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The ADVANCE, September 15, 2021 /Page 3A
COVID Numbers May Be Declining
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH — Toombs County Middle School has announced the August
Students of the Month. Students earn this honor by positive academic progress, good
school attendance, and overall citizenship. (L to R): Back row: Felipe Oliveros-Barce-
nas, Abraham Cruz, Victor Valentin-Gonzalez, Lawson Simpkins, Jake Edge, Middle
Row: Josselin Quintino, Lilly Bellue, Talylor Copeland, Lynet Casas, Front Row: Jacque
line Aparicio, Isaac Cruz, and Cullen Coursey. Not pictured: Leslie Yanez.
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
And Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
After experts pushed
the projected peak date
for COVID cases from
August 27 to September
15, local health officials
believe they now may be
seeing a slight decrease
in the number of COVID
cases.
Dr. Karen Me Coll,
Vice President for Medi
cal Affairs and Chief Med
ical Officer at Memorial
Health Meadows Hospi
tal, reported that on the
morning of Tuesday, Sep
tember 7, 21 patients were
on ventilators. With 62
patients in the hospital, 41
were COVID positive. Of
this number, two patients
had been vaccinated but
were not on ventilators.
As of Tuesday, Sep
tember 14, 37 of the 64
patients being treated at
Meadows were COVID
positive, with 15 on ven
tilators.
According to DPH’s
COVID-19 online dash
board, as of September
14, the cumulative area
totals since March 2020,
when statistics were first
available, are:
• Toombs, 4,155 con
firmed cases, 232 hospi
talizations, and 124 con
firmed deaths;
• Montgomery Coun
ty, 1,040 confirmed cases,
51 hospitalizations, and
25 confirmed deaths;
• Treutlen County,
847 confirmed cases, 58
hospitalizations, and 33
confirmed deaths;
• Wheeler County,
584 confirmed cases, 40
hospitalizations, and 24
confirmed deaths.
These numbers were
up slightly over last week.
Area residents are be
ing tested for COVID-19
at a mobile clinic set up
on the Meadows campus
in Vidalia.
Following its initia
tion on September 1, an
average of 40 to 60 per
sons per weekday are be
ing tested, said Dr. Mc-
Coll.
The free COV
ID-19 testing is available
through a partnership
with Georgia Department
of Public Health and con
tract provider LTS. This
testing will be available
six days a week (excluding
Sunday). Hours of opera
tion are:
Monday/Wednes
day/Friday: 8 a.m.-3
p.m.;
Tuesday/Thursday:
11 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sat
urday: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30
p.m.
Registration is not
required, but it is recom
mended before arrival at
the testing site. For more
information, DPH ad
vised visiting its online
website at: https://www.
sehdph.org/covid-19/
wh ere -and- when -can -
i-receive-free-covid-
19-testing/.
Schools Update
Toombs County
school administrators re
ported that COVID num
bers are declining from
previous weeks as the
schools continue to be
disinfected on a regular
basis.
On September 10,
Toombs County Schools
reported 29 students are
currently absent due to
testing positive for CO
VID. This accounts for
0.97% percent of the
2,962 total students in the
school system. The school
district also reported that
only 7 staff members in
the entire system were ab
sent due to being ill with
COVID.
Only 0.5%, or 12
students, of Vidalia City
Schools’ total student
population is currently in
fected with COVID. The
school system also only
has 4 staff members who
are absent due to COVID.
Wheeler County
Schools report only 5 stu
dents who are currently
positive for COVID;
meanwhile, 61 students
are currently quarantined
due to close exposure to
the sickness. Only 18 of
these quarantines were
issued within the Sep
tember 6-10 week. Also,
the district reported on
September 10 that of
these total 61 quarantined
students, 38 students
planned to return on Sep
tember 13.
The school system
also shared that they have
no staff out for having
tested positive or being
quarantined.
Vidalia Heritage
Academy has only 4 stu
dents absent because of
having COVID. These
students are not new cas
es, but rather continued
cases from last week. The
school reports no new
cases in students or staff
members this week.
Montgomery County
Schools continue virtual
learning this week as the
school system plans to re
turn to in-seat learning on
Monday, September 20.
Despite this virtual learn
ing, athletics continue
at the school as coaches
work to follow GHSA
procedures for continued
practices during the pan
demic.
The district also an
nounced the addition of a
meal drop-off location for
students at Harvest Cha
pel, which is located off of
Georgia State Route 130
in Petross. Students who
wish to receive meals may
travel to this location from
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on
Monday-Thursday while
the campus is dismissed
for virtual learning.
Robert Toombs
Christian Academy did
not respond to phone
calls to report COVID
statistics.
Lyons
continued from page 2A
meeting on September 29
that will directly follow
the 6 p.m. public hearing.
Election Agreement
The Lyons City Coun
cil renewed the agreement
between the City of Lyons
and the Toombs County
Board of Commissioners
to conduct all elections
until 2023. This is a reoc
curring agreement that has
existed since the creation
of the Toombs County
Board of Elections.
Through this agree
ment, Lyons agrees to
pay the Toombs County
Board of Commission
ers $12,000 per General,
Run-off, or Special Elec
tion. This money is to
fund any supplies needed
for elections, as well as the
pay for poll workers.
Currently, per Elec
tion Day, poll managers in
Toombs County receive
$180 commission, while
assistant poll managers
receive $155, and clerks
receive $120. Workers for
early voting receive $10
per hour.
Also within the agree
ment, the Toombs County
administration is respon
sible for qualifying can
didates for elections; ap
plicable qualifying fees
are then split between the
Board of Commission
ers and the City of Lyons.
Publishing election no
tices and assisting elected
city officials with filing
ethics disclosures when
requested is also the duty
of the County because of
this agreement.
Road Work
The bid for the paving
and storm water improve
ment of West Oglethorpe
Avenue, North Lanier
Street, and North Lexing
ton Street was awarded to
McLendon Enterprises for
$324,831.94, which was
the lowest bid. The bid
was opened on August 5,
and three total bids were
received.
This workwill be fund
ed through the third band
of City allotment funding
from the Georgia Trans
portation Investment Act,
which was passed in 2010.
West Oglethorpe Av
enue will be paved from
its intersection with U.S.
Highway 1 to its intersec
tion with Georgia High
way 292. North Lanier and
North Lexington will be
improved from their inter
section with East Toombs
Avenue to the intersection
with Highway 292; these
streets will receive storm
water and sidewalk im
provements.
Community Events
During the Mainstreet
report, Lyons Main Street
Director Daphne Walker
announced that a down
town trick-or-treat event,
“Scare on the Square,” will
occur on Saturday, Octo
ber 30, from 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
This event was planned
after several merchants
from the Main Street area
voiced their enthusiasm
about hosting such an
event. Walker shared that
several decorations have
been purchased to make
the event festive, includ
ing skeletons that will ap
pear to be climbing on the
buildings.
Because of this event
being planned, the Coun
cil voted to have the city
wide trick-or-treating at
the same time.
Greater Vidalia Cham
ber President Michele
Johnson shared that the
Altama Museum in Vida
lia will be having an open
house and ribbon cutting
event on Thursday, Sep
tember 16, at 5 p.m. This
event will allow the public
to see the improvements
that the Museum building
has recently undergone.
When it comes to providing
of long-term Care
my years of experience
make the difference
Leigh Anne Rush, Director of Health Services, is a proud member of
The Oaks Bethany Skilled Nursing team. Ensuring that high quality
care is provided to the patients and maintaining the high standards
of excellence that The Oaks Bethany Skilled Nursing is known for.
••
TheOaks
Bethany Skilled Nursing
Leigh Anne
Rush
14 Years
1305 E North Street, Vidalia • 912-537-7922
Julia McKenzie
Julia was born and raised in Thomasville, Georgia and graduated Magna Cum
Laude from the University of Georgia with a B.B.A. in Finance and certificate in
Entrepreneurship. After graduating, Julia worked at TC Federal Bank in Thomasville as
a mortgage lender. She has originated conventional, USDA, FHA, and VA loans during
her time at the bank in Thomasville. As of a couple of weeks ago, Julia got married to
Greg McKenzie, Jr. and has moved to the sweet city of Vidalia.
“I have been in local banking for about five years now,
and it is a dream of a job. I love getting to help my friends,
family, and neighbors with any of their mortgage needs. I
am beyond excited to see what the future holds and ready to
give back to such an incredible community.”-Julia McKenzie
Julia McKenzie
Mortgage Lender
NMLS # 1991420
Member
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537-4540
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