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This is Tifton Talks This Week for August 30, 2024.
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News of the week for Tifton and beyond.
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Tift County has resolved over 22% of the 5035 appeals
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regarding new property value assessments,
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with 1116 cases settled so far.
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That's according to Chief Tax Appraiser Hayward Becton.
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The remaining appeals are still under review
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following a countywide revaluation
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of all 19,250 property parcels,
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which led to significant increases
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in property values for many owners.
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Property owners were encouraged to appeal
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if they disagreed with the new assessments.
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Once the appeals are finalized,
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Tift County, the City of Tifton,
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and the Tift County School System
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may roll back their millage rates
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to counteract the potential rise in property taxes
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due to inflationary growth.
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However, the appeals process has delayed
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the issuance of property tax bills,
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which typically have a due date of November 15th.
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Tax Commissioner Chad Alexander stated
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that the bills cannot be sent
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until the appeals are completed
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and the millage rates are set.
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Consequently, the due date for tax payments
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will be postponed,
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but the exact timeline remains uncertain.
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Alexander assured that updates will be provided
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as the situation progresses.
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TruVista telephone service in Tifton and Fitzgerald
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was restored late Wednesday evening
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after an almost three-day outage
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that affected both businesses and residents.
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The disruption, which began on Monday, August 26th,
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impacted landlines throughout the area,
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leaving many unable to make or receive calls.
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The outage affected various businesses,
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including automotive shops and local government offices,
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leading some to use cell phones as a temporary solution.
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While the cause of the outage was unclear,
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some speculated it might be related
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to a cut line between Tifton and Atlanta.
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TruVista technicians worked to resolve the issue,
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but no official explanation
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or estimated time for restoration
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was provided during the outage.
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Editorial.
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I'm hoping to get further insight into the actual cause,
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as it was an issue with the fiber connection
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between Omega, Albany, and Macon,
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but I don't know if it was equipment failure
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or a fiber cut.
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Walmart has recalled nearly 10,000 cases
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of Great Value brand apple juice across 25 states,
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including Georgia,
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due to potentially harmful levels of inorganic arsenic.
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The recall, initiated by Florida-based manufacturer
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Refresco Beverages, was classified as urgent by the FDA.
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Although the elevated arsenic levels
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are unlikely to cause serious health issues,
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they may lead to temporary adverse effects.
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Walmart has removed the product from affected stores
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and is investigating with the supplier.
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The FDA has not reported any illnesses linked to the recall.
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Georgia Governor Brian Kemp
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has asked Attorney General Christopher Carr
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whether he has the authority
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to remove state election board members
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after three right-wing members
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passed controversial new rules.
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These rules, implemented less than 100 days
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before the November election,
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impose additional requirements for county election boards
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to certify their results,
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but lack clear definitions for key terms.
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The new rules have drawn criticism from Democrats,
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who see them as an attempt to subvert democracy
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and have prompted a lawsuit.
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The board members have defended the changes
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as efforts to ensure election integrity.
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Editorial.
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Bear in mind these "officials" have no real power.
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The rules are not laws,
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even though some counties may treat them as such.
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These "officials" are appointees and are not elected,
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and based on several legal opinions,
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Governor Kemp does have the authority to remove them,
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and remove them he should.
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This is nothing more than attempted election interference
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by those who support Trump,
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something the right constantly accuses the left
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of perpetrating, which has been found to be 100% untrue.
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West Nile virus cases in Georgia
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have tripled within the past week,
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rising from two to six,
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with most cases concentrated in the metro Atlanta area.
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The CDC reports that while the overall number
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is still low, 33 states have reported cases this year,
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with nearly 200 being the severe neuroinvasive form
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that can cause hospitalization or death.
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Most infected individuals show no symptoms,
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but around 20% may experience fever, headache,
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body aches, and other symptoms.
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Severe cases can lead to serious conditions,
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such as encephalitis or meningitis,
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with symptoms including high fever, coma, and paralysis.
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Some parents are serving dinner as early as 3.45 p.m.
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to avoid after-school snacking
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and improve their children's behavior.
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They report that early dinners lead to calmer evenings,
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fewer tantrums, and better sleep.
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Registered dietitians support this trend,
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noting that eating earlier can aid digestion
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and promote better sleep.
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While not all families find this approach suitable,
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those who do consider it life-changing.
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Editorial.
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"The concept of eating three meals a day
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"became the norm with European settlers
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"who brought their eating habits to America.
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"This routine grew during the Industrial Revolution,
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"where a midday meal became lunch,
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"and the after-work meal became dinner.
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"Many medical professionals recommend
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"that you simply eat when you're hungry."
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A New Hampshire resident has died
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from Eastern Equine Encephalitis,
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also known as EEE or Triple E,
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a rare and deadly mosquito-borne virus,
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making the first Triple E death in the U.S. this year.
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The individual had been hospitalized
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with Severe Central Nervous System Disease.
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This case is one of five reported nationwide in 2023,
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with other cases in Massachusetts, New Jersey,
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Vermont, and Wisconsin.
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Triple E, which has a high mortality rate,
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typically peaks during mosquito season
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in August and September.
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Health officials urge the public to take precautions
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against mosquito bites to prevent infection.
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And finally, in June, U.S. home prices reached a record high
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on the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index,
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rising 5.4% compared to the previous year.
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Despite the increase, the annual gain
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was slightly lower than May's 5.9%.
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New York led with a 9% annual price increase,
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followed by San Diego and Las Vegas.
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Mortgage rates increased during this period,
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but prices continue to rise,
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especially in lower-priced home tiers and major markets.
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Although prices may ease in the fall,
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they are expected to remain higher than last year.
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And that's your Tifton Talks This Week update.
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If you have news and information you think is worth sharing,
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either here or on the newsletter,
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please drop an email to newsletter@tiftontalks.com.
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You can also text or call and leave a voicemail
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at 229-234-1307.
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Thanks for listening.
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Take care.
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(upbeat music)
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This has been a production of Tifton Media Works.
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