Author: Staff Reports

A suspected methamphetamine avoided arrest during an investigation on July 27, 2024, but wasn’t so lucky the following day. According to a report from the Douglas Police Department, on July 28, an officer saw two people walking down Wilson Street. The officer recognized them as Dereck Porter and Brittany Gilcris. The previous day, both Porter and Gilcris, along with another male, had been questioned by police when meth was found between Porter and the other male. No arrests were made in that investigation. After the officer spoke to both of them, he asked if he could pat them down. They…

August 3, 2024, will go down as one of the better days of Tyreek Hill’s life. NFL.com named Hill the best player in the league for the 2024 season and Hill inked a $90 million contract extension with the Miami Dolphins. In 2022, Hill signed a four-year, $120 million contract when the Kansas City Chiefs traded him to Miami. Over the first half of that contract, Hill has proven to be the best wide receiver in the NFL. This offseason, teammates Jaylen Waddle, a fellow receiver, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa have signed massive contracts. Hill, however, saw his deal remain…

On July 26, 2024, at 3:30 p.m., a Douglas police officer went to Coffee Regional Medical Center where the victim of a domestic assault wanted to speak to an officer. The victim stated that she had been beaten up by the father of her kids, the report says. The victim and the suspect, identified as Tevon Layni Coley, 27, of Douglas, had been arguing with each other via text messages. She asked for the keys to her apartment and she went to Coley’s sister’s apartment to retrieve the keys. The report says that when Coley opened the door, he allegedly…

An argument between relatives led to the discovery of a fugitive wanted out of Florida living in Douglas. According to an incident report from the Douglas Police Department, on July 27, 2024 at around 9 a.m., officers received a domestic call. When they arrived, they discovered that Kenny Evans, 48, and his brother-in-law Erick Clyburn, 33, had allegedly gotten into a minor physical altercation over the amount of clothing being placed in the clothes dryer. The report said the two started arguing then the dispute turned physical. Clyburn allegedly bit Evans on his arm during the scuffle. Officers reported that…

Twenty-four Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College athletes were named to the 2023-24 All-Academic Team by the National Junior College Athletic Association. Douglas’s Kylie Childers (tennis) was one of the ABAC student-athletes who earned this prestigious honor. Among the 11 schools in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association, ABAC led the way with nine honorees on the first team. Also, the Golden Fillies landed more softball players on the team (nine) than any other GCAA school in the state. “We’re proud of our student-athletes who work so hard to succeed in the classroom as well as in their respective sports,” said ABAC Athletic…

A 27-year-old Fitzgerald man was arrested and charged with enticing a child when he was caught allegedly trying to meet up with a 15-year-old juvenile in order to have sex with her, according to a report from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office. The report states that on July 27, 2024, a deputy responded to a mobile home park in Nicholls in reference to a suspicious person. When the deputy arrived, he noticed a man matching the description of the suspect get into a vehicle and attempt to leave. The report says the deputy blocked the suspect’s vehicle so he couldn’t…

The Coffee County School System is stepping into the wild blue “Yondr” of cellphone restraint at Coffee Middle School and the George Washington Carver Freshman Campus by requiring students at both schools to secure cellphones and smart watches in sealed Yondr pouches during the school day. The board approved the measure at the June meeting. Yondr pouches are small pouches that are designed to safely and securely contain mobile devices. They are sealed magnetically and students will not be able to open the pouches during the school day. They will keep their pouches with them in backpacks, purses, etc., during…

The stage is set for the race for the vacant Ward 2 city commission seat. Qualifying took place last week and closed at noon Friday. A total of four candidates threw their hats into the ring for the seat.The first two candidates to qualify were Tonji Simpson and Mickeayla Clark. Simpson is a relative political newcomer while Clark has run for the Ward 2 seat once before. She challenged former Ward 2 commissioner Kentaiwon Durham in 2019.Late in the week two other candidates qualified: Brenda Henderson Moore and Aveary Daniels. They waited until Friday morning to enter the election.Friday, July…

Bacon County authorities have arrested Rocky Dewayne Oglesby, 32, of Alma, in connection with the murder of Breauna Bello, 22, of Alma. Bello was shot and killed Saturday, July 27, 2024, just before 6 a.m. as she and her boyfriend were riding down Copper Lake Road. According to a press release from the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office, Bello’s boyfriend placed the 911 call and said that they were riding on Copper Lake Road and someone shot at their vehicle. A bullet struck Bello and she was found deceased when authorities and EMS arrived. Bacon County Sheriff Andy Batten requested that…

The spike in hit and run accidents in Douglas hasn’t ended yet, according to a report from the Douglas Police Department. On July 18, 2024, another such crash was reported at North Madison Avenue and McNeil Drive. Involved were a 2019 Ford Fusion driven by Cara Lott and a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu driven by Suzie Bertagnolli. The report states that around 6:15 p.m., Lott was driving the Fusion north on North Madison Avenue when she was struck on the right side of her vehicle by the Malibu as she was moving into the left turning lane. Lott complained of injuries…