Tifton and Tift County are experiencing their highest-ever average daily cases of COVID-19, according to new information from state health officials.

And Tifton is among the top 12 cities in Georgia currently listed in the "Red Zone" for the coronavirus in the latest report from the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

Emory University’s latest COVID-19 data shows Tift County on Dec. 1 experiencing 67.6 average cases per 100,000 population, slightly eclipsing the county’s previous high of 67.3 average cases on Oct. 5. Tift’s average cases had declined substantially after that previous high but began surging during the past two weeks.

Tift County has seen 253 new cases of the coronavirus in the past 14 days, and 145 new positive cases in the past week alone, according to data released Thursday by the Ga. Department of Public Health (DPH).

During the past two weeks, new cases in Tift translate to 620 per 100,000 population, and among tests administered during that period Tift is showing an 18.6 percent positivity rate, the DPH reported. The state of Georgia had a 9.8 percent test positivity rate in the same time frame.

State health officials have listed Tift as a “high-transmission county” for the virus; a high-transmission county has a 14-day case rate of more than 100 cases for 100,000 county residents and an average of more than 10 percent in positive test results during that two-week period.

Since the pandemic began, Tift has recorded 2,383 positive cases and 67 deaths.

The White House Coronavirus Task Force’s latest report, dated Sunday, lists Tifton as currently among the top Georgia cities experiencing the virus. The White House lists Tift, Cook, Berrien and Coffee counties as currently in the Red Zone.

“The COVID risk ... is at a historic high,” the White House report noted.

It also puts the state of Georgia in the Red Zone for its cases but added that “Georgia has seen stability in new cases and stability in test positivity but is at a high plateau of ongoing community spread."

On Thursday, the state reported 4,419 new COVID-19 cases in one day with 53 new deaths and 245 additional hospitalizations in Georgia. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Georgia has seen 433,353 cases and 8,879 related deaths, the DPH said.

TRUMP REVISITING VALDOSTA SATURDAY

President Donald Trump is coming to Valdosta on Saturday for what is billed as a “Victory Rally” in support of GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler.

This will be Trump’s first campaign rally since the general election. Perdue and Loeffler are facing Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, respectively, in a runoff election on Jan. 5.

Saturday’s rally will be at 7 p.m. – with doors opening at 3 p.m. – at the Valdosta Regional Airport. The Republican National Committee said no homemade signs, banners, professional cameras with a detachable lens, tripods, monopods, selfie sticks, backpacks or large bags will be permitted into the venue.

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The Republican National Committee is hoping that Trump's visit will help generate enthusiasm for the U.S. Senate runoff in Georgia. Trump has been critical of the November general election, alleging widespread fraud in Georgia, among other states. Some Republicans have urged voters to boycott the runoff because of what they claim is a "rigged" system.

Georgia's top election officials, all Republicans, have said the allegations are untrue and that Joe Biden fairly won the state.

Trump previously visited Valdosta in February 2016 when he was running for president. He spoke at a rally and taped a FOX-TV segment with Sean Hannity at Valdosta State University during that visit.

A suspect has been charged in a nearly 19-year-old triple homicide that rocked the Rebecca community in Turner County.

Jason Michael Walker, 47, of Pulaski County, was arrested Wednesday and charged with murder in the deaths of Thomas Wideman, Deborah Wideman, and their daughter Melissa Wideman, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.

Walker is also charged with feticide for causing the death of Melissa Wideman’s unborn child, determined to be Walker’s biological child, and with aggravated assault and arson in the first degree, the GBI said. Walker was booked into the Turner County Jail.

On March 22, 2002, the Turner County Fire Department and Sheriff’s Office responded to a house fire in Rebecca. Inside the residence, fire personnel discovered the three bodies, as well as the body of Melissa Wideman’s unborn child. The GBI Medical Examiner’s Office performed autopsies which revealed that Thomas Joseph "Tommy Joe" Wideman, 51; his wife Deborah Wheeler Wideman, 48; and their daughter Melissa, 20, who was 8½ months pregnant, had been shot and died prior to the fire. 

More recently, a new witness emerged and contacted law enforcement. The witness identified a white male leaving the scene of the Wideman residence during the time frame in which the murders occurred, the GBI said.

The new information corroborated past evidence and was given to Tifton Judicial Circuit District Attorney Paul Bowden, who presented it to a Turner County Grand Jury, which met Dec. 1, and returned an indictment charging Jason Michael Walker, the GBI said.

Grist Pallets of Tifton, owned by brothers Kyle and Derek Grist, has been named among the 2021 "Bulldog 100," a list of the 100 fastest-growing businesses owned or operated by University of Georgia alumni.

Kyle Grist graduated from the UGA College of Agriculture in 2005, with a degree in ag engineering. He previously attended ABAC and played basketball at Oxford College of Emory University. He graduated from Tiftarea Academy in 2000. 

“It is an honor to leave home, go off to college, get a degree and be able to come back to make a difference here in business,” Grist told the Tifton Grapevine.

He is a former board member of the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce.

Grist Pallets specializes in re-using and recycling pallets into usable pallets. Grist said their pallets are made of 100 percent recycled wood. The pallets are sold to local distribution centers and produce packing sheds. The business is located at 40 Expressway Lane in Tifton.

Grist and his brother are the adult children of Bobby and Sharon Grist, who operate a trucking business.

“Growing up in the trucking business,” Grist said, “we always used pallets. Everyone in trucking needs pallets.” 

He attributes having one of the fastest-growing businesses among UGA grads to the thriving economy and to filling a local void.

“There was a pallet business here that went out of business awhile back. We saw a void here, plus we have a great location, and with Tifton being a hub for South Georgia,” it all has spelled success for Grist Pallets.

They employ 15. Grist said he stays busy handling the buying and selling of pallets and dispatching the driver.

UGA received 429 nominations for its 2021 list and narrowed it down to 100. The 2021 Bulldog 100 celebrates organizations from more than two dozen industries, including agriculture, construction, health care, nonprofits and software.

The UGA Alumni Association will host the annual Bulldog 100 Celebration virtually Feb. 11, to celebrate the alumni business leaders and count down the ranked list to ultimately reveal the No. 1 fastest-growing business.

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The Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce has announced its 2021 Chamber Board of Directors.

They are:

OCILLA CHURCH DONATES TO TRMC FOUNDATION'S BREAST CANCER FUND

New Birth Life Changing Church in Ocilla recently donated $200 to the Breast Health Fund at the Tift Regional Medical Center Foundation. The donation was made honoring the lives of those who are affected by cancer. The funds will be used to assist area breast-cancer patients with mammograms, biopsies and medication not covered by health insurance or other programs. To learn more, visit www.trmcf.com or call 229-391-3310.  

Kiwanis Club of Tifton President Jane Justice presented Tom Shoup, a physician's assistant at Southwell, with the 2020 Kiwanian of the Year award.

Shoup, is an active Kiwanian, leads several projects including the Kiwanis Run for the Kids, Kiwanis Art and Music Showcase and the Kiwanis Free Little Library on the grounds of Tift Regional Medical Center.

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time. The Kiwanis Club of Tifton meets the first and third Thursday of each month at noon at the Hilton Garden Inn in Tifton.

For information, contact Renae Woods at rltwoods@yahoo.com or 229.402.4018.

Live Christmas trees are experiencing a resurgence this holiday season, and some folks say it is a result of the pandemic.

In a recent survey from the Christmas Tree Promotion Board, 21 percent of people said they were more likely to buy a real Christmas tree this year after having an artificial one last year or previously having no tree at all.

Doug Hundley with the National Christmas Tree Association said the desire to decorate follows a trend seen all year: “The nation’s garden centers just had their best year in decades – people gardening, landscaping, and we hope and think that it can lead right into a big decorating year with real trees, garlands, wreaths.”

According to Georgia Grown, a marketing and economic development program of the Ga. Department of Agriculture, Georgia Christmas trees are a good choice with such native-grown varieties as Fraser fir, Leyland cypress and red cedar. 

"For every Christmas tree cut in Georgia, five are planted in its place. This way we add more to our planet than we take away. In fact, we are consistently ranked the top forestry state in the nation, the Georgia Grown website notes.

The state also offers this tip for buying a fresh Christmas tree: Lightly grasp a branch and gently pull it through your hand. If the tree is fresh, very few needles will come off.

The Georgia Farm Bureau on Wednesday recognized Congressman Austin Scott, R-Tifton, for receiving the Friend of Farm Bureau Award for his work on behalf of farmers during the 116th Congress.

The Friend of Farm Bureau Award is given to federal legislators who support legislative and regulatory efforts in Congress that benefit farmers and rural communities.

“Congressman Scott has long been one of agriculture’s strongest allies in Washington, and Georgia farmers are better off thanks to his work on issues like securing federal disasters assistance, improving farm programs, and strengthening trade agreements, to name a few. He has more than earned the Friend of Farm Bureau Award again this legislative cycle,” said Georgia Farm Bureau President Gerald Long.

Additionally, Scott recently announced his desire to serve as ranking member on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee during the 117th Congress.

“Congressman Scott would do an excellent job in that role, and U.S. agriculture and rural communities everywhere would be well served by his leadership on such an important committee. He has our organization’s full support,” Long said.

Southwell has announced that it will continue partnering with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, protecting consumers’ in-network access to all Southwell facilities and services.

This applies to Anthem consumers enrolled in Anthem’s HMO/POS, PPO, PAR, and Pathways plans, who can access in-network benefits through Southwell facilities, which includes Tift Regional Medical Center in Tifton, Southwell Medical in Adel, and other Southwell clinics and services in its 12-county area.

The regional health system, with its flagship hospital located in Tifton, remains one of the few health systems in South Georgia as a network provider for the Anthem Pathways product.

“We are pleased to partner with Southwell, which shares our commitment to ensuring consumers continue to have access to quality, affordable care at their facilities throughout the South Georgia region,” said Pam Stahl, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Georgia.

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This dog is currently on stray hold at the Tift County Animal Shelter. If not reclaimed, will be available for adoption or rescue at the Animal Shelter, located at 278 Georgia Highway 125 S. It is open to the public for adoptions from 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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