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Vol. 123 No. 31 Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia A Festive School , Lunch with Foil Packet Burritos! See Azure 11A The Vidalia Advance Established 1901 The Lyons Progress Established 1894 August 4, 2021 Who was Jim Thorpe? See Sports I have had more trouble with myself than with any other man. - Dwight L. Moody News BYTES Back to School Bash Toombs County's Fourth Annual Back to School Bash will be held Saturday, August 7, 9-11 a.m. at Southeastern Technical College in Vidalia. Children must be present to collect their supplies. Sponsored by Toombs County Family Connections, local school systems and businesses. Reminiscing at The Pal Theatre The public is invited to take a trip down memory lane as a popular documentary, "Legacy of the Pal," is reprised for a free showing on Monday, August 9 at 7 p.m. The theatre is located at 122 Church Street in downtown Vidalia. SizeLIp Vidalia Online Demo Greater Vidalia Chamber-Community Development Series, "SizeUp Greater Vidalia," free online demonstration will be presented by DOT Foods on Wednesday, August 11, at 9 a.m. To register, visit: https//sizeup.info/ sizeupgvc. Water Issues Forum A public forum on proposed water system improvements by the City of Vidalia will be held at the Vidalia Community Center on August 12 at 6 p.m. Following a brief presentation by city officials, citizens will have an opportunity to ask questions. Local Leaders Register Opinions At Hearing on State Redistricting By Deborah Clark Regional Editor dclarkadvance@gmail.com A delegation of lead ers from Toombs and Montgomery counties at tended a public hearing in Macon last Thursday to make known their opin ions on Georgia’s redis tricting. The session was among several in-per- son and virtual hearings scheduled by the state to gather public input about redrawing Georgia’s legis lative districts ahead of a special session of the Gen eral Assembly expected to convene in the fall. The last hearing was held vir tually on July 30. Speaking on behalf of the community were Ginger Morris, Mont- ri JOINT HEARING - Members of the Georgia House and Senate Redistricting Com mittees, which held a hearing in Macon last week, listen while Ginger Morris, (at the microphone facing the panel), makes a presentation on behalf of leaders from Toombs and Montgomery counties. Morris is a member of the Montgomery County Commission and also serves as Assistant Superintendent for Vidalia City Schools. The hearings, which concluded last Friday, were held in various locations across the state to gather input prior to a special legislative session on redistricting, gomery County Com missioner and Assis tant Superintendent of Vidalia City Schools; David Sikes, Chairman of the Toombs County Commission; and Don Betts, former head of the Toombs-Montgom- ery County Chamber of Commerce (now the Greater Vidalia Cham ber) and the Toombs County Development Authority. Also in atten dance was Leesa Hagan, R-Vidalia, newly-elected representative for Dis trict 156 in the Georgia House of Representa tives. Betts said his pur pose in appearing at the hearing was to represent Please see Hearing page 3A SizeUp Greater Vidalia Provides COVID Coses Increase Locally, Help to Small Businesses Two School Systems Delay Opening The Greater Vidalia Chamber and Toombs County Develop ment Authority are supporting lo cal small businesses by providing a new, online program called SizeUp Greater Vidalia. “The Chamber and Author ity are committed to helping small businesses move forward with the tools and information they need to reopen, recover, and emerge even stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Michele Johnson, President of the Chamber and Ex ecutive Director of the Develop ment Authority. Please see SizeUp page 12A In recent weeks, most doubled in the past week. As of the country has seen an of Monday, Meadows had increase in positive COV- 27 COVID-19 patients in ID-19 cases; this is certainly the hospital. The re true for Vidalia and Toombs surgence of COVID also County as well. At Memorial caused the Montgomery Health Meadows Hospital, County Schools and Wheel- the number of patients with er County Schools to post- COVID-19 has more than p|ease see CQV|D page 9A Sen. Warnock’s Rep. Meets with Toombs Co. Leaders Altama Museum Wins GCA Grant, Poised to Kick Off 2021 Season Photo by Makaylee Randolph MEETING COMMUNITY LEADERS - Young took time to speak with community leaders in both a group setting as well as individually after the meeting. Here, he converses with Chamber of Commerce Chairman Steve McComas, right, and Chamber of Commerce President Michele Johnson. SECOND CENTURY - This year, the Altama Museum celebrates two milestones: its 40th season and the completion of the Second Century Project, a $175,000 reno vation of the museum's home, the 1911 Brazell House. IN THIS ISSUE Editorials Page 5A Obituaries Page 7A From the Record Page 10A Your Mind On Line Page 2A Sports Page 1 B By Makaylee Randolph Contributing Writer Andrew Young II, a field representative for Georgia Senator Raphael Wamock, met with several Toombs County community leaders on July 29 as a part of an effort to meet with leaders in all 159 counties of Georgia to learn about constitu ents’ concerns. Toombs County was one of the last counties visited by Warnock’s team, as Please see Young page 11A It’s great news at the Altama Mu seum of Art & History in Vidalia! The Museum was recently awarded a $6,000 Bridge Grant by the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA), and, following a re cent renovation, is poised to kick off the 2021 season with a grand reopening and ribbon cutting on August 22. The GCA, a division of the Geor gia Department of Economic Develop ment, awarded the grant to the Museum as part of its initial disbursement of grants for fiscal year 2022. A total of 218 organizations were awarded 266 grants that provide more than $2 million in funding to arts or ganizations throughout the state. The Bridge Grant provides funding for op- Please see Altama page 9A SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 30% OFF NEWSSTAND PRICES! $45 WEIGHT LOSS MANAGEMENT every other month! Ask about our $25 weight loss injection! # Appling Baxley (912)367-4122 Healthcare Call 537-3131 lor delivery! Blackshear (912)705-4910 Vidalia (912)705-4905