DOTHAN: It was year 2022 in the Dothan Civic Center then Dothan City Manager Kevin Cowper anveiled the plan LOVE DOTHAN. Included in the plan were visions of the City Center Project.
Fast forward to June 10, 2025 ( TODAY ) and the ribbon cutting of one of the first major projects, Dothan Opera House. The plans from RDG and the construction by Brasfield and Goree. The Assistant Superintendent was a product of Dothan Alabama, Ben Mathews, son of Eben and Shayne Mathews.
Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba gave the history this morning. The Opera House was a vision of then Dothan Mayor Buck Baker and the Dothan City Commission in 1913. There was a vision and need for municipal offices and auditorim. The construction began in 1914 and completed in 1915. The original contruction price was $ 44,000.00.
The Roy Driggers Municipal Building – Dothan Civic Center – was constructed in 1974. The Dothan Municipal Offices were then moved from the Opera House to the DOthan Civic Center. That was some 51 years ago.
In 1915 the population of Dothan Alabama was around 7,000. At the opening of Dothan Opera House in 1915, it is estimated that 1,000 people were on hand.
Today Dothan City Manager Randy Morris, Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba, members of the Dothan City Commission, the local legislative delegation, Troy Fountian of Wiregrass Foundation, and others cut the ribbon for the grand opening of the newly renovated Dothan Opera House.
Following the ribbon cutting all were invited inside for a show case of the upcoming events scheduled for 2025. Some great and exciting entertainment lined up. There is new and modern sound and lighting system with many capabilities for entertainment.
Check out the future events which Clay Dempsey describes in the video.
WALKER COUNTY – JASPER AL: The Walker County Sheriff was indicted by a Walker County Grand Jury. Which the Grand Jury was managed by the Walker County District Attorney, of which it appears there has been a fued between the Sheriff and District Attorney. However the Sheriff Department jailers were indicted federally for civil rights violations of inmates.
The indictment stems from Sheriff Walker allegedly hiring people not certified by the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission. The commission is managed by Alan Bennefield, former Police Chief in Ozark.
For a person to be certified by the Alabama Peace Officer’s Training Commission a person has to be (1) hired by a law enforcement agency prior to attending the academy. The only way to attend an Alabama Police Academy. (2) attend the academy for 18 consecutive weeks while on payroll with a law enforcement agency, (3) then ride with a field training officer prior to being released on the streets alone.
Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith has been indicted, accused of knowingly employing six deputies who were not certified.
Smith, 41, is charged with six misdemeanor counts of violating the standards for employing law enforcement officers, according to indictments made public Monday.
“Sheriff Nick Smith had knowledge of (the men’s) ineligibility to hold the position as a school resource officer,” according to the indictment.
Walker County Chief Deputy Ralph Williams, 45, is charged with one misdemeanor count of providing false information to the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission, which certifies law enforcement officers in the state.
The Tuesday lookin out the window weather looks much sunnier than Monday. There is plenty of moisture in the ground and more streaming in from the Gulf in the air, but the rain chances look to be much less today than yesterday. Thats not to say it won’t rain today. It might. There is plenty of moisture to fuel afternoon rains and temperatures will creep closer to 90 for afternoon highs.
With all the wet weather from last few days there’s plenty of moisture in the ground to lift into afternoon rains: all the way through the weekend.
High temps during the day will be warming as we head deeper into the Summer season, lows at night will drop to near 70 the next few
GENEVA COUNTY: 11:01 PM FRIDAY. Geneva County 911 dispatched Slocomb Fire – Rescue, Fadette Volunteer Fire and Geneva County Sheriff Department to a structure fire on Friday night.
The fire location was in the 15,000 block of County Road 4.
The reports to Geneva County 911 the fire was upstairs in one of the bedrooms. At the time of the reports to 911 all occupants had exited the residence.
The combined departments arrived and reported it was a working fire. The combined departments made an aggressive offensive attack.
