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Inside this week! The Vidalia Advance Established 1901 The Lyons Progress Established 1894 Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia March 17, 2021 Everybody Jmows how to raise children, except the people who have them. - PJ. O’Rourke SWAT Team Deployed In Two-Hour Standoff News BYTES Sweeten Your Ride Event Set The 3rd annual "Sweeten Your Ride" fundraiser will be Friday and Saturday, March 26 and 27, as a drive-through event located in the vacant lot across from Palmer's Furniture. This sale of $10 "Sweeten Your Ride" window decals raises money for local needs and encourages support for the Vidalia Onion Festival and the onion season. The SafeKids Toombs car seat program, managed by Vidalia Fire Department Captain Robert Tillman, will receive the proceeds from this year's fundraiser. The event is sponsored by the Downtown Vidalia Association. By Deborah Clark Regional Editor dclarkadvance@gmail. com Over 50 law enforcers, in cluding a Georgia State Patrol Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, responded to a tense, two-hour standoff in Wheeler County Wednes day after officers at the scene called for backup. The in cident took place on the outskirts of Glenwood shortly after 1 p.m. and end ed with an arrest and without harm to the suspect or authori ties. Wheeler County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Richie Floyd said a suspect who barricad ed himself inside his mobile home told law enforcement, “I’m tired of y’all harassing me. I’m going to show y’all some thing today.” Floyd said officers considered that a direct threat and because they also feared that the suspect had weap ons, called for back-up. The alert brought in law enforce ment from as far away as The Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth where the GSP’s state-wide SWAT team had congregated for training. SWAT Command staff arrived by helicopter, landing in a field off of Ochwalkee Road a quar ter mile away from the trailer park. Wheeler County Sheriff’s Deputies took William Riley Davis, 38, into cus tody around 3 p.m. after he spoke with Sheriff Randy Rig- don and agreed to surrender to au thorities. Davis is being held in the Wheeler County jail on multiple charges follow ing a preliminary hearing be fore Magistrate Judge Jolinda Harrelson on Friday morning. Davis was charged with manu facturing methamphetamines, two counts of felony obstruc- Please see SWAT page 3A William Davis (Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office Photo) STANDOFF ENDS PEACEFULLY - Authorities arrest suspect William Davis outside his residence near Glenwood Wednesday. The incident brought in law enforcement from not just across the area but also the state after officers at the scene called for backup in what they expected to be a threatening situation, Davis surrendered without incident and is being held in the Wheeler County jail on multiple charges. Masonic Lodge Slates BBQ Sandwich Sale The Vidalia Masonic Lodge will hold a barbecue sandwich sale on Thursday, April 1, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. For a $5 donation per sandwich, participants can pick up orders at the Lodge on Slayton Street across from Calvary Baptist Church. For advance orders, call or text Joel Grier at 293-4382 or email him at joelgrierl 774@gmail.com. Proceeds benefit the Lodge. Blessing of the Crops (Photo by Evan Riekhof) STAYING SAFE - Sandy Seidling, Accounting Specialist for the Vidalia City Schools Board of Education, gets the Johnson & Johnson one-dose COV- ID-19 vaccine. About 170 participated in the vaccination last Friday at Vida lia High School, The vaccination was not mandatory, but many took advan tage of the offer. Suspect Clocked at 160 mph In Chase Across Two Counties By Deborah Clark Regional Editor dclarkadvance@gmail.com A high-speed suit starting pur- m Emanuel County ended in a Lyons neighborhood when the sus pect wrecked and fled on foot. The inci dent occurred Saturday, March 6. Authorities hended Anthony Jones emiah Jones of Toombs County soon after he abandoned his vehicle near Skyline Boulevard and Washington Street, reported Ma jor Nick Rob ertson with the Emanuel County Sher iff’s Office. The chase began at 2:09 p.m. when Jones’s Dodge Charger was clocked at 140 appre- Anthony Jer- miles per hour on Inter- Please see Chase page 2A Area Teachers Roll Up Their Sleeves By The Advance News Team A morning of prayer and fellowship to kick off the 2021 crop year will be held on Friday, April 2, at 7 a.m., at the Toombs County Agri-Center Arena, Quint Shrine Road, Lyons. Breakfast will be served. Everyone is invited to attend. IN THIS ISSUE Editorials Page 5A Obituaries Page 7A From the Record Page 11A Your Mind On Line Page 9A Sports Page 1 B Area teachers and school staff rolled up their sleeves last Friday to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. Be ginning March 8 eligibility for the vaccinations was extended to include teachers and staff at public and pri vate Pre-K, K-12, and Department of Early Care and Learning licensed or exempt childcare programs. The criteria did not include staff at col leges and universities. Educators and school staff comprise about 450,000 residents in Georgia. Vaccinations were not manda tory but many took advantage of the offer. Meadows Health administered the one-round Johnson & Johnson vaccine to educators at Vidalia High School. Since taking a survey of those who would choose to receive the shot, school officials discovered some of the staff had received it by other avenues. About 170 doses were Please see Vaccines page 3A City of Mount Vernon Responds To Allegations Of Excessive Force By Deborah Clark Regional Editor dclarkadvance@gmail.com The City of Mount Vernon has issued a state ment following allega tions posted on social media last week that a Mount Vernon police of ficer used excessive force against a 49-year-old fe male motorist. City Attorney Daniel J. O’Connor said the city has not received any di rect or formal complaint regarding the March 3 in cident in Mount Vernon that prompted the post. “While these kinds of al legations are taken seri ously, the allegations in this case are inaccurate in light of the evidence gath ered by the City, includ ing relevant body cam footage,” O’Connor said Please see MoCo page 2A SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 30% OFF NEWSSTAND PRICES! Call 537-3131 for delivery! Restore. Repair. Regenerate Call to schedule a consultation regarding our new ground breaking treatment for Type 1, Type 2, & Pre-Diabetes, as well as other metabolic disorders. n!r Appling (Crestor Phone:(912)705-4900 | Fax:(912)705-2905 This treatment is not a cure, but an individualized treatment to get back the life you deserve. Healthcare METABOLIX 105 East Tollison Street, Suite C, Baxley, GA 31513