Friday, April 10, 2020
Tifton, Georgia
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A message on a Tifton sidewalk
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GOV EXTENDS STAY-AT-HOME ORDER;
MAYOR GETS CALLS ABOUT VIOLATIONS
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By FRANK SAYLES JR.
Tifton Grapevine
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Gov.
Brian P. Kemp
on
Wednesday
extended Georgia’s
shelter-in-place order
through
April 30
as
Tifton officials
are
told
that
some local businesses
are
not following guidelines
to curb COVID-19.
In a post on social media, Tifton Mayor
Julie Smith
said that she has received "numerous
messages, videos, texts
from you about your disdain that many
local non-essential businesses
are
opening
and asking me to
do
something about it.
I have asked them not to open, but they’ve chosen to do so anyway. They see the
governor's executive order
as
reason to do so
,"
Smith
wrote.
"The
State Patrol
and
sheriff
are the ones who can
enforce
the
order
. If you have
concerns
please
call 911
. I have kindly
asked
that all
non-essential businesses close
. The EO (
executive order
)
overrides that
. All I can say is,
please stay home
," said
Smith
.
"The EO says we are to
stay home
for all but the most
essential
of
travel
. As long as you comply with that, then these
businesses
will
get
the
message
. They will only remain open if you choose to support their efforts. While I
appreciate
and
support
local
small business
(I am one, myself) I
support
and
appreciate
our
local medical community more at this time,"
Smith wrote.
"
Please,
stay home
."
Kemp
extended
the
stay-at-home
order
through
April
while also
extending
the
state's public health emergency
through
May 13
, allowing him authority to take other emergency actions later if necessary. The
governor
also placed
more restrictions
on the state's
senior-care facilities
, which have had more than
80
deaths from the
coronavirus
.
All
senior-care facilities
must
ban most visitors
, provide
in-room dining
for residents and
screen
all
residents
and
workers
for symptoms of the virus.
As of
Thursday night
, the
Ga. Department of Public Health
reported
10,885
cases of
COVID-19
in Georgia with
412
deaths.
Dougherty County
continues to
lead
the state with
66
deaths; the county has
1,042
confirmed cases.
Tift County
has
55
confirmed cases and
one death
of a
Tift County resident
. The
Southwell
health system, which includes
Tift Regional Medical Center,
reported
135
positive cases with
13
patients
recovered
. The health system reported
five deaths
.
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By FRANK SAYLES JR.
Tifton Grapevine
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This is a
holy week
for
Christendom
as well as for
Judaism
; the
Easter
holy week and
Passover
are
concurrent
this year.
As
millions
around the world
observe
these significant religious events, all of us find ourselves
coping
with (what we hope is) a once-in-a-lifetime
pandemic
. Tens of thousands of people have
died
worldwide from the
novel coronavirus
. We are told to
stay home
, go
out
only
if necessary
and if then, to
wear a mask
and stay at least
six feet away
from others – and to
wash our hands
constantly.
Here in the
Tiftarea
, we find ourselves
sequestered
at home and
praying
for our
neighbors
, our local
medical professionals
and the
entire hospital staffs
who are
dealing
with
life-and-death
situations daily.
It is
very easy
to fall into a
funk
and feel
worried, anxious
and
depressed
. The
news
is
bad
as well as
sad
; we
cannot
go out and do our
usual activities
; we
cannot
visit our
friends
and
loved ones
who are apart from us.
But the
situation
need not be dire
. Our
perspective
can
change our world
. Look at the
positives
in our lives. Be
thankful
if you have your
health
. Be
thankful
if you have a
meal
on your table. Be
thankful
that
someone
else
cares
about you.
Be
thankful
that most of us have this
opportunity
to
slow down
from our busy day-to-day schedules to spend
time
with our
families
, to
notice
the
change
of the
season
, to see the leaves budding, and the flowers growing, and to hear the birds chirping in our yard.
In this
holy week
, be
thankful
for
all
that is
truly important
. Take time to
think
; take time to
pray
; take time to show
gratitude
.
There is
much beyond
our
control
– we
cannot force
the
virus
to
disappear
any more than we can
stop another day
from
dawning
– but there is
also much within our
control
. We can
decide
how to
face each day
. We
decide
whether or not to be
happy
. We
decide
whether or not to
let individuals
and
circumstances
make us
angry
or
sad
.
We have
more control
than we
sometimes realize
. Still, the
world
will
change
yet
again
, for
change
is
a constant
in life. We
cannot predict
that
today
will be
like
yesterday
or what
tomorrow
may
bring
.
But we
can begin
each
day
with
hope
and
humility
, and with the
knowledge
everlasting that "
God's work
on
Earth
is truly
our own
."
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ABAC TO HOLD 'VIRTUAL' GRADUATION CEREMONY
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Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
has
cancelled
its
physical graduation
ceremony
for the
spring
but is
planning
a
virtual one
, President
David Bridges
announced this week in a
video message
.
"
Unfortunately
, we had to
cancel
the
face-to-face commencement
exercise, but we're going to provide you an opportunity with a
virtual commencement
on
May 7
, 2020, that will
celebrate
the
achievements
you've had since you've been at ABAC,"
Bridges
said.
"We
acknowledge
it
won't be the same
. But through the
hard work
of our
media team
, we've put together a
program
that we think will
recognize
you
individually
, calling your name and
letting
your
family members
and
friends celebrate
your
achievements
while at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
.
"
We hope you will enjoy it,
watch
it
as many times as you'd like
, and we'll see you soon."
Dr.
Jerry Baker
, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said while
ABAC
realizes the "
non-traditional virtual graduation
ceremony ... is
not ideal
, we
hope
it will
make
your
graduation day memorable
."
Baker said the
ceremony
will include
graduates
from
all ABAC locations
regardless of whether or not they originally planned to participate in the ceremony. To be
included
, Baker said
graduating students
need to
contact
their
advisor
to submit a
graduation
application
before the
April 14
deadline.
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SRTC STAFF GATHERS MEDICAL SUPPLIES FOR GEMA
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S
outhern Regional Technical College
's
School of Health Sciences
this week
delivered
medical supplies to the
Georgia Emergency Management Agency
(GEMA)
for use in the fight against
COVID-19
.
In total,
SRTC
donated
920 N95 masks
,
88,350
pairs of
gloves
, and
other
vital
medical supplies
.
Health Sciences faculty
members worked together to
collect
the
supplies
from the college's
Tifton, Bainbridge, Moultrie
, and
Thomasville
campuses.
Members of SRTC's
security team at each location
helped load the supplies, and the
CDL program mobilized to provide
transportation for the life-saving supplies.
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TIFTON KIWANIS CLUB COLLECTING HOMEMADE MASKS FOR RESIDENTS
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The
Kiwanis Club of Tifton
is collecting
homemade face masks
to be delivered to the
elderly
and other
local residents
.
The project is in response to the
federal recommendation
that
each individual
wear a
face mask
when out in public because of the
coronavirus
.
Bags
containing
masks
should be labelled
Kiwanis Club/ Renae Woods
and
dropped off
at Tifton's
Hilton Garden Inn
front desk.
When there is a sufficient supply,
Kiwanis Club
members will
deliver
them to
residences
with
no personal
or
physical contact
with residents.
Face masks will be placed in
plastic
or
paper lunch bags
for
delivery
with a
note
reminding the recipient to
wash
the mask
before wearing
.
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SECOND HARVEST DISTRIBUTES FOOD
TO 1,750 LOCAL FAMILIES
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Approximately
1,750
local
families
received free
boxes
of
food Thursday
from
Second Harvest of South Georgia.
The
drive-up
food
distribution
was at the
Ga. Museum of Agriculture.
On a
first-come/first-served
basis, each vehicle received a
box
of
non-perishable
food along with
fresh fruit
and
vegetables
. The
Georgia State Defense Force
helped to
distribute
the food;
Tifton Police
and the
ABAC police force
handled
traffic
control.
Second Harvest of South Georgia
, a member of
Feeding America
, has been working to combat
hunger
in the
region
for more than
two decades
. The organization has recently been
distributing
food boxes in
counties
throughout the
area
as
some
families
have found themselves in
unfamiliar circumstances
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TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S PETS OF THE WEEK
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The
dogs
pictured here are among several animals recently
rescued
by
Tift County Animal Control
. If this is your pet, please 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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APRIL 1
Lena Elizabeth “Beth” Shivers, 52,
Tifton
Peggy Robinson, 76,
Sparks
Dale McCluster,
Albany
Beth Penn, 93,
Adel
Shaki Smith Lifete, 39,
Quitman
APRIL 2
Wanda Smith Munn, 54,
Fitzgerald
Louise Thomas Guardia, 89,
Fitzgerald
James Phillip "Phil" Gibbs,
Atlanta
Nancy "Bebop" Conley Griffin, 63,
West Berrien
Barbara Stone Parks, 80,
Quitman
APRIL 3
Joann Simpson Ward, 87,
Tifton
Debra Rush Graham, 69,
Tifton
Gloria Pittman Dennard, 61,
Tifton
Nellie Dean Wills Gunn, 88,
Sumner
Donald L. Duren, 75,
Sparks
Annie Jo Harper Moore, 86,
Adel
Linda Faye Hollis, 67,
Fitzgerald
Edith Mae Parks Gentry, 89,
Broomfield, Colo.
APRIL 4
Odessa Wynelle Dean, 100,
Tifton
Ruth Latrelle Brooks, 86,
Worth County
Virginia Lee Griffin, 95,
Irwin County
Esto Rinaldo “Juney” Smith, 95,
Columbus
APRIL 5
Faye White, 83,
Worth County
Mary F. Bryant, 61,
Tifton
Margie G. Dorminey, 77,
Adel
Emma Jean Lewis, 89,
Nashville
Doris Faye Connell Tomlinson, 77,
Nashville
Dennis K. “Bubba” Murray, 58,
Fitzgerald
Margaret Rentz, 86,
Sparks
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APRIL 6
Dorothy "Dot" Lucille (Walters) Smith, 92,
Tifton
Amy Elizabeth Perry Primrose, 43,
Ocilla
Martha S. Raborn, 76,
Sylvester
Dorothy Lee Carter, 91,
Quitman
APRIL 7
Alton Rudolph Ray, 72,
Tifton
Joanne Dennard Bailey,
Tifton
William “Leroy” Wilcox, 65,
Adel
Ruth B. Duel, 86,
Ashburn
Winston Bowman Carroll Jr., 62,
Sparks
APRIL 8
J.D. "Dillon" Kinchen, 88,
Tifton
APRIL 9
Mary Martin York, 86,
Ty Ty
_______________________________
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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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