Author: Robert Preston

Retail news isn’t very good these days. Sears. K-Mart. Toys R Us. And now Harveys. Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Harveys, Winn-Dixie, BI-LO, and other grocery retailers, announced late last week that it has filed Chapter 11 cases as a part of a Restructuring Support Agreement in an effort to save the ailing company. As a result, 94 stores throughout the Southeast, including 19 in Georgia, will close. Most of the stores that will close are Harveys stores. Neither of the Harveys locations in Douglas are affected. However, several close to Coffee County will in fact close. Harveys stores…

A 69-year-old man was arrested and jailed on child cruelty charges after striking a 10-year-old victim in the face and spanking him with a wooden stick. Deputies responded to the area of First Avenue South around 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, in reference to a report of a child being hit in the face. Deputies observed red marks on the victim’s face and neck. The victim, along with other minors present at the location, told deputies the offender, identified as Wilbern Bremon Powell, had spanked the child with a wooden stick until it broke, before slapping him in the face.…

U.S. Rep. Rick Allen (R-Augusta) will face opposition from four candidates in the 2018 election cycle. Three Democrats and one Republican seek to oust the incumbent from Augusta, first in May then again in November. A couple of the names might sound familiar to those who follow the statewide political scene closely. One fellow Republican is challenging Allen – Eugene Yu, who ran against Allen in the last election. Yu, a native of South Korea who emigrated to the United States 45 years ago and served in the United States military, visited Douglas several times on the campaign trail and…

Qualifying for upcoming local elections ended Friday at noon and of the races on the ballot this year, only one has any opposition. Two candidates are vying for the District 1 board of education seat. Leola Johnson, who was appointed last year after the death of Ronnie Johnson, will try to keep her seat. She will face opposition from Tonya Wilkerson, who would also like that particular position. Other local races and those for state senator, state representative, Superior Court Judge and district attorney are all uncontested as well. County commissioners Oscar Paulk (D-District 1) and A.J. Dovers (R-District 3)…

Douglas native Josh Peavy, who made it to the semifinal round on ABC’s “Rising Star” reality talent show in 2014, is returning to television. On Thursday, March 22 at 9 p.m., Peavy will appear on Showtime at the Apollo, hosted by Steve Harvey. Afterwards, Peavy will also appear as a guest on The Steve Harvey Show. A year ago, in March 2017, FOX reached out to Peavy and asked him about singing onstage at the Apollo – a venue known for boo-happy audiences who have no problem letting a performer know if they are unhappy with him or her. Peavy…

According to WALB, a teenager reported missing in Jacksonville, Fla., back in September may be in the Douglas area. Steven Lowery, 14, was last seen at his home in Jacksonville. He hasn’t been seen by friends or relatives since. The WALB story states that Lowery has blond hair, blue eyes, and is just over five feet tall. If you have any information regarding Lowery’s whereabouts, contact 1-800-THE-LOST or local authorities. The report didn’t say why officials believe Lowery may be in the Douglas area, only that there is reason to believe he may have made his way up here.

Coffee County has been oh-so-close to bringing a state championship home this year. Of course, the Coffee Trojans football team played for a state title in December and came within inches of winning late in the fourth quarter. Then both Coffee men’s and women’s basketball teams advanced to the Elite Eight and were in position to advance to the Final Four. All three came up just a bit short. But the quest for a state title isn’t over yet. This morning, the CCA Patriots departed for Mercer University in Macon for a Final Four match-up against Cordele’s Crisp Academy at…

The first of two Coffee High basketball teams headed up to Atlanta for the Elite Eight round of the state playoffs Monday afternoon. For the first time in school history, both the men’s and women’s Trojan basketball teams are in the Elite Eight and both have a similar path before them. And that path leads straight up I-75 and into the metro area. Tuesday night, the Lady Trojans play Northview out of Johns Creek. They departed Monday afternoon and will have all day Tuesday to prepare for the game. Head coach Tasha Kimble is in her first year with the…

University of Georgia senior outfielder Keegan McGovern hit three home runs in game two of a double header against the University of North Carolina-Charlotte 49ers to lift the Bulldogs to a 10-7 win and a series sweep. The hat trick gives McGovern six home runs just seven games into the season. His previous season high is the six homers he hit as a freshman. According to the university’s student newspaper, The Red and Black, McGovern’s three homers tied Georgia’s record for most in a game. He’s also only the eighth Bulldog to accomplish the feat. The Red and Black quoted…

A Wayne County jury deliberated about half an hour Thursday night before finding Douglas City Commissioner Olivia Pearson not guilty on one count of false swearing, a felony. The charge stemmed from an investigation into alleged voter fraud during the 2012 election. Initially charged with four counts in 2016 – two counts each of false swearing and improper assistance in casting a ballot – all charges were eventually dismissed except for one count of false swearing. In the fall, Commissioner Pearson’s legal team requested a change of venue for this, the second trial she faced on the same charge. Last…