MOBILE, AL. A bank conspiracy involving an attempt to defraud an Alabama bank out of more than $25 million dollars was prevented and two people have been arrested and now found guilty of their crimes in federal court.
Surprisingly, one of the suspects, identified as 45-year-old Kartarius Dewan Johnson, was already incarcerated at the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton when he committed the crime.
At the time of the incident, Johnson was serving a 19-year and four-month sentence for previous fraud schemes, aggravated identity theft and providing false statements to a federal agent.
Federal authorities said that 39-year-old Danisha Anita Foster was her partner in the conspiracy.
During the trial, the jury reviewed phone messages and documents that detailed ways to defund several banks, the Court, and a car dealership out of two Rolls-Royces. There was also an elaborate scheme to get Johnson released from prison.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service continue to investigate the case.
Both Johnson and Foster will be sentenced in November. They could each be given a maximum of 30 years, supervised release up to five years and potential fines.
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GENEVA COUNTY, Ala. A woman working within the Geneva County government has been arrested for stealing government funds.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall on Friday announced the arrest of Geneva County Circuit Clerk Ashley Powell.
The high-ranking Geneva County official is behind bars after her arrest on Friday, accused of abusing her public office by lining her own pockets with tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer money.
Attorney General Steve Marshall announced the arrest of Powell, following a grand jury indictment. Her arrest was expected as Powell had been barred from the office months ago.
Powell was charged with violating the state’s ethics laws by using her official position or office for personal gain. Specifically, the indictment charges Powell with illegally using her position as circuit clerk to illegally route more than $93,000 of public funds directly to herself.
Under Alabama law, using an official office for personal gain is a Class B felony. If convicted, Powell faces a prison sentence of anywhere from two to 20 years behind bars.
The case is now in the hands of the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Division, a specialized unit that targets public corruption and abuse of power at the highest levels of local government.
State officials are keeping details of the alleged scheme tightly under wraps, citing an active, ongoing investigation.
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SPANISH FORT, Ala. A teenager was critically injured in a go-kart accident Sunday evening and had to be airlifted to an area trauma center.
The wreck occurred at the GoKarts & Mini Golf, located at10460 Eastern Shore Boulevard at around 7:30 p.m., on August 9, 2026.
As the Spanish Fort Police arrived, they found that a thirteen-year-old teen had wrecked a go-kart and was semi-unconscious and had head trauma.
The Spanish Fort Fire Department and Medstar quickly followed and a medical helicopter was also dispatched to the scene and landed in a nearby parking lot.
At this time the condition of the teen is unknown and the cause is under investigation.
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DAPHNE, Ala. City officials announced on Friday that a new roundabout in the County Road 64 and County Road 13 area has been completed ahead of schedule.
The new roundabout, which is on County Road 13 at Milton Jones Road, is now open to through traffic, just in time for the start of the school year.
While city leaders originally contemplated widening County Road 64, they found it to be an extremely difficult project and moved on to the roundabout plan.
The $3 million roundabout and road extension is part of a larger plan to connect Highway 181 to Pollard Road and help ease congestion on County Road 64. At the time, city leaders said the goal was to finish the work before traffic picked up again with the new school year. And they met their goal as kids return to Baldwin County Public Schools on Wednesday, August 12.
The city says the western connection from Milton Jones Road to Friendship Road should open within the next couple of weeks.
Traffic along County Road 64 has steadily increased during the morning and evening commuting hours as recent subdivisions and apartments continue to be built in the area.
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CRENSHAW COUNTY, Ala. You might think that employees working for and around law enforcement would be on their best behavior but in one Alabama county, that wasn’t the case.
In fact, an administrative employee of the Crenshaw County Sheriff’s Office was somehow able to swindle almost $200,00 from her employer.
Jennifer Knighten, a resident of Brantley, came under suspicion and an investigation found that Knighten stole $189,596 before being caught.
The former employee was arrested and charged with several felonies and since pleaded guilty according to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office.
She entered a guilty plea to one felony charge of using the office for personal gain on Tuesday.
The AG’s office says Knighten was able to steal the money in multiple ways. Those include:
Creating false timesheets and corresponding check payments to herself.
Paying personal credit card bills from the sheriff’s office account.
Creating payments to vendors that did not exist, then keeping the money.
Stealing inmate work release funds.
Knighten got a 10-year sentence split to serve two years in prison and five years of supervised probation.
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FAIRHOPE, Ala. We have been reporting for about a year the various discussions and studies being done by Fairhope officials as they look at the possibilities of starting their own independent school system breaking away from Baldwin County as other schools have done in recent years.
Some independent studies have shown that the affluent and fast-growing city could financially support taking the step into creating their own school system while others say that it might be too soon.
As the conversations and deeper studies continue, Fairhope residents may soon have their own opportunity to weigh in on the topic.
City officials are launching three public meetings and an online survey to gauge whether community support exists for separating from the Baldwin County School System. The effort follows two studies that examined the feasibility of a Fairhope city school system but reached sharply different conclusions.
“It’s been an ongoing conversation in Fairhope for the past 10 years, if not more,” Sullivan said.
But things are quite a bit different in 2026 than it was 2016. The city has grown by leaps and bounds and continues to grow to the point of having to issue moratoriums on building high density residential communities several times in the past three years. The city on the bluff once known for its tiny town charm has recreated itself to an upscale, boutique community where retirees and young families are moving to for its charm and the many amenities that it offers, including its schools.
All three meetings will be livestreamed and held in the Fairhope City Council chambers. Overflow attendees will be able to watch the livestream from the building’s lobby.
The meetings are scheduled for 5:30 p.m.:
Tuesday, Aug. 18
Sunday, Aug. 23
Wednesday, Sept. 9
Residents who cannot attend can participate through an online survey. The city is also accepting comments by email at fairhopecityschools@fairhopeal.gov.
The public comment period will conclude in late September, and city staff will present a summary of the feedback to the Fairhope City Council on Sept. 28.
Sullivan and council members Jimmy Conyers and Jack Burrell emphasized that no vote is expected at that meeting.
“What would happen on September 28th, is that we would hopefully have enough feedback and information to say, ‘is this something we want to pursue?’” Conyers said. “And then start the next steps.”
There are many things to consider. New schools may need to be built and that’ll take money that will have to come from increased taxes. While some might support the increase, others, such as retirees with no children, may not. Some have publicly stated that “if it’s not broke, why fix it”.
A news release issued Thursday said Fairhope is served by “outstanding teachers, dedicated administrators, supportive parents, and students who consistently perform at a high level.” The release added that the discussion is not a “criticism of our schools or the people who make them successful.”
Baldwin County School Superintendent Marty McRae said in a statement that county school officials plan to join the city for the public meeting on Aug. 18 to answer questions.
“We are the third largest school system in the state, but we value each of our feeder patterns equally,” McRae said. “Partnerships with our cities are very important to us and we would be very disappointed to lose our Fairhope partnership. We appreciate the support we’ve received from the city and know they are happy with the services we provide.”
While both Orange Beach and Gulf Shores have established their own school system, they also have a significant financial base from lodging tax revenues generated by tourism.
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SEMMES, Ala. A man has been taken into police custody and charged with child sexual abuse, rape and incest, though due to the nature of the crime, details are thin on this case.
John Elmore Bradly III was arrested after police were notified of allegations regarding the sexual abuse of a minor.
Mobile Police Department officers arrested John Elmore Bradley III, 38, around 11:45 a.m. Friday morning from his residence on Blackwell Nursery Road.
No other information has been released.
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SPANISH FORT, Ala. A healthcare worker was attacked and assaulted by a patient in the early morning hours of Tuesday, August 4th, 2026.
According to authorities, the Spanish Fort police and fire department were dispatched to the facility located on US 90 at about 4 a.m.
Because of the nature of the incident, the patient and facility name has not been released.
From the information that we’ve obtained, the employee was not injured, and the patient may have been suffering from a medical condition that prompted the incident.
Nationwide, assaults on healthcare workers have been on the rise for a decade or more.
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SPANISH FORT, Ala. Multiple emergency agencies responded to the causeway this morning after a vehicle crashed and ended up in the Mobile Bay.
The wreck occurred when a vehicle, following too close to a boat that was being towed, clipped the vessel and wound up in the water.
Spanish Fort Police Chief John Barber said that the driver was able to self-extricate themselves from the vehicle but the Spanish Fort Fire Department, Spanish Fort Police, EMS and ALEA were all dispatched to the scene.
At this time, it is unknown if the driver was injured or if there were passengers in the car.
Currently, this wreck is under investigation by ALEA.
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SPANISH FORT, Ala. A spot along the Eastern Shore just off Interstate 10 will soon become home to a Golden Coral Buffet and Grill.
According to the company’s announcement, they hope to be open by early November 2026.
The location, 30179 Eastern Shore Court, sold for $2.7 million
This is the former Briquettes restaurant property which has also housed several other restaurant businesses in recent years.
The Gold Coral offers a variety of food dishes, fresh baked goods and a wide variety of meat products on its daily buffet and carving stations, including hand-carved sirloin steaks, fried and baked chicken, pot roast, meatloaf, pulled pork, and rotating options like shrimp and fish
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FORT MORGAN, Ala. On the Fort Morgan Peninsula, many come for the beautiful beaches, blue green water, serenity and its quaintness that still somehow escapes the constant traffic heading south on Highway 59.
And with every spring break and each return of summer, the Fort Morgan Volunteer Fire Department and the Baldwin County Sheriff Department’s gear up to respond to water rescues, medical emergencies, and, oh yes, the young and old who sometimes wander away and get reported as missing.
There’s no official word as to how many people go “missing” on Fort Morgan each year, but let’s just say that it’s a regular call for area first responders.
A former volunteer firefighter stated that the missing come in all ages and most of the time, they’re not really missing at all. But when we hear that it’s a small child that’s suddenly disappeared near the edge of the water, our hearts do start racing, he said.
Of course, each call is handled quickly, and all are taken very seriously. Depending on who has gone missing and where they were last seen, firefighters and law enforcement could be searching along the beachfront, in the water, or down the street. Young children can escape their parent’s view very quickly causing panic and older adults with Alzheimer’s Disease or other medical conditions can also seemingly disappear into thin air.
Upon arriving on scene, first responders gather descriptions, ages, clothing type and color, last seen location, medical details and all other relevant information while disseminating the info to others who are already beginning the search.
In recent years besides foot power, drones have been added to search from the sky giving searchers another advantage by covering larger areas quickly.
Sometimes children wander away with a new friend and have even been found playing games with other children not far away. The missing elderly are also quickly found by area first responders within a short time.
Fort Morgan has seen its share of drownings, including a 40-year-old father who tragically drowned in Gulf waters off Fort Morgan while successfully rescuing his struggling 10-year-old son from rough surf during double-red flag conditions.
And of course, we remember Deputy William “Bill” Smith who made the ultimate sacrifice to save two distressed swimmers in the waters off Fort Morgan on June 6, 2021.
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MOBILE, AL. The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office has obtained multiple state arrest warrants for Albert McCreary following an investigation into allegations of sexual assault.
On July 28, 2026, members of the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Unit, along with members of the Gulf of America Homeland Security Task Force, located and arrested McCreary. During his detention, investigators located a firearm inside his vehicle.
A review of McCreary’s criminal history revealed a prior felony conviction in Escambia County, Florida.
McCreary’s criminal history includes a charge of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon without Intent to Kill, which was ultimately resolved as a misdemeanor charge of Improper Exhibition of a Firearm. He was also charged with Failing to Disclose Public Aid Over $200, for which adjudication was withheld, and he received four years of probation.
In a separate case, McCreary was charged with Molestation of a Child Less Than 12 and Felony Battery. The molestation charge was dismissed in connection with a guilty plea to Felony Battery.
Based on his criminal history and the firearm located during his arrest, McCreary was taken into federal custody on a charge of being a prohibited person, a convicted felon, in possession of a firearm.
MCSO investigators continued their investigation into the sexual assault allegations. Based on evidence developed during that investigation, investigators sought and received approval for the following State of Alabama charges against McCreary:
Rape First Degree
Sexual Abuse First Degree
Certain Persons Forbidden to Possess a Firearm
Unlawful Imprisonment First Degree
The state charges were signed on August 3, 2026, and arrest warrants have been entered into the system.
McCreary remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service on a federal hold while awaiting further federal court proceedings.
The Mobile County District Attorney’s Office conducted a separate investigation related to circumstances surrounding McCreary’s election to public office and has also obtained charges against him.
“This investigation demonstrates exactly why we work closely with our federal, state and local partners. When allegations this serious are made, our responsibility is to follow the evidence wherever it leads. No title, position or elected office places anyone above the law. Our investigators will continue to pursue these cases thoroughly and professionally, and we will allow the judicial process to determine the outcome.” Sheriff Paul Burch.
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UPDATE: Baldwin County authorities on Tuesday morning identified the homicide victim as 56-year-old Terry Barnes and said Barnes was found deceased in the yard. Officials said Lee Snider, 55, was arrested and charged with murder.
BAY MINETTE, Ala. The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, area firefighters and EMS responded to a stabbing Monday afternoon.
According to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the Wash Branch Road area outside of the Bay Minette city limits.
When deputies arrived, they found a victim with multiple stab wounds.
One suspect is in custody, according to investigators.
A Baldwin County Sheriff’s spokesperson said that additional details will be released as they become available.
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ORANGE BEACH, Ala. A vacationing Georgia couple have filed a $2 million lawsuit related to injuries that were sustained in 2024 after an Orange Beach lifeguard ran over the husband with a government pickup truck.
In the lawsuit, Mark and Christine Kelemen say they were relaxing on the beach when an Orange Beach lifeguard, later identified as Erik Nathaniel Mason, ran over Mark Kelemen with an F-150 pickup truck causing severe injuries.
According to the filing, the “Plaintiffs” were sitting on beach chairs, conversing with each other, when the city’s employee, Mason, got into his city-issued Ford F-150, and without checking his surroundings, turned the truck and ran over Mr. Kelemen as he was sitting on the beach next to his wife,” the filing states. “The front of the city’s vehicle hit Kelemen, and the front tire ran over the top of Kelemen’s hips, low back, abdomen, and arm, severely injuring him.”
Although the court documents mentioned that Mark Kelemen is seeking $1 million for his injuries that he claims Mason caused, $50,000 in special damages for medical expenses and $500,000 for future medical expenses arising from these injuries there is little documentation regarding the wreck itself or where and how Kelemen was treated. He’s also seeking compensation for lost wages since and wants those damages to be decided by a jury.
The Kelemens claim proper policies and procedures for operating a vehicle on city beaches were not followed by Mason blaming his alleged neglect for Mark Kelemen’s injuries.
Christine Keleman is also seeking $500,000 “for her past, present and future consortium damages arising out of her husband’s physical injuries and permanent limitations” as well as her personal injuries from the incident.
Chubb National Insurance, the holder of policies on the Kelemens’ vehicles, is also a defendant in the complaint. The Kelemens claim since Mason was an underinsured driver, their primary carrier, Chubb, should cover them “against such perils as being injured and/or damaged by uninsured and underinsured motorists as well as other insurance coverages.”
The city of Orange Beach has seen several lawsuits in recent years including a federal lawsuit over bodycam footage on an alleged domestic violence incident reportedly involving Mayor Tony Kennon on Labor Day in 2024, which he denies. The school system faces a lawsuit filed stemming from when a former Blue Angels pilot was told his out-of-district kids could no longer attend city schools.
A court date for the Keleman’s case has not yet been scheduled.
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One person is dead and two others have been injured in an explosion and fire that occurred on July 4th, 2026.
According to Chilton County 911, they were alerted of a house fire with people trapped inside around 8:10 p.m. and dispatched several volunteer fire departments alongside law enforcement to the residence in the 5000 block of County Road 76 in Clanton.
When emergency responders arrived, heavy smoke and fire was coming from the residence.
Authorities have confirmed the fire was started by a man smoking a cigarette in the same room as an oxygen tank.
South Chilton Fire Chief Jordan Davis arrived on scene first in a Quick Responsive Vehicle and went in himself to help the three people trapped inside the house. Davis was able to rescue two of the victims, but the third was found dead inside the house.
Cedar Grove Fire Department also assisted, along with seven volunteers. The Chilton County Sheriff’s Office and Alabama State Fire Marshal’s Office are still investigating what led to the fire but believe that oxygen was leaking from the 02 tank.
Law enforcement said that Raymond Lee Taylor, 69, died in the fire.
The blaze was sparked by Taylor smoking while using an oxygen tank, Sheriff John Shearon said.
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BAY MINETTE, Ala. A fast-moving fire that started in the kitchen of Streets Restaurant in Bay Minette quickly devoured much of the business sending heavy black smoke and flames into the air mid-morning on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
The first fire engine arriving at 251 US-31 immediately called for additional resources reporting a fully involved structure fire at around 11:15 a.m.. Several neighboring fire departments responded along with the Bay Minette police and EMS.
Streets, a popular eatery offering a variety of food dishes and a buffet, was a favorite among locals and visitors passing through going to the beach.
People quickly gathered around the perimeter of the restaurant with a sense of shock and sadness while others snapped pictures and reminisced about their meals at the iconic local restaurant.
“I thank the good Lord every day for my customers. It’s been a great business, and we are contented,” said Overstreet. People in the neighborhood say Streets was a place built on good food and good relationships.
Despite extensive damage to the building, the owner says he’s optimistic they’ll be able to rebuild. He’s encouraging the roughly 30 Streets employees to apply at the Stagecoach Cafe for the time being. It’s owned by a relative of Overstreet.
Overstreet said it started as a fire in the kitchen that spread quickly. Fire officials say no one was hurt. It’s a heartbreaking loss for the area.
A GoFundMe page has been set up according to Street’s social media page to help employees affected by the fire.
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MOBILE, Ala. A multi-state sex trafficking plot led to the arrest of several men and now a federal grand jury has indicted the Baldwin County men on sex trafficking charges.
Law enforcement has stated that Obeth Quiahua Acahua, 30, and Felix Albino Lopez Acahua, 21, transported women from Georgia to the Gulf Coast to have sex for money.
Both men are scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court next week for an arraignment.
Authorities stated that Obeth Acahua has been charged with transporting a person in interstate commerce for purposes of prostitution and conspiracy to do so. Felix Acahua is charged with the conspiracy count and with being an illegal immigrant in possession of a firearm. Court records show that during an interrogation by federal agents, he admitted that he illegally crossed into the United States from Mexico and, therefore, was not allowed to have a gun.
During the sex trafficking investigation involving numerous law enforcements from several states, a Homeland Security Investigations agent said in an affidavit that the agency received information in March that a person was visiting construction worksites in Baldwin County and handing out business cards. Those cards read, in Spanish, “Delivery service. Do you want to see the menu?” The coded business cards were talking about having sex for money while using the cover of a food delivery business.
The agent wrote in the affidavit that the business cards were code for setting up meetings with prostitutes. People who sent messages to a phone number printed on the card received an invitation to a WhatsApp group or a photo of a scantily clad woman. Screenshots of WhatsApp conversations indicated a customer could have a woman for 15 minutes for $60, and each week would feature a different woman.
Investigators tracked the number to a cell phone registered to Obeth Acahua and then watched him drive around Baldwin County with a woman in the passenger seat, according to court documents. The woman would go inside a home for about 15 minutes and then return.
“This pattern would repeat over the course of the day,” the agent wrote in his affidavit.
After conducting surveillance on the two men for an undisclosed amount of time, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on Obeth Acahua on May 5, 2026, and found that a woman in the vehicle had five warrants for prostitution from New York.
In the affidavit from the agent, it was disclosed that the throughout May and June, Obeth Acahua, Felix Acahua or both drove women to multiple locations for 15-minute stops, and that during surveillance operations the agents observed stops at a motel in Chickasaw, multiple trips to locations in Florida, and a stop in Saraland at an apartment complex.
After further surveillance and investigation HIS obtained a search warrant for a mobile home in Foley where a gun registered to Felix Acahua was found. He initially told agents that he discovered the weapon in his room, threw it away, but then changed his mind and retrieved it, according to the criminal complaint.
A judge has ordered that both men remain in custody without bond pending their arraignment hearing on Wednesday.
Box men could be facing state and federal charges and a lengthy prison sentence if found guilty.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
DAPHNE, Ala. A man wanting to sell a firearm listed it on an online app hoping to get a quick sale and a fair price, but what happened when he went to meet a prospective buyer is not what he was expecting.
The seller agreed to meet the prospective buyer at a shopping center in the area of State Highway 181 near US 90 on Wednesday afternoon.
Daphne police said that the victim arrived, willing to sell two firearms and the sale transaction quickly transitioned into an armed robbery.
“He showed up that day to sell these two guns to this individual and when he went to make the transaction, before getting paid another subject walked up and produced a firearm,” Lt. Jason Lazzari of Daphne Police said. “Pointed it at him and that’s when the robbery took place. They took the victim’s firearms and got into the vehicle and fled the area.”
Daphne Police were able to arrest two of the suspects and are searching for two more.
Police obtained a positive identification on the suspect’s vehicle and began searching the area for the vehicle.
On Thursday, police did locate the vehicle in another parking lot, and officers arrested the suspects when they returned to the vehicle.
Travon Worsley and Ka’Leyce Gulley, both 19 and from Mobile County, were arrested and charged with armed robbery. The two firearms stolen from the victim were recovered.
“We haven’t recovered the firearm they used in the robbery yet,” Lazzari said. “We’re hoping to recover it, but you know, in this kind of case it’s rare to get it if we don’t get them right after the act occurred.”
Lazzari noted the danger that the robbery posed to bystanders in the busy shopping area.
“If something could’ve happened where shots were fired, there’s a lot of people around and a lot of people could’ve gotten hurt,” he said.
Anyone who was in the shopping area near Highway 181 and Highway 90 on Wednesday afternoon and saw something out of the ordinary is asked to contact Daphne Police.
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FAIRHOPE, Ala. Police on patrol in Fairhope observed a driver’s moving violations and attempted to stop the man but he didn’t cooperate.
Police said that the officer activated his blue lights and sirens but the driver who was later identified as DWAYNE ADAM STEINER, 63, still wouldn’t stop.
At approximately 1:50 a.m. on Tuesday morning, July 28, 2026, officers were able to get the driver stopped.
Steiner was found to be uncooperative and police identified that he was driving under the influence of a controlled substance.
Eventually, Steiner was taken into custody and taken to the Baldwin County Detention Center and booked into the county jail.
Steiner faces charges of: Driving Under a Controlled Substance Fleeing/Attempting to Elude Law Enforcement
As of Tuesday evening, Steiner was still confined in the county jail.
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BELFOREST COMMUNITY, Ala. Several people driving southbound on State Highway 181 Tuesday morning just before 8 a.m. noticed heavy black smoke pouring out of a commercial building on the west side of the road and called 911 as did employees of a nearby business.
Troy, one of those employees working nearby, said he noticed the smoke and then some flames as he was getting out of his vehicle and it was really starting to roll out over the top of the pull-up doors, so he called 911.
The fire brought multiple fire departments including the Belforest Volunteer Fire Department, Daphne, Fairhope, Loxley and others as part of an automatic mutual-aid response while other firefighters also provided fire coverage for the departments that had responded to the fire scene.
Belforest firefighters, who were the first to arrive, said that there was heavy smoke and flames rolling out of the building when they arrived on scene and that they quickly popped open the doors and began an internal attack on the fire.
“Fully involved. A lot of black smoke showing,” Belforest Battalion Chief Ethan Bertagnolli said. There was no one inside at the time that the fire broke out, according to firefighters.
According to another business owner nearby, one side of the building did golf cart repairs and there are multiple other businesses on both sides of the metal framed structure. Some of those businesses suffered smoke and water damage and have been left without power and may not be able to reopen for a week or more.
At this time the fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.
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