IT'S PEPPER

TIME

IN OMEGA!

OMEGA PEPPER FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 20th THIS WEEKEND

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

This weekend will be be a hot time in ol' Omega as the annual Pepper Festival gets underway at 6 p.m. today and continues through Saturday night in Ponder Park.

This year is the 20th anniversary festival and organizers say they expect it to be bigger and better than ever. Following tonight's opening ceremony, the Headline Band takes the stage, followed by the Los Compas De Nueve Leon Band until 10 p.m.

Bleachers will be set up and, of course, lawn chairs are always welcome. This year there will also be a dance floor in front of the stage.

Saturday is the festival's big day with all kinds of food, crafts, and entertainment available. An enlarged Kid's Zone will have fun activities for children.

The day begins with the always-fun Omega Pepper Parade at 10:30 a.m., followed by the Holy Smoke Band at about 11:45 a.m. Festival organizer LaDonna Stripling is part of the band and will be singing.

At noon, the Pepper Jelly Contest gets underway with amateur jelly-makers competing.

Singer Reid Soria performs at 1:30 p.m., followed by the duo 2RiverStation at 3 p.m., the Unknown Allstars band at 5:30 p.m., and headliner Derrick Dove & The Peacekeepers from 8-10 p.m. Tifton native Dove calls their music "Southern Fried Blues Rock." The band has been gaining popularity with its performances throughout the South in recent years.

Organizers remind attendees that the festival is a a family-friendly event and alcohol is prohibited.

"Make your plans to spend Friday evening and all day Saturday with us at Ponder Park in Omega," said LaDonna Stripling. "You will not be disappointed and will have a great time!"

GDOT AWARDS CONTRACTS FOR AREA ROAD WORK

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) recently awarded contracts for 44 projects, including several in the Tiftarea.

Nearly $12.5 million will be used to upgrade guardrails at various locations in Tift, Turner, Cook, Crisp, Dougherty, Lowndes, and Thomas counties, the GDOT reported. The work is expected to be completed by the end of July next year.

In Irwin and Worth counties, "rumble strips" will be installed in various locations. The strips alert inattentive drivers of potential danger by causing a tactile vibration and audible rumbling.

A major project involves $3.4 million for construction of a new bridge and approaches on U.S. 41/State Road 7 over Cedar Creek south of Cordele in Crisp County. It will replace the current bridge that dates to 1928 and was widened in 1955 but doesn't meet current standards. That project is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2024.

The GDOT will also upgrade pavement markings on Interstate 75 beginning at the Florida state line in Lowndes County and extending to the Cook County line. That project will cost $886,514.

State Rep. Clay Pickle, R-Ashburn, discusses issues Thursday with members of the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce.

STATE LAWMAKERS MEET WITH CHAMBER MEMBERS

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Area state lawmakers on Thursday spoke to members of the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce during its annual Legislative Appreciation Breakfast.

State Sen. Carden Summers, R-Cordele; state Rep. Penny Houston, R-Nashville; and state Rep. Clay Pirkle, R-Ashburn – who all represent Tift County – reviewed state legislative affairs and issues concerning rural Georgia.

'PRIVATE EYES': HALL & OATES

TRIBUTE COMES TO ABAC

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

"Private Eyes, a Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates," will be performing at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College on Tuesday, Sept. 12. 

The concert, which will be held at ABAC’s Howard Auditorium, is part of the ABAC Tribute Series, which presents original artists and tribute bands representing some of the greatest performers of rock and roll, soul, and rhythm and blues. 

Formed in 2018, Private Eyes delivers the timeless music from the best-selling duo of all time. The Los Angeles-based band is the only Hall & Oates tribute to feature sonically accurate renditions of all the greatest hits as well as some fan favorites.

“I am glad that we’re leading off the tribute series with 'Private Eyes,'” said Wayne Jones, Arts Connection director. “They are one of the premier tribute bands nationwide, and I’m glad they’re coming to Tifton.”

Tickets are $35 each and can be purchased online. Tickets will also be available at the door on the night of the concert. Doors open at 6:15 p.m.; the concert begins at 7 p.m.

DOWNTOWN TO HOST 'SCARECROWS ON MAIN'

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

The Tifton Main Street Program has announced its 2023 Downtown Tifton Scarecrows on Main Contest with applications being accepted online. 

“The goal is at least 20 scarecrows along Main Street for all the October events,” Main Street Director Hillery Culpepper told the Tifton Merchants Association on Wednesday.

Participation is free for any business, club, organization, or family, and registrations must be completed here by Oct. 6. 

When the form is completed and accepted, participants will be assigned a light pole on a first-come-first-served basis. The scarecrows must be in place by Oct. 9 to be included in the voting for prizes.

Scarecrows will be placed on light poles in the core downtown district along Main Street, beginning at U.S. Highway 82 and extending to Second Street. The downtown blocks of First Street, First Street Extension, and Third Street will be included as needed, Culpepper said.

Photos of the entries will be taken the week of Oct. 9, and posted in an album on the Downtown Tifton Facebook page. Winning scarecrows will be selected based on the number of “likes” photos receive on the page. Voting will end on Monday, Nov. 6. 

Prizes will be awarded to the first, second, and third place winning scarecrows, and winners will be recognized during the Second Saturday event on Nov. 11.

Businesses and organizations do not have to be located within the downtown district to participate in this community event, Culpepper said. “We look forward to this fun event and seeing your creativity come to life.”

For further information, email hillery@downtowntifton.com or call 229-520-9446.

Culpepper also announced that Trick-or-Treat in Downtown Tifton will be 5-6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31. Businesses and organizations will hand out candy to children in costumes with accompanying adults as they parade along the downtown streets.

For more information, email bonniejsayles@gmail.com

Photo by Jason Thrasher

UGA Athletic Association Endowed Professor Gerald Henry leads a research team in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences committed to creating sports fields that can limit injuries of athletes playing on them.

UGA TURFGRASS RESEARCH AIMS TO HELP REDUCE INJURIES TO ATHLETES

By SCOTT MICHAUX

for the University of Georgia

When the two-time reigning national champion Georgia Bulldogs step between the hedges at Sanford Stadium, Dooley Field needs to look the part. More importantly, though, it needs to help safeguard the health of athletes who compete on it.

Gerald Henry plays a big role in the latter.

The University of Georgia’s Athletic Association endowed professor of environmental turfgrass science leads a research team in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences committed to creating sports fields that look good and perform well to limit injuries.

“We’re trying to figure out the interaction between athletes and playing surfaces, especially as these environments mature,” said Henry, a faculty member in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

“Early on, the fields may perform well, but several management challenges arise during the season that may negatively affect grass growth. We’re constantly trying to learn as much as we can about field performance and playability so that we can recommend adjustments that reduce injury occurrence.”

Turfgrass fields have a lot of variables that can affect safety and playability. Soil compaction and surface hardness can reduce its ability to absorb impact, increasing risk of lower extremity injuries or concussions. Shallow roots mean poorer foot traction, raising risk of ankle sprains or other related injuries. Poor moisture management can cause slickness.

Henry came to UGA in 2012, lured by the larger team and additional opportunities for collaborative work.

“Having the opportunity to come (to Georgia), where there’s 10 full-time turfgrass faculty, and then probably another four or so that are part-time, allowed me to become a part of a huge team effort with lots of collaboration,” Henry said.

That team includes breeders Paul Raymer on the UGA Griffin campus and, on the UGA Tifton campus Brian Schwartz along with Professor Emeritus Wayne Hanna, whom Henry likened to “a famous celebrity like Johnny Cash.”

Working with them has allowed Henry to carve out his niche in the department researching field management. With longtime research technician Kevin Tucker and their graduate assistants, they’ve developed systems to collect data.

“We map all of these fields to get a better understanding of what’s good, what’s bad, and how we can site-specifically make things better without treating the entire field,” Henry said.

To understand all the factors that can affect athlete safety, Henry and his team — in collaboration with Rob Lynall in the biomechanics lab of UGA’s Department of Kinesiology — conducted a trial at UGA’s intramural fields.

“We were taking agronomic data every week for turfgrass and soil parameters — surface traction, soil compaction, moisture and several others — while simultaneously monitoring all of the athletes to see when and where they were injured,” he said.

“Everything was geo-referenced so we could overlay the agronomic data maps with the injury locations. We started to make correlations between the conditions on the field and the types of injuries that occurred.”

The results showed that roughly 80% of injuries were occurring where players transitioned from one end of the spectrum to the next, such as a drier part of the field to a wetter area. That led to research aimed at softening these transition areas and lessening variability of how fields play.

“We’ve just gotten so high-tech,” Henry said. “The archaic days of just dropping a ball on the grass to determine whether a field is performing adequately are gone. The fact that we’re teaming up with kinesiologists who understand the human body — an area I’m deficient in — is opening doors for us to do more impactful research.”

Charlene Hutchinson, Rotary assistant district governor, at left, with Rotary District Gov. Felix Smith and Tifton Rotary President Bonnie Sayles at Wednesday's meeting club meeting in Tifton.

THIRD-GRADERS READING LEVEL 'CRUCIAL' FOR FUTURE SUCCESS,

TIFTON ROTARIANS TOLD

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

A Rotary Club- and United Way-sponsored tutoring program in Perry has resulted in a large improvement in third-graders' reading levels, Dr. Felix Smith, district governor for Rotary District 6920, told the Tifton Rotary Club on Wednesday.

“I tutor for 30 minutes each with two children,” Smith said. The schools participating in the tutoring project Read United resulted in 84% of third graders reading at or above third-grade level and 44% reading above grade level.

“Every week you could see improvements,” Smith said of his experience with the children he tutored twice a week. He said one child couldn’t believe that Smith worked with him for no pay.

“He totally changed after he realized that, and he cried and cried on the last day I tutored him," Smith said.

“We have terrific teachers, principals, and superintendents, and they’re doing everything they can. One person whose fault it isn’t is the eight year old sitting in front of you,” he said. 

The most critical time for reading proficiency is in the third grade. First-, second-, and third-graders learn to read and after that they read to learn. That is why third grade is crucial, Smith said. 

Children not reading on grade level by third grade are four times more likely not to graduate, Smith added. “If they don’t get that high school diploma, they have very, very poor career choices. Their chances of success are slim. You can change a life; we need to get a high school education in these kids.”

Smith told Rotarians that prison-planners looking at eight year olds can predict how many prison beds they will need in 15 years, based on the number of children not reading at grade level. 

“Thirty-seven percent of third graders in the state of Georgia can read on a third-grade level,” Smith said. “That means 63% cannot. That’s sad.”

He cited the percentage of third-graders reading at each of the eight elementary schools in Tift County: Len Lastinger Elementary is the highest with 40-44% reading at grade level, and Charles Spencer and Northside are the lowest with 20-24% of third graders reading at grade level, Smith said. G.O. Bailey and Annie Belle Clark elementary schools are at 39%, and J.T. Reddick and Matt Wilson are both at 35-39%, and Omega, 30-34% reading on grade level, he said. 

Smith said these statistics can be found at publicschoolreview.com and GetGeorgiaReading.org

ABAC STUDENTS GET 'EDGE' INTERNING AT VETERINARY LAB

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Biology and animal science majors at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College are getting a competitive edge when applying to veterinary school because of a partnership with the University of Georgia Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

Dr. Jenny Harper, ABAC biology professor, said an internship is funded through a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant designed to streamline and track the acceptance rate of ABAC students into veterinary colleges.

"We do 10 a year,” Harper said. “Four in the spring, four in the fall, and two in the summer. The grant supports them to have those paid internships. These 10 kids are all in the pre-vet focus, so they’ll be biology and animal science majors.”

Harper said the vet lab is special because it’s the oldest veterinary diagnostic lab in the country. Anytime a veterinary office needs any kind of lab work done, those lab samples are sent to Tifton.

“They do all the diagnostic work from practitioners not just in our state, but regionally,” Harper said. “They can determine an illness or sickness and try and diagnose that in pets.” 

Scoring an internship at the vet lab in Tifton is invaluable for students who are planning to apply for veterinary school after graduating from ABAC, Harper said. 

“It’s so hard to get into vet school,” she said. “You have to have supervised vet hours, and most applicants have small animal vet experience because that’s the easiest place for students to get internships or jobs at; it’s the most common. But if they have diversified experience, such as large animal experience, or diagnostic lab experience, that really stands out."

REP. SCOTT SETS MOBILE OFFICE HOURS IN EIGHTH DISTRICT

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton, has announced plans for upcoming mobile offices in counties throughout Georgia's Eighth Congressional District.

Scott's district office staff will be available to offer individual assistance with several federal issues, such as Medicare, Social Security, immigration and passports, the IRS, and veterans' benefits.

Residents with questions on federal issues may come by anytime during the office hours noted below and meet privately with staff.

Mobile office events include several in the Tiftarea:

♦ Sept. 13: Irwin County, 10 a.m.-noon, at the Irwin County Library, 310 S. Beech St., Ocilla

♦ Sept. 13: Cook County, 2-4 p.m., at the Cook County Library, 213 E. Second St., Adel

♦ Sept. 14: Turner County, 9:30-11:30 a.m., Turner County Agriculture Building, 222 Rockhouse Road, Ashburn

♦ Sept. 14: Ben Hill County, 1-3 p.m., Ben Hill County Library, 123 N. Main St., Fitzgerald

Scott’s Tifton office may be reached at 229-396-5175.

GBI PROMOTES ADEL NATIVE

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has promoted Adel native Zach Johnson to assistant special agent in charge (ASAC) of the GBI’s regional investigative office in Thomasville.

Johnson is a Valdosta State University graduate.

“ASAC Zach Johnson is an outstanding leader and instructor, and he will be a great asset as a supervisor in our office in Thomasville,” GBI Director Chris Hosey said.

Johnson will be responsible for assisting with the daily operations and supervision of special agents assigned to the office.

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR COLONY BANK LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Colony Bank is accepting nominations for its 2024 Colony Leadership Academy program designed to foster young leaders and encourage students to recognize their own potential. 

Colony Leadership Academy is available to high school juniors during the last half of their junior year through the first half of their senior year. The program’s curriculum helps students become familiar with their community while developing skills for active leadership roles.

The program includes professional leadership trainers from UGA’s Fanning Institute and covers such areas as health and recreation, economic development, arts and culture, public safety, social services, education, and government.

Students must submit an application and meet specific criteria, including a minimum GPA of 3.0 or equivalent. Each student must be nominated by someone in the community, have their application approved by parents and their school’s administrator, and supply two personal references.

Nominations may be submitted until Sept. 22. Students selected will be announced in November.

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COVID-19 data released from the 

Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) as of Sept. 6:

TOTAL TIFT COUNTY CASES: 7,093 ....................................... TOTAL TIFT DEATHS: 179

CONFIRMED TIFT CASES - 2 weeks: 25 ....................................... DEATHS - Past week: 0

CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES: 118

TIFT CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - 2 weeks, per 100K population: 289 

_______________________________________________________________

GEORGIA TOTAL CASES: 2,391,467

GEORGIA CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - Past week: 7,971

TOTAL GA DEATHS: 35,606 ..................................................... GA DEATHS - Past week: 27 

YOUR GUIDE

TO ACTIVITIES

THIS WEEKEND

IN THE TIFTAREA

Today, Friday, Sept. 8, is International Literacy Day, raising awareness of literacy issues around the world. There are estimated to be more than 750 million adults globally who cannot read. In the United States, 32 million adults are illiterate. And in Georgia, 1.5 million adults do not have the ability to read and write. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 5,976 adults in Tift County are considered illiterate. Tifton Mayor Julie B. Smith has proclaimed today, Sept. 8, as Literacy Day and Sept. 17-23 as Adult Education and Family Literacy Week in Tifton.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 8

• Miss U.S. National Forestry Pageant, 5 p.m., TCHS Performing Arts Center, Tifton
• Omega Pepper Festival, 6-10 p.m., Ponder Park, Omega
• Tiftarea Academy Panthers football vs. Westfield Hornets, 7:30 p.m., Panther Pit, Chula

SATURDAY, SEPT. 9

• ABAC Cattle Classic, 9 a.m., Tift County 4-H Office, 1468 Carpenter Road S., Tifton
• Downtown Tifton Second Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Downtown Tifton
• Omega Pepper Festival, 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Ponder Park, Omega
• Miss U.S. National Forestry Pageant, 3 p.m., TCHS Performing Arts Center, Tifton
• "Brenda Sutton Rose: The Southern Series" exhibit opening reception, 5:30 p.m., Gallery, Georgia Museum of Agriculture, 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

"Philip," a friendly guy, is ready to become part of a new family. Come see Philip and other pets available for adoption at the Tift County Animal Shelter on Highway 125 South, open between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For additional information, call 229-382-PETS (7387).