Author: Robert Preston

It was supposed to be an easy game. The South Effingham Mustangs were 2-3 overall and 1-2 in region play. The Trojans had only one loss and, with the exception of Ware County, had steamrolled everyone they had played. Coffee, however, doesn’t have a good track record in games played when the kids are out of school. Tonight, it was that perfect storm that spells troubles for a lot of teams: A road game, a holiday, a hungry region foe, and maybe the Trojans were looking ahead to next week’s showdown against Brunswick. Whatever the reason, with just about three…

“As I have sat here and listened to everyone speak, I keep thinking about two things: Vision and leadership. That is what I see here today. The future isn’t a place we’re going; it’s a place we’re creating. And I applaud the city for being an innovator in this area,” said JoAnne Lewis, president of the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Authority, at the City of Douglas’s ribbon cutting celebrating the opening of the compressed natural gas (CNG) facility Wednesday morning. The ribbon cutting marked the grand opening for the facility, which has actually been fueling vehicles…

At Monday morning’s regular meeting of the Coffee County Commission, commissioners signed a proclamation designating the week of Oct. 5-11 as Coffee County 4-H Week. Mark von Waldner, a county agent with the local extension office, addressed the commission prior to the proclamation signing. During his remarks, he covered some of the accomplishments of the Coffee County 4-H program, which he called one of the top 4-H programs in the state. Following von Waldner’s comments, the 4-H members in attendance joined commissioners behind the commission desk for the signing. After signing the proclamation, the commission approved contracts for Statewide Surveying…

On Friday morning, Oct. 3, the Douglas – Coffee Drug Unit arrested Sheldon Leonard Pace on a probation warrant for sale of cocaine following the search of a residence on S. Daughtry Avenue in Douglas. Friday afternoon, DCDU detectives and K-9 officers were patrolling Old Pearson Highway near the county line when they became involved in a high speed pursuit with a vehicle occupied by Terry Britt, Jr. and Justin Ralph Jewell. As the pursuit entered into Atkinson County, DCDU was assisted by Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office deputies; officers apprehended Britt and Jewell on Clarence Royals Road at Sunnyside Church…

It only took the Coffee Trojans two plays and 40 seconds to get on the board in a region contest against the winless Statesboro High Blue Devils tonight at Jardine Stadium in Douglas. For the rest of the night, it was more of the same as the Trojans cruised to a 35-7 win and a 5-1 record (2-1 in region play). “We were very pleased with this win. Our defense played well and so did our offense for the most part. We left a few points out there I was pleased with the way we played,” said head coach Robby…

At a special called meeting on Wednesday afternoon, the Coffee County Board of Education voted to give the Douglas-Coffee County Economic Development Authority a two-year option to sell four tracts of land on school system property for $1.6 million. The EDA paid the school board $1,000 for the option. The property, which includes just about everything on the southwest corner of Peterson Avenue and the bypass except the old high school, the central office, and of course the new Hardee’s that is currently under construction, comprises about eight total acres. The school system is not discussing demolishing the old high…

“I haven’t lived in South Georgia since I was 18 years old. I’m excited about getting back in the area and living in a close-knit community. All of our family is in Fitzgerald and we’re looking forward to being close to them and getting involved in the community,” says Dr. Laura Liles Tharp, a Fitzgerald native and new orthopedic-trained hand surgeon who begins work with Optimorthopedics Group in Douglas on Oct. 1. Once she starts, Dr. Tharp will be the only hand surgeon within two hours of Douglas. Having her in the area provides the citizens of South Georgia with…

It was a tale of two halves tonight between the Coffee Trojans and the Effingham County Rebels in Springfield, Ga. During the first half, the two teams looked evenly matched and headed for a barn-burner. In the second half, however, the Trojans took control and outscored the Rebels 34-7 to cruise to their second region win 58-26. “We played a lot better in the second half. We were very flat in the first half. We had to regroup and do better. Our defense played well in the last two quarters,” said Coffee head coach Robby Pruitt following the game. “I…

Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2006. It’s a day I think about often. Too often, in fact. It was a day that shook our community to its core, and its effects are still being felt. It’s a cliché, but the day started like any other. My younger son, Zean, was just over two months old. Heather was still at home with him. I woke up and took our older son, Montgomery, to preschool at First Baptist Church just like I always did. I headed into town, going east on 158. At the bypass, I turned left and crossed the overpass. It was…

Tight end Jalen Wilkerson scored two touchdowns while running backs Lecarvius Sears and Chris Swinson added scores of their own in the Coffee Trojans’ 28-7 win over the Glynn Academy Red Terrors Friday night at Jardine Stadium in Douglas. The Trojans rebounded nicely after last week’s heart-breaking loss to Ware County in the region opener and played a solid game through and through. The Trojans’ small defensive backs had some trouble with Glynn Academy’s bigger, stronger receiving corps, and the Red Terror passing attack netted some big gains. But the defense made stops when it needed to and kept Glynn…