1. Severe Weather Expected

    Friday: A line of strong to severe storms will move through the area today, beginning in southeast Alabama and northwest Florida late this morning and continuing eastward through the area this afternoon and evening. Damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes (possibly a strong tornado) are the main threats.

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  2. UPDATE: Dothan Man Arrested for Murder in Skeletal Remains Case

    By Adam Kamerer

    A Dothan man, Orlando Williams, 64, was arrested and charged with the murder of his daughter, Tomekia Tiffany Williams, 38, on March 11.

    Last month, skeletal remains were found by two men riding four-wheelers in a wooded area near the 2000 block of Johntown Road in Ozark. Those remains were sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences and a DNA profile identified them as Tomekia Williams of Jacksonville, FL.

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  3. Cyberbullying Presents New Challenges to Local Schools

    By Adam Kamerer

    Bullying has always been an issue in schools, but today’s educators are tasked with addressing bullying through new mediums, such as Snapchat group chats and curated Instagram accounts, an issue with which Carroll High School administrators recently dealt.

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  4. Man Arrested for Criminal Mischief at Area Businesses

    By Adam Kamerer

    Ozark Police arrested Jason Strickland, 42, on March 8 after he was seen on video vandalizing Premier Carpet Care in Ozark. Strickland first struck the business late on Friday, March 4, then came back and did more damage early Saturday morning.

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  5. Carroll Girls Beat Northside Methodist

    In a back-and-forth game, Sahara Moreno headed the ball in on a cross from Emmy Ganey with 12 minutes left to give the Lady Eagles the 2-1 lead they would not relinquish.  Carroll opened the scoring on a Moreno goal assisted by Ganey midway in the first half.  Northside Methodist answered quickly on a goal by Sydney Freeman to tie the game. The game stayed tied until the late Moreno goal.   Ashlyn Yarbrough had 9 saves in goal for Carroll.

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  6. Million Dollar Bonds Set In Ozark Shooting

    By Adam Kamerer

    Lakevion Shider and Da’mier McDaniel appeared before Judge Stan Garner, Jr. for an initial appearance hearing at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16. Shider and McDaniel were arrested as suspects in a drive-by shooting that occurred in Ozark about 5:20 p. m. on Tuesday. They each face five counts of attempted murder.

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  7. Ozark Police Department Released More Information About March 15 Drive-By Shooting

    Ozark Police Department has released more information about the drive-by shooting that occurred yesterday, March 15. At approximately 5:20 p. m., police were dispatched to the intersection of Highway 231 and Andrews Avenue in reference to a male subject that had been shot.

    Ozark Police and Dale County Sheriff deputies arrived on the scene and discovered five male victims had been shot. Three were transported to Dale Medical Center for treatment and were released while two were transported to Southeast Health and are listed in critical condition.

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  8. Two Arrested and Charged with 5 counts of Attempted Murder for Drive-By Shooting in Ozark

    Two arrests have been made in the shooting case that occurred yesterday March 15 at the intersection of Andrews Avenue and Highway 231 in Ozark. Lakevion Shider, 19, and Da'mier McDaniel, 19, were booked into the Dale County Jail early Wednesday morning. Shider faces five counts of Attempted Murder. McDaniel faces five counts of Aggravated Assault - Attempted Murder.

    Ozark Police Department says more details will be released shortly.

     

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  9. BREAKING - Drive-by shooting with mutiple victims

    [BREAKING] Drive-by shooting in front of the local MacDonald's. Multiple victims confirmed.

    More details will be in this week's issue out of newsstands tomorrow. The Southern Star can report a shooting that occurred between 5 and 5:30 this evening resulted in multiple individuals being transported by ambulance to area hospitals. It is unclear at this time the extent of injuries. Ozark Police Department has released a statement saying the area surrounding McDonald's is now safe. A suspect is now in police custody and was apprehended on Noah Circle and Martin Luther King Blvd.

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  10. It’s Time to Turn and Test

    Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 13. Don’t forget to turn your clocks forward one hour Saturday night before you go to sleep. 

    The Red Cross also reminds everyone to test their smoke alarms. Smoke alarms that are 10 years or older should be replaced. Sensors within smoke alarms become less sensitive over time. 

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  11. Oben Everett Park Gets New Playground Equipment, Progress at Steagall

    By Adam Kamerer

    Two Ozark parks are getting some much-needed attention.

    Work began Friday at Oben Everett Park to grade a play area in preparation for new playground equipment being installed this week. Trees were also removed. “These upgrades have been long overdue, and the outcome will be an almost brand-new park at Oben Everett when they are finished,” says Geri Wieseler, Aquatics Director for Ozark Leisure Services.

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  12. Ozark Chiefs Share Updates with Public

    By Adam Kamerer

    Ozark Fire and Rescue Chief Philip Prince and Ozark Police Chief Charles Ward shared news and updates with the public during Coffee & Conversation on March 2.

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  13. Ozark Man Arrested for Arson

    By Adam Kamerer

    Ozark Police Department arrested a man last Thursday morning for setting fire to a home on Broad Street in Ozark.

    According to a press release, a witness reported a man, later identified as 31-year-old Douglas Anthony Davis, breaking a window on a home in the 200 block of Broad Street about 5:48 a. m. on March 3. When officers arrived, Davis became combative and attempted to flee inside the residence. Officers apprehended Davis and noticed smoke coming from inside the residence.

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  14. Global Public Health Advocates Host Community Health Fair

    By Adam Kamerer

    Wiregrass healthcare students brought a community health fair to the Ozark Civic Center last Saturday.

    “This is the first event we’ve done in Ozark,” says Byron Kunst, Vice President of Global Public Health Advocates (GPHA), a student-led organization coordinating the health fair. “We got a late start on planning this event, so it’s mostly informational this year, but we’re hoping to make it an annual event with more hands-on activities and hopefully more approved health screenings in the future.”

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  15. MMVFD Needs Your Support

    By Christina Faulkner

    The recent pandemic has affected everyone. Volunteer Fire Departments and EMS especially have been hit hard in the last two years. COVID interrupted the fundraising efforts of every nonprofit or community organization across the nation. Usually holding three to four BBQ fundraisers throughout the year, the Marley Mill Volunteer Fire Department (MMVFD) has not held a BBQ fundraiser since March 2020. However, that is about to change. 

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  16. Historic Carroll High Basketball Team Competes in Final Four Game

    By Adam Kamerer

    On February 23, Carroll High School’s boys’ basketball team pulled out a 70-67 win against Charles Henderson in the regional finals. For the first time ever, the team advanced to the Final Four tournament, the penultimate game before the state championship. Never before had a Carroll High School basketball team made it as far as this 2022 team.

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  17. Ozark Approves Pay Raise For Police and Fire

    By Adam Kamerer

    The Ozark City Council approved a pay raise for the city’s police and fire departments at their February 15th meeting.

    Under the new plan, police and fire will have their own pay scales uniquely suited to their advancement structures. Up until now, police and fire have used the same 15-step pay scale as other city employees. Police will have a 12-step pay scale, while the fire department will use a 14-step pay scale.

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  18. Ozark Chamber of Commerce Holds Excellence in Business Awards

    By Adam Kamerer

    The Ozark Chamber of Commerce held their fourth annual Excellence in Business Awards on Thursday, February 24th. The event was held at The Ozark Warehouse downtown.

    After opening comments by Rosmarie Williamson of the Ozark Chamber of Commerce and Ozark Mayor Mark Blankenship, Vernon Johnson, CEO of Dale Medical Center, entertained attendees with jokes and conducted the awards ceremony.

    The winners of the 2022 Excellence in Business Awards:

    • Women in Business Award - Jenna Mack, State Farm

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  19. Alabama Communities of Excellence Team Visits Ozark

    By Adam Kamerer

    An assessment team from Alabama Communities of Excellence visited Ozark last Thursday and Friday.

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  20. Wiregrass EV Owners Gather to Talk Charging Infrastructure

    By Adam Kamerer

    Wiregrass electric vehicle owners gathered at Loose Brick Coffee on Monday, February 21st for coffee and conversation.

    Elizabeth and Tom Wyse of Ozark led the meeting. The Wyse’s were the first owners of a Tesla electric car in Ozark in 2016; they’ve since added a second Tesla to their garage. “I’ve always been a car person,” says Tom Wyse. “I didn’t go electric to go green. I drove a Tesla and felt like I was driving in the future,” says Tom.

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  21. Red Hot Chili Cookoff Raises $1800 For Lake Playground Equipment

    By Adam Kamerer

    Chili fans gathered in downtown Ozark last Saturday for the first annual Red Hot Chili Cookoff, for food, fun, and music. The event was sponsored by the Ozark Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Benchmark Wine & Beer Garden, LilliMaggs Butts and Beverages, and Live at Harlow’s.

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  22. No. 3 Auburn falls 67-62 in road tilt at No. 17 Tennessee

    (Editor’s Note: Story reprinted from www.AuburnTigers.com)

    KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Auburn's Jabari Smith and K.D. Johnson combined for 45 points Saturday, but it wasn't enough as the third-ranked Tigers picked up just their fourth loss of the season – a 67-62 road loss at No. 17 Tennessee. 

    "Disappointed," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said after the game. "We played hard, our defense was pretty good – we turned them over, scored off turnovers.

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  23. Fire Causes Extensive Damage At Midland City Elementary School

    A fire broke out Friday night at Midland City Elementary School.

    Dale County Superintendent Ben Baker says the school’s fire detection system alerted at 6:30 p.m, automatically dispatching the Midland City Fire Department to the school.

    Midland City Fire Department Chief Bert Chandler says firefighters were en route to the school when a passerby called in to dispatch reporting visible flames and smoke from the building. When firefighters arrived on scene, they found an active fire in the kindergarten wing of the school.

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  24. Wallace Community College-Dothan COVID-19 Vaccine and Booster Clinic Feb. 28

    Wallace Community College-Dothan will hold a walk-in COVID-19 Vaccine and Booster Clinic on Monday, February 28, 2022, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on the Wallace Campus in Dothan. The clinic will be located in Cunningham Hall and is open to the public.

    The clinic will offer the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines in partnership with the Houston County Department of Public Health. Attendees are asked to bring their vaccination cards and photo identification.

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  25. Carroll High School Suspends Seven Soccer Players, Parents Say Punishment Is Excessive

    By Adam Kamerer

    Carroll High School suspended seven soccer players on Wednesday, February 16, following a fight between CHS students and Eufaula High School students that broke out at a soccer game against Eufaula High School on Friday, February 11.

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  26. Ozark Approves $40,000 For New E-911 Consoles

    By Adam Kamerer

    At their February 15th meeting, the Ozark City Council voted to approve $40,000 for new consoles for the E-911 dispatch center.

    Ozark recently purchased Motorola P25 two-way radios for its police and fire departments, which spurred the decision to purchase the new consoles. The Dale County Sheriff’s Department also uses Motorola P25 radios. “It will be better for the city and the county to be on the same system,” says Frankie Wilson, chairman of the E-911 board.

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  27. Consumers Cautioned Not to Use Recalled Powdered Formula

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Public Health Advisory for powdered formulations of Similac®, Alimentum®, and EleCare®formulas manufactured by Abbott Nutrition in its Sturgis, Michigan, facility. The Alabama WIC Program is notifying participants that they may have been issued affected products.

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  28. Illegal Dumping a Growing Problem in Ozark

    By Adam Kamerer

    Less than a quarter mile from the downtown square in Ozark, an illegal dump site has been growing for years. On Hull Avenue, a little-used city road behind Vicker’s Signs, huge piles of tires, roofing materials, broken furniture, and tree trimming debris line the roadway, some of it spilling into the gully behind the road.

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  29. Carroll Girls Go 3-0 At Lakeshore Shootout

    The 9th ranked CHS Lady Eagles won all three games at the Lakeshore Shootout held in Calera. Carroll opened with a 6-0 win over Boaz. Abby Doremus opened the scoring on a 30-yard free kick into the upper corner of the goal. The Lady Eagles poured it on from there as six different girls scored a goal. Sahara Moreno, Tenley White, Emmy Ganey, Audrey McDonald, and Savannah Pedroza each scored a goal. Doremus, Ganey, Emma Edler, Ally Lamberth and Kaylee Johnson each had an assist.

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  30. Houston County Crash Claims Life of Dale County Woman

    By: Christina Faulkner

    DOTHAN - A two-vehicle crash that occurred in Houston County Wednesday night, February 16, has claimed the life of a Dale County woman. Teresa A. Melvin, 57, of Newville was the passenger in a 2018 Hyundai Elantra driven by Andrew J. Cooley, 21, of Midland City, when the vehicle in which she was traveling struck the rear of a 2003 Ford Mustang driven by Donald T. Glenn, 41, of Dothan. 

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  31. Work Begins On Two New Homeless Shelters In Ozark

    By Adam Kamerer

    MissionPoint has begun work on two new homeless shelters in Ozark.

    A building on Martin Street that once housed a men’s shelter is being renovated into a brand-new shelter for women, while a building on Alabama 123, formerly the Plunder Palace thrift store, is being renovated into a new men’s shelter.

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  32. Purple Heart Awarded to Ft. Rucker Soldiers

    By Christina Faulkner

    Two of Fort Rucker’s own were presented with the Purple Heart at the Army Aviation Museum in a ceremony held Monday, February 14. Sergeant First Class Carlos Porres, Jr. and Staff Sergeant Deanna Lucchessi both sustained injuries during a January 8, 2020 Iranian ballistic missile attach on Ayr al-Assad Air Base in Iraq. General Paul E. Funk, II presented the award to the two American heroes. 

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  33. Ozark Filmmaker Working on New Documentary

    By Adam Kamerer

    A filmmaker from Ozark is directing a new documentary, an inside look at the fandom surrounding Rhett & Link, the comedic duo behind the YouTube talk show Good Mythical Morning. Good Mythical Morning has 17.4 million subscribers on YouTube.

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  34. Arts and Humanities Council Donates Supplies to Carroll High School Art Program

    By Adam Kamerer

    The Dale County Council of Arts and Humanities donated new watercolor kits to Carroll High School’s art program last week.

    Pam Nolin, art instructor, received the donation at the Council’s February 7 meeting. The donation, consisting of $750 worth of professional watercolor paints and watercolor paper, was funded through a local community grant from Walmart.

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  35. G.W. Long Sophomore Sets Four State Powerlifting Records

    By Adam Kamerer

    Lane Kurpes, a sophomore at George W. Long High School, set four state records at a powerlifting meet in Rainbow City on Saturday, February 5.

    The Alabama State Powerlifting Championship, held at Willmore Total Fitness in Rainbow City and hosted by the United States Powerlifting Association, was Kurpes’ first powerlifting competition.

    16-year-old Kurpes set records in four areas for the 220-pound weight bracket:

    Full Squat: 423.4 lbs.

    Bench Press: 253 lbs.

    Deadlift: 500.5 lbs.

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  36. Strong to Severe Storms Possible Thursday Night and Friday Morning

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  37. Human skeletal remains found off Johntown Road

    By Adam Kamerer

    Human skeletal remains were found off Johntown Road in Ozark on Wednesday, according to the Dale County Coroner’s Office.

    John Cawley, Deputy Coroner, says “Two young men riding four-wheelers discovered the remains just off Johntown Road in a wooded area.” The remains are reportedly in a decayed state.

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  38. Wes Hardin works on WRC&D mural

    Progress continues on the new Wiregrass RC&D mural. "We're going for a coloring book look on this one. Bright colors," says muralist Wes Hardin. "The theme of this mural is all about 'Community'."

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  39. Ozark Approves New EMS Building

    By Adam Kamerer

    Ozark’s city council voted on February 1 to approve $54,781 to transform a city-owned building on Parker Road into a new station for the city’s emergency medical services.

    Ozark’s EMS workers and ambulances have been housed at the city’s firehouses up until now, but the new station will allow them to move into their own space. “There’s policies and procedures that the fire department has to follow that doesn’t really apply to EMS,” says Ozark Mayor Mark Blankenship.

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  40. Old Ozark Armory Makes Way for New Dale County Schools Career Center

    By Adam Kamerer

    The old National Guard Armory on U.S. Highway 231 in Ozark is being torn down and a new career center for Dale County Schools is being built in its place.

    “We originally planned on using the old armory building,” says Dale County Schools Superintendent Ben Baker. That plan didn’t work out -- storm damage condemned the building a few years ago. It was more cost-effective to demolish the building and build a new structure than to try to repair the damage to the aging building, according to Baker.

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  41. Local Food Assistance Programs Need Donations, Volunteers

    By Adam Kamerer

    Ongoing supply chain shortages and rising grocery prices are putting a strain on local food assistance programs.

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  42. Doors Officially Open at Ozark Free After School Program

    By Christopher Mobley

    More after school activities and learning opportunities are here for the children of Ozark with the opening of a new free after school program in the city. 

    The All of God’s Children after-school program was founded by Shanika Reeves, officially opening its doors to the public on January 5, 2022. Reeves has over 15 years of experience working with children and families in different programs, including being the Youth Director at Saint Paul AME church in Ozark. 

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  43. New Ozark Mural Highlights Wiregrass RC&D Mission

    By Adam Kamerer

    A little building along North Union Avenue in Ozark is getting a new paint job. The building, which houses the Wiregrass Resource Conservation and Development Council (WRC&D), is the latest mural project in Ozark.

    “We are a state funded 501(c)(3) that was created to help local people meet local needs,” says Anna Cornelius, Program Manager for WRC&D. “Our organization serves as an equitable way for state funds to be invested back into the local community.”

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  44. Arizona Couple Finds A Piece of Wiregrass History

    By Adam Kamerer

    When Bill and Rita Eggers moved to Ozark from Mesa, Arizona, they purchased the contents of their new home along with the house itself, but they didn’t realize the treasure trove the previous owner had left behind. “We’ve still got buildings to go through,” says Bill Eggers. “We found all sorts of things. Old books, tools, maps, train sets. If there was one of something, we found more.”

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  45. Man Charged in Dale County Murder Extradited to Dale County Jail

    By Christopher Mobley

    John Sutton, who was arrested and charged in June 2021 for the murder of a Dale County woman, has been extradited to the Dale County Jail from the Shelby County Jail. 

    The victim, Jenita Rose Maldonado, was found near Woodham bridge in Newton, Alabama on June 3, 2021 at around 1:30 PM. Although officers originally ruled the death of the mother of six as suicide, the investigation revealed inconsistencies that eventually lead  to the arrest of Sutton and his accomplice. 

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