December 2024 - Page 2 of 13

Don Fletcher

Phone scammers bilk local resident out of “10s of thousands” of dollars

By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks sees it every year. People, most of them elderly, come to police headquarters or call city detectives because they’ve fallen victim to a phone scam or other scheme.Brooks said he is still mystified that such attempts to separate individuals and families from their money are so effective.“It’s been going on forever and ever,” Brooks said. “You’ve got these robocalls now,…

SpaceX cargo craft’s reentry triggered ‘sonic boom’

By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer Officials of both SpaceX and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have confirmed that the sonic boom heard and felt across southwest Alabama and northwest Florida last Tuesday, December 17, was caused by a SpaceX Dragon supply craft returning from space on its way to a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.Such occurrences have been fairly common in different areas during the 31 trips…

No parole for Brewton drug dealer

Thomas By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer A Brewton man, convicted here four years ago for dealing drugs, was denied parole during recent hearings by the Alabama Board of Pardons & Parole. It was the second time since December 2022 that he has been turned down.Rasheen Ja’Darius Thomas was convicted in 2020 on three counts of distribution of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to serve 15 years on the first…

Felony arrests

Atmore man charged with stalking, improperly touching female By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer The following felony arrests were reported by officers of the Atmore Police Department (APD) during the period December 12-16:Anthony Montgomery Montgomery An investigation that began December 5 into reports that an Atmore man had been following a female employee of a local business for several days and had improperly touched her on at least one occasion, culminated…

Lions hold awards meeting

Butler, Akins honored From left, Lion Joyce Petty, Elsie Butler, Lion Renee Hardy Lion Joyce Petty, left, and Lion Gregg Akins By NANCY KARRICKSpecial to Atmore News The Atmore Lions Club met on December 18, in the Mayson Auditorium at Atmore Community Hospital.The meeting was an awards one and as such, no program was planned.Lion President Joyce Petty called the meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance to…