GENEVA: Geneva County 911 dispatched Geneva Police, Geneva Rescue, and Geneva County Sheriff Department to Regency Inn, Highway 52 in Geneva. The call was a firearm assault.
Multiple law enforcement on the scene and have the motel wrapped up.
The patient was transported to a trauma center.
Law Enfocement agencies have issued a BOLO of a suspect.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Geneva Police Department or Geneva County Sheriff Department.
HOUSTON COUNTY: Three Houston County Commissioners met this past Thursday for the Administrative Agenda. Houston County Sheriff Captain who is now in charge of the finances of the Houston County Sheriff Department, Captain Ricky Herring, who is also D3 Houston County Commissioner until November 2026, chaired the meeting in the abscene of Houston County Commission Chairman Brandon Shoupe. In addition Houston County Sheriff Captain James Ivey, who is also D4 Houston county Commissioner, and D2 Houston County Commisioner Tracy Adams were present. D1 Houston County Commissioner Curtis Harvey was not present.
These three Houston County Commissioners moved items to the regualr Commission Agenda. The commissioners that show up will meet at 10:00 AM. Houston County Commission Chairman Brandon Shoupe has returned from his cruise and should be back at work this week as Houston County Commission Chairman. And whomever else shows up to have a meeting.
The following items are on the agenda:
Invocation – Major Hank Harwell, Salvation Army Corps Officer Pledge of Allegiance – Commissioner Curtis Harvey Approval of the Minutes of the last meeting
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIRMAN AND COMMISSIONERS AWARDS & PRESENTATIONS
1. Recognition – Donna Balzaratti, Poplar Head Farmers Market
2. Proclamation – “Christmas in July with the Salvation Army of Dothan” – Corps Officers, Majors Hank & Eunice Harwell
REGULAR AGENDA
1. Request to appoint Brennen Bowen and Jennifer Stanley to the Dothan-Houston County Substance Abuse Partnership
2. Request to adopt resolution for Community Development Block Grant for street improvements – SEARP&DC
3. Request to enter into a lease agreement with Crab and Quarter, LLC, for property located at 2890 Horace Shepard Dr., in an amount not to exceed $3,000 per month and authorize Chairman to negotiate documents – Stacey Holland, CAO
4. Request to enter into a construction agreement with ALDOT for the resurfacing of County Road 203 from Hadden Road to the Limestone Creek Bridge – Road & Bridge
5. Request to enter into a construction agreement with ALDOT for the resurfacing of Country Garden Road from Webb to Kinsey Road to the Henry County Line – Road & Bridge
6. Request to sell the following items on GovDeals or at auction for Road & Bridge:
a. (1) 7×16 Utility Trailer b. 2012 Chevy Silverado c. 2006 Ford F350 Crew Cab d. 2018 Ford F150 e. 2014 F150 Crew Cab f. 2014 F150 4×4 g. 2013 Ford F150 h. 2014 Ford F150 i. 2008 Ford F250 Crew Cab j. 2009 Ford F250 Crew Cab k. 2015 Ford F150 Crew Cab
7. Request to sell the following item on GovDeals (Revenue Dept.) a. Glass office partition
STAFF REPORTS Chief Administrative Officer County Engineer County Attorney
HODGESVILLE – HOUSTON COUNTY: 11:50 PM Houston County 911 dispatched Hodgesville Volunteer Fire Department, Rehobeth Fire – Rescue, and Houston County Sheriff Deputies to a critical injury motor vehicle accident on Third Avenue and Saunders Road. ALEA -Trooper Aaron Sanders was dispatched.
Two ambulances from Rehobeth Fire – Rescue were requested and Dothan Fire was mutual aid requested. Pilcher Ambulance also responded.
There was entrapment in one vehicle with major damage. Two patients were transported by Rehobeth Fire – Rescue to Southeast Health, trauma alert, from the scene. The patient in the second vehicle refused treatment.
This intersection is surrounded by Dothan City limits but is in the county. Houston County needs to take a hard look at this intersection because there has been several critical injury accidents and accidents with deaths in this intersection. I, Rickey Stokes, personally have been to critical injury accidents and deaths at this intersection over a 30 year period.
The accident was investigated by ALEA Trooper Sanders.
THE INCREASE IN GUN VIOLENCE IN ALABAM RESTS SOLELY ON THE ALABAMA LEGISLATURE AND GOVERNOR, NOT LAW ENFORCEMENT
Gun crime and overall gun violence in Alabama have remained persistently high or increased in several cities since the state enacted its permitless, or “constitutional,” carry law in 2023. While some localized statistics vary, state agencies and advocacy groups consistently report Alabama as having one of the highest per-capita gun death rates in the country.
YouTube
·Black Belt News Network
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Crime and Violence Trends
High Gun Death Rates: Alabama has consistently ranked among the top four states nationally for gun-related deaths. The state’s overall rate of gun deaths increased by 21% over the decade prior to the latest reports.
Giffords
City-Level Increases: Several major Alabama cities, such as Birmingham and Mobile, have reported record-breaking numbers of homicides, a large majority of which were shootings, in the years following the enactment of the law.
WKRG
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Local Law Enforcement Perspectives: Many county sheriffs and local police chiefs, including in areas like Montgomery, Mobile, and Dallas County, have expressed concern that the law has made it significantly harder to identify individuals who are legally prohibited from carrying firearms (such as convicted felons) during routine traffic stops.
YouTube
·Black Belt News Network
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Recent Legislative Actions
While the permitless carry law remains in place, Alabama lawmakers have sought to address the rise in gun-related crimes by enacting new public safety measures. In 2025, the state passed legislation aimed at:
Everytown
Closing the “dating partner loophole” to keep guns away from domestic abusers.
Banning “auto sears” (Glock switches used to convert handguns to fully automatic weapons).
Expanding firearm prohibitions for individuals convicted of felonies.
Everytown Research & Policy
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State Law Resources
To review the exact text of the latest state laws and legislative efforts, visit the Alabama Legislature website.
For a detailed breakdown of current rankings and statistics, consult the Giffords Law Center or Everytown for Gun Safety state policy profiles.
If you’d like to dive deeper, let me know:
Are you looking for crime statistics for a specific city or county?
Would you like to compare Alabama’s firearm homicide rates to other states?
Gun Laws in Alabama – Everytown Research & Policy
Jan 14, 2026 — Alabama has a weak set of gun safety protections. It has one of the highest rates of gun deaths and gun homicides in the country. In 2022, state elected officia…
Everytown Research & Policy
Everytown for Gun Safety Releases 2026 State Gun Law Rankings …
Jan 15, 2026 — MONTGOMERY, AL — Today, Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund launched the updated “Gun Law Rankings” for 2026, an online tool and website that ranks all 50 sta…
Everytown
2:15
Montgomery Police chief calls for ID law to close gun loophole
YouTube·WAAY 31 News
Alabama Gun Laws: A Complete Guide – Giffords.org
The state lacks many basic gun safety laws and has not enacted meaningful gun safety legislation recently. In 2024, Alabama had the fourth highest gun death rat…
Giffords
‘The state has failed the citizens of Alabama’: Recent shootings in …
Jun 15, 2025 — “A criminal who has their mind made up, you know, to commit a criminal act is not to be stopped by whether they have a permit or not,” he said. State Representa…
WKRG
Where does Alabama rank in 2024 gun death rates? Here’s what we know
Feb 27, 2026 — The CDC data includes gun homicides, suicides, and unintentional shootings. The data shows that: * Firearm homicides declined sharply, dropping 14 percent from …
Montgomery Advertiser
Crime up in two years since constitutional carry law started in Alabama
Jan 14, 2025 — Dallas County Sheriff: Crime up in two years since constitutional carry law started in Alabama – YouTube. This content isn’t available. Alabama became a constit…
YouTube·Black Belt News Network
2:59
‘The state has failed the citizens of Alabama’: Recent shootings in …
YouTube·WKRG
Recent shootings in Mobile spark discussion about no permit carry law
Jun 15, 2025 — State Representative, Shane Stringer of District 102, sponsored the law in 2022. Stringer said in a statement that the law is not to blame for the crime in Mobi…
WKRG
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