Newspaper Page Text
The Kids Are
Coming!!!
Deadline
February 7 7
- ShA
na
The Vidalia Advance Established 1901
The Lyons Progress Established 1894
VHS
Wrest/in j
Fourth in
State Duals
Vol. 123 No. 5
Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia
February 3, 2021
I’m a shepherd, not a
sheep, and I’ve always
prided myself on being
a leader and not a
follower.
- Dustin Diamond
News
BYTES
Artists Call
The city of Vidalia and
the Downtown Vidalia
Association are seeking
artists and/or artist-led
teams to submit proposals
for a mural to be installed
on an exterior wall on
West Meadows Street
in downtown Vidalia.
Renderings are due
February 19. For more
information contact the
DVA at dvamainstreet@
vidaliaga.gov or call 912-
537-8033.
Art at Altama
Museum
Art from the collection of
Cecil Smith is on display
in the Meadows Gallery
of the Altama Museum.
Free and open to the
public Monday, Thursday,
Friday and Saturday, 10
a.m. until 2 p.m. Contact:
AltamaMuseum.org or
FB@Altama Museum.
"Chocolate
Walk"
Downtown Vidalia
Association is sponsoring
a "Chocolate Walk—Let
Us Treat You While You
Shop" in downtown
Vidalia on Saturday,
February 6, from 10a.m.
until 2 p.m. Tickets are $5
each an available at the
DVA Office, 128 Church
Street, J. Leigh Hair Studio
and Merle Norman.
COVID-19
Vaccinations
Underway
Healthcare providers, first
responders and persons
aged 65 plus and their
caretakers are currently
eligible for COVID-19
vaccinations. For more
information, call the
Georgia COVID Hotline at
844-442-2681.
IN THIS ISSUE
Editorials Page 5A
Obituaries Page 7A
From the Record Page 10A
Your Mind On Line Page 2A
Sports Page 1 B
SUBSCRIBE
AND SAVE
30% OFF
NEWSSTAND
PRICES!
Call 537-3131
(or delivery!
Infusion May Have Been a Lifesaver
For Jesup Woman with COVID
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail.com
“l think it might have saved
my life,” Holly Thompson said
about the infusion she received
after testing positive for COV-
ID-19.
The Jesup resident conclud
ed she was most likely exposed
to the virus during a camping
trip with friends on New Year’s
weekend. By the following Mon
day she began to feel ill. Her
symptoms included a severe
headache, scratchy throat, a dry
cough, joint pain and fever. She
recognized the warning signs
and after she received a call from
someone in the camping group
that one of them had tested posi
tive for COVID-19, she knew
she needed to seek immediate
medical attention.
Thompson opted to travel to
Brunswick, 45 minutes away, be
cause she wanted rapid testing,
which was not available in Jesup
BACK AT WORK - Holly Thompson, a paralegal, works at her desk in
a Jesup law office. She recently returned to work after contracting
COVID-19 which resulted in a monochronal antibody infusion that
she says may have saved her life.
at that time. Her husband, who
drove her to Brunswick, also
tested positive for COVID.
Since Thompson was con
sidered high-risk-she suffers
from a rare kidney disease, is
an insulin-dependent diabetic
and sustained a heart attack
two months before contracting
COVID-19—she was sched
uled for a monochronal anti
body infusion two days later.
Thompson said the infusion
was explained to her as a way
to try to block the virus from
spreading to other organs in her
body, especially to her lungs
and heart. There is a short pe
riod of time to administer the
drug for it to be successful. Re
search has shown the therapy is
most effective within 10 days of
a positive COVID test. Thomp
son was fortunate. Many people
have missed their opportuni
ties for treatment because of a
patchwork system that can de-
Please see Infusion page 3A
Vidalia Teacher Bobby George on His
Way to National VFW Competition
Wins Local, District and State Titles
Photo by John Koon
TEACHER OF THE YEAR - Vidalia High School teacher Bobby George,
second from right, was named Teacher of the Year by the Toombs
County, District 6 and Georgia VFWs and Auxiliaries in a ceremony
on January 30. He will now compete with other educators across
the nation for the national award. Shown with George at the
awards ceremony are, from left, Shirley Curl, President of the Lyons
and District 6 VFW Auxiliaries; Pat Dobbins, Chaplain, Georgia VFW
Auxiliary; Tony Dobbins, State Adjutant, Georgia VFW; and John S.
Sharpe, Jr., Principal at VHS,
Vidalia Loses Treasured Citizen,
Helen Threlkeld Darby
With the passing of Hel
en Threlkeld Darby, 102, on
January 27, the community
lost one of its most treasured
citizens. The wife of the late
James Darby, she was well
known for her generous na
ture and willingness to step
up to volunteer where she
was needed.
When she was named
Vidalia Lady of the Year in
1983 Mrs. Darby was lauded
as “charming, loving, sincere
and unselfish.”
In an interview pub
lished in The Advance when
Please see Darby page 4A
Helen Threlkeld Darby
Federal Grants and Loans Provide 10
New Vehicles for Montgomery County
Vidalia City Schools his
tory instructor Bobby George is
on his way to national competi
tion in Washington, D.C., after
winning local, district and state
awards as “Teacher of the Year.”
George garnered the
Toombs County Veterans of
Foreign Wars and Auxiliary
honors, as well as the District 6
and Georgia VFW and Auxiliary
awards in a presentation cere-
Please see George page 4A
COVID-19 Update
Monday, February 1 ^ A
Number of Confirmed Cases/Hospitalizations/ Deaths
(Cumulative from March 2020)
Toombs County. 2638/154/74
Montgomery County. 665/38/18
Treutlen County. 567/46/17
Wheeler County. 440/33/19
Meadows Regional Medical Center COVID-19 Patient Census
Monday, February 1:20 COVID patients in-house
COVID admissions over the last seven days, 1-25-21 to 1-51-21): 14
SHERIFF AND STAFF - Gathering for the delivery of new vehicles
to the Sheriff's Department were, from left, Sheriff Doug Maybin;
Commission Chairman Leland Adams; Chief Deputy Ron Bivins;
Commissioner Ginger Morris; Deputy Tyler Wimpey; Deputy Ben
Maybin; Commissioner Chad Kenney; Deputy Cody Johnston;
and Commissioner Tim Williamson.
Federal grants and loans
are providing 10 new vehicles
for Montgomery County.
These new additions replace
vehicles up to 26 years of age
and with high mileage and high
maintenance costs, said Coun
ty Manager Brandon Braddy.
The new vehicles will go
to the county’s Sheriff’s Office,
Please see M0C0 page 2A
AGE HEALTHIER
& LIVE HAPPIER
Find out how you can start feeling better with
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy and
SAVE $25
off your BioTE®visit with code BI025, until March 1,
(912)367-4122
105 East Tollison Street, Suite C | Baxley, GA | 31513
Matt Hodges, FNP-BC
nlr Appling
Healthcare
