GA-FL At a Glance

Published 10:22 am Wednesday, May 30, 2018

New exhibit focuses on ‘outsider artists’

DALTON, Ga. — The Creative Arts Guild will open a new exhibit on Friday titled “The Genius and the Ingenius: The Obsession and Influence of Outsider Artists.” The exhibit is curated by local sculptor Chris Beck. Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional works will be featured. The exhibit event begins at 5:30 p.m. and includes a reception offering art lovers a chance to talk with the artists about their work. Following the Gallery Opening and Artist Reception, a choral music concert called “Songs of Love, Songs of Peace” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in the Jonas Hall by the Dalton Chamber Choir. Violinist Paula Pasqua will accompany the choir and play some solos. Music Director Adam Burnette will lead the performance from the keyboard, assisted by pianist Angela Arthur. Concert admission is $10 for adults and $8 for seniors over 65 and students. For more information, contact Guild Music Director Lisa Elders at 706-259-1822 or lisae@creativeartsguild.org. The Creative Arts Guild Gallery Opening and Artist Reception series is free and open to the public. Light refreshments and beverages will be available.

SVEC achieves its first automated restoration of power

LIVE OAK, Fla. — Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative has achieved its first successful automated restoration of power following the installation and implementation of an Advanced Distribution Management System.

An ADMS enables a utility to automate the fault location, isolation and power restoration process. The provider of the system, Advanced Control Systems (ACS), believes that SVEC is among a select group of about 10 percent of the nation’s electric cooperatives that have adopted ADMS technology.

ADMS automatically detects the location of an electrical fault, automatically performs switching to isolate the fault, and then reroutes the flow of electricity to restore power to customers who are out, but are not in the section of lines where the fault is located. The entire process happens in less than a minute, greatly reducing the amount of time many consumers are without power.

“The ADMS is just one part of a larger initiative to improve the reliability of service to our consumer-members,” SVEC Director of Engineering Kurt Miller said in a release. “We plan to complete systemwide ADMS implementation in the second quarter of 2019, with other improvements to reduce the duration of outages and the number of ‘blinks’ on the system to follow.”

Kevin Sullivan, CEO of ACS, added in the release: “The decision to move to an ADMS platform is a big decision for any utility. We’re honored that SVEC chose ACS as their partner in this effort, and it’s always exciting to see a utility reach the milestone of their first automated restoration. Now SVEC can look forward to vast improvements in their service reliability for years to come.”

Body found at Briarwood home

VALDOSTA, Ga. — A body has been found in a vacant Valdosta home, authorities said. Valdosta Police Department responded to a call about a body that was found by workers Monday morning. The call came in around 9 a.m. Construction workers doing renovations on a house located on Briarwood Drive said they found the body while working inside the vacant house.Valdosta Police Lt. Adam Bembry said, in a prepared statement, “There are no obvious signs of foul play.” The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has not released the identity or sex of the body.According to Austin Fiveash, Lowndes County coroner, it is unclear how long the body has been there.Crime scene technicians from the Valdosta Regional Crime Lab and the Valdosta Police Department Persons Crimes detectives were investigating the scene Tuesday. The body is being sent to GBI crime lab in Atlanta and VPD expects results some time this week, according to officials.

NAMI Night will feature financial education

MOULTRIE, Ga. — Christine Odom, program educator for UGA Extension in Colquitt County, will speak on “When Your Income Drops” at the June 5 NAMI Night. The Moultrie chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness meets at 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at the First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall. Church parking lot is at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Second Street Southeast; enter under the canopy. The educational meeting starts at 6 and support groups meet 7-8:30 p.m.

It’s a beach party for First Friday Sip and Stroll

THOMASVILLE, Ga. — Get out your flip flops and favorite Hawaiian shirt for the “Beach Party” First Friday Sip and Stroll, Friday June 1 from 6-10 p.m. in downtown Thomasville.

Summer is here and the city is beating the heat with cool treats and great entertainment. From 6-8 p.m., grab a beer or wine and a Hawaiian lei from your favorite downtown merchant, then hit the bricks and enjoy fire performers and live music stationed throughout downtown.  While you’re here, be sure to check out the dozens of unique retailers and restaurants that call Thomasville home. As the sun sets, grab your beach towel and make your way over to the park and amphitheater for fun lawn games and beach music by The Flip Flop Boys from 8-10 p.m. The Flip Flop Boys play crowd pleasing beach music with a “saltwater twang.” This eclectic mix of performers call everywhere from the Caribbean Islands to Mississippi home. Gourmet popsicles from Smith Collective, AJ Moonspin Pizza and Kreamkles Rolled Ice Cream will be available for purchase at the park and amphitheater. First Friday Sip and Stroll events are family-friendly, free and open to the public. Check social media for weather updates. For more information, visit www.thomasvillega.com or call the Thomasville Visitors Center at 229-228-7977.  

Higher Ground sets July softball camp

TIFTON, Ga. — Higher Ground softball camp will be back in July with two days of softball camps at E.B. Hamilton Complex. Bobby Simpson will lead the camp, along with Nancy Mark and Haley Howell. The camp, which will be held July 2-3, will feature mental, visual and physical (MVP) game skills instruction. Higher Ground is open for ages 6-17 will be held from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. each day. Early registration is $65 for just instruction and $75 also includes a choice of shirt. Players will be divided by age and skill level. Simpson has vast international coaching experience, including as the head coach of the British Women’s Fastpitch National team. He has assisted national teams in Greece and the Netherlands and has college and professional baseball coaching experience. Mark won five state championships with Tift County High in softball and is a former National High School of the Year. Howell played at Georgia College and State University in 2018 where she hit .299 as a freshman with 28 RBIs. Registration for Higher Ground can be done online at highergroundsoftball.com, by calling 229-392-4048 or via fax at 229-386-9770.