Eleven students from across the state of Alabama gathered this week at the Henry County Sheriff’s Office Training Center for the Alabama Tactical Officers Association (ATOA) Basic Tactical Operators Course.
Each student was awarded a scholarship through ATOA, allowing them to attend the intensive training completely free of charge, including lodging during the week-long program.
Over the course of more than 40 hours of continuous instruction from four experienced instructors, participants completed rigorous training covering a wide range of tactical skills. The course included small unit close-quarters battle (CQB) tactics, firearm proficiency, and specialized training involving distraction devices and chemical munitions. Students also earned certifications through Combined Tactical Systems (CTS) in both distraction device deployment and chemical munitions.
The training was made possible through the leadership of Eric Blankenship and the deputies of the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, who provided high-level instruction throughout the course.
Officials also credited the program’s sponsors for helping make the training possible by providing equipment and resources for the students to use during the course. Many of the tools and skills gained during the week will now be taken back to the participants’ home agencies to enhance operations in their own communities.
HOUSTON COUNTY: 12:00 PM. Houston County 911 dispatched a possible self inflicted firearm assault on Iris Road. There were cautions the victim has made threats to law enforcement.
Multiple Houston County Sheriff Deputies responded emergency to the scene, to include Captain James Ivey. Cottonwood Rescue was also dispatched to the scene.
On arrival it was reported the 911 call was a third party. In the end the victim was not on the scene and reported to be ok. Per Captain James Ivey instructed Cottonwood Rescue they could return to service.
Emergency crews responded Wednesday evening after a motorcycle collided with a deer along Highway 51 North near County Road 148.
According to officials with the New Brockton Fire Department, the call came in around 6:19 p.m. on March 4 for a motor vehicle crash involving a motorcycle and a deer.
An off-duty first responder arrived quickly and found a male patient off the roadway. Units from New Brockton Fire Department and Enterprise Rescue Inc. arrived shortly afterward and began assessing the patient while other crews established a nearby landing zone for Enterprise Rescue Air.
Rescue 1, Attack 1, and Engine 4 from NBFD responded to the scene with a combined total of 12 firefighters assisting in the response.
Due to the nature of the incident, officials said no details about the patient’s injuries or photos from the crash scene will be released.
Officials thanked Coffee County Communications, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency for their assistance during the response.
DOTHAN, Ala. — A Dothan woman was sentenced Thursday in connection to an aggravated child abuse case.
Jazie “Marie” Franklin was sentenced to 10 years in prison in Houston County District Court after pleading guilty in the case. Franklin had reportedly entered the guilty plea in hopes of receiving a lighter sentence, including the possibility of probation.
However, the court sentenced Franklin to serve 10 years imprisonment.
Additional details surrounding the case were not immediately released.
An Ashford man is facing a manslaughter charge after investigators say he supplied fentanyl that led to the overdose death of a Dothan woman.
On November 15, 2025, just after 7:00 a.m., Dothan Police responded to a residence in the 200 block of South Idlewild Path for a report of a person down possibly experiencing a medical emergency.
Officers and Dothan Fire paramedics found Jordan Marie Robinson, 28, of Dothan, unresponsive. Life-saving efforts were attempted, but Robinson was pronounced dead at the scene.
While inside the residence, officers observed drug paraphernalia and residue in plain view. A search warrant was obtained, and investigators seized methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, psilocybin, fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia.
Authorities linked the drugs to Jesse Clifton Adams, 41, of Ashford, who was initially charged with drug trafficking, three counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana 2nd degree, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
An autopsy received on March 3, 2026, determined Robinson’s cause of death was fentanyl overdose. Through digital forensic analysis, investigators determined Adams supplied the fentanyl that caused her death.
Adams has now been additionally charged with Manslaughter – Fentanyl and was booked into the Houston County Jail.
Dothan Police Chief William E. Benny said fentanyl continues to have a devastating impact on the Wiregrass community, adding that those who possess or supply the drug will be held accountable under Alabama law.
