A 911 call in reference to a possible poisoning with rat poison took a very different turn when officers arrived on the scene. According to a report from the sheriff’s office, a deputy went to Edgewood Mobile Park on Maple Street after an individual called and said that someone had poisoned him with rat poison. When the deputy arrived, the individual was not at home but a neighbor said she had seen someone leave the home on a dark colored bike. Another officer located the individual on the bike, who was identified as Matthew Rashad Deen, 24, of Douglas. The…
Author: Staff Reports
A deputy apprehended a wanted fugitive in Coffee County and took him into custody without incident, according to a report from the sheriff’s office. The report says that on April 20, 2026, the sheriff’s office received a notification from the Florida Department of Corrections that Eric Dewayne Young, 52, was wanted in Florida on a probation violation. Young was living in Coffee County and a detective went to his house. The detective, however, was unable to locate Young. Later that day, a deputy was given the task of finding Young. He located Young during his shift and took him into…
On April 26, 2026, officers with the Douglas Police Department arrested and charged a subject with pedestrian under the influence after they found him sitting on a city sidewalk allegedly so intoxicated he could neither stand nor communicate with anyone. An incident report says that on April 26 at around 11:30 p.m., a DPD officer responded to the intersection of Gaskin Avenue and Ethel Street in reference to a man sitting on the sidewalk and not responding to anyone. When the officer arrived, he could see that the man was intoxicated and not able to answer any questions. All he…
Late Friday morning, EMS and deputies responded to the county road department building on Highway 221 North in reference to an unresponsive individual. When they arrived, they found that an inmate assigned to a work detail at a county was unresponsive and possibly deceased. Emergency medical personnel from Coffee Regional Medical Center immediately rendered aid on scene; however, the individual later succumbed to his injuries. At this time, no further information is being released. The individual’s family has been notified. Sheriff Fred Cole has requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to conduct an independent and thorough investigation into the incident.…
West Green Elementary School Pre-K teacher Marisol Rivas has been named one of three finalists for Georgia Pre-K Teacher of the Year. Rivas has already been named West Green Elementary’s Teacher of the Year for the 2025-2026 school year. Rivas was recognized Wednesday morning by Susan Adams, Deputy Commissioner for Pre-K, along with members of her staff — Devon Porter, Laura Wagner, Cantina Gandy, Laurianne McDonald, and Jerry Brown — during a special celebration at West Green Elementary. Rivas’s family, district and school-level administrators and staff, and even her Pre-K students were all part of the surprise celebration, making the…
Earlier this week, a Coffee County convicted Andre Larron Benjamin, 24, of murder for the killing of Joshua Lashawn Brown, 21, on July 17, 2021. Jury selection began Monday morning. The jury ended Wednesday afternoon and the jury delivered its verdict after a short deliberation. Brown was killed at Georgian Woods Apartments on McNeil Drive. With the assistance of the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, the GBI, Georgia State Patrol, and other agencies, Douglas police officers were able to charge Benjamin with the crime. Benjamin was back in court Friday morning for sentencing. He received life in prison without the possibility…
Less than a week ago, the Andrew College Tigers defeated the South Georgia State College Hawks in Cuthbert to end the regular season. Tuesday’s rematch in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association tournament in Tifton was a different story. The Hawks defeated the Tigers 8-3 to advance to the second round of the tournament. SGSC jumped out to a 2-0 lead the fell behind 3-2 when Andrew scored three in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the frame, however, the Hawks re-took the lead with a five-run inning. They added a run in the eighth to increase their…
Former Trojan Brady Skipper and the University of North Georgia Nighthawks are headed to the Peach Belt Conference championship series later this week after defeating Middle Georgia State 9-1 on May 1, Flagler 12-2 on May 2, and Flagler again 11-1 on May 3. Skipper was 0-1 with three walks, an RBI, and a run scored against Middle Georgia State. Saturday against Flagler, Skipper went 2-3 with a double, two walks, and run. Sunday, he walked and scored once. With the wins, North Georgia advances to the PBC Championship Series, set for May 7-8, where it will host Lander (Greenwood,…
A deputy arrested a female subject after she allegedly threatened to kill a family member while the deputy was on the scene. According to an incident report from the sheriff’s office, a deputy responded to a call on Red Clay Road in reference to a possible domestic incident on April 21, 2026, at around 2 p.m. The officer arrived and found Melissa Marie Trentini, 53, of Douglas, at the residence. The report says that she admitted to being drunk when the officer arrived. The report says that she and a male family member had been arguing. The male said that…
The South Georgia State College Hawks hit four home runs on their April 20 regular season finale against the Andrew College Tigers but still came up short, losing 11-7 in Cuthbert. With the seeding for the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association tournament set, the Hawks used the game as an opportunity to get a few players some rest while getting others in the lineup. SGSC used seven pitchers in the game, with nobody throwing over an inning. Starter Luke Smith (1IP, 2H, 2R, 1K) took the loss. He threw just 14 pitches. In fact, the most pitches anyone threw was 25…