Author: Submitted

Officials with the City of Douglas are asking motorists and pedestrians to use caution over the next several days when passing through the intersection of Walker St. and Gaskin Ave. The traffic light at the intersection is currently flashing “red” due to a problem with the controller, officials with the city say, and temporary stop signs have been erected indicating the area as a four-way stop. The Georgia Department of Transportation and City of Douglas Electric Department have been notified and hope to have the issue resolved no later than Tuesday, Aug. 19th. -Submitted by the City of Douglas

On August 12, 2014, Congressman John Barrow visited Westside Elementary School. Congressman Barrow received a spirited welcome from Westy, the school mascot (aka Barbara Joiner), and the Westside Wildcats who sang the school theme song, “Roar”. Mr. Barrow explained how students can participate in his reading program, “Barrow’s Bookworms.” Congressman Barrow also assisted Superintendent Leis and Principal Wendy Jowers in drawing student names for free books. Superintendent Leis and Principal Wendy Jowers challenged students to get excited about reading and become one of “Barrow’s Bookworms!” For more information about Congressman Barrow’s reading program, visit the following website: http://barrow.house.gov/bookworms -Submitted by…

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College practical nursing students on the Ben Hill-Irwin campus received their nursing pins during a ceremony held prior to graduation on Friday, August 1. These 16 students have been in the WGTC practical nursing program for 18 months. The nurse’s pin is part of the nurse’s uniform and is symbolic as a badge of office and achievement and a great honor to receive. Students receiving their nurse’s pin included Adrianna Gillis and Regina Mancil of Atkinson County; Abigail Jones –Bostick, Rick Jones, Lucy Palmer-Jordan, Crystal Lately, Drancy Sanders, Lauren Wilson, and Cara Young of Ben Hill County; …

Recently, more commercial customers have been requesting leaf and limb services to be provided by the City of Douglas Public Works Department. The City of Douglas currently only provides leaf and limb service to residential customers, but not commercial customers. “In the next few weeks, we plan to discuss the options of providing this potential service to our commercial customers,” says Jacob Lott, Public Works Director. “We will also discuss lifting the moratorium on outside leaf and limb disposal to our mulch site as well.” For more information, please call the Public Works Department at (912) 389-3450. -Submitted by the…

When you do a Google search, you’re presented with a list of results from all over the web. Just how does Google find web pages to match your search and determine the order of results? Join Stacey Johnston Abler on Wednesday, August 20, for a ‘Lunch n’ Learn’ at the Atrium Event Center as she teaches you how to increase your company’s visibility on the web using search engine optimization tools. Stacey is a Douglas native who is currently the Digital Marketing Director for National Vision in Lawrenceville, Georgia.She is well-versed in the world of online and social media marketing.…

Monroe Bagley, age 75 of Nicholls, passed away Wednesday, August 6, 2014, at St. Josephs Hospital in Savannah following an extended illness. Mr. Bagley was born October 21, 1938, in Millwood to the late O’Steen Colonial Bagley and Mary Edna Smith Bagley. Survivors include his wife, Ada Pearl Hersey Bagley of Nicholls; son, Timothy Monroe and (Sonya) Bagley of Douglas; five brothers, Elgrean Bagley of Millwood, Austin Bagley of Tuscaloosa, AL, Tony Bagley of Sparks, Teddy Bagley of Millwood, and Bibbie Bagley of Douglas; three sisters, Bonnie Jean Fearington of Yorba Linda, CA, Edna Cloteen O’Steen and Katrina White, both…

Mrs. Lutrell Musgrove Lott, age 67 of Douglas, passed away Wednesday night, August 6,2014, at the Coffee Regional Medical Center following an extended illness. Mrs. Lott was born March 13, 1947, to the late Eugene Musgrove and Mrs. Ethel Carter Musgrove. Survivors include her husband, Teddy C. Lott of Dougla; one son, Stanley Burke (Felicia) Lott of Douglas; one daughter, Brandy Louise (Sean) Flanagan of Burke, VA; mother, Ethel Carter Musgrove of Douglas; two grandchildren, Anna Catherine Flanagan and Sean Connor Flanagan, both of Burke, VA; two sisters, Irma Lou Spell of Nicholls and Wanda Gail Beecher of Douglas; five…

The Ben Hill-Irwin campus of Wiregrass Georgia Technical College sits in the center of some of the most abundant and productive agricultural areas in the state of Georgia. In 2012, the farm gate value for just Ben Hill and Irwin Counties was $176,914,641. Irwin County alone has over 400,000 acres of commodity. While this is the oldest and largest industry in Georgia, it is not immune to the accelerated rate in which technology changes, nor the lack of a qualified workforce caused by these changes This information, along with feedback from a needs analysis survey among agricultural related industries in…

By Tom CrawfordThe Georgia Report I’m sure they will be smarter than the students who entered college with me back in my freshman days. We hope they will be a more diverse group as well, reflecting the state’s growing black, Latino and Asian populations. Unfortunately for Georgia’s future, there will be fewer of these students attending our public colleges than there were a couple of years ago. After growing to a record level of 318,000 students in 2011, the combined enrollment at our public colleges declined to 314,000 in 2012 and to 309,000 in 2013. Enrollment numbers aren’t dropping because the…