The annual juried exhibition, one of the region's largest showcases of visual art, features approximately 46 artists and nearly 90 works spanning painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography and mixed media.
The proposed FY 2027 budget projects General Fund revenues of approximately $178.7 million, down from an estimated $186.2 million in FY 2026, a decrease of about 4%. Expenditures are projected at $181.8 million, resulting in a planned use of approximately $3.1 million from fund balance.
As Lee County grapples with questions of trust, leadership and the future of public education, the life of Dr. Robert Clay offers a reminder of the community values that helped build one of Georgia's most respected school systems.
From the street, strands of purple ribbon wind around the white columns of the historic theater, hinting at the story waiting beyond its doors. Inside the foyer, a carefully curated slideshow flickers across a large screen, cycling through the faces of the cast. Some are seasoned performers. Others are stepping onto a stage for the very first time. Teachers stand alongside former students. Parents perform beside their children. People who worship in different churches, work different jobs and come from different corners of Southwest Georgia gather beneath the same lights to tell the same story.
For months, Marchbanks said she had been asking God for an opportunity to serve others. "I just kept praying, 'God, use me as a servant,'" she recalled. "I didn't care what it was. I just wanted to be used to help people."
That argument surfaced repeatedly during a recent meeting of the Lee County Board of Tax Assessors, where officials, citizens and school system representatives discussed the coding error that contributed to incorrect rollback calculations and higher-than-expected tax collections.
Now in its 26th year, the exhibition features work by artists from across Southwest Georgia and offers residents an opportunity to engage directly with the area's creative community.
The tentative budget proposes approximately $258.4 million in anticipated revenues and $283.9 million in expenditures across all funds. While the budget continues to utilize fund balances in some areas, district officials say the proposal reflects routine financial planning and ongoing efforts to improve operational efficiency rather than broad spending cuts.
According to documents obtained through an open records request, the DDA was erroneously billed on at least two occasions in 2025 — once for $2,715.18 and another time for $1,778.80. Both charges were later reversed back to the account without a formal public explanation. Interim City Manager Roxie Powell said she was not serving in the role when the billing problems occurred and was unaware of any documented meter-reading errors during that time.
According to unofficial election results, challenger George Parrish Houston led the three-candidate field with 534 votes, or 42%, followed by incumbent Donna Ford with 478 votes, or 37.6%. Candidate Lavendra Shootes received 261 votes, or 20.5%.
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