Tifton Events for MLK Day

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Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026

Tifton, Georgia

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EVENTS INCLUDE ANNUAL BREAKFAST, ECUMENICAL SERVICE

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

Plight of Georgia Inc. is once again sponsoring the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Monday, at the Tift County Recreation Department, 401 Victory Drive.

The theme of the event is “Mission Possible II: Building Community, Uniting the Nation the Nonviolent Way.” The keynote speaker is the Rev. Tracy McGeathey, pastor of Allen Temple AME Church in Jacksonville, Fla., and former principal of Wayman Academy of Arts, Duval County's oldest elementary charter school.

Tickets may be purchased for $15 from Loretta Brown or Tamisha Blackshear.

At 11 a.m. Monday, the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative and Ecumenical Service will be held at Mount Zion Baptist Church, 2110 S. Park Ave., coordinated by Ambrose B. King Jr., who said the service was "created in 2007 to honor the ecumenical nature, message, and philosophy of Jesus and Dr. King – most importantly, created to honor the social-justice, Christian-preaching tradition of Dr. King."

The service is open to the public and does not require an RSVP, he said. The event will include Turner County's JROTC program, Albany’s Monroe High School Concert Choir combined with Mount Zion Baptist Church of Albany's Youth Choir, and Tifton’s Burn Culture Church's Praise and Worship Team.

The 2026 King Holiday Honorees for Exemplary Civic and Positive Community Engagement to be recognized at the service include Michele Bassett Cavenaugh, Sharon Nunley Daniels, Gregory Wayne Edwards, Jessica Pisciotta, Debbie Strawter, and Shirley Strawter.

Following the Commemorative Service, a Black Market with vendors, food, and fun will get underway in the green space behind the church. In the church's sanctuary, a discussion will be held on criminal justice reform and restorative justice with district attorneys from the Tift and Cordele judicial circuits, Dougherty County Supreme Court Justice Verda Colvin, and U.S. Attorney William Keyes.

For information on the activities at the church, contact Ambrose King at ambrosebking@gmail.com or 229-326-4396.

GA SENATE OK's BILL TO BAN LOCAL GUN-STORAGE LAWS

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

The Georgia General Assembly convened Monday for the second year of its biennial session, with several bills pending from last year. On Tuesday, the first bill approved in this year’s session bans local governments from requiring gun owners to secure their guns left in vehicles.

The state House passed the bill last year, and the state Senate took it up Tuesday and approved it along party lines, with Republicans voting for it and Democrats against it. The legislation now goes to Gov. Brian P. Kemp.

The bill prohibits cities and counties from regulating how guns are stored. It is a response to the City of Savannah's ordinance that sets penalties up to $1,000 and 30 days in jail for leaving a firearm in an unlocked vehicle.

GOP senators said they are protecting the rights of gun owners and that Savannah's ordinance unfairly targets law-abiding citizens. Democratic senators said Savannah's ordinance reduced gun thefts by 30% in the past year, helping keep guns out of the hands of criminals.

In a statement, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said the city's ordinance was intended to promote accountability. He said unsecured guns left in vehicles are a major source of stolen firearms used in crimes.

During the General Assembly's 40-day session, other legislation expected to be addressed include bills focusing on affordability, literacy, and health care, with potential bills involving property tax elimination and income tax reform.

WEATHER WAS WARM BUT KIDS FIND ICE SKATING COOL IN DOWNTOWN

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Although temperatures rose into the 80s on Saturday – feeling more like summer than winter – more than 700 kids and adults participated in free ice skating in Tifton during downtown's "Second Saturday Winter Wonderland" event.

The ice skating was initially scheduled to be part of the city's Hometown Holidays Celebration in December, which was canceled because of inclement weather. Instead, the ice skating was rescheduled.

The ice wasn't real, but as the City of Tifton noted on social media: "it is synthetic, but the fun and memories made are authentic."

And for the kids who came out for some ice-skating in Downtown Tifton, they seemed to enjoy the opportunity for an activity seldom available in South Georgia.

PEANUT FARM SHOW COMES BACK TO TIFTON THURSDAY

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Farmers across the Southeast are coming to the Georgia Peanut Farm Show on Thursday at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center for a day of education, networking, and industry insight.

The event from 8 a.m-2:30 p.m. Thursday will have more than 100 exhibitors showcasing the latest peanut-related products, services, and research. The University of Georgia Peanut Team will offer a program between 9-10:30 a.m. focused on peanut profitability in 2026.

The Industry Seed Seminar, from 10:35-11:35 a.m. and sponsored by the American Peanut Shellers Association and the Southeast Peanut Farmers Federation, focuses on seed-related topics important to maintaining yield potential and crop quality.

During a luncheon, awards will be presented recognizing contributions and achievements in the peanut industry.

This year, there will also be more $50,000 in special peanut prizes awarded to farmers in attendance.

SYNOVUS BANK MERGES WITH PINNACLE

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Columbus‑based Synovus Financial Corp. has completed a $8.6 billion merger with Pinnacle Financial Partners, a Tennessee corporation.

The merger creates a single bank holding company now operating under the Pinnacle name. The combined Pinnacle Bank will operate under both the Pinnacle and Synovus brands for now, consolidating under the Pinnacle name in early 2027.

Synovus has 172 locations throughout Georgia, including in Tifton, Albany, Valdosta, Thomasville, and Americus.

With the merger, Synovus Bank has now been fully integrated into Pinnacle Bank, which also became a member of the Federal Reserve System. The company said customer service will remain uninterrupted throughout the transition.

Officials said the newly combined firm is now one of the nation’s largest regional banks, with an estimated $117.2 billion in assets, $95.7 billion in deposits, and $80.4 billion in loans, based on Sept. 30 financials.

The company will operate more than 400 locations across nine Southeastern and Atlantic-coast states. The holding company will be headquartered in Atlanta, while the combined bank will be based in Nashville.

"This merger unites two trusted legacies to create one bright future," said Kevin Blair, chief executive officer and president of Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. "Thanks to the incredible work of our team members and partners, we’re now more than 8,000 strong and building the bank of the future from a position of strength with a shared goal to be the best financial services firm and the best place to work in the country."

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CATS OF THE WEEK

"Daren" and "Adrian" came to the shelter at just one month old. Now, at four months old, these boys are healthy, happy, and ready to find their forever family. Daren and Adrian can be adopted together or separately — either way, they’re sure to bring love, playfulness, and plenty of smiles. Come visit them 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).

TIFTON FOUNDER BUYS, INSTALLS

NEW WATER PUMP FOR CITY

~ JAN. 13, 1899

Tifton founder H.H. Tift purchased a new water pump for the town and was having it installed on Jan. 13, 1899. Press reports of the time noted that the new force pump had a capacity of 500 gallons per minute, "which adds materially to the protection ... against fire. The old pump has done noble service and will still be available in emergencies."

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