Award recipients at Thursday night’s Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce Banquet are, from left, Dr. Kaylar Howard, Tom Coogle, Red Hill, Dr. Joe Lewis, Heather Pye, Lynda Turner, and Jimmy and Jennifer Cole.

JOE LEWIS NAMED TO TIFTON-TIFT 'WALL OF FAME'

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HONORS LOCAL LEADERS

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Dr. W. Joe Lewis, a world-renowned, retired agricultural scientist and former Tifton vice mayor, was named to the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce’s Wall of Fame on Thursday.

Lewis was among those honored during the Chamber’s annual banquet at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center.

The Wall of Fame designation is made to a community leader who has contributed greatly to Tifton and Tift County. Lewis spent four decades conducting ground-breaking research at the USDA Agricultural Research Station in Tifton.

Among Lewis’ honors are the renowned Wolf Prize in Agriculture awarded by Israeli President Shimon Peres; USDA's Agricultural Research Service Outstanding Scientist of the Year; Special Congressional Recognition for Outstanding Achievement, Service, and Public Distinction; and the Jean-Marie Delwart Prize, conferred in Brussels in conjunction with the Royal Academy of Sciences of Belgium.

He also served the community on Tifton City Council for 16 years, including a stint as vice mayor.

Also Thursday night at the Chamber of Commerce banquet, the Tifton-Tift Chamber honored:

• Dr. Kaylar Howard as the Prince Business Woman of the Year. The award recognizes an outstanding business woman who has demonstrated excellence in her profession while dedicating her time and talents in the community. Howard, with The Howard Center for Women’s Health, has grown a thriving practice since 2001 and supports and sponsors various activities that promote the community, schools, churches, and charities. 

• Lynda Turner with Abide Home Care as Chamber Ambassador of the Year. Turner was said to exemplify qualities that the award recognizes in an ambassador: Dedication to furthering the Chamber’s mission and steadfastness in being present and helping at any Chamber events.

• Coach Norman “Red” Hill as recipient of the Stafford Award recognizing economic development. Hill is credited with putting Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College on the international map during his 30 years coaching tennis. He has served on various local community boards, including the Tift County Economic Development Board, and his efforts helped bring hundreds of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in investment to Tift County and South Georgia.

• Tom Coogle as the John Hunt Entrepreneur of the Year, awarded to an innovator who has worked to grow Tifton’s business community. Coogle, with Reynolds Foodliner, took over the family business, grew it exponentially, owns multiple businesses in Tifton, and has brought to town such new businesses as Your Pie Pizza and Ace Hardware.

• Heather Pye with Clearwave Fiber as the J. Lamar Branch Memorial Award recipient given to a “rookie” Chamber Ambassador who best exhibits the outstanding style of leadership that the late Lamar Branch personified. Pye received the award for her "immediate and enthusiastic participation" in Chamber events from her first week in Tifton and her eagerness to help in any capacity. 

• Cole’s Cakery as the Rotary Club of Tifton’s Ethics in Business Award recipient. The award is given to a local business that has demonstrated exceptional ethical behavior, contributes to the area’s well-being, and helps make Tifton an excellent community. Cole’s Cakery, owned and operated by Jimmy and Jennifer Cole, was said to consistently demonstrate high ethical standards on honesty and integrity in dealing with employees, customers and contractors while enhancing the economic well-being of the community, providing local jobs and opportunities.

Also at Thursday’s banquet, outgoing Chamber Board Chairman Jared Ross passed the gavel to incoming Board Chair Chris Efaw of Southwell.

Ross thanked the board, Chamber staff, and members for their support; Efaw’s remarks looked toward the Chamber’s future, praising Tifton’s “small-town values and progressive nature."

Efaw said he is concerned about the lack of optimism in leadership on the national level.

"Let’s make being pragmatic a thing again. Let’s focus less on culture wars and more on problem solving. Let’s not be blinded by partisanship. Let’s not let ideology outmaneuver rationality,” Efaw said.

"Let’s get away from the packaging and selling of rage and paranoia. Let’s inspire people instead of fomenting fear. ... Then, common ground has a chance, and our future can find purpose."

Come join the African Children’s Choir as they perform in our community during their U.S. Tour. Experience a performance that shows the beauty, dignity, and potential of each African child! 

Admission is free; a free-will offering will follow the concert. The African Children’s Choir melts the hearts of audiences with their charming smiles, beautiful voices, and lively African songs and dances. 

The “Just As I Am” tour combines traditional hymns with African cultural sounds and a stunning visual story of God’s faithfulness. Despite the tragedy that has marred their young lives, the children are radiant with hope, musically gifted, and always wonderfully entertaining. The free-will offering will help support the Music for Life Institute, which has relief and development programs in seven African countries.

GA SUPREME COURT DENIES TIFTON MAN’S APPEAL IN BERRIEN VEHICULAR DEATHS

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

The Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday unanimously denied a Tifton man’s appeal of his murder conviction and life sentence stemming from the deaths of two siblings in Berrien County in 2013.

According to court documents, Israel Timothy Rutland, age 41 at the time of his trial, was convicted of felony murder in connection with the deaths of Kelly Marie Prescott, 32, and Matthew Dean Horton, 23, resulting from a vehicular collision during a high-speed police chase on Nov. 12, 2013.

Authorities said Rutland was driving through Tift County when a law enforcement officer attempted to pull him over to execute a pending arrest warrant. Rutland refused to stop and led officers on a chase spanning multiple counties with speeds up to 101 mph, according to court documents.

Once in Berrien County, Rutland drove through an intersection with a stop sign and collided with a Trailblazer driven by Heidi Mancil. Her siblings, Prescott and Horton, both of Willacoochee, were also in the vehicle and declared dead at the scene. Their cause of death was determined to be severe trauma as a result of the collision.

Mancil survived but suffered serious injuries and had to be life-flighted to a hospital.

In December 2016, a Berrien County jury convicted Rutland of two counts of felony murder. He was sentenced to life in prison plus six years. He then filed a motion for new trial. After a hearing on his motion, the trial court vacated a conviction for fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer and re-sentenced Rutland to serve life in prison plus five years, denying the motion for new trial.

He then appealed to the state Supreme Court, which upheld his conviction and sentence.

TIFT, TURNER JURIES RETURN GUILTY VERDICTS

STAFF REPORTS

Criminal juries in the Tifton Judicial Circuit returned multiple guilty verdicts in two violent crime cases this trial term in Tift and Turner superior courts, according to District Attorney Bryce Johnson.

Tift County jurors returned a verdict of guilty on all counts against Francisco Garcia Jr. of Tifton on an indictment charging him with aggravated child molestation and other crimes after a trial in Tift Superior Court last week, Johnson said Thursday.

Superior Court Chief Judge Bill Reinhardt sentenced Garcia on Thursday to serve 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole.  

A Turner County jury this week returned a guilty verdict against Marcus Moore of Ashburn on an indictment for armed robbery, kidnapping, and aggravated assault.  Moore faces a possible lifetime in prison when the sentencing determination is expected to be handed down today by Superior Court Judge Melanie B. Cross.

“In both these cases, we commend the jurors for their commitment to the cause of justice and service to our community and circuit," Johnson said Thursday.  

“We know that these verdicts will never take away the suffering of the victims and their loved ones, but we hope it will give them some amount of peace that these violent felons have been brought to justice.”

The Tift County case was presented to the jury by Tifton Circuit Assistant District Attorney Kim Schwalls; the Tift County Sheriff’s Department investigation was led by Jason Barber. Latricia Sumner assisted the victims through the trial process, and Melissa Luke, district attorney investigator, was also instrumental in bringing the matter to trial, Johnson said.  

The Turner County case was presented to the jury by Tifton Circuit Assistant District Attorney Sandra Guest; Jerry Davis of the Ashburn Police Department led the investigation. Jodie Spooner provided victim’s services, and DA investigator Leslie Bailey was instrumental in the prosecution’s efforts, Johnson said.

“We have stellar law enforcement in our circuit, and the work done by the men and women of the Tift County Sheriff’s Department and Ashburn Police Department, as well as the hardworking staff in the DA’s office, is evidence of that,” Johnson said.

FENTANYL TOP CAUSE OF DRUG OVERDOSES, SAYS HEALTH OFFICIAL

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

Jen Wingertsahn, an opioid prevention specialist with the South Health District, spoke to the Tifton Rotary Club on Wednesday about the epidemic of opioid addiction.

She described how the opioid epidemic developed in waves. In the 1990s, American physicians classified pain as the fifth vital sign, and began giving prescriptions for every kind of pain. They began being abused. 

Examples of opioids are loritab, morphine, fentanyl, heroin, and OxyContin. “Drug companies in the 1990s promoted false narratives,” Wingertsahn said, “and a lot of doctors believed it.”

Drug sales representatives received big bonuses for promoting and selling OxyContin to physicians, she said. Physicians received kickbacks like luxury vacations. 

Wingertsahn described the signs and symptoms of a drug overdose: Blue fingernails and lips; small, pinpoint pupils; slow pulse; limp posture; and gray or ashen complexion in dark-skinned people and bluish complexion in light-skinned people. 

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid. “It is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine,” she said. Fentanyl is now the No. 1 cause of drug overdoses, she said.

“As little as 1-2 mg can cause a fatal overdose,” she said. “Illicit fentanyl is primarily manufactured by the drug cartels in Mexico,” so not at all produced in sterile environments. “It is increasingly found to lace other drugs, such as meth, cocaine, and counterfeit drugs.”

From 2017 to 2021, drug overdoses among teenagers increased by 800%, Wingertsahn said. Narcan is a nasal spray used as an antagonist against opioids. It is effective in 30-90 minutes, neutralizing the effects of the opioid, and it has no negative side effects. 

TIFTON’S RASHOD BATEMAN,

AN NFL WIDE RECEIVER,

TO HOLD ‘MEET & GREET'

Rashod Bateman, Tifton native and wide receiver for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, will be coming to the City of Tifton’s Anthony G. Bateman Youth Center for a “meet and greet."

The former Tift County Blue Devil star will be available from 3-5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Youth Center, named for his late uncle.

Rashod Bateman was the Baltimore Ravens' first-round pick in the NFL draft in 2021. He previously was a star receiver at the University of Minnesota.

Pictured from left are four Heatcraft representatives, along with Brenda Stone, Sgt. Yuriana Vazquez, Chris Luckey, Rachel Elizondo, Barbara Wilber, and April Salas. 

RUTH’S COTTAGE RECOGNIZES VOLUNTEERS WITH AWARDS

Ruth’s Cottage and the PattiCake House (RCPCH) held a volunteer recognition event Tuesday, and Heatcraft/Lennox International received the organization’s highest honor – the Champions of Hope Award.

Brenda Stone of Southwell was the Third Door Award recipient for her work on behalf of sexual assault victims. Sgt. Yuriana Vazquez of the Tift County Sheriff’s Office received the J. Harvey Davis Award for her work on behalf of domestic violence victims.

Chris Luckey of the Tifton Police Department received the Above and Beyond Award for his work on behalf of child-abuse victims. Rachel Elizondo received the first-ever Betty Ryfun Volunteer of the Year Award.

RCPCH’s Assistant Director Barbara Wilber, who will be retiring in June, was honored for her six years of work on behalf of RCPCH. April Salas, assistant director of ABAC’s College Assistance Migrant Program, received the first Latino Outreach Award.

Ruth’s Cottage is a non-profit agency incorporated in 2002 to end domestic and sexual violence, as well as child sexual and physical abuse. The Patticake House is a child advocacy center established in 2005 to provide forensic interviewing of children with family support services.

SEVERAL GA PLAYERS SUITING UP

FOR SUNDAY’S SUPER BOWL

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Although Sunday’s Super Bowl won’t be played on bermudagrass developed in Tifton, as many have been in the past, there still will be several Georgia connections at the game in Arizona.

Four former University of Georgia Bulldogs will be suiting up for the NFL championship between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Former Bulldogs Mecole Hardman and Malik Herring will be in uniform for the Chiefs, while on the Eagles side will be UGA alumni Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean.

Also, former Georgia Southern quarterback and current Kansas City Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon is expected to play Sunday.

Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., will be played on Tahoma 31 bermudagrass developed by Oklahoma State University researchers.

In several recent years, Super Bowls have been played on Tifway 419, a turfgrass developed on the UGA Tifton Campus.

'EVENING FOR ABAC' RETURNS FEB. 25

A night of food, fun, dancing, and supporting student scholarships occurs Feb. 25 during Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s annual “An Evening for ABAC.”

The event at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center, includes a virtual auction beginning Feb. 22, a silent auction, cocktails, dinner, and entertainment featuring a live mariachi band and disc jockey ETC.

“An Evening for ABAC is our signature event to celebrate our students and those who support the college,” said ABAC Alumni Director Lynda Fisher, event coordinator. “This celebration will be another great year with delicious food, great entertainment, and dancing.” 

The event dates to 1972 when the ABAC Foundation sponsored a fundraiser featuring singer Anita Bryant to complete the funding for the Chapel of All Faiths. A year later, the foundation sponsored country music star Eddie Arnold, and what became the annual Dollars for Scholars program.

The popular annual attraction featured such entertainers as Ronnie Milsap, the Temptations, Marie Osmond, Ray Stevens, Louise Mandrell, and Helen Reddy. Trisha Yearwood attracted the largest Dollars for Scholars crowd in 2006 with more than 1,800 attendees.

The ABAC Foundation changed the name to An Evening for ABAC in 2008 and focused its efforts entirely on raising funds for scholarships. 

Jodie Snow, the foundation’s chief operating officer, said the event annually provides more than $100,000 in scholarships for the Baldwin Scholars program, established in 1985 as ABAC Foundation Scholars. It has provided more than $1 million in ABAC scholarships.

For information, visit www.abac.edu/evening or call 229-391-4895. 

GSP REPORTS ONE TRAFFIC FATALITY,

13 INJURIES IN TIFT DURING JANUARY

The Georgia State Patrol Post 13 in Tifton says that of the 50 traffic accidents it investigated during January in Tift County, there was one fatality and 13 injuries.

Troopers issued 231 traffic citations during January in Tift County involving 10 arrests for driving under the influence, 57 citations for speeding, 57 seatbelt violations, and seven child-restraint violations.

There were 284 warnings issued during the month.

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

Claire’s Closet

116 Second St. E., Tifton

Feb. 8

TIFT COMMISSIONER HUGHES TO LAY WREATH ON TOMB OF UNKNOWN SOLDIER

Tift County Commissioner Melissa Hughes has been selected to lay a wreath Sunday on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.

Hughes said the honor is through her role as president of the Georgia counties association. Arlington National Cemetery is just outside Washington, D.C., where Hughes will be representing Georgia’s county governments at the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference.

That conference from Saturday through Tuesday in Washington, D.C., brings together nearly 2,000 elected and appointed county officials to focus on federal policy issues that affect counties and their residents.

Weekly COVID-19 data released from the

Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) as of Feb.8:

TOTAL TIFT COUNTY CASES: 6,855 ...................................... TOTAL DEATHS: 173

CONFIRMED TIFT CASES - 2 weeks: 15 ................................... DEATHS - Past week: 0

TIFT POSITIVITY RATE - 2 weeks: 8% ........ CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES: 71

TIFT CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - 2 weeks, per 100K population: 174

_______________________________________________________________

GEORGIA TOTAL CASES: 2,336,898......................................TOTAL GA DEATHS: 34,878

GA CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - 1 week: 7,475

GA DEATHS - 1 week: 69................................... ......GA HOSPITALIZATIONS - 1 week: 481

YOUR GUIDE TO ACTIVITIES THIS WEEKEND IN THE TIFTAREA

This Sunday, Friday, Feb. 12, is Georgia Day, as well as Super Bowl Sunday. Georgia Day commemorates the founding of the Georgia colony on Feb. 12, 1733. The annual Georgia Day Parade was canceled Friday in Savannah because of weather. Of course, the weather won’t be a factor in Sunday’s Super Bowl: Even if there’s inclement weather, the Arizona stadium has a a retractable roof.

FRIDAY, FEB. 10

• Hallelujah: Celebration of Art & Life of Dr. Vincent Keesee – wine & hors d’oeuvres, 4-7 p.m., Syd Blackmarr Arts Center, Tifton
• Tiftarea YMCA Father-Daughter Dance, 5:30 p.m. (3rd-grader & younger), 8 p.m. (3rd-grader and older), First Baptist Church, Tifton
• Just As I Am (hymns tour) – African Children’s Choir, 7 p.m., Northside Baptist Church, Tifton
• Tift County High Blue Devils basketball vs. Houston County High Bears, 7:30 p.m., TCHS, Tifton

SATURDAY, FEB. 11

• Second Saturday, all day, Downtown Tifton
• Tiftarea House of Hope’s Run for Hope 5K/1-Mile, 9 a.m., Northside Baptist Church, Tifton
• Valentine’s Date Night with “The Notebook” movie, 7 p.m., Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Tifton

ADVERTISE YOUR

YARD SALE HERE

TO ADVERTISE YOUR

RESIDENTIAL YARD SALE,

CONTACT US at 

yardsales@tiftongrapevine.com 

or 478-227-7126

Fees are $1 per word, paid in advance

“Shamrock,” a happy guy, is looking for a good home and is available for adoption today at the Tift County Animal Shelter. Visit Shamrock and other pets available for adoption at the Animal Shelter, on Highway 125 South between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For additional information, call 229-382-PETS (7387).