COWARTS: On Wednesday evening Houston County Sheriff 911 dispatched Ashford Police and Houston County Sheriff Deputies to Cowarts City Hall. The public servants elected which had not taken office had a locksmith at the Cowarts City Hall changing the locks on the building.
The current administration received phone calls and responded to the Cowarts City Hall. Reports are some of the people present who have been elected but not taken office ran when they saw the current Mayor drive up.
CURRENT MAYOR: RANDY ROWLAND
MAYOR ELECT: GREG ODOM
Here is the bottom line facts: (1) Greg Odom is a “current” council member and Mayor Elect. (2) Randy Rowland is the Mayor and unitl November 3, 2025 he is the Mayor of Cowarts Alabama. (3) According the the Alabama League of Municipalities a “council member” has no day to day authority. Their only authority comes from a scheduled meeting, after the meeting is called to order. When a motion is made, seconded, discussed and voted on, and it passes, does that council member have any authority. If the motion fails to pass then whatever that council member was requesting they have no legal right to. (4) Once the meeting is adjourned the members of the council have no more authority than any regular citizen.
The Mayor of the small municipalities is the Chief Executive Officer of the town. The Mayor has day to day management authority. Some of those decisions can be reversed in a legally called meeting and if the motion passes.
What Greg Odom and others alleged to have done Wednesday evening when they entered the locked Cowarts City Hall building and had the locksmith change the locks was, according to legal minds, an intentional criminal act of which they could be warrants sworn out, arrested and stand trial for.
Only two of the current Cowarts Council Members are returning for another four year term. And what possessed their minds for them to think they had the authority to do what they did Wednesday night is beyond me. FACT CHECK ME WITH ALABAMA LEAGUEOF MUNICIPALITIES.
The elections in Cowarts were dirty. There was much backstabbing and discourse that was awful. It was children trapped in adult bodies, on all sides. But what happened Wednesday evening there is no legitimate excuse for and the current administration could have them prosecuted.
TO ALL INVOLVED: Just because you are elected as a public servant does not mean that you own the place. You are there to serve the citizens and guests. And Wednesday you were an embarassment and owe the citizens of Cowarts Alabama a public apology.
DOTHAN: 5:50 PM Dothan 911 dispatched Dothan Police, Dothan Fire, and Pilcher Ambulance to a motor vehicle accident, with injuries in the 1000 block of Ross Clark Circle. The accident was in front of Bojangle’s on the east side of Ross Clark Circle.
The accident involved two vehicles with moderate damage. Two persons were transported to Southeast Health by Pilcher Ambulance and Dothan Fire Engine 4 ( Southside ) medics.
Dothan Police is in charge of the accident investigation.
DOTHAN: 5:30 PM Dothan 911 dispatched a motor vehicle accident in the 3600 block of West Main Street. Reports to 911 5 vehicles were involved.
Dothan Fire, Pilcher Ambulance and Dothan Police responded. One of the vehicles involved was a semi truck.
On arrival of Dothan Fire it was reported two vehicles had moderate damage and one vehicle had minor damage. There was no entrapment reported and Truck 3 ( Whatley Drive ) was cancelled.
One patient was transported by Pilcher Ambulance to a Dothan Hospital.
Dothan Police is in charge of the accident investigation. Anyone with scene pictures TEXT RICKEY 334-790-1729.
ASHFORD: 5:10 PM Houston County 911 dispatched a firearm call at 147 Old Highway 84 in Ashford. Reports to Houston County 911 a 68 year old male accidentally shot self with a .22 calibar firearm.
Ashford Fire Department, Ashford Rescue, Ashford Police and Houston County Sheriff Deputies responded.
The injuries are not reported to be life threatening.
DOTHAN: 5:20 PM Under the Dothan City Manager/Dothan Mayor/Dothan Associate Commissioner laws all hires of department heads are required to come to the Mayor and Commission from the City Manager.
With the retirement of long time serving Dothan Fire Chief, Larry Williams, it is the duty of Dothan City Manager Randy Morris to make a recomendation to the Dothan Mayor and Associate Commissioners. The law of which the City of Dothan operates does not allow the Mayor and Associate Commissioner to select the finalist or recomend to the City Manager a particular person for the job.
However, the Mayor and Associate Commissioner can vote up or vote down the person recomended by the City Manager. They are not bound to hire who the City Manager recomends.
Dothan City Manager Randy Morris, assisted by Birmingham and Peachtree City Fire Chief’s intreviewed the three Dothan Fire Deputy Chief’s. Following the interviews it is the intentions of Dothan City Manager Randy Morris to recomend Dothan Fire Deputy Chief David Hasty to the Dothan Commission as the next Dothan Fire Chief. That recomendation is expected to be made on the November 4, 2025 agenda of the Dothan City Commission.
If the Dothan Mayor and Associate Commissioners accept the recomendation of the City Manager, David Hasty will assume the role of Dothan Fire Chief on January 1, 2026.
BARBOUR COUNTY: 12:49 PM The bondsman protected by Barbour – Bullock County Circuit Court Judge Bert Smithhart has been released from the Barbour County Jail this morning. As we understand the charges that Bondsman James Thomas was arrested for by Eufaula Police Department were for Domestic Violence and Possession of Cocaine. The arrest was confirmed by Eufaula Police Department.
According to some information to RSN some have denied the cocaine charges that was alleged to have been found on James Thomas. The jail video in the Barbour County Jail will confirm the cocaine that was alleged to have been removed from Thomas. In Barbour County there is no telling what evidence will be lost, destroyed or erased.
Barbour – Bullock County Circuit Court Judge Bert Smithhart has denied or just sit on the paperwork of persons interested in opening a bail bonding business in Barbour County. That has happened for decades. This has resulted in only one bonding company being allowed to operate in Barbour County. The court would enter orders “professional surety required” which prevented citizens from Barbour County from even doing a property bond. And with the order “professional surety required” forced people to use James Thomas as a bondsman and pay whatever he charged them. That is because of the protection from Circuit Court Judge Bert Smithhart.
There has been no legal reasons for Circuit Court Judge Bert Smithhart to deny others from being approved as a bail bondsman in Barbour County. However he is the only Circuit Court Judge and a bonding company has to be approved by the Presiding Circuit Court Judge. A writ of Mandamus could be filed against Circuit Judge Bert Smithhart but he would try to put them out of business if anyone failed to appear and not allow the bail bondsman time to locate the person and return them to the custody of the Sheriff.
Circuit Court Judge Bert Smithhart resides in Union Springs – Bullock County. His wife is a practicing attorney in Union Springs.
Circuit Court Judge Bert Smithhart’s protection of James Thomas as the sole bailbondsman in Barbour County, RSN feels that makes a reasonable person really question the honesty and integrity of Circuit Court Judge Bert Smithhart. And in review of some case files and Smithharts actions, it is the opinion of RSN that Bert Smithhart should not be allowed to be a Circuit Court Judge or even allowed to practice law. And in RSN opinion he has mistreated the people of Barbour and Bullock County.
Any day Circuit Court Judge Bert Smithhart would like to publically debate this with me, 334-790-1729.
