Friday, October 10, 2025

Tifton, Georgia

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SOCIAL MEDIA THREAT RESULTS IN TIFT 12-YR-OLD FACING CHARGES

Coming a day after unfounded "vague threats" on social media involving Tift County High School, a threat was made on social media directed toward Annie Belle Clark Elementary School. Hours later, a 12-year-old Tift County student was taken into custody and charged with a felony, Tifton Police said.

Authorities had said unfounded possible threats involving Tift County High surfaced Monday following a fatal shooting Sunday of a 16-year-old. In that incident, another teen was shot multiple times and hospitalized. Police and the school system conducted an extensive investigation, and any threat against TCHS was unfounded.

Then, on Tuesday night, "a threat was received via social media regarding Annie Belle Clark Elementary School," said Tift Schools spokesman Dana R. Spurlin. School "system security personnel immediately notified local law enforcement," she said.

The Tifton Police Department said it immediately initiated an investigation, "and in collaboration with the Tift County Board of Education, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, worked throughout Tuesday night to identify the source of the threat."

Law enforcement tracked the social media threat to a 12-year-old. The juvenile was taken into custody Wednesday morning and charged with terroristic threats and acts – a felony, Tifton Police said.

"The success of this investigation is the result of the immediate response and coordination by local, state, and federal law enforcement and the Tift County School System’s security officers," said Tifton Police.

Tift County Schools said it takes every threat seriously, and they are immediately investigated in partnership with law enforcement.

"We urge parents and guardians to take this opportunity to speak with their children about appropriate and inappropriate ways to express their feelings, the seriousness of making threats, and the potential consequences of their statements. Additionally, we urge parents to limit and/or monitor student’s usage of social media, which is often a common denominator in such situations," Spurlin said.

Demonstrations and education are part of North America's Premier Farm Show.

SUNBELT AG EXPO BLOSSOMS AGAIN NEXT WEEK

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

The Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition returns Tuesday through Thursday next week with its 47th anniversary show at Spence Field in Moultrie, bringing more than 700 exhibitors on the 100-acre exhibition site. 

Known as North America’s Premier Farm Show and the U.S.'s largest one with field demonstrations, the Sunbelt Ag Expo brings together all segments of agribusiness, including farmers, educators, policy-makers, ag-enthusiasts, and interested families.

The Expo attracts visitors from throughout the Southeast and routinely fills Tifton's hotels and restaurants during the week.

“The Sunbelt Expo is an unbelievable showcase of rural living blanketed with agriculture’s newest ideas and technologies. It's three days of fun, education, and dreaming about agriculture’s future as we team together to feed, clothe, and house a growing population around the world,” said Chip Blalock, Expo director.

The agriculture industry's latest innovation and technology will be on display along with more than 300 seminars and demonstrations in exhibit areas for beef, dairy, poultry, forestry, pond management, equine, and cattle management.

The Backyard Garden area focuses on topics for gardeners with information on gardening tips, tools, healthy recipes, and more will be offered in the Georgia Metals Pavilion and in the demonstration garden. Other demonstration areas include an aquaponics display, the Georgia Peanut Commission building, and the Georgia Grown Marketplace within the Family Living Building with chefs demonstrating recipes.

Georgia is this year's "Spotlight State" and will be the focus in a building dedicated to Georgia agriculture. Various colleges and universities across the Southeast will be in buildings promoting some of their research and activities.

Also popular is the Expo's 530-acre research farm offering field demonstrations showcasing harvesting and tillage equipment for multiple crops in a farm setting. Family favorites also include the daily Antique Tractor Parade, Cow Milking Contest, and truck, tractor, and ATV test drives.

During the show, the Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year will be named from among seven state winners. Representing Georgia in the competition is Georgia's Farmer of the Year Kent Hamilton, CEO of Southern Valley Fruit and Vegetable in Norman Park.

The Sunbelt Ag Expo will be 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, and from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday. Admission at the gate is $15 per person.

Discount tickets are available online at sunbeltexpo.com.

TIFT REGIONAL'S INTERNAL MEDICINE RESIDENCY PROGRAM EARNS ACCREDITATION

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Tift Regional Health System’s (TRHS) residency training program for internal medicine physicians has received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

A part of TRHS’s graduate medical education, the Internal Medicine Residency Program will launch in June.  

“Our team really worked hard to earn this accreditation,” said Dr. Kimberly Megow, Southwell chief quality and academic affairs officer. “This accreditation gives us a green light to launch our internal medicine residency program. It will enhance quality of care and help strengthen physician recruitment, retention, and patient coverage.”

Residents will train at Southwell’s facilities – Tift Regional Medical Center in Tifton, Southwell Medical in Adel, and Southwell’s various clinics and outpatient centers throughout the region.

“This residency program is a full-time, supervised clinical training program designed to develop the skills and experience internal medicine physicians need to practice medicine independently,” said Dr. Cameron Nixon, program director. “The program will also increase the availability of primary care in our community and expand access.”

The Internal Medicine Residency Program participates in “The Match” with the National Resident Matching Program and is now registered with the Electronic Resident Application Service (ERAS). The program will accept applications in ERAS for eight available positions until Jan. 12.

“We are proud to start this new chapter for Tift Regional Health System and Southwell,” Megow said. “The presence of residents will enhance our system’s reputation, expand capacity, and create a dynamic learning environment for both residents and attending physicians.”

Megow said the graduate medical education program is also developing a residency program for obstetrics/gynecology and expects to earn accreditation early next year.

FUNDRAISER TO HELP GET HOME FOR TIFTON VETERANS MUSEUM

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

A "Veterans Museum Movement" event to benefit the relocation of Tifton’s Veterans Museum is scheduled for 5-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at the American Legion Fairgrounds on U.S. Highway 82.

The fundraiser features a vintage car cruise-in, live music by the Danny Dawson Band of Pearson, food trucks, vendors, games, a silent auction, drawings, and more. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased at the gate. Children 12 and under are free. Proceeds go toward securing a home for Tifton’s Veterans Museum.

Event organizer Connie Stover, owner of the Savor the Flavor and Donatello’s in Tifton, encourages everyone to “help us preserve the history of our local heroes by attending and participating in the fun.

“This is not just another event; it’s a community movement,” she told Tifton City Council on Monday, seeking support. “I’m asking for your partnership, not just to spread the word, but to stand with our veterans as we work to give their stories a permanent home.”

The event will include children’s activities such as face painting, a monster truck, and a Lifeline helicopter arriving at 5:30 p.m. with photo opportunities. Children’s book authors Tammy and Gary Griffin of Jacksonville, Fla., will sign and sell first-edition sets of three books with a portion of the proceeds going to the cause. A 50/50 ticket drawing and other door prizes will take place. 

VIP tables for eight are available for donations of $150 and include a complimentary bottle of wine and a ticket in a drawing for the “Boozy Wagon,” valued at $1,500. The silent auction includes jewelry from Central Jewelers. 

The “Boozy Wagon” includes a bar set, three cases of beer, eight bottles of wine, Jack Daniels, Hennessey, and more. Stover said the event’s goal is to raise $25,000.

The Tifton Veterans Museum, which has been closed for nearly a year and a half, had been located at the Atlantic Coast Line Station building downtown in Tifton Gardens. Following the sale of the adjoining wooden railroad museum, where some of the Veterans Museum items were displayed, and the installation of a fire wall, there was no longer enough room for the 500-plus framed pictures and display cases of local veterans' memorabilia.

The museum's items are currently in a temporary storage unit.

Stover said that local veterans’ stories deserve to be preserved and honored in Tifton.

“The museum is more than just a building – it’s a living record of the courage, sacrifice, and service that define our community’s history," she said. “This project represents pride, remembrance, and unity. Together, we can ensure future generations understand the cost of freedom and the strength of those who served.”

LAST CHANCE TO VOTE IN DOWNTOWN SCARECROW CONTEST

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

Today by noon is the last chance to vote in the Downtown Tifton Scarecrows on Main Contest. The winners will be announced at noon Saturday at the Tifton Gardens stage following the Downtown Farmers Market.

Vote by “liking” the images posted on the Downtown Tifton Facebook page. 

"Rosie the Riveter" by the Tifton Junior Women’s Club was the frontrunner Thursday night with more than 400 likes. "Forky" by Coastal Plain CASA, depicting a character in the "Toy Story 4" sequel, was running a close second with 366. The potential third place vote-getter is "Kitty, the Crazy Cat Lady" by the TNR TIftarea Cats group with 285 likes.

The scarecrow contest features 18 entries and provides an opportunity for Tifton organizations and businesses to showcase their roles in the community. The scarecrows will remain in place through Nov. 1. 

“This is the fifth year of hosting this beloved community event,” said Main Street Manager Hillery Culpepper.

This year’s participants are: Aero Boutique, Called to Care of Tift and Turner County, Coastal Plain CASA, Discover Life Vacations, GFWC Tifton Woman's Club, Little Hippie Chick, Moore Clarke DuVall & Rodgers, Noah's Playgrounds Play Cafe, Professionals Plus Realty Group, Quality Employment Service, Smile Doctors Orthodontics, Southeastern Credit Union, Tift County Recreation Department, Tift Theatre for Performing Arts, Tifton Junior Woman's Club, Tifton Sweet Stop, TNR Tiftarea Cats, and Whimsy Works.

TIFTON ALZHEIMER'S FUNDRAISER WALK SET THIS WEEKEND

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

According to the 2025 Georgia Alzheimer’s Facts and Figures, the state has experienced a 241% increase in deaths from Alzheimer’s disease from 2000 to 2022, Mallory Thompson with the Alzheimer’s Association told the Tifton Rotary Club on Wednesday.

The number of people in Georgia aged 65 and older diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease is now 188,000. Thompson said the unpaid caregivers in Georgia affected by having loved ones with the disease now number 384,000. They provide 755 million hours of caregiving a year, which is valued at up to $13 billion. 

“We need to provide more support to these caregivers that are not getting paid for taking care of their loved ones,” Thompson said.

The cost of care to Georgia’s Medicaid for those with Alzheimer’s disease is estimated to be $1.7 billion in recent years. For all these reasons, the Alzheimer’s Association hosts walks all over Georgia and the nation, and the funds raised locally come back to the local area, Thompson said.

Tifton has already exceeded its $30,000 fundraising goal and stands at $34,186. Thompson challenges Tifton to continue to fundraise to match or beat last month’s Albany walk’s accomplishment of $35,159.

Donations may be made to support walkers whom donors know or in honor of loved ones affected by the disease. Registrations are still accepted for the walk, which begins with an opening ceremony at 4 p.m. Saturday in front of City Hall on First Street.

The walk is about a mile long around downtown streets, Thompson said. To register or, donate Click Here.

The Tifton Rotary Clubs meets at noon Wednesdays at the Tifton Hilton Garden Inn, hearing programs of value and interest to the community. Guests are welcome to attend and consider joining. Members volunteer quarterly at Peanut Butter & Jesus and Keep Tift Beautiful, among other service projects. The club is part of Rotary International, which champions peace, fights illiteracy and poverty, helps people get access to clean water and sanitation, and fights disease, especially working to free the world from polio.

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

Ellaryn Med Spa

1948 Old Ocilla Road, Tifton

Oct. 7

HAUNTED BY TRIVIA QUESTIONS?

JOIN LITERACY VOLUNTEERS' TRIVIA EVENT

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The 25th annual trivia fundraiser for the Literacy Volunteers of Tifton-Tift County, formerly the "Carnival of Knowledge," gets a spine-tingling twist this year as "A Haunted Night of Trivia."

Hosted by Literacy Volunteers and sponsored by The Howard Center, the trivia night event begins at 6 p.m. Oct. 30, in the conference center at Southern Regional Technical College's Tifton campus.

This year's event is the night before Halloween, so a costume contest is part of the festivities.

Trivia master David “Big Wave Dave” Holmes returns to conduct the competition, and teams of six players will compete against each other simultaneously throughout the event, answering trivia questions.

The team sponsorship fee is a donation of $200 to benefit Literacy Volunteers, enabling the nonprofit  to recruit and train tutors to work with individuals wanting to improve their reading, writing, math, and English-speaking abilities. 

Interested businesses, clubs, and individuals may contact Literacy Volunteers at tiftlv@gmail.com, said Bonnie Sayles, president of the Literacy Volunteers board. 

First-, second-, and third-place teams will receive prizes, including hotel and restaurant coupons, and tickets to Wild Adventures.  

Register online here, placing the business or organization name and contact email in the notes.

Fees may also be mailed to Literacy Volunteers, 52 Tech Drive, Tifton, GA 31794.

YOUR GUIDE

TO ACTIVITIES

THIS WEEKEND

IN THE GREATER

TIFTAREA

Sunday, Oct. 12, is National Farmers Day. Farming is one of the oldest and most important jobs around. Farmers feed the world and produce agricultural commodities that clothe us and are used in items that are part of everyday life. Agriculture is Georgia's No. 1 industry with an economic impact of more than $74 billion annually. Georgia is a leading producer of broilers (chickens for meat) and chicken eggs, is the top producer of peanuts, and is a national leader in pecans, peaches, blueberries, and cotton production. According to the most recent USDA agricultural census, there are 39,264 farms in Georgia with 67,082 farmers in the state. 

Born on Oct. 10: Helen Hayes, actress, 1900–1993; James Clavell, novelist, 1921–1994; John Prine, folk singer, 1946–2020; Charles Dance, actor, 1946- ; Ben Vereen, entertainer, 1946- ; Nora Roberts, novelist, 1950- ; David Lee Roth, rock singer, 1954- ; Tanya Tucker, country singer, 1958- ; Brett Favre, pro football Hall of Fame quarterback, 1969-; Mario Lopez, actor/TV host, 1973- ; Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR driver, 1974- .

FRIDAY, OCT. 10

• Homeschool Hangout, 11 a.m., Tifton-Tift County Public Library, Tifton

• Halloween Trivia, costumes welcome, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Tifton-Tift County Public Library, Tifton

• Back Porch Sessions, live local entertainment in the courtyard hosted by Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Arts Council, 7-9 p.m., Carnegie Center, Fitzgerald

• Tift County High Blue Devils football @ Colquitt County High Packers, 7:30 p.m., Moultrie

• Tiftarea Academy Panthers football @ Deerfield-Windsor Knights, 7:30 p.m., Albany

• Turner County High Titans football @ Lanier County High Bulldogs, 7:30 p.m., Lakeland

• Fitzgerald High Purple Hurricane football @ Thomasvile High Bulldogs, 7:30 pm., Thomasville

• Berrien County High Rebels football vs. Worth County High Rams, 7:30 p.m., Nashville

• Cook County High Hornets football @ Tattnall County High Warriors, 7:30 p.m., Reidsville

• Irwin County High Indians football @ Charlton County High Indians, 7:30 p.m., Folkston

SATURDAY, OCT. 11

• Downtown Tifton Second Saturday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Downtown Tifton

• Tifton Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-Noon, Tifton Gardens, Downtown Tifton

• Tifton Walk to End Alzheimer’s, 4 p.m., First Street, Downtown Tifton

• Sparks National Night Out, hosted by Sparks Fire Department: bounce house, cornhole games, face painting, music, food trucks; 6 p.m., 114 E. Colquitt Street., Sparks

• Intuitive Watercolor Painting , 6-8 p.m., Syd Blackmarr Arts Center, Love Avenue, Tifton

• "If it Ain't Country or Gospel, It Ain't Music," live concert with the Brown Brothers, Mary McDonald, Carl & Joan Headley, Larry Darnell, Three 4 One, Jarred McConnell, and more; 6-10 p.m., Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Downtown Tifton

• Flintlock Annie, free community concert, 6:30-9 p.m., First Street, Downtown Tifton

• The Swingin' Medallions in concert hosted by Wiregrass Foundation North to benefit Wiregrass Georgia Technical College students, 7 p.m., The Pillars, Fitzgerald

SUNDAY, OCT. 12

• Kraken Pro Wrestling, 4 p.m., Chino & Letty's Place, 102 W. Third St., Tifton

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TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S DOG OF THE WEEK

"Special" is something extraordinary. She is the kind of dog who makes you smile the moment you see her and has a heart that overflows with sweetness. "Special" is waiting for her special family who will fill their home with love. Visit her and see other pets available for adoption between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at the Tift County Animal Shelter on Highway 125 South, or call 229-382-PETS (7387).

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AREA WOMEN'S CLUBS JOIN TO AID RUTH'S COTTAGE

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Members of three local women's clubs joined forces to present their combined collections of merchandise and funds valued at more than $3,000 to Ruth's Cottage (RC) domestic violence shelter last week. 

The GFWC Tifton Woman’s Club (TWC), the GFWC Tifton Junior Woman's Club (TJWC), and the GFWC Sylvester Woman's Club (SWC) joined General Federation of Women Clubs (GFWC) across the nation in a National Day of Service on Sept. 27 to aid local programs combatting domestic violence. 

Pictured from left are TWC member Genie McCook, Ruth’s Cottage Executive Director Nancy Bryan, TWC member and RC staff Kathy Kerst, RC volunteer Jewel Robinson, TWC member Shirene Daniell, RC Child Advocate Courtney Crosby, SWC President Kristi Jordan, TWC members Jamie Stewart and Gail Merlin, Tifton Junior Woman’s Club President Betty Wimberly, TJWC member Becky Smith, and Tifton Woman’s Club President Debbie Thompson.

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