Friday, March 22, 2019
Tifton, Georgia
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ALL FIRED UP IN ASHBURN
FIRE ANT FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND
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The
24th Annual Fire Ant Festival
returns to
Ashburn
this
weekend
.
The
Friday
and
Saturday
event is at
Heritage Park
and is known for its
wacky
and
off the wall
activities, such as the
fire ant calling contest
, the
giant fire ant maze
, along with a
carnival, arts and crafts, fireworks, bands, art contest, health fair, BBQ cook-off
and
more
.
The
festival
kicks off at
6:30 p.m.
today (Friday) with a
puppet ministry show
, followed by
live music
and
fireworks
at
9:30 p.m.
Saturday's
activities begin at
9 a.m.
and go on until the
early evening
. Approximately
20,000
people are expected to
attend
, according to the
Ashburn-Turner County Chamber of Commerce.
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WILCOX COUNTY JURY CONVICTS
BO DUKES IN GRINSTEAD CASE
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Bo Dukes
, one of two men
charged
in the
disappearance
of former
Miss Tifton Tara Grinstead
, was found
guilty Thursday
of
concealing her death
and
lying to investigators
.
A jury in
Wilcox County Superior Court
convicted Dukes
on two counts of making
false statements
, one count of
hindering apprehension or punishment of a criminal
and one count of
concealing a death
.
He is to be
sentenced
this morning (
Friday
).
Dukes
still faces
charges
in
Ben Hill County
for
allegedly burning
Grinstead's body in a pecan orchard, and in
Houston County
for
allegedly sexually assaulting
two women at
gunpoint
in an
unrelated case
.
Grinstead
,
an
Irwin County teacher
and
beauty queen
,
disappeared
in
2005
without a trace. Her
disappearance
attracted
national attention
.
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Bruce Green, Tifton's interim downtown manager, tells Chamber of Commerce members Thursday how downtowns become successful.
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DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION DOESN'T HAPPEN ON ITS OWN, CHAMBER TOLD
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Georgia's
Main Street programs have been
vital to
downtown revitalization throughout the state, the
Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce was told at its monthly membership meeting Thursday afternoon.
When
Tifton's Main Street program began in
1986,
Downtown Tifton had a
40 percent
vacancy rate, said
Bruce Green, Tifton's
interim downtown director. In the past
33 years, much has
changed, and Tifton's
downtown is now
vibrant and
thriving.
Green was
Tifton's first Main Street director, then left more than
25 years ago and worked for the
Ga. Department of Community Affairs in
Atlanta. He is
back in Tifton
temporarily, filling in until a
new downtown director is
hired.
He said he feels like
"Rip Van Winkle," the character who
falls asleep for more than
20 years and
awakes to find
everything changed. Downtown's
edges are
expanding,
Green noted. He cited the former
twin brick tobacco warehouse buildings on
Tift Avenue that continue to be developed into
apartments and a
restaurant.
Chamber members were also exhorted to
hone their
"elevator speech" about their respective
businesses.
"You have
one minute to
say it all,"
Green said.
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ABAC STUDENT PLACES 2nd IN STATE
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Kaycee Aultman
, a writing and communication major from
Tifton
at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
, finished in
second place
in the recent statewide
Georgia Collegiate Honors Conference
for her
research paper
, “The Performance Rhetoric of Hillary Clinton at the 2016 DNC.”
“This is the first time in at least
eight years
that an
ABAC student
has
won
a
research award
at the Georgia Collegiate Honors Conference,” said Dr.
Cyndy Hall
, who has directed the
ABAC Honors Program
for the past eight years.
The
2016 Tift County High School valedictorian
,
Aultman
presented her work in
2017
in
Washington, D.C.
, at the
National Collegiate Honors Conference
. She is the
daughter
of
Stacy and Jerri Kaye Aultman
of
Tifton
and serves as
president
of the
ABAC Ambassadors
.
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'GEE HAW WHOA BACK RODEO'
RIDES INTO TOWN APRIL 5-6
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From bull riding to bronco busting,
rodeo fans
may watch fearless cowboys and cowgirls in action at the annual
Gee Haw Whoa Back Rodeo
on
April 5-6
at
7 p.m.
at the
rodeo arena
at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
.
Events include saddle bronco riding, bareback riding, bull riding, team roping, calf roping, steer wrestling, break-away roping and barrel racing. On the final night of the rodeo, the
Stallion Cup
will be awarded to the campus club or organization that earns the
most points
during
ABAC Homecoming Week
.
The
rodeo
is sanctioned by the
Professional Cowboys Association
. It features the
4L & Diamond S Rodeo Company
.
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TIFTON COMMUNITY THANKS BARGERON
FOR SERVICE
The
community came out
Thursday afternoon to
celebrate the
retirement of
Tommy Bargeron, Ameris Bank's
Tifton market president.
Bargeron, at center in photo, and his wife
Diane, right, met with
well-wishers at the bank's
main Tifton branch on
Second Street.
During the next few months,
Bargeron will work part-time during the
transition of the bank's
local leadership.
The
reception also welcomed
Josh Bowen as the bank's
new Tifton market president.
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Logan Owens, the Tifton Rotary Club's Speech Contest winner, receives an honorarium from the club. Presenting the check is club member Joey Marta.
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ROTARY HEARS ABOUT UGANDA WATER PROJECT, STUDENT SPEECH CONTEST
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Tifton Rotary Club President
Marion Curry, in photo at left, told the club
Wednesday about her most recent Rotary trip to
Uganda and
progress there on
water and
education projects.
Curry said a
$105,540 project to provide
fresh water to a
village and its environs has now been
fully funded.
The
Tifton Rotary Club took the lead on the project, and
clubs throughout
Rotary District 6920, and other clubs both in and outside
Georgia, along with
Rotary International, contributed to the
Uganda project.
She also told about a
school being
rebuilt and how
Tiftonites, including the
Tifton Junior Woman's Club,
contributed supplies and
text books for the
students in
Uganda.
The Rotary Club also heard from
Logan Owens, a
Tift County High student who
won the Tifton club's
Speech Contest and is going on to
compete in the
next level of the
District 6920 Speech Contest. The contest
theme this year is
“Be the Inspiration.”
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MISS TIFT FORESTRY PAGEANT
OPEN TO SURROUNDING COUNTIES
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The
29th Annual Miss Tift County Forestry Scholarship Pageant
will be
May 4
at the
Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts
.
The
pageant is
open to contestants from all
surrounding counties. The age divisions are
Baby Miss, ages birth to 23 months;
Teeny Miss, ages two to three years;
Tiny Miss, ages four to six;
Little Miss, ages seven to nine;
Junior Miss, ages 10-12;
Teen Miss, ages 13-16 years;
Miss, ages 17-24; and
Ms., married or single.
There will be a
winner and
three runners-up named in
each age group. No pageant experience is required. The winners will receive the official forestry round crown, custom sash, silver engraved tray, crowning pin, Savings Bonds and cash scholarships.
The
winners will serve as
Host City queens and also have their entry fees paid to the
80th Annual Miss Georgia Forestry Pageant, which will be held in
Tifton this
summer.
Mistress of Ceremonies will be
Taylor Fraser, Miss Tift County Forestry;
Emma Sapp, Miss National Forestry; and
Camryn Thompson, Miss Georgia Forestry Queen.
Reigning queens who will be on hand to relinquish their titles will be:
Kourtney Bailey, Baby Miss Tift County Forestry;
Ally Grace Exum, Teeny Miss Tift County Forestry;
Gracie Ruth White, Tiny Miss Tift County Forestry;
Olivia Westberry, Little Miss Tift County Forestry;
Morgan North, Junior Miss Tift County Forestry;
Kaytlin Fountain, Teen Miss Tift County Forestry;
Laura Sewell, Ms.; and
Taylor Fraser, Miss Tift County Forestry.
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BOY SCOUT SALUTE:
The
South Georgia Council of Boy Scouts
recently honored
Jimmy Allen
with the 2019
Distinguished Citizen Award
at a banquet at Spring Hill Country Club in
Tifton
. Allen, a retired CPA and owner of
Pike Creek Turf
, is chairman of the
Hospital Authority of Tift County
.
Allen
, left in the photo, is receiving the award from
John Prince III
, who was honored last year. ...
NEW KIDS IN TOWN:
A total of
359
students from
12
states and
21
colleges from across
America
are in
Tifton
right now competing in such contests as
archery
and
fishing
at the
Wildlife Society’s Southeastern Wildlife Conclave
at
ABAC
.
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Mandy Brooks, TRMC Foundation executive director, presents check to Martine Hill of the Tiftarea House of Hope.
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TRMC FOUNDATION FUNDS VAN FOR
LOCAL WOMEN'S SHELTER
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The
Tift Regional Medical Center Foundation
recently donated
$30,000
to the
Tiftarea House of Hope
, a
Tifton women’s shelter
, to
purchase
a
van
.
The
vehicle
has been obtained and is assisting
homeless women
, as well as
women with children
, with
transportation
. The van is providing a service to the women, empowering them to
work
and become more
self-sustaining
.
“We are thankful to have this
opportunity
to
assist
the
Tiftarea House of Hope
with this need. This
home
has been a
blessing
to many in our
community
,” said
Mandy Brooks
, executive director of the
TRMC Foundation
.
The
House of Hope
is
Tifton’s first homeless women's shelter
; in
2018
the home accommodated
40
women and
11
children. Its
mission
is to
improve
the
lives
of
homeless women
by providing, in addition to the
basic needs
of
food
and
shelter
,
life/job skills
training,
GED preparation
and
Bible studies
, enabling them to achieve greater
independence
and
self-sufficiency
.
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YOUR WEEKEND
...at a Glance
FRIDAY, MARCH 22
- Tift County Special Olympics, 9 a.m., E.B. Hamilton Complex, Tifton
- Fire Ant Festival, 6:30 p.m., Heritage Park, Ashburn
SATURDAY, MARCH 23
- Relay for Life Yard Sale, 8 a.m.-Noon, St. Anne's Episcopal Church, Tifton
- Tiftarea Academy Golf Tournament, 8:30 a.m., Spring Hill Country Club, Tifton
- Fire Ant Festival, 9 a.m., Heritage Park, Ashburn
- Potters on the Porch, 10 a.m., Plough Gallery, Tifton
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THIS WEEK'S YARD SALES
Estate and Yard Sale:
Saturday, March 23, at 8 a.m.,
1461 Kennedy Road
. Furniture, paintings, house goods and large-size women’s clothes sizes 18-26, and shoes size 10-11, jewelry, electronics.
Saturday, March 23!
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Yard Sale:
731 2nd St. W.
, Saturday, March 23, 7–11 a.m.
Clothes, shoes, high chair, what nots.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
TO ADVERTISE YOUR YARD SALE, CONTACT US at
Fees are $1 per word, paid in advance
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MARCH 14
Ricky Henry Caulder, 56,
Tifton
The Rev. Archie Maurice Anderson, 86,
Lake Park
Linda Cardwell Griffin, 70,
Ocilla
MARCH 15
Lugene McBrayer Wishum, 76,
Tifton
Delores Arlene Roberts, 84,
Fitzgerald
Richard Thomas "Rick" Clussman, 56,
Albany
MARCH 16
Walter Mae Tillman, 79,
Tifton
Allen Williams, 62,
Tifton
MARCH 17
Elder Edward Lamar “E. L.” “Buck” Wood, 86,
Tifton
William Lee Causey, 84,
Poulan
Joyce Barnes McAnally, 75,
Fitzgerald
Dorothy "Mama Dot" Kelly Watson, 90,
Ashburn
MARCH 18
Herman L. Batten, 70,
Tifton
Tim Cox, 45,
Ocilla
Vickie Delores Thomas, 51,
Enigma
Sue Kight Avant, 79,
Nashville
Sandra F. Collins, 71,
Fitzgerald
James Kendall Allison, 87,
Chapin, S.C.
Eugene "Gene" Gibbs, 83,
Adel
George Russell Lowry, 80,
Tifton
MARCH 19
Lila L. Boney, 73,
Tifton
Dollie McKellar Crumley, 79,
Omega
Robert Gary Riley, 61,
Fitzgerald
Arthur Croy, 77,
Sparks
Ennis A. Dean, 85,
Adel
Rhoda Alene Nash Griner, 94,
Nashville
Emory Seko, 76,
Nashville
Evelyn "Lyn" Young, 79,
Ray City
John David Strickland, 68,
Adel
MARCH 20
Victoria “Vicki” Sirmans Shaw, 63,
Nashville
Cora Faye Burgess Foster, 89,
Fitzgerald
Deborah Lynn Jones, 59,
Fort McCoy, Fla.
MARCH 21
Sylvia Croft, 80,
Tifton
Mattie Florence Sumler Evans, 91,
Tifton
Carol Salter,
Sylvester
Leonard Hall, 62,
Sylvester
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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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