New $16M Plant in Ashburn

Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

DOOR COMPANY TO LOCATE $16M PLANT IN TURNER COUNTY DISTRIBUTION FACILITY WILL CREATE 200 JOBS

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Steves & Sons Inc., a family-owned door manufacturing company, will invest more than $16 million in a "distribution and value added facility" in Ashburn and Turner County, creating 200 new jobs, Gov. Brian P. Kemp announced Monday.

Hiring will begin immediately and increase as operations get underway.

"We are thrilled to welcome Steves & Sons to our diverse manufacturing community in Georgia, and we are glad this family-owned company is generating the largest economic investment Turner County has witnessed in decades," Kemp said in a written statement.

"Thanks to our pro-business policies, companies continue to recognize the benefits of putting down roots in rural regions of our state, which also benefits the hardworking Georgians that live, work, and raise a family there," the governor said.

Based in San Antonio, Texas, Steves & Sons produces interior and exterior doors, which can be found in more than 323 Georgia-based Home Depots and are offered by other distributors in Georgia and around the nation. The 155-year-old company has door-assembly plants in Lebanon, Tenn., and Richmond, Va. The company says the new Georgia facility will help create efficiency in its key markets.

"By utilizing Georgia’s world-class Savannah port, we solve many of our company’s key logistical challenges, with the state centrally located in key markets we serve from two of our other assembly plants," said Scott Lovett, Steves & Sons' vice president of operations.

Steves & Sons is buying and renovating an existing 150,000-square-foot facility, with an additional 30,000 square feet for truck docking space, located at 1737 Industrial Drive in Ashburn. Renovations will begin immediately, and the majority of new positions will be in light production and distribution.

The company plans to hire forklift operators, machine operators, maintenance technicians, shippers, and managers.

"As the largest manufacturing expansion in the last 40 years in Turner County, these are very exciting times for the community. This is a true testament to what rural Georgia has to offer," said Sam McCard, executive director of the Turner County Development Authority.

ADEL MAN RECEIVES LIFE SENTENCE IN WIFE'S MURDER

An Adel man has been convicted of murdering his wife three years ago.

Anthony Jerome Williams, 43, was convicted Friday of malice murder, felony murder, felony aggravated battery-family violence, and concealing the death of another.

He has been sentenced to life in prison without parole, along with a concurrent 10-year sentence.

Kimberly Johnson Williams, 45, of Adel, died Dec. 31, 2018. Cook County Coroner Tim Purvis said at the time that she died from blunt force trauma. Kimberly Williams was an employee of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.

A family member reported her as missing, and Anthony Jerome Williams initially claimed that she was abducted. He later confessed to authorities that he had killed his wife, law enforcement officials said.

Utilco Railroad Services photos

No one was injured when the 25-car train derailed Friday morning in Sycamore.

NO INJURIES IN SYCAMORE TRAIN DERAILMENT

No injuries were reported when a 25-car train derailed Friday morning in Turner County.

Utilco Railroad Services of Tifton got the tracks cleared by the end of the day Friday, and the railroad crossing reopened Monday along U.S. Highway 41 at Willis Street in Sycamore, said the Georgia Department of Transportation.

The derailment occurred shortly after 7 a.m. Friday along Highway 41 between Bussey Road and Highway 32 in Sycamore.

At Tiftarea Academy's dedication of its Amy Strenth Basketball Court on Saturday are Headmaster Stacey Bell, and the late Coach Strenth's husband Dwayne, and daughters Carlie, Macy, Morgan and Ali.

TIFTAREA ACADEMY DEDICATES BASKETBALL COURT TO LATE COACH

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Tiftarea Academy on Saturday formally dedicated its basketball court in honor of its Coach Amy Strenth, who died of cancer in February.

Strenth, 50, of Sylvester, coached the Tiftarea Lady Panthers from 2015-21. She had been named the 2021 Region 3-AAA girl's basketball coach of the year.

"Coach Amy Strenth's dedication and contributions to TA (Tiftarea Academy) basketball are unmatched. Her love for TA is evident on and off the court. She and her husband Dwayne have sent four girls to TA from Pre-K – Morgan, Class of 2015; Macy, Class of 2017; Carlie, Class of 2020; and Ali, Class of 2023," said Headmaster Stacey Bell.

"A fierce competitor herself, Coach Strenth has invested the same spirit in every student she has coached throughout the years. We are blessed to have her pouring her love of the game into our students. We have named the court in her honor. From now on, Tiftarea basketball players will compete on the Amy Strenth Court," Bell said at the dedication.

Bell noted that alumni from the classes of 2015, 2017, and 2020 contributed funds to purchase the gym's team roster boards in Strenth's memory.

The headmaster presented the family with a painting of Coach Strenth by Marlee Cox.

TIFT SEES 6 COVID CASES,

NO DEATHS IN PAST WEEK

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Tift County recorded six new confirmed COVID-19 cases and no related deaths in the past week, according to data released Tuesday.

In the past two weeks, Tift has seen 10 confirmed cases, representing 24 per 100,000. When rapid Antigen test results are added, Tift had 47 total cases during the period, representing 115 per 100,000, according to the state Department of Public Health (DPH).

Tift's testing positivity rate is 1.1% in the past two weeks. The county has a total of 4,911 confirmed cases with 140 related deaths, the DPH said.

The state has recorded a total of 1,317,209 confirmed cases with 26,144 deaths, the DPH reported. During the 24 hours between Monday and Tuesday, Georgia reported 3,727 new confirmed cases of the virus with 25 related deaths, and 173 new hospitalizations, the DPH said.

The vaccination rate statewide is 53%; in Tift County, it remains at 40%, the DPH reported Tuesday.

NEIGHBORHOOD LUMINARY RESCHEDULED FOR DEC. 22

Because of inclement weather, the sixth annual neighborhood luminary in Tift Terrace and the Orchard has been rescheduled to Wednesday night, Dec. 22.

It was initially set for Tuesday night, Dec. 21.

The Tift Terrace luminary includes Emmett Drive to Love Avenue, and 20th to 30th streets, including Willingham Way; the Orchard neighborhood includes North Park Avenue and Orchard Circle.

Other neighborhoods, including streets within the Tifton Historic District, also have planned to participate.

TIFTON

2012 Pineview Ave. Tifton, Ga 31793

LOCAL 'POLAR BEARS' TO PLUNGE

INTO YMCA POOL ON JAN. 1

The Tiftarea YMCA is holding its annual Polar Bear Plunge on New Year's Day to help support local nonprofit organizations.

Seven challengers are vying to raise the most contributions for their charity of choice. The charity of the person raising the most will get 100% of that person's fundraising, as long as the individual takes the plunge into the YMCA pool on Jan. 1.

All other charities represented will receive a 50% split with the Tiftarea YMCA if their corresponding representative takes the plunge.

This year's challengers are: Paul Horst, raising contributions for the Tift Area Greenways Association (TAGA), Vikki Taft for Hospice of Tiftarea, Mac Sims for Tifton Animal Rescue, Mike Beeman for Ruth's Cottage, Andy Marzen for the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence, Bret Wagenhorst for Meals on Wheels, and Jason Bishoff for the YMCA.

The plunge into the "arctic chill" will take place at 11 a.m. Jan. 1, at the Stafford Aquatic Center at the YMCA's Hunt Park, 1823 Westover Road in Tifton.

To contribute to the "plunger" and their respective nonprofit, Click Here!

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

Love Unlimited Learning Center

609 Timmons Drive, Tifton

Dec. 15

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CAT OF THE WEEK

"Snowball," a female cat, is ready for a good home. To adopt Snowball and to see other pets available for adoption, visit the Tift County 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

GOLDEN & CO. BUYS TIFTON DRUGS

~ DEC. 22, 1897

J.J. Golden & Co. closed a deal on Dec. 22, 1897, to purchase the stock at the Tifton Drug Store belonging to Dr. J.C. Goodman. The intention was to consolidate the Golden and Goodman stores, either at the Main Street or Love Avenue store location.