As tarballs reach Dauphin Island, container placed over oil spill flounders | al.com

As tarballs reach Dauphin Island, container placed over oil spill flounders | al.com: "Scattered, nickel-size tarballs thought to be part of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill washed ashore at Dauphin Island Saturday. Meanwhile, BP PLC officials were stymied in their effort to use a 100-ton concrete box to contain the leak at its source.

Dauphin Island Mayor Jeff Collier said that officials just before noon began receiving reports of tarballs from points around the fishing pier at the public beach and areas westward."

Oil stays offshore, but slick could hit Mississippi islands today | al.com

Oil stays offshore, but slick could hit Mississippi islands today | al.com: "The Alabama coast continued its waiting game Friday as a massive oil slick stayed offshore, and well owner BP PLC took its best near-term shot at containing the estimated 210,000 gallons of oil gushing into the Gulf each day.

The latest projection from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calls for oil to make landfall along Mississippi's barrier islands as early as today. The 72-hour projection calls for no oil landfall along the Alabama coastline before Monday."

The Associated Press: Gulf Coast watches, waits for path of oil spill

The Associated Press: Gulf Coast watches, waits for path of oil spill: "For the tourism industry, the spill couldn't come at a worse time.
'It's the beginning of the booking season, the beginning of the summer season,' said Marie Curren, sales director for Brett/Robinson, a real estate firm in Gulf Shores, Ala. 'The only thing that could make it worst now is a hurricane.'"

City of Orange Beach to hold open meeting for citizens on May 7, 2010 on BP Oil Spill

City of Orange Beach to hold open meeting for citizens on May 7, 2010 on BP Oil Spill: "May 3, 2010 - Orange Beach, AL - The City of Orange Beach will host a general information meeting on Friday, May 7, 2010 at the Orange Beach Council Chambers. The Mayor, City Administration and Key Staff will be present to answer questions from Orange Beach Citizens regarding the City of Orange Beach's BP/Deepwater Oil Spill Incident response and emergency action plan."

City of Orange Beach Public Meeting about the Oil Slick

City of Orange Beach to hold open meeting for citizens on May 7, 2010

The City of Orange Beach will host a general information meeting on Friday, May 7, 2010 at the Orange Beach Council Chambers with the Mayor, City Administration and Key Staff. They will be present to answer questions from Orange Beach Citizens regarding the City of Orange Beach’s BP/Deepwater Oil Spill Incident response and emergency action plan.

The meeting is open to all. It will be held from 12pm to 1pm at Orange Beach Council Chambers, 4099 Orange Beach Boulevard, Orange Beach, Alabama.

If you need further information, please contact Angela Bateman, 251-981-6629, abateman@cityoforangebeach.com

Library awarded $10, 929 for Strengthening Communities Grant

Submitted by Andie Mewbourn

The Orange Beach Public Library has been awarded a $10,929 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant by the Alabama Public Library Service. The Strengthening Communities Grant was submitted by Reference Librarian, Maria Baroco, and will be used to conduct and promote five new library programs. These new, family-oriented programs are designed to increase use of the library as a community activity and learning center.

Beginning this month, 4 new programs will be added to the library’s activities calendar: Family DIY will allow families to work together to create and learn through craft, art and science projects.; Gaming @ OBPL will allow families to gather for electronic and traditional game play.; Thursday Night Movies will provide families with a no-cost opportunity for social activity and Bedtime Books will extend the benefits of our successful morning Pre-school Storytime to those families who are only able to attend evening activities. Later this summer, the library will also launch Archiving Orange Beach, an effort to create a digital archive of oral histories documenting the evolution of Orange Beach which will provide a long-term and unique resource for future research.

This Strengthening Communities grant is funded by the Alabama Public Library Service under the Library Services and Technology Act, P.L.108-81, as amended, through the Institute of Museum and Library Services. For more information about library programs and the Orange Beach Public Library visit the library’s website at www.orangebeachlibrary.org or call 251-981-2923. The library is open Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Hangout music fest still on despite Gulf oil spill, organizer says | al.com

Hangout music fest still on despite Gulf oil spill, organizer says | al.com: "The Hangout Beach, Music & Arts Festival scheduled for May 14-16 in Gulf Shores will go on as planned on, festival founder Shaul Zislin said today.

'We're in constant contact with the local and state authorities on this and if anything changes, we will announce it,' he said. 'Right now, there is no decision to cancel.''"

Baldwin Court Digest: Two men sentenced in child solicitation sting | al.com

Baldwin Court Digest: Two men sentenced in child solicitation sting | al.com: "On Wednesday, Circuit Judge J. Langford Floyd ruled that Robert A. Rivere Jr. of Louisiana should serve 180 days of a five-year split sentence.
John M. Morris, who lived in Fairhope at the time of the arrests, did not receive any jail time. He was instead ordered to serve three years in a pretrial intervention program."

BP says it will pay for all 'necessary and appropriate' Gulf oil spill clean-up | al.com

BP says it will pay for all 'necessary and appropriate' Gulf oil spill clean-up | al.com: "The company says it will pay compensation for 'legitimate and objectively verifiable' claims for property damage, personal injury, and commercial losses."

Nature proves friend and foe to efforts to fight oil spill | al.com

Nature proves friend and foe to efforts to fight oil spill | al.com: "'The entire eastern portion of the sheen seems to have disappeared,' said Phil Woods of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. 'It's breaking down rapidly. The solids that remain are emulsified. And while they are going to be hard to deal with, we're not going to have black beaches.'"

BP told to stop circulating settlement agreements with coastal Alabamians | al.com

BP told to stop circulating settlement agreements with coastal Alabamians | al.com: "Alabama Attorney General Troy King said tonight that he has told representatives of BP Plc. that they should stop circulating settlement agreements among coastal Alabamians.

The agreements, King said, essentially require that people give up the right to sue in exchange for payment of up to $5,000."

Volunteers to clean Alabama beaches before oil spill lands | al.com

Volunteers to clean Alabama beaches before oil spill lands | al.com: "The beaches along Dauphin Island and five others in Baldwin County will be cleaned by as many as 1,000 volunteers today before the Gulf of Mexico oil slick ever meets land, organizers said."

Teams working on 5 possible solutions for Gulf of Mexico oil spill | al.com

Teams working on 5 possible solutions for Gulf of Mexico oil spill | al.com: "HOUSTON -- Teams are working simultaneously on five possible solutions to stop or at least minimize the flow at the well in the Gulf of Mexico.
Bob Fryar, senior VP of BP in Angola, said Sunday 389 people from BP PLC, the Coast Guard, the Pentagon and Energy Department reported to BP's emergency center in Houston."

Baldwin County 13 extension to open Wednesday | al.com

Baldwin County 13 extension to open Wednesday | al.com: "DAPHNE, Ala. -- A 3-mile extension of Baldwin County 13, where construction began 19 months ago, is scheduled to open Wednesday, connecting the gap between Ala. 104 in Fairhope and Baldwin County 64 in Daphne."

Nature proves friend and foe to efforts to fight oil spill | al.com

Nature proves friend and foe to efforts to fight oil spill | al.com: "MOBILE, Ala. -- Mother Nature was both friend and enemy Sunday in the fight against the oil spill.
Friend in that wind and waves seem to be breaking down the oil, spreading it through the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon rig, which exploded and sank late last month."

Gulf Oil Spill | Charter companies suffer from oil spill | Fox10tv.com

Gulf Oil Spill | Charter companies suffer from oil spill | Fox10tv.com: "GULF SHORES, Alabama (WALA) - A fishing ban was issued Sunday due to the massive oil spill, stretching from Louisiana to Florida. It will have a huge effect on people who base their livelihoods on fishing. FOX10 News reporter Hubert Tate talked to fishermen in Gulf Shores, where charter boat businesses are plentiful."

High winds and waves wash booms up in Perdido Key | al.com

High winds and waves wash booms up in Perdido Key | al.com: "GULF SHORES, Miss. -- An army of crews dispatched by the state, the Coast Guard, the National Guard and private contractors battled waves and wind Sunday, trying to shield Alabama's coastline from an advancing oil slick.

Phil Woods, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management's coordinator for miles of boom designed to hold back the oil, said that some 80,000 feet of boom was deployed Sunday, and Gov. Bob Riley had requested a plan to completely block the state's coastline."

PR-CANADA.net - Offshore Racing: Ready, Set, Smile, Action!!!!

PR-CANADA.net - Offshore Racing: Ready, Set, Smile, Action!!!!: "The OPA Offshore Racing Series presented by GEICO is proud to announce a comprehensive race programming schedule with VERSUS, the fastest growing sports cable network in the country. The eight race series will air Sunday, November 14, at 4 p.m. ET and run consecutive Sundays at 4 p.m. ET thru Jan 2, 2011.

Each episode will showcase the on and off water action as the world's top offshore racers battle for the coveted title of World Champion. The first episode will feature a comprehensive overview of the sport and allow viewers to experience the first race from Ocean City, MD. The final episode culminates with the World Championships from Orange Beach, AL."

FOXNews.com - Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Closes Fishing From Louisiana to Florida Panhandle

FOXNews.com - Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Closes Fishing From Louisiana to Florida Panhandle: "VENICE, Louisiana -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is closing commercial and recreational fishing from Louisiana to parts of the Florida Panhandle because of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico."

Oyster House takes a village | al.com

Oyster House takes a village | al.com: "Bayou Village, a shopping center on Ala. 59 in Gulf Shores, has been renamed The Original Oyster House Boardwalk, according to Joe Roszkowski and David Dekle, who own the center, They also own The Original Oyster House restaurant, which anchors the 9,000-square foot center, and The Original Oyster House on Battleship Parkway in Spanish Fort."