April

April 5

The Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce presented an expanded slate of awards March 30. Mark Fleetwood was named Man of the Year, Jean Eaton Gay was named Woman of the Year, and Larry Sloan was named Agribusiness Person of the Year. Four new awards were also presented: Colquitt County Rock Star — Small Business of the Year, Mike Wilson Plumbing Company; Partners in Progress Award, Ameris Bank and its Market President Dave Buckridge; Committed to Colquitt County, Lazarus department store; and Heart of Colquitt County, Hero House, the Children’s Advocacy Center of Colquitt County. … Postal clerk Ellen Whitaker retired after more than 42 years with the Postal Service, almost 40 years of that in Colquitt County. … Southern Regional Technical College President Jim Glass has announced that Dr. Victor Burke will serve as vice president for academic affairs of the college as of April 2023. SRTC’s former VPAA, Dr. Ron O’Meara, has accepted the title of SRTC’s vice president for economic development, a position previously held by the late Dennis Lee. … Withers Auditorium should receive equipment upgrades and the CCHS Young Farmers program should receive a new tractor in the near future following the Colquitt County School District Board of Education’s approval on March 27. … Two Tift County men have been arrested in connection with the March 19 shooting of an Omega man in Hazlehurst. … PCOM South Georgia’s first class of students, who started in 2019, have all matched with residency programs after graduation. … A City of Moultrie public works crew found what appeared to be human remains along a drain ditch on 11th Street Southwest. Moultrie police requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigation assist in the case. … Phoebe and Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) have formalized a partnership aimed at addressing the region’s critical nursing shortage by boosting the number of nursing students at the college and opening new training opportunities for those students at Phoebe.

After winning their last two games of the 2023 Region 1-7A season, the Colquitt County boys varsity soccer team took first place after an undefeated season. They will be going into the state tournament as the top seed from the region. … The Colquitt County boys golf team continued its strong 2023 season by winning its own Packer Invitational by 8 shots on April 1 at Sunset Country Club. … Former Colquitt County head football coach Rush Propst was named the new leader of the Pell City High School program in Alabama. … The Colquitt County High School hosted the Bautista Martial Arts Battle of the Warriors tournament April 1 where students from Tifton, Valdosta and Moultrie ranging from 4 years old and up gathered to compete. Those who competed from Colquitt County brought in a combined total of over 70 medals. … Four Moss Farms divers earned Junior Nationals berths by taking first-place finishes at the Y Nationals at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center in March. Luke Hernandez and Elli-Reese Niday won on all three boards; Ruth Anne McCranie took the gold medal on 3-meter; and Austin Taylor won on platform. … Three South Georgia Barbell athletes from Moultrie competed in the age 35-plus Masters Nationals weightlifting tournament held at the Valley Forge Casino in Valley Forge, Pa. Getting a personal record in both events, Ian Smith lifted 106 kilograms (233.69 pounds) in the snatch and 154 kilograms (339.5 pounds) in the clean and jerk for a total of 260 kilograms (573.2 pounds) giving him the necessary qualifications for Masters Pan Ams. Though they both had already qualified for Masters Pan Ams, Deb Woods and Deborah Fountain also competed.

The C.A. Gray Junior High School reading bowl team excelled during the most challenging competition of the season in Gainesville March 14. Tomecon, the culminating event for participants of the Tome Society, is held on the campus of the University of North Georgia each year. … Jared Lee Collum of Moultrie, Georgia, is the recipient of the Spring 2023 President’s Award for Academic Excellence for the Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration at Valdosta State University.

April 12

The Southern Arts Music Ensemble, founded in 1995, will salute its originator, the late Michael Ryce, during a concert April 15 at the Arts Center of Moultrie. … The Moultrie-Colquitt County Boys and Girls Club “Family Fun Cookout” had a major turnout April 7 as kids competed in an Easter egg hunt, played in an inflatable bounce house and participated in games with their families. … The Georgia General Assembly has replaced a law that endangered funding for state-sponsored charter schools, including Coastal Plains Education Charter High School, which serves students in Colquitt County. … A Tift County man, who was charged last month in a Hazlehurst shooting, has been charged in Colquitt County following child sexual misconduct allegations, according to authorities. … Intrie Capital broke ground on its new brewery project, Bandwagon Brewing Company, April 1, at 33 W. Central Ave. in Downtown Moultrie. … Harry Thompson, a Colquitt County native, was recently named the vice president of the Georgia Cattleman’s Association Region 14.

Jay Ward has a challenging task ahead of him. After clocking his thousand hours as a Colquitt County High School Packer (2016-2019) and Louisiana State University Tiger (20192023), Ward announced his entry in the 2023 NFL Draft last December and participated in the NFL Combine held March 3. Now, Ward’s only task remaining is to sit around and wait while his agent Kevin Conner, CEO and President of Universal Sport and Entertainment Management LLC, advocates on his behalf to help him reach his ultimate goal of signing with one of the 32 NFL teams. … Carliss Johnson ends her Lady Packer basketball career as an honorable mention for the 2022-23 Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) 7A All State Basketball Team.

A J.M. Odom Elementary School student has won the District Poster Contest sponsored by the Middle South Georgia Soil and Water Conservation District. The poster by Natalia Hernandez, a third grader at the school near Berlin, will be submitted to compete in the State Poster Contest, according to a press release from the conservation district. … Denerick Simpson, a Moultrie native, is one of 13 inaugural recipients of a $25,000 scholarship through the Chick-fil-A Community Scholars Program.

April 19

Amy Johnson, the City of Moultrie’s downtown economic development and public relations director, said the 19th annual Spring Fling and Backyard BBQ Festival was the largest ever. … A group of local Christians has created a safe space for people seeking fellowship and devotional time with their weekly meetings. The gathering known as “Prayer in the Parking Lot” began about two years ago with Justin Murphy, the owner and founder of J & J Roofing and Construction, as an outlet for his employees. … A Norman Park Elementary School teacher resigned March 24, one day after she was charged with drug offenses. … Investigators with the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Moultrie resident that a Cobb County woman said had been stalking her periodically over the past eight years. … Colquitt County residents assisted law enforcement this week in a foot chase near a local retail store, according to an incident report. A sheriff’s office official later said officers always appreciate residents’ help, but in that particular incident the deputies temporarily quit the chase out of concerns for the civilians’ safety.

Moultrie native Ja’Quain “Jay” Blakely is finishing his first year with the Orlando Guardians of the XFL. … Moultrie’s Cavin Hall shot a 4-over-par 148 to win the boys 12-13 age group in the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour’s Sunset Country Club Junior Classic held April 15-16 at Sunset. … The Colquitt County Spring Special Olympics had over 360 athletes and unified partners participating in its local games and more than 150 student volunteers helping run events and helping out at Olympics Town March 31. … Both of Colquitt County’s tennis teams finished fourth in the Region 1-7A tournament at Camden County and will be on the road for the start of the state tournament.

Gracie White, a biology major from Moultrie, was recognized as the top student in Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s School of Arts and Sciences. … The Tyron Spearman Agricultural Scholarship was awarded the first time during the Spring 2023 semester to William “Trace” Lamberth, a freshman crop production major from Sale City.

April 26

Dozens of residents attended the Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural Eggs & Issues conversation. … Tommie Beth Willis, president of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce, will leave that position to become regional director of a nonprofit lending organization that is expanding into South Georgia. … Elizabeth Huckaby was named the Colquitt County School District’s Employee of the Year during its BRAVO ceremony April 18. … Colquitt Regional announced that gynecologic oncologist Margarett Ellison, MD, MHA, FACOG, FACS, has joined Edwards Cancer Center and will begin seeing patients May 1. … The Moultrie-Colquitt County Humane Society is working to reorganize its facility operations after the board agreed to implement a 30-day stray hold policy. … Students in grades 4-9 at Colquitt Christian Academy presented self-conducted science experiments at the first CCA Science Fair on April 18.

After five years of being the Colquitt County High School baseball student manager, senior Olivia Morse is forced to close that chapter in her story as the 2022-2023 season completes. … For the first time, the Colquitt County bass fishing program will send three of its two-man teams to compete for a state championship. … Colquitt County second baseman Neko Fann and pitcher Mason Moore have been named to the All-Region 1-7A baseball first team and relief pitcher Kale Hopper has received the Academic Player of the the Year Award. Moore also was named to the All-Region second team as an outfielder. Joining him on the second team are first baseman Jake Walker, left fielder Landon Griffin, pitcher Christian Hill and catcher Hayden Hembree.

A University of Georgia professor with Moultrie ties has received the university’s top public service award. Dr. Doris Miller, professor and associate director of State Governmental Relations for the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, received the 2023 Walter Barnard Hill Fellow Award April 17.