Friday, December 19, 2025

Tifton, Georgia

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TWO TIFTON BUSINESSES IN UGA'S BULLDOG 100

LIST NAMES FASTEST-GROWING COMPANIES BY UGA ALUMNI

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Two of this year's fastest-growing businesses owned or led by UGA graduates are located in Tifton, according to the University of Georgia's 2026 "Bulldog 100" list.

Each year, the University of Georgia announces the 100 top-growing businesses led by alumni. In this year’s class, businesses are headquartered in 10 states, with 85 of them based in Georgia.

The Tifton businesses listed this year are Scarbor Land Planning LLC and The King Firm LLC.

Scarbor Land Planning offers turn-key site development plans and is led by Kelly Scarbor (M.Ed. ’02) and Chad Scarbor (B.SAE ’03).

The King Firm is a local-based personal injury law firm led by J.L. King II (J.D. '05) and Ben Hancock (B.SA '19, J.D. '22).

Each year, Bulldog 100 applicants are measured by their business’s compounded annual growth rate during a three-year period. The Atlanta office of Warren Averett CPAs and Advisors, a Bulldog 100 partner since the program began, verified the information submitted by each company.

“The Bulldog 100 showcases the remarkable vision and resilience of our alumni,” said Corey Dortch, president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

“Each honoree embodies the values of innovation, leadership, and excellence that define the University of Georgia. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and the impact they are making across their communities and industries,” Dortch said.

UGA will host the annual Bulldog 100 Celebration on Feb. 7 in Athens to celebrate the alumni business leaders and count down the ranked list to reveal the No. 1 fastest-growing business.

To view the alumni business leaders for each company and learn more about the program Click Here.

A CHRISTMAS PRESENT... AND PAST

Perhaps the most comments I ever received about one of my columns was one that I published at Christmas in 2017. It is also one of my personal favorites.

So, in the spirit of the season, here is my Christmas present ... and past, a reprint of my column from 2017:

A CHRISTMAS MEMORY

All of us have a special Christmas in our past. Oftentimes, that special memory stretches back to our childhoods. My special Christmas memory was 50 years ago, Christmas 1967, when we had snow on the ground at my home in Norfolk, Va., and Santa left sleigh tracks on our roof. 

That year, Christmas was on Monday. On that Saturday, Dec. 23, we awoke to snow falling. In Tidewater, Virginia, we used to get snow once or twice each winter and never at Christmastime. But snow began falling that Saturday morning and didn't let up all day.

My grandfather came over at midday, and he and my dad went out to get firewood. By evening, we had several inches of snow, and our neighborhood was truly a winter wonderland.

That night, my grandparents joined us for dinner as the fire blazed in our fireplace. After dinner, my dad put on some records and the adults danced in the dining room. I recall my maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother dancing in step to Christmas music. Who knew they could dance?

The next day, Sunday, was Christmas Eve, a cloudy day. Temperatures were in the 20s, and the snow didn't melt, still covering the world in a frosty white blanket. My mom spent the day in the kitchen doing her holiday baking, filling the house with warm scents of cinnamon and gingerbread.

In our family, the kids always got to open one present on Christmas Eve before we went to bed. Invariably, that present was always pajamas, and so it was this night. I remember wearing my warm, new pajamas and looking out the living room window, seeing the colored lights from our Christmas tree reflecting on the nighttime snow.

The next morning was Christmas, and my little brothers woke us all at dawn. My brothers' and my bedroom looked out over our front porch roof, which was covered with snow ... and something else; there were two parallel tracks across the roof as if they had come from a sleigh skidding across the snow.

The tracks weren't there the night before. What could possibly explain their appearance?

It was probably 20 years later when I finally discovered the answer: After we all went to sleep that night, my mom made the tracks in the snow while hanging out an upstairs window as my dad held her tight by the ankles.

This Christmas, a half century later, I am without both my parents. Three of my brothers have also passed in recent years. Rather than being sad, I am thankful for the memory of a special Christmas when we all were young, the world was snow-covered, and there was magic in the night.

– Dec. 22, 2017

TIFTON GETS HEALTH WELLNESS GRANT

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The City of Tifton has been awarded one of the 2025 Health Wellness Grants from the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA). The grant supports the city’s commitment to positive change in workplace culture and going the extra mile for employees’ health and wellness, the GMA said.

Awards are made statewide to participating employers enrolled in one or more medical plans through the Georgia Municipal Employees Benefit Service's Life and Health Insurance Fund.

GMA's health wellness program helps members with a variety of skills, mindsets, and cultures to encourage well-being through workplace initiatives.

These initiatives have a track record of improving employee well-being and quality of life, while enhancing workplace morale, reducing medical claims, and maximizing cost impact, GMA said.

The City of Tifton has designated Natasha Patrick, director of the Leroy Rogers Senior Center, as health wellness champion to coordinate the program and work with GMA to plan targeted activities.

"With the funding, we can implement programs that promote physical fitness, mental health, and overall wellness,” said Jocelyn Paulk, the city's human resource director. “Our vision is to create a healthier, happier environment for all employees, and this is a significant step towards achieving that goal.”

JOBLESS RATE IMPROVES IN AREA COUNTIES

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Area counties showed improved unemployment rates in September, according to data just released from the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL).

Tift County's jobless rate dropped to 3.0% from the previous month's 3.3%, the GDOL said.

In Tift County, its labor force – the number of people who are employed or are unemployed and seeking employment – was 19,979 during September, which was 238 less than a year ago, or a 1.2% decrease, according to GDOL data.

September's unemployment rates in area counties versus the previous month's rates were: Turner, 3.7% vs. 3.9%; Worth, 3.3% vs. 3.6%; Irwin, 3.3% vs. 3.4%; Cook, 2.8% vs. 3.1%; Berrien, 3.0% vs. 3.3%; and Ben Hill, 3.9% vs. 4.1%.

Georgia's September unemployment rate held steady at 3.4%. The national unemployment rate for the month was 4.4% according to the GDOL.

ABAC's 'NURSING AT NIGHT' PROGRAM HELPS

NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s Bainbridge site is expanding access to nursing education through its "Nursing at Night" program, offering evening courses designed for adult learners pursuing their associate of science in nursing (ASN) degree.

The program provides a flexible pathway for individuals seeking new career opportunities without disrupting their daytime responsibilities.

“This program provides affordable access for people who might otherwise be excluded from the profession with a chance to succeed,” said Dr. Yvonne Smith, nursing director. “For students who are balancing full-time jobs, parenting, or other daytime responsibilities, a traditional college schedule simply does not fit. That is where Nursing at Night shines.”

Students in the program echo Smith’s sentiment, emphasizing how Nursing at Night has allowed them to pursue a nursing career that once felt out of reach.

“When I heard about the Nursing at Night program, it opened up the possibility to actually become a nurse,” said Angela Hendrixson, a current student. She was initially inspired after helping care for her elderly grandmother and hopes to improve the level of care in her community. “I could not afford to quit my job to do the ASN program. The Nursing at Night program was the only way I could move forward.”

The Nursing at Night program is making an impact in the medical profession as well, helping meet the growing demand for qualified nurses in South Georgia’s rural communities. ABAC’s regional clinical partners for the Bainbridge program include Tift Regional Medical Center, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, Colquitt Regional Medical Center, South Georgia Medical Center, John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital, Donalsonville Hospital, Memorial Hospital and Manor, Miller County Hospital, and Florida State Hospital.

In addition to completing the ASN, students have the option to continue their education through ABAC’s online RN to BSN pathway program, creating a seamless route for career advancement. ABAC’s nursing program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.

TIFT SHERIFF WELCOMES NEW DEPUTIES

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Tift County Sheriff Gene Scarbrough this week welcomed two new deputies to the Sheriff's Office – James Riley and William Bowen.

The pair was administered their oath of office on Tuesday.

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

Southeast Non-Profit Housing Inc.

Dec. 11

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YOUR GUIDE

TO ACTIVITIES

THIS WEEKEND

IN THE GREATER

TIFTAREA

Sunday, Dec. 21, is the Winter Solstice, occurring at 10:03 a.m. and marking the shortest day and longest night of the year as well as the official start of winter. This astronomical event happens as the Earth's tilt causes the sun to appear lowest in the sky, with late dawns and early sunsets. For thousands of years, people have observed the solstice. The ancient Norsemen of Scandinavia celebrated Yule from the winter solstice through January. In recognition of the return of the sun, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which became known as Yule logs. They would light one end and feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days.

Born on Dec. 19: Edwin M. Stanton, Lincoln's secretary of war, 1814-1869; Martin Luther King Sr., Atlanta pastor and father of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1899-1984; Little Jimmy Dickens, County music singer, 1920-2015; Cicely Tyson, actress, 1924-2021; Phil Ochs, singer-songwriter,1940-1976; Jake Gyllenhaal, actor, 1980- .

FRIDAY, DEC. 19

• Ferry Lake Lights, free display, 6-11 p.m., 1719 Ferry Lake Road, Tifton

• Christmas Movie Night Under the Stars, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" & "Frosty the Snowman," with popcorn, hot cocoa, S'mores, 7 p.m., Storybook Park, 211 E. 2nd St., Adel

• Photos with Santa, hosted by Ray City Fire Rescue, 7-9 p.m., Pines Field, 1101 Patten Ave., Ray City

SATURDAY, DEC. 20

• Tift County Saddle Club Christmas Tree Run, pole exhibitions, arena race, 10:30 a.m., 366 Tifton Eldorado Road, Tifton

• Pet Pics with Santa, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Nashville Farmers Market, 503 East Marion Ave., Nashville

• Ferry Lake Lights, free display, 6-11 p.m., 1719 Ferry Lake Road, Tifton

• Good Old-Fashioned Carnegie Christmas, live Christmas music, vintage Southern holiday foods, art exhibit opening featuring works of Edna Garrett & Janice Williams, 6 p.m., Carnegie Center, 120 S. Lee St., Fitzgerald

• Nashville Noel – A Country Christmas Spectacular, 7 p.m., Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Downtown Tifton

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CORRECTION

Venita Youngblood Lacey, 94, of Tifton, passed Dec. 3.

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S DOG OF THE WEEK

"Banjo" is ready for Christmas and hopes to get a new family this holiday season – one with a home full of warmth and love. Visit Banjo 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).

Season's Greetings from 

Our Family to Yours!

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