Coffee County Living - Fall 2019

for the

D r . D a r r e l C o l l i n s • T a r a S p i v e y, P A - C • L a u r e n D u b b e r ly, P A - C

OCTOBER 2019

Caring Heart

Coffee County Living Not Just a Girl Jan Malphus Downing is the first female police officer/detective in Douglas.

Survivor and Lawyer Not even cancer could keep Sarah Snipes from pursuing her dream of becoming a lawyer.

A Teen, A Truck, and a

Collins Cardiology

New Patients Welcomed • No Referral Necessary 1208 Ocilla Road, Douglas, Georgia 31533 • 912.384.6276 | www.collinscardiologyga.com

dream Nicole Ricketson began her own business while still just a teen in high school, taking the initiative and giving entrepreneurship a chance.

H O M E T O W N L I V I N G AT I T S B E S T

COFFEE COUNTY Board of Education

Citizens Christian Academy

50 YEARS TELLS A STORY‌..

20 18 C H A RT E R S C H O O L S Y S T E M O F T H E Y E A R

Our story began in 1969, when Coffee Parents, Inc. noted the value of a quality Christian education and established Citizens Christian Academy.

Since then, we have created many success stories by providing a superb education for students from pre-school through grade 12.

We invite you to join us on March 14, 2020 for our 50th Anniversary Gala Reagan Miller, Chairman; Adam Lott, Vice-Chairman; Jesse Jowers, Bryan Preston and Tonya Wilkerson Dr. Morris Leis, Superintendent

1311 South Peterson Avenue | Douglas, Georgia 31533 Phone (912) 384-2086 coffee.k12.ga.us

featuring Mike Huckabee!

Call for ticket information!

Citizens Christian Academy

1548 GA Hwy 158 W, Douglas, GA 31535 (912) 384-8862 www.citizenschristianacademy.org

The best comprehensive Foot and Ankle specialists for patients in Southern Georgia

From routine checkups, to the most complex reconstructive surgery cases, Ankle & Foot Associates is equipped to handle all your podiatric needs. Our office provides a wide range of services such as dedicated lower extremity circulation testing, MRI and Physical Therapy.

Experts in diabetic care, we also treat diabetic wounds, infections and along with our local team of medical doctors, educate and emphasize the importance of routine pedal inspections and exams.

CALL US TODAY OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

912.384.4121 Gregory J. Kramer, DPM Board Certified

Nicole E. Wilson, DPM Board Certified

204 Westside Drive, Douglas, Georgia 31533 www.anklesandfeet.com

Keeping Your Pet On The Path To Wellness.

1330 West Baker Hwy | Douglas, GA 31533 | lindseyandwills.com | (912) 384-8160

Coffee County

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contents 10

Paulk Vineyards: A Family Affair

Six generations and counting have farmed the land at Paulk Vineyards making the business a true family affair.

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Survivor and Lawyer

Not even cancer could keep Sarah Snipes from pursuing her dream of becoming a lawyer.

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Climbing the Ladder of Success

10 About the Cover Featured on the cover is Nicole Ricketson. Turn to page 62 to read about her entrepreneurial spirit. The photo was taken by Kelly Michelle.

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Andy Smith has always wanted to work in public safety, the decision to become an EMT has led to a successful career.

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On the Pathway to God In the face of many tragedies Reverend Lynette Richardson has stood fast in her faith of God.

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156 62

A Teen, A Truck, and a Dream

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A Deeper Love for Music

Nicole Ricketson began her own business while still just a teen in high school, taking the initiative and giving entrepreneurship a chance.

Johnny Butler seeks to inspire love for piano in his students.

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Classic Warbird Flies Again

You Can Always Come Home Again

Spanning over 50 years Joe Sports has covered the political climate of Georgia before coming back to Coffee County.

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Discipline on the Mat

Keith Smith and James Bland started a wrestling club to serve as a resource to Coffee County wrestlers.

106

Tom Reilly chronicles his 10-year journey to restore an XP-82 Twin Mustang airplane.

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Not Just a Girl

Jan Malphus Downing is the first female police officer/ detective in Douglas.

94

The Power of Our Hands Dupuytren’s Contracture

For those with Dupuytren’s Contracture it’s a very real struggle. Dr. Laura Tharp works with her paitents to increase their quality of life.

B y, L a u r a L T h a r p, M . D .

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coffee county living

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It was said by Ralph Waldo Emerson that, “Power and speed be hands and feet.” And, well, we have to agree. Our hands are powerful tools indeed. From lifting, to grabbing, to writing, to creating, our hands are the ultimate power tools.

Have you ever stopped to think how the loss of movement and mobility in your hands will affect your everyday power? For most of us, we don’t have to think about it, but for those with Dupuytren’s Contracture it’s a very real struggle. Dupuytren’s Contracture may be something you’ve never heard of (and difficult to pronounce) however we expect by the end of this article, you’ll understand a little more and may even know someone suffering from this condition.

First of all, let’s clarify the pronunciation. According to Merriam-Webster.com, the word dupuytren is pronounced both “du-pwe-tranz” and “du-pwe-trenz” so kind of like that “to-may-toe” and “to-ma-toe” thing….

ng,

k

e,

o .

About the author: Dr. Laura Tharp, a native of Fitzgerald, Georgia is an orthopedic surgeon with Orthopedic Surgeons of Georgia. Dr. Tharp is Fellowship Trained from the University of Miami in disorders of the upper extremity, with many years’ experience in issues of the hand, wrist, and elbow including Dupuytren’s Contracture.

choose the one you prefer and roll with it. A rhyming word to compare it to would help, however one doesn’t seem to come to mind, so we will carry on.

Now that we all have an idea how to pronounce the word, let’s get a little more serious and learn more about this condition. In short, Dupuytren’s Contracture is a condition in which one or more fingers become permanently bent inwards towards the palm of the hand.

This typically happens over a period of several years and most commonly affects the index and pinky fingers.

The condition usually begins as small lumps or nodules in the palm of the hand and these lumps often progress, affecting a layer of the fibrous, connective tissue directly under the skin. This fibrous tissue thickens and tightens, causing the affected fingers to progressively stiffen and lose their flexibility, curling towards the palm. The severity of the condition will vary person to person and oftentimes is more severe in one hand.

The initial lumps can be uncomfortable and perhaps tender to the touch, however the condition typically does not involve major pain. Therefore, if pain is involved it could be another condition of the hand such as tendonitis so this is why it’s important to let a physician evaluate and diagnose.

There are various treatments for Dupuytren’s Contracture. Surgery is not always necessary, but it often becomes the preferred choice of many sufferers. It is only necessary to surgically treat this condition when it begins to affect your daily life. Many of those who suffer from Dupuytren’s complain of losing their grip and range of motion, which can become troublesome when doing some of the simplest daily tasks such as brushing your hair or putting your hands in your pockets. Each patient should be assessed individually to determine the stage and pattern of the disease. Once assessed, all treatment options can be explored, including non-surgical interventions such as stretches, injections, and other therapies that may slow the progression and even improve flexibility. Surgical procedures have proven to return flexibility and range of motion however; this does involve recovery time as well as physical therapy to maximize that flexibility and range of motion post-surgery.

Although it can affect women, Dupuytren’s Contracture has proven more common in men over the age of 40 with northern European decent. Alcohol and tobacco use, diabetes, and epilepsy appear to result in an increased risk for this disease, although not enough studies have been completed to pinpoint exact causes of this condition.

For more information about Dr. Laura Tharp and the orthopedic team at Orthopedic Surgeons of Georgia visit their website online at www.OrthopedicSurgeonsofGa. com or, to make an appointment with Dr. Laura Tharp, call (912) 383-6575. Her office is located in Douglas, Ga next to Coffee Regional Medical Center.

100 Doctors Dr Suite I Douglas, Ga 31533 912-383-6575 Hometown Living At Its Best

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From the Publisher

Coffee County P u b l i s h e r With You In Mind Publications

Jay and Patti Martin e d i to r Renee Corwine C reat i v e | D e s i g n Caffeine Generated Graphics, LLC

Mandi Spivey

O

One of the special days that I most enjoy is writing this letter. The reason is that I review all the articles that are in the issue and it is a reminder of the great people who exist and care about Coffee County. They go about their lives quietly contributing to all of us around them in some way.

Aside from being able to write this letter, this has been a very special week. Patti and I received a number of pictures from our children of our grandchildren. One common theme leapt out at us. Smiles were everywhere. All of the grandkids were happy!! Some of the pictures were recent, some were several years old. Regardless, there was a smile on their faces and a twinkle in their eyes. We caught ourselves smiling and laughing at each photograph. A happy smile is contagious!

The grandkids didn’t know we were smiling; they just loved life. It struck me that whenever we smile and someone else sees us, it generally elicits good feelings.

What would happen if each of us genuinely shared a smile with someone? Use your smile to change the world; don’t let the world change your smile.

As always thank the sponsors on page 128. Without them this publication would not be possible.

“We never know all the good that a simple smile can do.” Mother Teresa.

“Children learn to smile from their parents.” Shinichi Suzuki

Blessings,

Jay and Patti Martin Sales: (912) 654-3045 Email: jay@wyimpublications.com withyouinmindpublications.com 8

coffee county living

Stacey Nichols o f f i ce M a n ager Nikki Burkhalter

A s s i s ta n t M a n ager June Dixon

P h otograp h er s A Thousand Words Photography

Gail Dixon Kelly Michelle Photography Southern Grace Photography Tinika Bennett Photography

C ov er P h oto Nicole Ricketson,

taken by Kelly Michelle Sale s Dorothy Sichelstiel

Dottie Hicks

Patti Martin Michael P. Lane Randy Montague

Contributing Wri te r s David Pena

Gail Dixon

Jordan Calhoun

Kelly Michelle

Coffee County Living© is published semi-annually by With You in Mind Publications. withyouinmindpublications.com P.O. Box 55 • Glennville, GA 30427 (912) 654-3045 All rights reserved. Copies or reproduction of this publication in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without expressed written authorization from the publisher.

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein.

Advertising is subject to omission, errors, and other changes without notice.

Lakeside Senior Living

Assisted Living With An Independent Spirit 1025 N Chester Ave, Douglas, GA 31533 | (912) 501-3373

Paulk Vineyards:

A Family Affair

six generations and counting have farmed the land at paulk vineyards making the business a true family affair B Y DAV I D P E N A | P H OTO S B Y S O U T H E R N G R AC E P H OTO G R A P H Y & A T H O U S A N D W O R D S P H OTO G R A P H Y

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Often referred to as the “nectar of the gods,” wine has been in existence for thousands of years. As one of the oldest known drinks, its list of health benefits is actually quite extensive and ever growing. For example, health experts have long believed that a glass of red wine is beneficial for your heart due to its antioxidants, which increase levels of good cholesterol. Certain wines also help to expand the blood vessels, which can aid in the body’s circulation.

However, it’s not only red wine that has health benefits, white wine contains flavonoids that have antioxidant properties as well, which can help prevent cancer. So, when you reach for that proverbial “apple a day,” remember that a glass of wine can also help you to keep the doctor away.

No one knows about the benefits of vino more than Chris Paulk, CEO of Muscadine Products Corporation at Paulk Vineyards. In fact, he sings the praises of one wine and grape in particular – the Muscatine. “Besides being

Hometown Living At Its Best

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Coffee County Living

an American native grape, Muscatines are highest in antioxidants than any other grape I can think of. They’re like a souped-up grape and berry that Mother Nature gave us,” explains Chris. They are also high in vitamin C and ellagic acid, potassium and vitamin B. “Luckily for those who farm it, Muscatines are native to the Southeastern United States, so they’re well adapted to the warm, humid conditions of this region. Like a good Southerner, they don’t live well in the cold.”

Chris ought to know a thing or two about farming; six generations of his family have farmed the land now known as Paulk Vineyards. Throughout the years, the Paulk family has grown everything from traditional crops like cotton and peanuts to soybeans and a variety of fruits, including the mighty Muscatine.

The thick skinned, musky grape was first planted by his grandfather in 1970, and now it’s the family’s largest crop. In fact, the Paulk family has established quite a legacy in the Muscatine industry since growing their first vine. Now they have over 600 acres of Muscatines harvested for fresh produce sales. They also process the

“Besides being an American native grape, Muscatines are highest in antioxidants than any other grape I can think of. They’re like a souped-up grape and berry that Mother Nature gave us.”

Hometown Living At Its Best

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grape into juices, jellies, supplements, and wine.

Few family names are as well-known as the Paulk name in Irwin and Coffee Counties. The first Paulk to live in Irwin County was Micajah Paulk, who moved with his family soon after the county’s origin in 1818. “He moved down here from Connecticut, and it all goes back to Micajah,” says Chris. Six generations of Paulks later, Chris’s grandfather, Jacob Willis, planted his first Muscatine vine in 1970. Now, two of his sons, Gary and Jacob Jr. (J.W.), grow the grapes with their own farming operations on the land now known as Paulk Vineyards. “One of the barns on our property is actually my great-grandfather Lott’s old mule barn. We even named a wine after him,” says Chris proudly.

Chris’s grandfather, Jacob, always had an

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appreciation for fresh fruits and vegetables.

However, after having quintuple bypass surgery at age 45, Jacob completely changed his diet and began to do some research on ways to live a healthier life. In the late 1990s, he discovered that Muscatines are not only great tasting; they are also quite healthy for you. He then worked closely with researchers at UGA and other universities to determine all the health benefits that Muscatines had to offer. Jacob began to quickly see the potential for a unique market and invited his grandson, Chris, to come back home to begin a new business venture, and so began Muscadine Products Corporation. The business grew, and Paulk Vineyards was featured on the Food Network show Food Finds.

Besides the winery, Muscadine Products

“Farming is actually in my blood.”

- Chris Paulk

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The Paulk family has grown everything from traditional crops like cotton and peanuts to soybeans and a variety of fruits, including the mighty Muscatine. The thick skinned, musky grape was first planted by his grandfather in 1970, and now it’s the family’s largest crop. In fact, the Paulk family has established quite a legacy in the Muscatine industry since growing their first vine.

Corporation also manufactures products such as juices and dietary supplements from the Muscatine grapes. “Farming is actually in my blood,” explains Chris. “After my wife and I moved back in 2002, I became CEO of this corporation. However, there are two sides of the house, so to speak.

There’s the farm and vineyard, which my dad oversees, and then my corporation takes a portion of what they grow and processes it into our wines, juices, and jellies. It makes for a great partnership.” Like their forefathers, the sixth generation of the Paulk

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Coffee County Living

While Paulk Vineyards has become a thriving venture, Chris is quick to point out that his family’s legacy is firmly built on faith and family as well as farming.

Hometown Living At Its Best

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family work extremely hard to be good stewards of their land.

While Paulk Vineyards has become a thriving venture, Chris is quick to point out that his family’s legacy is firmly built on faith and family as well as farming.

In fact, painted on the side of an old building on the farm is the inscription, “I am the vine; you are the branches,” which serves as a constant reminder of their faith. “Our faith is rooted in who we are as a family,” says Chris. “One of my uncles is a pastor, and he and my grandfather painted that inscription. It is a beautiful representation and reminder to us of what we believe. We follow Christ, and our faith is at the forefront of what we are doing, both on and off the farm.

We are here to serve others and make this world better than how we found it.”

As a result, Chris’s family has become pillars of their community. Today, they continue to strive for leadership, both on the farm and anywhere else they go. “My great-grandfather Lott invested heavily in our community and our county. Since then, my family has served the community in a variety of ways. My great-grandfather was a county commissioner in Irwin, and I have followed in his steps. My grandfather was a church deacon, and my father still is a deacon. We are very active in the Rotary Club as well, but it all goes back to what God calls us to do - to serve others. We’re happy to continue doing just that, and Paulk Vineyards thankfully affords us that opportunity.”

Chris’s family has become pillars of their community. Today, they continue to strive for leadership, both on the farm and anywhere else they go. “My great-grandfather Lott invested heavily in our community and our county. Since then, my family has served the community in a variety of ways. My great-grandfather was a county commissioner in Irwin, and I have followed in his steps.”

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Coffee County Living

For more information about Paulk Vineyards, call them at (229) 468-7873 or visit www.paulkvineyards.com. CCL

LASSETER TRACTOR COMPANY 970 SW BOWENS MILL RD. | DOUGLAS, GA | 912.384.4400

Chiropractic Health Care

1103 N Madison Ave, Douglas, GA 31533 (912) 384-3002

The Original

DOUBLE Drive-Thru Coffee Shoppe

502 S PETERSON AVE, DOUGLAS, GA 31533 | 912.260.1280

VISIT US INSIDE...

e,

... AT OUR NEW

ELLIANOS CAFÉ LOCATION! 1351 SE BOWENS MILL RD UNIT F | 912.260.1280

A to Z Blow Molding Service, Inc

90 WORKS 100A N Washington St Albany, GA 31701 (855) 909-6757

Banner Gator.com 1320 S Madison Ave Suite 221 Douglas, GA 31533 (912) 501-7453

A to Z Blow Molding Service, Inc 7277 US Hwy 221 N Douglas, GA 31533 (912) 493-9011

Fesperman Real Estate 315 Plant Avenue Suite M Waycross, GA 31501 (912) 288-1988

Harper Hill Plantation 989 Daffodil Rd Ocilla, GA 31774 (904) 206-0621

Gaines Chapel AME Church 1008 Coffee Street Douglas, GA 31533 (912) 383-6037

Liquidation

Luxury Travel & Events

Market

Lights Sound Action 2936 Lone Church Road Pavo, GA 31778 (229) 403-9005

Liquidation Market 1114 North Peterson Ave Douglas, GA 31533 (912) 383-6453

Love Cleaning & Care 512 S Peterson Ave Douglas, GA 31533 (229) 646-1661

Luxury Travel & Events 1205 Powerline Rd Douglas, GA 31533 (912) 592-4508

Welcome New Members THE FUN PLACE OF DOUGLAS Southern Coastal Premier Chiropractic 105 Shirley Ave Douglas, GA 31533 912-720-5556

The Fun Place of Douglas 159 Thompson Dr. Douglas, GA 31535 (912) 389-1250

114 NORTH PETERSON AVENUE, SUITE 205 | DOUGLAS, GEORGIA 31533 | DOUGLASGA.ORG | (912) 384-1873

Coffee Chiropractic, LLC 1214 N Peterson Ave Suite P Douglas, GA 31533 (912) 331-1432

Chele’s Gifts & Outfitters 313 S Peterson Ave Douglas, GA 31533 (912) 278-5754

Designs by Kaye 1030 Dutchess Rd Douglas, GA 31535 (912) 381-1757

LAMAR’S

HOBBS

Tree Removal And Land Clearing

Hobbs Tree Removal And Land Clearing 175 East R Fitzgerald, GA 31750 (478) 550-6594

McKinnon Cattle & Meats 2489 Hwy 32 Douglas, GA 31533 (912) 331-1414 (912) 389-6299

Douglas Quality Meats 607 W Baker Hwy Douglas, GA 31533 (912) 292-0931

Heating and Cooling Lamar’s Heating and Cooling 62 Stodghill Lane Douglas, GA 31535 (912) 384-2579

Johnson’s Funeral & Cremation Services 2760 US Hwy 441 South Douglas, GA 31533 (912) 384-0019

Nexxtep Technology Services, Inc 3256 N Valdosta Rd Valdosta, GA 31602 (229) 671-1513

Pentas Wealth Management 2549 Lafayette Plaza Drve Suite 101 Albany, GA 31707 (229) 883-2450

Shinkah Beauty 18 Ashworth Drive Douglas, GA 31535 (912) 850-0844

WARD Monument Company UPS Store 1320 South Madison Avenue Douglas, GA 31533 (912) 383-0313

Ward Monument Company 520 N Madison Avenue Douglas, GA 31533 (912) 720-2941

Woody Folsom Automotive of Douglas 1510 South Peterson Ave Douglas, GA 31533 (912) 384-2371

Hometown Living At Its Best

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EMPOWER YOURSELF.

#MINDYOURMAMMARS Early detection of breast cancer and receiving quality care once diagnosed, are the most important steps in increasing the likelihood of survival from breast cancer. Mammograms are often able to find breast changes (that could become or be cancer) years before physical symptoms develop. Research clearly shows that women who have regular mammograms are more likely to have early detection of breast cancer. Early detection results in a lower likelihood of the patient needing aggressive treatment and also an increased chance of being completely cured. Knowledge is power, so ladies (and gentlemen) take care of yourself and be sure to get your mammograms as suggested by your physician.

The American Cancer Society suggests the following for women at average risk: - Women between 40 and 44 start screening with a mammogram - Women 45 to 54 should get a mammogram every year - Women 55 and older should get a mammogram every other year and should continue as long as they are in good health and have a life expectancy of 10+ years The above suggestions are for women who are otherwise healthy, without a family history of breast cancer or symptoms (such as a lump). Those with family history should get an MRI and a mammogram every year, typically starting at age 30. Consult with your physician if you are above average risk.

Schedule Your Appointment Today!

CRMC Mammography (912) 383-5682 ONCOLOGY GROUP

FMI visit www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer

Welcome Home

Nicholls CITY OF

GEORGIA

7 0 7

VA N

S T R E AT

H I G H WAY,

N I C H O L L S ,

G A

|

9 1 2 . 3 4 5 . 2 4 2 1

WRITTEN BY GAIL DIXON | PHOTOS BY SARAH SNIPES

Survivor

and Lawyer

S

Not even cancer could keep Sarah Snipes from pursuing her dream of becoming a lawyer

Sarah Snipes was born and raised in Coffee County. At the age of 11, she decided she wanted to be a lawyer because she wanted to do something that would help people the most. Sarah sat in on a criminal court case and decided “what better way to help others;” she now believes that the court system holds people accountable for their actions.

While in middle school, Sarah was active in sports…she played Little League Softball and tennis. As if that was not enough, she played the clarinet and trumpet and was on the Color Guard Team.

In high school, Sarah was involved in FFA, FCCLA, was a Junior Varsity Cheerleader and ran Cross Country. She formed a close bond with her high school literature teacher, Lorraine Fussell. Sarah explained, “She and I still keep in contact, as Ms.

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Coffee County Living

Hometown Living At Its Best

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Fussell now lives in Social Circle, Georgia. She introduced me to the DeKalb Farmers Market and we meet for lunch or a fun outing when we both have time.” Sarah graduated with honors and a dual seal from Coffee County High School in 2010.

After graduating from high school, Sarah attended South Georgia College and graduated in 2012 with an Associate’s Degree. While there, she ran Cross Country under Coach Robert Preston, Jr. and received a scholarship. Sarah then transferred to Valdosta State University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2014.

Sarah was accepted to go to Mercer Law School in Macon. Two days before starting law school, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and immediately started taking chemotherapy in Valdosta. This was not something any young person wanted to hear, but Sarah held her head high and through God, her family and friends, she made it through these “trials.”

She explained, “I lived with Terry and Renee Roberson during my first chemo treatment, as it was easier to accommodate my health requirements in their home. They were instrumental in my treatments and, through this, they introduced me to First Baptist Church.”

While going through chemo, Sarah applied to the University of Georgia in 2014. In February 2015, she was trying to find a job. Because she was going through chemo, Sarah had short hair and she didn’t think she looked her best to be applying for jobs. She walked into Danny’s Pizza and told Danny Malley, the owner, “I’m looking for a job. He replied to me, ‘Okay, start tomorrow.’ Danny was very kind to me and we are good friends now. When I go home, I always have to go by Danny’s to get pizza.” In the fall of 2015, after completing chemo, she began her education at the UGA Law School.

Things were going well for Sarah as she continued her education, or so she

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Coffee County Living

Sarah was accepted to go to Mercer Law School in Macon. Two days before starting law school, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and immediately started taking chemotherapy in Valdosta.

This was not something any young person wanted to hear, but Sarah held her head high and through God, her family and friends, she made it through these “trials.”

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thought. In January 2016, during her first year of law school, Sarah was re-diagnosed with cancer. Because this was her second round of cancer, outpatient chemo was no longer sufficient. So, January through May of 2016, Sarah went to the South Georgia Medical Center in Valdosta where she spent one week out of each month taking aggressive chemo.

This was when Sarah saw the community step up to help. People began to reach out to her and help with expenses. As tears formed in her eyes, she said, “I couldn’t believe how people were helping me. It just really touched my heart!” When Sarah found out that her insurance was not going to pay for a procedure her doctor said she needed, she got really upset.

When the doctor asked her why she was crying, she replied, “I can’t afford to have this done because my insurance will not pay for it.” Her doctor looked at her and told her not to worry because he would take care of it.

In June 2016, Sarah went to Emory University Hospital for an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant.

The good thing about this stem cell transplant is that the doctors were able to use Sarah’s own stem cells…they could “run her stem cells through a machine to clean them up” and put them back into her body. After being in the hospital for one month, Sarah was able to go home. Sarah explained, “After this treatment, I had no hair, no eyelashes, and no eyebrows.” After everything she had been through, she was determined not to let this get her down!

Sarah began law school in August 2016. In September she had a PET scan and possible active nodes were found. Once again, during her entire first year of law school, Sarah had to go through chemo.

But this time it was given in small doses to kill only the bad stuff…she had to go through this process every three weeks for 30 minutes at the time.

While going to college, Sarah was able to work in the office for the Attorney General during the 2018 Legislative Session. She worked with Majority Leader of the House, Jon Burns, and Speaker of the House, David Ralston. During her third year of college, Sarah was a Junior Intern with Judge Dwayne Gillis, Chief Judge for the Waycross Judicial Circuit, who will swear her in as an attorney when the time comes in Coffee County. She also worked with Judge Marlow Ross, Municipal and Juvenile Court Judge in Douglas, Georgia/Coffee County.

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Coffee County Living

Things were going well for Sarah as she continued her education, or so she thought. In January 2016, during her first year of law school, Sarah was re-diagnosed with cancer.

Because this was her second round of cancer, outpatient chemo was no longer sufficient.

Sarah works with Speed, Seta, Martin, Trivett, & Stubley, LLC in Lawrenceville, Georgia, which specializes in worker’s compensation insurance. She has been working there for about 18 months and has been offered an associate’s position, pending her passing the bar exam, which she took in July. Sarah is really excited about the position as she eagerly waits to see if she passes in October.

Athena and Rodger Goddard, Sarah’s parents, live in Douglas. Athena owns Buried Treasures, a consignment shop in town. Rodger worked with the Douglas Police Department and is now a Marshal for Code Enforcement.

Sarah has one brother, Matthew McKinnon, who works with PCC Airfloils in Douglas.

Sarah is a first-generation college graduate; her mother obtained her technical degree at the same time Sarah received her associate’s degree. Other than that, there are no other college graduates in her maternal or

paternal families. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys reading fiction and running. Her four-legged baby is a beagle named Ophelia, aka Ophie. When she is home, she attends the First Baptist Church in Douglas.

When I met Sarah to do the interview for this article, she seemed very quiet. As we talked, she really opened up and had a wonderful story to tell. She is very humble, but, like most of us, she also has her pride. Sarah said, “I am so thankful to those who stepped up to help me. A lot of people went out of their way to make sure that I had the help I needed when going through cancer.” When we left the interview, I felt as if I had known Sarah for several years.

Sarah is an inspiration to others. She’s a two-time cancer survivor and has just finished law school. There are times when she could have given up, but she didn’t.

With God and a good support system, she will continue to make her way in the world. CCL Hometown Living At Its Best

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STRESS-FREE CAR SHOPPING

We aim to provide every driver with some of the most incredible Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, or RAM models imaginable.

1510 S Peterson Ave | Douglas, GA 31535

(912) 493-2100 | www.woodyfolsomcdjrofdouglas.com

WE BELIEVE LIFE IS

All About Your Vision

Fitzgerald

Family Eyecare

Dr. Ellen D. Fitzgerald | Optometric Physician

1329 Ocilla Road | Douglas, Georgia | 912.393.0005 | visionsource-drellenfitzgerald.com

GEORGIA INDEPENDENT INSURANCE SPECIALISTS

McCrary-Daniels Insurance Agency is able to help you with most types of insurance, including homeowners, automobile, business and life. We are a long-time partner in SecureRisk, representing over 70 of Georgia’s largest insurance agencies. This gives McCrary Daniels access to more markets than any other local agency bringing the best coverage and services to the public at the most affordable prices.

OVER 90 YEARS OF SERVICE

McCrary Daniels Insurance 120 N Madison Ave, Douglas, GA 31533 | (912) 384-2130 | mccrarydaniels.com

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Andy Smith was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina. “I was an Army brat and we moved a lot. We lived in Germany, Arizona, Georgia, and back to North Carolina,” he explains. “When I was 15, my father retired from the military and our plans were to live in North Carolina. My mom was diagnosed with leukemia and we moved back to Georgia because that’s where she was from and where her family lived. I have lived in Georgia since I was in the 11th grade. I graduated from Tift County High School”.

“Originally, I wanted to be a State Trooper. After graduating from high school, I had two things going against me...my age, you had to be 21, and my eyesight, because I received an injury to my right eye when I was young. I tried to think of something similar in public safety, and decided to go to EMT school at Valdosta Tech for nine months. Graduating in June 1994, I decided that I liked being an EMT. I began working for Tift County EMS in 1994. Everyone needed to go to Paramedic School so I went to Darton College and graduated in 1996. I was the youngest paramedic in the state at the time,” Andy says.

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Coffee County Living

Andy Smith has always wanted to work in public safety, the decision to become an emt has led to a sucessful career.

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A typical day for Andy includes overseeing Emergency Preparedness, “kinda like the EMA Director for the hospital.” He is also in charge of the EMS budget and payroll, and is on multiple committees and attends meetings that deal with the EMS.

Thus, began a lot of great opportunities for Andy. “I started moving up the ‘ladder.’ The higher I went, the more I liked it. I began as a Paramedic, then Lieutenant and promoted to Captain, and eventually Major, where I was the Deputy EMS Director. When my boss left, they promoted me to EMS Director and finally I served as the Deputy Director for the Department of Public Safety,” says Andy. During this time, he also taught eight years, part-time, at Moultrie Technical College teaching EMT classes at night. Andy worked in Tift County for 23 years before moving to Coffee County in December 2017.

When Mike Ethridge, EMS Director for

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Coffee County Living

Coffee County, moved back to North Georgia, Andy took the assignment.

A typical day for Andy includes overseeing Emergency Preparedness, “kinda like the EMA Director for the hospital.” He is also in charge of the EMS budget and payroll, and is on multiple committees and attends meetings that deal with the EMS. Andy serves on state committees and attends statewide meetings for Coffee County. He says, “I try to be involved in as much as I can. The more you learn, the more you know. I’ve had the opportunity to meet other people, whom I’ve networked with, and we are able to trade information, which helps all of us.”

Coffee County has three strategically placed EMS stations…Broxton, Nicholls, and Douglas, which is the main station. “Between all three stations, there are

a total of 34 employees, including 20 paramedics and 14 EMTs. One shift has an average of 20-25 calls; in the last year, they ran about 7300 calls, while serving a population of 42,000 in 603 square miles,” explains Andy. “We have state-of-the-art equipment, a seven unit fleet equipped with life-saving equipment, allowing them to efficiently cover Coffee County. The hospital manages the EMS, but the county helps supplement what we need. SPLOST funds help to offset our budget by helping to pay for CPR devices and cardiac monitors.

Coffee Regional EMTs are on the front lines, saving lives, every day.”

When asked what was the difference between an EMT and a Paramedic, Andy explains…“Paramedics have one year more of education and more responsibility. They have more training and can do Hometown Living At Its Best

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Coffee County Living

more skills than an EMT. Because an EMT and paramedic are usually first at the scene, paramedics are trained to do some things that nurses cannot do. There are times when they have to make their own decisions because there is not a doctor on the ambulance. They are one-on-one with the patient until their arrival at the hospital. They are constantly training, taking classes, and updating information.”

“Each shift works 24 hours and consists of six people…

Captain, Lieutenant, and four people who are EMTs or paramedics. Each station has a 24-hour ambulance, which is staffed with two people...an EMT and a paramedic. We are responsible for 911 calls, hospital-to-hospital transfers, and discharges back to the nursing home. We do some Public Relations work at the schools, telling children what an ambulance is supposed to do, that you are supposed to pull to the right if you see an ambulance coming, and how important it is to wear seat belts. We also visit civic clubs and organizations throughout the year teaching students and community member’s hands-on emergency techniques.

EMS also attends local sporting events, festivals, fairs, rodeos, races, and other large public events. The service is

also active with the Stop the Bleed campaign with two instructors on staff, Vials for Life, and Shop with a Cop,” Andy explains.

“Another aspect of EMS is working with other agencies and being involved with related groups.

Coffee Regional EMS is the primary transport service for CRMC, but they also respond to all structure fires and wrecks with the Douglas and Coffee County Fire Departments. To make sure they are prepared or can help when needed, the service has mutual aids contracts with all bordering counties, EMS training for the region is offered at their office, and the EMS Director sits on the 911 advisory board. The service is also involved in other EMS groups like the Region 9 EMS Directors association, ITLS State committee, EMS subcommittee for Trauma Commission for Region 9, Area All Hazards Council, Disaster and Recovery Team (DART), and EMS Region 9 Council,” reports Mary Napler, Editor of GEMSA Journal.

Mary continues, “Overall, CRMC EMS prides itself on conducting themselves in a caring and considerate Hometown Living At Its Best

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Andy works Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM. Music and sports are “outlets” for him. “I am a huge Dave Matthews fan and I love pop and rock music.” He continues, “I’ve probably been to 100 concerts or more in my lifetime.” Being a Gator Booster, as well as a member of the Alumni Association, he also enjoys going to Florida football games.

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Coffee County Living

manner and striving to help others, regardless of their problems. They stay motivated to be properly trained and educated and are willing to pass knowledge along to others. They are always actively involved in community education, medical screening, and injury prevention programs, with a special emphasis on children.”

Coffee Regional Medical Center was recently selected as the 2018 Georgia Emergency Medical Service of the Year by the Georgia EMS Association. The nominated EMS services were assessed by call volume, square miles of services area, number of EMS stations within that coverage area, number of paramedics, paramedicine techniques, public relations within their communities, staff training, and more. Andy was presented the award by his former EMT student and Executive Director of GEMSA, Kim Littleton. “The men and women of Coffee Regional EMS have excelled even through adversity and are most deserving of this honor,” said Kim. “CRMC EMS was awarded this prestigious honor for its service to the community over the last 50 years as the primary EMS provider in Coffee County. Although the faces may have changed through the years, the basis for its existence has not,” says Mary.

Andy works Monday through Friday from 8

AM to 5 PM. Music and sports are “outlets” for him. “I am a huge Dave Matthews fan and I love pop and rock music.” He continues, “I’ve probably been to 100 concerts or more in my lifetime.” Being a Gator Booster, as well as a member of the Alumni Association, he also enjoys going to Florida football games.

Andy has a son, Cameron, age 13, that lives in Tift County. He is in the 8th grade at 8th Street Middle School and is a straight ‘A’ student. He plays travel baseball and most weekends are on-the-road for Andy and Cameron, but both love it! In their spare time, they go to watch the Florida Gators play and go see the Atlanta Braves.

Andy says, “I’m so proud of my team. Not only are we taking nearly 20 emergency calls per day, on average, but we also interact with and serve our community in additional ways. We have an elite group of EMS professionals who strive to be the best at what they do and operate with the best equipment available. We are committed to the health care industry and to our community. Our staff dedicates their lives to helping others in need. We are proud of our ability to operate as a small service and function as a big one to be the best at what we do.”CCL Hometown Living At Its Best

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On the

Pathway to God

W

When talking about her chosen vocation of teaching, preaching and helping others, Reverend Lynette Richardson often refers to herself as a “Prayer Warrior.” Indeed, the 69-year-old preacher has been fighting the good fight for more than half a century, devoting her life to spreading the word of God while valiantly trying to bring her community together. “I take the church to the people, not the other way around,” she says. “You have to take action when it comes to God’s word, and that’s what I do!” So far, Reverend Richardson has been ‘taking action’ in 48 of the 50 states, delivering the Gospel across the country, and she says that she has no plans to stop anytime soon.

Reverend Richardson first heard the religious calling over 50 years ago, when she fulfilled a promise made to her grandfather. “I’ve basically been preaching the Gospel since I was sixteen,” she recalls, “but my grandfather put a Bible in my hand when I was three years old. By the time

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I n t h e fa c e o f m a n y tragedies Reverend Ly n e t t e R i c h a r d s o n h a s s t o o d fa s t i n h e r fa i t h o f g o d .

I was twelve, I was teaching adults Sunday school classes.” Since then, she says that doing God’s work and helping others has become her life-long mission.

“Now I live to help people just like Jesus did during his entire lifetime.”

The Reverend was born in 1949 in Baxley, Georgia.

Her parents, James and Annette McCoy, were very instrumental in shaping the young girl’s faith in God. “I had a wonderful upbringing, and my parents were very religious. I guess it caught on with me in a big way,” she laughs. “My father was from Baltimore, and his father was a white man who raised horses. He met my beautiful grandmother, who happened to be black.

Now all the women in my family are beautiful, just like her, and we’ve all tried to follow God’s word in our lives.”

Reverend Richardson was married to the late Marion Richardson, Jr. in June of 1966. The couple had five children: Barbara, Bobby, Eric, Marion, and the late Sheila Richardson, who died nearly thirty years ago. She explains that she now uses her ministry, particularly her writing, to help deal with an event that is every parents’ worst nightmare. “I lost my beautiful daughter, Sheila, when she was just twenty-two. She was going to be a doctor before she was murdered in 1993. That’s when I first began to write; I found that it helped me to cope with my pain of the loss of my child. Since then, it has really helped me to go on with my life from day to day.”

Last year Reverend Richardson wrote a book called Pathway to God, which is currently available on Amazon. The book is a collection of previously published articles that appeared in the Douglas Enterprise. Through her articles and subsequent books, Lynette tries to give her many readers a source

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“I lost my beautiful daughter, Sheila, when she was just twenty-two. She was going to be a doctor before she was murdered in 1993. That’s when I first began to write; I found that it helped me to cope with my pain of the loss of my child. Since then, it has really helped me to go on with my life from day to day.” of encouragement as they attempt to live their lives on a spiritual level. “I actually wrote my first book in 1997 called The Book of Decree, and it really helped me to cope with my daughter’s death,” she says. After the publication of her first book, Reverend Richardson started writing for the Douglas Enterprise and continues her advice column there. “Every Thursday I write a new article, and people seem to really love what I write since I put scripture in each one.”

She says she sometimes refers back her late husband, Marion, when writing about marriage. “I was married for forty-seven years to the same man, so in my newspaper column I write about marriage as a real commitment.

Young people today seem to shy away (from marriage) these days, but I want to impart to them that simply living together is not a true commitment,” she says. “That’s why I stress that marriage is important, now more than ever; a married couple should share everything equally, and marriages need to be built on trust and respect.”

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Reverend Richardson’s latest project is something she calls The Holiday House.

“I was inspired to start a Holiday House in 2016 for the hungry and homeless, particularly after the storms (displaced) a lot of folks in South Georgia and Florida.

There always seems to be more homeless on the streets during the holiday season, so (the house) will be available then as well as every other day of the year for those that truly need it,” she says. “I have always wanted to help with the problem of hunger in our community, so this is my way (of doing that). Jesus fed five thousand people, and this is my goal for Coffee County. I

Hometown Living At Its Best

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“I have always wanted to help with the problem of hunger in our community, so this is my way (of doing that). Jesus fed five thousand people, and this is my goal for Coffee County.

I know I will be successful with the help of the Lord.”

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know I will be successful with the help of the Lord.” The Reverend’s “Holiday House” will be the culmination of her dream for the people in her community, and she looks to the Lord as her main inspiration. Judge Dwayne Gillis, a friend and former landlord, says, “We always talked religion back and forth. As long as I’ve known her, Lynette has always had a big heart with a desire to help anyone in need in any way she can. She’s been very active in the community, trying to get (this project) off the ground.

With God’s help, I believe she can do it.”

Not one to rest on her laurels, Reverend Richardson says that there is still a lot to be done in terms of spreading the word of God. “I am glad to see so many young preachers spreading the gospel, but (I feel that many do it) for the wrong reasons. Most of the young preachers are preaching only for themselves or for the money, and I know that God is probably not too pleased with that kind of preaching. I don’t try to live off of other people; I live to help others, and that’s what I try to do every day.”

Reverend Richardson continues to pray for the health

and happiness of others and says that she feels God has blessed her life in many ways. Now she wants to give back to her community in the form of The Holiday House. For the past few months, the tenacious preacher has been reaching out to friends, colleagues and community leaders to help make her dream a reality, but she says that it’s been an uphill battle thus far. “For the past year or so, I’ve been asking others to stand with me and make The Holiday House a reality for the people of Coffee County and South Georgia, but it’s often hard to get others to help (financially) since most folks have their own problems. However, we have to remember how blessed we are to have a roof over our head and food to eat every night; others aren’t as fortunate, and we need to help them as Jesus taught us.”

For information about how to help with The Holiday House, please contact Reverend Richardson at (912) 592-5577 or view her work at www.douglasenterprise.net.CCL

Hometown Living At Its Best

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N

Nicole Ricketson began her own business while still just a teen in high school, taking the initiative and giving entrepreneurship a chance. on a hunting trip with my family to South Africa, While those who fall under the moniker of “Generation X” find and after the trip, my dad began talking with me themselves struggling to move up the corporate ladder, some young about starting my own small company. He felt that adults in “Generation Y” have been finding innovative ways to make I would be able to run it during the second semester their own income. For many of them, that means taking the initiative and of my senior year.” She soon decided to just go for giving entrepreneurship a chance. Take Douglas small business owner it when the opportunity presented itself.

Nicole Ricketson, for instance, who began her own business while still True to form, Nicole enrolled in her school’s co-op just a teen in high school. program during her last semester, which allowed her “My family has been instrumental in helping me attain my goals, to attend her classes in the morning while running but I feel like I’m part of one of the craziest families in Douglas!” her new company during exclaims twenty-four-year-old Nicole. “I’ve lived most of the afternoons. “Despite my life here, and everyone knows everyone. My family definitely has a bit of a reputation for being adventurous; “There was just me, a dump starting while I was in high school, the business for example, my dad owns a helicopter. Douglas may be truck, and a driver.” was pretty easy to run small in population, but the people who live there make it initially since there was larger than life, especially the Ricketsons.” not much work to be done at the time,” she recalls.

Nicole’s mother, Cathy, is a retired elementary school teacher, and “There was just me, a dump truck, and a driver. I her dad, Ray, has owned a few companies himself. Thus, growing up in entered truck tickets for invoices and ran payroll Douglas, Nicole was taught the value of a dollar and was given a firstand quickly learned all about the inner workings of hand account about the stresses of owning a business. For example, when most high school students are about to enter their senior year, they usually a business.” spend their summer relaxing, readying themselves for the “victory lap.”

After graduating from high school in May of However, that was not the case for Nicole. “I began that summer going 2012, Nicole began her college career in Atlanta by

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the following August. To everyone who knew her, it seemed only logical for the tenacious teen to choose accounting as her major.

“Nicole has always been very good with numbers,” says Cathy, “so after the recession of 2008, she wanted a job that would always be in demand. We looked at several majors before she settled on becoming a CPA.” Nicole attended Oglethorpe University for three semesters, and then returned home to South Georgia State College, all the while keeping NPR South up and running.

In the fall of 2014, she attended The University of Georgia and was quickly bowled over by the quality of the courses there.

“The caliber of the education I received while attending UGA was above anything I could have hoped for,” she recalls. “My goal since leaving high school was to gain as much knowledge as I could before I returned home to Douglas to grow my business, and UGA helped with that. Before I finished my undergraduate degree, I was also able to attend Oxford University in England for a sixweek program in the summer, which was an amazing experience.”

Nicole graduated from UGA in December of 2016 and immediately began studying for the CPA exam in January. “I had wanted to become a Certified Public Accountant since I was a

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“I’ve lived most of my life here, and everyone knows everyone. My family definitely has a bit of a reputation for being adventurous; for example, my dad owns a helicopter. Douglas may be small in population, but the people who live there make it larger than life, especially the Ricketsons.”

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“I would not be anywhere near where I am today without the blessings of the Lord. The Lord has always had a large impact on my life, but I never felt His presence more than the time following high school.”

junior in high school,” she recalls. After graduation Nicole also began a full-time job at Nichols, Cauley & Associates in their Atlanta tax department. “My thought was by working in tax I would gain better experience and education for running my own business in Douglas,” she says. Nicole completed all her requirements to be a CPA in December 2017 and by March of 2018 she became a licensed CPA in Georgia. “It may seem like I achieved these goals pretty easily, but there was a lot of praying, late nights, and many cups of coffee,” she says with a laugh.

Around that time, Nicole began thinking about the future of NPR South. After talking with employees, she felt that NPR needed a building for the storage of trucks and materials. Thus, in the fall of 2017, the company broke ground on the new building. “Since we now have four trucks and nine employees, it was just time,” she says. “We also recently received our DBE (Disadvantaged Business Entity) certification since I’m a female business owner. The GDOT requires that a portion of their jobs go to DBE companies, so we’re excited about that.”

Nicole says that it has been an exciting experience to return to her hometown while applying the knowledge and experience she’s gained since high school. “I’m really proud to use what I’ve learned in order to grow NPR South as a business and serve those around me well,” she says with pride. Her mother says the family is proud but not really surprised. “We’re all excited for her, but she’s always been very level-headed and determined.

Whatever she would have done, we would have been proud, so we’re extremely proud of Nicole and happy for her.”

In the past, NPR South was known primarily as a dump truck rental company, but just a few years ago, Nicole added parking

66 Coffee County Living

“It may seem like I achieved these goals pretty easily, but there was a lot of praying, late nights, and many cups of coffee.”

lot striping then highway striping to the services that it offers. “I decided to begin pavement striping in 2014 because I saw there was a need for it in our community,” she explains. “I felt that I could use some of the construction knowledge I had learned from my father over the years. Highway striping has now become our main source of income, and we are constantly growing and developing our services.”

Although Nicole says her family and friends have been invaluable in helping her achieve her goals thus far, she says there is someone much more powerful on her team. “I would not be anywhere near where I am today without the blessings of the Lord. The Lord has always had a large impact on my life, but I never felt His presence more than the time following high school. At times it was tough, and I did not know where God was leading me next, but I knew all this was leading to something.

As I transition into this new stage of life, I continue to seek the Lord’s guidance every day.”

For more information about NPR South’s services, call Nicole at (912) 383-9020.  CCL

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S TO R Y D AV I D P E N A | P H OTO S B Y K E L LY M I C H E L L E P H OTO G R A P H Y & T I N I K A B E N N E T T P H OTO G R A P H Y

You Can Always Come Home Again

I

“I have always tried to keep Coffee County on the minds of everyone I’ve come in contact with throughout my life,” says Joe Sports, a Douglas native, well-traveled lobbyist and public relations figure for over 40 years. The amount and caliber of folks that Joe has known in his 84 years is quite impressive, to say the least, and his wife, Ronda, attributes that to the fact that during his extensive travels, Joe extends himself to just about everyone he meets. “Joe is one of those people who has truly never met a stranger. He really takes an interest in folks, and they reach out to him quite a bit. Plus, his name is not an easy one to forget,” she says with a smile.

Growing up in Douglas, Joe says he caught the “journalism bug” early on.

“I became the Associate Editor of the Douglas Enterprise while still in high school. I had been a volunteer sports writer and was honored to work with the Thomas Frier family at the Enterprise for five years, including time attending college in Douglas. I went to South Georgia College for three years before they told me it was a two-year college,” he says with a laugh.

It was around that time that Joe was drafted into the Army. “I left my home

in Douglas to join the U.S. Army in 1957.” Joe served as an Army Public Information photographer while stationed in Garmisch, Germany. “It was a lucky assignment, no doubt about it,” he says. “It just happened to be the official resort area for Americans in Germany. There are American hotels, and everyone speaks English, so I was fortunate to be stationed there.”

After returning home from Germany in 1959, Joe traveled to Washington, D.C.

Spanning over 50 years Joe Sports has covered the political climate of Georgia before coming back to Coffee County.

to serve as a staff member of Georgia Congresswoman Iris Blitch, the first woman from Georgia to be elected to Congress. Thus began Joe’s 50 years in Georgia politics. “It was great being in our nation’s capital, serving Congresswoman Blitch. I learned quite a bit about politics.

In fact, my neighbor was Congressman (Ronald) Bo Ginn, who later ran for governor. We’d eat pizza every Sunday; it was an enjoyable time and place to be a young man,” Joe says.

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After his initial stint in Washington, Joe returned to Douglas for one year in 1962, but soon began work at Channel Ten in Albany, Georgia. “In the past, I had a job at the Albany Herald, and the job at the TV station was very enjoyable.”

Joe became quite a celebrity in Douglas while working at WALB, which led to a return to the nation’s capital after three successful years there. “A man by the name of James Gray owned the TV station, and he ran for governor but didn’t win,” recalls Joe. “Lester Maddox won the nomination and asked Mr. Gray to be the

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Coffee County Living

chairman of the Democratic Party in Georgia.

I was still working for James at the TV station, so he asked me to go to Atlanta and serve as the Executive Director of the Democratic Party under Maddox. I stayed at the position under (then) Governor Jimmy Carter,” says Joe with pride. In fact, Jimmy Carter appointed David Gambrell to the U.S. Senate, and Joe became Gambrell’s Chief of Staff. “Gambrell was a great guy, but unfortunately he lost the next year to Senator Sam Nunn. I continued to work for Senator Nunn for months after that,” says Joe. In fact, years later Nunn revealed to Joe how instrumental he had been in helping the senator to get started in his political career.

After returning to Douglas in the mid 60’s, Joe began a very successful public relations firm. In fact, his very first client happened to be Paul Anderson, then the “World’s Strongest Man.” He was also instrumental in getting Donna Douglas, who played Ellie May on “The Beverly Hillbillies,” to come to Douglas.

Still well-known in political circles around the state capitol, Joe was inducted into the James Magazine Lobbyist Hall of Fame last year for his work as an outstanding Georgia lobbyist. He has also been appointed an Ambassador for the Douglas Coffee County Chamber of Commerce and been a member of the Administrative Board of the First Methodist Church, the church he grew up attending. He is also very active in the Lions Club and even rang the bell for the Salvation Army at Christmas time. Not to be outshined, Ronda was one of the founders of the Childhood Cancer Awareness group for Coffee County and is still working actively in support of the group. The couple recently moved back to Douglas, where Ronda had retired after 30 years as a teacher for the Coffee County Board of Education. “I have a daughter here, and I’m also glad to again be involved with the Cancer Awareness group on a regular basis,” she says.

The fact that Joe Sports will soon be 84 years young and still going strong only makes his story more amazing. In fact, to help chronicle his amazing life, Joe wrote a book entitled Man in the Middle that focuses on his 50 years

Growing up in Douglas Joe says he caught the “journalism bug” early on. “I became the Associate Editor of the Douglas Enterprise while still in high school. I had been a volunteer sports writer and was honored to work with the Thomas Frier family at the Enterprise for five years, including time attending college in Douglas.

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After returning home from Germany in 1959, Joe traveled to Washington, D.C. to serve as a staff member of Georgia Congresswoman Iris Blitch, the first woman from Georgia to be elected to Congress. Thus began Joe’s 50 years in Georgia politics.

in Georgia politics. “I just typed it on my computer, sent it to the printer, and they made me a nice book,” he says. He has held several book signings in Douglas to great turnouts.

Joe and Ronda were married almost four years ago and had met when she had requested a copy of Joe’s book. “Ronda was actually married to a classmate of mine who died in 2007,” recalls Joe. “She had heard about my book on Facebook and asked me for a copy. I sent one to her with a bill for $24.95, which she paid.” At the time Joe was living in Conyers, and Ronda relocated there when they married.

“Our first date was at the Bobby Bowden Reunion at South Georgia State College, so we always tease Bobby when we see him and tell him he’s the reason we got married,” laughs Ronda. “We had both lost our spouses several years before, and after dating for two and a half years, we decided to get married in 2014.”

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Since moving back to the Douglas area, you can usually find Joe at one of his speaking engagements at various local clubs and organizations. With a speech entitled You Can Always Come Home Again, Joe covers his 50 years in Georgia politics with humor and grace, always keeping in mind his Coffee County roots. The speech is a condensed version of the speech Joe gave at the local Annual Chamber of Commerce dinner three years ago. “I’ve always tried to promote this county and share my experiences with the folks here,” he says.

In addition to his presentations, Joe continues to do some marketing and PR for Tender Care, Inc., a Douglas-based home care firm which serves 30 counties in South Georgia as well as DATAMATX of Atlanta as a Legislative Advisor. Joe has worked for several clients through the years, including

“In the past, I had a job at the TV station, it was very enjoyable.”

Joe became quite a celebrity in Douglas while working at WALB, which led to a return to the nation’s capital after three successful years there.

“A man by the name of James Gray owned the TV station, and he ran for governor but didn’t win,” recalls Joe.

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Since moving back to the Douglas area, you can usually find Joe at one of his speaking engagements at various local clubs and organizations. With a speech entitled You Can Always Come Home Again, Joe covers his 50 years in Georgia politics with humor and grace, always keeping in mind his Coffee County roots.

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Monsanto, Seagram’s, 3M and the University of Phoenix, just to name a few.

In all his endeavors and positions, Joe Sports is a man who never forgot or failed to represent the Coffee County community.

Although he has worked with past presidents as well as many other top political figures and has met numerous celebrities, he says he has never once forgotten his roots. “I want to let the folks know that, no matter how exciting your life has been, you can always come home again. That’s what we’ve done, and we’re loving our time here now. It’s like we never left,” says Joe.  CCL

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BY JORDAN CALHOUN PHOTOS BY TINIKA BENNETT PHOTOGRAPHY

discipline On The

Mat Keith Smith and James Bland started a wrestling club to serves as a resource to Coffee County wrestlers.

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For most people, our natural exposure to wrestling stops with the leather-vested theatrics of WWE and perhaps a viewing of the 1999 cult classic, Fight Club. For nearly 30 young men in Coffee County, an exposure to wrestling has become a means for personal and physical improvement as well as a door to a stronger future.

Like most school systems in the state of Georgia, Coffee County boasts a wrestling program at both the middle school and high school level. However, unlike some more popular sports that have travel or rec team options outside of the supervision of the school system, wrestlers in rural regions are met with a lack of resources to hone their skills outside of their normal practices. Enter the Coffee Takedown Club.

The club, coached by Keith Smith and James Bland, has existed for five years and serves as a resource to Coffee County wrestlers who desire to improve their form and technique beyond what a school program is permitted to offer.

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“I noticed a need for the club when I saw that our middle schoolers weren’t getting much mat time. There wasn’t really a way to get better, and when these kids get into high school, they need to know what they’re doing. Even having the basics down gives the coaches so much more margin to work on new techniques. I noticed that a lot of communities had wrestling clubs, which is how their wrestlers were getting better,” Keith explained about the vision behind the club.

With the help of several key players such as Terry Roberson, Billy Merritt, and Michael Farabow, the Coffee Takedown Club was off the ground and began offering extra training to youth from the age of kindergarten all the way through the 8th grade.

Because many athletes would encounter financial hurdles when participating in an extracurricular sports club, it was important to the founders that the Takedown Club be completely free.

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Like most school systems in the state of Georgia, Coffee County boasts a wrestling program at both the middle school and high school level.

“The most important person to our youth wrestling program has been Terry Roberson. Terry was our first coach when we formed the club. He previously was a coach for the varsity team. Without Terry’s knowledge of the athletics and school system, we would have never got the club going,” said Keith Smith.

Since its inception, the club has now expanded to include training for high school wrestlers seeking avenues for additional mat time. The club operates in tandem with the school wrestling program; in-season club practices begin immediately following the high school team practices in the CHS Mat Room. Outside of the usual wrestling season, the club hosts weekly practices throughout the summer and often invites coaches from other schools and even collegiate programs to host clinics for their wrestlers.

Much like a travel baseball team gathers strong talent and ventures to the far corners of the country to compete against

other seasoned teams, the club also allows for wrestlers to compete at tournaments outside of GHSA sanctioned events. Annually, the Coffee Takedown Club competes in as many as 14 in-season tournaments and 8 out-of-season tournaments through the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and occasionally will compete at USA events (required for Olympic qualification).

While Keith has become an effective and passionate coach, he never wrestled during his years in school. His attraction to the sport came as he watched what happened when kids were first introduced to wrestling. Throughout his time as a coach, Keith has seen many athletes become stronger and more powerful wrestlers while participating in the Takedown Club. However, the most impressive improvements occur off the mat.

“What made me go all in with this sport was this: I would have kids come into our mat room and they

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With the help of several key players such as Terry Roberson, Billy Merritt, and Michael Farabow, the Coffee Takedown Club was off the ground and began offering extra training to youth from the age of kindergarten all the way through the 8th grade. Because many athletes would encounter financial hurdles when participating in an extracurricular sports club, it was important to the founders that the Takedown Club be completely free.

wouldn’t look you in the eye or shake your hand. They had zero self-esteem, zero self-confidence and in six weeks- it would be the opposite,” Keith remarked about the difference he saw in his wrestlers. “I’ve never seen another sport have that great of an impact on any child.”

Keith’s son Nolan, a rising junior at Coffee High and the school’s first freshman state placer for wrestling, insists that the sport is unique in its impact on young athletes.

“I think it’s really the individuality of it. You don’t have anyone else to rely on but yourself. There’s no excuses. If you don’t win, it’s because you aren’t working hard enough. There really is no off-season,” Nolan shrugged at the somewhat harsh reality that comes with his chosen sport.

And hard work is what Keith believes wrestling comes down to.

“There isn’t an ideal candidate for wrestling. That’s what I love about the sport. There can be someone who is totally unathletic, but is as good a wrestler as an athletic phenom. Why? Because they drill technique and they work hard.”

During practices, the Takedown Club spends significant time drilling technique and perfecting the basics so that school practices can be more productive for the whole team. From the two youngest members of the club who are 4 years-old, to the seniors in high school, wrestling is all about muscle memory, positioning, and leverage. The club’s practices focus on these aspects of the sport so that each athlete is more confident when they eventually take the mat on their own.

While each practice prepares the boys to compete as an individual, the leadership and instruction of the Takedown Club requires a team.

“The athletic director at the high school, Randy Garrett, has been extraordinarily influential in helping 88

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these kids grow. Cade Paulk, the varsity Head Coach, has also been extremely helpful and supportive. And James Bland is just a phenomenal coach. He is great with kids, and I’ve learned a lot about patience from coaching with him,” Keith laughed. “This club doesn’t exist to give notoriety to anyone but the school system and the kids. That’s what we all work towards.”

A quote on the school’s wrestling team website says, “Unless you continually work, evolve, and innovate, you’ll learn a quick and painful lesson from someone who has.” As more and more athletes join the ranks of the Coffee Takedown Club, the coaches are certainly interested in turning out powerful wrestlers. However, the result of their practices is not just honed technique and stronger muscles-it’s disciplined men who are equipped to lead healthy and productive lives.

“It’s a very disciplined sport,” Keith noted. “But we’re here to build character just as much as we’re here to build discipline.”

If you are interested in learning more about the Coffee Takedown Club, contact Keith Smith at hhp2407@gmail.com.CCL

“There isn’t an ideal candidate for wrestling.

That’s what I love about the sport. There can be someone who is totally unathletic, but is as good a wrestler as an athletic phenom. Why? Because they drill technique and they work hard.”

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music

A deeper love for

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S t o r y & P h o t o s b y K e l ly M i c h e l l e

Johnny Butler seeks to inspire love for piano in his students.

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Famed composer Johann Sebastian Bach once said, “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than to the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” Johnny Butler, owner of Butler Piano Conservatory in Douglas, would agree wholeheartedly.

Johnny’s instrument of choice always has been the piano. “I remember begging my parents to sign me up for piano lessons, and needed no encouragement to initially begin and practice,” Johnny said.

Although he started lessons at age 5, Johnny was born into a musical family heavily involved with their church. “My earliest memories in regards to music and the piano definitely originated from the little church that my dad has pastored all of my life,” he said. “My mother is a talented singer and both of my brothers are talented musicians, and we’ve collectively been in musical worship for as long as I can remember.”

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Even from that young age, Johnny was drawn to the piano. “I have always completely loved the sound of a piano. In my opinion, it brings a fullness and depth to a melody that is not replicated in any other instrument,” he said. The more he practiced, the better he became, and he found himself dedicating at least an hour every day to those white and black keys.

Johnny credits his mom for keeping him at the piano bench through the times when his dedication would wane as he grew older. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t recognize and thank my mother for not only giving me the opportunity to begin lessons, but for also being my backbone to stick with it when I didn’t have enough foresight to realize how much damage quitting would 96

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do,” Johnny said.

Mrs. Song, from the Song School of Music, was Johnny’s strict and stern piano teacher. When it came to lessons, she had a kind and sweet personality but did not cater to complacency and laziness. “She was constantly pushing me to work harder and more diligently as she knew that I could always do better,” he said. “Her praise was earned and not freely given.

Because of this, I quickly realized that the best things in life rarely come easily.”

In those sessions, Johnny said he learned more than how to play the piano. He credits Mrs. Song with teaching him life lessons about commitment and drive that stick with him to this day. Some days, before they

A Life Filled With Music

Although he started lessons at age 5, Johnny was born into a musical family heavily involved with their church.

“My earliest memories in regards to music and the piano definitely originated from the little church that my dad has pastored all of my life,” he said. “My mother is a talented singer and both of my brothers are talented musicians, and we’ve collectively been in musical worship for as long as I can remember.”

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“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than to the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” - Johnny Butler

Mrs. Song, from the Song School of Music, was Johnny’s strict and stern piano teacher. When it came to lessons, she had a kind and sweet personality but did not cater to complacency and laziness. “She was constantly pushing me to work harder and more diligently as she knew that I could always do better,” he said. “Her praise was earned and not freely given. Because of this, I quickly realized that the best things in life rarely come easily.”

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would begin the lesson, Mrs. Song would listen and offer advice even for things not music-related in Johnny’s life. She was more than a teacher to him; she became a mentor and friend.

There were many times Johnny wanted to quit, but continued to go back to his lessons simply because of the friendship they shared. “That friendship was something I never wanted to lose. There is one lesson that she made sure was deeply ingrained in her students including myself: to persevere with dignity. She taught me that in life and on the bench, it’s OK to make mistakes because we all will make them from time to time.

But the difference is, what is our reaction to the mistake? If we are in the middle of performing a difficult and complicated piece and we make a mistake, we have two choices. We can stop to correct ourselves, or we can continue forward as if nothing ever happened. Generally, only the

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musically-trained ear will catch the smallest of mistakes,” Johnny said. He often tries to apply the same principle even now to remind himself that mistakes are “learning points” and not “stopping points.”

While in seminary at age 18, Johnny had a scholarship opportunity to continue his musical education at Lee University, but he chose to continue his studies in theology.

That is also the same year that Johnny met his future wife, Karaline. She is a talented singer herself and has contributed to several albums including those by The Guthrie Family and Allison Guthrie.

The couple married and have recently added a little boy named Brooks to the family. “I hope that Brooks will love music even more than his mom and I do, and that he carries my passion to learn all that he can about the piano. I’ll leave that up to him, though,” Johnny said. Continuing the family legacy of being involved in the church, the family 100

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now attends Westside Holiness Church in Douglas, where Johnny serves as the congregationalist.

About becoming a piano teacher and opening his own conservatory, Johnny said it happened naturally. “I’m not sure if I ever ‘decided’ to become a piano teacher,” he said.

“The opportunity presented itself several times over the course of the past few years and I finally realized that, while I do not consider myself a great teacher, I love music and I love the piano. So, why not teach what I love?”

Butler Piano Conservatory currently has more than 25 students with at least 15 of those studying the piano. Johnny hopes to pattern his instruction after that of Mrs. Song.

“That would be one of the greatest compliments anyone could ever pay me. I have structured my lesson plans very similarly to her methods, to the best of my memory, as I believe it is a ‘tried and true’ approach to teaching music theory and piano performance,” Johnny said.

There were many times Johnny wanted to quit, but continued to go back to his lessons simply because of the friendship they shared. “That friendship was something I never wanted to lose. There is one lesson that she made sure was deeply ingrained in her students including myself: to persevere with dignity. She taught me that in life and on the bench, it’s OK to make mistakes because we all will make them from time to time. But the difference is, what is our reaction to the mistake?”

When acknowledging those who have helped him along his musical journey, Johnny makes sure to always thank God for trusting him with this talent, and allowing him the opportunities that he has been given. “And to my wife, Karaline, for always believing in me when even I, myself, have doubts,” he said.

Johnny feels that his legacy will be carried by his students through their passion and love for the piano. “I often tell my students that anyone can emulate the blueprints already laid by another pianist and, while we may study classical pieces, I’ll never be the instructor who helps them be a copycat of another pianist’s form,” Johnny said, adding that he believes a true artist’s zeal for performance is driven by their desire for personal expression, not imitation.

Johnny fully realizes that each of his students may not develop into a piano master, but, even if they never perform in front of an audience, he hopes to leave them with two things that he himself has learned over the years: A deeper love for music, and the realization that never quitting pays off in the end.  CCL Hometown Living At Its Best

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CLASSIC WARBIRD

flies again

Story by Kelly Michelle | Photos By Kelly Michelle Photography & Weezie Barendse

Tom Reilly chronicles his 10-year journey to restore an XP-82 Twin Mustang airplane.

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Although it wasn’t supposed to happen, on Dec. 31, 2018, Tom Reilly’s XP-82 Twin Mustang flew for the first time since Dec. 14, 1949. All that was planned for the day was the plane’s last FAA required runway high-speed taxi test, lift off for a second or two and then back down, deploy full flaps and brake to a stop. But the plane accelerated so fast after liftoff that Ray Fowler, the test pilot, realized that getting it back down and stopping it in the remaining runway would be marginal. He increased the power and flew for about five minutes.

“After 10 and a half years and 207,000 labor hours, our XP-82 Twin Mustang is now completed and going through its 15-hour FAA test flight acceptance trials,” Tom said.

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“After 10 and a half years and 207,000 labor hours, our XP-82 Twin Mustang is now completed and going through its 15-hour FAA test flight acceptance trials.” - Tom Reilly

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT Having been involved with bombers for his entire 40-year career restoring warbirds, Tom had never been keen on fighters, but it was love at first sight with the F-82. He mentioned it to Walter in passing, “I told him that when he was ready to sell this one, I would like to purchase it. I was thinking it would take me years to save up the money to purchase the aircraft, so it became a passing fancy.”

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Tom’s plane is one of 272 total XP-82 Twin Mustangs ever built, and one of only two owned by civilians. There are only three remaining in military museums. Putting an exotic warbird together and restoring it to airworthy condition is a dream come true for Tom and his crew, and it’s a journey that was long in the making.

Tom met Walter and Margaret Soplata in the early 1990s when they asked him to do some IRS appraisal work for them. On a guided tour of their facility, he saw an F-82 Allison-powered E model and immediately fell in love with the Twin Mustang series.

Having been involved with bombers for his entire 40-year career restoring warbirds, Tom had never been keen on fighters, but it was love at first sight with the F-82. He mentioned it to Walter in passing, “I told him that when he was ready to sell this one, I would like to purchase it. I was thinking it would take me years to save up the money to purchase the aircraft, so it became a passing fancy.”

In 1997, Tom sold a flyable B-25 and all of a sudden had the money to talk seriously with the Soplatas about the F-82. He called the couple to purchase the aircraft, only to find out they sold it just two days prior

GETTING THE CALL In April 2008, Tom got the call he had been waiting on: Margaret Soplota wanted to talk about selling him the prototype. So, Tom flew to Ohio to make the deal. Tom loved the idea of an award-winning restoration and began to put a team in place to make it happen.

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PULLING OFF A MIRACLE Tom was not familiar with the J model and asked for a photo – knowing he may have to pull off a miracle to get what he needed. The man sent the photo and Tom could not believe his luck.

The windshield the guy wanted happened to be on the Soplatas’ property amongst the recovery pieces he dug through years before. Tom instantly knew he had to go back to Ohio to get the windshield and make the trade.

to Doug Arnold in England. Twelve hours later, Doug sold it to Wally Fisk in Anoka, Minnesota.

Tom began to think his dream of owning this Twin Mustang was over.

In December 2007, Tom found himself once again on the Soplatas’ property stomping through the snow, and laid eyes on what seemed to be a fuselage to a Mustang. The discovery ended up being the prototype XP-82, and Walter agreed to talk again in the spring about selling it to Tom. Knowing this may be his last chance to have a P-82 Twin Mustang, Tom began canvasing the world for P-82 parts, salvages and wrecks. He knew there were parts in salvage yards in Alaska and Colorado. Concerned about the price of the fuselage and parts, Tom came up with a plan to place the parts on hold. If he could get all of the pieces, he would almost have a complete aircraft.

In April 2008, Tom got the call he had been waiting on: Margaret Soplota wanted to talk about selling him the prototype. So, Tom flew to Ohio to make the deal. Tom loved the idea of an award-winning restoration and began to put a team in place to make it happen.

Eight first-class sheet metal mechanics were hired in July 2008 and all parts were purchased, recovered and shipped from Alaska and Colorado. However, several problems emerged almost immediately. Tom had to find a left-hand turning Merlin engine and a left-hand turning prop.

Mike Nixon from the company Vintage V-12s in California found a new left-hand engine in a garage in Mexico City, Mexico, and bought it.

“How and why it was there is a mystery!” Tom 110

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said. He then contacted Mike again to build both the left-hand and right-hand turning Merlins for the project.

Another big problem was that only the first 22 P-82s had full dual controls. The parts recovered from other sites were all right-hand fuselages from later models. Tom then began to make contact with everyone in the warbirds parts business who could possibly help. He was able to purchase other items but no second cockpit controls.

He finally called Michael O’Leary, editor for Air Classics magazine, who gave him the number of a man in San Francisco, California, who had an entire left-hand side of a left-hand fuselage. The only problem was that he wasn’t interested in selling.

He agreed to make a trade for other parts from a P-51J Mustang, specifically a windshield.

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“I told him that when he was ready to sell this one, I would like to purchase it.

I was thinking it would take me years to save up the money to purchase the aircraft, so it became a passing fancy.”

- Walter Soplata

KEEPING HISTORY ALIVE It is amazing what’s been found on the prototype parts prior to the restoration.

The crew has found original graffiti and has chosen to reapply it to the newly painted interior surfaces – duplicating them exactly.

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Tom was not familiar with the J model and asked for a photo – knowing he may have to pull off a miracle to get what he needed. The man sent the photo and Tom could not believe his luck. The windshield the guy wanted happened to be on the Soplatas’ property amongst the recovery pieces he dug through years before. Tom instantly knew he had to go back to Ohio to get the windshield and make the trade.

It is amazing what’s been found on the prototype parts prior to the restoration. The crew has found original graffiti and has chosen to reapply it to the newly painted interior surfaces – duplicating them exactly.

They also have found and purchased the original World

War II 442-head rivets used in the restoration. Tom’s right-hand “man” for installing the rivets is Weezie Barendse, a modern-day Rosie the Riveter. “She has drilled most every rivet hole in this airplane,” Tom said.

Now with a flyable XP-82 Twin Mustang restored to near original condition – with painstaking accuracy – Tom continues to stress that the restoration was a group effort from start to finish. He credits the hundreds of companies and all the people involved for making this completed project possible: “Many thanks to Ray Fowler, our test pilot, and all of the men and women that made this restoration possible.”  CCL

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JMC Tire Incorporated

In Loving Memory of

Travel

With Confidence

Bee Gee Travel consultants

John Myron Coffee “Big Red”

July 1999 - October 31, 2018 J&T Tire Co. will be renamed to

JMC Tire Incorporated.

Personal & Professional Travel Planning Services Since 1984 Beverly Gibbs, Owner/Travel Advisor Denise Craft, Travel Advisor | Vicki Pridemore, Group Coordinator

2680 Ga Highway 32 W, Douglas, GA 31533 | (912) 384-4940

116 S. Madison Avenue, Douglas, GA 31533 | beegeetravel@windstream.net 912.384.2223 | 800.581.2223

Diesel Truck Maintenance at Wiregrass We keep industry moving…

wiregrass

g e o r g i a t e c h n i c a l c o l l e g e®

Equal Opportunity Institution/A Unit of the Technical College System of Georgia

COFFEE CAMPUS 706 West Baker Hwy Douglas, GA 31533 (912) 389-4303 114

coffee county living

To learn more about this program and others visit wiregrass.edu

Crawford Jewelers

222 S. Peterson @ Instagram: lemonbellaboutique

Douglas, GA 31533 Facebook: LemonBellaBoutique

912.381.0734 | lemonbellaboutique@outlook.com

als ’

Repairs • Gold • Diamonds • Watches 1351 Bowens Mill Rd SE Ste D, Douglas, GA 31533 | (912) 384-0073 | crawfordjewelers.com

Paint & Body Committed to providing our clients with the highest quality of service

Dewey Hayes ATTORNEY AT LAW

211 W IRWIN ST | DOUGLAS, GA 31533 | (912) 260-1205

912-384-9330 | dnhjrpc@windstream.net 105 S Madison Ave | Douglas, GA 31533 | www.deweynhayesjr.com

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Shoppes

Scoop

at Tip Top

A Perfect

(912) 393-0061 | Suite 22

And Sew She Did (912) 592-8582|suite 32

Tip Top Deli BUTLER Piano Conservatory

OFFERING WEEKLY PIANO AND VOCAL LESSONS.

912.682.4880 | Suite 21 116

Coffee County Living

231 South Peterson Avenue Douglas, Ga 31533 | (912) 393-0061

A collection of businesses come together in this quaint

village at Tip Top to bring you the best shopping experience yet. Come eat Tip Top and then take a stroll around the Shoppes and shop a while.

@COUNTRYSTYLERIBS 912.381.8313 | Suite 5

THE CORNER

Bakery

912.592.1201 | Suite 2

1 0 7 W e s t B r ya n S t r e e t Douglas, GA 31535 (912) 592-8582

912.381.4087 Suite 17

Tip Top Deli

231 South Peterson Avenue Douglas, Ga 31533 | (912) 393-0061 Hometown Living At Its Best

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STORY BY GAIL DIXON PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAN M. DOWNING, CHARLIE SIMS, & GAIL DIXON

NOT JUST A

GIRL

J a n M a lph us Do wn in g is th e F ir st F e ma l e P o lic e O f f ic e r / De te c tive in Do ugl a s.

J

Jan Malphus Downing was born in June of 1949 to Leroy and Winnie Malphus. Born and reared in Douglas, Georgia, Jan attended Coffee High School and graduated in 1967. She attended South Georgia College and graduated in 1969. From there, she attended Georgia Southern College majoring in Business Management.

In September 1971, Jan married Jim Downing, Jr. and Jan went to work as a legal secretary for Dewey Hayes, Sr., the District Attorney for the Waycross Judicial Circuit.

She became interested in law enforcement while viewing all the cases that he prosecuted. She left the District Attorney’s Office on maternity leave after having worked there for over a year. Jan’s son, Jimmie Downing, was born in October 1973, and when he was 10 months old, Jan became a single mother. She was hired by Chief Garlian Faulkner at the Douglas Police Department as Secretary/ Clerk Dispatcher. During this time she also worked parttime as an EMT at Coffee Regional Hospital. Jan was

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In September 1971, Jan married Jim Downing, Jr. and Jan went to work as a legal secretary for Dewey Hayes, Sr., the District Attorney for the Waycross Judicial Circuit. She became interested in law enforcement while viewing all the cases that he prosecuted.

determined to be a police officer and convinced Chief Faulkner to send her to the Police Academy at ABAC in Tifton, Georgia, where she graduated as a Certified Law Enforcement Officer in March 1976.

Back from the Academy, a new chief had taken over and he decided to assign her to the Detective Division. After several months in the Detective Division, a down-size took place and Jan was transferred to the Patrol Division where she remained for five years. In 1981, Chief Clyde Purvis reassigned Jan to a temporary position in the Detective Division, which became permanent after 18 months. She remained a Detective rising through the ranks, retiring in February 2010 as Detective Captain.

During her career, Jan received a “Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award” in 1995, given to her by the Douglas Exchange Club. In 1997, she received the “Detective of the Year Award” given to her by the American Legion Post 18.

Jan had a lot of firsts in Douglas/Coffee County. Not only was she

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the first female certified Police Officer, she was the first female Detective, first female Detective Sergeant, first female Detective Lieutenant, and the first female Detective Captain. She laughs as she says, “I was also the first female to run for Sheriff of Coffee County....

AND LOSE! My slogan was ‘Jan Can,’ and Praise the Lord that ‘Jan Can’t!’

I am so thankful to the winner of that election, Sheriff Jerry Pope, for hiring me as an investigator with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office in March 2010, after retiring from the Douglas Police Department. I also thank him for allowing me to keep my same Badge

Number ‘103’ that I had for 36 years!”

Most people that commit crimes are good people, they make bad choices, they succumb to peer pressure, or it may be drug/alcohol related. I have tried to be a positive influence for officers to help all those they can.

Throughout my career I have worked with many good men and women and I thank them all for providing me with the backup that led to my retirement in 2011. My last official duty with that department was to attend the funeral of my friend, Chief Deputy Dorman Faulkner.

Jan has given many officers a St. Michael’s challenge coin, which is the Patron Saint of Law Enforcement. She also has “little red hearts” that she gives to people for “luck and love!” Jan recalls, “Officer Rodger Goddard had chased a subject and apprehended him just as I arrived. As the officer handcuffed him, I patted him down and in one of his pockets I pulled out a small ‘red glass heart’ and I asked where he had gotten it. He stated, “Ms. Jan, you gave it to me when you came to the Waycross Police Department to talk to me.” I remembered giving

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Most people that commit crimes are good people, they make bad choices, they succumb to peer pressure, or it may be drug/ alcohol related. I have tried to be a positive influence for officers to help all those they can. Throughout my career I have worked with many good men and women and I thank them all for providing me with the backup that led to my retirement in 2011.

him this heart...he was a good kid that made a wrong choice.”

Jan has one son, Jimmie Downing, who has been a 9-1-1 Communications Officer for 17 years.

He attended Coffee High School and graduated in 1993. He attended South Georgia College and majored in the Nursing Program. He is married to Regina Waldroup Downing, who is employed with Anderson GMC dealership in Douglas, as a Customer Relations Specialist. They have two sons, Jace Van Nguyen, age 21, a graduate of Coffee County High School, and a U.S. Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, California, and Jennings Luke Downing, age 12 and a 7th grader at Douglas Middle School.

When Jan’s son was employed with Coffee County 9-1-1 as a Communications Officer, he asked her if he could answer her calls saying, “Go ahead, Mama” when she radioed in to the 9-1-1 Center. She emphatically told him, “No, that he could use proper radio procedure.” The day Jan retired, February 26, 2010, she made her final call to 9-1-1 saying, “103 to 9-1-1” and Jimmie responded, “Go ahead, Mama!” This was a proud moment for Jan for she had a job in which her son had been her protector, sending necessary backup as needed through his 17-year employment. She further states, “He is just as dedicated to all officers as he was to me.”

Selina Malphus Defoor, Jan’s first cousin, said, “Jan is more than family; she is a friend. Her compassion and understanding is effortless. Her strength and determination is boundless. No matter what, she is always there with encouragement, smiles and hugs!”

Joyce Ricciardelli and Jan have been friends since 122

Coffee County Living

“My mama is my best friend. My entire life I have witnessed how much she has done for so many people.�

Jan enjoys working in her yard, spending time on her wrap-around porch, and sitting in front of her beautiful fireplace. She loves her family and friends and her fur-baby, Gage, a beautiful Golden Retriever!

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the 4th grade and Joyce remembers Jan always being strong, courageous, and decisive. Joyce states, “We spend a lot of time together and everyone in town seems to know her still. It sometimes takes hours to get out of Walmart or wherever we happen to be. People of all ages respect, admire and still remember “Miss Jan.” To this day, I still feel secure and safe when we are together. She still makes me proud and I appreciate our life-long friendship!”

Charlie Sims met Jan when he was about eight years old. She was answering a police call to an alarm going off at a residence in Touchton Woods. Charlie walked up to her as she was checking the residence and asked, “Can I help you?” That meeting became the catalyst that put Charlie Sims as part of the Law Enforcement Family. During his school years, he was a constant visitor at the Douglas Police Department

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and the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office. Charlie is always one you can count on if needed!

Jimmie Downing has this to say about his mama....“My mama is my best friend. My entire life I have witnessed how much she has done for so many people. I remember numerous times when I was young, our phone would ring in the middle of the night and someone would need a miracle. They called Mama because they knew if there was anyone that could get results, it was my mama! She went above and beyond the call of duty and always had time to share a kind word. She also shared this same work ethic with parenting. I know sometimes she would be busy with a hundred or more things, but she always made time for me. She has a way of making people feel good about themselves. I’m proud of my mama and could fill up 10 books of stories about just some of the good things she has done. She is one of a kind....she is my hero!”

Jan enjoys working in her yard, spending time on her wrap-around porch, and sitting in front of her beautiful fireplace. She loves her family and friends and her fur-baby, Gage, a beautiful Golden Retriever!

Jan concludes, “I won’t tell you that my journey was easy because it was not. I will tell you I was determined to persevere through the hardships to prove my worth. I want to thank the Douglas Police Department and the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office and all those that offered encouragement and strength. I just hope you know how much I cared. Stay safe out there!” CCL

THIS IS

HOME. COFFEE COUNTY

The Coffee County area is growing and steadily becoming a central marketplace. You can find great retail shopping, restaurants and services around each corner.

If you haven’t done so lately, take the time to look around and discover all the wonderful things there are to find.

CHECK OUT THE LOCAL MARKETPLACE Hometown Living At Its Best

125

, 33

974

602 N. Peterson Ave | Douglas, GA 31533 912.292.1349 | www.strawberrylizard.com

The Local Marketplace

Lakeside VIP Senior Living

FABRICARE

Professional Cleaning Professional Dry Cleaning Laundry Laundry Leather & Household ShirtLeather Service& Household & Alterations Shirt Service & Alterations

Travel AND THE

Assisted Living With An Independent Spirit With Confidence

1025 N Chester Ave, Douglas, GA 31533 | (912) 501-3373

Bee Gee Travel consultants

It all started with a dog...

MOSSY POND RETRIEVERS 3099 MAYBERRY ROAD, PATTERSON, GA 31557, US | (912) 288-1549 MOSSYPONDRETRIEVERS@YAHOO.COM | MOSSYPONDRETRIEVERS.COM

825 North Peterson Avenue • Douglas, GA 912.384.2266

825 North Peterson Avenue • Douglas, GA

912.384.2266

12) 383-8875

Hometown Living At Its Best

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g

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Personal & Professional Travel Planning Services Since 1984 116 S. Madison Avenue, Douglas, GA 31533 beegeetravel@windstream.net

Assisted Living With An Independent Spirit 1025 N Chester Ave, Douglas, GA 31533 | (912) 501-3373

(912) 288-1549 CARTER THOMPSON 3099 Road Keeping Your Pet Mayberry

912.384.2223 | 800.581.2223

INSURANCE Patterson, GA 31557 MossyPondRetrievers.com

On The Path To Wellness.

Denise Craft, Owner GA 31533 618 N Peterson Ave, Douglas, Beverly Gibbs, Consultant (912) 384-5500 | hungryhowies.com Vicki Pridemore, Group Coordinator

201 E Ashley St, Douglas, GA 31533 | (912) 384-7171

AND THE

Keeping Your Pet On The Path To Wellness.

1330 West Baker Hwy | Douglas, GA 31533 | lindseyandwills.com | (912) 384-8160

HOLT’S B A K E R Y

TRACTOR COMPANY LASSETERLASSETER TRACTOR COMPANY

A Family Tradition Since 1965

970 SW BOWENS MILL RD. | DOUGLAS, GA | 912.384.4400 101 Sellers St E | Douglas, GA 31533 107970WSWBryan St. STE 10 | Douglas, GA BOWENS MILL RD. | DOUGLAS, GA | 912.384.4400 hellomodest.com | Jennifer R Smith 1330 West Baker Hwy | Douglas, GA 31533 | lindseyandwills.com 384-8160 1330 West Baker Hwy || (912) Douglas, GA 31533 lindseyandwills.com | (912) 384-8160

(912) 384-2202

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coffee county living coffee county magazine

We you love We love having

Mention that you saw this ad

618 N Peterson Ave, Douglas, GA 31533 1604 South Peterson Av (912) 384-5500 | hungryhowies.com

The Local Marketplace

Parker’s Douglas

Floral & Gifts Pet Palace

.com

children’s clothing & gifts

Kribs & Kradles Come make a Baby Shower Registry with us!

CARTER THOMPSON 300 Peterson Ave. South | Douglas, GA 31533 (912) 260-1268 | Sheila@kribsandkradles.com www.kribsandkradles.com

INSURANCE

201 E Ashley St, Douglas, GA 31533 | (912) 384-7171

For All of Life’s Celebrations Dog Boarding By Appointment 912-384-4734 321 S PETERSON AVE DOUGLAS, GA 31533 | (912) 384-4828 www.douglasfloralandgifts.com Randall & Vivien Parker

We offer baby registries 1404 Baker Hwy, 31533 602 N.WPeterson Ave |Douglas, Douglas, GA 31533 912.292.1349 |(912) www.strawberrylizard.com 389-1337

1320 S Madison Street Douglas, GA 31533 912.383.0313 store2593@theupsstore.com

The

Drew House Fine European and American Antiques since 1987

Commercial Residential Auto

by God,

by Tony.

602 N.Owned Peterson Ave |run Douglas, GA 31533 708912.292.1349 Bowens Mill Rd SW | Douglas, Georgia 31533 | (912) 384-5055 | www.strawberrylizard.com

• Clocks • Cookbooks China Every business• Flow has Blue a story.

• Silver

yours.

We’re here to print

108 N. Peterson Avenue 912.592.2339 | Douglas, Georgia 31533 912.384.0838 | www.thedrewhouse.com

We offer Lay-a-way.

Gift certificates.

Bridal registries 236 Peterson Avenue South | Douglas, GA 31533

George912.383.8875 T. Fesperman, ABR, GRI

912-288-1988 YourBestMove88@gmail.com www.seegeorgef.com

Fesperman R E A L E S TAT E 315 Plant Avenue Suite M | Waycross, GA 31501 Hometown Living Living At Best Hometown At Its Its Best

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Index of Advertisers

A Perfect Scoop …................................…………………..…. 116 Al’s Paint & Body …..............................………………..……. 115 All About Kids ………………….......................................……. 61 Amerson Homes ……….................................…………..……. 51 And Sew She Did ………..............................……………..…. 116 Ankle & Foot Associates, LLC ………………..................………. 1 Austin Respiratory & Medical ………….............……..………. 91 Becky’s Gifts ……………......…...............................…………. 59 Bee Gee Travel Consultants …..............…………..…………. 114 Brewton-Parker College …………………....................………. 93 Buck Country Wildlife Consulting …………………................. 82 Burger King ………........................................………...………. 35 Butler Piano Conservatory ..........….......................... 105, 116 Carter Thompson Insurance ………………………............…. 127 Chiropractic Health Care …………....................………..……. 20 Citizens Christian Academy …….......………. Inside Back Cover City of Nicholls ………...................................…………………. 25 Classy 5 Boutique ………..............................…………………. 61 Coffee County Schools ……………...........…. Inside Front Cover Coffee Regional Hospital - Women’s Center ………............. 90 Coffee Regional Hospital - Oncology Group ..……...........…. 24 Coffee Regional Hospital- Orthopedic Surgeons ..…………. 80 Coffee Regional Medical Center- Heart & Vascular ...……. 104 Collins Cardiology ……………………................……. Back Cover Compassionate Behavioral Health …………….....…..………. 93 Country Style Ribs …………............................…...…………. 117 Covenant Church ................................………………..………. 36 Crawford Jewelers …............................……………..………. 115 Crosby Equipment Co. ………………….......................………. 58 Danny’s Pizza …….....................................……...……………. 83 Dewey Hayes Attorney at Law …………....…...................…. 115 Douglas Coffee Chamber of Commerce ……........... 22-23, 92 Douglas Floral & Gifts ………………….....................………. 127 Douglas Home Care ……………...........................…...………. 92 Dubberly’s Glass Shop …………………....................………. 127 Edward Jones …………………....................................………. 82 Ellianos …………….........................................…….....…. 20-21 Etta Mae’s Boutique …………………........................………. 105 Eve ………......................................................………….....…. 91 Farrar | Hennesy | Tanner ……….……....................………….70 Fesperman Real Estate ………....................………..………. 127 Fitzgerald Family Eyecare …...................………………..……. 33 Georgia Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center …………….…. 114 GracePointe Church …...........................……………...………. 71 Hampton by Hilton ………………..................…………. 103, 126

Hungry Howie’s ……………………..................................…. 126 JMC Tire Incorporated ……………...................................... 114 Johnny’s New York Style Pizza ……………………............……. 50 Kentucky Fried Chicken …………....................…………..…. 105 Kitchen’s at the Shoppes …..................………………..……. 117 Krystal …………………................................................……. 105 Lakeside Senior Living ………..............……………..……. 9, 126 Lasseter Tractor Company ……................…………..…. 19, 126 Lemon Bella Boutique ……......................……………..……. 115 Lindsey & Wills Animal Hospital …………..............……. 3, 126 Lone Pine Charolais ……….........................…………..……. 103 Lyon Management Co ……......................…………..………. 105 McCrary Daniels Insurance Agency ………....……………..…. 34 McKinnon Cattle & Meats ……..................………………..…. 47 Miller Chiropractic Clinic …………………….................……. 102 Mossy Pond Retrievers ……….............…………....……. 60, 126 Murphy Eye Center ………………...............................………. 46 Oasis medAesthetics ….........................…………………...…. 69 O’Malley Musical Instruments ……………............…………... 81 Orthopedic Surgeons of Georgia - Dr. Laura Tharp …….…. 6-7 Paulk Vineyards ……….................................…………......…. 69 Paul Anderson Youth Home …………………......................... 48 Property Hunters of South Georgia …………….....………..…. 83 Ricketson Funeral Home Inc & Crematory LLC ………...…… 71 Sandbox Consulting Group ……................……………..……. 68 Scott Kirkland Jewelers & Repairs …………......………..……. 90 Shoppes at Tip Top …………...........................…......... 116-117 Skintastic Skin Spa …………...........................................…. 37 Solid Waste Management Authority …………….……..……. 102 Southern Real Estate Group, llc ….………………...........……. 49 State Farm Insurance - Daniel P. Ross ………………….....…. 81 Storage Solutions Etc. ……….......................……………….... 79 Strawberry Lizard Children’s Clothing & Gifts …......…..…. 127 Surcheros Fresh Mex ………............................…………..……. 2 Tanner Insurance Company ……………………..................…. 79 The Bow Shop ……………..................................………..…. 104 The Corner Bakery ………............................……………..…. 117 The Drew House ……...............................………………...…. 127 The Local Marketplace ….............…………………...... 125-127 Tip Top Deli ………….......................................…....…. 116, 117 Tuscan Sky Salon …….................................................……. 59 Unison Behavioral Health ……………...................………..…. 70 Ward Monument Company …….................……………….…. 80 Wiregrass Georgia Technical College ……................…..…. 114 Woody Folsom Automotive CDJR ………………………........... 32

Please thank these sponsors for making this publication possible!

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