Lawrence Dewayne Merritt, of Broxton, GA, passed away suddenly on Saturday, March 29th, 2025. He was born on January 6th, 1956 the son of Mr. Vernon and Mrs. Jessie Lee Hinson Merritt. His survivors include: his beloved wife; Wanda Merritt of Broxton, GA, three sons; Jason (Pamela) Merritt of Ambrose, GA, Daniel (April) Merritt of Broxton, GA, and Ben (Wendi) Merritt of Athens, GA, one daughter; Candice (Jason) Hester of Broxton, GA, four grandchildren; Grady Hester, Emily Hester, Shelby Hester, and Dustin Merritt, one brother; Roy (Lisa) Merritt of Broxton, GA, along with several nieces and nephews. He was preceded…
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Today, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed the Department of Justice to dismiss its claims in In Re Georgia Senate Bill 202, a Biden-era lawsuit that falsely accused Georgia of intentionally suppressing Black voters’ votes. “Contrary to the Biden Administration’s false claims of suppression, Black voter turnout actually increased under SB 202,” said Bondi. “Georgians deserve secure elections, not fabricated claims of false voter suppression meant to divide us. Americans can be confident that this Department of Justice will protect their vote and never play politics with election integrity.” The Biden administration fabricated an untrue narrative following the passage of Senate Bill…
Margaret Jane Rowell Lankford, age 80, of Broxton, GA, passed away on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at her residence following an extended illness. Ms. Lankford was born on November 28, 1944 in Irwin County, GA, to the late Thomas Rowell and Lillie Goff Rowell. Survivors include: two daughters; Samantha Ann Lankford of Broxton, GA, Amanda Caroline (Ottie) Lankford of Broxton, GA, three grandchildren; David Scott Woods (Colleen) of Broxton, GA, Lauren Elizabeth Mercer (Nik) of Broxton, GA, Alaina Marie Lankford of Broxton, GA, one brother; Charles Rowell (Denise). Ms. Lankford was preceded in death by her beloved husband; Carlos Lankford,…
The Coffee High Trojans traveled to Valdosta High School to participate in the Hiram Johnson Underclassmen Invitational on March 26. Valdosta High School was the host site for this meet due to the facility renovations to the Lowndes County High School track. The meet is named for a former Coffee County resident who graduated from George Washington Carver High School in Douglas. Coach Johnson has retired from the Lowndes County School System and has established a dominant track program through his years of service. The Lady Trojans placed second in the meet with 152.50 points trailing Lowndes County Lady Vikings…
The City of Douglas and GFL Environmental will offer two free residential Junk Drop-Off Days in April to help citizens in Douglas rid properties of excess trash and large items. Junk Drop dates in April will be on Saturday, April 5, and Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Shirley Avenue (corner of Shirley Ave. and College Park Dr.) from 8:30 am to 11:45 am. Citizens must be in the drop-off line prior to 11:30 am. The remaining drop-off dates for 2025 are as follows: May 3 & 17, June 7 & 21, July 19, August 2 & 16, September 20, October 4…
The Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce proudly hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony in honor of the grand opening of Pettiford Tax Services on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. This marks the third location for Pettiford Tax Services, owned by the experienced and dedicated Lindsey Pettiford. With a deep passion for her work and a commitment to excellence, Lindsey is excited to bring her trusted tax services to Douglas and Coffee County. The vibrant celebration commenced with opening remarks from Chelsea Preston Graham of the Chamber of Commerce. Following the warm welcome, Pastor Frank Bussey of The Empowerment Center International Ministries delivered…
On March 17, 2025, the Douglas Mayor’s Youth Council (DMYC) conducted its monthly meeting. Junior Mayor Destiny Henderson led the meeting and recognized Coffee High School Girls’ basketball coach Tasha Kellogg as the outstanding Community Spotlight for March. Coffee Board of Education Assistant Superintendent Lee Mobley opened the meeting with a special prayer. The special guest speaker was Kayli Herrin, the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) victim advocate at Satilla Advocacy Services. The Youth Council honored the Coffee High School Lady Trojans basketball team, who are the 2025 Region 2-5A girls basketball champions. The team achieved an impressive record…
R.W. Griffin owner and CEO Ralph Evans was inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame on March 21 at the 69th University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) Alumni Association Awards and Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame Ceremony at The Classic Center in Athens. Evans is a business and peanut industry leader whose family has been serving the agricultural community since 1922. Since taking over R.W. Griffin Feed, Seed and Fertilizer in 1977, Ralph Evans has expanded it from a single location to a conglomerate of 42 companies. Ralph Evans has played a significant role in advancing agriculture…
On Saturday, March 15, 2025, a group of volunteers from Keep Douglas Beautiful, the Mayor’s Youth Council, Teen Court, and PCC Airfoils joined forces to help residents clear away large, unwanted items from their properties across Douglas in nine different locations. This Clear Your Clutter event kicked off a series of workdays planned for 2025 as part of Keep Douglas Beautiful’s commitment to enhancing the community. With more events lined up for the spring and fall, now is the perfect time to get involved and make a difference in keeping Douglas beautiful. A special thank you goes to PCC Airfoils,…
As Coffee County continues to recover from Hurricane Helene, many residents may be considering home repairs, renovations, or building new homes. Before hiring someone for these tasks, homeowners should understand the difference between a handyman and a contractor. The State of Georgia Secretary of State has a State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors (see O.C.G.A. Sections 43-41-1 through 43-41-17). In July 2008, the enforcement of the standards and licensing requirements was established. Some specialty occupations, such as roofers, painters, drywall contractors, and repair handymen, are exempt and do not have to be licensed by the state. The scope…