Tifton's Top Seniors

MAY 1, 2018

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126

tiftongrapevine.com

TIFT COUNTY'S SENIOR CITIZENS OF THE YEAR

Eunice Mixon, William Byrd with Craig Sowell, Older Americans Month chair.

EUNICE MIXON, WILLIAM BYRD RECEIVE AWARDS

AT OLDER AMERICANS MONTH KICKOFF LUNCH

T ift County kicked off Older Americans Month on Tuesday with a seniors luncheon, at which Eunice L. Mixon and William C. Byrd were named Tift County Seniors of the Year.

Mixon and Byrd both received the George A. Wright Memorial Award designating them the county's top seniors for 2018 for "unselfish contributions to church, community, country and family."

Mixon, Tifton's "grande dame," was named the Georgia Council on Aging's 2018 Distinguished Older Georgian earlier this year at the state Capitol. For more than 40 years, she has been involved in Georgia politics, working for various candidates on local, state and national levels, has served on about 15 boards and commissions and had a long career as an educator.

She received the inaugural Eunice L. Mixon Award created by the State Bar of Georgia and was named by the Ga. House of Representatives as one of 25 Women for the 21st Century along with such Georgians as Coretta Scott King and Rosalyn Carter.

Byrd is a longtime local businessman and entrepreneur. He owns Bradley Place and Grace Manor personal care homes in Tifton, Colquitt Garden Manor Personal Care Home in Moultrie, and Golden South and Golden South II personal care homes in Sycamore.

He has served on the Tifton Planning & Zoning Commission, on the city Historic Preservation Commission and on the Downtown Development Authority. He is also a major sponsor of the Tift County Older Americans Month luncheon each year. Byrd is a member of the Rotary Club of Tifton and is a member of Tifton's First United Methodist Church.

Forest Lakes Annual Neighborhood Yard Sales

OVER 25 Participating Households!!

8:00 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, May 5

(Please no early birds)

~ Houses will be clearly marked ~

Large selections and great bargains including furniture, appliances, lawn equipment, designer clothing & bags, toys

and much more!

Directions From I-75 North - Exit 66, turn right on Brighton Road, follow for 2 1/2 miles. Turn left on Old Ocilla Road,

and follow signs from there!

GOV. DEAL COMING TO TIFTON

TO SIGN STATE BUDGET,

RURAL LEGISLATION

Gov. Nathan Deal will sign the FY 2019 state budget in several communities, including Tifton, on Wednesday, May 2.

While emphasizing Georgia's investment in rural communities, Deal will be in Tifton at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Henry Tift Myers Airport. During his visit here, he will also sign House Bill 769 and House Bill 951.


	GOV. NATHAN DEAL

HB 769 outlines rural health- care legislation, and HB 951 promotes rural economic development and innovation by creating a Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation to be located at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

The governor begins his day at a budget-signing ceremony at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the state Capitol highlighting such budget items as fully funding the Quality Basic Education funding formula, investing in children's mental health, workforce development and transit.

At 10:30 a.m., Deal will highlight the FY 2019 investment in the Technical College System during a visit to Chattahoochee Technical College North Metro Campus in Acworth.

At 11:30 a.m. in Blue Ridge, Deal and House Speaker David Ralston will highlight investments made in the University System of Georgia, including funding for a new University of North Georgia campus.

Before heading to Tifton, Deal goes to Statesboro at 2 p.m., where he will sign HB 85/HR 51 (Forestland Protection Act) and HB 673 (Hands-Free Georgia Act).

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TIFTON'S TIBBETTS AMONG

TOP TEACHERS IN MEETING WITH

U.S. EDUCATION SECRETARY

Georgia's 2018 Teacher of the Year -- John R. Tibbetts of Tifton -- was among a group of the nation's top educators who met privately Monday with U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in Washington, D.C.

DeVos met with more than 50 teachers who had been named 2018 teachers of the year in


	John Tibbetts in Washington this week.

their states. According to a report by the Huffington Post, many of the educators " left the meeting disappointed and frustrated ."

"You could have cut the atmosphere in the room with a knife," Tibbetts said of the meeting. "It was respectful: No 'demands,' but not much indication we were being heard, either."

According to the Huffington Post, DeVos, when asked about teachers striking for better pay and more resources, said she hopes "adults would take their disagreements and solve them not at the expense of kids."

While in Washington, Tibbetts also visited with the staffs of U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue, both Georgia Republicans.

Tibbetts said he mentioned ways the federal government might help teachers do their jobs, including addressing i nterest rates on student loans, l oan forgiveness for teacher service, a ssistance with "wrap-around services" -- social workers, school psychologists and special ed programs -- and seeking s chool safety solutions without arming teachers in the classroom.

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

RIBBON CUTTING

Six String Southern Productions

Concert Promotions

April 27

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER SET MAY 3

The National Day of Prayer will be observed in Tifton at 7 p.m., Thursday, May 3, at the Tift County Recreation Department gymnasium.

A prayer service will be conducted for local churches, local government, health care, first responders, education, youth, family, state government and federal government

representatives.

The community is invited to pray together.