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Avery and Summer Ryals are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Miss Eve Lauren Pearl Ryals. Eve was born on Sept. 16, 2011 in the Meadows Regional Medical Center in Vidalia. Dr. Leaver-Williams was the attending physician. She weighed eight pounds, five ounces and was 20 inches long at birth. [Full Story »] 

Bridgett Michelle Carter and Timothy Simpson, Jr., of Baxley proudly announce the birth of their son, Timothy JaQuan Simpson.  [Full Story »] 

Emily Ramirez and Jose Refugio Ramirez of Baxley proudly announce the birth of their daughter, Camilla Ramirez. [Full Story »] 

The family of Flora and Way Hutchinson would like to invite friends and family to join them as they celebrate their 67th wedding anniversary. [Full Story »] 

Follow the star to a place unexpected
Would you believe after all we’ve projected
A child in a manger
Lowly and small the weakest of all
Unlikeliest hero wrapped in His mother’s shawl
Just a child
Is this who we’ve waited for ‘cause [Full Story »] 

Christmas is coming. Before this newspaper arrives in your mailbox again, Christmas with all the trees, presents, lights, and mistletoe will have come and gone. The ham will have been eaten, along with Grandma’s macaroni and cheese, pumpkin and pecan pies, and the $30 fruitcake. Most family members will have departed to return to their regular lives. Only the memories will linger. [Full Story »] 

As I stated in a recent article, raising our two children has been a blast for my wife and I. We each worked but held to our promise for one of us to be with them whenever they were not in school and still in the ‘child’ mode. This was a huge promise but we did manage it somehow. [Full Story »] 

In January 2010, the luxury liner Holland America Westerdam sailed from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale and set her course for the Blue Caribbean. B. J. and I were aboard. It was our Golden Anniversary cruise that we had promised ourselves. Our ports of call would be Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, Grand Turk in the Caicos Islands, through the Windward Passage to Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands and Cozumel, Mexico. We were elated!

The captain had promised us smooth sailing but it was a little choppy and would get worse for a while. I feared that B. J. would be seasick and my fears would be realized along the way. In fact, I would get a little green around the gills myself—something I almost never do on a cruise. [Full Story »] 

Patricia Dianne Ansley, 64, died Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011 at Appling Healthcare System. Patricia Dianne was a native of Lowndes County and had lived most of her life in Appling County. She was a member of Woodlawn Baptist Church and the Naomi Sunday-School Class. Mrs. Ansley was preceded in death by a son, Mark Allen Ansley, her father, Bill Dell and sister, Carolyn Sharpe. [Full Story »] 

W. L. “Dub” Beecher, 81, died Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011 at his residence. Mr. Beecher was born July 24, 1930 in Appling County to the late Alfred Algerine Beecher and the late Dinah Carter Beecher. He was a member of Midway Baptist Church where he served as a deacon. Dub was a retired wood producer. He was preceded in death by three brothers, Kessler, Hubert and Cappy Beecher and a step-mother, Laura Mae Beecher. [Full Story »] 

Wade Googe, 80, died Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011 at his residence in Rock Hill, S.C. He was born on Feb. 2, 1931 in Appling County and had resided in South Carolina since 1988. Mr. Googe was a self-employed construction worker before retirement. He was a veteran of the United States Air Force where he served in the Korean War. Wade was the son of the late John W. Googe and the late Lucille Overstreet Googe. He was preceded in death by two brothers, James and Donald Googe. [Full Story »] 

Christine Miles Mock, 75, of Brunswick, died Friday, Dec. 9, 2011 in Brunswick Memorial Hospital. Christine was born in Appling County on Sept. 23, 1936 and had resided in Baxley until moving to Brunswick. She was a homemaker and had taught school. She was the daughter of the late Lee Miles and the late Mammie Perdue Miles. Ms. Mock was preceded in death by her husband, Earlon Mock and a son, Harry Mock. [Full Story »] 

Shown left is Jamie Gardner presenting a check for $500.00 to Karen P. Griffin (and her husband Cecil Griffin). The Griffins won The News-Banner’s annual Christmas drawing for $500.00 for annual subscribers. [Full Story »] 

The Baxley News-Banner will close for Christmas on Thursday, Dec. 22 at 12:00 p.m. and Friday, Dec. 23. The office will reopen Monday, Dec. 26 at 8:30 a.m. for normal business hours. The deadline for the Dec. 28 issue will be Monday, Dec. 26 at 12:00 p.m. [Full Story »]