This week’s unprecedented snowfall might have ground most of Douglas and Coffee County to a halt but it didn’t slow down the South Georgia State College swim team. The team reported to campus this week to begin the second half — and coldest portion — of the season. They didn’t find mild, sunny temperatures awaiting them in Douglas. Instead, they had to deal with about four inches of snow and frigid temperatures inside the college’s pool facility. Yes, the water’s heated. Yes, the pool complex is climate controlled. But there’s only so much the HVAC system can do when…
Author: Robert Preston, Jr.
At Thursday’s Rotary Club luncheon, Jeff Savage, South Georgia State College’s softball coach, spent a few minutes with the club discussing the program and introducing himself to the community. Savage, a Cincinnati native who played college baseball at then-Middle Georgia State College, is about to start his first season as the Lady Hawks’ head coach. A former Division I head coach, Savage has also served as a high school coach and athletic director. He his greatest success as head coach of Delaware State’s softball team, where he led the Lady Hornets to the NCAA tournament. He is a member…
The snow has stopped but we’re not out of the woods yet. Snow you can see. Black ice you can’t. And that’s what’s coming next. According to a release from county EMA director Steve Carver, wet roads left in the wake of melting snow will freeze tonight, which will cause even more problems on Thursday. Carver’s statement says that bridges and overpasses, as well as those portions of roads that remain wet at nightfall, will be the most treacherous. Forecasts are predicting these conditions will continue until around 11 a.m. Thursday. Carver is urging that…
Snowmageddon is living up to its hype. This morning, Coffee Countians woke up to the rarest of sights – snow blanketing cars, homes, trees, and everything else. While the snow makes for pretty scenery, it’s wreaking havoc on roadways, travel plans, and the ability of local businesses to engage in commerce. Early this morning, DOT crews began doing what they could to keep roads open and safe. Which, given that it snows about once every decade and a half down here, is somewhat limited. The DOT is spreading salt on bridges and encouraging everyone to stay inside unless absolutely necessary.…
The National Weather Service in Jacksonville has issued a winter storm warning for Coffee County Wednesday and Thursday. Non-essential departments with the City of Douglas will be closed Wednesday as will all campuses of Wiregrass Technical College. A press release from Wiregrass stated that the college will make a determination regarding Thursday and Friday on Wednesday afternoon but administrators are expecting the college to be open those days. Conditions for Coffee County will begin to worsen after midnight and into the early morning hours of Wednesday. There is a possibility of ice accumulation in excess of a…
In a year riddled with accidents, shootings, high profile convictions and acquittals, deaths, and other assorted items of bad news, the top story of 2017 was resoundingly positive. Tennis is apparently a lot bigger in Coffee County than most people – this writer included – ever would have imagined. The top story of 2017 was the Coffee Middle School tennis team’s undefeated championship season. Back in March, the CMS boys’ team rolled through the season without losing a match and won its second consecutive region title. At the region tournament, which took place in Valdosta at McKey Park, the girls…
One of the hallmarks of the Christmas season is music. Christmas songs and advent-specific hymns usher in the spirit of the season like nothing else. At Thursday’s Rotary Club meeting, the mother-daughter duo of Teri Bailey and Blair Brawner entertained the club with a short Christmas concert. The talented pair sang several season standards as well as a few contemporary Christmas songs. It was far from a typical civic club program; however, with Christmas Day just five days away at the time, nothing could have been more appropriate. Included below are Teri and Blair singing “O Holy Night” with Blair…
While most of the football fans in the community were paying attention to the Georgia Bulldogs and the historic recruiting class head coach Kirby Smart landed during the early signing period on Thursday, Dec. 21, a Coffee High Trojan was quietly inking a scholarship of his own. It may not have been in Athens but it’s still the veritable opportunity of a lifetime. Derick Newton, the Trojans’ 6’2”, 270-pound battering ram of a defensive end, signed with the Division I Kansas State Wildcats of the Big 12 Conference at K-State’s Manhattan, Kansas campus. Schools all over the…
Premium Peanut hasn’t been open for business very long. But it has made a quite am impact in a short period of time. At the Dec. 14 meeting of the Douglas Rotary Club, Gary Evans, a Rotarian and Premium Peanut employee, shared some of the progress the shelling plant has made over the last year. The growers that send peanuts to Premium Peanut are also the facility’s shareholders. Currently, there are 357 shareholders in 30 counties. Premium Peanut handled 260,000 tons of peanuts this year and expects about 210,000 tons in 2018. It also added three new…
A long-time mortgage lender is about to call it a career. On Dec. 31, Ameris Bank’s Linda Rish, who has over 40 years in banking in Coffee County, will retire. Linda has spent the last 16 years at Ameris. Prior to that, she worked at SunTrust Bank for 25 years. During her time as a mortgage lender, she has had the pleasure of sharing in the excitement of helping people find their dream homes. In particular, she has enjoyed assisting first-time home buyers make what for many of them is their first major purchase. “It’s been a…