Author: Kristen Kitchens

For their third year in a row, Precious Possessions Learning Center showed support for the Childhood Cancer Awareness Group of Coffee County by hosting fundraisers to raise funds for the organization. The daycare center presented a check with over $36,000 in proceeds during the group’s annual Christmas tree lighting event this Tuesday night. Precious Possessions’ owner Julie Matthews addressed members of the group by thanking them for all they do. According to Matthews, the center helped raise funds for the first two years by selling shrimp and grits plates and holding a penny war, in which the children brought in…

A traffic stop recently led to the arrest of a Pearson man after he was reportedly discovered to be in possession of methamphetamine and a drug-related object. On November 22, a Coffee County Drug Unit K9 deputy conducted a stop on a gray Toyota truck around 6:27 p.m. on Highway 32 West near Donnie Harper Road after observing the vehicle had an expired license plate. The driver was identified as 58-year-old Donnie Wayne Warren of Pearson. The deputy reported that after a brief investigation, Warren was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and a glass…

The Coffee County Board of Education police officer Chad Odum has been arrested on eight felony counts after police say he was seen on surveillance video entering autos at a local dealership. He resigned from the school system’s police department in the early stages of the investigation prior to being arrested. According to copies of the arrest warrant and a Douglas Police Department incident report, Odum allegedly entered multiple automobiles at a local business with the intent to commit theft. The Coffee County School System released a statement regarding the incident: “The Coffee County School System was made…

Early voting for Georgia’s senate runoff between incumbent Raphael Warnock and his opponent Herschel Walker is underway, with Election Day taking place next Tuesday, December 6. The polls are currently open for advance voting in the runoff, with over 181,000 Georgia voters already casting their ballots. The Democratic Party reclaimed the majority of the Senate following Pennsylvania’s “blue wave” earlier this month during the General Election. However, the results of the Georgia runoff would give Democrats 51 seats. A Warnock win would also give Democrats majorities in Senate committees. Results from the general election led candidates to…

Last Tuesday morning, Judge Kelly Brooks sentenced Justin Anderson to a year and a half in confinement for his convictions of tampering with evidence and making a false statement to law enforcement in the death of Vann Brown. As previously reported, Anderson was acquitted on charges of malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault. During the hearing, Judge Brooks heard from two of Vann’s family members, who told the court how his loss had affected them. Six individuals testified as character witnesses on behalf of Justin Anderson, with his attorney also making a statement to the court. …

Billy Jean Spell of Douglas was recently arrested after she allegedly walked out of Walmart with a pair of unpaid shoes on her feet. Officers also allegedly found a Schedule IV controlled substance in her bag in the ensuing investigation. Although Spell initially denied the theft, she seemed to have inadvertently confessed to the crime while being booked in the Coffee County Jail. According to a Douglas Police Department incident report, on November 15, around 10:58 a.m., an officer was dispatched to Walmart in reference to a shoplifting in progress. The officer was informed that Spell was wearing…

A movie date turned violent earlier this month when Cesar Hernandez allegedly confronted his ex-wife and her date at Rockin’ 8 Cinemas. After the alleged confrontation at the theater, Hernandez allegedly rammed her car with his truck after they left the movie — with Hernandez’s and the victim’s 3-year-old child in the truck with Hernandez. An incident report from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office stated that on November 5, a 29-year-old Douglas woman reported that she was on a date at the local movie theater when her ex-husband, Hernandez, showed up trying to fight her date. The woman…

The Coffee County Drug Unit made another arrest this week, placing two men behind bars after they reportedly discovered methamphetamine and multiple controlled substances during a search of the vehicle. According to a CCDU preliminary report, on November 21, a corporal conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Jerred Wampler for multiple violations, including window tint and failure to maintain lane. Officers searched the vehicle and a detective discovered a blue and white capsule under the passenger seat. The capsule, according to the report, contained suspected methamphetamine, suspected sublingual, suspected Clonazepam, suspected hydrocodone, and…

Bobby Allen Ducker, 32, was arrested on multiple charges after a woman called 911 to report that Ducker had forced himself inside a residence with a knife and was making threats to the individuals, telling them he “kills everybody.” The residents of the home did not know Ducker. When the deputy arrived, he found Ducker sitting at the kitchen table, eating, with a tire tool in his possession. According to a Coffee County Sheriff’s Office report, on November 16, just before 8:00 p.m., deputies with the CCSO arrived at a home on Highway 32 West. When they entered,…

Last week, a jury acquitted Justin Anderson of murder and aggravated assault in the 2020 death of 36-year-old Vann Brown. However, the jury reached a guilty verdict on charges of tampering with evidence and making a false statement to law enforcement. According to a juror, DNA played a massive role in the case, and their verdict demonstrated that the presence of Justin’s DNA on the weapon prosecutors say was used to kill Vann couldn’t be confirmed. The trial began with Assistant District Attorney John Rumker, representing the state, and Justin’s attorney, Robert Walker of Ocilla, giving…