Two Covington County businesses were notified this week that they are among the winners of the 2014 Alabama Retailer of the Year awards.
Darby’s Village Pharmacy in Andalusia and J.R.’s Lawnmower Shop in Opp are among this year’s winners. Each business was notified this week by the Alabama Retail Association that it had won either the gold, silver or bronze award in their respective size categories.
David Darby, who with his wife, Laura, owns Darby’s Village Pharmacy and Medical Center Pharmacy, expressed his appreciation for both the nomination, and the support received.
“I would like to thank all of our associates and our customers for making this happen,” Darby said. “It is an honor to work with you and for you.”
Joe Richburg, owner of J.R.’s, was practically speechless last week when he learned his business was among the 41 finalists. When he received an email this week notifying him that J.R.’s was a winner, he was over the moon.
Richburg has been in business since 1986.
Chrissie Duffy, executive director of the Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce, said she has been told that having two finalists from the area “was nothing short of a coup.”
“We should be very proud,” Duffy said.
The Alabama Retail Association will announce whether winners are gold, silver or bronze level winners at a luncheon in Birmingham on Sept. 23. Gov. Robert Bentley will be the keynote speaker at that event.
Winners are selected in four categories by sales volume:
• Less than $1 million
• $1 million to $5 million
• $5 million to $20 million
• More than $20 million
Andalusia Star News
By Michele Gerlach
The Andalusia City Council on Tuesday agreed to changes in SaeHaeSung’s lease agreement as part of a financing project the company is doing.
Mayor Earl Johnson explained that SaeHaeSung, which operates in the city’s industrial park, needs to give assignment of its lease to the New York branch of the Bank of Korea to complete a loan.
“If SaeHaeSung defaulted in payment of the loan, the Bank of Korea could come in, step into the shoes of SaeHaeSUng, occupy the building, and run the business,” Johnson said. “This does not diminish our security, but I think it improves our position somewhat,” Johnson said.
The company has a 20-year lease purchase agreement for its building.
Mayor Pro Tem Terry Powell, who made the motion for the change, pointed out that the city did not borrow any money in this deal.
“The authorization is for SaeHaeSung,” he said.
Andalusia Star News
Aircraft enthusiasts who enjoyed South Alabama Regional Airport’s 2010 air show should circle Sat., Nov. 14, 2015 on their calendars.
Planning is underway for a second air show at SARA, and airport co-administrator Jed Blackwell said the next one, tentatively set for that date in 2015, should be even better.
The 2010 show drew an estimated crowd of 10,000 people.
“The 2010 Air Show exceeded even our own expectations,” Blackwell said. “Every day we meet and talk to people who ask us about having another show. Because of the positive comments from the 2010 show, we wanted to have one again. We feel like this event is a great thing for Covington County and our surrounding community.”
The 2015 show will be similar to the 2010 show but Blackwell told the Andalusia City Council Tuesday night he hopes this will have even more thrills. The event will include live music, vendors, children’s activities, airplane and helicopter rides, hot air balloon rides, and some of thebest aeronautical performers in the world.... READ MORE>
Andalusia Star News
Michele Gerlach
There were lots of patriots in Andalusia’s first Fourth of July parade in recent memory. The event was organized by the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
It likely will be mid-summer of 2016 before planned improvements to South Three Notch Street in Andalusia are completed, Tim Ramsden of CDG Engineering told members of the Andalusia City Council Tuesday.
Gov. Robert Bentley announced the $8.6 million in Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (ATRIP) funds for the project in February of 2013. The project requires a local $2.1 million match, and will be used to bring South Three Notch Street to the standards of East Three Notch and River Falls streets, complete with underground utilities, new sidewalks, and decorative lighting.
Ramsden explained that, unlike other road projects awarded through the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), the state will let bids for this project.
“We had the plans to DOT in early January of 2014,” he said. “They were 90 percent complete plans.”
In March, ALDOT wanted to meet with the city and its engineers and questioned turning lanes included in the project.
“We went back to the traffic study,” Ramsden said. “The reason we did that was to try to justify our design for the future.”
The plan keeps the street two lanes from the railroad tracks to Simmons, where it transitions to a three-lane street with a universal turn lane. In addition, there are turning lanes at the hospital and at Moore Road... READ MORE>
Andalusia Star News
Michele Gerlach