FeaturedDon Fletcher

Pretrial diversion – A ‘second chance’ for many
Atmore Municipal Court officials will soon begin implementation of a new pretrial diversion program that will give most, but not all, non-violent offenders a chance to have their respective legal transgressions excluded from their permanent criminal record. The program allows imposition of certain conditions of behavior and conduct over a specific period of time that allow a qualified offender to have the charges against him or her “reduced, dismissed without…
Convict scheduled for execution Feb. 22
Alabama Department of Corrections officials announced this week that death row inmate Doyle Lee Hamm has been scheduled for execution at 6 p.m. next Thursday, Feb. 22, at William C. Holman Correctional Facility near Atmore. The Alabama Supreme Court ordered this week that the execution be carried out. Hamm, 60, was convicted in 1987 of murdering a Cullman hotel clerk during a robbery that — according to court documents —…
Breaking ground – Splash pad dream will soon become a reality
Atmore Rotary Splash Pad moved one step closer this week to becoming a reality. The first shovels of soil were turned Tuesday, February 13, for the 2,000-square feet, water-themed playground facility that will include a paved parking lot and a covered seating area for parents and guardians. The splash pad — which will be built by J.A. Dawson & Co., a Pelham-based designer and installer of playgrounds and recreational facilities…
Pot odor, FTA warrants lead to drug arrests
The odor of burnt marijuana and a failure to appear in court on prior charges led to the separate February 7 arrests by Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies of an Atmore man and a Nokomis man, each of whom was taken into custody in the Nokomis area. According to a press release issued by Chief Deputy Mike Lambert, the first arrest occurred around 10:15 a.m., when Deputy Derick Lowry, on…
Election 2018 qualifying ends
Qualifying for 2018’s national, state and county political races has ended, and there is no shortage of candidates from either of the two major parties for many of the elective offices. Local races Races have developed for only three political offices in Escambia County, and two of those won’t be decided until November. But one judicial office-holder announced that he would seek a higher office within the local judiciary, and…