Coffee County voters will head to the polls today to potentially decide the winners of several local nonpartisan offices up for grabs, along with choosing a number of local and statewide Republican and Democratic candidates who will square off in November. The following local races are on the ballot: Republican Primary: Clerk of Superior CourtErica Carver and Angela C Spell-Hutto (I) SheriffRex HarperSam Reed Tax CommissionerShanda R Henderson (I) SurveyorAdam H Evans CoronerBrandon K Musgrove Democratic Primary: SheriffDoyle Wooten (I) Tax CommissionerTabitha Paulk CoronerThomas “T.C.” Griffin Nonpartisan: (Nonpartisan races will appear on all ballots, Democratic & Republican) Judge of Superior…
Author: Staff Reports
The Georgia State Patrol is investigating a multi-vehicle auto accident that resulted in injuries and halted downtown traffic Monday afternoon. The accident occurred around 2:30 p.m. in the area of Ward St. and N. Madison Ave. The Douglas Police Dept., along the with Georgia State Patrol, Douglas Fire Dept., and EMS responded to the scene. Few details are known at this time regarding the cause of the accident or the extent of those injured.
Editor’s note: The following story appeared Sunday, May 22, on eastmanexaminer.com and has been republished here with permission from the author, Jimmy Joines. “DouglasNow.com” has not verified any statements or facts mentioned within the article, and it has been edited only for grammar and punctuation. The first apparent announcement of an “impending area drug court” first became public knowledge when Chief Superior Court Judge H. Frederick Mullis, Jr. appeared before the Dodge County Board of Commissioners on April 4, 2016. Mullis was there to further explain his request that the Dodge Commissioners effectively turn over control of the county’s Drug…
Video courtesy, ‘Coffee County Ga. Police Scanner’ on Facebook
The City of Douglas issued a statement Thursday afternoon regarding alleged recent criminal activity on the part of a Douglas police officer. Officer Tony Ward was caught by surveillance cameras at the Douglas Salvation Army illegally dumping a trailer load of various items on April 24, 2016. The matter had gone unresolved prior to the issue being addressed today by Douglas City Manager Terrell Jacobs. “(Mr. Jacobs) would like to inform the public that an off duty officer of the Douglas Police Department was captured on camera disposing of some items in a dumpster located at the Salvation Army,” officials…
A woman who managed to evade arrest for several days after stealing a car while handcuffed has been arrested. Drucilla Thomas was captured Wednesday in Pearson after being on the run from the law since Friday. Coffee County sheriff’s officials state the Pearson Police Dept. assisted with her apprehension. Thomas was originally detained by authorities on May 13 on suspicion of a violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act. However, she was managed to escape authorities after flipping her handcuffs, jumping into a nearby vehicle, and fleeing the scene. Thomas faces multiple charges in relation to these incidents. Drucilla Thomas…
The Georgia Department of Education recently released its new ratings for local schools, and Coffee County’s Eastside Elementary stands out as a top performer. The ratings, referred to as the College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI), are based on student performance on state standardized tests, but also include some other factors. Eastside earned a rating of 90.7 and was recently featured as part of an article in the Atlanta Journal- Constituion that featured 29 Georgia public schools that are making a difference in low-income areas. The article can be read here.
Friday evening, May 13, the Alma Police Department and the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office arrested three individuals, recovered three stolen vehicles, two stolen firearms, and responded to an arson. The events began just after 9 p.m. when a BCSO deputy sheriff discovered a vehicle on U.S. 1 north of Alma that had been reported stolen from Appling County. Deputies gave a description of the last known driver, who was apprehended twenty minutes later by APD officers on W. 8th St.; officers observed the suspect walking out of the bushes behind the senior center on W. 8th St. David Hughes…
A 38-year-old Douglas man was killed in Valdosta when he was struck by a vehicle while walking along a state highway. Authorities say Lester Brooks was walking eastbound on Ga. Hwy. 38/U.S. 84 in the area of Moore Crossing Rd. in Lowndes County when he was struck by an unknown vehicle. The vehicle fled the scene, and Brooks was pronounced dead shortly after authorities arrived. The Georgia State Patrol’s Valdosta Post continues to work the incident and suspects the vehicle that struck Brooks may have been a tractor trailer. Officials are asking anyone who may have information pertaining to the…
Around 5 a.m. last Thursday, May 5, the Douglas-Coffee Drug Unit (DCDU), along with members of the Georgia Department of Corrections Probation-Parole, conducted a sweep of probationers and parolees who were purported to have previous and possibly current links to organized criminal activity. The action was a coordinated part of a statewide crack-down on organized criminal activity. The Department of Corrections personnel checked for probation and parole compliance, and DCDU agents investigated any signs of ongoing drug activity. As a result of the investigation, three probationers /parolees were arrested for violations of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act. Those arrested…