Author: Robert Preston

Former Trojan Jalen Wilkerson, a 6’5”, 283-pound redshirt sophomore defensive end for the Florida State Seminoles, has signed a free agent contract with the Houston Texans following the conclusion of the 2018 NFL Draft. In January, Wilkerson announced on his Facebook page that he was declaring for the NFL Draft. “Some people will never know why you have to make the decisions you make, but I will forever be thankful for the opportunity to play for nole nation,” Wilkerson wrote on social media. “You guys are amazing and God bless.” Wilkerson went to FSU as a tight end but converted to…

Thursday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Georgia State Patrol’s dive team, searched a pond in Coffee County for a weapon, presumably a gun, in connection to an ongoing murder investigation. The search was related to the murders of Willie J. Oliver Sr., 72, and Jerome A. Nixon, 62, in Pearson. On Feb. 10, 2018, a neighbor reported that Oliver and Nixon were dead in a residence at 371 West Allen Avenue in Pearson. An investigation showed that they both died of gunshot wounds. Officials determined that the victims were murdered. No arrests have been made…

Anson Drury, a junior golfer at Citizens Christian Academy, will play for a state championship Tuesday at the Georgia Veterans Golf Course in Cordele. Anson earned a berth in the state tournament by winning the region title on April 17. In addition to winning low medalist honors, Drury was also named to the All Region team. The son of Stuart and Kristy Drury of Douglas, Anson has spent thousands of hours working on his game. He has seen his hard work yield some impressive results this season. In five tournaments, he was low medalist in two and finished in the…

The Coffee County School System has announced its teachers of the year for the upcoming school year. Each school names a teacher of the year; the system-wide teacher of the year will be named at the school system’s convocation meeting prior to the first day of the 2018-2019 school year. The teacher of the year will be introduced to the community during halftime of the first home football game of the year. Here are the teachers of the year for each school: Christy Vickers (Ambrose), Amy Paulk (Satilla), Jerry Hill (Coffee High School), Lydia Davis (Broxton), Heather Tanner (West Green),…

University of Georgia outfielder and former Coffee Trojan Keegan McGovern has made his way onto USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list. USA Baseball presents the Golden Spikes Award annually to the best amateur baseball player in the country. The list of past winners reads like a Who’s Who of Major League players. Two South Georgia natives – J.D. Drew and Buster Posey – have won the award. After a disappointing junior season, McGovern has ripped through Bulldogs’ opponents this year. He’s leading Georgia in just about every meaningful offensive category, including batting average (.344), home runs (12), and…

A line of severe thunderstorms has arrived in Southwest Georgia and are headed east toward Coffee County. Rain, winds approaching 60 mph, and a possibility of tornadoes are all components of this potentially dangerous system. Rain is expected to arrive in the Douglas area around 11 a.m. and continue through the afternoon. Coffee and Atkinson counties are currently under a significant weather advisory. According to WALB, tornado watches were in effect earlier this morning in the southwestern portion of the state, including Clay, Early, Miller, Randolph, and neighboring counties. Those watches expired at 8 a.m. The National Weather Service in…

At Monday morning’s regular county commission meeting, commissioners voted to approve a text amendment to the land development code specifically for Baymeadows subdivision. Commissioners unanimously approved an overlay exception for Baymeadows requiring a minimum of 1,400 square feet of heated floor space to build a home. According to Ray Parker, county code enforcement officer, there have been no minimum square footage requirements for homes at Baymeadows. County attorney Tony Rowell stated that in the early days of the subdivision, there were deed restrictions on each deed that stipulated a minimum of 1,400 square feet for homes. Those deed restrictions have…

C.J. Mizell, a former Coffee Trojan football star who also played at Washington State University and the University of Akron, has been arrested for the second time in less than six months. Trouble has followed the embattled former linebacker, who was expelled from Coffee High School in 2007 after assaulting then-head coach Jerry Odom. Mizell finished high school Leon County in Tallahassee, Fla,, where he was slated to play college football for the Florida State Seminoles. However, Mizell was unable to enroll at Florida State and ended up signing with Washington State. According to a story that appeared in the…

The Boy Scouts of America’s South Georgia Council named Coffee High School head football coach Robby Pruitt its Distinguished Citizen at its annual Distinguished Citizen Award Banquet Thursday night. Both Karl Zimmer, South Georgia Council Vice President, and Matt Hart, South Georgia Council Scout Executive/CEO, praised Coach Pruitt for instilling in his players the same values that scouting represents. Those values – hard work, determination, overcoming obstacles, perseverance, integrity, always giving your best – lead to success in all facets of life, whether it be scouting, football, education, or career. “Coach Pruitt constantly reminds the players that what you’re doing…

An auto accident at the intersection of Bowens Mill Road and Touchton Drive resulted in a rollover and traffic delays but, surprisingly, no injuries. The accident occurred a little after 9 a.m. when a vehicle came off Touchton Drive and clipped a silver Ford Ranger heading north on Bowens Mill Road. The collision sent the Ranger off the right side of the road where it went down into the ditch and came up a short but steep embankment. The Ranger went airborne for a short distance and, upon landing, rolled over on its roof. The driver of the Ranger, a…