The Colquitt County Sheriff's Office has charged a Berrien County man with posing as a licensed residential building contractor and bilking customers out of approximately $150,000 in communities around South Georgia and North Florida.

Jason Chauncey is charged with felony conversion for real estate property improvements, authorities said. Berrien County deputies arrested Chauncey on Feb. 4 on warrants from the Colquitt County Sheriff's Office.

On social media, the Sheriff's Office said Chauncey is accused of "posing as a contractor, taking money for materials and construction work while not doing the work he was hired to do."

A Colquitt sheriff's investigator told the Moultrie Observer that some victims found the alleged contractor on the website angieslist.com, and that at least eight victims, involving a total of at least $147,000, have been identified in Colquitt, Berrien, and Lowndes counties in Georgia, and in Hamilton and Nassau counties in Florida.

“There are certainly more people out there who he’s taken advantage of,” investigator Blake Livings told the Moultrie newspaper. 

Authorities ask that anyone else who has been scammed or have information about this case to contact the Colquitt County Sheriff's Office's Criminal Investigation Division at 229-616-7430.

Because of the length of the Tifton Grapevine, some Internet browsers initially download only part of the Grapevine on your computer or device. To see the entire Grapevine, be sure you click at the bottom of your screen if you get a message telling you to click to "View Entire Message."

As always, the Grapevine is available on our Facebook page as well as our website, www.tiftongrapevine.com where all past editions are archived.

Congressman Austin Scott, R-Tifton, says U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made an "outrageous request" when she urged American Olympic athletes to refrain from criticizing the Chinese government.

As the Beijing Winter Olympics began in China, Pelosi said Washington had an "urgent moral duty to shine a bright light" during the games on Beijing's human rights abuses, but said U.S. athletes should "be safe" and refrain from any criticism while competing.

"If we do not speak out against human rights violations in China, because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak out against human rights violations anywhere," Pelosi said.

But she added that U.S. athletes should focus on competing in China and resist a temptation to criticize: "Do not risk incurring the anger of the Chinese government because they are ruthless; be safe."

In a recent communication to constituents, Scott takes issue with Pelosi's comments.

"During a recent press conference, Speaker Pelosi urged American Olympic athletes not to speak out against the Chinese Communist Party's blatant human rights abuses," Scott said.

"This outrageous request enables Communist China to continue their torture and religious persecution of the Uyghur (Muslims detained in concentration camps)."

The Tifton congressman said that "our great nation was founded on religious freedom, and to gloss over the severe persecution of the Uyghur Muslims is un-American. It is the First Amendment right of these athletes to say whatever they would like, and we should encourage our athletes to speak out against slavery and genocide. America is the land of the free, and our Olympic champions carry our principles of freedom with them abroad."

A total of 246 students completed the requirements for graduation from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College at the end of the recent fall semester.

During the fall term, more than 2,300 of ABAC’s 3,815 students pursued four-year degrees at ABAC in biology, nursing, agribusiness, agriculture, agricultural communication, agricultural education, business, environmental horticulture, history and government, natural resource management, rural community development, and writing and communication. 

The remainder of the students chose the associate degree path including the popular associate of science in nursing. 

Among the recent graduates are:

ADEL: Jameila M. Barzallo, Christopher Wayne Gibbs, Tamika Lane, Samantha Rodriguez, LaShandra Vontice Wiley; ASHBURN: Verena Sapp, Kayland Danielle Winter; CHULA: Caroline Elizabeth Clark; ENIGMA: Emily Lauren Dillard; FITZGERALD: Joel Chavez, Rayna Brooke Ezzell, Tierra Sharonn Turner, Julia Ann Wright;

LENOX: Quincey Bryce Phillips; NASHVILLE: Natalie Jane Nix, Caroline Rae Shaw; OCILLA: Alexander Luis Eason, Timothy James Simmons, Kirsche Aileene Weatherford; OMEGA: Carrie H. Dunn; POULAN: Ansley Busbee; RAY CITY: Matthew Johnathon Beville, Kaytlin Savannah Pollard, Cecilia Maribel Simon; SYLVESTER: Austin Cole Jones, Jacob Bradley Jones, Elizabeth Grace Montgomery, Seth Steven Newell; TIFTON: Sandra Ann Adcock, Roderick Baisden, Hannah Barry, Sawyer Bass, Alexandria Roberts Branch, Andi Elizabeth Branch,

Madison Walker, Breanna Nicole Walls; TY TY: Summer Bennett, Tessa Renee Bennett, Savannah Wray Frazier, Abby Giddens, Neel Bhavik Patel.

Tift County's positive COVID-19 cases total 451 during the past two weeks, according to data Thursday from the state Department of Public Health (DPH).

The total positive cases represent confirmed and probable results from both PCR and Antigen rapid tests. Tift County’s total positive cases represent 1,105 cases per 100,000 population, the measure used across the country to compare case rates among communities and states.

Confirmed cases were 168; Tift's testing positivity rate for the period was 30.1%, the DPH reported. An additional four related deaths were reported in the past week among Tift County residents.

Tift has seen a total of 6,209 cases with 156 related deaths, the DPH said.

On Thursday, the state reported 5,133 new confirmed and probable cases across Georgia with 104 additional deaths and 184 new related hospitalizations. The state has recorded a total of 1,886,999 confirmed cases and 28,461 related deaths, the DPH said.

The state has a vaccination rate of 55% while Tift County’s is 42%, the DPH reported.

A Turner County grand jury has convicted a man in connection with a home invasion and assault during 2019.

Antonio Brown was convicted on charges of home invasion, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

The incident occurred in Ashburn in September 2019.

Sentencing for Brown is scheduled Feb. 18.

The Tift Theatre opened in February 1937 showing "Pennies From Heaven," and to help celebrate Tifton’s year-long sesquicentennial celebrations, the Tift Theatre will be showing the film, to commemorate the original showing, on Feb. 18 at 6:00 p.m.

"Pennies From Heaven" is a 1936 American musical comedy starring Bing Crosby, Madge Evans, and Edith Fellows. Tickets are $1.25; the ticket price for the original showing was 25 cents.

To help celebrate and reserve your tickets, visit www.purplepass.com/pennies

Senior Officer Serbando Jaimes with the Tifton Police Department was recently presented with the Exchange Club of Tifton’s Officer of the Year Award.

Jaimes has been with Tifton Police since September 2019.

Police Chief Steve Hyman said that Jaimes gives 100% every day, carries himself well, and is kind, courteous, and attentive to the citizens he helps.

Pictured are, from left, Chief Hyman, Exchange Club Public Safety Chair Angie Saturday, Officer Jaimes, and Lt. Jared Godwin and Maj. Chris Griffin with the Tifton Police Department.

No one was injured when a Norfolk Southern train struck a delivery truck that had stalled while crossing the tracks Wednesday morning on Sixth Street in Tifton.

The incident occurred at approximately 7:50 a.m. Wednesday when the delivery truck for Chick Gatewood Sales stalled before being hit by an incoming southbound train, officials said. 

The truck driver was able to get out of the vehicle before the collision.

The MDRT (Million Dollar Round Table) Foundation has awarded a $3,000 grant to Ruth’s Cottage and The Patticake House.

The funds will support a variety of support groups and life-skills training for those served by the organization, which addresses domestic and sexual violence, as well as child sexual and physical abuse.

“This donation will enable us to broaden the scope of our current support group provision to allow groups specific to children and teens, said Nancy Bryan, Ruth's Cottage executive director.

Vivien Scott of The Southern Group in Tifton, and a MDRT member, applied for the grant on behalf of Ruth's Cottage and The Patticake House. 

Through its global grants programs, the MDRT Foundation works to build stronger families and communities around the globe. This year, the MDRT Foundation will award more than $1.6 million in MDRT member-endorsed grants to more than 300 charitable organizations worldwide.   

The Million Dollar Round Table is the premier association of financial professionals.

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College will serve as the host institution for the American Collegiate Horseman’s Association (ACHA) National Convention on April 6-9 in Ocala, Fla. 

The national convention is hosted by a different college or university each year. As the host school, ABAC will coordinate horse-industry tours, networking sessions, social activities, and professional development opportunities for the students in attendance. 

Awards will be presented to honor outstanding members, scrapbooks, and more. Approximately 100 students are expected to attend.  

“We are excited to be the host school for this year’s event. Ocala is considered the ‘Horse Capital of the World,’ and we have some unique ideas planned for the students, including the opportunity for one lucky winner to get the chance to ride a Paso Fino," said Dr. Katheryn Cerny, ABAC Horseman’s Association adviser.

Tift County High School students Emma Mendieta was named best female soloist and Michael Gregus received best male soloist in a show this past weekend at a choral competition in Enterprise, Ala.

A local film project filmed in Downtown Tifton moves from paper to premiere when the movie “Gasoline Alley” opens Friday, Feb. 25, at the historic Tift Theatre. The film is an action thriller starring Bruce Willis, Luke Wilson, and Devon Sawa. A red-carpet event begins at 6 p.m. Friday Feb. 25, when doors open; the movie will be shown at 7 p.m. While watching the film, you can point out local landmarks since the movie was filmed 99% in the downtown Tifton area in 2021. There will be two days of screenings – the second on Saturday, Feb. 26, at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. at the Tift Theatre. Tickets are limited and are $7. To purchase, visit: www.purplepass.com/gasoline

RECREATION SPORTS DEADLINE TODAY

Today, Friday, Feb. 11, is the Tift County Recreation Department's deadline to register for its youth baseball, T-ball, softball, and football.

To register, Click Here, or visit the recreation department office at 401 Victory Drive in Tifton. For more information, contact the recreation department at recreation@tiftcounty.org

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Sunday, Feb. 13, is Super Bowl Sunday. The first Super Bowl was played on Jan. 15, 1967, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum between the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL) champions. The game, which wasn't even a sellout, saw the NFL's Green Bay Packers defeat the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs by 35-10. The two leagues merged in 1970.

This dog is on stray hold and, if unclaimed, will be available for adoption or rescue at the Tift County Animal Shelter on Highway 125 South between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For more information, call 229-382-PETS (7387).

205 Belmont Ave., Tifton, 229-382-6055  

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