Area Breaking News
Leaves Scene without Notifying Authorities
By Carol A. Gasser Moore | RAY CITY, Berrien County, Georgia – A tractor-trailer turning left from Highway 37 onto the Ray City–Nashville Highway on Monday, July 28 knocked down a stop sign and an “End of Divided Highway” warning sign at the four-way stop in Ray City, then left the scene without notifying authorities,…
Read MoreLakeland Mayor Darsey’s Overlapping Business and Civic Roles – Conflicts of Interest Part 19
By Carol A. Gasser Moore, Publisher | LANIER COUNTY NEWS SPECIAL REPORT EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an ongoing series examining ethics and governance in Lanier County. The series spotlights potential and actual conflicts of interest involving elected officials and their employees. By Carol A. Gasser Moore | LAKELAND, Lanier County, Georgia – Mayor Bill Darsey…
Read MoreSlow Down for Our Students: Troopers Urge School Zone Safety Across South Georgia
By Carol A. Moore | LAKELAND, Lanier County, Georgia – As classrooms fill and buses roll again across Georgia, State Troopers and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) Officers are urging drivers—especially in South Georgia counties like Lanier, Lowndes, and Clinch—to heighten their awareness and reduce speeds in school zones. With more than 1.7 million children returning…
Read MoreFailure to Submit Audits Lands Enigma, Pearson in State’s Doghouse
T.S. Carter | BERRIEN and ATKINSON COUNTIES, Georgia – The delinquent list of the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts, or DOAA, is the last place a financially struggling city wants to be. It puts a black mark on the city that prevents it from getting state grants and other financial assistance. A municipality lands…
Read MoreHearts in South Georgia Shatter: Five Soldiers Shot in Fort Stewart Rampage
By Carol A. Gasser Moore | SAVANNAH, Chatham County, Georgia – In a harrowing strike on the U.S. Army’s Fort Stewart early Wednesday morning, five soldiers were wounded in an active shooter attack that triggered a swift base wide lockdown and sent shockwaves through South Georgia communities. Gunfire erupted around 10:56 a.m. EDT in the…
Read MorePanic Without Gunfire: Valdosta Mall Scare Triggers Massive Police Response, No Active Threat Found
By Carol A. Gasser Moore | VALDOSTA, Lowndes County, Georgia – A chaotic scene unfolded at Valdosta Mall on the evening of August 2, when what began as a confrontation between teens escalated into widespread panic amid unconfirmed reports of an active shooter. Authorities have since confirmed there were no gunshots fired, no injuries…
Read MoreBenton Band Beats Spark in South Georgia as Lanier Students Head Back to Class
By Carol A. Gasser Moore | LAKELAND, Lanier County, Georgia – As the sultry Southern summer rolls on, the rhythmic sounds of band camp season are echoing from Louisiana to Lanier County — and this year, those notes carry a powerful message of transformation, academic achievement, and community love. Just across state lines in Benton,…
Read More‘He Kept Reaching’: Teen Tased, Arrested With Stolen Gun After Valdosta Chase
By Carol A. Gasser Moore | VALDOSTA, Lowndes County, Georgia – A late-night traffic stop turned into a tense and dangerous confrontation Saturday after a 16-year-old boy armed with a stolen gun ran from police and resisted arrest, according to the Valdosta Police Department. Officers pulled over a sedan just before midnight on Aug. 2,…
Read MoreA Lasting Stamp of Service: Lakeland Post Office Renamed to Honor Nell Patten Roquemore
By Carol A. Gasser Moore / LAKELAND, Lanier County, Georgia – Community leaders and residents gathered in heartfelt tribute last week as the Lakeland Post Office was officially renamed the Nell Patten Roquemore Post Office, honoring the late public servant whose decades of leadership and civic dedication helped shape the identity of Lanier County.…
Read MoreRainy spring hurts blueberry production, but blackberry yields exceed expectations
By T.S. Carter | LANIER COUNTY, Georgia – Large amounts of rain in late April and May, especially in Homerville, degraded and diminished a lot of the region’s blueberry crop this season, according to Lanier County Extension Agent Sarah Curry. Blueberries had “a lot of degraded quality” from the rain, Curry said in an interview.…
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