Five Charged in Illegal Gambling

Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

5 CHARGED IN ILLEGAL GAMBLING OPERATIONS IN TURNER COUNTY

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Authorities on Monday arrested five people in Turner County who were recently indicted on charges of operating illegal gambling machines.

It was the second such area arrest within a month.

Charged with violating Georgia’s gambling laws and with related offenses are Rohitbhai Patel, 43, of Tifton; Sabrina Bolton, 37, of Valdosta; Wendy Golden, 38, of Rebecca; Sherry Matamoros, 42, of Sycamore; and Brandy Euliano, 50, of Sylvester, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The GBI’s Commercial Gambling Unit, along with the Turner County Sheriff’s Office, the Sycamore Police Department, and the Ashburn Police Department, served the arrest warrants Monday.

On Oct. 10, a Turner County Grand Jury returned indictments for all five individuals for violations of Georgia’s gambling laws. During a recent investigation, agents found businesses operating coin-operated amusement machines where customers were receiving cash payouts for winning credits.

In Georgia, such machines must be licensed by the Georgia Lottery and credits may only be redeemed for non-cash prizes, such as lottery tickets and/or store merchandise.

This investigation is continuing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Turner County Sheriff’s Office, 229-567-2401, or the GBI’s Commercial Gambling Unit,

404-270-8491. Anonymous tips may also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online here or by downloading the "See Something, Send Something" mobile app.

During a raid of Tifton businesses in September, the GBI charged seven people with similar crimes involving illegally operating coin-operated amusement machines.

5-YEAR-OLD BOY DIES AFTER BEING STRUCK IN TIFTON

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

A five-year-old Tift County boy was struck by a vehicle and died Sunday when he darted across U.S. Highway 319 North, officials say.

Devin Anderson Estes was hit at approximately 6 p.m. Sunday and died shortly after at Tift Regional Medical Center from multiple blunt force trauma, said Tift County Deputy Coroner Melissa Scott Carroll.

The boy was playing outside with some friends when he apparently saw a family member and attempted to cross the road, Carroll said. She said there were adults present at the time.

No charges are pending in the incident, the deputy coroner said.

The Georgia State Patrol (GSP) handled the accident; no one at the GSP returned phone calls and emails from the Tifton Grapevine.

Devin attended kindergarten at G.O. Bailey Elementary School and was active at Awaken Church in Tifton.

"He was very loved by many, and he loved everyone, especially his brothers. He was always the light of the room," his family said.

The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.

ARTS AFFAIR FESTIVAL COMES TO TIFTON

KEEPING 'LOVE AFFAIR' SPIRIT ALIVE

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The spirit of the "Love Affair" lives on as the inaugural Arts Affair Festival opens this weekend in Tifton.

The Arts Affair Festival makes its debut with a free community concert at 7 p.m. Friday and a day of free activities from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday around the Syd Blackmarr Arts Center on Love Avenue.

Inspired by Tifton’s longtime "Love Affair Fine Arts Festival," this weekend's event hopes to capture the essence and artistic fervor that characterized the Love Affair while adding a contemporary twist.

At Friday's kickoff, "Relapse," billed as "South Georgia's Premier Party Band," will begin at 7 p.m. on the festival's stage, located in the Synovus Bank parking lot across the street from The Syd.

The concert is free, and VIP tables and reserved seating may be purchased. Food trucks will be available.

A Children’s Art Parade on Saturday morning leads the way to Arts Affair. Families and groups are encouraged to gather at Fulwood Park at 9 a.m. for the parade beginning at 9:30 a.m. The parade will march down Tift Avenue to the Syd Blackmarr Arts Center,

arriving at 10 a.m. as the festival opens.

The festival's Children’s Arts Circus will offer plenty of creative activities and entertainment for kids, including face painting and puppetry arts.

Saturday's live entertainment includes the Matzurisa Japanese Taiko drummers, kid-friendly fun with Red Grammer, and a showcase of local talent. Artisans will offer live demonstrations of their craft, including Raku pottery, glass-blowing, plein-air painting, and Poetry-on-Demand. Visual arts exhibits involve a juried selection of local and national artists in The Syd with contemporary paintings and wood-turned sculptures.

An Artist Market will have handcrafted creations for sale from artisans and craftsmen.

The festival will offer a "Sweet Taste of Tifton" as local bakers showcase their culinary talents by offering a variety of pastries, cookies, and other homemade goodies. An "Authors Row" will have local authors on hand to discuss the local literary scene and offer signed copies of their recent works.

The Arts Affair Festival is sponsored by the Tifton Council for the Arts in collaboration with local artists and cultural enthusiasts to bring creative arts into the heart of the Tifton community.

QUILTS OF VALOR TO BE PRESENTED SATURDAY

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The Wiregrass Quilters Guild will present handmade quilts to local military service members and veterans at 1 p.m. Saturday at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s Chapel of All Faiths.

“This is a partner event for the Georgia Museum of Agriculture (GMA) Gallery, the Wiregrass Quilters Guild, and the Quilts of Valor Foundation,” said GMA Curator Polly Huff.

“The Wiregrass Quilters Guild is our local member organization of the Quilts of Valor Foundation. Over the last 12 years, the Quilts of Valor event has been a part of the annual American Legacy Quilt Show. However, with attendance steadily growing, this is the first year the Guild is presenting it as a separate event.”

Local Guild members are individually matched in advance with recipients, for whom they create unique, handcrafted quilts. The quilts will be presented at the ceremony.

The Quilts of Valor Foundation's mission is to “cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor,” according to the Foundation’s website.

The foundation began in 2003 and has awarded 359,727 quilts; each are made by volunteers and are either made by hand or machine-quilted. Quilts are awarded to nominated current service members or living veterans.

Huff said the GMA and the Wiregrass Quilters Guild are also planning a Quilts of Valor event March 9.

Tift County residents recycle tires at a past recycling drive.

TIFT COUNTY TO ACCEPT SCRAP TIRES FOR RECYCLING ON THURSDAY

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The Tift County tire recycling drive is 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov 2. Residents may bring their scrap tires for recycling to the Tift County Public Works Department at 2011 Whiddon Mill Road.

Organizations are welcome to pick up tires around Tifton and bring them to be recycled. No tires with rims will be accepted, and no heavy-equipment tires.

Tift County resident identification is required. Personal tires, tractor trailer tires, and front and rear tractor tires are acceptable. Tire retailers and tire repair shops may not participate.

SPOTLIGHTING EMPLOYERS WHO HIRE WORKERS WITH DISABILITIES

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The U.S. Department of Labor has declared October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and Diversified Enterprises is spotlighting Tift County employers who hire people with disabilities.

The data is clear about the positive impacts of hiring people with disabilities, says Diversified Enterprises of Tifton. Increased productivity, improved cultural climate, and higher retention rates are some of the documented employer advantages of having people with disabilities in a company workforce, the organization says.

The Tift County School Nutrition Program has four schools each employing workers with disabilities and helping them grow in the workforce.

Nicole Hayse works at Charles Spencer Elementary School and has been working in Tift County schools since 2021. She not only washes dishes, but helps prepare breakfast bags for the next morning and anywhere she is needed. Nicole enjoys poetry and creative writing and is looking for a creative writing course. She is working on publishing her poetry.

Chris Franks at Eighth Street Middle School has been working with the school system since 2013. When he's not washing dishes and stocking the shelves, he volunteers on the football team as a manager on the sidelines assisting with hydration. He has a walking club in his neighborhood and is a mainstay at Eighth Street Middle School.

Shanta has been proudly washing dishes and greeting everyone in the cafeteria at Len Lastinger Elementary since 2013. She will tell you that she is the boss, and that she runs the kitchen. She enjoys going out with her coworkers and trying new restaurants.

Chris Shepherd at Annie Belle Clark Elementary started with Tift County schools in 2022. He has learned a lot from his coworkers. He usually takes the food trays, collects trash, and helps his coworkers. He is family oriented and spends much time helping around his home. Chris keeps a smile on his face, stays focused, and works hard, his manager says.

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CAT OF THE WEEK

"Flour" is an adorable kitty who wonders why she hasn’t been adopted yet. She is seeking a good home. Come visit her at the Tift County Animal Shelter and also see other pets available for adoption between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at the shelter on Highway 125 South, or call 229-382-PETS (7387).

NEW DOWNTOWN TIFTON HOTEL

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

~ NOV. 1, 1913

Work began Nov. 1, 1913, on a new hotel for downtown Tifton. The three-story hotel was being built by Perryman Moore, former owner of the Hotel Georgia that burned earlier that year. The new hotel was being constructed on the west side of Main Street between Third and Fifth streets and a block nearer the center of the central business district than was the former hotel. The new hotel was being built of brick and planned to contain between 30 and 50 rooms.