Author: Robert Preston

Another day, another shooting death in Douglas. This afternoon, officers from the Douglas Police Department responded to a call at a North College Avenue address. There they found Lea Merritt of Douglas dead from a gunshot wound. According to multiple sources, the investigation led officers to Merritt’s brother, Caleb Barrett. Sources report that Barrett allegedly shot Merritt, possibly as a result of some type of family dispute, in the backyard of the residence. Officers took Barrett in for questioning this afternoon. Late today, two other officers remained at the residence processing the scene. Thus far, the police department hasn’t issued…

Junior defensive back/receiver Jarquavious Jefferson had one of the best back-to-back series of any Coffee Trojan player this season Friday night. Late in the second quarter, with the Trojans leading the University Christian Fighting Christians (Jacksonville, Fla., the school Coffee head coach Robby Pruitt’s formerly coached) 21-14, Jefferson took a UC punt into the end zone for a touchdown to give Coffee a 28-14 advantage with 1:58 left in the second quarter. After the kick, Jefferson intercepted a Donell Stubbs pass to give the ball back to the Trojans. Coffee then ran out the clock and took a 28-14 lead…

Police are investigating the death of a Douglas woman whose body was found in a room at the Fountain Inn Thursday morning. The Douglas Police Department is investigating the incident and hasn’t released much information. According to a police spokesman, the body of Martha Faye O’Neal, 62, was found at the Fountain Inn on the morning of Thursday, Sept. 15. The police department sent O’Neal’s body to the crime lab for an autopsy and toxicology tests. The autopsy has been completed but the results have not yet been made available. Toxicology testing could take as long as six months. If…

Sept. 20, 2006. It’s a day I will never forget. It has become one of the most significant days of my life. That morning, in broad daylight, inside Jon’s Sports Park, a children’s amusement park in Douglas, someone shot and killed Doris Worrell, a young mother of three, in cold blood. Her husband Jon found her body shortly after 11 a.m. and made the 911 call. Paola Yarberry, an 18-year-old immigrant from Venezuela who lived with the Worrells and worked at the facility, was inside at the time of the shooting. There were video cameras in the park; however, the…

Deputies responded to an odd call on Cypress Pond Road recently and arrested a female subject on marijuana charges as well as a probation violation. The call came in about 6:37 on an early August morning. A female called 911 but wouldn’t give the operator any information. Deputies went to the residence, 716 Cypress Pond Road, where they spoke with the homeowner, who said he was the female subject’s boyfriend. He stated that he woke up and noticed that the female, Jennifer Hearell, wasn’t in the house. He started looking for her but couldn’t find her. According to the incident…

There was something about the way Kansas City Chiefs rookie and former Coffee Trojan Tyreek Hill darted into the end zone for his first NFL touchdown Sunday afternoon against the San Diego Chargers. It looked routine enough – quarterback Alex Smith took the snap and looked to his left, in Hill’s direction. Hill took a step off the line, Smith fired a strike to his lightning bolt of a receiver, and Hill did the rest. With a nice barrier of blockers in front of him, Hill eluded a couple of Chargers and scored the Chiefs’ first touchdown of the season.…

Earlier this week, the Douglas Lions Club grew by three members. The club welcomed Jessi Frost, Doug Walker, and Ashley Yaunches in the fold. The Lions Club, started in 1917 in Chicago, exists to to empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding through Lions clubs. Lions International strives to be the global leader in community and humanitarian service. These new members will help the local Lions Club make a difference in Coffee County and beyond.

At this week’s Broxton City Council meeting, the council signed a proclamation recognizing September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Childhood cancer is an issue that touches every community in the country. Coffee County, however, seems to have had more than its fair share of youth who suffer from this dreaded disease. The proclamation provides some staggering facts. Consider the following: Cancer is the leading cause of death in the U.S. among children ages 1-14. Cancer also claims an estimated 1,350 lives annually from that same age group. There is a 1 in 285 chance that a child will be diagnosed…

The world is full of talented musicians. Tens of thousands of people with professional talent wake up every day and head out the door to a nine-to-five, much like those of us who can’t carry a tune in a bucket. Following the dream of being a professional musician is risky – how many of us know a starving yet ultra-talented singer, guitarist, drummer, or pianist? Eric Brigmond, 44, a 1990 graduate of Coffee High School is one of the rare few who not only had the dream but followed it. While he may not be a household name (outside of…

We’ve already seen a team take an early lead only to let the game slip away late in the fourth quarter. It happened last week when the Brunswick Pirates lost to the visiting Coffee Trojans after jumping out 14-0. It happened again today, only this time it was the Trojans getting out to a 14-0 advantage before inexplicably letting the wheels come off and eventually losing to the Ware County Gators 30-27 in Waycross. The two teams played the game on 1 p.m. Saturday due to Hurricane Hermine, which rolled through South Georgia and dumped a boatload of rain on…