The Press-Sentinel

UPDATE: Malachi Austin has been found safe.
Thank you for sharing.

Missing Person Reported
If you have any information about their location, please contact the Jesup Police Department at 912.427.1300

Please go to the Jesup Police Department's original post and share to help in their effort.

UPDATE: Malachi Austin has been found safe.

Please join us this evening to share your ideas for the county!

🚨ATTENTION WC🚨
PLEASE ATTEND THE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION.
Wayne County is currently participating in University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute's PROPEL program. PROPEL (Planning Rural Opportunities for Prosperity and Economic Leadership) is a nationally recognized program that leads rural communities through a multi-step process focusing on economic development to assist communities like us with resources to support community development strategies.

On Thursday, June 18 at Cracker Williams Recreation Center, we invite you to a community listening session to share ideas, discuss priorites and help shape a long term vision for WC's future! Participants will then be asked a series of questions about Wayne County’s strengths, challenges, opportunities, and priorities for the future and a QR code-based polling platform that will allow citizens to submit responses anonymously using their phones.

All feedback collected through the polling platform will be compiled and used to help inform the community vision and PROPEL strategic priorities.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND.

The Press-Sentinel brought home seven awards, including first place in “best magazine product,” from the awards banquet at the Georgia Press Association’s annual convention on Jekyll Island last week. Competing against many of the largest weekly newspapers in the state, The P-S had last year’s issue of Wayne County Living honored as the best overall magazine in its judging division. The magazine also placed second in “best magazine themed issue.”

News editor Drew Davis placed second in serious-column writing, and the newspaper as a whole placed second in lifestyle coverage. In addition, the newspaper placed third in layout and design, editorial page, and editorial writing. “Even facing such tough competition, The Press-Sentinel’s staff, through its diligence and skill, has won several awards in a variety of areas,” publisher Eric Denty said. “I’m proud of our team and what it does for the community.” Denty added, “The honors accorded to last year’s Wayne County Living magazine make me even more excited to see the effort being put into this year’s special ‘America’s 250th’ issue, which will be released next month.”

This week’s edition of The Press-Sentinel is hitting the streets. Please pick up a copy or go to www.thepress-sentinel.com.

REMINDER! COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION TOMORROW.
RESPONSES WILL BE ANONYMOUS. Have your voices heard and help the WC PROPEL program decide on upcoming projects for growth!

🚨ATTENTION WC🚨
PLEASE ATTEND THE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION.
Wayne County is currently participating in University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute's PROPEL program. PROPEL (Planning Rural Opportunities for Prosperity and Economic Leadership) is a nationally recognized program that leads rural communities through a multi-step process focusing on economic development to assist communities like us with resources to support community development strategies.

On Thursday, June 18 at Cracker Williams Recreation Center, we invite you to a community listening session to share ideas, discuss priorites and help shape a long term vision for WC's future! Participants will then be asked a series of questions about Wayne County’s strengths, challenges, opportunities, and priorities for the future and a QR code-based polling platform that will allow citizens to submit responses anonymously using their phones.

All feedback collected through the polling platform will be compiled and used to help inform the community vision and PROPEL strategic priorities.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND.

🗳️ Sikes, Thornton win in local races

Dallas Sikes and Michael Thornton are winners in District 2 runoffs for Wayne County’s Board of Education and Board of Commissioners, respectively.
Sikes outpolled Jacob Weaver 463-401 in Tuesday’s nonpartisan runoff for Wayne’s 2nd District school board seat.
Sikes will succeed incumbent Bruce Harris in January.
Thornton defeated Melvin Boyette 515-274 for the Republican nomination for 2nd District county commissioner.
Because there is no Democratic nominee, Thornton is the de facto county commissioner-elect, slated to succeed incumbent Kevin McCrary next year.
The District 2 races were the only local races in Georgia’s General Primary and Nonpartisan Election Runoff Tuesday.
Wayne voters also cast ballots, though, in five other Republican runoffs, including those for nominees for governor and U.S. senator, and six other Democratic runoffs, including the race for nominee for Georgia’s 1st Congressional District.
The countywide voter turnout was 16.1 percent (3,151 votes out of 19,533 registered voters). The total number of votes included 1,706 election-day votes, 1,359 early in-person votes and 86 mail-in (absentee) ballots.
The turnout in the District 2 school board race was 21.4 percent (875 out of 4,081). The turnout in the District 2 county commissioner race—which was limited to Republican Primary voters—was 19.6 percent (802 out of 4,081).
(For comprehensive runoff results, see this week’s print edition of The Press-Sentinel.)

🔗 Read the story online at: https://www.thepress-sentinel.com/local/sikes-thornton-win-local-races

Sikes, Thornton
win in local races

STAFF REPORT

Dallas Sikes and Michael Thornton are winners in District 2 runoffs for Wayne County’s Board of Education and Board of Commissioners, respectively.
Sikes outpolled Jacob Weaver 463-401 in Tuesday’s nonpartisan runoff for Wayne’s 2nd District school board seat.
Sikes will succeed incumbent Bruce Harris in January.
Thornton defeated Melvin Boyette 515-274 for the Republican nomination for 2nd District county commissioner.
Because there is no Democratic nominee, Thornton is the de facto county commissioner-elect, slated to succeed incumbent Kevin McCrary next year.
The District 2 races were the only local races in Georgia’s General Primary and Nonpartisan Election Runoff Tuesday.
Wayne voters also cast ballots, though, in five other Republican runoffs, including those for nominees for governor and U.S. senator, and six other Democratic runoffs, including the race for nominee for Georgia’s 1st Congressional District.
The countywide voter turnout was 16.1 percent (3,151 votes out of 19,533 registered voters). The total number of votes included 1,706 election-day votes, 1,359 early in-person votes and 86 mail-in (absentee) ballots.
The turnout in the District 2 school board race was 21.4 percent (875 out of 4,081). The turnout in the District 2 county commissioner race—which was limited to Republican Primary voters—was 19.6 percent (802 out of 4,081).
(For comprehensive runoff results, see this week’s print edition of The Press-Sentinel.)

New look. Easier access. Free special content.
The E-Edition section of our website has had a bit of a makeover with a cleaner, more streamlined design that makes it easier than ever to sign in and find what you’re looking for.
📬 The E-Edition drops every Wednesday straight to our subscribers email —
but don’t stop there!
👉 Visit our website today to check out the new look, stay on top of breaking news, and browse our free special sections.
👉 Click the link, explore, and tell us what you think!
🔗 https://publisher1.etype.services/The-Press-Sentinel

In the 2026 edition of Wayne County Living magazine, you'll see someone you know.
A friend, some family, a neighbor, maybe a local hero.. someone you look up to. You might even see yourself.

But even if your face isn't on these pages, you're still part of this magazine. Every business, every event, every story, every connection has been made by the people who make our community what it is. That's you!

Who will you discover in the 2026 edition? Find out July 30th.

❗Braden Daniels recovering from brain surgery after playground accident here

Braden Daniels, an 11-year-old Jesup boy, recently had brain surgery for an injury sustained in April, and his family is struggling with the effects on their son.

The emotional and financial strain on the family has been very difficult, the parents said.

His mother, Hayden Brooke Daniels, said she has not been able to return to work since Braden’s surgery, as he requires a great deal of care and is in a lot of pain.

She has three other children as well, all younger than Braden, so her days are full.

“It’s just been a lot,” Hayden said. “We’re trying to do the best we can at home.”

In addition, Braden’s father, Jordan Daniels, is suffering from a back injury sustained in March and is unable to work.

Jordan said the strain of it all has been hard on the family, and he said they appreciate all the support from the community. He said he is currently trying to get over his back injury, though he also may need to have surgery.

Hayden said that they don’t have family in the county, and though their friends and church family have been supportive, things have been hard.

She set up a GoFundMe account to help with the medical expenses, and she said they appreciate anyone who can donate.

The fund account, which explains the incident, is online at 🔗 https://www.gofundme.com/f/daniels-family-medical-fund-wcqbv

An additional problem for the family has been that, because of an issue between the insurance company and the hospital, the pharmacy would not fill the prescription for his pain medication, so they are relying on Tylenol and ibuprofen, which don’t do much for his pain, Hayden said.

Playground accident

Braden was injured in early April when the chain broke on a swing at Cracker Williams Park, sending him some 20 feet and leaving him unconscious, Hayden explained. He was immediately transported to the hospital, and CT scans showed damage to his brain.

The incident was reported in a Jesup Police Department report on April 7, which said that Wayne Memorial Hospital had reported that a child had been injured by a fall from a swing.

Jesup City Manager Nick Ellis said Thursday that there is no statement on the incident from the city at this time.

On the GoFundMe, Hayden said, “We need our village during this time. Please keep us in your prayers, and if you are able, your support—whether through donations, sharing our story, or words of encouragement—would mean the world to us.”

🔗 Read this story at: https://www.thepress-sentinel.com/local/braden-daniels-recovering-brain-surgery-after-playground-accident-here