Articles written by Joe Thomas


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  • No electronics in courtrooms

    Joe Thomas, Leder Editor|Jan 16, 2025

    Effective immediately, the possession or use of any portable electronic device is prohibited in all courtrooms in the Escambia County (Ala.) Courthouse in Brewton. Presiding Circuit Judge Todd Stearns signed the order on Jan. 10. Stearns noted his order "Is the direct result of repeated and increasingly frequent acts that have interfered with the operations of the court. His order identifies portable electronic devices as cell phones; any device capable of taking a digital or actual photograph;...

  • Missoula to hold auditions in Flomaton

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Jan 16, 2025

    The Brewton Council of the Arts is bringing the Missoula Children's Theater to Flomaton with rehearsals beginning Monday, Jan. 20, and the performance on Saturday, Jan. 25 at the Flomaton High School auditorium. The children's theater will present Hercules, which is adapted by Michael McGill and Joseph Martinez with music and lyrics by McGill. Auditions for students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 at the FHS auditorium and those wanting to addition...

  • Commission gives OK to new vehicles

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Jan 16, 2025

    The Escambia County (Ala.) Commission approved resolutions Monday re-electing Raymond Wiggins as its chairman and Larry White as its vice chairman for the next year. The five-member commission is elected by districts but each year the board selects its full-time chairman and part-time vice chairman. Also Monday, retired Brewton physician Dr. Jimmy Adkisson addressed the commission asking if the board had made any decisions on filling two vacancies on the Escambia County Healthcare Authority....

  • Atmore seeks help identifying shooter

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Jan 2, 2025

    Atmore police is seeking the public’s help in identifying the suspect or suspects in a Dec. 30 shooting on Ashley Street that left one person injured. According to reports from the Atmore Police Department, about 11:13 p.m. the police department received numerous telephone calls in reference to shots being fired near the 100 block of Ashley Street. When officers arrived they reported finding a male victim with a single gunshot wound to his lower extremity. The victim was transported by a...

  • Fire department adds equitment

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Jan 2, 2025

    The Flomaton Fire Department recently added another piece of equipment to its ability to provide life-saving efforts with the addition of a battery-powered cutter that will be used to free people trapped inside vehicles following a crash. The fire department recently purchased the $11,710 piece of equipment that was added to the budget by the Flomaton Town Council. Jeremy Lee, Flomaton's lone paid fireman, said it's a great addition to the fire department, noting that the battery-powered 'jaws...

  • Roy gets new ride for Christmas gift

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Jan 2, 2025

    Christmas came early for Atmore resident Roy Tolin when Steve Stanton, Jeremy Lee, Larry White and Ronnie Hammond pooled their resources to purchase a new bicycle to give Tolin new transportation. Stanton said he first met Tolin after hearing him on WPFL radio 105 phone ads needing an air conditioner. "I found him an air conditioner and delivered it to his house," Stanton said. "He works cutting grass and needed some transportation." Stanton said he, along with Lee, White and Hammond made sure...

  • Brewton woman arrested at library

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Jan 2, 2025

    A Brewton woman was charged with disorderly conduct and public intoxication following an incident outside the Flomaton Public Library at noon on Dec. 27 after yelling profanities that threats into her cell phone and then profanity toward police officers when they arrived. Lindsey Marie Hanks, 43, 365 Stick City Road, was arrested and transported to the Escambia County Detention Center. According to police reports staff inside library called the police concerning a disorderly person near the fron...

  • Flomaton man is arrested for drugs

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Jan 2, 2025

    A Flomaton man who was arrested in November for attacking a clerk inside the Chevron station at the intersection of Highway 31 and 113 was sent back to jail Dec. 21 by Atmore police after Atmore officers found drugs inside his vehicle following a traffic stop. Atmore police charged Justin Michael White, 39, 45 Karen St., with two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of marijuana II and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. According the Atmore police...

  • Bella shows true meaning of Christmas

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Dec 26, 2024

    Bella Boyd, a kindergarten student at Pollard-McCall Jr. High School recently showed the true meaning of Christmas after her grandparents gave her $100 to purchase whatever she wanted for Christmas. Bella took that $100 and used it to purchase items for Paws Crossed Animal Rescue in Brewton and put it a donation bucket at the school. The school also collected other donations for Paws Crossed. "She's just a special person," said Pollard-McCall Principal Junia Fischer. "She's got a great heart...

  • Sex charges filed against Atmore man

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Dec 26, 2024

    A 53-year old Atmore man was arrested on felony charges of two counts of sexual abuse I and stalking II for allegedly trying to force himself on a woman working at an Atmore business. Anthony E. Montgomery, 53, 2150 Jack Springs Road is accused of the offenses that apparently occurred on Dec. 5. According to court records, Montgomery is accused of frequently sexually harassing a female employee at an Atmore business after the female advised him she was not interested in a relationship with him....

  • Waiting for Santa Claus

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Dec 26, 2024

    Three-year-old Berkeley Ramer and one-month-old Benton Jackson patiently wait for the man in the red suit. Submitted by grandparents, Stephanie Myrick. Selected as the First place winner of the Tri-City Ledger Christmas Contest....

  • Billy rescinds retirement plan

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Dec 19, 2024

    Escambia County (Ala.) District Attorney Steve Billy, who announced in late September that he was retiring Jan. 1, has now rescinded that retirement and will continue to serve as the county's district attorney. Also, a complaint was filed last week with the Alabama Bar Association seeking an investigation into Billy's actions that led to the arrest and dismissal of charges against four people. Billy, 67, said he contacted State Sen. Greg Albritton Friday to tell him that he had changed his mind...

  • Vickery stepping down as coach

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Dec 19, 2024

    Flomaton head football coach Doug Vickery has announced he will be retiring at the end of the year and Flomaton Principal Mark Harbison said he hopes to have a new football coach named by mid-January. At the conclusion of last Wednesday’s football banquet at Hidden Falls in Flomaton, Coach Vickery announced he was retiring. There were hugs and some tears between the coach and his players. “This has been one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” Vickery said. Vickery, 55, has 31 year...

  • Donation paves way for cemetery work

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Dec 19, 2024

    Thanks to an anonymous donation to the Flomaton Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust Fund, workers were on site this week cutting trees and low-hanging limbs and the donation will be enough to allow the road through the cemetery to be repaved. Flomaton Mayor Jim Johnson, who is currently the lone trustee of the cemetery trust fund, said the donation was given and designated or repaving and cutting trees. Johnson pointed out that the town of Flomaton does not own the cemetery property and no town money...

  • Christmas comes to Flomaton

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Dec 19, 2024

    Santa Claus anchored Flomaton's 2024 Christmas parade full of floats the FHS band, cheerleaders and more. Santa will return for a 10 a.m. parade this Saturday in Barnett Crossroads and then travel to Century for an 11 a.m. parade. For more on Flomaton's parade, See Page 15A....

  • $1.5 million bond set for trafficking

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Dec 19, 2024

    Two Pensacola residents are each being held on $1.5 million bond following a traffic stop in Atmore that led to both being charged multiple charges including trafficking drugs. Clifford Alan Lewis, 59, 5705 Wickford Lane, and Lee Ann Mathis, 35, 6160 West Nine Mile Road, were both charged with a felony count of trafficking drugs, unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. Lewis was also charged with driving under the...

  • One airlifted from crash

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Dec 19, 2024

    One person was airlifted by helicopter near the Highway 4 bridge over Escambia River Saturday afternoon. Reports state a utility trailer hauled by an SUV became detached, causing the other vehicle to plow into the guardrail. The crash is being investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol and no other information was available....

  • Three shot, killed in Atmore

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Dec 12, 2024

    Shootings in Atmore Dec. 6 and Dec. 8 left three people dead and one person arrested with police seeking the public's help in identifying the suspect or suspects in the second shooting. About 10:55 p.m. on Dec. 6 Atmore police responded to an apartment in Point Escambia Apartments in reference to a subject who had been shot. When officers arrived they found Rakeem Dewayne Phillips, 32, of Atmore suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Phillips was transported to Atmore Community Hospital and...

  • Atmore pastor is jailed for drugs

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Dec 12, 2024

    An Atmore pastor, who also worked for the Alabama Department of Corrections at the Fountain Correctional Facility in Atmore was arrested on multiple charges involving attempting to smuggle drugs and other items into the prison. Vincent Bernard Bishop, 54, 1508 Medical Park Drive, Atmore, was arrested Dec. 5 by DOC officers and charged with trafficking synthetic drugs, unlawful possession of marijuana I, prohibited activity (attempting to bring cell phones into the prison, attempting to commit a...

  • Flomaton to add new K-9 to force

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Dec 12, 2024

    The Flomaton Town Council approved a proposal from Police Chief Dereck Lowry to add an additional drug-sniffing dog to the police department, which will be handled by Office Derick Hodges. Chief Lowry pointed out that current K-9 Officer Dewayne Longmire also serves on the state’s drug task force and is not always available. Lowry said the cost will be $5,550 for the trained dog and modifications will need to be made to a patrol car to handle the K-9. Lowry also noted the amount was included i...

  • Jay welcomes Santa

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Dec 12, 2024

    Last Saturday, Jay residents gathered to watch the Christmas Parade and welcomed Santa Claus to town. Following the parade, participants lined the streets to kick off Joy in Jay festivities. See more on page 13....

  • Blessing all creatures

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Dec 12, 2024

    Santa Claus took wish lists all Saturday at Rabo's Ice Cream and will return Friday night for Brewton's Christmas parade and will be back in Flomaton Saturday for the 10 a.m. parade with floats lining up on Ringold Street next to the high school and middle school....

  • One ejected, injured

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Dec 12, 2024

    A single-vehicle crash Dec. 5 on Highway 31 near the 53 mile marker in Flomaton resulted in the passenger being ejected and transported to Atmore Community Hospital. The driver was not injured. No more information was available from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, which investigated the crash....

  • Pow Wow Poarch style

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Dec 5, 2024

    A large crowd gathered Thanksgiving Day in Poarch for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians' annual Pow Wow celebration of the tribe's history, along with fun, games and of course, good food. For more see Page 11....

  • Atmore PD busts two for drugs

    Joe Thomas, Ledger Editor|Dec 5, 2024

    Atmore police narcotics investigators executed a search warrant at 1837 Rockaway Creek Road Nov. 26 which led to the arrest of an Atmore man on multiple drug charges after officers reported finding methamphetamine, Clonazepam and items used to ingest narcotics inside the residence. Robert Edward Lowrey, 42, who lived at the Rockaway Creek Road residence, was charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and was transported...

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