Author: Submitted

Larry Spires, Sr., age 72, of Macon, GA passed away on Sunday, December 6, 2015, at his residence following an extended illness. Mr. Spires was born on November 20, 1943, in Ambrose, GA to the late James Riley Spires and Addie Ruth Sayer Spires. Survivors include: his two sons, Randy (Cristy) Spires of Macon, GA and Larry (Brenda) Spires, Jr of Macon, GA; brother, Jerome Spires of Plains, GA; two sisters, Geraldine Stone of Macon, GA and Linda Hollis of Macon, GA; twelve grandchildren; seventeen great grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife,…

On Tuesday, December 15, beginning at 10 a.m., the Coffee County School System will be holding a ground breaking ceremony for the new Billy Walker Agriculture Center that will be constructed on the campus of Coffee Middle School beginning in 2016. Funded through the recent SPLOST campaign in 2013, the new agriculture center will be named after Mr. Walker, who retired from the school system in 1979, serving as an agriculture teacher in the Coffee County School System for many years. The new agriculture center will not only serve the students of Coffee Middle School and the district, but the…

South Georgia State College’s men’s and women’s swim teams returned with impressive finishes from a three-day meet at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). The men’s team finished third out of eight teams participating, and the women’s team placed fourth out of nine teams. SCAD won the meet, and Emory University finished second in both the men’s and women’s competitions. “This was by far the best finish we have had at SCAD in our six-year history,” commented Head Coach CM Jenkins. “We swam very well, having best times in over 90 percent of our splashes and cut times…

James Bobby Taylor, age 72, of Douglas, GA passed away on Saturday, December 5, 2015, at Crisp Regional Hospital following an extended illness. Mr. Taylor was born on April 3, 1943, in Nicholls, GA to the late Elvin Lee Taylor and Mildred Allie Melton Taylor. Mr. Taylor served in the US Army during the Vietnam Conflict. Survivors include: his five sons, Michael (Clara Sue) Taylor of Douglas, GA, Tommy Taylor of Albany, GA, Bryan (Roxie) Taylor of Douglas, GA, Bruce (Glenda) Taylor of Douglas, GA, and Timothy (Dawn) Taylor of Douglas, GA; two daughters, Tammy Taylor of Douglas, GA and…

OVERALL WINNER Westwood Baptist Church BEST MUSICAL PERFORMANCE Coffee High School Marching Band BEST IN CREATIVITY First Assembly of God CHURCHES 1. St. Illa Missionary Baptist Church2. Broxton Church of God 3. GracePointe Church SMALL BUSINESS 1. Stage 8 Dance Academy2. Mr. Rooter Plumbing/Aireserv Heating & Cooling3. Peach State Transport LARGE BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY 1. Pilgrim’s2. Wal-Mart Transportation3. Fender-Goggans Orthodontics EDUCATION 1. C.H.S. & G.W.C. Art Club2. Satilla Show Choir CLUBS/INDIVIDUAL/ORGANIZATIONS 1. Bacon Co. Sernior Citizens2. Cub Scout Pack 8593. Girl Scout Troop 40575 & Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College (Douglas campus) will be holding an American Heart Association certification for first responders in the community or workplace on Saturday, Dec 12, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Develop skills to effectively assess and maintain life from the critical minutes immediately following an emergency until the arrival of emergency medical services personnel. The course covers Adult First Aid, CPR and AED. A two-year certification card is awarded at completion. The cost is $55. For more information and/or to register, Nancy Mitchell at (229) 468-2074. The deadline to register is December 9.

Seven more students were added to the Principal’s Book Club this week at Broxton – Mary Hayes Elementary. These students have earned 100 points in Reading Counts. Congratulations to fifth graders; K. Brown, L. Moseley, and W. Daniels; fourth grader L. Harvey; and second graders, A. Hattaway, T. Merritt, and C. Woods. – Submitted

The Atlanta Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in partnership with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security, Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s (GBI) Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis Center (GISAC), and Crime Stoppers Atlanta, urge the public to remain vigilant as we go into the Holiday season. In an effort to better engage and protect the public, the entities mentioned above are promoting the DHS “If You See Something, Say Something” public awareness campaign. The DHS “If You See Something, Say Something” national campaign raises public awareness of the indicators…

Mr. Leon Samuel Williamson, age 66 of Douglas passed away Wednesday afternoon, December 2, 2015, at the Phoebe Sumter Medical Center, in Americus, Georgia, following an extended illness. He was born December 28, 1948 to the late Cyrus Samuei Williamson and the late Alma Williamson. Survivors include: 1 Sister: Mary Ann Purvis of Douglas, Ga. Several Nieces, Nephews, Friends, and Other Relatives. Graveside Services and Interment will be Friday, December 4, 2015, at 2:00 P. M., at the Douglas City Cemetery, with Dr. Shep Johnson officiating. Visitation will be Friday, from 1:00 to 2:00 P. M., at Ricketson Funeral Home.…