A recent vote in Alabama by the House Constitution and Elections Committee was in favor of a bill that would divide Alabama’s electors proportionately.  In a 7-5 vote, a House committee approved the bill to scrap the current ‘winner-take-all- system’ that divides Alabama’s nine electors in presidential elections.  Though Democrats on the panel were in support of the bill as it would allow people voting for the losing candidate to feel like they are still part of the process, Republicans debate that this would only work if all states employed this system as well.  The bill will now be facing a decision at the House, and the bill will be further discussed pending approval or rejection.

For more on the latest news in Alabama, including Mobile and West Mobile, visit Al.com.

For more on buying or selling property in Mobile or West Mobile AL, contact local realtor Barbara Reeves today.

According to a recent report from Zepol Corp, a company based in Minnesota that specializes in tracking trade activity, Mobile AL had a decent outcome for a generally slow year as far as container traffic is concerned.  Zepol Corp reported that overall shipments were up,  and TEUs (a standard industry measurement that shows container volume) were flat; though this is not too bad considering that other ports around the country have been struggling to come within 10 or 20 percent of last year’s totals.

This year marked the first full year of operation for the new Mobile Container Terminal, and it was the nation’s number 26 container destination in 2009, based on volume.  Although predictions do not expect that 2010 will show a total rebound of container traffic, Mobile AL is anticipated to be among the biggest and most significant ports in the country projected ten years out.

For more on economic conditions and community news in Mobile AL, visit the Press-Register online.

And keep Mobile AL realtor Barbara Reeves in mind for all your Mobile and West Mobile AL real estate endeavors this year.

The beautiful city of Fairhope in AL is being used as a model for a Florida city, as reported in the Press-Register this week.  Florida’s Gulf Breeze City Council awarded a school beautification contract that will be patterned after the look of the Eastern Shore’s Fairhope AL.  The Pensacola FL based Biggs-Green won the $204,000 contract to replace chain-link fences in front of the Gulf Breeze Elementary school; this new fence will serve as a backdrop to a landscape project which will resemble the lovely, flower adorned atmosphere of Fairhope.

Find out more about what makes Fairhope AL so special and visit the Press-Register online for more community news.

For more on buying or selling property in Fairhope AL, contact your local realtor Barbara Reeves today.

Public Parks

Last week, the Fairhope Environmental Advisory Board discussed upcoming projects for this 2010 year.  With the many parks in the city, a volunteer group has been devoted to making a brochure to highlight these community spots since last year.  The brochure will feature the some 20 public parks in the city and is expected to be completed in the next few months.  In the past, many public parks were not clearly defined and the board is planning on producing a map that will accurately show the locations for easy tourism and use by residents.

Other projects expected to begin this year include improving the conditions at Fly Creek, analyzing the water quality at the beach-front park, and developing recommendations for new, maintainable parking policies and rules in Fairhope AL.

For more on community news and activities, visit Baldwincountynow.com

And remember to contact local realtor Barbara Reeves for all your Gulf Coast AL real estate endeavors, including buying and selling property in Fairhope, Daphne, Spanish Fort, and Mobile AL.

The city of Fairhope AL is looking for more energy saving ideas with a recent project that will involve replacing traffic lights.  With some federal stimulus grants, Fairhope will replace traffic lights and road lighting with energy-efficient technology.  The new energy-saving light fixtures are a light-emitting diode technology, or LED for short, and will use less energy than the incandescent lights as well as last longer.  The city is estimated to save about $12,000 a year with these new changes.  Also in store for Fairhope are improvements in traffic flow, involving the improved synchronizing of traffic signals.

For more on Fairhope AL news visit Baldwincountynow.com.

And for all your real estate endeavors in Alabama’s Gulf Coast including Fairhope, Spanish Fort, Daphne and Mobile AL, contact your friendly local agent, Barbara Reeves today.

Mobile River Road plan presented

The new Mobile River road plan will be open for public comment today from the Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).  MPO is comprised of local elected officials and engineers and approves all federal road funding in the Mobile AL area.  The road plan in question is referred to as the Long Range Transportation Plan which will stretch over a 25 year period and includes various projects estimated to cost $750 million.  Some of the named projects include a new Mobile River crossing, the widening of Snow Road from Jeff Hamilton Road to U.S. 98 in order to make a new bypass west of Schillinger Road, and widening Alabama Highway 193 from Hamilton Boulevard to a little north of Fowl River.  Mobile AL community members will be able to attend the hearing from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. today at the GM&O Building in downtown Mobile to learn more about the road plan and voice their opinions.

For more on other projects that the MPO are planning visit their website at mobilempo.org.

And for all your Mobile AL real estate endeavors contact your local realtor Barbara Reeves today.

In a recent report from the Press Register, Daphne Utilities will need to invest an annual amount of $3 million in its infrastructure over the next three years to meet the growing demands of new customers.  In an effort to pay for this maintenance and the necessary upgrades, the utilities’ board may consider raising rates this year; expected increases include approximately 2 percent for water and 10 percent on sewer.

Some of the projects that have been mentioned thus far for Daphne Utilities in the next three years include an upgrade to solid waste processing that will reduce or completely eliminate odors, the installation of a new screening system, and the installation of new pumps and holding tanks.

The number of customers served by the system has grown by 25 percent in the past six years, making these upgrades a necessary solution to continue to support the current customers as well as those anticipated in the coming years.

For more information on real estate in Daphne AL contact your local realtor Barbara Reeves today.

Mobile AL’s Berg Spiral Pipe Corp.’s parent company Europipe GmbH has won a some $920 million contract (650 million euro) to supply pipe for a large project in Europe.  The project would involve supplying pipe for the construction of a second line of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline stretching from Russia to Germany.  The ordered 1 million metric tons of pipe will be needed for the beginning of constructed expected this spring starting under the Baltic Sea.

Europipe has a partnership between German steelmakers Salzgitter AG and Dillinger Hutte, and in 2008 Europipe opened a $96 million Berg mill north of downtown Mobile in Plateau.

For more information on this story visit the Press Register online.

For more information on real estate in Mobile or West Mobile AL contact Barbara Reeves today.

At the north Mobile County ThyssenKrup steel complex, the start of production is growing very near.  for this $4.65 billion steel complex in Calvert, the first slabs for the mill have been on their way from Germany and excepted to arrive by February 15th.  American steel mills on the whole have run at about 65 percent capacity during the second week of January, which is better than the utilization rate at the depths of the market last year, but the Mobile steel mill plans on avoiding producing more than the current market needs.  The German steelmaker did a major reorganization partially to control expenses so that past losses from cost overruns will be less likely.  The Mobile AL steel mill employs approximately 5,000 construction workers and continues to be an exciting addition to the area’s economy.

For more information on ThyssenKrupp in Mobile AL visit the Press Register online.

And for all your Mobile AL real estate endeavors keep local realtor Barbara Reeves in mind.

According to a recent Baldwin County News article, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami will be issuing watches and warnings for storms earlier than ever before.  With advancements in track forecasts, a greater lead time for costal storms is made possible starting this year; the estimated new lead time for watches and warnings will be issued 12 additional hours earlier than in previous years, making it possible for residents to prepare for what may be coming.

For more on the NHC’s new technology in watching tropical storms, visit Baldwin County Now.

For more information on buying or selling property in Mobile, West Mobile, Fairhope, Daphne, or Spanish Fort AL, contact your local, knowledgeable realtor Barbara Reeves.