MLILY Mattresses in Mobile, AL

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The SS United States has made it through the first leg of its final journey on Monday.

The ship made it to Mobile, Alabama, Monday, where it will undergo preparations to become the world's largest artificial reef.

Crews will spend about six months cleaning and preparing the ship before it is eventually sunk off Florida's Gulf coast.

"There will be teams of upwards of 30 people on board pulling out all of those hazardous materials, the leftover fuel oil that's still on board, wiring plastics, glass - all of those things that we can't deploy will be removed," said Alex Fogg, the natural resources chief for Destin Beach, Florida.

"The last thing we want to do is harm the environment we're trying to help," Fogg continued.

The 1,800-mile journey from Philadelphia to Alabama is the ship's 401st voyage.

The voyage started February 19, when the ocean liner departed South Philadelphia.

It left about four months after a years-old rent dispute was resolved between the conservancy that oversees the ship and its landlord. Plans to move the vessel last November were delayed over U.S. Coast Guard concerns about whether the ship was stable enough to make the trip.

Large crowds gathered to say goodbye to the iconic ship after being docked along the Delaware River for nearly 30 years.

SS United States enthusiasts were able to track the ship's journey on the Destin-Fort Walton Beach website.

Monday's arrival is two days ahead of schedule.

"In the spirit of her record-breaking history, America's Flagship concluded her journey from Philadelphia to Mobile faster than anticipated. As she moved through the waves for the first time in 28 years, countless onlookers and admirers along the country's eastern seaboard were inspired by her majesty and beauty," said SS United States Conservancy President Susan Gibbs.

The tugboat crew sped up that process as severe storms are expected in the Mobile area Monday night.

RELATED: SS United States met with rough seas, high winds as it voyages to its new home

The 1,000-foot (305-meter) vessel will next be towed into the port of Mobile Ship Yards, which is an all-day process.

In fall 2024, Florida's Okaloosa County bought the ship after approving a $10.1 million plan to relocate the ocean liner, sink it and build a $1 million seaside museum chronicling its history.

The ship will be the first artificial reef to be paired with a unique shoreside museum and visitor's center.

RELATED: Ship sinking expert explains how the SS United States will be prepped for its underwater grave

The ship's final home will be under about 180 feet (55 meters) of water 20 miles (32 kilometers) off the coast of Destin, Florida.

Okaloosa County hopes the ship will become a destination for scuba divers and attract fish and other wildlife as a reef. It won't be the only shipwreck habitat they have.

Christened in 1952, the SS United States was once considered a beacon of American engineering, doubling as a military vessel that could carry thousands of troops. On its maiden voyage from New York to France in 1952, it shattered the transatlantic speed record in both directions, when it reached an average speed of 36 knots, or just over 41 mph (66 kph).

On that voyage, the ship crossed the Atlantic in three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, besting the RMS Queen Mary's time by 10 hours. To this day, the SS United States -- which is nearly as large as the Chrysler Building -- holds the transatlantic speed record for an ocean liner.

It was originally designed to transport troops and was then reimagined into an ocean liner with passengers who included four U.S. presidents and celebrities.

It became a reserve ship in 1969 and later bounced to various private owners who hoped to redevelop it but eventually found their plans to be too expensive or poorly timed.

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The Excelsior Band will strike up a tune, the Azalea Trail Maids will flash their smiles, and the festive vibe of Mobile’s Carnival season will welcome the arrival of the USS McFaul on Friday as Mobile’s 2025 Mardi Gras ship.

But overshadowing the celebration will be a much larger and more storied vessel: the SS United States. This iconic ocean liner, which once shattered speed records and hosted four U.S. presidents along with Hollywood’s biggest stars, is set to arrive in Mobile ahead of its final chapter.

Dubbed “America’s Flagship,” the nearly 1,000-foot ship is expected to reach Mobile-based Modern American Recycling & Repair Services Inc. (MARRS) as soon as Joe Cain Day on Sunday or as late as a week afterward. Officials have not provided a firm arrival date, but its presence in Alabama’s Port City is imminent.

For local historians and maritime enthusiasts, the ship’s stay in Mobile represents an opportunity for storytelling and sight-seeing.

“People want to see it, but Kate Winslet will not be waiting for you at the top of the gangplank,” joked John Sledge, maritime historian-in-residence at the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico, referencing the actress from the 1997 film Titanic.

While often compared to the Titanic, the SS United States is larger and unique in its own right, holding the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing—a journey it completed in just over three days and 10 hours. However, unlike in its heyday, the vessel today is stripped of its former grandeur.

“It’s just steel decks and walls and there is not much to see on board,” Sledge said. “In many ways, it’s more vivid in our imagination.”

Cleaning

The SS United States will have a relatively short stay in Mobile, though estimates vary. Reports suggest it could remain at MARRS for anywhere from six months to a year before being escorted by tugboats off the Florida Gulf Coast and sunk to create the world’s largest artificial reef.

Nick Tomecek, a spokesperson for Okaloosa County, Fla., which now owns the ship, said the ship’s time in Mobile will be determined once work begins. The goal, he said, is to make the vessel environmentally safe for submersion in the Gulf of Mexico—renamed the “Gulf of America” by an executive order issued by President Donald Trump last month.

Media reports have indicated that work in Mobile will involve removing contaminants or hazardous materials, but Phillip Mason, vice president of operations at MARRS, downplayed those concerns.

“All of that is supposed to be off the ship,” Mason said.

He called the work in Mobile a “simple process.” He said crews will remove the top deck, take off the aluminum, and conduct a cleaning.

According to Okaloosa County, the ship will have holes strategically cut around it to ensure the vessel lands upright during submersion. Passages will also be opened allowing for marine life to thrive in and around the ship.

“The ship is completely gutted,” Mason said. “There is nothing hazardous on board. They took the wood, the carpet and removed it.”

Despite its lack of elegance, Mason anticipates an influx of sightseers hoping to catch a glimpse of the historic ship. The SS United States will be visible from the Maritime Museum and various vantage points along the Mobile waterfront.

“I’m sure everyone from their brothers to their cousins, nieces, and nephews will be lining up to look this thing,” Mason said, estimating a six-month stay in Mobile.

Fat Tuesday arrival?

As for its arrival date, estimates vary. Mason predicted the ship could reach Mobile between Sunday and Tuesday, coinciding with the height of Mardi Gras. However, Capt. Mike Vinik, the tugboat captain guiding the SS United States, suggested it would more likely arrive next Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. The Alabama State Port Authority, based on updates from Okaloosa County, expects its arrival on Ash Wednesday.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the vessel was off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. By late afternoon and early evening, it was spotted off the coast from Miami.

Vinik said officials are withholding specific arrival updates to prevent private boaters from crowding the ship’s entry into Mobile’s harbor. Still, he acknowledged that the vessel’s massive size—coupled with its distinctive 65-foot smokestacks—will make it impossible to miss.

The ship’s journey has garnered widespread media interest due to its rich history and repeated, unsuccessful attempts to repurpose it as a museum or tourist attraction. A last-minute effort to save the SS United States emerged on Feb. 10, when the nonprofit New York Coalition to Save the SS United States Inc. called on Trump to issue an executive order preventing its sinking.

Since the late 1970s, the vessel has changed hands multiple times, with various owners hoping to transform it into a museum. In its prime, it hosted luminaries such as Walt Disney, Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, Walter Cronkite, Judy Garland, Bob Hope, and John Wayne. Four U.S. presidents also traveled aboard: Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Bill Clinton.

Mason acknowledged the calls to preserve the ship but remained skeptical. “Who knows what will happen?” he said. “The state of Florida owns that girl.”

Florida destination

Indeed, Okaloosa County has committed up to $10.1 million to acquire the vessel from the United States Conservancy and transport it from Philadelphia to Mobile. From Mobile, it will be moved roughly 20 miles offshore from Destin-Fort Walton Beach and submerged to create an artificial reef. Additional funding will support a land-based museum and immersive exhibit detailing the ship’s history.

Florida tourism officials believe the “World’s Largest Artificial Reef” will attract divers and anglers to the region. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, every dollar invested in artificial reefs in the Florida Panhandle generates an estimated $138 in economic benefits, including job creation and increased activity in tourism-related industries.

Mobile tours

Meanwhile, Mobile is looking to capitalize on the ship’s temporary presence. Sledge has already scheduled a harbor tour featuring the SS United States on March 27 through Historic Blakeley State Park. Tickets are $39 for adults and $29 for children.

Sledge anticipates additional tours given the vessel’s national significance.

“It will dominate our skyline,” he said. “The smokestacks alone are the equivalent of a six-story building. It represents a bygone era of transatlantic travel, from the Titanic to this ship’s (prime in the) 1960s. It’s a method of travel that is lost now. But this was an incredibly efficient vessel—an outstanding piece of American engineering and craftsmanship that holds the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing.”

He added, “It’s a technological and engineering story worth telling and people will be able to see it.”

The USS McFaul has just arrived in Mobile, and some of its crew members are already talking smack.

“I think Mobile needed a little something, something,” said Alexander Punch, a 27-year-old fire controlman aboard the Navy ship and a New Orleans native. He was asked to comment about Mobile having the oldest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States.

“It’s like giving your little cousin the Xbox controller,” said Punch.

He then turned a bit more serious, saying he was looking forward to seeing his family who will visit Mobile during the remainder of the Carnival festivities that run through Tuesday. Punch is one of approximately 300 crew members aboard the McFaul who will spend the remainder of the Carnival celebration in Alabama’s Port City.

“It will be wonderful to show them the ship and experience Mardi Gras in Mobile,” Punch said. “It’s great to be in the South again and to see friendly faces.”

The McFaul is this year’s Mardi Gras ship for Mobile. A celebration welcoming the ship to Mobile took place Friday along the waterfront north of the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center.

“In Mobile, we are born to celebrate,” said Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, who then offered up his cell phone number for the crew members. “If you celebrate too much, call me.”

Celebration

The celebration welcoming the ship to Mobile is a Mardi Gras tradition in the coastal city, featuring music from the city’s legendary Excelsior Band and greetings from the Azalea Trail Maids. The crewmates of the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park also show up to toss beads at the ship’s crew, who stand along the railing waving their hands for a throw.

The event also included family reunions. U.S. Navy Ensign Jackson Harber was greeted ashore by his parents, Kelly and Lawrence Harber of New Orleans, and one of his brothers. He will be joined by the rest of his family, including his fiancé, in the coming days.

“When we were chosen to come to Mobile, I was beyond thrilled,” Harber said. “We’re here for a good time.”

Almost every year, the U.S. Navy will assign a ship and its crew members to the city for the final days of the Carnival season. Mobile’s Mardi Gras will include parades and festivities from Friday night through Monday.

The Navy ship will also be open to the public for tours. The USS McFaul will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Saturday through Monday.

It’s the second time in five years that the McFaul has been temporarily stationed in Mobile for Mardi Gras. The ship was last in the city in February 2020, celebrating Mardi Gras right before the coronavirus pandemic.

Brian Campbell, the Navy League’s Mardi Gras liaison said ships are often selected each year by the Navy during a process that begins in July. By fall, the military will select the ship that will spend several days in the city for the holiday.

“If you go back to the Spanish American War, you had Navy ships coming to Mobile,” Campbell said. “We have made it a tradition over time. A precedence was set and unless there is a world event that stops it, we have a ship every year.”

Stimpson said the scene of Navy soldiers standing along the ship’s rails is “inspiring.”

SS United States

Meanwhile, the mayor is paying attention to another ship that is slowly making its way into the city’s ship channel: The disabled SS United States, the massive ship that is nearly 1,000-feet-long, was in the Gulf of Mexico Friday and en route to the Mobile-based Modern American Recycling & Repair Services Inc. (MARRS) facility. The famed ocean-liner will be cleaned and prepared for a massive sinking off the Florida Gulf Coast where it will be turned into the world’s largest artificial reef.

Officials with Okaloosa County, Fla., which purchased the ship last year in hopes of creating a tourist opportunity by transforming it into an artificial reef, say the ship is likely not to arrive to Mobile until the middle of next week, weather dependent.

Related content: Mardi Gras to meet maritime history? SS United States to dock soon in Mobile

Stimpson said Mobile city officials have not been included in any updates about the ship. He said it’s not anything the city is coordinating or involved in organizing.

But the SS United States is likely to draw plenty of sightseers while it’s in Mobile. Already, harbor tours are being planned with excursions near the SS United States. The first is occurring on March 27 through Historic Blakeley State Park. Tickets are $39 for adults and $29 for children.

Stimpson said he hopes to learn about its arrival date. “I want to see it come in,” he said.

More on Mardi Gras in Mobile

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - The crash report for the Mobile County Public School System bus crash has been released stating the driver had fallen asleep while driving.

The report says the driver had fallen asleep, ran off the road on the right, then overcorrected. The bus then ran off the left side of the road, struck a ditch, a tree, and overturned.

The bus had overturned on Feb. 12 on Mason Ferry Road. The school system said the bus was coming from Mary G. Montgomery feeder pattern schools, carrying 14 students.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency identified the driver as Angela Lane Weaver, 47, of Lucedale, Mississippi.

The report shows that seven were injured in the crash.

School Board Member Johnny Hatcher said ALEA’s findings are a major safety concern.

“We have everything in place to ensure these things don’t happen so I’m having a hard time swallowing this,” Hatcher said. “The biggest concern I have is how did she slip through the cracks? We pay a vendor to check all the MVR’s. It slipped through their cracks, not ours, theirs.”

Tiffany Blankenchip, whose daughter was on the bus at the time of the crash, said this isn’t the first time she’s been concerned with Weaver’s driving.

“My daughter’s told me on many occasions, all the different issues that the bus driver had,” Blankenchip said. “I truly don’t think that the bus driver would intentionally hurt anyone, but I feel like it’s negligent.”

Since then, FOX10 News has received photos of what one parent said is Weaver driving a school bus, with a time stamp on the images showing Feb. 21, nine days after the crash.

We reached out to the school system to provide an exact dare Weaver was officially placed on leave. They responded:

We have now asked what allowed Weaver to return to work briefly and are waiting on a response.

FOX10 News Investigative Reporter Ariel Mallory did some digging and searched for an Angela Lane Weaver in Lucedale, Mississippi.

FOX10 Investigates: School bus drivers and how they are monitored

We found three speeding tickets were issued in the last four years, all more than 19 miles per hour over the speed limit.

A previous crash report also revealed that Weaver admitted to falling asleep behind the wheel in 2021.

Final Crash Report by WALA on Scribd

The Mobile County Public School System has released a statement since the crash report has been released.

FOX10 News has requested video footage of the crash from inside the bus, but we are still waiting to get that from the school system.

Copyright 2025 WALA. All rights reserved.

MOBILE, Ala. —

MOBILE, AL, December 30, 2024 — It's never been easier to book secure truck parking in Mobile, AL. RigLots LLC, the innovative marketplace platform connecting truck drivers with hosted parking solutions, today announced its successful launch in Mobile, Alabama. The company’s mobile applications are now available on both the Apple App Store and Android platform marking a significant milestone in addressing the critical shortage of safe truck parking spaces.

In its initial launch phase, RigLots has already secured partnerships with five properties across Mobile, offering more than 120 parking spots for commercial trucks. This swift adoption demonstrates the pressing need for RigLots’ solution in one of America’s most important logistics hubs.

“Mobile’s rich history in supply chain logistics made it the perfect launching point for RigLots,” said Will Regan, Co-Owner of RigLots. “With over 120 parking spots already available through our platform, we’re addressing a critical need in the trucking industry while helping property owners generate additional revenue from their unused space.”

The launch comes at a crucial time for Mobile’s growing logistics sector. As the Port of Mobile continues its expansion and the city strengthens its position as a key supply chain hub, the demand for organized truck parking solutions has never been higher.

Key features of the RigLots platform include:

“The response from both property owners and truck drivers has been overwhelming,” added Jordan Anez, Managing Partner at RigLots. “Our initial properties filled a significant gap in Mobile’s infrastructure, and we’re already in talks with additional property owners to expand our available spaces.”

The RigLots app simplifies the process of finding and booking truck parking spaces, a task that has traditionally been challenging for drivers. Property owners can list their available spaces, set their own rates, and manage bookings through an intuitive interface, creating new revenue streams from their underutilized land.

Building on its successful Mobile, AL launch, RigLots plans to expand to additional southeastern markets in early 2025, with a focus on major logistics corridors and port cities.

Truck drivers and property owners interested in joining the RigLots platform can download the app from the Apple App Store or for Android, or visit www.riglots.com for more information.

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About

Founded in 2024 in Mobile, Alabama, RigLots emerged from three entrepreneurs' recognition of a critical gap in America's supply chain infrastructure. Our founders, deeply connected to Mobile's rich logistics heritage, witnessed firsthand the challenges truck drivers face finding safe, reliable parking in one of the nation's fastest-growing port cities.

Drawing from their diverse backgrounds in technology, real estate, and logistics, these Mobile natives developed a mobile-first marketplace that connects truck drivers with secure parking locations while helping property owners generate revenue from underutilized land. The decision to launch in Mobile was both strategic and symbolic – leveraging the city's position as a vital logistics hub while demonstrating how local innovation can address national challenges.

What began with a simple idea has quickly grown into a platform offering over 120 parking spots across five properties in Mobile, with plans for rapid expansion throughout the Southeast. RigLots represents more than just a parking solution; it's a testament to how technology can bridge critical infrastructure gaps while creating value for both property owners and essential workers in the trucking industry.

Our mission extends beyond connecting drivers to parking spots. We're building a trusted network of verified locations, providing property owners with new revenue streams, and helping ensure truck drivers can find safe places to rest when they need them most. As we grow, we remain committed to our founding principles of innovation, safety, and service to the trucking community.