BY KADIE TAYLORTHE OBSERVERAUBURN — Stamp has clothed the community for decades, through providing custom T-shirt options for businesses and organizations, as well as a retail storefront where people can walk in and buy artistic designs.“We’ve been open for 25 years, so at least enough people out there, definitely lots of Auburn fans come and shop for Auburn stuff,” said owner and operator Eric Stamp. “We have consistently done shirts for, or...

BY ROB DAVISFOR THE OBSERVER AUBURN — Representing the best of the city of Auburn, the five people who were presented with the Mayor’s Lamplighter Awards had no idea that they would be recognized at the annual State of the City Address held last Thursday at the Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University.Auburn Mayor Ron Anders awarded Sam Hendrix, Dolly Marshall, Alan Moore, Dale Peterson and Lillian Worley with the...

BY KAYLEIGH FREEMANFOR THE OBSERVER AUBURN — Yum Yums, a family-owned business specializing in pre-order food, has been serving up the Auburn community with fresh, homemade meals since 2014. Open for over a decade, the small business has become a staple for many in the Auburn-Opelika community.Yum Yums offers a variety of home-cooked dishes, from customer favorite “ziti lasagna” to daily staple “seafood and sausage gumbo,” all rounded out by an...

BY NOAH GRIFFITHFOR THE OBSERVER OPELIKA — In June 2023, the Garst family felt everything was perfect in their lives when they welcomed their third child, Ruthie, into the world. What came next for them shattered their lives as they were — but now it’s their reason for starting an adaptive gym called Ru’s Roots.At five weeks old, Ruthie became sick with a blood disorder, and about a week later, she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage that led to an...

BY KAYLEIGH FREEMANFOR THE OBSERVER AUBURN — Local author Kay Whaley and illustrator Kathy Hamrick have teamed up once again to bring readers the fourth story in the Tales of Sydney, a children’s book collection that follows the journey of Sydney, a Portuguese Water Dog, and her adventures in a small southern town.The collection consists of four books: “Sydney Tours Eufaula,” “Sydney and the Masquerade,” “Sydney and the Christmas Star” and now,...

BY SAM VISE FOR THE OBSERVER AUBURN — There’s a new aroma coming to downtown Auburn, and it’s a sweet one. Cookie Fix, the popular Birmingham-based bakery, is set to open its doors this fall, promising to become the city's newest sweet spot. With a menu of warm, gooey cookies and a following for its famous frozen dough, the new bakery will bring a fresh batch of treats to the heart of Auburn.With Auburn roots and a shared love for connecting...