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IN THIS ISSUE BUSINESS NEWS A2 | POLITICS A7 | PUBLIC NOTICES A8 | OBITUARIES A14 SPORTS B1 | EDUCATION B8 | FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT B11
Methamphetamine recovered in raid — page A11
2022, 2023 — APA DIVISION D GENERAL EXCELLENCE DESIGNATION — 2024 COVERING LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA
Vol. 16, No. 51 Opelika, Alabama Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024
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Baby Box installed at Opelika Fire Station Secure device aimed at preventing unsafe abandonment of infants
PHOTO BY ROBERT NOLES | THE OBSERVER
On hand for the blessing of Opelika’s new Baby Box were, from left, City Council President Eddie Smith, City Administrator Joey Motley, Pastor David Floyd of Marvin Parkway Baptist Church, Safe Haven Baby Box founder Monica Kelsey and Opelika Fire Chief Shane Boyd. BY ANITA STIEFEL EDITOR@OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
OPELIKA — Safe Haven Baby Boxes held a blessing ceremony on Sept. 23 for the placement of a Baby Box at Fire Station No. 1, located at 604 Ave. B in Opelika. A Baby Box is a designated location where parents can anonymously and safely leave a baby they are unable or unwill-
ing to care for, according to the company’s founder, Monica Kelsey, who was herself abandoned two days after being born to a 17-year-old rape victim in 1972. Kelsey is on a mission to prevent unsafe abandonment and ensure that infants are placed in proper care, following legal protocols. Baby Boxes are located at fire stations throughout the country to “offer a secure
and compassionate option for parents in crisis and help ensure every infant has a chance for a safe and loving future,” she said. “Does this come without pain? No, there’s pain involved,” she said. “When a mother basically says, ‘I want what’s best for my child, and that’s not me,’ there is pain involved there. But at the end of the day, everyone is safe.
The baby is safe. The mom is safe. And adoptive parents are getting the call that they’ve probably been waiting for for a very long time.” She said the average time a baby stays inside is less than two minutes, because help is already on the scene. “In Opelika, Alabama, if you decide you’re not able to raise your baby, you can bring it here, put it in the box, and once the
door is closed the alarms go off and the fire department is here… to get the baby to safety and hopefully lead to an adoption opportunity,” said Opelika City Council President Eddie Smith. “We hope we don’t ever have to use the box, but we’ve got it, and we’re one of the few that do.” David Floyd, pastor of Marvin Parkway Baptist Church, See BABY BOX, page A2
BY DIOSELIN CRUZ, AU NEWS
AUBURN/OPELIKA — Sean Forbes, founder and executive director of O Grows, has received the 2024 Dr. Royrickers Cook Endowed Engagement Award, presented annually to one Auburn University faculty or staff member who has shown an ongoing and purposeful commitment to outreach. Forbes was honored for his exceptional support for “civic and community engagement, interpersonal relationships
and serving the underserved.” His contributions to the community exceed his role as an associate professor of educational psychology, according to a press release from AU News. Forbes’ Opelika Grows (O Grows) initiative has created a space for engagement that amplifies and honors the needs of local people by fostering sustainable relationships with those in need. O Grows is a community garden that encourages students and volunteers to connect with each other and nourish
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the Auburn-Opelika family by cultivating food with a purpose. “The O Grows program exemplifies the university’s commitment to community partnership and outreach by addressing issues of food insecurity in the Opelika area,” said College of Education Dean Jeffrey Fairbrother. “It is an honor for Sean Forbes to be recognized by University Outreach with this prestigious award, and it reinforces our commitment See FORBES, page A2
PHOT0 CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
O Grows founder receives Engagement Award from Auburn University Outreach
Forbes, left, receives the 2024 Dr. Royrickers Cook Endowed Engagement Award from its namesake, right.
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