Southwest Georgia Network

(Press Release courtesy of Phoebe Putney Health System)

Albany, Ga. – IHOP® Restaurants have set the date for its 13^th annual IHOP National Pancake Day® event, the centerpiece of the all-day breakfast leader’s 60 Days of Giving campaign. As the brand’s signature philanthropic event, IHOP National Pancake Day and all related activities directly benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH) and other charities dedicated to finding cures and eradicating life-threatening diseases that affect children and families.

On Tuesday, February 27, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. guests can receive a free short stack* of the brand’s world-famous, freshly made buttermilk pancakes at IHOP Restaurants nationwide. In return, guests are asked to help make a difference by leaving a donation of any size on-check or in-restaurant with all funds going to the charity partners’ local hospital affiliate. At the IHOP in Albany, GA, and Adel, GA, all donations will benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Phoebe.

To mark its milestone 60^th year in business, IHOP and its franchisees have set an ambitious goal of raising $5 million for children’s hospitals and medical research during the two-month campaign – plus serving a record-breaking 5 million pancakes in a single day. All the money raised during this year’s 60 Days of Giving campaign will stay local and benefit thousands of children’s hospitals across the country. Last year, the IHOP in Albany raised just over $6,600 and $945 in Adel. This year the locations are looking to raise $8,500 combined.

To help bolster efforts, Becca Miller, CMNH Coordinator, said they are once again offering VIP tables to local businesses. “Last year was the first year we offered VIP tables and it was so successful we decided to do again. Local businesses purchase the tables for their employees to enjoy an hour of fellowship, while giving back to the community.”

Sponsors for the VIP tables this year include: Doherty, Duggan Hart & Tiernan; Miracle KIA of Albany; Miracle Toyota of Albany; Flint Community Bank; Turner’s Furniture; Complete Carriers; Remax of Albany; and PeoplesSouth Bank. The Kiwanis Club of Albany is not only a VIP table sponsor, but will also serve as CMNH ambassadors – visiting each table to tell guests about the great work that Children’s Miracle Network does in our local community.

Between now and March, guests have several ways to support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Phoebe including:

Visiting any IHOP Restaurant on Tuesday, February 27, 2018 during event hours* and donating to the featured charity after enjoying a free stack of IHOP’s world-famous Buttermilk Pancakes.

Purchasing a wall icon in increments of $1, $5, $20 or $100 between January 31 and February 27, 2018 to show support. Guests who purchase a $5 wall icon will receive a $5 coupon good for a future purchase of $10 or more (valid at participating restaurants only).

Enjoying a meal at any IHOP restaurant between January 31 and March 31, 2018 and making an in-restaurant cash contribution or on-check donation to the featured charity partner.

Every penny raised locally to benefit Children’s Miracle Network stays in Southwest Georgia to help medical professionals treat our local children. Since 1997, Children’s Miracle Network supporters have raised more than $4.5 million to provide specialized equipment and programs to help babies and children treated at Phoebe. From life-saving equipment to help treat our most critically ill newborns to life-enhancing toys in the Pediatric Unit playroom, every child needing Phoebe’s care has benefited from funds raised through the Children’s Miracle Network.

For more information on how you can help or learn more about Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, contact Phoebe Foundation at (229) 312-1491.

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By Walter L. Johnson II

This is the first of what should be multiple posts on the weekend to come in Albany and Southwest Georgia, short and to the point. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get started with this first installment of “Looking Ahead To The Weekend.”

GROW Albany will host its Community Planting Day from 9 a.m.-noon tomorrow at Tift Park. Numerous new trees will be planted to replace those that were destroyed during the severe storms that struck the Albany area in January 2017. The event is sponsored by SB&T, Mission Change, Phoebe Putney Health System, and Phoebe Putney Health System. For more information on volunteering, please click here.

In sports, state tournament time has arrived in Georgia high school basketball, and the Metro Albany area and surrounding communities are well represented for the first-round in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), which starts later today (Friday) and continues through tomorrow (Saturday).

All three GHSA schools in Albany are sending both their boys and girls teams to the state playoffs. The newly-crowned Region 1-AAAA boys champion Westover Patriots will play host to Perry on Saturday, while the girls’ team will travel to Thomaston to face Upson-Lee.

In Class AAA, both Monroe squads will be at home for the first round of the state tournament, as they will host Liberty County in one of the few doubleheaders to be played on the opening weekend. The Lady Tornadoes enter this weekend’s contest as the Region 1-AAA, while the Tornadoes come in as the No. 2 seed.

Both Dougherty teams will hit the road for the first round in Class AAA, with the Trojans traveling to Long County, while the Lady Trojans will go to Pierce County.

Finally, the Worth County Lady Rams will travel to Tattnall County for first-round Class AAA action, while the Lee County Trojans will go to Richmond Hill in the opening round of the Class AAAAAA boys bracket.

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Changes are coming soon to the Southwest Georgia Network, including the southwestgeorgianetwork.com website.

Here’s a quick overview of what to expect in the weeks and months to come:

-The southwestgeorgianetwork.com website will focus more on community news, as well as you can use, primarily serving the City of Albany, as well as Dougherty, Lee and other surrounding counties in Southwest Georgia.

-Our Twitter feed @swganetwork will emphasize more breaking news within the general Southwest and South Central Georgia regions, or telephone area code 229. This includes cities such as Americus, Bainbridge, Moultrie, Thomasville, Tifton, Valdosta, and other towns.

-Additionally, there will be an all-new “Podcast” page added to the website. Possibilities for the new section include a daily audio news update.

-Finally, don’t be surprised to see a completely different design for southwestgeorgianetwork.com, in hopes of making the website more user-friendly.

Our goal at the Southwest Georgia Network is to become the primary online-only news source for Albany, Leesburg, and other surrounding communities, delivering news that’s not available anywhere. Stay connected to the @swganetwork for more on the coming changes to southwestgeorgianetwork.com.

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Left: Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard signs proclamation declaring February American Month

Right: Phoebe Putney Health System employees with Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard

(Photos and Press Release courtesy of Phoebe Putney Health System)

Albany, Ga. – Phoebe is celebrating American Heart Month with multiple events throughout February. Getting screened and being active are two of the most important ways to manage heart health.

Celebrated since 1963, Heart Month is one of the oldest campaigns aimed at raising awareness about heart disease – the number one cause of death for American men and women. It is also one of the most preventable diseases.  Through education and a healthy lifestyle, you can lower your risk of heart disease. To help combat this deadly disease, Phoebe is inviting the community to the following free events:

Love Your Heart

Get your blood pressure screened at Albany Mall on Valentine’s Day, February 14, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Knowing your numbers can motivate you to make changes to improve your health and reduce your risk of developing heart disease or another serious illness.

Learn for Your Heart

In partnership with the City of Albany and the American Red Cross, Phoebe Network of Trust will teach attendees core CPR skills, in less than 30 minutes. The community event is at the Albany Civic Center on Saturday, February 17, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Dance for Your Heart

One of the major risk factors for heart disease is physical inactivity. Dance for Your Heart is a free event for the whole family. Event participants will dance with Zumba instructors from Studio V-Fit, line-dance with DJ Dollar Bill, and learn yoga from Sol Power Yoga. The dance party is from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Saturday, February 24, at Albany State University’s West Campus Student Center.

To kick off heart month and in recognition of the ongoing fight against heart disease, earlier today Albany Mayor, Dorothy Hubbard signed a proclamation designating February 2018 as American Heart Month in Albany. The proclamation urges all citizens to recognize the critical importance of knowing the risks for heart disease and how to prevent it.

The Heart Month events are held in partnership between Phoebe, Albany State University, Albany Fire Department and Police Department, American Red Cross, City of Albany, Dougherty County Health Department and Network of Trust.

For more information on any of Phoebe’s Heart Month events, call 229-312-4620.

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Darren Maracin, Corporate Director of Chaplaincy, Phoebe Putney Health System

(Photo courtesy of Phoebe Putney Health System)

New Phoebe Putney Health System Corporate Director of Chaplaincy Darren Maracin sat down with the Southwest Georgia Network to discuss what brought him to the Albany area, his previous ties to Southwest Georgia, and the role that pastoral ministry plays in comforting patients and families during their stay at the hospital.

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Visit the all-new Southwest Georgia Network YouTube Channel by clicking here.

By Walter L. Johnson II

Two weeks of the Georgia high school football regular season have come and gone-or three weeks in the case of the GISA-and so far, there have been mixed results for teams in Dougherty and other surrounding counties in the post-Albany High School era.

For those first-time readers that are just now reading this column, the Dougherty County Board of Education voted on June 6 to close Albany High for good, effective immediately. That move leaves the Dougherty County School System with just three high schools: Dougherty, Monroe, and Westover.

With that said, let’s take a brief look at how some of those teams are faring in 2017:

Lee County Trojans (2-0): After rallying from behind in the final quarter to defeat Mary Persons, 21-17, at the Corky Kell Classic in Macon on August 17, the Trojans from Leesburg had a much easier time in their home opener last Friday, beating the Bainbridge Bearcats, 38-13. They’ll look to start a season at 3-0 for the seventh year in a row this Friday when they host Hardaway.

Monroe Tornadoes (1-0): The Tornadoes downed the Westover Patriots, 21-6, in the first game played at Hugh Mills Stadium since the sudden shutdown of Albany High last week. Head Coach Charles Truitt and his charges will have their work cut out for them this week, as they travel to Thomasville to face a Bulldogs team that won their program’s 700th game with a 41-7 blowout of archrival Thomas County Central.

Westover Patriots (1-1): After outlasting defending GHSA Region 1-A Pelham in their opener on August 18, the Patriots struggled in their 21-6 loss to Albany area archrival Monroe in their home opener last week. They get a much-needed bye week before returning to Hugh Mills Stadium to do battle with the Dougherty Trojans on September 8.

Dougherty Trojans (1-1): Speaking of the Trojans from East Albany, they bounced back from a 29-28 season-opening loss to Turner County with a win on the road, outlasting the Mitchell County Eagles, 18-14, on Saturday night. Dougherty plays its first home game of 2017, welcoming Berrien to Hugh Mills Stadium on Friday.

Worth County Rams (0-2): The Ben Simmons era has gotten off to a rough start in Sylvester, as the Rams followed up a 30-13 loss to Thomas County Central with a 27-13 setback at home to this aforementioned Turner County team. The Rams will hit the road for the first time this week, as they travel to middle Georgia to face Veterans.

Deerfield-Windsor Knights (1-1): The GISA Knights of Albany have split their first two contests so far in 2017, outlasting Trinity Christian of Sharpsburg, 26-21, on the road on August 21, before falling to perennial Florida powerhouse North Florida Christian from Tallahassee, 21-0, in their home opener last week. DWS is back on the road again this week, making the short trip to Dawson to do battle with Terrell Academy.

Top Games This Week

Turner County at Crisp County: The Cougars will open their home portion of the 2017 schedule against their archrivals from Ashburn in an unlikely early season battle of 2-0 teams. After crushing Dooly County 40-18 in their season opener on August 18, Crisp County struggled against another archrival Americus-Sumter, finally outlasting the Panthers 20-18 on the road last week. On the other hand, both of Turner County’s wins thus far have come against Class AAA teams, thanks to a 1-point win over Dougherty, as well as a 14-point win over Worth County.

Monroe at Thomasville: The 1-0 Tornadoes from Albany make the 60-plus mile trip south on U.S. 19 to Thomasville, taking on the 2-0 Bulldogs in another battle of unbeaten teams. Thomasville has gotten off to a fast start despite having both games delayed by lightning in the first two weeks of the season with their season-opening game against Cairo not kicking off until just after 10 p.m.-while last week’s contest against Thomas County Central was stopped early in the fourth quarter, also due to bad weather. So far, the Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 78-15, crushing Cairo 37-8, and TCC 41-7.

Tucker at Colquitt County: The Packers continue their run of playing one of the toughest schedules in the state of Georgia, if not the nation, as they play host to the Tigers, who lost to Valdosta in last year’s Class AAAAAA state title game. The Pack picked up wins over Norcross 20-17 in the Corky Kell Classic in Atlanta on August 18, before rolling past Vista Murrieta (Calif.) 26-7 in their home opener last week.

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Visit the all-new Southwest Georgia Network YouTube Channel by clicking here.

Editor’s Note: This post marks the first of what should be many weekly installments of the “High School Football Round-Up” Column, to be posted each Monday at southwestgeorgianetwork.com. The HSFR column will focus primarily on high school football coverage in Albany/Dougherty County, as well as other surrounding communities and counties. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

By Walter L. Johnson II

The opening week of the 2017 high school football season is in the books, as “Zero Week” produced quite a few stunning results.

But let’s start off with Lee County’s come-from-behind win over Mary Persons at the Corky Kell Classic on Thursday. The Trojans overcame numerous mistakes, especially on special teams, to beat the Bulldogs, 21-17. Lee County (1-0) plays host to idle Bainbridge in its home opener Friday.

As for the “stunning results” from the first week of the Georgia high school football season, one of those came from Thomasville. That’s where the Class AA Bulldogs crushed the defending GHSA Region 1-AAAA champion Cairo Syrupmakers 37-8 in a game that didn’t kick off until 10 p.m. late Friday due to the detection of lightning in the Thomasville area. Still, their win over Cairo could represent a giant step for a Bulldogs program that managed to win only one game just two years ago. Second-year head coach Zach Grage and his charges will try to go to 2-0 this week, with the Bulldogs traveling to archrival Thomas County Central.

Speaking of the Yellow Jackets, they traveled to Sylvester to face the Worth County Rams to open their 2017 season. TCC (1-0) spoiled Ben Simmons’s debut as the Rams (0-1) head coach in a 30-13 final score. Simmons returns home this week to face the team he coached last year in Turner County.

Another “stunning result” from the first week of action came from Pelham. That’s where the Westover Patriots knocked off the defending GHSA Region 1-A champion Pelham Hornets in a high-scoring 35-28 contest. Don’t be surprised if that season sparks a potential run at a playoff berth for the Patriots, who fell just short of advancing to postseason play at 5-5 overall, and 3-4 in GHSA Region 1-AAAA action last season.

But perhaps the most “stunning result” of came from the “Concrete Palace” just outside of Valdosta. That’s where the GHSA Region 1-AAAAAAA Lowndes Vikings, who advanced to the Class 7A quarterfinals last season, crushed the defending Class AAAAAA state champion Valdosta Wildcats 45-0. The win could spark a potential run to a state championship for the Vikings, just like Valdosta’s win over Lowndes helped the Wildcats win their first state since 1998.

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Visit the all-new Southwest Georgia Network YouTube Channel by clicking here.

Top Photo: Commodore Conyers College & Career Academy CEO Chris Hatcher

Bottom Photo: Logo of the Commodore Conyers College & Career Academy

(Photos by Walter L. Johnson II)

Commodore Conyers College & Career Academy CEO Chris Hatcher talks about why he chose to get involved with the “4C” Academy, the role it plays in workforce development for Dougherty, Calhoun, Baker, and Terrell Counties, as well as plans for its first full year of operation.

More information: http://4cacademy.org/

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Visit the all-new Southwest Georgia Network YouTube Channel by clicking here.

Sign outside of Westover High School

(Photo by Walter L. Johnson II)

By Walter L. Johnson II

Summer is over. A new school year has arrived in Southwest Georgia, including the Metro Albany area.

The Mitchell and Worth County school systems opened their school year on Monday, while the Dougherty County School System will begin its new academic year later today, with Lee and Terrell Counties to follow on Friday. Additionally, Byne Christian School will also start classes on August 4.

St. Teresa’s Catholic School will enroll high school students for the first time ever on August 7, while Deerfield-Windsor School and Sherwood Christian Academy won’t start classes until August 11.

For a list of other school start dates in Southwest Georgia, please click here.

Follow the Southwest Georgia Network on Twitter @swganetwork.

(Photos by Walter L. Johnson II)

By Walter L. Johnson II

Miracle Treat Day is Thursday at participating Dairy Queen restaurants throughout Southwest Georgia, with the proceeds from the sales of DQ Blizzards benefitting the Children’s Miracle Network at Phoebe Putney Health System in Albany.

For just $1 or more on July 27, DQ customers can purchase a Blizzard to benefit CMN hospitals like Phoebe, and others across the U.S.

Children’s Miracle Network Special Events Coordinator Becca Miller says that CMN’s partnership with Phoebe and Dairy Queen helps many children with life-threatening illnesses to not only make a full recovery but also lead a normal life.

“Dairy Queen is our second largest donor to Children’s Miracle Network,” Miller said. “(In 2016) they donated (more than) $20,000 to Children’s Miracle Network, so every penny of that stays local, which purchases special equipment for pediatric departments, purchases things for education programs, that ensure that our staff is provided the best care for our kids.”

DQ Blizzards will be sold at the following locations:

Adel
109 S. Adams St.
Albany
1804 W. Oglethorpe Blvd. & 2401 Dawson Rd
Douglas
918 S. Peterson Ave.
Moultrie
2616 1st Ave. SE
Nashville
415 S. Davis St.
Sylvester
509 E. Franklin St.
Camilla
140 US Hwy 19 S
Tifton
210 W. 7th St. & 1407 Tift Ave.
Homerville
342 S. Church St.
Ashburn
2005 North St.
Cordele
1401 E. 16th Ave & 2302 Ga Hwy 300 Extended
Americus
1321 E. Lamar St.

On The Web:

Children’s Miracle Network: https://phoebehealth.childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org/

Follow the Southwest Georgia Network on Twitter @swganetwork.