Area Breaking News
Lanier County Hosts Seminole County in Second Round of State Playoffs at Threatte Field
By Carol A. Gasser Moore LAKELAND, Lanier County, Georgia – The 2025 GHSA state baseball playoffs continue this week as Lanier County welcomes Seminole County for a best-of-three second-round series at historic Threatte Field in Lakeland. Game 1 is scheduled for Tuesday, April 29, with first pitch set for 12:00 p.m. Game 2 will follow…
Read MoreLanier County Fire Department Faces Weekday Coverage Gap as Training, Volunteer Shortages Continue
By Carol A. Gasser Moore LANIER COUNTY, Georgia — Lanier County’s fire and rescue services are facing a critical gap in daytime coverage, and residents are growing increasingly concerned as officials acknowledge ongoing problems with the length of time it is taking for new volunteer firefighters to complete training and certification. Prior to April,…
Read MoreMajor Fentanyl Trafficking Bust in Enigma Following Multiagency Operation
By Carol A. Gasser Moore ENIGMA, Berrien County, Georgia — The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office and its partners in a multiagency drug task force say a raid and arrests in Enigma on April 10 put a big snag in an important fentanyl trafficking network operating in South Georgia. The payoff from a stakeout of the…
Read MoreKiersten Ley Honored with Multiple Top Awards at VSU College of Science and Mathematics Ceremony
By Carol A. Gasser Moore LANIER COUNTY, Georgia – Kiersten Sarah Ley of Lakeland, Georgia, was the standout honoree at Valdosta State University’s 2025 College of Science and Mathematics Awards Ceremony, earning multiple top distinctions that recognize her academic excellence and leadership. Ley, a graduating senior majoring in Biology with a pre-medicine concentration and…
Read MoreRep. Scott reveals GOP plan for steep cuts to federal shares of Medicaid funding
By T.S. Carter SOUTH GEORGIA – Republicans plan to force the dozens of states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act to pay as much as 50 percent more of what is now a 90-10 percentage share arrangement. GOP House leaders have put longtime South Georgia U.S. Rep. Austin Scott out front as a…
Read MoreGoing to Florida? Bring your papers
By T.S. Carter GEORGIA – The signs at the Florida line proclaimed Florida as a “free state” but a visit there did not turn out that way for Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen from Grady County, Georgia. Florida proclaims itself a “Free State” to visitors. Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) troopers stopped a car…
Read MoreLanier Commissioner Benny L. Ryan Appears Free of Conflict – Amid Property Tax Uproar: Conflicts of Interest – Part 3
By Carol A. Gasser Moore EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third in a series examining ethics and governance in Lanier County. The series spotlights potential and actual conflicts of interest involving elected officials. LANIER COUNTY, Georgia – As public frustration mounts over skyrocketing property taxes in Lanier County, District 1 Commissioner Benny L. Ryan finds himself…
Read MoreDiscovery Regional brings Lakeland a new high school option
By T.S. Carter LAKELAND, Lanier County, Georgia – A non-traditional evening high school for self-paced and individualized learning has opened in Lakeland, operating from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Located at 28 South Valdosta Road, the Discovery Regional High School offers alternatives to conventional education paths. Its flexible schedule accommodates students…
Read MoreSecond Deer Tests Positive for Chronic Wasting Disease in Berrien County, South Georgia
By Carol A. Gasser Moore BERRIEN COUNTY, Georgia — State wildlife officials have confirmed Georgia’s second case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a wild deer, deepening concerns about the spread of the fatal illness in the state’s deer population. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced Tuesday, April 22 that a 4.5-year-old male…
Read MoreLakeland Post Office Faces Extended Closure Amid Repair Delays
By Carol A. Gasser Moore LAKELAND, Lanier County, Georgia — The Lakeland Post Office at 15 S. Valdosta Road remains closed nearly seven months after Hurricane Helene inflicted significant water damage, leading to mold issues and structural concerns. Despite reports that repairs, including mold remediation, have been completed, the facility has yet to reopen, leaving…
Read More