The Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence (TCFEE) this week awarded a total of $2,000 to three Tift County schools' academic teams. 

Student teams from Northeast Middle School and Tift County High School received the Howard Academic Competition Team Grants from TCFEE executive board members Dr. Kaylar Howard of the Howard Center and Laura Cutts.

Media Specialist Heather Bishoff at Northeast Middle was awarded $1,020 to support students competing for the first time in the Tome Reading Bowl competition.

At Tift County High, Career & Technical Instruction (CTI) Coordinator Christopher Paulk received $700 to aid students competing in leadership and state CTI conferences. 

This is the second Howard Center Academic Grant that Paulk and his CTI teams have been awarded. As a result of past funding, several students placed first, second, and third in their CTI events, were elected officers and earned scholarships.

Paulk himself has received the Harry Donaldson Over and Beyond Award from the Georgia Association of Career Educators for Special Needs Populations and serves on the Region 5 CTI Board of Directors.

Also at Tift County High, SkillsUSA teacher Kim Keen received $280 to support students competing in SkillsUSA events and competitions. 

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce in trade, technical and skilled service occupations, including health occupations.

The Howard Academic Competition Team Grants were introduced in 2014. Since then, 22 grants totaling nearly $14,000 have bolstered academic teams featuring some of Tift County’s smartest and most competitive students.

Christmas is safe in Cook County.

At a special Christmas gathering the other day with Cook County Pre-K children at the courthouse in Adel, Sheriff Doug Hanks and his Cook deputies arrested the Grinch for attempting to sabotage Christmas, throwing the varmint behind bars.

The Christmas party for approximately 200 children from Cook County’s Pre-K program then continued without a hitch, including a visit from Santa himself.

Probate Court Judge L. Chase Daughtrey had issued the bench warrant for the Grinch.

The event was hosted by Cook County’s constitutional officers – Sheriff Hanks, Judge Daughtrey, Judge Stephen Chammoun, Clerk of Court April Garrett, Tax Commissioner Tonya McConnell, Tax Assessor Jennifer Thornton, and Solicitor Matt Bennett.

Superior Court Judge Dick Perryman read the children an order he signed authorizing Santa Claus into the homes of all children in Cook County on Christmas Eve.

The order “instructs the sheriff of said county to authorize entry into the homes of the children of Cook County for the purposes of bringing gifts and smiles to the wonderful children of Adel, Lenox, Cecil, and Sparks.”

And no Grinches are allowed.

Tift County High Blue Devil defensive tackle Tyre West will go from wearing a blue “T" on his uniform to an orange “T."

West, one of the highest-ranked college football prospects in the nation, has changed his longtime commitment to the University of Georgia and instead has signed with the University of Tennessee.

In recent weeks, West has made widely reported visits to Florida State, fueling speculation that he was about to sign with the Seminoles. But on Wednesday, he signed with the Volunteers.

The 6-foot-3, 280-pound Blue Devil senior apparently chose Tennessee because it is expected to allow him the chance to play right away, rather than waiting a turn behind more established players.

The Adel Police Department has recognized its top officers for the year in a ceremony this week.

Sgt. Joel Futch was named Officer of the Year (at left in photo), Animal Control Officer Regenia Wells received the Chief's Award of Excellence, and Officer Justin Godwin received the Top Gun Award for 2021.

Tift County reported eight confirmed COVID-19 cases and no related deaths during the past week, according to the Ga. Department of Public Health (DPH).

During the past two weeks, Tift County recorded 11 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 39 total cases when rapid Antigen positive cases are added, the DPH said.

Tift County’s confirmed cases in the past two weeks represent 27 cases per 100,000 population, and 96 cases per 100,000 with Antigen positives. Tift's testing positivity rate for the virus was 1.2% during the two-week period, the DPH reported.

There have been a total of 4,908 confirmed cases and 140 deaths in Tift since the pandemic began, according to DPH data. Tift's vaccination rate against the disease is at 41%, the DPH reported. Georgia's vaccination rate statewide is at 52%.

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College recently recognized students who achieved academic excellence during the fall semester.

ABAC's President’s Honor List is the highest academic honor; students must attain an “A” in every subject, resulting in a perfect 4.0 grade point average (GPA) and carry at least 12 hours of classes.

The Dean’s Honor List is for students with a GPA of 3.5 and at least 12 hours of academic work. The Distinguished Achievement List is for students who complete between six and 11 hours of academic work with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Among the students recognized are the following from Tifton:

President’s List: Hannah Abell, John Aultman, Joseph Aultman, Sydney Barry, George Bates, Seth Bishoff, Celiabeth Branch, Hannah Bryson, Lleyton Callison, Gloria Del Toro, Aerial Densmore, Samantha Dorminey, Owen Dunn, Pearson Futch, Erin Gilleland, Kyle Gillespie, Andrew Gillis, Laura Gomez, Clark Hall, Coby-James Harper, Emily Henderson, Chalee Hill, Dianna Huerta, Robert Hurd, Giovanni Jimenez, Landon Johnson, Chadwick Jones, Madison Luke, Alexis Mack, Michael Martin, Tucker Matthews, Kendall Maxwell, Mahala McDaniel, Emma Moroney, Madeline Pate, Nikul Patel, Dominique Prince, Karina Rodriquez, Niyay Rotgers, Emily Rowland, Sara Spradley, Nathan Stainback, Christy Stewart, Cameron Sumner, Kylie Tanton, Samuel Thompson, Adeline Tran, Luis Viruegas, Breanna Walls

Dean’s List: Malorie Adkins, Shamya Anderson, Ja’mi Barnes, Autumn Bowen, Lauren Brenneman, Alexis Bruner, Josh Burnsed, Gaston Cantero, Brittney Carelock, Maggie Cheek, Keyona Cody, Colton Creel, Mattie Davis, Madison DelToro, Rheudean Dorman, Benjamin Douglas, Thao Anh Du, Samuel Eaton, Amy Elizalde, Ashton Fulp, Kemper Hall, Kerstin Hall, Maria Del Carmen, Hernandez De Diaz, Andrew Jimenez, Bailey Jones, Sasha King, Jackson Lee, Logan Lesh, Chayla Lopez, Harmon Maraman, Alyssa McDaniel, Charles Miller, Abbigail Moore, Allen Moretz, Janki Patel, Viran Patel, Vivek Patel, Bradley Peterson, Christian Phillippi, Dania Ramirez, Colby Rigdon, Blaire Rutherford, Greer Rutledge-Schemmel, Julia Ryland, Taylor Slater, Melanie Smith, Nicholas Spader, David Trejo, Karrigan Turner, Michael Turner, Jessie Vance, Chase Wiley, Jonathan Williams, Madison Young

Distinguished List: Sandra Adcock, Laine Anderson, Hannah Barry, Sawyer Bass, Chase Bazemore, Dontavious Bell, Melissa Billington, Bailey Booth, Kristin Bowling, Alexandria Branch, Andi Branch, Alexis Braselton, Anthony Brey, Lauren Brey, Brayden Callison, Emma Cargle, Garrett Carlson, Geraldine Carrera, Shakiria Chaney, Alyssa Creel, Albert Culbreath, Gloria Dalton, EmmaLee Daniels, Jenna Davis, Caleb Dela Cerna, Wendy De Santiago, Madison Dixon, Amanda Doss, Hollee Dunston, Nickolas Erskine, Avigail Estrada, Emma Fulghum, Aryn Germano, Margaret Giddens, Mark Gladden, Trace Glausier, Michal Gregus, Madison Griffin, William Griffis, Shelby Harper, Casey Harrison, Nolan Harvin, Juliana Hooks, William Hornback, Kalen Horne, Emery Huggins, Kiersten Huggins, Adylein Hunt, Carter Jackson, Conner Jackson, Nyanna Jackson, Shyanna Jackson, Brittany Johnson, Madeline Kirk, Karsyn Long, Kevyn Lopez, Christian Massa, John Mobley, Blair Moore, Ernesto Ortiz Ariza, Anna Owens, Tyler Parrish, Reagan Pate, Neel Patel, Nilima Patel, Abigail Pearman, Susanne Peters, Anna Putnal, Brianna Reeves, Catherine Roach, Lilly Roach, Jonathan Salazar, Mabel Scott, Yelena Shell, William Shivers, Leah Shoniker, Rebekah Slaven, Colten Smith, Luke Smith, Laura Starnes, Rhett Stephenson, Jackson Strickland, Liliana Torres, Heriberto Torres Serna, Clair Troxell, Sarah Ward, Allison Ware, Olivia Wiley, Anna Willis, Benjamin Wilson

The South Georgia Council of the Boy Scouts of America held its annual Webelos Rendezvous last weekend at Camp Patten in Lakeland.

Webelos scouts attended from packs in Tifton, Sylvester, Fitzgerald, Albany, Americus, Cordele, Hahira, Lakeland, Leesburg, and Valdosta.

As Webelo scouts near the end of the Cub Scout trail, they embrace the next leg of the journey, Scouts BSA. During the weekend, Webelos interacted and learned from older scouts such skills as fire building, knot tying, outdoor cooking, axe handling, bow sawing, camp setup, and outdoor first aid.

The South Georgia Council serves thousands of girls and boys in scouting in 28 counties in South Georgia.

Include your name, phone number and address for verification purposes. Email letters to: IHeardIt@tiftongrapevine.com

TO THE EDITOR: Luminaries in Tifton Terrace on Tuesday, Dec. 21 – a very special thank you to the Campbell family: Maghan, Jeremy, Norah, Miles, and Calvin, for coordinating this special occasion.

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This Saturday, Dec. 18, is National Wreaths Across America Day. Its mission: To remember fallen U.S. veterans; honor those who serve; and teach children the value of freedom. Every third Saturday in December at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as other cemeteries in the U.S., wreaths are laid.

“Winnie," a female pooch, is available for adoption at the Tift County Animal Shelter on Highway 125 South between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For more information, call 229-382-PETS (7387).

205 Belmont Ave., Tifton, 229-382-6055  

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