Area Breaking News
Lanier County adopts $6.2 million budget but closes current fiscal year awash in red ink
By T.S. Carter | LANIER COUNTY, Georgia – Lanier County commissioners overspent this year’s budget by $428,390, but adopted a spending plan this week that is only $7,000 more than the current year budget that ended with the significant red ink. The new budget totals $6,230,633, compared to the current budget of $5,953,040. Some of…
Read MoreVictoria Dove Jewell Elected Probate Judge in Lanier County Experienced Scrutiny Over Past Conduct and Campaign Messaging – – Conflicts of Interest Part 12
LANIER COUNTY NEWS SPECIAL REPORT EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the twelfth in a 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 – Victoria Dove Jewell, formerly the appointed Magistrate Judge…
Read MoreSoutheast Georgia Rings in a New Era with Area Code 565
New 565 Area Code to Overlay 912 Region in Southeast Georgia by 2028 By Carol A. Gasser Moore | GEORGIA – The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) has announced that Southeast Georgia’s 912 area code is set to receive a new overlay—area code 565—to accommodate growing demand for phone numbers in the region. The official…
Read MoreFrom GED to Guardian: Christin Osborne’s Journey of Service and Strength
CHRISTIN OSBORNE HONORED WITH GEORGIA MILITARY COLLEGE’S DISTINGUISHED ORDER OF THE SERVANT-LEADER By Carol A. Gasser Moore | LAKELAND, Lanier County, Georgia – Christin Osborne, a determined and compassionate local resident, has been awarded one of Georgia Military College’s highest honors: the Distinguished Order of the Servant-Leader. The accolade, recognized college-wide for its emphasis on…
Read MoreMoreland marker for late humorist Lewis Grizzard commemorates his writing
COLUMN By T.S. Carter | MORELAND, Coweta County, Georgia – Ever wake up and think to yourself, “Elvis is dead and I don’t feel so good myself?” That wasn’t some guy at the bar muttering into his beer. But it could have been. That long-ago description of realizing a funk has arrived is from the…
Read MoreLow Lanier County Voter Turnout for Georgia Public Service Commission Primary: Primary Highlights Statewide Support for Clean Energy
By Carol A. Gasser Moore | LANIER COUNTY, Georgia – In the 2025 Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) primary election, more than 188,000 voters across the state made their voices heard. In a striking outcome, over 140,000 of those votes went to candidates who campaigned on platforms prioritizing clean energy and affordable utility rates —…
Read MoreLakeland’s Four-Month Streak without Burglaries Ends with Two Incidents Reported on Same Day
By Carol A. Gasser Moore | LAKELAND, Lanier County, Georgia – After enjoying a rare four-month period without reported burglaries, the City of Lakeland’s streak ended on June 15 when local police responded to two separate burglary calls within just 36 minutes of each other. The back-to-back incidents, both under active investigation, have reignited concerns…
Read MoreLanier Schools’ new $26.7 million budget reflects lower spending than last year
By T.S.Carter | LANIER COUNTY, Georgia – The Lanier County public school district will spend about $600,000 less in the budget that starts July 1 than it did this year. The new budget totals $26.7million, a slight drop from the current $27.3 million. The 2026 budget should keep the amount property owner pay in taxes…
Read MoreLanier County Tax Commissioner’s Dual Roles Raise Ethics Questions – Conflicts of Interest Part 11
LANIER COUNTY NEWS SPECIAL REPORT EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the eleventh in a 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 – Lanier County Tax Commissioner Rebecca S. Rampey, a constitutional officer…
Read MorePrison for Profits: Executives Hid Fire Danger from Consumers and their Families
Fire-Prone Dehumidifiers: What It Means for South Georgia Homes By Carol A. Gasser Moore | CALIFORNIA / South Georgia — In a historic first, two California corporate executives have been sentenced to federal prison for failing to report dangerously defective consumer products that sparked hundreds of house fires across the United States — including cases…
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