Author: Robert Preston

DouglasNow.com has learned that Friday night, officers from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested Larue Sheffield on multiple charges relating to the death of his wife Edith Sheffield, who was killed in a house fire that took place on Jan. 18, 2013. Edith Sheffield’s body was found in the home the following day during the investigation of the fire. Officers determined that Edith had been shot with a shotgun before the fire erupted. Larue Sheffield has remained a suspect in the court of public opinion since the fire – to the point that State…

Around 9 a.m. Friday, a tractor-trailer and a minivan collided on Highway 32 just a few miles west of Douglas. Officers from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia State Patrol, as well as first responders from the Coffee County Fire Department and EMS, responded to the scene. The tractor-trailer, a Freightliner day cab pulling a short recycling trailer, was headed west on 32 and jackknifed across the roadway. The minivan was traveling east on 32 and hit the passenger side front corner of the truck. The truck driver was uninjured. There were at least two occupants of the…

On Dec. 13, the Community Foundation of Coffee County awarded five local charities with a total of $7,500 in grants to assist them with the work they perform for the families and children of the community. Here are the organizations and the amount each received: Camp 151 — $2,250; Called to Care — $2,250; Coffee Alliance for the Arts — $1,000; Fellowship of Christian Athletes — $1,000; and the LIA Foundation — $1,000. Camp 151 is a local faith-based organization that renovates homes during the summer. Guided by adult leaders, youth from throughout the area work tirelessly for…

A two-vehicle accident on Highway 221 North in West Green Tuesday afternoon resulted in multiple injuries and a major traffic slowdown through the area for several hours. According to information from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, a vehicle apparently ran a stop sign and struck a prison transport van carrying inmates from Coffee Correctional Facility. All inmates are accounted for, with several being transported from the scene to area hospitals for treatment. In addition to the inmates, several individuals in the other vehicle were injured. The identities of the occupants of both vehicles have not been released. The…

Another Dollar General is coming to Coffee County. And a few people aren’t very happy about it. At Monday’s regular county commission meeting, commissioners voted to rezone 1.97 acres at 4736 East Baker Highway from Agriculture to Commercial. Springhill Land Trust/Terramore Development LLC of Thomasville made the request for the purposes of constructing a new Dollar General store, the ninth Dollar General in the county. Ray Parker, county code enforcement director, told commissioners that the Planning Commission had reviewed and approved the request. His department also recommended that commissioners give the rezoning their approval. Before the commissioners…

Two former Trojans, linebacker Jameon Gaskin and Javiontae Martin, won a national championship Saturday as members of the Valdosta State University Blazers. The Blazers defeated the Ferris State Bulldogs 49-47 in the NCAA Division II National Championships in McKinney, Texas. Martin, a 6’2”, 213 lb. defensive lineman, played in five games this season, including the national championship game. Gaskin, 5’11, 219, was the Gulf South Conference’s Freshman Defensive Player of the Year and played in all 14 of the Blazers’ games. He tallied five tackles against Ferris State (three solo, two assists). The Blazers sealed the victory in…

Herman “Bugg” Lott, age 80, of Mora, passed away peacefully on Friday December 7th, 2018 at his residence due to an extended illness. Mr. Lott was born on September 11, 1938 in Irwin County, the son of the late Willis Lott and Lura Mae Carver Lott. He was a farmer and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Mr. Lott was preceded in death by his wife, Elmarie Davis Lott and grandson, J.J. Heath. Survivors include three daughters, Vicky Heath of Willacoochee, GA, Lynn Royal of Willacoochee, GA, and Gina Smith (Ray)…

The annual Festival of Lights Christmas Parade, originally scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 1, has been postponed and re-scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 6, beginning at 6 p.m. Rain is supposed to move in during the early morning hours Saturday and set in all day long, resulting in the parade’s postponement. Earlier in the week, DouglasNow.com posted a release from the city outlining all of the parade’s rules and guidelines. Those rules are still in effect and can be found here (typo in the headline notwithstanding): http://douglasnow.com/index.php/community/item/6222-the-christmas-parade-is-this-year-and-things-will-be-a-lot-different For more information, please call the Public Information Office at 912-383-0277.

At Monday’s city commission meeting, commissioners handled the regular agenda items fairly quickly and easily. However, the meeting was not without controversy; after about a month-long absence, Roscoe Allen returned to the commission room and addressed the commission, along with members of the media and City Manager Charlie Davis, in another impassioned series of remarks that saw Commander Bart McCulloch of the Douglas Police Department stand as Allen appeared as though he was going to approach commissioners. A video and brief summary of Allen’s comments will follow. But first, here are the items the city covered at the regular…

A single vehicle accident claimed the life of a Jacksonville, Fla., man Saturday morning. The driver, who was killed in the accident, was driving a Penske rental box truck east on Highway 158. He left his lane of travel, overcorrected, and ran off the road into a cotton field. He clipped a light pole by the roadway and flipped over in the field. The accident delayed traffic for some time as authorities worked the accident. Power lines from the clipped pole fell on the truck and emergency crews couldn’t clean up the wreck until power crews took care…