CRIME & SAFETY

Desmond Lavonta Brown was sentenced to Life without Parole, Monday, for the murder of two Rome, Georgia women back in 2020. A Cherokee County, Alabama, jury found Brown guilty of Capital Murder on November 21st and Monday began the sentencing phase where jurors heard additional testimony before recommending a sentence.

The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office arrested a Jacksonville woman in a traffic stop in the middle of November. According to a press release last night, deputies with the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office conducted a traffic stop on a white 2002 Chevy Tahoe on the Illinois River...

Jacksonville, AL – The Jacksonville Police Department has shared the weekly stats for the dates of 11/20/2023 – 11/26/2023. There were a total of 176 answered calls for service. There were 43 criminal incident/offense reports taken. There were two felony arrest made and 17 misdemeanor arrests. There were six traffic accidents, 138 traffic stops, and […]

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (WBRC) - A Jacksonville State University student is recovering after being struck in a crosswalk at the intersection of Alabama Highways 21 and 204. The accident happened Wednesday morning. The student was treated for minor injuries at Anniston RMC and released Wednesday afternoon. The driver, also a JSU...

CHEROKEE CO., Ala. (WAFF) - A Cherokee County man was sentenced on Tuesday after being convicted of Capital Murder for a 2020 double homicide. Desmond Brown was convicted for shooting and killing Vanita Richardson and Truvenia Campbell, the two were sisters. Brown’s victims were discovered during a routine bridge inspection...

From time to time the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office chooses to shine a spotlight on a particular member of their staff – either introducing them, or reminding people that they already know of both their dedication and service to the community. This month – Corporal Jonah Smith shares...

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) -As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, the FBI is warning Americans to be on high alert for fake charity scams trying to capitalize on your compassion. The FBI sending an urgent bulletin on Monday, from the FBI Office in Jacksonville warning that the agency has...

ETOWAH Co., Ala. (WBRC) - The Etowah County Coroner has identified the victim of a plane crash in Attalla Monday night. Charles Walker Pickering Jr. from Fairhope was killed when his plane, described as a Piper Saratoga, crashed around 6 p.m. on a hill between Lemons Hollow Rd. and Rock Hollow Cut Off Rd. in unincorporated Etowah Co. He was the only person on board.

Fortunately – the driver of a jack-knifed 18 wheeler – managed to escape injury after crashing the big rig here in Cherokee County. That mishap is listed as taking place at approximately 4:50am Wednesday. Emergency crews responded, immediately after the driver lost control of the truck, and crashed on Highway 35, close to County Road 804. Fagan’s Wrecker Service quickly arrived and towed the truck from the scene.

The sentencing phase for Desmond Lavonta Brown who was convicted of the murder of two Rome sisters is set to begin Monday morning – here in Cherokee County (Alabama). The jury found Brown guilty of Capital Murder last Tuesday, which could mean a death sentence. Now that he’s been convicted, the trial essentially enters a second phase where jurors will hear testimony prior to imposing a sentence. Under Alabama law, Capital Murder cases require a unanimous jury vote for a guilty verdict – but in the penalty phase a jury can impose the death penalty on a vote of 10 to 2 or 11 to 1.

A man rushed into the Offices of the Cherokee County Sheriff in Centre and the Offices of the Detention Center, at approximately 4:20 on Sunday morning, where he reported being in an auto accident shortly before. The wreck had reportedly occurred on Cherokee Avenue behind Regions Bank, and Emergency Crews...

This week in Calhoun County, Alabama, two incidents occurred that require attention in the weekly safety report. The first incident involved a convicted felon, Matthew Hal McCraney, who was sentenced to over five years in prison for being in possession of a firearm. McCraney had chased his girlfriend with a shotgun during a verbal altercation. The second incident was a motorcycle accident in Piedmont, where a rider suffered a significant head injury after a chain reaction caused by a sudden stop. The injured individual was airlifted to the UAB Medical Center for immediate medical attention.

A single-vehicle rollover reportedly occurred at around 4:15am Saturday in Cherokee County. The vehicle left Highway 68, near Ewing Gap Road in Leesburg – shaking up the driver – who was treated at the scene by medical personnel. The cause of that wreck remains under investigation.