2 TCHS Students Die on Dirt Bike

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

2 TCHS STUDENTS KILLED ON DIRT BIKE

IN I-75 ACCIDENT

AUTHORITIES REMIND RIDERS OF STATE REGULATIONS

After two local teens were killed on a dirt bike early Sunday on Interstate 75 , law enforcement officials are reminding folks about the regulations covering such vehicles.

The Georgia State Patrol said the two young Tift County High students who died should not have been riding on the interstate . The girls , both riding on the same dirt bike , were struck by another vehicle at approximately 3 a.m. Sunday on I-75 in northern Cook County .

The bike did not have any lights , and the girls were not wearing reflective clothing or helmets , the GSP said.

Alexis May Robinson , 16 , of Tifton , and Alexis Skye West , 15 , of Ocilla , both died in the accident . The driver of the other vehicle was not seriously injured , officials said.

Robinson was a junior at Tift County High School and loved horses and riding dirt bikes , her family said. Her dream was to become a veterinarian .

West , who lived most of her life in Tift County , was beginning the 10th grade at Tift County High . She loved animals and riding horses , her family said.

In Georgia , one must be at least 15 to obtain a license to drive a dirt bike . Dirt bikes do not need to be registered or insured if they are kept on private or residential roads; however, if a dirt bike is taken on a city street or highway , it must be registered with the state and fully insured .

In order to make a dirt bike street legal , it must have mirrors, headlights, tail and brake lights , a muffler and be inspected and signed off by a Department of Motor Vehicles official.

Any vehicle must go at least 40 miles per hour to travel on an interstate . The GSP said that 12:30 a.m. is the curfew for teenagers under age 17 .

SRTC NAMES EXECUTIVE VP

Leigh Wallace has ben named executive vice president at Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC). President Jim Glass made the appointment.

Wallace has worked for the college since 1997 , beginning her career in higher education as a New Connections to Work instructor at the former Moultrie Technical College . She has served as a School to Work coordinator, as director of admissions, college registrar and, most recently, vice president for student affairs.

“ Technical education has always been important and will continue to be a lifeline for our communities ,” Wallace said. “In nearly every aspect of life, there is an opportunity for a technical college student . From a person’s automobile, electricity, hair care, healthcare, air conditioning, bookkeeping, and many other areas, the technical college graduate plays a role.”

SRTC has instructional sites in Tift, Colquitt, Decatur, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Thomas, Turner and Worth counties .

JOHN SMITH, TIFT BOE VICE CHAIR, DIES

John W. Smith , vice chairman of the Tift County Board of Education and a longtime educator in the Tift County school system , died earlier this week.

Smith represented District 2 on the school board and held several positions in the school system , including teacher and principal at J.T. Reddick Elementary .

"Throughout his career , his service impacted countless students and educators . Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers during this time," Tift County Schools posted on social media.

CHAMBER NAMES AUG. AMBASSADOR

Dr. Ryan Currie, left, with the Stafford School of Business at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College was named the August Ambassador of the Month during last week's membership meeting of the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce .

Membership Chairman Chris Cutts, right, presented the certificate. Currie is an active ambassador who attends numerous ribbon cuttings and assists with the Chamber's Golf Tournament.

www.tiftonroad.org

COASTAL PLAIN CASA SPREADS WORD

Julie Mitcham , left, and Darcie Norton helped spread the word about the Coastal Plain CASA program at the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce's membership meeting on Thursday . The regional CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for children) serves Irwin, Tift, Turner and Worth counties . At right is Linda Floyde , the Chamber's membership services director.

UGA TIFTON CONDUCTING RESEARCH TO HELP DAIRY CATTLE COPE WITH HEAT STRESS

Georgia’s summer heat can affect dairy cows' production of milk , and farmers are working to keep their farm animals as cool as possible.

On the University of Georgia Tifton campus , dairy scientist Sha Tao ’s research focuses on how to help dairy farmers manage heat stress, keeping cows happier, healthier and producing milk .

When cows are exposed to a temperature-humidity index above 68 , their milk production level begins to decrease , Tao said.

Tao has been studying how nutrition, cattle management and physiology can affect milk production, dairy cow fertility and overall health.

“If we can understand how heat stress influences a cow and calf metabolically and physiologically, we can develop some additional management strategies or nutritional-pharmaceutical interventions to reduce the impact ," Tao said.

Dairy producers already use heat-management strategies to help dairy cattle stay cool during the summer. Fans, misters and soakers are used to cool cattle at dairy operations across the Southeast , including the research farm Tao uses for his research at UGA Tifton.

“In our dairies here in the Southeast , for example, Florida and Georgia , we face the most severe heat stress issues, and that’s because we have longer summers and more humidity . That causes problems,” Tao said.