Category: This Week

A new Markets page collects mortgage rates, Treasury yields, the fed funds rate, crypto prices and a live ticker in one place — plus a watchlist of the publicly traded companies with real skin in Lee County, and a look at who owns Opelika's biggest plants. Read More

The Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services has opened its second traumatic brain injury center in the state, locating it at the Bennie G. Atkins Center in Opelika, directly across from the Lee County Courthouse. The Opelika center is part of the ADRS traumatic brain injury program build-out announced earlier this year, when the department opened its first clinic on the University of Alabama campus and identified five additional sites planned for communities with large veteran… Read More

July 2026 — Opelika, Alabama The Opelika Police Department has announced it will use PropertyRoom.com — a national online auction platform for law enforcement agencies — to safely dispose of property that is found, recovered, or no longer needed for evidence. After legally required holding periods have passed, items will be listed on the platform for public bidding. Items available through the OPD auctions may include bicycles, electronics, tools, jewelry, cameras, and other property. The… Read More

June 15, 2026 — Opelika, Alabama The Opelika Blaze youth travel softball organization, founded in June 2025, is expanding to offer a 12U team after Opelika Middle School disbanded its softball program. Girls aged 12 and under are invited to participate in tryouts at West Ridge Park on June 28 and July 19 at 2:00 p.m. The Blaze's existing 10U team was added last May. Private tryouts can be arranged by contacting Davis at (334)… Read More

June 2026 — East Alabama The East Alabama Community Foundation (EACF) hosted its annual Community Trust Grant Ceremony at the Nonprofit Center of East Alabama, awarding over $26,000 in grants to 11 local organizations making a lasting impact across the region. Education Grants ($8,413) included: $3,000 to Opelika Community Theatre to produce two inclusive theatre shows for individuals with developmental, physical, and neurological disabilities; $2,413 to Southern Preparatory Academy to implement a dedicated GMRS communication… Read More

June 19, 2026 — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Opelika High School track and field standout Caroline Couey represented the Bulldogs on the national stage, competing in the girls' championship two-mile race at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet in Philadelphia on June 19. The rising senior finished 89th out of 116 athletes from across the United States and Canada with a time of 11:07.96. Earlier this spring at the Alabama state championships in Gulf Shores, Couey secured… Read More

June 18, 2026 — Auburn, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced on June 18 that Vulcaflex S.p.A., an Italian manufacturer of synthetic leathers used in the automotive industry, is opening its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Auburn. The investment totals approximately $70 million and will create 130 jobs. Vulcaflex — whose products serve the automotive industry in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico — worked with the Alabama Department of Commerce's European Office to select Alabama. The… Read More