Don Fletcher

State K9 handler jailed for child sex abuse
Banda By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer Thomas Fonseca Banda, a K9 handler for Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC), was arrested May 1 after an Escambia County grand jury handed up an indictment charging him with sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12.The indictment evolved from an “extensive investigation” launched March 24 by special agents of Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), at the request…
No bond
Rape suspect held under Aniah’s Law ruling Coley By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer A Mobile man with a lengthy criminal history — charged with numerous crimes related to a violent sexual assault that took place in Atmore last month — has been denied bond until he goes to trial after Escambia County’s first-ever application of Aniah’s Law.Aniah’s Law was named after 19-year-old Southern Union State Community College student Aniah Blanchard,…
Gideon selected to state office
Gideons By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer When Bub Gideons was elected District Governor for Alabama Lions District C in 2020, he figured he had climbed just about as high as he could on the organization’s state ladder. Now there’s no doubt he has advanced that far.Gideons was elected statewide as the next Council Chair of the Alabama Lions Clubs International at the group’s state convention, held recently in Prattville.The local…
Council pays tribute to Vietnam KIAs
Mayor Jim Staff, center, is flanked by Bonnie Latino, left, and Ann Gordon, right By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer Atmore City Council, sitting two members short, welcomed a new land parcel into the upcoming municipal annexation, approved the alteration of city park tennis courts to accommodate another sport and approved the use of a city park for a June family event.The council, with District 2’s Jerome Webster and Mayor Pro…
Teen jury: Drug suspect guilty
Crenshaw By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer An Atmore woman, arrested April 24 on a felony drug possession charge, received a speedy trial last week but didn’t get the results she had hoped for.Alexis Crenshaw, 24, was found guilty by 12 high school students during the court proceedings that were part of this year’s Law Day observance.Crenshaw was arrested at a license checkpoint in front of the Fast Lane convenience store-gas…