Eric Simmons was found guilty of murder by a Lowndes County jury in the 2015 shooting death of Damaria Hill who was 18 years old at the time of his killing. Simmons was handed a life plus five year prison sentence by Judge James Tunison.

Addy Perlman a Valwood STAR Student can now add another distinction to her achievements. The Valdosta Rotary Club honored Perlman and Coach Peter Allen with certificates and awards. It was Allen’s 12th selection as a STAR teacher.

Scintilla Charter Academy has reached its goal to fill all available student openings, and there is still a waiting list of applicants. A lottery was held and names were drawn for the 2017-2018 school year.

One of 75 health care facilities set to open across the nation will open in Brooks County. The Quitman health center will be funded by Affordable Care Act. The family primary care service will offer clients the services of two physicians, a physician’s assistant and medical personnel from Brooks Medical Associates as part of Archbold.

The state of Georgia has the fifth largest military presence in the nation with an approximate 20 billion dollar economic impact annually. One of the most important sectors of the military population in Georgia is the tactical fighter squadron located at Moody Air Force Base. The installation employs 5,500 on base personnel and off-base personnel numbers 4,700. A special group of supporters of the base make up the South Georgia Military Affairs Council and they work to secure the presence of Moody on this region. It is made up of leaders from the chamber of commerce leaders from the four counties most impacted by Moody: Cook, Lanier, Berrien and Lowndes. The committee is dedicated to advocating for local policies that could affect Moody’s future.