More than two years after wrapping up filming in Tifton and Thomasville, "The Tiger Rising" movie opens today in theaters across the country and in Tifton.

The film stars Queen Latifah and Dennis Quaid.

And come Feb. 8, the film, based on the best-selling children’s book of the same name, will also be available on digital and on-demand streaming, including on Apple TV.

According to a synopsis of the story, 10-year-old Rob Horton (Christian Convery) discovers a caged tiger in the woods near his motel home. His imagination runs wild, and life begins to change in unexpected ways. With the help of a wise and mysterious maid, Willie May (Queen Latifah), and a stubborn new girl in school (Madalen Mills), he navigates through childhood memories, heartache, and wondrous adventures.

Dennis Quaid plays Beauchamp, the mean manager of the Kentucky Star Motel who keeps the tiger caged in the rural North Florida woods behind his motel. Tifton's Town Terrace "Pink Motel" serves as the Kentucky Star Motel, and the woods where the tiger is kept behind the motel were filmed in Thomasville.

Ray Giarratana directed the family adventure film and also wrote the screenplay based on Kate DiCamillo's book. The movie also stars Sam Trammell and Katharine McPhee.

Tifton's Town Terrace Motel also appears in another movie, "Gasoline Alley," mostly shot in Downtown Tifton last year. The film stars Devon Sawa, Bruce Willis, and Luke Wilson. Although it is set in Los Angeles, the entire film was shot around Tifton.

The "Gasoline Alley" trailer was just released this week. See if you can spot some familiar Tifton scenes:

VIDEO: "Gasoline Alley" film trailer

POSITIVE CASES INCLUDE PCR & RAPID ANTIGEN TESTS

In the past two weeks, Tift County has experienced a total of 1,310 confirmed and probable new cases of COVID-19, according to data Thursday from the state Department of Public Health (DPH).

Of those 1,310 cases, 646 were confirmed and the remainder were positive rapid Antigen test results, the DPH said. Tift County’s total probable cases represent 3,208 cases per 100,000 population, the measure used across the country to compare case rates among communities and states.

Tift also has seen 300 confirmed cases in the past week alone, and one additional COVID-related death. There have been a total of 5,845 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Tift County with 144 related deaths.

During the past two weeks, Tift has posted a 43.5% testing positivity rate, the DPH reported.

On Thursday, the state reported 23,975 new confirmed and probable cases across Georgia with 113 additional deaths and 296 new related hospitalizations. The state has recorded a total of 1,713,655 confirmed cases and 26,967 related deaths, the DPH said.

Tifton City Council at its meeting Tuesday approved a controversial request to rezone approximately 15 acres of undeveloped property off King Road from residential to general business.

The land being rezoned is part of a nearly 40-acre tract that had been "spilt zoned," with the area along King Road zoned for business and the remainder zoned residential. Tifton developer Denean Stafford said he plans to purchase the property and ultimately develop retail along King Road and create a professional/business office park in the back.

Residents who live behind the property outside the city limits have raised concerns about additional traffic and development in their neighborhood. When approving the rezoning, City Council noted that Stafford has agreed to increase buffers on the property and that the back part of the property near the residents will not have a road going into the development.

Council said a 20-foot buffer is required on the property near the residents and that the developer has agreed to increase the buffer to 30 feet. Also, no buffer is required along the property along Bowen Marchant Road but the developer has agreed to a 10-foot buffer there.

Council OK’d the rezoning 4-1 with Councilman Lester Cromer Jr. opposing it.

Council let die an unrelated proposal by First Assembly of God of Tifton to rezone 3.21 acres at 1800 N. Central Ave. from residential to general business as council members declined to consider the rezoning. Members said they have concerns about zoning the tract for business since it is in a residential neighborhood.

Council also approved city regulations for alcohol package stores. The city will allow no more than four package stores to operate in Tifton; the city is being divided into four districts with each district holding a lottery for the package store licensing.

No individual or company would be allowed to have more than one license, and at least 50% of any company's owners or partners seeking a license would have to reside within Tift County. A licensee who doesn’t own but leases his/her store site would be required to hold a minimum 15-year lease and would not be allowed to sublet the site.

The lottery for licensing will be live-streamed on the city website and is expected to occur in April. Those selected for the right to seek a license will then have until Dec. 31 to apply for the license to operate a package store.

Cook County Probate Court is receiving $50,170 in grant money as part of the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to assist with court-case backlogs caused by the pandemic, says Cook County Chief Judge L. Chase Daughtrey.

“I would like to thank Judge Clay Tomlinson and Judge Dick Perryman for including our request in their grant application. They worked tirelessly to ensure that our circuit was on the forefront of receiving these funds to assist with our caseload," Daughtrey said.

"The probate court will use these grant funds to adequately address our large caseload of misdemeanor cases, such as truancy and DUI’s, to ensure that cases are processed expeditiously.”

The Judicial Council of Georgia awarded the funds to judicial circuits across the state after Gov. Brian P. Kemp allocated approximately $110 million of ARPA funding to state courts.

Georgia courts operated under a statewide judicial emergency order from March 2020 through June 2021, resulting in a backlog of criminal and civil cases. Although the order expired June 30, the backlog remains.

Auditions for the Baldwin Players upcoming musical, “The Spitfire Grill,” will be held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 24-25 nightly in Room 319 of Conger Hall on Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College's campus.

Dr. Brian Ray, Baldwin Players director and a professor of English and theatre, said auditions should prepare to sing one verse of a country song or one verse of a traditional church hymn to be performed acapella or with recorded accompaniment.

Ray said the auditions are open to everyone interested. Parts are available for four women and three men. “The Spitfire Grill” will be staged March 31 and April 1-2 in ABAC’s Howard Auditorium.

“This spirited musical is based on the movie of the same title,” Ray said. “In the play, a young woman recently paroled from prison seeks to find a quiet town where she can start over. She finds such a place in northern Wisconsin and begins her journey to self-understanding. Along the way, she encounters some quirky townsfolk, a job at a down-on-its-luck eatery, the Spitfire Grill. It’s the only restaurant in town and home to some small-town secrets.”

From left at the Tifton Council of Garden Clubs meeting are Camellia Club Co-President Gail Gibson, Betty Jean Prince, Camellia District Director Rita Hightower of Valdosta, Garden Club of Georgia President Peggy Tucker, Camellia District Co-Director Cathy Perry of Valdosta, Tifton Council First V.P. Genie McCook, Mayor Julie Smith, Carol Gilbert, Judy Evans, and Ann Stone.

The Tifton Council of Garden Clubs recognized six club members with Distinguished Service Awards on Jan. 9 and awarded Member of the Year to Gail Gibson for her dedication to the fulfillment of council goals during the past two years.

Honorees included Carol Gilbert and Judy Evans of Tifton’s Magnolia Garden Club, and Betty Jean Prince, Ann Stone, Donna Kennard, and Linda Connell of Tifton’s Camellia Garden Club.

Distinguished Service Awards recognize members who have belonged to a garden club for 10 years or more and have shown exceptional interest in and devotion to working for the beautification of home, church, and community, said Genie McCook, council first vice president and Distinguished Service Award chair. 

Tifton Mayor Julie B. Smith thanked the honorees for their community service and presented them with certificates of appreciation from the city. Garden Club of Georgia President Peggy Tucker attended and brought greetings.

Second Harvest of South Georgia is holding another food distribution in Tifton beginning at 7 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 22, at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center.

Items will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Supplies are limited to one box per household, with a maximum of two households per vehicle.

Items will be placed only in trunks or back hatches of vehicles. For information, call 888-453-4143.

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Saturday, Jan. 22, is

National Polka Dot Day, a celebration of polka-dot clothing. Perhaps the best-known polka-dot fashionista is Minnie Mouse. Disney parks all get into the celebration and encourage guests to "Rock the Dots" like Minnie.

“Chip," a male pooch, is available for adoption at the Tift County Animal Shelter on Highway 125 South between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For more information, call 229-382-PETS (7387).

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

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