Smith continues tradition of annual Mayor’s prayer breakfast
Smith continues tradition of annual Mayor’s pray …

BY ROB DAVISFOR THE OBSERVER OPELIKA — Community leaders from Opelika and Auburn gathered at First Baptist Church in Opelika on Nov. 4 to honor and pray for newly elected Mayor Eddie Smith.The breakfast was held in the 3:16 Center on the First Baptist Church campus and was sponsored by the city of Opelika along with several local businesses. City Council President from Ward 1 George Allen delivered the invocation and First Baptist Pastor Cade...

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Veteran Spotlight | Interviews with Medal of Honor recipients
Veteran Spotlight | Interviews with Medal of Honor …

BY ROB DAVISFOR THE OBSERVER OPELIKA — Medal of Honor recipients and World War II veterans kicked off Freedom Fest weekend by meeting with the media last Friday at John Emerald Distilling Company in Opelika. Veterans Jack Stowe, Robert “Bob” Patterson and Melvin Morris were joined by family and friends as they answered questions and reflected on their military service and being awarded with the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military...

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The Alabama Urban Forestry Association, the Arbor Day Foundation and Niagara Cares Team Up to Host a Tree Planting and Distribution Event in Opelika 
The Alabama Urban Forestry Association, the Arbor …

Local tree planting and distribution event aims to engage community members to take an active role in the overall health of their communities Opelika, Ala. (Nov. 12, 2025) – On Nov. 12, the Alabama Urban Forestry Association (AUFA) will partner with Niagara Cares, the charitable division of Niagara Bottling, and the Arbor Day Foundation to plant and distribute 315 trees in Opelika.   The AUFA’s mission is to educate tree care professionals and...

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Veteran Spotlight | One soldier’s love story
Veteran Spotlight | One soldier’s love story

When the bottle stopped spinning, love took over BY JERRY BALLASFOR THE OBSERVER Sometimes, love begins with the simplest twist of fate — or, in this case, the spin of a bottle.Marty Ballas of Miami, Florida, played one year of basketball at the University of Miami before joining the U.S. Army. He was stationed at Fort Benning and later deployed to serve in the Korean War. After returning from overseas, he continued his service at Fort Benning...

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The Alabama Urban Forestry Association, the Arbor Day Foundation and Niagara Cares Team Up to Host a Tree Planting and Distribution Event in Opelika 
Auburn-Opelika Tourism honored with Reader’s Cho …

CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN-OPELIKA TOURISM AUBURN-OPELIKA — Auburn-Opelika Tourism has been honored with a 2025 Readers’ Choice Award from ConventionSouth, the national multimedia resource for event planners across the South. This year marks the tenth time Auburn-Opelika Tourism has received this recognition, celebrating all the front-line hospitality workers who make the destination excellent in customer service, creativity and event support. Each...

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Miele reaches milestone in Opelika relocation plan
Miele reaches milestone in Opelika relocation plan

CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF OPELIKA OPELIKA – One year after the start of production in Opelika, Miele, a family-owned manufacturer of premium household appliances with more than 125 years of history, has completed the phase one of their relocation plan. The facility is now exclusively producing built-in ovens and ranges for the markets in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. “Within one year we relocated six final assembly lines from Germany to our...

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Community

O Grows Houseplant Swap connects potted plants and people

O Grows Houseplant Swap connects potted plants and …

BY KADIE TAYLORTHE OBSERVER OPELIKA — Connecting people over potted plants, O Grows is hosting a Houseplant Swap on Nov. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon at 1103 Glenn St. in Opelika.“The O Grows plant swap is something that we do in collaboration with a...

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Rural Renaissance Roadshow coming to Opelika Nov. 10–12

Rural Renaissance Roadshow coming to Opelika Nov. …

CONTRIBUTED BY GROUNDSWELL OPELIKA — The 2025 Rural Renaissance Roadshow will be held in Opelika Nov. 10–12, bringing together more than 200 local leaders from across the nation to focus on rural resilience in energy, food, water and healthy...

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