A second candidate has announced that he plans to seek the office of sheriff of Coffee County. Wednesday night, Daniel Paulk, a former drug officer with the sheriff’s office, made his announcement on his Facebook page. Paulk’s announcement is below: “Dear Citizens of Coffee County, “My name is Daniel Paulk and I would like to announce my candidacy for Sheriff of Coffee County. I am a life long resident of Coffee County. I reside in Ambrose, GA with my family. “I believe I am uniquely qualified to be your Sheriff because of my education,…
Author: Staff Reports
Mayor Tony Paulk headlines a list of candidates in the Douglas and Broxton municipal elections who have qualified for the November election. In the city elections, those who have qualified, in addition to Mayor Paulk, are as follows: Commissioner Kentaiwon Durham (Ward 2), Gregory Batts (Ward 3), and Commissioner Steve Bailey (Ward 6). Commissioner and Mayor Pro Tem Olivia Pearson is the commissioner in Ward 3. Commissioner Pearson has stated publicly multiple times that she will not seek re-election. In the Broxton races, Mayor Jimmy Littleton has qualified as has council member Ruth Christian. …
The 19 defendants named last week in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s indictment regarding alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 president election are beginning to negotiate bond deals as they prepare to turn themselves in. The defendants have until Friday to do so; former President Donald Trump, one of the 19 indicted, has said he will turn himself in Thursday. Cathy Latham, former chair of the Coffee County Republican Party, was also one of those indicted. According to Fulton County court documents, her attorney has negotiated a $75,000 bond when she turns herself in. Latham…
According to a report from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, on Monday, August, 7, an officer pulled a vehicle over at the new Jet Food Store after noticing the two front passengers were not wearing a seatbelt. In the car were 24-year-old Richard Spivey, 41-year-old Randy Carver, and 21-year-old Emily Harper. The incident report states that the officer noticed a lot of movement coming from the front and back seat of the car before approaching the vehicle. Upon arriving at the driver’s side, the report states the officer could see the front passenger, Randy Carver, moving his…
Jarmall “Chris Rock” Jackson is in the Coffee County Jail on simple battery and criminal trespass charges stemming from an incident that took place on July 25. At the time of his arrest, Jackson had an active aggravated assault warrant as well. The July 25 incident took place on North Pearl Avenue. According to an incident report from the Douglas Police Department, the initial call came in just before 9 a.m. and was in reference to someone making threats. Before the responding officer arrived, another officer told him that the person who allegedly made the threats was Jackson,…
A Douglas man survived a gunshot wound to the head from a high-powered rifle on July 31. A couple of days later, a person of interest in the shooting was arrested and jailed on traffic violations after he was also a target of a shooting, this time in the county. The 911 call initially came in as a vehicle v. light pole accident on Spooner Road near Irma Avenue. There was also a second call about possible gunshots near Spooner Road and Spooner Court. According to a report from the Douglas Police Department, an officer responded…
Thursday morning, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of GBI agents, busted an alleged drug trafficking ring operating out of Adel and arrested 18 individuals. One, 54-year-old Joe Smith, was from Atkinson County. The FBI arrested 18 of 21 individuals that had been named in a recently unsealed federal indictment. The defendants were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances as well as additional charges for each defendant, including two charges for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Here are those who were arrested:…
Thursday night, another candidate entered the 2024 sheriff’s race. Kenneth Merritt, a local business owner, has announced that he plans to run for sheriff. On Thursday night, Merritt released a lengthy statement via Facebook. Here is his announcement: “Today marks a new chapter in the journey of our community as I proudly announce my candidacy for Sheriff of Coffee County. I am a man who is committed to our safety and well-being as a community, and I have been for decades. It is with great honor and excitement that I introduce myself, a devoted family man,…
State Sen. Colton Moore (SD 53) has called for an emergency session of the state legislature to review the actions of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Earlier this week, Willis, whose office had conducted a two-year investigation into alleged attempts of former President Donald Trump and his allies to change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, announced the indictments of 18 individuals. Among those indicted were Trump, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Coffee County elections supervisor Misty Hampton, and former chair of the Coffee County Republican Party Cathy Latham. Sen. Moore sent a…
Today, ALDI and Fresco Retail Group LLC agreed to purchase Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), the parent company of Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarkets, and Winn-Dixie. That transaction is going to have far-reaching effects in Douglas. Because of the purchase, ALDI, which had planned to build a store on the property directly south of Tractor Supply, will not be building in Douglas. The two Harveys, which had they remained under SEG, were transitioning to Winn-Dixie stores, will remain open. However, it remains unclear under which badge they will operate. They could remain Harveys, become Winn-Dixie stores as planned, or operate as…