Tifton OKs 'Open Containers'

MAY 16, 2017

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126

tiftongrapevine.com

TIFTON COUNCIL APPROVES

FESTIVAL 'CONTROL ZONES'

ZONES ALLOW SALE, OPEN CONTAINERS OF ALCOHOL

A new festival ordinance that Tifton City Council approved Monday will allow the city to create "control zones" within festivals for the sale of alcoholic beverages and to allow open containers.

The ordinance will allow licensed businesses within a designated control zone to sell alcohol to appropriately aged patrons who may take one alcoholic beverage, up to 16 ounces, off premises within the designated zone.

The participating businesses and vendors must sell the beverages in an approved container, and the patron must wear an approved wristband.

Controls zones could be designated by fencing, gating and/or signage, and could include restrictions such as prohibiting coolers, bikes, skateboards, sparklers or "bang snaps."

City Attorney Rob Wilmot said the city cannot prohibit firearms within control zones, based upon state law. Councilman Jack Folk said he has an issue will allowing guns and alcohol in the same place.

Councilman Frank Sayles Jr. asked if businesses, such as a bars, can prohibit firearms. WIlmot said businesses may legally prohibit guns on their premises but the city can't stop people with legal weapons from entering festival "control zones."

Vice Mayor Wes Ehlers moved to approve the ordinance, which passed unanimously.

60 PERCENT ARE HONOR GRADUATES

Tiftarea Academy in Chula celebrated the graduation of 42 students Friday night. Of the 42 in the Class of 2017, 25 were honor graduates.

The class earned more than $1 million in merit-based scholarships. Eight different counties were represented within this year's graduating class: Tift, Worth, Turner, Ben Hill, Berrien, Irwin, Cook, and Dougherty.

The ceremony was held at First Baptist Church in Tifton.

Tiftarea Academy honor graduates 'turn the tassel' at Friday's ceremony in First Baptist Church in Tifton.

...WHERE FORDS AND LINCOLNS COST LESS!

511 West 7th Street

(229) 382-1300

griffinford.net

GEORGIA CHAMBER OPENS TIFTON OFFICE

Georgia Chamber of Commerce President Chris Clark, fifth from left, and members of his Georgia Chamber team join local officials Monday to formally open the state organization's first office outside Atlanta. The Georgia Chamber's new office in Tifton is in the former Georgia Power building on Love Avenue.

The office will serve all of South Georgia.

Second from left is Tifton-Tift County Chamber President Brian Marlowe; fourth from left is Tift County Commission Chairman Grady Thompson; at far right is Tifton Chamber Chairman Tyron Spearman.

ABAC NAMES DISTINGUISHED AMBASSADOR OF YEAR

Kaycee Aultman has been selected as the 2017 Distinguished Ambassador of the Year for the student organization at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

Aultman is a rural studies -- writing and communications major from Tifton. This is her first year as an ABAC Ambassador.

Aultman, the 2016 valedictorian at Tift County High School, is the daughter of Stacy and Jerri Kaye Aultman of Tifton. Her mother is a former ABAC Ambassador.

ANNIE BELLE CLARK'S READERS OF THE YEAR

Annie Belle Clark Primary School's 2017 Readers of the Year were recently honored by the Tift County Reading Council.

On the front row from left are: Emerson Toews, Max Nelson, Olivia Davis and Brady Sellars. Back row from left are: Principal Stephanie Morrow, Michelle Boney, Kristy Gibbs, Kelly Merritt and Belinda Griffin. Olivia Davis was also the first-grade county winner.

The Tift County Reading Council is part of the Georgia Reading Association, a membership organization whose mission is promoting literacy in Georgia and a ssisting in implementing the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards.

TIFTAREA YMCA

HONORS

MELISSA WOOD

WITH SPIRIT AWARD

Volunteer Melissa Wood has been recognized with the

Tiftarea YMCA's 2017 Lamar Jackson Spirit Award.

Named for the local YMCA's late founder, the award is given to an individual who goes above and beyond for the Tiftarea YMCA and the community.

The Y says Wood is highly involved in Y activities, donating her time and skills to many special events. And she is the mastermind behind all the Y's Father Daughter Dance decorations each year.

YMCA Chief Volunteer Officer Tom Pritchett presented Wood with the award.

'SELF' DANCE FOR SENIORS ON FRIDAY

Tifton's "Seniors Enjoying Life Forever," or "SELF, " are having their monthly senior dance this Friday, May 19 , at the Leroy Rogers Senior Center in Tifton . Old Dance

Doors open at 6 p.m.

All local seniors are invited and are asked to bring their favorite dish with them to share.

POLICE OFFER WOMEN

FIREARM SAFETY TRAINING

Fifteen local women attended a firearms safety course on Saturday, May 13, at the Tifton Police Department.

A lecture covered the use of force, current carry laws, licensing, weapon selection, firearms safety and the fundamentals of marksmanship.

Then the participants were taken to the firing range for more dynamic training. Offiers say the women were "pretty good shots."

Among trainers were Sgt. Brian Shockley, Lt. Steve Hyman, Sgt. Ferron Yi, Detective Jacob Teter, Officer Knight, and Sgt. Mark Guess from the Tift County Sheriff's Office.

In the photo at right, Detective Teter works with a participant at the firing range.

AIDING THOSE FIGHTING THE FIRES

Kane Staines, who runs the cotton gin on the University of Georgia's Tifton Campus, recently helped collect supplies to deliver to firefighters working to control the wildfires in southeast Georgia.

CITRUS CULTIVARS DEVELOPED AT UGA TIFTON

PLANTED IN CAMILLA GROVE

Citrus fruit cultivars recently released by University of Georgia scientist Wayne Hanna of Tifton are part of a new citrus grove planted in Camilla. The grove will serve as an education site and provide homegrown fruit for the inmates who will care for the grove.

The UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Mitchell County Board of Commissioners, Georgia Citrus


Mitchell County 4-H members Madison Birdsong and Courtney Conine plant a citrus tree.

Association and Mitchell County 4-H and FFA programs collaborated to start the MitCo Grow program. The mission of the program is to educate Georgians


	HANNA

about the state's citrus industry.

As part of the program, 100 citrus trees were planted in a grove located next to the Mitchell County UGA Cooperative Extension office. Mitchell County Correctional Institute inmates planted 90 of the trees. The remaining 10 were planted during an event recognizing the program on Thursday, May 11.

Among the trees planted, 30 consisted of Hanna's three patented, seedless, cold-hardy citrus tree cultivars: A tangerine, "Sweet Frost;" a lemon, "Grand Frost;" and a grapefruit, "Pink Frost." Hanna released these cultivars last November after studying them extensively in plots on the UGA Tifton campus.

"This is a great program because it really sheds light on an up-and-coming industry like citrus. For the past few years, citrus fruits have become more popular because farmers and homeowners are finding success growing these in South Georgia," Hanna said. "In the type of climate we are used to in South Georgia, I feel confident they will grow and produce consistently."

Mitchell County inmates will tend the grove. They will also enjoy the literal fruits of their labor when the plants bear fruit in a few years.

"The grove will not only teach inmates a new trade, but will also be used by other county agencies to provide students and their local communities with information and exposure to this new commodity," said Lindy Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association.

SERVING YOU WITH PROFESSIONALISM

BEFORE, DURING & AFTER THE SALE

151 Upper Trail Moultrie, GA

MLS # 127232

POPULAR SUBDIVISION: 3 BR, 2 BA home, 2,084 square feet, corner lot, double garage, master bedroom has new carpet and trey ceiling; cathedral ceiling in living room and gas fireplace.