More Local News For You
Friday, October 2, 2026
Today’s Southwest Georgia roundup covers Albany and communities within approximately 65 miles, including Tifton, Moultrie, Cordele, Americus and Grady County. Original summaries of newly reported developments, with links to the reporting and official announcements. Times are Eastern.
Albany Police Prepare Drone Response Program; Launch Still Pending
ALBANY — Police are preparing to send drones to emergency calls before officers arrive, using aerial views, zoom cameras and thermal imaging to help assess situations and find people. The plan includes nine fixed drone pods and mobile units for incidents such as missing-person searches and barricades. Police say the stationary network can reach roughly 85% of the city; airport airspace limits the remainder.
APD says flights will respond to legitimate calls for service, with records and routine audits, rather than general neighborhood surveillance. Public access to flight information is still being developed. The program has not officially launched: WALB reports that it awaits the operator’s official FAA remote-pilot license. Source: WALB, October 1.
Albany State Announces $2.24 Million Entrepreneurship Grant
ALBANY — Albany State University announced a federal grant to create business training for Southwest Georgia entrepreneurs. The two-year initiative targets 1,000 participants across 38 counties and will offer skills credentials, a new 23-credit entrepreneurship certificate and connections to business resources. Coursework is being designed around regional industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare and logistics.
The university also plans free information sessions and bootcamps, plus a laptop-and-tablet lending program for eligible participants. The announced project period runs September 2026 through August 2028. The release describes planned services; it does not provide a current enrollment deadline. Source: Albany State University announcement, October 1.
ABAC Appoints Interim Police Chief After Unauthorized Database Searches
TIFTON — Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College appointed Douglas Chadwell interim police chief effective October 1 after a University System of Georgia review found that a police-department employee conducted unauthorized searches using the Flock license-plate-reader system. The college says it has no Flock cameras or network of its own; access came through another local law-enforcement agency.
Chief Mike Tompkins had previously been placed on paid administrative leave. The college’s statement refers to an employee and does not publicly identify that person in the findings described by WALB. ABAC says it will cooperate with state agencies and that campus policing and emergency response continue operating. Source: WALB, October 1, citing ABAC.
Moultrie Apartment Residents Petition Over Repair and Housing Concerns
MOULTRIE — Forest Apartments residents have sought intervention over conditions they say include unresolved plumbing leaks, broken appliances, air-conditioning failures, pests and mold concerns. WALB interviewed elderly and disabled tenants and reported that approximately 25 households signed a petition. Residents described lengthy repair delays and concerns about accessibility and utility bills.
In its response, property management said it is hiring a new manager and asked tenants to submit concerns in writing with their name, unit number and phone number, or visit Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. WALB says ownership, oversight and complaint records remain under investigation. The residents’ complaints should not be confused with completed inspection findings. Source: WALB, October 1.
Missing Financial Records Delay Moultrie Airport Authority Audit
MOULTRIE — An eight-year forensic audit of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Airport Authority has missed its September completion target. Emails obtained by WALB show that records from 2018 and 2019 could not be located and supporting documents from 2020–2024 had not all reached auditors. The county and authority approved the $45,050 review in June.
Auditors warned that missing bank records, invoices and contracts prevent completion of the analysis. Former authority chairman Mike Boyd told the firm he was organizing later records and apologized for the delay. On-site work is now being targeted for mid-to-late October. The audit remains unfinished; the delay itself is not a finding of criminal wrongdoing. Source: WALB Investigates, October 1.
Cordele Man Sentenced to 14 Years in International Drug Conspiracy
CORDELE — Andreaus Benard Oliver Jr., 27, received a 168-month federal prison sentence for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, followed by three years of supervised release. His sentence follows a guilty plea and will run consecutively to an outstanding state prison term. His father, Andreaus Benard Oliver Sr., previously received 210 months.
Federal investigators said the operation obtained fentanyl and synthetic cannabinoids from China and used Oliver Jr.’s Cordele home to prepare drug-soaked paper for shipments disguised as legal mail to inmates. Other participants have also been sentenced. The newly reported development is Oliver Jr.’s sentence; the investigation and earlier convictions predate this week. Source: WALB, October 1.
Regional Housing Summit Comes to Albany Sunday Through Tuesday
ALBANY — Southwest Georgia’s first regional housing summit is scheduled October 4–6 at Albany State University’s Event Center on Gillionville Road. Community leaders and housing stakeholders will discuss housing needs, growth and ways to strengthen communities across the region. The Albany Housing Authority and Southwest Georgia Housing Task Force are presenting partners. The published announcement does not specify public admission arrangements, so prospective attendees should confirm participation details with the organizers. Source: WALB, October 1.
Tift Sheriff Scarbrough Will Finish Term, Won’t Run Again in 2028
TIFT COUNTY — Sheriff Gene Scarbrough announced October 1 that he will not seek a fifth term in 2028. He plans to serve the remainder of his current term, rather than leave office immediately. Scarbrough said his decision followed months of discussion with family and friends, and that announcing it early gives potential candidates time to introduce themselves and their qualifications to voters. Source: WALB, October 1, citing the sheriff’s announcement.
New Report Examines Dougherty County’s Property-Tax Exemptions
ALBANY — An Albany Herald analysis of the 2025 tax digest reports $497.8 million in fully exempt assessed property value, equivalent to approximately $1.24 billion at market value. That represents 17.7% of property value on the county’s rolls. Exempt holdings include government, hospital, church, charitable and development-authority properties.
These figures represent exempt property value, not delinquent taxes. The report also notes that development-authority arrangements can involve negotiated payments in lieu of taxes, which are not shown in the digest. Its analysis comes amid the county’s first full revaluation since 2007 and questions about how the remaining tax base is divided. Source: Albany Herald, October 1.
South Georgia Tech Adds Experienced Diesel Instructor; Registration Tuesday
AMERICUS — South Georgia Technical College has hired alumnus Ollie “Woody” Ferguson as a full-time diesel-equipment instructor. The Montezuma resident brings more than 30 years of industry experience and will work alongside instructor Chase Shannon. The program trains students in servicing trucks and heavy equipment, with additional applications in marine systems and emergency generators.
The college’s September 29 announcement lists a registration day October 6 and fall mini-semester classes beginning October 13. Diesel Equipment Technology qualifies for additional HOPE Career Grant assistance for eligible students. Admissions contacts are 229-931-2760 in Americus and 229-271-4051 in Cordele. Source: South Georgia Technical College.
Grady County Court Term Resolves More Than 40 Cases
GRADY COUNTY — A newly published account of the September Superior Court term reports more than 40 resolved cases. In a jury trial, Charles Lenwood Nix Jr. was convicted of failing to register as a sex offender and sentenced to 30 years, with 20 to serve. The district attorney’s office said this was his second conviction for that offense. Judge Heather Lanier presided, and District Attorney Joseph K. Mulholland prosecuted the case. Source: WALB, October 2.
Fall on the Flint Brings Free Family Activities Downtown Tonight
ALBANY — The city lists Fall on the Flint for 6–9 p.m. tonight at Veterans Park Amphitheatre, 100 West Oglethorpe Boulevard. Macon Music Revue, food trucks, vendors, outdoor demonstrations, conservation partners and a children’s zone are planned. Admission is free, and a clear-bag policy applies. An optional beer-and-wine tasting costs $15 for ten sample pours. Check the city’s event page for any last-minute updates before heading downtown. Source: City of Albany event listing.
Looking for more things to do? Visit our Southwest Georgia Community Calendar.
