Silhouette of a person with both arms raised
02.21.2019

Gulf Shores - SHOOT THE MESSENGER

Our ongoing coverage of bad development reveals city officials routinely ignore public outrage to push high-density apartment deals for favored developers. Planning commission filings and citizen lawsuits detail how municipal boards bypassed zoning rules without giving residents proper notice. Unbridled corporate greed is rapidly destroying the coastal neighborhood character.
Fairhope City Council President Burrell in a suit smiles while wearing a white party hat with DUNCE printed on it Fairhope City Council President Burrell in a suit smiles while wearing a white party hat with DUNCE printed on it - animated
02.15.2019

JACK GETS AN F - AGAIN

Council President Jack Burrell botched a major grant deal for the K-1 property while hiding severe environmental issues from the public. Documents reveal how city leadership ignored critical structural warnings and alternative bids to force their own backroom plan. Why does City Hall keep rewarding total incompetence at taxpayer expense?
Overlapping United States one-dollar bills displaying George Washingtons portrait and the word ONE
02.13.2019

NOTHING IS FREE

Continuing our investigation into regional power grabs, State Senator Chris Elliott is pushing legislative deals that strip municipal control from local voters. State records and campaign ledger entries show how backroom horse-trading dictates who gets a piece of public tax revenue. The Ripp Report follows the money behind Baldwin County's newest legislative power play.
A red die with white text on three visible faces reading GOOD, BAD, and UGLY
02.08.2019

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY

Holdover officials from previous administrations are actively undermining the current mayor to protect their political allies from legal fallout. Court transcripts and internal memos reveal a systematic pattern of delaying criminal charges and stonewalling costly lawsuit settlements. Real accountability starts when backroom political immunity comes to an end.
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02.07.2019

COMMUNICATION

City Attorney Marcus McDowell and Council leadership routinely make secret municipal decisions while completely freezing out the elected Mayor. Meeting minutes and police records demonstrate how city hall insiders deliberately hid key files and altered prosecution documents. See how local power brokers weaponized city offices to control the municipal agenda.
A clenched hand wearing a light blue striped shirt sleeve presses against a dark wooden door
02.01.2019

KNOCK ON DOORS

Baldwin County officials squandered millions on a vacant industrial site while falsely claiming economic growth. Continuing our coverage, internal documents show how development leaders hid job losses and passive sales strategies behind PR spin. Read how their refusal to do real work cost taxpayers millions.
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01.30.2019

STEPPING UP

State and local politicians diverted critical disaster funds to line their own pockets and fund pet projects. Following up on our investigation, financial records reveal millions in BP settlement funds were quietly siphoned away from public infrastructure. Will anyone finally hold these corrupt leaders accountable for their greed?
A waving American flag on a tall pole stands beside a central fountain and flower beds in a sunny public park
01.26.2019

STATE OF THE CITY - 2019

Previous city leaders treated municipal utility accounts like personal slush funds to pay off disastrous legal settlements. Our investigation continues as financial audits expose how former officials double-dipped on city paychecks while deepening public debt. The Ripp Report breaks down the true cost of years of backroom political deals.
The Fairhope Downtown Clock on a black and gold pole stands beside flower-lined sidewalks, overlooking an empty street leading to downtown buildings
01.23.2019

TICK-TOCK

Fairhope council members secretly cut deals with private developers to trade off prime downtown property. Building on previous coverage, council minutes and meeting records expose how councilmen ignored zoning laws to protect favored insiders. Time is running out for the politicians who sold out the town's character.
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01.18.2019

BOILING FROG

City planners rammed high-density apartment developments through approval without giving residents a chance to speak. Continuing our coverage, internal traffic studies prove officials knew these developments would paralyze key local intersections. Discover how local officials slowly trapped taxpayers in an infrastructure nightmare.