Alabama's Most Trusted News Source Since Recently
Vol. I, No. 85 · Calhoun County, Alabama · Sunday, August 2, 2026
Chick-fil-A has announced plans for a second Oxford location, to be built on the Alabama Highway 21 corridor. Oxford Mayor Leon Smith said the announcement confirms the city's status as a regional destination. Anniston has one Chick-fil-A. It has had one since 2001.
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The Knox Foundation's Knox Holiday Spectacular was held Saturday evening at the Anniston High School Performing Arts Center, filling the December performance slot that the Alabama Ballet's annual production of The Nutcracker had occupied for forty-six consecutive years. Santa Claus lost the main event via pinfall.
A specialty coffee shop on Quintard Avenue has quietly introduced a Co-Working Premium of $4 per hour for customers occupying tables with a laptop for more than ninety minutes. The fee is waived for orders totaling $18 or more. A printed notice appeared on the tables last Tuesday. Three regulars have complied. Two have not returned.
The Oxford Hobby Lobby completed its annual Halloween-to-Christmas inventory transition on October 15, replacing approximately 4,200 square feet of Halloween merchandise with Christmas-themed inventory. Community leaders praised the transition. Halloween had been available since July 31.
A specialty coffee retailer on Quintard Avenue has implemented a new ordering protocol requiring customers to correctly identify the origin region, varietal, and roast profile of the bean before placing an order described only as 'a latte.' Seven customers have successfully completed the process since October 6th. Fourteen have left. A laminated reference card is available at the counter.
A specialty coffee shop on Quintard Avenue confirmed Monday it would not be offering a pumpkin spice option this fall, citing flavor profile inconsistency and what the owner described as 'an obligation to the bean.' Community response was swift. Three storefronts sustained damage. The owner has not reversed the policy.
The Knox Foundation's revival of the Knox Concert Series opened Friday at the Anniston High School Performing Arts Center before an audience of approximately 340. Nine of the fourteen subscribers who renewed following June's announcement were present. Two left at intermission.
Travis Bowen, a former insurance adjuster from Talladega County, completed the BOSS Moves business and biblical prosperity curriculum last month and has since launched Kingdom Leverage Consulting. He is currently accepting new church clients. He charges $2,500 per session.
Westside Community Church launched its annual stewardship campaign this month with a personal testimony from Pastor Bryan Dodd, who announced he had given up his daily specialty coffee purchase for the duration of the campaign. 'I want to lead by example,' he said. 'This is what sacrifice looks like.'
Dale Whitfield of Saks purchased his fourteenth firearm Saturday as a precautionary measure. When asked what he was preparing for, Whitfield said 'whatever comes.' He acknowledged the laws had not changed.
President Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing federal agencies to 'prioritize American values in all regulatory decisions.' Three Calhoun County residents confirmed they had been doing this for years and did not require a directive.
This reporter drove all eight. This reporter is not the same.
The City of Gadsden's conversion of downtown red lights to four-way stops has produced an unforeseen consequence: two polite people in cars.
Following NACC's national championship win and the opening of Nathaniel Ledbetter Stadium, DeKalb County has been overrun by stone-faced agents with launch-angle spreadsheets and per diem budgets.
Doctors report his grip is permanently fused into the shape of a thumbs-up. He says it was worth it.
City workers spent Monday attempting to rake up residual smooth vibes following the Anniston Heritage Festival. One soil sample has been sent to Auburn.
The Knox Foundation announced Tuesday the revival of the Knox Concert Series, which concluded its 74th and final season in 2019. The inaugural revival season will open in September with a professional wrestling card. Two wrestlers were present at Tuesday's press conference and performed a demonstration hold for photographers.
District 4 Commissioner Phil Sorrells released a 340-word statement this week affirming his conservative credentials and clarifying that he is not a RINO. No one has called him a RINO. The statement did not identify the occasion for its release.
Travis Benfield, 41, of Ohatchee, made the statement at a Labor Day cookout in 2024. He confirmed this week that he remains in Calhoun County. He said the word 'if' was always part of his statement and that this fact is available for review.
McCullough Hardware Supply on Oxford Exchange Boulevard raised prices on approximately 340 SKUs following the implementation of federal tariffs on imported steel, aluminum, and manufactured goods. Owner Daryl McCullough confirmed he voted for the candidate who proposed the tariffs. He confirmed he would vote for him again. He noted the prices have gone up.
Randy Gifford, 44, of Jacksonville, updated the flag configuration on his 2019 Ford F-250 on Wednesday, the fourth such update this calendar year. The current configuration includes two flags. The previous configuration included three. All four configurations from 2026 are documented and available upon request.
The City of Weaver will host its first farmers market on Saturday, June 7, from 8 a.m. to noon. Vendors have been confirmed. Weaver is ready.
Larry the Cable Guy will perform at the Oxford Performing Arts Center on November 8. He is a comedian and actor best known for his signature phrase and his role as Mater. The Oxford Performing Arts Center seats 1,600.
Alabama's coastal tourism industry has begun updating signage, promotional materials, and digital content following the formal renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The phrase 'Gulf of Mexico' appears in approximately 4,200 items across one bureau's materials alone. The water is the same.
The Ohatchee Town Council convened Tuesday for a brief work session followed by a regular meeting. Both portions of the meeting concluded. Council members were present.
A man in a full-body hot dog costume has clarified to festival organizers that he is not a food vendor and is instead a private citizen who 'enjoys the sense of freedom the costume provides.' Organizers have asked the public to stop trying to buy food from him.
Oxford Parks and Recreation will host Junk Journal Night at the Oxford Civic Center on April 17. A junk journal is a handmade book assembled from found materials. Registration is free. What constitutes junk has not been formally defined by the department.
The debate over the city's official typeface for public notices, now entering its eighth week, has centered on Councilman Bill T. Abernathy's controversial proposal to adopt Comic Sans, a font he describes as 'more approachable for the common man.'
The Piedmont Police Department has released its February 2026 Patrol Activity Report, covering the period from February 1 through February 28. Officers were active during this time.
Jacksonville State University has announced that Yung Gravy will headline the university's Spring Concert at Pete Mathews Coliseum. Yung Gravy is an artist. He has released music.
A dispute over whether a 'seven-layer salad' that only contains six layers is still a valid contribution to the church potluck has escalated, leading to a special deacons' meeting and a deep divide in the congregation.
In a 4-1 vote, the commission passed a motion to re-designate all existing potholes as permanent 'road dimples' or 'asphalt concavities,' immediately clearing the county's entire road repair schedule and freeing up funds for other projects.
Alabama, the country music group formed in Fort Payne in 1969, continues to tour and record, according to information available to this reporter. The band has sold more than 75 million records. Calhoun County has noted this.
Following the opening of the Oxford Performing Arts Center, several Anniston cultural institutions have confirmed they remain operational. The Anniston Museum of Natural History has been open since 1930. The Hot and Hot Fish Club was established in 1882.
Teachers were trained in the responsible use of AI. AI is a tool. Tools were discussed but the tool was not at the training.
The vote did not occur Tuesday. The data centers continued to operate during the period in which the vote did not occur.
The United States Coast Guard has completed acquisition of the former Birmingham-Southern College campus in Birmingham's Glenwood neighborhood. The campus is 192 acres. Birmingham is approximately 350 miles from the Gulf of America.
Calhoun County is first. The region includes multiple counties. Calhoun County leads all of them.
The center offers a simulated space mission experience. Students simulated the experience. They confirmed they were in Rainbow City.
Redbird Willow Farm in Anniston has reported an alpaca named Chappy missing since Tuesday. The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office has been notified. Chappy is brown.
Users of the Chief Ladiga Trail, a 33-mile rail-to-trail conversion running through Cleburne County, have recently discovered that Chief Ladiga was not a trail name but a historical figure. Confirmation came as a surprise to several.
Coldwater Mountain in Anniston hosted the first Leadville Trail 100 MTB qualifier to be held east of the Mississippi River last weekend, drawing approximately 600 mountain bike athletes from 34 states. Local response was polite.
The Calhoun County Commission met in regular session Tuesday and approved the consent agenda, which included a road paving contract, a budget amendment, and a resolution recognizing Emergency Services Week. These items were also on the agenda in March, January, and October of last year.
The coach received a $2 million salary increase. He is committed to Alabama. He was committed to Alabama before the raise. The university notes both are true.
The City of Anniston Farmers Market, entering its 2026 season at Noble Street Park, is actively recruiting vendors to expand product offerings beyond the current inventory, which is heavily weighted toward jam. The market currently has seven jam vendors and two gourd vendors. It has one vegetable vendor.
Howard Core Company, a wholesale violin manufacturer located at 99 Symphony Way in Anniston, employs approximately 40 people and ships student string instruments to an estimated 1,800 music retailers across the United States and Canada. This information was not widely known.
The Anniston location's sausage biscuit presents with a confident, almost declarative crust. This reporter has eaten there seven times. What follows is a tasting note.
The Jacksonville, Alabama Jack's Restaurant on Pelham Road South has, at any given weekday morning, a dining room that is approximately 94 percent occupied by retired adults. The restaurant has not announced a senior services program. It does not need to.
The scholarship covers tuition and housing. The student appeared moved. Her expression was consistent with being moved.
The Jacksonville State University Marching Southerners have been asked, at five consecutive memorial services over the past three academic years, to moderate their performance intensity. The band has complied each time, describing the adjustments as minor.
Main Street Anniston has released its annual state-of-downtown summary, describing Anniston as 'poised for momentum' and noting that the fundamentals of the downtown corridor 'remain strong.' This is the seventh consecutive year in which the summary has used the phrase 'poised for momentum.' It is the fifth consecutive year in which it has described the fundamentals as strong.
Regional Medical Center introduced Ion bronchoscopy this week for minimally invasive lung cancer detection. The mummy's lungs were removed during the mummification process. RMC was not consulted.
A building at 1030 Noble Street in Anniston, constructed in 1895, was found during recent renovation work to contain a substantial interior grand staircase that had been walled off, covered, and effectively hidden since the 1950s. Previous occupants of the building, spanning approximately seven decades, were unavailable for comment.
The Oxford Performing Arts Center opened its inaugural season Friday to a capacity crowd. Anniston has noted the development. Anniston also notes it has had the Quintard Theatre since 1927, the Berman Museum since 1967, and a full symphony since before Oxford was incorporated.
The prayer is scheduled for noon. It is guided. Both of these details have been confirmed by the City of Oxford.
The Peerless Saloon and Grille, located at 15 W. 10th Street in Anniston, confirmed this week that it has been in continuous operation since 1899, making it the oldest bar in Alabama. The establishment has no announcements at this time.
A pizza restaurant in Piedmont has opened at the intersection of the Chief Ladiga Trail and Main Street, positioning itself as the first business in the trail corridor to target trail users as its primary customer base. Hikers who have discovered the restaurant describe the pizza as unexpected. The restaurant says that was the idea.
Patients and family members in the Regional Medical Center emergency waiting room have been present for at least fourteen consecutive hours, according to information gathered on-site. A provisional leadership structure has emerged. The emergency department has not commented.
Both parties have now confirmed the same thing. This reporter has confirmed both confirmations.
The Anniston Star received an Alabama Press Association award for excellence in spot news photography at last week's APA Better Newspaper Contest. The winning photograph depicted the ribbon cutting for a new parking lot on Noble Street. The Green Tomato congratulates the Star and its photography staff.
The Green Tomato Bureau Chief has issued a formal correction to a correction published Wednesday by the Anniston Star, which itself corrected a characterization that appeared in The Green Tomato's April 24 coverage of the Oxford interchange construction delay. The Green Tomato stands by its original characterization.
A man who has been standing perfectly still on the corner of Greenbrier and Quintard for 72 hours says he's fine and is 'working something out.' Police have placed traffic cones around him for safety.
The City of Weaver, Alabama, incorporated by a vote of 60–4 in 1945, has completed its 81st year of municipal existence. Weaver is located between Anniston and Jacksonville on Alabama Highway 21. Residents reached for comment confirmed this.
Utility workers investigating a persistent, low-frequency hum that has puzzled residents for weeks have discovered its source: a large electrical transformer that is, by all measurable accounts, simply happy. They have no plans to disturb it.
A two-month exchange of roadside marquee messages between two Oxford-area congregations has entered what communications staff for both churches are describing as a 'sensitive period,' following the installation Tuesday of a message that sources close to the situation characterize as escalatory.
The Anniston City Council voted 4–1 Tuesday to approve a proposed mural on the east exterior wall of the former Kress building on Noble Street, concluding an eighteen-month review process that included two public comment periods, one site visit, and a presentation by the artist, who described the mural as 'inspired by the region.'
The Green Tomato dispatched Bureau Chief Buford Tatum to the Talladega Superspeedway infield for the 2026 GEICO 500, marking the outlet's first embedded field assignment outside Calhoun County. This reporter arrived Friday at approximately 9 a.m. and was offered a beverage before reaching the gate.
A fixture of her church and community, Mrs. Prater never missed a Wednesday night service, with the exception of the Wednesday of the 1993 ice storm, regarding which she maintained a position.
All five members of the Anniston City Council successfully completed a four-hour civility and conflict de-escalation training session Monday afternoon, marking the third such training the body has undertaken since 2010 and reaffirming what Mayor Lyle Henley described as 'this council's ongoing commitment to respectful and constructive dialogue.'
The Berman Museum of World History hosted its 28th annual Patrons' Gala on Saturday evening, with attendance up an estimated fifteen percent over the previous year and what museum director Dr. Lawrence Pell described as 'an outpouring of generosity from across the region.' Several pieces from the museum's standing collection were not present in their display cases when staff arrived Monday morning.
Organizers of the 33rd annual Cheaha Challenge confirmed Tuesday that this year's UCI Gran Fondo World Series qualifier will follow its traditional 100-mile route through Calhoun, Cleburne, and Clay counties, where hospital access continues to evolve and where, according to several pre-registered cyclists, the road surface has emerged as a 'real consideration' for the May 16 event.
Cheaha State Park officials confirmed Tuesday that a hiker who entered the park Saturday morning has not been seen since, marking the third such incident at Alabama's highest peak this year. Park staff have cited the rising number of visitors as evidence of the park's continued appeal as a regional destination.
County officials and retail representatives gathered Tuesday for a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new Dollar General location on Country Club Road, calling the development 'a natural fit for the corridor' and 'exactly the kind of investment this area has been waiting for.'
Saturday's Downtown Anniston Farmers Market concluded with what market officials are characterizing as 'a spirited exchange' between two vendors after an unresolved disagreement over the sourcing of heirloom tomatoes resulted in approximately eleven minutes of unscripted amateur wrestling near the kettle corn tent.
The Anniston Museum of Natural History has completed its annual wellness assessment of the museum's Egyptian mummy, declaring the approximately 3,000-year-old exhibit 'stable' and 'unchanged,' according to a statement released Tuesday.
Mayor Lyle Henley joined Oxford Exchange property managers and chamber of commerce officials Wednesday morning for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at The Velvet Magnolia, the newly opened gentleman's club located between the Olive Garden and the family-owned framing store.
Madison Tilley, a seventh-grader at Oxford Middle School, took home a third-place ribbon at the East Alabama Regional Science Fair on Saturday for an invention that several attending judges and at least one Department of Defense observer have described as 'potentially significant.'
Quintard Mall property managers, joined by Mayor Lyle Henley and representatives from the Calhoun County Economic Development Council, gathered Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the grand opening of Quintard Vape Vault, the eleventh location of the regional retailer and the fourth vape shop currently operating inside the mall.
The Anniston Runners Club confirmed Tuesday that the course record at Saturday's Raptor Run 5K was broken, with the top finisher posting a time of 12:47 — the fastest at any Calhoun County road race in approximately a decade.
The Anniston City Council has unanimously approved the sale of city-owned Regional Medical Center to Orlando Health, a Florida-based hospital system, in a deal officials are calling 'a transformative opportunity for the future of regional healthcare in Calhoun County.'
Trent Wickliffe, longtime staff photographer at the Anniston Star and a familiar figure at Calhoun County community events, was reportedly among those injured at Saturday's Raptor Run 5K. The Green Tomato extends warm thoughts to Mr. Wickliffe and the entire Star organization during this difficult time.
The Anniston Museum of Natural History's third annual Raptor Run 5K concluded Saturday with a record 847 finishers and what organizers are characterizing as 'an unfortunate but ultimately manageable situation' involving three fatalities.
Mr. Waggoner served on the Oxford Planning Commission for 22 years and was known for his strong opinions regarding setback requirements.
Alabama public schools have until the start of the 2026-27 academic year to display the Ten Commandments in each classroom following the signing of SB99. The law specifies an 11-by-14-inch minimum size and a large, easily readable font. What constitutes easily readable is under review.
This year's Noble Street Festival expanded its afternoon programming to include a two-division gelatin wrestling competition, held between the 2:00 p.m. criterium heat and the 4:30 p.m. junior bike races. The amateur division ran thirteen minutes, three over the allotted time. The professional division was decisive.
