Friday, May 15, 2020
Tifton, Georgia
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TIFTON REOPENS
CITY HALL, PARKS, AND PLAYGROUNDS
AS TIFT DEATHS RISE 67% WITHIN TWO DAYS
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By FRANK SAYLES JR.
Tifton Grapevine
Tifton city parks
,
playgrounds
and
City Hall
reopened
to the public
Thursday
as
COVID-19
deaths
in
Tift County
rose
67
percent in less than
two days
to a total of
10
.
The number of
positive coronavirus cases
in
Tift County
rose by
5.6
percent within the same two-day period, according to the
Ga. Department of Public Health
(DPH).
As of late
Thursday
,
Tift County
reported
170
positive cases,
10
deaths and
42
hospitalizations. Late
Tuesday
, the
DPH
had recorded
161
cases and
six
deaths in
Tift County.
Mayor
Julie Smith
said the
reopenings
are a
result
of Gov.
Brian P. Kemp
's previous
executive order
that
expired Wednesday
and
allows
"more
openings
, including
local
parks
,
some businesses
, and
eases
the
restrictions
for most."
She noted that individuals
age 65
or
older
and those with
health issues
are asked to remain
sheltered in place
.
Bars, theaters
and
many public venues
remian
closed
.
"The
City Council
does
respect
the
ability
for
most businesses
to
open
. We do
encourage
everyone to abide by the
governor’s recommendations
of
wearing masks
when in public,
restricting
numbers of
people gathering
to less than 20 and to always consider
physical spacing
to six feet apart," the
mayor
said.
"
City Hall
is now
open
, but with
restricted access
and
limited interaction
."
On
Thursday
, city employees resumed
normal duties
in all departments;
some
city
operations
had been temporarily
curtailed
because of the
pandemic
.
The city is still
asking
visitors
to continue using the
drive-thru
and
drop box
for utility
payments
. Utility payments will be taken inside City Hall but
social distancing
rules are
enforced
. There will be no access to the other floors or to restrooms as they remain closed.
City public facilities such as the
Leroy Rogers Senior Citizen Center
and the
Tift Theatre
for the Performing Arts
remain
closed
until at least
May 31
.
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"We will
evaluate
the situation during the last week of May to see if this should be extended or modified.
Parks
and
playgrounds
may be used, and the
dog park
will be
open
according to the present guidelines," the city said in a press release.
"In the abundance of caution, we will
not
be
renting pavilions
or
shelters
at this time, and
no gatherings
of
more than 10
people in these areas will be
allowed
."
Lobbies
of the
Tifton Fire Department, Tifton Police Department
and
Community
Development
are now
open
but all business will be conducted within the lobby only.
"The
City of Tifton
will remain
serious
about following
social distancing
and all
sanitary
rules
indefinitely. A list of those rules will remain circulated, will be enforced, and posted in all workspaces and areas. All
visitors
are
encouraged
to wear
masks
while at any city facilities," the city said.
Municipal Court
resumes
May 20
, and
Tifton City Council
meetings for
May
through
June
will utilize "any
remote
system necessary." Effective
June 15
, the city will
resume
cut-off procedures
for
non-payment
of
utilities
, which was temporarily suspended because of the
pandemic
.
"We encourage all
citizens
to use
discretion
based on their
circumstances
," Mayor
Smith
told the
Tifton Grapevine
.
"While we are
mostly free to move about
, we
encourage staying at home
as much as possible,
wearing protective masks
and
sanitation measures,
such as
washing hands
and using
hand sanitizer.
"
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BEN HILL COUNTY HAS FIRST VIRUS DEATH
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The
Ga. Department of Public Health
(DPH), South Health District, on
Thursday
confirmed the
first COVID-19
related
death
of a resident of
Ben Hill County
.
The
individual
in the
Fitzgerald area
was a
73-year-old male
who was
not hospitalized
. It is unknown at this time if he had any underlying medical conditions, the
DPH
said.
“We are extremely
saddened
that another individual has died within our district,” said Dr.
William R. Grow
, district health director. “We continue to
encourage older individuals
and individuals with
underlying medical conditions
or compromised immune systems to
stay home
and away from others as much as possible to
protect
themselves from this
devastating disease
.”
The
DPH
said there have been
44
positive
COVID-19
cases in
Ben Hill County
and the
one death
as of late
Thursday
.
Statewide, there are
35,977
confirmed coronavirus cases in
Georgia
with
1,544
deaths, the
DPH
said.
The
White House
this week said that
Georgia
will receive more than
$260 million
in federal funding to increase its capability to
test
for
COVID-19
.
The
funding
comes from the
Paycheck Protection Program
and
Health Care Enhancement Act
, nicknamed the
CARES Act 3.5
, which was passed last month.
In addition to providing
stimulus checks
to Americans and funding for
small business relief
, the act also provided funding for
cities and states
to increase their
testing capacity
.
The White House said
$11 billion
will go toward
states
to help with
testing
.
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SUSPECT SOUGHT IN TIFT
TRIPLE SHOOTING
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Authorities have issued
arrest warrants
for a man in connection with a
triple shooting Tuesday night
in
Tift County
.
James Douglas Osby
, 23, is being
sought
on t
hree counts
of
aggravated assault
, the
Georgia Bureau of Investigation
(GBI) said.
On
Tuesday
evening,
May 12
, the
Tift County Sheriff’s Office
responded to a
shooting
in the
2700 block
of
Brunswick Street
, the GBI said.
Deputies found
Devasiyea Johnson
, 20;
Javante Dixon
, 19; and
Brendan Gray
, 19; all suffering from
gunshot wounds
. All three were
transported
to a
hospital
where they are
recovering
, authorities said.
The
GBI
is
assisting
the
Tift County Sheriff’s Office
in the investigation.
Anyone with
information
is asked to call the
Sheriff’s Office
at
229-388-6020
or the
GBI's Sylvester Office
at
229-777-2080
.
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TIFT COUNTY HIGH'S TEACHER OF YEAR
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Tift County High School recently named
Bridgett Bowen as its
Teacher of the Year.
Bowen
teaches 12th-grade
economics
and
social studies
, and has been at the
high school
for
14
years.
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SOUTHWELL'S LIGHT WALL SHINES
FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS
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Since late
April
, there has been a
light shining
for each of
Southwell’s COVID-19 patients
at
Tift Regional Medical Center’
s 20th Street lobby in
Tifton
.
The custom-built display depicts the
initials
for the
Tift Regional Health System
.
As of
Thursday
,
Southwell
recorded a total of
365
positive
COVID-19
patients and
38
deaths. Another
161
patients have recovered.
Southwell
, based in
Tifton
, serves
12
counties with
Tift Regional Medical Center
(TRMC), the
TRMC West Campus
in
Tifton
,
Southwell Medical Hospital
and
Southwell
Health and Rehabilitation
in
Adel
, and more than
30
primary care and specialty clinics throughout the region.
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TIFT BOE NAMES NEW EIGHTH STREET PRINCIPAL
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The
Tift County Board of Education
on
Thursday
named Dr.
Julian Jones
as the new
principal
for
Eighth Street Middle School
.
Jones
, principal at
University High School
in
Orange City, Fla.
, succeeds Dr.
Chad
Stone
, recently named
principal
of
Tift County High School.
Jones
has been a
principal
for
19
years and has
administrative experience
at the high school, middle and elementary school levels.
He is a
graduate
of
Georgia College and State University
in Milledgeville.
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VIDEO:
John Berry, center, appears in new music video by Joe & Martina.
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FORMER TIFT RESIDENT JOHN BERRY JOINS JOE & MARTINA IN VIDEO
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Country music star
John Berry
, a former
Tift County
resident, says he was
honored
to be
featured
in the new music project “
Give Me Back The 90’s”
by country music’s hot new duo,
Joe & Martina
.
Berry's contribution
included
vocals
on the
single
, and he is
showcased
in the newly released
video
.
The
single
debuted on Music Row Country Breakout Chart at
No. 70
and has climbed to
No. 53
, followed by a
No. 16
chart position on the CDX True Indie Chart – a feat for an independent act.
"From the very outset, I could tell
Joe & Martina
had
something special
to offer country music,”
Berry
said. "I was absolutely
taken back
that they had
included me
as a
'90s artist
that had influenced them to pursue their dreams. It is quite
humbling
, and I thank
Joe & Martina
for the privilege of singing on what I know is a hit.”
The song,
“Give Me Back the 90’s,”
reminisces about
life before
the
digital age
and cites several
'90s country artists
, including
Berry
.
“Martina and I are hardcore country music fans first and foremost, so intentionally nodding our hats to
George Strait, Trisha Yearwood, Wynonna
and, of course,
John Berry
, was nothing but an
act of love
for some of the artists who truly shaped us as musicians and established our life soundtrack,” said
Joe
.
Martina
said she “had a
poster
of
John Berry
on my
wall
as a
kid
, so having
John record
and
appear
in our
music video
, sharing his talent and soul, will forever remain a
pinch-me
moment.”
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ABAC STUDENT AMONG 14 IN U.S. TO BE NATIONAL TEACH AG AMBASSADOR
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Jack Bazemore
, a junior agricultural education major at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
, is one of
14
students
nationwide
selected as a
National Teach Ag Ambassador
for the 2020-21 year.
Bazemore
is the
first
student from a
college
or
university
in
Georgia
selected for the honor in the history of the National Teach Ag Ambassadors’ program.
“
Agricultural education
has afforded me the opportunity to combine my passions for
teaching
and the
outdoors
to help mold and shape the future of our industry and our nation,”
Bazemore
said. “I am extremely excited to represent
ABAC
this year as a
Teach Ag Ambassador
.”
The 14 ambassadors will be
advocates
for
agricultural education
at the
93rd National FFA Convention
in
Indianapolis
on
Oct. 28-31
. The students will represent the
National Teach Ag Campaign
at the convention and
encourage
high school students who stop by the Teach Ag booth to consider
careers
as
agriculture teachers
.
Active in the
ABAC Collegiate FFA
, Bazemore is a member of the
ABAC Horseman’s Association
, the
Tifton Volunteer Fire Department
, and the
First Presbyterian Church of Tifton.
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TIFT COMMISSIONER STALNAKER COMPLETES PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING
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Association County Commissioners of Georgia
(ACCG) recently recognized Tift County Commissioner
Stan Stalnaker
for completing public safety requirements in the
Lifelong Learning Academy
.
ACCG
and the
Carl Vinson Institute of Government
at the
University of Georgia
have collaborated for more than two decades to provide county officials with
supplemental training
and
educational tools
. County officials have tailor-made learning experiences that allow them to excel in specific areas of expertise.
“County officials are faced with many
challenges
and ever-evolving circumstances under which they must govern Georgia’s
local communities
,” said
Dave
Wills
, ACCG’s executive director.
“The
Lifelong Learning Academy
was created to help them navigate those challenges. I commend county leaders such as
Stan Stalnaker
who take full advantage of educational opportunities to further their knowledge on how to better serve their communities.”
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SRTC FOUNDATION AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS FOR SUMMER SEMESTER
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For the 2020
summer semester
beginning
May 21
, the
Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) Foundation
has awarded
scholarships
to
56
students totaling more than
$37,000
.
The
scholarship funds
may be used to assist students with
technology expenses
associated with online coursework as well as more traditional education-related costs such as
tuition, fees, books
, and classroom
supplies
.
Among the
students
awarded
scholarships
are:
Karol Kirk
of
Nashville
;
Hannah Watts
of
Norman Park
;
Nestor Nunez Vasquez
of
Omega
;
Chandler Bearden
and
Virginia Lamb
of
Sylvester
; and
Daisey Estrada, Kimjuana Ivey, Cornellia Lane, Lucia Pena
and
Noemi Reyes
of
Tifton
.
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TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S PET OF THE WEEK
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This
dog
is currently on stray hold at
Tift County Animal Shelter
. If not
reclaimed
, will be available for
adoption
or
rescue
. If this is your pet, call the
animal shelter
to claim,
229-382-PETS (7387).
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Pets of the Week are sponsored by:
Branch’s Veterinary Clinic
205 Belmont Ave., Tifton, 229-382-6055
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CORONAVIRUS CLEARINGHOUSE
Important Phone Numbers & Web Sites
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MAY 6
Teresa Diane “Judy” Roberts Rewis, 60,
Tifton
Carl Duren Jr. 84,
Adel
Raymond Brown, 67,
Tifton
Henry Lynch, 78,
Adel
Benita Whittenberger, 64,
Worth County
MAY 7
Loraine Jones, 82,
Quitman
Geraline McCracken, 83,
Worth County
MAY 8
Wade C. Melton, 53,
Fitzgerald
Sarah Osborne Singletary, 82,
Enigma
Gary Blount, 78,
Lenox
Judith "Judy" Williams, 83,
Valdosta
Robert A Dunbar, 80,
Fitzgerald
MAY 9
Teresa Machelle Dorman Rojo, 50,
Lenox
Curtis W. Etheredge, 60,
Sylvester
Bonny Ray Jones, 85,
Ray City
Wanda Gail Richardson, 58,
Sparks
Joseph N. Morgan Sr., 91,
Sylvester
Mary Grace Moore, 77,
Coffee County
MAY 10
Verene White Bryant, 88,
Sylvester
Willene Culpepper Beard, 88,
Ashburn
Gloria Goff Watson, 84,
Ashburn
MAY 11
Gary Leon Meeks, 80,
Chula
Willis Wright Marchant, 83,
Tifton
Barbara Anne Wiseman, 70,
Adel
Martha Harper Fussell, 96,
Douglas
Della Davis Golden, 84,
Fitzgerald
Pamela Meadows Ellenburg, 60,
Ashburn
MAY 12
Victor Jerome “Hossie” Ball, 55,
Tifton
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________________________________
MAY 13
Connie Ann Avery, 45,
Sylvester
Johnny Raymond Burch,
Warwick
Marie Dennard, 85,
Tifton
Vera Joyce Watson Starrak, 74,
Tifton
Carol Pauline Wright Hurd, 77,
Altus, Okla.
Joyce Laverne Aultman, 71,
Tifton
MAY 14
Charles Gary Pate, 62,
Tifton
Billie Joe Davis, 82,
Sylvester
Brenda Gail Kelley, 64,
Adel
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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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