BLOOD MOON, TOTAL ECLIPSE & EASTER
THIS WEEKEND'S RARE EVENT
This Saturday's full moon is known as a "blood moon" as a rare total lunar eclipse Saturday morning -- the third in less than year -- gives the moon a red tint when the Earth covers the sun.
And this shortest lunar eclipse of the century occurs on the morning of the Easter Vigil, traditionally observed as the period between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The eclipse also falls on the first night of Passover,  observed by Jews worldwide beginning Friday at sunset.
The convergence of all these events have some folks saying the blood moon lunar eclipse could be connected to Jesus' return or signal that a significant event is about to occur. Some pastors across the country have cited the King James Bible: "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord comes," (Joel 2:31).
Sverre Holm, a professor at he University of Oslo, also contends that Good Friday this year actually falls on the correct historical date -- April 3. Holm says the most probable date for Good Friday is April 3, 33 AD, and that Isaac Newton figured that out in 1733.
On the Science 2.0 web site, Holm discusses Newton's methods for determining the date, and notes that on April 3, 33 AD, a lunar eclipse was visible from Jerusalem that day. There is justification in the Bible for saying that such an event could have happened on Good Friday, the professor contends.
"This year's Good Friday on April 3 therefore links Easter in a particular way to its origins," he says.
Unfortunately, the Tiftarea is not expected to be a good vantage point to view Saturday's total eclipse of the blood moon. According to Accuweather, the moon will begin passing through the outermost portion of the Earth's shadow at 5:01 a.m. EDT, with a distinctive darkness across the moon around 6:15 a.m. The total eclipse will be from 7:58 to 8:02 a.m., but the forecast is for overcast skies with a chance of rain Saturday morning in Tifton.
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RABIES CONFIRMED IN SW GEORGIA
A dog in South Georgia recently adopted from an online service has been found to have rabies, and a
a dog in Lee County has tested positive for the disease, says the Southwest Georgia Public Health District.
District Environmental Health Director Dewayne Tanner says that it is not unusual to see positive rabies cases  occasionally in the 14-county Southwest Health District.
"Wild animals that are known to harbor the disease include raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats, bobcats and coyotes," he said. "When they come into contact with strays or unvaccinated pets, they can pass the infection."
During spring, more wild animals are stirring and more people and pets are spending time outdoors, increasing the potential for rabies exposure.
"The best protection against rabies is to vaccinate your pets and livestock," Tanner said. "We don't recommend that you interact with wild animals or strays, especially if they are showing odd behavior such as being out during daytime or acting aggressively."
Rabies is fatal in humans if untreated. Dogs and cats three months old and older should be vaccinated against rabies. Pet ferrets should also receive rabies inoculations, as should valuable livestock, Tanner said.
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TIFTON CITY COUNCIL MEETS MONDAY
MAY BAN PRIVATE CLUBS IN DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
Tifton City Council meets at
5 p.m. Monday, April 6 in council chambers at
City Hall.
Among items on the agenda is
amending the
Land Development Code to remove private clubs and lodges as a permissible use in the Downtown Commercial Zoning District.
Council also is scheduled to have first reading of an ordinance changing the city's fiscal year and to discuss possible
dissolution of the Tift Theatre Board.
Click Here to See the Full Agenda
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LIBRARY REMEMBERS, HONORS LONGTIME EMPLOYEE
A plaque dedicated to
Barbara "Bobbie" Walker, a longtime employee of the
Tifton-Tift County Public Library, was
dedicated at the library on
Tuesday, March 31. Walker died last August. She
joined the Coastal Plain Regional Library System in July 1959 and came to the Tifton-Tift County Public Library in September 1970 as head of the children's department. Some of those present at Tuesday's ceremony were, from left,
Filiberto Hernandez (library board),
Kathy Griffis (director, Coastal Plain Regional Library System),
Karen Leigh Walker Hayes, Kathryn Lynn Walker Branch, Bill Kelley (library board chairman) and
Laurel Branch Lamb (Ms. Bobbie's granddaughter.) They hold some of the books purchased with monies donated to Ms. Bobbie's
Memorial Fund. Others may donate to the fund by dropping by the library or visiting the library website
www.cprl.org/ttcpl.html
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SOCCER FOR LITERACY
MINI-TOURNEY AIDS LITERACY VOLUNTEERS' ENGLISH INSTRUCTION
Soccer teams of various ages will compete for bragging rights Sunday, April 19, in the fourth annual Soccer for Literacy tournament to benefit English language instruction programs of Literacy Volunteers of Tifton-Tift County.
Co-sponsored by LVTTC, the Tiftarea YMCA, and the Hispanic Soccer League, the tourney will pit soccer teams  against each other to raise money for classes and materials. Registration begins at 9 a.m. on the YMCA soccer fields and include teams for men, women, and children from ages 6 and up.
"This event has been a tremendous success each year, so we are making it a regular part of our fundraising plan," said Dr. John Hamm, Soccer for Literacy chairman. "We've moved it from the heat of July to cooler weather in April."
Literacy Volunteers of Tifton-Tift County work with Moultrie Technical College-Tifton Campus to provide three English Language classes at Our Divine Savior Catholic Church. Hamm and Luz Marti are board members and the principal volunteers with the program.
Francisco "Pajaro" Perez with the Hispanic Soccer League is recruiting soccer teams and organizing logistics of the event, while the YMCA is providing the fields and a bouncy house. LVTTC is organizing food vendors, recruiting sponsors and promoting the event. Perez may be reached at 229-256-9541.
"We expect to have a really great family event," said Bonnie Sayles, LVTTC director. Multiple food vendors will sell authentic Hispanic food, hotdogs, fruit and other delicious treats. Attendance is free.
"Tiftarea Y is proud to collaborate with Literacy Volunteers in the soccer tournament," said Darian Peavy, director of the Tiftarea YMCA. "We encourage everyone to come out and support this event while enjoying quality time with their families."
Sponsorships are still available. "A full sponsorship is $200, but we appreciate any and all donations," Sayles said. Call 229-391-2527 or email [email protected] for information.
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MUSEUM HONORS LOCAL SCIENTISTS WITH EXHIBIT
The Tifton Museum of Arts and Heritage on Love Avenue is opening an exhibit, "Tifton Scientists Impacting the World," on Saturday, April 11, from 6:30- 8:30 p.m.
The exhibit features photos, videos, text and artifacts honoring the accomplishments and history of the UGA/Tifton Coastal Plain Experiment Station. Admission is free.
For nearly 100 years, the work of the scientists at the UGA Tifton Coastal Plain Experiment Station has affected both land and lives locally and across the globe. The museum will honor 11 individuals for their work, along with eight teams of scientists.
Many of the scientists will be present at the opening reception, which will include refreshments and music by scientist/fiddler Albert Culbreath. The exhibit continues through May 3, and is open Tuesdays-Fridays from 1 -5 p.m.; Thursdays, 1-7 p.m.; and Sundays, 1-3 p.m.
The 11 featured scientists are
Glen Burton, James Shepherd, Byron Southwell, "Cowboy" Stephens, Homer Wells, Wayne Hanna, W.T. Brightwell, Peggy Ozias Akins, Albert Culbreath, Joe Lewis and
Frank McGill.
For information, contact Syd Blackmarr, 387-5657; or Jeannie Rigdon, 382-5083.
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TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
RIBBON-CUTTING
DICK'S WINGS & GRILL
3310 W. U.S. Hwy 82, Tifton
Monday, March 30
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FARMER STYLE
VIDEO STAR TO SING, SPEAK ON AG & SOCIAL MEDIA AT ABAC
YouTube singing sensation Greg Peterson of the Peterson Farm Brothers will speak and sing about advocating agriculture through social media at 7 p.m. April 8 in the Chapel of All Faiths at Abraham Baldwin  Agricultural College.
Sponsored by the ABAC Cattleman's Club, Peterson's performance is open to the campus and community at no charge. His performance serves as a preliminary event to the Fourth Annual ABAC Agriculture Awareness Day on April 9 on the pedestrian walkway from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Peterson is the oldest of the three brothers who perform parodies of popular music with lyrics that focus on farming and agricultural awareness. The brothers' first parody, "I'm Farming and I Grow It," was released in June 2012. Since then, Peterson and his brothers have released a number of other parodies including "Farmer Style," which has had over 15 million views on YouTube.
Peterson also released videos dealing with life on his family's Kansas farm in a month by month video series on YouTube. The videos have given him the opportunity to talk about agriculture and share his passion about the future of the industry. He enjoys working on the farm and being an advocate for agriculture.
Peterson also has his own personal YouTube channel featuring himself in all four vocal parts of the "Greg Peterson Quartet" singing original music as well as old favorites. He grew up on a family farm near Assaria, Kan., before attending Kansas State University, graduating in 2013 with a degree in agricultural communications and journalism.
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SPECIAL OLYMPICS SET FOR TODAY
The
Tifton Special Olympics is scheduled for
9 a.m., Friday, April 3, at the track at
Eighth Street Middle School with a variety of sporting competitions.
In the event of
rain, the
Special Olympics will be
rescheduled for
April 14, organizers say.
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YOUR WEEKEND
...at a Glance
GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 3
- Tifton Special Olympics, 9 a.m., Eighth Street Middle School track, Tifton
EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 5
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MARCH 26
Henrietta Evelyn Rogers, 92, Alapaha
MARCH 27
Stacy Howell Greene, 51, Eldorado
Johnnie Faye Schofill Chitwood, 71, Tifton
Jerry Cadwell, 75, Adel
MARCH 28
Wilbur Darrell "Drib" Moore, 68, Irwinville
Mamie Stanford Davis, 103, Rebecca
MARCH 29
Charlie William "Billy" Pate, 67, Omega
Gage Raper, 15, Adel
Larry Delane Smith, 60, Hahira
MARCH 30
Stacy Lamar Rousey, 47, Tifton
Robert Wilson "Bobby" Brooks, 63, Nashville
Basil Kyle Reeves, Jr., 80, Ashburn
MARCH 31
Bobbie J. Warren, 71, Omega
LuDell Smith, 96, Fitzgerald
Roy Daniel "Danny" Swanson, 68, Ashburn
Betty Jean Burnum, 77, Berrien County
APRIL1
James "Jim" Henry Joy Jr., 72, Tifton
"C. W." Clyde Walton "Rocky" Pharr Jr., 78, Tifton
Eleanor Thompson Laramore, 75, Tifton
Linda Carter "Linda Sue" Webb, 57, Sylvester
Bonita Kinchen Rutherford, 74, Fitzgerald
Margaret Anette Danforth, 74, Bradley, Fla.
APRIL 2
Tollie Mae Johnson, Sylvester
Gwendolyn (Gwen) Williams Evans, 76, Lenox
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SERVING YOU WITH PROFESSIONALISM
BEFORE, DURING & AFTER THE SALE
$234,900
This home is newly renovated. Located near hospital, schools, pharmacy, grocery stores. Three large city lots totaling 1.6 acres. Brick exterior, interior freshly painted, new carpet, all appliances, wood-burning fireplace in den, formal living and dining room, wood floors. Kitchen is large and has abundant cabinets and a breakfast area. Looking through French doors in den, the view of the backyard is awesome! In-ground pool, covered custom brick grilling area, hot tub and sauna, all surrounded by high fenced yard for privacy. Pool house has entertaining area with full kitchen, 2 bedrooms, full bath.
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| Dwana Coleman |
Call Us Today!
229-386-4222
Blue Skies & Sunshine Through Each & Every
Real Estate Transaction!
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