Author: Staff Reports

Davis Hall on the South Georgia State College campus will be getting a much anticipated face-lift starting next week. The building was built in 1907 and is listed in the National Register of Historical Places. It served as a home for presidents of the college before the president’s house was built, and representatives of families that lived in the building or grew up close to it were in attendance of the Davis Hall renovation ceremony and groundbreaking on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Many alumni of South Georgia State College were in attendance as well, including Mayor James Dennis who reminisced about…

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The Coffee County Board of Education recognized students whose artworks decorate this year’s Coffee County School System calendar and awarded them certificates for their artwork at the regular monthly Board of Education meeting on Thursday night. Over 20 years ago the board began posting student art on the calendars and now, every year one student from each school in the Coffee County School System has artwork selected for the calendar. The original artwork also hangs in the Board of Education office for the entire year to be appreciated year-long. Sonny Lyons, owner of Lyon Management Company of Douglas, has been…

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A death in 2014 in Nicholls that was originally ruled as suicide has been reviewed, and the manner of death has been changed as a result of a coroner’s inquest. The family of Matthew Roberts, who was found dead in Nicholls in his empty house on Sept. 26, 2014, was not satisfied with the conclusion that he had committed suicide. A coroner’s inquest that had originally been scheduled months earlier but had to be rescheduled took place on Thursday at the Magistrate Court in the Law Enforcement Center in Douglas. Key witnesses and investigators gave testimony and detailed steps of…

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Before he changed his television name to Bryce Williams, Vester Flanagan worked as a reporter at a Georgia television station. WTOC in Savannah confirmed Flanagan worked there from 1997-1999. Read the full story from Macon television station WMAZ by clicking here.

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A Broxton man may very well have had the worst day of his life Saturday when, while in the process of being evicted from his home, officers also uncovered a significant amount of crystal meth. Officials stated that officers from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office and Broxton Police Department arrived at 501 North Railroad Avenue in Broxton to issue an eviction to the residents. A Broxton police officer assisted with the eviction and did a routine walk-through of the house to clear the premises. Deputies spotted marijuana and drug paraphernalia in plain view in a bedroom of the house and…

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The Douglas City Commission heard the second reading of an ordinance that addresses parking semi-trucks on city streets. Following the second reading, the commission approved the ordinance. According to the ordinance, the parking of commercial trucks is prohibited on residential streets or residential areas of the city. The ordinance also includes trucks having more than six wheels instead of only trucks having more than 10 wheels. The official ordinance states that owners or drivers of bobtail trucks who live within the city limits may be park their trucks on their own property if they can be parked completely off of…

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U.S. Rep. Rick Allen presented graduates of the Leadership Coffee Class of 2015 their awards at the Chamber of Commerce power lunch on Monday. Allen presented the awards after his speech “Saluting Leadership.” His message was clear: the American people are more than capable of changing the nation if they employ leadership skills and work together. “It’s pretty amazing to see what people,” Allen said, “especially Americans, can do.” Having been in office for seven months, Congressman Allen has voted on more than 500 bills. Of those bills, 32 made it to the Senate. He attributes his success, and the…

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At around 8 p.m.Monday, the City of Douglas received numerous red water complaints, which were centralized in the northeast corner of town. City officials stated Tuesday that, upon investigation, it was determined that well #4 on McNeil Drive had tripped out. This caused the other wells in the system to come on to compensate for the loss in pumping volume, which also caused the water to change direction of flow, they stated. “Because of the age of many parts of the distribution system, when water changes direction it can break apart iron build-up inside the pipes, thus causing the water…

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A 27-year-old Douglas woman was jailed Sunday on multiple drug offenses after officers responded to a local business in what began as a report of shoplifting. Officials with the Douglas – Coffee Drug Unit (DCDU) stated that Douglas Police Department officers responded to a shoplifting complaint at Flash Foods on N. Peterson Ave. During a brief investigation, officers discovered Jennifer Hearell was in possession of a quantity of the prescription painkiller Lorcet, methamphetamine, and marijuana. DCDU officers subsequently arrested Hearell, charging her with possession of a controlled substance, possession of methamphetamine, and misdemeanor possession of marijuana. Later on Sunday, DCDU…

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Friday, former Coffee High and Oklahoma State University standout football player and sprinter Tyreek Hill pleaded guilty in a Stillwater, Oklahoma, courtroom to charges stemming from a domestic violence incident that took place last December. Hill, who had just enjoyed a stellar first season with the Cowboys after spending two years in junior college, allegedly abused his pregnant girlfriend. The incident led to Hill’s dismissal from both the OSU football and track teams. Hill received three years’ probation. If he completes the probation without any further run-ins with the law, he won’t go to prison, won’t be a convicted felon,…

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