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The Vidalia Advance Established 1901
The Lyons Progress Established 1894
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Vol. 123 No. 29 Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia July 21, 2021
Society is like a stew.
If you don’t stir it up
every once in a while
then a layer of scum
floats to the top.
- Edward Abbey
News
BYTES
Treutlen School
Supplies
Giveaway
A drive-through school
supply giveaway will be
held at the old Treutlen
High School (new
gym parking lot) in
Soperton on Saturday,
July 24, 9-11 a.m.
Free supplies for K-12
students. Sponsored
by Tri-County Family
Connection and others.
Southeast Citrus
Update
The University of
Georgia Extension is
hosting a Southeast
Citrus Update at the
Vidalia Onion and
Vegetable Research
Station in Toombs
County on July 27 at 11
a.m. Free. To register,
call 912-314-3698, 912-
253-3515 or 912-690-
0363.
Drive-Through
Event in Wheeler
A drive-through school
supplies giveaway will
be held on Saturday,
July 31, 9-11 a.m.
at Wheeler County
Elementary School
in Alamo. Sponsored
by Tri-County Family
Connection and others.
Pre-K
Orientation at
J.D. Dickerson
A Pre-K orientation
event will be held
at J.D. Dickerson
Elementary School on
Wednesday, August 4,
5:30-6:30 p.m. Parents
are invited to meet
their child's teacher,
learn about the Pre-K
program, and enjoy a
light supper.
IN THIS ISSUE
Editorials Page 5A
Obituaries Page 7A
From the Record Page 8A
Your Mind On Line Page 9A
Sports Page 1 B
Voters Rally, Hagan Wins!
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail.com
Vidalia businesswoman
Leesa Hagan will be represent
ing District 156 in the Georgia
House of Representatives when
it reconvenes this Fall. She de
feated car dealer Wally Sapp of
Baxley in the July 13 runoff that
garnered a better turnout than
the June 15 election.
In unofficial tallies posted
online by the Secretary of State’s
office on July 16, Hagan ac
quired 51% of the total (3,131
votes) District wide, while Sapp
amassed 48% with 2,929 across
the District.
Republicans Hagan and
Sapp came within 1 percent
age point of each other in the
June 15 election, but neither re
ceived a majority of the nearly
5,000 votes cast to avoid a run
off. Hagan received about 43%
of the vote, while Sapp pulled in
Leesa Hagan
about 42%. The lone Democrat
in the race, Wright Gres of Ap
pling County, finished third in
the contest with nearly 15% of
the vote.
The battle between the
candidates came down to the
turnouts in their home coun
ties. Toombs County, the most
populous county in the Dis
trict, had a poor showing in the
election, but voters rallied for
Please see Hagan page 4A
Interstate 16 Reopens Early
Highway 86 Closed Pending Bridge Reconstruction
By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
Both westbound travel
lanes of Interstate 16 in
Treutlen County reopened
Friday, one day after a
bridge over the highway
was heavily damaged and
two days earlier than ex
pected.
As of late Friday after
noon, crews were working
to reopen the eastbound
lanes by midnight.
The bridge on Georgia
Highway 86 over 1-16 was
struck by a dump trailer
early Thursday morning,
forcing the state Depart
ment of Transportation to
close the highway in both
directions between exits 71
and 78.
“Georgia DOT en
gineers and contractors
worked expeditiously
through the night to safe
ly remove the damaged
bridge so that 1-16 could
be opened back up to traffic
days earlier than expected,”
Georgia Commissioner of
Transportation Russell Mc-
Murry said Friday.
“My thanks goes out
to the GDOT team mem
bers and contractors who
worked through the night
Please see 1-16 page 3A
DOT Photo
DAMAGED BRIDGE - A bridge on Georgia Highway 86 over Interstate 16 in
Treutlen County was struck by a dump trailer early Thursday morning, forcing
the state Department of Transportation to close the highway in both direc
tions between exits 71 and 78. Interstate lanes have been reopened, but
Georgia 86 remains closed while the DOT plans for the bridge replacement.
Wheeler Wood Producer Awarded
$2.65 Million for Gas Line Expansion
IFZA/IS
PSC APPROVES GAS LINE - Tommy Clark and son Blake Clark stand
at the edge of the wood yard at T.C. Logging in Alamo. The com
pany has been awarded a $2,650 million grant to expand a gas
line to increase wood production at the large logging and sawmill
operation. The gas line will be used to supply natural gas to the kilns
at the woodyard. The expansion is expected to add 50 jobs at the
company.
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail. com
The Georgia Public Service
Commission has approved a
$2,650 million grant to expand
a gas line to T.C. Logging in
Wheeler County. The money
will be used to increase wood
production at the large logging
and sawmill operation outside
of Alamo, and the expansion is
expected to create 50 new jobs.
The company produces lumber
that is shipped domestically
and overseas.
Installation of gas lines will
supply natural gas to the lum
ber yard kilns, which are used
to dry and preserve the lumber,
said company owner Tommy
Clark.
The funds were part of the
annual $15 million in ECON-1
tariff funds allocated to Geor
gia economic projects that cre
ate jobs and grow the natural
gas network.
“I’m extremely proud of
the economic win for Wheeler
County,” said Sen. Blake Til
lery, R-Vidalia. “This would not
have been possible without the
investment by Mr. Clark, Rep.
Robert Pruitt, and the assis
tance of Public Service Com
missioners Tricia Pridemore
and Jason Shaw.”
The five-member PSC reg
ulates utilities across the state
and ensures that consumers
receive safe, reliable, and rea
sonably priced telecommunica
tions, electric, and natural gas
services.
PSC Commissioner Jason
Shaw of Lakeland, said, “I am
a resident of rural South Geor
gia myself and understand the
importance of expanding our
natural gas capacity in our ru
ral communities, particularly in
the forest industries with oper-
Please see Grant page 3A
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