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Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025

Tifton, Georgia

Your Local Digital Newspaper for Tifton and the Greater Tiftarea

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BE THANKFUL BEYOND ONE DAY

On this Thanksgiving 2025, we have much for which to be thankful, including life itself. While not always easy, life is nonetheless wonderful and precious. There is magic in every day if only we are open to experience it.

Be grateful for the opportunities each sunrise brings. God allows us to chart our own course; sometimes we may take a road that we later realize was not the best route, but if we learn from the experience then it was a worthwhile trip.

To paraphrase William Shakespeare, our experiences are neither good nor bad but thinking makes them so.

On Thanksgiving, we often reflect upon what's important, both the big and small things in life. We may be thankful for a good dinner, for family surrounding us, for our health, for our career, for living in a community that cares about others.

We may simply be thankful for the sunshine that warms us, for the rain that renews our world, for the pure innocence of children, for the reassuring touch of a loved one.

Life is but a series of moments. If we appreciate those moments, then it is a life well-lived.

My Thanksgiving prayer is that we all slow down and be present in every moment, that we take the time to be thankful for the bounties of living and for the people who help us through our day, be they strangers or good friends.

Through such personal reflection, we can truly focus on living a full life of gratitude that goes beyond just one day on the November calendar.

GBI MAKES ARREST IN

OMEGA HOMICIDE

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The GBI has arrested a 19-year-old Omega man in last week's shooting death of another Omega man.

Justin Alexander Contreras, 19, of Omega has been arrested and charged with malice murder, felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a felony.

At approximately 8:15 p.m. Friday, Omega Police responded to an incident at the Citgo Gas Station at 5530 Alabama Ave. in Omega. Officers found Jonathan Turner, 30, of Omega, dead from an apparent gunshot wound.

Turner’s body was taken to the Macon Crime Lab for an autopsy. Contreras was booked into the Tift County Jail.

The Omega Police Department requested the GBI's assistance with the investigation, which remains active. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Omega Police Department at 229-528-4911 or the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Sylvester at 229-777-2080.

Anonymous tips may be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

ABAC GROWS WITH DATA FARM BUILDING

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Hands-on learning at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) has reached a new level. Recently, ABAC cut the ribbon on the state-of-the-art Valley Irrigation DATA Farm Building, providing students and faculty access to the latest technology for cultivating crops and preparing for future careers.

The DATA Farm, short for Demonstrating Applied Technology in Agriculture, serves as a cross-disciplinary learning laboratory that blends classroom instruction with real-world agricultural applications.

“ABAC students have the curiosity and hands-on skills to excel with the irrigation technology the DATA Farm provides,” said Darren Siekman, global vice president of marketing and policy for Valley Irrigation.

Tyler Fields, global senior director for the company, said “Valley Irrigation technology equips ABAC students with real-world tools to explore precision agriculture through data-driven irrigation systems and remote monitoring. By working directly with advanced equipment, students gain practical insights into optimizing water use and improving productivity.”

ABAC’s collaboration with Valley Irrigation represents a gateway to future job opportunities for students, ABAC officials said.

“At ABAC, we take great pride in preparing students for the challenges and opportunities of modern agriculture,” said ABAC President Tracy Brundage. “We know that means going beyond textbooks and lectures, which are critical, but our institution values putting real tools, real technology, and real data into the hands of our students.”

Brundage said that ABAC students working with Valley Irrigation technology are “gaining practical knowledge they can take straight into their careers.”

That career boost is already happening, said Siekman.

“Our team set out to build a true talent pipeline — not just another internship program. Since then, six ABAC students have interned with Valley. They didn’t fetch coffee; they helped spec systems, analyze telemetry, and support growers in the field. We’re proud that three of those interns converted to full-time roles.”

ABAC’s Department of Agriculture boasts a 90% job placement rate for its graduates.

COATS BEING COLLECTED DURING ANNUAL DRIVE

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

Tift County Commissioner Melissa Hughes has kicked off her annual “Keep ‘em Warm” coat drive, asking for children’s – and women’s and men’s – coats now through Dec. 19.

Coats may be dropped off at Kelly’s Cleaners locations in Tifton or at the Tift County Commissioners’ Office on the second floor of the Charles Kent County Administration Building on Tift Avenue.

People may call Hughes at 229-326-0241, and “I’ll come pick them up,” she said.

“Guess what you can do to help?” Hughes asked. “Ask each one of your family members to bring a coat” for the Thanksgiving holiday.

“It can be a gently used coat, and we can get it to Kelly’s Cleaners. Your child may have outgrown the coat that they’re in,” Hughes said. “Bring them to me, or I will pick them up as well.”

She was inspired to start the coat drive 13 years ago after passing children walking to J.T. Reddick Elementary School on a cold day. “You see children with shorts on, and T-shirts or light jackets,” looking so cold, she said.

“One morning, I actually parked on the side of the road, and watched these children. It broke my heart,” she said. “Right then, I decided I needed to do something.”

The first year, in only one month, she said, “We received 537 coats.” With the cold snap early this year, all the children’s coats donated this year have been given away and need to be replenished.

Kelly’s Cleaners cleans donated coats free of charge, and they have been doing that every year. New and used coats are accepted.

Other programs Hughes started as commissioner are her “Sock it to ‘Em With Love” sock drive around Valentine’s Day, giving out thousands of pairs of socks, and the Gnat Drop Festival on New Year’s Eve with Matt the Gnat.

Hughes said the annual New Year’s Eve Gnat Drop will be at the Tift County Recreation Department on Victory Drive this year. Camden West will perform at the children’s portion of the event, starting at 6 p.m. Dec. 31. Also, Jake Fowler and Raven Rainey will perform. Soulful Sound out of Albany will be the headliner band.

Food vendors interested in serving at the Gnat Drop may contact Hughes at 229-326-0241.

Retirement Sale Now Underway!

THE BIG STORE | 346 MAIN STREET | DOWNTOWN TIFTON

'FERRY LAKE LIGHTS' GLOWING ON FRIDAY

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

The Christmas season formally gets underway as the Thanksgiving Day plates are removed from the dinner table, and on Friday a new, local holiday lights celebration will get underway.

"Ferry Lake Lights" is a free, backyard display of Christmas lights created by an extended family on Ferry Lake Road.

"My extended family is putting on a free, backyard, walk-through Christmas display in Tifton. We've gathered all sorts of outdoor Christmas decorations and are inviting the public to come and visit. We just want to share the joy of Christmas with the community," event co-founder Sommer Dunston told the Tifton Grapevine.

Dunston's family and her brother's family next door have decorated their yards with thousands of lights, along with displays and inflatables, opening the festive scene to the public beginning Friday, Nov. 28 through Sunday, Dec. 28, at 1719 Ferry Lake Road.

The display will be open from 6-11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 6-10 p.m. on Sundays-Thursdays.

On Saturday nights, hot chocolate will be available by the fire pit. Live entertainment is also anticipated as well a visit or two by Santa.

"Our family is so excited to welcome the community for a magical season of Christmas lights," Dunston said. "Bring your friends, family, and holiday spirit to enjoy our free, walk-through, backyard display — glowing with thousands of lights, festive charm, and plenty of Christmas cheer."

GA PEANUT FARM SHOW RETURNING TO TIFTON

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The 49th Annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference is scheduled for 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Jan. 15 at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton.

The one-day show is free and open to all farmers and industry representatives. Attendees will have the opportunity to visit with nearly 100 agribusinesses and organizations in the peanut and agricultural industry. Farmers will be able to earn private and commercial pesticide applicator certification, as well as learn about cutting-edge research and developments during the UGA Peanut Production Seminar and industry-wide sponsored Peanut Seed Seminar.

Farm show Chairman Rodney Dawson is looking forward to the 2026 show.

“I encourage farmers to attend this one-day show in Tifton,” Dawson said. “The knowledge they will gain from industry representatives and seminars is an investment in the future of their farm.”

At the close of the day, there will be nearly $10,000 in door prizes presented to farmers, as well as a Grand Door Prize, vendor products, certificates and equipment.

The Georgia Peanut Commission, in cooperation with OneBlood, will host a blood drive from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. during the show.

For information on the show, contact the Georgia Peanut Commission at 229-386-3470 or visit www.gapeanuts.com

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CATS OF THE WEEK

"Tatertot" and "Brew" are two 6-month-old girls full of kitten charm and playful energy. While they don’t need to be adopted together, they do love the company of other cats — you’ll often find them chasing toys, napping side by side, or grooming their feline friends. Visit Tatertot and Brew and see other pets available for adoption between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at the Tift County Animal Shelter on Highway 125 South, or call 229-382-PETS (7387).

COMMUNITY LEADERS GATHER TO CREATE 'OPERATION SURGE' FOR TIFTON

AND TIFT COUNTY GROWTH, EFFICIENCY

~ NOV. 24, 1964

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and its president Dr. Clyde Driggers gathered approximately 50 community leaders at the college on Nov. 24, 1964, to suggest that Tifton and Tift County ascertain where they want to go and create plans for getting there. The effort, called "Operation Surge," was an attempt for all resources to be utilized to create growth and efficiency for a better, more prosperous Tifton and Tift County future.

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