Gulf Coast Media

Gulf Coast Media Baldwin County, Alabama’s News Leader: 4 Local Newspapers 📰; Best of Baldwin🏆; Beachin’ mag & more!

Local media and newspaper group based in Baldwin County, Alabama, providing comprehensive coverage to Alabama’s Gulf Coast. GCM publishes The Courier, The Onlooker, The Islander and The Baldwin Times, along with the Gulf Coast Visitor Guide, Beachin' magazine and daily news updates at GulfCoastMedia.com.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit are coming to Fairhope.The acclaimed Americana singer-songwriter will headline the opening...
06/03/2026

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit are coming to Fairhope.

The acclaimed Americana singer-songwriter will headline the opening night of the Halstead Amphitheater’s Fall 2026 Live at Five season Thursday, Sept. 24. It will be the first of four shows scheduled through the end of the year. Additional shows are set for Oct. 23, Nov. 20 and Dec. 18. Headliners for those dates have not yet been announced.

Ticket information has not yet been announced.

More on the full line up as it releases.

📷: Bryan Ledgard / Creative Commons

Have you noticed an increase in brown, stringy seaweed washing up on Alabama beaches? While it may not look or smell ple...
06/03/2026

Have you noticed an increase in brown, stringy seaweed washing up on Alabama beaches? While it may not look or smell pleasant, these strandings are expected this time of year and are mostly harmless to people.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Sargassum is a genus of brown seaweed, which is a type of algae. It floats in "island-like masses" throughout oceans and never attaches itself to the seafloor, like you might expect seaweed to.

Sargassum has berries attached to the leafy branches of the plant that are gas-filled structures mostly storing oxygen and giving the seaweed buoyancy.

The Orange Beach Coastal Resources Department confirmed this is the type of seaweed seen on the Alabama shore.

Phillip West, director of Coastal Resources, said this recurring sighting is due to the seasonally warmer temperatures leading to more algae blooms. Large blooms eventually "break off and migrate" along oceanic currents. He explained how Sargassum is typically beneficial to marine life in normal quantities.

"It provides beneficial shade and cover to a variety of species of marine life," West said on Sargassum. "However, when stranded in large quantities onshore and near to shore, it can smother some benthic (seafloor) species."

Nicole Woerner, deputy director of Coastal Resources, said this seaweed is habitat for "70 different species of marine life" as it floats along currents. The NOAA website said it provides "food, refuge and breeding grounds" for animals like fishes, sea turtles, crabs, shrimp and more. The site states that it continues benefiting marine life after it loses its buoyancy by providing energy and nutrients to "fishes and invertebrates in the deep sea."

"When the city does collect the Sargassum, the city utilizes tractors to drop the Sargassum off at the base of the primary dune and then add sand on top of it to help with decomposition," Woerner said on Orange Beach's response to the seaweed. "Sargassum is a natural solution for dune restoration and this method will fertilize and nourish the dune vegetation, which promotes dune growth."

✍: Ruth Mayo / Gulf Coast Media
📸: GCM/file

06/02/2026

Orange Beach City Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Jerry Johnson announced he will resign at Tuesday’s meeting citing an ongoing hospital stay for his 14-year-old grandson, who suffered a heart attack more than two months ago. Johnson has served on the council since being elected in 2012.

Johnson told GCM following the meeting that he has been thinking about stepping down for the past two weeks as his grandson Jacob continues to receive treatment at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham.

Johnson said he and his wife, Yolanda Devine, agreed that it would best for their family if they stayed with Jacob until he recovers.

“The last time I was up there and driving all the way back, I said the two cannot coexist,” Johnson said. “I’m not Superman.”

More on this soon at the link in our bio.

🎥: City of Orange Beach Facebook Stream

06/02/2026

Red snapper season is officially open on the Alabama Gulf Coast and this year, you can go any day of the week. No weekend-only windows.

Here’s what you need to know before you go: the 2026 season runs until Alabama’s NOAA allocation of 664,552 pounds is projected to be met, or Dec. 31, whichever comes first. Last year’s harvest came in under the cap, so the state kept it open through the end of December.

A few things to keep in mind: reporting your catch through Snapper Check is mandatory. And if you get a phone call or email from the University of South Alabama or “AL Fish Survey,” it’s the AL Creel survey. Answer it. Alabama manages its own snapper season under state authority, and that data is what makes it possible.

For more info and the full story from David Rainer, head to the link in our bio. 🎣

🎥: Vince Johnson / Gulf Coast Media

The Sea Glass Initiative has launched its new Community Resource Hub Initiative at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Churc...
06/01/2026

The Sea Glass Initiative has launched its new Community Resource Hub Initiative at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church, marking the beginning of a countywide effort to connect underserved residents with resources before they face homelessness, addiction or mental health crises.

The launch event introduced community members, churches and local partners to the initiative, which is designed to bring support services directly into neighborhoods across Baldwin County.

According to Executive Director Michelle Hillman, the hubs were created to provide earlier intervention and stronger community connections for individuals and families in need.

"We see people every day who are struggling quietly long before a crisis happens," Hillman said. "The Community Resource Hubs are about being present, building trust and making resources more accessible before someone reaches a breaking point."

The hubs feature information and tools designed to connect residents with local assistance programs and emergency resources. Hillman said each location will include important phone numbers for su***de prevention, substance abuse assistance and homelessness services.

✍📸: Gabriella Chavez, Report for America corps member / Gulf Coast Media

A new one-mile segment is next up for construction of the County Road 65 corridor.Construction is scheduled to begin lat...
05/29/2026

A new one-mile segment is next up for construction of the County Road 65 corridor.

Construction is scheduled to begin late this summer, according to a press release from Baldwin County. County commission has opened bids for this phase that will extend CR 65 from CR 28 to CR 32, connecting the north-south corridor to a major east-west route.

The project is being funded with help from a $6,625,000 Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery.

“With infrastructure needs throughout Baldwin County continuing to grow, grant funding remains critical to advancing major transportation improvements and maximizing local taxpayer dollars,” the commission stated in the news release.

These improvements are part of the county’s effort to expand the local roadway network, reduce traffic congestion and improve travel for residents throughout the area. The long-term vision is to extend the CR 65 corridor from Bon Secour to Robertsdale.

The Fairhope Cheese Post delivers a curated selection of artisanal cheeses right to your doorstep.The venture was starte...
05/29/2026

The Fairhope Cheese Post delivers a curated selection of artisanal cheeses right to your doorstep.

The venture was started by Mallory Scyphers, who also works as the editor-in-chief and creative director of Culture magazine. Originally from Ozark, she previously lived in Boston, Massachusetts, where she had access to different cheeses and cheese shops, before moving to Fairhope after her husband got a job at the University of South Alabama.

Noting the lack of cheese options in the South Alabama region, Scyphers saw it as an opportunity for a new business.

Describing her business as a “mobile cheese monger,” The Fairhope Cheese Post is a subscription cheese delivery service, in which each delivery includes three handpicked artisanal cheeses, accompanied by a box of crackers and other items chosen to work with the cheese such as cured meat or a fruit preserve. They are packed into a cooler bag with instructions detailing each cheese and recommendations on what to pair it with. Scyphers delivers them to customers within Mobile and Baldwin counties on the first week of every month.

Scyphers said the cheese comes either directly from the makers, having several connections with them, or from larger distributors. Each delivery isn’t just your typical three cheddars. Customers will receive cheeses such as a bloomy rind cheese, an aged cheese or a blue cheese. She said she is currently gathering data on what people like, as the South has many different people with different taste palates.

“I think the biggest thing is that this is a service for folks who want to learn more about cheese,” Scyphers said. “It’s not necessarily a charcuterie board business, though that’s super useful and I want to build that and grow that part of it, but it is learning about new cheeses that you might not be able to get from a grocery store.”

📸✍️: Colin James / Gulf Coast Media

Read more at the link in the comments.

Baldwin County communities are set to offer a full slate of public events spanning history, music, outdoor education and...
05/29/2026

Baldwin County communities are set to offer a full slate of public events spanning history, music, outdoor education and family gatherings this weekend.

From guided nature walks and author presentations to live performances and local festivals, residents will have a range of opportunities to engage with cultural, educational and recreational programming across Fairhope, Elberta, Gulf Shores and nearby areas.

Highlights include a Gulf Coast history presentation at the Fairhope Public Library, the return of the Eastern Shore Chamber Music Festival’s summer series and multiple community festivals featuring food, music and local vendors. Outdoor enthusiasts can join a guided pitcher plant bog walk, while families and visitors can also take part in events such as the Elberta Foundation Hall unveiling, a pier picnic in Gulf Shores and a wedding showcase at Songbird Ranch.

For details ... 🔽

📸: Micah Green / Gulf Coast Media

NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on a proposed rule that would require commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexic...
05/29/2026

NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on a proposed rule that would require commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic to switch from paper logbooks to electronic reporting under the Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendments.

The proposal would apply to federally permitted commercial vessels in the Gulf reef fish, South Atlantic snapper-grouper, Atlantic dolphin and wahoo and coastal migratory pelagic resources fisheries, a news release from NOAA regarding the proposed rule said. Those fishermen currently must complete paper logbooks and submit trip-level information within seven days after the end of each fishing trip.

Under the proposed rule, ...

UPDATE: Following a statement from the City of Orange Beach, which they released shortly after speaking with GCM, the Es...
05/28/2026

UPDATE: Following a statement from the City of Orange Beach, which they released shortly after speaking with GCM, the Escambia County Sheriff Office released a video including body cam footage of the alleged individual stating that he did not ask to be taken to Pensacola or Waterfront Mission. We’ll update our story soon.

Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons is speaking out after what he says is the second documented time the Orange Beach Police Department has relocated an unhoused person to Pensacola without warning the Florida agency.

On Thursday, May 28, Simmons told GCM he had a deputy near Waterfront Mission, an organization that provides shelter and food to homeless people, who spotted a marked OBPD cruiser. When the ECSO deputy asked the OBPD officer if he needed help, the OBPD officer told him he was dropping off an individual at the shelter with money to fund a short stay.

Simmons said this is not the first time this has occurred. Eight months ago, his office was contacted with reports of an individual being dropped off by OBPD. According to Simmons, his chief deputy reached out to then-interim OBPD Chief David “Trent” Johnson, who confirmed the incident. It wasn’t clear where the person was dropped off other than that it happened in Pensacola.

When asked about the incident from eight months ago, Orange Beach City Administrator Ford Handley told GCM while he hopes that the agencies can work together going forward, “I’m not going to air everything out there, but I think he’s got some misinformation,” Handley said, noting he was still looking into the matter. “This is not a regular occurrence, there’s a lot of different extenuating circumstances.”

“We shared our concerns about it,” Simmons said.

Simmons added that he decided then to keep the original incident between the two agencies but after Thursday’s relocation felt he needed to let residents know about the situation.

“I think it’s important for Escambia County residents to understand that their tax dollars are being used for these individuals that are being transported, bussed here from other entities, and I don’t think that’s the right way to do it,” he said. "The bottom line is, they give him money and then ultimately that money will run out and this individual will be on the streets of Escambia County and we’ll have to deal with that drain on our resources."

Shortly after speaking to GCM, the City of Orange Beach posted a statement to social media.

— "Orange Beach Response to Escambia County Sheriff Post

The City of Orange Beach has reviewed the footage and documentation related to a recent Orange Beach Police Department interaction that has been discussed on social media.

The footage confirms that the individual requested assistance from the Orange Beach officer and specifically asked to go to The Waterfront. The officer honored that request, treated the individual with dignity and respect, and provided assistance, including helping him financially using the Police Benevolent Fund.

This was not a forced relocation. The Orange Beach Police Department does not have a 'homeless relocation unit.'

'Our officer did what we would hope any officer would do in this situation — he listened, responded with compassion and helped the individual get to the place he asked to go,' said Ford Handley, City Administrator for the City of Orange Beach. 'The public characterization of this incident is not supported by the facts.'

Orange Beach has a long history of working cooperatively with Escambia County and other regional partners. The City currently has two memorandums of understanding under review with Escambia County to provide regional support with emergency management services for Escambia County and fire protection for Perdido Key.

'Homelessness and access to services are regional challenges that require communication and coordination, not public accusations,' Handley said. 'Orange Beach remains committed to working constructively with law enforcement agencies, local governments and service providers to connect individuals with appropriate resources whenever possible.'

The City will continue to handle these situations lawfully, professionally and compassionately while protecting public safety and respecting the dignity of every individual involved."

Read the full story at the link in our bio.

✍️: Micah Green / Gulf Coast Media
📷: ESCAMBIA COUNTY SHERIFF CHIP SIMMONS / FACEBOOK

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