Author: Staff Reports

Jarmall “Chris Rock” Jackson is in the Coffee County Jail on simple battery and criminal trespass charges stemming from an incident that took place on July 25. At the time of his arrest, Jackson had an active aggravated assault warrant as well. The July 25 incident took place on North Pearl Avenue. According to an incident report from the Douglas Police Department, the initial call came in just before 9 a.m. and was in reference to someone making threats. Before the responding officer arrived, another officer told him that the person who allegedly made the threats was Jackson,…

A Douglas man survived a gunshot wound to the head from a high-powered rifle on July 31. A couple of days later, a person of interest in the shooting was arrested and jailed on traffic violations after he was also a target of a shooting, this time in the county. The 911 call initially came in as a vehicle v. light pole accident on Spooner Road near Irma Avenue. There was also a second call about possible gunshots near Spooner Road and Spooner Court. According to a report from the Douglas Police Department, an officer responded…

Thursday morning, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of GBI agents, busted an alleged drug trafficking ring operating out of Adel and arrested 18 individuals. One, 54-year-old Joe Smith, was from Atkinson County. The FBI arrested 18 of 21 individuals that had been named in a recently unsealed federal indictment. The defendants were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances as well as additional charges for each defendant, including two charges for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Here are those who were arrested:…

Thursday night, another candidate entered the 2024 sheriff’s race. Kenneth Merritt, a local business owner, has announced that he plans to run for sheriff. On Thursday night, Merritt released a lengthy statement via Facebook. Here is his announcement: “Today marks a new chapter in the journey of our community as I proudly announce my candidacy for Sheriff of Coffee County. I am a man who is committed to our safety and well-being as a community, and I have been for decades. It is with great honor and excitement that I introduce myself, a devoted family man,…

State Sen. Colton Moore (SD 53) has called for an emergency session of the state legislature to review the actions of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Earlier this week, Willis, whose office had conducted a two-year investigation into alleged attempts of former President Donald Trump and his allies to change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, announced the indictments of 18 individuals. Among those indicted were Trump, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Coffee County elections supervisor Misty Hampton, and former chair of the Coffee County Republican Party Cathy Latham. Sen. Moore sent a…

Today, ALDI and Fresco Retail Group LLC agreed to purchase Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), the parent company of Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarkets, and Winn-Dixie. That transaction is going to have far-reaching effects in Douglas. Because of the purchase, ALDI, which had planned to build a store on the property directly south of Tractor Supply, will not be building in Douglas. The two Harveys, which had they remained under SEG, were transitioning to Winn-Dixie stores, will remain open. However, it remains unclear under which badge they will operate. They could remain Harveys, become Winn-Dixie stores as planned, or operate as…

Former Coffee County elections supervisor Misty Hampton and former chair of the Coffee County Republican Party Cathy Latham have been indicted in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s investigation into former President Donald Trump’s alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Additionally, Trump has also been indicted — his fourth indictment this year. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported that those who have been indicted, in addition to Trump, Hampton, and Latham, include a host of others. Among them are former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, one of Trump’s closest advisors; Mark Meadows, former White House Chief…

Kellah Smith, 12, a seventh grader at Coffee Middle School, just staked her claim as one of the best 12-year-old distance runners in the country. At the recent AAU Junior Olympic Games at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Kellah finished on the podium in the 3000 meters (1.86 miles) and narrowly missed the podium in the 1500 meters (.93 miles or sometimes called the metric mile). Kellah turned in an 11:18.06 in the 3000 meters, fast enough for a fourth place finish in her age group. In the 1500 meters, she came in ninth with…

Officers from the Douglas Police Department have made an arrest in connection with a non-fatal shooting that took place on Monday, August 7, 2023. On Wednesday, August 9, 2023, officers arrested Shelton Burdette Johnson, 59, of Douglas, for allegedly shooting his brother, Sedrick Dion Johnson, on August 7. The shooting took place at 910 South Madison Avenue — directly behind the Dairy Queen. Officers arrived on scene and spoke with the victim, who advised that a family member had shot him. The victim sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The victim was flown out for further treatment…

On Monday, July 24, officers responded to a residence in response to a 911 call about a possible domestic dispute. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with a witness who claimed they heard 21-year-old Pascual James Guerrero arguing with another individual about some missing money. According to the report, the witness stated that Guerrero then came out of his bedroom yelling and cussing about being accused of taking things that weren’t his. The witness stated that after Guerrero got in the individual’s face and threatened him, he went back to his room and she heard what she believed to…