JOBLESS RATES RISE IN TIFTAREA

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

The unemployment rate rose throughout the Tiftarea last month, as it did statewide, according to data released Thursday by the Ga. Department of Labor.

Tift County’s jobless rate for October was 2.7%, up from 2.3% the previous month. But it was better than a year ago, when the unemployment rate was 2.9%.

Tift’s labor force grew by 268 from a year ago to a total of 21,673.

October's jobless rates in area counties versus the previous month's rates were: Turner, 4.1% vs. 3.8%; Worth, 3.7% vs. 3.6%; Irwin, 3.9% vs. 3.3%; Cook, 3.3% vs. 2.6%; Berrien, 3.1% vs. 2.6%; and Ben Hill, 4.7% vs. 3.8%.

Georgia’s jobless rate also rose slightly to 2.9%.

"We are starting to see some churn in the employment numbers with some isolated layoff events offsetting some of the all-time highs we have experienced in the technology, healthcare, and transportation sectors," said state Labor Commissioner Mark Butler.

"However, we are still setting records in multiple sectors highlighting the current favorable hiring environment for Georgians."

Although Georgia's unemployment rate rose, Butler said that "the rate of job creation still far exceeds those in the workforce looking for employment. We must continue to encourage job-seekers to join the workforce and take advantage of the incredible job opportunities we are seeing."

The sectors with the most over-the-year job gains in Georgia included accommodations and food services, 31,400; health care and social assistance, 23,900; administrative and support services, 22,900; professional, scientific, and technical services, 19,800; wholesale trade, 16,500; and transportation and warehousing, 14,900.

ABAC's CHRISTMAS CONCERT SET DEC. 8

Christmas cheer will abound on Dec. 8 when students, faculty members, and community musicians join hands, hearts, and their vocal and instrumental abilities for a holiday concert at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

The 6:30 p.m. concert in Howard Auditorium will be open to the community without charge.

“This is our gift to Tifton and the entire South Georgia area,” said President Tracy Brundage. “Our students, faculty members, staff members, and administrators want to say thanks for all the support we receive throughout the year.”

Dr. Zheng Jennifer Huang, head of the ABAC Fine Arts Department, said holiday favorites during the event will include “Jingle Bells,” “Feliz Navidad,” “O Holy Night,” and many more. 

“Our special guest for the evening, Santa Claus, will also join us for this very merry holiday event,” Huang said. 

Fall semester classes end at ABAC on Dec. 5, with commencement Dec. 15.

SATSUMAS ABOUND; GROWERS NEED TO DIVERSIFY, SAYS TIFTON PACKING HOUSE OWNER

Staff Reports

Citrus harvest season is underway across the North Florida/South Georgia production region, and growers need to diversify with varieties other than satsuma mandarins, says an owner of a citrus packing facility in Tifton.

Grower Kim Jones, who owns a citrus packing facility in Monticello, Fla., and is part-owner of a similar facility in Tifton, told Citrus Industry magazine that there’s a high volume of satsumas early in the season.

“There is a bunch of satsumas planted. We don’t even have all of the satsumas in production, and we’re seeing a huge amount of satsumas available for the market,” Jones said. “We’ve got a lot of satsumas in these packing houses.”

If citrus growers diversified their crop mix, they would provide buyers and consumers with alternative purchasing options besides satsumas, while also extending their own marketing window.

“We need citrus that comes in earlier (October) than the satsumas and later (January and February) than the satsumas. We need those three months filled instead of only November and December when satsumas are coming in,” Jones said.

He advises producers to be cautious in knowing when to pick their fruit this season. Color and size are major qualities that need to be just right when fruit are harvested.

“We really need to get full color — full orange instead of this slight green tint,” Jones told the magazine. “We’ve got to be full color and sized right. These great big fruit won’t sell. It’s just not desirable.”

RECREATION BASKETBALL SEEKING COACHES

Tift County Parks and Recreation has 41 teams in its school-based basketball league and is seeking to fill coaching vacancies for 18 teams, says Director Tim Petrea.

"We have 335 participants registered. This gives us 41 teams that will be practicing and playing games at nine sites throughout Tift County, Petrea said..

"We practice and play games in Tift County Recreation Department gyms and select school gyms. Teams typically play two games per week."

The recreation department provides uniforms.

"We have been very fortunate to secure coaches for 23 of these teams. This leaves us with the need to fill coaching vacancies for 18 teams,” Petrea said.

Coaches are needed for some of the teams at Annie Belle Clark, Charles Spencer, G.O. Bailey, J.T. Reddick, Len Lastinger, Matt Wilson, Northside, and Tiftarea Academy.

Coach applications are available here.

The recreation department hopes to start practices during the second week of December with league play beginning in January.

CITY CHIEF MUNICIPAL COURT CLERK NAMED TO GA MUNICIPAL COURT CLERKS COUNCIL BOARD

Tifton Chief Municipal Court Clerk Gail Drayton was recently sworn in as a board member of the Georgia Municipal Court Clerks Council.

The appointment is a one-year term; Drayton is one of the first board members to represent South Georgia.

The Georgia Municipal Court Clerks Council is a non-profit association that promotes education and efforts to develop best practices in processes and procedures to maintain clerk records.

Drayton will also serve as a municipal clerk mentor, connecting to a newly appointed court administrator or chief municipal court clerk to provide guidance, tools, and support.

Drayton has served as a certified police officer for the Ashburn Police Department, as chief Municipal Court clerk of Ashburn, and as deputy court clerk for the City of Tifton. She was promoted to chief clerk in 2019.

ABAC AG MUSEUM/HISTORIC VILLAGE SHOWS OLD-TIME PROCESSES OF CANE GRINDING & SYRUP MAKING

The Ga. Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village in Tifton conducted its annual "Cane Grinding and Syrup Making” event last Saturday.

The museum took guests on an adventure back in time with the mule-powered cane mill, turning sugar cane into sweet delicious syrup. Costumed interpreters explained the cane-grinding process and the intricacies of producing a bottle of cane syrup.

And Jed the mule was a popular part of the process.

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

RIBBON CUTTING

Natural All Beauty Hair and Salon

709 W. Third St., Tifton

Nov. 18

Weekly COVID-19 data released from the

Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) as of Nov. 23:

TOTAL TIFT COUNTY CASES: 6,731 ...................................... TOTAL DEATHS: 172

CONFIRMED TIFT CASES - 2 weeks: 5 ................................... DEATHS - Past week: 0

TIFT POSITIVITY RATE - 2 weeks: 2.6% ........ CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES: 28

TIFT CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - 2 weeks, per 100K population: 69

_______________________________________________________________

GEORGIA TOTAL CASES: 2,261,414 .......................................TOTAL GA DEATHS: 34,042

GA CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - 1 week: 4,551

GA DEATHS - 1 week: 67..........................................GA HOSPITALIZATIONS - 1 week: 470

YOUR GUIDE TO ACTIVITIES THIS WEEKEND IN THE TIFTAREA

This Saturday, Nov. 26, is Small Business Saturday, a day celebrating local, small businesses. Visit locally owned, small businesses this weekend; they are the lifeblood of our community.

FRIDAY, NOV. 25 - Black Friday

• Holiday Shopping Season officially underway



SATURDAY, NOV. 26 – Small Business Saturday

• Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, 5 p.m., Depot, Downtown Adel

PROMOTE YOUR

YARD SALE HERE

TO ADVERTISE YOUR YARD SALE,

CONTACT US at 

yardsales@tiftongrapevine.com 

or 478-227-7126

Fees are $1 per word, paid in advance

“Bumble,” a female pooch, is among the pets available for adoption at the Tift County Animal Shelter. Visit her and other pets available at the shelter on Highway 125 South between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For additional information, call 229-382-PETS (7387).