150 mph Chase in Ocilla

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Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Tifton, Georgia

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OCILLA CHASE REACHES 150 mph

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Authorities arrested a suspected drug dealer following a chase reaching speeds of 150 mph Friday afternoon through Ocilla.

Multiple agencies were involved in the pursuit that ended after law enforcement initiated a precision immobilization technique known as a "PIT maneuver," forcing the vehicle to turn sideways abruptly and causing it to spin out on North Irwin Avenue.

Mantarbi Dix, 45, of Ocilla, then fled the vehicle and ran into some nearby woods but was apprehended within minutes, authorities said. The South Central Drug Task Force said 27 grams of ecstasy was confiscated in the vehicle. Dix faces drug and traffic-related charges.

According to the Georgia State Patrol (GSP), incident began at approximately 2:30 p.m. Friday when troopers attempted to stop a driver for speeding. The driver, however, led authorities on a high-speed chase.

“This was a dangerous situation, but thanks to the coordinated effort of our law enforcement partners, we were able to bring it to a safe and successful conclusion,” said the South Central Drug Task Force.

Along with the GSP and the Drug Task Force, agencies involved included the Irwin County Sheriff’s Office, Ocilla Police Department, and the Ga. Department of Agriculture Investigative Division.

Photo by Blane Marable

Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame inductees David Bridges, left, of Tifton, and Ralph Evans, at right, of Douglas, pose with Nick Place, center, dean of UGA's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

DAVID BRIDGES NAMED TO GEORGIA AG HALL OF FAME

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Dr. David Bridges, a former assistant dean at the UGA Tifton campus and former president of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, was recently inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame.

The induction was made during the 69th University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) Alumni Association Awards and Agricultural Hall of Fame ceremony in Athens.

Also inducted was Ralph Evans of Coffee County, owner of R.W. Griffin Feed, Seed and Fertilizer, a company founded by his grandfather in 1922.

The Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame honors individuals making extraordinary contributions to agriculture and agribusiness industries in the state.

Bridges currently leads Georgia’s Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation, an organization created by legislation he helped craft in 2018. A Terrell County native, Bridges has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Georgia Department of Agriculture, and the Georgia Peanut Commission, which awarded him a Distinguished Service Award.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed Bridges to the Agriculture Board of the President’s Council on Sustainable Development.

As the assistant dean for CAES on the UGA Tifton campus, Bridges was instrumental in establishing undergraduate degrees and increasing the number of graduate students in Tifton. As president of ABAC, he transformed the institution from a two-year to a four-year college, and enrollment in agricultural programs tripled to more than 1,500 students.

The other Hall of Fame inductee, Ralph Evans, has played a significant role in advancing agriculture in Georgia through his leadership at R.W. Griffin Feed, Seed and Fertilizer.

Not long after graduating from East Tennessee State University, Evans joined the board of the crop protection cooperative buying group Chem Nut Inc., later joining its executive board. During his tenure, Chem Nut has expanded to 40 states and more than 400 independent agricultural retailers.

Evans took a lead role in organizing Premium Peanut and serves on its board of directors. Premium Peanut has grown to 480 producer members, accounting for approximately 10% of the U.S. peanut crop, making Premium Peanut one of the largest shellers in the country.

Since taking over his family business in 1977, Evans expanded it from a single location with 25 employees to a conglomerate of 42 companies with more than 500 employees. The growth includes 21 agricultural retail stores, seven wholesale fertilizer terminals, two cotton gins, and four peanut buying points, making it one of the largest privately owned diversified agribusinesses in the Southeast.

FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL FOCUSES ON HERITAGE

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

ABAC’s Georgia Museum of Agriculture celebrates the rural heritage and culture of South Georgia during the annual Folklife Festival on Saturday.

The Folklife Festival, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., features interactive activities for children and adults, including mule plowing, fiber arts, cornbread samples, tatting, and sawmill demonstrations.

One of the highlights is the ceremonial firing of the turpentine still at 11 a.m. for the Historic Village’s annual turpentine distillation. The demonstration allows visitors a close view of this age-old process that is central to South Georgia’s cultural heritage.

The museum’s Vulcan steam engine will offer train rides through the Historic Village, and the “Past to Present” historical dance will feature interactive dance programs at the Gibbs House.

Antique tractors will be on display on the cotton gin lawn, with an antique tractors parade throughout the Historic Village at noon and 2 p.m.

The Destination Ag “Busy Barnyard” will be open during the event. Visitors can try their hand at milking Buttercup, the fiberglass milking exhibit, or visit with Truffles and Gerty, Destination Ag’s dwarf Nigerian goats.

There will also be face-painting for children, as well as local artist Jennifer Buckley McCall providing “plein air” painting demonstrations. Two interactive murals featuring historic village scenes will also be available on the gallery porch for guests to try their hand at painting.

The American Legacy Quilt show will be taking place in the museum’s Cordell Conference Center from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. There will also be a baskets raffle for a chance to win a handmade quilt.

Admission is $12 for adults, $9 for seniors, $9 for children 4-15 years old, and free for children age 3 and under.

EXCHANGE CLUB SEEKS 'GOLDEN DEEDS' NOMINEES

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The Exchange Club of Tifton is seeking nominees for the 72nd annual awarding of the Book of Golden Deeds. The project is the longest running project of the local Exchange Club.

The Golden Deeds Award recognizes community volunteers who give endless hours of their time and talents toward making their communities better places to live.

“This is quite a big honor for a Tiftonite,” said Levetta Jefferson, club president. “They will join an elite group of individuals that have helped to make Tifton what it is today.”

In order to nominate someone for the award, a letter(s) by friends, family, or coworkers is needed. It’s best when the letter is from an individual, instead of a group. The letter should include information about how the nominated individual is helping people and programs in the community with an exceptional track record of continued, unselfish giving.

Multiple letters nominating a person is suggested.

Deadline for nominations is April 18 and should be mailed to: Exchange Club of Tifton, P. O. Box 1621, Tifton, GA 31793, or emailed to spearmanagency@friendlycity.net with the subject "Exchange Club Golden Deeds."

For information, call Angela Elder at 229-386-0216.

KEEP TIFT BEAUTIFUL ANNOUNCES 'BEAUTY SPOTS' FOR APRIL

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Keep Tift Beautiful (KTB), a citizens advisory board, has named the residential and commercial "Beauty Spots" for April.

The home of the Hellman family in Chula, pictured above, is this month's residential Beauty Spot.

St. Anne's Episcopal Church on North Central Avenue in Tifton (pictured below) is April's commercial Beauty Spot. Pictured is Rosemary Hightower of KTB with Clayton Riehle of the church.

Keep Tift Beautiful promotes recycling, community gardening, litter abatement, and outdoor beautification.

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CAT OF THE WEEK

"Remington Steele" will steal your heart. This crafty kitty is all ready to go home with you. Visit him 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).

'CHERRY DOPE,' 'PEPSI-COLA'

BOTTLED IN TIFTON

~ APRIL 10, 1910

The Crown Cream Bottling Works secured the authority on April 8, 1910, to bottle two new cola drinks in Tifton – "Cherry Dope" and "Pepsi-Cola." Obviously, only one of those beverages withstood the test of time.