TIFTON TOURISM TO LAUNCH 'MOBILE WELCOME CENTER'

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

Tifton Tourism will launch a new "mobile welcome center" at the Rhythm & Ribs BBQ Festival March 1-2 in Fulwood Park, Rosalie Reeder, project manager for Tifton-Tift County Tourism Association, told the Tifton Rotary Club on Wednesday. 

The mobile welcome center will be a van, wrapped in local images, that will bring tourism information to the community and to visitors on a regular basis. The tourism van will set up at area festivals, at welcome centers along Interstate 75, and at other gathering spots to promote Tifton.

The Tourism Association board decided to move forward with the mobile welcome center following much discussion begun at its strategic-plan retreat last year.

Reeder also announced that a disc dog show will be added to the Rhythm & Ribs entertainment schedule that includes all-day music and more than 100 vendors. Last year’s BBQ and music event was the largest to date, with more than 25,000 people in attendance.

The new playground and an upgraded disc golf course at Fulwood Park are expected to be completed before the festival. These projects are a partnership with the City of Tifton using Tourism Product Development Funds.

A similar tourism partnership with Tift County projects is helping with improvements to the E.B. Hamilton Sports Complex, including a new playground there for younger children. Also, a pickleball complex is being created, converting four Tift County Recreation Department tennis courts into eight pickleball courts.

The improvements are expected to help bring more people into Tifton and Tift County and offer visitors more activity options.

Reeder said tourism's local economic impact in 2022 was $185.9 million, spent by visitors in Tift County. It amounted to $14.4 million in state and local tax revenues.

“That’s $944 in tax savings per household for people that live within our county,” she said. “That’s huge. That’s actually higher than Lowndes County, which has so many more properties.” 

Tourism also provides more than 2,000 jobs in the county, she said. “That’s $45.5 million in payroll.”

Reeder said that hotel/motel local occupancy tax collections provide funds for the city, county, tourism, and project development. In 2022, $715,000 was collected and divided among those entities.

“In 2023, we have collected $824,000,” Reeder said. “That’s a 12% increase from 2022 to 2023.” 

The Tourism Association allocates $60,000 in community co-op grants for marketing and advertising of local events that help bring tourism to Tift County, such as the Omega Pepper Festival, La Fiesta del Pueblo, and Hometown Holidays.

The Tourism Association also supports the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center in promoting large meetings that bring in overnight stays. The association recently provided funds for a new LED wall at the conference center to offer cutting-edge video technology for meetings, concerts, and other events using the conference center.

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s Georgia Museum of Agriculture also receives tourism funds to help in marketing the museum and events held there.

Angela Elder, Tifton Tourism assistant coordinator, noted that there are 15 hotels in the City of Tifton and one in Tift County. They offer more than 1,300 rooms. There are also more than 100 restaurants locally, of which more than 40 are local and not chains. 

“We push people to our local restaurants as much as we can,” Elder told the Rotary Club.

The Tourism Association is governed by a seven-member board of directors: Two are appointed by the city (Chairman Frank Sayles Jr. and Treasurer William Bowen); two are appointed by the county (Pat Welker and Jonathan Judy); two are appointed by the hotel association (Vice Chairman Greg Daniel and John Alec McKinnon); and one Chamber of Commerce representative (Melody Cowart).

The board contracts with the Spearman Agency to be the day-to-day tourism office, and Tyron Spearman is the tourism coordinator. The tourism office and store are located at the Spearman Agency, 148 Ridge Ave. S., where Tifton T-shirts, cups, mugs, tumblers, caps, keychains, peanuts, and other "Think Tifton"-branded items are available.

Gerald Fowler, left, receives the District 2 Outstanding Georgia Peanut Farmer of the Year Award on Thursday from Ross Kendrick, District 2 representative on the Georgia Peanut Commission board, during the Georgia Peanut Farm Show at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center.

GERALD FOWLER NAMED OUTSTANDING GA PEANUT FARMER

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Gerald Fowler of Sycamore was named the 2024 District 2 Outstanding Georgia Peanut Farmer on Thursday at the 47th annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference in Tifton.

Fowler, 84, is also a part-time farm technician at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College's J.G. Woodroof Farm. Fowler has been a member of ABAC's farm staff since 2008.

Also during the Farm Show, Mallory Harvey, a member of Appling County Young Farmers, was awarded the 2024 Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer.

Sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission, the farm show and conference bring together peanut farmers and peanut industry representatives to learn about the latest products, services, and peanut research.

BERRIEN MAN SENTENCED TO 21 YEARS IN PRISON

IN DRUG, FIREARMS CASE

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

A U.S. District Court has sentenced a Berrien County man to 21 years in prison on drug and firearm convictions.

The sentence was recently handed down after Demetris Gervone Bellamy, 32, of Ray City, was found guilty last summer of one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, a witness in a drug-trafficking investigation informed law enforcement they had received methamphetamine from a source named “Nitro,” who was later identified as Bellamy.

Law enforcement made a controlled methamphetamine buy from Bellamy on Sept. 9, 2021, surveilling him exiting his Ray City residence carrying a bag and arriving at a location in Valdosta. Bellamy fled the scene after he realized that law enforcement was present, tossing a bag of nearly 500 grams of methamphetamine immediately before he was apprehended.

Investigators located a firearm in his car, along with a scale, baggies, and quantities of other drugs. Bellamy admitted to acquiring “30 bricks” of meth as well as the firearm found in his vehicle from another person. A recorded jail call captured Bellamy telling a friend that he was going to get out of his charges because he tossed the drugs while he was running and that the firearm was found in his vehicle as opposed to on his person.

Authorities said Bellamy has a lengthy criminal history, including prior drug trafficking convictions. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a gun.

He was tried and convicted under "Project Safe Neighborhoods," a Justice Department initiative to reduce violent crimes.

TIFTON HOSTS PUBLIC WORKSHOP ON TREE CANOPY

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

A Tifton Tree Canopy Workshop open to the public is being held in Tifton City Hall from 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan 24.

The public is invited to attend to examine Tifton's current tree data and assist in developing plans to preserve and enhance the city's tree population.

Sponsored by the Green Infrastructure Center, the Georgia Forestry Commission, and the Tifton Tree Board, the open house event will include discussing "green ideas to help Tifton flourish" as well as addressing Tifton's "urban tree canopy."

FINAL DAY TO NOMINATE A BUSINESS FOR ROTARY ETHICS IN BUSINESS AWARD

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Today, Friday, Jan. 19, is there final day to nominate a Tift County business for the Rotary Ethics in Business Award sponsored by the Rotary Club of Tifton.

Rotarians will present the award during the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce's annual banquet Feb. 1.

Ethics and business are at the core of Rotary International, so it is fitting that the Rotary Club of Tifton established the Tifton Rotary Ethics in Business Award to recognize a local business that has demonstrated exceptional ethical behavior.

The Tifton Rotary Club initiated the annual award in 2013 as part of the club's 75th anniversary celebration. Tifton Rotary Club board members selected the criteria for the award, which will go to a business physically located in Tifton or Tift County.

The nominated business must have consistently demonstrated high ethical standards of honesty and integrity in dealing with employees, customers, and contractors while enhancing the economic well-being of the company and providing local jobs, opportunity, and profits.

In addition, the business must have participated in activities beneficial to the community beyond the provision of economic benefits of the business and must adhere to fair and truthful business practice reflected in the Rotary 4-Way Test: Is it the truth?; Is it fair to all concerned?; Will it build goodwill and better friendship?; and Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Nomination applications are posted below and on the Tifton Rotary Club's Facebook page. They may be emailed to tiftonrotary@gmail.com

ADEL MAYOR, COUNCILMEN BEGIN NEW TERMS

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Adel Mayor L.L. "Buddy" Duke III and re-elected City Council members were sworn in during Tuesday's council meeting.

In addition to Duke, Councilmen Greg Paige and Terry McClain began another term.

Duke, pictured above, was first elected to Adel City Council in 1988. He was first elected mayor in 2015.

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COVID-19 data released from the 

Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) as of Jan. 17:

TOTAL TIFT COUNTY CASES: 7,179 ....................................... TOTAL TIFT DEATHS: 181

CONFIRMED TIFT CASES - 2 weeks: 22 ....................................... DEATHS - Past week: 0

CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES: 69

TIFT CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - 2 weeks, per 100K population: 169 

_______________________________________________________________

GEORGIA TOTAL CASES: 2,431,195

GEORGIA CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - Past week: 8,283

TOTAL GA DEATHS: 36,099 ..................................................... GA DEATHS - Past week: 36 

YOUR GUIDE

TO ACTIVITIES

THIS WEEKEND

IN THE TIFTAREA

Today, Friday, Jan. 19, is National Popcorn Day. Popcorn is different from the type of corn we eat at the dinner table. Only one variety of corn is able to become popcorn: Zea mays everta. This variety has small ears, and in the middle of the kernels is a tiny droplet of water surrounded by the hard shell, the hull. As the popcorn comes into contact with dry heat, the water turns into steam, building pressure inside the kernel. When the hull can no longer contain the pressure, the kernel explodes — essentially turning inside out. Popcorn has been around for thousands of years: Popped kernels, discovered in caves, have been found to be 5,600 years old.

FRIDAY, JAN. 19

• Tift County High Girls Basketball vs. Houston County, 6 p.m., TCHS, Tifton
• Tift County High Boys Basketball vs. Houston County, 7:30 p.m., TCHS, Tifton

SATURDAY, JAN. 20

• "Interplay" exhibit opening reception, 5 p.m., Plough Gallery, Tifton

ADVERTISE 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

"Cooper" is a well-mannered boy searching for his forever home. Visit him 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).