Friday, Feb. 15, 2019
Tifton, Georgia
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CONGRESS DROPS FUNDING FOR
GEORGIA FARMERS
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NO HURRICANE RECOVERY HELP IN BUDGET DEAL
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Congress on
Thursday passed a
massive budget deal to
avert another
government shutdown but
omitted the expected
federal funding for
Georgia farmers devastated by
Hurricane Michael.
Georgia lawmakers said they had repeatedly gotten
assurances that
emergency money for
hurricane recovery efforts would be
added to the final
spending deal. Congressman
Austin Scott, R-Tifton, was so
frustrated that he
voted against the spending compromise.
Scott, a senior member of the
House Agriculture Committee, said that "for this reason, along with the glaring absence of adequate funds to protect Americans and curb illegal activity by building a physical barrier along our Southern border, I
could not
vote for this spending measure.
"I promise the people of
Georgia and the
Southeast that I will continue to do everything I can to ensure the
devastation they experienced in the wake of these natural disasters does
not go forgotten.”
Hurricane Michael entered
Georgia as a
Category 3 storm and was the first major hurricane to directly impact the state since the
1890s. Projections conducted by the
University of Georgia place the
losses for
Georgia’s agricultural industry at more than
$2.5 billion.
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Photo via Facebook/Shared by Meredith Rutland
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HAROLD HARPER TO TRAVEL MAIN STREET ONE LAST TIME
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The late
Harold Harper
, the
godfather
of
Downtown Tifton redevelopment
, will take a
final trek
through
downtown today
(Friday)
en route
to
Oakridge Cemetery
.
Harper's
family
and Mayor
Julie Smith
have
requested
to
alter
the
funeral procession
route in Harper's honor. Upon leaving Albritton’s Funeral Home, the procession will head
south
on
Tift Avenue
, taking a
right
onto
Eighth Street
and then a
left
onto
Love Avenue
and
Main Street
.
Harper's casket
will
travel
through
downtown
in
respect
for his decades of
work
for
Tifton
. The procession will then take a
right
onto
U.S. Highway 82
and then to the
cemetery
.
Downtown merchants
have been
asked
to
step outside
to the sidewalk at
11:45 a.m.
as
Harper passes
along
Main Street
for the
last time
.
Harper, 89, died
Tuesday morning. The
businessman and
real estate developer began
restoring old
buildings in
Downtown Tifton during the
early 1980s. His most
ambitious project, in
partnership with the
city, was the
rehabilitation of the old
Myon Hotel into
City Hall, apartments and
retail space.
He received many
state and
local awards for his work, and
First Street was designated
Harold Harper Way in his honor.
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Come enjoy a wonderful evening as McAlpin Entertainment presents
an evening of songs and stories with Darryl Worley, Ray Scott and special guest Heath Deloach at the Tift Theatre in downtown Tifton
tomorrow night, Saturday, Feb. 16.
There are also a limited number of VIP Packages available. These packages include Meet & Greets with both Darryl Worley and Ray Scott,
as well as reserved seats within the first five rows!
This show would make a great post-Valentine’s date!
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Dr.
Craig R. Wentworth, president of
Southern Regional Technical College, announced his
retirement this week in a
letter to his colleagues, board and the SRTC community,
"After much reflection, I have decided to retire
effective July 1, 2019. The time has come for me to spend more time with our
children and
grandchildren, as well as
travel and spend more time with
recreational endeavors," Wentworth wrote in his letter
Tuesday.
Wentworth
has served as
SRTC
president since
November 2010
. He led the college in its
full merger
and subsequent
accreditation
as a new two-year institution. Under his leadership, the college
opened
a
52,000-square-foot Health Science Building
which houses a virtual hospital and fully functioning veterinary clinic. Additionally, three other buildings went through significant renovations and upgrades.
Wentworth has nearly
37 years of experience in
higher education. Before becoming president, he was vice president for academic affairs at
Central Georgia Technical College in
Macon for seven years. He has also served in academic administrative positions as director of instruction and dean of academic affairs. During his tenure at Central Georgia Technical College, the institution grew from
1,000 credit-program students to more than
7,900 students, and from
30 credit programs to over
190 programs.
He received his bachelor of arts and master of science degrees in psychology from
Valdosta State University and a doctor of education degree in occupational studies from the
University of Georgia, during which he received the
Delta Pi Epsilon (national graduate honor society)
Outstanding Doctoral Research Award.
"In the upcoming months, I will work hard with you in
continuing
the
great things
that are going on at our college and in our system of technical colleges,"
Wentworth
said in his letter. "I look forward to the next four and a half months in continuing the work of
preparing
a
highly skilled workforce
for our
service delivery area
and for
Georgia
."
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SHERIFF'S OFFICE ARRESTS 107 IN JANUARY
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During
January
, the
Tift County Sheriff's Office
arrested
107 people, some on multiple charges.
Sheriff
Gene Scarbrough said there were
101 fraud charges,
48 charges of parole/probation violations,
15 crimes against persons charges,
15 property crimes charges,
11 failure to appear charges,
five weapons charges,
six child support cases,
six obstruction cases and
14 non-traffic cases.
Traffic stops conducted by Tift deputies led to
four charges of driving under the influence,
four drug charges,
31 individuals having a suspended or revoked driver’s license as well as
two weapons charges.
Deputies responded to
2,997
calls for service, conducted
1,905
business and property checks,
710
mobile home park and subdivision checks with
42
school checks.
Scarbrough said deputies served
253
warrants,
90
civil papers and
285
subpoenas.
He added that deputies completed
504
reports, worked
37
accidents, issued
904
traffic citations,
216
traffic warnings and patrolled
59,594
miles. The sheriff also said deputies provided
68
transports, totaling
202
hours and
7,498
miles.
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GRAB YOUR TENNIS RACQUETS:
6th ANNUAL 'RALLY FOR READING'
FUN DOUBLES IS SUNDAY, FEB. 24
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The
Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence's
6th Annual Rally for Reading tennis event will be
Sunday, Feb. 24, at the
Red Hill Tennis Center on the campus of
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
The
foundation joins the
ABAC men's and women's tennis teams to pair up with participants for an afternoon of
fun doubles to
benefit the education foundation's
"Terri Nalls Reading Angel Chair" Read Aloud effort. The
$100 entry donation is
tax deductible.
The event, scheduled for
1:30-4 p.m., is limited to the first
36 participants.
Donors do not have to participate on the courts and may
sponsor a player.
Players
will be grouped by
age
and
skill level
, with at least one
ABAC player
for a
doubles
rotation.
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'HENRY CLAY & MAKING OF AMERICA' LECTURE SET FEB. 28
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An
statesman
who was responsible for the creation of the politics and governmental institutions we take for granted today will be the focus of the
History Lecture Series
at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
on
Feb. 28
as Dr.
Hans Schmeisser
speaks on Kentuckian
Henry Clay
.
Entitled
“Henry Clay and the Making of America,”
the
7 p.m.
lecture in
Howard Auditorium
is open to the public.
“
Henry Clay
was a
titan
of an often-forgotten American
political landscape
, lost in the antebellum decades between the founding and the Civil War,” said
Schmeisser
, an associate professor of political science at ABAC.
“Americans often drift past this momentous period, missing the concurrent
majesty
and
terror
saturating those who defined the American calling for ‘a
more perfect Union
.’”
Clay
was an attorney and statesman who represented
Kentucky
in both the
U.S. Senate
and
House of Representatives
, served as the seventh
speaker
of the House and served as the ninth
secretary of state
. He received
electoral votes
for
president
in the
1824, 1832
and
1844
presidential elections. For his role in defusing sectional crises, he earned the nickname of the
"Great Compromiser."
“This lecture will grapple with
Henry Clay
, gauging his life and overwhelming
charisma
as they elucidate the promise and peril of
statesmanship
in today’s America,”
Schmeisser said.
The
final lecture
in this series features
“The Georgia Chautauqua in Albany,”
a presentation by Dr.
Wendy Harrison
on
March 12
.
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MEETING AT THE STATE CAPITOL
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Darian Peavy of the
Tiftarea YMCA, who is this year's chairman of the
Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce, met
last week with
state representatives in
Atlanta during the legislative session. From left is state Rep.
Clay Pirkle, R-Ashburn;
Peavy; Rep.
Penny Houston, R-Nashville; and Rep.
Sam Watson, R-Moultrie.
All
three House
members represent
parts of
Tift County.
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GEORGIA AG MUSEUM OFFERS 'VICTORIAN STARGAZING'
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Walk
among the
stars
during the
Victorian Stargazing
program from
7-9 p.m.
March 8
at ABAC's
Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village
.
Historic Village Supervisor
Gina Beckman
said Victorian Stargazing opens the new
“History After Dark”
program series which provides guests the opportunity to
experience
the
museum after hours
. The series will feature
evening programs
throughout the year on a variety of topics and
immersive activities
.
“Guests of the
Victorian Stargazing
program will learn about the rise of
hobbies
and
leisure
time during
19th-century America
,” Beckman said. “We’ll focus on how Americans of that generation used
astronomy
as a favorite pastime.”
The program will feature
stargazing
on the
Tift House lawn
using
telescopes
and
binoculars
, a
walk
among
handmade ground constellations
and a chance for guests to
create
their own
luminary constellation
.
Tickets
must be
purchased
in
advance
; no tickets will be sold at the event. For
information
, contact the Country Store at
229-391-5205
.
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ROTARIANS LEARN ABOUT PATIENT PORTAL
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Lisa Hudson
, patient portal program coordinator, from left, stands with
Marion Curry
, the
Tifton Rotary Club president, and
Chandler Day
, last Wednesday's program coordinator.
Hudson
discussed
Tift Regional Health System’s
new online
“HealthELife” patient portal
program that started
June 1
. The
online
program allows patients to conduct secure
messaging
with their
providers
, request
appointments
and view upcoming appointments. The website can be used to
research health records
,
register
for
workshops
, set personal
health goals
and
pay hospital bills
. The
Tifton Rotary Club
meets at
noon Wednesdays
at
Tiftarea Conference Center
on
U.S. Highway 82
.
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THREE KAC SITES GET TOP QUALITY RATING
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Three sites of Tifton's
Kids’ Advocacy Coalition (KAC), a
nonprofit after-school childcare program, recently received the
top rating of
Three Stars from the state's
Quality Rated program under the
Ga. Department of Early Care and Learning.
The three sites who recently underwent the Quality Rated program are
Omega
Elementary, Len Lastinger Elementary and Northside Elementary
. When a childcare program participates in
Quality Rated,
it means that program has voluntarily decided to subscribe to
higher standards
than the state’s basic licensing requirements and is
committed to improving the
quality of care
it provides to children and
families.
Programs undergo a
rigorous
three-phase
process
to be awarded a 1-, 2-, or 3-star rating (with
3 stars
being the highest rating), the latter indicating that the program is of
exceptional quality
.
Pictured
are
KAC
after-school directors, from left,
Jan Kitchens
at
Omega
Elementary,
Greta Simmons
at
Len Lastinger
Elementary, and
CaMicha Ryce
at
Northside
Elementary.
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YOUR WEEKEND
...at a Glance
FRIDAY, FEB. 15
- Fabulous Frabjous February Book Sale, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Tifton-Tift County Public Library, Tifton
- "Bugs in Art/The Art in Bugs" exhibit, 1-5 p.m., Tifton Museum of Arts & Heritage, Tifton
SATURDAY, FEB. 16
- Fabulous Frabjous February Book Sale, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Tifton-Tift County Public Library, Tifton
- An Evening of Songs & Stories with Darryl Worley and Ray Scott, 7 p.m., Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Tifton
SUNDAY, FEB. 17
- "Bugs in Art/The Art in Bugs" exhibit, 1-3 p.m., Tifton Museum of Arts & Heritage, 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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FEB. 7
Richard Clyde Lynch, 86,
Moultrie
Ola Mae Bell,
Ashburn
Ronnnie Gill,
Columbus
Ella June Wyles, 101,
Sylvester
Francis Anthony Dowling Jr., 68,
Nashville
FEB. 8
The Rev. John Oscar Thomas, 60,
Tifton
Daryle Gallops, 34,
Worth County
Zach Craft, 21,
Sylvester
Latrelle Bradford Gornto, 81,
Adel
Donald Garren Wilkerson, 39,
Nashville
FEB. 9
Jane Young, 89,
Quitman
Dennis Spiller, 51,
Quitman
FEB. 10
Dorothy Miley, 69,
Hahira
Virginia Fay Fender, 87,
Nashville
Jonathan Kerry Mathis, 39,
Moultrie
FEB. 11
Alice Eugenia Powe Browning, 74,
Adel
Alan P. Grimsley,
Sylvester
FEB. 12
Harold Griffin Harper Sr., 89,
Tifton
Sherry Ann Busbin Potts, 50,
Tifton
FEB. 14
Rick E. Hawkins, 65,
Tifton
Dedra D. "Dee Dee" Miller, 51,
Tifton
Constance “Connie” Lewis Webb, 71,
Chula
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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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