Author: Robert Preston

Hurricane Debby made landfall Monday morning as a Category 1 storm. She apparently likes it so much in the area that she’s decided to hang around for as long as possible. And that means that the counties in her path are going to receive a historic amount of rainfall. At the 1:30 p.m. weather briefing, Al Sandrick of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gave a report on Debby’s whereabouts and what those in her way could expect. At the time of the briefing, Debby’s core had stalled over Suwannee County, Florida. She is a well-formed storm system and…

Tropical Depression 4 has turned into Tropical Storm Debby. By the time it makes landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida Monday, it will be Hurricane Debby. And Hurricane Debby is headed for Coffee County. She is expected to arrive Monday evening. First responders, law enforcement officials, and representatives from government agencies gathered at the county EMA headquarters Sunday morning for a storm briefing. Officials reported no major changes in the track of the storm. Debby is intensifying as she moves north through the Gulf of Mexico. Despite her growing fury, Debby’s impact to Coffee County isn’t expected to…

For the first time in the 14-year history of NFL.com’s preseason list of the top 100 players in the league, a wide receiver sits at #1. And that wide receiver is the Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill. Hill tops the list one season after flirting with history. He put the league on notice in Week 1 when he caught 11 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns against the Los Angeles Chargers. Hill was on pace to break Calvin Johnson’s single-season record of 1,964 yards and surpass the 2,000-yard mark until an injury late in the season slowed his production. Still,…

“I was very proud with how we came out in the second half. Our defense obviously hasn’t gone anywhere. I thought they played with great eye discipline. I think we only gave up one busted play there. Our effort and our enthusiasm and our joy for playing football was really, really high. We’ll go back and watch film and get this thing fixed,” said Coffee Trojans’ head coach Mike Coe following the Trojans’ 28-0 win over the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes in Fitzgerald Friday night. Coe praised his team’s physicality, effort, and intensity; however, he also noted that the Trojans committed…

For Kent Paulk II, a journey that began nearly 30 years ago is about to reach its pinnacle. On August 5, 2024, Blaze Barber Academy will open its doors for its first day of classes. The road that Kent has taken to get to this point has been long and at times meandering. But through it all, he has never lost sight of his goal. “This is something the Lord set me on. There are lots of talented barbers in our area but there aren’t many licensed barbers. I want to see them become professionals and bring it back to…

A short chase between a suspect driving a black Ford Focus and drug unit deputies ended at the intersection of Walker Street and Coweta Avenue when the driver struck a telephone pole around 3:30 p.m. Detectives initially made the traffic stop in the Oak Park community. The owner of the car, a female who was not driving, gave officers consent to search the vehicle. Officers had smelled marijuana in the car. She was standing outside the car while the driver, a male subject, was still in the driver’s seat. According to officers, the driver suddenly rolled up the windows and…

Children need healthy meals to learn. Coffee County School Nutrition offers healthy meals every school day at no charge to your children. The Coffee County Schools food service receives support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. The following schools will be participating in this alternative provision and provide meals at no charge to children: Elementary Schools: Ambrose, Broxton, Eastside, Indian Creek, Nicholls, Satilla, West Green and Westside; Coffee Middle School; George Washington Carver Freshman Campus; Coffee High School; and Wiregrass Regional College & Career Academy. By participating in the Community Eligibility…

Victoria Layne Paulk, 25, of Douglas, was arrested, jailed, and later released after she allegedly left the scene of a traffic accident in the Hardee’s parking lot. The incident occurred just before 3 p.m. on July 6, 2024. According to an incident report from the Douglas Police Department, witnesses stated that Paulk, driving a 2019 Honda Pilot, backed into a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu, causing damage to the Malibu, then went inside Hardee’s. When witnesses told the victim that her car had been hit, the report says that Paulk left the property. An officer identified the suspect as Paulk and went…

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College will be hosting a Sign-Up Commercial Truck Driving Day on the Coffee Campus on Thursday, July 25. Classes will begin on August 12. This event will help applicants to complete the steps for applying for the program. A representative from the college’s One-Stop will assist applicants in registering for class, completing CDL Clearing House, Financial Aid application, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) application, and DOT physical information. CDL applicants will also have their application fee waived on this day on the Coffee Campus when they apply. The event will be held on the Coffee Campus…

A 32-year-old Douglas man led county drug officers on a short chase in Douglas that ended on the south end of town. A child was a passenger in the vehicle and suffered a cut on the leg during the chase. The child was transported to Coffee Regional Medical Center for treatment. The chase began when a Coffee County Sheriff’s Office drug unit detective attempted to initiate a traffic stop on Baker Highway. The suspect, Billy Clarence Toombs Jr., 32, allegedly led officers on a chase that eventually ended at the intersection of Pine Street and South Gaskin Avenue. During the…