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Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024
Tifton, Georgia
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EX-TEACHER PLEADS GUILTY AFTER COPS FIND CAMERAS FILMING NUDE KIDS IN BERRIEN COUNTY RENTAL HOME | |
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By FRANK SAYLES JR.
Tifton Grapevine
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A retired Lowndes County teacher has pleaded guilty to possessing child sexual-abuse material after authorities found hidden cameras inside his Berrien County rental property’s bathroom filming young children bathing and undressing.
David Swanson, 61, recently pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of possessing child pornography. Swanson faces a maximum of 20 years in prison to be followed by a maximum lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
In addition, Swanson will have to register as a sex offender upon release from prison. Swanson is not eligible for parole.
“Crimes against children are despicable, and it’s unthinkable when teachers or other trusted people are guilty of harming kids,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office prosecutes child predators to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to court documents, a concerned citizen notified Ray City Police in March 2023 that she found a hidden camera in the home she rented from Swanson. The responding officer located a camera hidden in the bathroom’s ceiling, plugged into an extension cord that ran through the attic.
The officer also found two more cameras hidden in electrical outlets in the same bathroom. The SD cards from the cameras contained images of four children between the ages of one and 12 taking baths, changing clothes, and using the toilet. There was also a video clip of Swanson stepping on the toilet, reaching toward the ceiling, and then placing a small black object in his pocket. All of the images were recorded between Jan. 21-Feb. 28, 2023.
A search warrant was executed at Swanson’s Valdosta home on March 3, 2023. Agents found approximately 750 images and videos of child sexual abuse material and other incriminating evidence on his electronic devices.
Some of the material included children nude in bathrooms, as well as minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to court documents.
When arrested, Swanson had recently retired as a teacher in the Lowndes County School System.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The investigation was conducted by the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Ray City Police Department, and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.
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ALAPAHA AG OFFICIAL SEEKING PENNY HOUSTON'S HOUSE SEAT | |
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By FRANK SAYLES JR.
Tifton Grapevine
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Jaclyn Dixon Ford of Alapaha has announced her candidacy to succeed state Rep. Penny Houston in Georgia House District 170.
Houston, R-Nashville, said last week that she will not seek re-election this year.
Ford is vice president and chief operating officer of Dixon Gin Co. in Enigma. A University of Georgia graduate in agriculture and a former student at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Ford has served on numerous industry boards and commissions.
"After much prayer and discussion with family and friends – and outpouring of support from folks across the district – I'm proud to announce my candidacy for House District 170," Ford said.
"I look forward to carrying on the legacy of Ms. Penny and investing in our rural communities, championing for our farmers and producers, and fighting for our pro-family conservative values here in South Georgia."
Ford has served on ABAC's Board of Trustees, and last year she was named chair of the ABAC Foundation. Gov. Brian P. Kemp appointed Ford to serve on the Georgia Economic Development Board in 2019, after seven years on the Georgia Farm Service Agency Committee.
She also serves on the Georgia Agribusiness Council Board, the Georgia Farm Bureau Commodities Committee for Cotton, and is a former delegate to the National Cotton Council.
Ford and her husband Jake live in Alapaha, where they've raised their two children. She remains involved in her family farm, growing peanuts, pecans, cotton, corn, and cattle in Berrien County.
Ford has listed the endorsement of her candidacy by numerous area elected officials, including Tifton Mayor Julie B. Smith, Nashville Mayor Travis Brown, Alapaha Mayor Waymond Smith, Adel Mayor Buddy Duke, and the sheriffs in Tift, Berrien, and Cook counties.
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TIFT LIBRARY LAUNCHING 'COMMUNITY READ' | |
By BONNIE SAYLES
Tifton Grapevine
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The Tifton-Tift County Public Library is hosting a "community read" of the book “The Bear,” by Andrew Krivak.
The Tifton library has received a Big Read grant from National Endowment for the Arts to design programs around one book that the entire community is invited to read, and “The Bear” has been chosen.
The library has created a book exchange station where readers may pick up a copy of “The Bear” or the children's companion book, “The Hike,” by Alison Farrell.
"While ("The Bear") does carry a heavy theme, it is beautifully written, and I hope that readers can appreciate the message in this story,” said Karen Thompson, Tifton library branch manager. “We are all tied together, and there is beauty in carrying on. Our stories need to be told for future generations."
Tickets to pick up a copy of the book will be distributed at the library booth near the Ferris wheel during this Saturday’s Rhythm & Ribs BBQ Festival at Fulwood Park.
“Tickets are free, and will be first-come, first-served, until we run out,” Thompson said.
“We have limited copies of the book,” she said. “Take it home to read and bring it back for another participant to enjoy. Or, participants may keep the book and bring it to any one of our amazing programs, if they prefer.”
The Tifton library is one of only 62 organizations selected nationwide to receive the reading grant for 2023-2024. The $5,000 grant supports the community-wide reading program during March and April focused on “The Bear,” described by Amazon.com as “a cautionary tale of human fragility, of love and loss” and as “a stunning tribute to the beauty of nature's dominion.”
The NEA Big Read grant is made possible by Arts Midwest and by the following local sponsors: the Tifton-Tift County Library Foundation, Literacy Volunteers of Tifton-Tift County, Tifton Council for the Arts, the City of Tifton, Think Tifton, and the Gaskins Forestry Center.
The organizations will have multiple events centered around the theme of the book, one of which is a storytelling event with a member of the Chickasaw Nation. Another event is an author visit from Carmen Agra Deedy, and a third is a field trip series with Mr. Damon's Shadow Puppet Theater.
“We also have programs with the Gaskins Forestry Center, the Valdosta Astronomy Club, and many local artisans and businesses,” Thompson said. “The entire community will have plenty to do, and we are looking forward to our launch this Saturday.”
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COOK COUNTY INSTALLING
NEW STORM SIRENS
| Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports | |
Cook County emergency officials have begun installing 12 new storm sirens to alert residents of severe weather.
"It’s been a long time in the works. We are very excited about bringing this system to our Cook County citizens,” said the Cook County Fire Department and Emergency Management Agency.
A tornado in 2017 killed seven people in Cook County, where officials said tornado sirens have been inoperable for about a decade.
The new sirens are being placed throughout the county at:
- Don Julio’s Restaurant
- Old football stadium on Massee Post
- The new sports complex across from Cook County High School
- Register Road Fire Station
- Futch Road Fire Station
- Reed Bingham State Park at the Rangers Station
- County Commissioners Office
- Cecil Fire Station
- Sparks City Hall
- Lenox City Hall
- Pine Valley Fire Station
- Chaserville Fire Station
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ADVANCE VOTING CONTINUES
FOR PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES
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By FRANK SAYLES JR.
Tifton Grapevine
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Early voting is continuing for Georgia's March 12 presidential preference primaries.
The first week of advance voting saw 310 Tift countians cast ballots in person and 32 voting absentee by mail, said Leila E. Dollison, Tift County elections supervisor.
Advance voting is available between 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, through March 8 at the Tift County Board of Elections office on the corner of Fourth Street and Chesnutt Avenue.
Saturday voting will be available this Saturday, March 2, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. On Election Day, March 12, voters must cast ballots at their assigned home precincts.
Voters may cast a ballot for president in either the Democratic or Republican primary. Georgia’s open primary system means that voters may participate in the primary election even if they are not a registered member of a political party.
On the Democratic ballot are President Joe Biden; U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn.; and Self-help author Marianne Williamson, who has suspended her campaign.
On the GOP ballot are former President Donald Trump; former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley; David Stuckenberg, an Air Force Reserve major and Florida businessman; and a long list of other candidates who have since dropped out of the race: Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie, Tim Scott, Asa Hutchinson, Doug Burgum, Perry Johnson, and Ryan L. Binkley.
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HEALTH EQUITY SUMMIT RETURNING TO ABAC | |
Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports | |
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For the second year, the Ga. Department of Public Health’s South Health District in conjunction with Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College will host a Health Equity Summit.
The event will be 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. March 11 in the Edwards Building on the ABAC campus and focuses on the importance of health equity for access to health care and resources.
The summit will bring together experts in the field of public health, epidemiology, and health policy to discuss steps that communities and individuals may take to improve health equity.
Sessions will include: “Homelessness as a Public Health Issue,” “Using Evidence-Based Tools to Better Understand Chronic Disease and Cancer-Related Health Topics,” “A Conversation to Address the Mental Health Needs in our Communities,” and “Maternal- and Infant-Related Health Disparities dissected through a Culturally Reflective Lens.”
Presenters will include staff from Georgia Southern University, ABAC, and the Georgia Department of Public Health.
To register, Click Here.
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TIFT LADY DEVILS END STORYBOOK SEASON | |
Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports | |
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The Tift County High Lady Devils’ storybook basketball season ended Tuesday night as River Ridge High of Woodstock defeated Tift County 64-49 in the Class 6A state tournament.
The Lady Devils, the Region 1-6A champs, had reached the Elite Eight in the tournament by beating Glynn Academy 65-37 last Friday. Before that, Tift County had defeated Riverwood High by a score of 64-22 and was considered one of the top teams in the state.
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Pictured are, front row from left: Tim Forkner, Neil Clements, Charles Courson, Jeremy Hobbs, and Hal Padgett. Back row: Chip Marchant, Greg Connell, Randy Clements, Bert Connell, John Johnson. | |
MASONIC LODGES ENDOW SCHOLARSHIP FOR TIFTON SRTC STUDENTS | |
Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports | |
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Tifton Masonic Lodge 47 and Tiftarea Daylight Lodge 745 recently donated $25,000 to establish the Roy Jackson Sr. Masonic Scholarship for students at Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC).
Both Tifton Masonic lodges have been working together to raise the donation in recent years. The endowment, held permanently, will maintain its principal value while generating earnings for student scholarships. Once matured, the endowment will provide one $500 scholarship per semester for an SRTC Tifton student.
"Since its inception, Masons have been involved in laying the cornerstones of both public and private endeavors," said John Johnson, past master of Tifton Masonic Lodges 47 and 745.
"What could be a more noble pursuit than aiding higher learning institutions like Southern Regional Technical College in enabling students to construct better lives on the solid foundation of education?" he said.
The SRTC Foundation will administer the scholarship, which will be open to SRTC students residing in Tift County and maintaining a grade point average of 2.0 or higher.
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TIFT-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER’S BUSINESS EXPO
The Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Business Expo is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. April 25 at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center. The event is open to both Chamber members and non-members and is open to the community. For businesses and organizations wanting to participate in the networking and informational event, email gjarrett@tiftonchamber.org or call 229-382-6200.
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ANA MAAG has recently joined ACE South Georgia as a 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿. Ana is a graduate of the University of Central Florida, and she resides in Tifton along with her family. As a financial advisor, she will work with ACE clients post-loan to provide business coaching and mentoring. She will also be organizing and hosting ACE South Georgia Business Workshops across the region. ACE (Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs) is a community development financial institution with Georgia offices in Norcross, Downtown Atlanta, Savannah, and Tifton.
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TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CAT OF THE WEEK | |
"Dante" is a young male kitty discovered in the animal shelter's parking lot. This playful and affectionate companion is seeking a loving forever home. Come visit Dante 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). | |
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STUDENTS IN 'NEAR RIOT,' HIGH-SPEED CHASE GET 'HOMEWORK' PUNISHMENT
~ FEB. 27, 1963
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Tifton Recorder G. Gerald Kunes on Feb. 27, 1963, doled out "homework assignments" to students who appeared in court in connection with a high-speed chase, which ended with one youth injured, and a related "near riot at a local drive-in." As partial punishment, Kunes instructed the youths to write a theme of at least 5,000 words on "How I Could Be a Better Citizen." The case against the youths was then continued as further legal punishment was pending. | |
REACH THOUSANDS OF FOLKS IN THE TIFTAREA ~
ADVERTISE IN THE TIFTON GRAPEVINE!
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Tifton Grapevine
e-published every Tuesday and Friday
Frank Sayles Jr.
Editor & Publisher
Bonnie Sayles
Managing Editor
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A Service of Sayles Unlimited Marketing LLC, Tifton, Georgia
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