Author: Staff Reports

Mark the calendar for a fantastic opportunity to beautify the city! On Saturday, March 15, 2025, from 9am to 11:30am, the Keep Douglas Beautiful Board and volunteers will offer the Clear Your Clutter Pick-Up event in an effort to declutter and enhance citizens home surroundings. “If you’re within the city limits and have large, unwanted items cluttering your space, this is your chance,” says Christian Mikell, KDB Executive Director. “Don’t miss out on this free service to help those who may not have the ability to bring items to the monthly Junk Drop Off location.” Anyone living in the city…

The net cast by Chris Johnson, Johnson Funeral & Cremation Services, and the associated criminal investigations continues to grow. Friday morning, a 52-year-old Douglas man was arrested in Fitzgerald on three charges – two counts of insurance fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit a felony – related to the Johnson case. But it’s not what you think. Prior to the investigation that officers launched on October 26, 2024, the one with which everyone is familiar, there was another ongoing criminal investigation into the operations of the funeral home. Authorities had evidence indicating that Johnson may have forged a…

The All Region teams for Region 2-5A have been announced. The Coffee Trojans had several players named to the teams, including defensive player of the year Chris Reed and co-athlete of the year Tyrese Woodgett. Lee County’s Weston Bryan was named player of the year. Bryan, a 6’4”, 225-pound quarterback headed to Georgia Southern, completed 161 passes for 2,357 yards and 29 touchdowns to just three interceptions. Bryan also ran for 1,241 yards and 30 touchdowns. Here are the All Region teams: Player of the year: QB Weston Bryan, Lee County, Sr. Offensive player of the year: RB Ousmane Kromah, Sr. Defensive…

Chris Johnson, owner of Johnson Funeral & Cremation Services, was in acourtroom Wednesday – this time in Magistrate Court for adispossessory case and a separate civil claim from a local businessfor alleged unpaid advertising.The dispossessory case dealt with rent Johnson allegedly owed his new landlord. Johnson had planned to move the funeral home from its location at 2760 US Highway 441 South to the building at 202 North Madison Avenue in downtown Douglas. Johnson had been renting the building for several months prior to his October arrest but was behind on the rent. He was also behind on the rent…

On November 16, 2024, deputies from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglary in progress call on Highway 158 West. When they arrived, the found Darren Armstrong, 29, inside the home hiding, according to a report from the sheriff’s office. The report states that when officers arrived, the complainant stated that she had seen an individual, later identified as Armstrong, enter the home through a window. Deputies entered the house and announced their presence. As they searched the house, they found Armstrong hiding inside one of the rooms. A bag and a set of keys were on a…

Five Coffee County schools have been named among the lowest performing 25 percent of schools in the state, according to a list released by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement this week. Under Senate Bill 233, the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, families of students who attend these schools could receive up to $6,500 in public funds for education expenses, which could include tuition at private schools or home school expenses. The five local schools are Coffee High School, Coffee Middle School, Eastside Elementary School, George Washington Carver Freshman Campus, and West Green Elementary School. To be eligible for the funds,…

Former Coffee Trojan and current Louisville Cardinals running back Maurice Turner is entering the transfer portal, according to media reports. Turner, a junior, had two solid seasons at Louisville but saw things take a different turn this season due to injury. Turner showed that he had the talent to lead Louisville’s running back corps when, as a freshman in 2022, he led the Cardinals in rushing against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl in Fenway Park. Louisville won the game 24-7 and Turner ran for 160 yards on 31 carries. Last season, Turner had 62 carries for 284…

Wednesday afternoon, Milton Jackson, 25, led officers from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office on a chase after he allegedly fled deputies when he attempted to recover his vehicle from an impound yard. The vehicle had been impounded after Jackson allegedly fled Douglas police officers during a traffic stop on Monday. On Monday, November 25, 2024, a Douglas police officer conducted a traffic stop on Jackson’s vehicle, a 2007 GMC Yukon. During the stop, the officer learned that Jackson had several warrants for his arrest. Jackson allegedly fled the scene on foot. Officers were unable to apprehend him but they did…

The driver of a car involved in a horrific traffic accident on Highway 441 North near the entrance of GreeneTree Lakes subdivision late last year has been booked into the Coffee County Jail on several charges, including homicide by vehicle 1st degree and DUI. On December 24, 2023, Lawanda Leggett, 45, was driving a Ford car at a high rate of speed in an effort to get her daughter, Jazmine Simpson, 26, who was suffering a severe asthma attack, to Coffee Regional Medical Center. Near the entrance of GreeneTree Lakes, Leggett allegedly attempted to pass a car and struck a…

Friday night’s 45-14 win over the Brunswick Pirates in Brunswick not only propelled the Coffee Trojans to the quarterfinals of the state playoffs but it also saw two important school records fall. Senior running back Tyrese Woodgett rushed for 217 yards on 24 carries and six touchdowns. His 36 points set a new single-game school record. The previous record stood at 30 points and was held by a few of the biggest names in Trojan football lore: Mack Jones, Andre “Pulpwood” Smith, and Demetrius Davis. The single-game rushing record also fell. The Trojans rushed for 471 yards, easily eclipsing the…