Masonic lodges fund new ABAC scholarship

TIFTON, Ga. — Matthew King and Thomas King are the first recipients of the newly created Masonic Lodge of Tifton #47 and #745 F&AM Scholarship to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Both scholarship recipients are Tift County High School graduates and have recently achieved Eagle Scout status.  They will begin their ABAC careers when classes begin on Aug. 16. The criteria for the scholarship requires that it be awarded to students enrolled full-time at ABAC with a grade point average of 2.5 or higher. The students must be graduates of a Tift County school and demonstrate high standards of character and personal integrity.

 

Second round of ‘You Can Be The Star’ set for Friday

LIVE OAK, Fla. — The first competition of the You Can Be The Star talent show is in the books and the second preliminary is set for Friday at The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. On Saturday night, the fabulous Sondra Hunt Band of Starke will rock the Music Hall. Winners were chosen last week in the first preliminary round of the You Can Be The Star talent contest which has a $5,000 prize for the winner Sept. 9. This week, more winners will be chosen to move forward to seek that $5,000. At least 16 contestants may compete beginning at 7 p.m. in the Music Hall on Friday. Come and enjoy some of the best talent anywhere singing or using whatever talent they have to entertain you. If you have a favorite, come cheer them on. Free admission.  For those wanting to sign up to perform — any type of talent such as comedy, dance, playing an instrument, as a duo or playing and singing any genre of music — go to www.musicliveshere.com/events, scroll down to Friday or Aug. 25 and register. Winners move to Sept. 9 to compete in the final for the $5,000. The Sondra Hunt Band of Starke will then entertain on the Music Hall stage beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday. The band plays country, Southern rock and more. Members are Richard Ritari (bass), Ariel Machin (drums), TJ Bones (electric guitar), Eric Hall (acoustic guitar) and Sita Dial (fiddle). Sondra began singing at a very young age in her little country church, moved on to find her way to the front of the stage with a band behind her and continues to perform. Sondra has opened for major stars such as Kellie Pickler and Grammy Award winner Linda Davis and has played at the Suwannee River Jam. Doors open at 6 p.m. for dinner with talent contest begins at 7 p.m. Friday. Saturday’s live show starts at 8 p.m.  The park also hosts karaoke every Thursday beginning at 7 p.m. with Ted “TeddyMac Elvis” McMullen in the Music Hall.

 

Dalton may roll back property tax rate

DALTON, Ga. — The members of the Dalton City Council are looking at leaving the city’s tax rate unchanged this year at 2.506 mills. But some council members say they are still considering rolling it back. Because of the growth of the tax digest, the 2.506 mills rate would bring in more revenue, $8.76 million compared to $8.45 million last year, so it would be considered a tax increase under state law, and the board members would have to hold three public hearings before formally setting the tax rate if they don’t roll the rate back. According to a city press release, a property with a homestead exemption with a fair market value of $150,000 would see its city tax payment rise approximately $9.80 if the rate is not rolled back, and a property with a fair market value of $350,000 without a homestead exemption would see its city tax increase approximately $24.50. The council is scheduled to hold public hearings on the tax rate on Monday at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. at City Hall and on Tuesday, Sept. 5, at 5 p.m. at City Hall.

 

School enrollment surges in advance of new $85 million high school 

VALDOSTA, Ga. — Enrollment has spiked at Valdosta City Schools in the first weeks of the new school year, and Superintendent Todd Cason thinks the new high school opening next year has something to do with it. VCS ended the 2016-17 school year with 8,103 students. The first of this week, the system had 8,297 students on the rolls, an increase of almost 200. Cason said more people are choosing VCS for their kids in anticipation of the new $83 million Valdosta High School that will be up and running next fall. “The excitement is in the air,” Cason said of the new school sprawled across 110 acres and equipped with new classrooms and athletic facilities. Cason said special VCS programs, such as the STEM Academy at Valdosta Middle School, is attracting more students. The school district expected a student increase next year, Cason said, but it came early. “We were not expecting that surge this year,” he said. “It caught us a little bit by surprise.” The district is “working feverishly” to address issues of overcrowding, especially at VMS, which saw the biggest enrollment increase — more than 125 students. Cason hopes to hire three new teachers and an additional assistant principal at VMS as part of the plan to accommodate students “reasonably” and “cost-efficiently.” “It does create a problem with numbers and overcrowding but it’s a very good problem,” Cason said on the increase. “We don’t want to turn any child away. “It’s a great problem to have, and we’re excited about the increase. We attribute that to the good things that are going on in our district.”