On March 24, 2026, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office turned up the spin cycle on a pair of suspected shoplifters following a calculated retail theft at a Dollar General on Highway 158 East. With assistance from the public and a little investigative work, the suspects were identified as 40-year-old Tawanda Tucker and 44-year-old Amanda Nelson. According to investigators, the duo attempted to pull off what they likely thought was a spotless plan. Nelson reportedly kept the store clerk tied up in conversation, while Tucker went aisle to aisle loading a shopping cart with merchandise, including laundry detergent, air fresheners, and…
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Between March 17 and March 22, 2026, multiple traffic stops conducted by the Douglas Police Department and the Douglas-Coffee Drug Unit resulted in several arrests and the seizure of illegal narcotics and firearms. On March 17, 2026, officers with the Douglas Police Department conducted a traffic stop in the area of North Madison Avenue and East Jackson Street. During the stop, Brandy Sweat was found to be in possession of methamphetamine. The Douglas-Coffee Drug Unit was notified and assumed the investigation. Later that same day, the D.I.C.E. Unit conducted a traffic stop on Georgia Highway 32 West. The stop led…
Coffee Regional Medical Center (CRMC) is proud to announce that all five positions in its inaugural Internal Medicine Residency Program have been filled for the program’s first class, which will begin training in July 2026. The announcement follows the nationwide residency Match Day, the annual event when graduating medical students learn where they will complete their residency training. CRMC successfully filled all five available positions through the National Resident Matching Program, marking an exciting milestone for the hospital’s first graduate medical education program. The launch of the residency program represents a significant step forward for CRMC and reflects the organization’s…
The GBI has arrested and charged Woodrow “Peewee” Wilson Burkhalter, age 55, of Coffee County, with 28 counts of Theft by Taking and 28 counts of Theft by Conversion. The GBI also arrested and charged Burkhalter’s wife, Angela Denise Burkhalter, age 53, of Coffee County, with one count of Party to the Crime of Theft by Taking and one count of Party to the Crime of Theft by Conversion. On January 9, 2026, the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office requested the GBI to investigate allegations that Woodrow Burkhalter misappropriated funds from the Atkinson County Christmas Fund. This charitable fund was intended…
On Saturday, March 7, 2026, volunteers from Keep Douglas Beautiful and PCC Airfoils came together for the annual Clear Your Clutter event, helping residents remove large, unwanted items from their properties. As part of the organization’s yearly work plan, this event kicked off the first of several scheduled workdays for 2026. Volunteers split into two teams and made a great impact across the community. One group visited households approved for pickup service and gathered enough discarded items to fill two full trailer loads. They removed old refrigerators, couches, vacuums, and a variety of other household items, providing meaningful support to…
Evylyn Tarrance, born November 20, 1946, the daughter of the late Mr. Ivy Touchton, and the late Mrs. Lula Kirkland Tarrance. She was a homemaker, who enjoyed being around people, crocheting, and word search books. She attended both West Green Baptist Church and West Green Church of God. She has spent the last twenty-six years in the care of her loving niece and her husband and daughter. Her survivors include: her niece, Donna (Bruce) Deen of West Green, GA; great niece, Hannah (Zach) Tribble of West Green, GA; great-great nephew, Braydon Tribble of West Green, GA; one sister, Ivylyn Townsend…
Mr. Garland Murry Whiddon, age 67, of Douglas, Georgia, passed away from a sudden illness on Sunday morning, March 22, 2026, at his residence. Garland was born August 18, 1958, in Ashburn, Georgia, to the late Preston Lamar Whiddon and the late Mary Frances Wise Whiddon. He was a dedicated employee of R. W. Griffin in Douglas, Georgia, for many years, and he attended Morningside Baptist Church. Garland enjoyed hunting and fishing, but his greatest joy came from time spent with his family and loving on his grandchildren. Along with his parents, Garland was preceded in death by his sister-in-law,…
Ida Jewell, age 81, of Nicholls, GA; passed away peacefully at her residence on Sunday, March 22, 2026 following an extended illness. She was born on June, 16, 1944 the daughter of the late Mr. Frank Goodwin and the late Mrs. Vera Mae Emery Goodwin. Her survivors include: two sons, Bob Jerome Jewell of Douglas, GA and Keith Loyd (Julie Hawks) Jewell of Douglas, GA; five daughters, Debra (Helaman) Morris of Douglas, GA; Lisa (Wade) Hurst of Norman Park, GA; Pamela Dupree of Douglas, GA; Candace (Johnny) Amerson of Douglas, GA and Chanda Jewell Wooten of Douglas, GA; twenty grandchildren,…
Keep Douglas Beautiful has received the prestigious 2025 Governor’s Circle Award for Outstanding Community Beautification and Environmental Sustainability Achievements. The Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation (KGBF) presented the award for exemplary performance in litter reduction, waste minimization, and community greening. To qualify for the Governor’s Circle Award, affiliates must be certified and in good standing with Keep America Beautiful (KAB), the national nonprofit that oversees state and local programming. Additionally, the affiliate must be an active member of the KGBF network. Certified KAB affiliates must effect meaningful, positive, and lasting change by directly addressing community needs in litter prevention, recycling, waste…
By MIKE BUHLER HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Walters State Community College men’s basketball team used hot shooting and a big edge on the boards to defeat the South Georgia State Hawks 93-84 in the first round of the NJCAA Tournament on Sunday afternoon at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. The 10th-seeded Senators improved to 31-1 on the season by blistering the nets at a 60 percent clip on Sunday (33-for-55), including a 17-for-27 performance (63 percent) after halftime, and also owned a 42-25 edge on the boards. Walters State also used a trio of big runs to take the win on…