Dothan Fire Responds To Structure Fire On Cottonwood Road

Accident witness kidnapped, suspect arrested with eight outstanding warrants

COLUMBUS, GA - There was a three vehicle accident Sunday at 5:46 pm. A witness was driving by and stopped to make sure that one of the drivers was ok.
The driver of the first car, Trenton Clemons, told her that they were fine. He then walked to her passenger side door, reached in through her half rolled up window and let himself in to her car.
When he got in, he yelled, “Drive! Drive! Drive!” The victim told Clemons that she wasn’t going anywhere. He responded with, “You better drive.”
He reached for his right pocket as if he was pulling a gun. The driver was scared for her life so she started to drive slowly from Macon Rd. to the parking lot of K-Mart.
Clemons saw the police coming so he jumped from the still moving vehicle and ran into K-Mart. Police arrested him in the K-Mart and charged him with kidnapping and simple assault along with traffic charges for the accident.
While they were checking his car, an officer smelled a strong odor of marijuana inside. He found a garbage back with two zip locks of marijuana worth $5,528.
Clemon’s had $3,003 in cash and was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
A computer check showed that he had eight outstanding warrants for his arrest, including kidnapping, aggravated assault, burglary, two counts of theft by taking of motor vehicles, battery, and two counts of simple battery.
He was taken to the Medical Center, treated for chest pains, then taken to the county jail.

Alabama's immigration law challenge

A federal judge is reviewing a lawsuit claiming Alabama's new immigration law will leave some immigrants homeless. The deadline to renew their manufactured home registration is November 30th. But part of the law prohibits making contracts with illegal immigrants. The suit filed Friday by two Elmore County immigrants asked Judge Myron Thompson to issue an order stopping the enforcement of this section of the law.

Fla. Craigslist jobseeker found dead in Ohio grave

                                             



                                               CLICK ON LINK BELOW FOR VIDEO

 http://news.yahoo.com/fla-craigslist-jobseeker-found-dead-ohio-grave-230030628.html


CALDWELL, Ohio (AP) — A judge issued a gag order Friday on behalf of a juvenile suspect in the killing of one man and the wounding of another who had responded to a phony job ad on Craigslist.

The boy's attorney sought to stop authorities and prosecutors from speaking about what the lawyer described as a "highly sensational" case. Noble County Sheriff Stephen Hannum said in an email Friday that he would release no information due to the gag order.

Cadaver dogs found the body of a Florida man this week in a grave in a remote area outside Caldwell, a small village about 80 miles east of Columbus, after a jobseeker from South Carolina was shot but ran away through the woods, the sheriff said.

Two men were taken into custody, but no names have been released. The Akron Beacon Journal identified the suspects as a 52-year-old man from Akron, about 90 miles away, and a 16-year-old student from Stow-Munroe Falls High School in the Akron area. The sheriff declined to confirm that in an earlier email on Friday, before the gag order was issued.

"Frankly I'm just trying to align my ducks to prevent damaging my criminal case," Hannum wrote.

Jail officials said they could not confirm that they were holding an inmate who was a suspect in the case.

Stow-Munroe Falls Superintendent Russ Jones identified the juvenile suspect as a 16-year-old junior at the high school. On Friday, Jones declined to elaborate on the teen's background or activities but said there was no security issue at the school.

"The incident in question originated from Noble County, which is in southeastern Ohio, had nothing to do in any way, shape or form with any of our students or staff nor at school grounds," he said.

Sheriff Hannum said the South Carolina man escaped from the remote area on Nov. 6 and went to police, who later found a hand-dug grave that they believe had been intended for him.

The man had been told to carry his belongings to Ohio because he'd be living at the farm, and investigators believe robbery was the motive, he said.

Five days after the South Carolina man was shot, authorities received a call from the Florida man's twin sister, concerned that her brother had not been heard from since Oct. 22 in Parkersburg, W.Va., the sheriff said. The twin, in Boston, said her brother had responded to what she believed was the same Craigslist ad, which sought a caretaker for cattle on a 688-acre farm.

Investigators then found the Florida man's body.

Authorities had said an autopsy on the Florida man was being performed Thursday. A message seeking comment was left Friday for the Noble County coroner.

Alabama Power customers targeted in credit card scam

Scam artists in southeast Alabama are targeting Alabama Power customers for credit card fraud. Some Alabama Power customers in the Wiregrass area have received automated calls claiming they have an outstanding bill. The caller warns that electric service will be disconnected if a payment is not received immediately. The caller then provides an 800 number to resolve the issue. When called, customers are prompted to provide credit card information. 

Alabama Power is not responsible for these calls. Individuals who believe they have been the victim of fraudulent activity should contact their local police department.

Alabama Power customers who have questions or issues related to their electric service can call the company’s Customer Service line any time of the day or night at 1-800-245-2244.

Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO), provides reliable, affordable electricity to more than 1.4 million customers across the state.

Columbus Ga- Manager of Gold and Silver Trading Center found dead in store from Robbery

COLUMBUS, GA---Columbus Police are investigating a homicide at Gold and Silver Trading Center on Gentian Boulevard. Witnesses say the store manager was killed sometime last night. They say the owner found him when he came to work this morning.

"I don't know why anyone would want to do this. Steve would have gave them everything in the store, I know he would. So they didn't have to kill him," Steve Toms' sister, Sandra Whitehurst, says.

Family and friends are mourning the loss of 63-year-old Steve Toms, who they say they believe was shot and killed during a robbery.

"He was nice to everybody. I love my brother very much. He was just a super brother and he would do anything for anybody," Whitehurst says.

Hadley Scott, the daughter of Gold and Silver owner Robert Upchurch, says the store closes at six p.m.

She says her father found Toms, who worked at the "little white house" for about three decades, when he came into the store this morning around nine.

Scott says Upchurch is in complete shock.

Local business owners say they didn't see anything suspicious last night.

"To be honest, I didn't see anything that was out of the ordinary. For the most part, cars were coming and going, it's a relatively busy shopping center. I didn't notice or see anything out of the ordinary until probably about seven o'clock I noticed the red Mercedes was still here and it just seemed odd to me that it was still there this late," Robbie Gauthier, owner of Big and Easy Wings, says.

Gauthier says he still feels comfortable opening his restaurant in the same shopping complex.

"It really doesn't make me feel any different about the area, about the shopping center, about Columbus. It's one of those things where anything can happen at any place," Gauthier says.

Police have not released any names of suspects or made any arrests. Scott says the shop did have camera surveillance.

Toms also owned the Columbus bar Duffy's.He bought the bar in June of this year.

According to the Muscogee County Coroner's Office, Toms' body has been sent to Atlanta for autopsy.

UPDATE WITH PICS- Columbus Ga- Harris County 911 center gets slammed by tornado

UPDATE #1

The Wiregrass news source is on scene at the Harris County 911 center in Columbus Georgia. Updating with photos. reports states that there is no injuries at this scene.

BREAKING NEWS:
Harris County 911 center has been slammed with tornado today in Columbus Georgia.


The WireGrass News  confirms the Columbus Georgia Harris County 911 center is destroyed. Crews are routing all emergency calls through Columbus.  In addition, it is confirmed that there is damage to Harris County High School. All students and staff are accounted for.

COLUMBUS GA- 16 YR GIRL STABS HER 28 YR OLD BOYFRIEND

A 16-year-old Columbus girl is in custody after allegedly stabbing her 28-year-old boyfriend with a butcher knife. Police said the couple got into a fight at Huckleberry Hill Apartments on St. Mary's Road overnight. The victim was transported to the hospital, but authorities say his injuries are not life threatening. The teenager is being charged with aggravated assault.