Author: Robert Preston

We are one week removed from one of the worst crime sprees I can remember. Sex offenders, arsonists, armed robberies, and the shooting of a police officer – that doesn’t sound like our sleepy little community, does it? Unfortunately, those events have indeed taken place in Coffee County in a relatively short period of time. Late last week, Douglas mayor James Dennis called a press conference to address these crimes. It’s the first time I can remember a sitting mayor – or any other elected official, for that matter – holding a press conference to discuss crime. Mayor Dennis urged…

At Thursday night’s meeting of the Douglas City Commission, commissioners authorized police chief Gary Casteloes to utilize six off-duty Coffee County Sheriff’s Office deputies to help boost the number of police officers patrolling the city. According to Chief Casteloes, the police department is down six officers and in the process of filling those vacancies. However, the chief said that it will take quite a while to find that many officers. Until those vacancies have been filled, he would like to use off-duty deputies. The commission approved Chief Casteloe’s request. Mayor James Dennis emphasized that he wanted the deputies patrolling the…

Wednesday night, the Douglas Fire Department battled a house fire on West Franklin Street. The house, which officials believe was an uninhabited residence and likely filled with clutter, burned to the ground. Around midnight Wednesday night, smoke from the blaze blanketed the northwest portion of the city. The cause of the fire remains unknown and the investigation is ongoing.

The state of Georgia is once again in the national spotlight, this time for a controversial gun bill that goes into effect today. House Bill 60, which expands the locations where permitted gun owners may carry their weapons, has drawn the praise of gun advocates and the ire of anti-gun groups nationwide. The bill contains several key components, the most important of which revolve around bars, churches, and schools. Licensed gun owners can carry guns in churches if the members of a church vote to allow guns inside its buildings. The opposite works for bar owners; now that the law…

The front entrance to Eastside Elementary School is undergoing a major makeover this summer. Crews from East Coast Asphalt are completely renovating the front parking lot, altering the flow of traffic and adding parking. Traffic, which formerly entered and exited the school from McDonald Avenue, will enter and exit from Jefferson Street once the project is completed. Crews are hoping to finish the project by the first day of school. If it isn’t finished, plans will be in place to minimize disruption caused by the work.

It’s been a long road for the Atkinson County Rebels football team. The Rebels haven’t had a winning season since 2001 and have won just five football games since 2009.As difficult as last year’s 1-9 season was, it was an improvement over 2012’s winless season. And this year, second-year head coach Kip Hall has his kids positioned to make a drastic turnaround. Despite the Rebels’ woes, Coach Hall, who has tremendous experience reviving struggling programs, was pleased with the way the season turned out. The Rebels were in 2A last year and Coach Hall says it was his first year…

Friday morning, the students and staff at Precious Possessions in Douglas remembered Eli Johnson, the two-year-old Douglas toddler who drowned Sunday after falling into his family’s swimming pool, by releasing blue balloons in his memory. Eli attended Precious Possessions and everyone there loved him dearly. Students lined up in the parking lot, each with a balloon in their hands, and released the balloons when “Jesus Loves Me” began playing over a public address system. Once the balloons were released, the kids sang “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” which was Eli’s favorite song. Local authorities investigated the incident and…

What a difference a year makes. The Coffee Trojans will compete in a new region and have several new assistant coaches for 2014. The schedule, both region and non-region alike, looks very different. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the level of play required to make the postseason. Many Coffee fans are getting ready to make reservations in Atlanta to see the Trojans play in the Georgia Dome in the state semifinals. While Coffee ought to have better chances in Region 3-5A, it’s not like the teams in that region are going to lie down and let the former…

UFC featherweight pro Cole Miller arrived in Douglas late Saturday night for the second leg of his Ride for Alzheimer’s, a charity bike ride event he is doing solo from Macon to Coconut, Fla., to raise money for Alzheimer’s research. Miller, who holds a 21-8 record, decided to do the bike ride on a whim. He was training for a main event bout against Connor McGregor, which was supposed to take place on July 19 in Dublin, Ireland, when he injured ligaments in his thumb. Unable to make a fist or grab, he had to cancel the fight. “I wouldn’t…

As I sit here at my computer, mere hours away from the official launch of www.douglasnow.com, I find myself excited, puzzled, encouraged, and maybe just a little scared. This venture is the culmination of over five years of planning, thinking, pondering, and procrastinating. Way back in January of 2009, the idea for a completely online source of news for Douglas and Coffee County first popped into my head. I discussed it with the late John Langford and he agreed with me – it was something that needed to happen sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, it would be later. Mr. Langford…