Amy Johnson, the City of Moultrie’s Downtown Economic Development and Public Relations director, was presented the Starr Award by Susan M. Starr, left, and the Georgia Cities Foundation President Pam Sessions, right, in front of more than 1,000 local government elected officials and personnel during the Georgia Municipal Association’s Annual Convention in Savannah, Ga., June 26.

June

June 7

A longtime Moultrie pastor and leader in local education and health care died May 25 in Montgomery, Ala. The funeral service for the Rev. Alfred Jones will be held Monday, June 5, 2023 at 2 p.m. at Heritage Church in Moultrie. … A woman and man have sustained injuries following a shooting over the Memorial Day weekend, authorities said. … Camp Invention, a one-week STEAM-based day camp, kicked off June 5 at the Colquitt County Achievement Center with 96 campers. … The Serenity House celebrated its 21st anniversary by honoring its executive director, Haley Clark, and hearing an abuse survivor’s testimony. … Community leaders and college representatives gathered May 24, the day before commencement, for an awards reception at PCOM South Georgia to honor graduating students, including those in the campus’ first doctor of osteopathic medicine class. … Students within the Colquitt County School District and from neighboring school systems gathered June 5 to explore the cyber security field during the second Colquitt County High School Marine Corps Junior ROTC CyberCamp. … Sen. Sam Watson of Moultrie has been named to a Senate committee studying the Local Option Sales Tax. … The Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office is working to provide an additional resource to local residents with troubled youth. The Youth Intervention Program is to be under the supervision of Cpl. Caitlyn Blakely and is intended for children ages 10 to 17.

Head coach Kirk Woodall is preparing his team for the inaugural season of the CCHS flag football program. “Fast, focus, fun,” Woodall said. “That’s what we are trying to do this year. The game is fast so the girls will have to learn speed. There are a lot of rules and techniques to learn in a short timeframe, so they have to focus. And mostly, I just want it to be fun for everybody.” … Miller Tompkins won the 10th Man award and Most Valuable Player award and Kale Hopper earned the Angie Davis Memorial Scholarship at the Colquitt County High School baseball team’s annual banquet.

With violin music, candles, flowers and speeches, PCOM South Georgia osteopathic medicine and biomedical sciences students recognized the lives and selfless contributions made by 12 people who donated their bodies to science. Family members of the donors were invited to the service.

June 14

For over 20 years, Lamar and Valerie Burkett have given a home to numerous children with nowhere else to go. Lamar Burkett is the current pastor of Bridge Creek Primitive Baptist Church. He and his wife Valerie have lived in Colquitt County since the early 2000s. Their journey with foster parenting began shortly after their move from Florida. … The Moultrie Observer was named one of the top newspapers in Georgia Friday evening at the Georgia Press Association’s annual banquet. The Observer received first place honors in the General Excellence category for weekly newspapers with a circulation between 2,000 and 3,799. … A Colquitt County jury took about half an hour to find a former Willie J. Williams Middle School coach guilty on two of four charges leveled against him. Nicholas Edge, 45, of Moultrie, was convicted of sexual contact by employee or agent in the first degree and of sexual battery against a child under 16. The jury found him innocent of child molestation and criminal attempt to entice a child for indecent purposes. … Southern Regional Technical College began the inaugural session of its Summer Law Enforcement Academy in early June. About 26 students, ages 16 to 19, were given a one-week opportunity to learn about criminal justice, network and interact with various agency professionals and gain certifications.

Before he was the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and later the head coach of the University of Georgia football team, Ray Goff was an outstanding quarterback at Moultrie High School. And on June 9 he was honored for his prep accomplishments when he was selected for inclusion in the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame. … Bryce Giddens was the center on the 2010 Colquitt County football team’s offensive line that helped lead the Packers to their first state championship game appearance in 16 years. Giddens, now in his second season as the Packers offensive line coach, says he believes the 2023 offensive line that is being built this summer, could be the 2010 group’s equal — or even better. … Forty-seven Colquitt County girls registered for the youth volleyball camp hosted by the Lady Packer volleyball program, held over the summer at Colquitt County High School. … A little over a year ago, Colin Kirkland accepted his first baseball head coaching job, taking over a Centennial High program that had gone a combined 18-38 over the previous two seasons. Twelve months later, the former Colquitt County infielder and son of former Packers coach Tony Kirkland had led the Knights to a school-record 29 wins, a Region 6-5A championship and a berth in the Final Four.

June 21

Intermittent storms have brought the threat of severe weather to Colquitt County every day for more than a week. Some days saw multiple rounds of storms while other days had little or no rain despite the forecast. The most serious storms to actually materialize were on June 14, when thousands of residents lost power and widespread damage was reported due to wind, hail and fallen trees. … On what would have been her 100th birthday, Willie Belle Irvin-Partridge, a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal recipient and member of the U.S. Army’s 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, was celebrated by several friends, family members, and city representatives in a June 16 ceremony at the Museum of Colquitt County History. … The Colquitt County Courthouse Square was full of Moultrians, vendors and performers Saturday as they all gathered to celebrate the annual Juneteenth holiday. … The Moultrie Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce held a luncheon to honor nurses and participants within the Farmworker Family Health Program. The Farmworker Family Health Program is celebrating its 30th anniversary, according to Dr. Judith Wold, the Emerita Clinical Professor and distinguished professor for Educational Leadership at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University. … A Norman Park teenager was transported by helicopter to a nearby hospital after a crash June 15 on Cool Springs Road that also injured two other people. … The John Benning Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution celebrated Flag Day June 14 with awards celebrating local flag displays and with a presentation about Betsy Ross. As part of the celebrations, Linda Jackson, chair of the chapter’s Flag of the United States Committee, presented a flag appreciation certificate to Hayden Gliemmo, business manager of Lasseter Motors in Moultrie, in honor of the 30-foot by 60-foot flag the business displays each day, and to Alisha Story for her creative presentation of stars and stripes using large round hay bales in addition to several other patriotic displays at her home on Georgia Highway 133 South.

Longtime community activist and Colquitt County football supporter David “Bull” Durham is taking over as president of the Packer Touchdown Club. … Calling it a bittersweet decision, John Fox is leaving Moss Farms Diving to become the head diving coach at Auburn. … Kyle Black, who has been choreographing professionally for over 10 years all over the United States, came to Colquitt County High School from June 12-14 to teach the Lady Packer competition cheerleading squad the routine they will compete with during the 2023 season. This year, the Lady Packers wanted a theme: a boxing match.

Parishioners, family and friends of St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Moultrie gathered June 11 for a special service installing a new rector (senior pastor), the Rev. James Thomas.

June 28

The local healthcare field was not exempt from experiencing a workforce shortage, according to local healthcare officials. Colquitt Regional Medical Center CEO and President Jim Matney previously presented the hospital’s community update, which named the nurse staff shortage as its sole challenge within the healthcare workforce. … The City of Moultrie closed the intersection of Second Street and Fifth Avenue Southeast June 26 as construction began on a new roundabout. … Leslee Adams, director of Mustard Seed Cottage, called on Colquitt County residents to help raise money for the charity’s maternity supportive housing residence with a fundraising event at Surcheros Fresh Grill and “Dancing with the Moultrie Stars,” a show planned for August. … Two firefighters were injured on the scene of an abandoned structure fire June 20, fire officials said. … The Colquitt County Board of Commissioners approved a slate of proposals June 20, including a $25.5 million budget. … Seven Colquitt County School District schools were awarded $24,472 in grants of up to $4,000 per school to acquire mathematics tools and materials to support mathematics instruction, according to a press release from the district. The Opportunity Grants are from the Georgia Department of Education. … Eyvone’s Porch In-Centive – EPIC, by Carol Simpson, founder and president, and Bridges Solutions & Consulting, Laquita Smith Bridges, owner and operator, joined forces to commemorate the celebration of Juneteenth. The outdoor event was a day of commemoration and community involvement, organizers said in a press release. 

Fourteen Moss Farms divers will make the 2,300-mile trip to southern California to compete in USA Diving’s Junior National Championships. The championships will run July 23-Aug. 1 at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex in Mission Viejo, Calif., outside Los Angeles. … Moultrie junior golfer David Herndon has been named the 10-year-old champion of the Savannah/Hilton Head US. Kids Golf Spring Tour. … The Colquitt County 12U girls allstars took second place in the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association’s fast-pitch state tournament in Bulloch County. … It was a day of historic firsts. First snap, first pass, first rush, first flag pull, first interception, first sack, first touchdown and first win. The Colquitt County High School 2023 Lady Packers flag football team completed all these firsts on Saturday when they traveled to Lowndes for the Titletown Tournament. … Another member of Colquitt County’s 2014 state championship football team is returning to coach in Moultrie. Tomarcio Reese, who coached at Valdosta last year, is back home and will join the Packers’ ninth-grade staff to work with the linebackers. … Members of the Bridge Creek Clays shotgun team performed well at Scholastic Clay Target Program’s state tournament held June 10-11 at the Forest City Gun Club in Savannah. The small Southwest Georgia Club held its own in a field that included some 600 competitors.