Stories from surrounding communities, closest first.
The Tifton Gazette · Adel, GA
Nearby: Adel, GATIFTON — Southwell Health and Rehabilitation, a 95-bed skilled nursing facility in Adel, has earned Nursing Care Center Accreditation from Joint Commission, an independent, evidence-based standards setting organization that sets the benchmark for safe, high-quality patient care through healthcare accreditation. This accomplishment formally recognizes Southwell Health and Rehabilitation’s ongoing commitment to meeting rigorous performance standards and delivering the safest, highest quality care to its patients. Southwell Health and Rehabilitation underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite survey on Sept. 8. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission surveyors assessed compliance across key areas such as environment of care, infection prevention and control, performance improvement, and overall resident care. “This accreditation reflects our team’s dedication to providing safe, compassionate, high-quality care,” said Mark Kimball, chief operating officer for Southwell Medical.
Business Observer · Lee, FL
Nearby: Lee, FLAfter a Sarasota-based aquaculture company raised $6 million in Series A financing, it has broken ground on a commercial aquaculture facility in Lee County. Pine Island Redfish produces American redfish, also known as red drum, through advanced land-based technology. It developed and validated its commercial production model at Mote Aquaculture Research Park on Fruitville Road, where it will continue producing redfish as construction progresses on the new facility, which is about 3 miles south of the bridge to Pine Island. The property contains more than 80 acres of development space and significant potential for phased expansion. Construction is expected to last about 12 months. "Breaking ground on Pine Island is an exciting milestone for our company and will fulfill a substantial demand for locally produced seafood," Megan Sorby, co-founder and CEO of Pine Island Redfish, says in a statement.
Business Observer · Lee, FL
Nearby: Lee, FLAri Investment, a Virginia real estate firm, has bought a Fort Myers hotel for $3 million less than what the previous owner paid for the property about eight years ago. The hotel is the 148-room Hyatt Place Fort Myers at the Forum. A copy of the deed in Lee County records show the suburban Richmond firm paid $13 million for the property. County property records show the Oliver Cos., a Minnesota developer, paid $16 million for it in September 2018. A spokesperson for Hunter Advisors, the hotel investment advisory firm that announced the sale and represented Oliver in the transaction, did not respond to questions Tuesday, including why Oliver was willing to sell for $3 million less than what it paid for the property. The five-story Hyatt Place hotel at 2600 Champion Ring Road was built in 2009. It has a mix of king and double-queen rooms as well as studios, according to Hunter.
The Moultrie Observer · Moultrie, GA
Nearby: Moultrie, GAMOULTRIE — Veterans: “They’ve been there and they’ve done that.” The Rev. Matt Peek of First Baptist Church of Moultrie addressed residents who attended the annual Veterans Day program in downtown Moultrie using that well-known phrase as it related to veterans. He said he had a confession. He said he was not a veteran but had the honor of speaking and bringing a word that he hoped would encourage everyone to be thankful for the men and women who served the country as veterans. “The more we know someone and the more we know their story, the more we can celebrate who they are, he said and added, that was why holidays meant so much. He said everyone knew the story of Thanksgiving and how the Pilgrims came over and settled the nation. Then, he said, everyone also knew about Christmas and how it was a celebration of Jesus every year. “So, what is it about Veterans Day?” Peek asked. “If we’re gonna celebrate Veterans Day, here’s what we need to do.
The Moultrie Observer · Moultrie, GA
Nearby: Moultrie, GAWayne Grandy was sports editor of The Moultrie Observer when I came to Moultrie at the end of 1997 as news editor. When Dwain Walden moved from being editor of the newspaper to being both editor and publisher in 2001, he moved into the former publisher’s office. Wayne got Dwain’s corner office and I moved into Wayne’s. When Wayne covered out-of-town football games and had to email the story back — or dictate it over the telephone — I was the one that got it into the Saturday morning paper. I wrote the story about Wayne’s retirement in 2016. He never really left, of course — he was still writing a column and covering the stories he wanted to cover — and when Covid-19 cost us our sports editor, he stepped up and has carried the load ever since. You might say he and I go back a ways. Connie Southwell mostly worked with Wayne, shooting photos to go with his sports stories. I saw her coming and going and spoke as she walked by. Sixteen years or so later, she’s my friend too.
Thomasville Times Enterprise · Thomasville, GA
Nearby: Thomasville, GADear Editor: Students at Thomas County Central High School have been preparing a one-act performance of Matilda Jr., a show that gives young people a chance to bring music, movement, and storytelling together. Local reporting on the production is a reminder that school arts programs do more than fill an auditorium for an evening. They give students another way to discover that their work matters. The spotlight naturally settles on the child standing at center stage. Yet a successful production also needs people moving scenery, managing costumes, arranging music, helping with rehearsals, and solving last-minute problems without expecting an audience to know their names. Some students gain confidence by performing. Others find it by learning that a team depends on their patient work. Those contributions deserve attention. Thomasville and the communities across Thomas County have many forms of school pride, from athletic contests to academic achievements and performances.
The Tifton Gazette · Tifton, GA
Nearby: Tifton, GATIFTON — Tifton residents promised to not only honor their veterans, but show them kindness, care, and remembrance this past Wednesday. Local officials, veterans and their families, other community members convened at the Jack Stone Memorial Park the morning of Nov. 11 to pay their respects to the veterans and fallen service members who fought in service of them and their country. Welcoming her fellow community members to the morning ceremony, mayor Julie Smith thanked them for showing their support for their heroes in the Armed Forces. She spoke to the importance of Veterans Day in recognizing and remembering the sacrifices made by the nation’s service members, and asked those in attendance to renew their commitment to recognizing and remembering those who served and upholding that which they fought for as a tribute to the service of their veterans, both local and nationwide.
The Moultrie Observer · Doerun, GA
Nearby: Doerun, GADOERUN — Doerun City Council will meet at 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16, at Doerun City Hall, 223 W. Broad Ave. The council will immediately go into a closed session for personnel matters that is expected to last about 30 minutes. The council will return to open session about 2:30 p.m. for a public hearing, also regarding a personnel matter. Any action taken will be in open session.
