Newspaper Page Text
The ADVANCE, September 1, 2021/Page 12A
Sflie Aiiuancg
SECCA Celebrates Highest Enrollment
In History of Career Academy
L to R: Shelly Smith, SECCA CEO; David Avery, Director of
High School Programs; Brayden Helms, Automotive stu
dent; and Marie Riner, Cosmetology student,
Qualifying Deadline Extended for
Santa Claus, Alamo Elections
Southeastern Ear
ly College and Career
Academy (SECCA) is an
educational partnership
among four Georgia school
systems (Montgomery
County Schools, Toombs
County Schools, Treutlen
County Schools, and Vi-
dalia City Schools) and
Southeastern Technical
College (STC). SECCA is
the first charter school/re-
gional career academy part
nership in Georgia where
students from more than
one school district attend
classes together. SECCA
is experiencing the highest
enrollment ever in the his
tory of the career academy
According to Shelly
Smith, SECCA CEO,
“When SECCA was first
established, there were four
pathways offered: JROTC,
cosmetology, automo
tive tech, and healthcare.
About 300 students from
By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
Georgia set records for
jobs and economic devel
opment investments during
the last fiscal year despite
the coronavirus pandem
ic, Gov. Brian Kemp an
nounced Wednesday.
Nearly $11 billion in
new investments during
fiscal 2021, which ended
June 30, represented a 46%
increase over the last fiscal
year, while 33,439 jobs cre
ated across the state beat
the previous record by 5%.
"Setting new econom
ic development records
during a global pandemic
is further evidence that
Georgia remains the No. 1
state for business,” Kemp
said. "By remaining open
for business and working
alongside local economic
development partners and
private sector business lead
ers, we've been able to cre
ate greater opportunities
for hardworking Georgians
and prioritize attracting key
industries that bring qual
ity jobs and investments to
our four high schools took
SECCA classes. Today, we
offer seven pathways plus
an industry-led manufac
turing course and Work
Based Learning. Over 600
students are enrolled in
one or more SECCA areas
every corner of the Peach
State.”
Kemp said 74% of new
project locations and ex
pansions came outside of
the 10-county Atlanta re
gion, along with more than
two-thirds of total invest
ments and about one-third
of new jobs. He pledged
on the campaign trail three
years ago to focus economic
development efforts on ru
ral Georgia.
“We are making good
on that promise,” Kemp said
Tuesday during remarks at
the annual Congressional
Luncheon sponsored by the
Georgia Chamber of Com
merce.
Georgia’s international
partnerships accounted for
the creation of nearly $2 bil
lion in foreign direct invest
ment in the state.
Nineteen projects from
South Korea represented
the highest job creation
from a single country, while
Swiss-based projects led in
total investment. Business
es from Germany created
the second-highest number
including the four original
pathways as well as three
new ones: Teaching as a
Profession, Unmanned
Flight and Energy. We at
tribute SECCA's growth
to quality instructors and
great support from our
member high schools.”
of jobs during fiscal 2021.
“The pandemic re
minded us of how critical
our existing industry and
international relationships
are to Georgias economic
success, Georgia Com
missioner of Economic
Development Pat Wilson
said. “We have had to think
creatively and react innova-
tively in order to help busi
nesses successfully locate
and expand while continu
ing to attract key industries
to the state.”
Leading industries in
vesting in Georgia includ
ed automotive, advanced
manufacturing, software/
technology, logistics and
distribution, and food pro
cessing. Additional strong
gains in jobs and invest
ments came from financial
technology and digital me
dia.
Investments in head
quarters reached nearly $93
million, an increase of 94%
from fiscal 2020, and jobs
created by headquarters
projects were up 281% over
the previous year.
While most candi
dates bound for Novem
ber 2 elections qualified
last week, races in two
municipalities were in
doubt as extensions were
called.
In the City of Santa
Claus, by the qualifying
deadline last Friday, only
one of the City’s two at-
large seats had a candidate.
By the extended Tuesday
deadline, David Evans and
William Powell had quali
fied, said Toombs County
Board of Elections Super
visor Carey Alligood.
There will not be a
ballot for this election,
however, since neither
candidate has opposition.
Your Q
Mind ^
ONLINE
Got a complaint? Got a
compliment? Call Your
Mind On Line at 537-6397
and let us know what's
on your mind, Quotes are
printed exactly as they are
called in and are not nec
essarily factual, but rather,
callers' opinions. Libelous,
slanderous, personal at
tacks, and unfounded ac
cusatory or lengthy com
ments will not be printed.
Two calls per week per
caller, and calls should
not exceed 30 seconds,
please.
“Hurricanes,
droughts, floods, fires,
earthquakes, covid,
war, humiliation, fear
(all at the same time)
- this is what happens
when people turn to
government for help
instead of to the Cre
ator. "
“Three years ago
America was on top
of the world. Look at
us now."
"America needs
yearly national and
state elections, not
elections every two
years. We need to be
able to vote bad
people out of office
EVERY YEAR and not
wait 24 months while
they cause more
massive destruction
of the country. Right
now we need to im
mediately fire many
of our "public ser
vants" from the oval
office to the halls of
congress to the courts
of this land."
“Do you honestly
believe that the phar
maceutical compa
nies are donating the
vaccine to anyone?
Nothing is ever "free."
Several other seats in
Toombs County are un
opposed, but, if even one
of the races has opposi
tion, a ballot will be print
ed which will include the
names of candidates with
and without opposition,
Alligood said.
Both the Lyons City
Council and Vidalia May
or’s race have candidates
with opposition. Incum
bent Councilwoman Son-
ja Eason and challenger
Cathy Benton will face
off for the Ward 2 post
while incumbent Mayor
Doug Roper is being chal
lenged by former Vidalia
City Councilman Gregory
Johnson.
The cost of each shot
is coming dollar by
dollar out of your pay-
check, welfare
check, and business
income, Americans.
And the cost of gro
ceries and everything
else for you is going
up and up."
“Hey! Those of you
who were making fun
of doomsday prep-
pers! They don't look
so ridiculous now, do
they?"
“Impeachment
takes too long. Biden
and his entire staff
should resign immedi
ately. Place resigna
tion letters in front of
them and get them
signed. Richard
Nixon resigned just
over Watergate. This
situation isn't just po
litical. It's survival."
“America needs to
turn to God now! But
God isn't going to do
the job He has pre
pared us to do. We
have Saul (Biden)
and we have Goliath
(Afghanistan). Where
is our David?"
“Now Japan, who
had a nuclear melt
down a few years
ago, is going to put
their nuclear waste
into the Pacific
Ocean. Another
great idea! Here
come the fish with
three heads, and no
one will be wanting
to swim in waters
around Hawaii, Cali
fornia, or Mexico."
“The handicap
ramps at the Mont
gomery County
Courthouse are dan
gerous for handi-
In Wheeler County,
as of the qualifying dead
line on Friday, only two
incumbent Council mem
bers, Patricia Woodard
and Bobby Cox, had qual
ified for reelection to their
at-large posts. The quali
fying period was extended
until Tuesday, which pro
vided additional time for
incumbent Harry Lewis
to qualify to seek reelec
tion.
None of these candi
dates face opposition, but
because the ballot will
also include a referendum
on alcohol sales by the
drink in the City of Alamo,
voting will be conducted
there on November 2.
capped people to
go up or down. I wish
somebody would do
something about it."
“Only another
American can make
you ashamed to be
an American."
“In the 6-23 The
Advance issue,
Toombs Board of Edu
cation stated new
playground equip
ment is being installed
for the school new
year. As of today, no
playground equip
ment has been at Ly
ons Primary Schools.
Perhaps if they got
everyone on board, it
would be incredible
what can be done."
“Shopping at Thrift
way in Lyons is just like
shopping during the
Christmas season ex
cept it's all year long.
I can drive from Vida
lia, do my shopping,
get checked out and
be back home be
fore I can get
checked out in Vida
lia. The staff there is so
kind and courteous.
Thank you."
“This is a shout out
to Lyons police officer
Chris. Thank you for
your help. It was very
much appreciated."
“I don’t know who
is responsible for get
ting the grass cut from
the old onion factory
down Ezra Taylor Rd.
It has been growing
since the highway
was widened. Thank
you to the person
who was responsible
because it sure looks
good and you can
see. Thank you
again."
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Copies now available
Georgia enjoys record-setting
economic development
numbers despite COVID-19
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From the
PORCH
BN 5 AMBER UANIER NAGLE
A collection of
personal essays
from author Amber
Nagle’s weekly
column published
in The Advance
“Nagle writes with Southern flavor and charm,
capturing the rhythms of her life with grace and
artistry. ” - Audrey Andersen
Get your copy at
