Latest news with #DothanPoliceDepartment
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
National Peanut Festival dispels rumors after canceling firework show
DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) — The National Peanut Festival is dispelling rumors that began spreading after the cancellation of a popular fireworks show. The Fireworks Celebration at the Fairgrounds is held every summer at the festival fairgrounds to celebrate the Fourth of July. 'Please know this decision was not made lightly or in haste,' said Director Tony Ellison in a release to WDHN. According to Ellison, putting on the annual event costs around $15,000, an expense that the director says is 'difficult to justify.' Ellison said in the release that it also takes the NPF crews around two full weeks to set up and manage the event, and they must rely on the Dothan Police Department, Dothan Fire Department, and the Houston County Sheriff's Office to ensure visitors' safety. 'This places a significant strain on local public safety resources during a time when these agencies are also supporting other community celebrations,' said Ellison. In the release, Ellison also dispelled rumors that had been circulating since it was announced the celebration was canceled. 'First and foremost, we want to firmly dispel two misconceptions. There has never been a single incident of violence at this event in the past. The Annual Fireworks at the Fairgrounds has consistently drawn respectful, family-friendly crowds and has fostered a great sense of community. Additionally, the decision to suspend the event was not made due to financial mismanagement or a lack of retained earnings by the Festival,' said Ellison. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN -
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
2 Students Hospitalized After Suspected Tornado Rips Roof Off Alabama School
Two students have been transported to the hospital after a suspected tornado ripped the roof off a school in Alabama. The Dothan Fire Department confirmed in a press release that 'a severe weather event' impacted the area surrounding Dothan Preparatory Academy in Dothan at around 12:30 p.m. local time on Monday, March 31, causing damage to the property. 'There have been five reported minor injuries among DPA students. Two of these students have been transported to a local hospital for further evaluation,' the fire department continued in their release. Emergency response teams and the Dothan Police Department 'are actively assessing damage and ensuring the safety of residents,' according to the release. Parademics arrived on the scene after receiving a call about a roof that fell on five students during the storm, CBS affiliate WTVY reported. The students received minor injuries, the outlet stated. Related: Violent Tornado Sends School Bus into Roof of Alabama High School, 'Totally' Destroying Gym The Dothan Police Department confirmed in an update on Facebook that all of the students at the school are 'safe' and that their 'injuries are being addressed by Dothan Fire [Department].' The police shared in a later post that the parents of the students should meet each other at the reunification point at Doug Tew Recreation Center on Garland Road. 'Please be patient as this will be a deliberate process,' the department wrote. The fire department also reported structural damage across the area affected by the storm and that approximately 3,000 Dothan Utilities customers were left without power. 'Utility crews are working diligently to restore service as quickly and safely as possible. Residents are urged to stay away from the affected area, as multiple roads are closed and downed power lines pose significant hazards,' per the fire department's release. No additional injuries in the impacted area have been reported. Related: Dramatic Video Captures Roof of Florida's Tropicana Field Being Shredded to Pieces by Hurricane Milton Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba clarified in a video posted by the fire department on Facebook that the storm caused 'significant damage to the school' and areas leading up to Cottonwood Road and Southside Baptist. 'I want to say how blessed we are that it wasn't a lot worse than what it could have been had we taken a direct hit to the school,' Saliba said. 'I want to commend all of our departments [including] Dothan Utilities Street Divisions. Everybody as usual has come together to work towards making sure everyone was safe.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. PEOPLE reached out to the Dothan Fire Department for additional comments, but they did not immediately respond. Read the original article on People
Miami Herald
26-02-2025
- Miami Herald
Husband reports wife missing before she's found strangled in creek bed, Alabama cops say
A husband reported his wife missing, then her body was found under a bridge in a creek bed, according to Alabama authorities. Police say he's the one who killed her. Stephen Miller Sr., 64, told officers on Feb. 24 that his wife had been missing for two days, the Dothan Police Department said in a news release. Miller put out an 'urgent request' for tips on Facebook that said Gloria Miller was last seen in a residential neighborhood of Dothan the evening of Feb. 22 before she disappeared. He asked anyone with information to contact him. But police said that before Stephen Miller reported his 57-year-old wife missing to police, someone had found some of her personal items in a parking lot of a shopping center. Family members also took to Facebook to share the woman was missing, adding that her phone and wallet had been found at a local shopping center 'for some reason.' Police said they later learned Stephen Miller had left his wife's items in the parking lot, then someone found them and turned them in. Investigators said Miller told police during an interview that he and his wife got into a physical fight on Feb. 22, and he strangled her to death. Lt. Ronald Hall with the Dothan Police Department told WBRC that Miller said he put his wife's body in his pickup truck, drove across the county line and dumped her remains. Police said Miller pointed them to the location, then they found his wife's body in a dry creek under a bridge in neighboring Geneva County. Miller was charged with murder and booked in jail on $1.5 million bond, police said. Dothan is in Houston County in southeast Alabama.
