HOUSTON COUNTY COMMISSION ADMINSTRATIVE MEETING ON JUNE 22, 2026
BEGINS AT 7:33 COUNT
HOUSTON COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING ON JUNE 22, 2026
BEGINS AT 7:47 MINUTES
HOUSTON COUNTY: Regular Commission Meeeting held this past Monday, June 22, 2026. Item Number 3 was the issue of a new roof to be placed on the Sanitation Building at Houston County Farm Center. The roof is of the Sanitation Department, which is the building Houston County Commission just renovated which now needs a new roof.
HOUSTON COUNTY: The polls close at 7:00 PM. The race we are concerntrating on is District 2 Houston County Commissioner. All other races are statewide races. (more…)
HOUSTON COUNTY: 3:44 PM. Houston County 911 dispatched a firearm assault on Decatur Street in Madrid. The call was relayed to Houston County 911 by a third party.
As Deputies and EMS were rolling the call kept changing based on additional callers. A vehicle which was transporting the injured juvenile was reported to be in a truck. And the location kept changing. Some deputies rolled to Decatur Street, some rolled to Southeast Health and some rolled down Highway 231 looking for the truck.
Houston County 911 then got calls the vehicle and injured were n Inez Road and Highway 231.
Emergency units encountered the vehicle on Hodgesville Road behind McDonald’s. Emergency units escorted the injured to the hospital.
’The truck was impounded for processing. At this time unknown exact condition of the injured or exact circumstances.
Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza, Houston County Sheriff Chief Deputy Jeff Carlisle, Major Bill Rafferty, Lt. Ray Arnold, Captain Tony Turner and Donnovan Arias and others are on the scene.
DOTHAN-HOUSTON COUNTY: Scheduled to appear in court on Friday was 24 year old Michael Tywuan Taylor for a preliminary hearing.
Michael Tywuan Taylor was arrested on Capital Murder in the course of a robbery on January 30, 2026. The murder took place when it is alleged that Taylor pointed a gun and took the life of 33 year old Wesley Blake Bowen. The two were driving/riding in the 2700 block of Ross Clark Circle when it is alleged that Taylor shot and killed Blake Bowen.
Following the crash into a pond at 2700 Ross Clark Circle it is alleged that Taylor ran from the wrecked vehicle in the pond, traveling east into the woods. Dothan Police apprehend Taylor on Fortner Street at Stonewood when he was spotted.
No Dothan-Houston County attorney’s would take the criminal defense of Michael Tywaun Taylor. The courts appointed Geneva Attorney Lee Knowles and Covington County Attorney David Baker to represent Taylor.
The charge is a death penalty against Michael Tywuan. District Court is a court of no record therefore no courtreporter is assigned to Judge Lewis courtroom. One was not pre-scheduled and in death penalty cases where the defendant can be put to death a court reporter is needed. Therefore the preliminary hearing was re-scheduled to July 10, 2026 at 9:00 AM.
The victim, Wesley Blake Bowen was a friend of RSN. He was a very successful young man who worked hard to achieve things in life. He was married and a very beautiful wife with two wonderful children. He comes from great mother and father. Blake graduated from Rehobeth High School. He was an extremely successful businessman. He would have given Taylor the shirt off his back and that day was simply giving Taylor a ride.
I was truly honored, as many others were, to call Blake a friend.
COTTONWOOD – HOUSTON COUNTY: 3:07 PM. Dothan-Houston County 911 dispatched Cottonwood Volunteer Fire, Lovetown Volunteer Fire, Madrid Volunteer Fire, Lucy Volunteer Fire and Ashford Volunteer Fire along with Cottonwood Rescue to a structure fire.
The location is 4697 Guy Branch Road. Reports to Houston County Sheriff 911 the structure was fully engulfed.
Units arriving on the scene reported the structure was fully engulfed and defensive fire attack, Cottonwood Volunteer Fire Chief Randy Hall was in command of the scene.
KINSEY-HOUSTON COUNTY: Houston County Sheriff Deputies have arrested 44 year old Phillip Aaron Gore late last evening for MURDER – ARSON and two counts of Assault.
Gore has been in Houston County Jail since May 15, 2026 for Violation of a Protection Order, Attempt To Elude, Resisting Arrest, Obstructing Governmental Officials. On Friday a bond hearing was held and Kinsey Police Chief Jim Mock testified that Gore was a danger to society and a danger to flee. Houston County District Court Judge Benjamin Lewis ruled that Gore was a danger to society and a flight risk and refused to lower the bonds.
Kelli Betsill Gore was married to Phillip Gore. They were going through a divorce and she had obtained a Protection Order from Gore. While Gore had not been served the protection order the Kinsey Residence was intentionally set on fire. Kelli and her two children, a son and a daughter, were in the house.
When the fire call came in Kinsey Mayor/Volunteer Fire Chief Jason Reneau and Volunteer Fireman Chris Betsil were just returning from assisting Taylor Volunteer Fire and other departments on a fire. When the address was given Volunteer Fireman Chris Betsill shouted that was his x-wife and children’s residence. They raced to the scene.
Kinsey Police Chief Jim Mock and Kinsey Police Sgt. Jayden Morgan raced to the scenee as did Kinsey Police Officer-Houston County Sheriff Reserve Deputy Chris Ball along with members of Houston County Sheriff Department, Kinsey Volunteer Fireman, Headland Fire – Rescue, Webb Volunteer Fire, Bay Springs Volunteer Fire and other departments.
The first arriving untils, Kinsey Fire Chief Jason Reneau, Volunteer Fireman/Father/X-Husband Chris Betsell and Kinsey Police Sgt. Jayden Morgan and Kinsey Police Chief Jim Mock, they quicly reported structure occupied and a working fire. Without regard for their own lives the three made entry into the residence pulling the mother and two children from the fire.
Chief Mock did CPR on one of the children, Headland Fire-Rescue and Pilcher Ambulance were quick on the scene. The three were quickly transported under trauma alert and police escort to Southeast Health. The three were later transported to UAB and Children Hospital.
On arrival of emergency units Phillip Gore was on the scene. Investigation quickly determined this was a Arson Fire. The Alabama State Fire Marshall was notified and responded. Normally Kinsey Police Department works felonies inside Kinsey City limits but due to the circumstances Houston County Sheriff Department took the case and handled the investigation.
Kelli Betsell Gore passed away last evening and Houston County Sheriff Investigator Chuck Gray went to the Houston County Jail last evening and arrested Phillip Aaron Gore for Murder-Arson and two counts of Assault first on the two children. Gore is now under a $ 1.5 million dollar bond and remains where he has been since May 15, 2026 and will remain, the Houston County Jail.
