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SPECIAL ELECTION CANCELED; RIDDLE TO TAKE OFFICE

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

The Sept. 16 special election has been canceled to fill a vacant seat on Tift County Commission, and T. Tyler Riddle of Tifton will assume the office representing District 5.

Riddle was the only candidate who qualified to fill the unexpired term of the late Tift County Commissioner Fred “Buck” Rigdon. No write-in candidates came forward during a prescribed seven-day period following candidate qualification.

Under state law, a special election is canceled when only one candidate is on the ballot, said the Tift County Board of Elections.

Riddle said he will be sworn in as the District 5 Tift County commissioner on July 8 during the commission's regular work session.

"I am so grateful for the outpouring of support from all of you and look forward to serving as your commissioner. I stand by my claims that I aim to represent everyone in District 5 to the best of my abilities and to serve all citizens of Tift County," Riddle said.

Riddle is CEO of MRS Homecare Inc. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia and serves on the board of directors of the City of Tifton Urban Redevelopment Agency and the Tiftarea YMCA.

He fills the four-year term that began in January. Rigdon, who served as District 5 commissioner for more than 20 years, was re-elected in November; he died May 12.

Photos by Frank Sayles Jr./Tifton Grapevine

Tree branches are downed by the overnight storms along Tift Avenue in Tifton, left, and a potentially falling tree closes Prince Avenue behind Fulwood Park.

STORMS DISRUPT POWER, DOWN TREES IN TIFTAREA

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Severe isolated storms moved through the Tiftarea early Thursday, causing numerous power outages and downing trees and limbs.

Many customers were without power as storms moved through Tifton at approximately 2:15 a.m. Numerous traffic signals were also out in the city for a couple of hours.

Some customers experienced brownouts with low voltage, resulting in only some low-wattage lights and small appliances working in residences until full power was restored.

By 6 a.m., most electrical power was restored in Tifton.

According to the UGA Automated Weather Network, the maximum wind speed recorded during the storm in Tifton was 41.7 mph. However, some local areas reported wind speeds of more than 50 mph.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the overnight storms caused power outages for about 40,000 customers across the state. The storms inflicted damage across several states, from Alabama, Florida, and Georgia through South Carolina and North Carolina.

JOBLESSNESS RISES IN AREA COUNTIES

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

The unemployment rate edged up across the Tiftarea during the past month, according to data released Thursday by the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL).

In Tift County, the jobless rate rose to 3.1% in May from 2.6% during April, the GDOL said.

Tift County’s labor force – the number of people who are employed or are unemployed and seeking employment – was 19,174 during the month, a drop of 473, or 2.4% – from the previous month, according to GDOL data.

May's unemployment rates in area counties versus the previous month's rates were: Turner, 3.9% vs. 3.3%; Worth, 3.5% vs. 3.1%; Irwin, 3.2% vs. 3.1%; Cook, 3.2% vs. 2.8%; Berrien, 3.3% vs. 3.3%; and Ben Hill, 3.9% vs. 3.6%.

Georgia's March unemployment rate was down sightly to 3.5% from 3.6%. The national unemployment rate for the month was 4.2%, according to the GDOL.

"Month after month, Georgia shows what's possible when job creation and economic opportunity are a top priority," said Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes.

"With unemployment falling to 3.5% — after holding steady at 3.6% for nearly a year — and recent job growth, we're proving once again that Georgia's business-friendly environment and competitive workforce deliver results. More than 5 million Georgians are working today because we never stop fighting for policies that put Georgia first."

Georgia's jobs increased by 4,900 during the month, and by 14,500 over the past year to an all-time high of 4,988,600. Three sectors reached record employment in May: Financial activities at 284,400; health care and social assistance at 619,900; and government at 723,000.

TIFT COUNTY INSTALLS WAYFINDING SIGNS ON I-75

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Tift County began erecting new wayfinding welcome signs this week.

Signs letting travelers know they are entering Tift County are being installed along Interstate 75 at the county limits, both northbound and southbound. 

The signs are being installed through the use of Tourism Product Development (TPD) funds from the Tifton-Tift County Tourism Association. The TPD funds, collected through hotel-motel taxes from those who stay in Tifton hotels, must be used for infrastructure projects that help promote local tourism.

Many cities and counties already have such prominent wayfinding welcome signs at their borders.

The Tourism Association board approved a total of $76,250 for the new signage.

The Prince family of Tifton presents a donation to the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence on behalf of Prince Toyota. From left is Heidi Prince Massey, Laura Cutts of the Foundation, Heather Prince Stripling, John Prince, and Ron Branch with the Foundation.

PRINCE TOYOTA DONATES TO TIFT EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

At its board meeting Tuesday, the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence received a $2,500 donation from members of the Prince family on behalf of Prince Toyota. 

During the past 14 years, Prince Toyota has donated a total of $70,000 to support the Foundation and its mission to promote and recognize excellence in education in Tift County public schools.

Also, during the meeting, the education foundation welcomed two new board members, Jenna Claire Riddle and Shannon Ross. Ron Branch was thanked for serving as president during the past year, and board members Mike Davis and Bill Jackson were recognized for their years of service. In July, Wanda Veazey will lead the Foundation as president.

The education foundation's Seafood Extravaganza Fundraiser Dinner is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Peach Barn. For details, email tcfee1991@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

PSC RACE SHOWS NEED FOR ELECTION REFORM

The time has come to reform Georgia's election system. Only 2.8% of registered voters cast ballots in the recent primary election for two seats on the state Public Service Commission (PSC).

Officials say it is the lowest voter turnout in memory for any race. And now there will be a Democratic special runoff election in one of the PSC races because no candidate received 50% plus one vote in the primary, as required by state law.

According to The Associated Press, it could cost a total $10 million to hold the runoff election statewide. If only 1% of registered voters go the polls – runoffs traditionally attract fewer voters – the cost could be more than $100 per vote.

Georgia is one of only nine states that requires runoffs in a general election. It is also only one of two states – with Mississippi – that requires a runoff if no candidate wins a majority after a primary election.

In most states, the candidate with the majority of the votes wins the race.

To us, that makes sense.

In last week's PSC Democratic primary for District 3, Keisha Sean Waites received 46% of votes among candidates Peter Hubbard and Robert Jones. Hubbard was second with 33% of the votes, so he and Waites face off again in a special runoff scheduled July 15, with polls open for early voting beginning July 7.

This makes little sense. PSC board members represent districts in the state, but they are elected statewide, which means that most voters have little idea who they are. District 3 covers much of the Atlanta metropolitan area, including Fulton and DeKalb counties.

The PSC is an important board that approves electric utility rates for Georgians. But why run statewide rather than just within their home district where they have a chance to be better known to voters? And why require runoffs rather than letting candidates win who receive the most votes?

One reason why the PSC race attracts so few voters is exactly because most of them have no idea who the candidates are. If the current system isn't revised, we may as well have the Legislature appoint the PSC board members; it would save time and money.

The current system is costly and doesn't work in an election such as this one.

As we said, the time has come to revise this system; as it is now, it isn't serving the citizens of Georgia very well.

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YOUR GUIDE

TO ACTIVITIES

THIS WEEKEND

IN THE GREATER TIFTAREA

Today, Friday, June 27 , is National Onion Day. Onions are one of the world’s oldest cultivated vegetables, originating in Central Asia. Some researchers believe the onion has been cultivated for at least 5,000 years. Here in Georgia, we are known for sweet onions, specifically Vidalia onions, renowned for their unique, mild, and sweet flavor – a result of the low sulfur content in the sandy soil around Vidalia. These onions are a specific variety of Granex onion grown in a designated 20-county area of the state. In 1990, the Vidalia onion was named Georgia's official state vegetable.

FRIDAY, JUNE 27

• Final Friday, concert in the park by Ten Mile Bay, lawn games, food vendors, 5-8 p.m., Connie’s Children’s Park, Nashville

• Hooked for Life: Crochet Basics Class, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Syd Blackmarr Arts Center, Tifton

• Fireworks & Fun, bring your lawn chairs; food trucks; dance to the Swingin' Medallions; fireworks; 6:30 p.m., Woolard Center, 709 W. Wallace St., Sylvester

SATURDAY, JUNE 28

• 1st Red, White & Boom Festival, all-day festival, live entertainment, food trucks, family activities, fireworks at dark, 10 a.m.-until, City of Ty Ty

• 2nd Annual Red, White and Boom, all-day festival, cornhole & horseshoe tournaments, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., 706 Walnut St., Sumner

• Tifton Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-noon, Tifton Gardens, Downtown Tifton

• City of Adel Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 111 S. Burwell Ave., Adel

• Crafty Creation Station, all ages, 1 p.m., Tifton-Tift County Public Library, Tifton

• June Night Market, local vendors; live music by Laura Wiley; 6-9 p.m., Donatello's, Myon Courtyard, Downtown Tifton

• Matt Stone as Elvis, live, 7 p.m., Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Downtown Tifton

THIS WEEKEND'S

YARD SALE

Garage Sale:

Saturday, June 28

at 606 59th Street, Tifton, Georgia.

Begins at 7:00 a.m. and goes until.

____________________________________

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"Rex" is a handsome, friendly boy. He loves people and other dogs, is super smart, and is full of life. Come visit Rex and see 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).

Tifton Grapevine

e-published every Tuesday and Friday

Frank Sayles Jr.

Editor & Publisher

Bonnie Sayles

Managing Editor

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