Opelika Chamber Wins Awards - A3 First Responders BBQ Photos - A6 IN THIS ISSUE
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BUSINESS NEWS A3 | SOCIETY A9 | OBITUARIES A14 | COMICS A16 SPORTS B1 | POLITICS B9 | PUBLIC NOTICES B12 | PUZZLES B14
2022 — APA DIVISION D GENERAL EXCELLENCE DESIGNATION — 2023 COVERING LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Vol. 15, No. 41 Opelika, Alabama Thursday, July 20, 2023
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Impact of Downtown Fire One Year Later — Part One PHOTOS BY ROBERT NOLES & WIL CREWS /THE OBSERVER
BY HANNAH GOLDFINGER HGOLDFINGER@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM OPELIKA — It’s been one year since a fire that started at Maffia’s in downtown Opelika destroyed the business and others surrounding it. The fire started in the middle of the night on July 21, 2022. The popular and recently reopened business was completely gone by morning. But Maffia’s was not the only business that suffered. Because the fire had to be fought from neighboring businesses, The See IMPACT, page A2
Pictured left: fire damage from the July 21, 2022, fire was extensive, leaving businesses on either side of Maffias inoperable. Right, repairs are being made to the area that once housed Southern Crossing. However, Southern Crossing does not expect to return to that location.
Target Opens In Downtown Auburn
CONTRIBUTED BY THE ALABAMA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
BY WIL CREWS SPORTSCREWS@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
OPELIKA — The city of Opelika, the Wood Duck Nature Preserve of Opelika, AO Tourism and Red Clay Brewing Company will host a watch party on July 22 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Red Clay. The Opelika Wood Duck Nature Preserve is going to be featured on National Geographic’s "Extraordinary Birder with Christian Cooper" — the Alabama episode. The episode airs July 22 at 7 p.m. but can also be streamed on Hulu and Disney+. Barry Fleming, See WATCH, page A3
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
Opelika Wood Duck Nature Preserve to be Featured on Nat Geo Show
Opelika's Wood Duck Nature Preserve is going to be featured on National Geographic's "Extroaordinary Birder with Christian Cooper" July 22.
Summer of Fun — A5 | Submit Your Photos
AUBURN — The new Target in downtown Auburn officially opened its doors last week. The store welcomed customers a few days earlier than anticipated, but held an official grand opening Sunday, July 16. The completion of the retail destination comes after nearly a year of construction that began following the Auburn City Council’s approval of the project in May 2022. The 19,200-squarefoot retail space is located on the ground floor of the Godbold Building, which also features 32 newlycrafted apartments on
the two floors above. The building includes additional parking in the back with walkways for easy access in and around the complex. Target offers guests the opportunity of a one-stop shop for all their retailing needs. Some of the mostly commonly purchased items at Target, according to statista. com, are: Beauty products and essentials, food and beverages, home furnishings and décor, and apparel and accessories. And yes, the downtown Target will sell alcohol as the Auburn City Council approved its alcohol and beverage licenses. “We're excited to bring the joy of Target to new guests, and we’re committed to See TARGET, page A3
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