Downtown Douglas will soon be covered in gold as the Childhood Cancer Awareness Group of Coffee County gears up for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September. The organization has announced a lineup of events, with all proceeds benefiting children from Coffee County and nearby communities who are battling the disease. For the last several years, with the community’s generosity, the CCAGCC has been able to provide financial, emotional, and spiritual support to families who have a child diagnosed with cancer. Funds have been given to families to assist in travel and lodging costs for the frequent trips for…
Author: Staff Reports
One suspect, Ernest Knighton, has been charged in connection with the armed robbery that occurred at a local convenience store on August 17. Knighton’s arrest marks the second time since 2014 he has been taken into custody for a robbery that occurred at a business in Douglas. However, his last offense ended in a five-year prison sentence. Last Wednesday morning, officials with the Douglas Police Department released photos of two individuals accused of committing an armed robbery at the Circle K at Baker Highway and Peterson Avenue around 3:00 a.m. After the crime occurred, both suspects were…
Local court officials had an eventful morning as they prepared for this week’s criminal trials, with one defendant being held in contempt as a jury was being selected in his case for shouting during the proceeding. Another individual, Kwame Preston, also chose to fire his legal counsel and represent himself in his trial that carries multiple life sentences. Two other individuals, Carlton Speight and Tipaico Butler, will also stand trial on their pending charges this week. Jury selection was underway Monday for Leonard Lee Walton, who was charged drug possession (meth and marijuana) and willful obstruction of law enforcement…
A Douglas native has been found deceased in a marsh near Charleston, South Carolina, after being missing since August 12, 2022. Megan Daniel Rich, 41, of Summerville, South Carolina, was last seen on August 12 and reported missing on August 16, according to multiple reports. Rich’s body was found Friday, August 19, and positively identified on Saturday, August 20. During the investigation into Rich’s disappearance, investigators had questioned Brian Baker, 59, the father of Rich’s four-month-old child. There were several inconsistencies with Baker’s story and more suspicious activities that he had engaged in since Rich went…
Several people were released from the Coffee County Jail this week following bond hearings, where many defendants with pending charges appeared before Judge Andy Spivey. Several interesting statements were made during the hearings, including a man attempting to list a victim’s address as the home he would reside in if granted bond. Many other individuals who recently made local headlines were also granted and denied release. The proceedings took place on Wednesday in the Superior Court of Coffee County, with local prosecutors, defense attorneys, and Judge Andy Spivey hearing several bond motions on over 35 individuals seeking to…
A juvenile has been implicated in the death of Loyce Tucker, 17, of Douglas, who was a resident at the Waycross Regional Youth Detention Center in Waycross. Tucker was reported unresponsive on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. Two days later, on Thursday, August 11, 2022, Tucker passed away from injuries sustained at the RYDC. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating Tucker’s death. Agents arrested Thomas Lee Hicks, 30, an officer at the RYDC, on Tuesday, August 16, 2022, for allegedly pitting juveniles at the RYDC against each other in a fight game. Authorities believe that it was in…
The three wanted suspects involved in the Douglas Police Department’s RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) investigation, Ricky James Smith, Zacheyus Venisee, and Chance Kyrell Mack have all been arrested and booked into the Coffee County Jail. DouglasNow also obtained copies of the warrants in the case, which include additional information regarding the charges. According to a copy of the Coffee County Jail roster, Smith and Mack were booked into the facility on Monday, August 15, after 8 p.m. Venisee was arrested on Tuesday around 10:38 a.m. Mack was charged with one count of violation…
Devin Cole Edwards and Stephanie Amanda English, both of Douglas, have been charged with trafficking methamphetamine following a search at their residence. While being transported to the jail, English allegedly managed to slip out of her handcuffs and consume suspected marijuana in the patrol car. According to a report by the Coffee County Drug Unit, on August 11, detectives conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with individuals involved in an ongoing investigation for a cracked windshield and failure to maintain lane violation. When the vehicle was pulled over, the investigators reported smelling “the odor of…
The GBI has arrested Thomas Lee Hicks, age 30, of Waycross, GA and charged him with one count of murder in the 2nd degree, two counts of cruelty to children in the 2nd degree, and one count of violation of oath of office in connection to the death of a juvenile at the Waycross Regional Youth Detention Center, where Hicks was a juvenile correctional officer. Information from the GBI investigation revealed that Hicks allowed juveniles to participate in a fight game in his presence. Hicks was arrested this evening, August 16, 2022, and booked into the Ware County…
A 74-year-old man, Jimmie Vann of Glenwood, has been charged with three counts, one felony, after allegedly assaulting his wife and his daughter, whom he reportedly threatened to kill by “blowing her head off.” According to a Coffee County Sheriff’s Office report, on August 8, a sergeant was dispatched to a residence on Kingwood Road and spoke to a man regarding a domestic dispute. The report said the witness claimed that his mother-in-law and wife had an argument with his father-in-law, Jimme Vann. The sergeant then spoke to the daughter, a Douglas resident, who said Vann…