Author: Submitted

A Chatham County man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to robbing mailbox keys from a U.S. Postal Service employee. Andre Rasheed Barnes, 24, of Garden City, Ga., was sentenced to 20 months in prison after pleading guilty to Robbery of Money, Mail, or Other Property of the United States, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Barnes to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. …

The City of Douglas is undergoing a website redesign for its website, www.cityofdouglasga.gov. The redesign of the City of Douglas website will be launched on November 9, 2023 from 11am-12pm. Customers may not be able to access the website for the hour while the redesign is taking place. “Our current website design is outdated and we wanted to create a website that fosters more engagement from our citizens,” says Georgia Henderson, Community Development Director. “The new website redesign will enhance the City of Douglas brand, create more engagement with our citizens, and have a more modern, functional feel.”…

On October 17, 2023, the Douglas Mayor’s Youth Council (DMYC) met in the Commission Chambers at City Hall for its regular meeting. Jr. Commissioner Zipporiah Wilcox was recognized as the Outstanding Jr. Commissioner and Ms. Trina Goolsby was recognized as the Outstanding Community Leader for the month of October. Ms. Terry Cook and Mayor Paulk were the special speakers for the meeting. Zipporiah Wilcox, a first-year member of the Youth Council, was selected for the Youth Council Spotlight. Zipporiah is the the daughter to Maurice and Marie Wilcox. She is a Coffee High School student in the 10th…

Georgia’s leading water protection coalition has released its Clean 13 report for 2023. The report highlights individuals, businesses, industries, non-profit organizations and governmental agencies whose extraordinary efforts have led to cleaner rivers, stronger communities and a more sustainable future for Georgians. “In the past several years Georgia has seen all manner of threats to the state’s water resources—from the most expensive shipwreck recovery in U.S. history to a proposed heavy mineral sands mine that is expected to harm the Okefenokee Swamp,” said Jesse Demonbreun-Chapman, executive director with the Rome-based Coosa River Basin Initiative. “The entities recognized in this…

The City of Sylvester’s leadership team was recognized for completion of the Edge Development Certification Program at the recently concluded ECG Economic Development Summit. Over the last year, the community leadership group completed a six-month training program followed by a six-month strategic planning session to create an implementation strategy with measurable project-based directives. “The City of Sylvester, along with its many dedicated leaders, has invested significant time and effort into this program, and their success is commendable,” Daryl Ingram, ECG Sr. VP and Chief External Officer, said. “We extend our heartfelt congratulations to each participant for their unwavering…

The GBI is investigating a death that happened at The Pier Bar in Remerton, GA. On Sunday, October 29, 2023, at about 2:40 a.m., the Remerton Police Department requested the GBI to investigate. The victim has been identified as 21-year-old Brianna Long. Long was a bartender at The Pier. She and other employees were closing the bar down after it had closed to patrons about 2:00 a.m. At about 2:30 a.m, there was a shooting outside the bar and Long was hit as she was finishing her work with another co-worker. Long was taken to South Georgia Medical…

Ryan Hogan has been selected as the Vice President of Enrollment Management, Marketing, and Communications at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Hogan is currently serving as the Senior Business Development Strategist at Spark451, an enrollment marketing company for higher education. He has 24 years of experience in the field with 22 of those years spent working at Valdosta State University. “I believe Ryan will do a tremendous job for ABAC,” Dr. Tracy Brundage, President of ABAC, said. “I expect him to continue the momentum resulting from the enrollment increase we worked so hard for this fall semester.”…

Brenda Hooper of Lowndes County has been chosen to represent Wiregrass Georgia Technical College as the 2024 annual Dinah Culbreath Wayne Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education (EAGLE) Student of the Year. EAGLE is a statewide program that recognizes and rewards excellence among students enrolled in adult education programs. The award was announced on October 26 at a reception sponsored by the Valdosta Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce and First Federal Savings and Loan of Valdosta. This was the 27th annual event to honor an adult education student from Wiregrass Georgia Technical College. Valdosta Mayor Scott Matheson and Vice Chairman…

The City of Douglas and Coffee County are honored to announce that Coffee County has been selected as regional site for the 2023 Veterans Day Commemoration Activities by the Veterans Day National Committee of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This year, Veterans Day ceremonies recognized by VA will be held in 66 communities throughout 34 states and the District of Columbia to honor the Nation’s Veterans. Coffee County is one of only five selected sites in Georgia. Each year, the Veterans Day National Committee—comprised of representatives from nearly 50 organizations dedicated to serving and supporting America’s Veterans—hosts the…

The Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce was filled with excitement and joy on the morning of Thursday, October 26, as they hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to honor the remarkable journey of Rosa’s Rustic Charms Antiques. Owned and operated by the proud Douglas natives Rosa and Ricky Moore, Rosa’s Rustic Charms Antiques marked its fifth anniversary this October, and the local community came together to celebrate this family and their proud milestone. Chelsea Preston, the Member Relations Director for the Chamber, kicked off the event by extending a warm welcome to all attendees. She then passed…