Author: Staff Reports

A Douglas man was jailed in Berrien County Wednesday night after authorities say he and another individual led authorities on a high speed chase. A Georgia State Trooper attempted to stop a white Chevy Camaro around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday for driving recklessly. The vehicle eventually stopped on Hwy. 135, and the driver fled on foot. An occupant of the vehicle, Michael Dixon of Douglas, was arrested at the scene for driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license. Authorities stated Dixon incurred the charges because he attempted to control the vehicle after the driver fled. As of Thursday…

Law enforcement officials are currently searching a a pond in Ben Hill County for the remains of Tara Grinstead, a former Irwin County High School teacher who mysteriously vanished nearly a decade ago. Little information has been provided at this time, but officials have confirmed they were dispatched to a pond in the area of Satilla Drive near Fitzgerald. They have been in the process of draining the pond since Monday. Grinstead has been missing since Oct. 22, 2005, when she was last seen at a beauty pageant at the Grand Theatre in Fitzgerald. A former Miss Tifton. she reportedly…

According to a report from WALB, the Douglas Police Department has released the name of the individual who was fatally shot by police yesterday along with the officer who pulled the trigger. On Tuesday, Feb. 3, police officer Joseph Brackett fatally wounded 45-year-old Tony Purvis after Brackett responded to a call of a shooting at the Purvis residence on North June Avenue. Purvis allegedly shot his wife in the hand, prompting the 911 call to the home. When police arrived, Purvis was still at the home and had two guns in his hands. Purvis allegedly pointed one of the weapons…

By Duke Stewart I appreciate your recent article on the execution of Mr. Warren Hill and your forthrightness to describe it online. With the upcoming Supreme Court debate as to whether the three cocktail cocktail lethal injection constitutes “cruel and unusual” punishment, your eyewitness account provides a portrayal of a systematic single drug execution that appeared to occur without much undue suffering to Mr. Hill. And yet I found your description clinical, the matter of fact New York Times journalistic style digressing beyond the bounds of reportage when you opine, who am I to to refute their judgments? Such a…

James Coy Jacobs, the son of Diana and James Jacobs, was arrested this week on charges on financial transaction card fraud and concealing a death in relation to the ongoing investigation surrounding the discovery of a body at an assisted living home in Nicholls last year. Diana, the former operator of the facility, was arrested in August after the remains of a former resident of Rosewood Manor, Alexander Hunter, were discovered buried in a shed outside the business. James Jacobs was arrested a short time later. Diana and her husband remain incarcerated at the Coffee County Jail, each charged with…

Heritage Station Museum announces the “Black History in Coffee County” temporary exhibit is open and will run through Feb. 28. Heritage Station Museum is open Thursday – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Saturday, January 31, at 1 p.m., a business program will be presented by Oscar Street, Myles Newton and Michael Clark. For more information, call Heritage Station Museum at (912) 389-3461.

John Higgs, CEO of Broadcast South, was welcomed to the board of directors of the Georgia Association of Broadcasters during the board’s meeting last week on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens. The Georgia Associatin of Broadcasters is the trade association that represents the interests of Georgia’s over-the-air radio and televion licensees that reach more than 95 percent of the state’s population each week. Its membership is comprised of over 500 radio and televiosn broadcasters. Higgs is the first person from this area of south Georgia to serve on this board.

Detectives with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office have arrested a man they say is responsible for stealing nearly $100,000 worth of jewelry during an incident that occurred last month. Sheriff’s officials began an investigation into a burglary which took place mid-December at a residence off West Green Rd. in which the complainant told authorities someone had broken into the home and stolen approximately $97,000 in various jewelry items. The victim told law enforcement that when she returned home from work that day, she noticed several drawers in a dresser located in her bedroom were opened. When she checked the location…

Local law enforcement is reporting the arrest of one man after a large quantity of marijuana and other drugs were discovered while sheriff’s deputies were investigating a domestic disturbance. Last Monday, Jan. 19, while officials with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office were on the scene of a domestic incident, authorities located a undisclosed quantity of methamphetamine, over one pound of marijuana, a quantity of prescription Xanax tablets, and steroids. Agents with the Douglas-Coffee Drug Unit (DCDU) were contacted and, as a result of further investigation, Devin Harper was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, Possession of Marijuana…

The following article by the editorial board of Creative Loafing (Atlanta) was originally published Jan. 21, 2015 and republished on DouglasNow.com by permission. Every year, when faced with pressing issues that require action, the General Assembly makes the decision to debate a social issue with little bearing on the problems affecting Georgia residents. In past years it’s been abortion or other divisive issues such as guns and immigration. In 2015, Republican state lawmakers are focusing on a “religious liberty” bill for the second consecutive year. Proponents say such a bill would protect the right to free exercise of religious beliefs.…