Author: Submitted

The Southern Elite 13U baseball team completed a tremendous spring season in which they won five championships and earned a runner-up finish in another. Southern Elite finished the spring season with an overall record of 30-5-1 and, as of July 5, were ranked by USSSA as the #2 AAA team in the state of Georgia and the #6 AAA team in the nation. Four of Southern Elite’s losses and their one tie came against Major level teams. However, they also beat four Major level teams to finish with an overall record of 4-4-1 in the highest classification. Their most notable…

South Georgia State College (SGSC) was pleased to host some of the best and brightest high school juniors and seniors on the Douglas Campus during the annual District 6920 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) weekend June 23-26. RYLA is an outreach of Rotary International where high school juniors and seniors are selected by their local Rotary Clubs to participate in a leadership retreat. SGSC has had the privilege of hosting these outstanding high schoolers at RYLA for over 20 years. Approximately 70 students from Rotary District 6920 participated in this year’s RYLA. Student leaders from the Douglas Club were Donna…

It’s the 4th of July, and Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens is urging residents to use extreme caution to avoid fires and serious injuries when using fireworks this Independence Day. “The safest way to enjoy fireworks, is to attend a public fireworks display,” Commissioner Hudgens said. “Each year in the U.S., around 8,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms for fireworks‐related injuries.” In 2015, the sale and use of most consumer types of fireworks, which includes firecrackers, skyrockets and roman candles, became legal to use in Georgia. Last year 59 fireworks related incidents were reported across…

Mrs. Mary Frances McKinnon Gillis, age 80, of Douglas, GA passed away on Saturday, July 2, 2016 at Manor House in Douglas, GA following an extended illness. Mrs. Gillis was born on October 20, 1935 in Douglas, GA to the late Micajah J McKinnon and Mary Clee Harper McKinnon. Mrs. Gillis was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Eugene Donald Gillis. Mrs. Gillis started her career as a fourth grade teacher in the Atlanta area while her husband Donald attended dental school. She also taught school at Citizens Christian Academy after returning to Douglas. As Dr. Gillis’ Dental Practice…

Mrs. Ruth Carolyn Brigmond, age 81, of Douglas passed away Thursday evening, June 30, 2016, at the Shady Acres Health & Rehabilitation Center, following an extended illness. She was born April 8, 1935 to the late Grady G. Lupo and the late Macy Smith Lupo. She was also preceded in Death by her Husbands, Donald Adams, Gary Pridgen, and Edward Brigmond. Survivors include: 2 Daughters: Sylvia (Clifford) Stone, and Donna (Wayne) McKinnon, all of Douglas, Ga.; 2 Sons: Donald H. (Ursula) Adams, and Michael (Karen) Adams, all of Jacksonville, Florida. 2 Sisters: Eloise Cox of Manor, Ga., and Janice (Ronald)…

The Diamond Kings 12U Elite baseball team based out of Thomasville, Georgia traveled to Omaha, Nebraska the week of June 20 to compete in the USSSA Omaha Champions Village Tournament. At this tournament, the players and coaches eat and sleep at The Village next to the fields that sit on 170 acres. The opening ceremonies began with an airplane flying over the Village and fields dropping men in parachutes onto the field, including 88-year-old retired US Air Force Instructor Leno Baney. Another jumper, retired US Army Master Sergeant Kenneth Bader, was carrying the American flag while the teams sang the…

Douglas-Coffee County is featured in the current issue of Business in Focus magazine, a national monthly publication that is presented by the Focus Media Group. The article, entitled “Growing Opportunities in Rural Georgia,” is featured in the June 2016 edition of the magazine. The magazine centers around business news and events, as well as featured articles on leading North American organizations and innovations. They have a broad audience with 363,100 copies of the magazine distributed monthly. Economic development is one of the main components to growing and expanding a community. Andrea Taylor, Executive Director of the Coffee County Economic Development…

Coffee County 4-H shotgun shooters Jordan Davis, Brice Grantham, Lance Ricketson, and Blake Tanner, along with coaches Richard Grantham and Clay Thomas, took it all at this years’ National 4-H Shotgun Match. The competition was held the week of June 27-July 1 in Grand Island, Nebraska. The team took first place in the sporting clay competition held Monday, June 28, with Brice Grantham taking High Individual as well. The skeet competition was held on Wednesday, and the team took third place in this contest falling behind Texas and Nebraska. The trap competition was held on Thursday, and the team tied…

Two types of caterpillars make webs in trees. The Eastern tent caterpillar makes webs in the forks of the branches. They are more of a problem early in the spring. The fall webworm makes their webs on the ends of the branches and is more prevalent in the late summer and fall. We are beginning to see some early signs of fall webworms now, and I would like to share this information written by Willie Chance, Retired UGA County Horticulture Agent. Fall webworms are the most visible since their webs are located on the end of the branches. Their webs…