Perhaps many of us dream of having an adventure in life, but not so many of us follow through on it. In Coffee County, we have but to look within our own ranks to find someone who has followed his dreams for adventure and has done so in a really big way. Ron Morris came to Douglas in 1972 as a student and baseball player at South Georgia College. He came here from the Atlanta area, where his father worked with Delta Airlines. After excelling on Clyde Miller’s South Georgia College teams, Ron moved on to Georgia Southern, where he…
Author: Staff Reports
Don Lewis, FACHE, FHFMA, Coffee Regional Medical Center’s Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since 1996, has announced his retirement from the medical center, effective Aug. 22, 2014. Mr. Lewis states, “This is the perfect set of circumstances and timing to allow me and Rosemary to write another chapter in life’s journey. Our CRMC family and the community have made these past 18 years extremely rewarding and we will cherish the many memories and the friends we have made during our time in Douglas. Both of our adult daughters reside in Charleston, S.C., so we are preparing for a move…
Edward Jones Investments, one of the nation’s leaders in the financial services industry, has opened another outlet in Douglas in hopes of better serving the financial needs of area residents. The company’s newest office is located at 918 N. Madsion Ave. in Douglas in the former location of now-retired longtime Douglas attorney Jim Hudson. The building has been completely renovated as part of Edward Jones’ commitment to being a long-lasting establishment in the community. “We are very pleased to be here and are looking forward to helping not only Douglas and Coffee County grow as a viable, economic community, but…
Monday morning, the Heritage Station Museum celebrated its reopening with a well-attended ribbon cutting in front of the museum, which is located at 219 West Ward Street, just a short walk from downtown Douglas. “Coffee County Historical Society members have been busy getting the museum ready for this event,” says Carol Morgan, President of the Coffee County Historical Society. “We are currently working on developing a research area and inventorying items at the museum.” The Heritage Station Museum, once an old railroad depot, originally opened in 1999. The museum features a variety of permanent exhibits commemorating local history. The Coffee…
It is a persistent problem and one that could ultimately result in dire consequences; individuals who neglect to properly display the assigned numeric of their homes and businesses in the county. “Probably over 50% of residences in the county do not have their numbers properly visible,” estimated Coffee 911 representative Kesha Taylor during the regular meeting of the Coffee County Commission on Monday. “This presents major problems for emergency personnel when they are trying to locate places they are dispatched. Obviously, it has a great potential to cut down on response time and could be catastrophic. Every minute, every second…
Douglas firefighters and other emergency personnel responded to Dairy Queen on South Peterson Ave. just before noon today in reference to a fire which began at the backside of the building. Douglas Fire Chief Tim White stated the blaze initially began at the business’ hooding/ventilation system, and was somewhat escalted when it came into contact with cooking oil or grease that was in close proximity. White added there did not appear to be any permanent structural damage to the building. Most officials had cleared the scene by 1:30 this afternoon, but the business remains surrounded by yellow caution tape as…
The Douglas Lions Club recently contributed $500 to the Trojans Touchdown Club for the purpose of assisting with costs associated with feeding players during summer workouts. Coffee High Head Football Coach Robby Pruitt, flanked by Trojan seniors, is pictured here accepting a $500 check from members of the Douglas Lions Club, John Higgs and Larry Britton.
The Coffee County Board of Education revealed Friday during a discussion of the tax digest at a special called meeting that the current millage rate will be rolled back. Residents shouldn’t get too excited, though, as the rollback will only account for a difference of about 0.01% from the previous year. The rate dropped from 16.214 to 16.203 or, to put it simply, a diferrence of about $9,000. “Obviously, there is no real drastic action in the millage rate,” Chairman Bryan Preston stated. Of other particular interest, Superintendent Morris Leis noted the school system has experienced some loss of revenue…
Being elderly will not get you a free pass if you’re convicted of selling drugs in Coffee County. Eighty-year-old county resident Nathan Taylor managed to avoid a felony conviction his entire life, until last week. Taylor appeared in Coffee County Superior Court to answer to one charge of manufacturing/distributing a controlled substance in regards to a 2012 incident in which he was accused of selling narcotic painkillers. Taylor pled guilty to the charge and was given a 10-year sentence to be served on probation by Judge Dwayne Gillis. He will also be made to pay court costs. “I hate to…
Want to dip, smoke, or chew? Then after Aug. 1, South Georgia State College isn’t the place to be. Per a vote back in March by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, all campuses as well as properties owned by the USG will be tobacco free. The policy will go into effect Aug. 1 at SGSC to prepare for fall semester, which begins Aug. 25. The policy applies to all locations as well as employees, students, contractors, subcontractors, and visitors. Plus, all events hosted by SGSC, or on one of its locations, will be tobacco and smoke free,…