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Orange Beach’s MAAAC raises $445,000 for schools

MAAAC of Orange Beach raised $445,000 for schools at a gala on May 11. By John Mullen

May 15, 2019 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – Excitement for the new Orange Beach High School and Middle School spilled out in waves at the Makos Arts, Academics and Athletics Club’s fundraising gala May 11 at the Perdido Beach Resort.

“The energy and excitement in the room that night was electric,” Executive Director Jenni Starling of MAAAC said. “We hope to take that energy and raise even more money for the kids in our community.”

The Port at Zeke’s is new meetings, weddings, party space

The Port at Zeke's Landing Marina is a new party, meeting and wedding venue. By John Mullen

May 13, 2019 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – A new event venue, The Port at Zeke’s is now open at one the Gulf Coast’s most popular marinas. The Port can accommodate an event for up to 300 people and is located above Wolf Bay Restaurant at Zeke's Landing Marina.

“We can host any special event,” Zeke’s Operations Manager Mandy Langley said. “So far, we have booked several weddings, a company Christmas party and have spoken to a few people about Mardi Gras balls/parties. We are getting a lot of inquiries for next spring already. The space is very versatile and the colors are crisp and clean looking so it can be easily decorated for any event/theme.”

Orange Beach Planning Commission to meet Monday, May 13th

Orange Beach Planning Commission Meeting

May 5, 2019 - Orange Beach, AL - (OBA^®) - The Orange Beach Planning Commission is scheduled to meet at 2:30 p.m. Monday, May 13th for a work session followed by the 4 p.m. regular meeting in the Council Chambers at City Hall.

Arrest in stolen truck incident, chase

By Foley Police Dept.

May 10, 2019 - Foley, AL - (OBA^®) - Late yesterday afternoon, Elberta PD was able to locate William McGinley in the Miflin Community. He was still in the white pickup that was later confirmed to be stolen from the City of Foley within the last few days. McGinley once again took off and drove into Florida. Officers did not pursue into Florida because his identity was already known.

Experience the Magic of Flight at the 2019 Pensacola Beach Air Show featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels

May 10, 2019 - Pensacola Beach, FL - (OBA^®) - Feeling the need for speed? Hang onto your hat and experience the magic of flight as half a dozen civilian stunt pilots and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels zip and zoom above the Pensacola Beach skies July 12-13 at the annual Pensacola Beach Air Show, hosted by the Santa Rosa Island Authority (SRIA).

Baldwin County Disaster Preparedness Expo set May 15 at Orange Beach Event Center

May 10, 2019 – Orange Beach, AL - (OBA^®) - The Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency will host a Disaster Preparedness Expo on Wednesday, May 15, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Orange Beach Event Center, located at 4617 Wharf Parkway West in Orange Beach, Alabama.

Advisory Board Approves Flounder, Seatrout Changes

Under regulations that are expected to go into effect August 1, anglers will be allowed only one spotted seatrout larger than 22 inches. Photo by David Rainer

By DAVID RAINER, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

May 10, 2019 - Orange Beach, AL - (OBA^®) - The length and bag limits of two of Alabama’s most popular inshore fish species will likely change soon after proposals by the Alabama Marine Resources Division were approved last weekend by the Alabama Conservation Advisory Board.

Under the new regulations, spotted seatrout (speckled trout) and southern flounder will have reduced bag limits to deal with concerns that the species are not able to sustain healthy populations.

Orange Beach’s Pete Peterson served his country and his city

Pete Peterson and Jodi and Brian Harsany riding in the vintage Huey.

By John Mullen

May 10, 2019 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – On April 20 in Orange Beach, a Vietnam-era vintage Huey helicopter was taking folks up for rides from The Wharf for rollicking tours over Gulf State Park complete with combat-like dips and rolls.

In August, Pete Peterson got what his wife said was one of the best thrills of his life by being a passenger on one of those flights during a 2018 stop at The Wharf.

Plastic bag ban big topic at Orange Beach council

By John Mullen

May 9, 2019 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA®) – A report on the environmental damage caused by millions of discarded plastic bags by 17-year-old Cameron Blanchard sparked a lively discussion at the May 7 Orange Beach City Council regular session.

The end result was a pledge from the city to study a ban on plastic bags and movement toward elimination of them from city businesses. A bill in the Alabama Senate to prevent city’s from banning the bags and other single-use plastic products failed to get out of committee on the same day as the city council meeting.

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge adds more land

Dunes on Perdue Unit at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by USFWS.

By Mark Davis, public affairs specialist, USFWS

May 9, 2019 - Gulf Shores, AL - (OBA^®) - A jewel of an ecosystem just grew by more than 350 football fields, thanks to a partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and several partners.

53rd annual OBFD BBQ fundraiser set for June 8th with over 4,000 pounds of pork

Orange Beach Fire Dept. BBQ Fundraiser 2019

May 8, 2019 - Orange Beach, AL - (OBA^®) - The 53rd Annual Orange Beach Fire Department BBQ will take place Saturday, June 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. - or until the 'Que runs out - at Fire Station No. 1, behind City Hall. (Please note that the original location was the Community Center but had to be moved due to planned construction at the Recreation Center.)

Pirates and Princesses fun returns to the Hangout May 24

Pirates and Princesses fun returns to The Hangout May 24. Submitted

May 7, 2019 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) –The Hangout in Gulf Shores is once again hosting its Pirates and Princesses Breakfast Adventure series every morning this summer. The Pirates and Princesses Breakfast is a three-time daily show that features treasure hunts, sing-along songs, games, magic tricks, laughs and more.

May 24 through Aug. 15, get immersed in the fun-filled adventure story of Cap’n Sch’meagull as he guides you around his lost island and searches for treasure. But beware, his magical nemesis Captain Blackhart is lurking around the corner.

Zeke’s headquarters for Alabama Slam fishing tourney

Alabama Gulf Coast Slam weigh-in headquarters is at Zeke's Landing Marina. By John Mullen

May 3, 2019 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – A new and unique fishing tournament is going on in the Gulf Coast region with Zeke’s Landing Marina as the official weigh-in sponsor for Orange Beach. The tournament is presented by the Alabama Fishing Charter Association and the Mystics of Pleasure.

At end of the tournament on May 18, some lucky angler could win a Chevy truck from Southern Chevrolet. The awards party will be at Zeke’s on May 25.

Gulf Shores Road & Beach Closures for Hangout Music Fest

Gulf Shores City Logo By the City of Gulf Shores

May 3, 2019 - Gulf Shores, AL - (OBA^®) - The City of Gulf Shores would like to make all residents and visitors aware of the following road closures, beach closures and traffic flow modifications related to the Hangout Music Festival.

Gulf Shores plan to five-lane Canal Road changes

Gulf Shores changes plan to five-lane Canal Road By John Mullen

May 2, 2019 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – A project long in the works along State Route 180 typically called for the widening of the road from State Route 161 in Orange Beach to State Route 59 Gulf Shores.

But with a new state bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway planned to land on the route between the two cities, planners in Gulf Shores think they can scale back any widening of the roadway there. Citizens will get a look at the project and make suggestions on May 7 at the Gulf Shores Activities Center from 5:30-7 p.m.

Pet-friendly restaurants? No such animal in Baldwin County

Service dogs perform tasks that are directly related to a person's disability. By John Mullen

May 2, 2019 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – Want to bring the puppy to the restaurant? Legally in Baldwin County, that’s really not possible unless it is a bona fide service that helps a patron with a disability. A proliferation of “comfort animals” has muddied the waters on animals in restaurants of late.

Kip Kaiser, the Public Health Environmental Supervisor and Inspector with Baldwin County, said there are very few dogs that should be allowed in.

“There’s no such thing as a pet-friendly food establishment,” Kaiser said. “It does not exist by our regulations. If a restaurant presents themselves as a pet-friendly establishment it’s a false statement they are giving to the customers.”

Alabama State Waters Close for Shrimping May 1 - June 1

Alabama State Waters Closed to Shrimping

By Outdoor Alabama

April 30, 2019 - Alabama Gulf Coast - (OBA^®) - Pursuant to Section 9-12-46, Code of Alabama as stated by Rule 220-3-.01, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division announces that as of 6 a.m., Wednesday, May 1, 2019, all inside waters will close for commercial and recreational shrimp harvesting.

Boggy Point Boat Ramp in Orange Beach Reopens

April 29, 2019 - Orange Beach, AL - (OBA^®) - The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division (MRD) will reopen the Boggy Point Boat Ramp on Monday, April 29, 2019, at 8 a.m. The boat ramp is located at the end of Marina Road in Orange Beach, Ala.

Gulf Shores accepting out-of-district applications through April 30

Gulf Shores City Schools is taking applications from out-of-district students through April 30. City of Gulf Shores

April 28, 2019 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – Gulf Shores City Schools officials would like to inform the public that there is still time for students who live outside the City of Gulf Shores corporate limits to apply to attend classes in the new city system, but the deadline is approaching fast.

“The window for Out-of-District or nonresident applications is open right now,” Superintendent Dr. Matt Akin said. “We’ve been a little surprised at the number of parents who weren’t aware of the process. We’ve had some parents walk into the office and say they just heard about it. The deadline is April 30 and we’re trying to get the word out and encourage those who want to apply to do so quickly.”

Google Street View Takes To The Water around the Orange Beach Area

April 26, 2019 - Alabama/Florida Gulf Coast - (OBA^®) - The Coastal Alabama Business Chamber, through their connection with the Google Maps Street View imaging team, has arranged for Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, and Fort Morgan to be the second location in the United States to have the popular Google Street View virtual tour imaging technology brought onto inland waterways. On May 1st, Waterway View filming will take place, beginning at FloraBama and finishing in Fort Morgan.

Rainbows & Beautiful Colors Kick-off Mullet Toss Weekend

April 26, 2019 - Alabama/Florida Gulf Coast - (OBA^®) - Mullet Toss Weekend kicked off with some amazing sights and colors this year. It seems we get some very interesting weather every year during Mullet Toss.

Check out the photos below that were captured by OBA Fans along the Alabama/Florida Gulf Coast...

If you captured photos of last night's rainbows and you'd like them included in this slideshow please email them to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Baldwin County to send 34 students to Space Camp

By Cliff McCollum

April 24, 2019 - Baldwin County, AL - (OBA^®) - Thirty-four Baldwin County students will get the opportunity to attend Space Camp this year, as the Baldwin County Legislative Delegation recently announced the scholarships given to these students through the Space Academy for Leading Students in Alabama (SALSA) program.

Baldwin County Legislative Delegation Chair Steve McMillan (R-Foley) said the delegation was pleased to be able to send more students than usual to the camp.

It's Mullet Toss Week on the Gulf Coast

April 22, 2019 - Perdido Key, FL - (OBA^®) - The iconic Flora-Bama attracts thousands of folks from all walks of life when it holds its 34th Annual Mullet-Toss. Having developed into a 3-day beach party, it generates over $10 million in the local economy while raising over $30,000 for local charities and youth groups. Beginning at 10 a.m., Friday thru Sunday, the event consists of simply tossing a mullet, one of the areas most popular local fish, from a 10-foot circle in Florida towards Alabama on crystal, white sand.

Orange Beach pledges $1 million to help schools

From left are Orange Middle School Principal Robbie Smith, Orange Beach High Athletic Director Chase Smith and Orange Beach High Principal Erika McCoy. By John Mullen

April 19, 2019 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – Dr. Erica McCoy, the principal of the new Orange Beach High School, is looking for goal-oriented teachers to lead students when classes open in August.

“In every interview, I say that one question to every person that we have been interviewing with and it’s how are you going to help propel our students to the national spotlight,” McCoy told the city council on April 16. “Because if our kids are in the national spotlight then Orange Beach is in the national spotlight. Just having that vision of excellence from the very beginning is very important.”

Locally owned Island Fiber building network in Orange Beach

By John Mullen

April 15, 2019 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – Councilman Jerry Johnson has said time and again he believes several companies will eventually be running fiber into Orange Beach neighborhoods to bring high-speed internet. And, the first one to do it may be the newest and homegrown.

“We should have fiber in Burkhart within 60 to 90 days,” Island Fiber owner Mickey Franco said. “Our plan, once we got our franchise agreement, we had to get that to begin the permitting and the rest of the process. We’ve got a lot of that prepped and ready to go and we’ll be submitting permits for Burkhart the week of April 15.”

Bid to widen Canal Road could go out in June

Conceptual design for Wolf Bay bridge in Orange Beach, Alabama. By John Mullen

April 15, 2019 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA^®) – State officials say about half of the work moving utilities to make way for a fifth lane on Canal Road is completed and they are hoping to let the project out for bidding soon.

“We’re plugging along with the utility relocation out there on Canal,” Assistant Southwest Region Engineer Brian Aaron said. “I’d say we’re roughly 50 percent complete on that so we’re going to continue to work through that over the next few months.”

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Approves Alabama’s State Expenditure Plan for Gulf Coast Recovery

April 12, 2019 - Montgomery, AL - (OBA^®) - Governor Kay Ivey announced on March 29, 2019, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Federal Council) has approved Alabama’s State Expenditure Plan for Gulf Coast recovery. This plan, developed by the Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council (AGCRC), proposes 28 activities for the Spill Impact Component of RESTORE funding (also known as Bucket 3) for a total estimated cost of $132,355,952. Now that the plan has been approved, individual grant applications must be submitted the Federal Restore Council and awarded before project activity can begin.

Conservation Advisory Board Meets at Gulf State Park on May 4

Alabama Conservation and Natural Resources April 11, 2019 - Gulf Shores, AL - (OBA^®) - The Alabama Conservation Advisory Board (CAB) will hold its second scheduled meeting of 2019 on Saturday, May 4, in Gulf Shores, Ala. The meeting will take place in the Gulfview Ballroom II at The Lodge at Gulf State Park, a Hilton Hotel, 21196 E. Beach Blvd., Gulf Shores, Ala., 36542.

Registration for those wishing to address the board will be from 8-8:30 a.m. The meeting will begin promptly at 9 a.m. Attendees with printed information they wish to share with CAB members should bring 16 copies of the material for distribution.

Celebrate Easter all along the Alabama-Florida Gulf Coast

Bear Point Easter Egg Hunt will be April 20 at the waterfront park.

By John Mullen

April 11, 2019 – Orange Beach, AL (OBA®) - Easter Sunday may not dawn until April 21 but there’s plenty of opportunities along the Alabama-Florida Gulf Coast to celebrate the weekend before, the day before and the day itself.

Included are sunrise services, Easter egg hunts, breakfast and photo ops with the Easter bunny and even a bunny dropping from the sky, an annual tradition at the Flora-Bama.

Pinson Valley High School clubs donate to Molly’s Patrol - Orange Beach Surf Rescue

Pinson Valley High School FCCLA and HOSA Club members

By City of Orange Beach

April 5, 2019 - Orange Beach, AL - (OBA^®) - On a sunny April morning about two dozen Birmingham-area students from Pinson Valley High School stood on the beach as a check was presented to Tommy and Becky Bryant to go toward Molly’s Patrol, the beach safety arm of the Orange Beach Fire Department named after the Bryants’ daughter.