Omega Jackpot Winner

DEC. 15, 2017

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126
tiftongrapevine.com

OMEGA LOTTERY WINNER

$453,450 JACKPOT SPLIT WITH ANOTHER TICKET

Two winning tickets sold in Omega and Lyons split the $453,450 jackpot prize from the Dec. 12 Fantasy 5 drawing, the Georgia Lottery announced.

The winning tickets won $226,725 each. Winning numbers from the Dec. 12 drawing were 4-5-13-16-18.

Susie Q's No. 4 at 5499 N. Alabama Ave. in Omega in Tift County sold the winning ticket, the Georgia Lottery Corp. stated in a press release. The winner of the prize, whose name was not released, claimed it Wednesday at the lottery's Tifton District Office.

The Lyons ticket was sold at Parker's No. 0046 at 113 Oxley Drive. Lyons is in Toombs County. A winner has not come forward yet to claim that ticket. Fantasy 5 winners have 180 days from the draw date to claim prizes.

The lottery organization also announced that a Georgia FIVE ticket worth $10,000 was sold in Savannah for Wednesday night's drawing. Shop N Go at 728 W. Oglethorpe Ave., sold the winning ticket.

The winner claimed the prize Thursday at the Georgia Lottery's Savannah District Office.

Since its inception, the Georgia Lottery Corp. has returned more than $19 billion to the state for education, according to the press release. All Georgia Lottery profits pay for specific educational programs, including Georgia's HOPE Scholarship and Georgia's Pre-K.

More than 1.8 million students have received HOPE, and more than 1.6 million four-year-olds have attended the statewide, voluntary pre-kindergarten program.

TWO RECEIVE TOP STUDENT AWARDS

AT ABAC GRADUATION

Jared Smith from Hastings, Fla., and John Winkler from Cumming received the top awards presented by the ABAC Alumni Association during the fall commencement ceremony Thursday at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

Smith, an agriculture major, was named winner of the ABAC Alumni Association Award which goes to the top bachelor's degree graduate participating in the ceremony, and Winkler, an animal science major, received the George P. Donaldson Award for the top associate degree graduate.


	John Winkler and Jared Smith, receive top awards at ABAC graduation. President David Bridges is at left.

State Rep. Sam Watson, R-Moultrie, an ABAC graduate, was guest speaker at the ceremony. Watson is a Colquitt County farmer.

"Never stop learning and don't be afraid to take risks," Watson said. "The single most important quality that employers are looking for is work ethic. You must prepare for the future even though you don't know what the future looks like."

While at ABAC, Smith was a member of the ABAC Ambassadors leadership organization, the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the Agribusiness Club, the AgriLife Council, the student activity fees committee, the student judiciary committee and the Constitutional Convention committee for the Student Government Association. He was also one of three student leaders chose to represent ABAC at the 10th annual Principled Leadership Symposium at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.

Winkler served as chaplain for the ABAC Cattlemen's Association and was a member of the ABAC Bass Fishing club. A HOPE Scholarship recipient, Winkler also represented ABAC by working at the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition for the past two years. During the fall semester, Winkler volunteered at the ABAC Beef Unit , where he was involved in the feeding and care of the cattle used by many of the livestock production laboratories.

A total of 186 graduates received diplomas in Thursday's ceremony . Spring term classes begin at ABAC on Jan. 8 . The college will be closed for the holidays Dec. 23-Jan. 1.

TIFTAREA ACADEMY'S KEY CLUB

HELPS SPREAD CHRISTMAS CHEER

Tiftarea Academy Key Club students traveled to Atlanta on Monday to lend a hand at Operation Christmas Child's regional hub.

They volunteered their time to help sort and pack shoe boxes for Samaritan's Purse's annual Operation Christmas Child drive. The boxes filled with goodies will be sent around the world to needy children.

Tiftarea Academy's Key Club sends a group to help with this project annually.

Our pet resort provides high-quality pet boarding and daycare for cats and dogs as well as a dog day spa in Tifton.

Boarding, Bathing, Nail Trimming

and More!

Now Taking

Holiday Reservations!

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229-396-4676

1676 S. Carpenter Road, Tifton

Two longtime Irwin Indians fans, 'The Sign Lady' Susie Davis, right, and the 'Sign Maker' Andrew Watson, left, have been placing signs around Ocilla in preparation for tonight's state championship game.

IRWIN COUNTY HOSTS CLINCH COUNTY

IN STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

The Irwin County High Indians varsity football team hosts the Clinch County High Panthers at 7:30 p.m. today (Friday) for the Class A State Championship.

The game was originally scheduled to be played last Saturday at the new Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta, but last week's weather postponed the championship.

Tonight's game will be played at Irwin County High in Ocilla. The Irwin Indians have a 12-1 record, and Clinch is 11-2. The two teams had met for the state title in 2015 with Clinch winning that contest, after having lost to Irwin County earlier that season.

LUMINARIES TO LIGHT UP NIGHT

AROUND TIFTON NEIGHBORHOODS

Local residents will have a couple of opportunities to experience luminaries this holiday season.

Northgate Lakes will have its neighborhood luminary display this Sunday, Dec. 17, beginning at sunset. The entrance to the neighborhood is on Brighton Road between Highway 125 and Interstate 75.

And on Saturday, Dec. 23 beginning at 6 p.m., the Tift Terrace neighborhood comes together to light luminaries down every street; families and friends may walk or drive to catch a glimpse of all the glittering lights .

Participating streets span from Emmett Drive to Love Avenue, and 20th Street to 30th Street, including Willingham Way. For information about the Tift Terrace luminary, call Maghan Campbell at 229-894-1374 .


	Superintendent Patrick Atwater

ROTARIANS

BRIEFED ON

TIFT SCHOOLS

Tift County School Superintendent Patrick Atwater was guest speaker at Wednesday's luncheon meeting of the Rotary Club of Tifton.

Atwater talked about several initiatives going on in the school district and said it is preparing for the realignment of schools next school year.

Rather than students attending a total of seven schools during their time in the public school system, they will instead attend three after the realignment -- from pre-K through 12th grade.

ABAC-BAINBRIDGE COLLEGE MERGER

MOVES CLOSER TO REALITY

The consolidation of Bainbridge State College with Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College moved a step closer to culmination on Tuesday when the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved the prospectus for the merger.

Coupled with the approval of the prospectus by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges on Dec. 5, all current BSC students will become ABAC students on Jan. 1.

ABAC enrolled 3,394 students from 24 countries, 18 states and 155 Georgia counties for the 2017 fall semester. ABAC had the highest full-time enrollment at 72.8 percent among

the 10 state colleges. BSC enrolled 1,746 students for the 2017 fall term.

"We'll begin a series of soft starts in Bainbridge in January," said ABAC President David Bridges. "Our two business offices will become the ABAC business office. Our two student records systems will become the ABAC student records system. Bainbridge students will enroll for the spring as they usually do."

Bridges said Dr. Michael Kirkland, a Bainbridge State alumnus and a faculty member at the institution, will serve as executive director of the ABAC instructional site in Bainbridge as well as for sites in Donalsonville and Blakely.

"Under the existing plan, Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) will assume responsibility in July for the technical programs now taught in Bainbridge," Bridges said. "Students enrolled in those programs will be ABAC students in January, but then will become SRTC students when the changeover occurs."

We're Seeking a

Church Pianist

Tifton First United

Methodist Church

107 W 12th St., Tifton, GA

Tifton First United Methodist Church has an opening for a part-time church pianist.

The pianist is responsible for preparing for and

practicing with the chancel choir, orchestra and

ensemble every Wednesday evening for about

two hours and for playing at Sunday traditional services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., as well as at

special services at Christmas, Easter, etc.

Interested persons should contact Angie Carr at musicdirector@tiftonfumc.org

or call 229-382-6100 .

'SELF' CHRISTMAS DANCE TONIGHT

The local seniors group "SELF," or "Seniors Enjoying Life Forever," is holding its Christmas dance today, Friday, Dec. 15, at the Leroy Rogers Senior Center in Tifton.

Doors will open at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7, and dancing beginning at 8 p.m.

TIFTON ROTARY SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR ETHICS IN BUSINESS AWARD

The Rotary Club of Tifton is seeking nominations for its Tifton Rotary Ethics in Business Award to recognize a local business that has demonstrated exceptional ethical behavior.

Criteria for the award, which will go to a business physically located in Tifton or Tift County, were developed by a committee of Tifton Rotary Club members. The nominated business must have consistently demonstrated high ethical standards of honesty and

integrity in dealing with employees, customers and contractors while enhancing the economic well-being of the company and providing local jobs, opportunity and profits.

In addition, the business must have participated in activities beneficial to the community beyond the provision of economic benefits of the business and must adhere to fair and truthful business practice reflected in the Rotary Four-Way Test:

1. Is it the TRUTH?

2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?

3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIP?

4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Nomination applications are available from the Tifton Rotary Club, which meets for lunch each Wednesday at noon at the Tiftarea Conference Center on Highway 82, and are on the club's Facebook page, Click Here!

Applications must be submitted and received by Jan. 12, and may be sent to: Tifton Rotary Club, P.O. Box 1354, Tifton, GA 31793.

GEORGIA AG FORECAST SEMINAR

TO LOOK AT ECONOMY, FARM BILL

The Georgia Ag Forecast seminar series will be held Jan. 30 through Feb. 7 at six sites across the state, including Tifton.

University of Georgia agricultural economists will present insights into the latest market and regulatory conditions for the state's largest industry -- agriculture.

Hosted by the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the 2018 seminar series will be held in Tifton, Athens, Bainbridge, Cartersville, Lyons and Macon.

More than 1,000 producers, agribusiness representatives and community leaders attended the seminars in 2017.

"The main objective of the Ag Forecast seminar series is to provide Georgia's producers and agribusiness leaders with information on where we think the industry is headed in the upcoming year," said Kent Wolfe, director of the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development.

"It helps producers plan for the next year, but it's also good for bankers and others who have businesses involved in agriculture or who will be impacted by the farm economy."

In addition to the economic outlook for 2018, attendees in Tifton will hear from Bob Redding of the Redding Firm in Washington, D.C., who will discuss major themes that may be addressed in the 2018 farm bill and moderate a discussion on the bill.

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YOUR WEEKEND

. ..at a Glance

FRIDAY, DEC. 15

"One Starry Night" live nativity, 6 p.m., Northside Baptist Church, Tifton
"SELF" Christmas Dance, 6 p.m., Leroy Rogers Senior Center, Tifton
Class A State Football Championship: Irwin County High Indians vs. Clinch County High Panthers, 7:30 p.m., Irwin County High, Ocilla

SATURDAY, DEC. 16

"One Starry Night" live nativity, 6 p.m., Northside Baptist Church, Tifton
Ben Haggard in concert, 7 p.m., Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Downtown Tifton

SUNDAY, DEC. 17

Handel's "Messiah" singalong, 3 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, Tifton
Northgate Lake Neighborhood Luminary, beginning at dusk, Brighton Road, Tifton
"One Starry Night" live nativity, 6 p.m., Northside Baptist Church, Tifton