Friday, June 5, 2020
Tifton, Georgia
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Tift County High School's Class of 2020 will have a formal graduation ceremony at Brodie Field on Saturday, June 13. But the ceremony will be somewhat different than last year's commencement, pictured above.
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TCHS TO HOLD FORMAL GRADUATION ON JUNE 13
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By FRANK SAYLES JR.
Tifton Grapevine
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Three weeks after its originally scheduled date,
Tift County High School
will hold a formal
graduation ceremony
at Brodie Field for the
Class of 2020
– the school's largest-ever class at
509
graduates.
The ceremony will be at
7:45 a.m. Saturday, June 13
. It was delayed because of the
pandemic
. An online graduation celebration was held
May 23
when the ceremony had been initially scheduled.
"Based on
Governor Kemp’
s executive order and the recommendations from the
CDC
(Centers for Disease Control) and
Department of Public Health
, we have adapted our ceremony to meet certain guidelines," the high school said.
Dana R. Spurlin
, chief information officer at Tift County Schools, said "all graduates will be seated
six feet
apart on the field. Another important point is that there will be a
recessional
this year; at the end of the ceremony, the graduates will recess off of the field. Once the graduates have cleared the field, the audience will be dismissed through the ticket gates. No one will be allowed on the field after the ceremony."
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Graduates, who have already received their diplomas, will be presented a diploma cover as they walk across the stage. Each graduate will receive
six
admission tickets, which will be color-coded to indicate gate entry and seating location for social distancing. Guests are asked to be in their seats by
7:30 a.m.
"The tickets have been randomly assigned to adequately disperse the audience through the stands," the high school noted in its graduation information. The ceremony will be live-streamed on the Tift County Schools'
YouTube
channel.
Per CDC guidelines,
masks
are "recommended but not required" for graduates, the school system said. "Masks made of material presenting crude, objectionable, or inflammatory content will not be allowed."
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EARLY VOTING ENDS TODAY IN PRIMARY ELECTION
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Today is the final day for
early voting
in the
primary election
; election day is this
Tuesday, June 9
.
The
Democratic
and
Republican
primaries had been scheduled earlier but were delayed because of the pandemic. Early voting is available from
8 a.m.-5 p.m. today
at the Tift County Board of Elections office on Chesnutt Avenue behind the County Administration Building.
As of
Thursday
,
1,320
Tift countians had voted early in person, and
2,779
had voted early by mail, said
Leila E. Dollison
, Tift County election supervisor.
On Tuesday,
election day
, voters will need to cast ballots at their regular precinct locations. Polls on Tuesday will be open
7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Registered voters can check their polling place and see sample ballots
here
.
Voters will need to choose to participate in either the
Democratic
or
Republican
primary. While there are many races uncontested, some contested local races have gotten attention in recent weeks.
In state Senate District 13,
Carden Summers
, who won the seat in a special election earlier this year after Sen.
Greg Kirk
died, is seeking a full term.
Spud Bowen
is opposing him for the GOP nomination.
In the race for district attorney,
Kevin Hutto
and
Bryce Johnson
are squaring off on the Republican ballot. Also on the GOP ballot,
Lee Turner
and
Paul Webb
are seeking the Tift County commissioner seat in District 3.
Probate Judge
Suzanne Carter Johnson
is seeking re-election on the GOP ballot and is being challenged by fellow Republican
Bobby “Keith” Newell
.
Congressman
Austin Scott
is being challenged by
Vance Dean
and
Danny Ellyson
for the Republican nomination.
While
Joe Biden
is the presumptive
Democratic
presidential nominee, there still are
12
names on the Democratic presidential ballot; most of the candidates had dropped out of the race after they qualified to run in Georgia.
Also among Democrats,
Sarah Riggs Amico, Marckeith DeJesus, James Knox, Tricia Carpenter McCracken, Jon Ossoff, Maya Dillard Smith
and
Teresa Pike Tomlinson
are seeking the U.S. Senate nomination to face incumbent
David Perdue
in the fall.
Mary Egler
and
Ruenett Melton
are vying for the Democratic nomination for state Senate District 13.
There is also a long list of candidates running
without opposition
.
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GEORGIA'S COVID-19 CASES
NEAR 50,000 MARK
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Georgia
's number of
COVID-19
cases is nearing
50,000
, according to the Ga. Department of Public Health (DPH).
As of
Thursday
, the DPH reported a total of
49,847
positive cases, nearly
1,000
new cases within
24
hours. Total deaths from the virus in the state reached
2,147
.
Tift County
's cases have risen to
277
with
18
deaths of Tift residents. Tift's total hospitalizations is
69
, the DPH reported.
Everyone in Georgia is now encouraged to be
tested
for the
coronavirus
. Southwell has relocated its COVID-19
Drive-Thru Clinic
to the
Southwell School Clinic
at
Eighth Street Middle School
in Tifton.
The clinic is on the back side of the school, between the school building and the football stadium on Sixth Street. Before coming to the Drive-Thru Clinic, residents need to call Southwell's COVID-19 Hotline at
229-353-2819
.
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ABAC COMPRESSING
FALL SEMESTER
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Because of the pandemic,
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
is compressing the semester calendar so that students will get a
longer break
between the fall and spring terms.
“This new
compressed
semester calendar allows ABAC to complete a full fall semester of
face-to-face
instruction so that students can finish all their classes and final exams prior to
Thanksgiving
,” said President
David Bridges
.
“When the students go home for the Thanksgiving break, they will not return to campus until the spring semester in
January
. Students and their parents will save time and money; and since the students will not return to campus after Thanksgiving, the opportunity for a
virus outbreak
on campus in December will be
eliminated
.”
Bridges said the extra days during
December
without students on campus will also give personnel more time to thoroughly clean residence halls, classrooms, laboratories and the dining hall.
ABAC fall semester classes begin
Aug. 12
and will end
Nov. 19
. Final exams will be on
Nov. 20-21
and
Nov. 23-24
. After completing their finals, students will leave campus; the spring semester begins next
Jan. 11
.
In the revised calendar, classes will be held on
Labor Day, Sept. 7,
and on the previously scheduled fall break on
Oct. 19-20
.
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HARVEYS, BI-LO MARKETS BEING SOLD TO FOOD LION
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Food Lion
is purchasing 62
BI-LO
and
Harveys
supermarkets in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia – including the
Tifton Harveys
on U.S. Highway 41 in Tifton.
When the sale is completed, expected next year, the stores will be branded as
Food Lion
.
Nashville, Ga.-based
Harveys Supermarkets
got its beginnings in
Tifton
in
1903
when
Iris Johson Harvey
, a mother of five and wife of
J.M. Harvey
, began selling canned goods as a
railroad commissary
from the
parlor
of her home in
Tifton
. Her front-room shop became so successful that her husband, a railroad foreman, left his job to tend to the growing business.
The Harveys decided to open an actual
grocery store
in
Tifton
. By
1910
, they had four “cash stores” in various sections around
Tift County
, eventually consolidating them into one large “uptown” Tifton operation.
In
1924
, the Harveys decided to branch out in the area, and their son
Joe
opened a store in
Nashville
and branded it as Harveys market.
The stores that
Food Lion
is purchasing will remain open as
BI-LO
and
Harveys
Supermarket
until the transaction is complete, which is expected to take place over a staggered period from
January
to
April 2021
, pending regulatory approval and customary closing requirements.
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CELEBRATE RECOVERY RESUMES
WEEKLY MEETINGS AT FBC
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Celebrate Recovery
, a Christ-centered “12 step” ministry program for anyone with a "hurt, habit or hang-up," resumes its weekly meetings at
6:30 p.m. June 11
at Tifton's
First Baptist Church.
The group has been meeting weekly at First Baptist Church for nearly
11
years; because of recent “shelter in place” orders, there hasn't been a meeting since March.
"Celebrate Recovery is a safe place to find freedom from those things that are controlling your life," said
Michelle Gilder
, the program's staff liaison at First Baptist Church.
"Maybe you have been hurt by things in life, such as abandonment, abuse, or past relationships. Or maybe you are dealing with a habit or addiction. Or maybe you are dealing with anger, co-dependency, or fear. If this is you, then come and check us out," she said.
While the wearing of face masks is recommended, it is not required. The meetings will follow social-distancing guidelines. During this transition period, childcare and meals cannot be provided.
The program will meet at
6:30 p.m. every Thursday
at the
First Baptist's chapel
at 404 Love Ave.
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VIDEO:
Watch John Berry's new video of his re-recorded "Graduation Song" filled with images from the Class of 2020.
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JOHN BERRY RE-RECORDS 'GRADUATION SONG,' MAKES VIDEO FOR NEW GRADS
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Grammy-winning country music recording artist and songwriter
John Berry
, a former
Tifton
resident, has re-recorded and released
“The Graduation Song,”
a song he wrote
43
years ago, to honor
2020 graduates
.
Berry wrote the tune when he was a
17-year-old
high school senior in
1977
. Using social media, Berry asked his fans to send photos of
2020
graduates. He received more than
500
photos, including some from
Tifton
. The images are included in the
video
to honor 2020 graduates, many of whom did not get a formal graduation ceremony because of the
pandemic
.
During the Covid-19 quarantine, Berry
re-recorded
and co-produced "The Graduation Song" with his son
Caelan
and wife,
Robin
, in their home studio. His band recorded their parts separately and sent them to Berry to be mixed as if they were all together in the studio.
“Senior-year graduation – a
rite of passage
. All these years later, its importance is still vivid in my consciousness. The very thought of not having my name announced on that awful gymnasium sound system, and not getting to walk across that stage one last time, and not be handed that little decorative piece of paper that said I had done it – I cannot imagine, I cannot imagine the
disappointment
," Berry
said.
"It is important that this moment in the lives of each of these students, these
achievers
, these remarkable people, be
recognized
by their communities."
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GEORGIA POWER CUSTOMERS TO SEE CREDIT
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Georgia Power
will give customers a
credit
on their bill this month.
The typical residential customer using
1,000-kilowatt
hours will receive an
$11.29
credit on their
June
bill, company officials said. This is a one-time
$51.5 million
credit approved by the Georgia
Public Service Commission
(PSC).
In addition, the PSC recently approved Georgia Power’s plan to reduce its fuel rates by
17.2
percent and billings by roughly
$740 million
over two years. This will provide customers with additional relief during the
COVID-19 pandemic
.
The lower fuel rate and special interim reduction will lower the total bill of a typical residential customer using an average of 1,000-kilowatt hours by a total of
$10.26
per month from
June
through
September
.
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TIFT CENSUS RESPONSE AT 52 PERCENT
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Only
52.2
percent of
Tift County
residents have completed the 2020
U.S. Census
, according to the Tift County Census Complete Count Committee.
Residents received notification through the mail to complete the Census
online
; some residents may have been mailed a form to complete the Census and send back.
The completion rate in the City of
Tifton
is
52
percent; in
Ty Ty
,
42
percent; and in
Omega
,
39.3
percent.
Georgia's
total Census completion rate is
56.6
percent.
Among area counties,
Lee
County leads with a 63.3 percent completion rate.
Worth
County's rate is 52.1 percent;
Cook
County, 48.2 percent;
Berrien
County, 47.3 percent;
Irwin
County, 46.3 percent; and
Turner
County, 46.2 percent.
Tift County
has lost
$164 million
in federal funds during the past decade because
8,204
county residents were not counted during the last
U.S. Census,
officials have said. In
2010
, Tift County had a
78.8
percent
response rate to the Census.
Based on the
2010
Census, Georgia has received
$15.88 billion
in
federal funds
during the past decade.
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SUMMERS NAMED TO SENATE COMMITTEES
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Lt. Gov.
Geoff Duncan
has appointed state Sen.
Carden Summers
, R-Crisp, to serve on the following
Senate Committees
: Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Economic Development and Tourism, Interstate Cooperation, and State Institutions and Properties.
“Sen. Carden Summer’s
agricultural
and
small-business experience
will make him a valuable member of these committees,” Duncan said.
“I am eager to bring my skills and experience to these committee to take on legislation that has the potential to affect all Georgians,” Summers said.
Summers took office in
March
to represent
Senate District 13
, which includes Tift, Turner, Worth, Crisp, Dodge, Dooly, and Lee counties, and portions of Sumter and Wilcox.
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TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S PET OF THE WEEK
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This female cat is among the animals available for adoption
at the
Tift County Animal Shelter.
The shelter, located at 278 Georgia Highway 125 S., in Tifton, is now open to the public for adoptions
1-6 p.m. Mondays
through
Fridays
.
For
information
,
call
229-382-PETS (7387).
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Pets of the Week are sponsored by:
Branch’s Veterinary Clinic
205 Belmont Ave., Tifton, 229-382-6055
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CORONAVIRUS CLEARINGHOUSE
Important Phone Numbers & Web Sites
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MAY 28
Vivian Harris Pearson, 78,
Enigma
Dalma A. Fennell, 97,
Sparks
Terry Lee Austin, 72,
Nashville
Ruth Hall Burkett, 91,
Fitzgerald
Jessica Marie Pendarvis, 38,
Tifton
Marian Laverne Morrow Cole, 67,
Tifton
William Henry "Billy" Britt, 67,
Ashburn
Clint Edwards, 77,
Ashburn
Larry Lewis, 67,
Norman Park
MAY 29
Randy Allen Morgan, 68,
Ocilla
Lawrence Clayton Fletcher, 73,
Sumner
Erica Katherine Landers, 33,
Tifton
William Jackson "Jack" Roberts, 78,
Ray City
MAY
30
Maria Raquel Lara De Zapata, 65,
Omega
Jimmy Carroll Garner, 77,
Ray City
Margaret Miller, 71,
Adel
Ola M. McKelvin,
Lilburn
MAY 31
Edwin T. Taylor, 64,
Tifton
Bill "Billy" James Keene, 69,
Sylvester
Johnny Edward Tison, 69,
Lenox
Diane Williams, 62,
Sparks
JUNE 1
Dorothy Maxine O’Hair, 85,
Tifton
Hazel Manning, 76,
Adel
Cynthia Louise Feijoo, 61,
Camilla
Agnes Elizabeth (Futch) Thomas, 95,
Melbourne, Fla.
JUNE 2
Sue Ellen Rentz, 61,
Daytona Beach, Fla.
Linda Cravey Geoghagan, 72,
Ashburn
Tomasa Carranza 76,
Tifton
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JUNE 3
Lonnie Theus Griffin, 84,
Tifton
Joe "Marc" Marchant, 67,
Monroe
Ruby Lynn DuBois,
Poulan
Virgil Young, 94,
Ben Hill County
JUNE 4
Janet Ruth Odom, 59,
Tifton
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Tifton Grapevine
e-published every Tuesday and Friday
Frank Sayles Jr.
Editor & Publisher
Bonnie Sayles
Managing Editor
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A Service of
Sayles Unlimited Marketing LLC
,
Tifton, Georgia
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