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Firefighters return after Nokomis blaze jumps containment
A Nokomis fire engine arrives with a tank of water to help fight the fire. By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer Note: The following story was written late Monday, September 4. Early Tuesday, September 5, Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department Capt. Jerry Gehman reported the fire had jumped containment and was raging again.Firefighters from Alabama Forestry Commission, Atmore, Poarch, Perdido and Lottie were still battling the blaze as Atmore News went to…
No new contract for schools chief despite solid evaluation
By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer Although Escambia County Board of Education members gave Superintendent of Education Michele McClung an overwhelmingly satisfactory evaluation during a special August 30 meeting, a majority of the board still refused to move forward with a motion to renew McClung’s contract, which expires in less than 10 months.BOE Attorney Kirk Garrett told board members, who filled out evaluations over several days and returned them to him,…
Signing off – WGYJ’s last broadcast
David Gehman, standing, and Martin Gehman, seated, share memories on the last day of their broadcast By SHERRY DIGMONNews Publisher David Gehman and his dad, Martin, were in one area of the studio. David’s brother Jerry Gehman was in another area. All were broadcasting on WGYJ – for the final time. The radio station went off the air Sunday evening, September 3, but the live broadcasts ended Thursday morning, August…
Brewton man will apparently serve entire sentence
McKenzie By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer A Brewton man who has served all but a few months of a 15-year sentence for possessing and distributing drugs, will apparently serve every day of that sentence.Terrez McKenzie, who spent more than four years in the county jail before he was transferred to state custody, was considered but rejected for parole on July 11 and again on August 31.McKenzie has spent 14 years…
Felony arrests
Atmore man charged in sexual assault of child Smith Hartley McNeal Ellis McCurdy By DON FLETCHERNews Staff Writer Details were not immediately available, but the Escambia County Detention Center (ECDC) website shows that sheriff’s investigators recently arrested a 31-year-old Atmore man for an alleged sexual assault on a child.Nicholas Dewayne Smith was arrested August 28. He is being held in the county jail on one count each of Class B…