rickey@rickeystokesnews.com

Text Rickey: 334-790-1729

00:09 AM. Weather Update

WHAT…For the Wind Advisory, southwest winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph expected. For the Cold Weather Advisory, very cold wind chills of 17 to 25 expected. For the Extreme Cold Watch, dangerously cold wind chills of 9 to 15 possible. For the Freeze Watch, a hard freeze with sub-freezing temperatures as low as 17 possible. * WHERE…Portions of southeast Alabama, the Big Bend and Panhandle of Florida, and southwest Georgia. * WHEN…For the Wind Advisory, from noon EST /11 AM CST/ today to 6 PM EST /5 PM CST/ this evening. For the Cold Weather Advisory, from 4 AM EST /3 AM CST/ to 10 AM EST /9 AM CST/ Monday. For the Extreme Cold Watch and Freeze Watch, from Monday evening through Tuesday morning. * IMPACTS…Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Wind chill values can lead to hypothermia with prolonged exposure. Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.

11:53 PM Vehicle Strikes House – Structure Fire – Moss Street – Dothan

DOTHAN:     10:52 PM     Dothan 911 dispatched Dothan Fire, Dothan Police and Pilcher Ambulance to the 500 block of Moss Street to a structure fire. At the time of the call the reports to Dothan 911 a car had struck the house and both the car and structure were on fire.

Multiple Dothan Fire Engine Companies responded, Dothan Police and Pilcher Ambulance. Preliminary information the car was possible occupied.

The residence is west of Cloverdale School on Moss Street where Mauldin Street dead ends into Moss Street. The house has a single car garage and the vehicle appeared to be up in the rear of the garage.

PRELIMINARY INFORMATION the car struck the residence and went into the garage which ignited the fire.

Dothan Fire and Dothan Police were immediate doing an aggressive search and offensive attack on the fire checking for occupants of the vehicle and residence. A preliminary search reported no one found, an primary all clear search.

Dothan Utilities was dispatched because two power lines were down. Dothan Utilities quick on the scene to cut the power.

A secondary search reported no one found in residence or vehicle.

Dothan 911 received call of multiple subjects on Church Street at Rollins which had been running. The subjects were located and detained to see if a connection with this accident and fire.

Dothan Fire Prevention Officer on the scene. Dothan Police Criminal Investigator on the scene. Dothan Fire Deputy Chief Pete Webb on the scene. Dothan Fire Chief David Hasty on the scene or is in phone contact with Deputy Chief.

The fire is under control. Investigation underway on the fire and the subjects found a few blocks from the scene.

OF SPECIAL NOTE:    The emergency responders are normally considered Police, Fire and EMS. Please remember the 911 dispatchers who take the calls and get emergency units responding. And, importantly remember the Utility crews which respond to cut the power. As in this call live electrical lines on the ground. The Utility men and women are part of the first responder family.

 

 

 

7:26 PM. Weather Statement

Good afternoon,

Coffee County has been upgraded to a Slight Risk(2 out of 5) for severe storms tomorrow (Sunday, 24-JAN). A Wind Advisory has also been issued for Sunday. See the attached graphics (3) for additional information.

SUMMARY

  • The threat for severe thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon into the evening has increased thanks to an expected squall line.
  • Estimated arrival time of the squall line is Sunday 12pm-2pm CST at Southeast Alabama and the FL Panhandle.
  • Gusty non-thunderstorm wind gusts are forecast from the Flint River Valley to points westward. Frequent gusts up to 40 mph are possible.

MAIN HAZARDS

–Damaging Wind Gusts up to 60 mph

–A couple of tornadoes

NON-THUNDERSTORM WINDS

Ahead of storms Sunday afternoon, wind gusts up to 40 mph are possible. Confidence has increased enough to issue a Wind Advisory.

Winds this strong could blow around small unsecured objects and cause difficulty driving for high-profile vehicles.

Any questions, give us a call. As a reminder, we will begin to send out weather emails when the severe weather risk is Slight or higher.

GL

Grant Lyons

Director

Coffee County Emergency Management Agency

02:32 AM.  Dale County Sheriff Mason Bynum

02:32 AM. Dale County Sheriff Mason Bynum

DALE COUNTY:    At 5:00 PM Dale County Sheriff Mason Bynum was unchallenged in the 2026 elections.

At 2:30 AM guess what? Sheriff Bynum is on the streets throughout Dale County actively working patrol and with criminal investigators.

Earlier tonight there was a robbery of store in Ariton. Sheriff Bynum is “currently” ( 2:30 AM in the middle of the night ) on the streets, working side by side – shoulder to shoulder with the men and women of Dale County Sheriff Department tracking down suspects.

A working Sheriff serving the citizens and guests of Dale County.

No one can say he is working because of election. Because he is unopposed. But one can say he is working because he serves the citizens and works to make people of Dale County safe.

6:07 PM. Geneva County Candidates

Qualifying has ended and the following candidates will appear on the May 19, 2026 Republican primary ballot:

Coroner, Donny Adkinson (I)

Sheriff: Timothy Forehand, David Hall

Revenue Commissioner, Mary Ann Ellison (I)

School Board District 5, Lisa Baine (I)

School Board District 2: Jonathan Eubanks (I), Johnny Hudson

County Commissioner District 1: Kevin Watson, Bryan Hatton

County Commissioner District 3, Bart Wilks