Author: Staff Reports

The Friends of General Coffee State Park organization is offering a $250 reward for the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the death of Penelope the Pig, one of the captive farm animals at General Coffee State Park. “We are saddened by the death of our beloved Penelope,” representatives said in a statement posted to the organization’s Facebook page Friday. “Park employees arrived to work Sunday, May 17 to find Penelope had been killed. If you know who is responsible for Penelope’s death, please contact the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office or Wade Huffman at General Coffee State Park.”…

In response to critical needs for funding to the local library system, community organizers on Thursday gathered to create the Friends of Satilla Regional Library group. The group’s purpose will be to serve and advocate for the needs of the library, which is currently facing unprecedented cutbacks in services, along with the possibility of some current employees losing their jobs if the organization can’t find funding soon. The library system is funded through state grants with assistance from the city, county, and local school system. Satilla Library Director Mark Cole said earlier this week that decreasing state funds have caused…

Douglas has once again found itself in an unfavorable position on a list of the most dangerous cities in the state of Georgia. Homesnacks.net placed Douglas in the number five position, alongside other cities including College Park, East Point, Brunswick, Tifton, and Americus. Here’s what they had to say: “One of the smaller places on the list, Douglas still competes when it comes to crime. The seat of Coffee County, the city gets some of a caffeine rush from property crime, for which it ranks 5th overall in Georgia. So while it has things to do and the cost of…

The City of Douglas officially opened its public swimming pool on Shirley Ave. Tuesday. The pool will be open to the general public every day of the week at varying times, with the exception of Mondays. A complete schedule with times is provided below.

The Coffee County community said their final goodbyes Sunday to Trojan Malik Sparkman, the Coffee High student who lost his battle to cancer last week. Following here is a firsthand account of Malik’s final journey to Jardine Stadium written by Russell Flanagan, friend of Sparkman and page owner of Coffee County Ga. Police Scanner on Facebook: Malik Sparkman got his last wish made today at Jardine Stadium and that wish was to go through the Trojan tunnel one last time with his teammates, who did not let him down. I want to say that I have been to a lot…

A high-speed chase that began in the area of Coffee High School and topped speeds at over 100 miles per hour Thursday night ended in the arrest of one man who now faces multiple charges. Sheriff’s officials reported today that just before midnight Thursday, a Coffee County Deputy was patrolling in the area of Coffee High when he observed a dark-colored SUV traveling at a high rate of speed on Herbert Batten Road. The SUV, which was traveling towards the 206 Connector, allegedly then failed to stop at a stop sign and struck a guard rail. It then continued traveling…

City of Douglas officials reported this week they have sought at least three court actions against property owners in regards to dilapidated structures in the city limits. Code enforcement officials filed the court complaints, two of which are still pending. One was resolved after the owner voluntarily demolished the property after being summoned to court. Images of the properties appearing in this article are courtesy of the City of Douglas.

Memorial services for Malik Sparkman, the brave young Coffee High student who was diagnosed with kidney cancer in August of last year, have been scheduled this Saturday and Sunday. The viewing for Malik will be held at Harrell’s Funeral Home, located at 400 East Cherry St., Saturday, May 23 from 12 to 8 p.m. Services will be held Sunday, May 24 at 1 p.m. at Coffee High School. The service will begin at Jardine Stadium, where Coffee High football players will line the field and Malik will take his last pass on Trojan ground. Attendees will then leave the stadium…

The South Georgia State College Hawks went 1-2 at the East Central District Tournament in Morristown, Tennessee, last week. The Hawks, who earned a berth in the tournament after finishing second in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Conference, followed the same path to the tournament that they did four years ago. In 2011, South Georgia won the championship and went to the Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado. This year, however, the Hawks ran into a pair of buzz saws from Tennessee in eventual tournament champion Walters State Community College and Chattanooga State Community College. The Hawks lost to…