Douglas County Sentinel

05/30/2026

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05/29/2026

A Douglas County grand jury indicted a Lithia Springs couple Wednesday on child cruelty charges after police said they kept all six of their children out of school and denied three of them food.

Stephanie Gamble Smiley, 44, and Suleiman Angova, 41, are each charged with five counts of cruelty to children, six counts of violation of mandatory education for children and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Smiley also is charged with possession of ma*****na. The couple was arrested Nov. 25. Both remain free on bond.

Investigators said three of the children — ages 9, 12 and 16 — were denied food and were so malnourished they had to be admitted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for treatment.

A Douglas County grand jury indicted a Lithia Springs couple Wednesday on child cruelty charges after police said they kept all six of their children out of school and denied

05/29/2026

An early morning fire Friday damaged 17 apartment units at the Wesley Trevento Apartments on Skyview Drive in Lithia Springs.
Representatives from the American Red Cross assisted 34 people with water and other supplies. Several residents were displaced by the fire.
No injuries were reported, Douglas County Fire Chief Miles Allen said.

A fire early Friday morning damaged more than a dozen of units at a local luxury apartment complex.

05/29/2026

Thomas Cervantes just joined an elite club.

The recent Douglas County High School graduate has been named a Gates Millennium Scholar — one of only 750 in the country. More than 61,000 students applied for the honor.

“I almost can't believe it. It's one of those things so out there that you try not to attach yourself to it,” Cervantes said upon learning he had been awarded the scholarship. “So to see the ‘Congratulations’ in my inbox was such an amazing surprise — second only to the one on Ivy Day.”

The scholarship was established by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and covers tuition, room, board, travel and personal expenses. Cervantes plans to attend Brown University this fall.

Thomas Cervantes just joined an elite club.

05/28/2026

There was a brief private ceremony in Courtroom 2 at the courthouse to unveil the portrait of former Chief Superior Court Judge William H. "Beau" McClain.

As it has become customary with former Chief Superior Court Judge William ‘Beau’ McClain, he was going to get the last word in.

05/27/2026

Douglas County officials have approved $2.5 million in road resurfacing projects that will improve major roads across all four commission districts this year.
The commission accepted a bid of $2.5 million from Snellville contracting firm ER Snell to complete the work.
he county received a $1.7 million Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant from Georgia Department of Transportation The matching funds of $800,000 needed to meet the bid will come from the county’s 2022 special-purpose, local-option sales tax, according to Managing Director of Transportation Suleman Rana.
The list of roads set for resurfacing includes:

District 1

• Miller Street, from Bankhead Highway to South Sweetwater Road; and

• Skypine Court, Sky Crest Drive and Sunset Drive, all from Skyline Ridge Drive to their cul-de-sacs; and

• Skyline Ridge Drive, from Wisteria Lane to Sunset Ridge Drive.

District 2

• Cedar Terrance Road, from Lee Road to Mt. Vernon Road; and

• East County Line Road, from North County Line Road to Lee Road.

District 3

• Dorsett Shoals Road, from Coursey Lake Road to Chapel Hill Road;

• Queensdale Drive, from Kings Highway to Dorsett Shoals Road; and

• Hampton Mill Parkway, from Dorset Shoals Road to its cul-de-sac.

District 4

• Pool Road, from Ephesus Church Road to Post Road;

• Post Road, from Interstate 20 to U.S. Highway 78; and

• Liberty Road, from Cole Road to Ephesus Church Road.

Douglas County officials have approved $2.5 million in road resurfacing projects that will improve major roads across all four commission districts this year.

05/26/2026

When all the graduation ceremonies were completed Friday evening at Legacy Arena, the Douglas County Georgia Schools had awarded 2,260 diplomas to the senior class.

New Manchester Jaguars, which got the graduation season kicked off Wednesday evening, had the largest class with 535 seniors.

One of the biggest numbers for the Class of 2026 was the scholarship funds secured by the seniors.

This year’s class totaled $130.3 million in scholarships, which is believed to be the largest in county history. Douglas County High had the most with $75,056,219 million in scholarship funds.

Last year’s class had a combined total of $97.3 million in scholarships.

When all the graduation ceremonies were completed Friday evening at Legacy Arena, the Douglas County School System had awarded 2,260 diplomas to the senior class.

05/26/2026

Douglas County commissioners approved a $1.4 million roof restoration project for the county courthouse last week after defects were discovered during routine maintenance last year.

Commissioners selected Eskola Roofing and Waterproofing to complete the project after county officials discovered problems last July in portions of the nearly three-decade-old courthouse roof.

“We conducted a nuclear scan and found several weak areas around the rotunda and compromised areas on the lower level of the roof,” said Stephanie Morgan, director of building management. “We see visible damage inside the cupola area and in the interior ceiling, making this an essential project.”

County officials said the repairs are intended to address deterioration before more significant structural damage occurs.

Work on the roof is set to begin in July and is expected to take between eight and 12 weeks, according to Cameron Holbert of Tremco, whose product will be used in the restoration. The project carries a 20-year warranty.

Douglas County commissioners approved a $1.4 million roof restoration project for the county courthouse last week after defects were discovered during routine maintenance last year.

05/26/2026

A Loganville woman is behind bars after authorities said she forged multiple prescriptions for oxycodone and obtained the drug from two Douglas County pharmacies.

Jayla Murie Rosser, 25, of Loganville, was arrested Wednesday and charged with four counts each of first-degree forgery and obtaining drugs by fraud. She is being held without bond, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

A second woman, Kasha Cheyenne Knowles, 29, of Lithonia, faces the same charges in connection with the case after she was arrested last July. She was arraigned in January and is awaiting a hearing in August.

A Loganville woman is behind bars after authorities said she forged multiple prescriptions for oxycodone and obtained the drug from two Douglas County pharmacies.

05/23/2026

Douglasville Police Department say they have arrested two alleged members of the Vagos Motorcycle Club, which law enforcement describes as a motorcycle gang, after a fight at a local sports bar last month.

Jeffrey Keith Freeman, 43, of Douglasville, and Jorge Luis Delgado Perez, 38, are each charged with affray, disorderly conduct and two counts of participating in criminal gang activity. Both were arrested Wednesday and made their first court appearances Thursday.

Freeman remains in custody without bond, while Delgado Perez is free on a $10,000 bond.

Police said the two men are among a group of Vagos members accused of assaulting a man at Topps Bar and Grill on Douglas Boulevard on April 4. Police confiscated three Harley-Davidson motorcycles, numerous assault rifles, gang clothing and motorcycle accessories, but did not say where the items were seized.

More arrests are expected in the case, according to Douglasville police Chief Gary Sparks.

Douglasville police say they have arrested two alleged members of the Vagos Motorcycle Club, which law enforcement describes as a motorcycle gang, after a fight at a local sports bar

05/21/2026

An Alexander High School teacher already accused of having s*x with a student now faces additional charges alleging she had s*x with another student and sent s*xually explicit videos of herself to other students.

Maris Devers Nichols, 25, was charged Thursday with four counts of grooming a minor for a s*xual offense, four counts of s*xual assault by a person with supervisory or disciplinary authority, two counts of child molestation and one count of tampering with evidence.

She was taken into custody Thursday morning and granted a $74,000 bond. Nichols remained in the Douglas County jail early Thursday afternoon.

According to the arrest warrants, Nichols had s*x with a student in the back seat of his truck while at the St. Andrews Golf Club on the afternoon of May 3. She also is accused of sending n**e photos and videos of herself on different occasions to four students, all of whom were minors, the warrants show.

An Alexander High School teacher already accused of having s*x with a student now faces additional charges alleging she had s*x with another student and sent s*xually explicit videos of