Honoring Jack Stone

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

Jack Stone at Tifton's Veteran Park, named in his honor Saturday, stands with framed items chronicling some of his work on behalf of local veterans.

TIFTON NAMES VETERANS PARK

FOR JACK STONE

LONGTIME BUSINESSMAN-VOLUNTEER INSTRUMENTAL

IN DOWNTOWN PARK'S CREATION DECADES AGO

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Longtime Tifton businessman and community volunteer Jack Stone was surprised Saturday as Tifton’s Veterans Memorial Park was named in his honor.

The honor was announced during Tifton's Memorial Day ceremony Saturday morning. Stone, 93, a U.S. Army veteran, was instrumental in the park's creation more than three decades ago and has since organized veterans observances at the downtown site.

“He worked tirelessly to create this memorial park," Mayor Julie B. Smith said during the presentation. “The community appreciates you so very much."

The veterans park grew out of Stone's vision, and he worked to obtain the necessary funding and then has served as the park's volunteer curator. For nearly a decade, he pushed for a U.S. Veterans Administration clinic in Tifton, which came to fruition in 2016.

For approximately 60 years, Stone has been involved in community affairs. He was one of the organizers of the Downtown Tifton Merchants Association and served on its board for nearly a half century.

Stone currently serves on the Tifton Downtown Development Authority and the Tifton-Tift County Tourism Association boards, and in recent years has also served on the Tift Theatre board.

He has owned and operated the Western Auto store on Main Street since 1959, and played football, along with his renowned athlete-brother Bobby, for Tifton High School in the mid 1940s.

FILM PROJECTS CONTINUE

IN SOUTH GEORGIA

Hollywood movies continue to be made in South Georgia. Thomasville is the site of two film productions underway.

“Bandit,” a true crime feature starring Josh Duhamel and Mel Gibson, is currently filming in Thomasville, and “Supercell,” a tornado-disaster film starring Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche, is filming on location in both Montana and Thomasville.

Both productions have strong local ties to filmmakers and producers in the Thomasville area, according to the Thomasville Times-Enterprise.

Thomasville Pictures, a production company headed by Thomas County native Allen Cheney and his partner, Ryan Smith, has brought several film projects to Thomasville, the Times-Enterprise reported.

“We are so thrilled to continue seeing production find a home in Thomasville, and we are determined to shepherd these projects in a way that benefits both the films and the local community,” Cheney told the Thomasville newspaper.

Thomasville and Tifton were the locations for filming "The Tiger Rising" with Queen Latifah and Dennis Quaid, and Tifton and Fitzgerald has hosted several recent films starring Bruce Willis.

ABAC PROF NAMED TO GEORGIA AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION HALL OF FAME

Dr. Farish Mulkey, an assistant professor of agricultural education at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, has been selected for the Georgia Agricultural Education Hall of Fame.

Mulkey joins two current ABAC faculty members, Dr. Frank Flanders and Von Peavy, in the Hall of Fame.

Mulkey began his 32-year career in agricultural education as a classroom agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at Macon County High School in 1988. At ABAC he advises, teaches, and prepares the next crop of agricultural educators.

In a career that saw him teach both middle and high school in Macon County, Worth County, Bainbridge, and Stephens County, Mulkey and his students have achieved a great deal of success. He served as advisor to 61 state degree recipients, 14 American degree recipients, 18 state and four national career development event winners, and nine state proficiency award winners.

During his career, Mulkey has served as a young farmer advisor, providing instruction for adults, was named teacher of the year in his school system, participated on local Farm Bureau boards, and has served on committees within the Georgia Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association.

TIFT COUNTY SEES 17 NEW COVID-19 CASES IN 2 WEEKS

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Tift County has recorded 17 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 during the past two weeks, eight of them in the past week, said the Ga. Department of Public Health (DPH) on Tuesday.

There were no additional coronavirus-related deaths in Tift County during the period, the DPH reported.

Within the past two weeks, Tift's new cases represent 42 per 100,000 population, the DPH reported. Also during that period, Tift had a testing positivity rate of 2.8%.

Since the pandemic began, Tift County has had 3,465 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 98 related deaths, the DPH said.

Georgia reported 187 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday with one additional deaths and 19 new hospitalizations. The state has reported a total of 896,255 confirmed cases and 18,069 related COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic began.

TURNER SHERIFF, SRTC POLICE RECEIVING STATE GRANTS FOR

LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING

The Turner County Sheriff's Office and the Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) police department are among 63 law enforcement agencies receiving state training grants totaling $6.8 million.

The Turner County Sheriff's Office will receive $74,707, and SRTC police will get $213,086, according to the governor's office.

"This grant program will help pay for essential training – including in use of force and de-escalation – for state and local law enforcement officers and give them the tools they need to keep our communities safe," said Gov. Brian P. Kemp.

During the 2020 legislative session, Kemp recommended and lawmakers approved the creation of the law enforcement training grant program through the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for state and local law enforcement agencies.

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SOUTHWELL MEDICAL ANNOUNCES NEW COO FOLLOWING RETIREMENT

Jay Carmichael, current chief of staff at Southwell, will serve as chief operating officer at Southwell Medical in Adel following the retirement of Carol Smith.

Smith, chief nursing executive and chief operating officer for Southwell Medical in Adel and former acute care and chief nursing officer for Tift Regional Medical Center, announced her retirement at the end of May.

Carmichael has been with Southwell since 2016 and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Armstrong State University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina.

“While I will miss everyone I worked with at Southwell Medical, I know Jay Carmichael will do a fantastic job,” said Smith. “I am leaving the hospital in great hands.”

Smith had joined Southwell in 2013 and has served for 44 years in various healthcare roles, including as an executive at hospitals and medical centers in Savannah, Vidalia, Northampton, Mass., and Ashland, Ky.

She has also served on the boards of Ruth's Cottage & the Patticake House, and the Tift College and Career Academy.

TIFT COUNTY SCHOOLS NAME

ITS BUS DRIVER OF YEAR

Bennie Knight, at right, has been named School Bus Driver of the Year for the Tift County School System. Knight has been a bus driver for nine years.

John May, left, transportation coordinator for Tift County Schools, presented the award Thursday as the school system honored its drivers, 27 of whom had perfect attendance during the past year.

Bus drivers are "often the first staff member our students see each day and the last one they see in the afternoon. They make a difference in the lives of these students," the school system said.

DOLLAR GENERAL GIVES GRANT

TO SRTC FOR ADULT LITERACY

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) a $10,000 grant to support adult literacy.

“I am truly at a loss of words at how much this grant will impact the literacy rates of our communities,” said Andy Semones, SRTC adult education director.

“This grant will provide funding for high school equivalency testing scholarships, and integrated education training programs. These students will be given an opportunity to completely change their future. We are honored to partner with Dollar General to not only enrich the lives of our students, but positively impact the literacy rates of our communities.”

SRTC's adult education program is designed to meet the needs of individuals who require assistance with basic academic skills. The services are free.

"For nearly 30 years, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has been proud to invest in literacy and education programs in our hometown communities," said Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

"The recent and significant shifts in the educational landscape have made the foundation’s mission more critically important. As we work to create access to high-quality instruction for all individuals, we share our gratitude for the educators who are working to uplift and empower others."

OCILLA TO HOLD MEMORIAL BLOOD DRIVE

The annual Glenn Roberts Memorial Blood Drive, in honor of the Ocilla businessman who died of cancer in 2016, will be held 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, June 11, at Dill's Ace Hardware in Ocilla.

Roberts, a 1977 graduate of Irwin County High School and an avid hunter and fisherman, needed many transfusions of blood and platelets during his battle with cancer. The annual blood drive, sponsored by the OneBlood organization, is being held in Roberts' honor to help give second chances to other patients and their families in the community.

Every donor will receive a mini-physical that includes a temperature check. For blood donors who are fully vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine, masks are optional. For donors not not fully vaccinated, masks are required.

For information or to make an appointment, call 229-468-9114 or email irwinchamber@windstream.net

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

South Georgia Gellyball & Just Bouncin Around Inflatables

1239 U.S. Highway 82 E.

May 26

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TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CAT OF THE WEEK

"Buttercup," this one-to-two-year-old female cat, needs a home and is available for adoption at the Tift County Animal Shelter. To adopt your next pet, visit the Animal Shelter from 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, or call 229-382-PETS (7387).

Pets of the Week are sponsored by:

Branch's Veterinary Clinic

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

NEW HOME FOR TIFTON LIBRARY OPENS DOORS

– JUNE 5, 1966

The new home of the Tifton-Tift County Public Library formally opened its doors with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 5, 1966. The library, following extensive renovation, took over the building on Love Avenue formally used for Tifton's post office.