Lakepoint Resort State Park in Eufaula is set to host an event that will offer a number of conservation themed activities for people of all ages.

The 2024 Fins, Feathers, and Flowers event, made possible by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, will take place from February 16-18.

“We are excited to offer a few new experiences during this year’s Fins, Feathers and Flowers event,” said O’Dell Banks, Lakepoint Superintendent. “In addition to a variety of guided field trips and wildlife watching opportunities, a nature-themed watercolor class and plant walk have been added to the list of activities. Our new Discovery Trail has opened as well. The 3.1-mile trail features interpretive signs that highlight the wide variety of birds and wildlife found throughout the park. We invite anyone who is interested in the outdoors to attend the event and experience these new additions to Lakepoint.”

The busy weekend will begin at 4 p.m. on February 16, with a conservation fair, evening social, and welcome session. Participants will have the chance to meet representatives from several conservation groups throughout the state as well as Alabama State Parks naturalists, park rangers, and animal ambassadors. The evening’s featured speaker will be Fred Bassett, a master bird bander, who will present a program about hummingbirds in the Southeast. The evening will conclude with a guided 1-mile night hike on Lakepoint’s Discovery Trail.

Saturday morning begins with a field trip to the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge followed by breakfast at the lodge. Several birding, wildlife watching, and outdoor recreation opportunities are also planned throughout the day, including a reptile, amphibian and insect presentation by Dr. Wesley Anderson, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist with the College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment at Auburn University.

Saturday’s keynote speaker will be Nick Sharp with the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR). In his presentation, Sharp will speak about the important role bats play in the environment and ADCNR’s bat conservation efforts over the past decade.

Sunday starts off with breakfast in the lodge dining room and a field trip to the Wehle Land Conservation Center, an ADCNR State Lands Division facility, in Midway, Alabama.

For a complete weekend schedule, visit www.alapark.com/fins-feathers-and-flowers-weekend.

The park is located at 104 Lakepoint Dr., Eufaula, Alabama.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.

In the heart of lovely Eufaula, Alabama, stands a statue like no other. About waist high, under shady trees, it is a testament to a town hero, Leroy Brown. What’s so unique about that you ask?

Leroy Brown is a fish.

Leroy was a larger than life, livin’ large, largemouth bass. This is the story, his legend, a fish tail – I mean tale.

On a sunny Eufaula Lake day in 1973, Tom Mann caught the bass that changed his life. “Dad knew something was different when the line yanked,” recalls his daughter, Sharon Mann Dixon. “Leroy weighed less than two pounds but fought hard because he was a king and knew it.”

Now most fish caught in Eufaula – “Big Bass Capital of the World” – are either destined for the trophy case or a rendezvous with tartar sauce. In addition, the boisterous bass was not reeled in by an angling amateur. Tom Mann was an expert, owner of Mann’s Bait Company, Tom Mann’s Fish World, and a fishing lure inventor. (more…)

Anniston Regional Airport and Weedon Field in Eufaula are receiving significant grants from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

In a release on Thursday, Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) announced that Anniston Regional Airport is receiving $4,000,000 in FAA funding for the rehabilitation of a runway and Weedon Field in Eufaula is receiving $650,000 for the rehabilitation and expansion of the existing apron.

These FAA grants were awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) as part of the agency’s efforts to support airport infrastructure improvements across America.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao stated, “The robust economy is enabling more passengers to travel by air so this Administration is investing billions of dollars in America’s airports which will address safer operations, fewer airport delays, and greater ease of travel for air travelers.” (more…)

While some national brands use humorous commercials to promote their products, jerky is no joke; it’s big business.

Jerky is essentially dried meat; the removal of water and, usually, addition of salt preserves, extending its shelf life. Even though no one knows when the first jerky appeared, most sources believe it has been made and consumed on a large scale for more than 500 years, originating with the Incas in South America as early as the 1500s and traveling up to the culture and customs of North America’s indigenous peoples.
(more…)

Christmas parades are as much a part of the holiday season in Alabama towns as casseroles during Easter.

It’s probably safe to say only Santa Claus has participated in more of these parades than Alabama Power.
(more…)

For the fourth year in a row, Wilson Lake reigns atop the rankings in the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division’s annual Bass Anglers Information Team (BAIT) Report.

In data compiled for the 2017 fishing year, Wilson totaled 77 quality indicator points to maintain the top ranking over second-place Lake Jordan, which compiled 72 points. Jordan made a big move up from 12th place in the 2016 report. Lake Mitchell and Millers Ferry tied for third with 65 points. Millers Ferry also jumped 10 spots in 2017. Wheeler Lake rounded out the top five with 64 points.
(more…)

Alabama’s tourism agency is promoting a series of walking tours that will start next month in cities both large and small.

About 30 communities statewide are offering the free, hour-long strolls beginning April 7.
(more…)

As we announced yesterday, we’ve teamed up with the Alabama Policy Institute to rank the business-friendliness of the state’s 50 largest cities. API’s researchers derived answers to the following questions: What cities have the best tax policy? Which have low costs of living and crime rates? What cities have experienced the most year-over-year population and job growth? What type of economic vitality do cities have, including the average incomes for local residents?

API’s Business-Friendly Formula is calculated as follows:

Economic Vitality (35% of overall score):
• Recent job growth (50% of Economic Vitality category)
• Residential population growth from 2010 to 2011(12.5%)
• Population growth from 2000 to 2010, divided by 10 (12.5%)
• Median per capita income (25%)

Business Tax Burden (30% of overall score):
• Business property taxes (70% of Business Tax Burden category)
• Local sales tax (30%)

Community Allure (20% of overall score):
• Cost of living index (35% of Community Allure category)
• Per capita violent crime rate (35%)
• Percent of adults age 25 or older with at least a high school diploma (15%)
• Average SAT 10 scores for 8th grade math and reading (15%)

Transportation Infrastructure (15% of overall score):
• Distance to primary commercial service airport (25% of Transportation Infrastructure category)
• Distance to commercial rail service (25%)
• Distance to port capable of handling container shipping (25%)
• Distance to Interstate Highway System (25%)

We’re starting at the bottom of the list and working our way up. Here are the 41st-50th most business-friendly cities in Alabama. In other words, the least business friendly cities in the state.