Baldwin County, Alabama News and Discussion

Meth case sparked by police chase heads to Baldwin County grand jury

Daphne women’s restroom video spying case set for arraignment

Texas cocaine trafficker to serve 99-year sentence in Baldwin County case

Baldwin County grand jury to review case of man accused of planning to kidnap estranged wife

The lunch lasted less than an hour, but Baldwin County officials have been working for days to figure out how to pay the $408.11 meal tab from a meeting with new Alabama Department of Transportation Director John Cooper, according to a series of e-mails forwarded to the Press-Register.

Who’s picking up $408.11 lunch tab?

The Annual Financial Report of Fairhope’s Elected Officials show the Mayor had no donations in 2010, and has a balance of $81.52 in his campaign account. He also still has a $18,000 “campaign debt.”

Fairhope Elected Officials’ 2010 Financial Reports Released

Elberta Police Chief Mickey Pledger got more than what he bargained for Sunday night, when he went to retrieve a file from his vehicle.

Pledger said after he got the file, he turned around to go back into the building. When he did, there was a man standing in between Pledger and the building, staring at the building. He was wearing all black clothing.

The chief asked the man if he could help him. When he did, the man whipped around and fired a shot at Pledger, then took off. Pledger drew his weapon and fired on shot. He doesn’t know if it hit the suspect.

Suspect shoots at Elberta police chief

The City of Fairhope is mourning the loss of three residents after a Saturday boating accident in Louisiana.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reported that a boat carrying five people left a marina in Venice, Louisiana around 6:30 Saturday morning.

They said the engine gave out and the boat began to take on water. Soon after, the vessel capsized.

Boating accident survivor returns home

A controversial service road project near the intersection of Baldwin 13 and Interstate 10 “is off the table,” Rep. Randy Davis, R-Daphne, said in an e-mail Friday.

“He didn’t say that last night,” said Daphne Councilman Gus Palumbo, an outspoken opponent of the proposed service road that would link two Spanish Fort retail centers. “He was not well-received.”

Controversial Baldwin County service road loses support of state representative

After city workers recently installed 15 new purple-and-gold city limit signs on the corridors leading into the municipality, the comments started coming in — and it wasn’t just Daphne officials on the receiving end.

“People have let me know about them,” Spanish Fort Mayor Joe Bonner said of Daphne’s new signs, which read at bottom “Home of the 6A State Football Champions 2001, 2010.”

New Daphne city-limit signs proclaim Trojans’ 6A football titles; Spanish Fort mayor plans “bigger” signs honoring 5A champion Toros

Not to be outdone, AL.com creates huge headline for the story

Foley officials are making progress fighting mold outbreaks in two municipal buildings, but said the effort has raised questions about construction and maintenance and that work still needs to be done.

Crews have been working to clean mold growths found in the Foley Depot Museum, which is also the city archive, and in the city’s Justice Center, which houses the police station, jail and Municipal Court.

Foley fighting mold outbreaks in 2 municipal buildings

The victims of a fatal boating accident in the Gulf of Mexico Saturday included 2 men from the city of Fairhope.

Louisiana authorities say Wayne and Randy Dowsey, along with Kenny Mock of Venice, La. and Kerri Burns, were on a boat early Saturday morning that took on water and capsized during a fishing trip. Wayne Dowsey is the owner of a contracting firm in Fairhope.

Victims of fatal Gulf boating accident include 2 men from Fairhope

• Charter Landing of Orange Beach paid $1.35 million total for 52.7 acres at Bartram Walk, formerly called Waterdance, on Baldwin County 4 in Gulf Shores, and then sold the property in five parcels for a total of $1.86 million
• Tyndall Federal Credit Union has leased a 4,000-square-foot former bank building at 6470 Spanish Fort Blvd
• Hungry Howie’s Pizza & Subs has leased 1,235 square feet in Magnolia Place Shopping Center on U.S. 98 in Daphne
• Local investors paid $206,000 for a 2.5 acre commercial lot on U.S. 31 next to Everwood Treatment Co. in Spanish Fort
• Electric South has leased a 6,000-square-foot office warehouse at U.S. 31 and Jessie Road in Spanish Fort
• Laboratory Corporation of America will open soon in 3,100 square feet at Peachtree Professional Center on Ala. 59 in Foley

Real Estate News

If things go smoothly Monday night for the Foley owners of a family entertainment center, Eastern Shore residents might be spending next Valentine’s Day bowling and playing laser tag

The Spanish Fort Planning Commission will consider four requests by Cole Properties LLC intended to create a 35,000 family entertainment facility at the Eastern Shore Centre, and local residents will have their chance to voice support or opposition for at least three of those items.

Public input welcomed Monday on proposed family entertainment center

Daphne residents from the TimberCreek and Lake Forest subdivisions expressed their concerns and opinions Thursday about the proposed plan to build a service road north of Interstate 10 along with an I-10 interchange at County Road 13

Residents express concern for Interstate 10 service road and support for County Road 13 interchange

Billy Joe Wilkinson of Daphne was arrested at about 2:30 a.m. today on a first-degree assault charge after his vehicle collided with a vehicle stopped at a traffic light at Government Street and Washington Avenue, police said in a news release this morning.

Wilkinson was found to under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, police said.

Daphne man charged with assault after car hits stopped vehicle, critically injures driver