Friday, Jan. 10, 2020
Tifton, Georgia
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Tifton native Latonya Young, right, at her GSU graduation in December with Kevin Esch, who paid Young's student debt allowing her to get her associate's degree.
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STRANGER HELPS TIFTON NATIVE CONTINUE COLLEGE
LATONYA YOUNG'S STORY GETS WORLDWIDE ATTENTION
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By FRANK SAYLES JR.
Tifton Grapevine
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Tifton native
Latonya Young, 43, a
single mother of
three boys living in
Atlanta, recently
graduated from
Perimeter College at
Georgia State University with
help from an
Uber passenger.
Young, a
hairstylist and
Uber driver, picked up
Kevin Esch, 44, outside of
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in
May 2018. A few days after a
20-minute car ride and
conversation about their respective backgrounds,
Young was
stunned to find that
Esch had
paid her
$693 college debt so the Tifton native could
return to school.
“I was literally
blown away. A
stranger has never done that, or done anything like that, for me,” Young said. “I
maintained my
grades, As and Bs, just trying to make sure he knows I
appreciate him,” she told
CNN.
Young had
dropped out of
Tift County High School at the age of
16 when she became
pregnant. She later got her
GED and subsequently enrolled in
college but was
unable to
continue when a
financial hold was placed on her because of the
$693 debt. She said she had
difficulty paying it because of
caring for her
children.
In
December, Young
graduated with an
associate's degree in
criminal justice.
Esch showed up at the
ceremony.
Young told the
Tifton Grapevine that
she and
Esch now communicate
"every day."
Since her
graduation, Young's
story has gone
viral, being picked up by
news outlets worldwide. She has been interviewed by ABC-TVs
"Good Morning America" and has been featured online in
People magazine, among many others.
"Oh my God, I'm
still getting calls,"
Young the
Tifton Grapevine on
Thursday. "I'm
flying next week to
California for a
TV show," she said. "I can't say what show but it's a
big show."
Young added that her
mother and many
relatives still
live in
Tifton. "I just
love my hometown," she said.
Young is
continuing her education at
Georgia State, working on her
bachelor's degree and possibly going into
law. But she said she is
primarily focused on "
taking care of
my kids" and
helping them advance in life.
"I do
intend to be a
speaker, to
reach out to youth – especially those who had a
similar experience in life," she said. "I would love to
tell people about
my story to
inspire other people."
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TIFTON POLICE CHIEF 'PINNED' DURING CEREMONY
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On
Thursday
, which was
National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
, newly appointed Tifton Police Chief
Steve Hyman
was honored at a
ceremony
during which he was
officially "pinned"
as police chief, receiving his
chief's bars
.
Hyman
, a
36-year veteran
of the
Tifton Police Department,
was named
chief
on
Dec. 17
following the
retirement
of ChIef
Buddy Dowdy
.
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RAIL CROSSING DETOUR SCHEDULED FOR HWY 82
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The
Ga. Department of Transportation
(GDOT) announced
Thursday
that the U.S. Highway 82/State Route 520/Fifth Street
rail crossing
in
Tifton
will be
out of service
for
two
days
next week
.
This
crossing
, near
Commerce Way
, is scheduled to close for
maintenance
, requiring a
detour
for
non-local traffic
.
The crossing is scheduled to
close
at
9 a.m. Jan. 14
and reopen
Jan. 16
. The dates are subject to change based on the rail company's schedule and the weather.
Non-local
traffic on
Highway 82
approaching from the east will turn north on
U.S. 41/SR 7
(running common with
Main Street, Love Avenue
and
12th Street
) to the
Interstate 75 Exit 64
interchange.
Traffic will travel
south
on I-75 to the
Exit 62
interchange. The pattern will be reversed for
Highway 82 traffic
approaching from the
west
. Detour signs will be posted,
GDOT
said.
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PHYSICAL THERAPIST MELANIE PEAVY OFFERS LECTURE AT MAYO CLINIC
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Tifton
native and physical therapist
Melanie Peavy
recently provided a
lecture
, “Therapy Considerations for the Golfing Athlete,” at
Grand Rounds at Mayo Clinic
in
Jacksonville, Fla.
The lecture was
videoconferenced
throughout the entire
Mayo Clinic enterprise
, including
Arizona
and
Rochester
campuses.
Peavy
was
formerly director
of the
Spine Therapy Center
for
Tift Regional Medical Center
and is
currently
the
spine therapist
for the
Mayo Clinic Spine Center
. She treats patients from around the world who come to the Spine Center.
The
Mayo Clinic Spine Center
is a multidisciplinary center encompassing the departments of physical medicine and rehabilitation, pain medicine and neurosurgery.
Peavy
received her
academic appointment
in
2019
as
physical therapy instructor
for the
Mayo Clinic Alix College of Medicine
. She received her
Level 1
and
Level 2
medical certifications through the
Titleist Performance Institute
, considered to be the gold standard for
golf assessment and performance
for
PGA Tour
professionals.
She is
currently working
with Mayo physicians and administrators to
develop
a
formal golf assessment and performance program
for the Florida campus. Since joining the organization in
2017
, she has been named
“Above and Beyond” employee
numerous times and has received
recognition
for
excellence in patient care
from Mayo President & CEO
Gianrico Farrugia
.
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SWAP SOME PLANTS & SEEDS JAN. 25
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Local residents can get a head start on
spring gardening
through
the
ninth annual Plant and Seed Swap
on
Jan. 25
hosted by the
Wiregrass Farmers Market
at the
Georgia Museum of Agriculture
.
The event in the
museum lobby
will be from
10 a.m.-noon.
Participants may
bring plants or seeds
to
share
or may just attend to
find a few new things to try
in the yard or garden.
No money is exchanged
; this swap is an outreach event by the Wiregrass Farmers Market.
While attending the swap,
gardeners
will have a chance to
visit
the
newest gallery exhibit
,
“Rust and Recreation.”
The
opening reception
begins at
10 a.m.
that day and features
refreshments
and an opportunity to
meet
artist
Dave Clegg
.
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TIFT SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT SHARES READING, GRADUATION GOALS
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By BONNIE SAYLES
Tifton Grapevine
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Tift County Schools
Superintendent
Adam Hathaway
shared with the
Tifton Rotary Club
on
Wednesday
that his
goals
are twofold: Every child
reading
on
grade level by third grade
and
every kid graduating
.
“Without a
high school diploma
, there are so many
doors
that are
shut
to kids that they don’t have a chance,” he said.
The graduation goal includes making students earn their diplomas.
Reading
on
grade level
is a
high achievement goa
l, “but If we’re not trying to do that, then we will never do that,” he said.
“
Hope
is not a
plan
. You have to make it happen. It is scary. Making sure that we talk to our teachers and our community, and they understand our goal, I feel certain that we will reach it.”
Hathaway’s
son
is a
senior
and his
daughter
is in
eighth grade
in
Tift County schools
.
“I want to make sure schools are
safe
for her and for your kids. They need to feel safe where they are.”
He also said
relationships
are the
core work
of
education
: “We need to teach kids how to get along.”
Hathaway
emphasized the
importance
of
reading
to children
at home
at a
young age
, filling in the gap between birth and Pre-K.
“If you don’t work on the
root
, you won’t get
better fruit
,” the
superintendent
said.
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PARENT WORKSHOP FOCUSES ON BULLYING, DEPRESSION, COMPUTER CRIMES
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Tift County Schools
is hosting a
parent workshop
at
6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27,
at
Northeast Middle School
. Topics include bullying, cyber-bullying, depression, stress, child exploitation and computer crimes.
Parents
of
all age students
may attend.
Speakers
include
Jonathan Judy
on
cyber-bullying
,
Michele Walker
on
bullying, depression and stress
, and
Lindsay Marchant
with the
Georgia Bureau of Investigation
speaking on
child exploitation
and
computer crimes.
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'SPITFIRE GRILL' MUSICAL AUDITIONS SET JAN. 21-22
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Auditions
for the
Baldwin Players
upcoming musical,
“The Spitfire Grill,”
will be held
Jan. 21-22
at
6:30 p.m.
each night in
Room 319
of
Conger Hall
at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
Dr.
Brian Ray
, director of the Baldwin Players and a professor of English and theatre, said those who audition should
prepare one verse
of a
country song
or
one verse
of a
traditional church hymn
to be performed
acapella
or with
recorded accompaniment.
There will also be a
cold read
of selected passages from the
script
. Copies of the script will be available at the
audition
.
Ray said the auditions are
open
to
anyone
. Parts are available for
four women
and
three men
. “The Spitfire Grill” will be staged
March 26-28
in ABAC’s
Howard Auditorium
.
“This
spirited musical
is based on the
Lee David Zlotoff
movie of the same title,”
Ray
said. “In the play, a
young woman
recently
paroled
from
prison
seeks to find a
quiet town
where she can
start over
. She finds such a place in
northern Wisconsin
and begins her
journey
to
self-understanding.
Along the way, she encounters some
quirky townsfolk
and a job at a
down-on-its-luck eatery
, The Spitfire Grill. It’s the only restaurant in town and
home
to some
small-town secrets
.”
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AVAILABLE AT THE TIFT COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
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These two friendly fellows are available for adoption or rescue.
________________________
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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YOUR WEEKEND
...at a Glance
FRIDAY, JAN. 10
- Tift County High Blue Devils basketball vs. Camden High, 6 p.m., TCHS gym, Tifton
SATURDAY, JAN. 11
- Songfarmers of Tifton, 3:30 p.m., Rehabilitation Center of South Georgia, Tifton
- "Postcards from Nowhere" painting exhibit opening reception, 5-7 p.m., Plough Gallery, Tifton
- Tift County High Blue Devils basketball @ Colquitt County High, 6 p.m., Moultrie
- Jimmy Fortune in concert, 7 p.m., Grand Theatre, Fitzgerald
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JAN. 2
Jack Kenneth Moore, 88,
Fitzgerald
JAN. 3
Sandra Jane Griffin, 55,
Ocilla
Ret. Chief Master Sgt. James Jesse Fisher, 75,
Fitzgerald
Scott W. “Skip” Garner, 42,
Fitzgerald
George Otto Doss Jr., 92,
Thomasville
JAN. 4
Betty Howell Castagna, 90,
Tifton
Hal King, 84,
Sparks
JAN. 5
Kimberly Leann Hill, 22,
Tifton
Linda Epperson Stanford, 79,
Omega
Ruth Beard Youngblood, 97,
Ashburn
Deborah Welch Park, 62,
Cordele
Daniel Henry Graham, 76,
Adel
JAN. 6
LaNelle Kimbro Parr, 88,
Sylvester
Harold William Joiner, 73,
Nashville
Michael E. “Mike” Hendley Sr. 65,
Ocilla
Leroy Collier, 71,
Lenox
JAN. 7
Ferol Eva Spinks Cosper, 103,
Tifton
Linton S. Smith,
Winder
Elizabeth Craig, 60,
Quitman
Marjorie Hardy Brooks, 88,
Conway, Ark.
JAN. 8
JD “Buddy” Peters, 88,
Ochlocknee
Shirley Allen Underwood, 79,
Chula
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JAN. 9
John Joseph Mihalek, 68,
Chula
Charles Edward Roberson Sr., 92,
Fitzgerald
Samuel "Zack" Martin, 81,
Barwick
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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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