Covering all of Baldwin County, AL every Friday. Memorial Day events, travel tips and more The Baldwin Times PAGE 12 MAY 24, 2019 | GulfCoastNewsToday.com | 75¢ County archivist named Ambassador for 200th anniversary By ALLISON MARLOW anniversary by speaking to “I’m a little shocked,” she celebration’s most vociferous [email protected] groups about the upcoming said. “It’s something I’ve been cheerleaders and has helped anniversary and encouraging doing all along. It’s an honor to plan and produce several Baldwin County Director communities to become in- and a privilege to be named. anniversary events, includ- of Archives Felisha Anderson volved. Baldwin County leads The Alabama Bicentennial ing the recent History Fair has been appointed to the the way in the state’s celebra- Commemoration officially at Daphne High School and Alabama Bicentennial Com- tion with 14 local committees, launched on May 5, 2017 and production of the Baldwin mission as an Ambassador. the most in any county. will conclude on December County Book of Legends. Ambassadors are advo- Anderson said she is hum- 14, 2019. Since its inception cates for the state’s 200th bled by the appointment. Anderson has been one of the SEE COUNTY, PAGE 2 SUBMITTED PHOTO EMA officials host hurricane simulation exercise Loxley community mourns loss of mayor By JOHN UNDERWOOD [email protected] LOXLEY — Longtime Loxley Mayor Billy Mid- dleton is being mourned by the com- munity and the surround- Middleton ing area. Middleton died Friday at home after a brief but hard-fought battle with JOHN UNDERWOOD / STAFF PHOTO cancer. He was 78. Baldwin County EMA Director Zachary Hood addresses officials before Hurricane Simulation Training held Tuesday, May 9 at the EMA central Visitation for Middle- command in Robertsdale. ton was held Thursday, May 23 at the Loxley By JOHN UNDERWOOD close to the Labor Day holiday for the three-day weekend. east side of the storm squarely Church of God and will [email protected] weekend, officials in Baldwin Over the next 24 hours, on the shoulders of Baldwin be held Friday beginning County are already gathering Dori skirts the southern coast and Mobile counties. at 9 a.m. with funeral ROBERTSDALE — It’s at the Emergency Manage- of Florida and the northern Like hurricanes Michael services at 10 a.m. at the Tuesday, Aug. 27 and Hur- ment Agency’s central com- tip of Cuba, remaining off- and Katrina before her, Dori church. Burial will fol- ricane Dori is churning in mand office in Robertsdale to shore which means that it is becoming a massive storm, low at Greenwood Cem- the Atlantic heading for Cuba discuss not only how to coor- has steadily gained size and projected to make landfall as a etery in Loxley. and the Gulf of Mexico with dinate shelters and potential strength on its path toward the strong Category 2 with tropical Middleton was first an expected landfall on Fri- storm damage, but also how Gulf Coast. force winds stretching out 200 elected to serve as Lox- day, somewhere along the to evacuate and/or maximize By Thursday, Dori has miles. ley’s mayor in 1988 and Alabama-Mississippi-Florida the safety for the hundreds of shifted its path and is looking By Thursday, Dori has was serving his seventh Gulf Coast. thousands of visitors planning to hit the Mississippi coast term. He ran unopposed With expected landfall so to come to Alabama’s beaches directly, putting the dangerous SEE EMA, PAGE 4 in the 2012 election, while no elections were held in Loxley in 2008 and 2016 because all Baldwin County Public Schools’ Class of 2019 graduates record number of students incumbents ran unop- SEE MAYOR, PAGE 7 Submitted Foley High School, with 450 School System’s estimated ment, and it shows in this seniors walking across the graduation rate is 91 percent year’s seniors. Ninety-two Superintendent Eddie stage. for 2019, a rate which contin- percent of this year’s graduat- BALDWIN FAST FACTS Tyler is “Baldwin Proud” to Baldwin County Public ues to climb every year for ing class took the ACT during release impressive numbers Schools supports students’ the school system. Individual their 11th grade year. Also, from Baldwin County Public college and career ambitions. schools also continue to im- the superintendent is proud During the summer Orange Schools’ 2019 graduating class. These students will go on to prove, with Robertsdale High to report 154 of this year’s Beach balloons to the fifth More than 2,200 graduated two and four-year colleges and seeing a nearly 20 percent in- seniors made a 30 or better on largest city in Alabama with last week from our eight high universities, straight into the crease in graduation rate. the ACT. the help of visiting tourists. schools, with the official total workforce, and others have Over the past three years, In the days to come, the There are only 6,000 perma- number of graduates being joined the military to serve Superintendent Eddie Tyler school system will be releas- nent residents the rest of 2,264 students. The largest our country. has placed Baldwin County’s the year. graduating class came from The Baldwin County Public focus on academic improve- SEE STUDENTS, PAGE 2 Deaths Page 6 Gulf Glenda Katherine Allen Coast Ruth E. Davis Media James Anthony Grago VOLUME 129 • ISSUE 2 Evelyn Sue Keith 1 SECTION • 32 PAGES Billy J. Middleton Jessie Wrenn Gulf Coast Media • May 24, 2019 • The Baldwin Times • 17 JOHN UNDERWOOD / STAFF PHOTOS About 30 forest landowners and property managers attended the meeting. Pictured is Certified Wildlife Biologist J.J. McCool addresses forest landowners and property manag- Mike Shelton, training program coordinator for the Weeks Bay Reserve and Pat Richeson ers on the topic of managing property to increase wildlife habitat quality May 17 at the with the Alabama Forest Owners Association. Weeks Bay Reserve in Fairhope. Forest landowners learn about plant and wildlife management COMBINED REPORT FAIRHOPE — Wildlife biologist J.J. McCool touched on a wide vari- ety of topics in front of about 30 forest landown- ers and property manag- ers Friday, May 17 at the Weeks Bay Reserve in Fairhope. His presentation, “How to manage prop- Pitcher plants are in full bloom at the Weeks Bay Wildflower Bog. erty to increase wildlife habitat quality while vasive plants,” he said. the Bradley/Murphy ship assistance to cur- increasing timber stand “This is a method that Forestry & Natural rent and future owners J.J. McCool addresses forest landowners and property production,” focused was used for 150 years, Resources Extension of forested land. Forests managers at the Weeks Bay Wildflower Bog. primarily on exotic plant but we have gotten away Trust. The trust was cover 71 percent of Ala- and animal control with from it. The fact is, it established in 1992 by bama, producing clean in Alabama is privately report provided from an a significant amount of works and it’s some- an initial gift from for- water, clean air, diverse owned by individuals AFOA press release with the lecture focusing on thing that needs to be estry consultant, Harry wildlife habitat, and raw and families. additional reporting by controlling wild hogs. explored.” Murphy. Its mission is to materials for thousands Onlooker co-editor John “I hesitate to call any McCool also touched encourage, promote, and of jobs. Most forestland Information for this Underwood. animal smart, but these on a variety of com- develop through educa- animals are smart and mercial herbicides tion and the free market highly adaptable to their used to control invasive system the stewardship NOW COMING EACH FRIDAY... starting June 7 environment,” he said. plant species. He also of forest and related “They main way to con- discussed wetlands and natural resources in the trol them is by not focus- wetland management private sector. ing on any one method during the presentation, The Alabama Forest We’re Going to Entertain and to use a variety of which was followed by Owners’ Association methods to achieve the a trip to the Weeks Bay is a non-profit, self- best possible result.” Wildflower Bog. supporting association, The presentation also This forestry field dedicated to providing focused on dealing with a visit was sponsored by management and owner- You Even MORE! variety of other invasive animals, such as beavers, coyotes, armadillo, ra- Cobb ,, Theatres coons, foxes, snakes and PINNACLE 14 CINEMAS HULU MOVIES alligators. 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And one of our writers is the guy who wrote ‘Jarhead,’ Anthony than two years in the CBS wisely is using a military-crime drama – one of the most popular the guy who wrote ‘Jarhead,’ Anthony drama – one of the most popular Swofford, so he’s been a great source.” Swofford, so he’s been a great source.” series around the world – to help series around the world – to help Another reference for Delany Another reference for Delany launch another military-crime drama.