Honoring Tift's Top Teachers

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Tifton, Georgia

Your Local Digital Newspaper for Tifton and the Greater Tiftarea

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

Tift County teachers honored Monday with Excellence in Teaching Awards are, in front row from left, Paula Evans, Greta Simmons, Eve Rogers, Brittany Kicklighter, Jill Crumley, and Kelly Merritt; back row from left, Noelle McCurdy, Carl Nichols, Lisa Delk, and Zaronna Hamilton.

TOP TEACHERS EDUCATION FOUNDATION, ROTARY CLUB HONOR TIFT COUNTY'S PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATORS

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Ten Tift County public school teachers were recognized Monday night with Excellence in Teaching Awards presented by the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence along with the Rotary Club of Tifton.

The teachers were nominated by a student, parent, peers, or administrator. Each teacher was honored at the banquet sponsored by the Rotary Club.

This year's teachers of excellence 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.

This is the 32nd consecutive year that the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence has honored exceptional teachers in recognition of their outstanding performance in the classroom.

This year's banquet involved students, teachers, and staff. Teacher Melissa Busbin and her computer science students created the apple-shaped awards that were presented. The meal was catered by Hannah Ridgeway and students in Tift County High's Family, Career & Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), the Nutrition & Food Science Department and Lorenzo Simmons, and FFA led by Mason Grant.

The FCCLA and FFA students also decorated the tables and served the meal as hostesses and hosts, Jake Alley and the TCHS Blue Devil Players provided entertainment, Ashley Thoron and her floral design students created the table arrangements, and Dana Spurlin and the TCHS video broadcasting class created and edited a 10-minute video capturing each honored teacher’s surprise when they were notified of the award.

More than 350 educators have been honored since the Foundation began recognizing teachers of excellence in Tift County public schools.

Excellence in Teaching nominations are now open now until May 31, and may be made here.

Also at Monday's banquet, Betty Newkirk, a longtime educator who has served as an assistant superintendent for Tift County schools, received the education foundation's inaugural Brumby Legacy Award, named for Mike and Moppy Brumby, who led the foundation for more than 30 years.

Nathan Johnson, president of the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence, also recognized Marianna Keesee for her support of the foundation and shared that the foundation's Vincent & Marianna Keesee Visual Arts Chair has been fully endowed.

Johnson also recognized retired Tift County educators Harold and Linda Abbott for their donation and funding of the Harold & Linda Abbott Kindness Chair.

At Monday''s education foundation banquet are, from left, Moppy and Mike Brumby, inaugural Brumby Legacy Award recipient Betty Newkirk, and her daughters Kristen Newkirk and Krystal Newkirk.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

DONALD J. TRUMP

BIDEN, TRUMP CLINCH PARTY NOMINATIONS

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

The 2024 presidential race is offcially set: Joe Biden and Donald Trump both clinched their respective parties' nominations Tuesday, receiving enough delegates to be the presumptive nominees.

The outcome was never in doubt as voters went to the polls Tuesday in Georgia, Mississippi, and Washington state. Both candidates easily cruised to victory in Georgia; President Biden led the Democratic voting in both the state and in Tift County; former President Trump led the Republican voting in the state and in Tift County.

State officials said voting was light across the Peach State, as it was in Tift County. In unofficial results late Tuesday, approximately 10% of registered Georgians voted in the presidential primaries; in Tift County, 12.47% of registered voters cast ballots.

Tift is a heavily Republican county with many more votes (a total of 2,509) cast in the GOP primary than in the Democratic primary (561). Trump received 2,288 votes in Tift; Nikki Haley got 192; Ron DeSantis, 15; Vivek Ramaswamy, 4; Tim Scott, 4; Chris Christie, 2; David Stuckenberg, 2; Perry Johnson, 1; and Ryan L. Binkley, 1.

In the Democratic primary in Tift County, Biden received 527 votes; Marianne Williamson, 25; and Dean Phillips, 9.

Statewide, Biden received 95.19% of the Democratic vote; Trump got 84.47% of the GOP vote with more than 96% of all counties reporting, according to the Georgia secretary of state's office.

TYLER RIDDLE

CINDY HAMMOND

DALLAS HUNT

JOHN PRINCE

TIFTAREA YMCA HONORS SUPPORTERS AT DINNER

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Tyler Riddle, the Tiftarea YMCA's chief volunteer officer, and volunteer Cindy Hammond were both honored with the Butch Davis Legacy Award for their service and dedication to the Tiftarea YMCA at its annual Butch Davis Legacy Dinner fundraiser last week.

Hammond’s three grown sons and a grandson came from backstage to present her with the award during the event.

Two other community leaders, John Prince and Dallas Hunt, were both recognized with the Lamar Jackson Spirit Award for their families’ longstanding commitment to the local YMCA.

Both Prince and Hunt expressed their appreciation for the YMCA's impact on their lives and the community, highlighting the organization's role in fostering personal growth and community connection.

Approximately 185 supporters attended the Butch Davis Legacy Dinner named for the late banker and local leader who was an ardent supporter of the Tiftrea YMCA.

YMCA CEO Jason Bishoff highlighted the ongoing initiatives and programs at the organization, emphasizing its commitment to serving the community. Board member Will Flowers gave updates on improvements, changes, and the YMCA's debt-reduction efforts.

“The fundraiser dinner not only celebrated the achievements of these remarkable individuals,” Bishoff said, “but also raised vital funds to support the Tiftarea YMCA's ongoing programs and services. With the generous support of the community, the YMCA continues to be a beacon of hope and opportunity for all.”

GA HISPANIC CHAMBER OPENS TIFTON OFFICE

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has opened a satellite office in Tifton, in partnership with the Georgia Chamber, to support the Hispanic business community in South Georgia.

The office formally opened Monday at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce's Center for Rural Prosperity at 1001 Love Ave.

In a press release, the Hispanic Chamber said the office "marks a significant step in the efforts to expand access and opportunities through resources, collaboration, and connections through quarterly BNG (Business Network Group) meetings for Hispanic businesses in the area and the broader community."

The Hispanic Chamber will provide support to local Hispanic small businesses in South Georgia and across the state.

"With the support of our stakeholders, South Georgia local chambers, and other regional partners, we look forward to building a strong and resilient Hispanic business ecosystem," said Veronica Maldonado-Torres, president and CEO of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Exchange Club Youth finalists are Hallie Haggard, Nadia Yaeger, Coleman Mangham, Addison Jackson, Abbi Richter, Jesse Jones, Reagan Bozeman, Jake Henderson, Bethany Samuel, Sariah Hathaway, Cameron Smith, and Molly Wells.

EXCHANGE CLUB NAMES

TIFT YOUTH OF YEAR

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The Exchange Club of Tifton on Monday presented its annual Youth of the Year Award to Molly Wells, a senior at Tift County High School.

The daughter of Lenny and Paige Wells, Molly received a plaque and a $500 scholarship. She will now represent the Exchange Club of Tifton in the district Youth of the Year competition.

The award is given to a high school senior who has excelled throughout high school in academics, community service, athletics, and additional extracurricular activities.

She was selected from among 12 student finalists representing Tift County High School and Tiftarea Academy.

Finalists were Reagan Bozeman, Hallie Haggard, Sariah Hathaway, Jake Henderson, Addison Jackson, Jesse Jones, Coleman Mangham, Abbi Richter, Bethany Samuel, Cameron Smith, Nadia Yaeger, and Molly Wells.

KIWANIS ART & MUSIC SHOWCASE ON FRIDAY SPOTLIGHTS STUDENTS

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The 2024 Kiwanis Art & Music Showcase will be held at 6 p.m. Friday at Tift County High School's Performing Arts Center.

The event will showcase 125 pieces of artwork and include 33 children performing. The Kiwanis Club of Tifton has sponsored the showcase for more than 35 years.

The Tifton Council for the Arts will also sponsor the Kiwanis Art Showcase exhibit from March 17-24, at the Syd Blackmarr Arts Center on Love Avenue.

The arts council will have an opening reception from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, March 17, at The Syd with the student artists and musicians in attendance. After Sunday, the exhibit will be open through March 24 from 4-7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

FINDING A BALANCE ABOUT WHAT'S BEST FOR CHILDREN, SAYS TIFT JUVENILE JUDGE HEARD

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

In rendering decisions on abused or neglected children, Juvenile Court Judge Render Heard says he must determine if removing children from a safety-compromised home is less disruptive than allowing them to remain.

“I’m supposed to do the thing that disrupts them the least,” Heard told the Tifton Rotary Club. “Children have a natural bond to their parents. Any time we remove children from the home, it is traumatic for the children.”

Often the court is able to leave children with the parents and enter a protective order involving the parents.

“We hear all these horror stories about children who are abused,” Heard said. In the Tifton Judicial Circuit, the vast majority of cases are about children who are neglected.

“We temporarily put them in a foster home while we try to fix what is in their permanent home. If that home cannot be fixed, we move the children into a different situation,” such as foster care or adoption.

The Tifton Judicial Circuit includes Tift, Worth, Turner, and Irwin counties. From October 2022-September 2023, a daily average of 148 children were in foster care in the counties. The number has gone down from a high of 265.

Heard said that drug abuse is the top reason kids in the area are neglected. “Fifty-six percent of our cases involve drugs. Nineteen percent of kids were involved in general neglect in an unsanitary house or a lack of supervision. Only 3% of cases were physical abuse, he said.

Heard said the Tifton Circuit has 10% more maltreatment reports than the rest of the state.

“We have a higher rate of reporting because we’re in a small rural community where everybody knows everybody,” Heard said. “People are more apt to get involved than they do in the larger cities.

“We remove children at a higher rate than other counties in the state, I say, because we do a better job of protecting kids. There isn’t one kid that spends a day in foster care that it isn’t absolutely necessary for safety reasons.”

The court is required to create a case plan of how they plan to fix the problem in each case. With drugs, parents often have to go into an inpatient treatment facility and that takes 12 months.

“How do we get the parents into treatment?” he said. “There’s always a waiting list, and often parents don’t want to go. There’s a lot of moving parts in what we do.”

He said it’s a balance between holding them accountable for their actions, while giving the parents time to get well.

“They need a support group. Some of these are good people who want to do well. We’re starting a program now where they are integrated in groups in the church or elsewhere.”

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CAT OF THE WEEK

"Bette Davis" is a young female kitty looking for her new home and flashing her "Bette Davis" eyes. Come visit her 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).

SGBC ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

FOR $1,000 MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

South Georgia Banking Co. (SGBC) is accepting applications for the 2024 Julian & Jan Hester Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship assists high school seniors in their first year of college and promotes community banking. All Georgia high school seniors are eligible to compete for the scholarship if they are planning to enter a Georgia university, college, or technical institute in the upcoming fall semester following their high school graduation. Applicants must be full-time students.

Each year, the Community Bankers Association (CBA) of Georgia awards four $1,000 scholarships.

SGBC will select one applicant as the local winner, who will be awarded a $500 cash scholarship before moving on to the CBA selection process. The bank will also name a local runner-up, who will also be considered for one of the four $1,000 prizes.

To compete, students must be sponsored by a local community bank, must complete an activity record expressing their leadership activity in school, write a short essay on community banking, and provide teacher recommendations and an official high school transcript. Awards are based on academic merit and not financial need.

The student application can be found here. Applications may be returned to the nearest SGBC branch or mailed it to: SGBC, P.O. Box 1505, Tifton GA 31793. The deadline is April 5.

TIFTON CITY COUNCIL IMPOSES HIGH TAX

ON SALE OF CIGARETTES, CIGARETTE PAPER

~ MARCH 11, 1892

Tifton City Council met March 11, 1892, in the offices of Alderman H.H. Tift and voted to impose a $250 tax on the sale of cigarettes and cigarette paper within the city. That tax translates to nearly $8,500 in today's dollars. Voting for the tax were Mayor Love and Alderman Tift, Bowen, Allen, Goodman, Alexander, and McCrea.