Author: Staff Reports

By Stanley Dunlap The Georgia Recorder www.georgiarecorder.com A landmark U.S. Supreme Court case could have significant ripple effects on the government’s ability to protect the nation’s waterways. The court is expected to decide the battle over property rights and environmental regulations in the coming months in a longstanding lawsuit involving the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fining an Idaho couple for not getting a permit before starting to build a home on protected wetlands. The 2007 case could result in further changes to the federal Clean Water Act, which has recently been revised with regulations that environmentalists…

A Jeff Davis County inmate who made a break for freedom on Christmas day is back in custody. At approximately 2:00 p.m. on December 25, 2022, Jay Carroll Fergueron escaped the Jeff Davis County Jail after being held on active warrant through another county. After nearly two weeks on the run, Ware State K9 officers located and arrested Fugueron in Waycross. Officers from the Waycross Police Department arrived to transport Fergueron to the county jail. Fergueron is back in Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office custody and faces new charges for escape and interfering with government property. …

A Jeff Davis County inmate who made a break for freedom on Christmas day is back in custody. At approximately 2:00 p.m. on December 25, 2022, Jay Carroll Fergueron escaped the Jeff Davis County Jail after being held on active warrant through another county. After nearly two weeks on the run, Ware State K9 officers located and arrested Fugueron in Waycross. Officers from the Waycross Police Department arrived to transport Fergueron to the county jail. Fergueron is back in Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office custody and faces new charges for escape and interfering with government property. …

On Wednesday, Gov. Brian Kemp announced that over $234 million would be awarded in grant funds to 28 Georgia counties, including locations in Coffee County, for broadband internet expansion. The release states that the grants will “improve connectivity for communities, households, businesses, and anchor institutions” in areas with “some of the greatest need for high-speed internet access.” “On August 12, 2022, Gov. Kemp announced the creation of the Capital Projects Fund Grant Program, utilizing funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. The Governor’s Office of Planning & Budget and the Georgia Technology Authority worked together to…

On Wednesday, Gov. Brian Kemp announced that over $234 million would be awarded in grant funds to 28 Georgia counties, including locations in Coffee County, for broadband internet expansion. The release states that the grants will “improve connectivity for communities, households, businesses, and anchor institutions” in areas with “some of the greatest need for high-speed internet access.” “On August 12, 2022, Gov. Kemp announced the creation of the Capital Projects Fund Grant Program, utilizing funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. The Governor’s Office of Planning & Budget and the Georgia Technology Authority worked together to…

The Coffee County Drug Unit (CCDU) wrapped up the 2022 calendar year with 229 arrests. Most of those arrests involved violations of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act while other arrests were made for outstanding warrants. The CCDU seized approximately 7.46 pounds or 3,383 grams of suspected methamphetamine/MDMA. The street value for the amount of these substances seized is estimated to be in excess of $33,000, with a valuation of $300/ounce. These substances are psychostimulants that are often sold in grams. Officers seized 1.23 pounds of cocaine, or 557 grams. The CCDU less commonly seizes this substance due…

The Coffee County Drug Unit (CCDU) wrapped up the 2022 calendar year with 229 arrests. Most of those arrests involved violations of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act while other arrests were made for outstanding warrants. The CCDU seized approximately 7.46 pounds or 3,383 grams of suspected methamphetamine/MDMA. The street value for the amount of these substances seized is estimated to be in excess of $33,000, with a valuation of $300/ounce. These substances are psychostimulants that are often sold in grams. Officers seized 1.23 pounds of cocaine, or 557 grams. The CCDU less commonly seizes this substance due…

Responders with the Douglas Air Evac Lifetime 90 are pulling together to help a longtime flight paramedic, Andrew Kersey, and his family after they lost everything in a fire at their Appling County home on Monday morning. The Douglas Air Evac team shared the news on Tuesday and asked for prayers and thoughts for the Kersey family. They also listed a number of items the family needs, including clothes for their two children. The post states, “The greatest needs are clothing and shoes, towels, washcloths, various home goods, and more. The sizes include: men’s 32/30 pants,…

Responders with the Douglas Air Evac Lifetime 90 are pulling together to help a longtime flight paramedic, Andrew Kersey, and his family after they lost everything in a fire at their Appling County home on Monday morning. The Douglas Air Evac team shared the news on Tuesday and asked for prayers and thoughts for the Kersey family. They also listed a number of items the family needs, including clothes for their two children. The post states, “The greatest needs are clothing and shoes, towels, washcloths, various home goods, and more. The sizes include: men’s 32/30 pants,…

State Court Judge Bob Preston has announced his retirement effective Friday, December 23, 2022. Judge Preston, 80, has served on the State Court bench since January 1, 2005. He was elected in 2004. He successfully won re-election in 2008, 2012, and 2016. In 2020, he ran unopposed — the only time in his career that he did not face opposition. “I would like to thank the citizens of Coffee County for entrusting this position to me. During my time on the bench, I have done my very best to handle each case individually and treat those…