News Flash

Dedication & Celebration for New Fulwood Stage Tonight from 6-10PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOVEMBER 7, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – Tonight, join in on the celebration and dedication of the new stage in Fulwood Park with a night of music, local food, dancing and more.

Hosted by Think Tifton and the City of Tifton, this fre...

Food Drives and Resources in the Tift Area

Tifton Arts Affair to Draw Art Lovers to Downtown Tifton Saturday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 31, 2025 

TIFTON, Ga. – The Tifton Arts Affair is set to take place in Downtown Tifton on November 1st, 2025 from 10AM-8PM. Hosted by the Tifton Council for the Arts, the Arts Affair is a free event to reco...

New Playground Grand Opening - Haire Park

Tifton Youth Council Service Project Kicks Off on Saturday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 24, 2025 

TIFTON, Ga. – The Tifton Youth Council will kick off their service project by way of a free family movie night Saturday evening. 

The 25-26 class of the Tifton Youth Council has planned a ...

Suspect in Tifton Stabbing Death Apprehended in Florida Thursday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 17, 2025 

TIFTON, Ga. – Tifton Police are announcing Pablo Moreno, prime suspect in the October 15 stabbing death of Darinel Noriega, 31, of Tifton, was apprehended in Hillsborough County, Fla. Thursday.

&am...

16 Tifton Firefighters Graduate AOPL Training

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 17, 2025 

TIFTON, Ga. – Tifton Fire Department celebrated the latest graduating class of the Apparatus Operator/Aerial Ladder Training (AOPL) course on Thursday. 

AOPL is a specialized cour...

Tifton Detectives Investigate Stabbing Death

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 16, 2025 

TIFTON, Ga. – Tifton Police Department is currently investigating the death of Darinel Noriega, 31, of Tifton. 

On October 15, 2025 at 05:55 a.m., Tifton Police officers were call...

12-Year-Old Charged for Making Terroristic Threats

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 8, 2025 

TIFTON, Ga. – Tifton Police Department received information regarding a potential threat to the safety of staff members and students in the Tift County School District on Tuesday, October 7th.

&n...

Tift Theatre ‘DJ Swiftie' Event: The Perfect Night for Taylor Swift Fans

*Update 10/9/2025 - This event has been rescheduled to January 10, 2026.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 1, 2025 

TIFTON, Ga. – DJ Swiftie ...

Downtown Tifton Welcomes Farmers Market Back for Fall Season

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 1, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – The Tifton Farmers Market will celebrate the Grand Opening and One Year Anniversary of being located in Downtown Tifton this Saturday, October 4th. The 9am ribbon cutting will mark the beginnin...

Downtown Tifton Announces 2025 Hometown Holidays Celebration Theme

TIFTON, Ga. – Downtown Tifton is making their list, and checking it twice, for the most magical holiday season yet. 

Tifton’s Hometown Holidays Celebration will carry the sweet theme of “Candy Land”...

464 Pounds of Marijuana Seized on I-75 South by Tifton PD Wednesday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 

TIFTON, Ga. – Tifton Police Department conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 75 South-bound September 10, 2025 that resulted in the seizure of 464 pounds of Marijuana. 

Wednesday&rs...

Main Street Tifton Celebrates 8 Years of GEMS Designation with Sign Unveiling & Ribbon Cutting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 12, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – Downtown Tifton’s Main Street Program held a ribbon cutting in celebration of 8 years of being a Georgia Exceptional Main Street Community (GEMS) on September 11, 2025.

Community le...

One Suspect in Custody, One At Large in Relation to Entering Autos in Tifton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 10, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – Tifton Police Department has successfully identified two suspects in relation to multiple entering auto cases that took place in the last weeks of August and first week of September 2025.&a...

Tifton Pepi’s Food Mart Burglary Suspects Found in Dooly County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 5, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – Tifton Police Officers were dispatched to Pepi’s Food Mart located at 909 W. 20th Street regarding a burglary Thursday, September 4, 2025 at approximately 1015 hours. 

Tift...

Reflecting on Tifton Fire Department’s Success with TCHS’ WBL Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 27, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – Tifton Fire Department is celebrating over two years with the Work-Based Learning program (WBL) through Tift County High School (TCHS). 

Tifton Fire partners with the WBL program to al...

Tifton Announces New City Manager

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 19, 2025 

TIFTON, Ga. – The City of Tifton is pleased to announce the hiring of new City Manager, Jeff Shoobridge. 

Shoobridge was selected for Tifton’s top executive position following a detailed and...

Community Presentation on Housing Choice, Policy, & Attainable Development for the Future

Dear Community Leaders, Stakeholders, and Developers:

We invite you to attend a Community Presentation on Housing Choice, Policy, & Attainable Development for the Future, hosted by Tifton’s Urban Redevelopment Agency and Kronberg Urbanists + ...

Updates on the New Stage in Fulwood Park

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 15, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – The new stage construction in Fulwood Park continues to progress as excitement for future events and festivals builds in Tifton. 

The new stage is expected to be finalized and first uti...

Tifton Celebrates Two Completed CHIP Grant Projects with Bell Ringing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 13, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – The City of Tifton celebrated two successfully completed Community HOME Investment Program (CHIP) Grant projects on Monday. 

Tifton city leaders celebrated the completion of the rehabil...

Summer Recap of Some Youth-Centered Events that Tifton Hosted and Attended

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 5, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – To wrap up the 2025 summer season, Tifton is celebrating how multiple departments poured hours of compassion and mentorship into different events benefiting the youth of the community over the l...

Tifton Identifies Sole Finalist for City Manager Position

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 4, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – The City of Tifton has narrowed the search for the City Manager position to a single finalist.

This decision follows a lengthy nationwide search led by Sumter Local Government Consulting (LGC). Su...

Launch of the Short & Paulk Renaissance Project Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 7, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – The City of Tifton, the Tifton Urban Redevelopment Agency (TURA), and the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) are proud to announce the successful acquisition of the 9.7-acre property located on ...

20 Pounds of Marijuana and Firearm Seized on I-75 South by Tifton PD Tuesday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 2, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – Tifton Police Department conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 75 South-bound July 1, 2025 that resulted in the seizure of approximately 20 pounds of Marijuana and an illegally possesse...

Tifton Officials Attend 2025 GMA Annual Convention

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 1, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – City of Tifton leaders attended the 2025 Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) Annual Convention that was held Thursday, June 19^th through Tuesday, June 24^th at the Savannah Convention Center.&n...

Tifton’s FY 2025-2026 Budget Reflects Decreased Spending and Smart Grant Sourcing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 17, 2025 

TIFTON, Ga. – Interim City Manager Larry Lawrence presented the 2025-2026 Proposed Fiscal Year budget to the public at the June 9, 2025 Council workshop. The 2025-2026 budget showed decrease...

Tifton’s Downtown is Truly a ‘One Stop Shop’ this Saturday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 11, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – Downtown Tifton’s June Second Saturday will offer multiple events for all ages and interests on June 14, 2025 from 9AM to 10PM.

Join Downtown Tifton as they celebrate Second Sat...

Karah Horner is 2025 recipient of the James E. Dove Memorial Scholarship

Downtown Tifton’s Support Local Mob Floods Local Businesses with Patronage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 11, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – The Downtown Tifton Support Local Mob struck again for the second time in the downtown community on May 13th.

The Downtown Tifton Support Local Mob kicked off in April, and since then has contribu...

Leroy Rogers Senior Center Awarded $2,500 Grant to Combat Senior Hunger

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 3, 2025 

WAYCROSS, Ga. – The Leroy Rogers Senior Center was awarded a Senior Hunger Innovation Grant from the Southern Georgia Regional Commission last week. 

The $2,500 Grant will be used to launch a ...

Downtown Tifton Grooves to the Tunes in June at First Friday Concert

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 2, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – Downtown Tifton will 'rock on' with their First Friday concert Summer series from 7pm-10pm on June 6th on First Street in Tifton.

First Fridays on First Street are free community ...

Summer Programs in Tift County for Kids!

Summer break is here! Looking for activities for your kids? Start here - https://www.tifton.net/DocumentCenter/View/1798/2025-Summer-Programs-Activities?bidId=

Update on the traffic signal repairs on Central Ave & 17th St

Tifton Fire Department's Junior Fire Academy is BACK this summer!

Tifton Fire Department's Junior Fire Academy is BACK this summer! Reserve your child's spot today - perfect for teens aged 13-16. 

Register Here: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSfB48cjJWt05.../viewform

Ryland Environmental will be running routes on Monday, May 26

2025 Bateman Scholarship Awarded to Antron Johnson

Congratulations to Antron Johnson, 2025 recipient of the Anthony G. Bateman Youth Center Tifton Scholarship! 

Antron is a graduating senior at Tift County High School and plans to attend Kennesaw State in the fall. 

The 2025 scholarship wa...

Downtown Tifton to Hold Memorial Day Tribute Monday, May 26, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 19, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – Downtown Tifton will host a formal Memorial Day Tribute at 11am next Monday in honor of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.

The tribute will be held at the Jack Stone Veterans Park in Down...

City of Tifton Awarded $500,000 in CHIP Funds by DCA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 16, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – Announced on Monday, the City of Tifton was awarded an additional $500,000 in Community HOME Investment Program (CHIP) Grant funds from the Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs for ...

Special Education Teacher Arrested for Cruelty to Children (1st Degree) & Simple Battery

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 15, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – Tifton Police Department took Dixie Hardy, 55, of Tifton, into custody on Wednesday morning following investigation of a complaint received by the Tift County School Board.

The Tifton Poli...

An Update on Traffic Signal Repairs

The traffic signals at the intersection of S. Central and 17^th Street will be repaired in the coming weeks at an expedited pace.

The former traffic lights were damaged beyond repair and required replacement. The City of Tifton is working with professionals...

Tifton Mayor Awarded by City of Waycross for Assistance in Aftermath of Hurricane Helene

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 5, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – The City of Waycross awarded Tifton Mayor Julie Smith the Kennedy L. Sanders Outstanding Citizen Achievement Award for their appreciation of her outstanding efforts and assistance during the aftermath and re...

City of Tifton to Host Georgia Municipal Association’s Small Cities Conference This Week

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 5, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – The City of Tifton is set to host city leaders from all over Georgia May 7-9 for the Georgia Municipal Association’s (GMA) Small Cities Conference.

GMA’s Small Cities Conference is designed to provide various...

TCHS Work Day Assisting Tifton Tree Board

GA Dept. of Ag. Determines Astro Exterminating is 100% in Compliance for Mosquito Spraying in Tifton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 1, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – The Georgia Department of Agriculture conducted a review of Astro Exterminating

and their mosquito spraying applications in Tifton on 4/3/25, 4/10/25, and 4/17/25. The Georgia

Department of Agricultu...

First Friday Concert Summer Series Gets Rocking and Rolling This Friday in Tifton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 29, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – Downtown Tifton will ‘plug in the amps’ to their First Friday concert Summer series from 7pm-10pm on May 2nd on First Street in Tifton.

First Fridays on First Street are free ...

Older Americans Month 2025: Flip the Script on Aging

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 28, 2025 

TIFTON, Ga. – Leroy Rogers Senior Center (LRSC) in Tifton plans to celebrate older Americans Month this May. 

Throughout the month, LRSC and several community partners will host eve...

Tifton Tree Board Honors Arbor Day by Planting Trees at TCHS

The Tifton Tree Board Honored Arbor Day by Planting Trees at Tift County High School (TCHS) Thursday, April 17, 2025. 

This year, TCHS began a new and exciting partnership with the Tifton Tree Board. In celebration of Arbor Day, the Tree Board gen...

Tifton Officials Celebrate Georgia Cities Week

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 15, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – Officials announced Tifton will be celebrating “Georgia Cities Week” April 21-25. The city will hold a variety of events throughout the week that are open to the public, including a Touch-a-Truck and Chil...

Hip! Hop! Hooray! Easter Eggstravaganza in Downtown Tifton Thursday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 15, 2025

Hip! Hop! Hooray! Easter Eggstravaganza in Downtown Tifton Thursday

TIFTON, Ga. – Downtown Tifton hosts their Easter Eggstravaganza Thursday, April 17 from 5:00 to 6:00pm.

This free community event will allow c...

Grand Opening of Tifton Farmers Market Springs into Action Saturday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 2, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. - The Grand Opening of the Tifton Farmers Market kicks off in-full Saturday, April 5th in Downtown Tifton. The 9am ribbon cutting will mark the beginning of the spring season of the Tifton Farmers M...

Mosquito Spraying Resumes April 3, 2025 in Tifton City Limits After Being Discontinued

UPDATE 04/03/2025 -  Per Astro Exterminating Services, Spraying will take place in the evenings between the times of 7PM to 10PM.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 2, 2025 

TIFTON, Ga. – Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal in the worl...

Tifton Police Arrest Homicide Suspect Wanted in Florida

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MARCH 26, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – On March 25, 2025 at approximately 10:39 a.m., officers with the Tifton Police Department received an alert regarding a white Toyota Corolla near 17th Street and Central Avenue.

The vehicle was l...

UPDATES INCLUDED: Tifton Police Recover Deceased Fetus at Local Apartment Complex Thursday

UPDATE 03/21/25: Arrest Made in Relation to Deceased Fetus at Local Apartment Complex Thursday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MARCH 21, 2025

TIFTON, GA – After further investigation stemming from the fetus that was recovered from the dumpster at Brookfield...

Notice of Annual Leak Survey

The City of Tifton has begun their annual Leak Survey on gas lines that provide natural gas to individual homes and businesses. This work will continue for approximately 6 weeks.

What this means to you is, customers may notice natural gas crews and contrac...

City Manager Recruitment is Open!

To apply, please visit: Sumter Local Government Consulting

Out with the Old, in with the New – A New Amphitheater Coming Soon to Fulwood Park

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MARCH 11, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – A new amphitheater will soon be under construction at Fulwood Park.

Demolition of the outdated stage began last week, and construction of the new amphitheater is anticipated to begin the week of ...

Arrests Made in Relation to Car Break-Ins Wednesday Morning

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MARCH 4, 2025 

TIFTON, Ga. – During the early morning hours of February 26, 2025, the Tifton Police Department responded to a report of multiple vehicle break-ins in the area of James Ave. Upon arrival, officers sea...

Tifton Fire Department Responded to Car Fires on Private Property Adjacent to Rhythm and Ribs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MARCH 3, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – Tifton Fire Department responded to a fire on a privately-owned property on March 1, 2025. The property was in proximity to the Rhythm and Ribs Festival that was taking place on Saturday.

Tifton Fi...

JOINT RELEASE: City of Tifton and Tift County Implement Statewide Floating Homestead Exemption

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 26, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – Last week, the City of Tifton and Tift County each formally passed resolutions implementing all provisions of Georgia General Assembly House Bill 581 (HB 581) and adopted the statewide floating homeste...

City of Tifton Cuts the Ribbon on Fulwood Park Renovations

TIFTON, Ga -- On February 25, 2025, the City of Tifton celebrated the much-needed upgrades at Fulwood Park, including the two newly renovated restroom facilities and new commercial playground designed for children aged eight and older. 

T...

Kids BBQ Cook-Off to Return to Rhythm and Ribs Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 18, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. - A Kids BBQ cooking competition returns to the Tifton Rhythm and Ribs festival on March 1, 2025.

To complement the flavor of the festival, a BBQ competition sponsored by Historic Downtown Tifton, just fo...

Four Arrests Made in Relation to Illegal Distribution of Drugs at Tifton Super 8 Hotel Thursday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 17, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – The Tifton Police Department executed a search warrant at the Super 8 by Wyndham Tifton Hotel on February 13, 2025, arresting four adults. Along with these arrests, Tifton Police were able to seize var...

Tifton Police Department Announces Charges and Suspect Name in Connection with Feb. 5, 2025 Homicide

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 10, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – The Tifton Police Department is announcing details to a significant arrest in connection with a homicide that took place the morning of Feb. 5, 2025.

Emmanuel Matt Uzowihe, 37, of Tifton, has ...

Male Adult in Custody After Two Females Found Wounded in Residence on 11th Street

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 5, 2025 

TIFTON, Ga. – On February 5, 2025, at approximately 0757 hours, a Tifton Police Officer was flagged down by a female advising of a disturbance that had just occurred. The complaint led the officer...

City of Tifton Detective Receives Exchange Club of Tifton’s Officer of the Year Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 3, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – Tifton Detective Roberto Torres Jr. received the Exchange Club of Tifton’s recognition as Officer of the Year on February 3, 2025.

Each year, the Exchange Club of Tifton highlights first responders throu...

Mayor and Two City Council Members Represent Tifton at 2025 GMA’s Cities United Summit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JANUARY 31, 2025 

ATLANTA, Ga. – City of Tifton Mayor Julie Smith and Councilmen M. Jay Hall and Lester Cromer Jr. attended the 2025 Georgia Municipal Association’s (GMA) Cities United Summit January 24 through 27. ...

City of Tifton Fire Department Opens New Burn Building Training Facility

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JANUARY 30, 2025

TIFTON, Ga. – The City of Tifton’s Fire Department unveiled a new burn building training facility in January.

This type of hands-on fire training can save the lives of firefighters by providing them scenarios that the...

Tifton Police Department Press Release Correction Notice

CORRECTION NOTICE

Corrections made to the Press Release issued by Tifton Tuesday

TIFTON, Ga., January 29, 2025 – Following the retraction of our previous press release dated January 28, 2025, the City of Tifton is issuing correcting information re...

City of Tifton Re-Designated as a City of Civility by Georgia Municipal Association

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JANUARY 27, 2025

TIFTON, Georgia – The City of Tifton has been re-designated as a City of Civility by the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA). Tifton originally adopted the Civility Resolution in GMA’s Embrace Civility program on Feb...

Winter Storm Updates - City of Tifton

City Awarded GMA Heath and Wellness Grant

For Immediate Release: January 07, 2025

City of Tifton Awarded GMA Life & Health Insurance Fund’s Health Wellness Grant

[ATLANTA, GEORGIA] – We are excited to announce that the City of Tifton has been awarded one ...

How the City Decides What to Pave

The City of Tifton has more than 135 miles of streets to maintain. This Street Condition map from 2023 indicates what streets are in need of resurfacing with red and orange lines. Based on this street study, we are in the process of paving 5.6 m...