Author: Staff Reports

Monday marked the end of an era for one of Douglas’ oldest family-owned restaurants. The Catfish House was opened by the Peterson family in 1977 and has stood the test of time as one of the area’s most beloved eateries. Catfish House owners took to social media Monday afternoon to announcement their retirement: “It’s official. As of 11 a.m. today, we are no longer the face of the Catfish House. We are, however, leaving you in very capable hands. The new owners, Garrett and Kacey Spivey, would like for everyone to come by and meet them. They are excited about…

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Coffee County sheriff’s authorities are hoping images captured on store surveillance cameras will help to identify a man wanted in connection to a robbery that occurred early Friday morning. Around 2:15 a.m. on April 8, deputies responded to 9321 Hwy. 32 W. (Jet Foods) in reference to an alarm call, where they discovered the front door appeared to be off the hinge. Detectives were called to the scene and obtained video that showed a black male forcibly entering the store and removing several items. The offender looked to be at least six feet tall with a slender build and was…

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Douglas is set to get a major transportation facelift. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) announced Thursday the awards of 31 contracts for statewide construction projects totaling over $146.6 million. These projects were advertised for bids in March and awarded on April 1. Among the awards, Coffee County claimed the highest value investment for all projects. The Douglas project consists of the widening of 2.7 miles on S.R. 135 (Bowens Mill Rd.) and is valued at $31.2 million. The project begins at U.S. 441/S.R. 31 and extends to S.R. 32. It also includes the construction of a bridge over the…

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The wife of Bacon County State Court Judge Kenneth Futch was arrested Wednesday and charged with allegedly shooting her husband during an incident that occurred Tuesday night in Alma. Officials with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Douglas Regional Office and the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office charged 53-year-old Sheila Lee Futch with one count of aggravated assault. Mrs. Futch, a teacher at Bacon County Elementary School, was arrested and transported to the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office. Bacon County deputies responded to 216 Port’s End Lane in Alma around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in reference to a report of a shooting, where they…

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Bacon County attorney and State Court Judge Kenneth Futch is in a Florida hospital after suffering multiple gunshot wounds during an incident that occurred Tuesday night at a residence in Alma. Bacon County deputies responded to 216 Port’s End Lane in Alma around 8:30 p.m. in reference to a report of a shooting, where they discovered the victim had sustained several gunshot injuries. Futch was transported to the Bacon County Hospital and later flown to Shann’s Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida where officials report he is in stable condition. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Douglas Regional Office was requested by the…

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Douglas entrepreneur and inventor Paul Pow was recently award $10 thousand on national television to promote his company, Pow HiSo, and his 3D emoji jewelry. Pow appeared on The Steve Harvey Show in a segment entitled The Next Big Success. In a post to his personal Facebook page, Pow wrote, “I want to thank everyone for their amazing support and heartwarming messages. Today has been an awesome day. When I first started this project, I was very hesitant. That voice inside my head (we all have one) telling me things like: “nobody would wear that”, “you know nothing about jewelry…

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The Coffee County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public’s assistance in locating the following sex offenders: Name: Joshua Adam LoweDescription: WM/ 508/240 lbs./ Strawberry Blonde Hair/ Brown Eyes/ DOB 12-26-1986Charge: Sexual Battery Lowe was convicted on May 9, 2009 in Atkinson County Superior Court. His last known address was 93 Newkirk Lane, Lot 7, Douglas, Ga. Name: K-tarian Doncoy BigelowDescription: BM/ 601/155 lbs./ Black Hair/Brown Eyes/ DOB 08-05-1997Charge: Aggravated Child Molestation Bigelow was convicted on Nov. 24, 2014 in Lowndes County Superior Court. His last known address was 93 Newkirk Lane, Lot 11, Douglas, Ga. Bigelow may be in the…

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Southwire will be investing $21 thousand in the Coffee County community to provide better 911 services to the area through a company called Hyper-Reach. The Coffee County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to approve the agreement with Southwire and Hyper-Reach, which will be able to provide citizens of Coffee County with immediate notifications in the event of emergencies. Southwire’s investment includes the initial start-up cost of the project, along with two years of service. To learn more about Hyper-Reach, click here.

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Two absconded sex offenders who were being sought by the sheriff’s office have been located and are currently incarcerated at the Coffee County Jail. Paul Davy Taft, who was being sought for failure to register address change of a sex offender, turned himself in to authorities at the Coffee County Jail on March 15. Taft is currently incarcerated, awaiting trial on the failure to register charge and a probation violation. Gregory Wayne Lott was arrested on March 24 by Coffee County deputies for several outstanding warrants, including failing to register address change of a sex offender, a bench warrant through…

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Nicholls police are attempting to identify and locate a man caught on video during a recent armed robbery. Sunrise Express, 700 Van Street Hwy., was robbed by an unknown male on March 26, and police are asking for help from the community in identifying the person in this video. Anyone with information that could assist in the case is asked to contact the Coffee County Sheriffs Office at (912) 384-4227 or the anonymous Tips Line at (912) 383-8477 (TIPS). Video courtesy, ‘Coffee County Ga. Police Scanner’ on Facebook

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