478-227-7126
JUNE 16, 2017
Tifton, Georgia
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USDA photo
Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue, center, convenes rural task force Thursday. At right is Energy Secretary Rick Perry.
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PERDUE'S TASK FORCE TO
ADDRESS FARM, RURAL ISSUES
U.S. Agriculture Secretary
Sonny Perdue on
Thursday hosted the
first meeting of the federal government's interagency
Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity, which pledged to address
rural and
farm-related issues.
The Task Force, created by President Trump, is working to improve quality of life for rural residents, to develop a reliable workforce, spur innovation and technology development, and roll back regulations.
"The
president has moved swiftly ... to make sure that he lets everyone know that
agriculture is important and
rural  prosperity is important," said
Perdue, the former
Georgia governor.
Perdue was joined at the Washington meeting by Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Ajit Pai, and other government officials.
The group discussed their joint vision to develop a streamlined method of interagency cooperation to reach a broad range of goals, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The task force will examine and consider
barriers to
economic prosperity in rural areas and how
innovation, infrastructure and
technology --
including bioengineering, crop protection tools and rural
broadband -- can play a role in prosperity. The panel will also look at
agricultural programs and
regulatory flexibility for
farms and
small businesses.
According to press reports, the Cabinet officials and agency representatives made no mention of Trump's fiscal 2018 budget, which proposes to reduce USDA Rural Development programs, including water infrastructure and housing assistance.
The task force is required to issue a report with recommendations within 180 days.
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RENOWNED D.C. LOBBYIST & TIFTON NATIVE
BILL HECHT DIES
Longtime Republican lobbyist
William H. Hecht, 83, a
Tifton native, died
Monday, June 12, in his home in
Vienna, Va. Hecht founded
Hecht, Latham, Spencer & Associates, one of the top government lobbying firms in
Washington, D.C.
According to Politico, Hecht was close friends with a generation of top Republicans in the House and Senate, including former Sens. Trent Lott and Saxby Chambliss and former House Speaker John Boehner.
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HECHT
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"He's a breed of
lobbyist that you just
don't see many of today,"
Chambliss told
Politico.
Born in Tifton on Sept. 13, 1933, Hecht went on to become a Lutheran pastor in Mt. Vernon, Ill., after completing his master's of divinity degree from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Mo., and his M.A. degree in philosophy from Washington University.
Hecht was politically active and later became executive director of the Missouri State Republican Party. In 1969, he served as vice president of the American Security Council. In 1971, he became executive assistant to the chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Internal Security and subsequently left government to serve as vice president for legislative affairs at the Tobacco Institute. After working in the Reagan for President campaign, Hecht started his lobbying-consulting firm in 1981, continuing to serve as chairman of the board at at the time of his death.
In 2012, he was chosen as one of three people to receive an "Outstanding Georgian" commendation from the Georgia General Assembly. According to The Washington Post, Hecht was a published author and respected political advisor.
"Bill touched many more people than anyone knows, in many more ways than anyone knows," f
ormer Georgia Congressman John Linder wrote Wednesday in The Daily Caller. "For those who feel compelled to denigrate the role of
lobbyists in our system, just remember
Bill Hecht.
Bill was just a gentle man who happened to work for companies whose future was impacted by government. He loved his God, his family and his country -- in that order -- and spent a lifetime on his knees in obeisance to the first to serve the other two."
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Dave Hetzel, left, and James Montgomery, outgoing Easterseals officers.
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EASTERSEALS
HONORS TIFT BOARD MEMBERS
Easterseals Southern Georgia this week presented
Distinguished Service Awards to outgoing officers on its
Tift County Board.
President
James L. Montgomery
, Vice President
David Hetzel
and Secretary
Veronica Graydon
, who was absent, were honored for
11 years
of service.
"Their leadership built our board to 20 members, develo
ped a great local fundraiser that provides the funds needed for our local day program participants to enjoy field trips and outings, Wild Adventures and so much more," says Executive Director Beth English.
"Our entire board understands the importance of advocacy and supports disability issues at the Capitol."
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TIFTON ACTRESS NAMED A 'TOP 5 CHILD STAR TV CHARACTER'
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CAITLIN CARMICHAEL
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A television entertainment news web site,
TVOvermind, has named
Tifton native
Caitlin Carmichael as one of "
The Five Top Child Star Characters on Television Right Now."
Carmichael, 12, was recognized for her acting work as the voice of Alma Dinky Doo on the Disney Junior Channel's "Doc McStuffins" animated TV series.
"
She is known for her recurring role as Alma in the poplar children's television series 'Doc
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ALMA DINKY DOO
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McStuffins.' In addition to her successful career in television movies, she has also appeared other TV series including 'Z Nation,' 'The Loud House,' 'Agent Carter,' 'The Legend of Korra,' 'Suburgatory,' 'Chosen,' 'Criminal Minds,' 'Vegas,' 'The Neighbors,' 'Retired at 35,' 'Daybreak,' 'Badgirls' and several other television series. Caitlin is a child star who has already risen to the status of veteran actor," the web site wrote earlier this week.
Dottie "Doc" McStuffins is a six-year-old girl who communicates secretly to toys and heals plush animals in her backyard clinic. The show is aimed at teaching children how to take care of themselves and others, along with living healthy lifestyles. Carmichael's recurring character Alma is the younger sister of Doc's best friend Emma.
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TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
RIBBON CUTTING
31 North Wealth Management
122 E. 2nd St., Tifton
June 14
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YMCA SUMMER CAMP
PLANTS GARDEN
IN MEMORY OF LATE YMCA STAFF MEMBER
Children in the Tiftarea YMCA's summer camp on Wednesday planted a garden in memory of Evann Todd, a Y staffer who died suddenly in February from natural causes at age 25. Todd's parents came to help celebrate her life. "Her spirit and legacy continues to 'bloom' at the Tiftarea YMCA. We miss you, Evann. Rest easy," the YMCA posted on its Facebook page.
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TIFTON ROTARIANS, EX-STUDENTS, ATTEND INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
Rotary International came to
Atlanta earlier this week for the civic organization's
108th International Convention, bringing together nearly
38,000 Rotarians from around the
world.
At left, in the photo above, is Jean Courson of the Tifton Rotary Club; Annelize Cloete from South Africa, who was the Tifton Rotary Club's 1999-2000 international Georgia Rotary Student; Caroline Benefield of Tifton; Past Rotary District Gov. Leon Benefield of Tifton; and Maren Skott-Myhre from Norway, the Tifton club's 2012-2013 international Georgia Rotary Student.
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GA TECH PRESIDENT VISITING SOUTH GEORGIA
Georgia Tech President
G.P. "Bud" Peterson and his wife
Val Peterson are headed to
South Georgia next week to visit
Georgia Tech alumni, Regents, business leaders, lawmakers and other friends of the Institute.
This year's tour -- Peterson's
ninth as Tech president -- will be
June 19-21 and will cover stops in
Jekyll Island, Brunswick, Waycross, Douglas, Tifton, Valdosta, Thomasville, Camilla, Albany, Americus, and Columbus.
Each year, the Petersons dedicate time during the
summer to visit a different area of the state to meet with
stakeholders. Through the past eight tours, the Petersons have traversed the entire state, covering more than
6,000 cumulative miles.
This year's tour will cover nearly
1,000 miles, the most ever in a single tour, and hit
44 counties.
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PEANUT CALENDAR SEEKS PEANUT PHOTOS
The
Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) is hosting a
photo contest open now through
Oct. 1 to fill the pages of its
2018 Georgia Peanut Calendar, "Photos from the Field." Photographs will also be selected to be used in GPC promotional projects throughout the year.
Peanut farmers from across Georgia are encouraged to
submit their best
high-resolution photo of
peanut production on their farm. Winning entries will be selected for each month of the calendar, as well as the cover. Below are tips to consider when selecting a photo to enter:
- Make sure the photo is
not offensive and avoid photos with large, easy-to-read corporate logos;
- Think about the
months of the year and select photos that represent them;
- Photos need to be taken in
horizontal format. If they are vertical, most likely they will not fill the entire page of the calendar;
- Select a photo that
showcases your family or what being a Georgia peanut farmer means to you;
- Choose a photo you feel helps others
understand more about how you care for the crop they love.
Photo entries must be taken during the
2016 or 2017 peanut growing season and feature
peanut production. Entries must also be
high resolution (300 dpi),
horizontal and
not taken with a phone. If photos do not meet these requirements, they may be disqualified. Submit photos in jpg format and email them with an entry form to
jessie@gapeanuts.com by
Oct. 1.
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OMEGA SCHOOL RECEIVES INCENTIVE GRANTS
The Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence recently presented Incentive Grant awards to educators at Omega School.
From left is Dr. Victoria Melton, Omega principal; teacher Angel Martin, who received $300 to take students to the Valdosta State Planetarium; Foundation liaison Paige Keith; and media specialist Lacy Cargle, who received $1,000 to set up an Interactive Learning Commons in the school's Media Center.
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TIFT STUDENTS
Some
Tift County Schools
students attended the
"Spark It! Computing Camp"
last week.
The week ended with the students showcasing their projects, which included making keyboards out of general objects and creating digital apps.
The camp was a collaborative partnership among SparkIT! Inc., the Delta Lambda Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta and Tift Regional Health System.
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YOUR WEEKEND
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..at a Glance
- 'SELF' Senior Dance, 6 p.m., Leroy Rogers Senior Center, Tifton
- 'The Wedding Singer, Musical Comedy,' 7 p.m., Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Tifton
- Irwin County Farmers Market, 8 a.m., 5th Street, Ocilla
- Wiregrass Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-Noon, Ga. Museum of Agriculture, Tifton
- Sylvester Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-Noon, downtown train depot, Sylvester
- 'The Wedding Singer, Musical Comedy,' 7 p.m., Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Tifton
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'The Wedding
Singer, Musical Comedy,' 3 p.m., Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Tifton
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JUNE 8
Walter Edwin Taylor, 73, Tifton
Lawanna Jo Brock, 48, West Berrien
JUNE 9
Robert Lee "R.L." Merritt, 70, Tifton
Brenda Braddy Ray, 71, Tifton
JUNE 10
Ed Ellerbee, 94, Ashburn
Ronney Eugene Flowers, 64, Adel
JUNE 11
Stella Williamson, 73, Ben Hill County
Robert Glenn Kincade, 92, Nashville
Russell Eugene Stripling Sr., 81, Adel
Myrtle Mae Drawdy, 83, Sparks
Ruth Shipp Gordon, Atlantic City, N.J.
JUNE 12
Robert Lasseter, 55, Omega
Nettie Rose Ward Hardy, 83, Sycamore
Mary Helen Dillard Surrency, 88, Adel
Floy Ann "Flo" Elizabeth Fletcher Quinney, 82, Irwinville
JUNE 13
Tammy Pauline Baxter, 44, Tifton
Maurice Renard Lewis, Sylvester
JUNE 14
Travis C. Sutton, 58, Fitzgerald
Emily Fowler Wynn, 65, Fitzgerald
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SERVING
YOU WITH PROFESSIONALISM
BEFORE, DURING & AFTER THE SALE
1625 Park Ave. N., Tifton, GA
MLS #
127511
CLOSE TO SCHOOLS, HOSPITAL: 3 BR, 3 BA, 1,770 square feet; hardwood floors, carpeted master bedroom, gas fireplace, two-car carport,
attached utility room with sink.
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Dwana Coleman
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Visit Us Online:
Call us TODAY!
229-386-4222
Blue Skies &
Sunshine
Through
Each & Every
Real Estate
Transaction!
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FRANK SAYLES JR.
Editor & Publisher
A Service of
Sayles Unlimited Marketing LLC
478-227-7126
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