OPINION — Peter and his brother Andrew were fishermen. One day, when they were busy casting their nets in the Sea of Galilee, Jesus walked by. Jesus invited the two men to follow him, and added this promise: “I will make you fishers of men.” Their response, as recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, was amazing: “At once they left their nets and followed him.” Nearby were two other brothers, James and John. Jesus issued the same invitation to them and they too left their nets and “immediately” followed Jesus. Soon eight other men were chosen by Jesus to become fishers of men. The twelve men gave up fish ..read more

BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION — Auburn High baseball coach Matt Cimo confirmed during an appearance of my radio show, “On the Mark” on FOX Sports the Game radio on the iHeartRadio app that he will retire in May. “I have been so blessed by God, from administration, teachers, student-athletes, assistant coaches, loyalty — wow, have I been Blessed,” he said. “I am at peace. It has been 44 years of baseball when you add up my playing days through the Minors and coaching. I am going to miss it.” We discussed his career and how times have changed over the years. “I learned early on, teaching is first ..read more

OPINION — I would like to bring to your attention and to the attention of your readers that the upcoming April 30, 2024 marks the 49th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. It is important to remember the lives of those men and women who died for our country and remember the lives of those soldiers who served in country during this dark period of American history’ These returning military veterans are the only American soldiers who were never formally welcomed home from an American war as a group. The fiftieth anniversary of the end of that war will take place on April 30, 2025, a date wh ..read more

CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER OPELIKA — The city of Opelika, the Lutzie 43 Foundation and Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa at Grand National have joined efforts to bring awareness to safe driving. A new sign for the 43 Key Seconds Initiative was dedicated on April 11. The sign is located at the entrance to the resort on Grand National Parkway and is a prominent reminder for drivers to take 43 seconds to ensure a clear head, clear hands, clear eyes and click it before turning the car key. “We are very appreciative of everyone who undertook this endeavor to honor Philip and position 43 Key ..read more

BY NICHOLAS YOUNG FOR THE OBSERVER AUBURN — On April 15, downtown Auburn saw the doors open for a new coffee shop, The Fox. This newest addition to the scene is brought to you by a set of familiar faces, Richard and Crystal Tomasello, owners of the popular coffee shop and bookstore Well Red, located on Opelika Road. The new coffee shop is located at 124 Tichenor Ave., in the building that was once occupied by Coffee Cat, which closed its doors on March 31. Maddie Corbeau, owner of Coffee Cat, reached out to the Tomasellos about taking over the spot after deciding to pursue other endeavors. Cry ..read more

BY STACEY WALLACE OPINION — If you are like most people, you have a number of restaurants where you regularly dine. Since Mike and I moved to Auburn in November 2015, we have enjoyed a variety of great restaurants. One restaurant in Opelika, The Grille at Botanic, has definitely become one of my favorite restaurants throughout Lee County. The Grille at Botanic, located at 1702 Frederick Road, started serving lunch awhile back, and I was very eager to dine there. After all, dinner at The Grill at Botanic and the Sunday brunch there are both amazing, so I knew that the lunch would be outstanding ..read more

Hi. You don’t know me. I don’t know you. We’re strangers. But we’re the same, sort of. Only chances are, you drive a nicer car than I do. In fact I guarantee you drive a nicer car. I drive a 25-year-old truck. The tailgate is rusted, there is a prodigious layer of dog hair on the upholstery. The windshield is cracked, the gas gauge doesn’t work, the roof leaks so that when it rains the interior of my Ford bears the perpetual scent of canine. There is a sticker on my dashboard which reads “Tomorrow is a day with no mistakes in it.” My old man gave the sticker to me when I was 10. I’ve never par ..read more

‘Cheese Curd Update’ BY ANITA STIEFEL ANITAS@OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM LEE COUNTY — The tension was thick as the seven remaining contestants entered the arena in Monday night’s episode of MasterChef Junior, but the atmosphere at Moe’s Original Barbecue at Bent Creek was festive, as friends, family and fans of Opelika’s Bryson McGlynn gathered to watch him on the FOX television cooking competition. This fifth episode began with mystery boxes containing ingredients for the week’s challenge. “I see the mystery boxes, and I’m like, I know there’s been some really crazy things or just nasty stuff, so I d ..read more

BY JANET MCCOY, LEE COUNTY RELAY FOR LIFE LEE COUNTY — Lee County’s Relay For Life, a community event to raise money and support those fighting cancer, is set for Friday, May 3rd, around the Lee County Courthouse square in downtown Opelika. This year’s theme is “Every Cancer, Every life”, and will begin at 6 p.m. “Fighting cancer is personal, and it’s something almost everyone can share in because we all know someone who has been affected by cancer,” said Debra Causey, co-chair with her husband, Randy Causey, and a two-time cancer survivor. “Joining with those who are fighting the disease, whe ..read more

CONTRIBUTED BY THE ESAT ALABAMA CIVIC CHORALE EAST ALABAMA — The East Alabama Civic Chorale, sponsored by The East Alabama Arts Association, invites the community to attend its Spring Concert on Sunday, April 28 at 3 p.m. in the sanctuary of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Opelika. The concert of choral classics presented by the 55-voice choir will be accompanied by chamber orchestra and piano. “We are so very excited to present this concert to our community,” Dale Peterson, director of the East Alabama Civic Chorale said. “These pieces are considered ‘masterworks’ of choral literature. They ha ..read more