GA-FL At a Glance

Published 11:05 am Monday, March 13, 2017

Cold snap heading to South Georgia

VALDOSTA — Spring may officially be a week away, but Mother Nature thinks winter just arrived. Temperatures are expected to plunge across South Georgia this week as a strong cold front moves through, with temperatures possibly dipping below freezing, according to forecasters. Valdosta’s high temperature Friday was 80 degrees, according to National Weather Service records. That is expected to drop to a high of only 56 Wednesday, according to Frank Strait, senior meteorologist for the private forecasting firm AccuWeather. The cold front is on the backside of a high-pressure system moving in from the north, said Andy Lehr, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Tallahassee, Fla., office. “It’s going to be quite a bit chillier than it’s been for the last six weeks,” Strait said. “The jet stream had been hanging along the Canadian border; now it’s much farther south, bringing more cold air down.” At night, the temperature dip is even more evident. Friday’s low in Valdosta was 53 degrees, according to weather service records; Strait said temperatures could drop to 28 degrees Wednesday night. Thursday night doesn’t look much warmer with a possible low of 30 degrees, he said. Neither meteorologist expected much of a chance of severe weather this week.

Tiftarea STAR student, teacher recognized

TIFTON, Ga. — Tiftarea Academy’s STAR Student Madisyn Marshall and STAR Teacher Knoxene Royal were recognized at a recent Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce’s monthly membership meeting. Both were presented a plaque sponsored by Tift Regional Health Systems and a $50 check from First Community Bank.

GMC Military Honors Parade Friday

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Georgia Military College will honor the brave men and women serving their country in a Military Honors Parade on Friday, March 17. The parade will take place on GMC’s Grant Parade Field at 2:30 p.m. GMC President Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell, IV, will host the ceremony. The guest speaker will be Maj. Gen. Christopher P. Hughes, the Commanding General for the United States Army Cadet Command. Nearly 800 of GMC’s Prep School Cadets and junior college cadets will also participate in the parade. Hughes is a native of Red Oak, Iowa. He has a B.S. in political science from Northwest Missouri State University, an M.A. in business management from Webster University, an M.S. in national strategic studies from the National Defense University and has earned an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from Northwest Missouri State University. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, the Army Command and General Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College, and is a Distinguished Graduate of the National War College. Hughes most recently served as the Chief of Staff for United States Army, Pacific Command at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. He is also a published author and winner of the 2008 Army Historical Foundation’s Distinguished Writing Award for Excellence. During the program, GMC several cadets will receive special recognition. The JROTC Medal of Heroism and the Boys Scout Medal of Merit will be awarded to two GMC Prep cadets who used their lifesaving skills to save a young man from drowning in Lake Oconee. 

St. Patrick’s Day celebration planned

DALTON, Ga. — The Creative Arts Guild presents the group “Shamrock, Thistle and Rose” (also known as Jim and Jayne Todd and Ward Satterfield) for a St. Paddy’s Celebration Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Guild’s Jonas Performance Hall, at 520 W. Waugh St. in Dalton. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for seniors over 65 and students. Children under 5 are admitted free. Call (706) 278-0168 or visit www.creativeartsguild.org for more information.