WASHINGTON CO FL: Earlier this morning a person “in front of” the blue lights made a conscious decision not to adhere to the blue lights “behind” them. That person hit the accelerator rather than the brakes. And a chase took place.
According to preliminary information the FHP performed a pit manuever. This measure is performed to protect the motoring public, the suspect and the officer involved in the pursuit. Following the pit, UNCONFIRMED, the suspect produced a weapon. This caused the FHP Officer to use deadly physical force. The suspect is deceased. The FHP Officer is unharmed.
A law enforcement officer never wants to use deadly physical force. And that is not the officer’s decision, it is the decision of a suspect who refuses to obey lawful commands.
The case is under information by FDLE ( Florida Department of Law Enforcement ), which is standard practice.
UPDATED @ 7:11 AM THURSDAY
The Florida Highway Patrol Officer clocked the vehicle at 100 miles per hour in Washington County. Another Trooper and Washington County Sheriff Deputies joined in the pursuit. Following a pit the suspect bailed out on foot but it reported to have been heard claiming he had charges and was going to death row. The officers got close to capture, the suspect brandished a firearm towards the officers which forced the officers to use deadly physical force on the suspect.
All officers went home safely, physically. But it is mental for a officer to be forced to sue deadly physical force because that is never a law enforcement officers desire. The suspect is deceased.
DOTHAN: 10:00 AM Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba and members of the Dothan Commission met in a regular scheduled meeting today. Not had time to review the recording.
TAYLOR: 6:00 PM RSN crew attended the regular scheduled Taylor City Council Meeting. Not had time to review myself. Others went for me because I was in Headland Alabama for the Headland City Council Meeting.
Not had time to review to explain but here is the video. Not sure if ever turned correct way so it might be sideways, but, you can listen.
DOTHAN: This afternoon in front of his wife Mitzi their son Dylon, under the heavenly eyes of their daughter Morgan, and in front of family, friends and coworkers, David Hasty took the Oath Of Office as Fire Chief for the City of Dothan Ala. The oath was administered by now retired Dothan Fire Chief Larry Williams.
David hasty told why he wanted the oath at Dothan Fire Station 1. He began as a Dothan Police Officer. After two years David Hasty transferred to Dothan Fire Department. His first assignment was the old Station 1 located on Burdeshaw Street. When Dothan Fire Station 1 was constructed most of his online time was spent at Station 1.
David, Mitzi and Dylon Hasty are active members of Memphis Baptist Church. He has served as Deacon and Chairman of Deacons at Memphis Baptist Church. And if the Hasty’s, McClendons, Jones or Browns ( all family ) are not a Memphis then something is wrong. David and Mitzi do not talk about the Christian walk, they walk the Christian walk.
At 12:01 AM on January 1, 2026 David Hasty assumed the role of Dothan Fire Chief on the retirement of Larry Williams. A department of over 200 employees, 9 fire stations and the Dothan Airport Fire, and responding to some 18,000 calls for service a year, the pledge is prompt and professional customer service to those they serve.
Chief Hasty praised every man and women who serve in the Dothan Fire Department and looks forward to the future.
The DOTHAN market report highlights increased cattle prices and strong demand, with a heartfelt thank you to customers and a reminder of the auctioneer’s passing and the new restaurant’s opening.
Receipts this Week 394
Receipts last week 0
FEEDER CLASSES
STEERS & BULLS (MEDIUM & LARGE 1 & 2 )
150-300 Lbs. up to 700.00
300-400 Lbs. up to 590.00
400-500 Lbs. up to 490.00
500-600 Lbs. up to 425.00
600-700 Lbs. up to 375.00
700-800 Lbs. up to 335.00
HEIFERS (MEDIUM & LARGE 1 & 2)
150-300 Lbs. up to 675.00
300-400 Lbs. up to 520.00
400-500 Lbs. up to 450.00
500-600 Lbs. up to 380.00
600-700 Lbs. up to 335.00
700-800 Lbs. up to 315.00
SLAUGHTER CLASSES
COWS
High Dressing up to 184.00
Breakers up to 179.00
Lean up to 163.00
Bulls up to 187.00
Replacement Classes
Bred Cows 2,690.00
Cow Calf pairs 3,300.00
WELL FOLKS, A LIGHT CATTLE RUN, A FOGGY DAY AND THE CATTLE MARKET IS ON FIRE !!!
Slaughter cows 3 to 5 higher with bulls 10 to 12 higher. Replacement bred cows steady to firm with pairs selling very strong. Calves and feeder cattle wild, from 12 to 45 dollars higher depending on the weight range !!! I think we can look ahead now, it Looks like the Old Supply and Demand is on our side. Lowest supply and strongest Demand ever !! Fed Cattle in the West 230 to 233 with Iowa to 245 !
!! WELL FOLKS, THIS BEGINS OUR 34TH YEAR HERE AT DOTHAN LIVESTOCK AND WE KNOW THAT WE COULD NOT BE HERE IF NOT FOR ALL OF OUR FRIENDS AND CUSTOMERS !!! WE THANK YOU ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS!!
FOLKS WE ARE HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE GOOD FOLKS FROM RAYS RESTAURANT ARE NOW RUNNING OUR CAFE ON MONDAY SERVING BREAKFAST AND LUNCH AND IT IS GOOD COOKING !!! COME JOIN US, THE FOOD IS GREAT !!
Thank you all for your business and friendship !! And remember, we are not here just to sell your cattle, we are here to do what ever it takes to get every penny we can for your cattle.
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.
