First Responses
Lowndes man held in Khushi Mart robbery
By T.S. Carter VALDOSTA, Lowndes County, Ga. – Franklin Kier, 25 of Lowndes County, is in custody on an armed robbery charge after a 6 a.m. holdup September 15 of Khushi Food Mart, during which the robber fired a handgun. Valdosta Police also arrested Kianna Grisby, 35, whom police described as an “associate” of Kier.…
Read MoreCustomer’s Quick Action Helps Save Lives as Fire Engulfs Valdosta Fazoli’s
By Carol A. Gasser Moore | VALDOSTA, Lowndes County, Ga. — A September 14, Sunday night fire forced the sudden closure of Fazoli’s on North St. Augustine Road after flames tore through part of the building’s roof. Thanks to a vigilant customer who alerted staff, no one was injured. According to the Valdosta Fire Department…
Read MorePearson city clerk joins former mayor as defendant in corruption probe
By T.S. Carter | PEARSON, Atkinson County, Ga. – A multi-month Georgia Bureau of Investigation criminal probe of Pearson City Hall has had its second arrest with the charging Sept. 8 of city clerk Patrica Ballard on a host of felony counts. Ballard’s arrest follows the early February arrest of former mayor Robert “Buster” Johnson…
Read MoreLakeland Fire & Rescue: Weekly Report — Sept. 1, 2025
By Carol A. Gasser Moore | LAKELAND, Lanier County, Ga. — The Lakeland Fire & Rescue Department reported no fires in the city over the past week ending Monday, Sept. 1. With the report coinciding with Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 1) and the heart of Atlantic hurricane season, officials remind residents to keep safety top…
Read MoreJoint exercise honors legacy of rescue heroes with new training range
By 2nd Lt. Kristina Schlemmer, 23rd Wing Public Affairs Moody Air Force Base, Lowndes County, GA. — Servicemembers from the 23rd Wing and Marine aviation units held a joint combat search and rescue task force (CSARTF) exercise on Aug. 7, 2025, at Moody Air Force Base’s new Kight Training Range. The Kight Training Range opened…
Read MoreVPD: Teens linked to Ricardo Street gunfire arrested; 7 guns, marijuana seized after search warrant
By Carol A. Gasser Moore | VALDOSTA, Lowndes County, Ga. — Valdosta Police say proactive work by patrol officers and detectives led to the fast identification and arrest of multiple suspects after a pre-dawn shooting rattled a westside neighborhood. According to VPD, officers were dispatched at 2:20 a.m. to the 1700 block of Ricardo Street…
Read MoreWelcome Aboard: Deputy Kevin Dorsey sworn in to Lanier County Sheriff’s Office
By Carol A. Gasser Moore | LANIER COUNTY, Ga. — The Lanier County Sheriff’s Office has a new face on the team. Deputy Kevin Dorsey was officially sworn in this week by Chief Judge Clayton “Clay” Tomlinson of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit during a brief courthouse ceremony. The Sheriff’s Office shared the happy news on…
Read MoreValdosta police force entry, arrest man after reported domestic assault; handgun recovered
By Carol A. Gasser Moore | VALDOSTA, Lowndes County, Ga. — Valdosta Police officers forced their way into an apartment and arrested a 23-year-old man Monday evening after a 911 caller reported her sister was being assaulted and held against her will, possibly at gunpoint, according to the department. Police say the incident began around…
Read MoreThree Arrested in Sumter County Aggravated Assault; Victim Identified
By Carol A. Gasser Moore | AMERICUS, Sumter County, Ga. — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says three people have been arrested in connection with an Aug. 2 shooting on Knollwood Drive that left a DeSoto man wounded. Agents identified the victim as D’Shawndra Morris. Americus police were dispatched around 3:56 p.m. to an apartment…
Read MoreTragedy Averted: Teens Arrested After Gun Discharge Injures 13-Year-Old in Valdosta
By Carol A. Gasser Moore | VALDOSTA, Lowndes County, Ga. – A Saturday afternoon in a quiet Valdosta neighborhood turned frightening when a gun accidentally discharged, leaving a 13-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the shoulder, according to the Valdosta Police Department (VPD). The incident unfolded around 3:45 p.m. on August 23, 2025, in…
Read More