Newsbreak

Vidalia Police Department reports the following arrests:

Berry, Phillips Michael – Hephzibah, GA – Possession of Controlled Substance; Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon or First Offender; Possession of Firearm or Knife During Commission of or Attempt to Commit Certain Felonies; Trafficking in Cocaine/Illegal Drug/Marijuana/or Methamphetamine; Tag/Registration Requirements.

Dowd, Shannon Moss –Theft by Shoplifting.

Fields, Marriah – Glennville – Hit and Run: Duty of Driver to Stop At or Return to Scene of Accident.

Florez, Amanda – Vidalia – Forgery in the 3^rd Degree.

Jones, Markivis Dewon – Vidalia – Driving While License Suspended or Revoked (Misdemeanor); No Insurance; Open Container of Alcohol in Motor Vehicle; Possession of Marijuana.

McRae, Kevin Wayne – Alamo – Possession of Controlled Substance; Obstruction of Law Enforcement Officers (Misdemeanor).

Monroe, Nicholas Nikita – Vidalia- Driving While License Suspended or Revoked (Misdemeanor).

Norris, Dennis – Wrightsville – Theft by Shoplifting; Obstructing Law Enforcement Officers.

Pittman, Jordan – Lyons – Possession of A Controlled Substance Schedule 1, 4, or 5.

Rollins, Courtney – Theft by Shopfitting.

Smith, Phillip Anthony – Alma – Possession of Controlled Substance; Possession of Drug-Related Objects.

Strickland, Jamie Lee – Wrightsville – Theft by Shopfitting; Obstructing Law Enforcement Officer.

Turner, Tevin James – Claxton – Warrant Executed.

Williams, Daniel Marquis – Vidalia – Possession of Drug-Related Objects.

Toombs County Sheriff’s Office reports the following arrests:

No report provided.

The Lyons Police Department reports the following arrests:

Sharpe, Jacqulyn Sierra – Lyons – Possession of Controlled Substance; Possession of Drug-Related Objects; Open Container.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the following arrests:

Strickland, Damn Corey – Soperton – DUI; Seatbelt Violation; Failure to Maintain Lane; Hands Free Device Violation.

Harris, Quadir Jamaal – Newnan, GA – Felony Probation Violation.

Odom, Brandon Dale – Vidalia – Felony Probation Violation.

Moore, Mickey Henry – Uvalda – Disorderly Conduct; Terroristic Threats and Acts; Obstruction; Felony Probation Violation.

Jordan, Jonathan Lee – Mount Vernon – Bench Warrant.

Cato, Nathan Allen – Uvalda – Simple Battery (Family Violence).

Candler County Sheriff’s Office reports the following arrests:

Harris, Randy Merritt – Metter – Driving on Roadways Laned for Traffic; Driving While Unlicensed; DUI/Less Safe Refusal; Obstruct, Hinder Law Enforcement Officer.

Lopez-Gomez, Luis Fernando – Metter – Driving While Unlicensed; DUI/Less Safe Refusal; Hold for Other Agency (Felony); When Headlights and Other Lights Required.

Davis, Chandler Meeks – Metter – Driving in Circular or Zigzag Course: Laying Drag; DUI/Less Safe Refusal; Possession of Open Container of Alcoholic Beverage in Passenger Area.

Tucker, Christopher Lamar – Metter – Disorderly Conduct; Obstruct, Hinder Law Enforcement Officer; Pedestrian Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drug.

Garcia, Mariano Martinez – Lyons Driving on Roadways Laned for Traffic; Driving While Unlicensed; DUI/Less Safe.

Mikell, Jason – Statesboro – Driving in Violation of Learners Permit.

Reed, Anthony – Metter – Violation of Family Violence Order: Non-Violent.

Rogers, Daniel Scott – Statesboro – Battery.

Winge, Austin Daniel Tom- Metter – DUI/Less safe.

Hunter, Tekiera Marie – Metter – Disorderly Conduct.

Parker, Mark Allen – Collins – Possession of a Controlled Substance.

Perez, Emmanuel Moran – Swainsboro – Drivers to Use Due Care: Radio/Cell Phone; License Required: Surrender of Prior License/Local Licenses Prohibited

Allen, Darrin Wayne – Metter – False Imprisonment; Obstructing, Hinder Law Enforcement Officer; Possession of Firearms by Convicted Felons and First Offender Probationers; Terroristic Threats.

Braziel, Nakaya Lamai- Metter – Knowingly Driving Motor Vehicle on Suspended, Cancelled, Revoked Registration.

Details: Written by Kathy Hilt; Category: Newsbreak; Published: 14 August 2026; Hits: 279

The future of the members of the Dublin City School Board is now in the hands of Governor Kemp after a full-day hearing Wednesday in Atlanta where the Georgia Department of Education voted unanimously to suspend the current members.

In the hearing, both sides were allowed to present their cases, and after numerous witnesses and literally thousands of pages of documentation, the state Board announced its decision.

The School Board has been under financial scrutiny for some time, and even with cutbacks and employee layoffs were still facing around a $20 million deficit. One dominating point made at the hearing was that funds withheld from employees’ paychecks for health insurance was not being paid to the insurance provided for months, and the Dublin City Board attorney Brian Smith laid the blame on former Chief Financial Officer Chad McDaniel. McDaniel was called to testify Wednesday but exercised his right to plead the Fifth Amendment. McDaniel was terminated last year.

The former Superintendent, Fred Williams, also resigned last fall announcing he was going to take retirement. His salary as Superintendent as well as his incentive package was also questioned during the hearing, and it was implied that Dr. Demarcos Holland became the sole candidate for the position. Last month, the Dublin City Board of Education said it was ending the search for a permanent superintendent. One witness said that search had failed because the Board failed to reach a compensation agreement with Dr. Holland that was comparable to that of Williams, even though Dr. Holland was agreeable to negotiating for a reduction in salary.

After that announcement the Board approved retraining Marcie Pool as Interim Superintendent as she has been since the departure of Fred Williams.

There is no timeline as to when Gov. Kemp will make his decision on the future of the Dublin City Board of Education.

Details: Written by Kathy Hilt; Category: Newsbreak; Published: 13 August 2026; Hits: 327

The GBI has arrested and charged Joel Anton-Jamaal Brown, age 25, of Savannah, GA, with Felony Murder, Malice Murder, Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and False Statements and Writings in connection with the death of Rashad Lamar Lumpkin on July 4, 2026.

At the time of his arrest, Brown was in custody at the Chatham County Jail on unrelated charges.

ORIGINAL RELEASE:

Vidalia, GA (July 6, 2026) - The GBI is investigating the death of Rashad Lamar Lumpkin, age 36, of Atlanta, GA, following a shooting in Vidalia, GA. The Vidalia Police Department requested the GBI to investigate.

On Saturday, July 4, 2026, at about 3:13 a.m., Vidalia Police Department officers were dispatched to a shots-fired call in the 500 block of East Jenkins St. in Vidalia, Toombs County, GA. When officers arrived, they discovered Lumpkin in the road with multiple gunshot wounds. Lumpkin was taken to an area hospital by EMS, where he was pronounced deceased.

The investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Eastman at 478-374-6988 or the Vidalia Police Department at 912-537-4123. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be given to the Middle Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.

Press release issued by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Details: Written by Jeff Raiford; Category: Newsbreak; Published: 12 August 2026; Hits: 357

The Toombs County School System is consistently looking after the safety of students and staff, as well as provide transparency. With that in mind, Thursday morning the Lyons Primary School issued an announcement that school staff had been aware that a student brought a toy weapon to school, and school administrators addressed the situation immediately and took appropriate action in accordance with school procedures. Although it was a toy, the administration said items of this nature can cause fear, confusion, and disrupt the learning environment.

The notice to parents and the community said at no time were students ever in danger and implored parents to help keep the school safe by checking backpacks and discussing with their child the importance of leaving all toy weapons and items that could be misconstrued as dangerous at home.

Details: Written by Kathy Hilt; Category: Newsbreak; Published: 13 August 2026; Hits: 343

(L to R): Dr. Steve Echols, President of Brewton-Parker Christian University; Mr. Tommy Strickland, Board Member of the George W. Strickland, Jr. Foundation; and Mrs. Sharon DeLoach, Board Member of the George W. Strickland, Jr. Foundation, stand outside the newly dedicated George W. Strickland, Jr. Nursing Education Building.

Brewton-Parker Christian University (BPCU) celebrated a historic milestone on Monday, August 3, with the dedication of the George W. Strickland, Jr. Nursing Education Building, marking the culmination of years of vision, planning, and collaboration to expand healthcare education in southeast Georgia.

The dedication ceremony brought together university leadership, local and state officials, donors, faculty, staff, students, and community members to celebrate the collaborative effort that made both the BPCU School of Nursing and its new expansion possible. The state-of-the-art facility will serve BPCU nursing students beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year.

Officials included in the program were Mrs. Ginger Morris, Chair of the Montgomery County Commission, Joey Fountain, Mayor of Mount Vernon, and Dr. Andrew Young, Field Representative of Senator Raphael Warnock, who provided the needed congressional approval for a sought grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA).

"We are grateful for the wonderful partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce EDA, the George W. Strickland, Jr. Foundation, and our county, city, and state officials and the many others who were willing to give the resources so that BPCU could have such a quality facility that is fully equipped and fully funded," said Dr. Steve Echols, President of BPCU. Echols further noted that the facility will greatly expand the capacity of the university to provide much-needed nursing graduates for the region.

During the ceremony, Dr. Debbi Bryarly, Dean of the School of Nursing, gave a brief history of the program since it was first proposed in 2018. Following a long process that included the presentation of a feasibility study to the Georgia Board of Nursing, the program received initial Georgia Nursing Board approval in 2021 and approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in 2022. As a result, BPCU welcomed its inaugural class in the fall of 2022. In 2024, the program earned national accreditation through the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The first graduating class achieved a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). The following year, the Georgia Board of Nursing officially affirmed BPCU as a fully approved nursing school. This fall, the university is anticipating as many as 84 students majoring in nursing from the freshman through senior classes.

The George W. Strickland, Jr. Nursing Education Building represents an investment not only in BPCU but also in the future of healthcare throughout Georgia and the surrounding region. Purposefully designed to prepare the next generation of nurses, the facility features modern classrooms, advanced simulation laboratories, collaborative learning spaces, faculty offices, and hands-on clinical training environments that mirror today's healthcare settings. As the demand for qualified nurses continues to grow, the School of Nursing is equipping graduates to enter the workforce with the knowledge, technical skills, and Christ-centered compassion needed to provide exceptional patient care.

The building is named in honor of George W. "Jack" Strickland, Jr., a highly esteemed businessman, veteran, and philanthropist whose legacy of servant leadership continues to impact lives across Georgia.

After purchasing Evans Concrete Products in 1948, Strickland transformed the company with exponential growth while earning widespread respect for his dedication to his employees and his community. His generosity lives on through the George W. Strickland, Jr. Foundation, whose magnanimous support has been a great blessing to BPCU over a number of years and helped make the new nursing education facility possible.

Representing the George W. Strickland, Jr. Foundation at the ceremony were board members Mr. Tommy Strickland, retired Chief Executive Officer of Evans Concrete, and Mrs. Sharon DeLoach, current Vice President of Evans Concrete. Both noted that they felt that Mr. George W. Strickland, Jr. would have been very pleased with the building and its potential to serve the community and region, which was a central purpose in his establishment of the Foundation. By naming the building in his honor, President Echols noted that "Brewton-Parker Christian University recognizes a man whose vision and commitment to serving others will inspire generations of nursing students to provide the best possible care reflecting Christ-like compassion."

Dr. Beverly Robinson, recently retired Vice President of BPCU, was the writer and coordinator of the grant to the EDA, which became a major component in providing the funds for the construction of the building. Dr. Robinson expressed, "The George W. Strickland, Jr. Nursing Education Building is a beautiful reminder of what can be accomplished when people come together around a shared vision. We are grateful that the EDA considered this project to be of such benefit to the community and region to be worthy of this significant grant. We are deeply grateful to the many individual donors, the George W. Strickland, Jr. Foundation, our elected officials, healthcare partners, university trustees, faculty, staff, and the many friends of Brewton-Parker Christian University who believed in this dream. Their investment is not only in a building, but in the lives of future nurses who will go on to serve their communities with excellence, compassion, and Christ-like care."

The dedication of the George W. Strickland, Jr. Nursing Education Building marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for BPCU. As students begin classes in the new facility during the 2026–2027 academic year, they will receive an education that integrates academic excellence, clinical experience, Christian faith, and servant leadership. In the years ahead, the new facility will provide for the continued growth of the School of Nursing that exhibits BPCU's commitment to Christian service.