Atmore News

Atmore firefighters were sent Friday, June 12, to a field along South Road, where a car and a 15-foot circle of grass around it were burning. The owner of the car, which had no tires or radiator, said he put a battery in the vehicle, and the battery arced, igniting the fuel in the gas tank. Shown, AFD Capt. Daniel Love, left, stands by as firefighter Brandon Barber sprays water…

By DON FLETCHER News Staff Writer A little over a year ago, Atmore Mayor Jim Staff noted the financial savings generated by contracting with the Alabama Department of Corrections for inmates to work for the city, saying: “I really don’t know how we would operate without them.” Since March, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced ADOC to put its Community Work Program (CWP) on hold, Staff and other city leaders have…

News Staff Report In an announcement posted on social media June 12, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians released the following statement: “The Calvin McGhee Cultural Department regrets to announce that the 2020 Annual Thanksgiving Pow Wow has been cancelled. “The health of all Tribal Members, participants, and visitors is the Tribe’s foremost concern while moving forward during the COVID-19 pandemic. We would like to thank everyone for their continued…

By DON FLETCHER News Staff Writer The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Escambia County has topped the 100 mark, according to figures released Tuesday, June 16, by Alabama Department of Public Health and Escambia County Healthcare Authority. The twice-weekly report shows that 107 cases of the novel coronavirus, including 19 over the past seven days, have been confirmed among county residents. Eighty-one of those are from samples taken…

Crop duster goes down near family home Gideons By DON FLETCHER News Staff Writer An Escambia County man was killed early Tuesday (June 16) when his crop duster plane crashed in a remote area northwest of Atmore. Authorities have not identified the victim, but family members said the plane, which went down near a gravel-pit lake off Gideons Lake Road, was piloted by Eddie Gideons. Escambia County Sheriff Health Jackson…