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The ADVANCE, May 12, 2021/Page 4A
RTCA PAGEANT — Robert Toombs Christian Academy held its annual Mr. and Miss RTCA
pageant Thursday, May 6, in the school's gymnasium. This year's theme was "Heroes
Among Us" and was hosted by the Junior Class. Twenty-four contestants competed in
seven categories ranging from Little Mister to Mr. and Miss RTCA. The Mr, RTCA winner
was chosen by people's votes during the pageant. There was also a $1,000 scholar
ship awarded to the Miss RTCA winner, The evening's emcees were Sydney Dorsey,
Miss Southeast Soap Box Derby, and Bralie Dorsey, Miss Pine Tree Festival. (L to R): Front
Row: Parks Glenn (Little Mister), Hadley Hobbs (Tiny Miss), Kennedy McIntyre (Little Miss),
Back Row: Maecon Boatright (Teen Miss), Carleigh DeFee (Miss RTCA), Trent Smith (Mr.
RTCA), and Sailor Monroe (Junior Miss).
NO GAS FOR YOU - Local resident Heather Mead visited three different locations try
ing to buy gas Tuesday morning, She encountered closed pumps at two convenience
stores and could only buy eighteen cents worth of premium gas at another location,
Fuel
continued from page 2A
from Greensboro, N.C., to
Woodbine, Md., is operat
ing under manual control
for a limited period of time
while existing inventory is
available. As previously an
nounced, while our main
lines continue to be offline,
some smaller lateral lines
between terminals and de
livery points are now op
erational as well. We con
tinue to evaluate product
inventory in storage tanks
at our facilities and others
along our system and are
working with our shippers
to move this product to ter
minals for local delivery.
“Our primary focus re
mains the safe and efficient
restoration of service to
our pipeline system, while
minimizing disruption
to our customers and all
those who rely on Colonial
Pipeline. We will continue
to provide updates as resto
ration efforts progress.”
In his Capitol Beat
column, Dave Williams
reported that Colonial has
hired independent cyber
security experts to deter
mine the nature and scope
of the ransomware attack
and to put an operations
team to work developing
a system restart plan with
a goal of “substantially
restoring operational ser
vice” by the end of this
week, the company wrote
in an update Monday.
While four main lines
remain out of service, some
smaller lines connecting
terminals with delivery
points are now operational,
Williams reported.
The full system will
not be restored until Co
lonial officials believe it
is safe to do so and in full
compliance with federal
regulations, the company
stated. The U.S. Depart
ment of Energy is leading
the federal response.
Gov. Kemp issues executive order
following Colonial Pipeline shutdown
SEIZED IN DRUG BUST - Above are items seized in a multiagency operation in Vidalia.
Officers confiscated illegal drugs with a street value of over $ 10,000. Five suspects were
arrested.
Multiagency Drug Sting Nets
Five Arrests, Drugs with
Street Value of Over $10,000
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail.com
Strategic, targeted po
lice patrols in high crime
areas of Vidalia have re
sulted in the arrests of five
suspects and the seizure of
illegal drugs, a weapon and
cash.
Vidalia Police Com
missioner Brian Scott re
ported that the Vidalia
Police Department (VPD)
was assisted by deputies
from the Toombs County
Sheriff’s Office and K-9
deputies from the Treutlen
County Sheriff’s Office.
The multiagency opera
tions were conducted over
the last several weeks,
Officers seized 77.6
grams of methamphet-
amine, 22 grams of crack
cocaine, 29.9 grams of
powder cocaine, 20.1
grams of “Ecstasy,” a syn
thetic, psychoactive drug,
various prescription pills,
and 43 grams of marijuana.
The drugs had a combined
street value of $10,800.
One firearm and over
$1,100 in cash was also
seized.
Commissioner Scott
said authorities are con
tinuing to conduct inves
tigations and releasing the
names of the suspects ar
rested in the recent opera
tions could jeopardize this
work.
“Officers with the
VPD have been and will
continue to work alongside
partner agencies to combat
the illegal drug trade in the
greater Vidalia area,” Com
missioner Scott said. “I am
thankful for the assistance
provided by both Sher
iff Alvie Kight and Sheriff
Thomas Corbin during this
operation.”
The VPD will continue
to take a proactive stance
in suppressing the drug
problem and plans are in
place to conduct additional
targeted patrols, Scott said.
He asks that anyone who
has information about ille
gal drug distribution in the
City of Vidalia to call the
VPD Investigative Services
Division at 912-537-4123
or CrimeStoppers at 912-
386-4480.
By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
Normal restrictions
on commercial trucks in
Georgia are being waived
under an executive order
Gov. Brian Kemp has is
sued in response to the
shutdown of the Colonial
Pipeline.
The Alpharetta-based
company that supplies
nearly half of the gasoline
consumed on the East
Coast reported a ransom-
ware attack last Friday that
forced a shutdown of a
5,500-mile pipeline run
ning from Texas to New
Jersey. The FBI blamed
the attack on DarkSide, a
group of hackers believed
to operate out of Russia or
Eastern Europe.
To help relieve gaso
line shortages brought on
by the shutdown, Kemp
issued an executive order
Monday suspending fed
eral regulations govern
ing the number of hours
commercial truck drivers
can operate and waiving
normal weight, height and
length limits on trucks
subject to state “oversize”
permits.
The order also sus
pends the collection of
gasoline and diesel fuel
taxes during the emer
gency and prohibits price
gouging.
Georgia governors
have issued similar execu
tive orders during other
disruptions in fuel sup
plies, usually following
hurricanes or other natu
ral disasters that affect re
fineries or pipelines.
The shutdown of
the Colonial pipeline is
expected to send pump
prices higher and force
refiners to cut production
because they can’t trans
port the fuel.
Kemp urged motor
ists not to panic.
“There is no need to
rush to the gas station
to fill up every tank you
have and hoard gas,” he
said. “With the measures
we have taken today, I am
Copies now available
From the
PORCH
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A collection of
personal essays
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Nagle’s weekly
column published
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“Nagle writes with Southern flavor and charm,
capturing the rhythms of her life with grace ancl
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Oliver Jenkins, MD
Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist
Dr. Jenkins is a board certified
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surgeon specializing in the diagnosis
and treatment of general ear and sinus
conditions, sleep apnea, and allergies.
Treating pediatric and adult patients.
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TWO LOCATIONS:
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125 Memorial Drive
Blackshear
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hopeful we can get more
supply to stations and get
through to this weekend
when we hope Colonial
will return to normal.”
Colonial officials say
they are working on “sub
stantially restoring opera
tional service” by the end
of this week.
Kemp’s executive
order is due to expire at
11:59 p.m. Saturday.
A TEST OF
FAITH
BY GARY TOOLE
When you say
something
now folks
come with
some smart
ellick mess.
Well, they
come to late
to mess with
me. God
allows things
as a test of our
faith as he did with Job. Now the
devil made a wager with God that old
Job would fail, but the devil didn’t
know Job. He was a man of great
faith. So then before Christ took that
power away from the devil he could
kill you and now he can kill you in
many ways but not physically. So
God said that the devil could try him
out but he couldn’t kill him physically.
So the devil brought out the big guns
and lowered the boom on old Job
and he almost flopped and failed but
he hung in there like white on rice
and he came out the other side a
better man. Now, when you refer to
Job’s story these know all know
nothing guys will say, “Yea but this
virus can kill you!” I think but I’m too
riled up to say, “Well, hoss not if God
don’t allow it.” Oh He can allow this
mess like He allowed the devil’s mess.
So when are we going to get it in our
thick skulls and really believe it. Life
and death ultimately lies in God’s
hands. The devil can’t kill you. That
virus can’t kill you if your faith hedge
is strong and if it is not God’s will.
God allows some to die because we
will all die sometime but not until
God says yea. And no it is not a set
time because that would contradict
thebible. So here we go!
The spirit of satanic fear turns God
off and He supplies our needs one
way or another but what gets His
ultimate attention is faith. The word
says in Hebrews 11:6, that without
faith it is impossible to please God.
Are you pleasing God or running
scared? Now, God allowed it and
God delivers and He has given the
wisdom and knowledge to create a
vaccine because the continuance of
this virus is no longer God’s will. The
test has been done and most failed.
Now many churches are closed or
half closed and God don’t like
facebook churches and prison and
jail and nursing homes ministers like
me and my wife still can not go in and
preach in those places until everyone
gets this vaccination and it must be
done quickly. Now that is God’s will!
Can you say amen?
PD. ADV.
