Work begins on Foley pickleball courts, road
FOLEY – Work is underway to build a new pickleball courts and an access road to the project, Foley Mayor Ralph Hellmich said Wednesday. The project is taking place near the Foley Farmers’ and Fishermen’s Market off Miflin Road. “We have started our pickleball construction,” Hellmich said. “It’s down at the Farmers Market, there will be nine courts. It’s a long-awaited project.” The Foley City Council voted in May to start construction on the road leading to the site. The first phase of the road project is being built by Foley Public Works [...]
Medical overlay district on Foley City Council agenda
FOLEY – A medical overlay district could encourage the growth of healthcare services in Foley by allowing the future expansion of hospitals, medical clinics and similar services in a central area. The Foley City Council is scheduled to consider the proposal to create the district at its next meeting Wednesday, July 5. The meeting was rescheduled from Monday due to the Independence Day holiday. The district would be located in the area around South Baldwin Regional Medical Center. Wayne Dyess, executive director of infrastructure and development, said that if the new district is [...]
City of Foley Independence Day closures
City of Foley offices except for emergency personnel will be closed on Monday, July 3, and Tuesday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. City swimming pools at Aaronville and Max Griffin Parks will be open on Monday, July 3, but closed on Tuesday, July 4. The Holmes Medical Museum and the Railroad Museum located in the historic depot will be closed on July 3 & 4. The Public Works Department will be closed July 3 & 4, however Monday recycling will be picked up as regularly scheduled. Tuesday and Wednesday garbage/recycling will [...]
Foley adding more CDL classes for employees
FOLEY – More Foley employees will start training in July to be certified to operate commercial vehicles under a partnership between the city and other agencies. The city entered into a partnership with the Southwest Alabama Partnership for Training and Development and the Alabama Career Center to provide Class A commercial driver’s license training and certification for some Foley employees. About 12 employees are expected to take part in the training, which is scheduled to begin July 10. Under Alabama law, a driver who operates a combination vehicle weighing more than 26,001 pounds [...]
Foley cancels Thursday train rides due to heat
FOLEY – Train rides scheduled for Thursday, June 29, at the Foley Depot Museum have been canceled due to expected excessive heat. The rides aboard the Charles Ebert Jr. Express take place each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at the Foley Depot Museum from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Thursday, June 29, heat index values were predicted to be as much as 112 degrees, according to U.S. Weather Service reports. The Charles Ebert Jr. Express is driven by a dedicated group of volunteers who make the popular ride possible. City staff members also [...]
Foley adopts Envision Downtown plan
FOLEY – A plan to study growth and plan development in downtown Foley has been adopted by the city. The Foley City Council voted to adopt the Envision Downtown Foley plan. The plan is intended to be included with the city Comprehensive Plan and other guides to be used on preparing for future growth. Work began on the plan in early 2022. Darrelyn Dunmore, executive director of Foley Main Street, said. She said more than 400 people took part in the plan and about 950 provided information in a marketing study. “We have [...]
Foley cancels Tuesday train rides due to heat
FOLEY – Foley’s popular free train rides were canceled Tuesday due to expected excessive heat. The rides aboard the Charles Ebert Jr. Express take place each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at the Foley Depot Museum from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Tuesday, June 27, heat index values were predicted to be 106 degrees, according to U.S. Weather Service reports. The Charles Ebert Jr. Express is driven by a dedicated group of volunteers who make the popular ride possible. City staff members also assist in loading the cars. The rides require drivers and [...]
Erosion control, other projects set for Wolf Bay area waterways
FOLEY – Efforts to protect the watersheds flowing into Wolf Bay are moving forward with several projects in the works. Leslie Gahagan, city of Foley environmental director, said recent grants of more than $3 million will help fund work to fix erosion on waterways such as Wolf Creek and Sandy Creek in east Foley. She told audience members at the Foley Senior Center that erosion, sedimentation and obstructions have affected several local streams. Along Sandy Creek, a dam used to create a pond collapsed and caused severe erosion. Because the site was unused [...]
Foley expanding street sweeper fleet
FOLEY – A new sweeper truck will be cleaning Foley streets a year earlier than planned and at a cost about $30,000 less than expected. The Foley City Council voted to buy the new sweeper truck for $297,173. Darryl Russell, Foley public works director, said the truck should be delivered in about two weeks. He said he had planned to include a new truck in the department’s 2024 budget. A truck ordered in 2024 would be delivered about 12 to 14 months after being ordered. Russell said the vendor who supplies the trucks [...]
Foley considers creating medical district
FOLEY – A medical overlay district could encourage the expansion of medical services to meet the needs of a growing population while protecting surrounding neighborhoods. Foley officials are studying the creation of an overlay district in the area of South Baldwin Regional Medical Center in the northern area of the city. The hospital is currently undergoing a $200-million expansion that will increase the facility’s capacity to 142 beds. Wayne Dyess, executive director of planning and infrastructure, said the expansion is a good time to look at encouraging the development of medical facilities in [...]