by The Observer Staff | Jun 23, 2026 | Obituaries
LESLIE “EARL” DIGMANRetired CW3 Leslie “Earl” Digman passed away on June 21, 2026.He was predeceased by Geraldine “Gerry” Digman, wife of 60 years and son in law Frank “Buddy” DeGraffenried. He is survived by Jo DeGraffenried; Lesley Digman; Trish Boston (Scott);...
by The Observer Staff | Jun 23, 2026 | Column, D. Mark Mitchell
OPINION —Summer may still be in full swing but make no mistake, football season is already taking shape in Opelika.Opelika High School head football coach Jonathan Chandler joined “On the Mark” radio show on FOX Sports the Game earlier this week, offering an inside...
by The Observer Staff | Jun 23, 2026 | Sports
BY DANIEL SCHMIDTTHE OBSERVER OPELIKA — An Opelika High School track and field star recently competed at the prestigious New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet in Philadelphia.Caroline Couey, a rising senior who represents the Bulldogs in both cross country and...
by The Observer Staff | Jun 23, 2026 | Featured
A golf cart wreck nearly took his life. Now he intends to help others with brain injuries. BY DANIEL SCHMIDTTHE OBSERVER AUBURN — Nearly a year after a golf course accident left 20-year-old Collin Long with a fractured skull and a brain injury doctors expected would...
by The Observer Staff | Jun 23, 2026 | Community, Featured
BY DANIEL SCHMIDTTHE OBSERVER OPELIKA — Despite humid weather and heavy cloud cover, hundreds packed downtown Opelika to celebrate Juneteenth, the holiday marking when the last enslaved Black Americans in Texas learned they were free on June 19, 1865, with a vibrant...
