Friday, June 28, 2019 Tifton, Georgia

IHeardIt@tiftongrapevine.com ~ 478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

TIFT JOBLESS RATE UP SLIGHTLY BUT MORE EMPLOYED

Tift County' s  unemployment rate edged upward in May even though 122 more people were employed over the previous month , according to the Georgia Department of Labor (DOL). The DOL reports that the Tift County labor force grew by 181 people between April and May , but 59 additional people were unemployed , for a total unemployment of 640 . Total employment during May in Tift County was 18,832 . During May , Tift's jobless rate was 3.3 percent. In April , Tift had an unemployment rate of 3 percent  – the  lowest  for the county  since  the state began  tracking  monthly rates in  1990 . One year ago , Tift County's jobless rate was 3.6 percent. Statewide , Georgia added jobs in May while its unemployment rate held steady at 3.8 percent , said s tate Labor Commissioner Mark Butler .   “The long-term trends continue to go in the right directions ,” Butler said. “We continue to grow jobs and keep our unemployment rate low . Georgia remains a great place to locate and grow a business .”   Georgia added 2,600 jobs in May, pushing the total to 4.59 million jobs . That number is up more than 69,000 from the same time last year .    Among nearby counties , Berrien recorded a 3.6 percent jobless rate in May; Worth , 4.1 percent; Turner , 4.3 percent; Irwin , 4.6 percent; and Ben Hill County, 5.3 percent.

RURAL CENTER STUDYING CREATION OF MEDICAL SIMULATION TRAINING SITE

The state Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation , based in Tifton , is considering the creation of a regional medical education simulation and training center . Simulation links theory to practice and has a direct impact on patient safety and quality in clinical facilities and is an integral part of training , the Rural Center said in a press release. “Building capacity for health care simulation and training will aid in the development of the region’s health professions workforce while stimulating local economies ,” said David Bridges , Rural Center director. “Additionally, this project will support the improvement of health care indicators , health care delivery and health outcomes in South Georgia .” The Rural Center is working with a consultant to conduct a regional health need’s assessment and market share analysis before moving forward. A medical simulation training center would offer realistic experiences to students and medical professionals in a range of scenarios , from simple blood draws to complicated cases . Simulation allows medical professionals to replicate scenarios in a no-harm situation . The Rural Center says this is more critical in a rural region such as Southwest Georgia where timely treatment and efficiency can be influenced by proximity to the nearest hospital and trauma center .  Housed at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College , Georgia’s Rural Center serves as a central information and research hub for rural best practices , which include community planning , industry-specific assistance and cooperative efforts with state and federal entities, nonprofit organizations and other higher education partners.

SHERIFF'S OFFICE ARRESTS 86 IN MAY

During the month of May ,  Tift County Sherif's Office deputies arrested 86 people, some on multiple charges . Sheriff Gene Scarbrough said there 27 charges of parole/probation violations, 33 drug charges, five failure to appear charges, 13 weapons violations, three sex offender registration violations, eight obstruction cases, 26 crimes against a person charges, six property crimes charges and 100 cases being assigned to the Criminal Investigative Division. Traffic stops conducted by deputies led to six charges of driving under the influence, 19  drug charges, 21 individuals facing charges of having a suspended or revoked driver’s license and the arrest of one wanted person. Deputies responded to 3,257 calls for service, conducted 1,144 business and property checks, 516 mobile home park and subdivision checks with 18 school checks. Scarbrough said deputies served 136 warrants, 97 civil papers and 172  subpoenas. He added that deputies completed  583 reports with 25 domestic violence reports, worked 28 accidents, patrolled 69,642 miles, verified the home addresses of 68 registered sex offenders and issued 1,245 citations with 174 warnings. The sheriff also reported that deputies provided 71 transports, totaling 203 hours and 7,581 miles.

ROTARY CLUB'S PASSING OF GAVEL

On Tuesday , the Rotary Club of Tifton held its year-end social and thanked outgoing club President Marion Curry , at left, for her service and welcomed incoming President Wayne Roe , right. Roe formally begins his duties as president on July 1 . The Rotary Club of Tifton meets at noon Wednesdays at the Tiftarea Conference Center on U.S. Highway 82 next to Applebee's. There is no club meeting next week because of the Independence Day holiday .

KEEP TIFT BEAUTIFUL NAMES BEAUTY SPOTS

The  Keep Tift Beautiful organization has named the residential and business recipients of the "Beauty Spots of the Month." The residential designation goes to Linda and Don Stewart at 1415 Murray Ave. , pictured above. The business Beauty Spot of the Month is awarded to Cracker Barrel Old Country Store at 708 U.S. Highway 319 in Tifton . Every month , Keep Tift Beautiful recognizes those properties that make a special effort to help beautify their surroundings .

TIFTON TOURISM ACCEPTING GRANT PROPOSALS

The Tifton-Tift County Tourism Association is now accepting grant proposals under the Community Partners Program to financially assist projects, events and conferences that bring more visitors to Tifton and Tift County.   Proposals are limited to two typed pages with a maximum of five pages of supporting materials .   During the past 26 years, the Tifton-Tift County Tourism Association has granted more than $900,000 in this partnership program.   “We believe that one of the best ways to utilize the tourism funds provided and increase visitors to Tifton is to assist the volunteers who have successful events and programs and to help them grow and expand ,” said Kathleen Moore , Tourism Board chairperson.   Tourism Coordinator Tyron Spearman said the Community Partners Program has been "very successful , and groups are very appreciative . We’ve developed guidelines to help evaluate the proposals.  Points are granted based on economic impact on tourism , investment by the sponsoring organization, and the committee favors multi-day events that bring overnight visitors.” Spearman said projects must actively promote more visitors from outside of Tift County and not be a project for local citizens that simply improve quality of life. Funds must be used to promote Tifton and the event through marketing and advertising . Additional grant proposal guidelines include listing the anticipated attendance of an event or conference, as well as expected hotel room nights to be used. The marketing and advertising plan must also be clearly stated in the proposal. Deadline for receiving proposals is 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 24 . Requests for funds will not be considered throughout the year unless a new event is organized. All grant funds must be requested at this time.   Proposals may be mailed to the Tifton-Tift County Tourism Association, P. O. Box 273, Tifton, GA 31793, delivered to the Spearman Agency at 115 West Second St. , emailed to spearmanagency@friendlycity.net or faxed to 229-386-8757 .   Questions and proposals should be directed to Spearman or to Angela Elder , assistant coordinator, at 229-386-0216 .

ABAC PROMOTES FACULTY, GRANTS TENURE

Eight faculty members at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College will begin the 2019-20 academic year with promotions .  Eight faculty members will also be granted tenure at the college. Dr. Jerry Baker , provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, said faculty members receiving promotions and tenure include Dr. Marcus Johnson , Dr. Vanessa Lane , Dr. Chris Beals , Dr. Joseph Devaney , Dr. Charlotte Klesman , and Dr. Brian Yost . Baker said Dr. Eunkyung You and Philip Hightower are receiving promotions , and Dr. Frank Flanders and John Layton are receiving tenure . Johnson and Lane have been promoted to the rank of associate professor in the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources .  Beals, Devaney, Klesman , and Yost have been promoted to the rank of associate professor in the School of Arts and Sciences.  You has been promoted to the rank of professor in the School of Arts and Sciences.  Hightower has been promoted to Senior Lecturer in the School of Arts and Sciences.  Flanders is an associate professor , and Layton is an assistant professor , both in the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

DIVERSIFIED ENTERPRISES TO MARK 50th WITH OPEN HOUSE, RIBBON CUTTING

Diversified Enterprises , a nationally accredited provider of support and training services for people with developmental disabilities , is holding an open house and ribbon cutting on July 9 in celebration of its 50th anniversary .    Diversified Enterprises' open house will be at the main office at 192 S. Virginia Ave, Suite 100 , in Tifton . The ribbon cutting by the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce will be at 10 a.m. , and the open house will continue until 2 p.m.   During the Tifton City Council meeting on July 15 , Mayor Julie Smith will present a proclamation from the City of Tifton in recognition of Diversified Enterprises' 50th year of service. Diversified Enterprises provides services in Tift and eight surrounding counties.

ABAC EXHIBIT TO COMMEMORATE MOON LANDING, LIFE IN SOUTH GEORGIA A HALF CENTURY AGO

Visitors to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College's Ga. Museum of Agriculture may take “one small step” on July 20 when an exhibit opens in the Museum Gallery focusing on the first moon landing 50 years ago . ABAC Curator Polly Huff said a letter to students from ABAC President Clyde Driggers in 1969 prompted the exhibit. “My two student interns and I found a letter from President Driggers when we were cataloging the ABAC archives last year ,” Huff said.  “In the letter , he said that ABAC wanted to celebrate the milestone by giving the student body and staff an unexpected day off on the Monday after the landing to celebrate and absorb the enormity of what was accomplished on the Apollo 11 mission.” Throughout the world, people were glued to mostly black-and-white TVs on that Sunday, July 20, 1969 , as astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the moon . The lunar module, “Eagle,” landed on the moon’s surface at 4:18 p.m.  At 10:56 p.m. , Armstrong set foot on the moon , proclaiming to the world, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Entitled “One Small Step,” the ABAC exhibit will characterize what life was like at ABAC and in Tifton on that day . The John Wayne film “True Grit” had just appeared on movie screens , gasoline was 32 cents per gallon, The Beatles had recently released the song “Get Back,” and Richard Nixon was in his first term as president . “What was life in a typical home in South Georgia like on that day ?” Huff asked. “Our goal with the exhibit is to center it around the event on the moon but ground it with historic artifacts that show home life as it was on that day ." Huff said the ABAC exhibit is listed on NASA’s Museum Alliance Map and Calendar of Events honoring the anniversary of the moon landing . The exhibit will remain on display through July 31 .

Tifton 20th Century Library Club President Shirene Daniell, at right, recognizes scholarship recipient Misty Howard, center. Howard's daughter, Avery, stands beside her. At left is club member Melanie Hasty.

TIFTON WOMAN'S CLUB PRESENTS SCHOLARSHIP TO NON-TRADITIONAL ABAC STUDENT

The Tifton 20th Century Library Club presented the first Blalock Herring Scholarship to Misty Howard at a special meeting at Leroy Rogers Senior Center this week. As the scholarship recipient, Howard was presented a plaque and gift . The $1,000 scholarship will be deposited in her account at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. The scholarship was designated for a non-traditional student.  Howard is employed full-time , is a parent and a full-time ABAC student .  The Tifton 20th Century Library Club supports education on all levels and established the scholarship this year to aid non-traditional students . The club takes a break during the summer months and will resume meetings at 3 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Leroy Rogers Senior Center . Visitors are welcome to attend. Contact  shirenedaniell@gmail.com for information .

YOUR WEEKEND ...at a Glance  FRIDAY, JUNE 28 Tifton Coin & Collectible Show, 9 a.m.-6 p.m, Spring Hill Country Club, Tifton LiveStrong: Celebration for Cancer Survivors, 11:30 a.m., Tift Regional Community Events Center, Tifton SATURDAY, JUNE 29 Wiregrass Freedom Festival, 9 a.m., Ga. Museum of Agriculture & Historic Village, Tifton Wiregrass Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-Noon., Ga. Museum of Agriculture, Tifton Tifton Coin & Collectible Show, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Spring Hill Country Club, Tifton Kayak/Canoe Tour, 11 a.m., Georgia Veterans State Park, Cordele Humans of Detention Reading Event, 5 p.m., Plough Gallery, Tifton One Night with Hank: The Music of Hank Williams featuring Marty Brown, 7:30 p.m., Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Tifton

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JUNE 20 Frank Eugene Gaughf, 82, Sumter, S.C. Jeanette Johnson Hayes, 91, Sparks Eunice Britt, 76, Fitzgerald James C. Truelove Jr., 66, Fitzgerald Beth Waterhouse Ridgeway, 67, Fitzgerald Tyaisha Monique Holley, 28, Valdosta James Earl Rowe, 66, Ashburn JUNE 21 Clifton "Buddy" Jackson, 78, Valdosta JUNE 22 Joyce Youngblood Coleman, 92, Tifton Richard Rubin McMillian, 64, Tifton Beverly Sue "Nana" Madden, 73, Sylvester Braxton Baltezore, 8, Nashville Tony Sinatra Flagg Jr., 32, Ashburn JUNE 23 Marion Elizabeth “Libby” Bartlett Scarborough, 90, Roberta Lenny Alan Atkins, 53, West Berrien Randall Lee Barton, 51, Tifton  Lionel Gerald Wilson Jr., 65, Tifton JUNE 24 Carolyn Lee Ingram Bassett, 76, Ty Ty Walter Irvin Hatcher Sr., 87, Poulan Sonny Eugene Lewis, 31, West Berrien Eugene Tucker, 81, Sycamore James “Jimmy” L. Walden, 71, Ashburn JUNE 25 Emma Jean Shealey Davidson, 95, Adel Thomas "Tom" Lewis Emory, 83, Oakfield Betty Marie Harrell, 87, Quitman Brenda Windhorn, 56, Valdosta JUNE 26 Jeannette Brinson Johnson, 78, Tifton Dorothy Matilda Cox Brady Ring, 89, Fitzgerald Rhonda Jones, 60, Rebecca Wilbur C. Folsom, 83, Hahira Jimmie Lou Ward Waller, 82, Sycamore 

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

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