Author: Staff Reports

Recently, the Douglas Police Department responded to a domestic incident at Douglas Fire Chief Larry Wilson’s home. According to a statement released by Chief Wilson, officers were there because he and his girlfriend had gotten into an argument, which Wilson stated “escalated into an altercation.” Officers investigated but filed no charges. Friday, Chief Wilson released a statement offering an explanation and an apology. City Manager Terrell Jacobs also commented. The full statement is included below: “Recently, while off duty, an incident took place involving, myself, Larry Wilson, and my girlfriend. Following a gathering at my home, I was involved in…

First Academy students, both elementary and middle have exceeded national benchmarks on their standardized assessments. The Iowa Assessments were administered to students in grades 2ndthrough 6thgrades. The results from the Iowa Assessment tests taken every spring are impressive, in all subject areas. Pam Lewis and Kimberly Lott, curriculum directors at First Academy announced that “most of our students score 10-25 percent higher than the national average, in all subject areas.” They included, “These test scores are only one indication of our student’s successes at First Academy. It is evident that God, a rigorous curriculum, and strong teachers are within our…

Monday, Bo Dukes, the second suspect arrested in the killing of Irwin County High teacher and former beauty queen Tara Grinstead, was accused of burning her body. The Irwin County Grand Jury indicted Dukes on charges of concealing a death, tampering with evidence, and hindering the apprehension of a criminal. According to the indictment, which was published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, among other media outlets, states that “did unlawfully and knowingly destroy physical evidence by burning the body of Tara Faye Grinstead, a human being, at a location off Bowens Mill Highway.” Ryan Duke was initially arrested and charged in…

Officers from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office arrested one individual after a drug task force helicopter found marijuana on property near West Green last Thursday. The operation resulted in the arrest of Dan Suttles, 64. After officers in the chopper saw the suspected marijuana, deputies obtained a search warrant and investigated further. They found about 40 plants and material commonly used in marijuana growing operations. Suttles turned himself in on Friday and was charged with manufacturing marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance (Oxycodone and Hydrocodone).

Brittanie Gail Evans, 24 of Douglas, lost her life last night when she fell out of a moving Jeep near Yulee, Fla. The story originally appeared on Jacksonville.com. Quoting the Florida Highway Patrol, the story stated that Evans was one of four people in the Jeep, which was traveling west on Pages Dairy Road near Yulee. She was in the right passenger’s seat and was leaning out of the vehicle. She wasn’t wearing a seatbelt at the time. The story reported that Evans fell out of the Jeep, of which the doors had been taken off, and hit the pavement.…

A Jeff Davis County girl, aged 12, was killed Friday in Coffee County Friday in an ATV accident. One other person was injured in the one-vehicle accident. WALB initially reported the crash on its web site Friday afternoon. WALB’s report stated that the driver of the Yamaha Viking ATV overturned on Burkett Church Road and threw the passengers from the vehicle. The driver, identified as Makenzie Cothran of Denton, was struck by the vehicle after being ejected and died from her injuries. Her passenger, also a 12-year-old female, ran three miles to find help. She suffered on minor injuries. According…

By Tiana Foster and Robert Preston Jr. The controversial campus carry law will go into effect July 1. Just how will the law affect the two college campuses in Douglas? If you ask the presidents of both South Georgia State College and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College – which DouglasNow.com did – you won’t get very much information. Gov. Nathan Deal signed the measure on May 4, which allows anyone with a concealed weapons permit to carry a firearm onto a Georgia’s public college or university system campus. There are, however, several exceptions – to the point that permit holders actually…

Over the weekend, the City of Douglas released a statement clarifying the nature of the wastewater spill it announced on Friday. Apparently, the city received numerous calls regarding whether or not city drinking water was safe. The city assures everyone that the “unnamed tributary” of the Seventeen Mile River that received the wastewater has no effect on drinking water. The statement, however, didn’t say what effect the wastewater spill may have on the Seventeen Mile River itself. Here is the city’s statement in its entirety: The City of Douglas Utilities has received numerous calls from citizens inquiring about potential contamination…

That poor unnamed tributary of the Seventeen Mile River is having a tough time. For the second time in as many months, a major wastewater spill has happened and 12,000 gallons of wastewater flowed into an unnamed tributary of the river. According to a press release from the City of Douglas, the spill took place on June 8 between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. The release stated that “the Sanitary Sewer Overflow occurred from a manhole located inside the South East Water Pollution Control Plant located at 622 Iron Road Douglas, GA 31533 . . . As a precaution, it…

By Jerome Danner Recently I stopped by the Zaxby’s here in town (Douglas, Georgia) for a meal to fill my stomach not prepared by my wife’s hand. As I pulled up, the line in the drive-thru appeared to be quite long, so I made a quick decision to go inside and try my luck at getting in and out. Well, my luck was out this night. But I wasn’t all that mad since I don’t really believe in luck anyhow. Everybody that was inside waiting on their food must have had the same idea as me: it is typically quicker…