Tifton's Forecast: 'Boo-tiful'

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

A SCARY GOOD TIME!

HALLOWEEN EVENTS START EARLY IN TIFTON

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Ghosts, goblins, and all sorts of costumed kids will be out and about around the Tiftarea during the next few days.

Halloween is officially this Sunday, Oct. 31, but the festivities around Tifton get underway early, from large community gatherings to smaller, church-sponsored events.

Here is a rundown of just some of the spooky happenings scheduled in Tifton during the next few days:

Wednesday, Oct. 27 – Among the church-sponsored Trunk or Treat drive-thru events are ones at Tifton's First United Methodist Church from 5:30-7 p.m., and at Eastside Baptist Church, 6-7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 28 – One of Tifton's largest Halloween happenings is the annual Downtown Tifton Trick or Treat among participating downtown businesses from 5-6 p.m., sponsored by Tifton Main Street. Traditionally, hundreds of costumed kids and their parents make their way up and down Main Street to collect candies and goodies. Rain is forecast on Thursday, so if the event the event is rained out it will be postponed a day until 5-6 p.m. Friday.

Saturday, Oct. 30 – The day's big event is the annual "Trick or Treat in the Village,” 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Ga. Museum of Agriculture. Children may participate in a costume contest, catch a hayride around the village, or join in yard games on the cotton gin lawn. Candy will be available throughout the village while supplies last. There is an entry fee.

Also on Saturday, Union Church is holding a Trunk or Treat from 5:30-7 p.m. at Friendly City Park in the E.B. Hamilton Sports Complex.

Sunday, Oct. 31 – The Tifton Mall and The Avenue Church are sponsoring a Trunk or Treat event in the mall parking lot, 7-9 p.m., and St. Anne's Episcopal Church is having one that evening from 6-8 p.m.

The Tifton Fire Department is asking everyone to use battery-powered lights or electric candles in jack-o-lanterns to help prevent unintentional fires; and local law enforcement officials are reminding motorists to be extra cautious this weekend as young trick-or-treaters will be haunting neighborhoods and streets.

TIFT SCHOOLS SETS

ANOTHER PUBLIC MEETING FOR THURSDAY ON

FACILITIES PLANS

The Tift County School System is holding another community meeting on Thursday night to share the system's school facilities plans and to get public input.

The meeting will be held 6-7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 28, at Tift County High School's performing arts center. A community meeting was also held Tuesday evening.

On the ballot this election is the five-year continuation of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or E-SPLOST, the special one-cent sales tax for education capital projects last approved in Tift County in 2016.

An affirmative vote will continue the existing tax and allow the Tift County School System to issue up to $70 million in general obligation bonds for new school buildings and facilities.

For an explanation of E-SPLOST and its proposed projects, Click Here!

EARLY VOTING ENDS FRIDAY; ELECTION DAY

ON TUESDAY

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Advance voting ends at 5 p.m. Friday for the Nov. 2 election. After that, polls reopen at 7 a.m. Tuesday for the general election with two referendum questions.

The local ballots include two Tifton City Council seats, a special election on whether to allow package sales of liquor in the city, and a countywide referendum on renewing the one-cent E-SPLOST for local education.

The voting has been going smoothly without any issues, said Leila E. Dollison,

election supervisor with the Tift County Board of Elections. As of Tuesday afternoon, 328 people had voted in Tift County, Dollison told the Tifton Grapevine.

The ballot is different for voters depending upon where they live. Registered voters in City Council districts 1 and 3 will decide their city representatives, and all voters within the city will decide if Tifton should issue licenses for the packaged sale of distilled spirits.

All voters in Tift County, including the cities of Tifton, Omega, and Ty Ty, will vote on renewing the one-cent Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (E-SPLOST) for capital improvements in the school system.

Early voting continues through Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Tift County Board of Elections Office in Building B at 222 Chesnutt Ave. in Tifton.

On Election Day next Tuesday, voters will cast ballots in their home precincts between 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Irvin and Joy Branch gather with family on Friday at the entrance to the newly dedicated Branch Athletic Complex at Tiftarea Academy in Chula.

TIFTAREA ACADEMY NAMES ATHLETIC COMPLEX FOR IRVIN & JOY BRANCH

Tiftarea Academy on Friday dedicated its Athletic Complex to Irvin and Joy Branch.

Irvin Branch is in his 25th year as president of the Tiftarea Academy Board of Trustees. His wife Joy has taught classes at the Chula school.

"Both of them have dedicated countless hours to TA over many years," school officials said on social media.

"We are so grateful for their commitment to and love of Tiftarea Academy. We were honored to present them with this."

During a short ceremony, the couple also received a framed picture of the arch designating the "Branch Athletic Complex."

TIFT COVID-19 CASES REACH

THREE-MONTH LOW,

BUT VACCINE RATE STALLS

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

As Tift County's daily average of COVID-19 cases has reached the lowest level in three months, the number of Tift countians getting vaccinated against the virus has also slowed, according to data released Tuesday.

Tift is now showing a daily average of 10 cases per 100,000 population, the lowest number since July 18, according to data compiled by Emory University.

But the percentage of Tift countians fully vaccinated has remained at 39% for approximately 10 days, according to data from the Ga. Department of Public Health (DPH). Statewide, 50% of eligible Georgians are now fully vaccinated, rising 2% in two weeks, the DPH reported Tuesday.

Tift County reported two COVID-19 deaths in the past week with seven new confirmed cases of the virus, according to DPH data.

In the past two weeks, Tift has seen 22 confirmed cases, representing 54 per 100,000, the DPH said. When rapid Antigen test results are added, Tift had 42 total cases during the period, representing 103 per 100,000.

Tift's testing positivity rate is 4.5% in the past two weeks. The county has a total of 4,852 confirmed cases with 133 related deaths, the DPH said.

The state has recorded a total of 1,260,262 confirmed cases with 24,509 deaths, the DPH reported. During the 24 hours between Monday and Tuesday, Georgia reported 854 new confirmed cases of the virus with 70 related deaths, and 184 new hospitalizations, the DPH said.

COCA-COLA UNITED'S TIFTON FACILITY NOW 'FULLY OPERATIONAL'

Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United's sales and distribution center in Tifton, which has been up and running for a few months, is "now fully operational," the company announced Monday on social media.

The $65 million state-of-the-art sales/distribution center and warehouse is 330,000 square feet and uses the latest technology in beverage distribution.

The facility serves 21 counties in South Georgia and three in the Florida Panhandle – which translates to more than 600,000 consumers, Coca-Cola United said.

The Tifton operation is located off Interstate 75 at Exit 59 and is difficult to miss when traveling along the highway.

TIFTON

2012 Pineview Ave. Tifton, Ga 31793

TIFT COUNTY SHERIFF INSTALLS

TWO NEW DEPUTIES

Tift County Sheriff Gene Scarbrough, center, recently swore in two deputies to the ranks of the Tift County Sheriff's Office. At left is Deputy Mossiah Godfrey, and at right is Deputy Sam Tucker.

"I thank both of you for choosing to serve the citizens of Tift County as deputy sheriffs, and wish you a safe and prosperous journey," Scarbrough said.

TIFTAREA ACADEMY CROWNS NEW

HOMECOMING QUEEN

Laura Ann Jones, a senior at Tiftarea Academy, was crowned the school's Homecoming Queen during halftime of last Friday's football game in Chula.

She is the daughter of Reid and Tiffany Jones of Chula.

Homecoming Court seniors also included Anslee Jones and Whitney Hancock.

The Tiftarea Academy Panthers fell, 29-22, to Brookwood during Friday's homecoming game. The Panthers face Southland Academy this Friday at the Panther Pit for Senior Night.

SOUTHWELL'S SYLVIA BARR CENTER NAMES NEW MEDICAL DIRECTOR, REOPENS

The Sylvia Barr Center, the 12-bed geriatric psychiatric facility located within Southwell Medical in Adel, recently announced its new medical director and that the center will once again accept patients after a temporary closure.

Dr. Abhinav “Abhi” Saxena has been named Sylvia Barr Center director. Raised in Macon, he attended the University of Georgia before completing medical school at Mercer University. He trained in psychiatry at Vanderbilt University, where he was chief resident his final year.

Most recently, Saxena was director of hospital services for Vanderbilt Behavioral Health.

The Sylvia Barr Center provides specialized behavioral health services to adults aged 55 and older. Because of the recent spike of COVID-19 patients at Tift Regional Medical Center, the hospital chose to temporarily close the Sylvia Barr Center.

“We have recently seen a decrease in COVID-19 cases and feel we can safely reopen the Sylvia Barr Center at this point. We are happy to report that the Sylvia Barr Center is now back open and accepting patients,” said Jay Carmichael, chief operating officer for Southwell Medical.

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

Georgia's Own Credit Union

1004 Love Ave., Tifton

Oct. 19

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CAT OF THE WEEK

"Punkin," a male kitty, is ready for a good home. To adopt "Punkin" and to see other pets available for adoption, 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

PANEL NAMED TO BUILD METHODIST PARSONAGE IN TIFTON

– OCT. 26, 1894

At the quarterly conference of the Alapaha Circuit held in the Tifton Methodist Church on Oct. 26, 1894, members decided to build a parsonage in Tifton. A building committee was appointed consisting of W.O. Tift, W.H. Love, T.M. Green, G.H. Padrick, and W.S. Louther.