Author: Don Fletcher

America By DON FLETCHER News Staff Writer Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks confirmed last week that an Atmore man was arrested here March 5 and has been charged with drug trafficking and felony marijuana possession. Brooks said Timothy Lane America, 41, was taken into custody after he drove his vehicle past a law enforcement officer who recognized America as the subject of an ongoing drug investigation. “He was driving his…

Mayor: City can’t afford school system; supporters still hopeful By DON FLETCHER News Staff Writer Note: This week’s article is the third of a three-part series on the city school system feasibility study, its positives and negatives, and the questions that still remain regarding formation of a municipal school system. Although supporters of a municipal school system remain hopeful, Atmore Mayor Jim Staff said this week that, based on anticipated…

By DON FLETCHER News Staff Writer Atmore City Council members voted unanimously during the panel’s Monday, May 11, teleconference meeting to clarify the terms of a 10-year tax abatement the council granted last year to Alto Products. The original abatement, approved in September 2019, waived taxes on the local manufacturer’s purchase of “at least $2 million worth” of equipment that will reportedly create nearly two dozen new jobs. City Clerk…

By DON FLETCHER News Staff Writer As a wildfire continued to ravage the Florida Panhandle this week, and despite the absence of any state-issued burn bans, local fire officials warned that conditions are approaching the stage where any type of outdoor fire could lead to disaster. “It’s dry, but we’re not technically in a drought,” said Atmore Fire Department Capt. Daniel Love. “There hasn’t been any drought advisory or burn…