Author: Staff Reports

Two people were hospitalized Tuesday following a two-car accident on the Willacoochee Hwy. The accident occurred at the intersection of the Willacoochee Hwy. and Old Pearson Hwy. when a Dodge pickup and a black, four-door sedan collided, leaving both vehicles totaled. A male and female were transported from the scene by EMS, and both were reported in good condition Wednesday morning. This is the second major accident to take place on the Willacoochee Hwy. during the past week. Last Tuesday, an accident in the Bethel Community claimed the life of Terri Evans of Tifton. Evans was driving an SUV in…

Fast action by local law enforcement led to the quick capture of a jail inmate who attempted a daring, yet brief, escape Saturday afternoon. Authorities say that at around 4:30 p.m., a Charlton County transport officer was delivering a Charlton County inmate to the Coffee County Jail, which regulary houses inmates from other counties. Upon entering the sallyport at the law enforcement center, the transport officer requested a wheelchair be brought to the transport vehicle to carry the inmate inside, as he was complaining of being in pain and having difficulty walking. When the Coffee County jail officer returned with…

An early morning fire on Friday claimed the life of an Ocilla woman just one day prior to what would have been her birthday. Officials responded to the blaze at around 7 a.m. Friday where they discovered the mobile home at East 6th St. and McKinley fully engulfed in flames. The victim was later identified as 25-year-old Jalessa Collins. Her body will be sent to the state crime lab for an autopsy. According to officials, the cause of the fire is currently being considered as an electrical problem.

Detectives with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office are reporting the arrest of a local man after receiving reports from several victims that they had bought a car shelter. However, when they went to get the shelter, they discovered it did not belong to the seller. The victims reported they heard an advertisement on a local radio venue where the car shelter was reported to be for sale. When they made contact with the seller, they were given a price for the shelter. The victims stated they met the seller at different local parking lots and paid him for the shelter.…

An accident in the Bethel Community just south of Douglas has claimed the life of one person. The wreck occurred just before 7 p.m. on Highway 135 a few miles south of town. According to reports, a Terri Evans of Tifton was driving an SUV in the southbound lane and was killed when, after swerving to miss a pick up stopped in the road in front of her, she hit another vehicle head-on in the northbound lane. The two individuals in the other vehicle were transported from the scene with serious injuries. The driver of the other vehicle was identified…

Make it two in a row, ladies. For the second straight year, the women’s swim team at South Georgia State College won the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association Region XVII championship. The men’s team took second and brought home a plaque of their own in the process. The region meet took place on Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Darton State College aquatic center. Sophomore Megan Harding (Thomasville) and freshmen Carolyn Ives (Carrollton) were named tournament co-MVPs. Harding and Ives both won all three of their events to put the women in the lead. Also winning multiple region titles in their events…

Law enforcement in Coffee County experienced a busy Valentine’s Day, netting five drug arrests on charges ranging from trafficking to possession. Around 3 p.m., deputies with the Coffee County Sheriff’s office stopped a vehicle occupied by three individuals, later identified as Quillie Anthony, Michael Metts, and Karla Morris, in the Green Acres Community on Waldron Rd. Officers located over four ounces of methamphetamine and a 9mm handgun during the stop and contacted the Douglas-Coffee Drug Unit. Following their investigation, Anthony and Morris were arrested for trafficking methamphetamine. Metts was charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of a…

Just a few hundred feet east of one of the bold, new gateway signs welcoming people to the City of Douglas sits this horrific eyesore. Located at the corner of E. Ward St. and N. McDonald Ave., a vacant lot sits piled with a mountain of various random household items. Adjacent to the lot, a home which suffered extensive fire damage some weeks ago remains untouched with higly visible trash, clothing, and other unsightly features decorating the exterior. City officials have received numerous complaints about the property and say they are working to resolve the matter.

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…