Author: Staff Reports

Earlier this month, deputies from the sheriff’s office arrested fugitives wanted from Florida and Alabama. On February 13, 2016, an officer arrested Curtis Thomas, 24, of Albany, around 4:25 p.m. Thomas was wanted on a probation violation from Leon County, Florida. A report from the sheriff’s office states that Curtis had allegedly violated his probation when he was arrested and charged with offenses in Worth County, Georgia, on July 22, 2020. On February 16, 2016, an officer arrested McDarious Woods, 49, of Columbus, Ga., around 10 a.m. on that Friday. During the investigation, the officer discovered that Woods was wanted…

The Coffee Trojans scored in every inning except one Saturday afternoon on their way to a run-rule win over the Christian Heritage Lions of Dalton. The Trojans are now 6-0 on the season. Coffee plated two in the first, three in the second, two in the third, and three in the fifth to finish things off in five innings. The game lasted a little more than an hour. Sophomore Ben Fussell started for Coffee. He gave up two hits, struck out two, and didn’t walk anyone in three innings of work. Junior Connor Stewart threw the last two innings. He…

The Coffee Trojans improved to 5-0 Friday night with a 5-2 win over the Richmond Hill Wildcats at Charles Wilson Field. Junior Michael Strickland (2-0) got the win and went 1-3 with a solo home run (2) in the first inning. Senior catcher Payton Bryant put the Trojans up for good with a two-run home run (1) in the bottom of the fourth. Bryant was 1-3 with a pair of RBI for Coffee. The Wildcats scored two in the top of the first after a Trojan error. Strickland cut the lead in half in the bottom of the frame with…

Is a foot chase considered a low speed pursuit? Either way, that’s exactly what happened on February 16, 2024, when deputies encountered Howell Leroy Minshew, 49, on Highway 32 West. Officers received a tip that Minshew, who had active warrants, was walking on Highway 32 West near a mobile home park. They found Minshew and approached him. When they did, an incident report from the sheriff’s office says that Minshew fled. It didn’t long for deputies to catch Minshew and place him under arrest. During the arrest, officers found suspected methamphetamine, two glass pipes, and a digital scale. The substance…

Valentine’s Day wasn’t a particularly happy occasion for two individuals allegedly involved in the illegal drug business. According to a report from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, detectives arrested Matthew Corey Zanders, 32, of Douglas, and Carla Marie Mullinix, 32, of Manning, South Carolina, on illegal drug charges following a brief investigation in the Oak Park community. The report states that Mullinix attempted to hide a quantity of methamphetamine in her vagina to avoid arrest. Officers from the drug unit were observing several different drug distribution locations at Oak Park when they saw Zanders traveling south on Highway 221. Officers…

On February 15, 2024, based on videos circulating social media depicting a male subject beating and slamming a dog to the ground, a deputy from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office arrested John Lee Jr., 22, of Baxley, on animal cruelty charges. The incident report from the sheriff’s office describes the videos (one of which is posted below) then outlines the details of Lee’s arrests. After watching the videos, a deputy went to the home at 650 Leon Sapp Road in Douglas, which is where the incidents occurred. The report says the incident occurred over a year ago and Lee has…

On Wednesday, February 7, 2024, a Douglas woman was arrested and charged with animal cruelty after a horse was found on her property unable to walk with barbed wire around its back leg. A report from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office states that a deputy received a call that a horse was on a piece of property on Ben Carver Road lying on its side with barbed wire on its back leg. The owner was not at home at the time. The deputy found the horse lying on its side. The report says that the horse was weak and had…

At the February meeting of the Coffee County Board of Commissioners, the commission approved a rezoning request for an area on Iron Road. Tyrone Jordan brought the request to the commission and asked to rezone 5.01 acres at 1264 Iron Road from R2, Residential to RM, Residential Mixed. Jordan would like to put duplexes or quadraplexes on the property. Commissioners had held the first reading in January and came back in February for the second reading and public hearing. The Planning Commission and county staff agreed with the request. There had been no opposition to the request as it worked…

State Court Judge Katy Paulk is seeking election for State Court Judge seat. Gov. Brian Kemp appointed her State Court Judge last year to fill the unexpired term of retiring Judge Robert Preston, who had served in the position since 2004. Here is Judge Paulk’s election announcement: “Judge Katy Peters Paulk is excited to formally announce her campaign to “Keep Judge Katy” State Court Judge of Coffee County. Katy was humbled when Governor Kemp, other elected officials, and so many supporters in this community gave her the opportunity to take the place of the Honorable Robert Preston as…

A Coffee County Drug Unit officer stopped a vehicle for having a severely cracked windshield and ended up arresting a passenger on methamphetamine charges. According to a report from the sheriff’s office, the stop happened around 1:30 p.m. on Friday, February 9, 2024. The officer was patrolling RS Brigmond Road and Clyde Rollins Road when he noticed the cracked windshield on a black Ford Ranger. The driver was identified as Thomas Irving Jackson. During the stop, the officer noticed that a passenger, Valerie Michelle Lammers, 52, of Douglas, was acting suspiciously. The officer knew Lammers from a previous…