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Senior Center announces October 2018 Excursions and Events

Orange Beach Senior Center September 30, 2018 - Orange Beach, AL - (OBA^®) - The Orange Beach Adult/Senior Activity Center has announced its October 2018 Excursion and Events. Call 251-981-3440 to sign up for any of the events listed below.

October 1 at 6 p.m. - Community Potluck at Orange Beach Community Center”: Bring a Dish to Pass. Speaker: Community Development Director—Kit Alexander. Additional Info: Contact Mike O’Rourke at 251-981-6060.
October 10 at 10 a.m. - Grief Support Group: This group will be led by Community Hospice
October 10 at 10 a.m.: Senior Expo at Robertsdale Coliseum. The Senior Center group will depart at 10 a.m.. There is space available for 12 individuals.
Read more: Senior Center announces October 2018 Excursions and Events

Orange Beach considering starting ambulance service

By John Mullen

September 27, 2018 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – The City of Orange Beach is taking preliminary steps to run its own ambulance service for transporting patients from the city.

“The foundation, what’s it going to take, how much will it cost and how do we move forward,” Fire Chief Justin Pearce said. “Right now, we’re in the how do we move forward stage.”

At the Sept. 18 council meeting the effort got a boost in a memo from Financial Director Ford Handley and the city’s Finance Committee.

Prescribed Burn Planned for Sections of Gulf State Park Campground

by Outdoor Alabama

September 27, 2018 - Gulf State Park - (OBA^®) - A prescribed burn is planned at Gulf State Park as part of a forest management plan associated with longleaf pine restoration, fuel reduction and invasive species control. The planned burn will take place in the park’s campground between Possum Road and Raccoon Road (sites 317-394 and sites 409-439) on October 1-4, 2018, weather permitting.

Texas company making plans to revive Bama Bayou

Bama Bayou developers are planning a Gulf World feature at the new park in Orange Beach, Alabama. — Bama Bayou developers are planning a Gulf World feature at the new park.

Submitted

September 25, 2018 - Orange Beach, AL (OBA®) – The City Council for the City of Orange Beach on Sept. 25 had a public hearing and then voted unanimously to approve a Development Agreement with a private developer for the redevelopment of the abandoned and partially completed Bama Bayou.

Wildflowers boutique debuts ZSupply curated shop-in-shop

Terri Long and Candice Duncan of Wildflowers Boutique in Orange Beach, Alabama. — Terri Long and Candice Duncan of Wildflowers Boutique.

Submitted

September 24, 2018 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – Wildflowers boutique is excited to announce the launch of a specially curated ZSupply brand shop-in-shop. The Z SUPPLY collection is known for fashion essentials focused on simplicity, comfort and premium fabrics, and the shop-in-shop will be designed with this in mind. Wildflowers is owned and operated by the mother-daughter duo of Terri Long and Candice Duncan.

GSHS alumni kickoff social set for Sept. 28 at Big Beach

Click above to visit the Gulf Shores High School Alumni Association Facebook page.

By John Mullen

September 21, 2018 - Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) - Gulf Shores grads are getting together to form a alumni association to be involved in the school and the community and are planning a kickoff social on Sept. 28 at Big Beach Brewing.

“We decided to form the Gulf Shores High School Alumni Association recently to basically help establish some traditions for the community moving forward,” one of the officers, Johnny Armstrong, said. “We also wanted to be able to have a channel for alumni to give back, mentor current students and alumni and support everything alumni-related. Whether it be business, athletics and just really have an outlet for alumni to go to and voice their opinions on education, athletics and in the business community.”

Accident at Orange Beach Blvd. and Perdido Beach Blvd.

Suspect Left Scene of accident By Orange Beach Police Dept.

Sept. 20, 2018 - Orange Beach, AL - (OBA^®) - On September 20, 2108 at approximately 6:10 AM Orange Beach Police responded to the intersection of AL161 and AL182 for a reported accident.

Upon arrival officers determined that a Black Nissan Xterra had caused damage to the pedestrian crosswalk signal on AL182 to Al 161 North.

According to witnesses the vehicle had driver side front damage and a shattered windshield.

Long-time employee finds new home at Rouses in Orange Beach

John Bullard working hard at Rouses Supermarket in Orange Beach. He's worked at the store location for 22 years.

Rouses Supermarket in Orange Beach, Alabama. By John Mullen

September 14, 2018 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA®) – John Bullard was a fixture and an icon pushing buggies for 22 years at a grocery store in Orange Beach. But when the store closed, John was not out of luck.

Word around town was Rouses Market, a chain based in Louisiana, would take over that space and is in there today. While Rouses was getting the new location in ship shape, John could be seen pushing buggies at the Rouses in Gulf Shores.

“When we first came in we saw John and talked with John and I asked him if he’d be interested in coming to work for Rouses,” Orange Beach Store Director Kenneth Jones said. “John said, sure, and he was all excited about it. I talked to his mom and got a little information from her and we brought him over to the Gulf Shores for training. Once we got him in everybody just fell in love with John. He was welcomed go the Rouses’ family. He’s a pleasure to have on the team.

“Customers, a lot of them thanked us for keeping him on.”

John has autism. He can recite sports scores and issues and teams. He can talk about all the political issues that are raging around the country. He’s also a voracious reader and has taken some college-level courses mostly in accounting because he’s great with numbers. In his free time, he helps out at his church’s food pantry and is a volunteer reader for WUWF’s Sightline program for the vision impaired.

When he’s not working hard he always has time to greet customers or help them find items in the store.

“Since we’ve transitioned into the Orange Beach store he’s just been Johnny-on-the-spot telling us everything about sports and politics,” Jones said. “He’s always just busy, busy. Walking, looking, learning. He can tell where just about anything is in the store if you need to know something.”

Orange Beach buys land to relocate Public Works

From left are Beach Safety Director Brett Lesinger, Lifeguard of the Year Johnny Menke and Mayor Tony Kennon. — At the Sept. 11 city council meeting Johnny Menke was announced as the 2018 Lifeguard of the Year. From left are Beach Safety Director Brett Lesinger, Menke and Mayor Tony Kennon. *Orange Beach Photo by Marc Anderson.*

By John Mullen

September 13, 2018 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA®) – With the new Orange Beach High School and Middle School being built at the former wastewater treatment site it put the squeeze on the Public Works Department located at the eastern edge of that property.

On Sept. 11 the city agreed to buy $2.1 million for 56 acres on Powerline Road from Georgene Connor to build a new Public Works complex.

“It’s next to Powerline Road and 23 acres of it is dry which is all that matters,” Mayor Tony Kennon said. “We will now be able to use and move Public Works there and be able to keep it on the south side of the canal which is where we think it needs to be.”

Also, during the meeting, the council accepted a bid of $29,000 from Modern Signs for a new digital sign for the Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach. The council also promised resident Tem Blalock they would act, if necessary, to dim or redirect new lights at Zeke’s Landing Marina that are blinding to residents along the north side of Cotton Bayou.

The council also finalized the takeover of Canal Road from the state from Doc’s to Perdido Gate. The city will net almost $3 million from the takeover, some of it from the Alabama Department of Transportation.

“Which means we are able to do a lot more that we deem needs done on Canal,” Kennon said. “They gave us $650,000 in cash for taking it over which gives us about 15 to 17 years of maintenance cost.”

Soon the city hopes to begin adding a third center lane from Doc’s to Wilson Boulevard or to the recreation complex.

“We’ve got $1.9 million from the RESTORE Act to three-lane it with a roundabout at the arts center/library for a U-turn and to repave it,” Kennon said. “So we have about 30 years of maintenance including all that cash and all the improvements at no cost to the city. I think we got a pretty good deal on that.”

Your team and great wings are playing at the Daiquiri Bar

By John Mullen

September 9, 2018 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA®) – It’s football season and your team is playing at Island Time Daiquiri Bar at The Wharf.

“It’s the biggest little sports bar on the island,” owner Bobby Graves said. Graves recently shut down for a few days to make improvements like a shiny new bar top, new coating for the floor and some new furniture.

Most importantly, he’s added a bunch of TVs, too, "We turned some 55-inch screens to 65s and a couple of 65s to 80s."

Oh, and he’s added a football game-day food to the Daiquiri Bar, the first time he’s sold food in this location.

“Wings, wings and wings,” Graves said. “What is football without wings? We just completed adding a small kitchen and now we’re working on the flavors.”

One flavor for sure will be the international award-winning Wild Bill’s Wing Sauce. Serving them up will be Graves’ long-time friend Bill Howard himself.

“At first we’ll just have wings on Saturdays and Sundays and see how that goes,” Graves said. “We may look into expanding it to more days if there’s a demand. They will be big, tasty wings just right for the big game.”

Graves started the Daiquiri Bar about five years ago in the season-ending month of August.

“You’re crazy for opening that place,” Graves said he was told. “And you’re opening it at the end of the season. It’ll never make it.”

That was hardly the case. His first foray into the beach economy, the Daiquiri Bar, has been a success story.

Gulf Shores natives coming home for album pre-release party

Band picture — Roadside Glorious members, from left, Aydan Closson, Basch Jernigan, Tyler Self and Evan Hall.

Brawn and Bones by Roadside Glorious album cover. — Brawn and Bones by Roadside Glorious

August 30, 2018 – Orange Beach, AL – (OBA®) New Orleans southern rock and soul band Roadside Glorious, founded by Gulf Shores natives Basch Jernigan and Aydan Closson, is having a special pre-release party for their soon-to-be-released debut album “Brawn and Bone” at Big Beach Brewing Company in Gulf Shores.

The band will be in town on Sept. 14 from 6-10 p.m. and play from 8-10 p.m. The album was recorded at legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals by 2018 Grammy-nominated engineer John Gifford III and mixed/mastered by 2018 Grammy-nominated engineer Don Syrgley. Gifford has worked with the likes of Greg Allman, Alicia Keys, Phish and Royal Southern Brotherhood, among other well-known artists.

Orange Beach Police arrest two people for theft

August 27, 2018 - Orange Beach, AL - (OBA^®) - On August 26th, 2018, at approximately 4am, the Orange Beach Police Department received multiple calls from concerned residents of suspicious individuals in the area walking around their houses and vehicles.

After police responded to the location in question a female subject was eventually located hiding in the wood that was identified by police as Hannah Lea Edwards, 19.It was later determined that several vehicles had been entered unlawfully where items were taken.

After further investigation, it was determined that a second subject, later determined as, Levi Caleb Bowman, 20, was involved in these crimes as well.

Orange Beach planning expansions in services, facilities

The city's programs for children, like Expect Excellence shown above, is taxing city facilities.

By John Mullen

August 23, 2018 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – It’s a fact of life that Orange Beach is growing in leaps and bounds with new homes sprouting in formerly empty lots all over East Orange Beach. Combine that with several subdivisions building houses or permitted for houses, two townhouse developments underway and two condo towers under construction and two more approved it is beginning to stretch city services.

“It’s grown and we’re busting out at the seams,” Councilman Jeff Silvers said.

One of the places it’s most evident is the recreation center and the adjoining tennis and aquatic centers.

“We have had numerous workshops about our recreation center complex,” Silvers said. “We have met with some architects and different firms and we’re going to use a couple of those firms to come up with a comprehensive plan for that whole rec center, swim center. We’ll have some exciting plans to show people real soon.”

But that’s not the only area where the burgeoning population is taxing city resources, Mayor Tony Kennon said.

Ukraine orphans 'kings for a day' in Orange Beach

The Sunny Lady dolphin cruise boat is based at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama. — Capt. Jeremy Perry, right, lets a Ukrainian drive the Sunny Lady dolphin boat.

August 24, 2018 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – When Chris Litton was tasked with finding local businesses to help show a group of Ukrainian orphans a good time in Orange Beach, he had a long list drawn up in his mind of who to call.

He didn’t need it.

“I know there’s a lot of people out there who would have said yes if I had asked but I couldn’t get past the first five,” Litton, the city’s logistics coordinator, said. “Everyone that I spoke with and asked to help out with this, there wasn’t a moment’s hesitation. It was instantaneous before I could even finish asking. They were on board with what we were doing.”

Jack Robinson's interview with Orange Beach Mayor Tony

August 23, 2018 - Orange Beach, AL - (OBA^®) - Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon sets down with Jack Robinson and answers questions about the city.

Orange Beach police chief announces 3 promotions

City of Orange Beach

August 23, 2018 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA®) – Orange Beach Police Chief Joe Fierro announced three promotions during the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 21.

He introduced Cpl. Brian Kincaid, Sgt. Jeremy Mote and Sgt. Bryan Johnson.

Chief Fierro said Cpl. Kincaid served with the U.S. Marine Corps for six years, earned a bachelor of science degree from Auburn University, worked for two years as a corrections officer in Tuscaloosa County before working for 10 years at the Northport Police Department. At Northport PD, Cpl. Kincaid served as a firearms instructor, investigator and patrol officer.

“He relocated down here to Orange Beach in 2016 with his wife Emily and his daughter, and now they have two daughters,” Chief Fierro said. “He was promoted to corporal in July of this year and as you can see he brings a lot of experience with him. He is part of our leadership team.”

Snorkeling reef project begins off of Orange Beach

A sea turtle sits atop a snorkeling reef off the coast of Florida.

By John Mullen

August 28, 2018 Update: The reef sites are located at:

Alabama Point
N30 16.420”
W87 32.520”

Romar Beach
N30 15.621”
W87 36.361”

Pavilion
30 15.083”
W87 38.643”

August 22, 2018 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – Phillip West is ready to put on his gear and swim out to try the newest attraction on the Alabama Gulf Coast. Walter Marine of Orange Beach is deploying 166 modules in three locations to create snorkel reefs.

"I know I’ll be donning a mask and snorkel,” West, Coastal Resources Director for Orange Beach, said. “Potentially, it could be pretty dynamic.”

This is a project the Alabama Gulf Coast Reef and Restoration Foundation has been pursuing since it was formed to raise money to sink the LuLu in 2013. Chairman Vince Lucido is glad to finally see the effort come to fruition.

“It’s something we’ve been waiting on for years,” Lucido said.

Rum Sisters’ amazing cakes: No fighting after the last bite

August 22, 2018- Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) - In July of 2014, Elizabeth Jones and her husband Kel Jones were busy promoting their aviation business, Executive Aviation Group. In an effort to grow their business they decided to be sponsors in a local fishing tournament, called the Blue Marlin Grand Championship.

As sponsors of this fishing tournament, they were asked to have gifts for each entry in the tournament. There were 75 fishing vessels that year. They wanted to give out unique gifts that would be remembered.

Elizabeth turned to a family recipe (her Mom Linda’s) and she, along with a friend, produced 75 rum cakes out of the Jones’ home kitchen. Each was wrapped and placed in a tin to help market the aviation business.

City of Orange Beach Aug. 21st Council Meeting Agenda

orange beach banner logo August 19th, 2018 - Orange Beach, AL - (OBA^®) - The Orange Beach City Council will hold its regular meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, August 21st, followed by the Committee of the Whole meeting.

Perdido’s Finest Gather for a Business After Hours at the Perdido Sports Bar

Perdido Key Sports Bar Business After Hours

August 17, 2018 - Perdido Key, FL - (OBA^®) - The Perdido Key Area Chamber of Commerce and the Perdido Key Sports Bar teamed up once again to bring the Key to life on Wednesday night. Perdido Business professionals and community members gathered at one of their favorite local hot-spots to network and relax after a busy summer season. Many New Members were announced, and even joined during the After Hours, after being welcomed by the wonderful Keyholders of the Chamber, fellow members and the staff.

Judy Davis, owner of the Perdido Sports Bar served up some delicious food items including pulled pork tacos, smoked Macaroni and cheese, and more from her new menu items. The high energy of the Sports bar brought everyone together to celebrate the feeling of community in Perdido, while being entertained by the popular duo on the key, Tony Ray Thompson and Brian Hill!

Gulf Coast Musicians Medical Fund charity announced

Click above to donate, buy a CD or register for help from the Gulf Coast Musicians Medical Fund. — Click above to donate, buy a CD or get help from the Gulf Coast Musicians Medical Fund.

Webb Dalton of the Gulf Coast Musicians Medical Fund or gcmmf.org. — Webb Dalton

By John Mullen

August. 14, 2018 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – For Webb Dalton, health insurance hasn’t been a big issue in his life. With 30 years of service in law enforcement, his jobs have pretty much taken care of that.

But in his 40 years of playing music, he’s had several friends playing music full time who weren’t as lucky.

“It was little over two years ago I lost three good friends of mine who were musicians over basically minor health issues,” Dalton said. “If they could have been caught it could have possibly prevented what ultimately happened. Like diabetes, COPD and the flu.”

Since then Dalton has quietly worked to help put together a new charity to help musicians along the northern Gulf Coast.

Historic ride for a veteran and a rookie in Orange Beach

Pete Peterson waves at take off. Behind him are Jodi and Brian Harsany./City of Orange Beach Photo by Marc Anderson

Ret. U.S. Navy Capt. Pete Peterson of Orange Beach, Alabama. — Pete Peterson

By John Mullen

August 13, 2018 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – Pete Peterson of Orange Beach was all smiles as he stepped off the vintage Huey helicopter after a 10-minute flight over Gulf State Park and The Wharf on Aug. 4.

“They gave them people a pretty good show,” Peterson said. Among those people on the first of two media flights were Mayor Tony Kennon, his son Zane, City Administrator Ken Grimes and other city officials. Peterson was on board the second flight.

“They” are the Friends of Army Aviation-Ozark, an Alabama nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of Army Aviation with the Vietnam-era flying museum piloted by Vietnam veterans. The Huey flew 25 flights for 201 paying customers and received $400 in donations. A 10-minute ride cost $50 per person with the proceeds going to keep the outreach going and the Huey flying.

And if anyone would know what a good show aboard one of the craft would be, Peterson’s that man. A 27-year veteran in the Navy with 6,000 hours of flying time including about a year with the Seawolf squadron of Hueys serving in Vietnam. During his career, he flew helicopters and fixed wing aircraft in search and rescue operations, was commander of a helicopter squadron on the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy and air boss on the carrier Kitty Hawk.

Orange Beach summer season ends in a flurry of activity

Bruce Nelson, center, received his Battalion Chief badge during the Aug. 7 city council meeting. He is with Mayor Tony Kennon, left, and Fire Chief Justin Pearce./*City of Orange Beach photo by Marc Anderson*

By John Mullen

August 8, 2018 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA®) – A busy summer is winding down and even this week the stranglehold of traffic has started to abate.

“I want to thank all of our employees that have sort of guided all of the various jobs,” City Administrator Ken Grimes said. “It’s been a very challenging summer but for the most part, we’ve had a very strong and good summer. As you can tell by this week and today just driving to work there’s a lot less people in town.”

Grimes was speaking at the end of a combined regular council meeting and work session in Orange Beach on Aug. 7. Also, during the meeting, the council talked about changing clinics serving city employees and dependents and saw the promotion of firefighter Lt. Bruce Nelson to Battalion chief.

The long, hot and busy summer didn’t go out with a whimper, however, Grimes said. City resources were stretched right up to the last minute with first responders maxed out with recoveries and rescues on the beach.

Louisiana family's fun Orange Beach video goes viral

The Fuller-Tyler family from Sarepta, Louisiana, made a lip-sync video in Orange Beach, Alabama.

By John Mullen

August 6, 2018 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – The Fuller-Tyler family – all 15 of ‘em – were winding down a week’s stay in Orange Beach when Claire Tyler Lay had a song pop in her head.

“Summer Nights” from the John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John movie Grease is about a fun-filled summer finally coming to an end. Much like the Tylers and Fullers who were scheduled to leave the next day. (Check out the video here.)

“I just happened to be singing that song and said ‘hey, let’s make a video’ and we just did,” Claire said. “We were just sitting out on the beach and decided it would be a good idea.”

That was about noon. By 8 or 9 o’clock that night the final product was ready. The result was a stunning production that included everyone in the family lip-synching several lines with the beautiful beach as a backdrop in most of the shots. The family is from Sarepta, Louisiana. It has been viewed on social media 22 million times with more than 16 million on Instagram, 4.3 million on Twitter, 14,000 on YouTube and nearly 700,000 on Facebook.

Robertsdale Native Serves at the Navy’s Largest Aviation Training Center

July 31, 2018 - Pensacola NAS - (OBA^®) - A 2009 Robertsdale High School graduate and Robertsdale, Alabama, native is serving at the Navy’s premier and largest aviation training center.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Cody Cooper works as a boatswain's mate and operates out of Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola.

A Navy boatswain's mate is responsible for maintenance and preservation of the ship, but at this command he serves as the 1st lieutenant leading petty officer in charge of setting up for ceremonies around base and maintaining the headquarters building.

“I come from a small town so it's all about community and family," said Cooper. "And that's what it's like here, we look out for each other.”

NAS Pensacola, “The Cradle of Naval Aviation” is best known as the initial primary training base for all U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard officers pursuing designations as Naval Aviators and Naval Flight Officers.

Coastal chamber announces Greg Alexander as new CEO

Greg Alexander is the new President and CEO of the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Alabama. — Greg Alexander

July 23, 2018 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – After a search of more than 100 candidates from all around the nation, the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber (CABC) is excited to announce that Greg Alexander has been selected as the new Chamber President and CEO.

Alexander comes to us from the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce in Hilton Head, S.C., where he served as Director of Public Policy and Small Business. In addition to the Hilton Head Chamber, Alexander also served as the President and CEO of the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce in Clinton, S.C.

During his eight-year tenure as the Chamber President and CEO, Alexander helped grow membership by 20% and events revenue by 600%. He also created a young professionals organization in the area, established the Beautify Laurens County Project which helped remove over 92 tons of trash from the community, and organized a Shop Laurens County First campaign helping promote purchasing goods from locally owned businesses.

Johnson says Orange Beach fiber setback won’t stop effort

Orange Beach, Alabama, Councilman Jerry Johnson. — Jerry Johnson

By John Mullen

July 19, 2018 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – The effort to get CenturyLink to provide fiber optic internet connections to Orange Beach residents may have fallen short but the effort is far from over.

Councilman Jerry Johnson, chair of the city’s Telecommunications and Technology Committee said and other members of the panel are already working on another provider in the drive for fiber optic.

“We’re not giving up on bringing fiber internet to the residents of this city,” Johnson said. “We don’t consider this a failure it’s just one of the setbacks that you go through and we will continue to we find a solution.”

Orange Beach partnered with CenturyLink on the effort beginning in August of 2017. The city put up a good-faith amount of $1 million to let the company know it was serious about the effort.

Fly in a vintage Vietnam War-era helicopter in Orange Beach

July 17, 2018 - Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) - On Saturday, August 4th, the nonprofit Friends of Army Aviation - Ozark will be providing "Legacy Helicopter Rides" in a vintage Vietnam War-era Bell UH-1 Huey combat helicopter from the helipad, near the Orange Beach Event Center at The Wharf.

The flights will begin at 10 a.m. and last until 5 p.m. Each flight will last 10 minutes and the cost will be $50 per person. There will be room for up to 10 people on each flight. Each flight will be piloted by a veteran Vietnam War combat pilot.

Recreational Red Snapper Season Closes July 22

By Outdoor Alabama

July 16, 2018 - (OBA^®) - The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division (MRD) announces the closure of Alabama state waters to the harvest of red snapper by private anglers and state-licensed commercial party boats at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 22, 2018. The quota of 984,291 pounds issued under NOAA Fisheries’ Alabama Recreational Red Snapper Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) is expected to be met by the closure date.

“Alabama anglers fished extremely hard on the good weather days during the season,” said Marine Resources Director Scott Bannon. “That level of effort, coupled with larger average-sized fish harvested this year as compared to last year, resulted in a daily harvest rate two times higher than 2017, which prompted an earlier than anticipated closure.

Improvements coming to Roadway & Crosswalk at the Flora-Bama

by Flora-Bama

July 13, 2018 - (OBA^®) - The Flora-Bama Lounge, Package, and Oyster Bar has been working over the past two years on designs and improvements to its properties that will provide for better ingress/egress of traffic, more parking spaces, and a newly designed crosswalk.

The Flora-Bama has worked closely with FDOT, ALDOT, ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FL, and the CITY OF ORANGE BEACH on much needed roadway improvements that will reduce traffic congestion, improve safety, and provide a new crosswalk.

The Flora-Bama has put an extensive amount of work into a Master Plan that is complementary to the Perdido Key Master Plan and has worked closely with Escambia County, FL to increase parking, reduce traffic backups, and improve safety.