Baldwin County Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee

06/10/2026

06/10/2026

06/10/2026

06/09/2026

It's been six seasons since a strong, incredibly slow-moving Category 2 hurricane crawled ashore in Gulf Shores.

Now, there is the potential for a storm of the same name to make the kind of waves we don't want to see in south Alabama.

The National Hurricane Center, which is responsible for the Atlantic Basin, uses six lists to name a disturbance that intensifies into a tropical storm. The separate set is used each year and rotates back to the first one once all are used. That means the list used for the 2020 hurricane season, which included Hurricane Sally, is the one being used this year.

A storm's name can be retired if it is "so deadly or costly that the future use of its name for a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity," according to NWS.

If that occurs, the World Meteorological Organization committee votes to replaces the name with another and strikes the "offending name" from the list.

The Alabama Gulf Coast's two other hurricanes of lore, Frederic in 1979 and Ivan in 2004, which was previously the most recent named storm to make landfall on the Alabama Gulf Coast, are both retired. The three that were retired from Sally's year are Laura, Eta and Iota.

In 2020, there were so many named storms that NWS had to start using the Greek alphabet after going through the complete list of rotating names. Now, there is an alternate name list to be used in such a busy season rather than Greek letters.

Hurricane Sally was responsible for four direct fatalities, including one in the Wolf Bay area of Baldwin County, two in Escambia County, Florida, and one near Atlanta, Georgia. There were also five indirect fatalities, including one in Foley, one in Baldwin County, one in Pensacola and two in Georgia.

According to RHI and NWS, Sally caused a national total of $7.3 billion in damage.

✍: Kayla Green / Gulf Coast Media

06/07/2026

Prayer for the Community Before the Courthouse Hearing

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” — Psalm 133:1

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father,

We come before You this morning as neighbors, property owners, families, and concerned citizens. We gather not in anger, but in faith; not in division, but in unity; not in fear, but in hope.

Lord, Your Word reminds us in Psalm 133:1 that “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.” Today, we stand together as a community seeking fairness, transparency, and justice. We ask that You bind us together with respect, wisdom, and love for one another, even when we may disagree.

We pray for every resident whose home, property, livelihood, and future may be affected by the decisions before this Court. Grant us courage to stand for what we believe is right and strength to remain peaceful, respectful, and steadfast throughout these proceedings.

Father, we ask that You guide the judge with wisdom, impartiality, and discernment. May every decision be rooted in truth, fairness, and the rule of law. Let justice prevail over politics, transparency prevail over confusion, and the voices of the people be heard and considered.

Bless those who have worked tirelessly to protect the interests of this community. Bless our elected officials, our attorneys, our court officers, and every citizen present today. Help us remember that we share a common responsibility to leave our community better for future generations.

Lord, we pray that this hearing will strengthen, rather than divide, our community. Let neighbors listen to one another, respect one another, and work together for the common good. May our conduct today reflect dignity, integrity, and respect for this Court and for each other.

As we enter this courthouse, we place our trust in You, knowing that You are the source of wisdom, justice, and peace.

May truth be spoken.
May justice be served.
May our community be heard.
And may Your will be done.

In Jesus’ name we pray.

AMEN

06/03/2026

05/23/2026

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1458784016294965&id=100064901403500

🧑🏾‍🎓A Commencement for a King! Congratulations to Yolanda Renee King, granddaughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King and namesake of her aunt, Yolanda Denise King. Yolanda graduated from The Atlanta International School today. We celebrate her and her classmates as they move onward and upward.

05/16/2026

05/16/2026

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYMczkxJsSB/?igsh=MTNtamRub3VzcDA0dg==