TIFT PROPERTY REASSESSMENT GETS UNDERWAY

PROPERTY VALUES EXPECTED TO INCREASE

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

Every property in Tift County will be closely examined with photos taken as part of the property reassessment process, which will be fully underway by March, Tift Chief Tax Appraiser Hayward Becton told the Tifton Rotary Club on Wednesday.

As property values increase, he said, the county, city, and school system will have the option of rolling back the millage rates to offset a lot of that inflationary growth, thereby balancing out the potential increase in property taxes. However, if they choose to accept the taxes from inflationary growth the governmental bodies are required to hold three public hearings.

The reassessment project will be completed for the tax year 2024. Tax assessment notices with the newly re-evaluated property values will be sent by July 1, 2024, Tift County Manager Jim Carter said recently. 

The county is contracting with Georgia Mass Appraisal Solutions & Services, with 13 appraisers in the county. They will visit each property parcel between mid-February and the end of the year. 

“They will be going parcel to parcel and door-to-door,” Becton said, and walk around and measure every structure. Every appraiser will have an ID on a lanyard, and their vehicles will be clearly identified with county decals, he said.

The reassessment is required because property owners must pay county taxes on 40% of the value of their property, Becton explained. Sales ratios are audited every year by the Georgia Department of Audits & Accounts. Every county in the state is required to maintain a sales ratio between 36% and 44%. When your county’s ratio falls below 36% or increases above 44% that county is required to get their ratio back within the acceptable range, which usually results in a re-evaluation. 

Lately, as property values increase, Tift's estimates have been creeping lower to 36% and below. To avoid fines, the county must get property appraisals closer to their current values. Every parcel in Tift County will be re-evaluated. “We have about 19,250 parcels,” Becton said. 

The last reappraisal was done in 2003, he said. “The market has drastically changed since then. We initiated a countywide re-evaluation.”

Becton said “values will increase a lot,” based on studies of what adjacent properties have been selling for.  

Photographs will be taken in the front and back of each property. Some Rotarians expressed concern about privacy issues with photos taken around the properties. 



“Google shows more than we will show,” Becton said.

MIKE BOSTICK OF TIFTON NAMED TO NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME IN GA

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Mike Bostick of Tifton, a veteran wrestling official, is among seven men being inducted this year in the Georgia chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

All will be inducted as "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" recipients in recognition of contributing at least 20 years to the sport of wrestling as a coach, referee, or contributor.

Bostick has 41 years of experience and service "as a mainstay among Georgia’s wrestling officials,” the Georgia chapter said.

He has been a longtime leader of the Sports Officials Association in Tifton, having served as its president for 35 years and as secretary for four years "while leading the charge in the recruitment and training of new officials in South Georgia."

Bostick has been a regular at Georgia’s state, sectional, and area wrestling tournaments as well as being the head official at more than 250 regular-season tournaments.

He had been a top wrestler and team captain at Tift County High School, graduated from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, and served in the U.S. Navy. He retired in 2009 from the Ga. Department of Transportation after 31 years of service.

This year’s other Georgia inductees into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame are: Jeff Bedard of Waleska; Bill Gifford of Gainesville; Jim Haskin of Marietta; Mitch McGhee of Jefferson; Wayne Smith of Dawsonville; and Johnny Stallings of Bethlehem.

The Georgia Chapter induction will be on Sunday, April 23, at The Venue at Friendship Springs in Flowery Branch.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Stillwater, Okla., and its goals are to preserve the sport of wrestling’s history, recognize extraordinary individual accomplishments, and inspire future generations to participate in "the oldest sport known to man."

BURGLARS STRIKE TIFTON PHARMACY, PROMPTING DRIVE-THRU CLOSURE

STAFF REPORTS

A Tifton pharmacy was burglarized early Wednesday morning, prompting the business’ drive-thru to be temporarily closed.

Friendly City Pharmacy on U.S. Highway 41 N. posted on social media several camera images of the suspects and said: "Due to the activity of these two individuals that had nothing better to do shortly before 3 a.m. than to bust a window and steal, our drive-thru will temporarily be out of service.

"We will still offer curbside, free delivery and in-store pick up. If you saw anything, or know anything about this robbery, please contact Tifton Police Department. Thank you to our loyal customers and those of you that frequently use the drive-thru for your understanding in this matter."

Friendly City Pharmacy is a locally owned, veteran-owned business that has been serving the community for two years.

TIFTON ARTS CENTER CELEBRATES KEESEE’S ART, LIFE

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

Marianna Keesee, at left in photo, talks with Tifton Arts Council board member Deborah Redlinger on Thursday during the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce’s Sunset Tifton at the Syd Blackmarr Arts Center.

Chamber members previewed the exhibit “Hallelujah: A Celebration of the Art and Life of Dr. Vincent Keesee.” Dr. Keesee is Marianna's late husband. 

"He was a student of Lamar Dodd at the University of Georgia," Mrs. Keesee said. "Vincent would call himself a regionalist artist. He painted the world around him. Some of his regionalist artwork would be Curtis Packing Co., Rudy's Drugs. There's one over there of cows in a field. That would be considered regionalist painting," she said.

The exhibit is kicking off with a grand opening and gallery talk at 5-7 p.m. Saturday. The exhibit will be open through Feb. 19.

A Wine & Dine event with wine and hors d’oeuvres, courtesy of The Local, will be 4-7 p.m. Feb. 10, with special music by Stan Smith.

Toasts to Vincent Keesee will be held 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 16. Former students, faculty, art owners, and friends will gather to share memories.

Surveying the scene are, from left, Ann Carroll with Horizon Academy, Lillie McEntyre with the Tift County Commission on Children and Youth, J.J. Jackson, Child Abuse Council President Filiberto Hernandez, Margaret Brown with PLIGHT, and Jennifer Porter with Horizon Academy.

FLAMINGOS FLOCKING AGAIN AROUND TIFT COUNTY

The Tift County Council on Child Abuse has kicked off its annual Flamingo Flocking with a flock of the “tropical birds" on J.J. Jackson's lawn.

The Flamingo Flocking is a fundraiser to help bring awareness to the need to reduce child abuse and neglect. The recipient of the flock makes a donation and then chooses the next home to be "flocked." 

"I'm honored to be flocked," Jackson said. "Hopefully, this will expand to other neighborhoods. I'm working with kids, sixth grade and up, through chorus and the marching band. To know that some of them may be going home to something that is not healthy just breaks my heart. I want to give them all a bright smile." 

Filiberto Hernandez, Child Abuse Council president, said, "We appreciate everyone who hosts the flamingoes and contributes to our mission of the prevention and awareness of child abuse and neglect."

ABAC CURATOR POLLY HUFF RECEIVES STATE AWARD

FOR PHOTO-AG EXHIBIT

Polly Huff, curator at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, received an exhibit award during the Georgia Association of Museums recent meeting.

Huff received the award for the Georgia Museum of Agriculture's (GMA) exhibit “Carver & Polk: Crossover of Agriculture and Photography in the early 20th Century,” based on the friendship of photographer Prentice Herman Polk and agriculturalist George Washington Carver.

“It is an honor that an exhibit so special to so many of us who worked on it merited recognition from our museum peers from across the state,” Huff said.

The “Carver & Polk” exhibit stemmed from another exhibit featured years earlier. In 2016, Huff and former intern Jackson Short began planning “The Photo Booth” exhibit to create a meaningful way to display the GMA’s collection of cameras and motion-picture projectors dating to the early 1900s.

The focus of that exhibit shifted eventually to Polk, whose work spanned the 20th century. Carver was both Polk’s favorite and most famous photographic subject.

The exhibit portrays the well-known “Carver in the Greenhouse” photo, taken in 1938 at Tuskegee University, where they both worked. Two life-like figures are placed in such a way that one half of the room portrays Polk’s photography studio and office, and the other shows Carver’s greenhouse as seen in the famous photo.

In the middle of both settings, the men meet and are staged as if Polk is taking the photo, capturing the moment as it happened. Using Polk’s story and timeline, the exhibit also displays a collection of cameras, motion-picture projectors, and roll film from the period. 

Huff worked with a museum mannequin builder who created both figures using the men’s heights, forms of dress, and hair and eye colorings. The exhibit, installed with the help of intern Seth Williams from Sylvester, also features hidden bonus facts, or “Easter eggs,” scattered throughout it.

From left, Chris Dorman, honoree Bobbie St. Clair, Daniel Goff, Judy Weaver, Cara Goodwin, and Tonia Garrett.

TRMC RECOGNIZES NURSE FOR ‘EXTRAORDINARY’ EFFORTS

Bobbie St. Clair, a registered nurse at Tift Regional Medical Center (TRMC) was recently honored with The DAISY Team Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's program to recognize the extraordinary efforts nurses perform each day. 

St. Clair works in the General Medical Surgical unit at TRMC and has been with Southwell for eight years. A co-worker nominated her for the compassionate care she provided to a patient who had a lengthy stay.  

The nomination form described St. Clair as “a fine example of a nurse that goes above and beyond for her patients, their families, guests, and co-workers on a daily basis.” 

“Bobbie is such a positive asset to our unit,” said Daniel Goff, nurse manager. “She really cares for her patients and has a great bedside manner that shows patients and families how much she cares. I am so proud to have Bobbie on our team.” 

The not-for-profit national DAISY Foundation was established by family members in memory of a man who died in 1999 from complications of a little known auto-immune disease. The care he and his family received from nurses inspired the award as a way to thank nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.  

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

Pawfection Pet Salon

1432 Tift Ave. N., Tifton

Jan. 30

GEORGIA’S FARMER OF YEAR FOR 2023

Bart Davis of Colquitt County was named the Georgia Farmer of the Year during UGA's Georgia Ag Forecast on Friday in Tifton. Davis will be recognized at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in October, competing with other Southeastern farmers for the Swisher/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year title. ... TRAIN-SEMI WRECK: No one was injured when a train crashed into a semitrailer early Tuesday at a crossing on U.S. Highway 41 in Chula. Foggy conditions were reported at the time, and the semi’s driver and his dog were able to escape before the collision. .... OPENING INDIA’S PECAN MARKET: After years of lobbying by Georgia and U.S. trade officials, India said Wednesday it will lift its country’s hefty tariff on pecans. A 100% customs duty on imported pecans made them expensive to consumers and limited U.S. growers’ ability to do business in India, the world’s second-largest population. India says it will lower the tariff from 100% to 30%. Georgia is the top state for pecan production, and the U.S. could see pecan sales in India rise from $1 million a year up to $60 million by 2030, according to Pecan South magazine.

Weekly COVID-19 data released from the

Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) as of Feb.1:

TOTAL TIFT COUNTY CASES: 6,845 ...................................... TOTAL DEATHS: 173

CONFIRMED TIFT CASES - 2 weeks: 13 ................................... DEATHS - Past week: 0

TIFT POSITIVITY RATE - 2 weeks: 4.3% ........ CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES: 80

TIFT CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - 2 weeks, per 100K population: 196

_______________________________________________________________

GEORGIA TOTAL CASES: 2,331,690......................................TOTAL GA DEATHS: 34,810

GA CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - 1 week: 8,563

GA DEATHS - 1 week: 125................................... ......GA HOSPITALIZATIONS - 1 week: 533

YOUR GUIDE TO ACTIVITIES THIS WEEKEND IN THE TIFTAREA

Today, Friday, Feb. 3, is National Carrot Cake Day. Carrots contain a natural sweetness that lends itself to cakes. Some historians believe carrot cake originated in the Middle Ages when sugar and other sweeteners were scarce, and carrots were used as a substitute. The earliest known recipe for carrot cake is in a French cookbook published in 1827. 

FRIDAY, FEB. 3

• Best Friends Humane Society Yard Sale, 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Chamber Annex, 301 E. Franklin St., Sylvester
• Tift County High Blue Devils basketball @ Northside Warner Robins High Eagles, 7:30 p.m., Warner Robins

SATURDAY, FEB. 4

• Best Friends Humane Society Yard Sale, 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Chamber Annex, 301 E. Franklin St., Sylvester
• Hallelujah: Celebration of Art & Life of Dr. Vincent Keesee, grand opening: 5-7 p.m., Syd Blackmarr Arts Center, Tifton
• Tift County High Blue Devils basketball vs. Lee County High Trojans, 7:30 p.m., TCHS, Tifton

ADVERTISE YOUR

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CONTACT US at 

yardsales@tiftongrapevine.com 

or 478-227-7126

Fees are $1 per word, paid in advance

“Sandy,” a friendly pup, is looking for a good home and is available for adoption today at the Tift County Animal Shelter. Visit Sandy and other pets available for adoption at the Animal Shelter, on Highway 125 South between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For additional information, call 229-382-PETS (7387).

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