DOTHAN: There is some arm twisting, via support for projects, happening within the City of Dothan.
If you drive through downtown Dothan there is a “ROADWAY DIET”. A measure done by the appointed ( not elected ), Dothan City Manager Randy Morris which changed the flow of traffic on East Main Street, from Main and Oates – east to Museum ( at the beginning on the six lane ).
ALDOT ( Alabama Department of Transportation ) is getting ready to repave Main Street before long.
On Monday traffic traveling west from the six lane to the two lane was backed up over the bridge. This area is in Commission Districts 1 and 2. A lot of pressure from Dothan City Manager Randy Morris, as I understand the head of the Wiregrass Foundation, and some members of the Foster Street Friday Coffee Club, made up of a group who want to call the shots, are applying pressure to D1 Vivian Daniels and D2 Phillipe Kirksey to get their votes to go with the current traffic flow. Some of this group control some money flow and are reported to have called some of the commissioners promising the flow of money into their districts which will help the commissioners. In the same way, possible threats of no funding for projects the commissioners want.
A sweet heart deal was given to a group on a downtown Dothan building. Like, $ 4.00 for a nice building, even providing the insurance money PLUS other funds for a new roof.
Then there is the Dothan Civic Center. The people of Dothan are for a new Civic Center. Mr. Clay Dempsey is doing an outstanding job in bringing events to Downtown Dothan. Some want a huge arena rather than a multi use facility which will also allow local groups areas for community based events. A recent Nevada trip looking at facilities by the commissioners and some others. The Dothan voting citizens have never heard reports of what the group observed and what they are thinking.
A certain group have the ears and control of OPM ( other people’s money ). And they are using OPM to push their weight around and get what they want. They have a fountain of money, OPM, some of which has helped Dothan. But it seems that fountian of money is going to get the votes of certain commissioners by providing or not providing things commissioners want in their prospective districts.
There is a SWAMP in Dothan and they do not like it when they do not get their way. And it is hard for the voting citizens of Dothan to stand up to them when the citizens are not informed on these discussions. And I am not above calling the names when the time comes and I am watching a lot closer than people think that I am. I have been in this political game since 1977 and know the in and outs better than they think.
WARNING – SOMETHING SNEAKING UP … September is the month the members of the Dothan City Commission will talk about their feelings on Dothan City Manager Randy Morris contract. Following the Administrative Meeting, the following commission meeting the contract will be voted on. Voted UP – Dothan City Manager Randy Morris gets a pay increase and another three year, plus or minus, contract. Voted down, Randy Morris can retire at a very hefty amount the rest of his life, but Dothan gets a new City Manager.
The Dothan City Manager makes a salary of $ 220,000.00 per year ( $ 602.73 per day – 365 days per year ), plus. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey makes $ 130,000.00 per year running the entire State of Alabama. Dothan City Manager Randy Morris has pushed a study on business license which you will see after September which is a way raise the business license fees businesses will be forced to pay to provide jobs. Possiibly a percentage of the business gross revenue. In addition Dothan City Manager Randy Morris pushed a study on electrical rates. So you will probably be seeing a rate increase after September on your electrical rates. Dothan has 7 McDonald’s Restaurant. But what businesses has Dothan gotten over the past three years? The City of Dothan, especially Planning and Zoning, runs more business off then they recruit.
I LOVE DOTHAN. Was born and here and will be buried here. I want Dothan to grow and people be a success. I am for local owned small business to be here and people have great jobs. But there is a swamp getting a little to much out of control. And not real happy with Dothan City Manager Randy Morris. He is a project manager but not so sure he is a overall City Manager. He recently asked for an Assistant City Manager. The commission did not love that idea and did deny that request.
DOTHAN: 5:27 PM Dothan 911 dispatched a motor vehicle accident with injuries, West Main Street and Brannon Stand Road.
Dothan Fire Engine Company 8 ( Highlands ) responded. On arrival Engine 8 reported a two vehicle accident with moderate damage.
5:37 PM Dothan Fire Engine Company 8 returned to service reporting negative transport.
LUCY- HOUSTON COUNTY: 5:32 PM Houston County Sheriff 911 dispatched a motor vehicle accident at 9937 East County Road 8 in the Lucy Community. This is in the far east end of Houston County.
Dispatched and responding, Houston County Sheriff Deputies, ALEA-Troopers, Cottonwood Rescue, Cottonwood Volunteer Fire and Lucy Volunteer Fire Department.
Emergency units are rolling. This is a IPHONE crash detection and a child is heard crying in the background. The IPHONE Crash Detection is where there is a hard fall from the phone and it automatically calls 911 and plots the location.
Emergency units are responding at this time.
UPDATED @ 5:48 PM
5:47 PM. Lucy Volunteer Fire arrived on
scene and reported entrapment.
5:49 PM. Gordon Fire on scene.
5:49 PM. Ashford Rescue responding.
5:52 PM. Cottonwood Rescue and Ashford Rescue on scene.
5:52 PM. Ashford Fire extrication equipment responding.
UPDATED @ 5:59 PM
5:58 PM Gordon Command reports extrication completed.
OZARK-DALE COUNTY: 5:18 PM Ozark-Dale County 911 dispatched Ozark Fire – EMS, Dale County Sheriff Deputies, and Ozark Police to serious – critical motor vehicle accident at 235 E. Highway 27, Ozark.
ALEA-Troopers are in charge of the accident investigation. The roadway is closed for the accident investigation.
Anyone with additional information or scene pictures TEXT RICKEY 334-790-1729.
HOUSTON COUNTY: This afternoon Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza and Houston County Sheriff Lt. Aaron Cohen, Director of Intelligence and Counterterrorism announced proactive operations in use with Houston County Sheriff Department. Let’s be clear, this is a program monitoring active chats about threats, and not an operation invading on someone’s private information.
From studying other violence all over the world, and in today’s technological world there is a lot of chatter on line. The after incident studies of school shooter’s, the attempted assassination’s of President Trump and other suspects who attempted to assassinate or did assassinate have revealed manifesto’s on line of threats.
This unit is not requiring additional staff or equipment.. The threats might not be local and the threat might in other parts of the country. When that is found the information will be passed onto that jurisdiction for follow up.
TRANSCRIPT FROM Houston County Sheriff Lt. Aaron Cohen, Director of Intelligence and Counterterrorism
What we’re standing up here today is a new operational capability inside the Houston County Sheriff’s Office focused on identifying threats earlier—before they reach the point of violence.
The reality is, the threat environment has changed.
Most of these cases don’t start in the street anymore. They start online.
You see behavior. You see escalation. And in many cases, you see what we call leakage—signals that something is building before an incident occurs.
The issue isn’t whether those signals exist. It’s whether they’re identified and acted on early enough.
That’s what this new Intelligence & Counterterrorism Unit is built to do.
Our focus is simple: identify early-stage threat indicators, determine who the individual is, and take appropriate action—whether that’s intervention here or routing that information to the appropriate agency.
Traditionally, law enforcement engages at the point of mobilization—when something is already happening.
What we’re doing is shifting that timeline back.
Operating earlier in the escalation cycle, when there’s still time to disrupt it.
This is what we’re calling an Early Actor Interdiction Capability—the ability to identify, locate, and act on potential threats before they reach the point of violence.
In plain terms, it means getting ahead of problems instead of reacting to them.
One of the most important parts of this process is determining where a threat actually is.
If it’s here, we work it.
If it’s not, we move that information quickly to the agency that needs it.
That speed matters.
Everything we’re doing operates within existing law and policy.
This is focused on publicly available information and lawful investigative processes.
The goal is not surveillance—it’s early identification of credible threats and appropriate response.
In many of these cases, there are warning signs beforehand.
The difference is whether someone sees them—and whether something is done about it.
We’re starting here at HCSO with the goal of strengthening our ability to protect this community, and over time working with partner agencies to ensure credible threats don’t fall through the cracks, regardless of where they originate.
I’ve spent my career working in this space.
And the thing I’m most proud of is building this capability here—at my home agency.
Because this is where it matters most.
The signals are there.
Our job is to see them early—and act on them in time.
Thank you.
The team sponsored by Southern Quest Construction came in first place of the tournament. Team members consist of Dothan City Commissioner Bradley Bedwell, JYTU Blackmon, Ryan Muccio, and Kenneth Thompson. They came in first place the prior year as well.
