Challengers on Tift Election Ballot

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

REPUBLICAN FOR GA SENATE:

SPUD BOWEN

REPUBLICAN FOR GA SENATE:

CARDEN SUMMERS

DEMOCRAT FOR GA SENATE:

RUE'NETTE MELTON

DEMOCRAT FOR GA SENATE:

MARY EGLER

SEVERAL LOCAL RACES HAVE CHALLENGERS

GENERAL ELECTION PRIMARY SET FOR MAY 19

With qualifying over for local and state offices, political races are shaping up in Tifton and throughout the Tiftarea .

In the general primary election coming on May 19 , two Tifton residents are seeking the state Senate District 13 seat recently won temporarily by Carden Summers of Cordele .

Spud Bowen , a Tifton business owner, is seeking the GOP nomination against Summers . Rue'Nette Melton , a retiree in Tifton , is seeking the Democratic nomination in the race against Mary Egler , a Leesburg retiree who recently ran for the seat against Summers and who has run unsuccessfully for the General Assembly in several past House races.

Also facing opposition this year is state Rep. Penny Houston , R-Nashville, who represents part of Tift County in House District 170 . Although she has no opponent for the Republican nomination, Houston will face Democrat Andre Oliver of Nashville , an Air Force veteran , in November .

Likewise, state Rep. Clay Pirkle , R-Ashburn, who also represents part of Tift in District 155 , will face a Democrat in November – Lethia Jones Kittrell of Fitzgerald , an educator . Rep. Sam Watson , R-Moultrie, who represents part of Tift in District 172 , faces no opposition for re-election.

In races for the Tift County Commission , two candidates are seeking the Republican nomination for District 3 , a seat being vacated by Tony McBrayer who is unchallenged for Commission Chairman Grady Thompson's seat . Thompson is stepping down after 16 years as chairman .

Seeking McBrayer's seat as Republicans are Lee A. Turner and Paul B. Webb . There is no Democratic candidate . Incumbent commissioners Fred "Buck" Rigdon in District 5 , and Melissa Hughes in District 2 , have no opposition .

Another contested race is Tift County probate judge . Incumbent Suzanne Carter Johnson is being challenged for the GOP nomination by Bobby Keith Newell . For chief magistrate , Brian Cavanaugh is running unopposed .

Incumbents seeking re-election unopposed are Sheriff Gene Scarbrough , Superior Court Clerk Clayton Pate , Coroner Joshua Hendrix , Tax Commissioner Chad Alexander , and School Board Chairman Jonathan Jones , and Board of Education members John Waddell and Marilyn Burks .

RAIN CAUSES SEWAGE SPILL

With the heavy rains Thursday , the City of Tifton experienced four sewage spills totaling more than 47,700 gallons, according to ESG Operations Inc. , the contractor for the city's public utilities.

Spills were recorded at manholes located at the intersection of Sutton Circle and Robert Oliver Drive ( 18,000 gallons); at Ridge Avenue and Mitchell Drive , ( 14,000 gallons); at 26th Street and Ridge Avenue ( 9,500 gallons); and at the Agrirama lift station – Whiddon Mill Road (more than 6,200 gallons).

ESG has sanitized the locations. The city has reported the sewage spills to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division of the Ga. Department of Natural Resources and to the Ga. Department of Public Health .

BBQ FESTIVAL BRINGS OUT CROWD

The Tifton Rhythm & Ribs BBQ Festival was a success on Saturday as good weather brought out a large crowd to Fulwood Park .

A full day of food and music filled the park as professional and amateur cooks competed in barbecue competitions .

In the "Backyard" (amateur) category , the "Glory, Glory to Ol' Porky" team won the Grand Champion title. The Tifton team includes Donald Gilman and Matt Fletcher .

In Pork Loin competition, "Two Toe’s BBQ" placed at the top ; in Ribs , "Deez Butts" placed first ; and in Pulled Pork , "Rack N Butts" placed at the top .

In the Georgia Barbecue Association-sanctioned professional competition, "Lang BBQ Smokers" of Blackshear was the Grand Champion , and Peach Coast BBQ of Brunswick was the Reserve Champion .

SRTC LAB HOSTS TRAINING FOR SURGEONS

Recently, the Surgical Technology Academy Training (STAT) Lab at SRTC-Tifton hosted a training event with medical device company Zimmer Biomet .

The weeklong training drew 40 surgeons and medical staff from Georgia and bordering states to Southern Regional Technical College's Tifton lab .

The surgeons learned new technology using the ROSA Knee robot and trained on the installation of new medical devices for total knee arthroplasty .

The STAT Lab hosts six to eight human cadaver labs each year, providing medical professionals with specialized training in emerging technologies . During these labs, surgeons scrub just as they would in the operating room and perform surgery on human cadavers.

“We are very proud to have one of the few cadaver labs in the state ,” said Kelly Daniell , SRTC-Tifton 's economic development director. “Having this lab centrally located in our service area enables SRTC to provide world-class technology all within a day’s drive , shortening the downtime to receive necessary training.”

Former Georgia First Lady Shirley Carver Miller speaks Tuesday at statewide adult education conference in Atlanta.

TIFT LITERACY PROGRAM

RECOGNIZED AT STATE CONFERENCE

Literacy Volunteers of Tifton-Tift County was honored Tuesday in Atlanta as a Legacy Literacy program along with 20 other agencies during the 30th anniversary celebration of the establishment of the Certified Literate Community Program (CLCP) of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG).

Shirley Carver Miller , Georgia’s first female bank president and widow of former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Zell Miller , was also honored and spoke during the 2020 EAGLE Adult Education Conference.

Miller’s platform as first lady was adult literacy , and she campaigned to increase the number of people passing General Education Diploma (GED) tests .

“Let me assure you, I get more than I give working with the CLCP efforts,” Miller said. “It’s the highlight of my life . There’s nothing like a GED graduation to me or being at the EAGLE awards .”

EAGLE stands for Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education and honors the Adult Education Student of the Year .

Under Gov. Miller’s leadership , the state launched the CLCP in 1990 as a means of combating the problems of low literacy . The program is administered by the Office of Adult Education TCSG.

CLCP takes a local, grassroots approach to making the literacy improvement a community-wide commitment . Each one is a nonprofit collaborative that raises the visibility of literacy and provides support to local literacy providers and individuals in need of services. A network is formed to coordinate business, church, volunteer, social service, local government and schools, media and other efforts locally, to reach, influence and support those who want to improve their education .

An executive director manages the day-to-day operations and directs activities designed to meet the CLCP's goals . In Tifton , Bonnie Sayles has that responsibility .

To qualify as a participant in the program , a community must set the goal of reducing its functional illiteracy rate by 50 percent within 10 years . When a CLCP reaches its stated goal , it applies for the second level of certification as a Certified Literate Community . Tifton-Tift County achieved this goal in 2010 .

Ms. ABAC contestants ARE: first row, from left – Bridget Dixon, Abigail Zerwig, Jaylee Bass, Grace Hall; second row – Savannah Padgett, Riley Hester, Natalie Meeks, Savannah Eastal; third row – Hannah Courson, Sara Faulk, Katibeth Mims, Kendall Prescott, Carly Horne, Raegan Clack; fourth row – Cheyenne Reese, Jordan Mathews, Mary Grace McCoy, Charley Lollis, Lindsay Shurley and Emily Groat.

20 COMPETE FOR MS. ABAC TITLE

Twenty contestants will compete in the 51st annual Ms. ABAC contest Thursday at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College .

Sponsored by the Ag Business Club , the theme of this year’s pageant is “Vision.” The winner will receive a $500 academic scholarship.

The event begins at 7 p.m. in ABAC’s Howard Auditorium . Because of limited seating, advance ticket purchase is advised. Tickets can be purchased from any Ag Business Club officer, in the Donaldson Dining Hall , or by calling Dr. Audrey Luke-Morgan , 229-391-4807.

Contestants will compete in casual and evening wear . They will also be judged on a written essay and an interview with the judges.

Students competing are: Bridget Dixon , from Kite; Katibeth Mims , from Donalsonville; Savannah Padgett , from Climax; Abigail Zerwig , from Metter; Lindsay Shurley , Groveland, Fla.; Jordan Mathews , Pearson; Jaylee Bass , Adel; Raegan Clack , Leesburg; Cheyenne Reese , Jesup; Grace Hall , Tifton; Riley Hester , Watkinsville; MaryGrace McCoy , Moultrie; Kendal Prescott , Lake Placid, Fla.; Charley Lollis , Perry; Savannah Estall , Lilburn; Natalie Meeks , Mershon; Hannah Courson , Baxley; Carly Horne , Norman Park; Sara Faulk , Cochran; and Emily Groat from Ruskin, Fla.

Proceeds from the pageant will benefit the Peanut Butter & Jesus ministry of Tifton and the ABAC Ag Business Club .

CITY BANS 'BULLS, BOARS, BITCHES' ON STREETS

MARCH 10, 1892

Tifton City Council met on March 10, 1892 , and passed an ordinance that, after April 1, 1892 , "it is unlawful for any bull, boar or bitch to run at large upon the streets " of Tifton. The city marshall was instructed to "apprehend and impound" all such animals. Council, meeting in the office of H.H. Tift , also imposed a $250 tax on the "sale of cigarettes and cigarette papers" within the city limits .