Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018 Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

HURRICANE MICHAEL AIMS AT SW GEORGIA CATEGORY 3 STORM TO BRING HIGH WINDS, HEAVY RAINFALL; 'STATE OF EMERGENCY' DECLARED IN TIFT COUNTY By FRANK SAYLES JR. Tifton Grapevine As a "potentially catastrophic" Hurricane Michael approaches the Florida Gulf Coast , area schools and many businesses are closing in the Tiftarea in anticipation of the storm that is expected to bring tropical storm , and possibly hurricane , conditions to the area beginning late Wednesday . “A potentially catastrophic event is developing,” says the National Weather Service forecast office, which serves Tallahassee and Southwest Georgia . The office warns of “ widespread power outages , downed trees blocking access to roads and endangering individuals, structural damage to homes and businesses, isolated flash flooding and the potential for a few tornadoes .” Among local closures are: Tift County Public Schools – Wednesday and Thursday; Tiftarea Academy – Wednesday and Thursday; Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College – Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; University of Georgia Tifton Campus – Wednesday and Thursday; Southern Regional Technical College – Wednesday and Thursday; City of Tifton government offices – Wednesday; Tift County government offices – Wednesday and Thursday; Turner County Schools – Wednesday and Thursday; Ben Hill County Schools – Wednesday and Thursday; Berrien County Schools – Wednesday; fall break begins Thursday; Irwin County Schools – Wednesday and Thursday; Friday night’s football game has been moved to noon Saturday; Worth County Schools – Wednesday and Thursday. The intensifying storm is likely to make landfall early Wednesday afternoon and hit the Greater Tiftarea by Wednesday night into early Thursday . Winds could reach up to 75 mph locally, and rainfall between five and eight inches in some areas is possible. A flash flood watch is underway. Tift County, City of Tifton and state officials met twice Tuesday . At 4 p.m. Tuesday , the County Board of Commissioners declared Tift County in a State of Emergency . Beginning 8 a.m. Wednesday , the Tift County Emergency Management Agency will activate and fully staff its Emergency Operations Center for the duration of Hurricane Michael and its immediate aftermath. Two “safe haven” shelters will open for local residents at First United Methodist Church in Tifton and at the Omega Baptist Church , according to the Tift County Emergency Management Agency. The National Weather Service forecast for Tifton calls for t ropical storm conditions possible Wednesday with showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 p.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Tropical storm conditions are expected Wednesday night with high winds and heavy rainfall. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. On Thursday, t ropical storm conditions are possible with showers and thunderstorms primarily before 2 p.m. Clearing is expected by Thursday night.

REPORT: GA KIDS FACE BARRIERS TO GETTING HEALTH INSURANCE

More than 80 percent of uninsured Georgia children were eligible for coverage in government health insurance programs in 2016 but were not enrolled , according to a report from an advocacy group . Barriers to enrollment and medical services can prevent kids from getting the care they need, said Voices for Georgia’s Children . The group's report  said an estimated 140,000 of the 162,000 Georgia kids uninsured two years ago could have been enrolled in either Medicaid or PeachCare . The latter program is designed for children without coverage whose parents have incomes higher than that for Medicaid eligibility.

Voices for Georgia’s Children conducted focus groups in four diverse Georgia counties : Whitfield , in Northwest Georgia; Dougherty , in Southwest Georgia; Effingham in the East; and Lamar in Middle Georgia. Based on the conversations, Voices listed 10 common hurdles to medical care for kids, among them: The complicated process for establishing eligibility and enrolling children in government programs. Education, as some parents do not enroll their children until they have a sick child. Poverty – about 23 percent of Georgia kids live in poverty, and many families lack transportation and stable housing. A possible stigma associated with using public programs. About 53,000 parents earn too much for Medicaid or children's health assistance but not enough to afford health insurance, the report said. The problem of finding a doctor – more than 60 of Georgia’s 159 counties have no pediatrician – and then locating one who will accept new Medicaid patients.

TIFTON FIRE DEPT. PROVIDING FIRE SAFETY INFORMATION October is National Fire Prevention Month, and the Tifton Fire Department is informing citizens of the best ways to prevent fires and practice fire safety methods.  Firefighter Francisco Preciado says it's important to provide fire safety information packets in both English and Spanish. “I want to personally help the (Spanish-speaking) community understand the importance of fire safety at home by making packets in Spanish readily available to them. I want everyone to know that their safety is our main priority and concern."

The information packets include information on the importance of smoke detectors , having an escape route plan , proper use of heaters and cooking safety tips. They also include coloring pages for children .  The Tifton Fire Department has a program to provide smoke detectors for any home that requests them. The department will install them in your homes and even will replace batteries when needed. “I believe fire prevention education is the first step in helping save lives and property . Teaching our kids at an early age is very beneficial to the entire family. Kids will almost always carry home what they learned at the fire department and help teach their parents as well," said Fire Chief Bobby Bennett . "Early fire prevention education has proven to help reduce fire deaths and property loss , so we see it as a priority in our community.”  If you are interested in receiving an information packet in either English or Spanish, contact the Tifton Fire Department at 229-391-3972 .

805 Cromer Road Chula, GA Saturday, October 13, 2018 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Sunday, October 14, 2018 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Directions: From I-75, Exit 64, travel 9 miles north on Highway 41, turn left onto Cromer Road … the house is located immediately on the right. Storage units full of shop equipment, tools, lawn equipment, gardening tools, fencing, outdoor furniture, office furniture, home furniture and décor, kitchenware and appliances, holiday decorations, collectables, linens, clothing and much more!

FIND OUT HOW TO ADD NATIVE PLANTS TO A HOME GARDEN AT FARMERS MARKET

Do you want add native plants to your yard but are not sure where to start? You can find out at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Wiregrass Farmer’s Market in Tifton .  Landscape architect and UGA professor Katherine Melcher will explain two simple methods for designing attractive native plant gardens for your home . Examples will highlight local, Coastal Plain native plants that are well-suited for the home garden . She says native plants are valuable for many reasons: They are hardy , use less water and provide habitat and nutrition for birds, butterflies and other pollinators . They are less susceptible to pests and diseases , and they are less likely to become invasive . Melcher , an associate professor at the University of Georgia’s College of Environment and Design , is teaching courses on the Tifton campus about edible landscape design and natural plant communities . Also on Saturday , members of the Coastal Plain Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society will hold a plant sale at the Wiregrass Farmers Market , offering native shrubs, flowers, grasses, vines and trees. Sale hours are 9 a.m.-noon . The Wiregrass Farmers Market is located behind the Country Store of the Georgia Museum of Agriculture at 1392 Whiddon Mill Road .

TCHS CROWNS HOMECOMING QUEEN DURING 45-0 WIN Taylor Holmes was crowned the 2018 Tift County High homecoming queen on Friday night at Brodie Field. By the way, the Tift County High Blue Devils won the homecoming game in a blowout – they beat the Miller Grove High Wolverines by a score of 45-0 . The Blue Devils are scheduled to travel to Valdosta to face the Lowndes High School Vikings this Friday night in region play.

ABAC CANCELS THURSDAY'S ARTS SERIES PERFORMANCE

Because of the possibility of severe weather , the scheduled performance by Chanticleer on Thursday, Oct. 11 , has been cancelled at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College . Arts Connection Director Wayne Jones said because the entire ABAC campus will be closed Oct. 10-12 , all events during that time have been cancelled .  Ticket-holders for the performance will be notified if the event is rescheduled . Other upcoming performances in the ABAC performing arts series include “Broadway’s Next H!t Musical” on Nov. 29 , “The Crucible” on Feb. 7 , the Albany Symphony Orchestra featuring Chris Brubeck’s Triple Play on March 3 , the Turtle Island String Quartet on March 28 , and Byron Stripling with the ABAC Jazz Ensemble on April 18 .

BENEFIT AUCTION THURSDAY FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS October is  Breast Cancer Awareness Month , and the Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation, Tift Area (BCAF) is holding its fundraiser,  The BCAF Live Auction , this Thursday at the  Elks’ Lodge in Tifton . Doors open at 6 p.m. at the lodge, 422 Victory Drive North, Tifton . Many valuable items donated by local businesses and individuals will be auctioned . The Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation, Tift Area, was started more than 19 years ago by a survivor and her friends who saw a need. The foundation’s goal is to help breast cancer survivors cope with the diagnosis, treatment and recovery issues. Its motto is “You never have to face cancer alone.” The foundation provides personal items including post-surgical and mastectomy garments, breast prosthesis, wigs and lymphedema sleeves. It assists with funds for lymphedema evaluations and some treatments. It also helps with pharmacy bills, utility bills, gas cards and food baskets.   All monies raised are used for local survivors in need who have little or no insurance . For information , contact BCAF Chairman Gail Fleming at 229-382-3322 or 229-326-0800.

HEATING BILL HELP TO BE AVAILABLE The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), administered by the Ga. Division of Family and Children Services , will be available Nov. 1 . This federally funded program assists low-income, elderly and disabled Georgians with heating bills through direct payments to home energy suppliers. Beginning Nov. 1, residents aged 65 and older or those who are homebound can apply for assistance through the department's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. All other eligible residents may apply for assistance beginning Dec. 3 . Funds are administered through local community action agencies on a first-come, first-served basis until all funds are exhausted. In 2018 , the LIHEAP program spent more than $48 million to assist more than 140,795 clients with heating bills . Depending on income and household size, those who qualified for the program received between $310 and $350 toward their home heating bills.  To qualify, a family's annual income must be less than or equal to 60 percent of the median income for a Georgia family. For a household of one, the income threshold is $22,839 ; the income threshold for a household of five is $50,948 . For information , call the Division of Family and Children Services at 404-657-3426 .

TIFTON NATIVE NAMED EDITOR OF ALBANY NEWSPAPER

Tifton native Carlton Fletcher , a 20-plus-year veteran of The Albany Herald , has been named editor of the newspaper. Fletcher has served the past several months as the newspaper’s interim editor . The Tifton native was raised in Ocilla and began his journalism career with the Ocilla Star and was sports editor of The Tifton Gazette before heading to Albany . Publisher Scot Morrissey made the announcement late last week.

PROMOTE YOUR WEEKEND YARD SALE The Tifton Grapevine is now publishing yard sales in Friday editions . The yard sales will be text only, no photos , and is part of a list linked from the Grapevine edition to our web page . The cost is $1 per word , and yard sales must be paid in advance via credit card or PayPal . For information , email yardsales@tiftongrapevine.com

Tifton Grapevine e-published every Tuesday and Friday Frank Sayles Jr. Editor & Publisher Bonnie Sayles Managing Editor

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