Commercial Truck Insurance in Fort Valley, GA

Isaac J. Crumbly's name is now on the auditorium on Fort Valley State's campus. Crumbly has been making an impact since he got to campus back in the 60s.

FORT VALLEY, Ga. — After almost 60 years at Fort Valley State University, Isaac J. Crumbly is a legend on campus and now he even has an auditorium named after him.

The Interim Vice President of Advancement, Karen Wright, said people on campus gave him a fun nickname because of his decades of impact on the wildcat community.

"Lovingly they refer to Dr. Crumbly as the goat. The greatest of all time," Wright said.

Crumbly's name is now the name on the auditorium in the computer technology and mathematics building.

"The fact that my name is over that you know over the entrance, I feel good about that," Crumbly said.

Crumbly saw a need when he came to Fort Valley State University nearly 60 years ago. He started a dual degree program decades ago. Now, the school decided to honor Crumbly and his contributions.

"He has made such an impact at the university whether it is through his giving, through his dedication to the students, to his dedication to the CDEP program," Wright said.

Crumbly started the Cooperative Developmental Energy Program better known as CDEP.

It’s a dual degree stem program that allows students to get an undergraduate degree at FVSU and then continue their education at the graduate level at one of their partnering schools.

Crumbly said his program offers students more options.

"My main goal was to increase opportunities for students outside the regular classroom," Crumbly said.

Crumbly said the CDEP program has produced over 460 hundred graduates. He also said working with other universities has been a win-win situation.

"They hadn’t even ever graduated an African American in geology or geophysics, so this partnership is beneficial to them because it also adds to the diversity," Crumbly said.

Crumbly said he’s grateful for the recognition, but he’s nowhere near being done with his work.

"Today, I walked in and I saw my name and I guess you can say a little smile came across my face, but you know back to work. Today is no different than any other day," Crumbly said.

Wright said Crumbly is so dedicated to his work because he knows it matters.

"He knows what’s he’s doing is making a difference not just at Fort Valley. Making a difference in the community, making a difference in the workforce and making a difference ultimately in the world," Wright said.

Graduates from Crumbly's CDEP program have gone on to work at Georgia Power, Shell, Exxon and many other companies.

A recent study from the University System of Georgia finds Fort Valley State University created a $164 million impact to the local economy in 2022.

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FORT VALLEY, Ga. — The city of Fort Valley sees progression in its future.

According to a recent study from the University System of Georgia, Fort Valley State University made a $164 million impact to the local economy in generating over a thousand jobs.

Some local businesses say that business in Fort Valley often starts booming once students are back in school.

"As the college grows, our city grows," Economic Development Director of the City of Fort Valley Gary Lee said. "They are intertwined in all of what we do, so they are a part of it. They are an integral part of how we grow."

There's no surprise to those who live here. According to Lee, he says that many of the amenities offered by Fort Valley State help aid in the growth and development of the city.

"Fort Valley now is moving outside of the walls and now with them moving outside of the walls and having structures that impact our area, that will address some of the needs and things of the student body," Lee said.

April Smith, a partner at Sharks Fish and Chicken and of Queen Beauty Supply Store, said that the amount of business they get during the summer does not compare to when school is in session.

"We need them back because our business takes a hit when the students are not here," Smith said. "This is their city. They make us grow. Without them here, the revenue doesn't come in"

With the student discounts offered and the quick and ready meals, Smith wants to be there for students the same way they are there for her business.

"Students have always given us one hundred and ten percent," Smith said. "I think that for the city of Fort Valley, hopefully we're appreciating them and also trying to give back to them as well."

So what's next for the city of Fort Valley? According to Lee, a new downtown redevelopment that he hopes will bring even more revenue and student jobs.

"We're looking to be creative, use some things that are working somewhere else, and bring them here and include the students involved in it," Lee said. "That's where the future is, so why not use them? I know that's what I'm going to do."

While students at Fort Valley State University generated $164 million dollars in revenue and jobs, Georgia College State in Milledgeville created about $303 million in economic impact. Middle Georgia State had a $288 million economic impact in the local economy, too.

On Monday, the Jones family was there to unveil the newly named "Alonzo and Alma Student Center". It serves as a central hub for Fort Valley's Wildcats.

FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Fort Valley State University has renamed and renovated its student center.

Alumni and siblings Alonzo and Alma Jones donated $1 million to the university which is said to be the largest donation ever by living alumni. Now, the building is called Alonzo and Alma Jones Student Center, and it serves as a central hub for these students.

Alonzo Jones graduated from Fort Valley in 1983 and Alma Jones in 1971. Now, both are medical doctors.

Now, officials at the university say their journey from students to successful doctors has inspired incoming, current and future students.

"They have a heart of service," Fort Valley's interim Vice President for Advancement Karen Wright said. "After talking to Alma Jones, she wanted there to be a place where students would grow, they would collaborate with each other and their professors, and would also be used by the community."

Lo and behold, their vision came true.

On Monday, the Jones family was there to unveil the newly named "Alonzo and Alma Student Center." It is a central hub for Fort Valley's Wildcats.

As an alumni giving back, Alonzo Jones emphasized the potential he sees in the students at Fort Valley State.

"What we're doing in Fort Valley is just trying to make sure that people that feel marginalized, that maybe feel unincluded, and maybe didn't get the best high school education will still have ambitions, dreams, and aspirations about doing something bigger, to get an opportunity," Jones said.

Overall, many students at Fort Valley feel inspired. Senior Anthony Thomas thinks the newly renovated and renamed building will have a large impact on the future of Fort Valley.

"It really brings a sense of reckoning to the student body to realize that something huge for us to happen in their lives and in the campuses life for this building to be named after them so it's a sense of gratitude and then its an inspiration," Thomas said.

The center has updated furniture and games for students to enjoy on their off days as well as conference rooms on the second floor for students to study with their fellow students.

Courtesy: Fort Valley State

FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Fort Valley State Athletics released the 2024 football schedule today with some great match ups that will test the Florida Beach Bowl Champions.

There will be four exciting games at Wildcat Stadium:

Homecoming – Oct. 12 — The Department of Athletics would like to thank the National Alumni Association for securing blocks of rooms at three local hotels at reasonable rates to accommodate the influx of alums to Middle Georgia.

“While Homecoming 2024 coincides with the last week of the National Fair, we still anticipate a great turnout and I guarantee Homecoming 2025 and 2026 will fall outside the dates of the National Fair,” said Director of Athletics, Renae Myles Payne.

In January, NCAA legislation was passed that allowed football teams to play games in Week Zero. This created a bye week for Division II teams. Our bye week will be September 7. The Wildcats will take advantage of the extra week and implement more schemes on the field but also teach more life skills with their Boys 2 Men series.

For the fifth time in history, the Wildcats will take on the Statesmen of Delta State University in Cleveland, MS. The Wildcats lost to the Statesmen in 2015, but will match up much better talent-wise on September 21.

“This will be a good measuring stick for our team against a good Division I opponent and a great coach,” said Head Coach Shawn Gibbs.

The 34th Annual Fountain City Classic is always the last game of the regular season for the Wildcats. A defensive battle to the last second is how AD Myles Payne described her first Fountain City Classic in 2023.

“I am looking forward to this historic game. It’s almost like both schools’ homecoming all over again,” the Wildcat AD added.

Conference foes Savannah State (September 28), Edward Waters (October 5), and Morehouse (October 26) complete the schedule.

FULL 2024 Schedule

Season tickets will go on sale shortly after the spring game. We are looking forward to another great football season.

On Tuesday, a lawsuit was filed alleging that the Georgia Board of Regents are underfunding three public HBCUs.

MACON, Ga. — A lawsuit filed in federal court Tuesday alleges the Georgia Board of Regents underfunded three public historically black colleges and universities. That includes Savannah State, Albany State and Fort Valley State here in Central Georgia.

People go to HBCUs like Fort Valley State University for different reasons.

“It's close to home,” freshman Ciara Young said.

Others are looking for a strong community.

“They treat you like family and I felt like I'd be in a good place here,” senior Rasheed Muhammad said.

However, a lot of the time it’s because they are looking for places to find a school community where students have similar experiences to them.

“I wanted to be around like-minded people and people who like me,” Muhammad explained. “In other spaces, I may not be seen as equal.”

For plaintiffs filing a lawsuit in federal court against the University System of Georgia, they say funding for HBCUs are historically unequal.

They say black land grant universities have been overlooked and starved of resources.

“The problem with our parking lot and how there's not enough room for everyone,” Young said.

Back in September, the U.S. Department of Education and Agriculture said that Fort Valley was short-changed $603,154,480 over 30 years.

By law, HBCUs are required to receive the same amount of funding per student as their primarily white counterparts.

She says she knows equal funding could benefit the campus, like a bigger parking lot for everyone.

“The parking lot that we asked about in the town hall meeting, It's actually a $5 million project and we don't have the money for it,” Young said.

For Fort Valley, the lawsuit says the same programs at their school are offered at universities like Middle Georgia State. It's only 40 miles away.

It says it prevents their student growth and expansion of programs. Which includes finding and affording teachers for programs on a smaller budget too.

“My roommates, it’s where they can’t schedule the classes that they need for next semester because they don't have a teacher,” Young said.

Muhammed says the University of Georgia and Fort Valley State are Georgia’s only land grant institutions.

“If you look at the numbers, the disproportionate amount of funding that UGA gets compared to Fort Valley is scary,” he said. “We both have good fields in agriculture and we both help the state of Georgia in a substantial way. Why not Fort Valley State getting as much funding as a predominantly white institution as UGA?”

It's to give them an equal, fighting chance.

“Our school needs more funding and I feel like it's not fair. We have many black doctors, black lawyers and to continue to push this out into the world would be great,” Muhammad said. “They’re here for four years, why not give them the best education that they can, therefore they can help in any job field that they decide to go into in the future.”

Many students, however, are still happy they found a community where they feel like they fit in.

“I’m glad to be around people who understand me and who are just like me,” Young said.

We reached out to both the University System of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Education for comment. They're both defendants in the lawsuit.

They said they have not yet been served documents and could not comment.