Don Fletcher

Atmosphere Road dump truck crash claims Mobile Co. man
By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer A Mobile County man was killed when he inexplicably lost control of the dump truck he was driving and crashed on a rural road just north of Atmore.The single-vehicle crash occurred around 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, September 24. According to reports from Alabama State Troopers, 63-year-old David W. Odell of Eight Mile was fatally injured when the 2024 Freightliner dump truck he was driving left Atmosphere…
Atmore man again turned down for parole
By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer An Atmore man serving a lengthy sentence on a weapons and burglary conviction was turned down for parole for the second time this year by the Alabama Board of Pardons & Paroles.Deonta L. Hudson Hudson Deonta L. Hudson was also denied parole in March. He is serving a 15-year sentence after his May 2021 conviction on a charge of possession of a pistol by a…
Sept. 19 event a Scouts recruitment effort, not unveiling of refurbished building
By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer Local Cub Scout and Boy Scout leaders are upset that an article in last week’s Atmore News labeled the organization’s September 19 open house as the “unveiling of the ‘new’ Scout hut,” which recently underwent a major renovation.The event was actually not to show off the refurbished building, they said, but to try and convince boys and girls to take up Scouting and join either…
BOE’s $61M budget includes 2-percent raise for teachers
By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer The Escambia County Board of Education approved last week a $61 million operating budget for the fiscal year that began Tuesday, October 1 and runs through September 30, 2025. The financial blueprint includes a state-mandated 2-percent pay increase for employees and is based on projected revenues of $57,153,767.More than half the revenues (61 percent, $35,002,209) will come from state sources, while $7,329,049 (13 percent) is…
Blue Devils claim hard-fought win over Northview
By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer Tai Henderson broke a long run for a third-period touchdown, and Ronald Jackson III bolted in from 3 yards out in the fourth period, as Escambia County High’s Blue Devils snapped a three-game losing streak with a 14-0 win over Northview (Fla.) last Friday, September 27.ECHS Coach Vincent Harris said the difference came when his offense finally got untracked after the neighboring interstate rivals had…