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The ADVANCE, September 15, 2021/Page 12A
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANT — Longtime first responder C.M. Youmans was presented
with an American flag during a Patriots Day event in Lyons, Toombs County Fire Chief
Johnny Moser presents the flag as he shares a message of admiration and respect for
Youmans' many years of service to the community.
9-11
continued from page 1A
removed from display,
folded, and replaced with
a new flag. The original
flag was presented to C.M.
Youmans, who is the lon
gest serving first responder
in the area. Moser shared
that Youmans continues
his devotion to public ser
vice although now he is not
his physical prime and reli
ant on the use of a walker,
“C.M., you are a tes
tament to any uniformed
person here,” Moser em
phasized during the event.
“We love you, and we are
grateful to have you in the
community.”
After the event, Mos
er continued to share his
thoughts on Youmans.
“C.M. Youmans has been in
public service with EMA,
Rescue and Lyons Fire
Department for more than
38 years. His influence has
been and still is felt with
the emergency response
organizations throughout
our county,” Moser ex
plained. “He has mentored
and trained countless first
responders. He has given
countless emergency re
sponse hours as a volunteer
to the city of Lyons and
Toombs County. The day
will come that C.M. cannot
Launch
continued from page 4A
that helps guide students
on their paths. It does not
rigidly determine their
futures but helps them in
their vision for the future.”
The launch event af
forded an opportunity to
share additional good news
in the workforce develop
ment arena, including ef
forts that are underway
but are being managed and
driven by alternate groups.
Debbie Evans, Vice
President, Greater Vidalia
Chmaber, shared informa
tion regarding the Cham
ber’s upcoming Business
Solutions Summit event
on September 23. Dee Ann
Turner of Dee Ann Turner
& Associates, LLC, and a
3 3-year veteran of Chick-
fil-A, Inc., will be the fea
tured speaker. Every ticket
includes a copy of Turner’s
book, Bet on Talent.
Superintendent Waller
explained that the local
school systems have been
actively working to prepare
students for the workforce
as much as they prepare
students for college. “We
have figured out how to get
kids to college, but we are
working on learning how
to best prepare them for
the workforce,” Waller ex
plained.
He shared that the
Toombs County Schools
held a workforce develop-
do what he wants to as a
first responder, and on that
day, the entire county will
feel his presence not there.”
The memorial service
also featured the ceremoni
al ringing of the bell, which
marks the end of a Fire
fighter’s duty on Earth, as
well as a moment of silence
while EMS sirens sound
ed. The Toombs County
Schools’ Children’s Choir
sang patriotic classics, such
as “The Star-Spangled Ban-
ner.
Pastor Plowman
shared a message of unity
among Americans with at
tendees. “It is appropriate
that we gather in this place
— a park, where children
play — so that the younger
generations can see and
know that hate did not di
vide us, Islam did not de
feat us, and faith did not fail
us,” he exclaimed.
“We gather here to
show [the young genera
tions] that despite different
skin colors, cultures, and
ideas, we are all Ameri
cans,” Plowman told the
crowd. “We may live in dif
ferent zip codes. We may
believe in different ideas.
We may like different foods
and, God forbid, we even
cheer for different football
teams, but we have the
same flag, the same pledge,
ment camp over the sum
mer. The 17 students who
participated in the camp
were able to tour industries
and get hands-on experi
ence in various workforce
settings and careers. This
experience even led two
students to decide on their
future careers. The school
system is also performing
due diligence to establish a
Heavy Equipment Opera
tions pathway.
SECCA Board Chair
man Don Betts spoke
about the “Make It, Move
It” program that allows stu
dents to meet representa
tives from a variety of com
panies, trades, and careers,
and to actually get up-close
looks at some area busi
nesses through site visits.
The “Make It, Move
It” pilot program got un
derway in August with 21
students. “This is just an
other tool we use to pro
vide opportunities to our
students,” Betts noted.
The current deficit in
a regional workforce has
reinforced the need to
groom, recruit and train
employees, starting with
middle and high school stu
dents. “Strengthening our
local workforce is going to
require innovation—doing
some things differently,”
STC’s Vice President of
Student Affairs Barry Dot-
son told attendees. “We are
strengthening our relation
ship with our local boards
and the same national an
them.”
Plowman summa
rized the sense of unity
which 9-11 has historically
brought upon the nation,
as he stated, “On 9-11,
there were no red Repub
licans or blue Democrats.
There were only red, white,
and blue Americans.”
Later, Moser shared
that he felt the event was a
success in that it focused on
the day and reason for the
gathering. “It is the duty of
first responders of all disci
plines to always remember
and honor those who lost
their lives on 9-11-01,” he
said. “That day exempli
fied absolute courage and
resolve of those that re
sponded then and now. It
means more now than ever
that as a country, we re
member that day and also
that it happened because of
being a free people.”
Moser concluded, “In
spiration comes from the
Flag of the United States
of America. It stands for
Freedom. Americans must
always stand tall for what
stands for freedom.”
The service con
cluded as attendees were
led in prayer for the nation.
Liberty Baptist Church
provided the attendees
with refreshments.
of education.”
Underlining the need
for local workforce strat
egy, Dotson pointed to the
employment dilemma cre
ated by COVID. “In Janu
ary of 2020, who could
have predicted in just three
months that we would face
a pandemic and workforce
development situations we
have never previously en
countered?” Dotson noted
that at the last meeting of
the Steering Committee,
area workforce deficits
were at the top of the ur
gent needs list.
“Many local business
es have been unable to as
sume normal operations
due to the lack of sufficient
workforces,” Dotson ex
plained. “It became obvi
ous that our immediate
priority was to help local
businesses gain sufficient
workforces.”
Authority Executive
Director and Chamber
President Michele Johnson
summarized the intent of
the strategy. “I think above
all, the one thing we want
to do is to convey that all
work is honorable,” she
said. “There is value to ev
ery person and every job
for our community.”
If anyone is interested
in aiding this workforce de
velopment strategy finan
cially or through volunteer
support, they can contact
Johnson or Ann Owens at
912-537-4466.
Your
ONLINE
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on your mind. Quotes are
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Two calls per week per
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please.
“Abortionists say
women have the right
to control their own
bodies. Actually, men
and women just don't
want to take the re
sponsibility for con
trolling their own bod
ies. There are plenty
of birth control medi
cations and proce
dures."
“The Democrats
obviously think that
money grows on
trees, rather than
coming from Ameri
can taxpayers' pock
ets and from Chinese
loan sharks, the way
they are throwing it
around in their spend
ing bills."
“Hubris (pride). Ac
cording to most reli
gions, pride in their
own abilities is the
worst failure of hu
man beings. Humans
can't even control
their own bodily func
tions, but they believe
that they have the
power to control the
world, including co-
vid. It doesn't matter
if you believe in Him,
God is in control."
“The Virginia statue
of Robert E. Lee, a
West Point graduate,
a man of honesty,
courage, and self-
control who was re
spected even by his
enemies has been re
moved. The time
capsule replacing it
will represent Virginia
now: a "Black Lives
Matter" sticker, an
LGBTQ pride pin, and
an expired vial of Pfiz
er's COVID-19 vac
cine."
“Is anyone hearing
about all the terrorists
being brought into
the country from Af
ghanistan right now
by this administra
tion? We are being
invaded from within,
and it will be no trou
ble at all to be in
vaded from without,
too. We got a warn
ing 20 years ago on
9/11, and we didn't
learn our lesson."
“Our Congress and
Supreme Court are
supposed to protect
us from an Executive
branch gone crazy,
but all they do is talk.
What good are they?
Biden and his entire
crew should be re
signed out of office
right now, no linger
ing 4-year impeach
ment, if we want to
have any country
left."
“Are today’s Chris
tian preachers afraid,
in this "woke" coun
try, to speak out
about atrocious polit
ical situations going
on today, to give their
sheep truthful infor
mation, and to let
God handle the
rest?"
“Do you really be
lieve the politicians
and corporations are
giving you these inef
fective covid shots
free? American tax
payers are paying for
every drop, and poli
ticians and corpora
tions are pocketing
the money - and re
quiring more sales."
“Fact: True vac
cines take years to
develop. Covid
came. Childlike,
Americans de
manded an instant
cure. Government
gave Americans an
instant pacifier, allow
ing the virus to mu
tate and strengthen.
Like previous dis
eases, this disease will
run its course while
bodies create their
own immunity and a
real vaccine is devel
oped."
“Don’t come Third
St. from Adams St. to
the post office. The
red light will only
change on Third St.
when somebody
comes from Jackson
St. to the post office.
You'll sit through 3
songs on your radio till
somebody comes
from Jackson St."
“Do you ever get
the feeling that the
Taliban is inside the
White House? That
would explain the un
explainable."
“COVID 19 is a life
or death choice. To
those who have cho
sen to be vaccinated,
congratulations. To
those of you who
have not, get your
things in order. We'll
probably be reading
your obituary soon."
“I’m not vacci
nated and I happen
to know the truth
about the COVID 19
virus. Vaccinated
people are now carri
ers of the COVID 19
virus, so please keep
your distance from
me and please wear
a mask."
“Why does Humpty
Dumpty love au
tumn? Because he
had a great fall."
“When you take a
child out of school
because they have
COVID, then you take
them to Walmart and
spread it around in
stead of taking the
child home, common
sense tells you COV-
ID's killing left and
right. They need to
grow up and be a
parent."
“What does it mean
when there are more
storage facilities than
there are actual busi
nesses and industry?
Vidalia's not looking
so great."
“This fiasco in Af
ghanistan was noth
ing short of treason.
We've been sold out
by Biden. I implore
our leaders to im
peach Biden and
Harris and take the
squad with you. Save
our country before it's
too late."
“Chatham County
football just won't
work in Vidalia. The
football players are
not competent in any
phase of the game,
and neither are the
coaches."
August Term of Toombs
County Grand Jury Returns
19 True Bills of Indictment
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail.com
The August term
of the Toombs County
Grand Jury which con
vened September 7, 2021,
returned 19 true bills of
indictment and 0 no bills.
Among those indicted
was Bobby Joe Poole on
one count of Exploitation
and Intimidation of an
Elderly Person on Febru
ary 20, 2020; two counts
of Terroristic Threats be
tween February 19 and
20, 2020; and one count
of Possession of a Firearm
During the Commission
of a Felony
Poole is accused of
unplugging the victim’s
emergency alert button,
“taking it outside and
shooting it with a shot
gun,” as well as “suggest
ing the death” of two other
victims.
Salvatore Antonio
Andrews was indicted on
one count of Aggravated
Assault and one count of
False Imprisonment be
tween January 8 and 11,
2020. Andrews is accused
of attempted strangulation
and unlawful confinement
of the victim.
Kelman Ripley
Mathews was indicted on
one count of Aggravated
Assault and on count of
Battery, in a July 15, 2020,
incident in which he is ac
cused of attempted stran
gulation and causing a cut
on the arm of the victim.
H is also charged with
Burglary in the First De
gree.
Jimmy Adam Sand
ers was indicted on two
counts of Burglary in the
First Degree, one count
of Burglary in the Second
Degree and one count of
Theft by Taking. Sanders
was charged following two
incidents between June 10
and 20, 2020, in which he
is accused of unlawfully
entering two campers with
intent to commit a theft.
Sanders was charged with
taking a trailer valued at
$1,500.
Also indicted were:
Levi Vincent Sikes,
charge of statutory rape,
January 26, 2021;
Marc Herby Laguerre,
charge of Aggravated As
sault on April 29, 2021.
He is accused of striking a
Please see Indictments
page13A