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Commencement for Coffee High School and Wiregrass Regional College & Career Academy will be held Saturday May 22, 2021 8:30 AM at Dan A. Jardine Stadium. The stadium will be open for seating at 7:00 AM. The graduates’ procession will begin at approximately 8:15 AM. Tickets are not required for stadium entrance. However, graduates will be given 4 special rain day tickets for gym entrance in case of inclement weather. Seating for invited guests is available on both the home side and visitor sides of the stadium. A handicap area will be provided on the home side only. Handicap…

Commencement for Coffee High School and Wiregrass Regional College & Career Academy will be held Saturday May 22, 2021 8:30 AM at Dan A. Jardine Stadium. The stadium will be open for seating at 7:00 AM. The graduates’ procession will begin at approximately 8:15 AM. Tickets are not required for stadium entrance. However, graduates will be given 4 special rain day tickets for gym entrance in case of inclement weather. Seating for invited guests is available on both the home side and visitor sides of the stadium. A handicap area will be provided on the home side only. Handicap…

Kevin Tatum, County Extension Coordinator With the school’s summer break quickly approaching, our 4-H summer programs will soon begin. We will kick off the summer break with our Junior/Senior District Project Achievement competition at Rock Eagle 4-H Center on May 31-June 1. Twenty-five 4-H members submitted portfolios on their project work and are getting presentations ready for the contest. We will also have our 4-H summer camp for Cloverleaf 4-H members (grades 4-6) at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center the week of June 7-10. Because of COVID, we will have a modified schedule at camp. However, our 4-H…

Six Trojans qualified for the state track meet and set two new school records during Sectionals on May 8 at Union Grove High School. Ja’Maria Harvey will compete in the 400 meter dash running a time of 58.42. This is a new school record, just edging out Sammieya Smith’s record of 58.81 in 2016 at the Sectionals meet on April 30, 2016. Also setting new school records in the 4X800 meter were relay Carter Young, Olan Dickson, Garrett Mancil and Hunter Milhollin with 9 minutes and 5.60 seconds. Earnest Edwards had a great day improving his personal performance…

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the first completed Waycross Judicial Circuit jury trial in over 14 months was finished today. Samuel Jones was convicted by a Coffee County jury for the murder of Terrance Gibson, one count of influencing witnesses, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon during the commission of a crime. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Ian Sansot and Jacob Kirkland with Judge Kelly Brooks presiding over the trial. The evidence showed that Jones, originally from Miami and a member of the Gangster Disciples, murdered Gibson by shooting him…

Wiregrass’s 2021 Rick Perkins winner, Cherlyn Sands-Anderson, Adult Education Instructor, was named one of the top nine finalists in the Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year in a virtual Facebook live by Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) Commissioner Greg Dozier. Sands-Anderson was one of 22 instructors named as a finalist from across the state of Georgia’s Technical Colleges. She was named Wiregrass’ Rick Perkins Winner in April. Each college winner competed in the regional interviews in April to determine who would be the three to represent each region. After being named one of the state finalists Sands-Anderson,…

You have the opportunity to decide HOW and WHERE your tax dollars are spent! Through the Georgia HEART rural tax credit program – the only tax credit program of its kind in the nation – you can redirect your state income taxes to our hospital. By using tax dollars that you must pay anyway, you will improve access to health outcomes and generate positive economic impacts for our community. On May 17 at 9:00 am, Georgia HEART will begin accepting 2021 pre-applications for unlimited contribution amounts. HEART will submit these applications to the Georgia Department of Revenue beginning at…

Coffee County drug detectives charged two individuals – during unrelated incidents – with methamphetamine possession last week following stops initiated by Georgia Department of Natural Resources officers. Around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, Coffee County drug agents were contacted by E-911 dispatchers in reference to DNR officials locating suspected methamphetamine during a vessel stop. DNR officials relayed that a passenger in the vessel, identified as James Elliot, appeared to be under the influence and that a clear container of suspected methamphetamine had been located. Elliot was subsequently transported to the Coffee County Jail and admitted to detectives…

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has awarded $1,788,761.00 in grant funds to the City of Douglas through the Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) Program. The CDBG-MIT funds will be used to for street and drainage improvements on West Jefferson Street, Fleetwood Circle, and Sears Street. “We are thrilled to receive the funds from the CDBG-MIT program,” says Mayor Tony Paulk. “These funds will assist with much needed street and drainage improvements in Douglas.” Coffee County was among 15 Georgia counties that were eligible for this funding. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)…

During the last week of April 2021, the Douglas Police Department, City Marshal’s office, and Douglas Municipal Court were evaluated by a Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) during their FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) audit. All law enforcement offices satisfactorily passed the audit. “We are pleased to be in compliance with the audit,” says Douglas Police Chief Edmisten. “Compliance confirms our training is current and our records are up to date and within the standards set by the FBI.” Areas that were audited included system administration, agency personnel security, personnel security/management control, personnel security with vendors, training,…