That Mardi Gras Tree is Lit…

4 MIN READ
Sachin Ghatwal

At Mardi Gras Park on Saturday night, the City of Mobile performed its yearly Mardi Gras Tree lighting ceremony.

The cold sure can’t dampen our spirits and keep us from participating in our yearly customs. 

mardi gras park lighting of the tree

Mayor Sandy Stimpson declares that he is prepared for the season to start. It looks like the rest of us agree, considering the cheering crowds and lively music. 

Following the reading of his statement, Mardi Gras festivities can begin across the city. 

It’s time to par-tay. 

Gourmet Goodies Wins 3rd Place!

Daphne’s Gourmet Goodies took third place at last week’s King Cake Extravaganza in New Orleans for their scrumptious crawfish king cake.

Their phones have been ringing off the hook, and their inbox has been overflowing ever since they won an award for their unique cake. 

In preparation for Mardi Gras, many have been driving for hours to take their own cake home.

This particular king cake, made famous by co-owners Barbara Sylkatis and Laura Stafford, has become a national sensation.

There were over 150 king cake entries from Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, and Mississippi, and Gourmet Goodies’ creation came in at #3! 

That’s quite a feat. 

Rumor has it they’ll be competing in the 2023 King Cake-Off competition on January 27!

Updates on the Texas Street Project 

updates of the texas street project

Here’s a heads-up for the residents of Texas Street and other travelers. 

From January 16 to February 6, folks will not be permitted to park between S Ann Street and Dauphin Street from 7 AM to 5 PM. 

After that, Parking on the roadway is prohibited from February 6 to February 27 due to water and sewer maintenance. 

A parking lot in Crawford-Murphy Park will be open for overnight use by those who need an alternative parking solution.

The First LoDa ArtWalk of the Year 

LoDA Artwalk e1673915598443

This past Friday marked the first LODA ArtWalk of the year.

Dauphin Street becomes a pedestrian promenade for the duration of ArtWalk, with galleries, museums, studios, and specialty stores staying open late. 

The Downtown Mobile Arts Festival is a staple of Mobile’s cultural scene, drawing in crowds of visitors of all ages to the city’s performance spaces, restaurants, and outdoor markets.

This month’s turnout was a bit lackluster…

It may be because of the chilly weather. Some folks have expressed worry about their personal safety in the downtown entertainment district.

We think that Mobile’s downtown remains one of the city’s safest areas. There are cameras at every intersection and cops stationed at every street corner. 

On peak nights in the Downtown Entertainment District, the Mobile Police Force will deploy extra officers and roll in additional lighting.

Hopefully, this quells the anxiety that some locals are feeling surrounding that recent unfortunate event. 

Compassion is not a Crime 

compassion is not a crime

More than $80,000 has been raised on GoFundMe to help defend two women from Alabama who were arrested for trespassing last year.

Why? 

They were trying to feed and capture poor stray cats. 

Mary Alston, age 61, and Beverly Roberts, age 85, were detained by Wetumpka police officers last summer. 

This was after they were discovered feeding cats in the area of the courthouse. 

Roberts was warned the night before by city officials that she faced arrest if she continued feeding cats. Alston was warned that morning to quit trapping the felines.

Officials in the area said that the cats had caused damage to county cars parked on public property. 

They also claim that the women’s efforts had drawn in more strays. 

In court, the women’s lawyers argued that their clients’ actions could help curb the overpopulation of these cats.  

Animal rights advocates across the country spoke out against the arrests, bringing widespread attention to the issue.

According to the campaign description, the funds will be used to appeal their convictions and file a civil case against the city of Wetumpka.  

Any surplus funds will be put toward trap-neuter-release programs for the strays.

Tornado Watch 

tornado watch

Scattered intense storms on Thursday, January 12, prompted the National Weather Service to continue their damage assessments.

Thirteen tornado sightings have been verified so far.

According to the National Weather Service, gusts from the Autauga storm reached speeds of up to 150 mph.

There were two locations where strong straight-line winds caused massive destruction in addition to the tornadoes.

Emergency officials report that hundreds of trees were broken in Coffee County’s northern regions.

Some of Conecuh, Covington, and Crenshaw counties were included in the other.

After more survey work was done, the weather service reclassified the Eutaw tornado on Saturday afternoon, giving it a rating of a high-end EF-2.  

More than 38 miles of that tornado’s course have been mapped out so far. 

If you’d like to help those who have been affected, please reach out to the following foundations: 

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