Author: Donna Wilcox

It is hard to believe that this September will mark 25 years since a day that forever changed our country. On the morning of September 11, 2001, Americans watched in disbelief as our nation came under attack. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost, families were forever changed, and first responders ran toward unimaginable danger while others were desperately trying to escape it. For those of us old enough to remember that day, 25 years somehow feels both like a lifetime ago and like yesterday. We remember where we were when we first heard the news. We remember watching television, trying to…

Jeff Davis Middle School has another academic achievement to celebrate as eighth-grade students performed in the top 28% statewide in Social Studies on the Georgia Milestones assessment. The eighth-grade Social Studies assessment measures students’ understanding of Georgia Studies, including the state’s history, geography, government and economics. Students are asked to demonstrate knowledge spanning Georgia’s earliest history through modern times, along with an understanding of how government and economic principles have shaped the state. Reaching the top 28% in Georgia is an accomplishment that reflects the work taking place in classrooms throughout the school year. Jeff Davis Middle School celebrated the…

The Jeff Davis Yellow Jackets got one final tune-up before the games begin to count Friday night, hosting the Dublin Fighting Irish at The Pinelands in the Jackets’ second preseason scrimmage. Jeff Davis’ varsity starters played the first half, with Dublin holding a narrow 7-6 advantage at halftime. The Yellow Jacket varsity reserves took over for the third quarter, when Dublin added two touchdowns. Freshmen then got their opportunity in the fourth quarter, playing a controlled 10-play series to close out the night. The scrimmage format gave Jeff Davis coaches an opportunity to evaluate players throughout the roster, work different…

As Jeff Davis County continues discussions surrounding potential data center development, much of the conversation has centered on water use. But another major consideration is the enormous amount of electricity required to operate data centers — and whether the costs of meeting that demand can ultimately affect residential power bills. An October 2025 report from the Pew Research Center examined the rapidly growing electricity demands of data centers across the United States and the potential effects on the nation’s power grid and consumers. How much electricity do data centers use? According to Pew, citing estimates from the International Energy Agency…

After a career in public service and technical education spanning decades, Hazlehurst native Lonnie Roberts has announced he will retire as president of Coastal Pines Technical College effective September 30, 2026. Roberts has served as president of Coastal Pines since February 2021, but his connection to the college and technical education in Southeast Georgia reaches back much further. His retirement will conclude 25 years of service to Coastal Pines and its predecessor, Altamaha Technical College. For Jeff Davis County, Roberts’ career is also the story of a local leader whose public service began at home. A lifelong resident of Hazlehurst…

What began as a response to community needs following Hurricane Helene has grown into an ongoing effort to help provide food to families throughout Jeff Davis County. Thursday’s Second Harvest Mobile Food Pantry at Hazlehurst Church of God marked the eighth mobile food pantry hosted by the church since immediately following Hurricane Helene in the fall of 2024. Hazlehurst Church of God Pastor Hugh Anderson said the church has continued to strengthen its relationship with Second Harvest and considers the opportunity to help bring needed resources into the community a privilege. “We believe it’s our responsibility to be the hands…

Jeff Davis County Schools is celebrating strong student performance on the 2025-2026 Georgia Milestones, with students surpassing state averages in several areas and earning top rankings within the district’s comparison groups in our area. The results show gains across multiple grade levels and subject areas, including math, science and social studies. Among the highlights, Jeff Davis seventh-grade students ranked No. 1 out of 19 districts in our area in both developing and proficient learners in math. Seventh-grade math students surpassed the state average by 8 percentage points among developing learners and 5 percentage points among proficient learners. Strong results were…

As discussion surrounding potential data center development continues in Jeff Davis County, a  published resource from the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension provides information about one of the most frequently raised questions surrounding these facilities: water use and its potential impact on local water resources. The UGA Extension publication, Understanding How Data Centers Impact Surface and Ground Waters, examines how data centers use water, differences among cooling systems, potential effects on groundwater and surface water, and questions communities may want to consider as data center development expands. Why do data centers need water? Data centers house large numbers of computer…

For more than a century, the Dr. Samuel Martin home has stood as a reminder of an earlier Hazlehurst — a time when grand homes lined local streets and the people who lived within them helped shape the community we know today. Built in 1911, the home on East Jarman Street is now facing an uncertain future. Beyond its architectural beauty, however, the house carries the story of a local physician, public servant and former state legislator whose life and work were closely intertwined with the history of Jeff Davis County. The photograph accompanying this article shows a painting by…

Jeff Davis County Schools has another reason to celebrate, with third- and sixth-grade English Language Arts educators and students earning recognition through the Georgia Department of Education’s Literacy Leader program. The recognition is more than an academic honor — it reflects student achievement or significant growth in one of the most important foundations of education: the ability to read at grade level. The Georgia Department of Education began recognizing Literacy Leader schools annually in 2023, citing the fundamental importance of literacy and the impact a student’s ability to read can have throughout his or her entire educational career. Schools earn…