Douglas County Sentinel

03/13/2025

All five Douglas County School Systems high schools recently received Advanced Placement Honors from the state education department.

In all, State School Superintendent Richard Woods has designated 301 AP Honor Schools for 2025.

All high schools earned recognition as AP Access and Support Schools. This honor goes to schools with at least 30% of AP exams taken by students who identify as African American and/or Hispanic and 30% of all AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher.

All schools were also recognized as AP STEM Schools for having a minimum of five students testing in at least four AP STEM courses.
In addition to achieving this honor, New Manchester High School was also named an AP Expansion School, reflecting a remarkable 25% growth in AP participation between 2023 and 2024.

Alexander High School and Chapel Hill High School earned the prestigious AP Access and Support School designation, demonstrating a strong commitment to equity by increasing AP participation among African American and Hispanic students, while maintaining high achievement levels.

“This recognition highlights our district’s commitment to expanding Advanced Placement opportunities and ensuring student success,” said K’Asha Davis, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning.

All five Douglas County School Systems high schools recently received Advanced Placement Honors from the state education department.

03/12/2025

A Douglasville man has been indicted for aggravated assault against a law officer after police say he caused a crash with a deputy as he attempted to flee a traffic stop in January. Colby Richard Martin, 34, also faces charges of fleeing police, interference with government property and violation of probation, along with a list of traffic offenses.

He remains in jail without bond and is scheduled to be arraigned on March 31.

According to arrest warrants, a deputy attempted to stop Martin as he traveled eastbound on Interstate 20 near Chapel Hill Road. As he fled, Martin reached 80 mph in a 45-mph zone, according to deputies.

Warrants show that Martin slammed on his brakes multiple times, trying to make the deputy crash into his vehicle.

A Douglasville man has been indicted for aggravated assault against a law officer after police say he caused a crash with a deputy as he attempted to flee a traffic

03/12/2025

National Weather Service forecasters say there is an enhanced risk of severe weather Saturday as thunderstorms roll across Georgia.

Enhanced is the third of five levels forecasters use to predict a storm’s potential for causing damage. A listing of enhanced is unusual several days ahead of a storm.

“This is a three out of five and we are still a few days out, which is not a normal thing to see,” said James Queen, Douglas County’s Emergency Management Director. “There’s going to be some potential for some severe winds, possibly some hail and tornadoes.”

“We see events like this every so often,” he added. “But, they’re not a commonplace occurrence.”

The National Weather Service puts the probability that some form of severe weather will hit the area at 30%.

Exactly when the storms will move into Douglas County is unknown. Weather service officials say it will be between Saturday morning and afternoon. Severe conditions will last until early Sunday morning.

“This is going to be a long-duration event,” former WSB-TV chief meteorologist Glen Burns posted on his social media channels. “The worst will be after midnight.”

National Weather Service forecasters say there is an enhanced risk of severe weather Saturday as thunderstorms roll across Georgia.

03/12/2025

A Douglas County teenager’s horror story is over after a jury convicted a family friend of molesting her on multiple occasions over two years.

Andra Antonio Thurman, 27, of Stone Mountain was convicted last week on a single charge of child molestation. He he was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Deah Warren to 20 years in prison with 15 to serve. Upon release, he will serve five years of probation.

Douglasville police met the victim — then 13 years old — at Wellstar Douglas Hospital on March 20, 2022, when she told them Thurman had been sexually assaulting her.

“Thurman had a relationship with a family member and gained access to the victim through this relationship,” District Attorney Dalia Racine said.

The victim told detectives the attacks had been going on for two years. She also described Thurman’s anatomy in detail, helping to identify him as the perpetrator.

A Douglas County teenager’s horror story is over after a jury convicted a family friend of molesting her on multiple occasions over two years.

03/10/2025

Georgia’s 911 systems have a sell-by date.

The Georgia Emergency Communications Authority (GECA) has set the end of 2029 as the deadline for all 911 operations in the state to switch from legacy to next-generation systems.

“The state of Georgia right now is lagging behind a bit in the Southeast because many states have already moved toward Next Generation 911,” Katrina Harley, director of Douglas County’s 911 system, recently told county commissioners.

North Carolina saw the benefits of an early switch during Hurricane Helene last summer.

“When their 911 centers went down, they were able to immediately come back up because of this new technology,” Harley said.

Started in 1968, the nation’s legacy 911 system operates on copper telephone lines, limiting service to a simple phone call. The Public Safety Act of 1999 created Enhanced 911 or E911.

The act made 911 the standard number for emergency calls and improved service by automatically providing operators with a caller’s phone number and location. Updates over the years have created policies for wireless and internet-based technology.

Georgia’s 911 systems have a sell-by date.

03/10/2025

Data centers get very thirsty.

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory says mid-sized centers gulp down some 300,000 gallons a day, while larger ones use up to a half-million gallons.

With the industry’s explosive growth in the metro Atlanta area in the last several years, many cities and counties are jeopardizing their drinking water supplies to serve the massive developments.

Douglas County officials are working with developers on three new centers that, together, would require three million gallons a day.

“That’s almost a quarter of our community’s water demand every day,” said Brian Keel, deputy director of engineering for the Douglasville-Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority. “That’s a lot for our system.”

The authority already is working on a $390 million expansion of the Dog Creek Reservoir, the county’s source of drinking water.

Severe drought conditions in 2007 reduced the county’s water supply to almost a trickle. Keel shared photos of Dog River, nothing more than a shallow creek at the time.

“You could step over it,” he said.

Data centers get very thirsty.

03/07/2025

Shirley Jones wasn’t your typical funeral director – at least not in the 1950s.

You see, there were no women licensed in Georgia back then. In fact, Jones appears to have been the first, even though her official card read otherwise.

“Her license said ‘he’ because there was still only a template for the men in the industry,” said Ellen Wynn McBrayer, now president and chief financial officer of Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes and Crematory.

McBrayer is the third generation of women to help run the family business. Her mother, Dana Wynn, grew up around funeral service and serves as chief executive officer.

“Three generations is unheard of because women are just now starting to go into funeral service,” McBrayer said.

Saturday is International Women’s Day, which celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The Jones Wynn women have a few of those of their own.

Shirley Jones wasn’t your typical funeral director – at least not in the 1950s.

03/07/2025

A Decatur woman lost her sparkle and glow after investigators say she posed as an undercover agent and stole $45,000 from a disabled Winston woman.

Twinkle Sunny Patel, 38, was indicted by a Douglas County grand jury last week on charges of theft by deception, exploitation and intimidation of a disabled person and impersonating an officer. She remains free on $50,000 bond.

According to arrest warrants, Patel was working with others in India when she contacted the victim last July. Claiming to be an undercover agent with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Patel told the victim her financial account had been breached, the warrants show.

A Decatur woman lost her sparkle and glow after investigators say she posed as an undercover agent and stole $45,000 from a disabled Winston woman.

03/07/2025

The cost of inmate healthcare nearly doubled under a new contract approved by the Douglas County Commission Tuesday.

The new deal with ConnectHealth comes with a price tag of about $6 million, up from the $3.6 million under the current agreement with another provider.

“Where do I start,” Chief Deputy Ken Conner said before referring to the county’s budget retreat last year. “We let the board know the cost of business in inmate healthcare was going up.”

Conner said the current provider proposed a contract renewal for 2025 at $4.8 million – a 25% increase.

“We put it out to bid because of some ongoing issues,” Conner said.

Eight companies submitted bids. The project committee chose ConnectHealth, which came in at $5.6 million, as the best provider.

During contract discussions, sheriff’s department officials outlined a list of services they felt were not up to standard. The decision was made to add an infirmary at an additional cost of $400,000, bringing the total to $6 million.

“Basically, it’s more staffing,” Conner said, explaining that the jail’s healthcare team will grow from 17 to 27. “The majority of this extra money is staffing.”

The cost of inmate healthcare nearly doubled under a new contract approved by the Douglas County Commission Tuesday.

03/07/2025

Information from Douglasville Police Department on early morning shooting.

03/07/2025

Update on Spring Concert Series!

🎤 We regret to inform you that due to an unexpected illness, Tony! Toni! Toné! will be unable to perform on April 5th. 😔

We're working quickly to secure a replacement artist and will announce the new lineup and updated ticket plans as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding and stay tuned for updates!

03/06/2025

While many people remain skeptical, even weary, of artificial intelligence, Connor Moore sees its potential as a valuable teaching tool.

The Douglas County resident recently shared his vision for AI-based training on a global stage at the International Conference on Modern Educational Technology (ICMET) in Tokyo, Japan.

“Not only was I able to present, I was also able to hear from people from all over the world,” said Moore, a cybersecurity major at the University of North Georgia (UNG). “I was able to meet people from education, industry and government. I was exposed to everything that’s out there.”
Moore is a graduate of Harvester Christian Academy.

Drawing upon what he learned during an internship at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, Moore shared scenarios in which AI and machine learning can improve online training.

While many people remain skeptical, even weary, of artificial intelligence, Connor Moore sees its potential as a valuable teaching tool.

03/05/2025

As its fleet of emergency vehicles ages, the Douglas County Fire Department is kicking some tires.

Douglas County commissioners approved Tuesday the purchase of two new pumper fire engines and three ambulances for a total cost of a little more than $2.8 million.

Most of the county’s ambulances, about 80%, have more than 200,000 miles, according to Fire Chief Myles Allen. Experts recommend retiring them after about 250,000 miles.

“As these things start to age, we’re going to try to do our best to replace the ones that are old,” Allen told the commission, adding that he plans to use the older vehicles as backups. “The ones we do have will go as reserves. We always have to have reserve ambulances.”

County officials will contract with Frazer Ltd., a Houston, Texas company that produces a variety of ambulances and emergency vehicles. The total cost of the ambulances will be around $1.1 million, which will be covered with revenue from the 2022 special-purpose, local-option sales tax.

Allen said there will be additional expenses to have the department’s identifying decals installed on the ambulances.

As its fleet of emergency vehicles ages, the Douglas County Fire Department is kicking some tires.

03/05/2025

A Villa Rica man is set to be arraigned next month for selling fentanyl to a man who later died by overdosing on the drug.

Chasmond Anton Jones, 39, is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Joshua Cantrell, also of Villa Rica.

Jones sold Cantrell a substance containing the drug on Sept. 27, according to an indictment filed in Douglas County Superior Court. Cantrell died the next day.

Investigators said Jones also sold Cantrell four Adderall pills. Jones was arrested Tuesday on a grand jury warrant. Grand jurors indicted him for involuntary manslaughter on Feb. 12.

When police originally arrested Jones at his home on Oct. 8, they found two guns – a Cobra Highpoint .380 pistol and a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber handgun, according to arrest warrants.

A Villa Rica man is set to be arraigned next month for selling fentanyl to a man who later died by overdosing on the drug.

03/05/2025

A proposed succession plan for filling vacant seats on the Douglas County Commission has hit a snag among the county’s legislative delegation in the Georgia General Assembly.

House Bill 349 (HB349) outlines the steps for naming new commissioners to seats left open by resignation, removal, death or other circumstances.

The bill passed 163-0 in the Georgia House of Representatives on Feb. 13. However, it has stalled in the Senate because of lack of support from one of the county’s two senators, according to District 3 Commissioner Martin Raxton.

Raxton said Sen. Donzella James has voiced her support for the bill. Sen. Tim Bearden is the other senate member representing Douglas County.

“We’re still waiting for a senator from our delegation to put his name on it,” said Raxton, who proposed the plan to the commission in December. “We’ve been talking to him. We’re hoping that he goes ahead and puts his name on it.”

Under the proposed bill, the county clerk will seek candidates for temporary commission vacancies by advertising the qualifications for the office, instructions for applying and the deadline for applications to be submitted.

A proposed succession plan for filling vacant seats on the Douglas County Commission has hit a snag among the county’s legislative delegation in the Georgia General Assembly.

03/04/2025

From the Douglas County Fire/EMS Department. Be advised!

UPDATE: The grass fire on the 3000 block of Bright Star Rd is now contained. Crews are still on scene working to ensure full safety and to address any hot spots.
3/4/25 @ 4:01 P.M.

🚨 BE ADVISED 🚨

We are currently on scene of a large grass fire on the 3000 block of Bright Star Rd. Our crews are working diligently to contain the fire and ensure the safety of the community.

Please avoid the area and follow any instructions from emergency personnel. We will continue to provide updates as the situation develops.

03/04/2025

Douglas County Georgia Schools update.

The Douglas County School System is working with State and County Emergency Management Officials to monitor the potential for severe weather in our area tomorrow. Currently, schools will operate on a normal schedule on Wednesday, March 5.

We will continue working to ensure the safety of our students by closely tracking weather conditions throughout the evening. Any adjustments will be promptly communicated to our school community by email or text. It will also be shared on social media and in collaboration with our media partners.

We appreciate your understanding as we continue prioritizing the safety of our school community.

-----

Queridas familias:

El Sistema Escolar del Condado de Douglas está trabajando con los oficiales de manejo de emergencias del estado y del condado para monitorear la posibilidad de un clima severo en nuestra área mañana. Actualmente, las escuelas funcionarán con un horario normal el miércoles 5 de marzo.

Continuaremos trabajando para garantizar la seguridad de nuestros estudiantes, siguiendo de cerca las condiciones climáticas durante toda la noche. Cualquier ajuste será comunicado rápidamente a nuestra comunidad escolar por correo electrónico o texto. También se compartirá en las redes sociales y en colaboración con nuestros socios de los medios.

Agradecemos su comprensión mientras continuamos priorizando la seguridad de nuestra comunidad escolar.

03/04/2025

A Douglasville man will spend the rest of his life in prison for stomping a 76-year-old man to death at the transitional home where they both lived.

Jeffery George Pharr, 32, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for killing Laurice Layton on July 8, 2021.

“Today’s guilty verdict sends a powerful message that acts of brutality, such as the senseless killing of this victim, will not go unpunished,” said Douglas County District Attorney Dalia Racine. “We hope that this verdict helps the victim’s family find healing as they grapple with the senseless loss of their loved one.”

A jury found Pharr guilty Feb. 26 of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery and obstruction of law enforcement officers. He was sentenced the same day by Douglas County Chief Superior Court Judge Cynthia Adams.

Two days later, defense attorney Eufemia Cabrera-D’Amour filed a motion for a new trial, saying the verdict was “strongly against the weight of the evidence.”

According to arrest warrants issued by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Pharr and Layton were living in temporary housing on Breckenridge Drive when a fight broke out.

A Douglasville man will spend the rest of his life in prison for stomping a 76-year-old man to death at the transitional home where they both lived.