Author: Robert Preston

Douglas police, firefighters, and EMTs responded to a house fire on South Letitia Avenue Wednesday afternoon. The fire started in the kitchen area after the homeowner cooked lunch. After eating, he dozed off and was awakened a short time later by smoke coming from the kitchen. He immediately fled the home and escaped without injury. Police and firefighters responded a short time later and quickly extinguished the blaze. The home suffered significant damage inside due to smoke and water. No injuries were reported to firefighters or the homeowner.

Newly-appointed school board member Leola Johnson’s first meeting was an important one. Barely two weeks after being named to the board of education, Johnson and the rest of the board voted to approve the FY18 budget at a special called meeting Tuesday morning. The board is expecting $63,701,339 in revenue and $63,338,045 in expenditures, leaving a $363,284 surplus. After adding that to the existing fund balance, the school system should have around $8,173,453 in fund balance. When Superintendent Dr. Morris Leis called for a vote, Adam Lott made the motion followed by a second from Bryan Preston. The vote was…

Nearly two months after the death of District 1 school board member Ronnie Johnson from complications associated with diabetes, members of the board of education have named his successor. At a special called meeting held primarily to discuss the budget, the board approved Leola Johnson as the new District 1 representative. Johnson was one of eight individuals whom the board interviewed for the spot. She appeared before the BOE last week and answered a few questions regarding her experience and her vision for the school system. Johnson is a lifelong Coffee County resident. She retired from Coffee Middle School in…

Florine Sapp Joyce, of Nashville, Georgia, died peacefully in Douglas on May 10, 2017 at the age of 81. Mrs. Joyce was born on November 19, 1935, in Douglas to the late James Allen Sapp and Effie Lee Brigmond Sapp. She is survived by her children, Sandra (the late Melvin) Buchanan of Enigma, Georgia; Larry Wayne (Terri) Joyce of Enigma, Georgia; Lynda Joyce of Irwinville, Georgia; Cynthia (John) Keanon of Douglas, Georgia; and Lamar (Traci) Joyce of Nashville, Georgia. She is also survived by her sisters, Lois (Gene) Wilkes of Rockledge, Florida and Geraldine (Wayne) Solomon of Douglas, Georgia. She…

Country star and Douglas native Jennifer Nettles tripped and tumbled off a New York City stage Thursday as she was preparing to sing a song for Time Inc. to a group of advertisers at the Hammerstein Ballroom, according to media reports. Nettles, who later claimed via Twitter that the spill was her first in her career as a performer, broke a rib during the fall. An ambulance took her to a hospital, where she was treated for her injuries. Despite the potentially serious nature of the accident, it appears as though Nettles escaped with relatively minor injuries and will make…

Tuesday afternoon, Douglas firefighters and police officers responded to the Maytag Laundromat, located in the Harvey’s shopping center on South Peterson Avenue, where a fire had been reported. When units arrived, they saw that there was indeed a fire inside the building. They went to work and quickly extinguished the blaze. Two dryers were on fire; the lint traps on both machines were full and they ignited, causing the fire. The two fire completely destroyed the two dryers and the rest of the building suffered some smoke and water damage. There were no injuries reported though there were plenty of…

Fannie Mae Kirkland, age 75, of Douglas, GA passed away on Thursday, April 6, 2017, at her residence following an extended illness. Mrs. Kirkland was born on February 4, 1942, in Scottsboro, AL to the late James William Franklin Sisk and Birdy Mae Flippo Sisk. Survivors include: three sons, Joseph Wade (Melissa) Kirkland of Shelbyville, IN, Sidney Clyde (Eileen) Kirkland of Willacoochee, GA, and Jimmy Carroll (Debbie) Kirkland of Douglas, GA; daughter, Margarett Diane Johns of Douglas, GA; sister, Ruby Lorraine Frazier of Ider, AL; eight grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her…

Charlton “C.W.” Walker Deen, age 60, of Douglas, GA passed away on Tuesday, April 4, 2017, at Coffee Regional Medical Center following a brief illness. Mr. Deen was born on September 8, 1956, in Douglas, GA to the late James Albert Deen and Frances Leola Anderson Deen. Survivors include: his wife, Frances Deen of Douglas, GA; five daughters, Melissa Kight of West Green, GA, Donna Chaney of Douglas, GA, Dianna Voorhees of Douglas, GA, Niclole Jewell of Douglas, GA, and Courtney Shumans of Hazlehurst, GA; three sons, Jessie Voorhees of Douglas, GA, Jason Voorhees of Douglas, GA, Jeffrey Voorhees of…

Henry Nelson Bland, age 84, of Douglas, GA passed away on Monday, April 3, 2017, at Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Augusta, GA following an extended illness. Mr. Bland was born on July 11, 1932, in Conway, SC to the late Samuel Bland and Atha Bessie Jordan Bland. Survivors include: his wife, Elena Elizabeth Bland of Douglas, GA; daughter, Marie Bland of Douglas, GA; seven sons, James Bland, Jack Bland, Joseph Bland, Ryon Bland all of Douglas, GA, Johnny Bland of Lake Placid, FL, Nelson Bland of Jacksonville, FL, and David Bland of Texas; sister, Marie Norris of Asheboro, NC;…

Tuesday afternoon, the Coffee Trojans tennis team – both boys and girls – wrote a new chapter in Coffee High athletic history. For the first time ever, the girls won a region title. The boys also won region, their second in program history. It was also the first time that both the boys and girls won region championships in the same year. The road to these championships has been a long, challenging, and oftentimes difficult one. A decade and a half ago, head coach Whit Moorman and his staff told the players that they were the building blocks of a…