BY MALLORIE MCCOYFOR THE OBSERVER AUBURN — Village Friends is a nonprofit organization that provides to adults over 65 in the Auburn-Opelika community who desire to remain independent in their own homes for as long as possible.Brittany Branyon, executive director of Village Friends since October 2024, said the organization refers to this notion as “aging in place.” Village Friends is a group of volunteers who offer a variety of services... 293e2v

BY MICHAELA YIELDINGFOR THE OBSERVER AUBURN — A former middle school teacher, Ashley Kauffman of Auburn transitioned to being a stay-at-home mom after the birth of her third child in 2021. Although she had stepped away from the classroom, her desire to educate and connect with children remained strong.Recognizing that her ion for teaching science, her talent for baking and her need to work from home could be combined, Kauffman’s...

BY KADIE VICKTHE LAFAYETTE SUN LAFAYETTE — LaFayette Main Street is coloring the community with spirit through the addition of a mural downtown.“The mural brings a sense of excitement. When people drive through and they see that public art, it makes them want to stop. It creates an increase in tourism in the city and downtown, because it is very fascinating to see such a large-scale artwork,” said the Executive Director of LaFayette Main...

CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER ALABAMA — Shrimp Basket announced the launch of its new Gulf to Guest menu offering featuring wild-caught Gulf shrimp across a wide selection of its most popular menu items. The new Gulf shrimp menu offerings rolled out on May 19 across all 18 Shrimp Basket locations, including the Auburn restaurant, located at 1651 S. College St.Gulf to Guest is not a limited-time campaign — it is a lasting commitment to serve more...