About The Advance. (Vidalia, Ga.) 2003-current | View Entire Issue (May 5, 2021)
May 5, 2021 Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia Hot Chicken Salad See Azure 9 A Great Day At Derby Hill See Sports 1B The Vidalia Advance Established 1901 nee The Lyons Progress Established 1894 They didn’t want it good, they wanted it Wednesday. - Robert A. Heinlein News BYTES DOT Announces Road Closing The Georgia Department of Transportation has issued an advisory that Henry O'Neil Road will be closed through May 8 to construct a new roadway alignment as part of a widening project on U.S. Highway 1. H. Powell Road can be used as an alternate route to U.S. 1. DFCS-PCS Youth Summit Set The DFCS-PCS 2021 Youth Summit will be held Saturday, May 22, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Register at: https://guideinc.org/ youthsummit. For more information, contact the area office of the Council on Alcohol and Drugs at 912-523-5445. Rubber Duck Race A Rubber Duck Race will be held virtually during May. Proceeds benefit action pact. For more information, visit info@ actionpact.org. 2nd Annual Trivia Challenge The Alzheimer Association's Annual Trivia challenge is scheduled for May 13. Sponsors are DOT Foods and the Vidalia Rotary Club. For information, call 912-537-6249. United Way Golf Tournament The 27th Annual United Way Golf Tournament for Toombs, Montgomery and Wheeler Counties will be held May 13 at the Swainsboro Golf Club. For more information, call 912- 537-2776. IN THIS ISSUE Editorials Page 5A Obituaries Page 7A From the Record Page 8A Your Mind On Line Page 2A Sports Page 1 B SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 30% OFF NEWSSTAND PRICES! Call 537-3131 (or delivery! Ambulance Entrance Cancer Center Main Entrance ► Patient Drop Off A Discharge A Shipping & Receivi A Women's Center u/p are a Smoke-Free Campus Meadows Health Joins HCA Healthcare’s South Atlantic Division HCA Healthcare’s South Atlantic Division has completed the pur chase of Meadows Health in Vidalia. The hospital will be renamed Memorial Health Meadows Hospital. This connects it to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah and reflects HCA Healthcare’s presence in the region. Memorial Health Meadows Hospital and its employed physician prac tices will take on a new icon - the Caring Star - which represents the critical link between team members, physicians, patients and community The well-known can cer center at Memorial Health Meadows Hospital will continue to be named the Tommy and Shirley Strickland Cancer Center. “As a part of HCA Healthcare, Memorial Health Meadows Hospital will be able to expand its innovative and patient-fo cused care,” said Alan Kent, President and CEO for Memorial Health Mead ows Hospital. “We chose HCA Healthcare because, like us, they are commit ted to high-quality, com munity based hospitals and are focused on serving patients and giving back in a meaningful way to the Vi dalia area.” “We are committed to continue the services and high quality care provided at Memorial Health Mead ows Hospital,” says Hugh Please see HCA page 10A NEW NAME - FICA Healthcare's South Atlantic Division has completed the purchase of Meadows Health in Vidalia, The hospital will be renamed Memo rial Health Meadows Hospital. This connects it to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah and reflects HCA Healthcare's presence in the region, Memorial Health Meadows Hospital and its employed physician prac tices will take on a new icon - the Caring Star - that represents the critical link between team members, physicians, patients and community. Governor Issues New COVID-19 Guidance Executive Order Last week Governor Brian Kemp signed a new executive order regard ing COVID-19 guidance in Georgia, which will be in effect from May 1 un til May 30: Key provisions of the new execu tive order: 1. Modifies the social distancing and sanitation requirements for resi dents and visitors to “strongly encour aged.” 2. Eliminates the restaurant and bar table distancing requirements and workers mask requirement. Please see COVID page 10A Ailey Man Killed in Wreck A 24-year-old man from Ailey was killed in a one-vehicle rollover in Montgomery County on April 29. The Georgia State Patrol, which in vestigated, identified the victim as Bradley Wyman Helms. The GSP report said that Helms was driving east on Eddie Clyde Road shortly after 11 p.m. when the Polaris Ranger he was driving traveled across the roadway and struck an embankment. Evidence gathered at the scene in dicated that Helms ap plied heavy breaking that caused his vehicle to skid Please see Wreck page 3A Late Councilman Ben Mitchell Honored With Renaming of Street at Faison Park HONORING COUNCILMAN - Surrounded by members of the Lyons City Council, the widow of Lyons City Councilman Ben Mitchell and her son, Quincy, accept a commemorative street sign honoring the Councilman, The sign renames the street in Vincent Faison, Sr, Park in honor of Councilman Mitchell who served on the Council for over three decades. 16-Year-Old Killed, Two Others Injured in Wreck Near Alamo A sixteen-year-old girl lost her life in a one- vehicle accident Sunday afternoon in Wheeler County. The incident, which occurred at Wheat Road and Robin Road, injured two other juve niles. The Georgia State Patrol (GSP), which is investigating the incident, identified the victim as Paulette Anaya McLeod. In its report, GSP de termined that the Polaris Ranger in which the vic tim was riding was travel- Please see Alamo page 4A Special Election to Fill District 156 House Seat Set for June 15 Ben Mitchell served as a member of the Lyons City Council for some 30 years, passing away in December 2019 while still in office. He was a beloved and respected member of the commu nity whose influence is still apparent in many ways. Recently, he was hon ored in a ceremony at Lyons City Hall during which the road traversing Vin cent Faison, Sr. Park was renamed in his memory The Lyons City Council had planned an outdoor ceremony at Fai son Park on April 24 to honor Coun- Please see Park page 2A Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has announced June 15 as the date for the special election to fill the vacant seat of District 156 Rep resentative Greg Morris ofVidalia. Morris resigned from his House seat after being elected as the new State Transportation Board member to represent the 12th Congressional District. Morris took his Please see Election page 3A # Appling Healthcare Group ofVidalia ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS • Primary Care • Chronic Care Management • Health Maintenance Screenings • Acute Care • Weight Management • Physical Exams • Disease Prevention • Sick Visits • Telehealth Visits • COVID Antibodies Screenings Mandi Wright, FNP-C | Cindy Holton, NP-C Joseph Foust, MD FAAFP 1702A Meadows Lane Vidalia, GA 30474 (912)705-4905 www.ahcs.
