About The Advance. (Vidalia, Ga.) 2003-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2021)
★★★★★★★★★★★ Happy labor Day) The Vidalia Advance Established 1901 The Lyons Progress Established 1894 Inside This Week Vol. 123 No. 35 Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia September 1, 2021 Without labor nothing prospers. - Sophocles 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. Food Giveway September 2 Mayfield Zion AME Church is holding a free food distribution on September 2 at 11 a.m. at the Wheeler County Recreation Center, 125Snowhill Baptist Church Road, Alamo. DOT Schedules Roadwork The Georgia Department of Transportation will be working at State Road 4 and U.S. Highway 1 over the Altamaha River from West River Road, (Appling County), to Bob Cato Road (Toombs County), Monday- Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., through December 31. Daily lane closures are planned. Artist Market Slated The Sixth Annual Autumn-Art-Altama Sidewalk Artist Market is scheduled rain or shine on September 18, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Information: AltamaMuseum.org. IN THIS ISSUE Editorials Page 5A Obituaries Page 7A From the Record Page 11A Your Mind On Line Page 12A Sports Page 1 B Commissioner Out Vidalia Police Commissioner Terminated By Deborah Clark Regional Editor dclarkadvance@gmail.com The City Council of Vi dalia, which met in a special called meeting Friday August 27, made a decision to end its employment agreement with Vidalia Police Commissioner Brian K. Scott, effective im mediately The action followed Scott’s reindictment on Au gust 20 on charges stem ming from an investigation in Glynn County Scott, who was reindicted on the charge of violation of oath by a pub lic officer, was placed on ad ministrative leave pending the Council’s decision, the City of Vidalia stated in a news release issued Friday, August 27. Scott joined the City of Vidalia as Police Chief in Au gust 2019. He was initially indicted in Glynn County in February 2020 on multiple charges, including violation of oath by a public officer. Scott’s status was changed to Vidalia Police Commissioner following his 2020 indict ment and the City of Vida lia thereafter employed him on a contract basis as Police Commissioner. Please see Scott page 3A TERMINATED — Vidalia Police Commissioner Brian Scott, shown in a file photo from January 31, 2021, was terminated by the City of Vidalia on Friday, August 27, after his reindictment on charges stemming from an investigation of the Glynn County Police Depart ment where he was previously employed. Jailer In County Jailer Behind Bars Jailer Jaquan Collier ended up be hind bars following an investigation by the Toombs County Sheriff’s Of fice at the Charles Durst Detention Center earlier this month. Concerns were made known re garding Collier which later led to his arrest, said Sheriff Alvie “Ju nior” Kight. Two additional Detention Center officers have been terminated as of result of Please see Jailer page 4A Jaquan Collier Business Solutions Summit Set For Sept. 23 Two-Time Best Selling Author Dee Ann Turner to Be Guest Speaker Two-time best selling author and ac claimed keynote speak er Dee Ann Turner will headline the Greater Vidalia Chamber of Commerce Business Solutions Summit on Thursday, September 23. The event is be ing held at First Baptist Church in downtown Vidalia from 8:15 a.m. until 2:15 p.m. and will focus on issues of particular interest to small businesses. “One of our major focuses this year is supporting and growing small busi nesses. The Business Solutions sum mit is geared toward providing guidance on several topics including how to recruit and train talent as well as custom er service, said Debbie Evans, Executive Vice President of the Cham ber. The summit will also feature break-out sessions with experts offering insight on cyber security, social media marketing and health insurance. ‘Anyone can come to the summit. There will be takeaways for any size business,” Evans said. Please see Summit page 3A Dee Ann Turner COVID Peak Date Pushed to Sept. 15 By Deborah Clark Regional Editor dclarkadvance@gmail. com Healthcare officials had hoped to see a peak last week in the number of COVID-19 cases occurring in the Vidalia area, but the numbers are still climbing. On Monday, Dr. Karen McColl, Chief Medical Officer at Memorial Health Meadows Hospital, said ex perts have now pushed the peak date to September 15. As of Monday afternoon, Mead ows was treating 57 COVID patients whose average age is between 30 and 54 with 15 on ventilators. The hospital is licensed for 57 beds, but has admit ted 70 patients who are being accom modated in areas usually reserved for postoperative outpatient care, or for other uses, McColl said. “There are no beds to be had,” Mc Coll said of the medical center’s capac ity. She said that many patients are be ing held in the Emergency Department awaiting a bed or referral to another medical facility. Right now, Meadows staff is making 20 to 30 calls a day in an attempt to refer patients to other hos pitals. “We transfer one to two patients Please see COVID page 4A Photo by Deborah Clark HERE TO GROW AND INVEST — Matt Hasbrouck, new CEO at Memorial Health Meadows Hospital in Vidalia, sat down recently for an interview with The Advance to outline his goals and objectives, "We are proud of Meadows and proud fo be part of HCA. Trust in us, We are here to grow with and invest in this community," Keeping Healthcare Close to Home New Meadows CEO Ou tlines Plans for the Future By Deborah Clark Regional Editor dclarkadvance@gmail. com Matt Hasbrouck had only recently assumed the role of Memorial Health Meadows Hos pital’s new Chief Execu tive Officer when he was faced with the resurgence of a health pandemic in the community in late July. He hit the deck run ning, so to speak, as he dealt with all of the issues surrounding a second wave of COVID-19. When he attended a Greater Vidalia Chamber of Commerce’s meeting on August 24, Hasb rouck told the Chamber Board of Directors that the number of patients on ventilators at Mead ows was up by 750% be cause of COVID. He said he shared these numbers “not to create panic,” but to ask for their help in the midst of a commu nity healthcare crisis. The Chamber leadership im mediately responded by teaming with the City of Vidalia to stage a vaccina tion clinic at the Vidalia Community Center on the Monday following its meeting. Over the past two weeks, Hasbrouck and others from the Mead ows leadership team have been speaking to local leaders about what the fa cility is doing to combat the crisis and asking for Please see MHMH page 2A SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 30% OFF NEWSSTAND PRICES! Call 537-3131 for delivery! $45 WEIGHT LOSS MANAGEMENT Nip Appling every other month! Ask about our $25 weight loss injection! Baxley Blackshear Vidalia (912)367-4122 (912)705-4910 (912)705-4905 Healthcare