The recently-renovated Dixon Heights apartment community has new ownership and new management, and offers residents a benefit not seen in many new properties, its manager said.
Beau Daniel of Foshee Residential Management Group said the Andalusia property was auctioned several years ago, and the company that acquired the property invested several million dollars into interior and exterior renovations.
“The previous owner of the apartment community put the property up for sale in 2020, and it attracted buyers form all over the country,” Daniel said. “The group that ended up buying it is The Alliven Group based out of New Jersey. They saw Andalusia as a strong market, and closed on the property in January of 2021.”
The Alliven Group has worked with Foshee Residential Management Group for several years, and contracted with them for management of Dixon Heights, located on Regal Heights Drive just off Hwy. 29. Foshee is based out of Montgomery and manages about 7,000 apartments statewide, as well as some in Mississippi and Florida.
“We are pleased that The Alliven Group and Foshee Residential see what we see,” Mayor Earl Johnson said. “Andalusia is a strong market and is worthy of investment. We are excited about their partnership and the renovation of this apartment community,”
Daniel personally is responsible for Foshee’s portfolio in Mobile, and also has ties to Andalusia through his wife, Andalusia native Brittany Mikel Daniel, and is frequently in the area, he said.
“It is a good fit for our company and for me,” he said.
Foshee Residential has managed other communities in Andalusia for about five years, he said.
Daniel said Dixon Heights offers a living solution for people just moving into the area, and for students.
“The community has 76 apartments and is a mixture of one and two bedroom units,” he said. “Some are traditional apartments, but a good portion of the units are actually townhomes, with upstairs and downstairs living space.”
“Dixon Heights, serves a good niche for Andalusia,” he said. “When you’ve got industry, and people moving in to work at PowerSouth or Shaw, a lot of people don’t know where want to live. This community really serves that niche. Maybe they can rent a year or two, which allows them to know where want to ultimately purchase.”
The community also is a good option for those coming to LBW Community College, he said.
“The location is great. The apartments are centrally located, and it’s easy to get anywhere,” he said.
The community has a total of 76 apartments with rents ranging from $499 to $699, depending upon floor plan. There is a local property manager who has been on site for three or four years, as well as a local maintenance tech.
“Nowadays, with new construction costs, most communities are just buildings and parking lot,” he said. “What you find in a community like Dixon Heights, which is a little bit older, is a lot of green space. We allow pets, and have a lot of people who walk the property with their pets without getting on sidewalk or asphalt.”
Additional information is available at fosheeresidential.com/properties/dixonheights, or by calling 334.222.9656.
The Andalusia Police Department is encouraging local residents who have personal property stored in storage units to check those units if they have not recently done so.
The department this week has recovered property taken in five burglaries of storage units that occurred between October and now, Capt. Jamey Wismer said.
In most of the burglaries, he said, the locks were cut, merchandise was taken, and a different lock placed on the unit so that the burglary was not immediately apparent.
“We believe we might have found additional stolen property, but we need reports of stolen property before it can be identified as such,” Wismer said. “Our concern is that people might not be aware of their losses.”
The burglaries were from storage units in different areas of town, he said. Arrests are pending.
Anyone who finds they have had property taken should file a police report and include as many details about the items taken as is possible.
“We were able to solve the first one because of a little red wagon,” Wismer said. “The owner was able to tell us a name that had been written on the wagon in magic marker.”
Wismer expressed his appreciation to Greg Palmer for information he gleaned from his Stolen in Covington County Facebook page.
“Because of information he got, we were able to do an investigation and recover some of the stolen property,” he said.
He also expressed his appreciation to the Opp Police Department for their assistance.
Anyone with information about these or other burglaries is asked to call the APD at at 334-222-1155, or CrimeStoppers at 334-215-STOP (7867).
Earlier this week, Mayor Earl Johnson presented the Andalusia Rotary Club’s Spirit of Andalusia award to Mrs. Jerri Stroud.
This award was established by the club in 2005 to recognize people outside of the Andalusia Rotary Club for contributions in making the city a special place. The club chooses recipients who embody the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self.” This year’s award was presented on the occasion of the Andalusia Rotary Club’s 100thanniversary.
The mayor said it was fitting that Mrs. Stroud would be honored at such a special occasion.
“Her involvement has made countless events like this one special,” he said.
Mrs. Stroud came to Andalusia as an educator and set high standards for her students.
“She had a reputation for being able to pull the very best out of students, and a number of doctors, nurses, dentists and other medical professionals emerged from that foundation of her Andalusia High School biology and anatomy classes,” Johnson said. “The high standards she set in the classroom are carried out in every area of her life.”
At First Baptist Church, she has served as a Sunday School teacher, and been in charge of the grounds. She chairs the Culinary Committee and directs every funeral luncheon and other special events. Each year, she stages a dinner for all of the participants of Covington County’s Drug Court.
“She has been called upon by many a bride – or perhaps many mothers of brides – to put that same mark of excellence on their weddings,” Johnson said.
“We are especially appreciative that since her retirement, she has directed the City of Andalusia Ambassadors, and set high standards for them, too,” he said. “She has helped us showcase our best and brightest students and added a little something extra to the special events where they have served as greeters.”
Because her family could not attend the event, Mayor Johnson asked that the ambassadors stand with Mrs. Stroud during the award presentation, which was a surprise to her. Unbeknownst to Mrs. Stroud, her sons and several of her grandchildren were tuned in via Zoom to watch the presentation, and were able to congratulate her from the screen near the podium.
Each Spirit of Andalusia recipient is named a Paul Harris Fellow, the award named for Rotary founder Paul Harris, and the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a Rotarian. A contribution to the Rotary International Foundation also is made in the recipient’s name.
YAP’s Adult Services program in Covington County is in need of part-time advocates for its program serving domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking victims in Covington county to provide holistic, trauma-informed wrap-around advocacy services, including crisis intervention, court advocacy and help with emergency needs for victims and their children.
Requirements: High school diploma/GED
To apply: Send resume and cover letter to .
This week kicks off the holiday season in Andalusia. Here’s what you need to know to enjoy it all!
On Thursday evening, we will light the Christmas tree on the Square at 6 p.m. with live music by Johnny Brewer and two members of the LBW Ensemble, Matthew Mitchell and Jo Snider.
The Chamber of Commerce’s annual Christmas parade rolls at 7 p.m.
On Friday, we will cut the ribbon for Candyland 2020 at 1 p.m., and invite you to be with us for that exciting occasion. Candyland officially opens at 1:30 Friday afternoon. You can find a detailed schedule of events online at ChristmasinCandyland.com.
The Lower Alabama Arts Coalition will open its Merry Market with an open house from 5 until 8 p.m. on Fri., Dec. 4. All handmade items are $50 or less.
Concerts and Carols at Springdale on Ice. Don’t miss this fun feature of Christmas in Candyland set from 6 until 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4. You can find a detailed schedule of events online at ChristmasinCandyland.com.
First Baptist Church will hold a Drive Through Nativity from 6 until 7 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. This is the first time they have done this, and they’ve got a zoo of live animals lined up, including cows, horses, donkeys, sheep and a camel. Please enter from Tisdale Street, which runs behind Big Mike’s.
United Fund will host its fourth annual Red Nose Reindeer Dash 5K at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 5. Online registration is available at active.com, or race day registration begins at 7 p.m. Starts and ends at CCB Community Bank, East Three Notch Street, Andalusia.
The Andalusia Pilot Club will host its annual All You Can Eat Pancake and Sausage Breakfast in the Kiwanis Center. The event runs from 5:30 a.m. until noon. Admission is $7 per person, and there is also an Arts and Crafts Fair.
Christmas Spectacular will perform at Candyland at 5 p.m. You can find a detailed schedule of events online at Christmas in Candyland.com.
Those Andalusia Pilot Club members are workers! They also will host their annual Holiday Tour of Homes this Sunday, Dec. 6, from 1:30 until 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 each, and are available from members or at the Chamber of Commerce.
This year’s tour includes the homes of Amy and Chris Weaver, Hayden and Tyler Raines, Philann and Ryan Steward, Amy and Chris Rolling, Melissa Owens, John and Kelly Wells, and Five Runs Farm.