BY KADIE TAYLORTHE OBSERVER LEE COUNTY — The East Alabama League of Women Voters invited the Coal Ash Action Group to BOXCAR on March 16 to watch a screening of “Sallie’s Ashes” and answer questions from viewers.Sallie’s Ashes is a documentary short that shows the dedication of Sallie Smith, who grew up in the Mobile Bay, to protect the waters from polluting coal ash that has been discarded by Alabama Power at the Barry Ash Pond. While Sallie...
BY DANIEL SCHMIDTTHE OBSERVER OPELIKA — Who’s ready to play ball?Miracle League of East Alabama players certainly are after the opening of an upgraded Billy Hitchcock Field at Opelika’s West Ridge Park on March 21.During a sunny, comfortably warm dedication ceremony attended by dozens from Lee County and across the state, area leaders dedicated a brand-new artificial turf field that was more than three years in the making.Michele Dean, who...
BY DANIEL SCHMIDTTHE OBSERVER AUBURN — Regulations governing the sale, possession and consumption of hemp products are now on the books after the Auburn City Council on March 17 approved a new city ordinance.That 8-1 vote, which saw Ward 5 Council Member Sonny Moreman as the lone holdout due to his opposition to the retail sale of hemp products altogether, was passed to comply with a new state law.“I don’t believe it is morally right or in the...
OPELIKA, AL, [March 17, 2026] -The Opelika Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that President and CEO Ali Rauch has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the Business Council of Alabama (BCA), the state’s largest business association and a leading voice for economic growth and pro-business policy in Alabama. Rauch was elected to the board during the organization’s Annual Meeting and recently attend her first board meeting...
BY MICHELLE KEYPUBLISHER OPELIKA — The Opelika City Council opened its Tuesday night meeting with a moment of silence honoring Auburn native Maj. Alex Klinner and other servicemen and women who recently died in an accident in Iraq.Opelika Mayor Eddie Smith and the council recognized Earl Ballard as the Character Council Citizen of Excellent Character for March, highlighting compassion as the month’s character trait. Council tables hemp...
BY DANIEL SCHMIDTTHE OBSERVER AUBURN — Auburn and the nation are mourning the death of Maj. John Alex Klinner after his KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed on March 12 in Iraq during a mission. Klinner, 33, leaves behind his wife, Libby, a two-year-old son and seven-month-old twins.“We are fervently praying for peace and strength over this family and trust that God will surround them with His comfort and supernatural peace,” an online family...
Community
BY ANN CIPPERLYFOR THE OBSERVER OPELIKA — With the area’s best restaurants serving a variety of scrumptious dishes, the annual Taste of the Town will provide an exciting evening, featuring food and beverages, a silent auction and music on Tuesday,...
OPELIKA, AL, [March 17, 2026] -The Opelika Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that President and CEO Ali Rauch has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the Business Council of Alabama (BCA), the state’s largest business...
OPINION — I am writing to address several serious inaccuracies in Stephanie Smith’s Feb. 5, 2026 article about the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA). The claims that the AHSAA “operates in the shadows,” lacks accountability or...
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