The following accounts were taken from reports from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. Additional reports are available at www.columbiacountyso.org:

Nine cited for drinking party

Eight people were cited for underage drinking during a weekend party, and a Martinez man is charged with furnishing the home and alcohol for the event.

Twitter @ColumbiaCounty

Within a few days after giving birth to nine mixed- breed puppies, Marley was struck and killed by a car.

That’s when owner Beverly Birdsong, of Appling, decided to become the pups’ “mother.”

“I took the puppies to Dr. John Ruehle, a Thomson veterinarian, who weighed each of them and gave me a milk recipe,” said Birdsong, a registered nurse who works at Doctors Hospital. “I went online and found goat’s milk to be perfect, with eggs and Karo Syrup. I used a regular baby bottle and fed them one at a time.”

Twitter @ColumbiaCounty

Donna Clay received an early Christmas present when she was notified just before the holiday that she’d been named Columbia County’s Employee of the Year.

Clay, who serves as assistant office supervisor of the Columbia County Water Utility, received the award during the Jan. 3 County Commission meeting, along with a plaque, a paid day off, a check for $250 before taxes and an umbrella.

“It was nice,” she said.

Twitter @ValerieRowell

A former Columbia County commissioner convicted last month of molesting his adopted daughter will likely be sentenced Jan. 27.

A jury found Scott Dean, 42, guilty of two counts of child molestation on Dec. 16. After the verdict was announced, his attorney requested that Dean be sentenced at a later time.

Dean faces 5 to 20 years for each count, Assistant District Attorney Parks White said.