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Mrs. Kimberly Jean Tharp, 51 of Nicholls, GA passed away on Friday September 11, 2020. She is the daughter of the late Rossel Britten and Nelly Schooley. Mrs. Tharp is survived by her daughters Tanya Yager of Pennsylvania and Amanda Nettles of Douglas, GA; son Geoffery Tharp of Pennsylvania, Donald Hall, and Randy Tharp; grandsons Jace Tharp, Eric Wooten, Alex Yager and Bonnie Christin Hill; granddaughter Alexus Wooten; brothers Joe Eddy and Jim Eddy; sisters Margaret Kiger and Donna Arthur; and several nieces and nephews also survive. Mrs. Tharp is preceded in death by her brother, Wayne Eddy. …

Mrs. Nikki Lee Hutchinson, age 77 of Axson, Ga., passed away Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at Coffee Regional Medical Center in Douglas, Ga.. Survivors include: Daughters: Laurie Todd of Lakeland, Ga. Teresa Taft and husband John of Axson, Ga. Glenda Lang and husband Barry of Pearson, Ga. Janet White of Axson, Ga. Debbie Cox and husband Newton of Axson, Ga. Son: Glenn White of Santa Clarita, Ca. Brother: John Pearson of Tampa, Fl. Grandchildren: Ryan Taft and wife Nicole of Douglas, Ga. Johnathan Sturgis of…

Mr. John G. “Buck” Newbern., age 86 of Pearson, Ga., passed away Thursday, September 3, 2020 at his home in Pearson following an extended illness. Survivors include: Sister: Marlene Sears of Riegelwood, N.C. Brother: Don Newbern of Donaldsonville, Ga. Several nieces, nephews, and other relatives also survive. Graveside funeral services for Mr. Newbern will be held Sunday, September 6, 2020 at 2:00 P.M. at Antioch Cemetery with Rev. Jerry Worzella officiating. The interment will follow in the Antioch Cemetery. Relihan Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

John Hardy Lee, age 57, of Nicholls, Georgia passed away on Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Jacksonville, Florida. Mr. Lee was born on March 25, 1963 in Alma, Georgia the son of Rev. Joseph W. Lee and Linda H. Lee. Mr. Lee worked as an industrial mechanic with Clayton Homes and was of the Baptist faith. Survivors include his son, John Hardy “Jet” Lee Jr. of Sarasota, FL; parents, Rev. Joseph W. and Linda Lee of Nicholls, GA; brother, Joseph Wayne Lee II (Angela) of Savannah, GA; sister, Darlene Fesperman (Terry) of Nicholls, GA; several…

Come meet Dylan Ross and see his original work on Thursday, September 17, 2020 in Fitzgerald. Dylan Ross is a multi-disciplined visual artist from Douglas. Over the past decade, his work has been featured on CNN and ESPN and is collected by numerous celebrities and athletes ranging from Dennis Rodman to Jerry Rice. Dylan has had solo shows in New York and Miami as well as group showings in England and Germany. In addition to studio artwork, Dylan specializes in creating large-scale public artwork. A current partnership with NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young will see Dylan creating murals…

By Kevin Tatum, County Extension Coordinator I want to encourage you to come out to the Billy Walker Livestock Arena and support the youth involved in the Coffee County Market Goat and Lamb Show on Saturday, September 26, which will start at 9:30 AM. Please remember to follow social distancing and wear your face masks. Exhibitors registered in this year’s show include Dyllan Adams, Heidi Chancey, Avelyn Dockery, Hayden Gay, Hollyn Gay, Kyleigh Gay, McKenzie Gay, Jake Harrell, Emma Hutto, Mack Lott, Maggie McIver, Makenzie McIver, Landon Stewart, Nora Taylor White, Reid White, Blakely Williams, and Pate Williams. Remember,…

Each year, the Satilla Riverkeeper gathers volunteers at sites up and down the Satilla River to do a clean sweep. Last year, 130 volunteers cleaned up eleven sites in the Satilla River watershed. This year things are a little different. “We are encouraging volunteers to gather on their own in small groups, and spend some time picking up trash anywhere in the Satilla River watershed,” Satilla Riverkeeper, Laura Early said. Clean up day is slated for Sept. 19, 2020. Picking up trash at a favorite river spot, park, or even the streets in one’s own neighborhood makes a difference.…

Emory Healthcare (EHC) and Coffee Regional Medical Center (CRMC) in Douglas, Georgia, have strengthened their relationship by advancing CRMC as a quality collaborative member hospital in the Emory Healthcare Affiliate Network (EHAN). The organizations will also develop new clinical programs at CRMC with Emory’s consultation and support, starting with a new bariatric program. Through the EHAN, Emory extends coordinated access to its highly specialized hospitals and ambulatory clinics. EHAN also offers educational opportunities to affiliate staff and providers and advances care capabilities in the affiliates’ communities through program development. Additionally, CRMC’s quality programming and educational training will be aligned…

Kristian Kirkland, Public Health Nurse with the Coffee County Health Department, was one of five students awarded a scholarship from Share Health Southeast Georgia. The scholarships awarded were offered to traditional and nontraditional students within the region who are pursuing degrees in healthcare. Since 2016, Share Health Southeast Georgia has been able to support 21 healthcare students in their educational pursuits in 11 southeast Georgia counties. New to the Southeast Health District, Kristian has quickly learned what public health truly entails. When asked why he was drawn to a career in public health, Kristian shared that he was drawn…

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College and Wild Adventures are partnering to provide an apprenticeship opportunity for Wild Adventures employees receiving training through Wiregrass’ Economic Development. The apprenticeship program is a method of training individuals in a trade using a combination of on-the-job skills development and classroom/lab related instruction. John Hall, Chris Longstreet, and Micheal Torres are part of the custom-designed maintenance technician apprenticeship program at Wiregrass and Wild Adventures is providing positions as Industrial Maintenance Mechanics. This custom program was possible thanks to an American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI) Grant that allows technical colleges like Wiregrass to train workers in field. …