Albany Area Briefs

Foreclosure rate drops in Albany

ALBANY — Foreclosure rates in Albany decreased in March over the same period last year, according to newly released data from CoreLogic.

The CoreLogic data reveals that the rate of Albany area foreclosures among outstanding mortgage loans was 0.81 percent for the month of March 2015, a decrease of 0.11 percent from March 2014 when the rate was 0.92 percent. Foreclosure activity in Albany was lower than the national foreclosure rate, which was 1.39 percent for March 2015.

Also in Albany, the mortgage delinquency rate decreased. According to CoreLogic data for March 2015, 4.63 percent of mortgage loans were 90 days or more delinquent compared to 5.19 percent for the same period last year, representing a decrease of 0.56 percentage points.

Sections of Dougherty roads closing for work

ALBANY — Sections of Honeysuckle Drive and Gaissert Road in Dougherty County will be closing Monday for about 45 days to allow county work crews to reconstruct those roadways.

The closing on Honeysuckle Drive will range from Liberty Expressway to Betty’s Drive. Motorists will need to use Highway 133 to access to Honeysuckle Drive. Access to the Southeast EMS Station will remain available.

The section of Gaissert Road to be closed is from Spring Flats Road to 1510 Gaissert Road. Motorists will need to use Fleming Road for access to Gaissert Road.

Jeremy W. Brown, project engineer for the county, said motorists are advised to use the detours and be alert to changing driving conditions. He said motorists should expect delays.

Methodists to meet in Tifton

TIFTON — More than 1,000 United Methodists from across South Georgia will converge Wednesday-Saturday in Tifton for their 2015 Annual Conference Session. Gathering at the University of Georgia Tifton Conference Center, they will discuss business, elect delegates to the 2016 General and Jurisdictional Conferences, and fellowship.

They’ll also get a chance to see a free one-hour presentation of “Swamp Gravy” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the conference center. The special performance of the Official Folk Life Play of Georgia, which has fall and spring shows in its home at Cotton Hall in Colquitt, is open to the conferees and the community.

“Swamp Gravy” stories celebrate Southwest Georgia rural life, history, culture and diversity. Colquitt’s volunteer actors perform inspiring productions that include comedy, music, and choreography, and tell family stories from daily life, tall tales, and Southwest Georgia folklore.

On Friday from 2 p.m.-7 p.m., the South Georgia Conference is partnering with the Society of St. Andrew to host a Crop Drop mission outreach, a hands-on mission project in which conference participants and guests will make mesh sacks and sort and bag nearly 10,000 pounds of donated local produce. The food will be distributed by the Society of St. Andrew to local individuals and food banks. The Crop Drop will be held on the grounds of the Conference Center, and participants can drop in anytime during the event and stay as long as they would like.

More information on the conference can be found at www.sgaumc.org/annualconference.