Tifton Drive-By Shooting Leaves 1 Dead

Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

TIFTON DRIVE-BY SHOOTING LEAVES 1 DEAD, 1 IN HOSPITAL

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

One man died and another is hospitalized following a drive-by shooting Monday night in Tifton, according to the Tifton Police Department.

At 8:36 p.m. Monday, Tifton Police went to an address in the 1700 block of Belleview Circle in response to reports of gunshots and someone being shot.

Officers found that two Tifton men had been shot during a drive-by shooting. Tift County EMS rushed both men to Tift Regional Medical Center, where Alex Troy Knighton, 43, died from his injuries, police said. Keymontravious De’shawn Bryant, 18, who was also shot, is listed in stable condition at the hospital.

Tifton Police requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Sylvester field office to assist with the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Sylvester at 229-777-2080 or the Tifton Police Department at 229-382-3132. To submit an anonymous tip, use the Tifton PD Tip411 app: Text TIFTONPD and the tip to 847411 or visit www.tifton.net, click tip411, and complete the online form.

GEORGIA FARMER VYING FOR SOUTHEASTERN FARMER OF YEAR

ALONG WITH FLORIDA FARMER OF YEAR WHO ATTENDED ABAC

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

A Doerun farmer, who recently was named Georgia's 2023 Farmer of the Year, is among 10 Southeastern state winners in contention for the Southeastern Farmer of the Year, to be named during the upcoming Sunbelt Ag Expo this October in Moultrie.

Henry "Bart" Davis Jr., Georgia's Farmer of the Year, will vie against state farmers of the year in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia for the Southeastern title.

Wade Purvis, the Florida Farmer of the Year, has a Tifton connection, having attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

“While there (at ABAC), I had part-time jobs working in peanuts, soybeans, hogs, and other crops. My love for farming only increased because I was mentored by some outstanding teachers and leaders in the classroom and through work opportunities,” Purvis said.

Davis, Georgia's Farmer of the Year, grew up on his parents’ Colquitt County farm of about 500 acres that had a small herd of mother cows and a hog operation. Both his parents died during his high school senior year in 1982, and Davis took over the farm operations.

Since 1982, when the Doerun farm consisted of 310 rented acres and 190 owned acres, it has grown to a total of 4,975 crop acres, 3,775 of which are rented and 1,416 are owned. Initially Davis grew cotton, peanuts, corn, beans, and wheat, alongside raising livestock. In the 1990s, when cotton largely returned to the area, he shifted his focus to cotton and peanuts.

Today, his wife and three children are all involved in the Davis Family Farms and Davis Cattle Farms operation.

A panel of judges will soon visit Davis and the other nine state finalists before deciding the winner of this year's Southeastern Farmer designation. Among the judges are Dr. Joe West of Tifton, retired assistant dean of the UGA Tifton campus; Darren Parker, vice president of Massey Ferguson North America; and David Wildy of Manila, Ark., the overall winner of the award in 2016.

The Sunbelt Ag Expo is scheduled Oct. 17-19.

ABAC NAMES NEW HEAD BASEBALL COACH

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Brooks Calvo has been named head baseball coach for Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

Calvo will be entering his sixth season coaching college baseball, including the past two years as the head assistant and pitching coach for the ABAC Stallions. He began his coaching career at Flagler College, where he served as the volunteer assistant for three seasons, before coming to ABAC in 2020.

“I’m looking to continue what we’ve been doing,” he said. “I’ve looked at the program we’ve got, and it’s successful. We’ve got a 3.0 average GPA, our guys have had a lot of success on the field, and many have moved on to success at four-year programs. We need to keep doing what we’re doing.”

Calvo played at University of South Carolina-Aiken for three seasons. Before that, he played at South Georgia State College, where he was the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Year during his sophomore year.

In the spring, ABAC advanced to the finals of the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association tournament.

TIFT CROSS COUNTRY 'RUN FOR LOVE' 5K, 1-MILE FUN RUN ON SATURDAY OPEN TO COMMUNITY

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

The Tift County Cross Country teams will hold the 34th Annual Run For Love 5K/1-Mile Fun Run on Saturday beginning at the ABAC tennis courts.

The community event is the only fundraiser for the teams.

The Sunbelt Runners held the first "Run for Love" in 1990 organized by Ernest Lang, David Vann, John Lindsey, and Michael Cantlebary, with Lang directing the race for 21 years.

In about 2004, Vann proposed using the event to raise money for Tift's Cross Country teams. In 2011, the race was turned over to the teams as the sole means of raising funds.

The run involves a 5K and 1-mile Fun Run. Race-day registration starts at 7 a.m. Saturday with the 5K beginning at 8 a.m., and the Fun Run at 9 a.m. Entry fees are $30 for the 5K and $15 for the Fun Run. Registration for both runs is $40.

To register, Click Here!

Awards will be presented in the 5K for: Overall male, female, and masters winners; top three males and females per age group; and five-year age group increments; for the 1-Mile Fun Run: Overall male and female winners, and all other runners receive a participation medal.

For information contact Amanda Wimberley at 229-848-2759, or Crystal Lukas, 229-646-9531.

"We look forward to seeing everyone's smiling faces and happy feet," said Coach Cindy Marzen. "And, as always, the Tift County Cross Country team sincerely thanks everyone for their support."

Director of Children’s Ministries

Tifton First United Methodist Church (TFUMC) in Tifton, Georgia (https://www.tiftonfirst.org) is searching for a full-time

Director of Children’s Ministries / Christian Education.

We are looking for an individual who is a solid role model and spiritual director with an energetic, enthusiastic, and creative spirit to lead these program ministries at TFUMC. The Director will work with other staff under the direction of the Senior Pastor, the Staff Parish Relations committee and the Children’s Leadership Committee to develop and conduct overall children’s educational programs

and ministries for TFUMC.

Director of Children’s Ministries:

Primary responsibilities will be focused on Infant thru 5th Grade and include oversight of the nursery program. The Director will work with other staff members under the direction of the Senior Pastor to develop overall educational programs and ministries for TFUMC.

The Director should possess or be pursuing a bachelor's degree; have experience working with and developing children’s ministries and/or children’s educational programs; and possess

a strong personal faith consistent with the United Methodist tradition.

The Director should also be a vibrant, energetic person who can get TFUMC members excited about the Lord and can recruit and motivate volunteers to lead and teach under his/her direction.

The Director will:

plan, develop, and implement children’s ministry program (nursery through 5th grade)
be the day-to-day leader of children’s ministries
recruit and train volunteers and ensure adequate volunteer support
ensure adequate adult-to-children ratios
be a liaison between the church and other community organizations, people, and resources that relate to FUMC children’s ministries
coordinate children’s ministry curriculum
assist in recruiting and provide ongoing support for teachers and facilitators
ensure that records of participation in programs are maintained
develop and manage the children’s educational ministry budget
communicate in a timely manner as effectively as possible using all available resources (email, website, social media, newsletter, bulletin board, etc.)
work with other staff members and maintain a teamwork mentality
ensure that the Safe Sanctuary Policy is observed in all children’s ministry settings
make themselves available on an advisory basis to leadership of other age-level educational programs
manage social media communication for children’s ministry
plan and facilitate children’s events such as VBS

This is considered a Full-Time, permanent staff member of TFUMC. We expect the Director to work with, support ministries of other staff members and to be a vibrant and visible member of TFUMC staff.

Qualifications include:

having or nearing completion of a bachelor’s degree in appropriate area of study
experience working with and developing Christian Children’s Ministries and/or children’s educational programs
the ability and vision to develop and implement sustainable leadership structures and programs
demonstrated strong leadership and organizational skills
the ability to communicate well with children, parents, volunteers and other staff members
possess a strong personal faith consistent with the United Methodist tradition
an understanding of, and ability to use digital technology and social media to communicate with children, parents, and staff (Remind, Canva, Google Docs, Microsoft Windows software)

Salary and benefits commensurate with education and experience.

Position available August 15, 2023 – Applications accepted until position is filled.

To apply: please EMAIL a current resume; a one-page statement summarizing

why you are interested in and qualified to fill this position; names

and contact information for three (3) references.

Please EMAIL the items to: jmichaelmoore57@gmail.com

J. Michael Moore, Chairman, Staff Parish Relations Committee,

Tifton First United Methodist Church, 107 West 12th St., Tifton, GA

www.tiftonfirst.org

LONGTIME STAFFORD EMPLOYEES RETIRE WITH APPROXIMATELY 70 YEARS OF COMBINED SERVICE

Two longtime employees of Stafford Hospitality retired at the end of July and were honored Saturday night at the Hilton Garden Inn in Tifton.

Cynthia Bell, executive housekeeper, left, and Kathleen Moore, general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn, both retired. Bell had worked for Stafford for 50 years, starting at the former Holiday Inn in Tifton.

Moore had been manager of the Holiday Inn before the Hilton Garden Inn was built and spent two decades with Stafford.

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

Concrete Enterprises

45 U.S. Highway 319 N., Tifton

July 27

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CAT OF THE WEEK

“Melrose” is all ready for adoption at the Tift County Animal Shelter. To adopt her and to see other pets available, visit the shelter between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, or call 229-382-PETS (7387).

Pets of the Week are sponsored by:

Branch's Veterinary Clinic

205 Belmont Ave., Tifton, 229-382-6055

TIFT DEPUTY STOPS AUTOS WITH

50 CASES OF ILLEGAL LIQUOR

~ AUG. 1, 1930

Two roadster automobiles loaded with approximately 50 cases of illegal liquor were stopped and apprehended in Tifton on Aug. 1, 1930, by Deputy Sheriff Sidney Thrasher. This was during Prohibition when production, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages were prohibited in the United States.