Vol. 14, No. 45
Thursday Aug. 18, 2022
Opelika, Alabama
FRED ERi CK-DEAN FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY
Covering Lee County, Alabama
Compassion • Integrity • Tradition
An award-winning publication created 'For local people, by local people.'
334-745-4667 On-site Crematory Coming Soon
OPELIKA — Following a vote from the Opelika City Council, a new sixth grade school is coming to Opelika. The Opelika City Council voted unanimously to approve a resolution that would appoint the Bradley Avant Boult Cummings law firm as bound counselor and Frazier Lanier as financial advisor for a bond issue to help Opelika City Schools. The bond issue will help the school system
PHOTO BY THE OBSERVER
BY MICHELLE KEY MICHELLE@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
Southern Crossing to Reopen on 8th Street PHOTO BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH
OCS Asks Opelika To Assist with Financing of New School
BY HANNAH LESTER HLESTER@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
finance the new sixthgrades school on Fox Run Parkway. The resolution will
the project following the vote. OCS Superintendent
also allow the city to reimburse anything that it spends, from the bond funds, on
See OPELIKA, page A5
OPELIKA — Southern Crossing is learning how to move forward. The business owners, Mike and Valerie Smith, held a live video update last week to share with patrons and community members
the future of Southern Crossing following the Maffia’s fire. Southern Crossing will be moving into a new space in downtown Opelika in October. “We both first want to say a huge thank you to all of you who have shown all of your love and support,” See RELOCATION, page A3
BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH KENDYLH@ OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
AUBURN — Alabama Rural Ministry (ARM) will be hosting a barbecue block party Aug. 27 at the ARM office ahead of its annual “No More
Shacks” campaign. Those interested will be able to buy a ticket for either a barbecue or hot dog meal, which can be picked up on Aug. 26 or at the block party on Aug. 27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Barbecue plates are $10 and include two sides and a slice of cake,
while a hot dog plate is $6 and includes chips. In addition, there will be live music and games at the event. While ARM has been hosting No More Shacks annually for more than a decade, the barbecue See ARM, page A2
CONTRIBUTED BY OPELIKA UTILITIES
LEE COUNTY — Water utilities across the region are reviewing processes for water testing and treatment in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement in June of revised guidelines on the levels of certain compounds in water supplies. The new EPA interim lifetime health advisories are intended to better manage risks from a group of man-made chemicals called PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances). There are thousands of variations of these PFAS compounds, and the EPA announcement addressed four specifically: PFOA, PFOS, GenX Chemicals and PFBS. Only trace levels of PFAS have been
found in limited samples taken from water sources in the Auburn-Opelika area and surrounding communities. NEW EPA LIFETIME HEALTH ADVISORIES According to the EPA, most people are exposed to PFAS through consumer products. These chemicals have been used in firefighting foams, industrial processes and manufacturing of carpets, cleaning and cookware products, fur-
PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
Barbecue Block Party to Benefit Area Utilities Respond to ‘No More Shacks’ New EPA Guidelines
niture upholstery, clothing and packaging for food and other materials. Drinking water can be an additional source of exposure in communities where these chemicals have entered water sources such as wells, rivers or lakes. Lifetime health advisories are contaminant levels at which no adverse health effects are expected over a lifetime of drinking water exposure. The advisories See WATER, page A2
CONTENTS
OPINION ..................... A4 ENTERTAINMENT ........... A7 RELIGION ................... A12 OBITUARIES ............... A13 COMICS ....................... A16 SPORTS ........................ B1 POLITICS ...................... B9 PUBLIC NOTICES ........... B12 CLASSIFIEDS ................ B14 PUZZLES ..................... B15