Friday, Feb. 1, 2019
Tifton, Georgia
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Award honorees at Thursday night's Chamber banquet are, from left: Kimberly Hester, Chamber Ambassador of the Year; Jennifer Dorminey Herzog, Prince Business Woman of the Year; Lanier Carson, Rotary Club Ethics in Business Award; Lynn Lovett, Wall of Fame; Bill Brim, Stafford Award; M.Jay Hall, J. Lamar Branch Award; Lance and Blake Ruttenberg, John Hunt Entrepreneur of the Year.
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GA POWER'S LOVETT NAMED TO CHAMBER 'WALL OF FAME'
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Georgia Power
Area Manager
Lynn Lovett
’s induction into the
Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce’s Wall of Fame
highlighted the Chamber’s
Annual Banquet Thursday
night at the
UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center
.
Bill Brim
, president of
Lewis Taylor Farms
, was the recipient of the
Stafford Award
, recognizing excellence in business leadership. Also,
Jennifer Dorminey Herzog
received the
Prince Business Woman of the Year Award
,
Lanier Carson
was honored with the
Rotary Ethics in Business Award
,
Lance and Blake Ruttenberg
received the
John Hunt Entrepreneur of the Year Award
,
M.Jay Hall
was named recipient of the
J. Lamar Branch Award
, and
Kim Hester
was named the
Chamber's Ambassador of the Year.
Lovett
began her career with
Georgia Power
in
1979
and came to
Tifton
as the area manager in
2005
. She has a long record of
community involvement
including stints chairing the
Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence
, the
Georgia Agrirama Foundation
, the
Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce
and
Ruth’s Cottage and the Patticake House
. She is also a
past president
of the
Tifton Rotary Club
and serves on the
board of directors
for
Southern Regional Technical College
and the
Tifton Museum of Arts & Heritage.
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Brim has led the growth of
Lewis Taylor Farms, making it one of the largest diversified farm operations in
Georgia. He has a track record of
leadership in the industry, serving in leadership roles on a variety of councils and boards and being a strong
advocate for
agriculture in
Washington.
Herzog is a
Tift County native and an
attorney with
Hall, Booth, Smith P.C. She has volunteered as a leader at
First Baptist Church and has also served as an active volunteer with the
Georgia Museum of Agriculture.
Carson hails from
Appling County and came to
Tifton in
1972, working as a production engineer with
Kelley Manufacturing. He rose through the ranks quickly and eventually became the
principal owner in
1981, now serving as chairman and chief executive officer. He has been active with many
organizations in the community, many in the
agricultural field.
Brothers
Lance and Blake Ruttenberg serve as the CEO and executive vice president, respectively, of
American Textile Co., which opened its first plant in
Tifton in
2011. ATC now has
two operations in
Tift County, providing nearly
400 local
jobs.
Hall is an agent with
New York Life and also owns the
Collins entertainment venue, which he restored a couple of years ago. He is also active in
local youth activities as well as in leadership roles and continues to work on other
renovation projects in
Tifton.
Hester is the recruiting branch manager with
Ambassador Personnel in
Tifton and has been active as a
Chamber Ambassador for years. She is a constant presence at Chamber events including ribbon cuttings, ground breakings and the annual golf tournament.
Chamber President
Brian Marlowe also addressed the large crowd, recounting the
growth Tift County has experienced in the past year. He said the
Tift County Development Authority recently purchased
400 acres and has another
spec building under
construction in hopes of bringing
more jobs to the area.
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Photo by Frank Sayles Jr./Tifton Grapevine
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SANDY HESTER OF TIFTON
HONORING GA's PUBLIC LIBRARIAN OF THE YEAR
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Julie Walker, state librarian
for the Georgia Public Library Service
, at left, presents
Sandy Hester,
director of the
Coastal Plain Regional Library
headquartered in
Tifton, with the Georgia Public Librarian of the Year Award
during a celebration
Wednesday
in Tifton
.
The
state library service
applauded
Hester
for
successfully merging
the
Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Library
and the
Coastal Plain Regional Library systems
.
Hester
of
Tifton
will also be
recognized
at a ceremony during the Georgia Council for Public Libraries’ annual
Public Library Day
at the state
Capitol
on
Feb. 13.
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COUNCIL OF GARDEN CLUBS
HONORS VIRGINIA PENNINGTON
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The
Council of Garden Clubs of Tifton Inc. honored
Virginia Pennington, center in photo, at a reception
Thursday
at the
Fulwood Garden Center
.
Pennington
is president of the
Council of Garden Clubs of Tifton and second vice president of the
Garden Clubs of Georgia.
At a ceremony
Thursday morning, the Council of Garden Clubs observed its
donation of the historic
Fulwood Garden Center to the the
ABAC Foundation at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
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TRHS UNDERGOES RESTRUCTURING,
CEO TELLS TIFTON ROTARIANS
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By BONNIE SAYLES
Tifton Grapevine
Tift Regional Health System
recently experienced
corporate restructuring
, moving away from a
hospital authority model
, according to
Chris Dorman
, TRHS president and CEO, who spoke
Wednesday
to the
Tifton Rotary Club
.
The
previous model
required
Tift Regional Medical Center
to
limit its service
to counties that are
contiguous
to
Tift County
.
“We have been able to
expand our borders
into other counties that don’t touch Tift County,”
Dorman
said. “We have
enhanced
our
clinical outreach
. A new
mobile health clinic
allows us to take primary health care to areas that are underserved and folks who don’t have access to care.”
More than
260,000
people live in the TRHS
service area
, with only
41
percent of
patients
coming from
Tift County
. Previously, it was
50
percent from Tift County. The other counties in TRHS
service area
representing 1 percent to 8 percent of patients are:
Atkinson, Ben Hill, Berrien, Coffee, Colquitt, Crisp, Irwin, Willcox and Worth
.
Another
11
percent of patients came from
outside
those counties.
Tift Regional Health System
, he said, is composed of
Tift Regional Medical Center
in Tifton,
Cook Medical Center
in Adel,
TRMC West
(formerly
Affinity
) with its new musculoskeletal center, and
25 hospital-owned physician offices
. The health system experienced
11,284
admissions in 2018 and nearly
150,000
outpatient visits. The number of emergency room visits was
46,251
.
The health system employs
2,400
employees and
147
physicians. It has nearly
$580 million
in annual
economic impact
to
Tift County
, mostly through purchasing services and supplies locally. It provided
$65 million
in
indigent
and charity care, Dorman said.
Among the greatest
challenges
the health system faces is providing care to the burgeoning number of
aging Baby Boomers
. Another challenge is the
shifts
in
federal and state regulations
and
reimbursements
.
A recent solution the system provided is a new electronic health record system that streamlines records from the previous
17
health information systems into one,
reducing duplication
of service.
“If you have a procedure in
Cook County
and come to the medical center in
Tifton
, you don’t have to repeat the procedure,”
Dorman
said. “We are expanding
telemedicine
services so patients don’t have to drive to Atlanta to see a specialist. Re-admissions can be avoided.”
The new
80,000-square-foot
musculoskeletal center at Tift West combines orthopedic care, pain management, chiropractic and other services in one facility.
“It
consolidates services
under one roof,” Dorman said, especially so that elderly patients don’t have to travel from clinic to clinic treating the same conditions.
The new
Cook Medical Center
under
construction
includes a
10,000-square-foot
doctors building
,
20
hospital beds and
95
nursing home beds.
Future plans include a new
TRMC emergency center
and
patient tower
.
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TAGA SETS 'GREENWAY' WALK
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The
Tift Area Greenway Association
(TAGA) is organizing a
walk
on
Saturday, Feb. 9
, between
2 and 4 p.m
. along the
proposed greenway
behind the
Tiftarea YMCA
on
Carpenter Road
.
Interested
walkers may drop by anytime
between the listed times to walk along the path. The
trail runs along the
old rail bed next to the
YMCA. The path is flat, unpaved and well shaded. The walk will be less than a total of
one mile.
In addition to showing off this
wooded trail
,
TAGA
hopes to
raise awareness
of its efforts to
construct a greenway
in
Tift County
for the enjoyment of
locals
and
visitors
.
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YMCA HAS MASQUERADE BALL THEME
FOR FATHER-DAUGHTER DANCE FEB. 7
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"Behind the Mask Masquerade Ball," the
Tiftarea YMCA's 17th Annual Father-Daughter Dance, will be on
Thursday, Feb. 7, at the
UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center.
Tickets are now on sale at the
YMCA's main office on
Carpenter Road, and
l
imited seating
is available.
Refreshments,
entertainment,
photos and
prizes are included with the ticket.
Ticket prices are
$45 per couple before
Feb. 4, and
$55 per couple thereafter.
Each additional daughter is
$15.
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U.S. REP. SCOTT'S BILL ALLOWS FUNDS FOR
HUNTING PROMOTION, SAFETY, CONSERVATION
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Congressman
Austin Scott
, R-Ga., (Tifton) this week
reintroduced
his bipartisan
legislation
to
modernize
the
Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act
(PR), which collects an excise tax on sporting goods sales to fund
wildlife conservation
projects
.
“With a
national decline
in
hunting
and participation in
sportsmen activities
,
Pittman-Robertson funds
are
shrinking
and our
state
and
local habitats
are
suffering
," Scott said
Thursday
.
"Yesterday, I reintroduced my legislation to
give states
more
flexibility
in how they use their PR
funds
and, hopefully,
attract
more Americans to the
outdoors
in the process.”
Enacted in
1937
, the
PR Act
provides
federal aid
to
states
for
management
and
restoration
of
wildlife areas
. Specifically, through a system of “user pay/public benefits,” Pittman-Robertson uses
proceeds
from an
existing federal excise tax
on
firearms, ammunition
and
archery equipment
to fund wildlife conservation and hunter education grants for state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies.
However, decades of
migration
to
urban
and
suburban
centers have made it more difficult for the public to participate in sportsmen’s activities. As the
base
of
sportsmen
and women
declines
, so do PR wildlife conservation funds.
Scott’s bill
would grant
state fish and wildlife agencies
additional
flexibility
to
use
these
funds
for
outreach
and communication to
promote hunting
and
recreational shooting
activities,
hunter safety
programs and
conservation
practices.
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GA RANKS 15th IN BURGLARIES
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A
new
study
ranks
Georgia No. 15
among states in
burglaries
with
530.9
per
100,000
people.
There is
good news in
Georgia:
Break-ins have
declined by
12.7 percent between
2012 and
2017.
According to the
study
,
nationally
:
- 1.4 million burglaries in 2017 cost victims $3.4 billion;
- New York had the fewest with 176.3 burglaries per 100,000 people;
- Top 5 states with the most break-ins are New Mexico, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas;
- 44.9 percent of burglaries occurred in the South; 26.3 in the West; 19.6 in the Midwest; and 9.1 percent in the Northeast. Large populations and warm weather in the South contribute to this disparity;
- Burglary rates have actually fallen by nearly 4 percent since 1998 (2.3 million vs. 1.4 million).
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UGA TIFTON STUDENT
PLACES 3rd IN ANIMAL SCIENCE COMPETITION
Britta Thinguldstad
, a g
raduate research assistant
and student in the
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
at
UGA Tifton
,
placed
third
in the recent
American Society of Animal Science Southern Section M.S. graduate student competition.
The
competition
was held this
past week
in
Oklahoma City, Okla.
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SRTC SPRING ENROLLMENT SETS RECORD
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Southern Regional Technical College
(SRTC) announces it has achieved
record enrollment
once again. After the
record-breaking fall semester
enrollment, this year’s
spring semester
enrollment reached a historically
high watermark
.
Officials say
4,340
students enrolled in SRTC classes in
January
, an increase of
16.9 percent
from last year's spring semester. This growth
outpaces
the
state’s average
enrollment growth for technical colleges, which is
5.6 percent
this semester.
“This
record enrollment
is once again attributed to the tireless devotion, dedication and efforts of our entire faculty and staff in advising, teaching and supporting students,” says SRTC President Dr.
Craig Wentworth
.
SRTC anticipates
continued growth
. Pending approval,
SRTC
will soon be offering
certifications
for
registered polysomnographic technologists, computer numeric controlled (CNC) operators
, and
tool & die machinists
. These careers are in
high demand
in the region.
“These programs will help to create more
opportunities
for our
students
and area
businesses
alike as we pursue our mission of developing a
highly skilled workforce
for our growing service delivery area,”
Wentworth
says.
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SURVEY SAYS: MOST GEORGIANS BACK RAMS IN SUNDAY'S SUPER BOWL
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Most
Georgians will be rooting for the
Los Angeles Rams to win Sunday's
Super Bowl, according to a
survey conducted by
Sports Illustrated
and
PCMag
.
The
two magazines
teamed up to
survey more than
2,800
football fans
on how they’ll be watching
Super Bowl LIII
, and got a look the
top tech
and
viewing trends
for the big game.
Breaking down the data,
66
percent of
Georgians
said they would be pulling for the
Rams
, while just over
17
percent are rooting for the
New England Patriots
. Also,
Rams fans
are more
likely
to
stream
the game
online
than Pats fans, according to the survey.
Nationally, the survey found that
more states will be
rooting for the
Rams –- only
15 states said the
Patriots was the top choice.
Also,
50
percent of consumers will
watch
the Super Bowl via
cable
, while
11
percent will
stream
the game. About
60
percent of
18-34
year olds plan to stream the Super Bowl, with
Roku
devices being the
most popular
for streaming, followed by
Amazon Fire
devices, the survey found.
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SOUTHWEST GEORGIA FINANCIAL CORP.
REPORTS RECORD EARNINGS IN 2018
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Southwest Georgia Financial Corp., which
opened a full-service banking center –
Southwest Georgia Bank – in
Tifton last year, reports
record earnings during
2018.
“2018 was a
strong year
, highlighted by
14 percent
loan growth and
15 percent
deposit growth. And while the record level of earnings certainly benefited from lower corporate tax rates, it also reflects
significant investments
made throughout the organization that were necessary to grow organically in the markets in which we currently operate,” said
DeWitt Drew
, president and CEO.
“We remain
encouraged
by our
entry
into the
Tifton market
and are keenly focused on achieving strong results in
2019
.”
The company achieved record annual net income of
$4.7 million
, up
$875,000
, or
23 percent
. On a per diluted share basis, earnings were
$1.84
, up
23 percent
. Net interest income increased
8 percent
, or $
1.3 million
, to
$18.6 million
, primarily due to growth in average total loans of
$32.2 million
and an improved asset mix.
Further benefiting net income was a
57 percent
decrease in
income tax expense
from the
2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
.
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YOUR WEEKEND
...at a Glance
SATURDAY, FEB. 2
- Outrageous & Contagious Women's Conference, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center, Tifton
- Stallion Day, 9 a.m., Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Tifton
- Wiregrass Farmers Market Plant & Seed Swap, 9:30-11 a.m., Georgia Museum of Agriculture lobby, Tifton
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LET THOUSANDS
OF PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT
YOUR YARD SALE
Place it in the
TIFTON GRAPEVINE and get quick results!
_____________________
TO ADVERTISE YOUR YARD SALE, CONTACT US at
Fees are $1 per word, paid in advance
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JAN. 24
Sandra Lee Miles Maze, 74,
Tifton
Betty Chloe Metzger, 78,
Tifton
Mark A. Thompson, 53,
Enigma
Rachel Griffin, 81,
Mentone, Ala.
Tommy Wayne Harper Jr., 47,
Wilcox County
JAN. 26
Melinda Gail Blount, 59,
Nashville
Peggy Rowell Bess, 63,
Ocilla
Harold E. Kimball, 85,
Fitzgerald
Cecil Lee Nolan, 71,
Jacksonville, N.C.
JAN. 27
Dixie Joyner Gray, 48,
Irwin County
Joseph Millard Branch, 92,
Albany
JAN. 28
Mary Jane Henderson Coley, 80,
Tifton
Mack Summerlin, 83,
Nashville
Allie Murray, 94,
Quitman
JAN. 29
James Leonard “J.L.” McMillan Jr., 91,
Enigma
Mary Denise Fletcher, 59,
Tifton
Barbara Kemp, 77,
Orange Park, Fla.
Mary Ellen McCook, 62,
Fitzgerald
Julia Mae Young,
Sylvester
JAN. 30
Dr. F. Morris Davis, 86,
Tifton
Kelsey Manley, 94,
Tifton
Payton Nichols, 8,
Sylvester
Tommy M. Young, 76,
Rebecca
Sybil Kelley Hill, 92,
Sycamore
Joni Bozeman, 59,
Ashburn
JAN. 31
Robert Kelly,
TyTy
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Tifton Grapevine
e-published every Tuesday and Friday
Frank Sayles Jr.
Editor & Publisher
Bonnie Sayles
Managing Editor
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A Service of
Sayles Unlimited Marketing LLC
,
Tifton, Georgia
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