Georgia – and the rest of the nation – stands on the eve of the busiest travel day of the year. More travel means more hazards, more accidents, and law enforcement presence. The 102-hour holiday travel period begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday, November 26, 2025, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 30, 2025. The busiest travel day of those 102 hours is Wednesday, November 26, 2025. There will be a significant increase in traffic on Georgia’s highways on this day. Officers from the Georgia State Patrol and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement will be highly visible during the Thanksgiving week,…
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A Coffee County detective has been terminated then charged with multiple felonies following an alleged domestic incident. According to a press release from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, department personnel were recently made aware of domestic incidents involving one of the CCSO’s detectives. The detective is Shantokeo Rolax, 41, of Douglas. Upon receiving this information, Rolax was immediately suspended. Sheriff Fred Cole then notified agents with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and requested an independent investigation while an internal policy review was conducted. Following that review, Rolax was terminated for allegedly violating agency policy. Based on the investigation, the GBI…
Southeast Georgia CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), a program of Action Pact, is proud to announce the swearing-in of its newest CASA Volunteer, Michelle Perry, who took the official oath of service before the Honorable Marlo A. Ross this week. With this addition, the program continues to grow in both strength and impact—expanding its capacity to advocate for the best interests of children experiencing foster care in Coffee County. “We are thrilled to welcome Michelle to our team,” said Jessica Blackrick, Director of Southeast Georgia CASA. “Every new volunteer means another child has the chance to be heard, supported, and…
On November 6, 2025, representatives from various city and county agencies gathered at the C.E. Weir Center for the quarterly Joint Co-Agencies Meeting. This collaborative forum brings together officials from the City of Douglas, Coffee County Commission, Coffee County Emergency Management, the Board of Education, Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, South Georgia State College, the cities of Ambrose, Nicholls, and Broxton, as well as Coffee Regional Medical Center. The meeting serves as a platform to share updates on upcoming projects and align efforts to achieve goals that benefit the entire community. “We take great pride in being one of the city-county…
Thomas R. McLeroy, age 51, of Douglas, Georgia passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 23, 2025, at Vista Park Health and Rehab in Douglas, GA. He was born on July 7, 1974, in Warner Robins, GA to the late Richard Henry McLeroy and the late Frances Louise McLeroy. His survivors include: one sister, Carol McLeroy of Douglas, GA; one niece, Jennifer Brown of Paul’s Valley, OK; and two nephews, Cadyn Melton and Chandler Melton. He was preceded in death by his father, Richard Henry McLeroy; mother, Frances Louise McLeroy, and nephew, Wyatt Melton. Memorial services will be held on Wednesday,…
Kim Harrell, age 64, of Douglas, Georgia passed away on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at The Orchard at Stone Creek Nursing Home in Hahira, GA. Kim was born on September 2nd, 1961, in Americus, GA to Walter Jerome Highsmith and Carol Brogdon Highsmith. Her survivors include: son, Joshua (Kara) Harrell of Valdosta, GA; daughter, Michelle (Derek) Jenkins of Calhoun, GA; seven grandchildren, Colby Glover, Zackary (Madison) Smith, Ian Harrell, Derek Jenkins, Jr., Adalyn Harrell, Karoline Harrell, and William Harrell; one brother, Tommy Highsmith; two great-grandchildren, Beacklan Smith and Barrett Smith; two aunts, Glenda Williamson and Diane Rosengrant; along with several…
The 61st Annual Festival of Lights Christmas Parade is quickly approaching. There is still time to enter a float in the parade if you would like to help bring the most festive and enchanting spirit to downtown Douglas as the Christmas season kicks off. The theme for this year’s parade is Holiday Movie Magic. The parade takes place on Friday, December 12, 2025, at 7 p.m. The streets of Douglas will be filled with the Christmas spirit. The Chambe of Commerce would like churches, businesses, clubs, groups, non-profits, and everyone else to be part of this magical night. So get…
Members of Coffee High School’s National Honor Society are giving back this Thanksgiving season. Last week, NHS members came together to provide full Thanksgiving meal packages for four families in need within the Coffee County school community. The school system extends sincere appreciation to the NHS members who contributed time, resources, and leadership to make this effort possible. Their dedication to supporting others reflects the highest standards of the CHS chapter and of the National Honor Society as a whole. A huge thank you goes to every student member and staff who donated, organized, and delivered with care. Your kindness…
A Wheeler County baseball player, shotgun team member, and active 4-H’er has turned a simple idea into a remarkable act of community service. Fourteen-year-old Jack Nelson launched a food drive this fall with the goal of providing complete, ready-to-cook meals for local families in need over Thanksgiving break. What started as a mission to assemble 50 “meal-in-a-bag” kits quickly grew far beyond Jack’s expectations. Donations poured in from across the country — from Mississippi to New York to Florida — allowing him to prepare 150 full meal bundles. Each bag includes the ingredients for either chicken-and-cornbread casserole or chicken-and-dumplings, along…
A Georgia Lottery player won $4 million in the Nov. 18 Mega Millions drawing by matching all five white-ball numbers. The ticket was purchased at Sunny Food Mart, 911 N. Irwin Ave. in Ocilla, and had a built-in 4X multiplier, quadrupling the prize from $1 million to $4 million. This major win comes on the heels of a player winning the $980 million Mega Millions jackpot over the weekend, marking the largest lottery winner in Georgia history. The next Mega Millions drawing will be Nov. 21 with a jackpot of $60 million. Another player hit the jackpot for $258,913 in the…