All lanes on U.S. 441 just south of Douglas and north of Atkinson County were blocked for several hours Thursday afternoon as emergency crews worked to clean up a chemical spill. According to officials, a trailer transporting liquid nitrogen fertilizer lost a wheel around 1 p.m., spilling the contents over the roadway. The highway was eventually cleared and normal traffic flow resumed around 5 p.m.
Author: Staff Reports
A 24-year-old Coffee County woman is facing charges of first degree cruelty to children and aggravated battery after her 15-month-old child suffered a traumatic brain injury. In a press release issued by the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, officials stated the original information received by detectives was that the alleged offender, Amber Nicole Grantham, and a male friend had taken the child to Coffee Regional Medical Center on October 19, where she reported the child was having seizures. The child was transported by helicopter to Memorial Hospital in Savannaha in critical condition. The sheriff’s office was then contacted on…
A Coffee County man accused of beating and holding his estranged wife against her will remains in the county jail after having his bond denied earlier this week. Dennis Wayne Lytle, age 41, appeared before Superior Court Judge Dwayne Gillis requesting a bond in relation to an incident that occurred in August. According to a report obtained through the sheriff’s office, the victim met with deputies at the law enforcement center on August 18 and stated she had gone to an address on Weeks Rd. to pick up her children from friends. Unbeknownst to her, she told authorities, her husband…
Douglas businessman Shaun Sharma received an early release from his felony probation Tuesday morning in Coffee County Superior Court. Sharma was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2013 on charges stemming from a 2007 incident. He was subsequently given two years on probation. Sharma and his attorney, Mike Gowen, filed a motion requesting an early termination of his probation, citing his compliance and the fact he has already paid all fines and fees ordered as part of his original sentence. Assistant District Attorney John Rumker, while conceding Sharma had been a model…
A 23-year-old Douglas man was sentenced to 20 years of probation Tuesday morning in Coffee County Superior Court after pleading guilty to one count of statutory rape. Keith Samuel Smith admitted to having consensual sex with a 14-year-old female during an incident that occurred earlier this year. Testimony given Tuesday revealed Smith and the victim were at a party at the Fountain Inn motel when the two engaged in intercourse. Given the fact that Smith does not have any prior convictions and the act was not forced, the district attorney’s office agreed to offer him the 20-year probation sentence with…
A Coffee County man accused of beating his 72-year-old mother will remain in jail pending trial after having his bond denied Monday morning. Jimmy Carrol Kirkland, age 47 of a Ramblewood Rd. address, faces multiple charges including aggravated stalking, abuse of an elderly person, and obstruction of a 911 call stemming from an incident that occurred in October. According to a report obtained through the sheriff’s office, Kirkand’s mother obtained a twelve-month protective order against her son in July, which prohibited him from going within 500 yards of her. On October 20, the mother met with deputies at the Coffee…
Former Coffee Trojan Tyreek Hill, a running back and kick returner for the Oklahoma State University Cowboys football team and a sprinter for the OSU track team, has been dismissed from both teams following his arrest for allegedly abusing his girlfriend Thursday night. A story published on www.cbssports.com printed a portion of a statement released by the OSU athletic department. The statement read as follows: “Oklahoma State does not tolerate domestic abuse or violence. Based on the evidence and the serious allegations that have been made, Head Football Coach Mike Gundy has announced that Tyreek Hill has been dismissed from…
Several times a day, on a dirt road in Willacoochee, Georgia, there are UPS and FedEx delivery trucks leaving dust trails behind them as packages are picked up from a residence. The packages are shipped all over the United States and, most recently, to Washington, D.C. to be delivered to the home of the Vice President of the United States. Professional athletes, families in Colorado, hotels in Florida and the vice president have sought a very talented individual to make hand-crafted wreaths and decorations. Lori Russ Howard is an artist who creates beautiful, unique, hand-crafted and personalized arrangements. Her work…
Irwin County authorities, along with the U.S. Marshals Service, are on the hunt this afternoon for a man they believe is responsible for a shooting that occurred Wednesday afternoon in Ocilla. An arrest warrant for aggravated assault has been obtained for 46-year-old Kenny Martin, who authorities say may still be in the area. Around 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, officials responded to 208 W. McKinley St. in Ocilla, where they discovered the victim, Terrance Mack, had been shot in the lower body. Mack was airlifted to a Macon hospital, where he remains in serious condition. Authorities say Martin may be armed with…
Tyreek Hill, a former standout athlete at Coffee High School in both track and football, was arrested last night in Stillwater, Oklahoma, after authorites say he choked his eight-weeks pregnant girlfriend during an altercation. Stillwater police officials issued a press release Friday stating, “On Thursday, December 11 2014, 9:39 p.m., the Stillwater Police Department responded to the Stillwater Medical Center emergency room to investigate a reported domestic assault and battery. The victim, a 20-year-old female (name withheld), reported that she and the suspect, her boyfriend, were arguing and the argument escalated into a physical altercation. The victim identified the suspect…