Author: Submitted

Joe Ray, age 88, of West Green, GA passed away on Wednesday, October 5, 2016, at his home following an extended illness. Mr. Ray was born on in Lumber City, Georgia on January 3, 1928 to the late Joe S. and Mamie Grindle Ray. He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph S. Ray and Mamie Grindle Ray; brother, William (Bill) Ray; and daughter, Linda Ray. Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Geraldine Skipper Ray of West Green, Georgia; two daughters, Carol (David) Morgan of West Green, Georgia and JoAnne (late Danny) Lewis of Douglas, Georgia; three grandchildren,…

Mrs.Cynthia Keanon and staff recently shared information with Coffee Middle School students about the importance of having milk as a part of your daily diet. – Submitted

Acting on a recommendation from the state’s Emergency Operations Command in anticipation of Hurricane Matthew, Gov. Nathan Deal has expanded the state of emergency to include 17 additional counties in the southeastern region of Georgia. This brings the total to 30 counties under the emergency declaration, which also warns against price gouging. Deal issued an additional executive order waiving rules and regulations for commercial motor vehicles transporting emergency supplies. “The National Hurricane Center predicts Hurricane Matthew will include excessive rainfall, strong winds and potential flooding,” Deal said. “Because of this, I’m encouraging a voluntary evacuation for residents in Chatham, Bryan,…

Mrs. Betty Pendergrass Lee, age 77, of Douglas passed away late Monday evening, October 3, 2016, at her residence following an extended illness. Mrs. Lee was born March 21, 1939 in Byrdstown, Tennessee to the late Henry Sells and the late Nora Lee Pendergrass. She was preceded in death by her husband, Delmar David Lee. Survivors include: 3 Daughters, Kathy (Greg) Martin of Albany, GA, Pat Nash and Sherrie Garrett both of Douglas, GA; 1 Son, David (Kandy) Lee of Sumner, GA; 7 Grandchildren, Kim (Jeremy) Vickers of Ambrose, GA, Michael (Bridgett) Garrett, Brent (Misty) Nash both of Douglas, GA,…

Mr. Derek Jerome Leavens, age 47, of Douglas passed away Monday afternoon, October 3, 2016, at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah following a short illness. Mr. Leavens was born February 26, 1969 to the late Herbert Chester Leavens and Ann Holton Leavens. Survivors include: 1 Son, D. J. Leavens of Alma, GA; 2 Daughters, Breanna Ware of Broxton, GA and Faith Leavens of Alma, GA; Mother, Ann Holton Leavens of Douglas, GA; 1 Sister, Janet Leavens Aldridge of Carrollton, GA; 1 Niece, Several Nephews, Friends and Other Relatives. Funeral Services will be held at West Ward Church of…

Hurricane Matthew is going to force OneBlood, the local blood center, to suspend operations along much of the east coast of Florida and into parts of central Florida. However, other parts of the OneBlood service area are expected to remain open including Tampa Bay, Pensacola, Ft. Myers, Tallahassee, Panama City, as well as Thomasville and Douglas, Georgia. OneBlood is urging donors in these areas to donate as soon as possible to help ensure an available blood supply before, during and after the hurricane. These donations are vitally important to keep the blood supply strong and to provide support to the…

Congratulations to Mrs. Kimberly Adams, who was recently named Coffee Middle School’s teacher of the month for the month of August. – Submitted

The Rehearsal, a one-act play by Don Zolidis, opens this Friday in the Coffee High School Cafetorium. As CHS’s entry into the Region 1-6A’s One-Act Competition later this month, the students are offering a chance for the local fans of theatre to enjoy this comedy before everyone else. The Rehearsal is about a group of high school theatre students who are overcome with anxiety at the thought of putting on a major Broadway musical, Guys and Dolls, without the luxury of having an abundance of guys. The director is determined to make it work even though only five guys remain,…

Johnny Appleseed (aka. Mr. Brent Futch) made a surprise visit to Westside Elementary Pre-K students in September! “Johnny” read about his life and how he shared with everyone he met. To model sharing, “Johnny” shared an apple with each of the students. To follow up on science lessons learned in the classroom, students participated in a spectacular science experiment: erupting apples! Students created “apples” using baking soda, dish detergent, food coloring, and water. Then, they misted vinegar onto the “apples” making them erupt. Students had a blast learning from Johnny Appleseed, eating apples, and creating erupting apples in class. -…