Masks Return in City

Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

TIFT HAS 141 NEW COVID-19 CASES; CITY BRINGS BACK MASKS IN FACILITIES

TIFT'S AVERAGE DAILY CASES HIGHEST SINCE JANUARY

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

As COVID-19 cases continue rising in Tifton and Tift County, the City of Tifton has reinstated a face mask requirement for all city facilities.

During its meeting Monday, Tifton City Council voted unanimously to once again require the wearing of masks on all municipal property by employees and the public.

"Everybody needs to be smart and do what they’re supposed to do," said Councilman MJ Hall, who made the motion for masks.

Vice Mayor Wes Ehlers said he saw recent information about COVID-19 in the state, which should be "a wake-up call.” Ehlers said that Georgians who are unvaccinated against the virus have a more than 500 times greater risk of death from COVID-19 than do fully vaccinated residents.

According to data from Emory University, Tift County now has a daily average of 73 coronavirus cases per 100,000 population – the county’s highest number since January. The daily average of cases across Georgia is 28 per 100,000 people.

During the past two weeks, Tift County has recorded 141 confirmed cases of COVID-19, which is 345 cases per 100,000, according to the Ga. Department of Public Health (DPH). Tift saw a 10.3% testing positivity rate during the period, the DPH said.

Randy Chambers, part of Southwell’s vaccination planning team, told City Council that the local health system is looking at reimplementing drive-thru testing for COVID-19.

There have been a total of 3,656 confirmed cases in Tift County with 103 related deaths, according to DPH data.

Hardest hit in the immediate area is Moultrie and Colquitt County, the DPH said, with 315 new cases in the past two weeks representing 694 cases per 100,000.

Statewide, there were 6,480 new confirmed cases between Monday and Tuesday, with 21 related deaths and 167 new hospitalizations, the DPH reported. Georgia has seen a total of 942,887 confirmed cases with 18,750 deaths.

SOUTHWELL HAS $895M ECONOMIC IMPACT – REPORT

Southwell, which includes Tift Regional Medical Center in Tifton and Southwell Medical in Adel, has more than a $894.9 million impact on the local economy, according to a new report.

The report by the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA), the state's largest hospital trade association, noted that Southwell had direct expenditures of more than $390.8 million in 2019. When combined with an economic multiplier developed by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis, the total economic impact of the expenditures was $894.9 million.

The multiplier considers the ripple effect of direct hospital expenditures on other sectors, such as medical supplies, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals.

“We are dedicated to providing timely, quality care to our patients and community,” said Chris Dorman, Southwell president & CEO. “Over the years, we have grown and expanded to better serve the needs of our community, and we are excited to continue that growth.”

Tift Regional Medical Center is Tift County's largest employer with 2,675 employees. Southwell Medical in Cook County adds another 246 employees. The GHA report noted that as a supplement to the people directly employed by Southwell, the hospital system's presence in the region creates an additional 6,824 jobs in the area. This includes physician offices, nursing homes, suppliers, home health care and more.

“Every community needs a strong, vibrant healthcare system that will attract other industries and businesses to the area in addition to meeting the healthcare needs of its residents,” Dorman said. “Preserving access to health care is extremely important, and we are the primary guardian of health in our community.”

SRTC HONORS 800+ GRADUATES AT SPRING-SUMMER COMMENCEMENT

Southern Regional Technical College's (SRTC) commencement Thursday honored more than 800 graduates from the spring and summer semesters at all of SRTC's campuses, including Tifton.

More than 250 of the students participated in the ceremony, held at SRTC's Bainbridge campus, during which degrees, diplomas, and certificates were conferred to students who have completed their credit programs or high school equivalency credentials.

Many graduates received multiple honors as some programs have embedded certificates that are obtained when completing a program in its entirety. In total, 240 degrees, 169 diplomas, 441 technical certificates of credit, and 44 high school equivalency credentials were presented.

Stephanie Butler, a certified veterinary technician and SRTC alumnus, delivered the commencement address. She is an adjunct instructor for the SRTC veterinary technology program and manages a clinic in Cairo.

The technical college's fall semester begins Aug. 17.

TIFT SCHOOLS NAMES TEACHER OF YEAR

AS NEW SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS

As Tift County Schools began its new school year, the school system announced its Teacher of the Year for 2021-2022: Bridgett Bowen from Tift County High School. Tenneson Nissan is providing a car for the Teacher of the Year to drive this year.

Eighth Street Middle School students celebrate Friday's first day of school in the photo at left, as two students at G.O. Bailey Elementary, at right, come to school prepared for the day ahead.

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

Automated Self Storage

1652 Carpenter Road, Tifton

July 28

An artist's rendering shows a possible plan for Commerce Way with a “parklet."

COMMUNITY FORUM TO ADDRESS COMMERCE WAY IMPROVEMENTS

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

A Commerce Way Streetscape Community Forum is being held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4, inside Tifton City Hall council chambers. Face masks are required for everyone in attendance.

The City of Tifton and ESG Engineering are hosting the forum on Commerce Way improvements.

"To keep the momentum of development happening on Commerce Way moving forward, the purpose of this meeting is to discuss the possible concepts and to seek input from the community," reads a post on the Downtown Tifton Facebook page.

In June, a plan was unveiled before City Council to make Commerce Way a one-way street heading north and create a "parklet" with an outdoor eating area. Council was told that the Downtown Development Authority was in "full alignment" with the proposal.

However, some downtown merchants and property owners criticized the proposal, prompting the city to form a committee of city officials and business owners to review improvement plans.

Call 229-391-3966 for more information about the forum.

COLONY BANK COMPANY COMPLETES ACQUISITIONS CREATING GEORGIA'S LARGEST COMMUNITY BANK

Colony Bankcorp Inc., based in Fitzgerald, has completed the acquisition of SouthCrest Financial Group Inc., the holding company for SouthCrest Bank, adding more than $700 million in assets and creating the state's largest community bank and fourth-largest bank with assets of $2.4 billion.

Additionally, Colony announced it has completed acquiring The Barnes Agency, an Allstate consumer property and casualty insurance agency in Macon, and has created a subsidiary to operate the Allstate agency under the name Colony Insurance.

“The acquisition of SouthCrest is a significant milestone in the growth trajectory of Colony Bank. It expands us into attractive new markets, enhances our scale, and provides significant revenue growth opportunities," said Heath Fountain, president and chief executive officer.

Colony Bank also announced that Jason Morris has joined the company as senior vice president and Ashburn market president.

Morris has more than 15 years of experience in banking and financial services, most recently serving as president for Synovus Bank in Tifton. He also has served as vice president, commercial banker at Synovus; as branch manager and loan officer at AgGeorgia Farm Credit; has owned and operated Jason Morris Insurance Agency in Adel and Moultrie; and was manager of Morris Agricultural Service in Ocilla.

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CAT OF THE WEEK

"Sinatra" is seeking a "furever" home. To adopt "Ol' Blue Eyes" and to find your next pet, 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

MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION TO REQUEST

SURVEY OF TIFTON'S 'PARKING PROBLEMS'

– AUG. 4, 1963

Addressing an issue still in the news today, the Tifton Retail Merchants Association decided on Aug. 4, 1963, to attend the City Commission's next regular meeting and request a "survey of Tifton's parking problems."