AREA BRACES AS STORM APPROACHES HURRICANE IDALIA STRENGTHENS DANGEROUSLY

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Hurricane Idalia continued to strengthen late Tuesday as it approached the Florida Gulf coast on a path toward South Georgia, spawning Tropical Storm Warnings in Tifton and surrounding counties.

Shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday, Idalia had maximum sustained winds speeds of 110 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. At 111 mph, a hurricane reaches Category 3 status. Officials said the storm could even strengthen to a dangerous Category 4 before it dissipates.

As of late Tuesday, the counties of Tift, Turner, Ben Hill, Irwin, Worth, Colquitt, and Dougherty were under a Tropical Storm Warning.

A Hurricane Warning was issued for Berrien, Cook, Thomas, and Lowndes counties. All counties in the Tiftarea also are under a Flood Watch as heavy rains are expected to swell local rivers and streams with runoffs affecting roads and streets.

Gov. Brian P. Kemp on Tuesday declared a state of emergency as Hurricane Idalia approached landfall. In preparation for the storm, many offices are closed and activities cancelled for Wednesday. Tift County schools, as well as Tiftarea Academy, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, the UGA Tifton campus, and Southern Regional Technical College are closed.

"It is unsafe to operate buses when sustained wind speeds are in excess of 35-40 mph," Tift County Schools said in a statement. "We have been informed that there is a 50% chance of sustained winds of over 40 mph. 

"We will continue to monitor the situation throughout the day on Wednesday and make a decision regarding any possible closure on Thursday, Aug. 31, at that time," the school system said.

Tifton city offices and buildings are closed Wednesday, including City Hall, Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Anthony G. Bateman Youth Center, Leroy Rogers Senior Center, and the Community Development office. Tift County said all non-emergency response departments are closed Wednesday.

Georgia Power Co. reminds customers to visit www.GeorgiaPower.com/Storm to sign up for power outage alerts, to report and check the status of outages, and to access safety tips and information. Customers may also report and check the status of an outage 24 hours a day by contacting Georgia Power at 888-891-0938.

GA JUDICIAL COUNCIL RANKS TIFTON CIRCUIT NO. 1 IN NEEDING ADDITIONAL JUDGE

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

The Tifton Judicial Circuit has the most pressing need in the state for an additional judge, the Judicial Council of Georgia decided in its recent meeting in Atlanta.

The Council ranked Tifton No. 1 in need among nine judicial circuits eligible for additional judges based upon workloads. The Alapaha Circuit was ranked No. 9.

"This is not a competition," said state Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs, who chairs the Judicial Council. "The challenge we always have is across the street" at the state Capitol, Boggs said. "The truth of the matter is you all need help."

It will be up to the General Assembly to approve additional judges.

The Judicial Council's Judicial Workload Assessment Committee had also ranked the Tifton Judicial Circuit of Tift, Turner, Irwin, and Worth counties as most in need of another judge. The full Council concurred in a vote.

Before the vote, Superior Court Chief Judge Bill Reinhardt of the Tifton Judicial Circuit presented his case to Council members, noting that the Tifton Circuit has had only two judges for 43 years while caseloads and population within the four-county circuit has increased.

Reinhardt noted that both Tift and Turner counties are on Interstate 75: "Our case counts are exploding. (Interstate) 75 is a great economic pipeline for Tift County ... but we also get a lot of negative things. Our drug-trafficking cases have exploded; our murder cases have exploded."

He and the other superior court judge in the circuit – Melanie B. Cross – are handling 18 murder cases each. "And we've had six murders in our circuit," Reinhardt said, since that number was calculated.

"Our criminal cases are overwhelming," Reinhardt said, which is causing delays in civil cases.

"It's an access to justice issue for us," the Tifton judge said. "We need some help; our citizens need some help. We feel like it's our turn after 43 years."

Alapaha Judicial Circuit Judge Dick Perryman, who also made a case for an additional judge, noted that, like Tifton, "It is difficult to run multi-county circuits with two judges."

NO OPPOSITION IN TIFTON CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

There will be no opposition for candidates in the Tifton city elections on Nov. 7.

When the qualification period for candidates ended Friday, only one candidate filed in each of the three open seats.

Mayor Julie B. Smith is unopposed in her re-election as mayor; District 4 Councilman M. Jay Hall is unopposed; and newcomer Michael Franks is unopposed for the District 2 council seat.

Current District 2 Councilman Jack Folk is not seeking re-election.

PEANUT SHELLERS HONOR UGA TIFTON PEANUT BREEDER WITH MERIT AWARD

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Dr. William D. "Bill" Branch, a professor and peanut breeder on the University of Georgia Tifton Campus, was among those receiving a special merit award from the American Peanut Shellers Association at the annual pre-harvest joint meeting of the Peanut Shellers Association and the National Peanut Buying Points Association.

The merit award was presented at the recent meeting to recognize and honor non-sheller individuals in the peanut industry.

Since joining the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in 1978, Branch has worked to develop new peanut varieties to help with the battle against tomato spotted wilt virus, a disease that was ravaging peanut fields across the Southeast.

Branch has released 33 peanut cultivars to the public and has released four germplasm lines, nine genetic stocks, and a parental line publicly for the peanut-breeding community. He has authored or co-authored 148 peer-reviewed journal articles and published and presented 105 abstracts at professional conferences.

NATIONAL REPORT RANKS TRMC HIGH IN HEART ATTACK, STROKE TREATMENT

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

U.S. News & World Report has named Tift Regional Medical Center (TRMC) as a top performer in the treatment of heart attacks and strokes. 

“This is an exceptional achievement,” said Alex Le, TRMC chief operating officer.

“TRMC has consistently demonstrated its dedication to providing high-quality medical services, and this recognition serves as a testament to the hard work and dedication of our healthcare professionals,” Le said.

The 2023-2024 Best Hospitals Specialty Rankings by U.S. News & World Report highlight medical centers from around the nation that deliver top-tier outcomes across various areas of care. The metrics are widely regarded as a benchmark for healthcare quality, with a focus on evaluating hospitals based on patient outcomes, safety, and clinical excellence. TRMC was rated as "high performing" in heart attack and stroke care metrics.

“As part of its ongoing commitment to providing top-notch medical services, TRMC continues to invest in cutting-edge technology, advanced training for its medical staff, and a patient-centric approach that prioritizes individualized treatment plans and personalized care,” Le said.

TRMC is the main hospital for Southwell, an integrated healthcare system that includes Southwell Medical, Southwell Health and Rehabilitation, and more than 35 outpatient diagnostic and treatment facilities, physician clinics, and endoscopy procedure centers.

'FIRST TUESDAY' CONCERT SERIES RESUMES AT ABAC

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The 2023 First Tuesday Concert Series at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College will kick off Sept. 5 with a performance by the ABAC music faculty.

The first performance of the season will include voice, piano, clarinet, saxophone, and trombone music from the early to late Romantic Period and Harlem Renaissance – pieces by Schubert, Chopin, Singelee, Guy Ropartz, and Gershwin.

Dr. Jennifer Huang, fine arts department head, said the concert begins at 7 p.m. in Howard Auditorium. All First Tuesday concerts are free and open to the public.

“We are going to have a fantastic performance by our very talented music faculty,” Huang said. “Please join us for an evening of beautiful music.”

Other performances in the First Tuesday lineup include the Oct. 3 concert featuring Bryan Hall on violin and Owen Lovell on piano and The Music Educators concert on Nov. 7. In 2024, performances will include an organ recital by Andrew Atkinson on Feb. 6, the ABAC Community Choir on March 5, and the Songs of Broadway on April 2.

For information, Click Here!

INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING?

VISIT THURSDAY'S RECRUITMENT FAIR

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Anyone interested in volunteering with an organization in the Tiftarea has the opportunity to “shop around” at the annual Volunteer Recruitment Fair, sponsored by Coastal Plain CASA.

The event will be 5-8 p.m. Thursday at the Leroy Rogers Center in Tifton.

The Court Appointed Special Advocates group (CASA) is looking for volunteers, not just for its organization, but are also allowing 10 other groups to tell potential volunteers how they can find fulfillment through community service.

Participating local organizations are The Bridge of Tiftarea, Called to Care of Tift and Turner County, Coastal Plain CASA, GFWC Tifton Woman’s Club, Hospice of Tift Area, The Kalos Academy, Literacy Volunteers of Tifton-Tift County, Meals on Wheels, Pregnancy Care Center of Tiftarea, Tiftarea House of Hope, and Toys for Tots Tift County.

The Tifton Walk to End Alzheimer’s Committee members stand together at the Chamber meeting Thursday: (from left) Joey Marta, Tracy Baker, Mallory Thompson, Addie Veazey, Alec Joiner, Chrystal Bell, Amanda Brack, and Gina Miller.

ALZHEIMER'S WALK COMING DOWNTOWN

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

The 2023 Walk to End Alzheimer's is moving to Downtown Tifton.

The event starts at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, behind the Tifton-Tift County Public Library and will proceed around downtown streets, ending with a celebration at Tifton Gardens on First Street and Main. Participants will be encouraged to join Tifton’s Downtown Second Saturday festivities. 

The Tifton Walk has been held at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College for more than 10 years. Previously, it was at the Eighth Street Middle School track.

During Thursday's monthly meeting of Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce members, Walk Chairman Alec Joiner invited members to participate.

“The Alzheimer’s Association is a nationwide organization that fundraises to invest in Alzheimer’s awareness and Alzheimer’s research,” Joiner said. “They want to educate people about the disease, and they want to find a cure for the disease.” 

Tifton’s Alzheimer’s Association office on Tift Avenue serves 35 counties in Southwest Georgia. Joiner also announced a raffle with $20 tickets to honor the memory of Buffy Hankinson, the regional program director who died suddenly in November. 

The Tifton Walk has 24 teams with 45 people registered to date. It has raised $8,235 of its $43,000 goal. 

For information, Click Here.

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

Thirstology Infusions & Wellness Lounge

104 West 8th St., Suite 3a, Tifton

Aug. 25

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CAT OF THE WEEK

"Morris" is is a bright-eyed male available for adoption at the Tift County Animal Shelter. To adopt Morris and to see other pets available, visit the shelter between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, or call 229-382-PETS (7387).

RECORD AMOUNT PER ACRE

PAID FOR TIFT FARM

~ AUG. 29, 1919

A local record at that time of $250 an acre was paid for a farm just outside Tifton, according to news reports on Aug. 29, 1919. J.A. Gibbs bought the "West place," two miles from Tifton on Upper Ty Ty Road, for $7,500 from the Rev. Marion Willis. The previous record in the Tifton area was $175 an acre paid for the "Bolton place." Gibbs planned to use the property on Ty Ty Road as a poultry farm.

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Frank Sayles Jr.

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