Milledgeville’s MLK Community Breakfast is Friday

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — The Georgia College Office of Inclusive Excellence, along with several other local groups and institutions, will hold its first ever MLK Jr. Community Breakfast, entitled “Where do we Go from Here?” on Friday. The breakfast, named after a King speech given to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta in 1967, will feature remarks from several prominent Milledgeville figures, including Mayor Gary Thrower, Georgia College President Steve Dorman, and Baldwin County Schools Superintendant Dr. Noris Price, to help commemorate King’s civil rights legacy. The event culminates in the reading of excerpts by local students from a special essay/creative works competition in response to Dr. King’s speech, outlining how they believe King’s ideas can be used to better the Milledgeville community. The “Where do we Go From Here” Community Breakfast will be this Friday, Jan. 13, in Georgia College’s Magnolia Ballroom at 7:30 a.m. Tickets are available in advance for $12 from the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit www.gcsu.edu/oie/mlk-community-breakfast or call the Office of Inclusive Excellence at 478-445-4233.

 

Daryle Singletary heading to Tift Theatre

TIFTON, Ga. — The Tift Theatre is getting ready to welcome country singer Daryle Singletary on Jan. 13. Singletary came into country music in the 90s with his self-title debut album that included hits such as “I Let Her Lie,” “Too Much Fun,” and “I’m Living Up to Her Low Expectations.”Fellow Georgia native Jacob Bryant will open the show. Bryant’s latest EP “Up In Smoke” came out in September 2016. Tickets are available at www.freshtix.com/events/mcalpin-entertainment-presents-daryle-singletary- and will be available at the door. Doors open at 7 p.m.

 

Tax commish to speak at meeting

DALTON, Ga. — Whitfield County Tax Commissioner Danny Sane is the guest speaker at a community meeting at the historic Huff House on Selvidge Street on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 6:30 p.m. The Dalton Tea Party is hosting the event. Everyone is invited.

 

Georgia Trend recognizes SGMC

VALDOSTA – South Georgia Medical Center was ranked third in Georgia in the large hospital category for 2016 by Georgia Trend magazine.  The December issue grouped Georgia hospitals of similar size and mission into four categories: teaching hospitals, large hospitals (more than 250 patient beds), medium hospitals (100-249 beds) and small hospitals (fewer than 100 beds), according to a press release. SGMC CEO Dr. Raymond Snead attributed the recognition to the commitment of SGMC’s affiliated physicians, employees and staff to meeting national patient safety and quality benchmarks.  “This unbiased, third-party acknowledgment affirms the superior medical care SGMC offers to our region,” Snead said. “We’re not finished when it comes to improving access and overall organizational performance.”  Snead said SGMC will make additional changes in 2017 to continue improvements. WellStar West Georgia Medical Center in LaGrange took the No. 1 ranking followed by Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. Hospitals were ranked on their total performance score, which is calculated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services using information on the clinical process of care, patient experience of care, outcome and efficiency, according to Georgia Trend. Hospital bed size was determined by the American Hospital Directory. The 2016 Top Hospitals Ranking includes only hospitals that participate in the CMS Value Based Purchasing Program.  The full article can be found online at www.georgiatrend.com.

 

Sparkleberry Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society meeting Tuesday

BRANFORD, Fla. — The Sparkleberry Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society will meet the second Tuesday of the month, starting at 6:30 p.m., at Hatch Park, 403 SE Craven St.  To get to Hatch Park, once you have turned onto State Road 247 in Branford, SE Craven St. is the seventh block from U.S. Highway 129. After making a right onto SE Craven, Hatch Park is a few blocks down the road on the left. The public is invited. Another opportunity to get involved in an open discussion with other members is to bring questions or a plant to identify or just for talk about, tell us about interesting happenings in your yard, and learn some tips for transplanting and landscaping with native plants. For more information contact President Trish Haight, at latriciah@aol.com or Program Chair Carol Sullivan at 386-364-9309. For more information on the Florida Native Plant Society, visit its website at www.fnps.org. The purpose of the Florida Native Plant Society is to promote the preservation, conservation and plant restoration of the native plant communities. The Sparkleberry Chapter serves Suwannee, Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette and Taylor counties.