Tifton Council Incumbents Unopposed

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Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025

Tifton, Georgia

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COUNCILMAN JOSH REYNOLDS

COUNCILMAN LESTER CROMER JR.

TIFTON CITY COUNCIL INCUMBENTS RUN UNOPPOSED

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Two incumbent Tifton City Council members will run opposed for re-election in November's municipal election.

When candidate qualification closed Friday, only District 1 Councilman Josh Reynolds and District 3 Councilman Lester Cromer Jr. had qualified. Those are the only two positions up for election on Tifton City Council this year.

"This has truly been an honor to serve on City Council. I see this as a very fortunate opportunity to continue serving my community," Reynolds said. "I will do everything that I can to effectively represent the citizens of our town. I can't thank my constituents enough for the support and belief in me. Even though I'm running unopposed, I would still love your vote and support for me on Nov. 4."

Reynolds is currently serving as vice mayor, a position that City Council appoints from among its members.

Cromer said that serving as a Tifton city councilman is "more than a position — it’s a promise. I will continue to work hard for growth, unity, and opportunity in our district and great city. Together, we’ll continue creating a Tifton that thrives, one where every voice matters and every neighborhood shines."

Both Reynolds and Cromer are in the last few months of their first four-year terms on council.

COUNCIL SEATS ON BALLOT IN TY TY, OMEGA

In the City of Ty Ty, all incumbents on the ballot also are unopposed, while in Omega, several City Council incumbents face challengers.

Longtime Ty Ty Mayor J. Keith Beasley (pictured at right), who first was elected to Ty Ty City Council in 1989, is unopposed for re-election as are Ty Ty Council members Tony C. Randall (Post 2), Kasey Luke (Post 3), and Linda Drawdy (Post 4).

In Omega, four City Council seats are on November's ballot with three of them contested. Christopher W. Ponder is running unopposed for Post 1; incumbent Cecile L. Gilliard and Rene Christian Martinez are vying for the Post 2 seat; Rodney D. Glaze and Ryan Voris are running for the Post 3 seat; and for the Post 4 seat on Omega City Council, incumbent Charles Alvin White faces Gwendolyn C. Robinson.

Oct. 6 is the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 4 election. Early voting is Oct. 14-31, with Saturday voting available Oct. 18 and 25. To check your voter registration and voting locations, Click Here.

To request an absentee mail ballot, contact the Tift County Board of Elections & Registration at 229-386-7915 or email shekia.holly@tiftcounty.org

AREA COUNTIES SHOW MIXED JOBLESS RATES

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Area counties show mixed unemployment rates during the past month, with Tift County holding steady at 3.5%, according to data from the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL).

Although Tift's jobless rate remained the same for June and July, Berrien, Ben Hill, and Cook counties saw unemployment rise in July, the GDOL said.

Berrien County's rate rose significantly from 3.4% in June to 6.2% in July, but that was expected and occurs temporarily every year, said Lisa Smart, executive director

of the Berrien County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Authority.

"Every year, during the month of July – specifically right around the week of the Fourth – Chaparral Boats, our largest employer, shuts down for a least one week and sometimes two weeks, depending on production needs and such," Smart said.

"Some employees are left working due to inventory and billing and such; however, others are 'temporarily laid off due to shut down.' Those employees are put on unemployment benefits during that shutdown."

Smart said that when Chaparral shuts down in July, two to three other support industries also temporarily close.

"This happens annually and employees return after the shutdown, so August rates should reflect that," she said.

July's unemployment rates in area counties versus the previous month's rates were: Turner, 4.2% vs. 4.3%; Worth, 3.5% vs. 3.8%; Irwin, 3.8% vs. 4.0%; Cook, 4.1% vs. 3.4%; Berrien, 6.2% vs. 3.4%; and Ben Hill, 4.6% vs. 4.5%.

Georgia's July unemployment rate fell to 3.4% from 3.5%.The national unemployment rate for the month rose sightly to 4.2% from the previous month's rate of 4.1%, according to the GDOL.

In Tift County, its labor force – the number of people who are employed or are unemployed and seeking employment – was 19,321 during July, which was 18 more than June but a drop of 461 from a year ago, according to GDOL data.

The Tift County High Blue Devils now have a new 22-foot equipment trailer, wrapped and ready to roll. For years, the football team had a trailer too small to hold all the gear, with players sometimes holding equipment on their laps during away-game trips.

BLUE DEVILS OFF TO GOOD START ON GRIDIRON

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

The weather played havoc with last week's local high school football games, and the Tift County High Blue Devils caused their own type of havoc on Brodie Field, beating the Gadsden County (Fla.) High Jaguars, 22-0.

The game was played Saturday afternoon after storms postponed the contest from Friday night.

The Tift County Blue Devils are now 2-0, their best season beginning in four years.

This Friday, the Blue Devils travel to Leesburg to face the Lee County High Trojans.

Over in Chula, the Tiftarea Academy Panthers remain at 1-0 after storms canceled their scheduled game against Turner County High, which won't be played because the two teams have no time left on their schedules when both are available.

In the Panthers' first game of the season, they beat Central Fellowship Christian Academy Lancers,14-7. This Friday, Tiftarea Academy travels to Milledgeville to play the John Milledge Academy Trojans.

Jim Mejia, left, the legal advocacy and Latino outreach programs manager at Ruth’s Cottage & The Patticake House, shares his excitement of winning the state award with his supervisor, Nancy Bryan, executive director of the Tifton-based nonprofit organization.

RUTH'S COTTAGE

LEGAL ADVOCACY-LATINO OUTREACH MANAGER RECEIVES STATE AWARD

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Jim Mejia of Tifton has received the 2025 Moving the Work Forward Award by the Georgia Commission on Family Violence at its 31st statewide conference Monday in Jekyll Island.

The award recognizes Mejia’s commitment to advancing safety, justice, and culturally responsive services for survivors of domestic violence in South Georgia, according to a press release.

Mejia is the legal advocacy and Latino outreach programs manager at Ruth’s Cottage & The Patticake House (RCPCH), where he leads legal advocacy efforts across the Tifton Judicial Circuit serving Irwin, Tift, Turner, and Worth counties.

Since joining the organization in 2019 as a part-time legal advocate, Mejia has grown into a leadership role, building a bridge between legal systems and predominantly immigrant and Spanish-speaking communities.

“Jim Mejia’s work exemplifies the spirit of the Moving the Work Forward Award,” said Commission Chair Paige Whitaker, a Superior Court judge in Fulton County.

"His expert advocacy, cultural outreach, and strategic leadership have opened doors for survivors who felt isolated or unheard for far too long. Through compassion, collaboration, and vision, Jim is changing lives in South Georgia — and his work is a model for the entire state,” Whitaker said.

Under Mejia’s leadership, RCPCH's Legal Advocacy Program provides services to hundreds of domestic-violence survivors each year, helping them navigate the legal system and obtain temporary protective orders for family violence, stalking, or dating violence.

In 2021, recognizing challenges that the Latino community face, Mejia helped develop and implement a dedicated Latino Outreach Program funded through a specialized grant. The program is designed to reduce barriers, educate immigrant survivors, and create pathways to safety and healing. Mejia has led efforts that have significantly increased the number of Spanish-speaking survivors seeking help across the circuit, according to a release.

“Jim’s leadership has shifted how his circuit responds to domestic violence in immigrant communities,” Whitaker said. “He doesn’t just serve — he listens, builds trust, and creates sustainable, inclusive, and transformative solutions.”

The Moving the Work Forward Award is presented annually to an individual or organization demonstrating innovation, vision, and lasting contributions to the domestic violence movement in Georgia.

In photo at left are Ivonne Huerta Contreras, Dina Willis, Wendy Gonzalez Huerta, and Emmanuel Gonzalez Huerta. In photo at right are Lucila Hernandez, Dina Willis, Oscar Martinez Hernandez, and Lucio Martinez Hernandez.

FIESTA DEL PUEBLO AWARDS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP TO TWO STUDENTS

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The Fiesta del Pueblo committee in Tifton recently awarded its 2025 Maria Guadalupe Cervantes Memorial Scholarship to students Wendy Gonzalez Huerta and Oscar Martinez Hernandez.

As part of the annual festival and to help the Latino community, the scholarship was established in 2004 and commemorates Cervantes, a former educator from Mexico who died in the Omega tornado of 2000.

La Fiesta del Pueblo strengthens the endowment annually, raising funds through vendor fees, donations, and festival proceeds.

Wendy Gonzalez Huerta, daughter of Vicente Gonzalez Cortez and Ivonne Huerta Contreras, graduated from Colquitt County High School and is a fulltime student at ABAC. She made the Dean's List in spring and fall 2024, has been an ABAC embassador, Student Government Association senator for the school of Arts and Sciences, college housing residents assistant, and Stallion Society orientation leader.

She has dedicated time in the community helping others with more than 77 hours of engagement plus as a College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) mentor. Her goal is to work in marketing and public relations to help organizations build strong, meaningful connections and create real change.

Oscar Martinez Hernandez, son of the late Roberto Martinez Leal and Lucila Hernandez Trejo, graduated from Atkinson County High School and is an ABAC student, the first in his family to attend college. He credits the support of his family and the guidance of his high school teachers for making his dream a reality.

Last year he completed an internship at Congressman Austin Scott's office in Washington D.C., and has served at ABAC as an Ambassador, senator for the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and an orientation leader. He is an active member of several clubs, including MANRRS, Collegiate FFA , and the Education Club. He has worked with the ABAC Upward Bound program, serves as a county volunteer firefighter, and is a board member for La Fiesta del Pueblo Festival committee. He plans to open his own agricultural business after graduation.

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

Tifton Nutrition

135 S. Virginia Ave., Tifton

Aug. 22

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CAT OF THE WEEK

"Peaches," an adorable four-month old kitten, is ready to pounce her way into your heart. She is a warm and gentle little lady, loves attention, and is eager to find her forever family. Visit Peaches 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).

CITY COUNCIL DECLINES TO STOP CATTLE FROM RUNNING ON TIFTON STREETS AT NIGHT

~ AUG. 27, 1906

A motion was made at the Tifton City Council meeting on Aug. 27, 1906, to enact an ordinance prohibiting cattle from running at large on Tifton streets at night. The motion, however, failed for lack of a second.

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