ABAC Ranks High in Regional Southern Public Colleges

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Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025

Tifton, Georgia

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U.S. NEWS RANKS ABAC 16th AMONG PUBLIC REGIONAL COLLEGES IN SOUTH

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) is ranked No. 16 among "top public regional colleges in the South" in the annual U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges statistical report released Tuesday.

When private regional colleges are added to the public rankings, ABAC ranks No. 50 out of 128 total public and private regional colleges in the South, according in the 2026 report.

Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Other Georgia regional colleges ranked among top public regional colleges in the South include Dalton State College at No. 11, Georgia Gwinnett College at No. 19, and the College of Coastal Georgia in Brunswick at No. 23.

Florida Polytechnic University is ranked No. 1 among the South's public regional colleges.

In the category of the "top national universities," the report lists Emory University at No. 24; Georgia Tech is ranked No. 32; the University of Georgia, No. 46; Mercer University, No. 169; Georgia State University, No. 198; and Augusta University, No. 273 in the nation.

Princeton University is listed as the No. 1 "national university" in the United States.

The report ranked Spelman College in Atlanta as the nation’s No. 1 "historically black college and university."

The 2026 edition of the Best Colleges rankings evaluated more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities, using up to 17 factors to measure academic quality and graduate success.

"This transparent, rigorous methodology offers a foundation for navigating the complex landscape of higher education," said U.S. News & World Report, which has been releasing the rankings annually for more than four decades.

DRUGS, FIREARMS SEIZED IN BEN HILL

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Two people have been charged with drug and firearm charges in Ben Hill County, authorities say.

According to the Ben Hill County Sheriff's Office, a search warrant was served at a residence Thursday following a short investigation. During the search, marijuana and methamphetamines were seized along with two pistols, scales, and packaging material used in the sale and distribution of narcotics, the sheriff's office reported.

Two individuals were taken into custody at the scene and charged with possession of a firearm in the commission of a crime, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, manufacturing of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of tools for the commission of a crime, among other charges.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Ben Hill County tip line at 229-426-5226.

Cyndi Thomson discusses the new release of her song "Life Ain't Always Beautiful" in the video above.

TIFTON'S CYNDI THOMSON RELEASES NEW 'OLD' SONG

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Tifton native Cyndi Thomson has just released a new recording, her first personal rendition of a popular song she wrote two decades ago.

On social media Friday, Thomson said: “'Life Ain’t Always Beautiful' is out now. I wrote this song years ago… and today, it feels like my own heart is breaking open as I share it with you. The world feels so heavy, so uncertain, and I know so many of us are feeling the weight of it. This song is my reminder that even in the pain, even in the mess, there is still beauty, hope, and connection. I pray it meets you where you are."

Thomson, with Tommy Lee James, wrote the song for her second album, which was never made. Her debut album in 2001 was a sensation, and her first single was the highest-charting debut by a female country artist at that time.

But Thomson soon decided to step away from her career and get refocused. She later married, raised a family, experienced the loss of her father, and last year began releasing new recordings again.

When she wrote "Life Ain't Always Beautiful," she didn't feel it was the time for her to release it herself. Instead, singer Gary Allen had a hit with it in 2005.

“This song has always been a piece of my heart,” Thomson has said. “When Tommy and I wrote it, we wanted to capture the truth that beauty is often born from struggle. Singing it now, after everything I’ve experienced, it carries an even deeper meaning.”

Her own version of her song is powerful and poignant, and comes from a life of perseverance.

Listen to Thomson's new release by clicking on the video image below.

Baltimore Ravens photos

Tifton native Rashod Bateman, left, has five receptions and a touchdown for the Baltimore Ravens against the Detroit Lions during Monday Night Football.

BATEMAN GETS FIRST TD OF SEASON

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman, a former Tift County High School star, got his first touchdown of the season Monday night during the Ravens' 38-30 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Although his team lost, Bateman had a fairly good night with five catches for 63 yards and the touchdown, finishing the night second in receptions for the Ravens.

Bateman has improved his statistics from earlier games this season and is now preparing to face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

ARTS COUNCIL EXHIBIT, DINNER CELEBRATES AG

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

The Tifton Council for the Arts is launching a new exhibit and dinner event this fall designed to involve the local agricultural community with the arts in Tifton.

More than 50 pieces of art created on site by artist Cris Lawson at many farms in and around Tift County will be featured, said Tifton Council for the Arts Director Bruce Green.

“Entitled ‘The Harvest,’ the exhibit will feature images that capture the planting, cultivation, and harvest of numerous agricultural crops, including subjects such as the field workers, mechanization, geographic location, produce, product and, of course, the farmers and growers who work so hard to produce our nation’s food and fiber supply,” Green said.

The exhibit will be on display at the Syd Blackmarr Arts Center gallery, 255 Love Ave., starting with an opening reception 2-4 p.m. Sunday. The exhibit will continue 2-6 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays, Oct. 1-Oct. 12.

“I enjoy celebrating rural culture by uncovering the beauty in the everyday while engaging the viewer in its stories,” the artist, Lawson, said.

She and her husband, Edward, reside in Chula at Knotted Pine Stables where they train Tennessee Walking Horses.

During the past year, Lawson traded her studio for the fields, painting en plein air among barns, rows, and orchards across the region.

Lawson’s art invites viewers to reflect on the agricultural landscapes that connect communities, reminding about the shared reliance on land and those who work it.

The arts council continues that theme on Thursday, Oct 2, hosting a gallery reception followed by a Harvest Farm-to-Table Dinner at 6-9 p.m. The dinner will feature Georgia-grown cuisine in a staged tent on the grounds at The Syd, Green said.

“This event will feature live entertainment and sumptuous food, beverages, and dessert,” he said. Tickets may be purchased online here.

“It’s more than a meal — it’s a celebration of the people and businesses who keep this region thriving in a setting that honors the agricultural heart of South Georgia,” Green said.

Second-grade students at J.T. Reddick Elementary School were excited to receive a copy of "My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World" by Georgia Reads Coach Malcolm Mitchell, a Valdosta native who is a former UGA football star and ex-Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots.

TIFT SCHOOLS CELEBRATE

'GEORGIA READS DAY'

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Monday was Georgia Reads Day, a statewide celebration of reading hosted by the Georgia Council on Literacy to help kids fall in love with reading.

Students across the state began the day with a Reading Rally televised live on Georgia Public Broadcasting and led by Georgia Reads Coach Malcolm Mitchell, former UGA Bulldog and Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots.

A Valdosta native, Mitchell is a literacy champion – founder of Read with Malcolm and Share the Magic Foundation. Through HMH (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) every second-grader in Tift County Schools received their own copy of “My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World” penned by Mitchell.

Elementary schools throughout Tift County participated in Georgia Reads Day and shared photos of their events.

TIFT COUNTY HIGH STUDENTS VOLUNTEER WITH KEEP TIFT BEAUTIFUL

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Tift County High School FCCLA members spent some of their Saturday volunteering at the Keep Tift Beautiful Community Garden.

FCCLA – Family, Career and Community Leaders of America – is a national career and technical student organization (CTSO) for students in Family and Consumer Sciences education in school

"Their service shows what FCCLA is all about—building leadership, community pride, and teamwork while making a real difference right here at home," said Tift County Schools on social media.

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CAT OF THE WEEK

"Mossy" is taking applications for a new home. Come meet this amazing kitten and see if Mossy is the one for you. Visit Mossy 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).

DOWNTOWN BUILDING CATCHES FIRE

~ SEPT. 25, 1907

At approximately 8 p.m. Sept. 25, 1907, a fire was discovered in the Goodman Building on the corner of Third and Railroad streets in downtown Tifton. Damage was minimal. The building was occupied by W.J. Henderson & Son, H.C. Carmichael Grocers, and George Mathis' shoe shop and restaurant. Mrs. J.J. Scott was using the second floor as a residence and was able to escape the fire without injury.

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