Jeff Raiford

Mr. Melvin Scott, age 67, of the Normantown Community, died Friday, January 24, 2025, at his home after sudden illness. He was a native of Toombs County, lived in Normantown most of his life, and he attended Lyons Senior High School. He was a truck driver and drove a log truck for many years with several companies. Melvin enjoyed fishing, small engine repair, visiting with friends, and listening to his scanner. Two sons, Jeremy Scott and Jesse Scott; grandson, Bailey Scott; father, Cecil Melvin Scott, Sr.; and former wife, Ruby Collins Scott, precede him in death.

IMMIGRATION For the first time in U.S. history, military aircraft were used this past week to deport scores of undocumented migrants from the United States. According to President Trump's "border czar," every undocumented immigrant should worry they could be arrested at any time, even if they have no criminal record. Tom Homan tells ABC's This Week: "If you’re in the country illegally, you got a problem." The Brazilian Federal Police tell ABC News that the nearly 90 deported men, women and children, that arrived Friday in Manaus, Brazil had been denied use of the bathroom on the flight and some were beaten if they tried to stand up. Video shows some of the deportees wearing handcuffs as they deplaned. After Colombia's president Gustavo Petro refused entry to two US military planes carrying deported Colombians, he posted "In civilian planes, without being treated like criminals, we will receive our fellow citizens." President Trump said he was ordering tariffs, visa restrictions and other retaliatory measures to be taken against Colombia after it rejected those two military flights. House Speaker Mike Johnson threatened Colombia that Congress is "fully prepared" to pass sanctions and "other measures" against the country and other countries that don't cooperate with U.S. policy.

Two people were found dead following a shooting Monday morning in Statesboro, according to the Statesboro Police Department. At approximately 8:00 AM, officers responded to an apartment in the 300 block of South Zetterower Avenue, where they discovered two individuals with gunshot wounds. The victims were later identified as 22-year-old Dacaris Carr of Statesboro and 17-year-old Maneia Stephens of Goodwater, Alabama.

TRUMP President Trump is expected to sign more Executive Orders. According to fact sheets obtained by ABC News: Trump is expected to sign an order directing the Secretary of Defense to "reinstate service members who were dismissed for refusing the COVID vaccine, with full back pay and benefits:” an order directing the Department of Defense to update its guidance “regarding trans-identifying medical standards for military service and to rescind guidance inconsistent with military readiness.” And fulfilling a pledge Trump made more than once on the campaign trail, he is also expected to sign an order to begin the process of creating “the Iron Dome for America.”

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Copyright © 2025. Southeast Georgia Today Brought to you by RadioJones, LLC Designed & Developed by the Web Wizard Workshop.

FED EMPLOYEES Federal workers have received an email offering them an immediate "buyout." ABC News has obtained the memo sent to government employees informing them of the offer for "deferred resignation," which begins effective immediately and offers pay/benefits until Sept. 30, 2025, for those who accept. The memo, titled "Fork in the Road," instructs employees to simply reply "Resign" in the message body if they plan to accept the buyout. The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 800,000 federal employees, is saying "this offer should not be viewed as voluntary." The White House says it wants to reduce the cost of the federal workforce, but Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told CNN "Overwhelmingly the career federal service in this country is far-left, left-wing."

DC CRASH An American Airlines regional jet went down in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after colliding with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, Wednesday night, prompting a multi-agency search-and-rescue operation, according to officials. The Federal Aviation Administration said preliminary information indicates a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with the helicopter while on approach to the airport around 9 p.m. local time. The plane departed from Wichita, Kansas and was carrying 60 passengers and 4 crewmembers. Three Army soldiers were on the helicopter.

Mrs. Betty Grace Reynolds Caves, age 84, of the Cedar Crossing Community, died Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at her home following an extended illness. She was a native of Toombs County, lived there all of her life, and she attended Toombs Central School. She was a machine operator at Eros Manufacturing in Hazlehurst. She enjoyed sewing, thrifting, shopping, working with flowers in her yard, birds, Westerns, spending time with and baking and cooking for her family. She is preceded in death by her husband, J.T. Caves; grandson, Brent Sellers; parents, Elbert Reynolds and Lovie Grace Rollins Reynolds; sister, Ann Reynolds Dubberly; and three brothers, Billy Reynolds, Jimmy Reynolds, and “Stub” Reynolds.

Authorities in Laurens County are searching for anyone who may have known a man believed to be the victim of a fatal hit-and-run earlier this week.