The Tift County Board of Education returns from closed session late Wednesday to announce its decision placing the school superintendent and Tift County High principal on administrative leave.

TIFT BOE PLACES HATHAWAY, STONE ON LEAVE TCHS PRINCIPAL STONE FOR 5 DAYS; SUPERINTENDENT HATHAWAY INDEFINITELY

ADAM HATHAWAY

CHAD STONE

By FRANK SAYLES JR. and BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

Questions still remain after the Tift County Board of Education (BOE) placed its superintendent and Tift County High School principal on administrative leave with pay late Wednesday after marathon five-hour, closed-door executive sessions to discuss personnel.

Superintendent Adam Hathaway has been placed on administrative leave indefinitely. Mickey Weldon, assistant superintendent for human resources, will serve as acting superintendent.

Tift County High Principal Dr. Chad Stone was placed on administrative leave

for five days. Assistant Principal Bradley Winger has been named acting principal until Stone's return, the school system said.

No reasons were given for the action. In a statement Thursday, the Tift County School System would only say, "While the events of the past week have caused a disruption in our community, we hope that everyone will be able to return to our core mission of educating the students of Tift County."

Immediately following the BOE's action, Stone made a public apology for unspecified "ethical lapses," which he said he will "repay restitution to the school system."

Stone, Georgia's principal of the year, also said: "My behavior this week has been insubordinate, and I showed a lack of professionalism that I tell our kids not to do every day. I have put our board as a whole in a bad light. My actions have disrupted the system, the lives of our board members, and this wonderful community. And I take full responsibility for that."

He was referring to earlier in the week when he publicly recited private, critical conversations he had had with school officials during the past couple of years about some of his actions or alleged actions involving social-media posts and how officials perceived he was promoting himself over the school district in order to seek the national principal of the year award.

Stone had a posted a video detailing the conversations and had said that since his actions were apparently hurting the school system, he would resign at the end of the school year.

Stone did not return phone calls and social-media queries Thursday about what he had meant by "ethical lapses" that he committed for which is paying "restitution."

A large audience attended Wednesday's special called BOE meeting, with many attendees waiting to the very end for board members to emerge from their closed session. Many in the audience supported Stone and alleged that he was being forced out of his position by Superintendent Hathaway.

Popular with both students and parents, Stone has been TCHS principal since 2020. Before that, he spent eight years as principal at Eighth Street Middle School.

Hathaway was named Tift County Schools superintendent in 2019. The Clinch County native was previously superintendent in Schley County (Ellaville). He also had been a principal in Gilmer County and had taught in schools in Fitzgerald, and in Cook and Berrien counties.

SOUTH GA's LARGEST HISPANIC FESTIVAL MARKS 25 SATURDAY

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Tifton's La Fiesta del Pueblo, the largest Hispanic festival in South Georgia, is celebrating 25 years Saturday at Fulwood Park.

Since its beginning, La Fiesta has been bringing the taste, sound, history, culture, and traditions of Latin American countries to Tifton and surrounding areas. The free festival from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. features non-stop entertainment, children’s activities, arts and crafts, vendors with authentic Latin American foods, and information about health, education, social services, and community organizations.

Along with Mariachi music and folkloric dances, performing will be the Mood Doctors and Los Comas de Nuevo León. The children’s area will include face painting, children’s crafts, bouncy houses, giant slides, kiddie train rides, a climbing wall, bungee jumping and, more.

Every year, La Fiesta attracts approximately 11,000 people from more than 25 Georgia counties and an estimated 10 states. The festival has been recognized by the Georgia Council for the Arts - Office of the Governor Grassroots Arts program as an outstanding recipient of grassroots funding in previous years, saying that La Fiesta del Pueblo showed how arts can change lives and be used as a tool to strengthen Georgia communities.

Fiesta del Pueblo, while promoting culture and traditions from Latin American countries, also contributes to the endowment for the Maria Guadalupe Cervantes Scholarship at ABAC.

As the foundation of the Fiesta del Pueblo began with a group of Tift County Girl Scouts who were children of farm workers, this year the festival adds ABAC's MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources & Related Sciences) Club to its mission.

SIX ARRESTED IN TIFTON FOR ILLEGAL GAMBLING MACHINES

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Six people were arrested Wednesday for violating Georgia’s gambling

laws and for related offenses, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).

On Wednesday, the GBI’s Commercial Gambling Unit, along with the GBI’s Southwestern Regional Drug Enforcement Office, the Tifton Police Department and the Tift County Sheriff’s Office served arrest warrants for six of seven people recently indicted on multiple gambling-related charges by a Tift County grand jury.

During the course of a lengthy investigation, agents discovered businesses using coin-operated amusement machines for illegal gambling, paying cash for winning credits, the GBI said.

Such machines must be properly licensed by the Georgia Lottery, and credits may only be redeemed for non-cash prizes such as lottery tickets and/or store merchandise.  

The six arrested are being held at the Tift County Jail, while another indicted man, Charles Monroe Jr., 38, of Tifton, is being sought for arrest, authorities said.

Based on the indictments, arrested were: Dron Modi, 29; Prajakta Modi, 51;            Tarunkumar Modi, 52; Mukeshkumar Patel, 55; Sunny Patel, 22; and Jagatpal Singh, 48, all of Tifton, the GBI said.

Authorities did not identify the businesses involved with the illegal gambling machines.

TIFT JOBLESS RATE RISES SLIGHTLY

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Tift County's unemployment rate rose slightly during August, and labor-force numbers rose, according to data released Thursday by the Ga. Department of Labor (GDOL).

Tift County's jobless rate rose slightly to 3.5% in August, up from 3.4% in July. 

Tift County’s labor force – the number of people who are employed or are unemployed and seeking employment – was at 20,815 during the month; it was 20,697 during the month before, according to GDOL data.

August's jobless rates in area counties versus the previous month's rates were: Turner, 4.3% vs. 4.3%; Worth, 3.8% vs. 3.2%; Irwin, 4.6% vs. 4.6%; Cook, 3.6% vs. 3.3%; Berrien, 5.0% vs. 4.0%; and Ben Hill, 5.1% vs. 4.7%.

Statewide, August's unemployment rate rose to 3.3%, up one-tenth from a revised 3.2% in July. The national jobless rate in August was 3.8%, the GDOL reported.

"Georgia's labor market continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience and strength," said state Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson.

"While we saw a slight increase in the unemployment rate for August, our state remains well-positioned for growth and economic opportunity with an unemployment rate below the national average and plentiful jobs for Georgians."

Jobs were up by 12,000 (0.2%) over the month and up by 95,700 (2.0%) over the year to 4,925,700, an all-time high, the GDOL said.

Job numbers were at an all-time high in private education and health services, 664,900; leisure and hospitality, 528,300; and financial activities, 283,800.

Tift County Commission Chairman Tony McBrayer explains the need for continuing the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) at Thursday's meeting of the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce. He was joined by Tifton Mayor Julie Smith.

CITY, COUNTY PROMOTE SPLOST TO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

Tifton Mayor Julie B. Smith and Tift County Commission Chair Tony McBrayer shared with the Tifton-Tift County Chamber Thursday the importance of voting to renew the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) on the ballot Nov. 4.

SPLOST is an optional 1% countywide sales tax used to fund capital projects proposed by the county and city governments, the two explained. They shared the following data from a slide presentation. 

Tift County as a community has benefited from SPLOST since 1992. SPLOST revenues have funded local capital projects for 30 years. SPLOST 7 will not increase taxes, but is a continuation of an existing tax. From Jan. 1, 2013, through Dec. 31, 2022, SPLOST 5 and 6 have generated more than $93 million to fund projects approved by the voters. 

The proposed SPLOST 7 allocation will be $40 million or 57.14% to Tift County projects approved by commissioners. The City of Tifton is expected to receive $20.9 million or 29.86%. The cities of Omega and Ty Ty will each receive $1.8 million or 2.57%. The Tift County Development Authority is expected to receive $3 million, or 4.29%. The Tifton Downtown Development Authority is expected to receive $1 million, or 1.43%, as will the Tift County Airport Authority. The Tifton-Tift County Public Library and the Tift County Extension Service are each scheduled to receive $250,000.

If SPLOST is not renewed, Mayor Smith said, the city and county would either have to raise property taxes or cut services. “Maybe we can’t buy that fire truck that we need. Maybe we can’t have those special events that we look forward to every year. Maybe we can’t pave as many roads,” she said. “We can’t renovate buildings. We can’t continue to improve neighborhoods.

“The point is, SPLOST is good, SPLOST is important, and SPLOST needs to continue,” she said. 

Chairman McBrayer said SPLOST “cannot be used for ... general budget or operating expenses. Even when you build something like a Law Enforcement Center with SPLOST dollars, you cannot use SPLOST for the operation of the Law Enforcement Center,” he said.

“It is time to decide for SPLOST 7,” McBrayer said. SPLOST will be the only item on the county ballot Nov. 4. City voters will have three uncontested races, he said – city mayor and two City Council races.

WILDLIFE REHABBER HAS 'PASSION' FOR WORK

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

Jessica Pisciotta, a wildlife rehabilitator who started rehabbing when she was 16, has taken in 583 individual wildlife from Tift County and surrounding areas since March, she told the Tifton Rotary Club on Wednesday. These include eagles, raccoons, deer, foxes, squirrels, bats, and possums.

Her organization “Steadfast Wildlife is a bed and breakfast for animals in need,” Piscotta said. Steadfast Wildlife Rescue is a nonprofit, so donations are tax deductible, she said. “All expenses come out of pocket or from donations to the rescue from supporters.

“Most of the wildlife that arrive have been orphaned or injured, usually due to the way of our life today. Our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and release back into the wild when they are able and capable of taking care of themselves.”

She said she receives 10 to 30 calls daily concerning wildlife and domestics that need help. She tries to send all domestic referrals to the local animal shelter. 

“We have a very good working relationship, and they are doing wonderful things there” at the Tift County Animal Shelter, she said.

Piscotta said she is the only fully-licensed wildlife rehabilitator in South Georgia. She is licensed by the state and federal governments and the Rabies Vector Service.

She said her only experience with rabies was with a bat in her neighborhood near 20th Street last year. She had to go through the rabies vaccinations series.

She posts on social media when she has a situation that needs funds or donations of items. “We need donations of cages, food, old blankets that you would throw away,” she said. “That’s a huge need.”

The rescue could also use heating pads, pillows, heat lamps, medical supplies, and monetary donations. Time given by volunteers is crucial, including transfers to get an animal from a distant location to her in Tifton. 

Piscotta said she deals with such birds of prey as eagles, owls, hawks, falcons, and vultures.

“The causes of intake are usually impact with vehicles, poisoning due to feeding of contaminated bait, lead poisoning from eating prey that contains lead pellets from gunshot or lead fishing weights.” 

A barred owl in Fulwood Park was renested with its mother with the help of a tree surgeon who had ladders and equipment. 

She has dealt with bald eagles and golden eagles and releases them in locations close to where they were found. She has 29 deer in pre-release. Even a chipmunk was rescued that came to the Tifton Lowe’s in Christmas trees from up North. 

“The hours are long, it’s far from glamourous, so why do I do it? It’s my passion,” Piscotta said.

'VEGAS' COMES TO TIFTON

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Tifton residents "visited Vegas" for a few hours Thursday night as the Tifton-Tift County Public Library Foundation hosted "Las Vegas Night in Tifton" at the Hilton Garden Inn.

At the fundraiser for the local library, guests played Vegas-style games for fun and prizes – and even "Elvis" (Ron Branch) was in the building.

Money raised helps the Tifton-Tift County Public Library do youth programs and outreach services in the community, as well as purchase needed materials for library patrons.

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

RIBBON CUTTING

McMath and Mane Hair Salon

330 Main St. S., Tifton

Sept. 21

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COVID-19 data released from the 

Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) as of Sept. 20:

TOTAL TIFT COUNTY CASES: 7,102 ....................................... TOTAL TIFT DEATHS: 180

CONFIRMED TIFT CASES - 2 weeks: 11 ....................................... DEATHS - Past week: 0

CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES: 58

TIFT CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - 2 weeks, per 100K population: 142 

_______________________________________________________________

GEORGIA TOTAL CASES: 2,396,879

GEORGIA CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - Past week: 4,814

TOTAL GA DEATHS: 35,666 ..................................................... GA DEATHS - Past week: 36 

YOUR GUIDE

TO ACTIVITIES

THIS WEEKEND

IN THE TIFTAREA

Saturday, Sept. 23, is the first day of autumn. The autumnal equinox begins at 2:50 a.m. Saturday, bringing equal hours of daylight and night. Daylight hours then will begin diminishing in the Northern Hemisphere as the sun starts to cross the equator, culminating in the shortest daylight of the year on the winter solstice, arriving at 10:27 a.m. Dec. 21. By the way, Daylight Saving Time stays in effect until 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 5, when we "fall back."

FRIDAY, SEPT. 22

• Tift County High Blue Devils football vs. Gadsden County High, Fla., Jaguars (Homecoming), 7:30 p.m., Brodie Field, Tifton

SATURDAY, SEPT. 23

• Fiesta del Pueblo, 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Fulwood Park, Tifton
• Bill Gaither & the Gaither Vocal Band, 6 p.m., UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center, Tifton
• Skate Day at the Park, 7 p.m., Skate Park, North Johnston Street, Fitzgerald

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TO ADVERTISE YOUR

RESIDENTIAL YARD SALE,

CONTACT US at 

yardsales@tiftongrapevine.com 

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Fees are $1 per word, paid in advance

"Georgia," a big handsome fella, is ready to play and is looking for a new home. Georgia had a home, but sadly his owner’s landlord did not allow bigger dogs, so he found himself at the shelter. Georgia is super smart, knows his name, can sit and follow commands, and likes other dogs. Come see this sweet guy 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).