Local News

A Fayette County grand jury has indicted Timothy Vess Benton on two counts of violating Alabama’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), and he was arrested Aug. 4 by investigators with the Alabama Attorney General’s Office. Benton was booked into the Fayette County Jail, where his bond was set at $1 million. The new charges stem from events following a June 2025 ruling by Circuit Judge Samuel W. Junkin that modified Benton’s original sentence.

The Fayette County Commission approved an extended warranty on a piece of county road equipment and discussed restricting through-truck traffic on County Road 21 South during its Aug. 10 meeting. All commissioners were present except Shane Hughes. The commission approved minutes from its July 27 meeting before approving $22,505.91 in claims for the period. Of that amount, $17,594.73 was attributed to the county’s General Fund. The commission approved its annual contract with the Alabama Department of Youth Services related to the detention of juveniles who have been charged with offenses.

The Glen Allen Town Council met Tuesday, Aug. 4, at the town’s community center. All council members were in attendance for the monthly meeting with the exception of Councilman Dustin Youngblood. Mayor Allen J. Dunavant called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m. Councilman Robert Aldridge opened the meeting with a prayer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by the mayor. Dunavant brought before the council the Glen Allen Fiscal Year 2027 Transportation Plan. The plan is a requirement of the Rebuild Alabama Act (RAA), which requires the council to adopt a transportation plan annually.

Representatives from the Alabama Department of Transportation met with Fayette residents Thursday, Aug. 6, to discuss a proposed roundabout at the intersection of Highway 171 and Temple Avenue South. The public involvement meeting gave residents an opportunity to review plans for the project, ask questions and provide comments to ALDOT and City of Fayette representatives. The proposed project would convert the three-way intersection of Highway 171 North, Highway 171 South and Temple Avenue into a roundabout designed to allow the three legs of the intersection to function as one unit.

The Berry Town Council addressed several major issues during its Aug. 3 meeting, including a proposed residential development, police equipment upgrades, municipal court concerns and several infrastructure projects. After the invocation and pledge, Randall Kelley reported that the Berry Fire Department responded to 26 calls during July. Kelley also updated the council on the recent multi-agency kratom investigation that included the Berry Police Department. Kelley said investigators recovered 188 bottles of kratom products from one Berry store owned by an individual under investigation.

Federal, state and local officials gathered Tuesday, July 28, at Richard Arthur Field to celebrate the completion of a major airport expansion that leaders say will strengthen economic development opportunities throughout Fayette County. The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the airport’s new hangar and expanded apron drew U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, State Sen. Matt Woods, State Rep. Brian Brinyark, representatives from the offices of U.S. Sen. Katie Britt and Gov. Kay Ivey, Alabama Department of Transportation officials, county leaders and local elected officials.

The Fayette County Board of Education approved personnel changes, salary schedules and several policy updates during its regular meeting on Monday, July 28, while also hearing an encouraging report on student achievement and plans for continued academic improvement. All board members were present. Following the approval of the meeting agenda, the board unanimously approved the personnel action report, which included resignations, transfers, new hires, temporary contracts and coaching assignments.

The Fayette City Council approved a new resolution governing the policies and procedures of the Fayette Fire Department, heard updates on several city projects and received information about community programs during its regular meeting on Tuesday, July 28. Councilman Tommy Williams was absent. The meeting opened with an invocation by the Rev. Chris Fluker, pastor of New Grace Baptist Church and the nephew of Councilman Cedric Wilson. Jackson Kimbrell updated the council on the ACE Leadership program’s ongoing downtown revitalization efforts.

What began as a routine session of Fayette Municipal Court on July 21 turned into a violent confrontation that left a Fayette police officer hospitalized after a defendant allegedly assaulted two officers while resisting arrest. According to arrest records, Gregory Steven Vaughn, 52, of Winfield, was charged with second-degree assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and violation of a protection-from-abuse order following the incident. The altercation occurred Tuesday evening during a packed municipal court session at Fayette City Hall.

Alex Navey Cochran, 20, was booked into the Fayette County Jail on July 20 on six counts of attempted murder. His arrest follows the arrest of his father, Charles Emmanuel Cochran, on July 9 for the same charges. No additional information about the case has been released. The investigation is ongoing.