Friday, October 23, 2026

Tifton, Georgia

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ONE MORE WEEK OF EARLY VOTING; TURNOUT STEADY

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election ends in one week, and Georgia continues to shatter voter-turnout records.

As of end of the day Thursday, nearly 1.4 million Georgians had voted– 19.5% of registered voters.

In Tift County, voting has been steady with 459 people casting ballots Thursday, raising the in-person voting total to 4,345, or 16.4% of active voters in Tift.

Tift County women are edging men at the polls so far: 56% of early voters in Tift are female. The largest age group of Tift County voters is those between 65 and 69 years old, followed by voters aged 70 to 74, according to the Secretary of State's Office.

In South Georgia, Turner County is one of the leaders in voter turnout with 20.8% of registered voters already casting ballots.

This weekend will be the last Saturday that polls are open for the election. Early voting ends next Friday, Oct. 30. In Tift County, early voting is available only at the Tift County Board of Elections Office at the corner of Fourth and Chesnutt avenues. For early voting, polls are open week days between 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and on Saturday from  9 a.m.-5 p.m.

If voters wait until Election Day on Nov. 3 to vote, ballots must be cast at the voter's home precinct between 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

908 BELLEVIEW AVE. UNIT 2, TIFTON, GA

229-396-4140

The restored bell from ABAC's original campus, mounted atop the outline of a locomotive engine, is rung March 1, 2013, during the rededication of ABAC's front campus following a multimillion-dollar renovation. Ringing the bell at the rededication is Ethel Talley (Class of 1928) then-Ga. Secretary of State Cathy Cox (Class of 1978), and AJ Powell (Class of 1940). Then-ABAC President David Bridges said it was the original bell rung on the college's first day in 1908 when it opened as the Second District Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) School in Tifton.

HISTORIC ABAC BELL RETURNS HOME

EDITOR'S NOTE: Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College's historic bell is back in Tifton and on display at ABAC's Georgia Museum of Agriculture & Historic Village. The museum's curator contributes the following account.

By POLLY HUFF

Curator, ABAC's Georgia Museum of Agriculture

Through the 1920s, when ABAC was known as the Second District A&M School, the sound of the campus bell was part of the rhythm of daily life. It signaled the changing of classes and marked other important announcements for students and faculty.

Many decades later, the bell became part of another memorable moment in ABAC's history. On March 1, 2013, during the Historic Campus Rededication Ceremony, 103-year-old ABAC alumna Mamie Ethel Talley, the oldest living ABAC alumna at the time, had the honor of ringing the historic bell. She was flanked by two other famous alums that day, Secretary of State Cathy Cox ('78) and AJ Powell ('40).

Now, the bell’s story has come full circle. Last week, after being on display at the Sunbelt Ag Expo for more than a decade, the historic bell made its journey back to Tifton in the back of a Sodexo truck, under the watchful eyes of Johnny Soles' crew. With assistance from the Talley family and two keepers of the bell – Paul Willis and Melvin Merrill – we were able to track down details of its history.

Today, it is on permanent display at ABAC's Georgia Museum of Agriculture (GMA), where it can once again be seen and appreciated by the ABAC community, and museum visitors from all over the world. Our own Mrs. Pauline Talley, Ethel Talley's sister-in-law and the oldest GMA employee currently at age 92, rang the bell to welcome it to the GMA campus.

From calling students to class in the 1920s, to being rung by ABAC’s oldest living alumna in 2013, to returning home to Tifton in 2026 to be rung by our oldest living employee, the bell serves as a tangible connection between generations and an enduring piece of ABAC’s history.

Do ring it next time you visit with us. This new exhibition is located at the Village Train Depot.

TIFT JOBLESS RATE RISES SLIGHTLY

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Unemployment rose slightly throughout most of the Tiftarea during September as the state's jobless rate also ticked up, according to the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL).

Tift County's jobless rate was 3.4% in September; it was 3.3% in August, the GDOL reported Thursday.

But Tift County's labor force – the number of people who are employed or are unemployed and seeking employment – rose during September for the second consecutive month, at 20,093 – 717 above August's number, according to GDOL data.

September's unemployment rates in area counties versus the previous month's rates were: Turner, 4.0% vs. 3.8%; Worth, 3.9% vs. 3.8%; Irwin, 3.6% vs. 3.8%; Cook, 3.7% vs. 3.3%; Berrien, 3.2% vs. 3.0%; and Ben Hill, holding at 4.2%.

Georgia's unemployment rate for September dropped to 3.3% from August's 3.2%. The national unemployment rate in September was at 4.2%, from 4.1%. 

In September, Georgia's labor force increased by 13,679 to 5,504,015, an all-time high, and rose by 73,187 during the past year.

TIFTON 'TREE WALK'

SET SATURDAY AT ABAC

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Residents are invited to join the City of Tifton Urban Forestry Department for a "Tree Walk" Saturday to learn more about the trees that surround us.

The "Tifton Tree Guys" will be walking and talking about the trees that grow here in South Georgia.

This Saturday's free "Tree Walk" will be at ABAC’s Nature Study Area, a 24-acre site on the campus of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and managed by the ABAC Wildlife Society. It serves as a natural outdoor laboratory and public green space.

To join the walk, gather at 9 a.m. Saturday at 2802 Moore Highway. The walk may entail some uneven terrain that may not be accessible for everyone. Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable walking/hiking shoes.

Helping host the event is the Tifton Tree Board and the Coastal Plain Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society.

TCHS STUDENT TO SERVE ON GA STUDENT ADVISORY PANEL

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Stella Byrnes, a junior at Tift County High School, has been selected to serve on State School Superintendent Richard Woods’ 2026–2027 Student Advisory Council.

Stella is one of 85 Georgia students selected from 1,427 applicants statewide. Her selection provides an opportunity to represent Tift County while contributing to conversations about public education in Georgia.

Throughout the school year, council members will meet with Woods to share their experiences, discuss education-related issues, and provide feedback on how state policies affect students.

Members serve as a connection between the Georgia Department of Education and students across the state, bringing student perspectives to discussions about educational policies and opportunities.

Council members also serve as ambassadors and complete service projects benefiting their schools and communities. The projects allow students to put their ideas into action, develop leadership skills, and address needs they identify around them.

Berrien County High School recently received $25,000 as a Division Finalist in the T-Mobile 5G Friday Night Lights competition. The school is the only one in Georgia remaining as a finalist for an additional $250,000. Pictured from left are Berrien Principal Margo Mathis, Head Football Coach Jackson Dean, and T-Mobile representatives Christopher Carson, Kat Boyd, and Jennifer Autrey.

BERRIEN COUNTY HIGH COMPETING FOR UP TO $1M FOR STADIUM UPGRADE

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Berrien County High School is a Division Finalist in T-Mobile's nationwide 5G Friday Night Lights competition to receive funds for upgrading the school's football stadium.

As a Division Finalist, Berrien has received $25,000 and is vying for an additional $250,000. If the school advances in the competition, it has an opportunity to compete for the grand prize $1 million home-field makeover.

The school advances through online voting. Individuals may vote once a day through Oct. 25, this Sunday. Berrien is the only Georgia school remaining in the competition, and Gov. Brian P. Kemp and state Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper have posted videos in support and encouraging Georgians to vote for one of our own.

Votes may be cast here.

T-Mobile said its contest is a "multimillion-dollar nationwide movement to fuel school pride, performance, and possibility. Friday Night 5G Lights is a T-Mobile program that supports small towns by giving high schools a chance to showcase their spirit and compete for a game-changing football field upgrade."

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YOUR GUIDE

TO ACTIVITIES

THIS WEEKEND

IN THE GREATER

TIFTAREA

Saturday, Oct. 24, is World Polio Day, uniting global efforts to eradicate polio, a crippling disease once prevalent in the United States and around the world. Rotary International, a global service organization with more than 1.4 million members, is a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, having contributed more than $2.6 billion and countless volunteer hours to ending polio worldwide. The Rotary Club of Tifton has been a constant contributor to polio eradication throughout the years. Rotary and its partners have reduced global polio cases by more than 99.9% – from 350,000 annual cases across 125 countries in 1988 down to endemic status in only two countries today: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Born on October 23: Adlai Stevenson I, U.S. vice president, 1835-1914; John Heisman, famed football coach & namesake of Heisman Trophy, 1869-1936; Milton "Gummo" Marx, actor-comedian & member of Marx Brothers, 1892-1977; Bob Montana, comic strip artist & creator of Archie Comics, 1920-1975; Johnny Carson, comic-TV host, 1925-2005; Barron Hilton, president of Hilton Hotels & American Football League founder, 1927-2019; Jim Bunning, baseball Hall of Fame pitcher & politician, 1931-2017; Chi-Chi Rodriguez, golfer, 1935-2024; Freddie Marsden, drummer for Gerry & the Pacemakers, 1940-2006; Pele, Brazilian soccer player, 1940-2022; Michael Crichton, novelist-screenwriter-film producer, 1942-2008; Ang Lee, filmmaker, 1954–; Dwight Yoakam, country music singer-songwriter, 1956–; Martin Luther King III, civil rights activist, 1957–; Weird Al Yankovic, parody singer-songwriter, 1959–; Nancy Grace, TV legal commentator, 1959–; Doug Flutie, football quarterback, 1962–; Sanjay Gupta, neurosurgeon & CNN medical reporter; 1969–; Ryan Reynolds, actor, 1976–.

FRIDAY, OCT. 23

• Chocolate & a Canvas Painting Class, hosted by Tifton Council for the Arts, 6-8 p.m., Syd Blackmarr Arts Center, 255 Love Ave., Tifton

• Thriller Night Dance, free dance class to learn Michael Jackson's "Thriller" dance, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Downtown Tifton

• Haunted Depot, hosted by Sylvester Main Street, 7-9 p.m., Train Depot, 102 S. Main St., Sylvester

• Tift County High Blue Devils football vs. Lee County Trojans, 7:30 p.m, Brodie Field, Tifton

• Turner County High Titans football @ Hawkinsville High Red Devils, 7:30 p.m., Hawkinsville

• Worth County High football Rams vs. Sumter County High Panthers, 7:30 p.m., Sylvester

• Fitzgerald High football vs. Berrien County High Rebels, 7:30 p.m., Fitzgerald

• Irwin County High Indians football @ Atkinson County High Rebels, 7:30 p.m., Pearson

• Cook County High football Hornets @ Jeff Davis High Yellowjackets, 7:30 p.m., Hazlehurst

SATURDAY, OCT. 24

• City of Tifton Tree Walk @ ABAC, hosted by City of Tifton Urban Forestry Department: City "tree guys" lead informative walk at ABAC's Nature Study Area,

9 a.m., Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, 2802 Moore Highway, Tifton

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

• Community Garden Volunteering, hosted by Keep Tift Beautiful, 9:30-11 a.m., 1413 Central Ave. N., Tifton

• Creepy Critters Pet Costume Contest, benefitting Tift Animal Rescue, 10:30 a.m., Tifton Farmer's Market, Downtown Tifton

• Kids Pumpkin Painting, hosted by Keep Tift Beautiful, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Community Garden, 1413 Central Ave. N., Tifton

• Barktober Fest, hosted by Second Thoughts Bookstore to benefit Tift Animal rescue: Pet costume contest, face painting, pet portraits, vendors, pet adoptions; 1-5 p.m., Fulwood Park, Tifton

• Pets & Pals Fall Festival & Parade, hosted by Georgia Peanut Festival: Parade starts at 6 p.m., followed by Trunk or Treat & Fall festival, bounce houses, rock climbing, mini golf, games, food; 5-7 p.m., The Depot, Downtown Sylvester

• Haunted Depot, hosted by Sylvester Main Street, 7-9 p.m., Train Depot, 102 S. Main St., Sylvester

• Lorrie Morgan in concert, 7 p.m., UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center, Tifton

SUNDAY, OCT. 25

• Tift Theatre Rummage Sale, everything free: Costumes, props, set pieces, 4-7 p.m., Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Downtown Tifton

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TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S DOG OF THE WEEK

"Patti McGee" is 2 years old, weighs 37 pounds, and is ready to find a family of her own. She’s a beautiful girl with so much love. Come meet Patti McGee 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).

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