Tifton Suspends Recycling

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

CITY COUNCIL VOTES 4-1 TO SUSPEND CURBSIDE RECYCLING

TIFTON CONSIDERS CREATING RECYCLING CENTER

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Tifton City Council voted 4-1 Monday to suspend curbside recycling in the city effective April 1. Councilman Lester Cromer Jr. cast the vote against the plan.

Ryland Environmental, which collects the city's solid waste, told council earlier this month that there is no longer a market for curbside recyclable materials. Ryland suggested amending its city contract by suspending curbside recycling with a $1 residential rate reduction.

City Council Ok'd amending Ryland's contract from $18.33 to $17.33 a month; residential customers would see their monthly bills go from $19.33 to $18.33 as the city adds a $1 differential for billing purposes.

With the suspension of the recycling program, Ryland said it would expand other services, adding an additional day each week for collection of bulk items. Currently, city residents may put out five bulk items a week – such as appliances, furniture, and mattresses – to be picked up by Ryland if residents call 229-382-4411.

Richard Golden of Golden Environmental, which previously had the city's solid waste contract and continues to have the county's contract, told City Council that Ryland's $1 reduction is nothing more than a "backdoor price increase" for residents.

“I'm appalled that there’s a $1 reduction for reducing that service. It's got to cost more than a dollar," Golden said.

He estimates that local curbside recycling costs are about $4 monthly per customer: "There’s no way you can collect recycling for a dollar.” Golden said the recycling program was primarily devised for diverting some materials from the landfill to help extend its life, not as a way to see any economic benefit.

City Manager Pete Pyrzenski said the $1 reduction for curbside recycling is "not a backdoor increase," and that the city and Ryland are working to add recycling centers within the city.

Golden also said he was “surprised" to learn that city officials suggested that Tifton city residents could use the county recycling convenience center on Pecan Street in the interim after city recycling ends. Golden said he did not plan for that in his current county contract.

"I will not take recycling (at the Pecan Street center) from city residents after the end of June without being paid for it," Golden told council.

However, Pyrzenski and Councilman Jack Folk said that Golden's contract with the county notes that the recycling location is "for all residents" of the county. Folk said the county recycling center is funded through Tift County's general fund.

"I'm paying for it; everyone who lives in the city pays for it; so we will use it," Folk said. "If the funding doesn't change on July 1 out of the general fund, I'll be there on July 2 with my recycling."

Earlier this month, County Manager Jim Carter told the Tifton Grapevine that the Pecan Street recycling center is indeed open to all Tift County residents.

TIFTON NATIVE

COL. RALPH PUCKETT AMONG NAMES BEING CONSIDERED FOR RENAMED ARMY BASES

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Retired Army Col. Ralph Puckett Jr., 95, a Tifton native, is among the names released March 17 that are being considered as replacements for Army bases that are currently named for Confederate generals.

A federal commission, charged with recommending new names for all military installations and assets that honor the Confederacy, released 87 names under review for nine Army bases, which include Fort Benning and Fort Gordon in Georgia.

U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton, is the only member of Congress on the Naming Commission, which received more than 34,000 submissions from citizens recommending a total of 3,670 names.

Last September, the Tifton Grapevine led a local campaign to submit Ralph Puckett's name to the commission as a replacement for Fort Benning.

"The Naming Commission has deliberated extensively over the thousands of possible new names suggested for the nine Army installations originally named in commemoration of the Confederate States of America. While a final selection for each post is still pending, the scope of consideration is now focused on these names," the commission said in a written release.

Puckett received the Medal of Honor last May for his heroism during the Korean War. The medal's citation recognized Puckett for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty" while leading his severely outnumbered men in battle during November 1950.

During the Medal of Honor ceremony, President Joe Biden called Puckett, who resides in Columbus, "a true American hero" whose recognition is "long overdue."

Puckett was born and grew up in Tifton. He is a 1949 West Point graduate who joined the newly established U.S. Army Ranger Department, serving as an instructor and tactical officer, and commanding companies at Fort Benning and in the Ranger Mountain Camp. He went on to lead companies in Vietnam, train cadets at West Point, and organize military leadership courses in Colombia.

The Col. Ralph Puckett Leadership Award series was named for him, honoring top officers in the U.S. Army Rangers, which is the most elite and highly trained of the Army's combat forces. Puckett is considered a Rangers legend. The Army's Ranger School is based at Fort Benning.

The Naming Commission said that “names of our military installations should appropriately reflect the courage, values, sacrifices, and diversity of our military men and women, with consideration given to the local or regional significance of names and their potential to inspire and motivate our service members.”

In addition to Fort Benning and Fort Gordon, other bases to be renamed are Fort Rucker in Alabama, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Polk in Louisiana, and Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Lee, and Fort Pickett all in Virginia.

The commission will send its final recommendations to Congress by Oct. 1. To see the complete list of names being considered, Click Here!

Photo by Bonnie Sayles/Tifton Grapevine

A vehicle crashed into a fence and wall Tuesday morning behind Eighth Street Middle School during a high-speed chase.

HIGH-SPEED CHASE ENDS

IN CRASH BEHIND

EIGHTH STREET MIDDLE

A high-speed chase Tuesday morning resulted in a car running into a wall and fence behind Eighth Street Middle School, causing some damage and prompting the school to temporarily implement a soft lockdown until the situation was cleared.

No students or school personnel were injured in the incident.

The Georgia State Patrol (GSP) trooper with information about the incident couldn’t be reached before presstime, but WALB-TV reported that the GSP said a woman and a male passenger with outstanding warrants were being chased by troopers as they attempted to flee in an apparently stolen vehicle. The pair were coming from Albany, the TV station reported.

They were apprehended and taken to Tift Regional Medical Center for treatment.

TIFT SEES 17 COVID-19 CASES

DURING PAST TWO WEEKS

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Tift County reported four confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past week and no related deaths, according to data from the Ga. Department of Public Health (DPH).

Tift reported a total of 17 positive cases within two weeks. That represents 42 cases per 100,000 population. In the previous two-week period, Tift County had 26 positive cases.

During the recent period, Tift's testing positivity rate was 6.1%, a jump from the previous 4.3%.

Tift has recorded a total of 6,273 confirmed cases with 163 deaths, the DPH said.

The state reported 522 positive cases Tuesday with 33 additional deaths and 101 new hospitalizations. Georgia reports a total of 1,923,335 cases with 30,775 related deaths, according to the DPH.

SOUTHWELL NO LONGER SCREENING VISITORS FOR COVID-19

Because of a downward trend of COVID-19 cases, Southwell has eased visitor restrictions at Tift Regional Medical Center (TRMC) in Tifton, Southwell Medical in Adel, and all Southwell clinics and outpatient centers throughout the region.

On Tuesday, personnel at Southwell facilities stopped performing COVID-19 screenings at visitor entries. All visitors still are required to wear a mask and must self-screen before entry. By entering a Southwell facility, visitors will be confirming that they are not currently COVID-19 positive and are not exhibiting any symptoms.

“We are already back to normal visitation for non-COVID patients,” said Alex Le, TRMC chief operating officer. “We are encouraged by the decline of coronavirus cases, but Southwell will continue to monitor infection rates, and we will make adjustments to the visitation policy if needed.”

Le encouraged residents to get vaccinated for COVID-19 and follow other preventive measures.

“Southwell continues to offer free vaccination and booster shots, as they are the best defense against coronavirus,” he said. “We ask local residents to refer to the CDC for continued guidance.”

Visit www.mysouthwell.com/COVID-19 for the latest information on visitation, vaccinations, and testing.

EXCHANGE CLUB HONORS

TOP HIGH SCHOOL YOUTHS

The Exchange Club of Tifton recently hosted its annual Youth of the Year Awards luncheon, naming Meredith Morgan, a senior at Tiftarea Academy, as 2022 Youth of the Year.

Meredith, seen at center in a blue dress in the photo, is the daughter of Audrey Luke-Morgan and the late Craig Morgan. As Youth of the Year, she goes on to represent the Tifton club at the state level.

The Exchange Club recognized 12 high school seniors from Tift County High School and Tiftarea Academy as Youth of the Year finalists. They are, in addition to Meredith Morgan, Erynn Allison, Joshua Bowyer Jr., Caleb Dela Cerna, Sarah Hutto, Chandler Livingston, Christian Massa, Susie Peters, Rhett Stephenson, Ainsley Toews, Hannah Walker, and Benjamin Wilson.

LITERACY AUCTION HAS

'BASKETS ON PARADE'

"Baskets on Parade" are springing up again all over Tifton as a fundraiser for Literacy Volunteers of Tifton-Tift County, celebrating spring just before Easter.

Approximately 20 baskets from area businesses and organizations are available for bidding on the Literacy Volunteers Facebook page. Bidding is taking place on the actual photos, and the winning bidders will be announced March 31.

Those who win bids will go to the individual businesses to pick up the items, supporting the local businesses. To bid, Click Here!

Participating businesses include Aero Boutique, Belle’s Flower Truck, Black Gold Cotton Compost, Bob’s Flowers, Calhoun Produce Georgia Grown Store, Carroll’s Sausage & Country Store, Cole’s Cakery, The Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Country Store, Georgia Grazing Co., Georgia Peanut Commission, The Howard Diet Center, Lowe’s Home Improvement, The Market at Rutland Farms, The Party Station, Pet Sense, Pineapple Post, Pit Stop Restaurant, Plantation 59, Savor the Flavor, Simply Sweet Celebrations, Southern Grace Farms, Southern Pickers, Southern Pride Produce, Southwell, Spring Hill Suites, Springhill Country Club, Surchero’s, T&L Collectables, Vintage 41, Wisham Jellies, and more are joining daily.

For information, visit the Literacy Volunteers of Tifton-Tift County Facebook page, email tiftlv@gmail.com, or call Literacy Volunteers at 229-391-2527.

Literacy Volunteers provides and trains tutors to work with local residents wanting to improve their reading skills or work toward earning their GEDs. English language classes are now being held at the Salvation Army and at Our Divine Savior Catholic Church in Tifton.

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR

GEORGE A. WRIGHT AWARD

Nominations are being accepted through April 15 for Tift County's George A. Wright Award, awarded to Tift County residents aged 60 or above who exemplify the qualities of the late George A. Wright as outstanding senior citizens.

Wright led by example as a community servant and civic leader, a devotee of his church, a patriotic American, and an outstanding businessman devoted to his family.

His friends and those he touched established the award in Wright's honor in 1981.

Nominees must live in Tift County, be at least 60 years old, and may be nominated by an individual or organization. At least two letters of endorsement must accompany the nomination.

The nominee's involvement in organizations and positions held should be listed along with the individual’s contributions in the areas of community service, church service, patriotism, family, and career.

For more information, email Fran Kinchen at fkinchen@tifton.net

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CAT OF THE WEEK

"Oreo," a female kitty, is among those available for adoption at the Tift County Animal Shelter. To adopt Oreo and 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

CITIZENS ENDORSE TIFT AS NAME

FOR NEW COUNTY

~ MARCH 24, 1905

At a mass meeting of voters in Tifton City Hall, the citizens unanimously endorsed a committee's recommendation that the new proposed county be named "Tift“ with Tifton as the county seat, reported The Tifton Gazette on March 24, 1905. Col. Fulwood made the motion, seconded by J.J. Murray. H.H. Tift then entered the chamber, thanked the citizens for the honor, and hosted the group at a dinner at Brigham's Cafe.