Author: Robert Preston

Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Steve Anderson of Douglas was taken into custody after agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency, Internal Revenue Service, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office, and Douglas Police Department conducted an all-day investigation at his home and offices. Late Tuesday afternoon, officers transported Dr. Anderson to the Coffee County Jail. The exact charges Dr. Anderson is being held on have not been released. However, the charges involve alleged violations of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act. Likewise, officers have not announced what they were looking for or what they found during the investigation. Dr.…

According to a story posted on www.lawandcrime.com, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has released statements disputing stories published by various news outlets alleging substandard COVID-19 protocols and non-consensual medical procedures, namely hysterectomies, at the Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) in Ocilla. Likewise, Coffee Regional Medical Center has released a statement to DouglasNow.com regarding this same issue. In one statement, published on lawandcrime.com, ICE officials reported that the agency has inspected ICDC numerous times, both announced and unannounced, and it has always been in compliance with national standards. In a second statement, also published on lawandcrime.com, the…

A series of complaints filed against the Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) in Ocilla has made national headlines and placed a local physician squarely in the crosshairs of what will undoubtedly be an explosive and politically charged investigation. Yesterday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a story outlining a complaint made against the ICDC, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility, alleging substandard COVID-19 testing, reporting, and protective protocols along with a large number of hysterectomies performed on immigrant women at the facility. Much of the basis of the complaint comes from statements made by a former employee, Dawn…

A Coffee County Grand Jury indicted eight individuals in connection with the death of Vann Brown, 39, which occurred at a residence on Woodrow Harper Road near Ambrose on Jan. 1, 2020. Brown was attending a wedding reception at the home of Jeffery Harper and family when an altercation took place after midnight. During the altercation, Brown lost his life. Details of the incident have not been officially released by authorities. However, according to witnesses, Brown had become unruly at the party. He was asked to leave multiple times but refused. As a result, an altercation took place. The…

Tyler Bashlor, the hard-throwing right-handed reliever who played for the South Georgia State College Hawks, has been traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bashlor, a Savannah native, was drafted by the New York Mets in the 11th round in 2013 after two years at SGSC. He made his Major League debut in 2018. Since then, he has been up and down between the minors and the big leagues. He pitched 54 innings in 48 games with a 5.33 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 2018 and 2019. In late July, the Mets designated Bashlor for assignment. Last week, the Mets traded…

Ms. Mary Ellen Daniel Hall, age 69 of Douglas, passed away early Thursday morning, August 6, 2020 at Coffee Regional Medical Center following a short illness. Ms. Hall was born December 29, 1950 to the late Jesse Alvin Daniel and the late Leslie Burch Daniel. Ms. Hall, a native of Atkinson County, was a painter by trade. She was a member of Saving Grace Ministries. Survivors include: Sons Bobby Wayne Daniel and John Royals both of Panama City, FL, and Kenneth Allen Rowland of Moultrie, GA; brothers J. A Daniel and Fred Hartley, both of Douglas, GA, Johnny Daniel of…

For the second time this year, an inmate at Coffee Correctional Facility in Nicholls has been released because his conviction was overturned. Thursday, July 24, 2020, Dennis Perry, who had been in prison for 20 years after a jury convicted him of killing two people in Camden County, walked free after a judge overturned his conviction. Because Perry was being held in Nicholls, several motions were filed in Coffee County. According to documents obtained from the Coffee County Courthouse, Perry was convicted because “the State lost, withheld, and actively suppressed critical exculpatory, impeachment, and other favorable evidence in violation…

Roscoe Allen, 60, has been arrested and charged with aggravated stalking for allegedly threatening Mayor Tony Paulk during a meeting with citizens at the George Washington Carver Shopping Center (The Block) Tuesday night. On Feb. 6, 2020, Superior Court Judge Kelly Brooks granted Mayor Paulk a restraining order against Allen after Allen allegedly made other threats toward Paulk earlier this year. The restraining order states that Allen can’t be within 500 yards of Mayor Paulk for one year. Tuesday night’s alleged incident was a violation of the restraining order. Mayor Paulk was meeting with a large number of…

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, voters in the city of Douglas voted 1,889 to 334 to approve the Douglas redevelopment referendum, commonly called the tax allocation district (TAD). The TAD is, for all intents and purposes, the Douglas Square Shopping Center, which will be the home of several new retail businesses. Among the businesses slated for the TAD is a Chik-fil-A restaurant. The COVID-19 virus shut down many segments of the economy and delayed the start of construction of the shopping center. A couple of weeks ago, work finally began. Friday, one of the biggest questions surrounding the shopping…

As we stand on the eve of our nation’s 244th birthday, I would like to take a moment and share a few remarks with you. We live in tumultuous times but we must not forget that despite America’s flaws, this is remains the greatest country history has ever seen. It’s not perfect. It’s not going to be perfect. Not ever. But it’s still the best. The Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, aside from God’s holy word, are the greatest documents ever written. They altered the course of history and without them, the world would be…