Top Stories

The following arrests were made by the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office for the dates of March 5, 2013 thru March 25, 2013. [Full Story »] 

Another concerned parent addressed the Dodge County Board of Education at Thursday night’s school board meeting with concerns regarding discipline at Dodge County High School (DCHS). Barbie Jamison read a written statement during public participation. Jamison spoke to the board regarding her son, a high school student now housed at Dodge Achievement Center (DAC). She thought there was an amendment made to allow students to attend teacher hours in order to participate in the graduation exercises at the end of school year. Jamison pointed out that DAC students are still the school system’s students whether or not they had admitted guilt and were enrolled in alternative school. She noted to the board that she understood that a new policy was being considered for next school term that would remove the issue of whether or not a student would participate in graduation exercises. She asked the board to consider allowing four students currently at DAC to walk with their graduating class this year. Jamison requested the school board to consider adding programs to DAC such as speakers and work programs in order to fill the student’s time after academic work has been completed. She requested students not be treated differently because they have made mistakes but to help them obtain a goal of getting back on track. [Full Story »] 

Eastman-Dodge County Recreation Department will be holding opening ceremonies for the 2013 baseball and softball season on Friday, March 22, 2013.

The ceremonies will begin at 6:00 p.m. at the recreation department with guest speaker, Jared Allen, Dodge County High School’s head baseball coach.

Everyone is invited to come out and attend this ceremony and open up the new baseball and softball season.

Almost two years after completion, construction issues continue to be the problem as to why the new Dodge County jail cannot be opened and occupied.

According to Dodge County Sheriff Lynn Sheffield, the maintenance problems are being resolved. However, the roof leak is the main reason the move to the new jail cannot happen. [Full Story »] 

Aremac Heat Treating, LLC announced Thursday, March 19, it will expand its heat treating operations and will locate in Eastman. The facility is in the design-phase and the company plans to be in operations in the third quarter of 2013. This project will result in the creation of 60 new jobs in Dodge County within five years. [Full Story »] 

Georgia State Representative Jimmy Pruett is introducing local legislation into the Georgia General Assembly that will abolish the Heart of Georgia Regional Airport Authority and to transfer all powers, duties, assets, property, liabilities and indebtedness to the Dodge County/Eastman Development Authority. [Full Story »] 

Tempers flared at the Eastman City Council meeting on Monday, March 11, because the council would not appoint a member to the Dodge County/Eastman Development Authority that night.

The first item on the council’s agenda was an appointment of (a city council member) to the development authority. [Full Story »] 

Names have been chosen for the March term of the Dodge County Traverse Jury. If you see your name on the following lists and have not been notified by mail, you should call the Dodge County Clerk of Court at 478-374-2871.
The following people should report to the Dodge County Courthouse at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, March 11, 2013. [Full Story »] 

The following arrests were made by the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office for the weeks of February 19, 2013 thru March 4, 2013. [Full Story »] 

The Dodge County Grand Jury convened in February and returned the following indictments:
James “Jimmy” D. Frost, Jr. was indicted on one count felony aggravated child molestation, one count felony child molestation and one count felony enticing a child for indecent purposes.
Dylan Connell was indicted on one count felony criminal damage to property in the second degree, three counts of felony theft by taking, one count felony burglary, two counts felony entering auto and one count felony criminal damage to property. He was also indicted on two counts felony burglary, two counts felony theft by receiving stolen property, one count felony criminal damage to property in the second degree, one count felony habitual violator and one count misdemeanor harassing phone calls. [Full Story »] 

The Eastman City Council honored former councilperson Idele Walker for her many years of service on the Eastman City Council with a plaque at their meeting on Monday, February 25. Walker resigned from the council in January 2013 due to health reasons. Shown in the photo are (l-r) Eastman City Council Chairman Bobby Slye and Walker.

James David Rawlins (age 73), died of an apparent heart attack on Wednesday, February 22. Rawlins was a member of the Eastman City Council for 22 years. His funeral was held on Friday, February 22. The complete obituary is in this edition of the newspaper.

A Chester woman died after the car she was driving hit a train on Monday, February 25. Dorothy Lee Coley (age 72), of Chester, was driving west on Georgia 257 (Roddy Highway), when she failed to stop at the railroad crossing just before the Cochran Highway. [Full Story »] 

Eastman firemen were called to Soo’s Fashions on Main Street in downtown Eastman on Wednesday, February 20 at 12:34 p.m. When firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke coming from the rear of the building. A fire had started in the void between the ceiling and the roof of the building, making it extremely difficult to get to the origin of the blaze. The fire quickly spread in the building and Eastman Fire Chief Carl Johnson started calling for assistance from other fire departments in the Dodge and surrounding counties. [Full Story »]