UPDATE: FM Fats reports that he spoke with Depeaux owner Bill Sharkey today and was told that the Depeaux isn’t entirely closed and is still open on weekends.

It opened to renovation controversy (after a $250,000 move funded by the DPA) and high Cajun-food-hopes.  It closed quitely and without notice.

Until now.

A few days after a major refreshening of its “Business For Sale” page with the Shumacher Group, Carl reports that it looks like the Depeaux (in the old Decatur depot) has finally closed its doors for good.

No hours posted, mail slot sealed shut…no sign of life. BBQ joint moving in?

Photo courtesy of the Shumacher Group

That’s what the sign on the door to the barely year-old cafe in the 340 West Ponce building says, along with an” Available” sign from Shumacher Group.

If the first isn’t an ominous sign, the second certainly is!

Carl headed over there after a Twitter tipster gave us the heads-up and snapped this pic.

Beautiful wands for sale, for a good cause!  Audrey sends in this announcement…

Haiti needs a little magic.

A group of 3rd graders from Winnona Park Elementary have made some beautiful wizard and fairy wands and will be selling them on Saturday Feb 6th in front of Little Shop of Stories starting at noon. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to help Haiti. The wands will be $10 each.

As you can see from the picture above, a couple days ago, someone threw a large rock through the Finders Keepers sign which currently reads “Yes Annexation”. Real classy.

According to a report, the Finders Keepers folks have since ” taped [the sign] back together as a sign of support so the “Yes Annexation” is still proudly showing.”

Finders Keepers is one of two property owners in the annexation area along College Avenue who support the legislative effort.

At last night’s meeting, the Decatur City Commission authorized $15,000 to tear down the house at 416 Oakland Street, which is owned by Fannie Mae and was recently deemed a nuisance by Decatur Municipal Court.  The property has essentially been abandoned since early last year.  We’ve discussed it here in the past.  Deputy City Manager Hugh Saxon explained that the cost of demolition would then be applied to a lien on the house.

Funny.  My wife and I toured this very house when we were house-hunting a few years back.  It certainly wasn’t the worst house we saw, but it definitely needed a good deal of work.  I recall a nice, open living space downstairs with built-ins, but really small rooms and bathroom upstairs.  Also, the kitchen needed a lot of work.

It wasn’t beyond repair then, but apparently it is now.

FYI: The pic I took above is about a year old.