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South Georgia State College added approximately 325 new alumni to its numbers during the summer and fall 2016 and spring 2017 terms. These newly-minted alumni were celebrated at the 88th annual Commencement ceremonies held on both the Douglas Campus and the Waycross Campus, where they were charged to uphold the principles and academics standards they learned at SGSC. At the Douglas Campus ceremony, SGSC interim president Dr. Ingrid Thompson-Sellers highlighted the accomplishments of SGSC’s academics by recognizing just a few of the numerous individual academic achievements of the recent Honors Night including Tiffany Morgan, honoree at the University System of…

A 58-year-old Coffee County man has been jailed for murder in connection to an incident that occurred early Saturday morning, May 13. Around 1 a.m. Saturday, deputies with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office responded to 6280 Highway 32 West, Lot 4, in reference to a female found unresponsive inside the residence. Upon arrival, deputies found 57-year-old Oletha Brady dead from an apparent gunshot wound. A male, identified as Walter Russell Wright, was in the residence when deputies arrived. Coffee County authorities requested assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Douglas Regional Office. Wright was transported to the Coffee County Jail…

Ms. Jacklyn Sue “Jackie” Edwards Shawver, age 65 of Douglas, GA, passed away Saturday evening, May 6, 2017 at her residence following a brief illness. Ms. Shawver was born September 1, 1951 to the late Harry S. Edwards and the late Geraldine McClaskey Edwards. Survivors include: daughter Tabitha Bennett of North Port, Florida; sister Janet McKenna of Florida; and a brother, Ron Edwards and wife Pam of Douglas, Georgia. Memorial services will be held at a later date. Ricketson Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Carol Overstreet Lindsey, age 76, of Newnan, Georgia passed away on Wednesday, May 10, 2017, at Ashley Glen Living Center following an extended illness. Mrs. Lindsey was born on August 3, 1940, in Douglas to the late Mr. and Mrs. Bill (Opal) Wall of Broxton, Georgia. Survivors include: her husband, Don E. Lindsey of Newnan, Georgia; daughter, Lynn Solomon Meeks of Douglas, Georgia; son, Danny Overstreet of Peachtree City, Georgia; stepdaughter, Donna Lindsey Toepfer of Tucker, Georgia; two grandchildren, Ryan (Megan) Solomon of Gulnare, Colorado and Tyler Solomon of Macon, Georgia; great-granddaughter, Syndal Solomon of Gulnare, Colorado; several nieces and…

Sarah Diane Durrance, age 53, of Douglas, GA, passed away on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at her sister’s residence following an extended illness. Mrs. Durrance was born on January 25, 1964, in Brunswick, GA, to the late William Warren Sullivan and Minnie Lee Harper Sullivan. Survivors include: her three sons, Thomas Durrance of Douglas, GA, Berrie Johnathan Durrance of Douglas, GA, and Rocky Brigmond of Alma, GA; brother, Danny Crenshaw of West Virginia; sister, Frances Spivey of Douglas, GA; two half-sisters, Edna Mae Sullivan of California and Virginia Sullivan of Wyoming; five grandchildren; several nieces and nephews. She was preceded…

James Edward Vickers, age 62, of Ambrose, GA, passed away on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at his residence following an extended illness. Mr. Vickers was born on September 10, 1954, in Douglas, GA to the late Herschel Jack Vickers and Maudie Lee Williams Vickers. Survivors include: his daughter, Rachel (Reggie) Wilkes of Adairsville, GA; son, Jed (Anne Marie) Vickers of Ellerslie, GA; brother, David Jerome Vickers of Ambrose, GA; three grandchildren, Sims Vickers, Maudie Lee Vickers, and Kerbie Wilkes; and two nieces, Jada V. (Josh) Wildes of West Green, GA and Maci Jac Vickers of West Green, GA. Graveside services…

Elisha Leon Burch, age 94, of Douglas, GA, passed away on Monday, May 1, 2017, at Coffee Regional Medical Center following an extended illness. Mr. Burch was born on June 8, 1922, in Douglas, GA, to the late Elisha Burch and Belle Ellis Burch. Survivors include: his wife, Aline Burch of Douglas, GA; two sons, Wendell (Fran) Burch of Plano, TX and Jimmy Burch of Myrtle Beach, SC; three grandchildren, Jamie Burch of Key West, FL, Brian (Bobbi Ann) Burch of Frisco, TX, and Becki (Steve) Girouard of Plano, TX; four great-grandchildren, Trace Burch Girouard, Ty William Girouard, Ava Burch,…

Sherry Mae Horton, age 59, of Douglas, passed away on Monday, May 1, 2017, at Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, FL following an extended illness. Ms. Horton was born on September 10, 1957, in Alamogordo, New Mexico to Ludell Bowen Horton Davis and the late James “J.D.” Daniel Horton. Survivors include: her son, Gregory Lott of Douglas, Ga.; stepdaughter, Lynn Spivey of Broxton, Ga.; mother and stepfather, Ludell and Lynn Davis of Douglas, Ga.; sister, Anita (Ricky) Corbitt of West Green, Ga.; two brothers, John (Brenda) Horton of Nicholls, Ga. and Franklin (Ann) Horton of Douglas, Ga.; two stepsisters, Debra Morgan…

The City of Douglas is moving Douglas utilities into the 21st century with the implementation of Smart Grid. Smart Grid was designed to deliver utilities to consumer homes and bill them once a month. Smart grid uses a two-way communications so that exchange can be made between the utility provider and its customers. It is a developing network of communications, computers, automations, and new technologies, working together to make the grid more efficient, more reliable, more secure, and greener. Smart Grid follows the footsteps of the Internet and the interstate highway system — they are giant investments in infrastructure. It’s…

Tourists come to Georgia for a variety of reasons, whether it is looking to escape to the mountains, to the beaches, or to enjoy small town life. According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) announcement on May 9, 2017, the state’s tourism industry generated a groundbreaking $61.1 billion in business sales including direct, indirect, and induced impact in 2016, up 3.5 percent, according to the U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics. Douglas is located in the GDEcD Magnolia Midlands Travel Region, which is one of the state’s nine travel regions. According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development,…