OCT. 4, 2016
Tifton, Georgia
478-227-7126
tiftongrapevine.com
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MORE THAN 60 APPLY FOR POSITION
More than 60 people have applied for the position of Tifton city manager, interim City Manager Hunter Walker told Tifton City Council during its meeting Monday night.
Walker noted that some of the applicants do not fit the established criteria. Mayor Julie B. Smith appointed Councilmen Jack Folk and Frank Sayles Jr. to serve on a committee to work with city human resources personnel to review the applications.
The city hopes to hire a new manager by the first of the year. Walker was appointed as interim manager following the resignation of City Manager Larry Riner in July.
Also Monday, Mayor Smith issued a proclamation honoring Lee Turner of Tifton,
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Lee Turner holds proclamation with friends and co-workers, from left: Katrina Mathis, Myrtle Whittington, Turner, Monica Linguist, Dawn Hall and Jamie Mixon.
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Turner recruits and manages other volunteers in Congressional District 8 for the Cancer Society's Action Network.
"This has meant so much to me," Turner said. "This community has been so supportive of my efforts."
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TIFTON SURGEON INVENTS
MEDICAL DEVICE
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Tifton orthopedic spine surgeon Dr.
Mac Sims
has
invented
a
device
which he says allows the
treatment
of a
common spine condition
more effectively and with
less invasive surgery
.
Sims' Syzygy Stabilization System is used in the surgical treatment of spondylolisthesis, a defect which causes part of the backbone to slip to one side of
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Dr. Mac Sims, left, performs a procedure at Tift Regional Medical Center.
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the body. Typical symptoms include back pain and/or leg pain.
The screw-and-rod system has been patented and has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Admin-istration. A formal launch is scheduled this month at the North American Spine Society conference in Boston.
A board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon, Sims wanted to find a way to achieve more effective mechanical alignment of the spine.
"I seek to continually improve performance and drive clinically proven care," he said. "I have been developing this concept, device and system for seven years. The goal for patients is reduced post-operative pain, a quicker recovery period and better outcomes."
Spondylolisthesis makes vertebrae bone compress nerve roots, Sims said, resulting in back pain, numbness or weakness in one or both legs. The Syzygy system pulls the bone back into its proper position unlike any other procedure or product.
A Tifton native, Sims is a member of the Tift Regional Medical Center medical staff.
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Tifton Rotary President Jeremy Campbell, left, accepts a Rotary flag from Sverre Stub, a former ABAC student sponsored by the Tifton Rotary Club.
WELCOME HOME!
EX-ABAC ROTARY STUDENT & NORWAY AMBASSADOR RETURNS TO TIFTON ROTARY CLUB
On Wednesday, Sept. 28, Sverre Stub returned to the Tifton Rotary Club where he first visited 50 years before as a Rotary-sponsored student at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
Since his college days in Tifton, Stub returned to Norway and served all over the world as an ambassador for the Norwegian diplomatic service for more than 40 years, including assignments in the Hague, Netherlands; Washington, D.C.; Caracas, Venezuela; Geneva; Paris.; Amman, Jordan; Baghdad; Athens; and Nicosia, Cyprus.
In 1966, the Tifton Rotary Club offered Stub a scholarship to ABAC through the Georgia Rotary Student Program (GRSP), which promotes world peace through understanding by offering scholarships to international students for one year of study in Georgia colleges and universities.
Through GRSP, Georgia Rotary Clubs sponsor students recommended by a Rotary Club in their home country. The students become adopted members of a local "host family," living on campus at the school they attend.
From the program's beginning in 1946, about 60 students annually from all over the world make friends in the United States and learn about differing cultures and lifestyles. Georgia Rotarians believe "Peace is Possible," and through GRSP promote international goodwill through friendship and understanding.
Stub, who became a Rotarian and lives in Oslo, says his
responsibilities there have included the position of director of the Foreign Minister's Office and political adviser in the Norwegian government. He also has been dealing with natural resource management, environment, energy, climate change and international security issues. He is now president of a group of retired ambassadors.
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1,000 FEET ADDED TO
HENRY TIFT MYERS RUNWAY
It may have taken longer than expected but the expansion of the runway at the Henry Tift Myers Airport is complete, and local officials believe it will pay big dividends.
The
runway has been
extended by
1,000 feet to a total of
6,500. The majority of the funds for the project came from
federal and state coffers while local
SPLOST dollars made up about
16 percent. Discussion of the project began in
2007 but before it could gain traction, the economy took a downturn and most projects at the state level were delayed.
But local officials did not let the idea die and thanks to support from the Georgia
Department of Transportation and local and state lawmakers, it was finally completed.
"From an aviation standpoint, it will improve safety," said Dr.
Greg Anderson, chairman of the
Tift County Airport Authority. "When you're talking about pilots trying to approach in inclement weather, that added length improves the safety margin."
Jacob Redwine, operations manager with
Holt Construction, was in charge of the expansion and said,
"It was completed on time and under budget."
Because of that,
Redwine said the state allowed the Authority to use the money saved to do a lighting and signage project. He said that project is under way and is expected to be completed by the first quarter of next year.
"We're also still working on an overlay that will add some
pavement strength which is needed to have larger, heavier aircraft here," Anderson said. "That will give us an opportunity down the road to possibly recruit an air freight company to locate here."
The runway extension also gives economic development officials something else to offer when recruiting jobs to the area, said
Tift County Development Authority Executive Director
Brian Marlowe.
"Some of our companies have headquarters in other places, and their top officials all fly into Tift County," he said. "The
airport is
vital for
economic development in Tift County."
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LOCAL DENTIST HONORS FIRST RESPONDERS
Dr. Buddy Cawley, a Tifton dentist, thanked local police, fire and emergency
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DR. BUDDY CAWLEY
WALB-TV photo
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personnel on Friday with a cookout he called "
Burgers for the Brave."
"It's just an enormous feeling to know that we have people that support us and back us," said
Tift County Sheriff Gene
Scarbrough
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Cawley served approximately 400 hamburgers and said he
hopes to make the event an annual one.
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DOWNTOWN TIFTON'S UNIQUE ADDRESS
HISTORIC
UNION DEPOT APARTMENTS
Unique 1 Bedroom/
1 Bath Apartment @$850
& 2 Bedroom/ 2 Bath
Loft Apartment @ $950
Now Available!
Both with Marble Countertops;
Custom-made Cabinets;
Walk-in Closets; Hardwood Floors;
All Appliances, including Washer & Dryer; Secure Entry; and Ample Parking
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SGBC employees, from left, Monica Watson, Kathy Campbell, Heather Barefoot, Kalya Yawn (and hiding at right, Beverly Helms) promote the bank's peanut butter drive.
GA PEANUT BANK WEEK
PROMOTES TOP CASH CROP
The
Georgia Peanut Commission and the
Georgia Bankers Association are joining together this month for the
40th year to
promote one of Georgia top cash crops --
peanuts.
The
40th annual Georgia Peanut Bank Week is scheduled for
Oct. 17-21. Local banks and financial institutions across the state will honor
Georgia's peanut farmers and their contribution made to the
state and local economies during one of the biggest times of the year, the annual peanut harvest.
This year's theme,
"In Georgia, Money Grows on Vines -- Peanut Vines," will showcase the importance of Georgia's official state crop. Peanut farmers contribute approximately
$1.3 billion annually to the state and local economies to help maintain Georgia's largest industry --
agriculture.
The theme will also highlight the
National Peanut Board's campaign
"The Perfectly Powerful Peanut," showcasing the nutritional benefits of peanuts.
As part of Georgia Peanut Bank Week,
South Georgia Banking Co. (SGBC) is collecting jars of peanut butter at all of its branches to be distributed to local food pantries. The peanut butter drive is from Oct. 1-21.
In the Tiftarea, local organizations benefitting from the peanut butter drive include:
- Tifton and Omega: Brother Charlie's, Community Action Agency and Backpack Blessings
- Cordele: Hands of Hope
- Ashburn: Local church food pantries
In Tifton, Len Lastinger Elementary School has joined SGBC by holding a movie night Oct. 27. Admission will be one jar of peanut butter per family.
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"Best-Selling Truck for 39 Straight Years"
511 West 7th Street
(229) 382-1300
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ABAC PREPARES FOR SUNBELT AG EXPO
It has been
52 years since
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College hosted an event called
Dealer Days on its campus in
1964. At that time, no one could have guessed that the
farm equipment show would grow into the annual
Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition set for
Oct. 18-20 at
Spence Field near
Moultrie.
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ABAC Ambassadors get ready for Sunbelt Expo.
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The
Expo moved to its current site in
1978, and
Spence Field is about to come alive again with the sounds of tractors and harvesters.
Coincidentally,
ABAC once held
classes at
Spence Field for
soldiers returning to South Georgia after
World War II.
At this year's
Expo, visitors will get to look at five segments of
ABAC life at the recently remodeled
ABAC venue, says
Lindsey Roberts, the college's marketing and communications director.
The building includes a front porch with rocking chairs and a statue of the
Golden Stallion college mascot. ABAC representatives will greet visitors as they enter the exhibit, and interactive games will allow guests to learn more about the college.
Copies of
ABAC yearbooks will be available so that alumni can walk through the pages of days gone by. Prospective students can get a taste of ABAC through displays, brochures, and conversations with students.
ABAC's
Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village interpreters will showcase blacksmithing, new Ag and Natural Resources educational programming, and the Rolling Store, where
ABAC souvenirs including T-shirts, sweatshirts and caps will be available.
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ADULT COLORING EVENT SET
AT TIFT COUNTY LIBRARY
The
Tifton 20th Century LIbrary Club is co-sponsoring
Keep Calm and Color On at
 the
Tifton-Tift County Public Library at
6 p.m. Oct. 11 in the library's multipurpose room.
This fun
coloring party for adults will allow attendees to spend a creative relaxing time with friends.
Coloring sheets and colored pencils and markers will be provided, along with chicken enchilada soup and snacks.
Genie McCook, who won third place in a
national competition for the arts, will read her
award-winning poem. Quilts and artwork by club members will be on display.
For information, contact Bonnie Sayles, 229-848-2366 or 229-391-9903 .
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TIFT COUNTY HIGH EARNS $$$
Kaylar Howard, left, a
liaison from the
Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence to
Tift County High School, presents the
school a
check for
Accelerated Reader points earned at the foundation's
Summer Reading Center this past season. Also pictured are
Lehi Larger,
top student reader, and
Chanon Collins, the school's
top staff reader during the summer program.
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478-227-7126
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