Friday, Dec. 20, 2019
Tifton, Georgia
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Tifton's Phil Moody poses with actor Dennis Quaid, left, on the film set at the Town Terrace "Pink Motel" on 12th Street. Moody was Quaid's stand-in for filming "The Tiger Rising" movie. Behind Moody in the black jacket is Director Ray Giarratana.
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'TIGER RISING' FILM WRAPS UP IN TIFTON, THOMASVILLE
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By FRANK SAYLES JR.
Tifton Grapevine
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"The Tiger Rising"
movie has
wrapped up filming
this week in
Tifton
and
Thomasville
.
Starring
Queen Latifah
and
Dennis Quaid
, the film has been shooting at the
Town Terrace "Pink Motel"
in
Tifton
and at
Greenwood Plantation
in
Thomasville
.
It has created a
buzz
around both South Georgia
cities
.
"Thank you to this
incredible group
of people who
turned
our
little town
into a
movie set
," said Tifton Mayor
Julie Smith
.
"Having been a part of this
adventure
for our town has been so
amazing
. If I had a nickel for every time these generous actors, directors, producers and all the crew
complimented Tifton
, I’d have more money than I’d know what to do with," Smith said.
"I know we will have
more experiences
like this in the future.
Tifton
, you
impressed
our
guests
. Hats off to you. And I can’t wait to see
'The Tiger Rising.'
"
Some
local residents
have aided in the
movie-making process
, including
Phil Moody
of
Philgood Entertainment
and owner of the
BAM
family entertainment venue in
Tifton
. He just completed a
three-week stint
as a
"stand-in"
for actor
Dennis Quaid
.
Moody's
role
was to
stand in designated spots
so that
lighting
and
camera angles
could be
set
before
Quaid
came on the
scene
.
Quaid
plays a
gruff motel owner
who keeps a
Bengal tiger
in the
woods
behind the motel. The animal is
spotted
by a
12-year-old boy
who moves with his father to the
rural Florida motel
following the
death
of the
boy’s mother
.
Queen Latifah
portrays a
wise
and
mysterious maid
at the
motel
.
The
film
, based upon the
book
by
Kate DiCamillo
, is
expected
to be
released
by the
end
of
next year
.
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Homes were destroyed and severely damaged in Irwin County's Mystic community.
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WEATHER SERVICE CONFIRMS 125-mph TORNADO IN IRWIN
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In a preliminary report, the
National Weather Service (NWS) has
confirmed that an
EF-2 tornado touched down at
midday Tuesday in central
Irwin County and roared nearly
20 miles before lifting east of
Ashton in
Ben Hill County.
Despite
significant damage to dozens of homes and buildings, there were
no injuries or fatalities associated with the storm, the
NWS reports.
The
125-mph tornado
was
400
yards wide and traveled
19.2
miles at
11:35 a.m. Tuesday
. The
NWS
said the
initial touchdown
occurred in an unreachable area of
Irwin County
approximately
nine miles west
of
Ocilla
. A survey team relied on
radar data
to estimate the
touchdown location
.
The first area the Weather Service's damage assessment team could access was along
Ponderosa Road
just north of
Wood Road
, where
dozens
of pine
trees
were
snapped,
and a farm had several
outbuildings damaged
. Snapped trees, destroyed outbuildings and damaged irrigation machinery occurred along a widening path heading
east-northeast
toward the
Mystic community
, where
damage
was
significant
.
Several homes
in
Mystic
suffered serious
roof loss
and a couple of
brick buildings
were
destroyed
.
"Debris including
concrete chunks
(was) thrown
hundreds of yards
into a nearby field. There were
hundreds
of
snapped and uprooted trees
of all kinds in the area.
Damage
was
well into
the
EF-2 range
here," the
NWS
said.
Continuous damage, mainly downed trees and damaged barns, then persisted along a
wide path
as the
tornado continued
moving
east-northeast
. The next area of
significant damage
was noted in a
neighborhood
south
of
Fitzgerald
at the intersection of
Vo Tech
and
Old Whitley Crossing roads
.
More than a
dozen homes
suffered
major roof damage
there, and several were a
complete loss
. A couple of
recreational vehicles
were rolled over and
heavily damaged
.
The
tornado
then moved northeast eventually
crossing
into
Ben Hill County
along
Highway 319
. Several more
homes
suffered
roof damage
, many
barns
were
destroyed
and
hundreds
of
trees
were
snapped
. The last evidence of
damage
was to a barn and trees along
Partridge Road
approximately
2.5
miles east of the
Ashton community
, the
National Weather Service
reported.
The
EF tornado scale
(Enhanced Fujita Scale)
classifies
tornadoes as
EF-0,
65-85 mph;
EF-1
, 86-110 mph;
EF-2,
111-135 mph;
EF-3
, 136-165 mph;
EF-4
, 166-200 mph; and
EF-5
, 200+ mph.
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SEN. KIRK CLARIFIES HEALTH STATUS
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State Sen.
Greg Kirk
, R-Americus, who represents
Tift County
, said a
recent
press report
about
his battle with
cancer
may
confuse
the
public
.
“As with any
cancer treatment
,
therapy
is
ongoing
. As I continue therapy, I am in
outpatient hospice care
for
pain management
. With the
exception
of the
continued therapy
for my
liver
,
vital signs
and
labs
have
leveled to normal
,”
Kirk
said in a statement released from his office.
“I have
every intention
of
serving
in the
upcoming legislative session
, and I have
every intention
of running for
re-election
in
2020
.”
A
recent
newspaper
report
noted that
Kirk
is in
hospice care
.
“We are
grateful
for all the
thoughts, prayers
and outpouring of
support
for my family and myself since the onset of the (...
rare liver bile duct cancer
) diagnosis,” Kirk said.
“
Prayer
is
powerful
; we are thankful to
Dr. Jani
, (a specialist oncologist with
Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital
based in
Albany
) and
Dr. Akce
(a specialist oncologist with
Emory
) who have tirelessly helped with targeted liver cancer treatment therapy.
“I am proud to say that we have the
best care
in
Georgia
than anywhere in
America
, and we are
thankful
that
much of the initial diagnosis
has
subsided
,” Kirk said. “I am a
fighter
. I have fought for my district, our community and our great state of Georgia. I have authored and passed legislation all
five years
that I have had the honor to serve in our state
Senate
. I will
continue to fight cancer
and will
continue to fight
for our
district
.”
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Technology teacher Brian Saturday at Northeast Middle School receives grant from Dr. Kaylar Howard.
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John Tanner, literature teacher at Tift County High School, receives a grant from Dr. Kaylar Howard of the Howard Center in Tifton. The grant is for the Speech & Debate Team.
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EDUCATION FOUNDATION AWARDS HOWARD CENTER GRANTS
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The
Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence
recently
awarded
the
2019 Howard Center Academic Team Grants.
The
Vex Robotics Team
at
Northeast Middle School
under
Brian Saturday
received its first
Howard Grant
. The other two grants were awarded at
Tift County High School:
$1,000
to the
Speech & Debate Team
under
John Tanner,
and
$1,000
to the
Science Olympiad Team
under
Heather Hathaway
, pictured
at
left
.
The
Howard Academic Competition Team Grants
were introduced in
2014
. During the past
six
years,
19
grants
totaling
$11,818
have bolstered
nine
different teams featuring some of
Tift County’s
top students
.
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Matthew Jones, from left, front row, are Carol Smith, Kristy Daniels, Leigh Luke, Dana Luke, Thelma Ruth Boykin, Julie Williams, Michael Thompson; back row, Chad Nelms, Mary Perlis, Cara Goodwin, Daniel Goff.
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LOCAL NURSE HONORED WITH 'DAISY AWARD
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Tift Regional Health System
(TRHS) recently honored
Leigh Luke
with
The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses
. The award is part of
The DAISY Foundation's
program to
recognize care and compassion
provided by
nurses
each day.
Luke
is the
nurse manager
on the
Heart and Vascular Unit
at
Tift Regional Medical Center
and has worked for Tift Regional for
10
years.
“When you think about words defining an
extraordinary nurse
, words like compassionate, professional, educator, honest, committed, comforter and integrity often come to mind,” said
Carol Smith,
TRHS senior vice president, acute care, and chief nursing executive.
“
Leigh Luke
is the
epitome
of all these words. She is an
extraordinary
nurse who goes
above and beyond
for her patients, their families, guests and co-workers on a daily basis.”
Smith said
Leigh
was nominated for the award partially because of the
help
she provided to one of her
co-workers
who had a son requiring a
serious surgery
at a specialized facility.
“Leigh
assisted
in driving the employee and her son to appointments,
rallied
other staff to help provide food, and
helped arrange
for a refrigerator and air conditioning to be installed at her co-worker’s home,” Smith said. “Because of
Leigh’s help
, her
co-worker
was able to
give her child undivided attention
.”
Smith said
Luke
was also nominated because of her
tireless dedication
to a
patient
with
cancer
, even outside of her normal working hours. When the patient had to have
surgery
at
another facility
,
Luke
showed up
and was able to
make
the
patient
and her
family
more
comfortable
.
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TRMC LIGHTS 'TREE OF LIFE'
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Even
Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus
and
elves
attended the
"Tree of Life"
ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 12, at the
Tift Regional Medical Center Anita Stewart Oncology Center.
The
34th
annual lighting of the
Tree of Life
serves as a
symbolic tribute
to friends, family and
lost loved ones
during the holiday season.
Lights
on the tree may be
purchased
in honor
or memory of a special person, with all
proceeds benefiting
the
patients
of
Hospice of Tift Area
and the TRMC
Anita Stewart Oncology Center
who need extra support.
To
contribute
to the Tree of Life, visit
www.tiftregional.com/TOL
. Contributions are accepted until
Dec. 31
. Call
229-353-6330
for information.
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Award winners at the recent pinning ceremony for ABAC fall semester nursing graduates include, from left, Shelby Stacey from Valdosta, Taylor Kight from Moultrie, Summer Landeros from Ashburn, Sarah Shaw Young from Nicholls, and Jana Fussell from Broxton
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ABAC RECOGNIZES NURSING STUDENTS
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Taylor Kight
from
Moultrie
,
Summer Landeros
from
Ashburn
, and
Shelby Stacey
from
Valdosta
received the three top awards presented by the
School of Nursing and Health Sciences
at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
at the recent fall semester pinning ceremony.
Kight
received the
Carillon Award
, which goes to the student with the highest-grade point average. Named for the carillon bells in the ABAC
Chapel of All Faiths
, located adjacent to the Health Sciences building, the award is sponsored by
Colquitt Regional Medical Center.
Landeros
received the
Clinical Excellence Award
, recognizing a student who demonstrated excellence in evidence-based clinical practice and patient-centered care. The award is sponsored by
Southwell Tift Regional Health Systems
.
Stacey
received the
Dedication to Nursing Award
, sponsored by
South Georgia Medical Center
.
Sarah Shaw Young
from
Nicholls
at the associate degree level and
Jana Fussell
from
Douglas
at the bachelor’s degree level received recognition as the
Lisa Purvis Allison Spirit of Nursing scholarship award
recipients.
A total of
49
students received
associate degree
pins
, and 11 students received
bachelor’s degree pins
at the ceremony.
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FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT AT THE BRODIE
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Folks brought their
blankets
and
lawn chairs
to
Brodie Field
on
Monday night
to watch the film
"The Polar Express"
on the stadium's
big screen
.
Sponsored by the
Tift County School System
,
"Family Movie Night at Brodie Field"
was a
holiday gift
to the
community
– and the
weather
was
mild
during the evening.
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YOUR WEEKEND
...at a Glance
FRIDAY, DEC. 20
- "The Polar Express" movie & kids' holiday crafts, 2:30 p.m., Tifton-Tift County Public Library, Tifton
- Sawyer Brown & Exile in concert – "Christmas in Tifton," 7:30 p.m., UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center, Tifton
SATURDAY, DEC. 21
- Tifton Historic District Luminaries, 5:30-8 p.m., 10th Street to Fulwood Park, Tifton
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DEC. 12
Lester Paul McIntyre Jr., 65,
Adel
Emma Jean Knight, 73,
Ashburn
Hugh Noel Lewis, 96,
Tifton
Helen Louise Dunlap Rentz, 93,
Nashville
Dennis Jackson Friar, 59,
Adel
David Lee VanBrackle, 72,
Lenox
DEC. 13
Sula “Duane” Harper Tawzer, 59,
Tifton
Beulah Mae Manders Morgan, 75,
Tifton
Tillman Roberts, 87,
Fitzgerald
DEC. 14
Annie L. “Peewee” Harrell Kitchens, 88,
Lenox
Bobbie Jean "B.J." Frasier Patterson, 82,
Sylvester
Joyce Ann McCook Harris, 77,
Sycamore
DEC. 15
Jeffrey Lamar Rodgers Sr., 57,
Cordele
Dennis Jones, 73,
Perry
DEC. 16
Maggie Delores Simpson, 69,
Nashville
Herman Wilson, 71,
Rebecca
Elizabeth Moses,
Albany
DEC. 17
Carolyn Louise Tucker Ray,
75,
Enigma
James Melvin Pitts, 58,
Tifton
Dolly Sue Richards, 71,
Tifton
DEC. 18
Reginald Marion Fletcher Sr., 89,
Ocilla
Thomas Art “Tommy” Beggs, 72,
West Berrien
William F. “Bill” Jacobs, 86,
Fitzgerald
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DEC. 19
Charles Warren Housworth, 84,
Tifton
Rosie Inez Hall, 91,
Sylvester
Melba Satterfield,
Cordele
Edwin Matthew "E.M." Mathis Jr, 100,
Quitman
__________________
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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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