Author: Staff Reports

Douglas was well represented last week in Dalton during the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association’s state golf tournament, as three local boys took home trophies for first, second, and third place finishes. Ben Fussell claimed the top prize, with Javon Mizell and Billy Roberts earning second and third, respectively, in the 8U division.

Representatives from Universal Leaf Tobacco Company were welcomed to Douglas on Wednesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony marking the company’s official opening. According to their web site, Universal Leaf is the world’s leading leaf tobacco merchant and processor. They are located at 1515 Pope Drive.

Georgia voters will go to the polls once again today, this time to decide candidates for the November general election for the offices of state school superintendent and U.S. Senator. On the Republican ballot, Jack Kingston faces opposition from David Perdue for U.S. Senate. In the superintendent race, Michael “Mike” Buck is in the runoff against Richard L. Woods. Alisha Thomas Morgan and Valerie D. Wilson are contenders for school superintendent on the Democratic ballot. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., and all local polling locations will be open including Ambrose, Broxton, Bridgetown, Douglas, Nicholls, and…

A Douglas woman was jailed recently after authorities determined her methods of corporal punishment exceeded the limits allowed by law. Officers responded to a residence on Ethel Street after receiving a complaint of alleged child abuse. The complainant told police that she had observed 45-year-old Joann Marie Jackson beating her juvenile son excessively with a belt. Police examined the juvenile victim and determined he had marks on his body they believed to be consistent with ‘excessive disciplining,’ as noted in the responding officer’s report. Jackson was arrested at the scene and charged with one count of first degree cruelty to…

The Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce, along with local officials and area residents, celebrated the grand opening of Douglas’ newest business, Scott Kirkland Jewelers & Repairs, today with a ceremonial ribbon cutting. Scott Kirkland Jewelers is located in downtown Douglas at 316 South Peterson Avenue and may be reached at (912) 331-1300.

Coffee County Sheriff’s Office officials are reporting another registered sex offender has been incarcerated after failing to comply with the provisions of his sex offender status. Officials state Glynn Dewayne Campbell registered his Coffee County address with the sheriff’s office on September 9, 2013, after being released from a probation detention center. When authorities tried to verify his home address last week, it was discovered Campbell was no longer residing there. Detectives also learned later Campbell had not notified law enforcement of his current employer, another requirement of his sex offender status. As a result, Campbell was arrested and charged…

The Douglas-Coffee County Stingrays are state champions. On Saturday in Tifton, the Stingrays finally attained their most important team goal, one they had narrowly missed for the last four years. After finishing second to Oconee County over that time span, the ‘Rays edged out the perennial Class B/C GRPA champions to win their first ever state title. Douglas had 479 combined team points and Oconee came in second with 472. Jefferson County placed third. “Choosing their team from six satellite programs in the county, Oconee has had the deck stacked against all of the other teams for the last 10…

Sixty-four students from Georgia Rotary District 6920 attended the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Conference at South Georgia State College recently. RYLA is a Rotary International program that started in Southeast Asia and has spread across the world. It was adopted by Georgia Rotary District 6920 in 1989, which is made up Rotary Clubs in the following counties: Baldwin, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bibb, Bleckley, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Camden, Candler, Chatham, Coffee, Dodge, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Glynn, Houston, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Jones, Laurens, Liberty, Lowndes, McIntosh, Peach, Pierce, Pulaski, Richmond, Screven, Tattnall, Telfair, Tift, Toombs, Turner, Ware, Washington,…

The smell of popcorn and the laughter of children filled the air Saturday night at Wheeler Park, as families from throughout the area gathered for a free showing of the film “Despicable Me 2.” The event, dubbed “Movie in the Park,” was a collaborative effort between the Douglas-Coffee County Recreation Department and Night Light Outdoor Cinema to create this unique experience. Scroll down this page to view more pictures from last night. To learn more about Night Light Outdoor Cinema, find them on Facebook here.

Members of GracePointe church descended on Groves Mobile Home Park by the dozens early Wednesday evening, distributing over 150 boxes of food, along with clothing and other household goods to low income families. The project is part of the church’s program, “The Extra Mile,” which carries out similar services to the community throughout the year. GracePointe pastor Chris Watson states the project is inspired by the directives given by Jesus to serve the poor and needy. “Jesus talks about very specific duties as Christians in the Book of Matthew in His ‘Sermon on the Mount’,” Watson says. “This is just…