A 35-year-old was arrested after he led Douglas police officers and Coffee County deputies on a chase to through the city when he allegedly fled from a traffic stop. According to a report from the Douglas Police Department, just after 10:30 p.m. on May 8, 2026, a DPD officer was headed to City Hall in reference to an alarm call when a silver 2012 Audi A4 ran the red light at the intersection of South Madison Avenue and East Bryan Street, nearly causing the officer to wreck, according to the report. The officer stopped the Audi and spoke with the…
Author: Staff Reports
Dr. Shayne Grove, Academic Coach at Coffee High School, has just published her first book. Intriguingly titled How Not to Parent a Little Turd: A School Principal’s Practical, No B.S. Guide, the book puts Dr. Grove’s 30-plus year career in education to the test. Between its covers, she delivers honest, probing, and sometimes uncomfortable parenting guidance. In the book’s synopsis, Dr. Grove writes the following: “Why do you need this book? Because parenting can feel like trying to herd wild, unpredictable little humans — loud, stubborn, and determined to test your patience at every turn. Let’s be honest: raising kids…
It’s Championship Watch time again – this time on the pitch. The Atkinson County Rebels men’s soccer team will face the Georgia Military College high school soccer team in the Class A Division II state title game in Thomaston on Friday. The Irwin County Indians’ women’s team is also in the finals. The Rebels made it to the championship game by defeating the Metter Tigers 3-1 on Tuesday. ATCO scored two goals in the first half and one in the second half. The Tigers, meanwhile, found the net just once. Carlos Otero scored two goals while Rodrigo Trejo scored once.…
A 29-year-old is still in jail on multiple charges, including violating the burn ban, after he allegedly burned a woman’s clothes during a domestic dispute earlier this month. An incident report from the sheriff’s office states that on May 7, 2026, at approximately 7:45 p.m., an officer met a complainant who was contacting deputies on behalf of the victim. The complainant stated that the victim and Cameron Taylor Music, 29, of Douglas, had been arguing. Music had allegedly been throwing the victim’s belongings around the house and, later, burned some of her belongings. The victim added that Music had been…
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…
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…