Newspaper Page Text
COVID-19
Update
Page 3A
Vol. 123 No. 37
Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia
September 15, 2021
A government that robs
Peter to pay Paul can
always depend on the
support of Paul.
- George Bernard
Shaw
Fire Departments Host
9-11 Memorial Service
News
BYTES
Altama Museum
Celebration
September 16
Altama Museum will
mark 40 years in the
community and the
second hundred years
of its headquarters, the
historic Brazell House,
with a front porch
celebration Thursday,
September 16, 5-7 p.m.
at the museum, 611
Jackson Street.
Business
Solutions
Summit
September 23
There is still time to
register for the Greater
Vidalia Chamber's
Business Solutions
summit. The event
will feature topics of
interest to business
owners ranging from
cybersecurity to how to
hire the best employees.
To register, call the
Chamber at 912-537-
4466.
Get Your
Tickets Now
Make plans to attend
this year's Lyons
Citizen of the Year
Banquet, September
30 at 6:30 p.m. in the
Callaway Center at
Partin Park. Magician
and motivational
speaker Joe M. Turner
will give the keynote
address. There will be
limited seating and
tickets are now available
through September 20
at Lyons City Hall or from
any Lyons Lions Club
member.
Meadows
Offering
Vaccinations
Memorial Health
Meadows Hospital is
operating a public
COVID vaccination
clinic. Call 912-535-SAFE
(7233) to schedule a free
vaccination.
IN THIS ISSUE
Editorials Page 5A
Obituaries Page 7A
From the Record Page 9A
Your Mind On Line Page 12A
Sports Page 1 B
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
A community memorial service for the 20th
anniversary of 9-11 was held at Partin Park in front
of the park’s 9-11 Memorial on Saturday. This cer
emony was coordinated by Liberty Baptist Church,
with participants including the Southeast Georgia
Firefighter Color Guard, the Toombs County Fire
Department, the Lyons Fire Department, and the
Toombs County Schools’ Children’s Choir. Liberty
Baptist Church Pastor Michael Plowman served as
the event’s speaker.
The ceremony was attended by public service
officers and workers from throughout the com
munity, including Emergency Medical Service
workers, police officers, and firefighters. Toombs
County Fire Department Chief Johnny Moser led
the service.
The event began at 10:28 a.m. to commemo
rate the time that the second World Trade Center
collapsed. As the ceremony began, attendees recit
ed the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag,
which flew at half-staffbehind the park’s memorial.
Through a formal routine of a changing of
the flag by the Color Guard, the original flag was
Please see 9-11 page 12A
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
REMEMBRANCE AND RESPECT — Several public service officials aftended an event
in Lyons on Saturday to honor those who lost their lives on September 11,2001. Here,
members of the Southeast Georgia Honor Guard stand at attention as the event
speaker shares his message of unity,
Wheeler: Two
Indicted on Vehicular
Homicide Charges
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail. com
The August term of the Wheeler Coun
ty Grand Jury returned true bills of indict
ment in two cases involving charges of ve
hicular homicide.
In all of the cases considered by the
Grand Jury, 27 true bills and 0 no bills were
returned.
Randonovan Anthony Lewis of Alamo
was indicted on five counts stemming from
a March 27, 2021, collision on Georgia
Highway near Glenwood that killed former
Montgomery County Magistrate Judge
Mona Elaine Bell and seriously injured her
grandson, Joshua Bragg.
Please see Wheeler page 14A
Workforce
Development
Initiative Kicks Off
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Workforce development is a top issue—
if not the #1 issue at present—for the future
success of our community and region. It im
pacts every aspect of our community, includ
ing individual workers, families, employers,
prospective businesses and educational insti
tutions.
Over the past year, the Toombs County
Development Authority, along with business
and industry partners and education system
partners, has taken positive steps to bet
ter understand our community’s workforce
Please see Launch page 4A
Community Mourns Loss of
Beloved Volunteer Johnny Jones
HONORING JOHNNY JONES — On Monday morning, Toombs
County Middle School instructor and FFA advisor Beth Gal
loway and a group of students and FFA members in grades
6th-8th, gathered at the gazebo in downtown Lyons where
they began harvesting canna lilies that will be sold in the
community, Proceeds from the sale will be donated to the
Georgia FFA Foundation in honor of Johnny Jones (inset).
By Deborah Clark, Regional
Editor and Makaylee
Randolph, Staff Writer
The community is
mourning the loss of
Johnny F. Jones, a man
known for his generous
spirit and willingness to
step up when help was
needed. A native of Ly
ons who lived most of
his life in the Toombs
and Montgomery area,
the 68 year old passed
away on September 7 af
ter an extended illness.
Lyons Mayor Willis
NeSmith shared his sen
timents about the death
of Jones at the recent Ly
ons City Council meet
ing. “He was very good
to the city of Lyons. It’s
a very tough loss. John
ny really had a heart for
the city of Lyons and for
kids, especially those
with the Future Farm
ers of America program
in the Toombs Coun
ty schools. He will be
missed.”
Daphne Walker, Di
rector of Main Street in
Lyons, said Jones was
a “friendly face” about
town, often dropping by
her office to deliver a bag
of peanuts and chat. He
served as Santa Claus for
the town’s annual Christ
mas parade.
Jo Ault, President of
His Works Ministries,
where Jones was a board
member, recalled that
he served the ministry in a
variety of ways. When the
ministry distributed food at
the Ag Center each month,
Jones was there and ready
and waiting to unload pal
ettes with his tractor. He
also made time to serve as
a mentor to youngsters who
visited the ministry. “Every
Christmas, he was our San
ta Claus. He was awesome,”
Ault said.
Mark Montfort, a re
tired agricultural instruc
tor for the Toombs County
Schools, posted a comment
on his Facebookpage about
his long-time friend. “My
mind has wandered some
Please see Jones page
11A
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