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The ADVANCE, March 17, 2021/Page 13A
Toombs Central Elementary School Holds Annual Beauty Pageant
Toombs Central Elementary School recently held their annual Beauty Pageant in
the auditorium of Toombs County High School and would like to congratulate the fol
lowing winners:
MISTER — Left to Right: Colt Blackwell, 3rd Runner Up; Jace Clark, 2nd Runner Up;
Gunner Rountree, Mister TCES; Jackson Willis, 1st Runner Up, People's Choice; Brantley
Rountree, 3rd Runner Up,
ELDER MISS — Left to Right: Joan Braddy, 2nd Runner Up, People's Choice, Best Outfit;
Carly Moore, 2021 Elder Miss TCES, Best Hair; Kristi Denmark, 1st Runner Up, Best Smile;
Ashley Hutcheson, 3rd Runner Up.
Wheeler School’s Agriculture,
Transportation Facilities Work Delayed
By Andrea Towns
Contributing Writer
Wheeler County
School Superintendent
Suzanne Couey report
ed further delays for the
completion of the school’s
agriculture and transporta
tion facilities. “They were
supposed to be finished
by June, but [contractors]
met with us and said they
were not anticipating get
ting the steel [to do so]
until July” Couey com
mended the transportation
staff for their service and
understanding, especially
considering the recent wet,
cold weather.
“We have run into
some complications, not
just weather- related, with
the construction project,”
Couey said. “We met with
[the contractors] on the
25th [of February] and at
that point, they had had
around 17 rain days. They
also discussed other com
plications” which are non-
negotiable contingencies:
the rerouting of a sewer
line and the alteration of
a retention pond. Also, in
the construction crew’s site
preparation, they found
the foundation of the de
molished old high school,
which will have to be ex
cavated and removed. Su
perintendent Couey and
the board predicted this to
be a costly contingency to
come.
The board also dis
cussed several roofing
projects being assessed by
Greg Wilcher, overseer for
the school system’s main
tenance and operations.
Due to an aged roof and
water that collects around
various air ducts, the leaks
have grown more severe
in certain parts of the high
school building. Wilcher
contacted three roofing
companies, and received
quotes from two of the
three, one of which was
Moore’s Roofing. Quotes
were provided and the
motion was approved for
Moore’s Roofing to oversee
these projects.
In response to calls
to the Board of Education
office asking them to con
sider the implementation
of school uniforms, Couey
reported the intent to do
so. The possibility has been
proposed for the sake of
receiving further feedback
from parents. “We’ve had a
lot of comments from par
ents about the dress code.
We will review them and
take valid concerns into
consideration before mak
ing a final decision,” Couey
said.
In other business,
the following personnel
recommendations by Su
perintendent Couey were
discussed and approved:
Scott Stewart will begin
working in maintenance
and IT within the month;
Jane Defee will fill a speech
and language pathology
position; Kelly Rice will
be an elementary school
counselor in the 2021-22
school year; Hal Ford will
continue as Middle School
Principal; and Drew Col
lins was approved to teach
middle school history in
the 2021-2022 school year.
The board also accepted
the resignation of Tim
McArthur, who will be re
turning to military service.
Couey, who noted
that March 15 through 19
is School Board Appre
ciation Week, commended
the Wheeler County Board
of Education. “We have a
good board, you all work
well together, and I appre
ciate your support and all
that you do for our citizens
and our students.”
MISS — Left to Right: Rainie McBride, 3rd Runner Up, Prettiest Hair; Claire Beasley, Pret
tiest Smile; AnnaLee Bellew, 2021 Miss TCES, Most Photogenic; Jordie-Grace Kight, 1st
Runner Up, Prettiest Dress; Harper Underwood: People's Choice; Madison Russell: 2nd
Runner Up.
LITTLE MISS — Left to Right: Anniston Hartley, 2nd Runner Up, Prettiest Dress, Prettiest
Smile; Jansley Odom, 1st Runner Up, Most Photogenic; Rachel Dowd, 2021 Little Miss
TCES, People's Choice, Prettiest Hair; Liliana Garcia, 3rd Runner Up.
Tiny Miss — Left to Right: Ivy Wilkes, Prettiest Smile, People's Choice; Raegan Harvill,
Most Photogenic; Madelyn Braddy, 2nd Runner Up, Prettiest Dress; Adrienne Braddy,
2021 Tiny Miss TCES; Blakeleigh Henington, 1st Runner Up; Jaylee Odom, 3rd Runner Up;
Kensleigh James: Prettiest Hair.
Montgomery County
Recreation Director Resigns
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail.com
The Montgomery
County Commission ac
cepted the resignation of
Recreation Director Steve
McLeod during its regular
session Monday, March 8,
but McLeod is not leaving
his post for the time being.
The commissioners
also approved keeping
McLeod on as interim di
rector until a replacement
can be found.
McLeod is stepping
down from his job after
four years in order to de
vote more time to a new
business he started during
the health pandemic. He
also hopes to have more
time to coach. “My passion
is coaching the kids. I will
still be around to do more
of that,” he said.
During the session,
the Commission also ap
proved the appointment of
Tarrytown businesswoman
Jan Warnock Moore to
the District 4 post on the
Montgomery County De
velopment Authority.
In other business, the
Commission received re
ports from various county
agencies. Joe Filippone
announced that the new
Ace Hardware in Mount
Vernon will have a soft
opening this month with a
ribbon-cutting planned for
April.
Under consent agenda
items, the Commission
approved an engineer
ing contract with GMC
for a CDBG application
for draining and paving of
Bowtie Circle and Harde
man Road. A request from
Sikes Brothers, Inc., for a
38-day extension to com
plete draining and paving
on Ashley Alley and Largo
Drive was approved. The
additional time was re
quired because of weather
delays. The Commission
also approved the Behav
ioral Health Contract with
the Community Service
Board ofMiddle Georgia.
Commissioners also
gave a nod to the purchase
of a new CAT Model 140
motor grader at a cost of
$312,835. Payments will
be $3,750 monthly at an
interest rate of 2.07%,
which was offered to the
county by BB&T. The new
machine replaces an ag
ing road grader that was
approaching the end of its
warranty. The Commission
is also considering replac
ing a 2005 model excavator
after a swing gear malfunc
tioned.
In his financial report,
County Manager Brandon
Braddy reported that as of
the end of February, the
county had collected $2.7
million in revenue, or 60%
of the $4.5 million bud
get. Expenses to date are
at $800,00, for 18% of the
budget, resulting in a net of
$1.9 million.