Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce

The number of people with sexually transmitted diseases is on the rise in the U.S. Alabama ranks sixth in the nation. The biggest increase is syphilis. That’s a disease the medical community thought was almost eliminated twenty years ago. New data from Alabama Public Health shows the syphilis rates have more than doubled across the state since 2020. Here’s more on the trend and what residents can do about it. And a note to our readers, this story contains content of an adult nature.

Numerous schools and colleges around Alabama and across the country are out for the spring break holiday this weekend. Beaches along the state’s Gulf Coast are top destinations during the vacation period. This means the coastline along the Yellowhammer State is seeing an uptick in visitors.

March marks Women’s History Month, a time set aside to celebrate and uplift women’s contributions to history, culture and society. Alabama joins the nation in this annual observance.

The Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF) is offering workshops for people interested in joining the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN), an initiative created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to document and save stranded sea turtles in several U.S. states, including Alabama.

Oyster lovers are preparing for the return of a festival centered on the shellfish. The Fort Morgan Oyster Fest will be back in south Alabama for February 24 and Feb. 25. This is the second year the festival is happening.

Every year Alabamians can celebrate Black History Month in Mobile through various activities. This celebration happens annually with different events each week to embrace a new theme. This year’s theme is African Americans and the Arts. This year’s activities includes cooking classes, a wellness fair, fitness classes, an art appreciation showcase, and a talent show.

Mardi Gras is in full swing along the Gulf coast. One favorite carnival tradition is called a King Cake. It’s a large pastry shaped like a crown with cinnamon, chocolate, or cream cheese filling inside. It’s usually covered in gold, green, and purple sprinkles. There’s also a Fat Tuesday tradition that whoever finds the small, plastic baby hidden in a slice of king cake is granted good luck. They also have to bring a King Cake to the next gathering. Here’s the story of one Dauphin Island baker and how her Mardi Gras cakes are a family tradition…

A program giving girls a running start is coming back to Huntsville for its second year. Girls on the Run (GOTR) is a national non-profit that puts running-based programs at schools and community locations. The initiative has sessions at three Alabama locations around the state: South Central Alabama, North Alabama and Birmingham Metro area.

The city of Mobile has named Dr. Charlotte Pence, award winning poet, author and University of South Alabama professor, as its inaugural poet laureate.

A Gulf Coast Environmental Group says Alabama Power’s recent announcement to recycle coal ash into cement won’t put an end to its work. The Coal Ash Action Group, featured in APR’s investigative report “Bad Chemistry,” says it will stay vigilant as long as it believes Mobile Bay is at risk.