Lynchburg's many wonders. Its landscape impresses any time of year, from snow-capped winters to vibrant, leaf-filled falls. Head into town where this quaint metropolis dazzles with historic districts, local eateries, and a lively arts scene too. Paddle the James River before refueling at local favorite Texas Inn, the city's oldest diner.

13. Sandy Springs, Georgia

Thanks to recreational gems and winding residential streets, it's easy to feel removed from the hustle and bustle in this Atlanta suburb. But urban influences (not to mention traffic on its main thoroughfare, Roswell Road) make themselves known in the city's standout medley of dining, shopping, and mixed-use developments. To really escape, spend time at the Chattahoochee River National Recreational Area or visit Morgan Falls Overlook Park.

12. Bowling Green, Kentucky

Even in the aftermath of a historic weather system that devastated the Bowling Green area at the end of 2021, this Kentucky city is still rising. Here, neighbors and businesses have stepped up to help one another in the months since the tornado splintered life as they knew it, showcasing the Southern spirit and generosity that has always been at the core of this community. Together, they have not only renewed a sense of hope, but they've also instilled a new season of life into the city's charming streets.

11. Frisco, Texas

It's hard to keep up with the play-by-play in this booming, sports-centric city just 30 minutes north of Dallas. Home to The Star, the Dallas Cowboy's practice field, it's also swinging easy into even more accelerated growth as PGA of America debuts its new headquarters there this year. Now a hub for sports, technology, and innovation, the city is turning progress into an opportunity for culture and family fun. Don't miss the National Videogame Museum or the Texas Sculpture Garden.

10. Bentonville, Arkansas

Bentonville may be known as the birthplace of Walmart, but the opening of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art more than a decade ago launched the city into the limelight. The arts scene has been booming ever since, turning this once quiet, rural community into a cultural mecca. Though still connected to its roots, this artistic influx inspired a revitalized downtown fit with hotels, bar, and restaurants. Once you've enjoyed the urban scene, slip away to the surrounding Ozarks and enjoy the bounty of Bentonville's outdoor beauty.

9. Alpharetta, Georgia

Alpharetta is more than just a suburb of Atlanta. Thanks to a prospering, pedestrian-friendly downtown, this once sleepy neighborhood north of the city is now a haven for families and fun. Its City Center is a thriving mix of original downtown establishments and chic retail shops and restaurants that draw locals and visitors alike. Get away from the action and enjoy the outdoors on the Big Creek Greenway, a nine-mile wooded path, or keep on shopping at the ever-popular Avalon.

8. Fort Myers, Florida

While it may be best known for its laid-back beaches and picturesque views, Fort Myers is buzzing. The city is one of the fastest growing in the state, and its River District is reveling in the energy. Bright shops, bars, and restaurants entice vacationers to spend a few hours away from the beach, but it's the arts community that keeps them coming back. With nearly a dozen galleries featuring everything from coastal paintings to locally-crafted jewelry, the city offers endless ways to be inspired on and off the beach.

7. Fort Worth, Texas

Anchored in old Texas spirit, Fort Worth has a firm grip on its roots even in the face of exploding growth. Its cowboy heritage shines through the arrival of a younger generation and recent revitalization. The Stockyards National Historic District is home to both classic honky-tonks and brand-new watering holes. The centuries-old area will show you where the West began while thrilling with a new entertainment district, Mule Alley.

6. Alexandria, Virginia

It may be just a half-hour Metro ride from the National Mall, but Alexandria's old-world allure makes it feel worlds away. Simultaneously packed with preservation and buzzing with novel, locally-owned shops and restaurants, this vibrant small city is more than just a convenient hub for D.C. commuters. Walk along cobblestone streets to soak in the city's outstanding architecture and take a stroll down King Street to delight in a treasure trove of independent eateries and boutiques.

5. Huntsville, Alabama

While the Saturn V replica rocket stands as the towering gatekeeper to this city long identified by its contribution to the country's space program, Huntsville is blasting off in more directions than one these days. The fastest growing city in the state, Huntsville's influx of engineers and scientists are making an impact beyond aerospace, sowing seeds in arts, culture, craft brewing, and more. While the U.S. Space and Rocket Center is a must, be sure to spend time at Lowe Mills ARTS & Entertainment too, where a revitalized 1901 cotton gin houses more than 130 working artist studios.

4. Franklin, Tennessee

Franklin is increasingly finding its way onto travelers' itineraries beyond day trips from neighboring Nashville. But just because this historic city has blossomed beyond its small-town roots doesn't mean it's outgrown its iconic Southern charm. Though Franklin's future is full of potential, you can still rely on Main Street's excellent eateries, endless shopping, and porches galore.

3. Chattanooga, Tennessee

Memphis and Nashville might get all the buzz when it comes to country, blues, and barbecue, but Chattanooga is the fast-growing Tennessee gem that deserves a second look. Set along the curves of the Tennessee River, Chattanooga is as rich in natural wonders and outdoor adventure as it is in exciting new hotels and innovative dinning. Don't miss the Tennessee Aquarium, Warehouse Row, or an afternoon kayaking the river.

2. Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh may be known for groundbreaking research and fine collegiate institutions, but this bright corner of the state's Research Triangle is more than just brains. The city is situated midway between the Outer Banks and the Appalachian Mountains, but its lively arts scene, breweries, and food halls beg you to stay put. The Raleigh Beer Garden boasts of being the largest in the world, while culinary delights, from Crawford and Son's elevated fare to The Pit's authentic Eastern North Carolina barbecue, guarantee a meal for every kind of craving.

1. Greenville, South Carolina

While Greenville's charm and natural beauty is undeniable, its food scene is really putting the city on the map. A culinary gold mine, Greenville's 100-plus selection of downtown restaurants serve locally inspired and culturally diverse dishes that are racking up accolades. When you're not eating, be sure to enjoy Falls Park on the Reedy, a beautiful, 26-acre green space that runs through the city.

If you live in Alabama, I’m sure you’ve seen an Eastern Gray Squirrel or two in your lifetime (or perhaps too many to count). However, there’s a new squirrel in town. The White Squirrel. Read on, this Huntsville find is NUTS. Sorry, I can’t resist acorny joke.

What is a White Squirrel?

White Squirrels come from Eastern Gray Squirrels, a genetic anomaly due to a mutated gene. White Squirrels are uncommon, to say the least. So in common, in fact, there is a 1 in 100,000 chance that the offspring of an Eastern Gray Squirrel will be snow-white. Aren’t they gorgeous?

But wait, there’s more. There are two types of White Squirrel—albino and leucistic, also known as white murph. Albino White Squirrels require both squirrels to carry this rare gene in order for their offspring to be albino. The biggest sign that you’ve found an Albino White Squirrel is the eyes. They’ll have red eyes, as opposed to the dark eyes on White Murph Squirrels.

Which is the rarest type of White Squirrel, you ask? The Albino White Squirrel only accounts for 20-30% of the White Squirrel population.

Legend of the White Squirrel + Brevard, NC celebrations

Legend has it, the White Squirrels came from a carnival. When the truck overturned in 1949, the pair of White Squirrels ran off until they were caught. Their captor tried to breed the rare squirrel. After the attempts were unsuccessful, they were released. In the wild, they reproduced and filled Brevard, North Carolina with White Squirrels.

As a North Carolina native myself, I didn’t even realize there was such thing as a White Squirrel but they’ve become famous residents of the City of Brevard. Now, Brevard has implemented protection laws for the squirrels, has a White Squirrel gift shop and even hosts a White Squirrel Festival every year.

You could travel to Brevard to catch a glimpse at the rare White Squirrel or you could keep an eye out in your own backyard. Huntsville, we’ve got a Squirrel-Lock Holmes on our hands.

Huntsville Spotting

Huntsville‘s very own Carolyn Alexander found an Albino White Squirrel and shared it to a popular Alabamian Facebook group—Alabama the Beautiful™. We were lucky to get to talk to her.

Where’d she find this White Squirrel? On Monte Sano Mountain.

Carolyn Alexander is a local photographer who photographs on the mountain frequently. She’d heard whispers of a White Squirrel sighting in Huntsville, so she made several trips to Monte Sano and kept an eye out. That’s when she found it.

“He found me. He was a godsend. I just looked up and there he was.”

—Carolyn Alexander, photographer

In the comments, many other Huntsvillians shared their own White Squirrel sightings. Be on the lookout. White Squirrels are here, so go find them. Go nuts, Huntsville.

Have you spotted a White Squirrel? We want to see it! Tag us @thebamabuzz.

Raleigh and Durham are making a national list of one of the best places to live in America.

The cities tied as #3 for US News and World Report's Best Places to Live Rankings for 2023-2024.

Huntsville, Alabama came in second and Green Bay, Wisconsin topped the list.

Raleigh and Durham scored 6.9 out of 10 on the U.S. News grading system.

It analyzed the quality of life, job market, the value of living or housing affordability and cost of living, as well as people's desire to live there.

While traffic congestion and a lack of commuter rail connecting the two cities were issues noted, Raleigh and Durham scored highest in the category of quality of life for access to museums, theaters, a thriving restaurant scene, parks and greenways and college and professional teams.

"We love to see it show up on the list," explained Susan Amey, President and CEO of Discover Durham.

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"Some of it is the satisfaction of seeing national recognition for what we know here to be true. And, in terms of our ability to market the region, from an economic development standpoint makes it so much easier when we reach out.

Our job is about encouraging people to come to visit and when they already have awareness, and they see the articles and all the accolades about what a great place this is to be people want to seek us out."

Besides #3 in the best places to live in the country, U.S. News found Raleigh and Durham 29th in best places to retire,

#1 in best places to live in N.C., #13 in best places to live for quality of life, and #21 fastest growing places.

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Huntsville Music Month ends Sept. 30, but that doesn’t mean that October is devoid of fantastic Huntsville concerts. In fact, October is an amazing month for Huntsville concerts.

Check out these can’t-miss Huntsville concerts coming up in October:

Beach Boys – Oct. 4

Legendary musicians The Beach Boys will be in town Oct. 4, and this is a show you won’t want to miss. These guys still put on a heck of a show after all these years.

Tash Sultana – Oct. 4

This Australian singer/songwriter is a “one-person band” and has won multiple awards, including Rolling Stone’s Best Single in 2021 for the song “Pretty Lady.”

Keb’ Mo – Oct. 7

Keb’ Mo’ is an absolute music legend, and we cannot wait for this show at the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall. Of the Huntsville concerts coming up, this one is perhaps the one I am most excited about.

Outlaw Music Festival with Willie Nelson – Oct. 11

When we talk about music legends, the conversation is not complete without mentioning Willie Nelson. And Willie is headlining the Outlaw Music Festival this fall in Huntsville. And he’s coming with a host of awesome bands — Avett Brothers, Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs and more.

GWAR – Oct. 22

If you have never heard of GAWAR, then perhaps you should get acquainted. If you have, then you know this is one spectacularly creative and unique live performance. And I’ll leave it at that.

Kansas – Oct. 26

If you are a fan of classic rock, you know Kansas, and these guys are celebrating their 50th anniversary by touring the U.S., and making a stop in Huntsville.

Jason Isbell + the 400 Unit – Oct. 27

North Alabama native and Grammy Award winner Jason Isbell returns to Huntsville October 27 at the Orion with special guest Margo Price. Jason was one of the first performers to ever play at the Orion back in spring of 2022.

Get in the know, Huntsville! Follow Hville Blast on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, and be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.

Editor’s Note: The University of North Carolina Academic and University Programs Division releases its annual report this week. Great Teachers and School Leaders Matter surveys the work of the Division and UNC’s fifteen educator preparation programs that are focused on the University’s goal of preparing more, higher quality teachers and school leaders for North Carolina’s public schools. EdNC will be highlighting the report’s profiles of teachers, school leaders, programs, and partnerships from across the state as part of a nine-part series. The full report is available here.

In 2009, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro School of Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro College of Arts and Sciences, and Huntsville Elementary School in the Rockingham County Schools were awarded an NC QUEST grant entitled, Core Math III: Supporting Teachers in Using Learning Trajectories to Implement the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.

The project was the third in a series of collaborations between these partners funded by NC QUEST and focused on improving the instructional practices and student outcomes of thirteen teachers and administrators. The project leveraged lessons learned from previous work to implement a revised ninety-one hour professional development curriculum that built upon a deep understanding of the learning trajectories that underlie the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics to support teachers in implementing pedagogies that engage students in mathematical practice.

A review of Core Math III confirms that when sound principles of change management and capacity-building work in concert, good things happen for educators and the students they serve.

It is clear that at Huntsville Elementary School in the Rockingham County Schools a culture change occurred as a result of partnerships and sustained, content-based professional development. This culture shift has been critical to the long-term sustainability of the effort. Seven years after the initiation of Core Math III, the staff and leadership of the school remain true to their original project goals in spite of multiple common circumstances that could have derailed their progress – teacher and school leader turnover, changes in state policy, scheduling demands, and other complications. Most importantly, 51.6 percent of Huntsville Elementary students scored at or above grade level on the 2015 End-of-Grade math assessment, 12 percentage points higher than the district average and 7.5 percentage points higher than the state average.

As Huntsville Elementary School’s instructional coach, Mary Kirkpatrick, explains, “Involving … our staff … in sustained professional development focused on understanding learning trajectories and student-centered teaching and learning for mathematics has truly transformed our school AND our mathematics classrooms. Previous efforts in math professional development only touched the surface, but the Core Math III opportunity immersed our staff in continual professional learning, analysis, and reflection across a full two years.”

Because of their deepened mathematical content knowledge, teachers were confident and open to partnership discussions related to instructional practices and student performance. They drew from expertise within their staff, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro School of Education and from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro College of Arts and Sciences. These discussions helped to shape the professional development and guide behavior and decision-making in the classroom. As new teachers and school leaders join the staff, Core Math III participants model and mentor these practices and expectations. Huntsville Elementary’s NC QUEST grant was the impetus for real and lasting change that continues to impact instruction and planning today.

As a result of their NC QUEST partnership, Huntsville Elementary teachers developed a professional dialogue that evidences a deep understanding of research-based instructional practices. Great teachers ask, and learn to answer, valid questions that foster effective learning. This is certainly true at Huntsville Elementary.

The significant and on going professional development also made a difference in the use of inquiry-based learning at Huntsville Elementary. Inquiry-based instruction is only possible when the instructional leader has a deep understanding of their content. Working with their fellow math teachers and content partners from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro School of Education and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro College of Arts and Sciences, Huntsville Elementary teachers became mathematicians and translated their learning to instructional practices that are evident in the classroom.

The three stated goals of Core Math III: Supporting Teachers in Using Learning Trajectories to Implement the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics were to: 1) increase mathematics knowledge for teaching; 2) reform instructional practices; and 3) develop support from leadership for instructional change. While each of these goals were addressed, organizations as complex as a school never “stand still.” Comprehensive reform requires vigilance.

Huntsville Elementary School has developed the culture and partnerships to maintain this vigilance and be a better place for children as a result of the efforts of its teachers and leaders.

University of North Carolina Wilmington Watson College of Education and New Hanover County Schools

By Kimberly O’Briant, staff development supervisor New Hanover County Schools, and Somer Lewis, professional development system, university-school partnership director, Watson College of Education University of North Carolina Wilmington

Developing productive innovative partnerships is a priority for the University of North Carolina Wilmington Watson College of Education (WCE). The College has established strong working relationships with local community agencies, community colleges, and over 146 public schools in the southeast region of North Carolina. These partners share a mission to develop exemplary education professionals dedicated to improving schools and society. Working in collaboration, they are impacting the lives and learning of students, community members, and education professionals across the state.

At the core of these outreach efforts are the dedicated faculty, staff, and students who engage with community partners in service and research initiatives that extend well beyond their classrooms. These initiatives provide opportunities for collaboration with school partners, local community agencies, nonprofits, and regional groups and opportunities for mutually beneficial growth in teaching, research, and service.

The WCE-New Hanover County Schools (NHCS) partnership improves the quality of educator preparation and performance by providing an array of professional experiences, including site-based seminars and a coaching and supervision model that pairs interns with partnership teachers and principal supervisors supported through professional development.

WCE’s partnership with the NHCS affirms the importance of establishing partnership goals and responsibilities and pursuing them with integrity, continuity, and equity. The result for the WCE PDS is a comprehensive, broad based system of professional learning among over 1,000 partnership teachers in forty-three schools in New Hanover County, the WCE educator preparation program faculty, and University of North Carolina Wilmington College of Arts and Sciences faculty.