Branford town clerk recognized for service to Florida Association of City Clerk

BRANFORD, Fla. — Branford Town Clerk Donna Hardin was recognized for her service as the Florida Association of City Clerks Northeast District Director for 2016-2017. Hardin has been a member of the Florida Association of City Clerks since 2005. She has served as a district director one previous year and has been elected to serve again in 2017-2018. In a resolution the Florida Association of City Clerks expressed their appreciation to Hardin serving as Northeast District Director. The association also expressed their gratitude to the Town of Branford for generously sharing Hardin’s time.

Paw Paradise celebrates ribbon cutting

TIFTON, Ga. — Owners Dan and Andrea Milton and Dr. Jessica King and the staff at Paw Paradise welcomed a huge turnout of friends for a ribbon cutting Tuesday morning. They were also joined by volunteers and staff from the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce. Paw Paradise, 1676 South Carpenter Road, is an upscale pet resort that provides high quality pet boarding and daycare for cats and dogs as well as a dog spa.

 

ABAC selects Murphy Scholarship recipient

TIFTON, Ga. — Sarah Kremin, a nursing major from Tifton, has been selected as the recipient of the Christie V. Murphy Scholarship in Nursing at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. The scholarship is named in memory of Christie Ann Vickers Murphy, who passed away in 2013 at the age of 27. Murphy attended Irwin County High School and earned her associate degree in nursing from ABAC in 2009. She was an avid competition dancer and a devoted wife to her husband, Kyle. Murphy’s career included service as a registered nurse working in telemetry and pre-op with St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bryan, Texas. Don Vickers, Christie Murphy’s father, recently came to ABAC to meet Kremin and wish her well in her nursing studies. Additional contributions to the Christie V. Murphy Scholarship fund are being accepted and can be made by contacting Deidre Martin in the ABAC Office of College Advancement at dmartin@abac.edu or 229-391-4907.

 

Metro Dalton’s jobless rate unchanged at 5.4 percent in July

DALTON, Ga. — Metro Dalton’s unemployment rate was unchanged from June to July at 5.4 percent. In July 2016, the rate was 6.5 percent. Metro Dalton is Whitfield and Murray counties. “While Metro Dalton’s rate was unchanged, 501 more people went back to work,” said Commissioner Mark Butler. “It’s great to see Dalton’s economy growing. Since July 2016, Dalton has gained 500 jobs, a 0.7 percent growth rate.” Metro Dalton’s over-the-year job growth came mostly in manufacturing. From June to July, Metro Dalton lost 200 jobs, a 0.3 percent decline, which decreased the total number of jobs to 70,600. “In June, Metro Dalton added jobs,” said Butler. “Due to the fact that a lot of summer jobs are held by students, it’s not surprising to see the July decline in jobs, especially with the earlier school start dates this year.” The total number of employed residents in Metro Dalton rose by 501 to 60,167 from June to July.

 

No change in Valdosta’s jobless rate

VALDOSTA — Metro Valdosta’s unemployment rate remained unchanged in July, according to numbers from the state labor department. The jobless rate for June and July was 5 percent, according to the Georgia Department of Labor. In July 2016, the rate was 5.6 percent. Lowndes, Berrien, Lanier and Echols counties make up the Metro region. There were 300 fewer jobs in the metro area in July than June, and 24 more people seeking unemployment insurance, said Mark Butler, Georgia’s labor commissioner. There were also 300 more people joining the workforce in July, with 343 people finding jobs in the metro area, he said. The number of people in the region with jobs was 61,735, according to labor department statistics. The unemployment rate for all of southern Georgia in July was 5.4 percent in July, down from 5.5 percent in June, according to the labor department.