Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018
Tifton, Georgia
|
|
|
IT'S ELECTION DAY
...AGAIN!
REPUBLICANS LEAD FOR SECRETARY OF STATE, PSC
|
The statewide
runoff election
was held
Tuesday
for
tw
o races
in which neither
Democratic
nor
Republican
candidates received a majority of the vote in the
Nov. 6
general election:
- Secretary of State: Democrat John Barrow vs. Republican Brad Raffensperger
- Public Service Commission District 3: Incumbent Republican Chuck Eaton vs. Democrat Lindy Miller
I
n
early statewide results Tuesday night
,
Republicans
in
both races
were leading their
Democratic
opponents by a wide margin. With
84
percent of the
statewide
vote reporting,
Raffensperger
had
59.12
percent to
Barrow's
40.88
percent. The
PSC
race had a
similar
margin.
In unofficial
Tift County
results,
Raffensperger
received
3,551
votes (
74
percent) to
Barrow's
1,246
(
25.97
percent) for
secretary of state
.
In the
PSC
race, Tift countians chose
Eaton
,
3,579
(
75.35
percent) to
Miller
,
1,171
(
24.65
percent). The votes are expected to be certified on
Friday
.
Of the
22,064
registered voters in
Tift
County,
4,809
, or
21.8
percent,
voted
in Tuesday's
runoff election
.
|
|
Tifton City Council lit the city's Christmas tree above City Hall on Monday night following the City Council workshop meeting.
|
|
TIFTON CHRISTMAS PARADE SET THIS FRIDAY
|
|
Tifton's Christmas Parade
has been
rescheduled
for
6 p.m.
this
Friday, Dec. 7
. The planned
Hometown Holiday Christmas Celebration events
will be held at a
later date
after
the
first of the year
.
The
parade
and
holiday events
, including carnival rides, "ice" skating, zip-lining and live entertainment, were
originally set
for
last Saturday
but were
postponed
because of
inclement weather.
Friday's parade check-in
begins at
4 p.m.
at
Third Street
and
Magnolia Drive
behind Tractor Supply Co.
The
parade route
is the
same
as initially planned,
beginning
at
Second Street
and
Magnolia Drive
, traveling
east
on
Second Street
, turning
left
on
Main Street
and
ending
at the corner of
Eighth Street
and
Love Avenue
.
|
|
MILTARY MEDAL BEING AWARDED TO LATE AMERICUS POLICEMAN KILLED ON JOB
|
|
The
Navy and Marine Corps Medal
will be
awarded
posthumously
to U.S. Reserve Marine Lance Cpl.
Nicholas Smarr
on
Friday, Dec. 7,
for his
heroic actions
on
Dec. 7, 2016,
while serving as a
police officer
with the
Americus Police Department
.
The presentation
ceremony
will be at
noon Friday
at the
Georgia Southwestern State University School of Nursing
, 800 GSW State University Drive.
A member of the
Marine Forces Reserve
,
Individual Ready Reserve
and an
Americus police officer, Smarr
, who was
25
, had responded to a
reported domestic dispute
. After being dispatched,
Smarr
and
Georgia Southwestern State University
police officer
Jody Smith
then pursued a suspect.
Both officers
were
shot in the head
during an ensuing
ambush
. Although
mortally wounded
, body camera
footage
shows that
Smarr crawled to Smith
and
administered first aid
until he could no longer do so.
Smarr
selflessly performed
chest compressions
until he finally
succumbed
to his own wounds, authorities said.
"Although
Officer Smith
, too, eventually
died
, Lance Cpl.
Smarr's actions
have been credited with
keeping him alive long enough
for his
organs
to be
donated
. By his
courageous and selfless actions
in the face of
great personal risk
,
Lance Cpl. Smarr
reflected
great credit upon himself
and
upheld the highest traditions
of the
Marine Corps
and the
United States Naval Service
," the
Marine
Corps
said in a written statement.
Smarr
had been with the
Americus Police
Department for
one year
.
Smarr
and
Smith
had
known each other their entire lives
and were
best friends
.
Smarr
was to serve as the
best man
at
Smith's wedding
that was
scheduled
in
May 2017.
The
Navy and Marine Corps Medal
will be
presented
to
Smarr’s family
by U.S. Marine Lt. Col.
Charlie Daniel
.
|
|
WOODY LEONARD TO BE INDUCTED INTO NATIONAL BAND DIRECTORS HALL OF FAME
|
|
Woody Leonard
, former
band director
at
Tift County High School
(TCHS) and band director at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
, will be inducted into the
National High School Band Directors Hall of Fame
at
7 p.m. Dec. 10
in
Valdosta
.
Leonard’s induction
into the Hall of Fame will be during the
Azalea Winds Christmas Concert
at the
Valdosta-Lowndes Parks and Recreation Authority Senior Center
on East Park Avenue in Valdosta.
Leonard
is a member of the
Azalea Winds
and will conduct one of the numbers during the concert. There is no charge for admission.
The
National High School Band Directors Hall of Fame
recognizes and promotes the nation’s
outstanding
high school
band directors
and advocates for the
teaching
of
music
in
public schools
.
Leonard
served as
band director
at
TCHS
from
1986-2005
,
Dalton High School
from
1980-81
, and
Cook Middle School
from
2008-15
. He was also the
assistant band director
at
Lowndes
High in
1976-79
and
1981-86
, as well as serving as a
graduate assistant
with the
Auburn University band
program from
1979-80
. His tenure at
ABAC
was from
2007-12
.
“This is an
overwhelming honor
for me,”
Leonard
said. “I feel very
fortunate
to be included in this
prestigious group
of band directors.”
During his
19-year
tenure at
TCHS
, the
Blue Devil Brigade
won numerous
regional marching contests
and performed
pre-game
and
half-time shows
for
Auburn
University,
Tulane
University,
Troy State
, the
New Orleans Saints
and the
Atlanta Falcons
.
Under
Leonard
, the
Brigade
was the sole
representative
for the state of
Georgia
in
1988, 1991
and
1995
at the
Festival of States National Band Championships
in
St. Petersburg, Fla.
Awards received at this five-day event included
Best Drum Majors and Percussion
(1991) and
Best Jazz Ensemble
and the prestigious
Heart of St Petersburg Award
(1995).
The
Blue Devil Brigade
marched in the nationally televised
Brach’s Holiday Parade
in
Chicago
, Ill., (1996), the
Bank United Thanksgiving Day Parade
in
Houston, Texas
, (1998) and the
Orange Bowl Parade
(2000) in
Miami
. In
2004
, the
Brigade
represented
Georgia
at the
ABC-6/Boscov’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
in
Philadelphia
.
Leonard continues to judge
band competitions
throughout the state and has conducted numerous
concert
and
jazz ensemble honor bands
. In 2015, Leonard was named by Gov.
Nathan Deal
to serve on the
Governor’s Arts Learning Task Force
, a 16-member organization charged with making recommendations to improve arts educational achievements.
In
1984
,
Leonard
was selected as an
"Outstanding Young Man"
by the National Jaycee Association, and in
1996
he received an
"Excellence in Teaching Award"
from the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence. Leonard also received the
“Pacesetter Award”
in
2012
from students at ABAC.
|
|
TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
RIBBON CUTTING
|
|
Atlantic & Southern Equipment, LLC
4186 U.S. Highway 82 West, Tifton
Nov. 29
|
|
GOV REAPPOINTS TIFTON'S RUTH LEE
|
|
Gov.
Nathan Deal
has reappointed
Ruth Lee
of
Tifton
to the
Georgia Council on Aging
.
Lee
retired as the
director of oncology services
in
Tifton
. She was previously the
executive director
of
Hospice of Central Georgia
in
Macon
and the
director
of
Hospice of Tift Area
at
Tift Regional Medical Center.
Lee
was previously a member of the
Ga. Department of Medical Assistance Hospice Advisory Committee
and the
Quad State Hospice Medicaid Advisory Committee.
She earned a
nursing
diploma from the
Georgia Baptist College of Nursing
at
Mercer University
, a
bachelor’s
degree from
Tift College
and a
bachelor’s
degree in
nursing
from
Albany State University
.
Lee
and her husband,
Michael
, have
three
children and
six
grandchildren. They reside in
Tifton
.
|
|
ABAC GETS YOUNG ADULT DRIVER SAFETY GRANT
The
Governor’s Office of Highway Safety
(GOHS) has announced a
$8,595
grant to
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
for participation in the GOHS
Georgia Young Adult Program
(GYAP).
GOHS addresses
young adult driver
crashes, injuries and fatalities. It also partners with
colleges and universities
to implement the GYAP. The program has proven to be
successful
using strategies such as peer education, providing educational speakers to schools, and encouraging schools to develop creative, innovative techniques to reduce young adult crashes, injuries and fatalities in their communities.
“The
Governor’s Office of Highway Safety
is committed to
changing the tragic trend
of young adult
driver deaths
in Georgia,” GOHS Director
Harris Blackwood
said.
“We’re here to make changes, and I believe the students at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
can help us achieve the
goal
of
lowering driver, crash, injury
and
fatality rates
statewide. Who better to address the challenges and dangers facing young adults than their peers? I’m confident these students can convince their
peers
to be
safer
, more
conscientious
drivers.”
The GYAP program at ABAC coordinates events such as impaired driving prevention
programs
including
DUI simulators
and professional
speakers
.
Blackwood
said
grant
funding runs from
Oct. 1
through
Sept. 30, 2019
.
|
|
PHOTO EXHIBIT OPENING IN FITZGERALD
|
|
Photographer
Kamia McWilliams
has developed a new body of work, specifically for her show at
Fitzgerald’s
historic
Carnegie Center
, entitled,
“Aisha: She Who Lives.”
The exhibit opening reception is
5-7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 8.
The portrait series is a contemporary twist on traditional
African style
. There will be six poster-sized portraits on display as well as smaller prints. The prints were created through a partnership among the library at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
,
McWilliams
and the
Fitzgerald Ben Hill Arts Council.
McWilliams
has used her art to draw attention to the struggles she and her loved ones face. In one series entitled
“I’m depressed, not defeated,”
she photographed young women who battle
depression
and interviewed them about their experiences.
“Both women touched my heart and also gave me hope when it came to my
personal experience
with depression,” she wrote.
In another, she took portraits of her
stepfather
and his extensive scars. Milton Magwood experienced
serious burns
after an explosion at his job. His primary concern was his coworkers and didn’t know how severe the burns were until he arrived at the hospital. He underwent nearly
40
surgeries. McWilliams
photographed
him
shirtless
, exposing the
scars
across his body. But Magwood did not look weak in the portraits, instead he flexed his arms, showing his
strength
.
In addition to six previously unseen portraits by McWilliams, she has produced a
poetry book
in conjunction with her show.
In addition to running her
photography business
, which recently opened a studio in
downtown Fitzgerald
, McWilliams is a
911 operator
in
Tifton
. Her husband,
Sable McWilliams
, has produced his own modern take on African music for the exhibit.
The exhibit will be on display for two months at the
Carnegie Center
, 120 S. Lee St. in
Fitzgerald
.
|
|
STAFFORD EMPLOYEES SUPPORT RUTH'S COTTAGE
Pictured are some of the
Stafford Co. employees
who purchased
bricks
for the
“Pave the Way for Victims”
campaign in support of a new Ruth’s Cottage domestic violence shelter and administrative offices.
Employees’ donations
were matched by
Stafford
, a longtime partner to
Ruth's Cottage and the Patticake House.
The total
Stafford donation
was
$25,000
.
|
|
NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR ROTARY
ETHICS IN BUSINESS AWARD
|
|
The Rotary Club of Tifton
is seeking
nominations
for its annual
Rotary Ethics in Business Award
, which will be presented
Jan. 31
at the
Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting
.
To be considered for the award, a
business
must be located in
Tift County
and be a member of the
Chamber of Commerce.
Also, the business must have
consistently demonstrated high ethical standards
of
honesty
and
integrity
in dealing with employees, customers and contractors while enhancing the
economic well-being
of the company and providing
local jobs
, opportunity and profits.
Nomination
applications
must be received by
Dec. 21
. The nominations may be submitted by anyone other than an owner or manager of the nominated business or their family members.
Nominations
must be mailed to the
Tifton Rotary Club, Attn: Ethics in Business, P.O. Box 1354, Tifton, GA 31793.
To get the nomination form,
Click Here!
The
first recipient
of the
Rotary Ethics in Business Award
was
Central Jewelers
in
Downtown Tifton
. In the photo above,
John Falotico
of
Central Jewelers
, left, receives the award on
May 1, 2013
, from then-Rotary president
Frank Sayles Jr.
|
|
31 FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS
INSPECTED DURING NOVEMBER
|
|
The
Environmental Health Services
section of the
Tift County Health Department
conducted
31 food service inspections
during
November
in
Tift County
.
Any
violations
are divided into
two
categories –
public health interventions to control food-borne illness risks
and
good retail practices
.
Risk factors
are food preparation practices and employee behaviors most commonly reported to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
as contributing factors in food-borne illness outbreaks.
Good retail practices
are
preventive
measures to control the introduction of pathogens, chemicals and physical objects into foods.
To see the
Tift County food service inspections
for
November
,
Click Here!
|
|
GOT A WEEKEND YARD SALE? LET US KNOW!
The
Tifton Grapevine
is now publishing
yard sales
in
Friday editions
. The
yard sales
are
text
only,
no photos
, and is part of a
list
linked from the
Grapevine
edition to our
web page
.
The
cost
is
$1 per word
, and
yard sales
must be
paid in advance
via
credit card
or
PayPal
.
|
|
Tifton Grapevine
e-published every Tuesday and Friday
Frank Sayles Jr.
Editor & Publisher
Bonnie Sayles
Managing Editor
|
|
|
A Service of
Sayles Unlimited Marketing LLC
, Tifton, Georgia
|
|
See what's happening on our social sites:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
