It was a hot, tense day at the Panama Canal. Reporters and other interested and curious people watched as the huge (45,000-ton) battleship, the USS Alabama, squeezed its way through the locks. The suspense grew as onlookers saw the tiny clearance the massive ship had: only 11 inches on each side.

Meet Akievia McFarland, Traffic Anchor and Multimedia Journalist for WKRG News 5. Her love for storytelling, great work ethic, and bubbly personality have helped her excel at this early point in her career.

With Halloween just around the corner, you can be sure that the ghosting season is upon us. Here are a few scary sites that you can find just off Scenic 98, or not too far from it.

I first met John A. by reputation. I sort of knew him, but not really. We had never met in person until a few weeks ago when we had lunch at Grace in Mobile. John A. is from Evergreen, Alabama, home of Conecuh Sausage, but lives in Mobile, actually on Fowl River with his wife Kelly.

You may have recently heard or read about the new Fairhope Art Alley that’s being created between the public parking garage and the rear of the buildings lining the north side of Fairhope Avenue behind Bone and Barrel, Sage Restaurant, the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce, among other establishments. The alley has always been there, and the city is just dressing it up to make it more user-friendly.

At David Gibson’s suggestion, I reached out to Corbett Davis, III, the third-generation owner, CEO, and President of Jewelers Trade Shop on Palafox Street in Pensacola. It’s a beautiful store with a knowledgeable and friendly staff. As I waited for Corbett to finish his conversation with a customer, I perused the cases of beautiful watches, gemstones, and gold and silver jewelry.

A Sunday afternoon drive to pick up friends from Pensacola International Airport resulted in an epicurean pleasure by way of George Bistro + Bar on 9th Avenue in “The City of Five Flags.“ Very close to the airport, I did the right thing by making a reservation because, at 5:30 p.m. on a Sunday, it was bustling!

Southwood Kitchen is one of the top restaurants along the Eastern Shore, and Chef/Owner Jeremiah Matthews has some new concepts in store. Imagine my surprise when I sat down with Jeremiah and he told me he was friends with my late nephew. I always enjoy meeting people who knew De, or Ben as he was known to his friends.