Don Fletcher

30-acre fire
Flames threaten airport hangars The fire was brought under control just short of the airport’s new hangars. By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer A wind-swept brush fire threatened the newest group of hangars at Atmore Municipal Airport last Friday (September 30) before city firefighters and two other agencies were able to bring it under control.The inferno began in a farm field to the east of the airport, adjacent to Hanger Road,…
Man charged with thefts at Pepsi, Lee’s Collision
Harrison By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer A trespassing complaint led to last week’s arrest of a local man who was wanted in connection with thefts committed earlier this year at two Atmore businesses.Twenty-six-year-old Dalton Harrison had been sought by city police for more than a month after several people identified him as the man caught on surveillance video at Lee’s Collision Center on June 9, when several catalytic converters were…
‘Battlefield promotions’ put Murphy, Billups in charge of EA athletics
Billups Murphy By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer In times of war, if a military leader is felled on the battlefield, a soldier might receive a battlefield promotion, elevating that soldier into an immediate leadership role. To a lesser degree, that’s what happened at Escambia Academy.When an immediate need for a new athletic director and head football coach unexpectedly arose about three weeks ago, school officials turned to Cassidy Murphy and…
County budget approved by split vote
By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer The Escambia County Commission, at odds over the proposed elimination of a special projects road crew, passed a $26.5 million budget, but barely, last week.District 5 Commissioner Karean Reynolds and District 1 Commissioner Steven Dickey each voted against the measure, while District 2’s Raymond Wiggins, District 4’s Brandon Smith and District 3’s Scottie Stewart each voted in favor of the funding package for Fiscal Year…