Author: Robert Preston

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…

You know how sometimes you witness something that just doesn’t feel right? Even if you’re invited, you feel as though you’re privy to something that you shouldn’t be seeing? I experienced one of those incidents Sunday afternoon at Faircloth Field in Douglas. Around 6 p.m., what should have been one of the biggest events in the history of the Coffee Lady Trojans softball team took place. Jimmy John Liautaud, billionaire founder of Jimmy John’s restaurant chain, and his wife Leslie, visited Douglas to see firsthand a project their family foundation funded. The Liautauds, through their foundation,…

You know how sometimes you witness something that just doesn’t feel right? Even if you’re invited, you feel as though you’re privy to something that you shouldn’t be seeing? I experienced one of those incidents Sunday afternoon at Faircloth Field in Douglas. Around 6 p.m., what should have been one of the biggest events in the history of the Coffee Lady Trojans softball team took place. Jimmy John Liautaud, billionaire founder of Jimmy John’s restaurant chain, and his wife Leslie, visited Douglas to see firsthand a project their family foundation funded. The Liautauds, through their foundation,…

According to a recent press release from Governor Brian Kemp, the City of Douglas and Coffee County are among the Georgia communities that will receive funding from the State of Georgia for projects that improve parks, recreation facilities, sidewalks, and healthy food access that were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of Douglas and Coffee County will receive $4,577,848.00 in grant funding to use toward the rehabilitation of Huckaby Complex, Roundtree Park, and the soccer field. “We are appreciative of Governor Kemp and the General Assembly for working together during the pandemic to help Georgia communities,”…

According to a recent press release from Governor Brian Kemp, the City of Douglas and Coffee County are among the Georgia communities that will receive funding from the State of Georgia for projects that improve parks, recreation facilities, sidewalks, and healthy food access that were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of Douglas and Coffee County will receive $4,577,848.00 in grant funding to use toward the rehabilitation of Huckaby Complex, Roundtree Park, and the soccer field. “We are appreciative of Governor Kemp and the General Assembly for working together during the pandemic to help Georgia communities,”…

At Monday’s county commission meeting, commissioners denied a rezoning request in the Oak Park community. Prudencio Reynoso had submitted an application to rezone .66 acres at 56 Elm Street from Commercial to Warehouse Light Industrial. The property is vacant and sits at the corner of Highway 221 North and Elm Street. Mr. Reynoso had plans to manufacture cargo trailers if commissioners approved the request. Both the Planning Commission and county staff had recommended that the request be denied, primarily because though zoned Commercial, the property surrounding the tract is residential. During the public hearing, no one spoke either…

At Monday’s county commission meeting, commissioners denied a rezoning request in the Oak Park community. Prudencio Reynoso had submitted an application to rezone .66 acres at 56 Elm Street from Commercial to Warehouse Light Industrial. The property is vacant and sits at the corner of Highway 221 North and Elm Street. Mr. Reynoso had plans to manufacture cargo trailers if commissioners approved the request. Both the Planning Commission and county staff had recommended that the request be denied, primarily because though zoned Commercial, the property surrounding the tract is residential. During the public hearing, no one spoke either…

Thursday afternoon, Clay Lott, president of the Douglas Rotary Club, presented Vernon Talkington with a check for $10,000 to assist the HOPE Center with the programs and activities Vernon and his wife, Angie, conduct through the HOPE Center. The funds came from money raised through the Joe Day Memorial Golf Tournament which Rotary hosted in April. The Talkingtons came to Douglas 24 years ago while on a sabbatical after 20 years in ministry in Illinois. They passed through Douglas on their way to Panama City. While they were in Douglas, they visited the Oak Park community.…