Author: Don Fletcher

By DON FLETCHER News Staff Writer Despite evidence that the spread of COVID-19 is on the decline, another five Escambia County residents have tested positive for the virus since state and local health officials issued their last update on May 22. According to Escambia County Healthcare Authority and Alabama Department of Public Health statistics, 452 samples have been collected at Atmore Community Hospital, where 401 have tested negative for the…

By DON FLETCHER News Staff Writer A group of Atmore residents, in conjunction with Feeding the Gulf Coast, plans to distribute — without restrictions — about five tons of food to local and area residents this Saturday, May 30. “We are going to give out 10,000 pounds of food to the citizens of Atmore and the surrounding area,” said a spokesperson for the local coalition sponsoring the event. “We’ll start…

By DON FLETCHER News Staff Writer City of Atmore work crews were at work early Tuesday, re-installing basketball goals at two municipal parks and otherwise preparing for this week’s re-opening of all municipal greenspaces, most of which became accessible to the public again on Tuesday, May 26. The park re-openings were made a priority after Gov. Kay Ivey announced last week several amendments to her initial Safer at Home Order,…

FBI shoots, kills fugitive murder suspect Tobby Wiggins talks on the phone to FBI negotiators. Armed, camo-clad FBI agents stand guard as agents in background try to resuscitate the suspect. By DON FLETCHER News Staff Writer A North Carolina murder suspect, who had been hiding in Atmore for several days, was shot and killed May 20 by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents, several hours after a failed attempt to take…

Tobby Wiggins talks with FBI agents from the front door of the mobile home in which he had been hiding. News photo by Ditto Gorme A fugitive murder suspect was shot and killed Wednesday (May 20) in Atmore while Federal Bureau of Investigation agents were trying to take him into custody. James E. Jewell, Special Agent in Charge for the FBI’s Mobile Division, said during a brief Wednesday night press…