A single-engine monoplane crashed Wednesday on Fitzgerald's East Suwanee Street, killing the pilot, a Fitzgerald man.

PLANE CRASHES ON FITZGERALD ROAD, KILLS LOCAL PILOT PASSENGER SERIOUSLY INJURED

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

A Fitzgerald man died Wednesday afternoon when his single-engine light plane crashed in a Fitzgerald neighborhood, just missing nearby homes.

William "Jack" Sumner, 68, of Fitzgerald, who was an experienced pilot, died at approximately 5:20 p.m. Wednesday at Dorminy Medical Center, Ben Hill County Coroner Mark Shealy told the Tifton Grapevine. The crash occurred at about 5 p.m. on Fitzgerald's East Suwanee Street close to Monitor Drive.

Sumner was piloting the two-seater plane. A passenger, who has not been identified, was seriously injured in the crash, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The passenger was life-flighted to a Tallahassee, Fla., hospital.

The 1946 Ercoupe 415-C, a single-engine, low-wing, twin-rudder light monoplane, was in its initial climb when it "crashed under unknown circumstances," according to the FAA.

Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board were at the scene Thursday investigating the crash.

The Ercoupe is popular with classic-plane enthusiasts, and is said to be easy to fly. Many of the planes are still being flown, and some companies still make replacement parts for them.

Photo by Bonnie Sayles

Tifton's Commerce Way Redevelopment Project to upgrade utility infrastructure and replace old, uneven sidewalks is projected to cost more than $1.5 million over budget.

COMMERCE WAY PROJECT TO COST MORE

CITY TRIMS PROJECT, SUGGESTS USING SPLOST FUNDS

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Tifton's Commerce Way Redevelopment Project is projected to cost significantly over budget, and city officials propose scaling back the project.

At Monday's Tifton City Council's workshop, City Manager Emily Beeman said the proposed project came in at an original cost of $3.5 million.

"We scaled back a lot of it to the base minimum to meet the needs of Commerce Way," Beeman said. She said the three primary issues the work must address are utility upgrades, stormwater issues, and sidewalk improvements. Beeman said the sidewalk is not compliant with the American Disabilities Act and is a "major trip hazard."

Among items removed from the project are crosswalk striping, solar-powered traffic signals, improvements to the end of Third Street at Commerce Way, and using asphalt rather than concrete in one section.

Beeman said the stripped down project would cost $2.7 million, which would still be an overage of more than $1.5 million for the city to fund. During Fiscal Year 2022, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) provided a $955,140 grant in rural downtown development funds to the City of Tifton for the Commerce Way Redevelopment Project. The city was required to match the grant with $300,000.

"Sometimes, you just have to send the grant money back," said Vice Mayor Jack Folk. "I don't see throwing $1.6 million down Commerce Way at this point."

But Mayor Julie B. Smith said returning the grant money would create "a real challenge."

"I don't want to de-obligate these funds because it means we won't get any additional DCA funds for years," Smith said.

The mayor also noted that the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is working on an unnamed "significant project" that would be harmed if water infrastructure improvements are not made.

"It's an important project for DDA for ongoing commercial development in that area," Smith said. "We've got the SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) money set up for these type of improvements."

Folk responded that water and sewer improvements along Commerce Way could come out of enterprise funds and SPLOST money could be used elsewhere in the city. Enterprise funds involve those where the users pay for the services.

"It's our downtown," Smith said. "It's an important investment that I think we should support. It's a part of downtown we haven't paid any attention to lately."

Folk said he agrees with "fixing some of these things" such as sidewalks. But in paying for such things as water/sewer upgrades, "I think there's got to be another way," he said.

The Commerce Way project will be discussed at a future meeting.

Also at Monday's workshop, Mayor Smith added to comments by Councilman Josh Reynolds, saying "It is a new day," referring to working with Tift County officials.

Smith said last year's negotiation with the county over the Local Option Sales Tax "was extremely contentious ... it was terrible." After it was over, Smith said "one of the things I felt I needed to do" was sit down with the county commission chairman and county administrator.

"I apologized for things I had said and actions I had done that maybe were not as professional, or as Christian, or as proper as they should be," the mayor said. Nothing she had said was untrue, she added, but she should not have done so publicly.

The city and county are now working together, and Smith said, "We're all getting along because I made a personal commitment to get along and to work together. ... It was something that I had to do to live with myself."

COUNTY OK's REZONING FOR SUBDIVISION

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The Tift County Commission approved a controversial rezoning Monday, clearing the way for a 27-lot subdivision on Jacob Hall Road.

TrinReal Inc., a Tifton company, had requested that 37.7 acres be rezoned from agriculture to rural residential to allow the subdivision construction. Several area residents spoke against the plan, presenting a petition representing 85 people in opposition.

Residents cited potential increased traffic and water-pressure issues with a new development in that area. County officials said the TrinReal company had met all standards for creating the subdivision and that a recent study shows no potential issues with water pressure.

The county's Planning & Zoning Commission had recommended the rezoning approval. The County Commission approved the rezoning 4-2, with Commissioners Melissa Hughes and Stan Stalnaker opposed.

TIFT COUNTY NAMES TEACHER OF YEAR

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Megan Guzman, a kindergarten teacher at G.O. Bailey Elementary School, is Tift County Schools' Teacher of the Year for 2023-2024.

Guzman is a 2006 graduate of Tift County High School who began her teaching career with Tift County Schools in 2011 at G.O. Bailey Elementary.

She was surprised this week when Tenneson Nissan presented her with the keys to a 2023 Nissan Rogue to drive during the school year.

GEORGIA POWER ASSISTS NEEDY CUSTOMERS, ROTARY CLUB TOLD

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

During a meeting Wednesday of the Tifton Rotary Club, Connie Goolsby, energy assistance coordinator for Georgia Power, discussed ways the power company connects with communities.

“We want to help Georgia Power’s most vulnerable customers,” Goolsby said. “Seniors, income-qualified, family members that are displaced, customers who have special needs,” all qualify for assistance from the power company. 

An income-qualified senior citizen discount amounts to about $33.50 off a month and $402 a year. Also, in the Low Income Energy Assistance program, customers may take advantage of a payment toward any utility bill, not just Georgia Power. Seniors who qualify receive up to $500.

“We work with the Salvation Army through our Project SHARE program,” Goolsby said. Georgia Power matches 150% of donations by residents on power bills.

“The donated money goes back into the community where you live,” she said. The company has been participating in the program for more than 35 years.

Hope Works provides energy assistance for seniors over the age of 60. “They can get repairs on HVAC system, energy-efficient lightbulbs, and weather stripping,” Goolsby said.

Single-family homes at 200% below the federal poverty guidelines qualify to get low-cost home repairs. 

She also discussed ways to sign up for outage alerts when a storm or power outage occurs. Customers may get a real-time alert for outages that includes the estimated time of restoration.

Contact https://www.georgiapower.com/ for information.

TRIVIA 'CARNIVAL' TO

BENEFIT LOCAL LITERACY

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Trivia teams are organizing and signing up for the 23rd annual Howard Center Carnival of Knowledge to benefit Literacy Volunteers of Tifton-Tift County. 

The event will be held at the Tifton campus of Southern Regional Technical College at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10, with food and fun provided in observation of National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week.

Trivia master David Holmes will conduct the competition, and teams of four to six players will compete against each other simultaneously throughout the event, answering trivia questions. The team sponsorship fee is a donation of $200 to benefit Literacy Volunteers. 

As in the past, anyone may sign up to play on sponsored teams by contacting Literacy Volunteers at [email protected], said Bonnie Sayles, president of the Literacy Volunteers board. Creative team names are encouraged.

“Businesses, civic groups, organizations, or individuals may sponsor teams,” she said. “As always, first-, second-, and third-place teams will receive exceptional prizes.”

Support of this event allows Literacy Volunteers to recruit and train tutors to work with  individuals wanting to improve their reading, writing, math, and English speaking abilities. Volunteers are especially needed to tutor adults in a classroom at the Anthony Bateman Youth Development Center.

Literacy Volunteers also provides transportation to some students attending GED classes at Southern Regional Technical College.

Those wanting to play, sponsor a team, donate a prize, or volunteer may call Literacy Volunteers at 229-391-2527. Registration forms and fees may be mailed to Literacy Volunteers, 52 Tech Drive, Tifton, GA 31794.

TIFT 'BEAUTY SPOTS OF MONTH'

The Keep Tift Beautiful board has named the local "Beauty Spots" for the month. The residential Beauty Spot is the home of Alice Harris on South College Avenue (above).

This month's commercial Beauty Spot is Simmons Family Chiropractic on Tift Avenue.

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

RIBBON CUTTING

Gray Ghost Comics

301 Third St. E., Tifton

Sept. 8

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COVID-19 data released from the 

Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) as of Sept. 13:

TOTAL TIFT COUNTY CASES: 7,100 ....................................... TOTAL TIFT DEATHS: 180

CONFIRMED TIFT CASES - 2 weeks: 22 ....................................... DEATHS - Past week: 1

CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES: 77

TIFT CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - 2 weeks, per 100K population: 189 

_______________________________________________________________

GEORGIA TOTAL CASES: 2,394,889

GEORGIA CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - Past week: 8,037

TOTAL GA DEATHS: 35,631 ..................................................... GA DEATHS - Past week: 25 

YOUR GUIDE

TO ACTIVITIES

THIS WEEKEND

IN THE TIFTAREA

Sunday, Sept. 17, is Constitution Day – marking the day in 1787 that the U.S. Constitution was signed. The document is the basis of laws in the United States. The Founding Fathers recognized that society evolves, and the Constitution would need to evolve as well. Any amendment to the Constitution requires ratification by three-fourths of all states. There have been 27 amendments in 236 years. The last amendment approved, in 1992, prevents members of Congress from giving themselves pay raises during a current session; any raises that are adopted must take effect during the next session of Congress.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 15

• Tift County High Blue Devils football vs. Thomasville High, 7:30 p.m., Brodie Field, Tifton
• Tiftarea Academy Panthers football @ Wilcox County Patriots, 7:30 p.m., Rochelle

SATURDAY, SEPT. 16

• Destination Ag Day, 9 a.m.-Noon, Georgia Museum of Agriculture, Tifton
• Tiftarea Jr. Gardeners Club, 2 p.m., Tifton-Tift County Public Library, Tifton

ADVERTISE

YOUR

YARD SALE HERE!

TO ADVERTISE YOUR

RESIDENTIAL YARD SALE,

CONTACT US at 

[email protected] 

or 478-227-7126

Fees are $1 per word, paid in advance

"Polar Bear," a happy guy, is ready to become part of a new family. Come see Polar Bear 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).