HOUSTON COUNTY: In 1983 when I, Rickey Stokes, assumed the Office of Coroner for Houston County, the county furnished the Coroner NOTHING. This was a time in history that communications did not exist as it does today. The Coroner before me, Frankie Ingram and Jack Still, had to call in and out of service on the radio through the Houston County Sheriff Department everywhere they went or be listening to a portable radio. The same was when I took office in January, 1983 at age 22 ( elected at age 21 ).
The salary for Coroner was $ 100 per month salary and $ 400 a month expense salary. And Houston County furnished the Coroner, NOTHING!
Well, I got the county to purchase a two way radio. Imagine age 22, single, and having to let the Houston County Sheriff Dispatcher know everywhere I was for 4 years. During the time that I served as Coroner, Hospice did not exist. If EMS went to a terminal cancer patient and was deceased the Coroner was required to respond. With the two major trauma centers, Southeast Alabama Medical Center ( now Southeast Health ) and Flowers Hospital, if a person was in a incident in another county and came to one of these hospitals and died, the Houston County Coroner was required to respond.
Today, hospice handles a lot of terminal patients and the Coroner does not have to respond. And the Coroner where the incident took place has to respond. A change today, if a body is to be cremated it requires the Coroner to sign off on it.
The Coroner before me was dedicated and did a great job. He was in the upholstery business. He would staple his reports together and place them in a box. One of the first things I did was solicit a friend of mine, a great lady, business minded and organized, Ellen Lee. She helped to organize Jack Still’s 8 year so files and begin a record keeping for my tenure.
At the time I took office the Coroner rotated funeral homes to respond to the scene to pickup bodies from car wrecks of tragic events. When the family was contacted they might want another funeral home. When then Houston County Sheriff Lamar Hadden got a new prisoner transport van I was able to get the Houston County Commission to issue the can to the Coroner office. The van was used to transport bodies from a scene, handling them with dignity and respect. As Coroner I would transport the body to the funeral home selected, or the morgue at Southeast Alabama Medical Center. The van served for many years.
At about age 23, Rickey Stokes was elected President of the Alabama Coroner’s Association with Jefferson County Coroner Robert Brissie being Vice President. At agge 23 I was in a debate with the Director of the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. A goal I stated when I announced at age 21, was to get a Forensic Doctor located in Dothan. In my four years, myself, Henry County Coroner Norman Holman and Dale County Coroner Earl Bankston was able to make that happen. Then Dothan Mayor Alfred Saliba was very instrumental in helping secure facilities for the Forensic Sciences.
Dr. Alfredo Parades came on board. He had to undergo a year of Forensic training before beginning. I, Rickey Stokes, did not get to work with him but a few months before my term ended. I did not seek re-election. During my term I worked about 1,154 deaths of all nature. Was able to get the expense salary to $ 800.00 a month and in the next term would convert to $ 12,000.00 a year for the next Coroner. Robert Byrd did not beat me, I did not run again. We had Dr. Parades for about 15 years until politics and a dishonest Alabama Attorney General, Bill Pryor, cost him his job. The reason, Dr. Parades would not bend to political pressure to change the manner of death in a case and AG Pryor’s Office wanted him to change it.
During Houston County Sheriff Lamar Glover term a new van was purchased for the Houston County Coroner Office. However Robert Byrd would not transport bodies to other funeral homes. The van wore out and he now uses a private transport service for removal of bodies from the scene.
Year later Rickey Stokes was instrumental in getting the Coroner salary to $ 18,000.00 per year. Recently the Houston County Commission got the pay to $ 22,000.00 a year. This year, the Commission and local legislative delegation should put a bill to bring the Coroner to $ 33,000.00 a year, the same as a Houston County Commissioner with a $ 250.00 a month auto allowance as a County Commissioner. Both Commissioner and Coroner are part time, but the Coroner is full time on call. No one ever makes an appointment to die.
The Coroner furnishes his own vehicle with no allowance and considerable less than that of a Commissioner. He has no office and no secretary. The Coroner no longer has a two way radio or transportation.
The current Houston County Coroner, Robert Byrd has served since 1987. He is not seeking re-election. But anyone deciding to seek election, understand, Coroner is not a position. It is a job where you are always on call, never know when going to be called or what going into. Could be a natural death or someone dead for three weeks in a house with no air conditioning. Calls with no warning, 24/7/365. And no real pay for a Deputy Coroner.
With that said, Houston County needs to do as the Dale County Coroner John Cawley and Dale County Commission has done. Make it a professional office, with a office, morgue, family room to identify a body. A room with a warm atmosphere. A records keeping system. Vans for transport of someone’s loved one that shows dignity and respect.
And Houston and Henry County, being one Judicial Circuit, could join the Coroner’s Office on Highway 431 at the Henry-Houston County line and both counties share the expense.
The zeal and intelligence a Coroner brings can mean the difference in a innocent person being found guilty or a guilty person being found guilty. The Coroner stand’s in a dead man’s shoes protecting his or her name.
An autopsy conducted Monday morning found no signs of trauma or assault-related injuries on a 4-year-old child whose body was discovered in Walker County following a days-long search.
Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith said the official cause of death for Johnathan Boley is still pending, as additional test results have not yet been finalized. Authorities confirmed the child was found Friday afternoon approximately two miles from his father’s residence in the Thach community. Smith said Johnathan was discovered partially submerged in a body of water.
Johnathan was reported missing on New Year’s Eve, prompting an extensive search effort that spanned three days. Hundreds of volunteers, along with law enforcement agencies from across the region, participated in the search. The Walker County Emergency Management Agency organized searchers into mapped grid patterns to cover large areas each day.
According to Sheriff Smith, a group of volunteers—not law enforcement—located the child’s body.
“They were shaken up,” Smith said. “You come out wanting to help and think you’re prepared for what you might find, but when it actually happens, it’s incredibly difficult.”
Meanwhile, Johnathan’s father, Jameson Boley, is facing multiple charges following a search of his home while the child was missing. Sheriff Smith confirmed that methamphetamine was found inside the residence.
Smith said Jameson Boley is currently being held in the Blount County Jail, explaining the decision was made to keep him separated from individuals he may know locally.
After Johnathan’s body was discovered, family members were allowed to personally inform Jameson of his son’s death.
“I coordinated with the Blount County Sheriff to allow the family to make that notification in person,” Smith said.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities await final autopsy results.
MONTGOMERY: The 2026 session of the Alabama Legislature officially kicks into session on January 13 in Montgomery. They have 30 official days to meet. The end of the session is scheduled for March 17, 2026.
This is an election year. The legislators will get in and out in a hurry in order to be back in their respective districts to politic.
The Alabama Legislature has 35 Senators and 105 Representatives. There are some scheduled committee hearings ongoing at this time and through the session.
In Houston County, our local legislative delegation members are: Representative Paul Lee, Jeff Sorrells, Steve Close and Rick Rheem. Senators are Donnie Chesteen and Billy Beasley. They are in great positions which benefit this area and serve with honor and distinction.
ALABAMA: On Monday morning, January 5 through January 23, the window opens for person wishing to seek election or re-election to political office.
Local races, you qualify with the local head of the party, Republican or Democrat. The Probate Judge in each county can answer who and how to contact. Those wishing to seek election as Independents have until the Election Day, May 5 ( I think is date ).
The Republican candidates and Democratic candidate face each other on May 5. The registered voters are not required to register as a Republican or Democrat. However, if you select to vote Republican or Democrat in the May 5 election, and there is a run off, you are required to vote in the same party race you voted in for a run off.
Then in November, the winner of the Republican Primary, the winner of the Democratic Primary and if an Independent, will face each other in the November race. In the November race the registered voters are allowed to vote for any candidate, Republican – Democrat or Independent. However, in a lot of races the race will be over on the May 2026 primary election date. As only 2 candidates and both are the same party.
So analyze the ballots real good when deciding what ballot in the May race you want.
STATE OFFICES
You qualify with the Alabama Repubican State Party and Alabama State Democratic Party. Your local Probate Judge can direct you there.
CANDIDATES
MAKE SURE you check the Alabama Secretary of State web site and download a copy of the candidate handbook. There are date deadlines for reports and raising money. Be sure, BE SURE to check that out and follow it to the letter.
HOUSTON COUNTY: At this time not releasing details, Houston County Sheriff Deputies involved in a standoff with a barricaded subject.
More details to follow.
UPDATED @ 8:27 PM.
Houston County Sheriff Deputies have been in a stand off since sometime after 5 PM on Sandbed Road in Wicksburg. A white male subject is reported to have been drinking a lot today. Reports are the subject pulled a gun on a neighbor and had his wife and child inside the home.
Houston County Sheriff Deputies arrived and observed the subject. After watching they called Sheriff Donald Valenza and the SRT Unit. The Sheriff and SRT responded and attempted to get the subject to respond and he did not.
At 8:11 PM SRT entered the residence. The subject had passed out on the couch and SRT members were able to take the subject into custody without injury.
When he passed out his wife and child were able to escape, safely.
Wicksburg Fire-Rescue has an ambulance staged nearby while the stand off was on going. PRAISES the ambulance was not needed.
THANK YOU to my Wicksburg News Team for scene pictures.
HOUSTON COUNTY: WATCH OUT FOR THE DEER. They apparently have a contract with body shops !!!!
5:28 PM. Houston County 911 dispatched Cowarts Volunteer Fire to Westborne Steet and U.S Highway 84 to a motor vehicle accident with no human injuries. A White Toyota Senna and a deer collided. ALEA – Communications dispatched ALEA Trooper Aaron Sanders who responded along with Cowarts Volunteer Fire.
5:31 PM Houston County 911 dispatched Cowarts Volunteer Fire and Ashford Volunteer Fire to 7147 E. Highway 84, Oakland Trailer Park to the fire from this morning. The fire had re-ignited. On arrival Cowarts Volunteer Fire Chief Roger Nall cancelled Ashford Fire and reported they could handle the call.
5:34 PM Houston County 911 dispatched Ashford Rescue to a medical call on North Broad Street in Cowarts. On arrival Ashford Rescue requested Cowarts Volunteer Fire on lift assistance. Members of Cowarts Volunteer Fire responded and assisted.
5:40 PM. Houston County 911 dispatched Cowarts Volunteer Fire to Omussee and Glenn Lawrence Road to a motor vehicle accident with no human injuries. A white Honda Civic and a deer collided. ALEA – Communications dispatched ALERA Trooper Aaron Sanders who responded along with Cowarts Volunteer Fire.
7:28 PM Ozark-Dale County 911 dispatched Midland City Police to Dale County 112 ( Napier Field Road ) and Mance Newton Road to a motor vehicle accident with no injuries. A vehicle verses deer. ALEA – Troopers have been dispatched. But I think this location is in Grimes, and if so, Midland City Police handles law enforcement for Grimes. That is unless the old/new Mayor of Midland City changed it.
