Woman Charged in Pedestrian Death

Share This Edition

Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024

Tifton, Georgia

Your Local Digital Newspaper for Tifton and the Greater Tiftarea

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

WOMAN CHARGED IN PEDESTRIAN DEATH IN FITZGERALD

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

A Fitzgerald woman is jailed on charges of vehicular homicide and DUI following the death of a pedestrian early Monday just outside Fitzgerald.

Chantelle Bashton, 31, is charged with homicide by vehicle in the first degree – a felony, with driving under the influence, and with failure to drive within single lane. She remains in the Ben Hill County Jail.

She is charged in the death of James Baughtman, 55, of Fitzgerald. Authorities said Baughtman was struck by a vehicle while standing beside Benjamin H. Hill Drive S.E. Bashton had been heading west on Benjamin H. Hill Drive in a Kia Sedona at the time of the accident, authorities said.

Ben Hill County Sheriff Lee Cone said his department is assisting the Georgia State Patrol in investigating the incident.

WILLACOOCHEE MAN

AMONG 17 CHARGED IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The GBI has arrested and charged 17 people, including a Willacoochee man, in a multi-jurisdictional human-trafficking operation.

The GBI's Operation “Wrong Room” coincided with Operation “Coast to Coast;” on Aug. 22, law enforcement and service providers from across the United States came together to conduct a multi-state human trafficking operation.

The grassroots effort involved 26 states with the common goals of identifying trafficking victims, offering the victims needed services, arresting traffickers, and making communities safer.

In Georgia, Operation “Wrong Room” was able to contact 15 adult victims and offer services including food, lodging, medical aid, drug rehabilitation, counseling/therapy, and childcare.

Law enforcement seized more than $255,000 from suspected traffickers during two residential search warrants served in Georgia.

The GBI arrested:

Roberto Martinez, 29, of Willacoochee, charged with pandering;
Siow Ding Chan, 57, of Alpharetta, charged with pandering;
Idelbrando Jose Vargas Ballestero, 34 of Grayson, charged with pandering;
Larry Bruce Moyer, 41, of Duluth, charged with pandering;
Stewart Notice Jr., 27, of Fayetteville, charged with pimping;
Joe Anthony Obboye, 25, of Duluth, charged with pandering;
Carlos Anaya Carrasco, 30, of Atlanta, charged with pandering;
Daniel Strycek, 25, of Las Vegas, Nev., charged with pandering;
Melissa AnnMarie Stombaugh, 32, of Akron, Ohio, charged with violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act;
Ashley Alexander, 35, of Winston, charged with violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act;
Lindsay Roberts, 25, of Midway, charged with pimping and violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act;
Thomas Piper, 56, of Woodstock, charged with pimping;
Brendan Ahn, 35, of Alpharetta, charged with pandering;
Christopher Horne, 35, of Decatur, charged with pimping;
Jeffrey Li, 28, of Lawrenceville, charged with pandering;
Marco Gamboa Lopez, 39, of Tucker, charged with pandering;
Justin Sanders, 23, of Decatur, charged with pandering.

They were booked into the Dekalb County Jail.

During Operation “Coast to Coast,” authorities contacted 94 adults and one minor and offered services including food, lodging, medical services, drug rehabilitation, counseling/therapy, and childcare. An infant under the age of one was taken into protective custody before being turned over to state social services. Authorities contacted 39 adults and detained them as part of the operation.

Because of the ongoing investigation, no additional details were released.

If you suspect human trafficking, call 911 or the Georgia Human Trafficking hotline at 1-866-ENDHTGA (1-866-363-4842). Anonymous tips may be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

PHONE OUTAGE AFFECTING BUSINESSES IN TIFTON, FITZGERALD AREA

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

A telephone outage affecting landlines served by TruVista in Tifton and Fitzgerald continued for a second day Tuesday.

A local TruVista representative said Tuesday that technicians are working to find the cause of the issue and are making repairs.

He said no one could give an estimate of exactly when service would be re-established: “We have no information on what’s going on.”

A message saying “All circuits are busy now. Would you please try your call again later?” was still aired to callers trying to make connections Tuesday evening. The outage is affecting local residences, businesses, and organizations.

Nancy Bryan, executive director of Ruth’s Cottage and the PattiCake House, said, “Our problem is that those in danger are not able to know how to reach us unless they are on our social media.”

The domestic violence shelter’s local 24/7 Hotline, 229-388-1541, has been affected by the outage. The national hotlines are still functioning; for help in a domestic violence situation, call 1-800-33-HAVEN – (800-334-2836) or for help in a sexual assault situation, call 1-800-656-HOPE – (800.656.4673).

Among other operations without phone service are Mi-Lady Bakery and Moon’s Pharmacy, said Melissa Gill Rhodes on social media.

“We have had no phones for two days at the pharmacy and the bakery,” Rhodes said. “We have TruVista. This is hurting all businesses that depend on the phone lines.”

Johnny Lowe, owner of Dirty South Kustoms, said Tuesday that “ours has been out also since yesterday. They said hopefully by end of the week, but this is having a major effect on business.”

Quailwood Animal Hospital, Branch’s Veterinary Clinic, and Love Avenue Service Center were among businesses that posted emails or alternate phone numbers on social media for customers to reach them.

AGE MATTERS ... AND IT DOESN'T

“Can you imagine us years from today

Sharing a park bench quietly?

How terribly strange to be 70.”

~ “Old Friends,” 1968, Paul Simon

As summer begins its slow, inevitable fade into fall, I look toward a milestone birthday this autumn; it is difficult to believe that I will be 70 years old.

For the longest time, my mental age was 35. Even when I was a couple of decades past that mark, I still saw myself as much younger. Just a few years ago, I acknowledged that I was older, and my mental age was set at 50.

Now, when I look in the mirror, I am sometimes taken aback when I see my late father staring back at me. There are more gray hairs apparent these days and even some white ones. And I have to admit there are more aches and pains than there used to be.

I don’t think I had been experiencing denial of aging. Instead, I was following the path of my mother and maternal grandmother. They understated their age for decades until they often couldn’t remember their true age. This seemed to keep them young: Rather than acting the way a 60-, 70- or 80-year-old “should,” or was expected to act, they happily forgot their age and sunnily faced each day.

As a lifelong journalist who deals with facts, I never forgot my age; I just didn’t dwell on it. Turning 50 wasn’t a particularly monumental moment for me, nor was turning 60. But 70 seems different.

Perhaps it’s because the past decade has seen too many funerals. Not only did I lose both parents but also three of my younger brothers to health issues. And I’m reminded that neither of my grandfathers lived past age 62.

There are a lot of reasons for longevity, including lifestyle and genetics. But I believe it also involves not allowing one’s age to define him- or herself and remaining active and engaged.

I’m sometimes asked about retirement. Well, I don’t intend to retire. Anyway, I can’t afford to retire, and yes, I would get bored very quickly. I remember seeing a former bank president shuffling down a street several years after his retirement. He had once overseen millions of dollars and scores of employees. He had once chaired community organizations and led important initiatives. Now, he seemed to wander aimlessly downtown, a forgotten relic of yesterday.

It's far better to remain engaged, to have a purpose to jump out of bed, to continue working to make a difference in the community and in the world.

When he was 26, singer Paul Simon wrote a song for the Simon & Garfunkel “Bookends” album, imagining how it would feel to be a septuagenarian: “How terribly strange to be 70,” he sang.

But my turning 70 soon doesn’t seem strange at all. Besides, essentially, I’m only 55.

Frank Sayles Jr. is editor and publisher of the Tifton Grapevine. At the age of 11, he produced his first “newspaper” for his neighborhood, something he continues doing nearly six decades later.

TCHS CROWNS HOMECOMING QUEEN

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Jaliya Miller was crowned Tift County High School's 2024 Homecoming Queen during halftime of Friday's football game at Brodie Field.

In the photo above, Jaliya, center, poses with Princesses Kate Marie Womack, left, second runner-up; and Kate Carpenter, first runner-up.

The Tift County Blue Devils lost Friday's game, 45-7, to the Gadsden County, Fla. High Jaguars. The Blue Devils face Lee County High this Friday night.

Union employees with AT&T are striking outside the Central Avenue office in Tifton.

TIFTON AT&T WORKERS AMONG THOSE ON UNION STRIKE

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

A half-dozen AT&T employees in Tifton, joined by coworkers from Thomasville and Sylvester, have been seen striking their employer on North Central Avenue since Friday, Aug. 16.

They are among more than 17,000 AT&T workers in nine states across the Southeast who are on strike after accusing the company of unfair labor practices during contract negotiations this summer.

The Communications Workers of America — the union representing the striking employees — said workers walked off the job in response to AT&T’s failure to bargain in good faith.

CWA Local 3201 President Dwight Meggs of Albany represents workers throughout Southwest Georgia. He said more than 200 workers in Southwest Georgia are on strike.

Workers have been attempting to reach a new contract since June. The labor organization said AT&T did not send representatives to the bargaining table who could actually bargain and that the company has reneged on agreements made in bargaining.

“They’re sending people to the bargaining table that don’t have the authority to make any decisions,” Meggs said. He said a total of 12-15 workers are striking at the Tifton location.

Asked about how the workers are holding up outside in this heat, Meggs said, “The members of the community have been supportive and making donations of water, drinks, lunches, and dinners. We’re very appreciative.”

The strike involves AT&T technicians, customer service representatives, and others who install, maintain, and support AT&T’s residential and business wire line telecommunications network.

It involves workers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

The discussions between the union workers and AT&T representatives have been taking place in Atlanta, Meggs said.

stopthehurtga.org

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

STONE RIDGE COTTAGES

2819 Rainwater Road, Tifton

Aug. 26

CORRECTION

In Friday’s edition of the Tifton Grapevine, an article about Tift County’s reading levels incorrectly attributed a statement to Superintendent Natalie Gore. While she said that third-graders reading on a third-grade level is a foundational skill, she did not say that reading is not taught after third grade.

Some educators and others have said that reading per se is not taught after third grade because students by then are expected to know reading basics and are expected to read to learn rather than have to learn to read.

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CAT OF THE WEEK

"Jelly Bean" is a silver sensation and an ultimate cuddle bug. Come visit Jelly Bean and see other pets available for adoption between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at the Tift County Animal Shelter on Highway 125 South, or call 229-382-PETS (7387).

TOWN AND COUNTRY SHOPPING CENTER OPENS IN TIFTON

~ AUG. 28, 1968

"Metropolitan shopping" came to Tifton on Aug. 28, 1968, with the formal opening of the Town and Country Plaza Shopping Center. More than 300 eager shoppers came out before 9 a.m. for the ribbon cutting in front of what was called an "ultra-modern shopping mall" with 18 stores.