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The Vidalia Advance Established 1901
The Lyons Progress Established 1894
W~
Vol. 123 No. 9
Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia
March 3, 2021
Too often we... enjoy
the comfort of opinion
without the discomfort
of thought.
- John F. Kennedy
News
BYTES
Chick-fil-A 6th
Annual Road
Race March 6
The public is invited
to participate in the
Chick-fil-A 6th Annual
Road Race on Saturday,
March 6. The event
benefits local charities.
For more information visit
runvidalia.com.
RTCA 21 st
Annual School
Auction
Silent auction early
viewing Tuesday, March
9, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. for
RTCA families; early
viewing for the public,
March 10, 10 a.m.-6
p.m.; silent auction, 5
p.m., live auction, 7 p.m.,
Thursday, March 11,
RTCA gym.
Women's
Firearm Safety
Course Set
The Vidalia Police
Department is accepting
applications for the
Women's Firearm Safety
Course scheduled March
13, 20 and 27. Visit the
police department or go
to the department web
site for more information
and an application.
(Vidaliaga.gov/police/
page/taking-it-streets.)
Meadows
Offering COVID
Vaccinations
Meadows Health COVID
Vaccine Center is
now open dependent
on vaccine supply.
Vaccine times are made
by appointment only. To
make an appointment,
912-535-SAFE(7233)
or email covid@
meadowsregional.org.
IN THIS ISSUE
Editorials Page 5A
Obituaries Page 7A
From the Record Page 10A
Your Mind On Line Page 2A
Sports Page 1 B
Woman Swims to Safety
As Truck Plunges into Pond
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail.com
A 34-year-old wom
an is lucky to be alive after
the truck she was driving
plunged into a muddy
10-foot-deep pond last
week near Uvalda.
A first responder said
Angel Lynn Torres es
caped her sinking vehicle
and swam several yards
to shore after veering off
of Tillman Riner Road
and into a pond swollen
by recent rains. She was
discovered at the side of
the road by a passer-by
who called 911. The in
cident occurred Wednes
day February 24, just af
ter 11 a.m.
Toombs County Sheriffs Office Photo
DRIVER SURVIVES - A 34-year-old woman swam to safety after her truck plunged
into a pond at the side of a dirt road near Uvalda last week. Above, the truck is
pulled from the pond off of Tillman Riner Road.
Torres had already
been transported to
Meadows Memorial
Medical Center for treat
ment when a woman
who knew the victim
told responders that Tor
res has two children, said
Toombs County Emer
gency Management Di
rector Lynn Moore, who
was at the scene.
A search ensued for
the children who rescu
ers feared might still be
inside the sunken truck.
Divers who were called
in found the truck unoc
cupied and authorities
later learned the chil
dren were safe at school,
Moore said.
Please see Safe page 3A
City Council
Candidates Outline
Goals and Objectives
Carmela
Spikes-Williams
Voters from Vida-
lia’s Ward 2 will go to
the polls March 16 to
elect a new City Coun
cil member.
Local business-
Jennifer
Evans
women Carmela Spikes-
Williams and Jennifer
Evans are vying for the
seat previously held by
Please see Candidates
page 4A
Alamo City Council,
Mayor Getting Raises
By Andrea Towns
Contributing Writer
A salary increase
for Alamo City Council
members and the May
or was approved during
the Council’s session on
February 22. Current
salaries will be dou-
bled-$200 a month for
the council members
and $600 a month for
the mayor. This increase
will not go into effect
until the next election
term.
In the Coun
cil’s January meeting,
Councilwoman and
Mayor Pro Tern, Patri
cia Woodard, proposed
the development of
a Strategic Planning
Committee to aid the
Council in the enhance
ment of Alamo City
Please see ACC page 4A
View from Ground Level
Chamber Strategically Targets Six
Sites for Meetings in the Field
Photo by Deborah Clark
DOWN ON THE FARM - Gathered for a photo in front of one of Chris Flopkins' trac
tors at his Toombs County farm, are chamber board members and staff, from left:
Britt McDade, Michele Johnson, Ross Kelly, Sara Brown, Amber O'Connor, Debbie
Evans, Greg Hudgins, Jensie Smith, Steven McComas, Mary Edmonds, Ivette Tor
res, Allen Morris, Pat Dixon, Ann Owens, Trent Williams, John Koon, and Michael
Johnson.
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail.com
The Toombs-Montgomery Cham
ber of Commerce held its February
meeting down on the farm.
The chamber’s board of directors
and members were guests of Chris Hop
kins at his farm off of Marvin Church
Road in the rolling Toombs County
countryside on February 25. It was all
part of the chamber’s objective of get
ting to know its membership better and
fine-tuning its approach to promoting
and supporting area business and in
dustry.
Hopkins shared his story as guests
enjoyed lunch in the farm’s Pond
House. “My wife and I are transplants,
but we took root here,” he quipped as he
outlined the journey that brought him
to the area. With undergraduate and
Please see Chamber page 3A
COVID-iq Update
Monday, March l
Number of Confirmed Cases/Hospitalizations/ Deaths
(Cumulative from March 2020)
Toombs County. 2781/162/85
Montgomery County. 704/40/19
Treutlen County. 623/51/19
Wheeler County. 453/35/ai
Meadows Regional Medical Center
COVID-19 Patient Census
Monday, March 1:8
COVID patients in-house
COVID admissions over the last seven
days, 2-22-21 to 2-28-21): 6
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1702A Meadows Lane | Vidalia, GA | 30474 | (912)705-4905
