HEALTH: 10 steps to avoid the flu, PAGE 18 Migrating birds visit Alabama PAGE 5 Foley Sports Tourism releases 2018 calendar The Courier PAGE 11 INSIDE JANUARY 17, 2018 | GulfCoastNewsToday.com | 75¢ ‘Fairhope Entertainment District’ fails in 2-2 council vote By CLIFF MCCOLLUM a crackdown by Alabama’s ABC to a family-friendly environment. only be allowed one hour before [email protected] board back in December, when Having drunks tipping over baby and one hour after special events seven businesses in Fairhope carriages on the city streets does downtown, such as Mardi Gras Last week, the Fairhope City were fined for allowing open con- not constitute a family-friendly parades. Council split 2-2 on a vote that tainers outside of the business. environment.” In order for the ordinance to would have created an enter- During the meeting, several Retired pastor Jerry Henry be allowed to come up for a vote, tainment district in downtown residents spoke out against the echoed Wise’s concerns. Burrell had to temporarily pass Fairhope which would have al- proposed entertainment district. “I encourage you not to pass the chairman’s gavel to Council- Eastern Shore lowed for outside alcoholic bev- “Fairhope prides itself as being this and keep our family-friendly man Jay Robinson so that Burrell erage drinking during certain a family-friendly town,” resident atmosphere here,” Henry said. “I could second the motion to bring Republican Women special events. Billy Wise said. “It is difficult for don’t want Fairhope Avenue be- the ordinance forward. install new officers The call for the creation of a me to understand how allowing coming a Bourbon Street.” Councilman Jimmy Conyers The Eastern Shore downtown entertainment district alcohol to be openly consumed on Council President Jack Burrell Republican Women’s began again recently following the city streets would contribute said the open containers would SEE DISTRICT, PAGE 4 Club installed its new set of officers last week. To see the swearing-in, turn to Drive-up book drop dedicated at Fairhope Library Page 2. Fairhope Brewing Reading with Company celebrating firefighters fifth anniversary Some of the firefight- ers from Spanish Fort with Star Wars Fire-Rescue recently themed party stopped by their local library to read to some Submitted kids and teach them CLIFF MCCOLLUM / STAFF PHOTOS A long time ago, in a galaxy about fire prevention Last week, the Friends of the Fairhope Public Library held a dedication and ribbon cutting for the new drive-up near Mobile Bay, a couple of techniques. Learn book drop at the Fairhope Public Library. The book drop was dedicated in honor of Rebecca Thomas Sebring, recovering lawyers were faced more on Page 4. a longtime Fairhope resident and ardent supporter of the library who had always wanted the library to have a with a daunting proposition: drive-up book drop. Many members of Sebring’s family attended the dedication and reception. Brew or brew not, there was no try. They opted to brew and abandoned their day jobs to open Lower Alabama’s Craft Brewery, the Fairhope Brewing Company. Mystic Mutts Mardi Five years later, the force Gras coming soon is still strong as the team at The annual Mystic Fairhope Brewing Company is Mutts Mardi Gras celebrating recent facility ex- parade has announced pansion with the addition of it’s new grain silo, launching it’s this year’s date and fifth year-round beer in bottles time. To find out more, (available in stores this week) head to Page 25. and of course, throwing the party of the year. Charge up your light sabers and shine your storm trooper boots, and join Fairhope Brew- DEATHS PAGE 17 ing Company on Saturday, Jan. 20 for their 5th Annual An- niversary Party: The Brewery William James Doherty Strikes Back. The locally-owned Joseph Carl Garrett brewery will offer its coastal Leon Jett Hastings brews in signature anniversary SEE BREWING, PAGE 3 INDEX Gulf BALDWIN LIVING, 5 OPINION, 10 Coast CLASSIFIED, 8 PUZZLES, 7 Media HEALTH, 18 SPORTS, 11 VOLUME 124 • ISSUE 25 LEGALS, 21 TV LISTINGS, 13 1 SECTION • 28 PAGES 2• The Courier • January 17, 2018 • Gulf Coast Media Fairhope Rotary Eastern Shore Republican Women swear in new officers distributes dictionaries at J. Larry Newton Chad Clark, president of the Rotary Club of Fairhope, addresses the 100 third-grade students at J. Larry New- ton School before club members distributed copies of A Student’s Dictionary from The Dictionary Project (https://www.dictionaryproject.org/). Each student received a personal copy of the dictionary to use at school or at home. In early December, club members also distributed dictionaries to the 289 third-graders at Fairhope Elementary School. This is the twelfth year the club has participated in The Dictionary Project, in line with Rotary International’s goal of supporting edu- cation, one of its Six Areas of Focus. CLIFF MCCOLLUM / STAFF PHOTO Last week, the Eastern Shore Republican Women swore in their new slate of officers, courtesy of Judge Bill Scully. Daphne Police promote County Commission candidates Jeb Ball and Joe Davis were the featured speakers for the meeting, held at the Fairhope Yacht Club. Michael Merritt Daphne PD promote Officer Pearce The Daphne Police community builder and Department is pleased has a heart for people. to announce that Officer Corporal Pearce began Pearce was promoted his career with Daphne to the Community Re- Police in April of 2003 source Unit Corporal as a Corrections Officer on December 21, 2017. in our Municipal Jail. Most of you know him In December of 2004, he as ‘Officer Toby’ in our was promoted to Patrol schools and retirement Officer where he served SUBMITTED PHOTO communities. He is a for three years before being promoted to Detec- tive in July of 2007 where he spent many years as the Juvenile Detective. Corporal Pearce took a SUBMITTED PHOTO lateral transfer back to Patrol in April of 2016 and The Daphne Police Department is pleased to announce that in August of 2017, was Corporal Michael Merritt was promoted to Sergeant on De- selected as a School Re- cember 21, 2017. Sergeant Merritt began his career at Daphne source Officer in the Com- Police Department as a Patrol Officer in April of 2002. He munity Resource Unit. was promoted as Detective in April of 2006 then promoted to Patrol Corporal in April of 2007 and laterally transferred as Corporal Pearce has been Corporal over warrants and sex offender compliance within a member of the Special the Criminal Investigations Division in April of 2015. Sergeant Response Team since Merritt serves as a Traffic Homicide Investigator, Polygraph 2007. He has received the Examiner and a Firearms Instructor. Officer of the Quarter award on two occasions, was deputized as a fed- eral marshal working on The Courier ICAC Taskforce (Internet Crimes Against Children), 901 N. McKenzie St., Foley, AL 36535-3546 presented with the Life PHONE: (251) 928-2321 | FAX: (251) 943-3441 Saving Ribbon, and holds [email protected] several instructor certi- fications including FBI Cliff McCollum Classified Advertising Firearms Instructor. 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Gulf Coast Media • January 17, 2018 • The Courier • 3 Daphne PD promotes Ben Mitchell Fairhope PD welcomes new officer The Daphne Police Department is pleased to announce Corporal Ben Mitchell was promoted to Patrol Sergeant on Dec. 21, 2017. Sergeant Mitch- ell has served the Daphne Police Department for ten years. He served in the Patrol Division for four and a half years before being promoted to Patrol Corporal. He was SUBMITTED PHOTO the Corporal responsible completed the Drug Rec- Instructor. He has served for warrants and sex of- ognition Expert School, as an instructor at the fender compliance for became a Drug Recog- Mobile Police Academy three years before taking nition Expert and is a and the State Trooper a lateral transfer back to Drug Recognition Expert Academy along with nu- Patrol. Sergeant Mitchell Instructor, an Advanced merous other locations was named Officer of Roadside Impaired Driv- in Alabama and Florida.