Costco is coming; Seibert for Mayor? And more in this week’s OTR

Off The Record: The latest rumors and rumblings in North Alabama

Costco coming

While a new Costco location has been rumored for months on social media it appears to be a done deal now. The newest location of the popular club store will be behind the vegetable stand at Clift Farm on U.S. 72. While developers will still not confirm the news, Costco has been sending out solicitations to bidders for construction work. Those driving past the 550-acre development near Madison might have already noticed there’s quite a bit of heavy machinery already working on the site.

Seibert for Mayor?

Athens City Councilman Chris Seibert is reportedly being urged to run for mayor. One ardent supporter tells OTR, “If the city of Athens is looking for its next true leader in the making, they don’t have to look any further than councilman Chris Seibert.” Mayor Ronnie Marks has not commented on running for reelection.

A less than strong opponent? 

Congressman Dale Strong drew an opponent on the final day of qualifying last week that has insiders scratching their heads. Daniel Boman, a former member of the Alabama House and candidate for Congress, filed Friday to run against the popular first-term incumbent. What might sound like a solid resume starts to raise eyebrows when we include the fact that Boman lives in Winfield, and represented a district centered around Fayette County and is closer to Tuscaloosa than to Decatur or Huntsville. Also, his previous congressional run was against Robert Aderholt in the Fourth Congressional District in 2012. Insiders wonder why he is running in the Fifth District where he seems to have no known ties at all. But wait, there’s more. Boman served in the Statehouse and was a congressional candidate as a Democrat – he was elected as a Republican in 2010 and switched parties in 2011. He returned to the GOP to run for a state Senate seat in 2018 but was removed from the ballot by the ALGOP because he ran against a Republican six years prior. And if you have a third hand to scratch your head with, consider that Boman was arrested and taken to Winston County jail in 2020 on theft charges related to an estate trust account.

Trees for charities

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Toyota Field. The Rocket City Christmas Light Show featuring almost 1 million lights opens tonight and runs through Jan. 2. In its third year at Toyota Field, the fun is also inside the stadium at the Winter Wonderland featuring hot chocolate stations, cookie decorating, character visits and s’mores making. New this year is a Christmas tree sale that benefits local non-profits – First Stop, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Russell Hill Foundation and the Trash Pandas Foundation. When you purchase a tree, which are reasonably priced Fraser firs, you can choose the charity you wish to help.