The Onlooker PAGE 11 JANUARY 2, 2019 | Gulfcoastnewstoday.Com | 75¢ 2018 CENTRAL/NORTH BALDWIN YEAR in REVIEW
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Serving the greater NORTH, CENTRAL AND SOUTH BALDWIN communities Car giveaway PAGE 3 Golfer’s New Years Resolutions The Onlooker PAGE 11 JANUARY 2, 2019 | GulfCoastNewsToday.com | 75¢ 2018 CENTRAL/NORTH BALDWIN YEAR IN REVIEW By JOHN UNDERWOOD and now serves as that town’s police [email protected] chief. JANUARY FEBRUARY Bucee’s breaks ground in Loxley BCSO investigating possible LOXLEY — Buc-ee’s building be- murder-suicide at Wilcox RV park JESSICA VAUGHN / STAFF PHOTO gins in Baldwin WILCOX — The Baldwin County Construction of the new Buc-ee’s Sheriff’s Office is investigating what From groundbreakings for new shopping centers, to the renovations to the Hamburg Travel Center, located off of County could be a murder-suicide Thursday, Building, to a new residency practice at South Baldwin Regional, 2018 has seen a lot Road 68 and the Baldwin Beach Ex- Feb. 15 at the Wilderness RV Park in of changes and happenings throughout the area. press, began in January. the Wilcox community. The 50,000-square-foot facility is Deputies responded to a possible 2018 SOUTH BALDWIN YEAR IN REVIEW the first to be built outside the state medical emergency on Thursday in of Texas and will include 120 fueling an RV at the park on Patterson Road. By JESSICA VAUGHN But what is Main Street? The pro- stations. Upon entry into the RV, deputies [email protected] gram focuses on downtown areas, Founded in 1982, Buc-ee's has ap- discovered the bodies of a male and from filling vacant buildings, showing proximately 40 locations, almost all female, both from gunshot wounds. off existing businesses, and decorat- of which are located in Texas. According to a release issued by Foley gains Main Street ing the streets, walls, and sidewalks to The company also operates the BCSO Lt. Andre Reid, preliminary Alabama designation become eye-catching works of art to largest convenience store in the evidence indicates that the female The City of Foley announced at the entice passersby to stop and check out world, located in New Braunfels, was shot by the male, who then shot beginning of 2018 its plans to apply to what the area is all about. Texas. The New Braunfels Travel himself. become a Main Street Alabama des- Foley officials have been working Center covers 68,000 square feet and ignee, which meant filling out large on downtown for years, doing what features 120 fueling positions, 83 MARCH amounts of paperwork during an they could to bring in visitors and toilets, 31 cash registers four Icee ma- intense application process, followed bring to life their vision for the area. chines, and 80 fountain dispensers. I-10 bus crash claims life by obtaining testimony from locals Main Street is designed to help, as Buc-ee’s is based in Lake Jackson, LOXLEY — A bus crash in the on why Foley qualified to become a the program is not about what Main also home to the company’s first early morning hours of March 13 member of Main Street. The next step Street officials want in an area, but convenience store, which is still in near the Wilcox exit of Interstate was for the city to send representa- what the citizens want. Since the operation. 10 claimed the life of the driver and tives to Main Street’s headquarters in designation, a committee has been Construction is set to be completed injured several others including stu- Birmingham and perform a live skit formed to communicate directly with in January 2019 with a soft opening dents from Channelview, Texas. detailing what makes Foley special, the Main Street board to relate Foley’s on Jan. 21. On Saturday, Jan. 19 the The bus was just an hour away and why the Main Street program vision. Foley has worked closely with store will open its doors to host a from making a driver exchange when would benefit the area. downtown businesses to gather their reception for local military and first it crashed at 5:33 a.m. Tuesday, head- All the efforts paid off when Foley input on what they would like to hap- responders. ing home to Texas westbound on I-10. was officially announced as one of the pen with the area. The driver, identified as 65-year- three new members of Main Street Brock resigns, Silverhill hires old Harry Caligone of Houston, was Alabama. SEE SOUTH, PAGE 2 Taylor as new police chief killed in the crash and more than 20 SILVERHILL — After serving 18 people were injured. There were a months as the town’s police chief, total of 52 people on board the bus PAGE 13 DEATHS Kevin Brock resigned Jan. 25 in Sil- at the time of the crash, according Ted Falkenberg Fire damages local business verhill. to reports, including students and Laura L. Howell According to a notice posted at teachers. Town Hall, the Silverhill Town Coun- The National Transportation Lewis J. Jones cil called a special meeting Jan. 25 to Safety Board released a preliminary Glen Myrick discuss “professionalism” but a sec- report on the crash May 1 and is Ryan Chase Rust ond notice was posted beside the first continuing its ongoing investigation notice saying that the meeting had into the cause and whether or not in- been canceled. creased safety measures are required Mayor Tim Wilson confirmed that to prevent future incidents. Brock had turned in his resigna- tion earlier that day, but would not MAY comment further out of respect for Brock’s privacy. Joe Sharp hired as RHS principal Brock’s resignation came just over ROBERTSDALE — Silverhill na- two years after the council voted to tive and Robertsdale High School JOHN UNDERWOOD / STAFF PHOTO terminate Chief Kim Wasdin during graduate Joe Sharp was hired in May A fire over the Christmas holiday weekend a special meeting on Jan. 14, 2016. to replace Joe Roh as principal at caused significant damage to a Robertsdale The town went without a police RHS after Roh accepted a newly cre- INDEX business. Robertsdale Fire Chief James Bauer chief, contracting with the Baldwin ated assistant principal position at said his department, along with firefighters from County Sheriff’s Department from Fairhope High. BALDWIN LIVING, 3 Silverhill and Loxley were called to the scene of January until the hiring of Brock in A 1986 graduate of Robertsdale CLASSIFIED, 16 a fire at the Vinyl & T-Shirt Shop late Friday at June of 2016. High School, Sharp received a the intersection of Alabama 59 Northbound and After several months of discus- scholarship to play football at the HEALTH, 14 Wilters Street. Rosinton and Elsanor fire depart- sion and various options, the council University of Southern Mississippi, LEGALS, 19 ments were also called to assist, Bauer said. Bauer said the fire was contained within about voted Sept. 10 to appoint Michael returning to teach physical education PUZZLES, 18 20 minutes. The cause of the fire is undeter- Taylor as chief. Taylor, a retired FBI at Robertsdale Elementary School mined, Bauer said, but no foul play is suspected agent, had served as the town’s act- and coached for the Golden Bears SPORTS, 11 so it is unlikely an investigation will be con- ing chief since Brock’s resignation. under David Stapleton (1992-93). TV LISTINGS, 7 ducted. Reports have estimated the damage at Brock has since been hired by the upwards of $200,000. Summerdale Police Department SEE CENTRAL, PAGE 23 Gulf WHAT Coast YOU IN Media STORE VOLUME 110 • ISSUE 51 IS NOW 1 SECTION • 24 PAGES ONLINE! • Freshest Quality All Departments • Hand Selected by Our Personal Shoppers • Delivery or FREE Same Day Curbside Pickup • Beer & Wine NOW Online! Order & Pay In Store! GREERS.COM/SHOP 2 • The Onlooker • January 2, 2019 • Gulf Coast Media SOUTH way Initiative at the start workforce that will be of the year, and has been fully prepared to enter CONTINUED FROM 1 hard at work since to the local workforce of our share the already incom- local business and indus- Main Street officials ing results with the com- try, and to bring qualified have already made mul- munity. and willing employees tiple visits to Foley to ex- The Gateway Initiative to our area from across plore downtown, gather is a five-year plan cre- the country. This is the input and feedback from ated by President/CEO initiative that has moved citizens, and begin de- of the South Baldwin along the furthest during termining a plan for the Chamber Donna Watts the first year, and it won’t next steps during what is and her team to help the be stopping. Ed Bushaw called the visioning pro- community’s workforce, was hired as the director cess. The process takes education, and local of the initiative, and has place throughout the businesses, and to forge worked hard on securing first year of being a Main strong bonds and part- new apprenticeships in Street designee, while the nerships between other the state for areas previ- second year will be the chambers and municipal- ously lacking, specifically market analysis, during ities. The reason behind the hospitality industry. JESSICA VAUGHN / STAFF PHOTOS which Main Street will the program is the recent The Chamber is working The Hamburg Building discover who Foley is eco- growth witnessed by the as a conduit between the nomically. From there, South Baldwin area over educational offerings and they will determine the the last five or six years, the employers, bringing city’s market, and what and will help create both them together to prepare sort of businesses and local and regional part- kids at high school and events would be best seen nerships with chambers, college levels to enter coming to town.