Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Don Davis' talent with steel guitar opened doors to Nashville fame
Monday, December 15, 2008
By ROY HOFFMAN
Staff Reporter
When Alabama Music Hall of Famer Don Davis was a child in the late 1930s, a country music band played at his school in Satsuma. One of its members leaned over a flat keyboard that he plucked — a steel, or Hawaiian, guitar — and the boy was captivated by the metallic yet melodic sound.
"It made my hair stand on end," Davis says at his house in Gulf Shores. "I realized, 'I've got to do that.'"
Soon young Don found a musician to give him a couple of lessons, using a Spanish guitar turned flat. "After I got hot on it," he says, "my parents bought me an electric Hawaiian guitar for $39.95 from Sears-Roebuck. We'd just gotten electricity. There was an electric cord on the porch up to a light. I'd unplug that cord and plug in my amplifier. The cows would come and hear the racket. They kind of liked it."
Mobile Press-Register
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By ROY HOFFMAN
Staff Reporter
When Alabama Music Hall of Famer Don Davis was a child in the late 1930s, a country music band played at his school in Satsuma. One of its members leaned over a flat keyboard that he plucked — a steel, or Hawaiian, guitar — and the boy was captivated by the metallic yet melodic sound.
"It made my hair stand on end," Davis says at his house in Gulf Shores. "I realized, 'I've got to do that.'"
Soon young Don found a musician to give him a couple of lessons, using a Spanish guitar turned flat. "After I got hot on it," he says, "my parents bought me an electric Hawaiian guitar for $39.95 from Sears-Roebuck. We'd just gotten electricity. There was an electric cord on the porch up to a light. I'd unplug that cord and plug in my amplifier. The cows would come and hear the racket. They kind of liked it."
Mobile Press-Register
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Special Christmas presents for ranch
Former Alabama and NFL standout Jeremiah Castille brings message of hope
Monday, December 15, 2008
By ROBERT LADNIER
Sports Reporter
SUMMERDALE — The residents at the Alabama Sheriff's Boys Ranch in Summerdale got a special treat last week.
Former University of Alabama and NFL standout Jeremiah Castille paid a visit to the facility Friday and brought a message of inspiration, along with some special Christmas gifts.
"One of the board members on our foundation, Drew Crouse, has been involved with the Boys Ranch for several years," Castille said. "He asked me if we could do some Christmas stuff for the boys ranch. This is kind of what we do with our foundation in encouraging youth, so it just kind of fits in.
Mobile Press-Register
Monday, December 15, 2008
By ROBERT LADNIER
Sports Reporter
SUMMERDALE — The residents at the Alabama Sheriff's Boys Ranch in Summerdale got a special treat last week.
Former University of Alabama and NFL standout Jeremiah Castille paid a visit to the facility Friday and brought a message of inspiration, along with some special Christmas gifts.
"One of the board members on our foundation, Drew Crouse, has been involved with the Boys Ranch for several years," Castille said. "He asked me if we could do some Christmas stuff for the boys ranch. This is kind of what we do with our foundation in encouraging youth, so it just kind of fits in.
Mobile Press-Register
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Saturday, December 13, 2008
Former OB City Attorney Larry Sutley strikes plea deal
Former Orange Beach City Attorney Larry Sutley has cut a deal with state prosecutors that will allow him to serve time for two misdemeanors concurrently with the 27-month federal sentence he received for his role in the bribery of the beach town's former mayor, Steve Russo, by real estate developers.
Mobile Press-Register
Friday, December 12, 2008
Orange Beach City Marina on hold
Cash-strapped city not eager to start $17.2M project
Friday, December 12, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter
ORANGE BEACH — Municipal employees aren't the only casualties of the city's budget crunch: Plans for a public marina that have been on the drawing board for more than three years are also poised to be indefinitely postponed.
Conceived as a home of last resort for Alabama's 301-boat charter fishing fleet, Orange Beach paid about $9.6 million for a storm-battered boatyard on Terry Cove in early 2005 and has since designed a municipal marina complex there.
With the low bid to build the project coming in last month at $17.2 million, elected officials said they can't imagine starting work anytime soon.
Mobile Press-Register
Friday, December 12, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter
ORANGE BEACH — Municipal employees aren't the only casualties of the city's budget crunch: Plans for a public marina that have been on the drawing board for more than three years are also poised to be indefinitely postponed.
Conceived as a home of last resort for Alabama's 301-boat charter fishing fleet, Orange Beach paid about $9.6 million for a storm-battered boatyard on Terry Cove in early 2005 and has since designed a municipal marina complex there.
With the low bid to build the project coming in last month at $17.2 million, elected officials said they can't imagine starting work anytime soon.
Mobile Press-Register
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Insurance solutions discussed
Captive insurance, cutting premium tax among areas considered in upcoming session
ROBERTSDALE — Rising insurance costs are adding to economic difficulties not only along the coast, but in inland areas of south Alabama as well, Baldwin County legislators said Wednesday.
Members of the area legislative delegation met with members of Baldwin County United during the organization's semi-annual meeting to discuss the upcoming session of the state House and Senate.
Mobile Press-Register
ROBERTSDALE — Rising insurance costs are adding to economic difficulties not only along the coast, but in inland areas of south Alabama as well, Baldwin County legislators said Wednesday.
Members of the area legislative delegation met with members of Baldwin County United during the organization's semi-annual meeting to discuss the upcoming session of the state House and Senate.
Mobile Press-Register
New Rec Center rates are proposed
ORANGE BEACH — In an ongoing effort to raise revenue, the City Council is contemplating a new rate plan at the Recreation Center.
Since the facility opened in early 2003, Orange Beach has charged residents only $20 a year for membership. A comparable annual membership to the city-owned David L. Bodenhamer Center in Gulf Shores costs $240.
Under a plan proposed this week by Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon, the city would charge $50 for the single annual membership and charge a flat fee of $100 for a family no matter how large. Kennon has also proposed new, reduced monthly rates geared toward part-time residents and memberships for people who work in or live near Orange Beach.
Council members Jeff Silvers and Joni Blalock said that while they didn't have much problem with the $30 increase, they were concerned the council wasn't giving residents enough notice. As such a public hearing has been scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in advance of the 6 p.m. council meeting at which the proposal could be considered.
Mobile Press-Register
Gulf Shores to eliminate 29 jobs in 2009
GULF SHORES — This week, 21 full-time and eight part-time municipal workers learned they will lose their jobs amid a restructuring at City Hall aimed at trimming expenses for an expectedly lean 2009.
They'll work through the end of the month and as severance will be paid all their accrued vacation and sick time and collect their normal salaries through the end of January, said City Administrator Steve Garman.
"The mayor and council did that in an attempt to give everyone some breathing room in order to find new employment after the first of the year," Garman said.
Mobile Press-Register
They'll work through the end of the month and as severance will be paid all their accrued vacation and sick time and collect their normal salaries through the end of January, said City Administrator Steve Garman.
"The mayor and council did that in an attempt to give everyone some breathing room in order to find new employment after the first of the year," Garman said.
Mobile Press-Register
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Wolf Bay Lodge fire puts 55 out of work
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
By GUY BUSBY
Staff Reporter
ELBERTA — On Monday, workers of the Wolf Bay Lodge stood in the parking lot, sharing information about signing up for unemployment benefits. Drivers eased past to look at the burned landmark restaurant, or stopped to share their sorrow.
The lodge, operated on the shores of Wolf Bay by the same family since 1973, was gutted Sunday by a fire that broke out around 3 a.m.
Looking over the ruins, the owners pledged again Monday to rebuild. For now, 55 workers will have to go without tips and paychecks right before Christmas.
Mobile Press-Register
Click here for more photos & news coverage of this story.
Photo courtesy of Gulf Coast Aerials.
Federal flood program loses in Alabama
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
By SEAN REILLY
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — They may not appreciate it when paying their premiums, but for many Alabamians, the federal flood insurance program has been a sweet deal.
Maybe too sweet, according to a new study that found Alabama policyholders have reaped three times more in claims than they paid in premiums over the last three decades.
From 1978 to last year, the difference amounted to more than $746 million in inflation-adjusted dollars, the Government Accountability Office, a congressional watchdog agency, concluded in the study released this month.
Mobile Press-Register
By SEAN REILLY
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — They may not appreciate it when paying their premiums, but for many Alabamians, the federal flood insurance program has been a sweet deal.
Maybe too sweet, according to a new study that found Alabama policyholders have reaped three times more in claims than they paid in premiums over the last three decades.
From 1978 to last year, the difference amounted to more than $746 million in inflation-adjusted dollars, the Government Accountability Office, a congressional watchdog agency, concluded in the study released this month.
Mobile Press-Register
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Wolf Bay lodge destroyed by fire
December 7, 2008- Wolf Bay Lodge, a restaurant well known to locals and tourists alike was destroyed in a pre-dawn fire, according to firemen who fought the early morning blaze. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but officials believe it began in the attic.
Click here to read the full article and watch a slide show from WKRG-TV5.
Gulf State Park Pier set for March open
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Staff report
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is on schedule to open the Gulf State Park Pier in March.
Workers need close to a month of acceptable weather on the pier this winter, and they're expecting to get those days in over the next three to four months.
Mobile Press-Register
Staff report
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is on schedule to open the Gulf State Park Pier in March.
Workers need close to a month of acceptable weather on the pier this winter, and they're expecting to get those days in over the next three to four months.
Mobile Press-Register
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Artists Invited to Enter Alabama Waterfowl Stamp Art Contest
Alabama artists can celebrate the New Year by entering the 2009 Alabama Waterfowl Stamp art contest sponsored by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. The winning artwork will be featured on the 2010-11 Alabama Waterfowl Stamp, which is required to be purchased when hunting migratory waterfowl. Entries will be accepted from Jan. 1 - Feb. 17, 2009.
All eligible entries will be on display February 27, 2009, at the Richard Beard Building in Montgomery. Following the showing, three judges from the fields of art, ornithology and wildlife conservation will select the winning waterfowl art.
“We encourage all Alabama artists to participate in this unique contest,” said Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division Director Corky Pugh. “Like the federal waterfowl stamp, revenues from the sale of Alabama stamps are used to procure, establish or improve migratory waterfowl habitat.”
Only original horizontal artworks depicting a species of North American migratory duck or goose will be eligible. The Blue-winged Teal, Hooded Merganser and Wood Duck – depicted in the winning artwork of the three previous contests – are not eligible as subjects for the 2010-11 stamp. The competition is open to resident Alabama artists only. Entries cannot exceed 9 by 12 inches (15 by 18 inches matted).
The judging criteria will emphasize uncluttered design suitable for printing as a stamp, anatomical accuracy of the illustrated species, and artistic rendering. Close attention must be given to tone and detail, since those aspects are prerequisites for printing artwork as a stamp. Wing and feather construction must be particularly well defined. Entries may be drawn or painted in any medium.
For contest information and entry forms visit the ADCNR website at www.outdooralabama.com, or contact David Hayden, Alabama Wildlife and Fisheries Division, at 334-242-3469.
Friday, December 5, 2008
State Auditor Stacey Pickering announces more Katrina fraud arrests
Peter Howard, 48, and Robert Smith, 52, were indicted on charges of Home Repair Fraud. Howard lives in Gulf Shores, Ala. and Smith in Theodore, Ala. After being arrested by the State Auditor’s Office, both were processed by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. Bond was set at $10,000 each. Howard and Smith were doing business as Pelican Bay Custom Homes. The complaint filed states that Pelican Bay Custom Homes was paid $284,188 to construct a modular home on property in Pascagoula. The owner claims that the modular home was delivered but never assembled. Howard and Smith were both arrested by the State Auditor’s Office in June 2008 for felony false pretense after taking a deposit for a modular home that was never constructed.
Click here for the full article.
Click here for the full article.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Crab boat crashes on jetty
Coast Guard attempting the rescue of a crab boat caught in large waves off of the Oregon coast. The captain of the boat managed to swim to the jetties. Two crew members are missing and presumed drowned.
Killer Whales Spotted in Gulf of Mexico
Orange Beach, AL - Capt. Eddie Hall had some serious competition on a recent tuna fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico. They were about 90 miles south of Orange Beach when they spotted hundreds of Orcas feeding on the yellow fin tuna they were targeting.
Click here for more photos and the full article by Steve Layton with Gary Finch Outdoors.
Council delays 2009 budget vote until Dec. 16
Thursday, December 04, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter
ORANGE BEACH — The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a severance pay package for 23 municipal employees who were laid off last month.
Originally elected officials had proposed paying the laid-off employees 25 percent of the sick time they've accrued up to 80 hours. The city's personnel plan wouldn't allow for that kind of severance but does contain provisions for laid-off employees to receive set amounts of administrative leave pay, said City Attorney Wanda Cochran.
Because council members had said they were comfortable spending $10,600 on severance under the sick leave compensation plan, Cochran said that number was used to calculate the amount of administrative leave each former employee would get paid: 24 hours worth.
Mobile Press-Register
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Navarre Beach pier gets state approval
Louis Cooper, Pensacola News JournalMoney, time and a tranquil 2009 hurricane season are all that stand between Keith Cuthrell and fishing on a new 1,500-foot pier at Navarre Beach.
Santa Rosa County received word from the state Tuesday that its permit for the new pier had been approved. The structure will replace a 900-foot pier left unusable by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
“I fished out there since I was 10 years old,” said Cuthrell, 52. “I’m just tickled to death to see this. It’s been way long overdue.”
The pier has historically been a good place to catch king fish, cobia, red fish and pompano, among other species, he said.
Pensacola News-Journal
No deal on Bon Secour
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter
GULF SHORES — A court-ordered auction of more than 880 acres at the foreclosed Bon Secour Village failed to yield any acceptable bids and will force lawyers to look for new ways to dispose of the property and pare down financial losses.
The developers of the 1,000-acre project defaulted on their $20.36 million loan from Wachovia bank last year and the auction had been ordered to clear the debt, which, according to court filings, accrues interest at a rate of more than $2,600 a day.
Heralded as a $500 million town-within-a-town that would transform a swath of woods along the Intracoastal Waterway's northern shore into one of the state's most chic neighborhoods, Bon Secour Village has been mired in troubles for the last year.
Mobile Press-Register
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter
GULF SHORES — A court-ordered auction of more than 880 acres at the foreclosed Bon Secour Village failed to yield any acceptable bids and will force lawyers to look for new ways to dispose of the property and pare down financial losses.
The developers of the 1,000-acre project defaulted on their $20.36 million loan from Wachovia bank last year and the auction had been ordered to clear the debt, which, according to court filings, accrues interest at a rate of more than $2,600 a day.
Heralded as a $500 million town-within-a-town that would transform a swath of woods along the Intracoastal Waterway's northern shore into one of the state's most chic neighborhoods, Bon Secour Village has been mired in troubles for the last year.
Mobile Press-Register
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Alabama Grown at Lulu's
Monday, December 01, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter
GULF SHORES — Getting local seafood was never a problem for Lulu's at Homeport Marina.
And since this spring, the restaurant has bought its beef from a family farm near Clayton, Ala. Now, Lulu's management is thinking about how it might acquire produce from Alabama's fields.
Each year, for example, the restaurant buys about 61,000 tomatoes — 39,000 green, 22,000 red — at a price of about 65 cents apiece, general manager Johnny Fisher said. That works out to nearly $40,000 worth of tomatoes.
"So," he wondered, "would that be enough to get someone to build a hothouse and start growing tomatoes?"
"I would say so — yes," said Don Wambles, director of the Farmers Market Authority, a state agency charged with promoting Alabama-grown foods.
For the last two years, the agency has pursued an initiative to match farmers with chefs. It now helps about 40 restaurateurs find locally grown ingredients.
Mobile Press-Register
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter
GULF SHORES — Getting local seafood was never a problem for Lulu's at Homeport Marina.
And since this spring, the restaurant has bought its beef from a family farm near Clayton, Ala. Now, Lulu's management is thinking about how it might acquire produce from Alabama's fields.
Each year, for example, the restaurant buys about 61,000 tomatoes — 39,000 green, 22,000 red — at a price of about 65 cents apiece, general manager Johnny Fisher said. That works out to nearly $40,000 worth of tomatoes.
"So," he wondered, "would that be enough to get someone to build a hothouse and start growing tomatoes?"
"I would say so — yes," said Don Wambles, director of the Farmers Market Authority, a state agency charged with promoting Alabama-grown foods.
For the last two years, the agency has pursued an initiative to match farmers with chefs. It now helps about 40 restaurateurs find locally grown ingredients.
Mobile Press-Register
ThyssenKrupp job fair slated for Dec. 9
Applications being taken online now, but event at Central Annex designed to answer questions
Monday, December 01, 2008
By CRAIG MYERS
Staff Reporter
If a new career is on your Christmas wish list,
ThyssenKrupp is coming to town.
The $4.5 billion German steel-manufacturing plant in north Mobile County is scheduled to open in about a year and will need nearly 2,700 permanent employees, said Mary Mullins, a spokeswoman for ThyssenKrupp Stainless USA.
"It is believed to be one of the largest economic and industrial investments in the U.S. in the next decade," she told Baldwin County commissioners at a recent meeting. "We are really pleased to be part of the growth in our region when we see economic slowdown elsewhere in the country. ... We are committed to hiring locally to the greatest extent possible."
As of late November, the company had hired more than 300 workers, she said. "As you can see we've come a long way, but we still have a long way to go," Mullins said.
So the company and Baldwin County Commission are teaming up to seek some of that work force on this side of the bay. A ThyssenKrupp Jobs Fair will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Central Annex in Robertsdale.
ThyssenKrupp Website
Mobile Press-Register
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Cheeseburger in paradise
A sizzling experiment that could help save Alabama's small farms (And it tastes good)
Sunday, November 30, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter
CLAYTON, Ala. — In January of last year, the phone rang at Boutwell Farms, an upstart family operation near the Georgia line, specializing in organic grains, free-range pork and grass-fed beef.
On the line was Johnny Fisher, general manager of Lulu's at Homeport Marina, the well-known, 450-seat Gulf Shores restaurant.
Fisher, wanting to wean Lulu's off of the nondescript patties at the center of its most popular menu item, was searching for beef that was tastier, healthier and regionally produced. And he needed enough of it each year to make more than 70,000 cheeseburgers.
Mobile Press-Register
Sunday, November 30, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter
CLAYTON, Ala. — In January of last year, the phone rang at Boutwell Farms, an upstart family operation near the Georgia line, specializing in organic grains, free-range pork and grass-fed beef.
On the line was Johnny Fisher, general manager of Lulu's at Homeport Marina, the well-known, 450-seat Gulf Shores restaurant.
Fisher, wanting to wean Lulu's off of the nondescript patties at the center of its most popular menu item, was searching for beef that was tastier, healthier and regionally produced. And he needed enough of it each year to make more than 70,000 cheeseburgers.
Mobile Press-Register
'Insurance Queen' finds rocky road
Sunday, November 30, 2008
By JEFF AMY and RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporters
Pamela Wynona Schoen's recent business career has been peppered with legal disputes.
Now 45, Schoen began working as an Alfa insurance agent in 1986, the Montgomery-based company said. In the April 2007 edition of a publication called Ladies in Business, Schoen said her father was a friend of Alfa founder Ed Lowder and served as an Alfa district manager for 42 years.
Schoen declined to speak to the Press-Register, referring comment to her lawyer, Kelly McGriff.
Mobile Press-Register
By JEFF AMY and RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporters
Pamela Wynona Schoen's recent business career has been peppered with legal disputes.
Now 45, Schoen began working as an Alfa insurance agent in 1986, the Montgomery-based company said. In the April 2007 edition of a publication called Ladies in Business, Schoen said her father was a friend of Alfa founder Ed Lowder and served as an Alfa district manager for 42 years.
Schoen declined to speak to the Press-Register, referring comment to her lawyer, Kelly McGriff.
Mobile Press-Register
Police: Insurance swindle involved big bucks
Sunday, November 30, 2008
By JEFF AMY and RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporters
Two former employees of the Starfish Insurance Agency in Gulf Shores stole hundreds of thousands of dollars, police believe, some of it by selling fake property insurance policies.
Pamela Wynona Schoen, who owns the agency and is its only licensed insurance broker, says that the former employees also stole from her. Schoen has refunded at least some of the money paid for fake insurance, according to two victims of the alleged swindle, which apparently peaked in midsummer and left some Starfish customers unprotected for a chunk of hurricane season.
In a Sept. 17 police report, Schoen accused Benton Gray Harvey and Jonathan W. Adams of stealing $176,317.81 from Starfish. Most of the thefts involved unauthorized purchases on company credit cards, according to Sgt. Skip Callaway of the Gulf Shores Police Department, who is handling the inquiry. Alabama's Insurance Department is also investigating.
Mobile Press-Register
By JEFF AMY and RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporters
Two former employees of the Starfish Insurance Agency in Gulf Shores stole hundreds of thousands of dollars, police believe, some of it by selling fake property insurance policies.
Pamela Wynona Schoen, who owns the agency and is its only licensed insurance broker, says that the former employees also stole from her. Schoen has refunded at least some of the money paid for fake insurance, according to two victims of the alleged swindle, which apparently peaked in midsummer and left some Starfish customers unprotected for a chunk of hurricane season.
In a Sept. 17 police report, Schoen accused Benton Gray Harvey and Jonathan W. Adams of stealing $176,317.81 from Starfish. Most of the thefts involved unauthorized purchases on company credit cards, according to Sgt. Skip Callaway of the Gulf Shores Police Department, who is handling the inquiry. Alabama's Insurance Department is also investigating.
Mobile Press-Register
Orange Beach Budget Cuts for 2009
Expenses large and small are cut in anticipation of steep drop in revenues
Sunday, November 30, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter
ORANGE BEACH — The penny-pinching that began this summer in City Hall with a hiring freeze, reductions in overtime and employee travel and culminated this month with the layoffs that saw 23 workers lose their jobs will continue in 2009, the city's proposed budget shows.
The plan, which anticipates a $5 million drop in revenue next year, includes detailed plans for a year of frugality from the elimination of take-home vehicles for employees to a mandate to print two-sided documents, and only in black and white.
There will be no capital purchases of more than $7,500, according to the 29-page spending plan. There will be no new employee uniforms.
Employee travel, training and tuition reimbursement are out. Vehicle logs, ride sharing, e-mail and orders to unplug office equipment when it's not in use are in.
Faced with a $3.3 million shortfall to end this year, municipal officials have spent the past few months trying to figure out ways to operate cheaper in 2009, which they believe will see revenues drop lower than they were in 2008.
Mobile Press-Register
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Rare Tiger Cubs Visit South Baldwin Regional Imaging Center
Nov. 26, 2008 - Gulf Shores, AL -- Apata & Yeti, Snowy White Bengal Tiger cubs, paid a brief visit to the South Baldwin Regional Imaging Center in Gulf Shores yesterday. Courtesy of the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo (The Little Zoo That Could).
Click here for more photos, to read about these beautiful & rare tigers and to learn how you can have your own "Tiger Encounter".
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Oversight committees need citizen involvement
Administration plans to align newly formed panels with various municipal departments
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER, Staff Reporter
ORANGE BEACH — If you've ever wanted to participate in municipal governance but didn't feel like mounting a city council campaign or haven't been able to pledge several years of service for a planning commission seat, City Hall might have an opening for you.
As part of Mayor Tony Kennon's campaign pledge to bring more taxpayers into the fray at City Hall, applications are being made available for a series of citizen oversight committees the new mayor wants to align with several municipal departments.
Kennon said the panels' roles will be three-fold. They'll provide a layer of "transparency and accountability," act as a liaison between municipal officials and the public, and utilize the expertise of Orange Beach citizens, he said.
Mobile Press-Register
Monday, November 24, 2008
Gulf Coast, Ala.: A mecca of food, water, quiet beaches
By Christine Tibbetts
Water, water every which-way around Alabama’s Gulf coast gave my October beach vacation more dimensions than imagined.
Going to the beach generally offers up an inter coastal waterway as well as an ocean but this stretch of Alabama also has five bays plus the big Mobile Bay, several lakes and a lagoon named Little which looked pretty big to me.
Want to stay on the water? Better be specific when you book a condo or rent a house since there are so many kinds of water to enjoy.
Best I could tell, they all lend to sitting and staring, strolling and resting up to get ready for the next meal. The food is every bit as abundant as the waters and even though I concentrated on seafood every lunch and dinner, I saw plenty of beef choices on the menus.
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are the big town names in Alabama’s enormous Baldwin County; Magnolia Springs is the tiny treasure and I never got to Foley to check it out.
I did get out in the waters, looking at the Gulf and bays from two of the many boating options.
Full article in the Tifton Gazette
Ala. coast summer room revenue about equal to 2007
By GARRY MITCHELL , 11.24.08, 10:20 AM EST
Alabama Gulf coast tourism officials are bracing for the effects of the financial meltdown on next year's vacation season, but were grateful this year's summer lodging revenue held close to the 2007 record.
They also don't expect to see a significant drop-off in "snowbird" arrivals this January.
About half of the visitors to Alabama beach resorts this summer came from the Southeast - more than a third of them from Alabama - and, despite high fuel prices on the drive down, they spent about the same on lodging as last summer.
Full Article on Forbes.com
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Local markets can fill your Thanksgiving shopping list
Brian Kelly
November 21, 2008- Orange Beach, AL- efore you head off of Pleasure Island to shop for goods to cook your Thanksgiving feast, take a cue from snowbird Delores Stockwell. She'll be shopping Pelican country food markets that have exactly what she's looking for and more.
"We do Thanksgiving here on Pleasure Island in our condominium," said Stockwell from Wisconsin.
"I don't have much in the way of kitchen utensils and food, so I prefer to shop on a local level because it helps the local business owners, and I can generally find unique foods. I'd have to say Janna's Market is my favorite market. You never know what you'll discover there."
From the turkey and black-eyed peas to pecan pies, Pelican has listed a few notable markets to stock up on all things Thanksgiving.
Janna's Market
For one of the area's hippest and trendiest specialty markets, Janna's Market in Orange Beach is the place. If you want to wow your dinner guests with a cheese spread this Thanksgiving, then owner Janna Watkins can set you up with the usual and the truly exotic.
"We have a fantastic cheese department, perfect for that unusual cheese platter," Watkins said. "One of our most popular and best cheeses is Rembrandt Extra Aged Gouda, but we've got just about every type of cheese."
Once Janna Watkins has created the ultimate cheese platter, just turn around to the meat counter where Watkins' husband, Dave, will take care of that all-important course, the turkey. But these aren't just your run-of-the-mill Tom turkeys.
"We sell free-range turkeys, which is just a better quality bird," said Dave Watkins about turkeys that are raised in more humane conditions. "This year, we'll be able to deliver or folks can come here and eat. One thing we'll be doing this year is deep-fried turkeys, which are popular and very good."
Janna's also sells beer, wine, and it can prepare sandwiches at the deli counter if you just need to get out of the kitchen for a spell.
Janna's Market, Orange Beach Commons, Highway 161 and Canal Road, Orange Beach, Ala., 251-981-7467, www.jannasmarket.com. Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m., Sunday.
Pensacola News Journal
Last weekend of Frank Brown Fest has plenty to offer
Brian Kelly
November 21, 2008- Alabama/Florida Gulf Coast- It came and went so fast, but all good things must come to and — until next year, that is. And so, as the 24th annual Frank Brown Inter-national Song-writers' Festival wraps up this weekend, festival-goers can expect some great nights of music for the final three days. Below are a few notable events this weekend.
Perdido Beach Resort
The Perdido Beach Resort, 27200 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach, Ala., will present a day full of music with the Grand Reef Exhibit Hall Beach Party today from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The music starts with Riley Yielding, then continues with Camille Watson, Scott Sanford and C.J. Watson.
At 2 p.m., Roger Murrah (Murrah Music ITR) will perform. If you didn't get scheduled this year, step up to the microphone with guitar in hand for the open microphone session at 3 p.m.
Blues, say hello to rock 'n' roll
Upstairs at the Perdido Beach Resort Night Reef room, SESAC and ASCAP recording artists will take the stage. The line up includes Brian White, Jerry Salley, Larry Butler, Jim "Moose" Brown, Crystal Shawanda and others.
Also at the Perdido Beach Resort is the new "Rock and Roll Meets the Blues" event on Saturday in the Grand Reef room at 8 p.m. The two musical genres will collide with the music of local songwriter Rick Whaley, Beverly Jo Scott and Scotty Cothran. The house will be brought down at 10 p.m. with the sounds of the Original Flares, a superb bluesy, country and folk band.
Pensacola News Journal
Baldwin County, Ala., legislators pledge to win improvement on property insurance
Friday, November 21, 2008
By JEFF AMY, Business Reporter
FOLEY — It's not like Baldwin County lawmakers didn't already favor reduced coastal insurance rates, but now they've publicly signed a pledge reaffirming that stance.
More than 400 people crowded into a church hall Thursday night to press those legislators for action, in a meeting organized by All Churches Together, a religious coalition.
The coalition's goals include cheaper premiums, coverage that won't be dropped and fair payment of claims.
"The structure of insurance in lower Alabama is unfair, arbitrary and needs to be restructured throughout," said Pat McCormick of Gulf Shores.
State Reps. Steve McMillan, R-Gulf Shores; Joe Faust, R-Fairhope and Randy Davis, R-Daphne attended and signed the pledge, as did state Sen. Trip Pittman, R-Montrose.
Mobile Press-Register
By JEFF AMY, Business Reporter
FOLEY — It's not like Baldwin County lawmakers didn't already favor reduced coastal insurance rates, but now they've publicly signed a pledge reaffirming that stance.
More than 400 people crowded into a church hall Thursday night to press those legislators for action, in a meeting organized by All Churches Together, a religious coalition.
The coalition's goals include cheaper premiums, coverage that won't be dropped and fair payment of claims.
"The structure of insurance in lower Alabama is unfair, arbitrary and needs to be restructured throughout," said Pat McCormick of Gulf Shores.
State Reps. Steve McMillan, R-Gulf Shores; Joe Faust, R-Fairhope and Randy Davis, R-Daphne attended and signed the pledge, as did state Sen. Trip Pittman, R-Montrose.
Mobile Press-Register
23 Orange Beach city workers to be laid-off
Friday, November 21, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER, Staff Reporter
ORANGE BEACH — This morning, 23 municipal employees will lose their jobs and many others in the weeks to come will see their pay slashed as city officials scramble to make up a $3 million budget shortfall.
Specifics of the firings won't be released until after Mayor Tony Kennon tells affected employees, but they amount to a little more than 8 percent of the city's current 275-person workforce. Overall, Orange Beach is cutting more than 13 percent of its jobs via the layoffs and the elimination of 15 positions that have been vacant since summer.
Over the last decade Orange Beach has thrived as one of the wealthiest cities in Alabama. City officials spent feverishly to add park land, build roads, provide amenities and generally get ready for a forecast population boom.
But sky-rocketing property insurance rates and tightening credit markets conspired to slow the area's booming real estate market and the onrush never came. Developers of more than 4,200 high-end condo units and hotel rooms that were approved in recent years never applied for building permits and construction of at least 3,400 more have been permitted but not started, city records show.
"We're cleaning up the mess from someone else's party," said Kennon, who took office earlier this month. "It's not a fun thing to do, but I've committed to run this city like a business and that's what we're going to do."
Kennon's counterpart in neighboring Gulf Shores, Mayor Robert Craft, said his city will also probably have to part with some of its nearly 300 employees. Gulf Shores isn't facing the immediate shortfall that Orange Beach is, but Craft said that city financial planners are anticipating that tax revenue will be about $3 million, or 10 percent, less than it was in 2008.
Mobile Press-Register
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Insurance Help May Be On The Way
Need help paying your homeowners insurance? The state of Alabama may be riding to the rescue. Governor Bob Riley's new insurance commissioner said the governor is looking at ways to help property owners with high premiums and lost coverage.
From WKRG-TV5...
New Alabama Insurance Commissioner talks to WKRG...
From WKRG-TV5...
New Alabama Insurance Commissioner talks to WKRG...
Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival
Thursday, November 13, 2008
By LAWRENCE SPECKER
Entertainment Reporter
The guy who sings the song on the radio has a familiar, comforting voice, instantly recognizable and unforgettable. The guy who wrote the song probably sings okay.
They guy who plays guitar on the song on the radio is a six-string wizard. The guy who wrote the song might be a pretty mean picker, but then again he might be no better than the average amateur strummer.
When you see that star play at some arena you get all the flash and polish that a major record label can deliver. Come see the writer this weekend at the 24th annual Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival and, well, you won't.
Mobile Press-Register
Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival website
Venue Map for Songwriters Festival
Dune plant giveaway to help save beachfront
Federal scientists offering free vegetation, expertise in effort to restore waterfront habitat, bolster shoreline
Thursday, November 13, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter
GULF SHORES — In hopes of hastening the recovery of waterfront wildlife habitat, federal scientists are offering property owners their expertise as well as hundreds of plants.
The program has been ongoing since Congress gave local U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service biologists $200,000 in the wake of 2004's Hurricane Ivan, said Rob Tawes, a supervisor at the service's Daphne field office.
Over the last two years the Fish & Wildlife Service along with state and local scientists have worked with about 175 landowners to restore storm-damaged salt marsh in Josephine, longleaf pine forests and Gulf-front dunes, Tawes said.
Mobile Press-Register
Austal in Mobile wins $1.6B Navy contract
Sen. Shelby's office says Mobile shipbuilder will build up to 10 high-speed transports for Navy in contract that will run through 2015
Thursday, November 13, 2008
By KAIJA WILKINSON
Business Reporter
Austal USA has won a $1.6 billion contract to build up to 10 high-speed transport ships for the U.S. military, U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, announced Wednesday.
Neither Austal nor the U.S. Navy would confirm Wednesday's announcement, but a staff member in another congressional office, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the contract is going to Austal. Shelby spokeswoman Laura Henderson did not respond to phone calls seeking clarification late Wednesday.
The award would be significant for Austal, which has about 1,000 employees at its facility on the Mobile River.
Mobile Press-Register
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Experts disagree on origans of Mystery Ship
Ike uncovers historic ship on Baldwin County beach
Friday, September 19, 2008
By GUY BUSBY, Staff Reporter
FORT MORGAN — A mystery ship uncovered over the decades following storms appears to be a Civil War schooner run aground in 1862 while trying to sneak past the U.S. Navy to enter Mobile Bay, according to one local expert.
The ship reappeared earlier this month after waves created by Hurricane Ike eroded the beach about six miles from Fort Morgan. After examining photographs of the wreck, Shea McLean, marine archaeologist with the Museum of Mobile, said the ship is most likely the Monticello, a two-masted schooner run aground and partially burned on June 26, 1862.
"Based on what we know of ships lost in that area and what I've seen, the Monticello is by far the most likely candidate," McLean said Wednesday. "You can never be 100 percent certain unless you find the bell with 'Monticello' on it, but this definitely fits."
Mobile Press-Register
More Pictures, Video and Information about the Mystery Ship
Fraud charge follows studentloans
Foley man accused of using bogus Social Security number to acquire thousands in federal student aid
Friday, September 19, 2008
By BRENDAN KIRBY
Staff Reporter
A Foley man who was fired this summer from his job at an online university based in Orange Beach has been charged with using a fraudulent Social Security number to take out tens of thousands of dollars in federal student loans.
In one case, according to a criminal complaint filed in Mobile, Christopher Adalikwu failed to attend the school that he listed on his loan application.
Law enforcement agents arrested Adalikwu, 47, on Wednesday at the Foley post office. He made an appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court in Mobile, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Sonja Bivins set a detention hearing for Monday.
Prosecutors have said they believe that he is a risk to flee if he is released from jail.
Adalikwu's lawyer Robert Ratliff said that he knew little about the case.
He said Adalikwu moved to the United States from his native Nigeria when he was about 18.
"Unfortunately, he comes from a different society where the rules are different," he said.
Mobile Press-Register
Friday, September 19, 2008
By BRENDAN KIRBY
Staff Reporter
A Foley man who was fired this summer from his job at an online university based in Orange Beach has been charged with using a fraudulent Social Security number to take out tens of thousands of dollars in federal student loans.
In one case, according to a criminal complaint filed in Mobile, Christopher Adalikwu failed to attend the school that he listed on his loan application.
Law enforcement agents arrested Adalikwu, 47, on Wednesday at the Foley post office. He made an appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court in Mobile, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Sonja Bivins set a detention hearing for Monday.
Prosecutors have said they believe that he is a risk to flee if he is released from jail.
Adalikwu's lawyer Robert Ratliff said that he knew little about the case.
He said Adalikwu moved to the United States from his native Nigeria when he was about 18.
"Unfortunately, he comes from a different society where the rules are different," he said.
Mobile Press-Register
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Ike's surge recedes; Alabama beach damage present
GULF SHORES — After Hurricane Ike's storm surge pounded beaches and washed over low-lying parts of coastal Alabama for two days, glimpses of the damage left behind began to emerge Saturday.
For the fourth straight day, swimming was forbidden off Baldwin County's beaches because of rough surf and rip currents, but sunbathers, skimboarders and those curious to see the wounds inflicted by Ike started to trickle to the area's sandy vistas.
Nervy surfers returned to their haunt west of Perdido Pass to ride waves that were not half of what they were a day before but remained treacherous. At Little Lagoon Pass in Gulf Shores, families set up on a beach of sand that Ike had forced into the inlet.
Mobile Press-Register
For the fourth straight day, swimming was forbidden off Baldwin County's beaches because of rough surf and rip currents, but sunbathers, skimboarders and those curious to see the wounds inflicted by Ike started to trickle to the area's sandy vistas.
Nervy surfers returned to their haunt west of Perdido Pass to ride waves that were not half of what they were a day before but remained treacherous. At Little Lagoon Pass in Gulf Shores, families set up on a beach of sand that Ike had forced into the inlet.
Mobile Press-Register
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Patterson found guilty in Baldwin murder
Thursday, September 11, 2008
By VIRGINIA BRIDGES
Staff Reporter
BAY MINETTE — James Harris Patterson's face remained stoic Wednesday as the judge announced that the jury found Patterson guilty of murdering his former high school classmate.
After hearing nearly three days of testimony and deliberating for about an hour, the eight-woman, four-man jury convicted Patterson, 26, of killing Rene Ann Perez in her Orange Beach home two years ago.
Patterson testified Wednesday that he talked to Perez, 25, a former classmate at Robertsdale High School, for about five minutes at a local restaurant a month before her death.
Mobile Press-Register
By VIRGINIA BRIDGES
Staff Reporter
BAY MINETTE — James Harris Patterson's face remained stoic Wednesday as the judge announced that the jury found Patterson guilty of murdering his former high school classmate.
After hearing nearly three days of testimony and deliberating for about an hour, the eight-woman, four-man jury convicted Patterson, 26, of killing Rene Ann Perez in her Orange Beach home two years ago.
Patterson testified Wednesday that he talked to Perez, 25, a former classmate at Robertsdale High School, for about five minutes at a local restaurant a month before her death.
Mobile Press-Register
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Rite-Aid armed robbery
Last Edited: Wednesday, 10 Sep 2008, 6:11 PM CDT
Created: Wednesday, 10 Sep 2008, 6:11 PM CDT
Report by Mike Rockwood, WALA
Photojournalist: Franz Barraza
FOLEY, Ala. -- Foley police are on the lookout for a man they say is looking for Oxycontin. "An addict goes to desperate measures to get what he wants and he's obviously done this," said Lt. David White with the Foley Police Department.
What this suspect did -- was attempt an armed robbery at the Foley Rite Aid Store on South McKenzie. Police say he walked to the back of the store and passed the pharmacist a note demanding two bottles of Oxycontin.
My Fox Gulf Coast
Created: Wednesday, 10 Sep 2008, 6:11 PM CDT
Report by Mike Rockwood, WALA
Photojournalist: Franz Barraza
FOLEY, Ala. -- Foley police are on the lookout for a man they say is looking for Oxycontin. "An addict goes to desperate measures to get what he wants and he's obviously done this," said Lt. David White with the Foley Police Department.
What this suspect did -- was attempt an armed robbery at the Foley Rite Aid Store on South McKenzie. Police say he walked to the back of the store and passed the pharmacist a note demanding two bottles of Oxycontin.
My Fox Gulf Coast
Gulf Shores council hires new city administrator
Steve Garman's previous jobs include city manager posts in Pensacola and Decatur, Ill.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
GULF SHORES — By a unanimous vote Monday, 66-year-old Steve Garman, a former city manager in Pensacola and Decatur, Ill., was hired as the city's next administrator.
Garman said Tuesday that he will arrive in Gulf Shores today to begin looking for a place to live while he sells his home in central Illinois. He will report to City Hall on Oct. 1 and spend a month learning the ropes of his new job, taking over the day-to-day management of Gulf Shores when the next administration assumes office in early November, said Councilman and Mayor-elect Robert Craft.
"I'm very pleased the council asked me to join them," Garman said. "I'm excited to get started."
Mobile Press-Register
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
GULF SHORES — By a unanimous vote Monday, 66-year-old Steve Garman, a former city manager in Pensacola and Decatur, Ill., was hired as the city's next administrator.
Garman said Tuesday that he will arrive in Gulf Shores today to begin looking for a place to live while he sells his home in central Illinois. He will report to City Hall on Oct. 1 and spend a month learning the ropes of his new job, taking over the day-to-day management of Gulf Shores when the next administration assumes office in early November, said Councilman and Mayor-elect Robert Craft.
"I'm very pleased the council asked me to join them," Garman said. "I'm excited to get started."
Mobile Press-Register
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Car Fire on Bayway
From WKRG-TV5...
A scary scene on the Interstate 10 Bayway Monday afternoon. A car caught on fire. Smoke could be seen for a couple of miles. The News 5 traffic cameras caught the flames covering the car. Mobile Firefighters were able to put out the fire without anyone getting hurt.
A scary scene on the Interstate 10 Bayway Monday afternoon. A car caught on fire. Smoke could be seen for a couple of miles. The News 5 traffic cameras caught the flames covering the car. Mobile Firefighters were able to put out the fire without anyone getting hurt.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Gulf State Park officials seek to dredge lakes, sink reefs
GULF SHORES — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public input on proposals from state officials to dredge parts of Shelby and Middle lakes as well as to turn Gulf State Park's old fishing pier into artificial reefs.
The dredge project, according to a Corps of Engineers public notice, is aimed not only at clearing out sand that blew into the lakes during hurricanes Ivan and Katrina, but also at rebuilding Gulf-front dunes.
To achieve these twin goals, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has applied to dredge 44,528 cubic yards of sand — nearly 2,800 dump trucks worth — from a 13.8-acre area in the southern part of Lake Shelby. The sand would then be pumped through an existing culvert beneath Alabama 182 to a 10.2-acre site just west of the park's fishing pier.
Mobile Press-Register
The dredge project, according to a Corps of Engineers public notice, is aimed not only at clearing out sand that blew into the lakes during hurricanes Ivan and Katrina, but also at rebuilding Gulf-front dunes.
To achieve these twin goals, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has applied to dredge 44,528 cubic yards of sand — nearly 2,800 dump trucks worth — from a 13.8-acre area in the southern part of Lake Shelby. The sand would then be pumped through an existing culvert beneath Alabama 182 to a 10.2-acre site just west of the park's fishing pier.
Mobile Press-Register
Thursday, September 4, 2008
New Gulf State Park Pier survives test from Hurricane Gustav
Thursday, September 04, 2008
By JEFF DUTE
Outdoors Editor
While Hurricane Gustav bruised the Gulf State Park Pier under construction just east of Gulf Shores, the structure's "sacrificial" design worked as expected and the pier should still be ready to open early next year, a representative of the company contracted to build it for the state said Wednesday.
The scheduled opening early in 2009 is barring any subsequent storms that have a greater impact on the pier, said LCI Inc. project superintendent Greg Thacker.
"The sacrificial design did work. It did what it was supposed to do," he said.
The concept Thacker is talking about allows parts of the pier to be sacrificed to wave action and purposely swept away in order to protect the integrity of the concrete pilings supporting the pier.
Click here for the complete article from the Mobile Press-Register.
By JEFF DUTE
Outdoors Editor
While Hurricane Gustav bruised the Gulf State Park Pier under construction just east of Gulf Shores, the structure's "sacrificial" design worked as expected and the pier should still be ready to open early next year, a representative of the company contracted to build it for the state said Wednesday.
The scheduled opening early in 2009 is barring any subsequent storms that have a greater impact on the pier, said LCI Inc. project superintendent Greg Thacker.
"The sacrificial design did work. It did what it was supposed to do," he said.
The concept Thacker is talking about allows parts of the pier to be sacrificed to wave action and purposely swept away in order to protect the integrity of the concrete pilings supporting the pier.
Click here for the complete article from the Mobile Press-Register.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Bama Bayou to sell bonds in hopes of finishing its Gulf World Marine Park
ORANGE BEACH -- Bama Bayou's developers will be able to sell $5 million worth of bonds to help finance completion of their Gulf World Marine Park through an improvement district that was created by the City Council on Tuesday.
The council voted unanimously to establish the district on a portion of Bama Bayou's 144 acres. Improvement district status will also allow the developers to skirt some sales taxes on materials they need to build things like roads, street lights and sewers, which the bonds will finance.
Click here to read the Breaking News from the Mobile Press-Register.
The council voted unanimously to establish the district on a portion of Bama Bayou's 144 acres. Improvement district status will also allow the developers to skirt some sales taxes on materials they need to build things like roads, street lights and sewers, which the bonds will finance.
Click here to read the Breaking News from the Mobile Press-Register.
Drunken boating eyed in weekend deaths
The driver of a boat involved in a fatal crash Sunday that killed his mother and sister was intoxicated and ran the boat aground, authorities believe.
Phil Driver, 30, drove the 31-foot Cape Horn boat aground about 2:30 a.m. on Rabbit Island, Alabama Marine Patrol Officer Mark Parden said. The 26-acre island sits just off the eastern tip of Ono Island, Ala.
Nancy Driver, 66, who lived off Innerarity Point Road in southwest Escambia County, and her daughter, Kathryn Liscoe, 44, of Pensacola were pronounced dead at the scene.
Phil Driver was taken to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola with a broken arm. He had not been charged as of Monday, but Parden said the case likely would go before a grand jury in Baldwin County, Ala.
"The first officer on the scene had contact with Mr. Driver before he was transported," Parden said. "Based on the officer's experience, Mr. Driver was under the influence of alcohol."
Click here to read the full article from the Pensacola News Journal.
Phil Driver, 30, drove the 31-foot Cape Horn boat aground about 2:30 a.m. on Rabbit Island, Alabama Marine Patrol Officer Mark Parden said. The 26-acre island sits just off the eastern tip of Ono Island, Ala.
Nancy Driver, 66, who lived off Innerarity Point Road in southwest Escambia County, and her daughter, Kathryn Liscoe, 44, of Pensacola were pronounced dead at the scene.
Phil Driver was taken to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola with a broken arm. He had not been charged as of Monday, but Parden said the case likely would go before a grand jury in Baldwin County, Ala.
"The first officer on the scene had contact with Mr. Driver before he was transported," Parden said. "Based on the officer's experience, Mr. Driver was under the influence of alcohol."
Click here to read the full article from the Pensacola News Journal.
Alcohol factor in weekend boat crash on Ala. coast
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (AP) -- Police say alcohol was a factor in the boat crash near Ono Island that killed two of the seven people on the vessel.
Marine Police Officer Mark Parden says Phillip Driver of Pensacola, Fla., was steering the 31-foot Cape Horn when it slammed into tiny Rabbit Island at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday at high speed.
Click here to visit Fox17 Nashville for the rest of the article.
Marine Police Officer Mark Parden says Phillip Driver of Pensacola, Fla., was steering the 31-foot Cape Horn when it slammed into tiny Rabbit Island at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday at high speed.
Click here to visit Fox17 Nashville for the rest of the article.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Orange Beach taps into reserve
$3.45 million used to pay off land purchase, will be repaid in bond issue
Sunday, August 03, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter
ORANGE BEACH — With revenues running well below projections this year, city officials have taken numerous penny-pinching steps, from curtailing spending, foregoing new hires and reducing its sponsorship of local events.
The latest move to save money came Thursday when the City Council dipped into its $6.8 million disaster fund to enable the refinancing of a 2007 loan used to buy about 2cm HALF acres on Wolf Bay.
The council voted 5-1 to withdraw $3.45 million from the fund to pay off the land purchase and to replenish the emergency money later this month with proceeds from a pending bond issue. The move could save the city around $10,000 in interest on its original loan over the next three weeks and at least $75 a day once the amount is repaid, city officials said last week.
Continued - Mobile Press-Register
Sunday, August 03, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter
ORANGE BEACH — With revenues running well below projections this year, city officials have taken numerous penny-pinching steps, from curtailing spending, foregoing new hires and reducing its sponsorship of local events.
The latest move to save money came Thursday when the City Council dipped into its $6.8 million disaster fund to enable the refinancing of a 2007 loan used to buy about 2cm HALF acres on Wolf Bay.
The council voted 5-1 to withdraw $3.45 million from the fund to pay off the land purchase and to replenish the emergency money later this month with proceeds from a pending bond issue. The move could save the city around $10,000 in interest on its original loan over the next three weeks and at least $75 a day once the amount is repaid, city officials said last week.
Continued - Mobile Press-Register
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Flatfish On The Bama Coast
The flounder: one of more popular and tasty fish found on our Gulf Coast. Here's where to find and how to catch them from Gulf Shores to Orange Beach.
By Phillip Gentry
The jig hit the water just inside the rip created by the current washing across the rocks along the seawall that my fishing partner, Jeff Chambliss, and I were targeting. I left the bail on the spinning reel open as the jig rolled along with the current on its way back toward Jeff's boat, which he held parallel to the wall with his trolling motor. I flipped the bail closed and started taking up slack, beginning to feel the bait as it bumped across the sandy bottom next to the rocks.
The bite was signaled by a distinct thump -- nothing more. No line-stripping run like a summertime redfish, no slash-and-grab like a speckled trout: just that thump. And then everything seemed normal.
Except that my line had stopped moving.
Quickly glancing up at Chambliss, a veteran inshore guide from Orange Beach, I remembered his earlier instructions about waiting for the fish to start chewing -- and after at least 10 seconds, I felt it. Maybe "chewing" isn't the right word, but that's sure what it felt like.
The fish had grabbed my jig as if it were an injured mullet being flung along by the current. Once it had a firm grasp on its prey, it settled back to the bottom while its dinner expired. The joke was on it, however: Its dinner wasn't dead -- merely playing the part.
As the unseen fish began devouring his meal, I tightened up the slack on my medium-weight All Star spinning rod and then arched back to cross my quarry's eyeballs with a long, backward sweep of the rod. The creature at the other end of my line exploded into action as the point of jig's hook drove home.
Lying flat on the bottom, the flounder has the laws of physics in its favor. Its broad, flat body can create enough drag to sometimes give the fish enough force to wrap the line around the closest obstacle and break it. Steady pressure on the head, however, angles a flounder's body like a Frisbee thrown into the wind -- and up it comes. After a brief struggle, the flounder's path altered to a course that eventually led it to a frying pan.
Continued on Alabama Game & Fish
By Phillip Gentry
The jig hit the water just inside the rip created by the current washing across the rocks along the seawall that my fishing partner, Jeff Chambliss, and I were targeting. I left the bail on the spinning reel open as the jig rolled along with the current on its way back toward Jeff's boat, which he held parallel to the wall with his trolling motor. I flipped the bail closed and started taking up slack, beginning to feel the bait as it bumped across the sandy bottom next to the rocks.
The bite was signaled by a distinct thump -- nothing more. No line-stripping run like a summertime redfish, no slash-and-grab like a speckled trout: just that thump. And then everything seemed normal.
Except that my line had stopped moving.
Quickly glancing up at Chambliss, a veteran inshore guide from Orange Beach, I remembered his earlier instructions about waiting for the fish to start chewing -- and after at least 10 seconds, I felt it. Maybe "chewing" isn't the right word, but that's sure what it felt like.
The fish had grabbed my jig as if it were an injured mullet being flung along by the current. Once it had a firm grasp on its prey, it settled back to the bottom while its dinner expired. The joke was on it, however: Its dinner wasn't dead -- merely playing the part.
As the unseen fish began devouring his meal, I tightened up the slack on my medium-weight All Star spinning rod and then arched back to cross my quarry's eyeballs with a long, backward sweep of the rod. The creature at the other end of my line exploded into action as the point of jig's hook drove home.
Lying flat on the bottom, the flounder has the laws of physics in its favor. Its broad, flat body can create enough drag to sometimes give the fish enough force to wrap the line around the closest obstacle and break it. Steady pressure on the head, however, angles a flounder's body like a Frisbee thrown into the wind -- and up it comes. After a brief struggle, the flounder's path altered to a course that eventually led it to a frying pan.
Continued on Alabama Game & Fish
Luxury yacht stolen from The Wharf's docks
55-foot vessel, the Full Moon, valued at $800,000
Thursday, July 31, 2008
By GUY BUSBY
Staff Reporter
Orange Beach police are looking for an $800,000 motor yacht that was last seen moored near the Intracoastal Waterway on Tuesday night, but was missing from its slip Wednesday morning.
The 55-foot vessel, named the Full Moon, was taken from its berth at a boat dealership, Gulf Coast Hatteras, at The Wharf sometime after 5 p.m. Tuesday, Lt. Steve Brown of the Orange Beach Police Department said Wednesday. The theft was discovered Wednesday morning, he said.
"We know for certain it was there between 5 and 7 yesterday and this morning it was gone," Brown said. "We believe it was moved in the middle of the night, but can't confirm that, yet."
Mobile Press-Register
Thursday, July 31, 2008
By GUY BUSBY
Staff Reporter
Orange Beach police are looking for an $800,000 motor yacht that was last seen moored near the Intracoastal Waterway on Tuesday night, but was missing from its slip Wednesday morning.
The 55-foot vessel, named the Full Moon, was taken from its berth at a boat dealership, Gulf Coast Hatteras, at The Wharf sometime after 5 p.m. Tuesday, Lt. Steve Brown of the Orange Beach Police Department said Wednesday. The theft was discovered Wednesday morning, he said.
"We know for certain it was there between 5 and 7 yesterday and this morning it was gone," Brown said. "We believe it was moved in the middle of the night, but can't confirm that, yet."
Mobile Press-Register
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Orange Beach Welcomes First of Two Racing Events for August
Orange Beach, AL—As a prelude to the upcoming Thunder on the Gulf Powerboat Races, Orange Beach will host the 11th Annual Sea-Doo Surf and Turf Championships on August 2-3. Perdido Beach Resort will become racing central as nearly 200 of the top watercross athletes coverage on the Alabama Gulf Coast for an exciting weekend of racing action.
Sanctioned by the American Power Boat Association, the Surf and Turf Championships feature events in the ski, sport and runabout divisions. Different from other competitions, this contest is set up to attract both experienced circuit racers and novice athletes.
Weekend events kick off Saturday morning as the first competitors hit the liquid race course at 11:00 a.m. Competition continues throughout the day until 6:00 p.m. Sunday holds the promise of more exciting racing battles from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Fans are welcome to watch the entire competition for free from the beach just in front of the Perdido Beach Resort.
Racing fans will also want to attend the autograph session slated for Saturday at 1:oo p.m. and then the Racers Party at 8:oo p.m. later that night at Night Reef, which is located on the bottom floor of the resort. There will also be a charity auction of action sports memorabilia on Sunday afternoon just prior to the 6:00 p.m. awards ceremony. Proceeds will benefit injured rider Trace Mills of Texas, who will be in attendance. Admission to all events is also free.
Adding to the excitement, I-Ball productions will be on hand to gather footage for two MAV Network shows that will air in September while Wizzard Media will produce a live podcast of the weekend.
“We are so excited to welcome the first of our two racing events for the month of August,” said Beth Gendler, director of sales for the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau. “In addition to being a widely respected racing league, the Surf and Turf Championships is packed with racing action. Between hosting this event and then Thunder on the Gulf two weeks later (August 14-17), the Alabama Gulf Coast is definitely establishing itself as a premier athletic destination complimented by family friendly accommodations, attractions and restaurants.”
Even more excited is event organizer Mike Young, the owner of Surf and Turf Promotions. He added that “I have a lot of pride in the race sites that I choose, and Orange Beach is a family-friendly, vacation destination with some of America's most beautiful beaches and clean water. Their southern hospitality is second to none. I am staying an extra week!”
The Sports Commission is a partnership between Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce and the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. For information, please visit www.alabamabeachsports.com or www.apbaracing.com.
Monday, July 28, 2008
New rules affecting shark fishing
By David Rainer | Clanton Advertiser
Published Monday, July 28, 2008
Have any idea how far away a bull shark can pick up a blood trail?
Believe it or not, it’s one mile. That’s right, 5,280 feet.
And that is one of the reasons there has been a change in the way anglers in Alabama can fish for sharks.
After tweaking the language in the regulation to ensure safe fishing practices would not be hindered, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Marine Resources Division recently enacted a regulation to prohibit chumming or bloodbaiting for sharks in certain areas.
The regulation reads:
“It shall be unlawful within three hundred feet of the shoreline, or on a public pier, or on a private pier where an unsafe condition is created, on or in waters of Alabama under the jurisdiction of the Marine Resources Division as provided by Rule 220-2-.42, to fish for or target sharks or any species by those methods commonly known as ‘chumming’ or ‘bloodbaiting.’
Clinton Advertiser
Published Monday, July 28, 2008
Have any idea how far away a bull shark can pick up a blood trail?
Believe it or not, it’s one mile. That’s right, 5,280 feet.
And that is one of the reasons there has been a change in the way anglers in Alabama can fish for sharks.
After tweaking the language in the regulation to ensure safe fishing practices would not be hindered, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Marine Resources Division recently enacted a regulation to prohibit chumming or bloodbaiting for sharks in certain areas.
The regulation reads:
“It shall be unlawful within three hundred feet of the shoreline, or on a public pier, or on a private pier where an unsafe condition is created, on or in waters of Alabama under the jurisdiction of the Marine Resources Division as provided by Rule 220-2-.42, to fish for or target sharks or any species by those methods commonly known as ‘chumming’ or ‘bloodbaiting.’
Clinton Advertiser
Sunday, July 27, 2008
National Kids Night Out in Orange Beach
Submitted by Glenda Beech
Hot summer days filled with splashing, biking and camps is coming to a close as the summer break wraps up in preparation of the new school year. To add some excitement in closing out the summer, the Orange Beach Police Department will host the 3rd Annual “National Kids Night Out” program for the community.
National Kids Night Out will be held on Monday, August 4, 2008 at the Orange Beach Waterfront Park from 6 to 8 p.m. This National program brings fun activities for the children and families with an emphasis on safety. Officers of the police department will give parents the opportunity to fingerprint, collect DNA samples (mouth swabs), photo ID’s of their children, which will be kept on file at the OBPD, and renewed annually.
Volunteers are needed for the event so feel free to contact Kris Roberts or Karen Keith for information at 251-981-9777 or visit the OBPD website at www.obpd.org.
Participants should wear swimsuits or appropriate apparel for water activities, and be prepared to get wet. This is a family oriented event that is open to children up to age 13, and the OBPD requests that the parent or guardian accompany children at all times.
Along with water slides, moon walks and plenty of “get wet” activities, refreshments including hot dogs, chips and drinks will be provided. Don’t miss the opportunity to dunk “Chief Billy” and “Assistant Chief Duck” in the famous dunking booth.
A special thanks to this years Title Sponsor, Columbia Southern University, for their support in making the event possible for the community. CSU is a learning partner with the City of Orange Beach offering online educational opportunities for obtaining higher education degrees including special focuses on public safety.
The event if free and is located on the north side of Canal Road just under one mile East of Highway 161 in Orange Beach at Waterfront Park. Come out and celebrate National Kids Night Out in your hometown.
For additional information contact
Kris Roberts at 981-9777
Hot summer days filled with splashing, biking and camps is coming to a close as the summer break wraps up in preparation of the new school year. To add some excitement in closing out the summer, the Orange Beach Police Department will host the 3rd Annual “National Kids Night Out” program for the community.
National Kids Night Out will be held on Monday, August 4, 2008 at the Orange Beach Waterfront Park from 6 to 8 p.m. This National program brings fun activities for the children and families with an emphasis on safety. Officers of the police department will give parents the opportunity to fingerprint, collect DNA samples (mouth swabs), photo ID’s of their children, which will be kept on file at the OBPD, and renewed annually.
Volunteers are needed for the event so feel free to contact Kris Roberts or Karen Keith for information at 251-981-9777 or visit the OBPD website at www.obpd.org.
Participants should wear swimsuits or appropriate apparel for water activities, and be prepared to get wet. This is a family oriented event that is open to children up to age 13, and the OBPD requests that the parent or guardian accompany children at all times.
Along with water slides, moon walks and plenty of “get wet” activities, refreshments including hot dogs, chips and drinks will be provided. Don’t miss the opportunity to dunk “Chief Billy” and “Assistant Chief Duck” in the famous dunking booth.
A special thanks to this years Title Sponsor, Columbia Southern University, for their support in making the event possible for the community. CSU is a learning partner with the City of Orange Beach offering online educational opportunities for obtaining higher education degrees including special focuses on public safety.
The event if free and is located on the north side of Canal Road just under one mile East of Highway 161 in Orange Beach at Waterfront Park. Come out and celebrate National Kids Night Out in your hometown.
For additional information contact
Kris Roberts at 981-9777
Friday, July 25, 2008
Beach school boards will disband for now
Hollinger, Craft say resolution paves way for reconciliation
Friday, July 25, 2008
By JOSH BEAN
Staff Reporter
LOXLEY — The appointed school boards in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach will be dissolved, according to a resolution approved Thursday by the Baldwin County Board of Education, and the countywide system affirms the cities' ability to restart the city panels at some point in the future.
The two municipal school boards could be disbanded by the end of August, said Gulf Shores Councilman Robert Craft, who has been intimately involved in negotiations with the county school system over the last 15 months.
"I think this is the end of the Island School System," Craft said Thursday night.
Mobile Press-Register
Friday, July 25, 2008
By JOSH BEAN
Staff Reporter
LOXLEY — The appointed school boards in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach will be dissolved, according to a resolution approved Thursday by the Baldwin County Board of Education, and the countywide system affirms the cities' ability to restart the city panels at some point in the future.
The two municipal school boards could be disbanded by the end of August, said Gulf Shores Councilman Robert Craft, who has been intimately involved in negotiations with the county school system over the last 15 months.
"I think this is the end of the Island School System," Craft said Thursday night.
Mobile Press-Register
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Orange Beach garbage rates rise
Hike to fund recycling pickup, cover fuel costs
Thursday, July 17, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER, Staff Reporter
ORANGE BEACH — To cover rising fuel costs and fund a new curbside recycling program, the City Council voted Tuesday to raise the monthly residential garbage bill to $15 from $12.
Next month's billings will likely reflect the change, city officials said.
Tuesday's vote was 4-0 with one abstention.
Councilman Ed Carroll said he abstained because he was torn between supporting recycling and raising bills for residents.
Councilwoman Joni Blalock was absent from the meeting.
For most households the $15 will cover twice-weekly garbage pickup. Condos will continue to see seven-day-a-week collections during the summer and six days a week throughout the rest of the year.
Mobile Press-Register
Thursday, July 17, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER, Staff Reporter
ORANGE BEACH — To cover rising fuel costs and fund a new curbside recycling program, the City Council voted Tuesday to raise the monthly residential garbage bill to $15 from $12.
Next month's billings will likely reflect the change, city officials said.
Tuesday's vote was 4-0 with one abstention.
Councilman Ed Carroll said he abstained because he was torn between supporting recycling and raising bills for residents.
Councilwoman Joni Blalock was absent from the meeting.
For most households the $15 will cover twice-weekly garbage pickup. Condos will continue to see seven-day-a-week collections during the summer and six days a week throughout the rest of the year.
Mobile Press-Register
Friday, July 11, 2008
Curbside recycling coming to city
Council will likely OK $3 monthly rate hike to pay for recycling, fuel costs
Friday, July 11, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter
ORANGE BEACH — Monthly garbage rates will likely go up $3 to accommodate a new curbside recycling program and rising fuel costs, city officials said this week .
On Monday afternoon, the city's Solid Waste Authority approved a contract with Orange Beach's garbage hauler, Allied Waste Industries, that includes concessions for higher labor and fuel costs as well as the addition of recycling service, Mayor Pete Blalock said.
Because the Solid Waste Authority is made up of the City Council and a few other municipal officials, the subsequent rate hike needed to fund the new contract is likely to pass when the council meets at 5 pm on Tuesday.
Mobile Press-Register
Friday, July 11, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter
ORANGE BEACH — Monthly garbage rates will likely go up $3 to accommodate a new curbside recycling program and rising fuel costs, city officials said this week .
On Monday afternoon, the city's Solid Waste Authority approved a contract with Orange Beach's garbage hauler, Allied Waste Industries, that includes concessions for higher labor and fuel costs as well as the addition of recycling service, Mayor Pete Blalock said.
Because the Solid Waste Authority is made up of the City Council and a few other municipal officials, the subsequent rate hike needed to fund the new contract is likely to pass when the council meets at 5 pm on Tuesday.
Mobile Press-Register
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Red Snapper Season Extended in State Waters
July 7, 2008- Governor Bob Riley has extended red snapper season within Alabama’s jurisdictional waters through October 31, 2008.
After discussion with Conservation Commissioner Barnett Lawley, Riley cited the inconsistency of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to force compliance with the federal regulations regarding red snapper in Florida and Texas. Texas has a year-round season for its states waters with a four-fish bag limit with a minimum length of 15 inches, while Florida has an April 15 through Oct. 31, 2008 season with a two-fish bag limit with a minimum length of 16 inches.
Current federal regulations governing red snapper fishing set a season of June 1 through Aug. 5, 2008 with a bag limit of two per person with a minimum length of 16 inches. Captain and crew may not possess any red snapper.
“Alabama understands and supports the federal government’s policies on managing marine resources,” said Governor Riley. “However, we cannot stand by and allow Alabama's fishermen to be penalized without NOAA addressing the lack of support by other states."
Commissioner Lawley said that federal regulations have little effect on states like Florida and Texas with nine nautical miles of state waters off shore. Alabama, with its three nautical miles, is significantly affected.
“Those states can continue to harvest red snapper while our charter captains struggle with the burden of 56 fewer days of fishing,” Lawley said. “This economic burden is multiplied in communities like Orange Beach and Dauphin Island where offshore fishing is a driving force in their economies.”
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR, visit www.outdooralabama.com.
After discussion with Conservation Commissioner Barnett Lawley, Riley cited the inconsistency of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to force compliance with the federal regulations regarding red snapper in Florida and Texas. Texas has a year-round season for its states waters with a four-fish bag limit with a minimum length of 15 inches, while Florida has an April 15 through Oct. 31, 2008 season with a two-fish bag limit with a minimum length of 16 inches.
Current federal regulations governing red snapper fishing set a season of June 1 through Aug. 5, 2008 with a bag limit of two per person with a minimum length of 16 inches. Captain and crew may not possess any red snapper.
“Alabama understands and supports the federal government’s policies on managing marine resources,” said Governor Riley. “However, we cannot stand by and allow Alabama's fishermen to be penalized without NOAA addressing the lack of support by other states."
Commissioner Lawley said that federal regulations have little effect on states like Florida and Texas with nine nautical miles of state waters off shore. Alabama, with its three nautical miles, is significantly affected.
“Those states can continue to harvest red snapper while our charter captains struggle with the burden of 56 fewer days of fishing,” Lawley said. “This economic burden is multiplied in communities like Orange Beach and Dauphin Island where offshore fishing is a driving force in their economies.”
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR, visit www.outdooralabama.com.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
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