Police in Bay Minette have made an arrest in the alleged sexual misconduct by a man who had taken advantage of a teenager.
Police received a complaint in October and started an investigation into the allegations of an alleged inappropriate relationship between an adult male and the child.
The guardian of the child had discovered that the child had engaged in a sexual relationship with Fernandius Lamar Lowman, 46-year-old adult male.
After the complaint was received, the Bay Minette Police Department investigated the claims and found there to be sufficient evidence to proceed. Investigators obtained arrest warrants for two counts of Sodomy in the second degree and one count of Electronic Solicitation of a Minor Child.
Thursday, with the assistance of the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, Fernandius Lamar Lowman was arrested without incident and taken to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Center.
Lowman will be held on a no-bond until a bond hearing is scheduled. This investigation is still on-going and no further information is available for release
Copyright 2024 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
When it was first announced, many were excited and thankful, but now that the new $1.1 billion J.M. Smucker Plant has been officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, many in Jefferson County can see just how big this plant really is.
The 900,000-square-foot facility, which Alabama calls the largest single-line bakery in North America, is big, very big. The plant will produce Smucker’s Uncrustables snacks.
Governor Ivey attended the ribbon-cutting along with J.M. Smucker, CEO Mark Smucker, Jefferson County Commissioner Jimmie Stephens and Othell Phillips, executive director of the Jefferson County Economic & Industrial Development Authority.
J.M. Smucker Co. announced the plant, built on 225 acres, in November 2021 and kicked off construction in late 2022.
The plant in McCalla, a Birmingham suburb, is the third in the country devoted exclusively to Smucker’s Uncrustables line.
It is the largest capital investment by a company in Jefferson County.
Copyright 2024 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
Two brothers have been reported missing and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office is now investigating.
According to the sheriff’s office, brothers James and Roscoe Scott, ages 54 and 57 were last seen on Monday, 11/4/24 at around noon in the 4900 block of Lambert Cemetary Rd.
They were reported missing on 11/8/24.
Deputies believe that they may be in Washington County where they are known to have other family and friends.
If anyone has any information on their whereabouts, please contact the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office at 251-574-8633.
Copyright 2024 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
The City of Fairhope is pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into a new construction project to expand the recreation options in the city by building a new pickleball complex adjacent to the tennis courts at Mike Ford Tennis Center.
The $800,000 expansion of the Mike Ford Tennis Center will include 12 new pickleball courts, and 3 new tennis courts, and lighting and when completed it will be another first-rate amenity for city residents and visitors.
Pickleball is a fast-growing sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. It’s played with a paddle and a perforated plastic ball on a court that’s about the size of a badminton court. The game can be played in singles or doubles, making it perfect for people of all ages and skill levels and the sport continues to grow in our area and nationwide.
Mayor Sherry Sullivan said there’s a good reason that this project has been a priority for the city.
“It’s something that you know, contributes to the quality of life that we have here on the eastern shore,” Fairhope mayor, Sherry Sullivan explained. “I think it’s also you know, in recent years there’s been a lot of articles about how it also contributes to economic development, workforce development. Those people that want to come work in your community. Maybe they work remotely and can work wherever they want to, but they’re looking for those communities that offer recreational opportunities.”
There will also be three new tennis courts added at Mike Ford Tennis Center. One will be built where the existing four pickleball courts are now. With this expansion, Mayor Sullivan said Fairhope has invested $10 million into recreation opportunities for its citizens over the last 10 years. This expansion should be finished and ready to play by the summer of 2025.
Copyright 2024 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
The 77th Annual National Veterans Day Parade will take place in downtown Birmingham on Monday, Nov. 11.
The parade celebrates the national holiday officially signed into legislation by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1954 and is the longest-running parade of its kind in the country.
A successor to the earlier Armistice Day, Veteran’s Day was first celebrated in 1947 in Birmingham. “Though Veterans Day is now recognized as a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states, Birmingham’s celebration remains the nation’s largest,” notes the website Bhamwiki.
Among the sights at the 2024 parade, spectators can expect to see a riderless horse called Hank the Tank. The caparisoned horse or cap horse – a term that refers to wearing a saddle or decorative covering – is a tradition in military parades, including funerals. Hank will be led through the parade by the “cap walker” Grant Hardy, who serves with the Old Guard at Arlington Cemetery.
Other organizations like local Shriners, a mixture of veteran service organizations, members of the U.S. armed forces, and Alabama military supporters, as well as local color guards, high school bands, and drill teams, will also be present for the parade.
“Each year, we aim to pay tribute to our nation’s Veterans who have made immense sacrifices for our freedom,” said Mark Ryan, president of the National Veterans Day Foundation in a press release. “We are excited to reach more Veterans than ever before, with live streaming services available for those who cannot attend in person.”
The parade will take place on Monday, Nov. 11 from 1-4:30 p.m.
The route will start on 18th Street by the Alabama Power building, pass by City Hall on 19th Street, and end at City Walk. However, the route will be a little different this year. It will wind through different historic Downtown Birmingham blocks. See a map of the parade route below.
If you’re not able to watch the parade in person, there will be a live broadcast stream starting at 1:30 p.m. at nationalveteransday.org. The 30-minute delay correlates with the parade reaching the viewing stand at City Hall.
The parade is expected to happen regardless of rain. The current forecast calls for cloudy skies early in the day with the sun expected to shine bright by the afternoon. There will be a high of 75 and low of 62 in Birmingham, according to The National Weather Service. However, if there is rain, onlookers can stay dry and watch the parade on the covered streets of City Walk.
Spanish Fort like other cities in Baldwin County, are continuing to grow at a fast pace but some community activists don’t want the growth and are fighting against developers.
The latest pushback is a fight against plans to build a new shopping center near the intersections of Highways 31 and 225.
Southeast Acquisitions LLC is under contract to purchase the land where the shopping center would be built but some residents who might benefit from the shopping center say that they don’t need it or want it.
A small grassroots group has been vocal in recent months about the building of new subdivisions saying that they want to keep Spanish Fort small and not feel like it’s part of Mobile or just another city.
A representative of Southeast Acquisitions LLC told the Spanish Fort Planning Commission last month that it’s too early to say which grocery store would go there. They’re still in talks with different entities and haven’t inked a deal. Neighbors fear the proposed center will be anchored by a Walmart Neighborhood Market.
Some people are concerned about the lack of habitat for the wild animals while others brought up concerns about the area being part of a wetlands area.
The Spanish Fort Planning Commission did not recommend re-zoning the larger wooded parcels that would allow for a shopping center. Those parcels back up to Spanish Fort Estates and Garrison Ridge neighborhoods. The commission did recommend a smaller 1.3 acre parcel that’s on Highway 31 be rezoned. Both recommendations now go to the Spanish Fort City Council for a final decision.
There are two upcoming public hearings people can attend to let city leaders know how they feel. The first is Monday, November 18th. The second meeting is Monday, December 2nd. Both are at 6 p.m. at Spanish Fort City Hall.
Copyright 2024 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
