Businesses relocate due to Kroger expansion
Kroger grocery store at the corner of East Glenn Avenue and North Dean Road is expanding, and in the process stores in its vicinity have been relocated.
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Kroger grocery store at the corner of East Glenn Avenue and North Dean Road is expanding, and in the process stores in its vicinity have been relocated.
Robert M. Ward knows his land well. He has been living on the same farm on Cecil Ward Road since his father bought it in 1950. In April 2011, Ward went before the Auburn City Council with a complaint regarding pollution from Sand Hill Recycling Center, located near his property. After seeing the problem had not been resolved, Ward went before the City Council again Jan. 6. "The city of Auburn's trucks and other trucks go into this landfill and they come out," Ward said. "They've got these dual tires, so all that mud cakes in between their tires and it just slings it all out on the road." Ward said Sand Hill Recycling uses street sweepers to remove the mud from the roads and sweep it into two creeks, Parkerson Mill Creek and Chewacla Creek, that run through his land. Ward said there are federally protected mussels in Chewacla Creek that could be harmed by the mud. "They're paying people, contractors, to sweep mud into city property, into the city drainage area that's coming right down here and affecting federally protected wildlife," Ward said. "The whole concept of having that place up there recycling is to better mankind and the environment, not to intentionally destroy it." The federally protected mussels in Chewacla Creek are Hamiota altilis, according to James Stoeckel, associate professor in the School of Fisheries and Aquatic Science with a specialization in molluscan and crustacean ecology. Stoeckel said the mussels are upstream from the recycling plant. "They're considered threatened in terms of the risk of extinction," Stoeckel said. "Their populations are very low." Stoeckel listed three ways excess sedimentation in the streams could harm the mussels: feeding patterns, reproduction and smothering. "Mussels are filter feeders, and so if you get too much mud in the creek for too long of a time, it can interfere with their feeding because they tend to filter food particles out of the water column," Stoeckel said. "You're just getting all this nastiness with that food." Stoeckel said research shows mussel species can have trouble reproducing when the concentraction of suspended soils in the water column becomes too high. "When we did experiments in ponds and suspended solids levels got above about 15-20 milligrams per liter," Stoeckel said. "We had severe reductions or even complete failure of reproduction for that year." The third way the excess sedimentation can harm the mussels is by smothering them once the sediment settles in the bed of the stream, Stoeckel said. "Sedimentation is a big problem sometimes," said Claude Boyd, professor of agriculture and water qualities specialist. "Some of it's natural, but you know excess sedimentation in streams is considered ecologically undesirable." Timothy Woody, director of environmental services in Auburn, said the city has been using Sand Hill Recycling for 15 years to dispose of construction and demolition debris along with yard waste. At the City Council meeting Jan. 20, the council renewed a three-year contract with them. Woody said their concern is if the facility has the appropriate permits through the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. "Their facility is outside of the city limits, so it's outside of our purview," Woody said. "It's up to those regulatory agencies to deal through those processing and disposal facilities in terms of making sure they adhere to those permits." Ward said when he brought the issue in front of City Council for the second time, they told him it was a Lee County issue. Justin Hardee, Lee County engineer, said the county does not have the ability to police this type of activity, but that authority falls under the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. Lynn Battle, spokeswoman for ADEM, said they sent someone to inspect Sand Hill Recycling, without giving the company any prior notice. The inspection report was not completed in time for the publication of this article, according to Battle. Ward said in his past experiences with ADEM, they did not use enforcement as part of their program. "I don't want to say anything bad about ADEM, but I'd almost call them a toothless tiger," Ward said. Ward said an employee from Sand Hill Recycling gave him a tour of their property after learning of his complaints, showing Ward how they were cleaning up the mud that had been on the streets and replacing it with sand. "If they're going to come pick me up and show me the improvements that they've done, then that in itself is an admission of guilt," Ward said. "If they felt like they were 100 percent compliant, then they'd say, 'Hell, I'll see you in court.'" Sand Hill Recycling employees were unavailable for comment by publication time.
As word of The Bank Vault closing has spread through Auburn, students and regulars of the bar gave their opinions on the closure of the historical space. The Bank Vault will be closing May 31 because of an increase of rent. They will not be relocating according to Ben Barley, general manager. Brooke Rocholl, senior in nursing, said that she was sad when she heard about it closing. Rocholl and her friends are fans of the Taco Tuesday event The Bank Vault has weekly. "It's a fun place to kind of have a chill night at the bars rather than when everyone's going crazy at the other places," Rocholl said. "It's a good time to just watch the game and have a great time with your friends." Rocholl's friend Shannon Rooker, senior in nursing, said that she hopes they will replace it with something similar. "I feel like for the older crowd like us that are of age, we're not looking for craziness every night so hopefully something similar," Rooker said. "Hopefully another bar. It's the only really relaxed place that a lot of the older people like to go." Tom Sherburne, Auburn resident, goes to The Bank Vault almost every day with one of his friends, usually to watch "Jeopardy." "I used to come here when it was The Coffee Bank," Sherburne said. Sherburne said t they would miss all of the staff as well. "All of them are wonderful," Sherburne said. Jeffrey Robinson, employee at The Bank Vault, has been working there for two years. Robinson joked that his first thought when he heard about them closing was that he was going to need to find another job. "There's not going to be a bar for grad students and professors and people who don't like crowded, rowdy bars," Robinson said. "It's just going to be a vacuum that needs to be filled." Robison said that he imagines places like Avondale and Mellow Mushroom will be the places that The Bank Vault crowd starts to go to after they close. Drew Goodner, one of the owners of the property, said they don't have anything set in stone right now for what will go in the space next. "We are actively looking for tenants right now," Goodner said. "A restaurant or a bar is kind of natural there." Goodner said a lot of people have shown interest in having a Starbucks put there, since the only ones in Auburn are on campus. Other than local publicity however, Goodner said they haven't advertised anything or had any specific tenants show interest yet. Goodner said whatever replaces The Bank Vault, they expect most of the features of the building to stay the same. "We like the history of the building," Goodner said. "It's one of the few in downtown Auburn that you can date back to the early 1900s." Goodner said they had to raise the rent on the space because right now the rent there is not current market rent. Goodner also said they want to put something that's new to Auburn in the space, but that it won't be just any business. "Obviously rent is important, but we want the right tenant for that space," Goodner said. "We want something that students and locals and people that come down here are going to enjoy."
A five-car accident was reported to the Auburn Police Department at the 1700 block of South College Street near the intersection of Longleaf Drive at 1:27 p.m. Jan. 29. "It was a 20-year-old male Auburn University student that was operating a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe that was traveling southbound on College Street," said Capt. Lorenza Dorsey of the APD. "The Tahoe struck the rear of a 2006 Toyota Tundra pickup truck that was driven by a 45-year-old female from Tuskegee, pushed that vehicle into another vehicle, which was a 2005 F-350 pickup truck that was driven by a 50-year-old male from Tuskegee." The Tahoe then spun off of the vehicle, left College Street and went through the intersection of Longleaf Drive. It left the roadway and became airborne before landing in the parking lot of the Charter Bank located at the 1700 block of South College Street, where the Tahoe hit two parked vehicles and came to a rest against the bank building. The two parked cars, a 1993 Ford Explorer and a 2011 Suzuki SX4, were unoccupied, Dorsey said. The 50-year-old male driver was not injured. The 45-year-old female complained of a back injury and was transported to the East Alabama Medical Center for treatment, Dorsey said. The 20-year-old Auburn University student was transported to EAMC by ambulance. "As of yesterday when we last checked he was stable," Dorsey said. A Life Flight helicopter was called to the scene, but not used. "Once paramedics arrive on the scene they determined that the injuries were not severe enough to be transported by helicopter, so he was transported by ground to East Alabama Medical Center," Dorsey said. Dorsey said the roadway was partially blocked for 30-40 minutes, and that the accident is still under investigation by the APD.
A neighbor, co-worker or stranger on the street -- any one of these people may be suffering from food insecurities and worrying about when their next meal will be. Organizations in the community are raising awareness about hunger issues in Auburn with the Second Annual Empty Bowls Event on Feb. 7. The event will be from 5-7 p.m. at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center. Auburn Parks and Recreation's Dean Road Ceramics Studio and Opelika Parks and Recreation's Denson Drive Recreation Center will host the event, sponsored by the Auburn Arts Association. "We're going to have a beautiful array of different styles, different kinds of bowls and people come and they select the bowl they want," said Amy Kaiser, independent studio member at Dean Road Ceramics Studio and one of the artists for the event. "We fill it with soup, they sit down and eat (the soup) and then the bowls will be wiped out and they'll carry them home as a reminder that there are empty bowls all over town that need to be filled. It's a reminder that there are hungry people in this very town." Tickets to the event are $20 and the proceeds will go to the Food Bank of East Alabama. Cari Cleckler, art education specialist at Dean Road Ceramics Studio, said they want to sell 300 tickets this year. The event was hosted in Opelika last year, and organizers plan to change the venue between Auburn and Opelika each year. "Last year, it was a walk-in and walk-out event sort of thing, where it was like a reception style," Cleckler said. "This year, we're actually treating it like a banquet dinner because we want to make sure ... both events are very different so that we can always entertain the crowd." This year's event will have a silent auction with wood items, ceramics, candles and work from local and regional artists. There will also be live music and a skit preformed by the Auburn Area Community Theater. "You get soup and bread to symbolize what poor people eat, and during that time, the lady from the food bank will be doing a talk and telling where the money that we collected will go for feeding the hungry," said Sherie Spain, pottery director at the Opelika Parks and Recreation Department. Restaurants donating soup are Chick-fil-A, Niffer's Place, Jim 'N Nick's BBQ Restaurant, Irish Bred Pub and Restaurant, Village Cookery and Panera Bread. "Because we live in such a wonderful community like Auburn, it's easy to forget that there are really truly people who are suffering from food insecurities," Cleckler said. "We are so fortunate that we always do not think, necessarily, about the people who definitely do not know where their next meal will come from." Auburn University students, professors, potters and people such as Kaiser are some of the artists donating their time and skills to creating the bowls. "It's such a great collaborative effort between Auburn and Opelika," Cleckler said. "Everybody is donating and giving of their talents."
The following crimes were reported by the Auburn Police Division from Jan. 20-25: Jan. 20 -Second-degree theft of property was reported at the 100 block of N. Ross St. at 9:05 a.m. -Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle was reported at the 300 block of Webster Road at 9:34 a.m. -Third-degree criminal trespass was reported at the 900 block of E. Magnolia Ave. at 9:55 a.m. -Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle was reported at the 2300 block of Bent Creek Road at 12:00 p.m. -Harassing communications was reported at the 100 block of N. College St. at 2:10 p.m. -Second-degree burglary was reported at the 2300 block of Core Drive at 12:17 p.m. -Second-degree theft of lost property was reported at the 1800 block of W. Longleaf Drive at 1:30 p.m. -Third-degree theft of property was reported at the 200 block of W. Longleaf Drive at 3:41 p.m. -Harassing communications was reported at the 300 block of Byrd St. at 4:27 p.m. -Leaving the scene of an accident was reported at the 300 block of P O Davis Drive at 4:58 p.m. -Third-degree domestic violence was reported in Auburn at 6:30 p.m. -Identity theft was reported at the 200 block of Cove Ct. at 5:08 p.m. -Possession of drug paraphernalia was reported in Auburn at 8:27 p.m. -Second-degree theft of property was reported at the 1900 block of Rock Ledge Ct. at 8:32 p.m. -Second-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia was reported in Auburn at 11:00 p.m. -A 22-year-old was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia in Auburn. -A 21-year-old was arrested for second-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia in Auburn. Jan. 21 -First-degree theft of property was reported at the 100 block of W. Magnolia Ave. at 1:12 a.m. -Third-degree assault and third-degree criminal mischief were reported at the 1600 block of Lee Road 12 at 2:46 a.m. -Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle was reported at the 2400 block of Glenn Brooke Drive at 4:34 a.m. -First-degree theft of property was reported at the 4300 block of Golf Club Drive at 6:53 a.m. -Criminal mischief and damage to private property was reported at the 300 block of Nelocco Drive at 8:16 a.m. -Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle was reported at the 1100 block of Water Oak Circle at 8:50 a.m. -Harassment was reported at the 1200 block of Combs Ave. at 8:52 a.m. -Second-degree possession of marijuana was reported in Auburn at 2:00 p.m. -Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle was reported at the 200 block of Timberwood Drive at 2:01 p.m. -Second-degree possession of a forged instrument was reported at the 100 block of S. College St. at 2:07 p.m. -First-degree theft of property was reported at the 4300 block of Golf Club Drive at 2:04 p.m. -Harassment was reported at the 700 block of W. Magnolia Ave. at 3:31 p.m. -Third-degree criminal trespass was reported at the 800 block of Oakdale Drive at 5:17 p.m. -Simple assault was reported at the 900 block of Old Mill Road at 8:59 p.m. -A 23-year-old was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia in Auburn. -A 26-year-old was arrested for third-degree assault, a probation violation and second-degree possession of marijuana in Auburn. Jan. 22 -Second-degree possession of a forged instrument was reported at the 300 block of Mell St. at 6:13 a.m. -Harassing communications was reported at the 300 block of N. Gay St. at 8:37 a.m. -Duty upon striking an unoccupied vehicle was reported at the 2400 block of S. College St. at 10:46 a.m. -Indecent exposure was reported at the 1700 block of S. College St. at 11:12 a.m. -Third-degree burglary and third-degree theft of property were reported at the 1700 block of Lauren Lane at 1:20 a.m. -Third-degree burglary was reported at the 300 block of Glenn Ave. at 2:00 p.m. -Third-degree theft of property was reported at the 200 block of Wire Road at 3:58 p.m. -Theft of vehicle parts was reported at the 200 block of Lee Road 10 at 4:15 p.m. -Theft of other vehicle was reported at the 4000 block of Golf Club Drive at 6:20 p.m. Jan. 23 -Third-degree domestic violence was reported in Auburn at 2:15 a.m. -Unauthorized use of auto-no force was reported at the 900 block of Holmes Ave. at 7:08 a.m. -Harassment was reported at the 300 block of Boykin St. at 9:00 a.m. -First-degree possession of a forged instrument was reported at the 1600 block of S. College St. at 10:04 a.m. -Third-degree theft of property was reported at the 500 block of Webster Road at 9:41 a.m. -Unauthorized use of a vehicle was reported at the 200 block of Enterprise Drive at 2:47 p.m. -Second-degree rape was reported in Auburn at 2:49 p.m. -Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle was reported at the 700 block of W. Glenn Ave. at 3:41 p.m. -Harassment was reported at the 1500 block of N. College St. at 6:35 p.m. -Third-degree theft of property was reported at the 1800 block of W. Longleaf Drive at 6:59 p.m. -Leaving the scene of an accident was reported at the 2300 block of S. College St. at 10:35 p.m. Jan. 24 -Second-degree possession of marijuana was reported in Auburn at 12:02 a.m. -Third-degree domestic violence was reported in Auburn at 12:45 a.m. -Third-degree theft of property was reported at the 300 block of N. Dean Road at 10:00 a.m. -Leaving the scene of an accident was reported at the 300 block of W. Magnolia Ave. at 10:33 a.m. -Third-degree theft of property was reported at the 500 block of Heard Ave. at 5:30 p.m. -Harassing communications and third-degree possession of a forged instrument was reported at the 600 block of Webster Road at 6:55 p.m. -Shoplifting was reported at the 1600 block of S. College St. at 11:16 p.m. Jan. 25 -Second-degree theft of property was reported at the 200 block of W. Longleaf Drive at 12:02 a.m. -Third-degree domestic violence was reported in Auburn at 1:51 a.m. -Reckless endangerment, fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle, third-degree theft of property, possession of a concealed weapon without a permit and third-degree receiving stolen property was reported at the 400 block of N. Dean Road at 2:55 a.m. -Leaving the scene of accident was reported at the 700 block of S. Dean Road at 2:45 a.m. -Criminal mischief and damage to business property was reported at the 1600 block of Opelika Road at 4:00 a.m. -Leaving the scene of an accident was reported at the 100 block of Wright St. at 4:10 a.m. -Third-degree domestic violence was reported in Auburn at 10:15 a.m. -Third-degree theft of property was reported at the 600 block of N. Ross St. at 1:08 p.m. -Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle was reported at the 600 block of Shug Jordan Pkwy. at 2:00 p.m. -Harassing communications was reported at the 600 block of N. Ross St. at 2:01 p.m. -Third-degree Theft of Property was reported at the 1200 block of S. College St. at 2:22 p.m. -Harassment was reported at the 700 block of E. Glenn Ave. at 3:54 p.m. -Theft of property was reported at the 900 block of N. Donahue Drive at 11:20 p.m. -A 55-year-old was arrested for third-degree domestic violence in Auburn. -A 16-year-old juvenile was arrested for unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle, third-degree theft of property, reckless endangerment, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, third-degree receiving stolen property and firearms license required at N. Ross St. -A 32-year-old was arrested for third-degree domestic violence in Auburn. -A 32-year-old was arrested for third-degree domestic violence in Auburn. The following were arrested and charged with driving under the influence by the Auburn Police Division from Jan. 20-25: Jan. 22 -Maloree Jordan Donaldson, 22 E. Glenn Ave. at Alice St. Jan. 23 -Jared Luke Jones, 25 S. College St. -Bernabe Rolando Ambrocio-Perez, 22 Opelika Road Jan. 24 -Brent Ray Goodson, 29 S. College St. Jan. 25 -Turner Douglas Griffin, 21 E. Samford Ave.
After five years of service, The Bank Vault will be closing. Located at 101 N. College St., The Bank Vault will be closing with a bang during their "the last night of The Bank Vault event" May 30, where they will have live music and will be celebrating their past years. Ben Barley, general manager of The Bank Vault, said they will not be relocating once they close. "We have new owners of our building, and our lease is up on May 31, and they want to increase the rent about over 100 percent, so that's not something that's feasible," Barley said. "It's not affordable to do it." Barley said the new owners of the space said they have a restaurant business interested in renting the space. Barley said a majority of The Bank Vault's customers are regulars. "This is one of the only places you can go and it's really kind of mellow," Barley said. "You just come in, sit down, have drinks and talk. There's not too many places like that around here."
Oysters, beer, bourbon, fresh foraged foods and scholarship money will all be on the table Jan. 30 at the Alabama Oyster Social. Acre restaurant staff is partnering with the Auburn University Shellfish Laboratory to host this event, and the proceeds will benefit the laboratory. "We're donating the money in the form of a scholarship for the professors at the shellfish laboratory and the students going into the studies of stable shellfish harvesting," said David Bancroft, chef at Acre. The event will have six different chefs, Caleb Fischer, Jason Stanhope, Adam Evans, Rob McDaniel, Wesley True and Bancroft cooking oysters in different ways. They will prepare fried oysters, chargrilled oysters with garlic and parmesan, oyster stew with chickweed and smoked ham, poached oysters with ham hock broth, a raw oyster bar, different condiments, catfish from Auburn University fisheries and shrimp. "After, obviously, Katrina and the amount of oyster farmers that were struggling, (we were) seeing the progress that they've made over the last few years and watching them with their sustainable oyster research," Bancroft said. "(I was) speaking with a few other chefs, and everybody just really agreed that it was something we wanted to highlight, such an awesome resource to have off the coast of Alabama." Bill Walton, associate professor in the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, said that they will use the money for student research so they can focus on the questions that oyster farmers have. They have been looking at what is working in other places for oyster farmers and developing their own methods for better oyster farming. "Because our waters are so productive, the oysters grow fast, but so does everything else and so baskets that you're raising the oysters in will get covered up with seaweed and barnacles," Walton said. "You're spending so much time keeping them clean ... that you just weren't going to make any money." Walton said they recommend growing oysters by taking them out of the water to dry for a period of time because the oysters will survive but the things growing on them will not. Each of the oyster farmers providing oysters for the social raises their oysters in different waters and has oysters with a different taste. "Oysters, they take on the flavor of where they're grown," Walton said. "Even though they're all Alabama oysters, they're grown in three different locations. They're going to get a variety of taste." Cullan Duke, oyster farmer off the west coast of Dauphin Island, said there is a historical difference in oysters from different regions of the country. "The best part is just kind of seeing what everyone has going on in Alabama and realizing we can produce world class oysters right here in Alabama," Duke said. "What we're doing that's different is having individually named oysters from specific different kinds of microenvironments that have different tastes." They will also have drinks from Back Forty Beer, Cathead Distillery, Sazerac Bourbon, International Wine and Pinnacle Imports. The event will start at 6 p.m. and are $57.92. "My grandfather is a fish farmer in Alabama with Auburn University, and I have a brother who is a graduate of the fisheries program," Bancroft said. "Working with Auburn University fisheries has always been something important for our family."
The following crimes were reported by the Auburn Police Division from Jan. 12-19: Jan. 12 -Third-degree domestic violence in Auburn at 3:30 p.m. -Second-degree theft of property at the 300 block of N. Dean Road at 3:34 p.m. -Third-degree theft of property at the 2300 block of S. College St. at 6:05 p.m. -Possession of cocaine in Auburn at 9:05 p.m. -Criminal mischief reported in the 200 block of Teague Ct. at 11:31 p.m. -Latonya Patrice Hicks was arrested for harassment at Florence Drive. -Ladonte Maurice Battle was arrested for second-degree bail jumping and failure to appear at the Lee County Sherriff's Office. -A 21-year-old was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia in Auburn. Jan. 13 -Second-degree possession of marijuana in Auburn at 12:25 a.m. -Disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace was reported at the 300 block of E. Longleaf Drive at 2 a.m. -Criminal mischief and damage to private property was reported at the 300 block of Lem Morrison Drive at 8:13 a.m. -Automobile theft was reported at the 1700 block of Glenn Ave. at 9:42 p.m. -Shoplifting was reported at the 2400 block of E. Glenn Ave. at 11:37 a.m. -Duty to give information and render aid after a traffic accident was reported at I-85 N in Auburn at 2:32 p.m. -Third-degree theft of property was reported at the 600 block of Shug Jordan Parkway at 3:15 p.m. -Third-degree domestic violence was reported in auburn at 4:40 p.m. -Check forgery was reported at the 4000 block of Lee Road 146 at 5:50 p.m. -Brittany Carlise Dowdell was arrested for third-degree criminal trespass and harassment at the Lee County Sherriff's Office. -A 35-year-old was arrested for third-degree domestic violence in Opelika at the Lee County Sherriff's Office. -Jason Lavaughn white, 30, was arrested for second-degree theft of property on N. Ross St. -A 28-year-old was arrested for second-degree possession of marijuana in Auburn. -Cody Alexander Allen was arrested for public intoxication at W. Magnolia Ave. -Vester Lamar Marable was arrested for second-degree bail jumping and failure to appear at N. Donahue Drive. -Khalil Ajanni Bilal Johnson was arrested for disorderly conduct at E. Longleaf Drive. -Jeffery Wayne Thompson was arrested for failing to appear (traffic) at Shug Jordan Parkway. Jan. 14 -Third-degree domestic violence, second-degree possession of marijuana and illegal possession of prescription Drugs were reported in Auburn at 12:53 a.m. -Third-degree theft of property and second-degree criminal trespass was reported at the 600 block of Edgewood Drive at 7:17 a.m. -Harassing communications was reported at the 1100 block of Wire Road at 9:09 a.m. -Shoplifting was reported at the 100 block of Opelika Road at 2:30 p.m. -Criminal mischief and damage to business property were reported at the 1000 block of Opelika Road at 10:42 a.m. -Second-degree theft of property was reported at the 1600 block of Opelika Road at 11:39 a.m. -Permitting dogs to run at large was reported at the 9200 block of Lee Road 54 at 3 p.m. -Second-degree theft of property was reported at the 300 block of E. Glenn Ave. at 1 p.m. -Second-degree forgery was reported at the 700 block of Millers Point Road at 1:53 p.m. -Kelvin Jerome Jackson Sr. was arrested for second-degree possession of a forged instrument and violation of a court order at N. Ross St. -Deatrice Wilson, 37, was arrested for the illegal possession of a credit/debit card at N. Ross St. -Timika Lawan Askew was arrested for third-degree theft of property at N. Ross St. -A 24-year-old was arrested for second-degree possession of marijuana and illegal possession of prescription drugs in Auburn. -A 24-year-old was arrested for third-degree domestic violence in Auburn. -A 45-year-old was arrested for third-degree domestic violence in Auburn. Jan. 16 -Second-degree possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and synthetic narcotic-possession was reported in Auburn at 4 a.m. -Criminal mischief and damage to private property was reported at the 8000 block of Tara Lane at 7:38 a.m. -Second-degree theft of property was reported at the 2000 block of E. University Drive at 10:36 a.m. -Identity theft was reported at the 700 block of Oakdale Drive at 1:52 p.m. -Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle was reported at the 400 block of Harper Ave. at 2:41 p.m. -Harassing communications was reported at the 300 block of E. Longleaf Drive at 3:07 p.m. -Third-degree criminal mischief was reported at the 1500 block of Opelika Road at 4:04 p.m. -Duty upon striking an unoccupied vehicle was reported at the 300 block of E. Glenn Ave. at 4:15 p.m. -Simple assault was reported at the 100 block of E. Magnolia Ave. at 11:45 p.m. -Katherine Clement Alexander was arrested for public intoxication at S. Gay St. -Alvin Carl Coleman was arrested for probation violation and failure to appear at the Lee County Jail. -An 18-year-old was arrested for second-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia in Auburn. -A 19-year-old was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and being a minor in possession of alcohol in Auburn. -Kimberly Hilliard McCurdy was arrested for probation violation and failing to appear (traffic) on Cox Road. -Terry James Fields Jr. was arrested for failing to appear (traffic) at the Lee County Sherriff's Office. -Sean Amon McCann was arrested for public intoxication at N. College St. -Eli Harrison Kahn was arrested for public intoxication at E. Thach Ave. -Shane Joseph English was arrested for public intoxication at E. Magnolia Ave. Jan. 17 -Second-degree possession of marijuana was reported in Auburn at 1:02 a.m. -Third-degree criminal mischief was reported at the 200 block of W. Magnolia Ave at 1:39 p.m. -Second-degree theft of property was reported at the 100 block of E. Magnolia Ave. at 2:10 a.m. -Harassment was reported at the 100 block of E. Magnolia Ave. at 3:25 a.m. -First-degree possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, second-degree possession of marijuana and fleeing and attempting to elude an officer was reported in Auburn at 4 a.m. -Pickpocket theft was reported at the 100 block of Magnolia Ave. at 12:19 p.m. -Second-degree theft of property was reported at the 200 block of Mell St. at 12:56 p.m. -Second-degree theft of property was reported at the 1800 block of Opelika Road at 2:26 p.m. -Leaving the scene of an accident was reported at the 1600 block of Opelika Road at 3:45 p.m. -Third-degree criminal mischief and third-degree criminal trespass were reported at the 300 block of S. College St. at 3:14 p.m. -Criminal mischief and damage to private property were reported at the 300 block of Lee Road 191 at 4:25 p.m. -Second-degree possession of marijuana was reported in Auburn at 8:00 p.m. -A 22-year-old was arrested for second-degree possession of marijuana in Auburn. -An 18-year-old was arrested for second-degree possession of marijuana and fleeing and attempting to elude an officer in Auburn. -Jackson Richard Hice was arrested for public intoxication at W. Glenn Ave. -A 17-year-old juvenile was arrested for the first-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia in Auburn. -Asmine Dejuan Jones was arrested for a probation violation on Webster Road. -A 23-year-old was arrested for second-degree possession of marijuana in Auburn. -Tommy Lee Coleman Jr. was arrested for a probation violation at the Lee County Jail. -Tracy Allen Fuller was arrested for harassing communications at the Lee County Jail. Jan. 18 -Harassment was reported at the 100 block of N. College St. at 2:25 a.m. -Third-degree criminal mischief and third-degree criminal trespass were reported at the 2000 block of S. College St. at 6:00 a.m. -Second-degree theft of property was reported at the 100 block of Hemlock Drive at 11:10 a.m. -Third-degree criminal mischief and first-degree criminal trespass were reported at the 2000 block of S. College St. at 6:00 a.m. -Third-degree criminal mischief and first-degree criminal trespass were reported at the 300 block of Byrd St. at 1:00 p.m. -Third-degree domestic violence and harassment were reported in Auburn at 4:08 p.m. -Third-degree criminal trespass was reported at the 1400 block of Richland Road at 6:02 p.m. -Second-degree theft of property was reported at the 1500 block of Chadwick Lane at 6:54 p.m. -Valintez Deontae Edmonson was arrested for third-degree theft of property at Professional Parkway. -Vander M Himmons was arrested for probation violation at N. Gay St. -Alex Madison Jr. was arrested for public intoxication at E. Magnolia Ave. -Lonnie Sanford Jr. was arrested for probation violation at 901 S. College St. -Milford Crowder Jr. was arrested for attempting to elude a police officer and giving false identification to a law enforcement officer at S. College St. Jan. 19 -Second-degree theft of property was reported at the 800 block of N. Donahue Drive at 10:45 a.m. -Third-degree theft of property and second-degree forgery were reported at the 800 block of N. Donahue Drive at 11:30 a.m. -Harassment was reported at the 100 block of W. Glenn Ave. at 12:40 p.m.] -Third-degree domestic violence was reported in Auburn at 2:18 p.m. -Third-degree domestic violence was reported in Auburn at 2:55 p.m. -Third-degree theft of property was reported at the 1700 block of S. College St. at 2:55 p.m. -Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle was reported at the 100 block of Shell Toomer Parkway at 3:48 p.m. -Criminal mischief and damage to private property was reported at the 800 block of Lem Morrison Drive at 5:51 p.m. -Harassing communications was reported at the 500 block of Shelton Mill Road at 6:15 p.m. -A 41-year-old was arrested for third-degree domestic violence and probation violation in Auburn. -Keyaire Ahmun Cobb was arrested for failure to appear and second-degree bail jumping at Harper Ave. -Monkevia Shamaine Cobb was arrested for failure to appear and second-degree bail jumping at Lee County jail. -Raven C Crowder was arrested for probation violation at W. Glenn Ave. -Venyetta Kenchae Giles was arrested for probation violation at the Lee County jail. -Carvarnos Quinaro Watts was arrested for failing to appear (traffic) and probation violation at Wire Road. -Laketha La'shay Perry was arrested for third-degree theft of property and probation violation at S. College St. -Passious Volissia Quanshae Ellis was arrested for third-degree theft of property and probation violation at S. College St. -Antonio Lewis Slaughter was arrested for probation violation at Wire Road. The following were arrested and charged with driving under the influence by the Auburn Police Division from Jan. 12-19: Jan. 12 -Corey Matthew Good, 23 Webster Road Jan. 13 -Tyler Jordan Walters, 23 Shelton Mill Road -Sung Koo Lee, 41 E. Glenn Ave. Jan. 14 -Thomas Connor Ingalls, 22 Bragg Ave. Jan. 17 -Samuel Michael Bruns, 19 Shelton Mill Road -Ralph James Barton, 55 S. College St. -Clinton Edward Kirk, 39 N. Gay St. -Luke Dean Christensen, 19 E. Glenn Ave. Jan. 18 -Daniel McGee Robert, 20 N. Gay St. -Shannon Leigh Weldon, 27 E. University Drive -Ansley Rachel Evans, 25 E. Magnolia Ave. -Caitlin Marie Grace, 21 Halal Ct.
Former Councilman Arthur Dowdell continued his pursuit in questioning Councilman Clemon Byrd about his legal residency in Ward 1 at the City Council meeting Tuesday, Jan. 20. Byrd defeated Dowdell in the last Council elections for the Ward 1 seat Aug. 26, 2014. Dowdell has attended previous Council meetings to argue against Byrd. \0x2028"Mr. Byrd knows that we got pictures of an empty house," Dowdell said. "The district attorney is going to investigate you. I need to let you know." Larry Taylor, resident of Ward 1, also spoke about the issue. He said he was concerned for Byrd and the quality of the house in question. "I don't want you messed up in a whole bunch of garbage," Taylor said. "If you don't live at that address, there's going to be some problems." Byrd responded to Taylor by saying he appreciated his concern, but Taylor's attorney should contact Byrd's attorney about the issue as they have been doing. Byrd said Dowdell and Taylor are two of the main people concerned with the issue of his residency. "I have no ill-will toward (Dowdell) now," Byrd said. "I never did. He's a citizen of Auburn, and he's allowed to come to the City Council meetings."\0x2028 Byrd said he is waiting to be contacted by the district attorney. "I'll explain it to him like I've explained it to my attorney and everybody else," Byrd said. Later in the Council meeting there was a discussion involving the development agreement with Orange-Auburn, LLC, about building a Newk's Eatery at the Heart of Auburn located on College and Gay Street. Councilwoman Lynda Tremaine, Ward 5, was opposed to the unanimous consent vote that would have been necessary to pass the ordinance for the development at that particular meeting. Tremaine said she needed more time to learn more about the development. "I just want to have more time to ask some more questions to find out more about it with the location of it being on Gay Street," Tremaine said. "I don't want to go back and think gosh, we should have questioned that." Tremaine said after the meeting she got more information about the development, but she still wants to know more about the landscaping and the lighting. "I got more assurance that it will look better than what I first feared," Tremaine said. The Council will vote on the development ordinance at the next Council meeting Feb. 3. Other items that were discussed at the Council meeting: Approved closing of city streets at Auburn University for the Toomer's Oak tree planting on Feb. 14. Approved temporary closing of city streets on April 18 for the Auburn Oaks Celebration. Approved purchase of two mast arm traffic signal poles for $34,168.28 for the Toomer's Corner Project. Approved purchase of a $744,889 Pierce Velocity Custom 4-door Chassis 75' Quint Ladder Truck for the Public Safety Department-Fire Division. Approved agreement for Sand Hill Recycling, Inc. 3-year inert construction and demolition waste disposal service.
There was a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of South Donahue Drive and South College Street on Monday, Jan. 19. A blue 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier going southbound on College Street collided with a gray Toyota Corolla. Jeffrey Robinson, an Auburn resident, was the driver of the Cavalier. "I had a green light," Robinson said. "The Toyota Corolla was turning left without a turning signal." Robinson said he slammed on his brakes when he noticed the other car. "We met right dead center of the street," Robinson said. "I was deflected off towards a light pole." Ryan Bynum, sophomore in pre-med, was the driver of the Corolla. "I had a green yield light, and he had a green light, and I was turning left off South College onto South Donahue," Bynum said. "He was coming straight and his headlights were on." Bynum said he thought Robinson was further down the hill. "I started turning, thought I had plenty of time and realized ... he was coming up faster and a little closer than I thought," Bynum said. Bynum said both cars clipped corners in the middle of the intersection. The accident was cleared at approximately 7:50 p.m.
The following crimes were reported by the Auburn Police Division from Jan 5-11: Jan. 5 -Second-degree charge for possession of marijuana in Auburn. -An unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle was reported at the 600 block of Carpenter Way at 6:41 a.m. -Third-degree theft of property of $500 or less was reported at the 1700 block of S. College St. at 8:35 a.m. -Duty upon striking an unoccupied vehicle was reported at the 300 block of Thatch Concourse at 1:59 p.m. -Third degree domestic violence was reported in Auburn at 4 p.m. -Identity theft was reported at the 1900 block of Highridge Lane at 4:14 p.m. -Third-degree domestic violence was reported in Auburn at 4:26 p.m. -Harassment and intimidation was reported at the 1700 block of Opelika Road at 4:32 p.m. -Harassment, simple assault and criminal mischief causing damage to private property were reported at the 1000 block of S. College St. at 5:06 p.m. -Third-degree domestic violence was reported in Auburn at 6:23 p.m. -Third-degree criminal mischief and discharging of a firearm in city limits was reported at the 1100 block of Old Mill Road at 7:08 p.m. -Third-degree theft of property was reported at the 200 block of Foy Union Circle at 8:04 p.m. -A 37-year-old from Union Springs was arrested for second-degree possession of marijuana in Auburn. -Samuel Dustin Graaf was arrested for fleeing and attempting to elude an officer at the 1800 block of Opelika Road. -Rodravis Cordarryl Hill was arrested for a probation violation at the Lee County Jail. Jan. 6 -Illegal possession of prescription drugs was reported in Auburn at 1:18 a.m. -Domestic violence and criminal mischief were reported in Auburn at 7 a.m. -First-degree theft of property and third-degree criminal mischief were reported at the 3800 block of Cox Road at 7:31 a.m. -Third-degree theft of property was reported at the 800 block of E. Magnolia Ave. at 10:45 a.m. -Second-degree possession of marijuana was reported in Auburn at 12:26 p.m. -Second-degree theft of property was reported at the 500 block of Lee road 53 at 11:47 a.m. -Second-degree theft of property was reported at the 900 block of McKinley Ave. at 12:30 p.m. -Second-degree possession of marijuana was reported in Auburn at 2 p.m. -First-degree theft of property was reported at the 4000 block of S. College St. at 7:17 p.m. -Third-degree burglary and second-degree theft of property was reported at the 200 block of W. Drake Ave. at 10:05 p.m. -Third-degree domestic violence was reported in Auburn at 11:22 p.m. -Third-degree theft of property was reported at the 100 block of S. Gay St. at 11:40 p.m. -Someone leaving the scene of an accident was reported at Armstrong St. at E. Samford Ave. at 11:50 p.m. -Third-degree burglary and third-degree theft of property was reported at the 600 block of Center Place at 11:21 p.m. -Third-degree criminal mischief was reported at the 20 block of Armstrong St. at 11:45 p.m. -Third-degree burglary and second-degree theft of property was reported at the 300 block of N. Donahue Drive at 11:48 p.m. -Kandace Jada Lamia Reeves, 22, was arrested for interference with custody and first-degree theft of property at Mall Blvd. -Ameka Simone Reeves, 33, was arrested for first-degree theft of property at 141 N. Ross St. -Gregory Bruce Peever was arrested for a probation violation at the Lee County Jail. -John Thomas Ohoro was arrested for obstructing government operations, giving false identification to law enforcement officer, and failure to appear/second-degree bail jumping at 1900 Frederick Road. -Kandace Jada Reeves, 22, was arrested for failure to appear/second-degree bail jumping at 1900 Frederick Road. Jan 7. -Third-degree criminal mischief was reported at the 500 block of Perry St. at 3:39 a.m. -Forced burglary at a residence was reported at the 600 block of Lee Road 191 at 9:19 a.m. -Harassment was reported at the 700 block of Queens Way at 11:56 a.m. -Identity theft was reported at the 1800 block of Coopers Pond at 5:25 p.m. -Third-degree domestic violence was reported in Auburn at 5:02 p.m. -Third-degree receiving stolen property was reported at S. College St. at W. Veterans Blvd. at 6:33 p.m. -Taylor Pace Rowell was arrested for first-degree bail jumping at Opelika Road. -Denise Carol Lee was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest at S. College St. Jan. 8 -Leaving the scene of a crime was reported at the 100 block of N. College St. at 12:16 a.m. -First-degree theft of property was reported at the 1600 block of Lee road at 5:52 a.m. -Criminal mischief and damage to private property was reported at the 1700 block of S. College St. at 10:09 a.m. -A person fleeing and attempting to elude an office and public intoxication were reported at the 900 block of Pleasant Ave. at 1:30 p.m. -Miscellaneous theft was reported at the 300 block of Mell St. at 3:51 p.m. -Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle was reported at the 1400 block of Richland Road at 8 p.m. -Harassing communications was reported at the 600 block of Meagan Ct. at 11:23 p.m. -Morgan Rae Sims was arrested for third-degree theft of property at the 2000 block of S. College St. -Bakriesha Lashonda Walker was arrested for failing to appear (traffic) at the Lee County Jail. -Tyquavius Tyrail Smith was arrested for a probation violation at the 1600 block of S. College St. -Kirby Alexander Carlisle was arrested for public intoxication at the 100 block of N. College St. -William Keith Graves was arrested for public intoxication at S. College St. at Samford Ave. -Micheal Anthony Combs was arrested for fleeing and attempting to elude an officer, public intoxication, third-degree criminal trespass, harassing communications and violation of court order at the 900 block of Pleasant Ave. -Kertresha Sherryl Newsome was arrested for an appeal remand at the Lee County Sherriff's Office. Jan. 9 -Someone leaving the scene of an accident was reported at the 1200 block of Combs Ave. at 6 a.m. -Harassment and intimidation was reported at Summer Hill Road at 7:28 a.m. -Third-degree criminal trespass was reported at the 1600 block of E. Glenn Ave. at 2:15 p.m. -Third-degree burglary was reported at the 2300 block of Lee Road 137 at 2:18 p.m. -Harassing communications was reported at the 700 block of W. Glenn Ave. at 3:06 p.m. -First-degree theft of property was reported at the 1500 block of Opelika road at 4:35 p.m. -Sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old was reported in Auburn at 3:28 p.m. -Someone leaving the scene of a crime was reported at the 800 block of Opelika road at 6 p.m. -Harassment and intimidation was reported at the 200 block of W. Longleaf Drive at 7:46 p.m. -Third-degree criminal trespass was reported at the 2600 block of Mimms Lane at 10 p.m. -Third-degree theft of property was reported at the 1700 block of S. College St. at 11 p.m. -Amanda Lombard Jackson was arrested for third-degree theft of property at S. College St. -Jemell Marcus Nunley was arrested for second-degree theft of property at N. Donahue Drive. -Felicia Faye Anderson was arrested for third-degree theft of property at S. College St. Jan. 10 -Required license for firearms was reported at the 100 block of Wright St. at 3:45 a.m. -Third-degree theft of property was reported at the 1100 block of Opelika Road at 10:54 a.m. -Third-degree theft of property was reported at the 500 block of Berkeley Ave. at 10 a.m. -Third-degree theft of property was reported at the 100 block of S. College St. at 11:05 a.m. -Third-degree criminal mischief was reported at the 100 block of S. College St. at 11:50 a.m. -Third-degree burglary was reported at the 1600 block of Lee Road 12 at 1:20 p.m. -Third-degree domestic violence was reported in Auburn at 7:25 p.m. -Steven Lee Murphy was arrested for criminal littering at S. Gay St. -Odavius D. Porter was arrested for not having a firearms license at Wright St. -Charles Tyler Yarbrough was arrested for public intoxication and third-degree criminal trespass at Wrights Mill Road. -Derick Delmon Oliver was arrested for probation violation at S. College St. -Ashley Jordan Calloway was arrested for third-degree theft of property at Opelika Road. Jan. 11 -Permitting dogs to run at large was reported at the 600 block of Midtown Ct. at 2:22 p.m. -Leaving the scene of an accident was reported at the 200 block of Reese Ave. at 1:54 p.m. -Second-degree theft of property was reported at the 100 block of W. Magnolia at 2:26 p.m. -Duty upon striking an unoccupied vehicle was reported at the 2100 block of E. University Drive at 4:49 p.m. -Harassing communications was reported at the 400 block of Webster Road at 11 p.m. -Second-degree possession of marijuana was reported in Auburn at 11:45 p.m. -David Pace Baumohl was arrested for public intoxication at Bragg Ave. -Lorenza Junior Pendleton was arrested for first-degree bail jumping at N. Donahue Drive -Brandon Cortez Fitch was arrested for a probation violation at Williams Ave. -A 23-year-old was arrested for second-degree possession of marijuana in Auburn. The following were arrested and charged with driving under the influence by the Auburn Police Division from Jan. 5-11: Jan. 5 -James Christopher Kemp, 24 600 block of Dekalb St. Jan. 8 -Edward Lee Daffin II, 24 Woodfield Drive at S. College St.
The Community Development Block Grant, or CDBG, had their action plan hearing at 10 a.m. on Jan. 14, 2015. Members of the community voiced their opinions on what they thought the grant should be allocated to. The funds given by the block grant are used for projects that help to develop and preserve the community, primarily in regards to those that benefit low or moderate-income residents. Todd White, director of community development, led the hearing. Those attending the meeting had a wide variety of opinions on where they thought the money should be allocated. "My mother, that's who I speak for," said L.B. Jackson, a resident of Auburn. "She's an elderly person that's on a fixed income that has a couple of properties that could be brought up to a certain standard, which the city is requiring. They could be an asset to maybe some individuals, and you know (it) puts cash flow back in circulation for the city." Jackson said there is a need for the grant in the community for landlords of both residential and commercial properties. "I've heard it addressed in the council meetings that Auburn has grown and developed quite prosperously all over and throughout with the exception of the western side of town," Jackson said. "That remains to be true from my observation from being a resident here for the last 50 or 60 years." Lisa Liddy, employee for Surge Staffing, said one of the community's needs is transportation for people to get to work. Liddy said her phone starts ringing at 5 a.m. because people cannot get their car started, so she picks them up and takes them to work and prays that their assignments aren't terminated. "These guys are making $8-9 an hour, they can't keep a car rolling you know on $8-9 an hour," Liddy said. "I have first and second shift people that are working (and) can't get to work. They don't have family, you know, that can help them with this." Liddy said a contact of hers at the Lee County Transit System said they were booked and do not have the means for more buses, and the ones they do have don't start running until after they need to be at work. Liddy asked for more buses to solve this issue. "These managers at these places will end their assignment in a minute, and then they're on the street again," Liddy said. "It's a real need." Other's present at the meeting were concerned about the homeless people of Auburn, more lighting for their streets, the Boykin Senior Center and mobile home renovation among other issues. The CDBG funds may be used for things such as relocation and demolition, rehabilitation of residential and non-residential structures, public services, construction and improvements of public facilities, energy conservation, businesses that are willing to carry out economic development and help to create jobs and retention activities. White said that they have one action plan meeting annually and an approval meeting about a month later. "I thought it was good, we had good attendance, we had good input, it went really well," White said. "We will prioritize and create a strategy plan and write a document that is for . . . approval at City Council." The application for CDBG funding is due Jan. 30, 2015. There will be a second public hearing at the Boykin Community Center at 5:00 p.m. on March 11, 2015.
The Alabama House of Representatives chose to reelect Rep. Mike Hubbard as the House Speaker on Jan. 13, according to an article on AL.com. Hubbard, who is from Auburn, was indicted on charges of ethics violations involving using his office for personal gain. Hubbard pleaded not guilty for the charges against him. Out of the 105 House members, 99 voted for Hubbard. Rep. Micky Hammon, R-Decatur, nominated Hubbard for speaker. Rep. Mike Hill, R-Columbiana, seconded the nomination for Hubbard as speaker and said he believed Hubbard to be an honest and truthful man. Hubbard's wife, Susan, and his younger son, Riley, said a few words thanking the members for their votes. Hubbard thanked the House for their prayers and support of him and his family. The House has 72 Republicans and 33 Democrats. Rep. Alvin Holmes, D-Montgomery, nominated himself for speaker and did not vote for Hubbard, along with five others.
With the beginning of the new year comes the "new year, new me," mantra as people decide if they will be making changes in their lives. Committing to exercise often is one of the resolutions many people make, which often causes the gyms to become more crowded than usual. One of the gyms whose staff has already noticed an influx of members is Fitness Together at their new location at 1799 Ogletree Road. Latrice Lewis, general manager at Fitness Together, said they have been open and operating, but with their relocation they have re-launched their business. "We changed management and everything," Lewis said. "We're really just kind of starting from the ground up as far as the business goes." Lewis said that their numbers have increased not only because of the new year, but also because of their new location. "It's probably the number one booming industry at the beginning of the year, so we've had a major increase already," Lewis said. "We increased in general just with this move because the majority of our clients live in the area and the majority of the people that were drawn to our gym live in the area we're in now." David Wagner, general manager at Max Fitness, said that they have approximately 300-500 new members after the New Year. Wagner said that part of the influx of members at the Auburn location is because of the students. "Realistically, down here in Auburn, it's because the kids are coming back to school right around now," Wagner said. "Everyone's really preoccupied with the holidays previously to the new year, so that kind of also aids in the fact that they're trying to get in shape again because they put all that holiday weight on." Wagner said approximately 50 or 60 percent of the clients at Max Fitness are students. Lewis said that they also have student clients at Fitness Together, despite Auburn University having an on campus recreational center for students to use. "We are the only gym in the area that offers private personal training so you can have personal training sessions with a certified trainer in your own private room with your own equipment," Lewis said. "It's a huge difference from anywhere else." Lewis said they are working with Auburn University to allow students to come to Fitness Together to complete their internship hours, so they have a good working relationship with Auburn. William Bottcher, freshman in marketing, said he started going to Max Fitness in August 2014. He chose Max Fitness over the Auburn campus recreational center because of the types of weights Max Fitness has. "I'm more into like body building type working out than I am just weights and cardio," Bottcher said. "They just don't have a lot of what I was really looking for weights-wise." Wagner said he thinks that students sometimes choose off-campus gyms because when they are on campus for a long period of time it is nice to get away and work out in a different environment. Their location is also open 24 hours for students and community members with difficult schedules. "If you are serious about weight lifting and stuff then I definitely say go to Max (Fitness), they just have more options and more things to do," Bottcher said. "If you're not as serious and you're more into cardio and playing basketball and stuff I think the rec would be the place to go."
Whether it's a traditional nativity scene or one with every animal imaginable, Christmas nativities are everywhere this time of year. Pat Starr from Farmer Brown's Party Animals is playing a part in the creation of these nativity scenes by allowing organizations in the community to rent animals from him for their scene. Starr said they started renting animals for nativity scenes four or five years ago after his son got a camel. "He wanted a camel just to have it as a pet," Starr said. "Somebody else found out about it (and) they of course wanted to use it for a nativity and that's how it started rolling." Organizations around the community can call Starr and choose which animals they want for their nativity. They provide a variety of animals including goats, donkeys, the camel, a cow, sheep and alpacas. "It started off with just one (place) and now it's, you know, five, six, seven places," Starr said. Fran Loftin, volunteer at the Phenix City Sports Council and Parks and Recreation, said they used Farmer Brown's Party Animals for their nativity scene at a carnival this month. They rented a baby goat, an adult goat, alpacas, llamas, a bull, a miniature horse and baby rabbits. "There's a Bethlehem donkey that Mary rode on and they had two of them this year at the carnival," Loftin said. "What we do is we put a hay circle around and put the rabbits in there and sit the little children there. We start our story off there with the Christmas story telling about these are baby rabbits, but we're also going to learn about another baby named Jesus and he was born in a stable with animals just like this." Loftin said when Santa rode by the children didn't even turn from the animals because they were so excited to be seeing them. Rebecca Harris, special events coordinator for Parks and Recreation, said the carnival was six hours and the animals stayed the whole time. "It was a huge success, the children absolutely loved the animals," Harris said. "I think that's probably the favorite thing we do." The camel, goats and rabbits were the children's favorite, according to Loftin. "We had a little baby goat out in front of the pen, but any of the animals you can put your hand up and just feed them," Loftin said. "This year the camel was so sweet, he would lay his head on your shoulder and look at you and smile." Loftin said they started renting animals from Starr two years ago, and it has made their nativity scene much more hands on. Starr brings food and hand sanitizer so people can feed the animals. If an organization needs the animals for more than one day, Starr said they pack them up and bring them back for the next scene. "The animals are so tame, it's just really wonderful to watch the children interact with them," Harris said.
Alabama state Senator Tom Whatley wakes up between 4 and 5 a.m. to start his day before he makes decisions that affect every Auburn citizen. He starts his day off with a swim or a run before he takes his son to school. He gets dressed in either a suit for court or sweatpants to move furniture or do work to take care of his real estate business. Real estate, law and Senate are just a few of the things Whatley spends his time doing. Whatley has his own law firm where he takes allows students to intern with him to further their law career. "We do civil and criminal litigation," Whatley said. "We do DUI defense (and) public intoxication on the college level here in Auburn." Whatley said he enjoys having student interns because he enjoys watching them mature and find a job and knowing he played a part in it. From March through June, Whatley goes to Montgomery every day to conduct his business with the Senate. During the rest of the year, he goes to Montgomery a couple times a week. "When he's not down there in session he's constantly going from one meeting to another within his own district," said Marc Bankston, childhood friend of Whatley. "He's always tied up with legislative work." Whatley spends a lot of his time communicating with constituents and trying to help them with their concerns. He said his advice to young people is to always treat someone's concerns like it's the most important thing, because to them it is. "When somebody calls up or contacts you, it's a really big honor for me to get that phone call because by the time they're calling me they've usually tried to solve the problem on their own and they've become very frustrated with it," Whatley said. "The thing to remember is that to them, that's the most important thing that's going on right now, no matter how trivial it may sound to you." Whatley's workday usually ends at approximately 7 p.m. In his downtime, Whatley said he enjoys frequenting Coffee Cat, Acre and The Hound. To relax, Whatley said he enjoys reading about history or fiction. "He's way more busy than he used to be now that he's a state senator," Bankston said. Rick Knuth, another friend of Whatley, met him through Bankston during college. Knuth said after knowing Whatley for about 30 years, Whatley is one of the hardest working people he knows both politically and with his law firm. "Every time I talk to him it seems like he's got 10 things going on at once," Knuth said. "How he keeps up with all of them I don't know, but he gets them done and from what I can tell he does a pretty good job for our district and the state too while handling everything else he handles." Whatley said that he likes to spend a lot of time with his two nephews, so he drives to Washington, D.C. often to see them. He also tries to sign up for triathlons in cities where he has friends so he can have an opportunity to visit with them. "Auburn University and Auburn, Alabama have been near and dear to Tom," Knuth said. "Being able to be the state representative for this district in particular means a lot to him."
During this time of joy and giving during the Christmas season, there is a group of people in the community who aren't being forgotten, thanks to organizations such as Home Instead Senior Care and their Be a Santa to a Senior program. Similar to programs such as Toys for Tots that allow the community to donate toys to children, this program helps senior citizens ask for things they need and the community can help to give those items to them. "They collect names from social workers in the community or different facilities where there are seniors who are either lonely or indigent so that they can get a gift for Christmas or something they need," said Valeri White, director of senior programs at the Opelika Sportsplex and Aquatic Center. The seniors' names and requests are put on ornaments on Christmas trees around the community so that anyone can take a name off of the tree and go shopping to get a gift for that person. "People will actually call me and say, 'Can we put up a tree?' Which is wonderful," said Bridget Sager, co-owner of the Home Instead Senior Care in Auburn. The Home Instead Senior Care employees pick up the gifts Dec. 12. They have a wrapping party Dec. 16 at the Sportsplex, so they ask those who donate gifts leave them unwrapped in a bag of some sort. "We just do a big wrapping party that's open for everybody to come and wrap all the gifts, put them back in the bags, and then people take them out from there and they go deliver them up until Christmas," Sager said. Sager said they notify the different senior care agencies such as nursing homes, senior centers, low income housing units, assisted living facilities and sometimes churches, as early as July and August for them to submit the seniors' names. Sometimes they allow the person who bought the gift to deliver it to the person they bought it for, but Sager said they don't recommend it. "Sometimes we've had people that have been really upset when they go to deliver them and the person they are delivering to has Alzheimer's or dementia and they don't know it's Christmas and they don't know you and they don't know to get excited, but it's stuff that they really need," Sager said. "Ninety-five percent of the people that open the gifts, we all end up crying. They're crying, we're crying, it's the sweetest thing." Sager said some of the most common gifts the seniors ask for are items for warmth such as pajamas, blankets, socks, gloves, scarves and bathrobes because they don't have heating in their homes. They also ask for items such as skincare products, bathroom products, shoes and food. "One time a person put microwave and somebody was like 'oh that's extravagant,' but what they didn't know was that person was not allowed to cook anymore due to their cognitive abilities," White said. "At that point it's not a luxury, it's a need." Joan Lasseter, co-owner of Home Instead Senior Care, said each year they see some of the same people, but there's always new faces donating and receiving the gifts. She said her favorite part of the process is watching them open their gifts. "They don't expect it," Lasseter said. "It's a very humbling experience to see the people in this community cared enough to take the time out of their day to go shop for somebody." This year the trees are located at the Sportsplex and the Harris Center.
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, there is a chance to take a break from the festivities to get exercise. The Auburn-Opelika Running and Track Association is hosting their annual Toys For Tots run Saturday. The race will take place at Auburn High School with the help of the AHS Junior ROTC. This will be JROTC's second year helping with the race. "We took the cadets, and they became traffic directors," said Jon Segars, senior Army instructor for JROTC. "They were out on the course not only stopping the vehicular traffic, but telling the runners where to go." Segars said the JROTC members must be passing all of their classes and behave in class if they want to help with community service events such as the race. "If you can't behave yourself in class in high school, you don't get to do community service with us," Segars said. Jarnard Richmond, junior at AHS, is a JROTC cadet. Richmond said he encouraged his family and friends to participate in the run. "I try to tell them that it's good and that they should do it," Richmond said. Richmond said his favorite part of helping at the Toys for Tots run was being able to help a good cause. Approximately 25 of the students from JROTC help with the run, and others participate in the run. Alvin Walls, AORTA member, said AORTA was started in the early 1970s, and he has been involved since 1981. The group has weekly group runs and promotes running and physical fitness in a fun way. AORTA is a volunteer organization that organizes races within the community and has training programs for different level runners. "We wanted to do a race in December between Thanksgiving and Christmas and thought this would be a good opportunity to provide some support for community activities," Walls said. "We can, contribute some gifts to needy children." Walls said they have been doing a Toys For Tots run for approximately 20 years at locations around the community. The Auburn Police Division and Fire Department help collect and distribute the money and toys. "The requirements are you need to bring an unwrapped new toy," Walls said. "Also, there's an entry fee which usually covers your T-shirt and awards." Any money left over goes to Toys For Tots along with the donated toys. There are three options for participants to run. Starting at 7:30 a.m., there is a 5K and a 10K option. At 9 a.m., there will be a one-mile fun run. "A lot of people - new runners and children - participate in (the event)," Walls said. "For many of them it's their first opportunity to participate in a competitive event." Walls said normally 200-250 people participate. For more information on the race visit https://runsignup.com/race/al/auburn/aortatoysfortots5k.
Auburn students are spreading all over the globe after graduation, from Colorado all the way to Spain. Three recent Auburn graduates are spending their time after graduation following their dreams. Trey Gross graduated in May 2014, with a degree in mechanical engineering. Now he is with Christ in the City, a Catholic organization in Denver, Colorado that works with the homeless. "There's 14 missionaries here, every one of us goes out on the street and we meet the homeless directly where they're at," Gross said. Gross said that their motto is to love until it hurts. He spends about 30 hours a week with Christ in the City, and every Wednesday they have a lunch in the park where they feed about 100 people. Gross said that it is fairly easy for the homeless to get food in Denver, but that it's not always good food, so they cook better meals like pulled pork and pumpkin pie for their Wednesday lunches. "A big part of our mission is developing relationships with the homeless," Gross said. "These homeless people are people and you can give them everything that they need, but they're still not going to be complete or whole unless you remind them that they're a person and they're not just an animal like a dog that you can just give food to them." Meanwhile, across the globe, Cece Sherman is in Madrid, Spain. Sherman graduated in August of 2014, with a degree in political science and Spanish. Sherman decided to go to Spain since she graduated early and wanted to take a year off before she goes to law school this fall. Sherman is currently working as an English teacher at a public high school in Madrid. She makes extra money being a nanny when she's not working. "I've been spending a lot of time exploring Madrid, or traveling to different parts of Spain," Sherman said. Sherman has been to Ibiza, Salamanca, and Zaragoza. Sherman's favorite part so far has been meeting people from different countries. "I live with a girl from Germany, Spain, Paris, and then two other Americans," Sherman said. "It's just been cool . . . hanging out with people from different countries and different cultures." Alli Griffin graduated in May 2014, with a degree in exercise science. She is now working for a program at Murray State University in Kentucky called FOCUS. FOCUS hires missionaries and sends them to different campuses across the country to lead small group Bible studies and to train other students on how to lead Bible studies. "The college campus can be one of the darkest places in our world," Griffin said. "Everyone might to be physically poor, but we have real spiritual poverty." Griffin said that when people join FOCUS they make a two-year commitment, but they can be relocated to another college the second year. "We're really just here to support the students, to be friends with them, and to help them in whatever way they need, but most importantly to guide them spiritually," Griffin said. Griffin said that she is considering extending her commitment with FOCUS and making a career out if it instead of leaving after the two years.