Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020
Tifton, Georgia
GrapeNew
Educators honored Monday night are, from left, Sarah Swan, Emy Aultman, Brandi Diers, Marilyn Ring, Catherine Gay, Wendy Dawson, Anna Perrin, Kayla Dunn, Courtney Greer and Donalyn Garrick.
ED FOUNDATION, ROTARY HONORS TIFT'S TOP TEACHERS
Ten  Tift County  public school teachers  were honored  Monday night  at a banquet, formally receiving the  2019 Excellence in Teaching Award  by the T ift County Foundation for Educational Excellence.

The  teachers  honored  Monday  were, at  Matt Wilson Elementary Catherine Gay  - fifth grade;  Sarah Swan  - fifth grade;  J.T. Reddick Elementary Marilyn Ring  - first grade; 
Brandi Diers  - fifth grade;  G.O. Bailey Elementary Emy Aultman  - media specialist;  Tift County High Anna Perrin  - science;  Donalyn Garrick  - English;  Len Lastinger Elementary Courtney Greer  - kindergarten;  Annie Belle Clark Elementary Wendy Dawson  - second grade;  Omega Elementary Kayla Dunn  - fourth grade.

The teachers were  nominated  by a student, parent, peer or administrator. The Rotary Club of Tifton honored the recipients with the  awards banquet ; entertainment was provided by the One Voice show choir consisting of students in grades 7-8.

During the banquet, the  Foundation for Educational Excellence  presented the teachers with an  honorarium  and a  plaque

This is the  29th  year that the foundation has been  recognizing  teachers of  excellence  in    Tift County public schools , bringing the total number of educator honorees to  303 .
Members of the Tift County schools' One Voice show choir perform Monday at the banquet honoring this past year's top educators.
FEDERAL GRANTS COMING
TO AREA PUBLIC HOUSING
TIFTON HOUSING AUTHORITY TO GET $846,254
The Tifton Housing Authority has been awarded $846,254 in federal funds for capital improvements .

The funds are part of nearly $86 million coming to Georgia from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

HUD recently awarded more than $2.7 billion to public housing authorities across the country . The grants are through HUD’s Capital Fund Program which offers annual funding to approximately 2,900 public housing authorities to build, repair, renovate, and/or modernize the public housing in their communities.

Housing authorities may use the funds to complete large-scale improvements such as replacing roofs or making energy-efficient upgrades to replace old plumbing and electrical systems.

Other local agencies receiving HUD funds include:

  • The Housing Authority of the City of Adel, $113,457
  • The Housing Authority of the City of Ashburn, $379,133
  • The Housing Authority of the City of Fitzgerald, $448,072
  • The Housing Authority of the City of Nashville, $302,252
  • The Housing Authority of the City of Ocilla, $393,142
  • The Housing Authority of the City of Sylvester, $609,601
TIFT AUTHORITIES SEARCHING FOR ABSCONDED SEX OFFENDER
The Tift County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for assistance in locating an absconded Level II Sex Offender .

Travoris Gragela Stevens is charged with failure to register .

He is a black male, 27 , standing 5-feet, nine-inches tall, weighing 190 pounds , with black hair and brown eyes .

Anyone with information is asked to call the Tift County Sheriff’s Office at 229-388-6021 .
EARLY VOTING UNDERWAY THIS WEEK
Early voting is underway through Friday , Feb. 28 , for the runoff special election for state Senate District 13 .

Carden Summers and Jim Quinn are facing off in the runoff election to temporarily fill the seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Greg Kirk , R-Americus.

Tift countians may vote through Friday , from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Tift County Board of Elections office (the old gym ) at the corner of Fourth Street and Chesnutt Avenue .

Election day is Tuesday , March 3 .
DALE CARNEGIE COURSE
RETURNING TO TIFTON
Sayles Unlimited Marketing is partnering with the Dale Carnegie organization to bring the world-renowned Dale Carnegie Course back to Tifton .

This course gives you the human relations skills to thrive in any setting. Discover how to form closer, more rewarding relationships built on trust and respect . Increasing your confidence and competence in interacting with others will gain the influence you need to reach new heights in your personal and professional life .

Among areas of focus are improving interpersonal skills , communicating more effectively , developing leadership abilities, selling ideas , reducing stress and worry, and increasing self-confidence .

The course is designed for anyone , at any level , who wishes to optimize his or her performance , lead with conviction and have a consistently positive effect on their business's bottom line .

For more than a century , Dale Carnegie has been improving individual and business performance around the world . While the training techniques continue to evolve, the core principles remain true to a single vision : Real transformation begins within .

The course will begin soon in Tifton . For information , call 229-848-7043 .
TIFTONITE ELECTED TO NATIONAL COTTON COUNCIL BOARD
Sammy Wright of Tifton has been elected to the National Cotton Council board of directors for 2020 .

Wright is representing the cottonseed segment.

The new board members were announced at the organization’s recent annual meeting in New Orleans .
'CASH FOR CASA' AIDS ADVOCACY
FOR FOSTER CHILDREN
Coastal Plain CASA Court Appointed Special Advocates – is once again sponsoring "Cash for CASA," a fundraising raffle for with a top prize of $10,000 . Tickets are $100 each, and only 300 will be offered. 

The drawing will take place at Tifton’s Rhythm & Ribs Festival at 8 p.m., March 7 , at the Syd Blackmarr Stage in Fulwood Park . First prize is $10,000; second prize is $1,000; and third prize is a UGA Football Package .

All proceeds go towards the advocacy of foster children in the community . To purchase tickets , call 229-386-9765 or email Darcy Norton at  dnorton@cpcasa.org

The fundraiser is sponsored by Tenneson Nissan, Honda of South Georgia in Tifton, The Howard Center, South Georgia Banking Co., The Floor Shoppe, Pediatric Dental Center of Georgia, and Splash & Dash.

The mission of Coastal Plain CASA is to speak  for the best interests of abused/ neglected children in the juvenile courts of the Tifton Judicial Circuit through screened, trained and supervised volunteer advocates .
TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING
Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation
353 Oakridge Church Road, Tifton 
Feb. 18
ROTARY SPEECH CONTEST HAS CHANCE
FOR $1,000 SCHOLARSHIP
The Rotary Club of Tifton has announced a speech competition for grades 9-12, which will culminate in a $1,000 scholarship .

The topic of the speech should be either "Rotary International's Four-Way Test" or "How Rotary Connects the World."  The first level of the competition will be held at 6 p.m. March 5, in Tifton .

The winner of the local competition will go on to zone competition in Fitzgerald on March 21 . The final stage will be a district competition for the $1,000 scholarship. 

Those interested in entering the competition should contact Rotarian Joey Marta at   jmarta@georgialivingseniorcare.com  by March 2 .
MYON HOTEL OFFICIALLY OPENS – FEB. 21, 1907
Downtown Tifton's Myon Hotel formally opened for business on Thursday, Feb. 21, 1907 , although many of the rooms were ready a week earlier when some guests were allowed to check in to what was called "Tifton's new palatial hotel."

According to press dispatches at the time, "This is the handsomest hotel building in the state, south of Atlanta . ... Every room has hot and cold running water , is steam heated and lighted by electric lights ."

The local Western Union Telegraph office was relocated from the Bowen Building to an office adjoining the Myon's lobby .
AVAILABLE FOR RESCUE OR ADOPTION
AT TIFT COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
Visit them at the Tift County Animal Shelter, 1-6 p.m., Mondays-Fridays, 
at 278 Ga. Highway 125 South in Tifton.
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Frank Sayles Jr.
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Bonnie Sayles
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