478-227-7126
AUG. 25, 2017
Tifton, Georgia
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STORE CLERK SHOT
IN TIFT ARMED ROBBERY
INCIDENT AT 9 P.M. THURSDAY, SHERIFF SAYS
A
convenience store clerk was
shot during an
armed robbery Thursday night on
Short Street, says Tift County Sheriff
Gene Scarbrough.
The
robbery and shooting occurred at approximately
9 p.m. at the
Short Stop Food Mart at
607 Short St., Scarbrough said. The clerk's injuries are
not expected to be
life-threatening, the sheriff added.
Authorities were on the scene investigating late
Thursday and were seeking the
gunman.
Scarbrough told the
Tifton Grapevine late Thursday night that no
additional details were available at that time.
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CITY, COUNTY MEET JOINTLY
TIFTON CITY COUNCIL, COUNTY COMMISSION AGREE TO MEET AGAIN TODAY
TO ADDRESS PLACING SPLOST REFERENDUM ON NOVEMBER BALLOT
Following months of an ongoing
war of words between the
Tift County Commission and the
Tifton City Council, both elected governmental bodies sat down together
Tuesday night at the
Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce to begin addressing joint issues.
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Tifton Mayor Julie Smith and County Commission Chairman Grady Thompson at the joint meeting Tuesday.
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Moderated by
Gordon Maner of the
University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government, the elected officials discussed improving
communication and
trust among each other.
They agreed to work toward getting the
Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) referendum on the
November ballot. After sharing proposed
SPLOST initiatives, the officials said they were within about
1 percent of each other on the projects.
County Manager
Jim Carter and City Manager
Pete Pyrzenski were tasked with ironing out
details, and the two governmental bodies agreed to
meet again at
4 p.m. today (Friday) to address the proposed SPLOST
referendum.
Mayor
Julie Smith assured county commissioners that after
SPLOST is scheduled, the city will work with them on
service-delivery issues, including
water matters. Today's public
meeting will also be held in the
civic room at the
Chamber of Commerce.
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Church Pianist
Position
Tifton First United
Methodist Church
107 W 12th St., Tifton, GA
Tifton First United Methodist Church has an opening for a church pianist. This is a part time position.
The pianist is responsible for preparing for and practicing with the chancel choir, orchestra and ensemble every Wednesday evening for about two hours and for playing at Sunday traditional services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., as well at special services at Christmas, Easter, etc.
Interested persons should contact Debbie Minton, church executive secretary, at
229-382-6100.
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NEW UGA TIFTON WEATHER STATION OFFERS DATA
The University of Georgia Tifton campus now has its very own weather station.
The UGA Tifton WeatherSTEM unit sends real-time, local weather information to the Internet, keeps a record of all data collected and provides a STEM-based
(Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
curriculum for instructors use in the classroom.
Tifton is the latest UGA site with the new technology. UGA already had installed the weather stations in Athens at Sanford Stadium, at the
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UGA Tifton at sunset Thursday shown in this WeatherSTEM photo when it was 85.7 degrees.
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State Botanical Garden and in two other locations on the main Athens campus.
The stations link to the web and provide tools such as text alerts for changing weather conditions and forecasts. Users also can replay time-lapse videos from attached webcams.
The WeatherSTEM systems can be
useful for research, teaching and for promoting emergency preparedness.
For the UGA Tifton's WeatherSTEM Facebook page Click Here!
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USDA'S SONNY PERDUE
IN TIFTON TODAY
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Secretary
Sonny Perdue
will participate in two
events
today (Aug. 25)
in
Tifton
.
Perdue, the former Georgia governor, will convene a listening session at 10:30 a.m. as part of his Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity,
created by President Trump
.
While in town, Perdue will also address members of the Georgia Farm Bureau at noon to discuss issues important to agriculture producers.
Both events will be at the University of Georgia's Tifton Campus
Conference Center.
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TIFT CHAMBER HOSTS GA LEGISLATORS
The Tifton-Tift County Chamber of
Commerce
held its annual Legislative Appreciation Breakfast on Thursday morning at the State Chamber of Commerce regional office on Love Avenue in Tifton.
Members of the Tift County legislative delegation in the General Assembly -- state Sen. Greg Kirk, R-Americus; state Reps. Penny Houston, R-Nashville; Clay Pirkle, R-Ashburn; and Sam Watson, R-Moultrie -- met with Tiftarea business leaders and local elected officials.
In photo above, from left, Dr. Joe West, assistant dean for the UGA Tifton campus, chats with Rep. Sam Watson.
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TIFTAREA ACADEMY HAS 'GOLD OUT' NIGHT
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and Tiftarea Academy is getting started early.
At tonight's varsity football game against Southwest Georgia Academy, which kicks off at 8 p.m. at the Panther Pit in Chula, TA is sponsoring a "Gold Out" theme. The cause for Childhood Cancer Awareness is marked by a gold ribbon, and Tiftarea Academy will be selling gold balloons to be released at the beginning of the football game.
Survivors of childhood cancer are encouraged to attend the game. A survivor and two caregivers will be given free admission and a gold balloon to release. Varsity Cheerleading Coach Felise Harris said the cheerleaders will also be selling face tattoos and collecting money for the cause.
All funds raised will be donated to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Although childhood cancer is not common, it is the leading cause of death among children in the United States.
TA's varsity cheerleaders and football players are aiming to bring awareness and encourage others to get involved to help find a cure.
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NEW MEMBERS JOIN EDUCATION FOUNDATION BOARD
At Tuesday's meeting of the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence, new board of directors members were recognized. From left is Ron Branch, incoming President Mike Davis, Meredith Rutland, Sharon Nixon, Laura Cutts, outgoing President Joe West and Executive Director Mike B
rumby.
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MELL BAPTIST DEDICATES NEW OFFICE
On
Sunday, Aug. 13
, 32 representatives from 11 churches dedicated the new office for the
Mell Baptist Association
at
817 N. Central Ave.
in
Tifton
.
The
Mell Baptist Association is composed of
29 Southern Baptist churches and missions in the
Tiftarea who voluntarily cooperate to promote missions and evangelism.
Its purpose is to encourage and strengthen churches, and partner with churches to reach people with the Gospel.
The dedication service included prayers by
Steve Davis, pastor of Zion Hope Baptist Church; by
Rodney Owens, pastor of First Baptist Church Ty Ty; remarks from
Tom Hocutt, associational missionary; and a message by
Steve Tucker, pastor of Liberty Baptist Church.
The dedicated building was purchased in
April and
remodeled without debt.
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ABAC AWARDS NURSING SCHOLARSHIP
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Troy Spicer, left, and Don Vickers, right, congratulate Sarah Kremin from Tifton as the newest recipient of the Christie V. Murphy Scholarship in Nursing at ABAC.
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Sarah Kremin
, a nursing major from
Tifton
, has been selected as the recipient of the
Christie V. Murphy Scholarship in Nursing
at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
"We are honored to have a scholarship in memory of Christie on our campus," said Troy Spicer, dean of the ABAC School of Nursing and Health Sciences.
"She was a special young woman and a proud graduate of our nursing program. Sarah Kremin shares Christie's passion for the nursing profession and is an excellent choice as the recipient of this scholarship."
The scholarship is named in memory of Christie Ann Vickers Murphy, who died in 2013 at the age of 27. Murphy attended Irwin County High and earned her associate degree in nursing from ABAC in 2009.
Don Vickers, Christie Murphy's father, recently came to ABAC to meet Kremin and wish her well.
Contributions to the scholarship fund may be made by contacting Deidre Martin at dmartin@abac.edu or by calling 229-391-4907.
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ABAC HOLDS TOWN & GOWN EVENT
Representatives of local businesses and churches came out
Thursday
at Gressette Gym on the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College campus for the annual Town and Gown event. ABAC students were able to sample homemade cookies and other treats as they perused what the Tifton community has to offer.
ABAC has more than a $329 million annual impact on the economy of Tift and surrounding counties.
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REP. AUSTIN SCOTT VISITS
TIFTON ROTARY
Congressman
Austin Scott, R-Tifton, was guest speaker
Wednesday at the
Rotary Club of Tifton.
Scott spoke on a variety of
issues, including
health care, insurance and tax reform, and
threats around the world.
The
congressman said he has voted for both repeal and for amending the
Affordable Care Act, which he said needs immediate adjustments. It is unfair, he said, that the
enrollment period is only once a year and that enrollment should at least be allowed quarterly.
Scott also said he doesn't believe there is time to approve any type of
tax reform before year's end.
In
photo at left,
Scott poses with Tifton Rotary President
Shaundra Clark.
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PEANUT ACHIEVEMENT CLUB HONORS TOP PRODUCERS
The Georgia Peanut Achievement Club recognized the state's top peanut producers at its club's annual meeting Aug. 18-20 at Amelia Island, Fla. The University of Georgia Peanut Team also shared its latest research findings at the meeting.
"The University of Georgia is a great resource. They're out in front of a lot of the situations we have to deal with. If something arises, they get involved really quickly. They research it and come up with answers," said Brooks County farmer
Robert Davison, who won the District IV honor for 300 to 699.9 acres. He grew
5,258 pounds of peanuts per acre in 2016.
With 700-plus acres in peanuts, Eddie Miller of 4 Miller Farms in Seminole County produced the highest yield -- 6,880 pounds of peanuts per acre. Miller attributes part of his success to UGA's plant breeding program, led by Bill Branch.
During the past 25 years, Branch has developed more than 20 peanut varieties that have helped Georgia to become the No. 1 peanut-producing state. Today, approximately half of all the peanuts produced in the nation are grown in Georgia. Peanut varieties developed under Branch's leadership account for more than 90 percent of the market share of Georgia peanut production.
Fourteen Georgia growers and farms were recognized at the meeting, which salutes Georgia's
best peanut producers each year for achieving the top yields in the state.
Along with the UGA Peanut Team, this year's supporters of the club include Bayer Crop Science, BASF, AMVAC, the American Peanut Shellers Association, Georgia Peanut Commission and the National Peanut Buying Points Association.
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SRTC POSTS SUMMER PRESIDENT'S LIST
Southern Regional Technical College recently released the names of the 2017
Summer Semester President's List awardees.
At the completion of each semester,
Southern Regional Technical College honors those students who have demonstrated
outstanding achievement. The requirements for the
President's List are being a
full-time student who has completed 12 or more semester credit hours and e
arning a grade of "A" in all coursework attempted. 
President's List students include:
From Tifton -- Gabrielle M. Rucker, Selene S. Belton-Allen, Steven W. Welsh, Cassie B. Arrington, Sarah J. Taylor, Felix T. Torres, Mossiah A. Godfrey, David Leroy Owen, Sarah H. Gibbs, Brian Ashley Handley, Donielle R. Pratt and Diana L. Stovall.
From Ty Ty -- Kay Nicole Lavender, Nicarra J. Pittman, Brandy Marie Garcia and Brittany Michelle Chambless.
From Sylvester -- Deanna L. Daniel, Cindi V. Ortega, Kendall L. Wilson and Jodine S. Adkins.
From Norman Park -- Tonya N. Huite, Danielle M. Benton, Jimmy Dean Benton, Julia J. Keigans, Brandi A. Weaver and Amanda Marie Taylor.
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NOW, WHO'S THE REAL NUT HERE?
Local officials recently welcomed to Tifton the
joint
conference of the Northern Nut Growers Association and the North American Fruit Explorers.
At left is Tifton's "Mr. Peanut," Tyron Spearman, and at right is Mayor Julie B. Smith.
In the middle is Bob Stehli, the current holder of the "Big Nut" award. Each year, the necklace and crown are given at the annual banquet by the past year's Big Nut to another recipient for outstanding service to the Northern Nut Growers Association.
"Wearing the necklace and crown on a daily basis, however, is not obligatory," says Jerry Henkin, the conference chairman.
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YOUR WEEKEND
.
..at a Glance
-
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue's Agriculture & Rural Prosperity Listening Session,
10:30 a.m., UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center, Tifton
- USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue speaks to Georgia Farm Bureau, Noon, UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center, Tifton
- GO Georgia Baptist Leadership Event, 1:30 p.m., First Baptist Church, Tifton
- ABAC Horsemen's Association Jackpot Barrel Race, 6 p.m. exhibition; 8 p.m. show; rodeo arena, ABAC, Tifton
- Tift County High Blue Devils football vs. Cook County High, 7:30 p.m., Brodie Field, Tifton
- Tiftarea Academy Panthers football vs. South Georgia Academy, 8 p.m., Panther Pit, Chula
- GO Georgia Baptist Leadership Event, 8 a.m., First Baptist Church, Tifton
- Irwin County Farmers Market, 8 a.m., 5th Street, Ocilla
- Sylvester Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-Noon, downtown train depot, Sylvester
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AUG. 17
Charles E. Balkcom, 81, Sumner
John Warren, 73, Quitman
Betty Kitchens, 85,
Fitzgerald
George Maddox, 66, Sylvester
Margie Goff Carter, 77, Sycamore
Franklin Smith, 84, Adel
AUG. 18
Debra Yvonne Wilkerson, 64, Rebecca
Nell Owen, 85, Crestview
Ronald Wayne "Ronnie" Carney, 53, Nashville
Luther Ivey Walker, 92, Jacksonville, Fla.
Margaret Flowers, 85, Adel
AUG. 20
Earl "Bruce" Riner, 66, Tifton
Mike V. Walters, 72, Sylvester
Laura Ruth Strohauer, 56, Fitzgerald
Jesse Lloyd Hall, 59, Nashville
Helen Ruby Sheehan, 93, Adel
Dorothy Rowe Warwick, 84, Nashville
Ira Lavinsky, 73, Adel
Wayne Smith, 71, Fitzgerald
AUG. 21
William James Henderson "Willy" Baldree, 60,
Sycamore
Tommy Vann Alderman, 74, Adel
Elmer Dale, 76, Fitzgerald
AUG. 22
Lillie White Hall, 90, Lilburn
AUG. 23
Robert Lynn "Bob" Swails, 64, Enigma
Joyce Ida Gunter, 91, Fitzgerald
George Scaff, 98, Adel
AUG. 24
Barbara Ann Webb Davis, 67, Enigma
Evelyn Whitley Clement, 87, Tifton
MGySgt. Douglas Elmy, 66, Sylvester
Deborah Wiggins, Ashburn
Johnny Danforth, 66, Leesburg
Arthell Brown, Sylvester
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SERVING
YOU WITH PROFESSIONALISM
BEFORE, DURING & AFTER THE SALE
2019 Park Ave N., Tifton, GA
MLS #
127786
MOVE-IN READY! 4 bedrooms and 2 baths, 1,904 square feet, remodeled kitchen with granite counter tops, hardwood floors, walk-in closet, deck.
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Dwana Coleman
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Visit Us Online:
Call us TODAY!
229-386-4222
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FRANK SAYLES JR.
Editor & Publisher
A Service of
Sayles Unlimited Marketing LLC
478-227-7126
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