Serving the greater NORTH, CENTRAL AND SOUTH BALDWIN communities Crafting on the coast PAGE 3 AHSAA Swimming and Diving The Onlooker PAGE 12 Irwin caps DECEMBER 5, 2018 | GulfCoastNewsToday.com | 75¢ great year Baldwin County, can you spare $320,000? with NFR bid Pedestrian Elberta mayor asks commission for help with road paving killed in By TED HARBIN Rodeo Media Relations By CLIFF MCCOLLUM Elberta took it over from the the needed road projects, Lillian [email protected] [email protected] county in 2000, when current including receiving a grant/ Baldwin County Commis- loan package from the federal LILLIAN — An El- ROBERTSDALE — Kyle Elberta Mayor Jim Hamby sioner Skip Gruber was then government and a six-fugue berta man is dead after Irwin had grand plans to visited the Nov. 27 Baldwin mayor of Elberta. grant from the Alabama De- he was struck by a ve- finish out his 2018 season County Commission work “We’re battling to clean up partment of Transportation. hicle while attempting and be home session asking once again for something here that we inher- Earlier this year, the town to cross the street in Lil- in time for the monetary assistance from ited,” Hamby said. “We ask for received a grant of $50,000 lian Thursday evening. birth of his the county for paving County any help you can give us on and loan of $579,000 from the According to a re- daughter. Road 83. that.” USDA’s Office of Rural Devel- lease issued Thursday He had to Hamby said the road had Hamby said the town had opment, which will be used to by the Alabama Law alter them in been problematic and needed already been proactive on try- Enforcement Agency, a big way. repairs even when the town of ing to find ways to help funded SEE BALDWIN, PAGE 31 Stephen Randall Bran- “When I nan, 35, of Elberta was first found Irwin pronounced dead at the out Randa scene just after 5:30 p.m. was pregnant, I developed on Thursday. my plans to have the (Na- He was attempting tional) Finals made by Au- Bay Minette changes garbage schedule to cross U.S. 98 at the gust and be home when the By TINA COVINGTON intersection of South baby comes in mid-Septem- For The Onlooker Santa Piedro Street ber,” said Irwin, a four-time [email protected] when he was struck by National Finals Rodeo quali- a 2007 Ford F-150 travel- fier from Robertsdale, now BAY MINETTE — Begin- ing eastbound, driven living in Westville, Florida, ning Jan. 7, the City of Bay by 77-year-old Melvin with his wife and their two Minette will see a change in Whitehurst of Lillian. children, Tripp and Ellie. the frequency of its residen- Whitehurst was not “I flew home Sept. 30, tial garbage service. The Pub- injured, and no charges right after I got done with lic Works Department will have been filed in con- my run in Stephenville switch to once a week pick-up nection with the crash. (Texas). I got home at for household garbage. Troopers continue to 11-something (p.m.), and we Mayor Bob Wills said the investigate. left for the hospital at 4 the decision was made after re- next morning and had the viewing information from baby by 7 (a.m.). I had a seri- other Baldwin County mu- ous case of whiplash that nicipalities which found that weekend. I’d come from Cal- most only offer once-a-week ‘Person of ifornia to Texas to Florida, service. The change will also interest’ in Foley then, boom, here’s your new free up the department to baby.” tackle other projects, he said. death arrested It was a mad dash on the “By going to the new in Florida final weekend of the regular schedule, our Public Works Department employees can SEE IRWIN, PAGE 18 be utilized throughout town BCSO RELEASE to accomplish other goals including maintenance of FOLEY — A man ditches, patching potholes, has been arrested in DEATHS PAGE 19 performing other street work Florida officials say is a and better maintaining our person of interest in an Milburn Scott Brown apparent homicide that Virginia R. Good SEE GARBAGE, PAGE 16 occurred in October in Lillie Marie Henderson Foley. Kay Frances Chamberlin Nicholas Ryan Young, Tinsley 35, was picked up Thursday in Santa Rosa Gateway to Great Customer Service County on a first degree theft of property war- Chamber updates Investor Relations rant. INDEX According to a press release issued Thurs- BALDWIN LIVING, 3 and Business Growth & Retention day by the Baldwin CLASSIFIED, 23 By JESSICA VAUGHN Growth & Retention Travis County Major Crimes HEALTH, 21 [email protected] Valentine gave an update on Unit, Young is a person his initiative: what had been connected to or who LEGALS, 27 FOLEY — During the “Re- done, improved, and what may have information OPINION, 25 port Card” Luncheon held by they were planning next. regarding the apparent the South Baldwin Chamber “I’m going to talk about homicide of 53-year-old OUT & ABOUT, 7 of Commerce on Wednesday, three things: industry clus- Ronald Jeffrey Higgin- PUZZLES, 26 Nov. 8., Vice President of In- JESSICA VAUGHN / STAFF PHOTO vestor Relations and Business SEE GATEWAY, PAGE 2 SEE OFFICIALS, PAGE 2 SPORTS, 12 TV LISTINGS, 8 Gulf WHAT Coast YOU IN Media STORE VOLUME 110 • ISSUE 47 IS NOW 1 SECTION • 32 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 • December 5, 2018 • Gulf Coast Media South Baldwin Chamber shows appreciation to volunteers JESSICA VAUGHN/ STAFF PHOTOS The South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce held a Volun- teer Appreciation Dinner on Thursday, Nov. 8. The dinner was hosted at Oak Hollow Farm, and featured a yummy meal with desserts and a prize drawing for special items. The event was to thank all of the volunteers who help the Chamber throughout the year as they put on events such as the Hot Air Balloon Festival, BBQ & Blues, and Festival of Flavors. To learn more about the South Baldwin Chamber of Com- merce and how to volunteer, visit their website at www. southbaldwinchamber.com. in the Bay Villa Apart- employee, according to a Crimes Unit has been at- BCMCU were headed to According to Santa OFFICIAL ments on South Bay BCSO release issued fol- tempting to locate Young Santa Rosa County on Rosa County jail records, CONTINUED FROM 1 Street in Foley. lowing the incident. for the past month say- Thursday to attempt an Young is in jail with- Higginbotham was According to Thurs- ing that he may also be interview with Young. out bond on a detainer botham, who was found found dead in his apart- day’s release, the in danger. No additional details are for hold with Baldwin dead Tuesday, Oct. 30 ment by a maintenance Baldwin County Major Investigators from the available at this time. County. GATEWAY nomic Development programs needed to be them through a SWAT the Chamber will offer, managers to come and Alliance, Alabama implemented. Through analysis,” Valentine what types of program experience the hour long CONTINUED FROM 1 Industry Develop Train- that data, industry clus- said. “We asked what’s seminars will be avail- class. We got some great ing, SAWDC, and all ters were created, with going well and what’s able, and what partners feedback, and then sat ters, training, and re- other Chambers in Bald- more on the way in the not, and then created an the Chamber needs to down and redeveloped search that we’re going win County. future. The original ten action plan to make good connect with. what we were doing.” to do in the hospitality Valentine and his team were Lodging, Banking/ things better and make “One of the first Currently the class is force,” said Valentine. decided early on that Insurance, Healthcare, bad things not so bad. things we did as far as two-hours long, begin- His initiative requires one of the most efficient Manufacturing, Retail, That gave us extremely training went was to de- ning with 30 minutes a large team-effort be- ways to accomplish their Professional Services, valuable information, velop a customer service dedicated to Gulf Shores tween the Chamber, five-year goal was to Development/Real Es- and I know we’ll con- training, called Gateway and Orange Beach tour- Small Business Develop- begin by collecting data tate, Attractions, Mari- tinue to do work sessions to Great Customer Ser- ism, teaching employees, ment Center, Alabama from local businesses time, and Restaurants. and bring in other plat- vice,” said Valentine. especially those who Technology Network, to determine what “We invited four of forms.” “We started off with have relocated to the Baldwin County Eco- sort of training and the industry clusters to The information gath- a focus group and we area, all the activities come together, sat them ered from these work invited several of our and attractions found at their own table with sessions will determine investors to have some on the beach. The rest a facilitator, and we put what type of trainings of their supervisors and of the class consists of The Onlooker insight to employees on great customer service. 901 N. McKenzie St., Foley, AL 36535-3546 The Want for Peace The Chamber has start- ing doing onsite visits to PHONE: (251) 943-2151 | FAX: (251) 943-3441 Peace.The What a wonderfulLeaves word! It arethe inner impulses,Falling other people, and [email protected] Idescribeswrote these a statewords of affairswhile inwatching which forcircumstancesa little while.