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Technical College System of Georgia representatives present funds to area school officials to establish the TITAN College & Career Academy in Turner County. At center behind check is Christy Wray, Turner County Schools superintendent. At far left is Jim Glass, president of Southern Regional Technical College.

STATE GIVES $3.1M FOR A COLLLEGE & CAREER ACADEMY IN TURNER COUNTY

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

To better prepare students in the region for the workforce, the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) has approved $3.1 million to establish the TITAN College & Career Academy in Turner County.

The Technical College System's state board approved the project during its recent June meeting.

The new academy in Ashburn will be a collaborative effort among Turner County Schools, Irwin County Schools, Wilcox County Schools, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Southern Regional Technical College, and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College. It will offer students hands-on learning and direct pathways to in-demand careers.

Turner County Schools said that with "high-quality programs and real-world training, the TITAN Academy is a major step forward for education and workforce development in our region."

“The TITAN College & Career Academy is a game-changer for our students and our community,” said Turner Schools Superintendent Christy C. Wray. “This partnership will open doors for our students by providing access to real-world learning experiences and career-focused education that prepares them for success after graduation. We’re excited to see the impact this academy will have for years to come.”

TCSG Commissioner Greg Dozier said the TITAN Academy "represents the best of what can happen when education and industry work together to build a stronger future. By expanding access to high-demand skills training, this academy will help students unlock opportunities while strengthening the workforce pipeline in the region.”

Funding will support both the academy's development and ongoing operation to ensure students benefit from state-of-the-art facilities and a curriculum aligned with local and regional workforce needs.

With the addition of the TITAN College & Career Academy, Georgia will have 60 college & career academies across the state. The academies partner with more than 3,000 businesses to help students graduate with relevant, job-ready skills.

The academies give high school students access to training in such fields as engineering, biomedicine, technology, logistics, and robotics, among many others.

The Longest Day – Another Moment in Life

“Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day in the year and then miss it.”

–Daisy Buchanan, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald

At this time of year, I often think about that comment from “The Great Gatsby.” The longest day of the year is also the official first day of summer. And today, June 20, is the summer solstice, or the longest day of the year.

However, since the solstice arrives at 10:42 tonight, those of us in the eastern part of the United States and Canada, will experience two longest days, with both today and Saturday having the exact same amount of daylight.

So, you have another chance tomorrow to observe the longest day if you miss it today as Daisy Buchanan always did.

With summer officially here, I am also reminded of another passage in “Gatsby”: “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”

Of course, for us in South Georgia, it has felt like summer for much more than a month. But in more Northern climes following a long, cold winter and a sometimes cool spring, summer truly feels like a beginning.

We need to pause when seasons change and appreciate our surroundings. As Sir John Lubbock wrote in 1895: “Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”

Appreciate being alive in the moment, for moments are fleeting and do not last.

I remember pausing one day as I walked up the steps of a building to work as city editor of a large metropolitan newspaper. I was 30 years old and knew that that moment would not last, that one day I would not be there in that position and needed to appreciate where I was at that moment in time.

And time seems to accelerate as we age, so it’s important to slow down and appreciate the moments that make up a life. Often, it is the smallest moments that become important – the reassuring touch of a loved one, the appreciative smile of a stranger, the innocent laugh of a child.

In 1975, when I was in college, I re-read “The Great Gatsby” and noted at the time that it was 50 years since it had been published. Now, it is 50 years later, and “Gatsby,” published in 1925, is 100 years old.

In many ways, 50 years doesn’t seem that long ago, but time keeps moving on, and moments keep passing.

Don’t miss any of them; don’t miss the longest day of the year; don’t miss the beginning of summer.

Take a deep breath and inhale the sweet scent of freshly mown grass, feel the hot summer sun on your skin and the sweat beading on your brow, for you are alive in this moment, and summer is yet another beginning.

Frank Sayles Jr. is editor & publisher of the Tifton Grapevine.

RIDDLE ONLY CANDIDATE FILING FOR TIFT COMMISSION SEAT

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Thomas Tyler Riddle is the only candidate who has qualified to fill the unexpired term of the late Tift County Commissioner Fred “Buck” Rigdon, according to Tift County Elections Supervisor Leila E. Dollison.

The qualifying period for candidates ended at noon Wednesday. There follows a seven-day period for any write-in candidates to file a notice of intent.

If the write-in period passes without another candidate, the special election to fill the seat will be canceled, and Riddle will assume the office.

Riddle, CEO of MRS Homecare Inc., is seeking the District 5 seat on the Tift County Commission that Rigdon, who died May 12, held for more than 20 years.

KiBEAM WAND, A NEW AI READING DEVICE, BEING INTRODUCED TO TIFTON

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

Literacy Volunteers of Tifton-Tift County, the Tifton Rotary Club, and Alliance for Children are introducing to Tifton a new AI-powered device to aid children in building reading and literacy skills.

The KiBeam wand is a cutting-edge technology that reads selected books to children, igniting curiosity and building skills. It works with real paper books and transforms the reading experience into play, with games focused on each page of the story.

The games and activities are designed to strengthen phonics and vocabulary, stimulating more interest in reading. The device also collects data to give educators insights about what individual children need to work on to boost their skill levels.

Literacy Volunteers and Rotary Club members will introduce the KiBeam wand to participants in the "Books & Bites" program at 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 26, at the Tifton-Tift County Public Library. 

Demonstrations will continue at subsequent "Books & Bites" events July 3, 10, and 17 at the library as part of its Summer Reading Program. Families, teachers, and other interested volunteers may attend. Registration is requested here.

The wand is a screen-free, AI-powered speaking device that reads selected books to children. The KiBeam device was introduced to Georgia Rotarians during a statewide Rotary conference in Jekyll Island in March.

Six members of the Tifton Rotary Club attended, including Tifton Rotary Club President Cindy Evers-Peake, whose agency Alliance for Children has purchased the initial five KiBeam wands being used at the Tifton library this summer.

Also, Bonnie Sayles, president of Literacy Volunteers of Tifton-Tift County and a Rotary area governor, attended the conference and worked with David Cochran of the Alpharetta Rotary Club, the KiBeam contact for the state, to obtain the wands for Tifton.

Classroom versions of the KiBeam system, which is not yet commercially available to the public, have been distributed in the Fulton County school system. Regional Rotary District Grants for literacy will be available for applications during the new Rotary year beginning July 1.   

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Participants gather Thursday at the Tift County Courthouse following the annual Juneteenth Parade. Tifton's 11th Annual Juneteenth Celebration, sponsored by Dee and Doc Melton Cultural Visions, continues today with the Juneteenth Annual Banquet with Congressman Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, and a “Unity in the Community” field day Saturday at Mott Littman Gym.

JUNETEENTH MESSAGE: COME TOGETHER, EMBRACE DIVERSITY

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

“Black people are expressive,” Dr. Jewrell Rivers, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College sociology professor, told the Tifton Rotary Club on Wednesday, beginning his talk about the significance of Juneteenth with song, “If I Can Help Somebody as I Pass Along, Then My Living Will Not Be in Vain.”

Rivers told how Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger with the Union army rode into Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of slavery on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln. It was five months after Congress approved the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery in the United States. 

Rivers described the components of the Juneteenth flag, including a 12-point bursting star signifying a new beginning for all – freedom, hope, and resilience. Juneteenth was first celebrated one year later on June 19, 1866, and it was called Jubilee Day. 

Rivers called for everyone to embrace diversity and difference, recognizing that “we are more the same than we are different.”

Early Thursday evening, a group gathered in front of the Tift County Courthouse steps and joined in song. The Rev. Terrance Singleton Sr. addressed the group, which also included the Buffalo Riders motorcycle group from Albany. 

“Together we stand, and divided we fall,” Singleton said. “Together we have one voice, one heart, one desire to please God. If we fall back in love with God, our first love, nothing can be withheld from us. 

“We look back to remember, not to cause more pain; more pain is not going to help the situation. What we need is a solution, an avenue to go forward. We need people from both sides of the street to come together to find a common goal, and the common goal in the spirit of Christ is love.”

Tift County CTAE teachers, from left, Melissa Busbin, Hope Vance, Donald Gilman, and Carl Nichols with their awards.

TIFT COUNTY TEACHERS RECEIVE STATE RECOGNITION

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

 Four Tift County teachers in the Career, Technical and Ag Education (CTAE) program were recently recognized at the state level by the Georgia Association for Career and Technical Education.

• Dr. Melissa Busbin was named both Teacher of the Year (Business & Computer Science Division) and the Georgia CTAE Teacher of the Year.

• Hope Vance received the Carl Perkins Community Service Award (Special Populations Division).

• Dr. Donald Gilman, who is the CTAE director for Tift County Schools, was named Administrator of the Year (Business & Computer Science Division).

• Dr. Carl Nichols, a longtime young farmer educator, received the Lifetime Achievement Award (Special Populations Division).

"We are proud to recognize our incredible educators for their outstanding achievements at the state level," Tift County Schools said on social media. "Help us congratulate these outstanding educators for their dedication, leadership, and impact on students and Tift County Schools."

NEW PEANUT OIL PRODUCED, BOTTLED IN TIFTON

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

There’s a new peanut oil in town, Queen of Oils, developed by Tifton’s J.C. Bell, and it is produced and bottled here in Tifton.

“All of our peanuts are grown in South Georgia,” Bell said. “We use only the best grade of peanuts.” 

The peanuts are roasted a golden brown, blanched, and ground. The peanuts go through the same steps as making peanut butter, Bell said. It is separated from peanut paste by pressing without high temperatures.

“Our Queen of Oils is made the same way as chocolate is made,” he said. “Our oil is unrefined and produced without the use of industrial solvents or additives of any kind. It is the pure essence of roasted peanuts.”

It is high in both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, the healthy fats, Bell said. He said it is a nutritious alternative to conventional cooking oils. With a smoke point of approximately 450°F, roasted peanut oil is suitable for high-heat cooking methods such as frying and sautéing.

He said the roasting process enhances its flavor, making it a popular choice for dressings and marinades, which may encourage healthier dietary choices.

“The aroma is like standing next to a peanut roaster, and the flavor is the same as opening a jar of dry roasted peanuts,” Bell said.

The oil may be ordered in three sizes – 750, 500, and 250 ml. It may be ordered at QofOils.com.  

Anyone who uses the code Grapevine on check out will receive a 40% discount. 

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

Diamond Nutrition

919 W. 20th St., Tifton

June 13

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YOUR GUIDE

TO ACTIVITIES

THIS WEEKEND

IN THE GREATER TIFTAREA

Today, Friday, June 20, is the summer solstice – beginning astronomical summer. While meteorological summer began June 1 and runs through the end of August, astronomical summer continues through Sept. 22. The summer solstice is known as the longest day of the year with the most sunlight hours. However, since it arrives at 10:42 p.m. today, both today and tomorrow (Saturday) have the same number of sunlight hours. In Tifton, there are 14 hours, 11 minutes, and 54 seconds of daytime both days. Then, beginning Sunday, the days start getting just a bit shorter as we move through July, August, and into the autumn.

FRIDAY, JUNE 20

• Summer Bingo, tasting room lawn, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Paulk Vineyards, 1788 Satilla Road, Wray

SATURDAY, JUNE 21

• Tifton Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-noon, Tifton Gardens, Downtown Tifton

• Toilet Paper Roll Derby Race, families race toilet paper-roll “derby cars;”supplies provided; all ages, 1 p.m., Tifton-Tift County Public Library, Tifton

• Blackberry Bash, featuring the Page Brothers Band, 2-5 p.m., Paulk Vineyards, 1788 Satilla Road, Wray

• Suncatcher Studio, faux stained glass class, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Syd Blackmarr Arts Center, 255 Love Ave., Tifton

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"Lonestar," a handsome cowboy, wandered into the shelter as a stray, but he is ready to hang up his hat and settle down with a family of his own. Lonestar is all charm and tail wags. He loves people, soaks up attention, and gets along great with other dogs. Come visit and see 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).

Tifton Grapevine

e-published every Tuesday and Friday

Frank Sayles Jr.

Editor & Publisher

Bonnie Sayles

Managing Editor

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