Author: Submitted

Mr. Eugene Wilkerson, age 81, of Willacoochee passed away Tuesday morning, at his residence, following an extended illness. He was born April 29, 1935 to the late George Wilkerson and the late Ora Adams Wilkerson. Mr. Wilkerson, a native of Coffee County, served in the United States Army from 1955 to 1957. He was also a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints where he served an honorable full-time mission in the Texas Mission as well as other callings within the church. He was a prominent farmer in the Hebron Community. Mr. Wilkerson also enjoyed…

James Macajah Batten, age 67, of Tifton, GA passed away on Wednesday, May 11, 2016, at his residence following an extended illness. Mr. Batten was born on September 18, 1948, in Douglas, GA to the late Theo Batten and Rosa Lee Stephens Batten. Survivors include: his daughter and son-in-law, Tonya and Parish Brown of Tifton, GA; four brothers, Theo “T.J.”Batten Jr of Boaz, AL, Charles “Mike”Batten of Tifton, GA, Henry “Floyd” Batten of Omega, GA and Melvin Batten of Fort Pierce, FL; two sisters, Brenda Allen of Tifton, GA and Kathlene King of Tifton, GA; three grandsons, Chris Brown, Keith…

On Thursday morning, May 12, at approximately 7:50 a.m., a Coffee County school bus was involved in a traffic accident at the intersection of Highway 32 and 206. In attempting to turn left on to 206, the school bus struck an oncoming vehicle. Fortunately, there were no injuries and the school bus was not transporting any students. The school bus driver was cited for failure to yield according to the Georgia Highway Patrol. This will be handled as a personnel issue and appropriate action will be taken. Since the school system has had numerous accidents in a short period of…

The concepts of personal accountability and common courtesy were the prevailing themes May 5-6 during South Georgia State College’s (SGSC) commencement ceremonies. Dr. Garlund Gudger of the Hughston Clinic spoke to the graduates at SGSC’s Douglas Campus ceremony May 5. An alumnus of the former South Georgia College, Gudger utilized illustrations from his collegiate and professional careers along with quotes from notable sources to underscore his challenge that the graduates always be accountable for the choices they make. Following Gudger’s address, degrees were conferred and presented to the graduates in attendance. This included the first cohort of students to receive…

Rosie Veal, Karen Graves, and Lexus Watkins of the Boys and Girls Club of Coffee County were the speakers at the Douglas Kiwanis Club meeting Tuesday, May 10, at the Flyin’ Cowboy restaurant. Ms. Veal spoke about the Boys and Girls Club in general covering the age group they serve, what they do, and funding. Ms. Graves, Teen Director and Keystone Club Advisor, spoke about the Keystone Club which is a subset of the Boys and Girls Club and whose members are ages 14 thru 18. She explained that the Keystone Club is about leadership and service and covered some…

The Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce will host Chamber Trivia Night Thursday, May 26, at 6:30 p.m. at The Atrium Event Center. Everyone is welcome to come and participate. There is no need to RSVP, and no costume is necessary. Bring a team of friends and join in the fun! (No more than six people per team, please) There will be three rounds of trivia with fifteen questions per round. Tickets will be $5 at the door. The winning team with take home half of the money collected. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Come enjoy a night…

Before a crowded banquet hall in Atlanta, Wiregrass Technical College’s Automotive Technology Program Coordinator and Instructor Jesse Davis learned he was one of the top nine finalists in the Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year awards program. The announcement was made at the Technical College System of Georgia’s GOAL and Rick Perkins Award Conference held in Atlanta April 19-21. Davis was one of twenty-two instructors from Georgia’s technical colleges named as a finalist. Davis was named Wiregrass’ Rick Perkins winner back in December. He was one of 13 instructors from Wiregrass nominated for Rick Perkins. Each college winner competed in…

As Mothers’ Day arrives in May, the Pre-K children at Eastside Elementary enjoyed inviting their guests to the annual “Muffins With Mommy”. Guests were greeted with a brightly colored bag with many items the children had made. After sharing the treats, the children enjoyed breakfast with their mommies as well as some other special guests, too. Thank you to all the guests who came and joined in the fun as Eastside Pre-K classes presented, “Muffins With Mommies”. Thank you to employers throughout the community for allowing their employees to come and enjoy this event with their children. Thank you to…

Tourism and travel is a big industry in Georgia. Tourists come to Georgia for a variety of reasons whether it is looking to escape to the mountains, to our beaches, or to enjoy small town life. Douglas is located in the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Magnolia Midlands Travel Region, which is one of the state’s nine travel regions. According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, “Tourism is big business in Georgia, really big. In Coffee County in 2014, the tourism industry supported 522 jobs, generated $70.3 million in direct travel spending, created $2.4 million in sales tax…

Melissa Jill Starling, age 51 of Ocilla, passed away Monday, May 9, 2016. Starling was born January 24, 1965, in Coffee Co. to Maxzell Jowers Sprague and the late Donald Ancil Starling. Survivors include her mother, Maxzell Sprague of South Daytona, F.; brother, Jason Starling of Ambrose; step-father, Freeman Sprague of South Daytona, Fl.; beloved companion, Kathy Boykin of Ocilla, and grandchildren. Visitation will be held Tuesday, May 10, 2016 from 6 to 9 p.m. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at 2 p.m. at the Bethany Holiness Baptist Church, with Rev. Gregory Pope officiating. Interment will…