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Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend of Florida on September 26, 2024 as a Category 4 Hurricane. It was one of the largest and fastest storms to ever make landfall in the continental United States, measuring around 350 to 420 miles wide, and moving up to 30 miles per hour over land. These factors are part of what made this storm so devastating for the Southeastern US. The USDA Crop Progress report the week prior to Hurricane Helene showed that 68% of Georgia’s cotton crop had open bolls, with only 1% harvested. This made the majority of our…

On Saturday, October 26, 2024, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office executed an eviction notice at Johnson Funeral and Cremation Services, which is managed by Chris Johnson, 39, of Douglas. During the execution of this notice, deputies made a discovery of 18 bodies in various stages of decomposition within the facility. These findings prompted a request of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to step in, resulting in the arrest of Chris Johnson, who has been charged with 17 counts of Abuse of a Dead Body. The investigation remains active and ongoing, with additional charges anticipated as authorities continue to gather evidence…

Michael Jerry “Mike” Atkins, 70, of Brunswick, Georgia, passed away on October 12, 2024. He was born on February 11, 1954, to the late Jerry Atkins and Macel Ayers in Douglas, Georgia, where he remained a resident until 1990. Mike attended Coffee High School and South Georgia College before going on to work for Goodyear Tire and Colonial Life Insurance. In his free time, he was a passionate fisherman, hunter, and motorcycle enthusiast who could often be found riding. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jerry Atkins and Macel Kirby; and his stepfather, Jay Kirby. Mike is survived…

Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson has announced that all of Georgia’s Regional Commissions reported a decrease in September unemployment rates. “This fall, unemployment rates are dropping all across Georgia,” said Commissioner Bruce Thompson. “While some metro areas throughout the state have seen a slight dip in jobs, the overall increase in employment shows that more residents are finding work and contributing to our local economies. I will continue to fight for the resources our citizens need to thrive and ensure that Georgia’s economy remains competitive and the No. 1 place to do business for years to come.” Please see a…

Coffee Regional Medical Center (CRMC) is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Vice President of Physician Practices, Jeffrey Bushong. With many years of experience in the healthcare industry, he brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to this role. Throughout his career, he has held numerous prominent positions, most recently at PYA, where he served from 2019 to 2024. During this time, he worked directly with Coffee Regional Medical Center on several occasions as a consultant, filling the VP vacancy on an interim basis. Before his tenure at PYA, he was an Equity Director at Medic Management Group…

Trick-or-treating in the city limits of Douglas will be different this year. With remnants and debris left from Hurricane Helene, parents should decide whether an area is safe for trick-or-treating prior to venturing into neighborhoods. The City of Douglas urges parents to consider attending the trunk-or-treat events happening in the community. Many churches and businesses are offering trick-or-trunk and other fall activities. The VisitDouglasCoffeeCountyGA Facebook page has a list of Halloween events taking place. “Some neighborhoods that are trick-or-treat favorites are not safe this year due to the debris left by Hurricane Helene,” says Mayor Tony Paulk. “When deciding where…

After Georgians apply for disaster assistance for Tropical Storm Debby, with an incident period of Aug. 4-20, 2024, or for Hurricane Helene, FEMA may call you to schedule an inspection of the damaged home, or to obtain more information to process your application for assistance. People who only applied for assistance for one of the disasters may also receive a call to inform them that they can apply for assistance for both disasters. These calls may come from unfamiliar area codes or phone numbers. It is important to answer the call as FEMA specialists may be calling to obtain more…

Two weeks after Hurricane Helene’s ravaging trek through Georgia, new reports detail its staggering blow to private landowners and the state’s valuable forest resource. A Georgia Forestry Commission assessment shows the storm traversed 8.9 million acres of forestland, with a total timber resource impact of $1.28 billion. “Our GFC sawyers and bulldozer crews have been responding to this disaster since it made landfall a couple of weeks ago,” said Georgia Forestry Commission Director John Sabo. “Once a large portion of infrastructure was improved, foresters moved from logistical support of GFC’s crews to conduct a rapid timber damage assessment. The assessment highlights…

Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available to businesses and residents in Georgia following the announcement of a Presidential disaster declaration for Hurricane Helene that began on Sept. 25.”SBA’s mission-driven team stands ready to help small businesses and residents in Georgia impacted by this disaster in every way possible under President Biden’s disaster declaration for certain affected areas,” said SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. “We’re committed to providing federal disaster loans swiftly and efficiently, with a customer-centric approach to help businesses and communities recover and rebuild.”The disaster declaration covers Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien,…

Pilgrim’s (NASDAQ: PPC), leading global food company, has announced a $1 million investment to assist with community recovery needs and support long-term rebuilding efforts in Douglas, Ga., resulting from Hurricane Helene damage.”The community has always supported Pilgrim’s, and we want to ensure we’re doing all we can to support our team members and our neighbors during this challenging time,” said Mark Dean, Douglas Complex Manager, Pilgrim’s. “We are focused on contributing to rebuilding efforts so that we can get our town back to what it was as quickly as possible.”Pilgrim’s is determining how funds will be spent as needs are…