Covering all of Baldwin County, AL every Friday. Local teams up with big names in country music The Baldwin Times PAGE 12 JULY 26, 2019 | GulfCoastNewsToday.com | 75¢ Baldwin County’s Chief School Financial County Officer wins international award to update Submitted – International Pinnacle of Schools did not have that a recurring four-year cycle. master Achievement Award for the option. While this program is being A big honor has been be- innovative strategy used to Officials looked at strategic implemented over several stowed upon Baldwin County address our past funding planning for budget cuts to phases, in the last decade we plan Public Schools as one of our crisis, growth demands and create a small, “Pay-As-You- have seen nearly $150 million own, Baldwin County's Chief overcrowded schools. Go”, construction plan to in school construction with By GUY BUSBY School Financial Officer While other school systems meet the needs of our un- all debt paid off by 2021! [email protected] John Wilson, has been given raise taxes and use bonds precedented growth. The pro- This award highlights the International Association to fund construction proj- gram utilizes existing taxes BAY MINETTE — of School Business Official’s ects, Baldwin County Public and short-term loans over SEE AWARD, PAGE 7 After using the same long-range growth plan for more than 20 years, officials in Alabama’s fastest growing county want to update how A $6 toll proposed for I-10 bridge they prepare for the future. The Baldwin County Commission will dis- cuss a proposal in August to create a new master plan for the county. Commission Chairman Charles “Skip” Gruber said the current plan was cre- ated in 1996, although some parts were modi- fied later. “The plan we’ve got definitely needs to be updated,” Gruber said. Celebrate FILE PHOTO Commissioners dis- cussed the proposal to your By GUY BUSBY Interstate 10 bridge over the multi-billion-dollar projects. update the plan at the [email protected] Mobile River and replacing President Trump’s proposed county work session on the Bayway, estimated at a infrastructure plan relies Monday. The issue will pet this MOBILE — While a $125 total of $2.1 billion. heavily on tolling.” be presented for con- million grant will be avail- Edwin Perry, ALDOT Perry said the state applied sideration at the next able for the new Mobile River bridge project manager, said in February for $150 million regular commission weekend bridge and Bayway, tolls are that while the toll proposal in federal grant funding for meeting on Aug. 6. still expected to be $6 a trip has raised objections, it is the the project after previous County Administra- The 2019 Baldwin Hu- when the span opens in 2025, only way to pay for the work. applications for $500 mil- tor Wayne Dyess said mane Society Pet Expo but a $90 monthly rate will “We understand that toll- lion and $250 million were an updated plan would will be an indoor, family also be available, state offi- ing is not everybody’s favorite rejected. On Monday, it was help guide growth in and pet friendly event cials said. subject,” Perry said. “Toll- announced that the state will Baldwin. held in the Loxley Civic At a press briefing July 17, ing is the direction that the receive $125 million in federal “What our goal would Center on Saturday, at the Alabama Department federal government is head- Infrastructure for Rebuild- be is to have a master July 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 of Transportation District ing to finance large projects ing America grant funding. plan, or a land use plan, p.m. This event will be Office in Mobile, ALDOT of- like the Mobile River Bridge, Perry said before the grant long-range plan that full of a pet-related ven- ficials said tolls are the only just because of the challenge would identify areas of dors, activities like best way to pay the cost of a new of being able to fund these SEE TOLL, PAGE 3 growth in the county trick and costume con- and where we would an- tests, training demos, a ticipate it,” he said. “We rabies clinic, adoptions could encourage that and much more! growth. We could iden- Entry is free. Four- They said her grandson was in jail, he was not tify areas where, due legged contestants pay a $10 entry fee to enter SEE PLAN, PAGE 4 the trick and costume Thieves target grandmother in jail scam, officials say she is not alone contests. The Rabies Clinic will By ALLISON MARLOW needed her help. Then, her she help? BALDWIN FAST FACTS run from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. [email protected] grandson came on the line. The lawyer had an answer. You will also be able The grandmother, who Wire $6,500 for fees and to purchase some of our They nearly had her. has asked that her name be he could have the charges According to the Culver- year round discount Earlier this summer a withheld for safety reasons, dropped and her grandson house College of Business, spay/neuter vouchers. Foley grandmother answered said it sounded just like him. out of the slammer in a day. residential real estate sales You can find out more her phone and on the other He begged her for help. He But grandma is 79-years- in Baldwin County were about voucher pricing end was a lawyer, or so he implored her not to tell his old, and undergoing treat- down 9 percent in June at https://www.baldwi- said he was a lawyer. parents. ment for lung cancer. She when compared to the same nhumane.org/spayand- Her grandson, he said, was She believed him. She time last year. neuter. in jail in New York City, and wanted to help. How could SEE SCAM, PAGE 4 Deaths Page 6 Gulf James H. Barber David L. Owen Coast Richard Hubert Sharon K. Pfaff Media Breidenich Myrtice Virginia VOLUME 129 • ISSUE 11 Lewis R. Collins Reaves 1 SECTION • 28 PAGES Lawrence Richard Johnnie M. Russell Farber Sandra A. Waldo 2 • The Baldwin Times • July 26, 2019 • Gulf Coast Media The Baldwin Times Baldwin County House delegation 901 N. McKenzie St., Foley, AL 36535-3546 PHONE: (251) 943-2151 | FAX: (251) 943-3441 sponsors resolution naming 2020 [email protected] Allison Marlow Classified Advertising as ‘The Year to Embrace the Gulf’ Managing Editor Whisper Edwards allisonm@gulfcoast whisper@gulfcoast STAFF REPORT region. great place it is to live.” is designed to preserve, media.com media.com Baldwin County Del- Rep. Harry Shiver (R promote and enhance Several Coastal Ala- egation Chair Rep. Steve – Bay Minette) echoed the Gulf through effec- Tony Whitehead Legal Advertising bama legislators, includ- McMillan (R – Foley) McMillan’s statements tive communication, Sports Editor April M. Perry ing four members of the said he was proud to be and said he was glad to education, partnerships, tony@gulfcoast legals@gulfcoast Baldwin County House the primary sponsor the see the support for both and community engage- media.com media.com legislative delegation, resolution, which was the joint resolution and ment. sponsored and passed presented at a regional the 2020 celebration. Reps. Joe Faust (R a joint resolution pro- Alliance meeting held “The Gulf touches – Fairhope) and Matt Parks Rogers claiming 2020 as “The at The Lodge in Gulf every facet of life we Simpson (R – Daphne) Publisher Year to Embrace the Shores. have down here,” Shiver were also co-sponsors of [email protected] Gulf.” “There is so much said. “It provides food, the resolution. The joint resolution more to our Gulf than oil and gas, transporta- “Studies have shown To subscribe, make an address change or vacation delivery is part of a multi-state just white sugar sand tion, wildlife habitat, 30 percent of the entire stop, you may call our office at (251) 943-2151, go online at effort to celebrate the beaches that make for an and, of course, a wonder- coastal economy for the www.gulfcoastnewstoday.com and click on the “e-edition” link in economic and cultural attractive destination,” ful destination for people United States is gener- the black toolbar. Under “don’t have an id’ there is an option for significance of the McMillan said. “There is and families from across ated along our Gulf how to become a subscriber. or email amber@gulfcoastmedia. Gulf of Mexico next an entire economy that our nation to enjoy.” Coast region,” Faust com. year. According to em- generates hundreds of The purpose of the said. “It goes without ©Gulf Coast Media 2019. No part of this newspaper may be bracethegulf.org, the millions of dollars, sev- Embrace the Gulf: 2020 saying that making sure reproduced without the prior written consent of the group Gulf of Mexico Alliance eral thousand jobs and campaign is to raise the Gulf is safeguarded publisher or associate publisher. Opinions of editorial or conceived the “Year to attracts millions of tour- awareness of the value, and protected so it can general columnists or those reflected in submitted letters Embrace the Gulf” as an ists to our area, The Gulf sustainability and continue to be an eco- do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of this awareness campaign to is part of the lifeblood beauty of one of our na- nomic engine that helps newspaper. highlight the value and that makes our county tion’s greatest treasures: move our county and The Baldwin Times (USPS 040-560) is published weekly, vitality of the Gulf Coast and Coastal Alabama the the Gulf of Mexico.