Press-Register

08/16/2024

The pier in Alabama’s Gulf State Park is ready for fishermen and sightseers again come Monday.

It has been closed since November to repair damage from Hurricane Sally.

The storm, which struck in September 2020, collapsed a 200-foot section of the 1,540 foot pier.

The hurricane struck after the completion of a previous $2.4 million renovation to the pier.

Read more: https://www.al.com/news/2024/08/gulf-state-park-pier-to-reopen-on-alabama-coast-after-hurricane-sally-damage-repaired.html

08/15/2024

Here at The Mobile Press-Register, we feed fandom every day with coverage of high school sports – football, volleyball, basketball, softball, baseball; news about players and coaches; news about rankings and records; polls you can read and polls you can vote on.

Our twice-weekly newsletter will help you keep up with all of it.

Sign up here to get the latest area prep sports sent to your inbox: https://www.al.com/highschoolsports/2024/08/mobile-high-school-sports-newsletter-get-area-preps-coverage-in-your-inbox.html

08/14/2024

Make your voices heard, Mobile! We are asking YOU to decide what is the best of the best along the Gulf Coast. Use the comments to submit and pick your answer, and the most liked comment will be chosen as the winner!

First up: most iconic landmark 🏙️

08/11/2024

No serious injuries were reported, according to the company.

No one was injured during the accident at the chemical plant in Mobile County near Theodore.

08/09/2024

The Clotilda is believed to have brought the last known shipment of captive Africans into slavery in the United States in 1860, and its significance is increased by the fact that some of its survivors went on to found the nearby Africatown community.

The Alabama Historical Commission has released a 400-page report that reveals what researchers learned from a 2022 exploration of the shipwreck site.

08/08/2024

How many people across the country have photos of themselves as kids sitting in the hand of a giant monkey in Panama City, Fla.?

Goofy Golf – known for its oversized monkey, dragon, dinosaur, Easter Island head, sphinx and more – opened in 1959.

But it was decades earlier, in 1916, when the first mini golf course, called the Thistle Dhu (This’ll Do) was built in Pinehurst, N.C.

The game was created as a children’s version of golf and featured obstacles not found on regular courses, such as bridges, alleys and tunnels.

How has the game become part of your life? Do you have any special childhood memories associated with it? Kelly Kazek shares her memories (and pictures) in this story about putt-putt being a favorite pastime. https://www.al.com/life/2024/08/from-rock-city-to-goofy-golf-how-putt-putt-became-a-favorite-pastime.html

Share your own pictures in the comments!

08/08/2024

The legislation calls for the under secretary to work with the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to develop a “joint standard of methodology based on chemical analysis for identifying the country of origin of red snapper.”

Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville call for testing method to distinguish fish illegally caught by Mexican vessels in U.S. waters.

08/06/2024

The Mardi Gras concept has long been attached to the Amtrak route but only as a concept while negotiations for restoring service has slogged along for years.

But with the service’s restoration now seemingly apparent, is it “laissez les bons temps rouler” or bust for the Gulf Coast train?

Subscribe to read the cover story from today's daily digital edition of The Mobile Press-Register.

https://www.al.com/news/2024/08/why-a-mardi-gras-theme-amtrak-train-has-momentum-in-the-gulf-coast.html

08/05/2024

You shared what you think the new I-10 Mobile bridge should be called. We gathered some stand-out responses for you to peruse. Let us know your favorite!

https://www.al.com/news/2024/08/bridgy-mcbridgeface-readers-offer-names-for-new-i-10-mobile-bridge.html

08/02/2024

What is your favorite local restaurant?

08/01/2024

The Admiral Hotel, a downtown Mobile landmark since 1940, has reopened after extensive renovations that leave it with a new identity heavily predicated on the French heritage of one of Mobile’s founders, and a top-tier steakhouse due to open later in August.

The hotel was built in 1940 and named The Admiral Semmes in honor of a Confederate commerce raider, Raphael Semmes, who became an honored public figure in Mobile after the Civil War.

The building changed hands several times from the ‘80s onward and underwent at least two major renovations. The last was in 2014, and sometime after that, the “Semmes” – and with it the name’s Confederate connotation -- was quietly dropped from the name.

Read more: https://www.al.com/life/2024/08/reborn-admiral-hotel-pays-tribute-to-one-of-mobiles-founding-fathers.html

07/31/2024

Wawa is a chain that has developed a loyal fan base thanks to strengths such as its selection of made-to-order hoagies and attentive customer service.

Until recently, its 1,000-plus stores were distributed primarily along the East Coast and throughout Florida’s main peninsula.

But in 2022 it announced plans for a rapid expansion along the Florida Panhandle and the central Gulf Coast.

Read more: https://www.al.com/life/2024/07/wawa-sets-opening-date-for-2-alabama-stores-including-mobiles-first.html

07/30/2024

The new Mobile I-10 Bayway Bridge needs a new name. What have you got?

Cartoon by JD Crowe

07/29/2024

It’s the second-largest grant in the bridge program’s history.

On Monday, Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt will join Gov. Kay Ivey, Sen. Katie Britt and others at GulfQuest to celebrate the massive grant.

07/26/2024

Where is the best place to picnic in Mobile?

07/26/2024

Do recognize these attractions? You can catch them as you drive through Alabama to the state's beaches.

Many stops on our map are just like those of days gone by: Miniature replicas? Check. Alligator parks? Check. An oversized peach that looks like, if we’re being polite, a hind-end and an actual giant-sized hind-end? Check, check.

Here are some entertaining – and sometimes educational – things we think you should check out as you drive along Interstate 65 or U.S. 31 (or other backroads) from Huntsville to the shoreline: https://www.al.com/life/2024/07/kelly-kazeks-odd-travels-old-timey-attractions-on-route-to-alabamas-beaches.html

07/25/2024

Josh Woods, who represents District 6 on the council, says he’s now willing to support a funding agreement and ground lease with Amtrak, after previously saying he was against the proposal.

His vote gives the majority needed on the council for the project to proceed.

Woods said he hopes to see the state of Alabama provide more of the funding for Amtrak going forward.

The state governments in Mississippi and Louisiana are supporting Amtrak, he said, whereas in Alabama, it’s almost entirely fallen on the city of Mobile.

Read the full story: https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2024/07/amtrak-returning-to-mobile-with-gulf-coast-route-after-city-council-member-announces-support.html

07/24/2024

Ahead of a vote next week to demolish the existing Mobile Civic Center, Mobile city officials are releasing what a new, $300 million civic center arena built in its place could look like.

Designs won’t be finalized until 100% of the design work is completed.

Since the civic center site lies in the historic Church Street East district, the city’s Architectural Review Board will have final approval over the exterior design of the building.

Click here to see the full renderings: https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2024/07/heres-what-the-new-300-million-mobile-civic-center-arena-could-look-like.html

07/23/2024

As average water temperatures increase globally — including in the Gulf of Mexico — warm water fish like the snook are migrating, showing up in places they’ve rarely been seen.

“The Gulf of Mexico where we sit is supposed to be a temperate environment,” said Sean Powers of the University of South Alabama. “And now it’s definitely becoming more subtropical to even tropical.”

The warming waters are also attracting larger fish, such as sharks.

Read more: https://www.al.com/news/2024/07/tropical-fish-found-off-alabama-coast-as-waters-warm-theyre-everywhere-you-go.html

07/22/2024

Trump’s economic plan includes taxing perhaps 10 times as many imports as he did during his first term.

From 2018-2020, Alabama state officials and Mobile city and county officials expressed angst over Trump's tariff plans. So far this year, it's been quiet despite tariffs serving as a top policy.

07/21/2024

Democratic nominee for the congressional race in Alabama's redrawn 2nd District, Shomari Figures of Mobile, responded Sunday to Biden’s announcement with a statement praising the president.

After withdrawing Biden endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, and Figures said that was the right call.

“I first met Kamala Harris back in 2012 when she was Attorney General and was helping us get President Barack Obama reelected,” Figures said. “She had our back then, and we have her back now. I fully support Vice President Harris for the Democratic nomination and look forward to casting my ballot for the first Black woman to be President of the United States.”

Read his full statement: https://www.al.com/news/2024/07/alabamas-2nd-district-race-shomari-figures-salutes-bidens-service-fully-supports-kamala-harris.html

07/18/2024

Azalea City Con is a fan convention that made its debut in 2023 and is back with all its old attractions and some new ones to boot.

If you happen to find yourself among pirates, superheroes, movie aliens and video-game warriors, don’t be alarmed. It just comes with the territory.

For serious fans, the con presents the chance to plunge into some shared manias with like-minded folks.

For more casual visitors, it’s a chance to browse some strange new worlds – and maybe do some shopping in a vendor hall full of creative wares that you absolutely, positively are not going to find anywhere else.

The 2024 Azalea City Con takes place Saturday and Sunday, July 20-21, at the Holiday Inn in downtown Mobile.

Read more: https://www.al.com/life/2024/07/build-your-worlds-mobiles-azalea-city-con-serves-hands-on-fandom.html

07/17/2024

Earlier this spring, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson proposed demolishing the Mobile Civic Center—comprised of the arena, theatre and expo hall—and building a new arena in its place.

The total cost for the new arena is not to exceed $300 million, including demolition costs. Up to 56% of those costs will be borrowed.

Now, the city council could review the demolition contract next week and approve the demolition as soon as July 30. Demolition is supposed to take place in August; the city’s Architectural Review Board approved the demolition plans in June.

Read the full story: https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2024/07/mobile-city-council-set-to-authorize-civic-center-demolition-by-end-of-month.html

07/15/2024

“Cat Alley Walkway,” as it will be known, has been in the works since 2022.

When Darrelyn Dunmore, executive director of Foley Main Street, took over in 2019, she was charged with activating downtown Foley’s alleys.

Cat Alley was the perfect starting place, she says, because it used to be the site of street parties and other public events.

When it is completed, Cat Alley will feature murals, some of which have already been installed; seating areas; lighting; and planters.

Read the full story: https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2024/07/baldwin-county-city-hopes-to-transform-downtown-with-cat-alley-walkway.html

07/13/2024

Grove Hill Memorial Hospital on Wednesday announced the closure of its labor and delivery department.

It is the last hospital in rural southwest Alabama still delivering babies.

Grove Hill Memorial Hospital will end labor and delivery services in August and convert to a Rural Emergency Hospital. It will leave a large region of the state without a hospital that delivers babies.

07/13/2024

It’s familiar territory for the star of the era-defining “Seinfeld” sitcom, as he has appeared there at least twice before, in 2015 and 2018.

Ticket sales start soon.

07/12/2024

Hazel’s Nook, the beloved Gulf Shores breakfast spot that is closing next week after 67 years, won’t sit empty for long.

The owners of Duck’s Diner in neighboring Orange Beach will open a second location of their restaurant in the Hazel’s space as early as next Wednesday, July 17.

Duck’s Diner -- which, like Hazel’s, is open for breakfast and lunch only -- began in 2003 in Orange Beach.

Unlike Hazel’s, though, Duck’s Diner won’t have a breakfast buffet and will sell alcohol, including mimosas, bloody marys and Irish coffee. A 16-foot bar will replace the buffet.

Read the full story: https://www.al.com/life/2024/07/orange-beach-restaurant-to-replace-beloved-gulf-shores-landmark.html

07/12/2024

The new Bayway will replace the existing I-10 Bayway – which is set to be demolished -- connecting Mobile to the U.S. 98 exit in Daphne.

The $550 million is believed to be one of the biggest infusions of federal grant money for a state project in Alabama history.

07/11/2024

The cancellation comes one day after Oyster City Brewing backed out from hosting the book launch and the Drag Queen Story reading.

That event was supposed to feature guest and Alabama TikTok star “Mama Tot,” but she opted to back out as well.

Josh Coleman, who is the LGBTQ liaison for the City of Birmingham, announced the cancellation of a book launch at Books-A-Million amid threats directed at the store.

07/11/2024

“We are grateful for our loyal customers, employees, and community members who have contributed to the fabric of our family restaurant over the years. Thank you for 67 great years! We look forward to seeing everyone around town.”

Read much more: https://www.al.com/life/2024/07/iconic-gulf-shores-restaurant-closing-after-67-years.html