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The ADVANCE, January 13, 2021/Page 10A
ask ’ y
Ms. Magnolia
Letters have been edited for length and clarity.
Dear Ms. Magnolia,
When I started working with chil
dren in elementary schools in some
nearby counties, we were told to ask the
children if they regularly ate meals to
gether at home with their families. I still
think that is an invasion of their privacy,
but I found out that many children of
ten just fix themselves a sandwich when
they get hungry or eat whatever snacks
they can find for meals. Many said they
never sat at the table, but sat in front of
the TV to eat.
Families should know that sitting
down to at least one meal a day and
discussing daily activities can provide a
sense of security for children. They are
also more likely to be well-adjusted and
have good manners, good communica
tion skills, and better grades in school.
When families eat toge ther, children are
less likely to be overweight if parents
establish healthy food habits. Children
even talk more comfortably and learn
important household skills when help
ing to prepare and serve meals.
If parents don’t really talk with their
children on a daily basis, they can be
very surprised when a child gets into
trouble. It can be embarrassing when
social workers or officers ask personal
questions about your children and you
don’t know the answers. They think,
“What kind of parent are you anyway? ”
I would like to encourage families to re
alize the importance of turning off TVs
and putting aside cell phones and just
sitting down and eating together and
talking with each other daily.
TA
Dear TA,
This is very relevant to today’s
families. I really appreciate your
sharing your experience.
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.
Your
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please.
“Democrats are so
afraid of giving the
American people the
freedom to choose a
future president that
they are trying to
make sure that Trump
can't run again."
“Why wasn’t the
flag flown at half staff
at the Capitol for the
numerous black and
white police officers
killed and injured as a
result of the Black
Lives Matter riots this
year??? Were their
lives not important? I
think their families
would disagree. And
that doesn't include
the innocent victims
who lost their lives
and their businesses."
“One reason I like
our Handy Andy is
that there is always
someone offering to
help you when you
go in. It's wonderful
that they are so cus
tomer oriented."
“The administration
at RTCA is so patriotic
they won't even give
their staff or students
that are eligible to
vote a few minutes to
run go do it. What a
pathetic bunch."
“Do you really think
they are not going to
come after your stuff,
too? All you people
who voted in the so
cialists and commu
nists, they gonna
come get your stuff,
too. So when you
can't find a job, can't
get no good health
care, can't feed your
family, just remember
you voted for them.
You gonna have to
starve a little to real
ize they lied to you."
“I am not surprised
at the fiasco that hap
pened at the White
House. It all started
when they started
holding back the po
lice and letting rioters
run wild in the streets.
We need to take
back our streets."
“Don’t be afraid,
America. China will
save us."
I totally agree with
the person who called
in last week about
voting for democrats.
Sadly, it happened.
Apparently we don't
have enough Chris
tians going to the
polls to vote. I pray
that there are enough
democrats in Con
gress to stop their so
cialist agenda.
From the Record
THE BLOTTER
These are the reported
arrests from the Toombs
County Sheriff's Office,
the Vidalia and Lyons
police departments,
and the Montgomery
County Sheriff's Office
for the past week.
Incidents are taken
directly from police
files. All suspects are
innocent until proven
guilty.
In Lyons...
• Katrina Jones,
of Lyons, was ar
rested on January 8
and charged with
Driving While License
Suspended, DUI/Less
Safe/Drugs.
In Toombs
County...
• Beverly Beas
ley, of Uvalda, was
arrested on January
7 and charged with
Probation Violation-
Felony.
• Ashton Chabot,
of Fernandina
Beach, FL, was ar
rested on January 7
and charged with
Theft by Shoplifting,
TCDC-Out of County
Hold.
• Willie Davis, of
Macon, was arrested
on January 4 and
charged with DUI/AI-
cohol/Less Safe,
Open Container-Al
coholic Beverage-
Passenger.
• Edgar Heath, of
Lakeland, was ar
rested on January 6
and charged with
TCDC Revoked
Bond-Violated Bond
Conditions.
• Cristobal Men
dez, of Vidalia, was
arrested on January
9 and charged with
DUI/Alcohol/Less
Safe, Driving While
Unlicensed, Turning
Movements and Re
quired Signals.
• Sheree Sikes, of
Vidalia, was arrested
on January 7 and
charged with Proba
tion Violation-Felony,
TCDC-Revoked
Bond-Violated Bond
Conditions.
• Lonzo Skinner,
Jr., of Vidalia, was ar
rested on January 9
and charged with
Driving While License
Suspended or Re-
voked-Misd., DUI/Al
cohol/Less Safe,
Speeding in Excess
of Maximum Limits,
Failure to Maintain
Lane.
• Joshua Snell, of
Vidalia, was arrested
on January 9 and
charged with Proof
of Min Insur; Penal
ties, DUI/Alcohol/
Less Safe.
In Montgomery
County...
The Montgomery
County Sheriff's Of
fice Police Report
was unavailable at
presstime.
In Vidalia...
• John Frank Bell,
of Vidalia, was ar
rested on January 4
and charged with
Tail/Tag Light Re
quirements / Sus
pended Driver's Li
cense.
• Debra Ann Se
idel, of Vidalia, was
arrested on January
5 and charged with
Possession of a Con
trolled Substance /
Controlled Sub
stance not in Orginal
Contrainer.
• Yashekia Mck-
inney, of Lyons, was
arrested on January
5 and charged with
Criminal Trespass /
Obstruction of Police
Officer.
• Caleb Adonis
Toby, of Vidalia, was
arrested on January
6 and charged with
Possession of Mari
juana with Intent to
Sell /Possession of a
firearm / Criminal
use of an Article with
an altered Identifi
cation mark / Posses
sion of Controlled
Substance / Giving
false information.
• Adam Shane
Seagraves, of
Cobbtown, was ar
rested on January 6
and charged with
Theft by Taking
(Toombs Co. Warrant
/ Giving false infor
mation.
• Heather Re
becca Brooker, of Ai-
ley, was arrested on
January 7 and
charged with Posses
sion of Marijuana.
• Isis Codreese
Bryant, of Glenwood,
was arrested on Jan
uary 7 and charged
with Possession of
Marijuana.
• Nicole Ladawn
Nobles, of Vidalia,
was arrested on Jan
uary 8 and charged
with Warrant Served
(State of Florida).
• Marco Antonio
Pedraza, of Lyons,
was arrested on Jan
uary 8 and charged
with No Insurance /
No Driver's License.
• Tony R. Sipp, of
Vidalia, was arrested
on January 9 and
charged with Crimi
nal Trespass.
• Michael Glenn
Hall, of Columbus,
was arrested on Jan
uary 9 and charged
with Theft by Shoplift
ing.
• Heather Re
becca Brooker, of Ai-
ley, was arrested on
January 10 and
charged with DUI /
No License on Per
son.
• Michael Casey
Thompson, of For
syth, was arrested on
January 10 and
charged with War
rant Served / Fleeing
Attempting to Elude
/ Simple Obstruction
/ Hit and Run/ Terror
istic Threats / DUI /
Reckless Driving / No
Insurance / Expired
Tag.
Lyons City Council Hears About County Workforce Strategy Project
WORKFORCE TALENT GAINS SUPPORT - Michele Johnson,
Executive Director of the Toombs County Development
Authority, receives sponsorship funding for the Toombs
County Workforce Strategy project from Mickey Daniel,
Regional Project Manager, Community Economic De
velopment, Georgia Power.
By Rebekah Arnold
Contributing Writer
The City Council of
Lyons, at its first meeting of
2021 on January 5, received
notice from Toombs Coun
ty Development Authority
Director Michele Johnson
that the Authority has en
gaged the assistance of the
Carl Vinson Institute of
Government at the Univer
sity of Georgia to facilitate
and document a Toombs
County workforce strategy
project The undertaking
will launch in February
Johnson explained that
the availability of a skilled
workforce is a key ingredi
ent for attracting new jobs
and supporting existing
businesses.
The workforce strategy
will also help the communi
ty navigate the impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic and
create a roadmap for work
force development efforts
in Toombs County Spe
cifically the strategy process
will identify gaps, develop
priorities, create strate
gies for meeting the talent
needs of existing industry
and prospective employers,
set workforce development
goals, and tell the Toombs
talent story, Johnson said.
The inclusive planning
process will involve key
business, community, and
education stakeholders, and
will conclude in summer
2021. The proj ect’s outcome
will be a community-wide
strategy for strengthening
the community’s workforce
and a plan for implementing
the new strategy.
Chicken of the Sea,
Dot Foods, Georgia Power,
Meadows Health, Southern
Nuclear and Trane Tech
nologies have joined the
Authority in sponsoring
the project. A steering com
mittee made up of key lead
ers, including Lyons Mayor
Willis NeSmith, will lead
the project.
City Manager Jason
Hall presented an action
item for approval of an
import/wholesale alco
hol license, applied for by
AME Imports LLC, for
the purpose of storing the
business’s product at 714
S. State Street. AME Im
ports owner, nor the man
ager, were able to attend the
Council meeting, but Lyons
businessman Mark Mont-
ford was in attendance to
advocate for the application.
Montford is the land
lord and manager of the fa
cility where AME Import’s
product will be stored. He
gave assurance that the al
cohol product will be de
livered with a strict chain of
custody and stored under
tight surveillance. Lyons
Police Chief Wesley Walker
was also in attendance to
verify that due diligence was
taken to vet the company.
He and Montford agreed
that the company and its
owners have checked out as
clean businessmen and hard
workers who only need a
short-term storage place
half-way between delivery
at the port of Savannah and
a distillery in Richland.
Hall also affirmed that
the storage location is suffi
cient distance from schools,
churches and alcohol reha
bilitation centers to meet
zoning requirements.
During discussion re
garding the absence of the
owners from the meeting,
and of the licensing process,
NeSmith said, “They have
come to us wanting to get
this business going, and we
need to look at it. We need
to give them the benefit of
the doubt. I consider us a
business-friendly commu
nity; and when someone
comes to us to apply for an
alcohol license and Walker
does due diligence and they
come out clean, then there’s
no reason we shouldn’t al
low it.” NeSmith hopes such
action will give the City of
Lyons a foot in the door for
more business growth.
Councilman Larry
Griggers said that since, to
his knowledge, there has
never been a wholesale li
quor establishment in the
City of Lyons, he would like
a copy of the state license
when it is granted, to be
sure the company stays ac
countable. Licenses for al
cohol are first issued by the
municipality where retail or
wholesale sales will occur,
then application is made for
a state license.
A motion was made by
Councilman John Moore,
Jr., to accept the license ap
plication, and Councilwom-
an Sonja Eason seconded
the motion. The motion
passed with the approval of
Moore, Eason and Council
man Ivey Toole. Griggers
and Councilman Rick Hart
ley abstained.
In other action items,
Hall presented the follow
ing and each were approved
by the Council:
The 2021 qualifying
dates for candidates seeking
election to the Council will
be August 16 through 20.
Qualifying fees will be $ 108
for persons seeking election
in Wards 1, 2 and 4.
The Mayor was autho
rized to establish a franchise
fee to holders of cable and
video franchises issued by
the State of Georgia. A 5%
fee will be required of any
holder’s gross revenue gen
erated within the boundar
ies of the City of Lyons.
The Mayor was autho
rized to complete docu
ments necessary to enroll
the City in the Georgia Mu
nicipal Association (GMA)
Workers Compensation
self-insurance fund.
Volunteer firefight
ers, certified police officers
and elected officials will be
covered under the GMA
self-insurance fund while
performing their duties for
the City.
Regarding workers
compensation, Hall gave
credit to City employees for
doing a better job last year
in taking personal safety
precautions and in making
sure their work areas are
safe.
Mayor NeSmith con
cluded the meeting by also
giving kudos to the employ
ees of the city. “I’d like to
recognize Lynn Rowland
(City Clerk), Chief Wesley
Walker, and Jason Hall for
their work this past year.
We've had a lot going on, a
lot of unknowns with the
pandemic, and having to
shut down City Hall twice
in the year. I feel like things
went very well with no ma
jor problems. We’ll have a
lot going on this year, too.
Things look good, let’s keep
it going. Thank you.”