Author: Submitted

Virginia Lee Griffin, age 92, of Douglas, passed away on Friday, September 20, 2019 at Vista Park. Mrs. Griffin was born on April 20, 1927 in Coffee County, the daughter of the late William F. Bray and the late Elevener Lee Bray. She worked as a paraprofessional with the Coffee County School System at Westside Elementary School and was a member of College Avenue Baptist Church. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Herman Griffin and a sister, Louise Ward. Survivors include her son, Kevin Griffin of Douglas; two grandchildren, Kelsey Griffin of…

Mr. Donald Eugene Wagaman, 69, of Douglas, passed away September 19, 2019 under the care of Community Hospice in Jacksonville, Fla. Mr. Wagaman was born February 23, 1950 to the late Bruce and Ruth Wagaman in Waynesboro, Penn. Mr. Wagaman is survived by his wife, Monta-Sue Wagaman; daughters Dawn Beal (Tod) of Billings, Mont. and Charity Bird of Cumberland, Md.; step-daughter Michelle Hardagree of Waverly; sister Debbie Thompson (Johnny); and four grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by a brother, Rodney Wagaman; a step-son, Michael Hurst; and step-grandchild, Zachary Minter. Visitation will take place September…

Linda Powell Chandler Taylor, 93 of Eau Gallie, Fla., went home to be with the Lord Monday, September 16 surrounded by her family. She was preceded in death by husband Sam Taylor, son Van Chandler Futch, and grandson Frank J. Walsh III. Linda is survived by her sister Martha Ann Keck; her daughters Rhoda Walsh (Jody), JoAnne Scruggs (Gene); son Paul Chandler (Terry); grandchildren Jason Walsh (Katy) and Rebecca Brown (Jason); 10 great grandchildren and multiple nieces and nephews. Services will be held in Pearson with viewing Friday, September 20 6pm – 8pm at Relihan Funeral Home. Funeral services will…

Mr. Keith T. Crowder was born January 27, 1968 to the John Frank Crowder, Sr. and Annie Ruth Crowder in Okeechobee, Fla. Keith passed away on Friday, September 13, 2019. He attended Broxton High School and South Georgia College in Douglas. He became a member of Mt. Olive A.M.E Church at an early age and a very active member on various positions in the church. He was also a member of the Broxton Male Chorus. Keith was employed in different positions during his lifetime. He was preceded in death by his father, John Frank Crowder, Sr.; and grandfathers, Richard Jones…

State goat show set for Oct. 3-5 Kevin Tatum, County Extension Coordinator The State 4-H/FFA Goat Show will be held at the Georgia National Fairgrounds on October 3-5. Showmanship classes will be held on Friday, October 4, with the wether show immediately following. Does will be shown on Saturday, October 5. If you are in Perry for the fair, please stop by the livestock arena and support the members participating. 4-H participants include: Hayden Gay, Hollyn Gay, Kyleigh Gay, McKenzie Gay, Leo McIver, Jonathan Sayer, Olivia Thomas, Natalie Tuten, Nora White, and Reid White. Georgia National Fair Entries Each…

Challenges in peanut production John McLemore, County Extension AgentThis week I would like to share the challenges peanut growers are facing this season. The information in this week’s article is a collection of conversations with local farmers, farm service suppliers, and my weekly observations throughout our county. This growing season has been a challenge for local growers because of extreme heat which leads to dry environmental conditions. A few growers have access to irrigation but, even that was not enough to overcome the challenges in peanuts. This season growers have dealt with minimal white mold, minimal early leaf spot (Cercospora…

Coffee County Schools System’s graduation rate at all-time high Data released by the Georgia Department of Education on Wednesday, September 18 shows a significant increase in the graduation rate for the Coffee County School System for the 2018-2019 school year. The overall graduation rate for the school system is 84.16 percent, up from 82.81 percent the previous year. Coffee High School’s graduation rate rose from 87.90 percent to 88.11 percent over the past year, and Wiregrass Regional College and Career Academy saw its graduation rate soar from 56.86 percent to 82 percent. Georgia calculates a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate…

Georgia Farm Bureau accepting entries for hay contest and hay directory Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) members who grow Bermuda grass hay are encouraged to enter the 2019 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 in December at the annual GFB Convention on Jekyll Island. Prizes will be presented to the top five…

Wiregrass announces fall scholarship recipients Students on the Valdosta Campus of Wiregrass Georgia Technical College learned at a special scholarship event that their hard work is paying off. Thanks to the generous donation of friends and supporters of the college, four students were awarded scholarships that will help pay for tuition, fees, books, and/or supplies needed for their programs. Those receiving scholarships for Fall Semester were: Jacquelyn Mallard (Auto Collision Repair) awarded the Sabal Trail Technical/Industrial Scholarship, Aisha Kinch (Practical Nursing) received the Mary Catherine Coffee Memorial Scholarship, Sharon Johnson (Welding and Joining Technology) received the Coyote Manufacturing Scholarship, Larry…

The South Georgia State College women’s soccer team defeated Oxford College 2-0 on September 17 in a home match in Waycross, Ga. The two teams met once before and Oxford handed SGSC their first loss of the year by a score of 0-1 a few weeks prior. The result of this match was a different tale. The Lady Hawks did not get on the board until the 25th minute when Serena Nelson slipped a pass into Monse Hernandez who crushed a shot into the side netting of the back post from about 25 yards out. Working hard to maintain their…