COMMERCE WAY WORK BEGINS

DOWNTOWN PROJECT TO TAKE SIX MONTHS

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

The long-anticipated Commerce Way Redevelopment Project got underway this week in Downtown Tifton.

The $2.7 million project includes sidewalk and pedestrian improvements, new water lines, stormwater drainage improvements, street resurfacing, and landscaping and lighting enhancements.

The sidewalk in front of the storefronts is not uniform and has been a tripping hazard to pedestrians. Water drainage issues have also plagued the area. City officials say that Commerce Way is a primary access into the central business district and improvements have been needed for a long time.

Goodrich Alley improvements are part of the project, and that work will begin in January.

The entire Commerce Way project is expected to take approximately six months with a projected completion date next May.

"We understand that construction activities can be disruptive, and we sincerely appreciate your understanding and patience during the construction period," said Abbey Bowen McLaren, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority.

"We are sure the end result will be a positive benefit to our community’s growth, vibrancy, and future development. Public access and businesses will remain open during the duration of the project. However, access may be limited at times," McLaren said.

During Fiscal Year 2022, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs provided a $955,140 grant in rural downtown development funds to the City of Tifton for the Commerce Way Redevelopment Project. The city was required to match the grant with $300,000.

However, the projected cost of the project came in significantly over budget at $3.5 million, and the city scaled back the project to $2.7 million – which is still an overage of more than $1.5 million for the city to fund. City Council decided that Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) monies will be used for the overage.

Rodrigo Francisco Juan, a father of three children, was shot dead in the front yard of his mobile home in Tifton in May 2021. He had confronted teens attempting to break into his truck, which was stolen in the incident.

TWO TIFTON TEENS SENTENCED IN 2021 TIFTON MURDER

16-YEAR-OLD CONVICTED AS ADULT OF FELONY MURDER

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Two "gang-affiliated" Tifton teenagers have been sentenced to prison in connection with the shooting death of a Tifton man outside his home during a break-in of the victim's vehicle.

Following a jury trial, Omarion Hayes, 16, was convicted as an adult of felony murder and aggravated assault. Tift Superior Court Chief Judge Bill Reinhardt sentenced Hayes to life in prison with the possibility of parole. 

Hayes's co-defendant, Sebastian Sanchez, 17, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault and was sentenced to 40 years, the first 30 to be served in prison, said Bryce Johnson, Tifton Circuit district attorney.

Hayes, Sanchez and two other co-defendants were involved in a car break-in ring in Tift County, Johnson said.  

On May 23, 2021, they attempted to break into the truck of Rodrigo Francisco "Lico" Juan, 43, on Ira Drive. Tifton Police responded to a call at about 11:49 p.m. and found Juan with multiple gunshot wounds lying in the front yard of his mobile home. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Juan had confronted the teens as they attempted to break into his truck, authorities said.

A native of Guatemala, Juan and his wife Estela had three children and had been staying with family in Jennings, Fla., for work, according to his family. At the time of his death, Juan was back at his mobile home in Tifton to get his truck repaired.

“This was a senseless act perpetrated by gang-affiliated teenagers with stolen guns," said District Attorney Johnson.

"This is tragedy for Mr. Juan’s family and our community as a whole. We in the DA’s office and our law enforcement agencies are committed to prosecuting gang-related crimes to the fullest extent of the law,” Johnson said.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Patrick Warren handled the case on behalf of the state.

6 p.m. TODAY!

FRANKLY SPEAKING

THOSE WHO KNEW US

BEFORE WE KNEW OURSELVES

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

There are a few people in our lives who knew us when we were kids, who we grew up with as we matured and became adults. 

I am fortunate to have grown up in an extended neighborhood with a group of guys who were and still are honest, decent, hard-working, and supportive of others.  As I have moved around this world, I find that is rarer than I realized.

Last weekend, I reconnected with many of them from the old neighborhood during our 50th-year high school reunion in Norfolk, Va.  Some I hadn’t seen in 50 years; for others, it has been more than 40 years. Yet, the years between us did not matter.

For a moment, it was as if we were all youngsters again; memories came rushing back of those long ago crisp, autumn days when we gathered after school for a pickup game of football. I still saw those familiar kids in my older, graying friends. 

There were the same grins, the same twinkling in the eyes, and the same silly jokes.  We may move just a bit slower now but, yes, we are still moving. One of our brethren – one of our fellow boys in the ‘hood – is no longer with us, and I felt the presence of his absence.

I don’t look back often; I am much more focused on what’s ahead. But being with people I knew from elementary school through high school, remembering where we all came from, is a grounding experience.  As we age and lose our parents and our siblings, there are fewer people around who knew us before we knew ourselves.  Those friends from our formative years, as we were growing and becoming who we would become, had a role in our development. 

A half century is a long time, and yet it’s not. The older we get, 50 years isn’t as long as it once seemed. But I know that for my former classmates and me, there are fewer days ahead than there are behind us. 

Still, we keep moving forward, looking ahead, and realizing that wherever we go, the past is always our constant companion.

Among educators honored this week for Excellence in Teaching is Carl Nichols of Tift County High School. Nichols, holding his citation, is joined by family, friends, school officials, and representatives of the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence.

EDUCATION FOUNDATION NAMES THIS YEAR'S TIFT TEACHERS OF EXCELLENCE

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence "tapped" 10 Tift County public school teachers this week as recipients of the Excellence in Teaching Award.

Foundation representatives, school officials, and recipients' family members surprised the educators with the honor at their schools.

The teachers honored this week are: Kelly Merritt, Annie Belle Clark Elementary; Eve Rogers, Eighth Street Middle School; Brittany Kicklighter, Eighth Street Middle School; Noelle McCurdy, G.O. Bailey Elementary; Lisa Delk, Northeast Middle School; Zaronna Hamilton, Northeast Middle School; Paula Evans, Matt Wilson Elementary; Jill Crumley, Northside Elementary; Greta Simmons, Len Lastinger Elementary; and Carl Nichols, Tift County High School.

The teachers were nominated by a student, parent, peer, or administrator. They will be honored in the coming months at banquet sponsored by the Rotary Club of Tifton.

“This is the 32nd straight year that the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence (TCFEE) has ‘tapped’ exceptional teachers in recognition of their outstanding performance in the classroom," said Laura Cutts, TCFEE executive director.  "Honoring them is at the heart of the TCFEE’s mission.”

During more than three decades, the education foundation has honored 340 educators for excellence in teaching.

'OPERATION WATCHFUL EYE' VERIFIES ADDRESSES OF REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Through the statewide Operation Watchful Eye VIII initiative conducted recently, 44 sex offenders were arrested and 234 warrants were issued for violations of state laws that require registration of sex offenders.

The project involved 73 sheriffs across Georgia between Oct. 30 and Nov. 6. The Tift County Sheriff's Office verified 89 registered sex offenders, including one predator, and made 114 verification attempts, executing two warrants.

According to preliminary reporting by the participating sheriff's offices, 12,092 registered sex offenders, 466 predators, and 552 homeless sex offenders are currently living within their counties. During the one-week operation, 9,232 residence verifications were conducted, 61 new sex offenders moved into the reporting counties, 189 warrants were issued for residency violations of the sex offender registry, 15 new warrants were issued for violations of the registry law, three warrants were issued for new sex offenses, and 27 warrants were issued for other miscellaneous new charges. 

The initiative discovered that 577 sex offenders had absconded from their last-known addresses, which will require sheriffs to work with supporting agencies to track down those violators.

In 2015, the first coordinated statewide effort was launched to conduct residence verifications and compliance checks of registered sex offenders during a specified time period. The coordinated initiative became known as Operation Watchful Eye. With the original initiative's success, Georgia sheriffs have made the project an annual operation.

In Georgia, sheriffs are required to register sex offenders and to keep the public informed of where the offenders reside, work, and attend school. Throughout the year, each sheriff's office verifies their addresses.

For information about the whereabouts of registered sex offenders in Georgia, Click Here! Information specific to Tift County may also be found Here.

TIFTON MARKS VETERANS DAY

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Tifton honored Veterans Day on Saturday with a solemn ceremony downtown at the Jack Stone Veterans Memorial Park.

The guest speaker was the Rev. Chip Grantham of First United Methodist Church.

Several local officials, including Mayor Julie B. Smith, were in attendance. The Exchange Club of Tifton distributed miniature American flags to the audience.

An artist's rendering of the completed Haire Park project in South Tifton.

GA POWER TO HELP RENOVATE HAIRE PARK

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Georgia Power is planning to help revitalize Haire Park in South Tifton.

Company representatives hosted a community meeting this week and shared an artist's rendering of the project, which includes playground equipment, an enhanced picnic shelter, and benches.

Haire Park is located at Eleventh Street and South Ridge Avenue. The one-acre park is used for athletic practice and neighborhood activities. Georgia Power is working on the project in partnership with the City of Tifton and Tift County. 

"The neighborhood needs a park area for children to safely play and enjoy community time together," said Toni Reid, Georgia Power's Tifton area manager.

"We are proud to be a part of Tifton, and leaving a legacy of community impact in Tifton is what we are all about – being a citizen wherever we serve. Our hope is that the children and families will enjoy this area for many years to come," Reid said.

Mayor Julie B. Smith noted that the area near Haire Park is being enhanced by several recent initiatives, such as the Anthony G. Bateman Youth Center and Nine Oaks Apartments.

“There has been a focus of redevelopment in South Tifton. In partnership with our business and industry community, we will continue development projects in this area of Tifton, similar to other areas in the city, to make all of our communities better,” the mayor said

Dr. Tonja Tift, executive director of the Tifton Urban Redevelopment Agency, said she is “excited about the development at the park and appreciate all the efforts done in the South Tifton community.”

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

Cardinal Cove

3925 Whiddon Mill Road, Tifton

Nov. 15

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS COMPETE IN TCFEE GEOGRAPHY DECATHLON

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Twelve high school students from Tift County High School and Tiftarea Academy competed Thursday night in the 12th Annual Geography Decathlon sponsored by the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence (TCFEE).

The students competed in a written exam and quiz bowl rounds, answering geography questions to determine the winners. 

First place went to Timothy Nolin, a Tiftarea Academy senior, who was awarded a $500 scholarship. Earning second place was Alex Birdsong, a Tift County High senior, who was awarded $250, and in third place was Hatcher Swanson, a TCHS junior, awarded $125.

The event wrapped up Geography Awareness Week.

In the photo above are, from left: Laura Cutts, TCFEE executive director; Gloria Beard and Kelly Beavers, both TCHS teachers and quiz bowl advisors; Second-Place winner Alex Bridsong of TCHS; Third-Place winner Hatcher Swanson of TCHS; First-Place winner Timothy Nolin of Tiftarea Academy; and Bo Slack, Tiftarea teacher and geography advisor. 

To Subscribe, Click Here!

Your free subscription allows you to receive our MidWeek and Weekender editions in your in-box, along with occasional Sponsored Editions.

Your subscription is free because of the support of local advertisers.

Please support the businesses and organizations who make this possible.

To Contact Us, Call 478-227-7126

COVID-19 data released from the 

Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) as of NOV. 15:

TOTAL TIFT COUNTY CASES: 7,129 ....................................... TOTAL TIFT DEATHS: 181

CONFIRMED TIFT CASES - 2 weeks: 5 ....................................... DEATHS - Past week: 0

CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES: 24

TIFT CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - 2 weeks, per 100K population: 59 

_______________________________________________________________

GEORGIA TOTAL CASES: 2,408,428

GEORGIA CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - Past week: 3,573

TOTAL GA DEATHS: 35,862 ..................................................... GA DEATHS - Past week: 24 

YOUR GUIDE

TO ACTIVITIES

THIS WEEKEND

IN THE TIFTAREA

Sunday, Nov. 19, is World Toilet Day as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly to increase awareness of sanitation systems worldwide. The first flush toilet was invented in 1596 and built for Queen Elizabeth I by Sir John Harrington. It is said that the queen refused to use it. The first patent for the flushing toilet was issued to Alexander Cummings in 1775. In the late-19th century, a London plumbing impresario named Thomas Crapper manufactured one of the first widely successful lines of flush toilets. While Crapper did not invent the toilet, he did develop the ballcock, an improved tank-filling mechanism still in use today.

FRIDAY, NOV. 17

• Ninth Annual Glow Run – 5K & 1-Mile, 6 p.m., Northside Baptist Church, Tifton
• Tiftarea Academy Panthers football @ John Milledge Academy Trojans (second round GIAA playoffs), 7:30 p.m., Milledgeville

SATURDAY, NOV. 18

• Wiregrass Farmers Market's "Holiday Market," 9 a.m.-noon, Georgia Museum of Agriculture, Tifton
• Cane Grinding & Syrup Cooking, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Georgia Museum of Agriculture, Tifton
• "Princess Day" – Princess Meet & Greet, 2 p.m.; "Brave" movie, 3 p.m., Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Downtown Tifton
• Tiftarea Junior Gardeners Club, 2 p.m., Tifton-Tift County Public Library, Tifton
• Dirty Grass Players, 7 p.m., Opry Shelter, Georgia Museum of Agriculture, Tifton
• Mic Night 2, 7 p.m.,Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Downtown Tifton

SUNDAY, NOV. 19

• Thanksgiving in the Park – Service & Community Meal by Union Church, 11 a.m., Fulwood Park, Tifton

ADVERTISE YOUR

YARD SALE HERE!

TO ADVERTISE YOUR RESIDENTIAL

YARD SALE, CONTACT US at 

IHeardIt@tiftongrapevine.com 

or 478-227-7126

Fees are $1 per word, paid in advance

"Manchas" is ready for the holidays as he patiently awaits a new home. Come see him and other pets available for adoption at the Tift County Animal Shelter on Highway 125 South, open between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For additional information, call 229-382-PETS (7387).