The Cops are Watching

July 18, 2017

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126

tiftongrapevine.com

'OPERATION SOUTHERN SHIELD'

GETS UNDERWAY

Drivers are warned: Don't speed or you may get ticketed.

"Operation Southern Shield," a five-state crackdown on speeding, kicked off Monday. Georgia has joined Alabama, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee to conduct a week-long speeding prevention and enforcement initiative on major highways and local roads. S tate and local law enforcement agencies throughout the five states are stepping up patrols to enforce posted speed limits.

The regional effort is being made to reduce traffic deaths by getting motorists to obey posted speed limits, said Harris Blackwood, director of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety.

"Drivers who exceed the posted speed limit by 10 miles an hour or more increase their chances of being in a crash because the faster speeds reduce their reaction times and ability to stop suddenly," Blackwood said.

"By publicizing this operation now, we want drivers across the Southeast to choose on their own to obey the speed limit," Blackwood said. "Drivers who follow the law will have nothing to worry about, but those who keep their foot on the accelerator run the risk of getting a ticket."

Col. Mark McDonough, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety, said just one week of enforcement could have months, even years, of impact and greatly reduce the number of speed-related fatalities on the roads. According to the Georgia State Patrol, the number of speeding-related traffic fatalities has almost doubled in Georgia from 2012-15.

And there were 268 speeding-related traffic deaths in Georgia in 2015, which was a 25 percent increase from 2014. The number of traffic deaths in Georgia has increased in the past two years after declining for eight consecutive years. Speeding remains a leading cause of fatal traffic crashes and is often associated with other factors attributed to traffic deaths including impaired driving, distracted driving and reckless driving, the agency said.

Just during the recent July Fourth holiday travel period resulted in 17 traffic deaths in the Peach State. Also during the holiday period, Georgia State Troopers investigated 620 traffic crashes that resulted in 260 injuries. In addition to the traffic crash investigations, 294 people were arrested for driving under the influence, while 9,945 citations and 14,767 warnings were issued.

HOW DO YOU SAY 'PECAN'?

GEORGIA PECAN GROWERS ASSOCIATION (MAYBE) OFFERS HELP

The Georgia Pecan Growers Association, based in Tifton, has helped answer (well, sort of) the age-old question of "How do you say 'pecan'?"

The Georgia pecan group has called on Georgia native and singer Lauren Alaina to to weigh in on the subject. The result is two new video vignettes featuring Alaina that address that topic, along with the subject of "Pecans are Healthy."


	Lauren Alaina and the first of her Georgia Pecan videos

Georgia Pecan Growers will distribute the two video vignettes through its multiple pecan-growing companies and their respective web sites and social media.

"We are encouraging all of our Georgia pecan growers to

share the news about these pecan subjects," said Samantha McLeod , executive director of the Georgia Pecan Growers Association .

"These are fun video segments that will draw attention to Georgia pecans in a light 'make you smile' way."

Additionally, Georgia Pecan Growers will showcase the new video vignettes through on-pack stickers, in the Georgia Pecans magazine, through collaboration with the Georgia Grown program and at various trade events.

Alaina appeared on Season 10 of "American Idol," and in January followed up her No. 1 debuting first album, "Wildflower," with the release of the eagerly awaited "Road Less Traveled."

Selected as one of Rolling Stone magazine's Most Anticipated Albums of 2017 and praised in "People" magazine as "full of life lessons and uplift," the collection of 12 songs are all written by the young star who has shared the stage with such artists as Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean and Martina McBride. Alaina is currently touring with Luke Bryan.

GEORGIA'S BEST SHRIMP & GRITS

DOWNTOWN RESTAURANT GETS NOD

TO REPRESENT REGION AT COMPETITION

A Downtown Tifton restaurant will once again represent the state's "Plantation Trace" region in Georgia's Best Shrimp & Grits cooking competition in Jekyll Island.

The results of online voting were announced Monday, and Tifton's The Local Kitchen + Bar restaurant on Main Street is

once again a regional winner, and now its Executive Chef David Scarbrough will compete against other chefs from around the state to determine "Georgia's Best Shrimp & Grits."

"We at The Local would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in the online voting process, and a huge shout-out to all the restaurants who participated," The Local noted Monday on its Facebook page. " We are so thrilled to represent our region and the great state of Georgia! On to Jekyll!"

The contest begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, during the annual Jekyll Island Shrimp & Grits Festival.

The other regional winners who will compete in the Best Shrimp & Grits cooking competition are: Atlanta Metro : Sweet Potato Cafe; Classic Sou th region: Honey Café (Honey Catering); The Coast: Southern Soul Barbeque; Historic Heartland: Aubri Lanes; Historic High Country: Johnny Mitchell's Smokehouse; Jekyll Island: Jekyll Island Club Resort; Magnolia Midlands: Eagle Creek Brewing Co.; and N.E. Georgia Mountains: Valhalla Resort Hotel.

Last year's champion was West Egg Cafe in Atlanta.

AG EQUIPMENT COMPANY BREAKS GROUND

Atlantic & Southern Equipment held a groundbreaking last week at their new facility on U.S. Highway 82 West in Tifton.

Company officials, staff and county officials celebrated at the new location where construction has already begun. Atlantic & Southern has locations throughout the Southeast and has been in Tifton since 2010 on Eastman Drive. It offers an extensive line of agricultural equipment.

WOOD-TURNING EXHIBIT OPENS

Local residents gathered Saturday night for the opening of the "Beautiful Wood to Beautiful Art" exhibit at the Tifton Museum of Arts and Heritage.

The wood creations by The Little River Woodturners continues through July 30. The museum is open Tuesdays-Fridays from 1-5 p.m., and Sundays, 1-3 p.m. on Love Avenue. Demonstrations will be held Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m.

TIFT COUNTY ROTARIANS JOIN TIFTON CLUB

The Tift County Rotary Club has decided to fold and join with the Rotary Club of Tifton. At Wednesday's meeting, Tifton Rotary welcomed members from the former Tift County club. At far left in the photo above is Tifton Rotary Program Chairman Charleston Carter, while newly installed Tifton Rotary President Shaundra Clark is at far right. New Tifton club members transferring from the former Tift County club include, from second left, Marion Holland, Becky Smith, Louise Woodham and Earl Bennett.

The Rotary Club of Tifton, which is more than 80 years old, meets at noon Wednesdays at the Tiftarea Conference Center on U.S. Highway 82 next to Applebee's.