SYLVESTER MAN CHARGED IN TIFTON DEATH

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

A 22-year-old Sylvester resident has been arrested and charged with murder and robbery of a Tift County man, authorities say.

Michael Jermaine Dixon Jr. of Sylvester was arrested Monday by the GBI and the Tift County Sheriff’s Office and charged with felony murder, robbery, and exploitation/intimidation of a person over the age of 65.

The arrest is in connection with the death of Bobby Darwin Spires, 67, of Tifton.

On March 2, the Tift County Sheriff’s Office asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to assist in investigating Spires' death. After his family reported Spires missing, investigators found his body in a wooded area in the 2500 block of Highland Avenue in Tifton, authorities said.

When charged with Spires’ death, Dixon was already in the Tift County Jail on unrelated charges of cocaine possession, robbery by sudden snatching, financial transaction card theft, and willful obstruction of law enforcement officers, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The homicide investigation is continuing, and anyone with information is asked to contact the GBI in Sylvester at 229-777-2080 or the Tift County Sheriff’s Office at 229-388-6020.

FIFTH STREET INTERIORS

NO MORE UNIFORMS IN TIFT SCHOOLS NEXT SCHOOL YEAR

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Tift County Schools has announced that school uniforms will no longer be required for elementary school students beginning next school year.

"It has been decided that for next school year, uniforms will not be required at our preK-5(th grade) schools. We are working on a comprehensive dress code that will be included in the code of conduct,” the school system said.

The School Governance Teams in Tift County's public elementary schools made the decision to drop the uniform requirement because it creates a hardship on some parents and could disrupt some students’ education. In posts on social media, some parents said their children were sent home to change clothes because they were not wearing proper uniforms.

Uniforms were instituted in 2017 when the School Governance Teams in all of Tift County's elementary schools voted to adopt a school uniform policy for students beginning with the 2017-18 school year.

That policy required students in those schools to wear solid white, gray, or Navy/dark blue collared shirts, and khaki or Navy/dark blue bottoms; shorts and skirts were allowed, but all uniforms must adhere to dress-code standards relating to length, condition, etc.

Removing the uniform requirement has been met with favorable comments on social media: “Thank you! My baby starts prek, and this is a relief,” wrote one mother. "I’m excited, lol, my girl starts in July and I’m so happy I get to dress her and the boys cute,” said another parent.

When Tift County became a state Charter School System, School Governance Teams were created to help govern each school. The teams are comprised of the school's principal, parent representatives, business community representatives, and school staff representatives.

Spring is in the air, and soon the smell from food trucks and grills

are the thrill! The food and craft festival April 15

will feature crafts vendors and food trucks. 

The Festival kicks off Saturday, 11 a.m. -5 p.m.

Be sure to join us for some great food and crafts! 

**Calling All Vendors**

Have a special homemade craft or great food that you would like to sell?

For more information, give us a call at 229-392-2071 or 229-402-5705 

'MANY CHILDREN IN CRISIS,’ ADVOCATE SAYS

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

South Georgia residents are not as aware as they should be of the experiences of children suffering from child abuse and neglect, Cindy Evers, executive director for the Alliance for Children, told the Tifton Rotary Club on Wednesday.

“It’s hard for us to imagine,” she said, “that children living within the shadow of this building, or within the shadow of a lot of our steeples and our homes, live lives that we have no idea how hard it is.” 

Georgia ranks 39th in the nation in child welfare and wellbeing, she said, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Many children are in crisis: “We cannot close the curtain on them saying, ‘Not my circus, not my monkeys.’” 

As a means of training and raising awareness for first responders and child advocates, the Alliance for Children will hold its annual Summit from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday, April 20. Keynote speaker Derek McKinney, investigator and state security threat group coordinator for the Georgia Department of Corrections, will discuss human trafficking. 

“If you see someone asking for money with a child on the side of the road, please call 911 and ask for a welfare check on the child,” Evers said. “People exploit children for money and sex. Our community needs to be more proactive.”

Seven other speakers at the Summit will lead discussions on such topics as prosecuting child sex crimes and supporting individuals with autism and other development disabilities. 

Pediatrician and child abuse educator Dr. Verena Brown with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta will discuss how to recognize some of the indicators of child torture, Evers said. For example, she said, “there is no reason for a lock outside of a closet door.” 

Eighty law enforcement and child advocates have registered for the summit. For more information, contact Evers and the Alliance for Children at 229-392-2387.

CHAMBER HOLDS

BUSINESS EXPO

About 35 vendors participated in the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce Business Expo on Thursday. People were able to meet representatives of banks, insurance companies, internet providers, caterers, and many more.

The major sponsors were Synovus, Heatcraft, Southern Appliances, Southwell, and Coca-Cola United. Rosemary Hightower, pictured with a Tifton Grapevine mug, was among those who won door prizes.

TODAY IS CHILD ABUSE PINWHEELS/WEAR BLUE DAY TO SUPPORT PREVENTION

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The Tift County Council on Child Abuse will hold its annual “Voices for all Children” Pinwheel Ceremony at 10 a.m. today (Friday) at the Tift County Recreation Department special programs building in front of the swimming pool at 202 Baldwin Drive.

Each year, pinwheels are placed together in the ground with each one representing a child who was reported as neglected or abused in Tift County the previous year.

Today is also Wear Blue Day to create awareness of and show support for prevention of child abuse. All Tift countians are encouraged to wear blue and post photos of themselves and others pictures in their blue clothing today.

Folks are asked to post the pictures on social media with the hashtag #TiftWearBlue2023 and also to email them to the Tift County CommissIon on Children & Youth at tc3y@friendlycity.net

TIFTON’S 'GA CITIES WEEK’ FEATURES ART CONTEST,

'MIC NIGHT,’ TOUCH-A-TRUCK

Tifton observes Georgia Cities Week beginning Saturday, April 22, and among the activities are a Student Art Contest and a community Mic Night.

Students in grades K-12 may participate in the Art Contest whose theme is “Hometown Tifton." The deadline for submissions has been extended to next Wednesday, April 19. Rules and requirements can be found here. 

Winners will be announced at the Tifton Touch-A-Truck event on Friday, April 28, in the Cato Knight Parking Lot. 

The city’s “Mic Night” on Saturday, April 22, is a chance for Tifton residents to perform and showcase their talent in such endeavors as music, comedy, and poetry.

Performances will be judged, with a prize awarded to the winning performance.

Tickets will be $5 per person, available for purchase online and at the door. The show starts at 7 p.m. and will be geared towards ages 18 and over; a cash bar and concessions will be available.

To find out more about the Georgia Cities Week activities in Tifton, Click Here!

Georgia Cities Week is a statewide celebration that honors cities and gives residents a chance to learn about the services their cities offer, connect with other citizens, and build relationships with local officials.

Audrey Conner of Tifton, left, and Emilio Ferrari of Atlanta have been named national 2023 Barry Goldwater Scholars.

UGA STUDENTS NAMED NATIONAL GOLDWATER SCHOLARS

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

University of Georgia juniors Audrey Conner and Emilio Ferrara have been named 2023 Barry Goldwater Scholars, earning the highest undergraduate award of its type in the nation for the fields of mathematics, engineering, and natural sciences.

Both are Foundation Fellows and Stamps Scholars in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and the Morehead Honors College.

Conner, from Tifton, is majoring in chemistry; Ferrara, from Atlanta, is majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology.

Both presented their research at UGA’s annual undergraduate research symposium — the CURO Symposium — in early April.

Since 1995, 66 UGA students have received the Goldwater Scholarship, which recognizes exceptional sophomores and juniors across the United States.

Each awardee will receive up to $7,500 per year toward the cost of tuition, fees, books and room and board.

Toni Reid, Georgia Power’s Tifton area manager, left, with Aniya Brown, recipient of the Georgia Power Foundation Scholarship at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

AREA STUDENTS RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Numerous local students have received scholarships recently from several organizations.

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College freshman Aniya Brown, a biology student from Fitzgerald, was the selected recipient for the Georgia Power Foundation Scholarship for the spring semester.

The scholarship is designated for a full-time ABAC student with financial need from an under-represented population.

Brown has a goal to become a kinesiologist and have a career as an athletic trainer for an NFL team.

“This scholarship was truly needed as I am a student who is solely financially responsible for my college journey," Brown said. "I am from a single-parent household with a parent who is also enrolled in college.”

The Sigma Xi- Emory Cheek Memorial Scholarship committee selected Abraham Soto to receive the Emory Cheek Memorial Scholarship for 2023. 

The scholarship honors a graduating high school senior with an interest in science and is based on merit and financial need. The scholarship is funded by Emily Cheek, Emory Cheek's daughter.

Soto, a Tift County High School student who is graduating this year, will attend Mercer University with a goal of being a physician.

The Sigma Xi Emory Cheek Memorial Scholarship was created to remember Emory Cheek, a longtime librarian at the Experiment Station.

Tift County High School Senior Class President Ella Daniell received the Berry College Roosevelt Scholarship in the amount of $10,000 to attend Berry College.

Daniell is the daughter of Karen Daniell Stephens and Jay Daniell, and the granddaughter of Bill and Shirene Daniell, Gene Lott, Joy Dunn Elliott, and Joy Lott, and the great-granddaughter of Rubye Meters.

Daniell was also the 2022-23 Tift County High School Homecoming Queen.

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To Contact Us, Call 478-227-7126

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COVID-19 data released from the

Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) as of April 12:

TOTAL TIFT COUNTY CASES: 6,907 ..................................... TOTAL TIFT DEATHS: 176

CONFIRMED TIFT CASES - 2 weeks: 3 ................................... DEATHS - Past week: 0

TIFT POSITIVITY RATE - 2 weeks: 1.8% ........ CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES: 21

TIFT CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - 2 weeks, per 100K population: 51

_______________________________________________________________

GEORGIA TOTAL CASES: 2,357,894.....................................TOTAL GA DEATHS: 35,291

GA CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - 1 week: 2,108

GA DEATHS - 1 week: 28................................... ......GA HOSPITALIZATIONS - 1 week: 162

YOUR GUIDE TO ACTIVITIES THIS WEEKEND IN THE TIFTAREA

Today, April 14, is National Pecan Day, celebrating a uniquely American nut. For centuries, pecans were cultivated, processed, and consumed in America by native people. The word “pecan" is derived from the word “pacane," used by the Algonquin tribe to describe a nut that needs a stone to crack open. The United States is responsible for 75% of the world’s pecan production, and Georgia is the nation’s top producer, growing an estimated 100 million pounds of pecans annually. And most of Georgia’s pecans come from right here in Southwest Georgia.

FRIDAY, APRIL 14

• Wear Blue Day Pinwheel Ceremony, 10 a.m., Tift County Recreation Department’s special programs building, 202 Baldwin Drive, Tifton
• ABAC Alumni Association Awards Luncheon, 12:30 p.m.,Gressette Gymnasium, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Tifton
• Gee Haw, Whoa Back Rodeo, 7 p.m., ABAC arena, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Tifton

SATURDAY, APRIL 15

• AARP Driver Safety Program, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Leroy Rogers Senior Center, Tifton
• Food & Craft Festival, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., 41 South Farmers Market, Tifton
• PlantTel Telephone Museum Exhibit Grand Opening, 3 p.m., Georgia Museum of Agriculture & Historic Village, Tifton
• Gee Haw, Whoa Back Rodeo, 7 p.m., ABAC arena, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Tifton

ADVERTISE YOUR

YARD SALE HERE

TO ADVERTISE YOUR

RESIDENTIAL YARD SALE,

CONTACT US at 

yardsales@tiftongrapevine.com 

or 478-227-7126

Fees are $1 per word, paid in advance

“Patches” waves to new potential owners. He is available for adoption at the Tift County Animal Shelter on Highway 125 South, open between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For additional information, call 229-382-PETS (7387).