Orange Beach names its new fire chief

VIDEO: The city of Orange Beach named a new fire chief during Tuesday’s city council meeting. “Join us in congratulating Jeff Smith, the new Fire Chief for the City of Orange Beach,” the city posted on Facebook. Smith was promoted after a unanimous vote by the Orange Beach City Council and Mayor Tony Kennon in the April 16 City Council Meeting, according to the post. The promotion comes after Smith served as the interim chief since September 2023, following the retirement of former Chief Mike Kimmerling. Smith has been with the Orange Beach Fire Department since June 1996. He was promoted to lieutenant within three years into the job before being promoted to battalion chief in 2005. Finally, he was promoted to deputy chief in 2019.
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Man killed in fiery crash on I-22 in Walker County

VIDEOS/PHOTOS: A Boaz man is dead after a crash on I-22 near mile marker 49, according to the Walker County Coroner. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) says 40-year-old Stephen A. Zmolek, Jr. was killed when the tractor-trailer he was driving ran off the road, overturned, and caught fire. Zmolek died at the scene. The wreck happened just after 10 a.m. on April 16, 2024, near mile marker 49, about five miles east of Carbon Hill on Interstate 22. The interstate was closed for several hours as crews worked to put out the fire and clean up the area. As of 7:00 p.m., authorities said all lanes were open.
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