This week, the Georgia Department of Education released its 2014 list of Reward Schools, designated as part of the state’s waiver from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Ambrose Elementary and Westside Elementary were named among Georgia’s High Performing Schools, with Broxton-Mary Hayes Elementary and Coffee High earning designations as Georgia Highest Progress Schools. A Highest Performing school is among the five percent of the state’s Title I schools with the highest absolute performance, over three years, for the “all students” group on the statewide assessments. A school may not be classified as a Highest-Performing School if it has been…
Author: Staff Reports
Emergency responders have struggled for years with residents who fail to place visible numeric signage at their homes and businesses, and county officials believe they have the solution: they’re going to provide signs to anyone who wants one. County Code Enforcement Director Ray Parker states several hundred blank signs have already been purchased at a cost of $10 each and should be available to the public in a few weeks. The signs are blue in color and will be fitted with reflective adhesive numbers designating the address. The identifying marker is then attached to a small metal pole and driven…
Two individuals were arrested and jailed last week after allegedly selling methamphetamine to undercover drug agents. Officials with the Douglas-Coffee County Drug Unit (DCDU) state that on Sept. 12, Rodney Shaw and Kelly Nicole Osborn sold a undisclosed quantity of methamphetamine to officers in Douglas. Subsequent to their arrests, agents discovered marijuana, prescription controlled sunstances Xanax and Oxycontin, and more methamphetamine in their vehicle. Shaw and Osborn were each arrested for misdemeanor Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Schedule II and Schedule IV Controlled Substances and Sale of Methamphetamine. Shaw was released to the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office for pending…
Several streets in the Oak Park community of Coffee County will receive a facelift in the near future as the result of a $500 thousand grant recently awarded to the local government. The announcement of the award came during the regular meeting of the Coffee County Commissioners on Monday. According to information provided through the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Coffee County was one of 71 Georgia communities awarded a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for 2014. These awards are provided throught the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and are specifically issued to improve infrastructure and provide neighborhood…
The sign outside a Douglas nightclub reads, “What Happens at Club Rozay Stays at Club Rozay.” Apparently, owners and patrons of the facility take the statement to the extreme, even when it comes to armed robbery and aggravated assault. Early Sunday morning, Sept. 14, officers with the Douglas Police Department were dispatched to Coffee Regional Medical Center after an individual was admitted at the emergency room with a gunshot wound to the leg. The victim, 33-year-old Erik Favors, told authorities he was at Club Rozay on S. Gaskin Avenue earlier in the evening watching a sporting event with about 20…
Police and fire officials are investigating another residential arson in Douglas that occurred early Sunday morning after the home was initially burglarized. Authorities were dispatched to 616 N. Wheeler Avenue at around 7 a.m. Sunday morning. After making contact with the homeowner, officers discovered the residence had most likely been burglarized as a number of items were missing, including flat screen televisions and possibly other belongings. Officers noted damage to a rear door of the residence, which was most likely the point of entry for the burglars. No one was home at the time of the incident, and investigators were…
After months of planning and preparation, the Boys and Girls Club of Coffee County opened its doors last week, and a large mix of community leaders, individuals, and club advocates gathered together Thursday to celebrate the new organization. The Boys and Girls Club of Coffee County is located at the building formerly occupied by the Douglas Police Department at 210 W. Jackson St. It mission is “to enable the young people of the Coffee County region, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens by providing a safe, positive place where they…
Two individuals were arrested and charged Thursday with drug distribution after police officers and detectives with the Douglas-Coffee County Drug Unit (DCDU) discovered large amounts of various prescription drugs, methamphetamine, cocaine, and cash in their hotel room. Officers with the Douglas Police Department responded to the Holiday Inn Express on South Peterson Avenue after receiving a complaint of an unusual odor within the hotel. While investigating, they discovered two occupants, identified as Randy Allen Carter and Robin Almeda Wrinn, to be in possession of a quantity of the controlled prescription medications Soma and Lorcet, along with methamphetamine and crack cocaine.…
The Coffee Alliance for the Arts will be hosting ‘A Night of Swing’ featuring the Rhythm Masters Band this Saturday, Sept. 6, at the Douglas Golf & Country Club. The event will kick off at 7 p.m., and advanced tickets are still available through Friday for $45 at the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce. Tickets may also be purchased at the door the night of the event for $55. Cash prizes will be given for best dance couple and best 40s attire. All funds raised will go towards supporting activities within Coffee County. For more information, call (912) 592-9225.
Attorney Melissa Jill Starling will face two felony charges after being indicted by a Coffee County grand jury last week. The indictment, which was filed on August 27, specifically charges Starling with one count of forgery in the first degree and one count of influencing a witness. On the forgery charge, the indictment asserts that on November 8, 2013, Starling knowingly and unlawfully signed the name of one of her clients to a divorce action that was filed in Coffee County Superior Court. The indictment further alleges that Starling later offered money to the same client on March 3, 2014,…