The City of Andalusia will play host to 17 baseball teams and their fans when it hosts the 2026 Cal Ripken 8U State Tournament this weekend, June 26-28.
Teams from across Alabama will check in at Johnson Park in time for opening ceremonies at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, June 26.
Because participating teams pay entrance fees, there is no admission fee at the gate, which means area residents can enjoy baseball all weekend.
Traditionally, when the city or counted has hosted state and regional tournaments, the events have made positive impacts on the local economy.
“Any time we can host an event like this one, we are proud to do so,” Mayor Earl Johnson said. “We know both from talking with local retailers and by carefully tracking sales tax numbers that ball tournaments and special events like Candyland help us build a local economy. It has always been our goal to give people a reason to come to Andalusia, not just know it as a place they drive through on the way to the beach.”
Andalusia’s 8U All-Stars won the District Championship earlier this month. They will compete against Saraland, Monrovia, Semmes, Westside A, and Florence White, In the large park division.
Teams competing in the small park division this weekend include Opp, Robertsdale, Jackson, Westside B, Citronelle, Sumter, Mobile, Brewton, Grand Bay, Florence Navy and Childersburg.
Meanwhile, Andalusia’s 10U Baseballe All-Stars will compete at the State Tournament in Thomasville this weekend, with pool play beginning at 10 a.m. Friday.
When Tony Ballard received his gold watch from the City of Andalusia Friday afternoon, he had clocked just shy of 47 years as a City employee.
Ballard, who has maintained the Utilities Department’s 27 lift stations, said much as changed in those years.
“I saw the new (water treatment) plant built from scratch,” he said. “I remember when they started it, and it was nothing but red clay.”
Through the years he’s done many different jobs for wastewater treatment. He said he never expected to stay 46-plus years, but the benefits were difficult to beat.
“Tony has done a stellar job at what he does,” Director of Wastewater Treatments Mike Kelley said. “We’ve had no ADEM (Alabama Department of Environmental Management) violations, and that says a lot. To stay in one place for 46 years is unheard of in this day and time.”
Mayor Earl Johnson thanked Ballard for his service, and said it is believed he is the longest-serving City employee ever. He began working with the City on July 7, 1980.
Ballard said he decided to retire so he can enjoy his four-year-old granddaughter, Lillie Ann, more.
“She is definitely the boss,” he said.
“The other reason is you’re not promised forever,” he said.
He and his wife, Debbie, are the parents of three and grandparents of one.
The Wastewater Treatment Department hosted a lunch for him Friday, followed by a reception attended by co-workers, family and friends on Friday afternoon.
Struthers Recreation recently completed the installation of new playground equipment in Robinson Memorial Park.
“It’s a great improvement to the park in more than one way,” Mayor Earl Johnson said. “It’s pretty, and the colors go well with the green space in the park. It’s new and modern and has things we’ve never seen in a park before. It’s another addition to our city that sets us apart from cities our size in our state.”
The $585,000 project was funded primarily by a Community Development Block Grant, with the city providing a 30 percent match. The grant was awarded last year, and the council approved the equipment purchase in November.
The new playground equipment was designed for children ages 2 to 12. It is built on a soft surface and includes swings, small and large slides, zipline swings, and a spinning wheel, among other elements.
“We have worked really hard to set that park apart,” Mayor Johnson said. “There is always somebody there walking the trail. It is a safe space and people feel comfortable there. This is another example of ways we strive to give our citizens a better quality of life for themselves, their children and grandchildren.”
City officials are working with a playground company to determine the future of the older equipment in the park. The mayor said there is a possibility it can be refurbished and used in another area of town, and that there are several spots currently being considered.
Johnson said he also would like to add restrooms to the park in the future.
Willie Edwards is retiring with a “swish” this week.
The City of Andalusia’s Director of Leisure Services said he’s not sure what he’s going to do next, but he plans to be living.
Edwards, who’s led recreation in Andalusia for the past four years, was honored with a retirement reception on Thursday.
“I’ve been trying the last couple of weeks to grapple with it,” he said. “But life is too short. Spend your time left on earth to do what you want to do. Spend your time living ‘cause surely you’re gonna die.”
Before leading parks and recreation in Andalusia, he worked in a similar role for the City of Opp, where he had worked since 2011.
“I was working in Opp City Schools, and I was managing the pool for the city,” he recalled. “I was also refereeing basketball and umpiring baseball. A job opened on the grounds crew, and I decided to make a change. From there, I continued to move up.”
He also coached the boys and girls basketball teams at Opp High School.
Edwards thanked the crowd gathered for his celebration and encouraged them to appreciate people.
Edwards said he plans to move to the Auburn area to be closer to family, and he will continue to pastor the Star of Hope Baptist Church in Luverne, where he has been the minister since 2002.
