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See what everyone has to say! Your Mind ONLINE See Page 2A The Vidalia Advance Established 1901 The Lyons Progress Established 1894 nee candidly kind *** Grace’s Story See Amber Page 5A Vol. 123 NO. 32 Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia August 11, 2021 Originality is the fine art of remembering what you hear but forgetting where you heard it. - Laurence J. Peter News BYTES Meadows Offering Vaccinations Memorial Health Meadows Hospital is operating a public COVID vaccination clinic. Call 912-535-SAFE (7233) to schedule a free vaccination. 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. Vernon Jones to Visit Wheeler The public is invited to meet Vernon Jones, Republican candidate for Georgia governor, at a meeting of the Wheeler County Republican Party at Little Ocmulgee State Park on Tuesday, August 17, at 6:30 p.m. Late Mayor to Be Honored The City of Vidalia will hold a tribute to late Mayor Ronnie Dixon on Thursday, August 19, at 6 p.m. at the Vidalia City Park. The public is invited to attend. IN THIS ISSUE Editorials Page 5A Obituaries Page 7A From the Record Page 9A Your Mind On Line Page 2A Sports Page 1 B SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 30% OFF NEWSSTAND PRICES! Call 537-3131 (or delivery! Aiea Combatting COVID Resurgence (i We are highly focused and ready to take this on, and we are in the midst of it. yy - Memorial Health Meadows Hospital CEO Matt Hasbrouck By Deborah Clark Regional Editor dclarkadvance@gmail.com Despite high hopes that we were seeing the waning of the COVID pandemic, it is becoming more appar ent by the day that another wave—this time the Delta variant—has shown up in our community and is demand ing immediate action from health care and education of ficials. As of Monday August 9, Memorial Health Mead ows Hospital in Vidalia was treating 44 patients who had been diagnosed with CO VID. “None of these patients were vaccinated,” said Karen Me Coll, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at Meadows. Me Coll said Monday af ternoon that 63% of the inpa tients admitted to Meadows are being treated for COVID. The hospital was treating seven patients in the Inten sive Care Unit who were on Please see COVID page 3A Photo by Makaylee Randolph COVID RESURGENCE - On Monday, Memorial Health Meadows Hospi tal in Vidalia was treating 44 patients who had tested positive for CO VID, accounting for 65% of its patient load. The facility's Emergency Department is getting heavy COVID traffic, including school age chil dren and younger. On Monday, no children had been hospitalized. Mike Huckabee to Be Featured At VHA Event GUEST SPEAKER FOR VHA EVENT - Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huck abee will be the guest speaker for Vidalia Heritage Academy's 25th anniversary celebration and fundraising banquet on October 5. Vidalia Heritage Academy will celebrate 25 years of Chris tian education with a fundraising banquet on October 5 featuring former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. “We are thrilled to welcome Governor Huckabee to join us for this landmark occasion in VHA’s history,” said Head of School Jeff McCormick. “In order to kick off this 25-year celebration, we could not think of anyone whose philos ophy more closely aligns with ours than Mike Huckabee.” McCormick continued, “Governor Huckabee has been a champion of education as well as American exceptionalism. This is what VHA has been providing for 25 years and will continue to pro vide for the rest of its existence.” The fundraising banquet will Please see VHA page 9A Hagan Sworn into Office, Assigned to Committees District 156 State Representa tive Leesa Hagan, (R-Lyons), was recently sworn into office as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives. Rep ' Leesa The ceremony took place in the chambers of Judge Tommy Smith and in the presence of Hagan’s hus band, Mike, and their two sons. Hagan planned to hold a pub lic swearing-in ceremony last Hagan week in Toombs County, but out Please see Hagan page 9A Lee Brice Headlining 2022 Onion Festival BRICE IS COMING! - Country music star Lee Brice will head line the 2021 Vidalia Onion Festival, it was announced this week. Brice was scheduled to perform in 2020, but his show was cancelled during the COVID pandemic, The Blue An gels are also scheduled to appear at the annual festival. Rumor has it that Coun try Music performer Lee Brice will be in Vidalia for the 2022 Vidalia Onion Fes tival Concert. “Well, it’s not a rumor anymore,” stated Andy Woodruff, 2022 Fes tival Committee Chairman. “Lee Brice will headline the 2022 concert. We are so grateful for the diligence of Tim Jones, Entertainment Please see VOF page 2A $45 WEIGHT LOSS MANAGEMENT every other month! 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