Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022
Tifton, Georgia
GrapeNew
HOW 'BOUT THEM DAWGS!
TIFTONITES JOIN IN CHEERING UGA's FIRST FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SINCE 1980
By FRANK SAYLES JR.
Tifton Grapevine
The eighth time was the charm.

After having lost to Alabama seven consecutive times, the University of Georgia Bulldogs beat the Crimson Tide when it mattered most – Monday night in Indianapoilis to win college's national championship.

UGA's 33-18 victory was its first national championship since the 1980 season, and there many Tiftonites there among the 68,311 in the stadium, as well as many there in spirit.

The Dawgs had been slight favorites to win; in fact, Alabama has been an underdog just three times in its last 96 games – and all three were against Georgia.

With this big win, Bulldog fans are expected to keep barking for a long while.
COVID SURGE MOVES TURNER SCHOOLS TO 100% VIRTUAL
By FRANK SAYLES JR.
Tifton Grapevine
The COVID-19 surge continues to disrupt local plans and schedules: Turner County schools are going totally virtual, and Tifton's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Breakfast, that was scheduled next Monday, has been canceled.

Turner County Schools announced Tuesday that effective Wednesday, Jan. 12, all schools "will start using 100% virtual instruction. The number of COVID cases for employees and students continues to rise. We are at our all-time highest for the number of cases in the school system and in our county. Safety is our first priority."

In Ashburn and Turner County, 97 new confirmed COVID cases were recorded in the past two weeks, representing 1,201 cases per 100,000 population. With Antigen cases added, Turner has seen a total of 275 cases, or 3,405 per 100,000, in two weeks. Turner County has also recorded a 39.7% positive testing rate, according to the Ga. Department of Public Health (DPH).

In Tift County, 459 confirmed cases were reported in two weeks, representing 1,124 per 100,000. With Antigen numbers added, Tift reports 992 total cases during the period, which is 2,430 per 100,000. Tift's testing positivity rate is 38.5%, the DPH said.

Tift County has reported 281 new confirmed cases in the past week along with one additional related death. Tift's total confirmed cases are at 5,409 with 143 deaths.

Because of the continuing surge, PLIGHT Tifton (Proud Loving Individuals Giving a Hand to Teens) canceled next Monday's MLK Day Breakfast observance, said Tift County Commission Vice Chair Melissa Hughes. She said the observance may be rescheduled in February if local conditions improve.
AUTHORITIES FIND TIFTON TEEN DEAD IN LAKE
A Tift County High School student was found dead Sunday in Lake Larry in Eldorado.

The body of Tre'Quavion K. Thomas, 18, of Tifton, was recovered at approximately 9:30 a.m. Sunday after the Jeep he was driving was found in the lake Saturday night, authorities said.

On Saturday, the Georgia State Patrol had responded to a possible accident at the intersection of Omega-Eldorado and Union roads.

Thomas, who had just turned 18, had been reported missing Jan. 6. No foul play is expected, and authorities said an autopsy is being conducted this week.
COOK HIGH RECEIVING
FINE ARTS GRANT
Cook High School in Adel is among seven rural schools being awarded “stART" grants from the Ga. Department of Education (DOE) to expand fine arts education.

The state DOE is awarding a total of $70,000 to the rural school districts for the initiative.

“Every child in every part of our state deserves access to a well-rounded education, including access to high-quality arts education," said state Superintendent Richard Woods. 

“Students learn skills to help them solve problems, make decisions, think creatively, and articulate a vision through fine arts. Additionally, students gain self-esteem and self-discipline through arts classes. Through stART grant funding, more rural districts can extend fine arts education opportunities to more children."

Other schools receiving the grants are in Brooks, Meriwether, Pierce, and Union counties.
'COMING TO AMERICA' MURAL EXHIBIT OPENS JAN. 18 AT ABAC
A mural exhibition, “Coming to America – The Immigrant Experience featuring the Lost Mural of Ellis Island,” opens Jan. 18 in Ernest Edwards Hall at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

The opening reception and the first of three lectures for the exhibition are set for 6 p.m. Feb. 22 as Dr. John Vanzo speaks on “Malanija Knavs and the Right Way to Come to America.” Vanzo is a professor of political science and geography in the School of Arts and Sciences. 

Other supporting lectures are Dr. Elizabeth Medley on “Rise of the Resistance: Immigrant Women’s Political Activism from Ellis Island to the Modern Era” on March 3, and Dr. Russell Pryor on “Fried Chicken, Spaghetti, and Tacos: Mass Migration and the All-American Meal” on April 7. Medley and Pryor are both assistant professors in the School of Arts and Sciences.

The 85-foot mural by Andrew Sabori is a reproduction of the 200-foot mural titled “The Role of the Immigrant in the Industrial Development of America,” which was created circa 1935 by Edward Laning as a Works Progress Administration project.

Sabori and Roberta Sabori conceived their project when visiting Ellis Island in the New York harbor in 2003 and examining a photo of the Laning mural. The original mural was known only to the immigrants passing through Ellis Island since its location was off limits to the public.

When Ellis Island closed in 1954, much of the original mural was lost after a storm damaged the building. Following painstaking research, Sabori began painting his reproduction in 2008

In addition to the mural, the exhibit will include Sabori’s original portraits of 35 significant immigrants and facsimiles of relevant documents from the National Archives, including passenger arrival lists, Census records, draft registration cards, and naturalization petitions.
TIFTON
2012 Pineview Ave. Tifton, Ga 31793
COLONY BANK AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS
TO LEADERSHIP ACADEMY GRADS
Colony Bank recently presented $1,000 scholarships to students completing the Colony Leadership Academy's Class of 2021.

During the academy's final session in Savannah, students met Mayor Vann Johnson and toured the Georgia Ports Authority and the Savannah College of Art and Design. Students also worked on leadership and team skills with the University of Georgia’s Fanning Institute and learned about careers in banking

“Throughout the program, it was exciting to watch this group of young leaders recognize their capabilities and the opportunities available to them as they engaged and interacted with leaders in a variety of fields. As these students worked together building upon their leadership skills and learning about the issues facing their local communities, they also developed new statewide relationships with their peers as they exchanged their different ideas and experiences," said Colony President & CEO Heath Fountain.

"We are excited to continue to grow this program that allows us to give back to the communities we serve through youth development and look forward to the positive impact the class of 2021 will have on their communities.”

Graduates who successfully completed the program are: Nalecia Alford, Edward L. Bagwell IV, Leslie Bonner, Peyton Bozeman, Catherine McCall Coley, Jonathan Davis, Carter Deriso, Ava Dorminey, Jennifer Dunn, Virginia Everett, Hannah Fletcher, Lauren Folsom, Ava Geyer, Katy Goodpasture, Mitchell Harris, Vernard Hodges, Sarah Hutto, Ansley Inlow, Collin Jowers, Jon Liu, Joshua Massey, Laura Kate McCranie, Casen Miller, Meredith Morgan, April Moss, Chimdinma Ohamadike, Abbie O'Steen, Dev Patel, Hardy Peagler, Fatima Resendez, Alexander Smith, Omari Smith, Rees Smith, Jessica Sousa, Mason Tyler, Carson Willcox, and Jenna Williams.
TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CAT OF THE WEEK
"Marmalade," a female calico kitty, is ready for a good home. To adopt Marmalade and to see other pets available for adoption, visit the Tift County Animal Shelter from 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, or call 229-382-PETS (7387).
Pets of the Week are sponsored by:
Branch's Veterinary Clinic
205 Belmont Ave., Tifton, 229-382-6055
COUNTY BUYS SITE FOR COURTHOUSE
~ JAN. 14, 1906
Tift County, on Jan. 14, 1906, bought a vacant lot at the corner of Tift Avenue and Second Street to be used as the site of a county courthouse. The property was sold by H.H. Tift for $3,000, which would be nearly $100,000 in today's dollars.
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