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Noon Tunes at Courthouse Square May 22
IN THIS ISSUE BUSINESS NEWS A2 | POLITICS A6 | PUBLIC NOTICES A8 | OBITUARIES A12 SPORTS B1 | EDUCATION B7 | FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT B11
2022 — APA DIVISION D GENERAL EXCELLENCE DESIGNATION — 2023 COVERING LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Vol. 16, No. 32 Opelika, Alabama Thursday, May 16, 2024 Your hometown newspaper created 'for local people, by local people.'
www.opelikaobserver.com
Music will fill the air in Opelika this weekend PHOTO BY MATT AUSTIN | FOR THE OBSERVER
The Opelika Songwriters Festival is back again, with dozens of performances, workshops and other events in store this weekend in venues throughout historic downtown Opelika.
Local family wins game show PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
Pictured, from left, are Raven and Antoine Harvis, Cleven Harvis, Katrina Sheffield and Kerry Harvis. BY ANITA STIEFEL ANITAS@OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
OPELIKA — Opelika’s Harvis family were grand prize winners on the television game show Family Feud, hosted by Steve Harvey.
The Harvises first applied to be on the show in 2015 and were finally called to be contestants for filming in March 2023 in Atlanta. Initially, they lost their first game. Ordinarily, the losing family is sent home, but they were
invited to play another round. “The producers and Mr. Harvey expressed how much they liked our family, so they asked us to return,” explained
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See HARVIS, page A5
CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — The Opelika Songwriters Festival kicks off this Friday evening, offering a weekend full of music and fun. The annual event attracts diehard music lovers from around the Southeast, who come to see more than 30 singer-songwriters playing 80+ shows during the weekend. Founded in 2019 by Rob and Jen Slocumb (aka, Martha’s Trouble), the Opelika Songwriters Festival is a multi-day event featuring worldclass artists. Intimate listening rooms are created in restaurants, coffee shops, a distillery, pubs and galleries throughout the historic downtown district. This year’s headline acts include Shawn Colvin, K.T. Tunstall and Sister Hazel. The festival will include performances by Livingston Taylor, Shawn Mullins, Vicki Peterson, John Cowsill and many others. To see the full lineup of artists and See MUSIC, page A2
The Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center wins travel award CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — The Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center, managed by Ithaka Hospitality Partners, has been recognized as a 2024 Travelers’ Choice award winner for Hotels as one of the best in the world based on 2023 traveler reviews on Tripadvisor. This award celebrates properties that consistently deliver fantastic experiences to guests from around the globe, having earned
great traveler reviews on Tripadvisor over the last 12 months. The Hotel at Auburn University stood out by continuously delighting guests. The 2024 award marks the Hotel’s 11th year in a row to win this award as one of the top 10% of hotels globally. “Every day we work to delight our guests with memorable experiences,” said Hans van der Reijden, Ithaka Founder and CEO. “Our team is honored that our guests’ positive feedback earned this property a Tripadvisor Travelers’
Choice award for the eleventh straight year.” “Congratulations to The Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center on its recognition in Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards for 2024,” said John Boris, Chief Growth Officer at Tripadvisor. “Travelers’ Choice honors businesses that consistently demonstrate a commitment to hospitality excellence. This means you have made such a memorable See HOTEL, page A2
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Free outdoor concerts every Tuesday night, 7 p.m. at Opelika Municipal Park.
May 21 - Kidd Blue