Reading the obituaries every day is something I do. In the old days they would print, ‘she died of natural causes’ meaning, she got old and up and died. Not anymore, they say nothing about the cause of death. The best I can do to figure out what happened is to read between the lines of the suggested ‘in lieu of’ donation.

A lot is happening in Mobile these days and the buzz is getting louder every day. A few of the projects underway include a new airline terminal being built at Brookley Field, and a well-deserved and much-needed Hall of Fame Walk on Water Street downtown, honoring the five Major League Baseball Hall of Famers, and one National Football League HOFer, Robert Brazille. The statues of Satchel Paige, Henry Aaron, Willie McCovey, Ozzie Smith, and Billy Williams display the most HOFers from any city in the United States. Pretty amazing! 

Rock music fans all over the world know Roger McGuinn as the leader of the groundbreaking '60s band called the Byrds, but he's been playing mostly solo shows for the last several decades.

One of the best things about Fairhope is that it has a Film Festival. Like the Sundance Festival, Tribeca, South by Southwest, and many others, the Fairhope Film Festival, held on the second weekend in November, features forty of the best films. This year will be the thirteenth annual event, and a new Executive Director will be at the helm. 

The train depot in Foley was the first stop for many of the city’s earliest residents and visitors. It’s still a great place to start when you want to learn about Foley’s history and the people who have made the place what it is.

Now it’s everywhere. Throughout the Scenic 98 Coastal communities, Mardi Gras is a celebration everyone can enjoy. In fact, Mardi Gras masks were originally worn so that people of all classes could mingle freely. The colors of Mardi Gras, purple, green, and gold represent justice, faith, and power, respectively.

On August 1, 2023, local musician Molly Thomas was on her way to Pensacola with her dog in tow, when tragedy struck. It was 9:30 am and Molly was crossing U.S. Highway 98 just south of Fairhope when another driver T-boned her. Her car flipped several times, and Molly had to be cut out of her vehicle and life-flighted to the University of South Alabama Hospital in Mobile. She was there for one week before facing a year-long recovery.

We are fortunate to have so many Scenic 98 Coastal communities that host monthly Friday evening art walks, showcasing our talented local artists. In Fairhope, it’s the First Friday Art Walk downtown. It kicks off a new month of good times and serves as a big block party, with galleries open, and bands playing, with an opportunity to visit with friends or take the family out for a free, fun evening.