Author: Submitted

Mr. Bobby Rowland, age 70 of Douglas, passed away late Thursday evening, August 20, 2020 at Coffee Regional Medical Center following a short illness. Mr. Rowland was born November 15, 1949 to the late V. Horace Rowland and the late Evelyn Bullard Rowland. Other than his parents, he was preceded in death by his grandmother, Elmira Rowland; and siblings Billy Rowland, Bennie Rowland, Burnell McNatt and Barbara Truell. Mr. Rowland, a native of Coffee County, was self-employed as a truck driver. He attended Douglas Christian Fellowship Church. Survivors include his wife, Mary Baker Rowland of Douglas, GA; step-children Cherry Callahan…

Barbara Kight Rish, age 72, of Broxton, Georgia passed away on Thursday, August 20, 2020, at Memorial Satilla Health. in Waycross, GA. Mrs. Rish was born on August 30, 1947, in Douglas to Edward Kight and Mildred Ricketson Kight. Mrs. Rish was a member of the Broxton Baptist Church where she served as pianist. She was also employed by SunTrust Bank and Douglas National Bank as a bank teller for many years. Survivors include: Husband, Herbert Wayne Rish, Sr. of Broxton, GA; son, Wayne Rish, Jr. of Broxton, GA; grandchildren Jordon Rish, Jessie Rish, Jase Rish, Dane Rish,and Joseph Rish; brother, Gerald…

Bernard “Buzz” Watkins, age 69, of Douglas, Georgia passed away on Wednesday, August 19, 2020 at Coffee Regional Medical Center. Mr. Watkins was born on July 28, 1951 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin the son of the late Thomas Watkins and Eileen Newton Watkins. Buzz worked for Elixir Industries as a quality control manager for the past 20 years. He loved woodworking, anything to do with science, his truck, but his greatest joy was rooting for the Green Bay Packers and the Milwaukee Brewers. Mr. Watkins was a veteran of the United States Navy. In addition to his parents,…

Gregory Alan “Greg” Chancey, age 63, of Douglas, Georgia, passed away on Tuesday, August 18, 2020 at Coffee Regional Medical Center. Mr. Chancey was born on April 6, 1957 in Ware County, Georgia the son of the late Joseph Levi Chancey and Nadine Adams Chancey. Greg worked in law enforcement for 37 years with Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas Police Department, Broxton Police Department and Irwin County Sheriff’s Office/ICDC. He was a graduate of Coffee County High School Class of 1976, a graduate of ABAC, Tifton, GA, a member of Fraternal Order of Police and Douglas Christian Fellowship Church…

We are pleased to announce, effective immediately, new patient and family visitation guidelines for Coffee Regional Medical Center. Hospital patients, including those in the Emergency Department, will be allowed to have one designated visitor. Obstetrical patients may have up to two visitors and can swap out at the discretion of the charge nurse. Visitors will not be allowed in the COVID Unit. This unit includes COVID-19 positive patients as well as patients under investigation awaiting test results for COVID-19. These patients may be contacted on their personal cellular devices or by calling their room directly. Procedures remain in place to…

Hurst & Hurst CPAs, a leader of small business support and tax services in South Georgia, is pleased to announce that Will Reaves has joined the firm as a Staff Accountant. Will comes to Hurst & Hurst from Community Bank of Fitzgerald. He brings experience in credit analysis, cash management, and several other facets of banking. Will is going to assist in coordinating accounting activities, including payroll and general ledger application. Will is scheduled to graduate from Georgia Southwestern State University in December. He will be obtaining a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accountancy. Upon graduation, Will…

Prioritizing the health and wellbeing of youth participants, the Douglas-Coffee County Parks and Recreation Department (DCCPRD) has made the decision to cancel the fall football, soccer, and cheerleading season. The continued effects of the coronavirus pandemic and COVID-19 safety guidelines contributed to this cautious decision to protect the health and well-being of participants, parents, officials, coaches, and staff. “Canceling the fall season was certainly a difficult decision to be made,” said Stevie Young, Director of DCCPRD. However, health and safety are our highest priorities, and this decision aligns with those priorities.” For those who have registered for football, cheerleading…

Three student-athletes from the South Georgia State College’s (SGSC) men’s basketball program have been named 2020 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholars by “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education” magazine. Russell Baker of San Antonio, Texas, Will Ferguson of Yulee, Florida, and Antonio Vendola of Fernandina Beach, Florida, were selected for the honor, which recognizes student-athletes from various National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I schools. These Hawks were chosen for their dedication to their sport and their studies, both of which are impressive achievements. Baker, Ferguson and Vendola also earned All-Academic Awards from the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic…

Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) members who grow Bermudagrass hay are encouraged to enter the 2020 GFB Quality Hay Contest. Hay entered in the contest will be tested at a University of Georgia lab using the Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) Test, which provides an analysis of the nutritional value of the hay. Winners will be determined by the RFQ analysis. The deadline to enter is Oct. 31. Winners will be announced the first week of December. Prizes will be presented to the top five producers. The first-place winner will receive the free use of a Vermeer 604R baler for one…

On August 17, 2020, the Coffee County Drug Unit assisted the Georgia State Patrol with a traffic stop. The GSP stopped Bradley Barton, 26 years old of Douglas, for speeding. The trooper observed Barton throw something out of the window; he was able to collect the evidence, which was a package containing numerous bags of suspected methamphetamine. The package was turned over to the drug unit. The evidence field tested which resulted in a positive result for methamphetamine was weighed on non-certified scale and yielded a weight of 4.7grams. Barton was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent…