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Coffee Middle Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) celebrated parents and members of the CMS FBLA organization on May 8, 2018, with a Member Awards Banquet held at Coffee Middle School. Parents, teachers, administrators and students were invited to attend to help honor those who have been actively involved in FBLA this year at CMS and in our community. Those in attendance enjoyed the guest speaker, Timothy J. Tucker, Jr., sophomore at Coffee High School and Southeast Area Vice President of the Georgia FBLA organization. He encouraged students to remember their “ABC’s of Leadership” and how to become an exceptional…

The City of Douglas wishes to alert utility customers of a reported telephone scam where the caller falsely solicits payment through green dot cards within 1 – 1.5 hours or utilities will be disconnected. Although the caller may appear to have detailed information that includes account numbers, the city advises customers not to make payment to the caller. City Manager Terrell Jacobs states, “If a citizen should receive such a call, please try to capture the phone number through caller id and report the phone number to the Customer Care Center. If the number is found to be illegitimate, the…

Tuesday, May 15, the Alma Police Department received a complaint of someone claiming to be a law enforcement officer calling Bacon County residents. The complainant told law enforcement an unknown male called twice stating he was a deputy with the Appling County Sheriff’s Office and the person called had arrest warrants. The complainant stated during a third call from the same unknown male, the unknown male made lewd remarks. APD reached out to the Appling County Sheriff’s Office. ACSO told APD they had received several calls regarding this conduct. If anyone receives a similar call, contact your local law enforcement…

By Bailey Carelock, GWCFC journalism Teacher of the Year (TOTY) is a respected position that teachers are granted for going above and beyond in their jobs. Becoming Teacher of the Year is basically like a science, and for Physical Science teacher, Chrystal Vining, she has it down to a science. She was the George Washington Carver Freshman (GWCFC) 2011-2012 TOTY and was recently named the 2018-2019 TOTY for the Freshman Campus. Students and faculty clearly believe she is an amazing fit for this position, shown by her student, Andrea Garcia, who says that “she makes everything easy to understand. Her class…

South Georgia State College (SGSC) will once again have the means to renovate and update one of its original buildings. When Governor Nathan Deal signed the state budget for 2019, the appropriation of $3.1 million in state funds was included to renovate Powell Hall. Powell Hall is one of three legacy buildings on the Douglas Campus and built in 1906 at the founding of South Georgia College. As the third of the college’s original campus buildings, Powell Hall was initially constructed to house the men’s dormitory. Over the years, the use of the 11,624 square feet changed to hold classrooms…

By Kevin Tatum 4-H POULTRY JUDGING CONTEST The Coffee County 4-H Poultry Judging Teams had a great day at the Area Poultry Judging Contest in Tifton on May 1. The Senior 4-H team placed third out of ten teams competing. Team scores are composed of the three highest scores earned by individuals on that team. The Senior 4‑H members whose scores comprised the team score included T.K. McIver, Kyya Johnson and Jeremiah Brantley. T.K. McIver was recognized as the highest individual scorer in the senior contest. Our Junior team high scorers were Jenna Sears, Sariah Wells, and Kalyn Woods. Senior…

The Community Foundation of Coffee County was founded in 2002 by a group of citizens interested in encouraging philanthropy and strengthening communities. Its donors make possible the Foundation’s mission to enhance the quality of life for the people of Coffee County. CFCC helps its donors establish long-term charitable funds, using the most tax-advantaged methods, to benefit their causes and the community. The Community Foundation of Coffee County aims to further the ability of community-based charitable organizations to meet the needs of the residents of Coffee County. Through its Community Grant Program, CFCC will consider applications from organizations in the Coffee…

GiGi’s Gelato & Specialty Treats is now open and ready to serve you! The Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting on Thursday afternoon, May 10. The owner, Ginger Diamond, was joined by her sons and several friends to help celebrate the special occasion. Ginger’s close friend, Ms. Vivian Johnson, shared inspirational words and a prayer for Ginger’s new endeavor. On behalf of the City of Douglas, Mayor Pro Tem Kentaiwon Durham was on hand to congratulate and thank Ginger for her investment in our community. GiGi’s staff served guests samples of all the wonderful gelato flavors available.…

The 2018 Commencement exercises were held at South Georgia State College (SGSC) on Friday, May 4. The Douglas Campus ceremony took place on the front lawn of Peterson Hall at 8:30 a.m. Dr. G. Wayne Clough, the tenth president at Georgia Institute of Technology and the 12th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, served as the keynote speaker. As a native of Douglas, Clough spoke fondly of his hometown and how it shaped his life. Dr. Clough shared, “Those of you who leave South Georgia for a career will find this does not mean leaving home. You take it with you…

The SkillsUSA chapter at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College was recently named among the top 24 SkillsUSA chapters nationally as a “Model of Excellence” recipient. This national program recognizes the exceptional integration and application of personal, workplace and technical skills in SkillsUSA chapter activities. This is one of the highest awards bestowed on chapters by SkillsUSA, which is among the largest student organizations for career and technical education. “The Models of Excellence program represents the very best in chapter achievement and community involvement,” said Timothy W. Lawrence, executive director of SkillsUSA. “The Wiregrass Georgia Technical College chapter defines excellence across the…