Author: Robert Preston

Wednesday afternoon, a Coffee County jury acquitted former Douglas police officer Tameka Williams and her husband, Corey Williams, on felony voter fraud charges. The Williamses had been indicted after voting in the 2015 Douglas municipal election even though they did not live in the city of Douglas. The Williamses had moved from Douglas to Atkinson County some time prior to the election. During the one-day trial, the piece of evidence that likely resulted in the Williamses’ acquittal came when jurors learned that a poll worker had told both Corey and Tameka Williams they could vote in the election. Corey and…

I remember the day well, though I must confess I can’t recall the year. It was Christmas Day, somewhere around 1983 or 1984. My sister, Ashley Graves, wanted a Cabbage Patch Kid for Christmas. Cabbage Patch Kids, “born” in Cleveland, Georgia, were the year’s biggest toy for girls. My sister put in for one. It was all she asked for. A Christmas without a Cabbage Patch Kid would have been a disaster. Ashley would have been inconsolable. I don’t know if the events that follow are true. My mother, who recently passed away from Alzheimer’s disease, maintained this is exactly…

Tyreek Hill returned to Georgia for the first time as a pro and helped his Kansas City Chiefs beat the Atlanta Falcons by one point Sunday afternoon. Hill had five receptions for 53 yards. He also carried the ball twice for 19 yards and had one punt return for a one-yard loss in the 29-28 victory. It was another Georgia native, however, who proved to be the difference maker for the Chiefs. Defensive back Eric Berry, who attended Creekside High School where he played quarterback and defensive back, had a pair of interceptions for the Chiefs. He returned one for…

For the first time, Coffee County has a certified human resource manager. At Monday’s county commission meeting, commissioners recognized Princess Porter, the county’s human resource director, for earning her certification from the University of Georgia. County administrator Wesley Vickers praised Porter for her work. “She has been working on this for two years. Princess has a sweet spirit and she works very well with others. I encourage her to continue with her training,” he said. Commissioner Jimmy Kitchens agreed, stating, “We thank you for everything you do. You do a great job for us.” Commissioners also approved a request from…

Monday night’s Douglas City Commission meeting featured the normal smattering of relatively boring business items – and one not-so-boring exchange at the end of the meeting between commissioner Olivia Pearson and Bob Moore. Among the items commissioners approved were the design phase of t-hangars at the airport (Michael Baker International, $44,730), the first reading of a proposal to annex Satilla Industrial Park into the city, the filing of the 2016 CHIP application in the amount of $306,000, a bid from East Coast Asphalt to resurface portions of 20 streets inside the city ($365,440.29; the county will contribute $45,733.33 of those…

It took Tyreek Hill a little longer than expected but he finally had his breakout game as an NFL rookie. In yesterday’s Week 12 matchup between Hill’s Kansas City Chiefs and the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, Hill scored three touchdowns (one receiving, one rushing, and one kick return), including the game-tying score in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs won in overtime 30-27 to improve to 8-3 on the season. Hill has already had a solid year. He’s showcased his tremendous speed – Hill has got to be the fastest man in the NFL – and versatility as an…

Friday night’s quarterfinal playoff game between the Coffee Trojans and the Dalton High Catamounts, played in the North Georgia mountains on Dalton’s home field, came down to two sets of numbers: 23 and two. At one point, the Coffee trailed Dalton by 23 with just over one quarter left to play. The Trojans rallied to get within two points only to see their dream of a re-match with the Valdosta High Wildcats in the semifinals slip away when the Catamounts intercepted a pass with just a few seconds left in the game when Coffee was getting close to field goal…

The last two years, the second round of the playoffs has been the Coffee Trojans’ Achilles heel. After posting 9-1 regular season records both seasons, the Trojans won their first round game only to lose in the next round. Each year, they ended the season with 10-2 marks. In 2016, Coffee, playing in a new classification and region, posted a 5-5 regular season record with only one region win. In spite having a more road to the playoffs, the Trojans stand at 7-5 and are headed to the quarterfinals – territory they’ve only been in three previous times in the…

Tuesday night’s gathering of the Childhood Cancer Awareness Group of Coffee County at the courthouse was equal parts a celebration of life and a somber remembrance service. The group hosted its third annual Christmas tree lighting service at 6:30; however, the purpose of the event was much more than to simply light a tree. Shep Johnson, pastor of First Baptist Church, addressed the crowd first and referenced the story found in Mark 2 and Luke 5 of the paralytic whose friends lowered him through a roof to see Jesus for healing. Using this story as an illustration, Pastor Johnson admonished…

Get in the holiday spirit this weekend with the Community Thanksgiving Spectacular in downtown Douglas. The first-ever event is the vision of Mayor Tony Paulk, and he would like to invite everyone to the Martin Centre at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19. The spectacular will feature music, inspirational messages, and lots of fellowship. Around dark, the event will move around the corner to Atkinson Plaza, where the brand new community Christmas tree will be formally lighted. There is a cost to attend the event — $10 at the door or bring a new, unopened gift of a similar amount.…