Author: Robert Preston

The Coffee Trojans’ 2023 football campaign opened with a 20-16 win over the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes in Fitzgerald in a pre-season scrimmage. The game was actually tale of two contests: The first quarter then quarters two through four. The junior varsity players took the field in the first quarter. Coffee took care of Fitzgerald 17-0 in that frame. Sophomore running back KJ DeBruce scored from 15 yards out. Tyrese Hansley found the end zone on a one-yard run to make it 14-0. Right at the end of the quarter, kicker Aidan Gonzalez split the uprights from 35 yards…

Every so often, counterfeit/fake money shows up at businesses in Douglas and Coffee County. And most of the time, there’s not much that authorities can do once it hits circulation. It’s apparently Douglas’s turn in the counterfeit rotation. In the last few weeks, several fake bills have been passed around town. The fake money comes in two different forms. One is actual counterfeit currency — bills that are specifically designed to look exactly like actual money and manufactured for the purpose of posing as the real thing. Then there is fake money, which are bills that look like…

According to multiple media outlets, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill has reached a settlement with an employee of Kelley Fleet, Inc., after he allegedly struck the man with an open palm on June 18, 2023, at a Miami marina. Despite the settlement, the Miami Herald is reporting that the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office is still investigating the incident. Other media outlets have also reported that the NFL has not released a statement regarding its inquiry into the incident, either. Hill could face disciplinary action from the NFL under the league’s Personal Conduct Policy. Hill and…

At Monday morning’s county commission meeting, retired attorney Jim Hudson addressed the commission about the ongoing controversy surrounding security breaches in the Coffee County elections office in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. Over the last several months, Hudson has addressed the Coffee County Board of Elections and Registration during its meetings. In the June meeting, he presented a resolution to the board asking that the elections board bring in an independent counsel to investigate the breaches. During a special called meeting on June 20, the board voted on but did not approve the resolution. …

At Monday morning’s county commission meeting, retired attorney Jim Hudson addressed the commission about the ongoing controversy surrounding security breaches in the Coffee County elections office in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. Over the last several months, Hudson has addressed the Coffee County Board of Elections and Registration during its meetings. In the June meeting, he presented a resolution to the board asking that the elections board bring in an independent counsel to investigate the breaches. During a special called meeting on June 20, the board voted on but did not approve the resolution. …

At Thursday’s city commission meeting, commissioners adopted the FY ’24 budget in the amount of $130,190,566. The city held the public hearing for the budget at the June 12 meeting. No citizens stepped forward to make any comment for or against the budget. The city has allocated $19,815,380 for the general fund, which includes $7.2 million for public safety (animal control, police, and fire). Utilities is the largest line item at $59,109,912. The Other Funds category, which includes a variety of line items including SPLOST funds and various grants, is the second largest section of the budget at…

At Thursday’s city commission meeting, commissioners adopted the FY ’24 budget in the amount of $130,190,566. The city held the public hearing for the budget at the June 12 meeting. No citizens stepped forward to make any comment for or against the budget. The city has allocated $19,815,380 for the general fund, which includes $7.2 million for public safety (animal control, police, and fire). Utilities is the largest line item at $59,109,912. The Other Funds category, which includes a variety of line items including SPLOST funds and various grants, is the second largest section of the budget at…

At Thursday’s city commission meeting, commissioners adopted the FY ’24 budget in the amount of $130,190,566. The city held the public hearing for the budget at the June 12 meeting. No citizens stepped forward to make any comment for or against the budget. The city has allocated $19,815,380 for the general fund, which includes $7.2 million for public safety (animal control, police, and fire). Utilities is the largest line item at $59,109,912. The Other Funds category, which includes a variety of line items including SPLOST funds and various grants, is the second largest section of the budget at…

At Tuesday’s special called meeting of the Coffee County Elections and Registration Board, the board did not adopt a resolution calling for independent counsel to investigate the alleged security breaches of the elections office that occurred in January of 2021. Board chairman Wendell Stone read a statement on behalf of the board that he asked the board to adopt as its official statement regarding the alleged breaches. The board did not adopt that statement, either. Stone’s statement is included in its entirety at the end of this story. The board also introduced new attorney Ben Perkins…

At Tuesday’s special called meeting of the Coffee County Elections and Registration Board, the board did not adopt a resolution calling for independent counsel to investigate the alleged security breaches of the elections office that occurred in January of 2021. Board chairman Wendell Stone read a statement on behalf of the board that he asked the board to adopt as its official statement regarding the alleged breaches. The board did not adopt that statement, either. Stone’s statement is included in its entirety at the end of this story. The board also introduced new attorney Ben Perkins…