Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

51;e Aiiuancg The ADVANCE, January 6, 2021 /Page 3A New Toombs County Probate Sworn Into Office Judge By Rebekah Arnold Contributing Writer A changing of the guard has occurred in the Toombs County Probate Office. On Wednesday December 30, Tina S. Lindsey was duly sworn in as Judge of Pro bate Court, taking the helm from retiring Judge Larry Threlkeld, who has held the office for 12 years. Lindsey ran unopposed and was elected in June of 2020. Family, friends and col leagues gathered in the main courtroom of the Toombs County Courthouse as Judge Tommy Smith of the Superior Court for the Middle Judicial Circuit ad ministered two oaths for the office. Lindsey placed her left hand on her own King James Bible, which was a gift from her mother- in-law, Geraldine Lindsey. The Bible was held for the swearing-in by Judge Lind sey’s husband, Keith. Lind sey raised her right hand to repeat first the loyalty oath of allegiance to the govern ments of the United States, the State of Georgia, and to Toombs County. The longer oath of of fice whereby Lindsey will “well and faithfully dis charge the duties...accord- ing to law, to the best of my knowledge and ability, without favor or affection to any party” in her office of Judge, was then repeated. Before the ceremony, Judge Threlkeld began the event with prayer and remarks about Lindsey’s service as Clerk of Pro bate Court. “It’s a pleasure and an honor for me to be asked to be a part of your welcome,” Threlkeld said to Judge Lindsey. In November of 2014, Judge Threlkeld informed the Toombs County Com missioners by letter of a newly-hired Clerk of Pro bate Court. He told the Commissioners at that time that Lindsey was highly rec ommended and affirmed by anyone whom he asked for a reference. Lindsey started her ca reer in 1985 with the State of Georgia at Pineland Men tal Health. In May of 2000 she moved to the Toombs County Department of Family and Children Ser vices, and then to Adult Protective Services, where she served for 10 years, and S UDO KU So ' u " on ’ page 9A 7 8 9 2 1 3 8 5 3 1 6 4 1 5 6 4 2 8 1 9 5 4 6 5 Fun By The Numbers Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test! Level: Intermediate Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle! retired from there, before joining Threlkeld’s team in the Probate Court office. Threlkeld said of the passing of the judgeship from himself to Lindsey, “This is one of the most seamless transitions an of fice in the courthouse has made.” He continued, “It is a great office and people will appreciate the great service they are going to get. We are a service orga nization if there’s ever been one.” Threlkeld also said, “I’m appreciative to the people who have voted for me over the years and helped us create a legacy of sorts of good service to the good people of Toombs County.” Lindsey thanked the outgoing Judge Threlkeld, saying she has “been riding on his coattails for the past six years, learning every thing I possibly could about the Probate Court and I appreciate his confidence in me. Thank you for your support.” Through tears, Lindsey thanked her par ents, children, grandchil dren, her extended family and friends, and especially her husband for their en couragement and confi dence in her. Judge Lindsey stated her objective for her new position: “The Probate Court will serve the gen Probate Judge Recaps Annual Activities At Toombs Commission’s Last 2020 Session By Deborah Clark Regional Editor dclarkadvance@gmail.com Photo by Rebekah Arnold JUDGE LINDSEY TAKES OATH — Judge Tommy Smith of the Superior Court for the Middle Judicial Circuit administers the oath for the office of Probate Court Judge to Tina S. Lindsey, as her husband, Keith Lindsey, holds her Bible for her swearing-in. eral public and the citizens of Toombs County with integrity, respect, compas sion and professionalism. We will work efficiently as a team to ensure the highest standard of service within our office.” The “two very capable people” who will complete the Probate Court team as clerks are Diane Stripling, who has served since 2008, and Angelia Sanders, who was hired in September of 2020, Judge Threlkeld said. The office of Probate Judge is one of four county positions that draws its au thority from the state con stitution and does not fall under the authority of the board of commissioners. The other constitutional officers are sheriff, superior court clerk, and tax com missioner. The probate judge is elected for a four- year term in countywide partisan elections. The powers and duties of these officers are determined by general law and not on a county-by-county basis. The general duties of the probate judge are judicial, ministerial, and clerical. Toombs County Pro bate Judge Larry Ihrekeld, who retired December 31 after 12 years at his post, apprised Toombs County Commissioners at their last session of 2020 about the recent activities of his office. His report was heard at the Commis sion’s December 15 meet ing at the Toombs County Courthouse. Despite being closed for two and half months due to COVID-19, the of fice still processed more cases than during the previous year. “In 2019, 165 cases were filed and in 2020, 240 cases were filed,” Threlkeld told com missioners. In 2019, 159 marriage licenses were handled by his office, but in 2020, the number was 193. While in 2019 there were 678 applications for new and renewed fire arms licenses, Thelkeld’s office processed 1,071 of these permits in 2020. The judge said he ex pects a smooth transition as Tina Lindsey steps into the role of Probate Judge. She won election to the post in the June 9 primary. Public Works Director Chris Keene reported that his office started 2020 “in the hole with 29.18 inch es of rain within a four- month period.” This chal lenge was compounded by COVID-19. “But we never missed a lick,” he told commissioners. His crews paved or resurfaced 14 miles of roads, maintained 115 miles of rights of way and striped 26 miles of road in addition to every day duties, including grad ing dirt roads and main taining pipes and ditches. The Commission also approved the following: • A bid by C. Merrill Construction of States boro of $1,740,000 for a the construction of a building at the proposed Ross Bowen Agricultural Complex. • A bid of $115 per transport by All Green for solid waste transportation. An agreement with South eastern Technical College to provide clinical train ing for emergency medi cal technicians through the Toombs County EMS program. • Indemnification and hold harmless agreement with the Georgia Depart ment of Transportation (GDOT) for a permit to provide driveway en croachment at the new courthouse. • Final price and de sign/build renovation of the Emergency Medi cal Services/Emergency Management Agency building with Harry Mo ses Construction ofVida- lia at a cost of $1,389,709 plus $14,879.12 for elec tronic door systems. • Purchase of radios for the county fire de partments with HUB Electronics at a cost of $20,270.00. The purchase marks the first step in a long-term plan to convert completely to digital ra dios. • A revolving loan ap plication for Vidalia Api- cultural & Bee Co., LLC for $300,000 (10-year loan with a maximum 5% inter est). The application pre viously received Toombs County Development Au thority approval and final approval at public hearing the following week. • A quote by BPM Construction of $7,500 for replacement of the roof on the EMS building. • An MOA and sub lease agreement with the GDOT for rental of the Old Lyons Primary School. The Commission ap proved the following alco hol licenses: Center Gro cery/ CEKK LLC; Jani’s Mart; Fruteria Rodriguez; Pop’s General Store; La Joya Mexican Store; Cedar Crossing Grocery Store and Dennis Sport Shop LLC. Financial Strength In A Growing Community Your Local Financial Center... VyhauX Home Loans • Auto Loans • Consumer Loans • Mortgages • Checking Accounts • Savings Accounts • Safe Deposits • Drive-In Service- ATM & Debit Cards 24 Hour Banking: 537-4540 www.vidfedonline.com ask Ms,o Magnolia Letters have been edited for length and clarity. Dear Ms. Magnolia, After Christmas every year, when / store Christmas decorations, / try to do some minimalizing by getting rid of so many things that / have kept around for years but no longer need. Since my chil dren are grown, / can see that / may not need as much space as / used to. / just keep staying in the same house here in Mt. Vernon because it contains so many good memories. / am considering down sizing to a smaller house, but I am not sure that I really want to. What is more important - memories or practicality? Mother Dear Mother, Deciding to move out of a home filled with years of memories can be difficult, but downsizing is a practi cal option for many empty nesters. Having a smaller home can ease your workload and can be more cost-efficient, with money saved on utility and repair bills. If the real-es tate market in your neighborhood is good, you could sell your house and make money by downsizing. You can still enjoy your good memories in the photos and the furniture and objects you decide to use in your new home. Put your emotions aside and determine if your home is meeting your current needs. Are you finan cially able to pay household bills? Is it difficult for you to do the clean ing and yardwork? Have old friends and neighbors gone? Take your time and weigh your decision carefully. You would not want to move and be unhappy with your decision, but you might be happier with a smaller place and new friends. If you have a question for Ms. Magnolia, please mail it to P.O. Box 669, Vidalia, GA 30475, or e-mail to msmagnoliaadvance@yahoo.com. Reach thousands of potential buyers! Call 537-3131 and advertise your home for sale in the Real Estate Pages