Fairhope Now | 07.20.2026 | Fairhope in Tropical Storm Bertha's Path?

Monday, July 20, 2026

Happy Monday, Fairhope!

Yes, we know... it's been a while. We finally found the "Send" button again.
After an extended coffee break (okay, more than a year), Fairhope Now is officially back in your inbox!

We're also excited to welcome Joy Davis as the new editor of the newsletter. Joy is a Fairhope local with a passion for our community, and she'll be helping keep everyone informed about what's happening around town.

If you see Joy out and about, be sure to say hello and welcome her aboard. And if you have a news tip, event, story idea, or comment, she'd love to hear from you. Just send an email to [email protected]


Have a great week and good luck dodging the rain from Tropical Storm Bertha, and thanks for welcoming us back. We're glad to be here.

 Your Monday Funny: Politicians are like diapers. They should be changed often, and for the same reason.- Mark Twain

Dive into today's updates below — there's a lot happening right here at home.

— Joy Davis, Anne Dorman, & John Oldshue

Tropical Depression Two should become Tropical Storm Bertha later today and Fairhope could see impacts  beginning Tuesday and lasting into Wednesday morning as the system is expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Bertha on Monday. While the storm's center is currently forecast to pass just south of the Alabama coast before making landfall in eastern Louisiana, residents should expect periods of rain, increasing winds, and rough conditions along Mobile Bay and the Gulf Coast. The map above shows the forecasted track and when tropical storm force winds (40+ mph) might arrive in Fairhope. The NHC says Fairhope has about a 20% chance of seeing winds that high. Stay tuned to the Alabama Weather Network with meteorologist James Spann for the latest updates.

Source: Editor

Mobile Baykeeper hosted a public meeting in Fairhope this week to present smart growth recommendations addressing rapid development challenges. The nonprofit is urging Baldwin County leaders to adopt policies on infrastructure, stormwater control, wetland protection, and restrictions on data centers and solar projects on sensitive lands. Executive Director William Strickland emphasized the need for unified community support: "It's going to take more than just the people in this room." Residents are encouraged to contact the Baldwin County Commission.

Site work has begun on The Fairhope Reserve, a new 40-lot subdivision on 32 acres along Highway 104 at St. Michael's Way. The Baldwin County planning commission approved the project last February. A new traffic signal was recently installed at the intersection, though the development wasn't the reason for it, per traffic engineers.

A new traffic signal is now live at the intersection of State Route 104 and Saint Michael Way near St. Michael Catholic School, designed to ease congestion during school arrival and dismissal. The signal entered flash mode on July 21 to give drivers time to adjust; remember that flashing red means stop, and flashing yellow means slow down and proceed with caution.

About 380 truckloads of new sand are being deposited on north Magnolia Beach to combat erosion, with additional sod and erosion-control plants to follow. The GOMESA grant-funded project should wrap up next month.

Art.centri.city in Silverhill is hosting a fun night celebrating creativity of all kinds on August 22. It's a great excuse to get out and see what neighbors are making.

What started as a Sunday afternoon experiment has grown into an audience of more than 2.5 million followers across multiple social media platforms for estate planning attorney Jerry Taylor. Three and a half years ago, the Fairhope resident had no social media presence at all. After hearing about another attorney finding success on TikTok, he picked up his phone and recorded a short video about estate planning. A few weeks later, one of his videos began gaining traction, eventually reaching hundreds of thousands of viewers. Not long after that, another video exploded to six million views. Within six months, he had amassed 250,000 followers, and by the end of his first year, that number had climbed to nearly 500,000.

 Licensed to practice in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi, Jerry was already serving clients across the region before social media entered the picture. What changed was the sheer scale of his reach. As his videos gained popularity, he began hearing from people across the country—and even around the world. Some followers became clients, while others simply wanted to meet the person behind the videos. More importantly, creating content gave him a renewed enthusiasm for a profession he has practiced for decades. Sharing his knowledge with a broader audience and helping people better understand estate planning brought a fresh sense of purpose and energy to his work.

 For those hoping to use social media to grow a professional career, Jerry's advice is simple: be consistent and treat it like a business from day one. He emphasizes the importance of building an email list, creating a plan, and staying disciplined regardless of how many views a post receives. "Don't post based on the results you're getting—post based on the results you want," he says. And for anyone who thinks they're too late to get started, Jerry offers one final piece of encouragement: if a lawyer in his sixties can build a massive online following from scratch, the opportunities are available to anyone willing to put in the effort.

Source: Editor

Share this FREE Fairhope Now newsletter to those you think may enjoy it. Or if somebody sent you this e-mail and you want more details than just this, click that big blue button below to subscribe 😍 If you are interested in advertising in our little local newsletter, e-mail us at [email protected]