REHOBETH: After being sick for several weeks Terry Stokes has re-opened his peanut trailer.
Located at the intersection of Highway 109 and Highway 605, Terry is boiling peanuts today, Sunday, February 9.
So if you want some boiled peanuts today for the ball game, drop by. He will ne there all afternoon until he sells out.
Anyone with questions, call 334-790-4563.
Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza gave an update to the brutal assault of a woman in Lovetown Thursday.
Police and emergency response units were notified of a woman covered in blood lying in the front yard of a residence yesterday. She was taken to Southeast Health with traumatic injuries.
It’s believed the suspect in the early hours Thursday broke in to the victim’s home through the back door of the residence — appearing to have pried the door open — while the victim was in bed watching television.
Valenza said the suspect entered the bedroom and began a vicious assault, striking the victim several times with a claw hammer in the face, back of the head and chest.
Valenza noted the victim was struck multiple times with the hammer. He said it was amazing the victim survived after the seriousness of her injuries.
The victim lost consciousness but eventually came to and made it to a neighbor’s yard on Woodland Road before falling unconscious again. It’s unclear when she regained consciousness before neighbors discovered her in the yard when they woke Thursday morning.
Latarius My’lik Dale, 30, of Cowarts, was quickly identified as a suspect. He had been involved in a single-vehicle accident shortly after the time of the assault and was also taken to Southeast Health with minor injuries.
Dale and the victim were married but had been separated several months, and they have a young child together. The child was not in the house at the time of the assault.
Dale previously had a misdemeanor domestic violence charge from 2023, but that charge was dropped by a judge after the victim did not cooperate. It was not yet been confirmed if the victim of the previous domestic violence charge is the same from Thursday’s attack, but it is believed the victim is the same.
Dale was charged with first-degree domestic violence and first-degree burglary. He’s being held in the county jail with no bond on conditions of Aniah’s Law. Law enforcement took him from the hospital straight to the jail.
The victim still has very serious injuries. Sources say the victim got a protection order from Dale after Thursday’s assault.
TAYLOR: 9:05 PM Houston County 911 dispatched a critical motor vehicle accident at West Cook Road and Highway 605. Reports of a single white vehicle overturned.
Rehobeth Fire – EMS, Taylor Fire, Houston County Sheriff Department and ALEA – Troopers responded.
On arrival no one was around the vehicle. The vehicle was laying on the driver side. There was a car seat inside and EMS and Fire searched the vehicle and area surrounding in order to make sure no one or no child was trapped inside or ejected. No one was found.
ALEA – Troopers are investigating the accident. Taylor Mayor Billy Snell and Taylor Vice Mayor/Councilman Merritt Carothers were also on the scene.
LOVETOWN: 08:13 AM Houston County 911 dispatched a “person down” on Dusty Lane in Lovetown.
“Person Down” is a female was found outside in the yard, breathing, but bleeding from the nose and mouth.
Houston County Sheriff Corporal Hunter and Deputy Vann responded along with Cottonwood Rescue.
On arrival of Houston County Sheriff Deputies it was reported the victim is reporting an assault from a burglary overnight. The Sheriff Deputies requested a Sheriff Criminal Investigator be dispatched to the scene.
Initial reports, patient is conscious. A 34 year old female reported to have been hit in the head with a hammer.
Cottonwood Rescue requested Dothan Fire Engine 4 (Southside) be dispatched for advanced life support assistance. The EMS reported a trauma alert.
The Sheriff Department is investigating the circumstances. Houston County Sheriff Patrol Sgt. Nowell is on the scene.
UPDATED @ 08:52 AM
Cottonwood Rescue with Dothan Fire Paramedics have arrived at Southeast Health with the patient.
Houston County Sheriff Criminal Investigators are on the scene.
UPDATED @ 09:34 AM
08:59 AM Houston County Sheriff Criminal Investigator Brandon Barnes has arrived at Southeast Health. When a call of this nature law enforcement responds to the scene and when a patient is transported a law enforcement officer and/or criminal investigator goes to the hospital where the victim is located.
09:01 AM Houston County Sheriff Criminal Investigation Division Commander Captain Donovan Arias and Houston County Sheriff Criminal Division Commander Lt. Anthony Hatcher is on the scene in Lovetown.
UPDATED @ 10:17 AM
Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza is on the scene. Houston County Sheriff Lt. Grantham is on the scene. Grantham commands the drone unit of the Sheriff Department. The drone was flying over the scene obtaining scene photographs.
The Sheriff Department is continuing the investigation.
UPDATED @ 4:48 PM
Houston County Sheriff Criminal Investigation has determined what took place. The neighborhood is safe and secure and no reason for the area residents to be concerned for their safety. More information will be released in the upcoming days.
DOTHAN: NO CHILDREN ARE HURT – NO CHILDREN ARE HURT
07:56 AM Dothan 911 dispatched a motor vehicle accident with minor injuries on West Main Street and Montezuma Street.
The accident involves a Dothan City Schools bus. NO CHILDREN ARE INJURED. Reports are no children were even on the bus.
Dothan Fire Engine 10 ( West Main Street ), Pilcher Ambulance, Dothan Police dispatched. Pilcher Ambulance transported non emergency.
Dothan Police in charge of the accident investigation.
The Dothan City Commission voted down a measure to give raises to the mayor and commissioners in an uncomfortable discussion after an amendment was proposed to increase the amount originally considered.
The original cost of living adjustment would have increased the mayor’s wage to $43,260, with commissioners making half that number, effective in October. It would have been a 3% increase from the mayor’s current $42,000 salary and commissioners’ $21,000 salary. The yearly cost of living increase would have been the same that city employees receive — and the commission and mayor haven’t gotten a raise since 1989.
But Commissioner Kevin Dorsey proposed an amendment which would have raised the salaries to a cost of living adjustment since 1989 — which would have raised the mayor’s salary to $74,000 and commissioners’ salaries to half that number.
After uneasy discussion, the measure was voted down, thus locking the mayor and commissioners into the same salary they’ve been earning. Raises and compensation changes must be voted on six months before the new commission is seated. Today was the last day for the commission to vote on a compensation increase. This measure would have gone into effect after elections, so there was a chance the sitting commission and mayor wouldn’t see raises themselves.
Dorsey and Kirkland both voted yes on the amended measure, but the rest of the commission and mayor voted no in a 2-5 vote.
Mayor Mark Saliba said he was comfortable with the original measure, as no raise since 1989 justified it, but he wasn’t in favor of the last-minute larger amount.
“When the amendment came and changed and it went way up, I could not be for that. I think there’s a certain amount of servant leadership that has to be done,” he said.
Dorsey, who introduced the amendment, said he wanted to make the city commission’s wages comparable to the county commission’s.
“The city commission is doing more work than the county,” he said. “Ask the average person who your county commissioner is and see if they know. The people that’s helping, everybody knows who’s helping and doing their job. It’s a part-time job, but ride around Dothan and look at all the projects we have going. We have a lot going on. It’s really full-time, honestly. It’s part time when it comes to the meetings, but it’s a full-time job the way your phone rings, the text messages, the emails.”
He said he’s also paid his constituents’ utility bills, helped with gas, changed flat tires, and done oil changes.
Kirkland, one of the two yes votes, said he was inclined to support the measure since Dothan’s leadership hasn’t gotten a raise since 1989, but also because of the high demand for work.
“This is supposed to be a part-time job, but as commissioners, your phone rings 24/7,” he said.
During the meeting he also noted that county commissioners receive yearly cost of living adjustments.
Furthermore, county commissioners can draw retirement — but city commissioners can’t.
Bradley Bedwell, one of the no votes, said he would’ve possibly been in favor of the original resolution, and he agreed the city commission needed raises, but he said he couldn’t justify the significant pay hike.
“It was originally a modest cost of living adjustment equating to about $600 per commissioner,” he said. “I don’t think my constituents would mind that, but I do think they would mind a double in salary for an area about 20% of the size of a county commissioner. The county is running a district three times the size of ours. Even though they may not have a big workload, there is a difference. They got a whole lot more customers to call and complain.”
He said such a large pay raise could entice people to run for local office — but for the wrong reasons.
“If you put the mayor’s job at $80,000, you’re going to have people running just for the salary. This ought to be a gift of public service,” he said.
He said while the extra money would have been nice, he was glad the commission didn’t go for the amended amount.
“I would applaud our commission for doing it. It’s a win-lose situation. Yes, you did the right thing to not give yourself a 100% raise,” he said. “It would’ve been great for me, but not best for Dothan.”
The last-minute aspect of the amendment made him less inclined to vote yes.
“It was too much way too soon.”
City commission raises were discussed at the previous strategic planning meeting, and Dorsey said he intended to bring the matter up again at the next planning meeting.
“(The next city commission) will feel the pressure,” Dorsey said. “You’re supposed to make it better for the person behind you.
“We just failed the future and the commissions of the future.”