Author: Robert Preston

The greatest Trojan. It’s a debate in which Coffee High sports fan have engaged for decades. It’s a fun, if not altogether fair, discussion to have. Over the years, the Trojans have had their fair share of tremendous athletes. Each team, each season, each year, each decade has had candidates worthy of consideration. Usually, however, the debate always focuses on those football and baseball teams of the early 1980s. Never before in Coffee High history has there been a greater collection of raw talent than what those teams enjoyed. Dozens played in college when a college scholarship was indeed a…

At Monday’s city commission meeting, commissioners approved the purchase of two new cruisers for the Douglas Police Department. Chief Gary Casteloes introduced the request – a pair of 2015 Dodge Chargers for a total of $47,000. The commission unanimously approved the measure. Cemetery director Henry Milhollin asked the commission, at the behest of the Cemetery Advisory Committee, to amend the cemetery’s headstone only rule in Section T of the municipal cemetery. The committee wanted to allow ledgers, benches, and above-ground crypts. The request passed 5-1 with Commissioner Kentaiwon Durham casting the dissenting vote. Commissioners also approved the use of two…

What will happen if Hillary Clinton is indicted on charges related to her ongoing email investigation? It’s a question I’ve asked myself for a long, long time. I’ve researched it. I’ve asked attorneys. I’ve pondered the various scenarios. There are tens of thousands of stories, theories, and speculations on this particular case. Yet few can agree on what may or may not happen. This is clearly one of the most significant and perplexing election-year dilemmas that I can remember. It is worth noting that most pundits agree that Hillary Clinton is guilt of something. Exactly what those final charges could…

Saturday, May 12, friends and family of the late Malik Sparkman gathered at Malik’s gravesite to celebrate his 19th birthday. Attendees released balloons prepared for the occasion by Windi Raper’s Carried Away Creations. Malik passed away on May 17, 2015, after a nearly year-long battle with kidney cancer. Malik’s death received national attention after his Coffee Trojan teammates carried his casket through the tunnel of Jardine Stadium one last time. Malik’s life has also been the subject of a short film produced by the NFL Network. Ten months after his passing, Malik remains an inspiration to the entire community. He…

A concerned neighbor and a Douglas city police officer put their lives on the line on Saturday, March 5, when they rushed into a burning house in an attempt to save Sue Hutchinson, an elderly resident of the home who was trapped inside. Shortly after midnight Saturday morning, the home at 1005 North Pearl Avenue caught fire. Neighbors Bobby and Cheryl Reynolds saw the fire and called 911. After placing the call, they went outside to help their neighbors, all of whom were elderly and one was confined to a wheelchair. Two of the residents, Neal and Marsha Pate, were…

Deputies investigated a grisly discovery Sunday morning on Sikes Road near Douglas. Someone traveling on the dirt road, which connects Highway 221 in Huffer to the New Forest Highway, saw a dead donkey on the side of the road. The donkey’s feet were tied together and a rope had been tied to its neck with the other end tied to a pole. Deputies arrived on the scene and determined that the donkey had been shot and dumped on the side of the road. That doesn’t really explain the rope tied to around the donkey’s neck, however. A road crew removed…

For Windi Raper, owner of Windi’s Bridal Boutique and Carried Away Creations in Douglas, NASCAR was initially another way to spend time her father. He was a NASCAR fan and he instilled a love of the sport in Windi. Now, Windi’s is one of the most recognized faces around the track at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where she volunteers tirelessly with Speedway Children’s Charities. This year, at the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at the speedway in February, Windi received the Buster Dickerson Service Award for the volunteer work she performed during 2015. She received the award onstage during pre-race ceremonies…

“I’m not very interested in sight-seeing. Everything is beautiful in its own way. I’m interested in people. All over, everywhere, people have been so nice to me,” says Hanna Elshoff, a 73-year-old native of Germany, naturalized American citizen, resident of Minnesota, Lions Club member, and cross-country cyclist who arrived in Douglas shortly after lunch on Thursday. Elshoff is making her trek, which began nearly a year ago, on an ELF, a solar/battery/human-powered hybrid tricycle. Elshoff covers an average of 40 miles per day, though she doesn’t travel every day of the week. It is not uncommon for her to stay…

A near-record turnout in Coffee County helped propel Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump to a resounding victory locally. Trump defeated Ted Cruz, who finished second in Coffee County on the Republican ballot, by 1,593 votes. Trump garnered 2,469 votes to Cruz’s 876. Marco Rubio came in third with 580 and Dr. Ben Carson was next with 410 votes. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton won easily, defeating Bernie Sanders 1,094 to 309. Martin O’Malley finished third with 10 votes while Michael Steinberg was fourth with eight ballots cast in his favor. The biggest story of the night, however, was voter…

Last Thursday night, Dr. Wayne Clough, Douglas native and former president of Georgia Tech and secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, returned to town to serve as the keynote speaker for the “Love Where You Live” event at the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce. The event highlighted the various community foundations and resources available in Coffee County. Dr. Clough discussed love of community and fund-raising strategies. In the process, he covered some of his fund-raising success stories, including the $50 million Bill Gates donated to the Smithsonian under Clough’s watch. A video of Dr. Clough’s remarks can be seen below. David…