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Wiregrass Georgia Technical College President DeAnnia Clements is proud to announce that the college’s board of directors received 100% certification for 2020 and 2021. The certificate was presented at the 2021 Technical College Director’s Association of Georgia (TCDA) and Technical College Foundation Association (TCFA) Leadership Conference in Savannah. Being certified means that all members have completed all required training and workshops. Board member Ronnie Dean (Lanier County) received his certification while at the conference. Wiregrass Board of Directors are: Joe Brownlee (Lowndes County), Chase Daughtrey (Cook County), Ronnie Dean (Lanier County), Sue Lane Hughes (Vice-Chair – Coffee County), Andi McWhorter…

Wiregrass Tech Welding and Joining student, Spencer Tomberlin, signed an Apprenticeship agreement with WATCO Mechanical Services of Fitzgerald. “We are excited for this to be the second Apprenticeship with local business and industry here in Fitzgerald,” shared President DeAnnia Clements. “We are looking forward to being able to provide more in the near future.” Spencer is a Registered Apprentice with the U. S. Department of Labor with the help of Nicole West, Wiregrass Executive Director for Departmental Affairs and coordinator for the Apprenticeship program. “We make sure our student apprentices are officially registered with the U.S. Department of Labor…

The City of Douglas will hold a public hearing on November 17, 2021, at 9:30 a.m. at the City of Douglas Community Development Department, 211 S. Gaskin Avenue, Douglas, GA 31533 (location known as the Ashley-Slater House), for the purpose of discussing the approved activities of the City’s Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG#21h-x-034-2-6197). On October 21, 2021, the City of Douglas was awarded a grant in the amount of $636,875 to perform housing rehabilitation to 12 owner-occupied deteriorated housing units. Items to be discussed at the Public Hearing include: • The amount of funds received and a description…

The City of Douglas has two small residential tracts of land located in the city of Douglas for sale. Tract One is located at 608 Lonnie Street and is described as “All that tract or parcel of land situate, lying and being in Land Lot 193, in the 6th Land District of Coffee County, Georgia, .21 acres and being more particularly described as Lot 4, according to that certain plat recorded in the office of the Clerk of Superior Court of Coffee County, Georgia Special Plat Book 5, Page 34.” The second tract of land is labeled as Tract Two…

Two burglary suspects were jailed by Coffee County Sheriff’s Office authorities after being caught in the act. On November 2, the sheriff’s office received a report of an alarm going off at a residence located in Nicholls, Ga. Upon arrival, law enforcement observed the two suspects leaving the residence in a black Ford Fusion. Officers attempted a traffic stop but the suspects fled before wrecking the vehicle in a nearby ditch. They then ran into a wooded area. Both suspects, identified later as Kendall Sanders and Benjamin West, were captured a short time later and transported to…

Gladys O’Steen Johnson, a resident of New Smyrna Beach, Fla., since 1967 and, before that, a resident of Mora, passed away on Sunday, November 7, 2021, following a brief illness. She was 93 years old. Gladys was born to Hoke and Bertha (Griner) Osteen on February 1, 1928. When Gladys’ mother passed away at a young age, Gladys and her sister Allowee were sent to live with her grandparents in the small town of Mora, Georgia. Gladys’ grandfather worked for the railroad and Gladys enjoyed telling the story of how he stepped out the backdoor of their small home, walked…

Following the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the Southeast Health District will begin offering Pfizer pediatric COVID vaccine to children 5-11 years old on November 8. The pediatric Pfizer COVID vaccine is authorized for children as a 2-dose series taken 3 weeks apart. The dose for children ages 5-11 is one-third of the dosage of the vaccine for adolescents and adults. In clinical trials, vaccination was nearly 91 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 among younger children. Vaccine side effects were mild and temporary. The most…

The South Georgia State College Hawks took advantage of strong shooting and their trademark defensive pressure Saturday afternoon to cruise to a 131-34 victory over Reinhardt University Reserve (RUR). Six SGSC players scored in double figures, led by Carlos Hart’s 17 points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one blocked shot. AJ Spencer had 16 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Turahn Thompson finished with 13 points, four rebounds, four assists, five steals, and one blocked shot. Justin Edmonson (11 points), Nebie Tasfa (10 points), and Zae Wiggins (10 points) rounded out the top scorers. …

The Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Practical Nursing program (LPN) has received program accreditation by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). This program is one of the college’s most popular programs and is offered on the Valdosta, Ben Hill-Irwin, and Coffee Campuses. Students go through a competitive admissions process to enter the two-year program. The program includes both classroom and supervised clinical experiences including patient care. The latest job placement rate for the LPN program is 98.5%. The purpose of ACEN is to provide specialized accreditation for programs of nursing education, both postsecondary and higher degree, which offer…

Norma Lynn Meek, age 76, of Broxton, Georgia passed away on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 surrounded by her family. Mrs. Meek was born on March 31, 1945 in Coffee County, Georgia the daughter of the late Leonard & Lorene Carelock Burch. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Burdine Meek, grandson, Chris Tanner, 3 brothers, Scott Burch, James Burch, Eugene Burch and 1 sister, Jeanette Craft. Mrs. Meek worked as a seamstress, a manager with Quick Change Stores and was of the Baptist faith. Survivors include 3 daughters, Jackie Young (Robert)…