Author: Robert Preston

One of the most important safety devices a home can have is a smoke detector. Studies show that most home fires occur during the night when occupants are asleep. Once a fire breaks out, people inside have just minutes to get out safely. Sometimes it takes less than five minutes for occupants to succumb to smoke fumes and other hazardous substances in the air. Early detection of a fire is key to getting out safely. And that’s where smoke detectors come in. Having a working smoke detector is the single most important fire safety warning system for homeowners. To help…

A Douglas man lost his life in a one-vehicle accident on a dirt road early Saturday morning. The cause of the accident and the circumstances surround it remain a mystery. However, what is known that Derek Wiggins of Douglas crashed the Ford car he was driving early Saturday on Sikes Road in the Huffer community. Wiggins was traveling south on Sikes Road when he apparently lost control of the car. The car crashed through a fence and struck a pine tree directly on the driver’s side front door. Wiggins died as a result of the accident. A nearby resident found…

Historically, the Coffee Trojans don’t play well during holiday weeks. If the kids don’t go to school on Friday, the team typically doesn’t play well. As has been the case for many years, a loss often results. (A notable exception is the South Effingham game two years ago; the Trojans won but a 4-6 South Effingham team put up its second-highest point total of the year against Coffee and gave the Trojans a big scare.) Given the fact that the Coffee County School System had called off school not for one day but three days – Thursday, Friday, and the…

Early voting begins Monday. As we ready ourselves for what will undoubtedly be an absurdly negative and disturbing run up to Election Day, voters in the city of Douglas will have two important decisions to make. On the ballot for voters just registered in the city are two local referendums related to Sunday alcohol sales. The first ballot question asks if Sunday sales by the drink should be permitted while the second question asks if retailers can sell beer, liquor, and wine on Sundays. The two are separate ballot items; therefore it is quite possible that one could be voted…

At last night’s city commission meeting, commissioners approved the purchase of 46 new facility signs. Sign Innovations of Charlotte, N.C., submitted the winning bid out of nine potential vendors. Its bid was $21,344. The signs will be used around the various parks and complexes throughout the city. Commissioners also voted to waive the Central Square gym B usage fees for two events – one for The Sanctuary Church of God’s trick-or-trunk event and the other for a seminar titled The Power of Family, which will be hosted by Investing in Others, an organization located in Douglas. In addition to these…

Hurricane Matthew gave the people of Douglas and Coffee County an opportunity to show kindness and generosity to a large, diverse group of people in a state of great need. As we documented in an earlier story, the entire community rallied around those people who traveled to Douglas after being displaced by Matthew. However, not everyone in town was looking out for the best interests of those in need. As early as noon Friday, I began hearing reports of one particular motel allegedly gouging potential customers, charging as much as $500 per night. Some refused to pay but others, realizing…

Romans 12:13 (NIV) reads “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” This weekend, under very trying and difficult circumstances, the people of Coffee County did that very thing. With Matthew, a major hurricane, taking an uncertain and destructive path toward land anywhere from South Florida to coastal Georgia, people were driven from their homes all along the coast. They headed west and north, most an uncertain journey with no real destination in mind. They had to get out of the way of the storm yet they didn’t know where they would end up. As they drove…

Wednesday afternoon, the Coffee County Board of Education awarded the new Nicholls Elementary School project to Charles E. Lewis Construction of Douglas. The construction company submitted the low bid of $7.1 million and stated that it could finish the new school in 365 days. Seven companies sent in bids. The highest came from Meja Construction of Peachtree City at $10.6 million. The board of education will break ground on the site of the new school this coming Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. Construction will begin shortly afterward. Superintendent Dr. Morris Leis said that he expects the school to be completed in…

Thursday afternoon, Richard Woods, state school superintendent, landed on the grounds of Indian Creek Elementary School in a helicopter and spent a couple of hours at the school, presenting an award to principal Tamara Morgan and speaking with parents, staff, and community members. Earlier in the year, Indian Creek won first place in a parent engagement video contest sponsored by the Georgia Department of Education. Wood delivered a certificate recognizing the school’s win in the competition. “This is a very special day not only for Coffee County but for the state of Georgia. This is something that’s never been done…

The Coffee County School System has decided to close school on Friday, Oct. 7. Hurricane Matthew, a potentially deadly hurricane, is moving its way up the Florida coast and some predicted tracks have the storm making landfall anywhere from Jacksonville, Fla., to Brunswick. In a statement Thursday morning, Dr. Morris Leis, school superintendent, stated the following: “Coffee County Schools will be closed for students and staff on Friday, Oct. 7, 2016. Although Coffee County may not feel the full effects of the approaching storm, it is in the best interest of our students and employees. Our thoughts and prayers go…