An employee has died following an incident Wednesday afternoon at Dothan Virtual School.
Authorities say Dothan Police Department officers were dispatched around 4:20 p.m. after receiving a call regarding a self-inflicted hanging at the school. Officers responded and began an investigation.
Wiregrass Daily News reached back out to Robert Byrd, who confirmed the incident occurred at Dothan Virtual School, located on the same campus as Dothan Preparatory School. Byrd also confirmed the male subject was 41 years old. Due to the circumstances, the individuals name has not been released.
Karris Harmon, Public Relations Officer for Dothan City Schools, said the district is aware of the situation and is cooperating with law enforcement.
“We are aware of an incident involving an employee and are investigating. Dothan Police Department are also investigating,” Harmon said.
A student at Abbeville High School was arrested Wednesday after authorities say he was found on campus with a firearm.
According to the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, 18-year-old Drashon Bussey was taken into custody after another student reported seeing him with a gun. The information was immediately passed along to the School Resource Officer.
Sheriff Eric Blankenship said there was no known threat made toward students or staff.
Bussey has been charged with possession of a firearm on school grounds and possession of an altered firearm. He is currently being held at the Henry County Jail without bond.
In a statement, Sheriff Blankenship commended Superintendent Lori Beasley, Principal McKay, and the staff at Abbeville High School for their partnership and swift response in ensuring student safety.
Special Agents with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) have made an arrest following an ongoing child exploitation investigation in Henry County.
According to ALEA, agents assigned to the SBI Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force arrested 54-year-old Abbeville resident Rodger Loftin on Tuesday, February 24, at approximately 6:30 p.m.
The investigation began after SBI received a tip submitted through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). As a result of the investigation, Foltin was charged with two counts of Possession with Intent to Disseminate Child Sexual Abuse Material and two counts of Electronic Solicitation of a Child.
Foltin was arrested at a residence in Abbeville and transported to the Henry County Jail.
ALEA stated that the investigation remains ongoing and active. Anyone with information related to this case, including individuals who believe they may have been impacted, is urged to contact SBI’s Crime Hotline at 1-800-392-8011. All information will be handled confidentially and appropriately.
ALEA thanked the Henry County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with the investigation.
No additional details are available at this time. Once the investigation is complete, the findings will be turned over to the Henry County District Attorney’s Office.
Two daycare fires just six days apart left dozens of east Alabama families scrambling for childcare and led to an investigation that has now resulted in a third arrest.
Investigators say glass mason jars filled with an accelerant were discovered at both fire scenes, indicating the fires were intentionally set.
According to the Opelika Police Department, Terrence Johnson, 51, of Tuskegee, was arrested Tuesday night, February 24, and charged with two counts of second-degree arson. His arrest marks the third in the case involving two Opelika childcare facilities.
Public records and campaign materials show Johnson was actively running for the Alabama House of Representatives, District 82, at the time of his arrest. It remains unclear how the charges will impact his candidacy.
The first fire was reported January 13, 2026, around 3:23 a.m. at By His Grace Daycare and Learning Center on South Sixth Street. The second occurred January 19, just after 11:30 p.m., at Children’s Palace Learning Center on Columbus Parkway. No injuries were reported in either incident.
Police previously arrested Michael Leon Green, 26, and Dante Kharari Brundidge, 28, both of Tuskegee, on arson charges connected to the fires.
The investigation involved assistance from the Alabama State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the United States Marshals Service.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Opelika Police Detectives at 334-705-5220 or submit tips through the Opelika Police Mobile App.
All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
DOTHAN: On February 3, 2026 Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba and the Associate Commissioners of the City of Dothan approved advanced travel requests.
It was unanimously approved for Billy Powell, Andrew Love, and Clay Dempsey to a conference “RENO ARENA TOURS” in Reno Nevada in the amount of $ 5,200.00.
On the trip, now, February 25, 2026, are Dothan City Manager Randy Morris, Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba, and all Dothan Associate Commissioners. These 8 have never been placed on a commission agenda for advanced travel payments to be made by the City of Dothan. So either someone is paying for fly these 8 to Reno Nevada for arena tours or there has been a common plan, scheme and design to hide their travel from the citizens of the City of Dothan.
But RSN can tell you, they are in Reno Nevada for Arena Tours.
RSN can not say the video above is what this group is being privately paid to tour or the City of Dothan is paying for a tour. If the City of Dothan is paying, this expenditure has been intentionally hidden from the public. But when googled RENO ARENA TOURS, this video is what came up. If there had not been a common plan, scheme and design to hide it from the public then the public would have known.
JANUARY 20, 2026 DOTHAN COMMISSION AGENDA
There was an approved Advanced Travel Request for Jason Wright to attend the National League of Cities – Congressional Cities Conference in Washington D.C. in the amount of $ 3,685.00. On the same agenda there was an agenda approved for Jason Wright to attend Congressional Meetings in Washington D.C. in the amount of $ 3,985.00.
This week, Jason Wright, Dothan City Manager Randy Morris and Dothan Commissioner D5 Gnatt Pierce met with Congressman Barry Moore. Now Moore will be speaking at Dothan Rotary Club on Monday, March 2, 2026. They could have met with Conressman Barry Moore then in Dothan for free. While the travel for Jason Wright fits in with his job description, it was on the agenda in plain sight. What was not on any 2026 agendas were for Dothan City Manager Randy Morris and D5 Dothan Commissioner Gnatt Pierce to attend. Guess a part of the common plan, scheme and design to hide their travel from the public, once again. And how was it decided that D5 Commissioner Gnatt Pierce was to attend and none of the fellow commissioners or Mayor to attend. This was never discussed in public nor was the trip for D5 Commissioner Gnatt Pierce and Dothan City Manager Randy Morris.
If you got to hide it then you are attempting to be deceptive!!!
Probably will get a PRICE HIKE in business license along with electrical and water. Dothan has authorized two studies that combined are costing the citizens close to $ 150,000.00 for these studies.
DOTHAN: Last evening Dothan 911 was dispatched at 9:50 PM to a firearm assault in the 500 block of Santolina Drive in Dothan.
According to information obtained by RSN, it appears the investigation reveals, preliminary, the two were in arguments over President Donald Trump’s State of Union speech.
What a thing to have a shooting over.
UPDATE @3:23 PM Wednesday February 25th
As previously reported, Dothan 911 was dispatched just before 10:00 p.m. to a firearm assault at the residence. According to investigators, the incident stemmed from an argument over politics.
Police say a 60-year-old man, identified as Anthony Summers, became involved in a verbal dispute with a 48-year-old man. During the argument, Summers allegedly produced a firearm and shot the victim in the abdomen.
The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment and is expected to survive.
Summers was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault. He was booked into the Houston County Jail on a $30,000 bond. Jail records indicate he had not bonded out as of 3:00 p.m. Tuesday.
The investigation remains ongoing. All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
