If you have a boat and are ready to hit the water the Alabama's Beaches are calling your name Our area is the ideal spot for a boat-friendly vacation Get your motor running and bring your family along for a great time along the sandy shores of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach don't forget to ensure the property offers trailer storage and boat slips Some properties provide complimentary boat slips for renters some boat-friendly condos offer slips on a first-come You brought your boat; now, where do you launch? Several boat launches are available in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Fort Morgan. When you need to refuel with marine gas, you'll find 15 marinas in the area ready to send you on your way for a day of fun in the sun If you're a boater who can't bring your watercraft along for the ride, you can still enjoy a day on the water with a Gulf Shores or Orange Beach boat rental from several area businesses Whether you're in the market for a fishing boat or a double-decker pontoon boat with a slide you'll find the perfect ride for a day on the water Check out Robinson Island and Bird Island while cruising the waters in Orange Beach The City of Orange Beach purchased these two spots in 2003 to protect the area from development and provide a protected habitat for sea birds the areas are a sanctuary for birds and wildlife and the water surrounding the islands is very shallow making them great places to anchor your boat for a dip in the water While many boat rentals allow pets to ride with you they are not allowed on our beaches or these two islands Launch your boat at the Fort Morgan boat ramp and head over to Sand Island Lighthouse near Dauphin Island you'll discover a decommissioned lighthouse known as one of the most endangered in the US due to its persistent erosion dolphins often hang out around the lighthouse The Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville destroyed by a tornado that killed six employees in 2021 reopened for business earlier this month one of three warehouses the retail giant operates in the Gateway Commerce Center that straddles Edwardsville and Pontoon Beach in the Metro East 4 — exactly 1,000 days after its destruction we're excited and humbled to be resuming operations at this facility,” Steve Kelly “The process is the result of a lot of hard work that was done by our local teams and they are a credit to the great partnerships we have with local leaders and organizations in Edwardsville.” wrecking the building with estimated wind speeds of 150 mph While the exterior of the warehouse was nearly complete about a year after the tornado hit construction crews have since worked on the interior of the facility — like building out the mechanical equipment and safety testing The warehouse serves as a delivery station which is the last facility to process a package before it is shipped While the company is just ramping up business Kelly declined to say exactly how many employees are currently working in the warehouse because that number will increase in the near future more than 100 people worked at the 1.1 million-square-foot warehouse After the collapse, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found Amazon did not violate federal guidelines “Decisions about additional construction on the site are largely at the discretion of the landlord,” Kelly said Tuesday the Seattle-based company operates over 800 facilities in North America Amazon has not sought to install shelters in any of those sites After the City of Edwardsville updated its building codes the rebuilt warehouse does have stronger walls now required to withstand 114 mph winds for three seconds Amazon also hired a meteorologist and has extreme weather training and procedures for employees Three lawsuits had been filed by families of employees killed and delivery drivers One wrongful death suit is currently scheduled for mediation and could go to trial next year said she looks forward to sharing the group’s findings with the legislature after consulting experts in code enforcement workplace safety and emergency management over the last two years and the reopening of Amazon’s warehouse is — literally — a concrete reminder of that,” Stuart said “But with physical renewal must also come a renewed focus on the policies and systems that keep tragedies from being repeated.” Edwardsville Mayor Art Risavy is also a member “I can't stress enough that we couldn't be more grateful for the support that we've gotten from the Edwardsville community,” Kelly said “We are ready to ramp up at this facility and deliver for our customers in the area again.”