More state dollars proposed for GNTC’s Dalton campus

DALTON, Ga. — More state funding has been proposed to finish off a construction project at Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s Dalton campus. The governor’s proposed budget includes $4 million for furniture, equipment and other finishing touches on a new 80,000-square-foot education building. The expansion is intended to help address a shortage of skilled workers in northwest Georgia. Programs that are expected to be offered include chemical technology, industrial systems, machine tool technology and logistics. The total cost is expected to be around $28 million, with funding included in earlier state budgets. Whitfield County Schools donated 21 acres for the project. Work started on the project in July.

 

ABAC present one-act dramatic comedy

TIFTON, Ga. — A one-act play with humorous elements titled “The Dumb Waiter” will be spotlighted on January 25-26 at 7 p.m. each night on the stage in Howard Auditorium at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Admission is $5 per person for the public. The funds will help to establish an ABAC theatre program scholarship. The performances are free to all ABAC students, faculty, and staff. Baldwin Players’ Director Brian Ray said the production by Harold Pinter is an early example of Pinter’s focus on the absurd nature of human experience. Using working class characters, he examines the claustrophobic world people live in as they wait for significant life events. “In this play, Ben and Gus, contract killers, wait for their next assignment in the basement apartment of an old, closed restaurant,” Ray said. “Periodically they receive information and bizarre requests from an old dumb waiter. What ensues is a dramatic comedy of small talk and confusion with a surprise ending.” The cast includes Dylan Bennett from Sylvester as Gus and Jannah Zinker from Sumner as Ben. Both students appeared in the Baldwin Players’ 2017 fall production of “Greater Tuna.” The Baldwin Players will stage “I Do! I Do! I Do! I Do!” for their spring semester production on March 8-10 at 7 p.m. each night in the Conference Room at ABAC’s Georgia Museum of Agriculture. For more information on the one-act performance, interested persons can contact Ray at bray@abac.edu.

 

Clerk, customer chase shoplifting suspect

MOULTRIE, Ga. — A shoplifting suspect who hit a Moultrie retailer and then a nearby convenience store abandoned his loot from both thefts while a store clerk and customer chased him. Police were dispatched shortly before 4:30 p.m. on Friday to Murphy Oil USA, where the shoplifter had entered holding two bags. After placing the bags on the floor, the man concealed 12 bottled beers and a 24-ounce can of Colt 45 in his jacket, the clerk told police. While he was standing in line at the counter, a customer notified the clerk that she saw the man putting the beer inside his jacket. At that time he left, and the clerk and customer followed, getting into a “scuffle” with the suspect. During that confrontation the man fell to the ground, then ran after he got to his feet. He left the bags he had brought with him inside the store, and the jacket and beer were left on the ground outside when he fled, police said. The employee reinjured a wound he had suffered in a prior car accident, police said. In the gym bag left inside the store, police found a Wal-Mart bag and merchandise from that store. Police contacted Wal-Mart security.

 

Another Night of Bluegrass presents Monroe Crossing

THOMASVILLE, Ga. — Another Night of Bluegrass featuring Monroe Crossing will be held in the Thomasville Municipal Auditorium on Saturday, January 20, at 7:30 p.m. Presented by the City of Thomasville and WTUF-FM, Another Night of Bluegrass is a well-loved Thomasville tradition.  Named in honor of Bill Monroe, “The Father of Bluegrass Music,” Monroe Crossing dazzles audiences with an electrifying blend of classic bluegrass, bluegrass gospel, and heartfelt originals. Their superb musicianship and on-stage rapport have entertained audiences across the United States, Canada and Europe. Based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, Monroe Crossing plays an average of 150 shows a year in intimate rooms, at major venues, and outdoor festivals. They are favorites among bluegrass connoisseurs and non-bluegrass audiences alike. They love introducing newcomers to bluegrass music! Monroe Crossing is made up of five very distinct personalities with differing musical backgrounds. When combined, their individual histories make for a very unique ensemble sound. Band members are:  Derek Johnson – guitar and lead vocals; Lisa Fuglie — fiddle, mandolin, guitar and lead vocals; Matt Thompson — mandolin, fiddle and harmony vocals; Mark Anderson — bass and bass vocals; and David Robinson — banjo, dobro, harmonica and harmony vocals. Because they met through the music of Bill Monroe, they like to say they had a “Monroe Crossing.” Tickets are $10 each, in advance or at the door 

 

Neighborhood revitalization effort underway 

VALDOSTA, Ga. – City leaders want community input to revitalize neighborhoods. At 5:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 29, in the Valdosta City Hall Annex multi-purpose room, city officials are scheduled to spearhead the fifth neighborhood Think Tank regarding the revitalization plan for Ora Lee West and the surrounding neighborhoods of Brookwood and Tom Town, according to city officials.  The meeting will continue the discussion among community stakeholders about neighborhood needs, desires and visions for future revitalization projects in their communities Hawthorne Welcher, housing director for the City of Augusta, will be the guest presenter at the meeting and will discuss the neighborhood revitalization project completed and being planned for the Laney Walker/Bethlehem area of the City of Augusta, according to city officials.  Welcher will lead the dialogue on how to create a new neighborhood vision and how and what is needed to accomplish the task. He will demonstrate how the Laney Walker/Bethlehem revitalization project was completed in a once vibrant area of the City of Augusta and answer questions on how such a project could be accomplished in the Ora Lee West, Brookwood and Tom Town areas of Valdosta. Residents are invited and encouraged to attend the free event. Residents are asked to RSVP to the neighborhood development division, (229) 671-3617 or vflucas@valdostacity.com.