Digital Newspaper for Tifton, Ga., and the Greater Tiftarea

TIFTON POLICE MAKE ARRESTS IN THEFTS, VEHICLE ENTERING, SHOTS FIRED

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Tifton Police have had a busy few days, arresting a man in connection with attempting to enter several vehicles, arresting a 14-year-old in connection with vehicle thefts, and arresting a 15-year-old in an incident involving shots fired into a residence.

Ni’Heim Wright, 20, was arrested and charged with 13 counts of entering an auto. Tifton Police said they were notified at approximately 1 a.m. July 2 about someone attempting to enter several vehicles in the Windsor Drive area.

Police found Wright on Pineview and Madison avenues. After police collected evidence and conducted further investigation, Wright was arrested. Anyone with video footage or information is asked to contact the Tifton Police Department.

In another incident, Tifton Police on July 3 arrested a 14-year-old male juvenile in connection with a vehicle theft June 29 in the Newton Drive area.

The teen is also being charged with battery, criminal trespass, multiple counts of participation in criminal street gang activity, and multiple counts of theft by receiving stolen property in connection with at least three other vehicle thefts, police said.

Also, a 15-year-old Tifton juvenile was arrested just hours after Tifton Police responded to gunshots at approximately 3:41 a.m. June 28.

Police responded to the 300 block of South Park Avenue and found that multiple shots had been fired into a residence, causing property damage.

Following a short investigation, Tifton Police arrested the 15-year-old, who faces multiple charges of four counts of aggravated assault, one count of criminal damage to property in the first degree, one count of participation in criminal street gang activity, one count of possession of a firearm by a minor, two counts of cruelty to children first degree, one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and one count of discharging a firearm near a highway or street.

ADEL GETS NEW POLICE CHIEF

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

A more than 40-year member of the Adel Police Department has been named its chief.

Audie C. Rowe, a Cook County native, joined the Adel department in 1983, where he has served as a major and assistant chief. He represents Georgia on the Board of Directors of the Regional Organized Crime Information Center based in Nashville, Tenn.

Rowe also is a certified driving instructor at Wiregrass Technical College, providing education and guidance to teens and others needing six hours of on-road experience.

He also has served eight years on the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Rowe has a master's degree in public administration from Columbus State University.

The City of Adel received 14 applications for the position from across the state. The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police aided the city in evaluating the candidates, assessing them through written tests and in-person interviews; the candidates were ultimately narrowed to four finalists.

Adel City Manager Mark Barber then conducted interviews with each finalist.

During the recent Juneteenth Ball hosted by the Dee and Doc Melton Sr. Cultural Visions organization, Christopher E. Raymond Sr. of Tifton, in photo at left, receives the Overachiever Award from Jocelyn Paulk, a granddaughter of Dee and Doc Melton. In photo at right, Tony McBrayer of Tifton receives the Rue’Nette Melton On A Mission For God Award from Rue’Nette Melton, daughter of Dee and Doc Melton.

JUNETEENTH BALL HONORS SEVERAL COMMUNITY LEADERS

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

A number of individuals received awards at the 14th Annual Dee & Doc Melton Sr. Cultural Humanitarian/Juneteenth Ball recently in Tifton

Dr. Angela E. Addison of Winterville received the LaVerne “Pat” Melton Leadership Award. She is author of 10 books and founder of Another Chance Christian Ministries. She also serves as dean of the First-Born Church of the Living God Seminary and Training School.

She is an area superintendent with the state Department of Juvenile Justice. She is also the founder of Let’s Talk School that offers educational consulting, and the host of a weekly program, “Let’s Talk,” streamed live on social media platforms.

Bobby Jenkins, the first black superintendent of Randolph County, received the Daughtry Benjamin Melton Sr. Prestigious Award. Jenkins also served as a principal in Tift County Schools for 10 years, assistant principal for four years, and Tift County High School mathematics teacher for eight years

Christopher E. Raymond Sr. of Tifton received the Overachiever Award. In 2008, he was named head football coach at his alma mater, John L. LeFlore Magnet High School in Mobile, Ala., becoming the first former player to be named athletic director/head coach in school history.

He is finishing his 31st year in education as the athletic director and teacher at Turner County High School. He also volunteers as an umpire with the county park and recreation department.

Diana Brown, cosmetologist and businesswoman in Albany, previously of Tifton, received the Human Rights Award. She lobbied in Atlanta for House Bill 404, that passed, giving tenants support and help. She volunteers with outreach programs for disabled tenants and gathers information to share with the community. 

Donna Hood of Tifton received the Ella Dora Alexander-Melton Multitasking Award. She is general manager at Tifton Golden Corral, which often feeds the homeless community and travelers experiencing unfortunate situations. The restaurant also supports Camp Corral, which sends children of military veterans to summer camp for free and supports the Tifton Soup Kitchen during holidays.

Ricky Jefferson Sr. received the Daughtry Benjamin Melton Sr. Trailblazer Award. During his years at Fitzgerald High School, he was the first recipient of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award, recognizing his expertise in jazz and his encouragement of young people to achieve in music and life. 

Tony McBrayer, chairman of Tift County Board of Commissioners, received the Rue’Nette Melton On A Mission For God Award. A former state representative, he founded TMM Enterprises Inc., a wholesale specialty grocery distributor and operated it for 25 years. His current company, Mr. Tony’s LLC, distributes Georgia Grown products to various retail establishments. In 2017, he helped begin Peanut Butter & Jesus in Tifton, distributing lunch bags to children and seniors in neighborhoods in Tift County.

The Rev. Terrance E. Singleton Sr., founder and senior pastor of Tifton’s Greater Mt. Moriah Church, received the Laverne “Pat” Melton Heroism Award.

The Community Service Award was presented to Evangelist Margaret Loretta Brown of Tifton. She is an honorary member of the Georgia Engineer’s Association, a member of the Georgia State Retiree Association, an active member of the Tift County Commission of Children and Youth and the Tift County Child Abuse Council, and board member and bell-ringer for the Salvation Army, and assistant election poll supervisor at the Mott-Litman gym precinct.

Keynote Speaker was Dr. Robert Yancy, who was educated in Tift County schools and, in the 11th grade, achieved early admission to Morehouse College, where he earned a B.A. degree.  He received an M.B.A. at Atlanta University, and a Ph.D. at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

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JOBLESS RATES RISE THROUGHOUT TIFTAREA

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Tift County's unemployment rate rose substantially during May from the previous month, as did all counties in the Tiftarea, according to data released by the Ga. Department of Labor (GDOL).

Tift County's jobless rate rose to 3.1% in May, up from 2.4% in April. One year ago in May, Tift recorded a 3.0% unemployment rate, according to the GDOL.

Tift County’s labor force – the number of people who are employed or are unemployed and seeking employment – was at 21,084 during the month, which is a gain of 281 from the previous month, according to GDOL data.

May's jobless rates in area counties were: Turner, 3.8%; Worth, 3.8%; Irwin, 4.3%; Cook, 3.4%; Berrien, 4.1%; and Ben Hill, 4.6%.

Statewide, the May unemployment rate was at 3.2%, up one-tenth from a revised 3.1% in April. said Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson. The state unemployment rate was eight-tenths lower than the national rate.

Georgia's jobs were up by 9,200 (0.2%) from the previous month and up by 73,900 (1.5%) during the year to 4,973,700 – an all-time high.

ABAC HOSTING THUNDERCON

POP CULTURE CONVENTION

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

ThunderCon 2024, the second annual pop culture convention at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, is scheduled Sept. 14.

“We are very excited to host ThunderCon again this year,” said Shawn Burnette, student activities coordinator.

“We had such a positive response from ABAC students and the community about last year's event, that we decided to expand upon our vendor and artist spaces. If they make or sell anything related to pop culture, anime, comics, or movies they are welcome at ThunderCon.”

Hosted in ABAC's Carlton Center from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., ThunderCon aims to bring together ABAC students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the surrounding community to celebrate a variety of interests and hobbies, such as anime, comic books, video games, sci-fi, fantasy, and trading card games.

This year, ThunderCon is taking it up a notch by offering more panel presentations and a cosplay contest. Enthusiasts from the Tifton and ABAC communities may apply to host their own panel, sharing their passion and knowledge about any pop culture subject. Additionally, cosplayers of all skill levels are invited to compete in the cosplay contest, showcasing their creativity and craftsmanship.

More information is available here.

KTB NAMES BEAUTY SPOTS OF MONTH

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Keep Tift Beautiful (KTB), a city-county citizens advisory board, has named the residential and commercial Beauty Spots for July.

The home of Charles and Eloise Styer at 410 N. Park Ave., pictured above, is this month's residential Beauty Spot. Some plants in the Styers' garden are more than 30 years old.

The campus of First Baptist Church at 404 Love Ave., pictured below, is the commercial Beauty Spot of the month.

Keep Tift Beautiful promotes recycling, community gardening, litter abatement, and outdoor beautification.

LETTERS WELCOME: The Tifton Grapevine accepts Letters to the Editor on topics of interest to our readership. Letters are subject to editing for length, libel, and inappropriate language.

All letters must include the author's name, along with address and phone number for verification purposes.

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Statewide influenza data released from the 

Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) as of week ending June 22:

Since Seasonal Tracking Beginning Oct. 23, 2023:

TOTAL INFLUENZA OUTBREAKS: 199 ............................................... LATEST WEEK: 0

TOTAL METRO AREA HOSPITALIZATIONS: 4,407 ..............................LATEST WEEK: 9

TOTAL INFLUENZA-ASSOCIATED DEATHS: 59 ................................. LATEST WEEK: 0

In Georgia, influenza is not a reportable condition, with the exception of influenza-associated deaths and outbreaks.

YOUR GUIDE

TO ACTIVITIES

THIS WEEKEND

IN THE GREATER TIFTAREA

Saturday, July 6 is National Fried Chicken Day. The slightly indulgent comfort food is enjoyed all over the world. The ultimate soul food originated in America when Scottish chicken-frying methods were combined with West African seasoning traditions. Fried chicken was an expensive delicacy up until World War II, when mass production techniques, made it more affordable to everyone. Taking it a step further, Col. Harland Sanders came up with the idea of cooking fried chicken fast using a blend of seasoning and a pressure cooker. When he first started selling the dish at his restaurant in Corbin, Ky., it wasn’t an instant success. At the age of 65, he hit the road selling his fried chicken under the name “Kentucky Fried Chicken.” By 1964, when he sold his company, there were 600 KFC franchises all over the nation. They are now all over the world.

FRIDAY, JULY 5

• Fireworks on the Flint, 9:30 p.m., Georgia Veterans State Park, Cordele

SATURDAY, JULY 6

• Wiregrass Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-Noon, Ga. Museum of Agriculture, Tifton
• The Tams in concert, 8 p.m., Lake Blackshear Resort, Cordele

YOUR YARD SALE

HERE!

TO ADVERTISE YOUR RESIDENTIAL

YARD SALE, CONTACT US at 

IHeardIt@tiftongrapevine.com 

or 478-227-7126

Fees are $1 per word, paid in advance

Meet "Tater Tot," who stands by his kennel door every day waiting for someone to visit him. Come see Tater Tot and other pets available for adoption at the Tift County Animal Shelter on Highway 125 South, open between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For additional information, call 229-382-PETS (7387).