Author: Staff Reports

Beginning September and October, Transwaste Industries will start using an automated side loader for trash pickup in Douglas. The side loader trucks are safer, quieter, cleaner and more efficient than the rear loader; however, the use of the side loader will require customers to change how their container is placed at the curb. “We are trying to get the information out to our customers to ease them into this transition,” says Terrell Jacobs, City Manager. “Using the side loader will improve efficiency of trash pickup. Container placement is essential to side loading. Once we start pickup with the side loader,…

A large crowd was in attendance Monday in northern Coffee County, as people from throughout the community gathered to officially open the doors of the newly-remodeled Broxton-Mary Hayes Elementary School. Funded throught E-SPLOST, the project has been ongoing since 2012, and Monday’s ribbon cutting and open house marked its culmination.

The Coffee County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are still awaiting the autopsy report from the crime lab in regards to the cause of death of Mr. Alexander Hunt, whose bodied was discovered buried outside the Rosewood Manor assisted living facility on August 8. Former facility operater Diana Jacobs and her husband, James Jacobs, are currently incarcerated at the Coffee County Jail, having been charged with concealing a death and financial transaction card fraud in regards to the incident. The sheriff’s office reported Monday morning the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are expected to be filed…

Officials with the Douglas Police Department are asking the public’s assistance in identifying a man whose image was recently caught by a store’s security system. The police department has featured the individual’s photograph on their Facebook page since August 15. Authorities state officers are wanting to speak with the man in reference to an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information that could possibly assist in identifying this person is asked to contact the Douglas Police Dept. at (912) 384-2222 or the Tips Line at (912) 260-3600.

City and county firefighters stayed busy over the weekend, with each department responding to structure fires which destroyed two homes. Around 11:45 Saturday night, Douglas fire officials were called to a blaze at 1006 N. Pearl Ave. The residence, which was abandoned, was completely engulfed in flames and took some time to extinguish. On Saturday morning, a house fire on Yellow Brick Road in the county was a total loss, leaving an entire family without a home and in despereate need. County fire officials are asking anyone who may be able to help with clothing items or other needs to…

Investigators with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office are reporting the arrests of three people in connection with a string of burglaries which occurred during the months of June and July. On August 1, officials received information about individuals that could be involved in these burglaries and, as a result of this information, investigators arrested Carlos Refugio Diaz, Zeke Williams Buttz and Ashton Mikelle Solomon for their involvement. In a press release issued by the sheriff’s office this weeks, law enforcement officials stated crime victims around the county reported that unknown suspects had entered their residences and taken items that included…

Congregants of Faith Chapel Church on Mahogany Road say their prayers were answered last Saturday when Joseph Mark Dube turned himself in to authorities, confessing to two incidents in which the church was burglarized. Representatives with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office report on August 3, 2014, a burglary was reported at Faith Chapel. Deputies arrived at the scene, where they were met by a member of the church who stated he observed the back door open when he arrived that morning. Upon further investigation, he discovered a window at the rear of the church had been broken. It was later…

The Valdosta State University Red Hot team, the danceline for the VSU Blazers, recently competed at the National Dance Camp in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, taking home the first place overall trophy for Division I schools. The Red Hots beat out teams from the University of Kentucky and the University of Georgia, among others, and have earned a full paid bid to the upcoming national competition. Coffee County natives Hannah Hulsey is pictured here on the second row, far right, along with Lexie Curles, second row, fourth from right.

A collaborative effort on the parts of the Douglas/Coffee County Drug Unit (DCDU) and the Douglas Police Department last week resulted in the discovery of multiple bags of marijuana set to be distributed and the arrest of one Coffee County man. Authorities report that around 6:30 p.m., July 29, the DCDU was contacted by the police department to assist with a case being investigated at a residence inside the city limits. Drug agents, along with the assistance of the local police, conducted a search of the home and were able to locate 17 bags of suspected marjuana packaged for distribution.…

Don Lewis, FACHE, FHFMA, Coffee Regional Medical Center’s Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since 1996, has announced his retirement from the medical center, effective Aug. 22, 2014. Mr. Lewis states, “This is the perfect set of circumstances and timing to allow me and Rosemary to write another chapter in life’s journey. Our CRMC family and the community have made these past 18 years extremely rewarding and we will cherish the many memories and the friends we have made during our time in Douglas. Both of our adult daughters reside in Charleston, S.C., so we are preparing for a move…