Author: Robert Preston

The Childhood Cancer Awareness Group of Coffee County’s annual fund-raiser kicks off tomorrow – Friday, Sept. 22 – beginning at 9 a.m. at the Bryan Street Gym, located inside Central Square in downtown Douglas. There are two events this weekend – the silent auction and bake sale, which lasts from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Then on Saturday, Sept. 23, a live auction and a catered dinner will be held at the same location. The dinner starts at 6 p.m. and the live auction will follow at 7 p.m. The community provides overwhelming support for these events. With…

The Childhood Cancer Awareness Group of Coffee County’s annual fund-raiser kicks off tomorrow – Friday, Sept. 22 – beginning at 9 a.m. at the Bryan Street Gym, located inside Central Square in downtown Douglas. There are two events this weekend – the silent auction and bake sale, which lasts from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Then on Saturday, Sept. 23, a live auction and a catered dinner will be held at the same location. The dinner starts at 6 p.m. and the live auction will follow at 7 p.m. The community provides overwhelming support for these events. With…

Gregory Swinson, 25, who was shot on Saturday, Sept. 16, at an East Walker Street address in Douglas, has passed away. His girlfriend, Jasmine Williams, had been charged with aggravated assault for allegedly shooting Swinson. Swinson was transported to CRMC then transferred to Savannah Memorial Hospital in grave condition. He remained in Savannah until his passing on Wednesday, Sept. 20. Williams, who has been incarcerated at the Coffee County Jail since the shooting took place, now faces charges of felony murder. Few details have been released in the case and the Douglas Police Department is continuing to…

At Thursday’s regular meeting of the Douglas Rotary Club, Bill Wright of Georgia Senior Living Care updated the club regarding the progress of Lakeside Senior Living, the new senior living facility under construction on North Chester Avenue. Lakeside Senior Living will offer independent living quarters as well as respite care, assisted living, and memory care (primarily for Alzheimer’s patients). The facility will house up to 60 residents and employ 45-50 people. Wright stressed his company’s goal of being a partner in the community and another resource to fill a growing need in Coffee County. “We’re not here to take away…

By the time Hurricane Irma reached Coffee County, she had weakened to tropical storm status. But that doesn’t mean she let us off easy. Irma unleashed what was left of her fury on South Georgia. Though she was but a shell of the storm that annihilated southwestern Florida, Irma made quite an entrance. Heavy winds and hours upon hours of steady rainfall wreaked havoc on Coffee County, resulting in flooding, downed trees and power lines, and the widespread power outages that accompany both. Irma ravaged downtown and took out one of Douglas’s most prominent landmarks – the large tree that…

It seems that Hurricane Irma can’t make up her mind exactly what she would like to do. The various models still show her heading north through Florida around Sunday then into Georgia – and the Coffee County area – Sunday night or Monday morning. However, she is shifting more and more to the west and nothing at all about her line of travel is written in stone. She could likely change courses several times over the next two days. That said, Coffee County will feel her effects one way or another. Several activities have already been cancelled for Monday. Anyone…

Nearly two years ago, Wallace Lee, now 44, was charged with murder in the deaths of Meghan Bowen, 33, and James Harden, 39. Next week, Lee will stand trial for those murders. Jury selection will begin Monday, Sept. 11, and the trial will likely begin Tuesday, Sept. 12. Bowen and Harden were shot to death at a residence at 38 Meadowbrook Lane in November 2015. Authorities arrested Lee shortly thereafter and charged him with their murders. He has remained in the Coffee County Jail ever since. Lee, who was also charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of…

A Coffee County resident is the focus of a federal investigation into fraud at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and has reached a plea deal on charges related to theft of federal money intended for low-income housing developments in Michigan, according to stories published in The Detroit News and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Lorena Loren, 56, allegedly stole $336,240 while she was executive director of the St. Clair, Michigan, Housing Commission, according to the AJC. At least part of the money earmarked for the housing developments bought Loren a home at 9125 East Baker Highway. Though listed as a…

“I bring experience to the table. I started working as an attorney for insurance commissioner Ralph Hudgens in 2011. I’ve worked in all areas of the department. It’s an important job that touches everyone’s lives,” said Jay Florence, the current deputy insurance commissioner and a candidate for insurance commissioner in the 2018 election, Tuesday as he and former University of Georgia head football coach Ray Goff stopped in Douglas on a tour of South Georgia. About six weeks ago, Commissioner Hudgens announced that he would not run for re-election. Florence immediately recognized the opportunity and decided to run for the…

After two weeks of fairly easy victories, the Coffee Trojans seemed to meet their match when the Ware County Gators came to town. Despite poor first half play that had the Trojans down by a point at halftime, Coffee rallied in the third and fourth quarters to defeat the Gators 21-14 in yet another game that had to be moved due to the threat of bad weather. The Trojan offense that had steamrolled its way through the first two victories sputtered against a Ware County team that seemed to know what the Trojans were going to do before the ball…