Area Breaking News
Enigma beats the clock to stay out of hock with feds
By T.S. Carter ENIGMA, Berrien County, Georgia – Talk about close calls! The disarray at Enigma City Hall almost cost the city $359,775 for failing to let the U.S. Treasury Department know how it spent federal dollars allocated for financial relief during the 2021-2022 Covid-19 pandemic. While Mayor Cecil Giddens was hiring and firing city…
Read MorePUBLIC’S HELP REQUESTED: Suspected Shoplifter Ditches Mobility Scooter, Sprints “healed” from Walmart in Surprise Getaway
By Carol A. Gasser Moore LEESBURG, Lee County, Georgia — In what deputies described as a “true miracle,” a suspected shoplifter stunned onlookers and law enforcement alike when he leapt from a mobility scooter and fled on foot from a Lee County Walmart — all while allegedly attempting to make off with a backpack…
Read MoreTen charged in gang war shootout that killed 2 and wounded Lowndes deputy
By T.S. Carter Remerton, Lowndes County, Georgia – The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Remerton Police Department (RPD) have arrested 10 suspects on felony charges of aggravated assault after investigating a 1:30 a.m. shootout between rival gangs outside a Remerton bar. Two men died in the gunfire and a Lowndes County Sheriff’s…
Read MoreUPDATED: Post Office reopening could be at least 70 days away
By T.S. Carter UPDATE BEFORE PUBLISHED: The Lakeland Post Office has been repaired and is ready to reopen, well-known businessman and Lanier County School Board member Phillip Connell said in a nighttime phone interview on Wednesday, April 16. Connell said he learned of completion of the work from a top executive of the…
Read MoreConflict of Interest Concerns Can Arise Over County Commission Chairman’s Dual Role as Bank Official: Conflicts of Interest – Part 2
By Carol A. Gasser Moore LANIER COUNTY, Georgia – When it comes to conflicts of interest, questions have been raised regarding an individual, such as Alex Lee, who is elected as the Lanier County Board of Commissioners Chairman and whose employment as the county’s only bank president, now administrator can give the appearance of…
Read MoreLCSO hosted 5th Annual Tribute to American and Filipino Military Forces
By Carol A. Gasser Moore LOWNDES COUNTY, Georgia – The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office hosted the 5th Annual Tribute March to the American and Filipino forces on Saturday, April 12. Known as the Bataan Death March, American and Filipino forces were forced to march more than 60 miles in the Philippine jungle during WWII.…
Read MoreShiloh Pecan Farms owner staying the course after Helene’s destruction
By T.S. Carter BERRIEN COUNTY, Georgia – The calendar tells Buck Paulk that the new hurricane season is about 45 days away, but the Berrien County grower of several million pounds of pecans annually is rolling the dice again after receiving a serious blow from Hurricane Helene last fall. Paulk’s Shiloh Pecan Farms…
Read MoreCity charter set for return to prominence with new addition to Enigma council
By T.S. Carter ENIGMA, Berrien County, Georgia – Private pilot Rick Maluda’s election to Enigma City Council Post 4 seat has set the stage for city government to far more closely follow the city charter and move to end the chaos of recent years. The addition of Maluda gives the council three members…
Read MoreMystery Behind Lakeland Post Office Property Leads to Prominent Real Estate Family
By Carol A. Gasser Moore LAKELAND, Lanier County, Georgia – Passing the Lakeland Post Office building at 15 South Valdosta Road might seem like just another federal facility serving a suburban community, but beneath its routine exterior lies a mystery tied to one of the area’s most discreet — and intriguing — property holders. …
Read MoreA Green Spring in Georgia: State sending taxpayers rebates of $250 to $500
By T.S. Carter GEORGIA – Get accustomed to the words“Surplus Tax Refund.” It will be worth it to you, like $250 to $500 worth it. The Surplus Tax Refund signed by Gov. Brian Kemp April 15 authorizes the state to send out $1 billion in one-time special tax refunds of up to…
Read More