Police: Suspect found with stolen medicines

MOULTRIE, Ga. — Moultrie police say a burglary suspect they chased down Tuesday had in his possession prescription pills taken from the victim’s residence, as well as suspected cocaine. “An 87-year-old lady came home and found him coming out her back door,” Moultrie Police Department Lt. Freddie Williams said. Odessa Davis reported seeing the suspect exit her residence in the 800 block of East Central Avenue. “We saturated the area and were able to find him walking in the area of the 500 block of Eighth Street Southeast, about four or five blocks away from where the incident occurred,” Williams said. Police charged the man, Eric Ryles, 38, 1513 Sunrise Ave., with burglary and possession of cocaine.

 

Library to present Local Author Fest

DALTON, Ga. — The Dalton-Whitfield County Public Library will present its first Local Author Fest on Saturday, March 24, from 10 a.m. to noon. More than 20 local authors will be at the library to sign books, talk about their work and share their stories. The authors who will be in attendance write children’s books, juvenile and young adult fantasy books, inspirational fiction, mysteries, true crime, local history, memoirs and more. Almost every genre is represented. Participating local authors include Mignon Ballard, Katherine Bartlett, William “Roddy” Bray, Rusty Carrick, Tim Champlin, Bowen Craig, Ethan Dempsey, Ed Dunlop, Daniel Ellis, Kellie Taylor Hall, Connie Hall-Scott, Kenyon Henry, Joan Hetzler, Kathryn Hill, David B. Jenkins, Rob Jenkins, Georgiana Kotarski, Dot McCrory, Donna Pattillo, Logan Petty, Keith Robinson, John Shivers, Barbara Tucker and Janie Watts. Officials plan for this to be the first of many Local Author Fests. The Dalton-Whitfield County Public Library is at 310 Cappes St. For more information, contact the library at (706) 876-1360 or wyattb@ngrl.org, or via its Facebook page at Facebook.com/DaltonWhitfieldLibrary.

 

ABAC students refurbish duck boxes for President Jimmy Carter

TIFTON, Ga. — Students from the Wildlife Society at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College spent an exciting morning with former President Jimmy Carter recently at their annual wood duck box cleanup on his property in Plains. “We were delighted to spend over an hour with President Carter on a personal tour of his newest pond as students scouted how many new boxes were needed,” Dr. Vanessa Lane, assistant professor of wildlife at ABAC, said. The Wildlife Society currently has approximately 50 members who meet twice per month to discuss opportunities to conserve wildlife and natural resources.

 

Job fair coming to south Georgia

VALDOSTA, Ga. — Anyone looking for a job or any business looking for employees is encouraged to attend the Third Annual South Georgia Coalition for Employment job fair April 26. More than a dozen organizations are scheduled to participate in the Creative Paths to Employment Job Fair. Each organization has a primary goal of getting people a job. Kelley Saxon, community coordinator for Georgia Department of Community Supervision, said the coalition isn’t just to help certain individuals, but for anyone in need of a job. Participants can include teenagers looking for a summer job to people with a criminal background, she said. It can be hard for people to get a job after getting out of prison or jail, and this job fair will help those find employment in order to reduce recidivism, according to organizers. Saxon said there will be employers interested in hiring people with complicated histories. “We are excited about this year’s job fair because we have really expanded,” Saxon said. “We are aiming to have 60 employers there. This is a high goal, but I know with the community behind us we can reach that goal.” The job fair currently has 40 employers signed up and is hoping for another 20 to 30. The job fair is free for employers to attend. Saxon said organizers are encouraging all businesses looking to hire good people to come and participate in the job fair. Valdosta Police Chief Brian Childress said the job fair will also have many options available for young men and women during the summer to keep them busy and out of trouble. He said employment will help prevent juvenile crimes. Alma Williams is the program ambassador for Project Hope, a non-profit initiated for young people between 11-18 who are getting in trouble during the summer. She said the primary goal is to keep children involved in productive activities that engage them in a positive way. Williams said she would like to place 100 young men and women between 16 and 18 years old in a summer job. Bill Holt, vice president of operations for the Boys and Girls Club, said his favorite part of the job fair is that employers will list whether they can hire teens or not.  “One of the hard parts for teens is that they have to compete with everybody,” Holt said. “It’s going to be a great opportunity for our kids to be off the streets, finding work to do and learning skills that will help them get jobs in the future.” Cedric Small said the Never Too Late Program will provide proper clothing for 100 men and 100 women so they look good during the job fair. They program will also assist applicants prepare for interviews and fill out their resume, he said. Anyone in need of these services is encouraged to call Small at (229) 232‐1820. Potential employers and those looking for a job should register for the job fair at employgeorgia.com. The job fair is scheduled for 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, April 26, at the James H. Rainwater Conference Center. There will be coalition members present during the job fair to assist applicants with completing job applications.