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Another sentence for spree
Second of four teens charged with vandalism pleads guilty
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James Jernigan, 20, pleaded guilty Monday to charges relating to a vandalizing spree in Black Creek and Pembroke last September and was ordered to pay restitution and serve probation.

He received the same exact verdict as Melanie Combs, 19. Combs was sentenced May 31.

Jernigan, like Combs before him, was sentenced by to pay $6,130 and serve five years of probation.

She pleaded guilty on May 31 to vandalizing Hendrix Park, Bryan County High School, the Black Creek Golf Course and a private residence Sept. 8-10, court records show.

Two others, both minors at the time, have been charged in the incident.

Information wasn’t released on the alleged roles of 17-year-old Tam Duc Le and a 16-year-old boy in the incident.

Le was a juvenile at the time of the alleged crime and is reportedly recovering from severe injuries sustained in an April car wreck that killed Pembroke teens Laura Cobb and Melissa and Heather Arthur. It is unclear when he may appear in court.

BCSD Detective David Ellis arrested the four a week after the incident. The charges consist of two counts of interference with government property and two counts of criminal damage to property.

The weekend prior to their arrest, the four allegedly spray-painted walls and vending machines at Bryan County High School. Also, a private residence in Ellabell was hit in which the walls were spray-painted and light fixtures were busted. At Hendrix Park, they allegedly spray-painted profanities on the pavement, walls, tennis courts and elsewhere and destroyed several toilets. Signs also were vandalized.

Property at Black Creek Golf Course was also damaged during the spree.

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Pembroke Mayor's Youth Council earns grant from Georgia nonprofit
pembroke mayor youth councilmembers
Erianna Morgan (left) and Madelyn Walraven, two members of the Pembroke Mayor's Youth Council, presenting  to the City Council Monday night for approval to use Pickett Park. (Photo provided)
GeorgiaForward has announced that the 2025 Youth Placemaking Grant has been presented to the City of Pembroke Mayor’s Youth Council. The $500 grant, awarded to the city, will support a youth-led public placemaking project designed to foster creativity, community connection, and civic pride among young residents.
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