Frustrations — By Tommy Purser
Twenty-three years ago, almost to the day, I was having a bad day at the office. A very bad day. Today, 23 years later, I’ve been having another such day. Twenty-three years ago it was computer glitches that overwhelmed me with frustration, leading me to abandon all hope of getting my column done for that…
Read MoreCouncil okays 30% tax hike
By TOMMY PURSER Editor-Publisher At their meeting last Thursday, the Hazlehurst City Council voted to raise property taxes in the city by more than 30%. And by Tuesday of this week, at least one council member had come to the realization that such a move might be a mistake. The council has a budget meeting…
Read MoreCemetery business is anything but dead
By MARY ANN ANDERSON No bones about it. Cemetery business was anything but dead at last Thursday’s regular meeting of the Hazlehurst City Council. City Clerk Vernice Thompson explained that the map for the city cemetery on Lumber City Highway is deteriorating badly, with Ward 3 Councilman Chris Jones joking that it looks like a…
Read MoreGang Prosecution Grant available
The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS) has announced the opening of the application period for the State of Georgia Gang Activity Prosecution (GAP) Grant. The State of Georgia set aside $1,250,000 from the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 state budget for a competitive grant to facilitate gang activity prosecutions in the state. The…
Read MoreJDA meets
The September meeting of the Joint Development Authority will be held this Thursday at 3 p.m. at The Big House. Following is the meeting agenda: 1. Call to Order 2. Prayer & Pledge 3. Approval of Agenda 4. Comments from Guests, limited to no more than 5 minutes. 5. Consent Calendar A. Minutes (August 20…
Read MoreMr. Joseph Thomas Googe Sr., 86
Mr. Joseph Thomas Googe Sr., 86, of Stockbridg, passed away Sept. 13. Mr. Googe was born July 4, 1940, in Baxley to the late Jerry Oneal Googe and the late Alma Oberry Googe and was a member of St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in McDonough. He was raised on the family farm and learned the value…
Read MoreMrs. Josephine ‘Josie’ McRae Hays, 69
Mrs. Josephine “Josie” McRae Hays, 69, of Hazlehurst, passed away at her residence Sept. 14 under the care of Comfort Care Hospice. Mrs. Hays was born Nov. 8, 1956, and was the daughter of the late Robert Earl McRae and Doreatha Varnadore McRae. She had a sweet disposition and found joy in the simple things…
Read MoreInfant Ja’Queze Xavier Kirby Jr.
Ja’Queze Xavier Kirby Jr. was born at 12:07 p.m. Sept. 8 in Douglas. He was 9 pounds and one ounce and was 22 inches long. Ja’Queze Jr. departed this life Sept. 10 at the Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville, Fa. Ja’Queze Jr. was preceded in death by his great-grandmothers Alice “Lisa” Drone and Hilda Valencia,…
Read MoreMrs. Wendolyn Reagin Mason, 86
Mrs. Wendolyn Reagin Mason, 86, of Aiken, S.C., passed away peacefully Sept. 13. Born Dec. 15, 1939, in Hazlehurst, she was a daughter of the late Aaron Reagin and Bonnie Cleo Quinn Reagin. Mrs. Mason was a devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend whose greatest joy in life was her family. She cherished every…
Read MoreMr. Terrence McCoy, 16
Mr. Terrence McCoy, 16, of Hazlehurst, passed away Aug. 5. He was born Sept. 15, 2009, in Baxley, to Terrence Harrison II and Shirley Marie McCoy. Terrence was a student at Jeff Davis High School in Jeff Davis County, where he was loved by his teachers and classmates. He was noted for his abundance of…
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