But before the new workers start assembling vehicles on the factory floor, they will have to know the intricacies of the assembly line.

Starting next week, most of that hands-on training will be done in a new assembly training center in a building at the rear of MBUSI.

The assembly training center, which was dedicated Tuesday during a

ribbon-cutting ceremony, is in a building that was used for final checks of vehicles before they shipped to dealerships.

more...

[Tuscaloosa News]

"We are always looking for materials we can make something from, and neighbors are always complaining about how hard bamboo is to get rid of," explains Pamela Dorr, executive director of HERO, the community development nonprofit in Greensboro that's spearheading the project. "As we talked to designers and friends about what could be done, we learned about the DIY bikes at Bamboo Bike Studio in Brooklyn and started working with them as a partner."

The result is a product line called HERObikes. The third model, the Semester, recently debuted on Kickstarter. Built from hexagonal tubes made from bamboo and lined with carbon fiber, "the look of the Semester Bike is designed to be minimal and sparse," says Door. The bike will retail for $850.

MADISON, Alabama - One of Madison's biggest economic development projects is close to hitting the ground at County Line Road and Interstate 565.

The Madison City Council on Monday approved payment of $170,445 to buy right of way for the new interchange.

On Aug. 30, the Alabama Department of Transportation will let the estimated $30 million project out for bids. Bids also go out that day for improving Old Madison Pike from Slaughter Road to Research Park.

ALDOT officials said at a public meeting last November it wanted to start actual road construction for the new interchange this past spring with work completed by the end of 2014. Delays in getting the project ready for bids has delayed the timetable about six months.