Tifton Gazette

04/22/2026

One of several stories on our website about the wildfires. Gov. Kemp has declared a state of emergency for 91 of Georgia's 159 counties, including Tift, and a burn ban is in effect in those counties.

More than 27,000 acres of wildfires are intensifying across South Georgia, according to the Georgia Forestry Association, as most of the state experiences drought conditions.

03/17/2026

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03/15/2026

After consulting with the Emergency Management Agency and other local authorities, Tift County Schools will be closed tomorrow, Monday, March 16, 2026, due to the potential for severe weather. A strong storm system is projected to arrive in our area around 5:00AM and is expected to be cleared out of the area around noon.
The current forecast calls for widespread damaging winds with gusts of 60–70 mph, along with the possibility of tornadoes and large hail. Temperatures will drop significantly after the front moves through, so families should plan for freezing temperatures on Tuesday morning and ensure students are dressed appropriately.
The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority. Therefore, all schools will be closed and all athletic and extracurricular activities are canceled for Monday, March 16, 2026.
We encourage everyone to stay weather aware and take necessary precautions. Any additional updates will be shared through the district’s communication channels.

02/19/2026

🎉 Best of Tifton 2026 — Top 3 Finalists Announced! 🎉

We officially have the results for the Top 3 businesses in each category of our Best of Tifton 2026 contest!

Our voting round begins Thursday, February 26, and we are facing a hard deadline today for advertising in the Top 3 voting section.

Laykin is working hard to contact all finalists. If you haven’t heard from her yet and want to know whether your business made the Top 3 — or if you want to reserve advertising space — please email her today.

📧 [email protected]

Thank you to everyone who participated, and congratulations to our outstanding local businesses! 🏆 Stay tuned as we move into the final voting round!

12/15/2025

🎅📬 ✨ A Special Message from SANTA ✨📬🎅

Ho ho ho, boys and girls!
Santa here, and I’ve got a very important request! 🎄

I’ve asked The Tifton Gazette to help me collect your Letters to Santa, and they’ll be printing them in the December 25th print edition for everyone to enjoy!

If you’d like your letter to reach me at the North Pole (and maybe be seen in the paper too 😉), please ask a grown-up to email it to:

📧 [email protected]

🗓️ Please send all letters by the end of the day on December 15th.

I look forward to reading your Christmas wishes.
Keep being kind, listening to your parents and teachers, and spreading Christmas cheer wherever you go!

Love,
Santa Claus 🎅✨

12/05/2025

Two police officers were shot, and a suspect is in custody following a standoff Friday.

Two Tifton Police Department officers were shot while executing a search warrant Friday morning at a residence on Lee Avenue.