The Advance. (Vidalia, Ga.) 2003-current, October 13, 2021, Image 1

Previous Issue Next Issue

Clip Visible Area View Page Text View PDF

Newspaper Page TextFighting Against Breast Cancer §r^ oo °° > Healthlines, page 9B Amber, page 5A The Vidalia Advance Established 1901 The Lyons Progress Established 1894 Vol. 123 NO. 41 Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia Squeal Thrills Largest Croud page 10A October 13, 2021 Common sense is like deodorant. The people who need it most never use it. —Anonymous News BYTES Early Voting Underway Early voting in the November 2 Vidalia Mayoral Election will be held Oct. 12-29 at the Toombs County Board of Elections Office at 125 W. Lincoln Ave, Lyons. Saturday voting will be held October 16 and October 23, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The City of Lyons will hold an election for the Lyons City Council Ward # 2 on November 2 at Partin Park from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you wish to request an absentee ballot application, contact the Toombs County Board of Elections at 912-526- 8226. The last day to request an absentee ballot is October 22. Pink Up the Pace Join Jeff Davis Hospital's Pink Up the Pace Wellness Fair and 5K Run October 16 at 8 a.m. at Jeff Davis Middle School, 93 Collins St., Hazlehurst. Medals and cash prizes will be awarded. Register before the race at www.pinkupthepace5k. itsyourrace.com. Firearms Course A free firearms course for women will be sponsored by the Vidalia Police Department. A class will be held on Thursday, November 4, at 6 p.m., at the police station, with range practice on Saturday, November 6, and Saturday, November 13, from 9 a.m. to noon. Applications are available at the Police Station and are due by November 1. Bring firearm, ammo, and permit. Business Expo October 14 The Greater Vidalia Chamber's Business Expo is slated for Thursday, October 14, 4-7 p.m., at the Vidalia Community Center. Tickets are $20 at the door and $10 in advance. For more information, call the Chamber at 537-4466. IN THIS ISSUE Editorials Page 5A Obituaries Page 7A From the Record Page 8A Your Mind On Line Page 9A Sports Page 1 B SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 30% OFF NEWSSTAND PRICES! Call 537-3131 (or delivery! Alamo Policeman Gunned Down, Suspect Captured By Deborah Clark Regional Editor dclarkadvance@gmail. com The manhunt for a suspect in the shooting death of an Alamo po lice officer ended without incident Sunday shortly before 2:30 p.m. as authorities executed a search war rant and arrested Damien Anthony “Luke” Ferguson at his residence in Alamo. The suspect was taken into custody by members of the Georgia SWAT team and the U.S. Marshal’s Service/Southeastern Regional Fu gitive Task Force. Ferguson, 43, has been charged with the murder of Alamo Po liceman Dylan Harrison and has been incar cerated at the Laurens Coun- tyjail in Dublin. Ferguson was also charged with aggravated stalking related to a previous domestic incident. Harrison, 26, was working his first shift as a part-time officer with the Alamo Police Department when he was shot and killed in the parking lot outside the station about 1 a.m. Saturday, said GBI spokeswoman Natalie Ammons. She spoke at a Sat urday afternoon news conference at the Wheeler County Courthouse where a command center had been established by investigating authori ties. Ammons said on Saturday af ternoon that no other suspects had Photo by Deborah Clark PRESS CONFERENCE — Natalie Ammons, Director of Public and Government Affairs for the GBI, makes a statement Saturday at the Wheeler County Court house on the shooting death of Alamo Policeman Dylan Harrison. Also shown, from left, are: Wheeler County Sheriff Randy Rigdon, GBI Special Agent in Charge Lindsey Wilkes of Eastman, Alamo Po lice Chief Karen Zanders, and Commander of the Oconee Drug Task Force Trey Williams, been arrested in connection with the crime. In a Sunday evening press conference follow ing Ferguson’s capture, GBI Special Agent in Charge Lindsey Wilkes of Eastman said the shooting oc curred after a Friday night incident in which Har- Please see Murder page 3A Photo from GBI SLAIN OFFICER — In this photo provided by the GBI, part-time Alamo Police Officer and Oconee Drug Task Force agent Dylan Harrison is with his wife and six-month-old child. He was killed during his first shift of work with the Alamo Police Department. Huckabee Headlines VHA's 25th Anniversary Celebration Photo by Deborah Clark HOPE FOR FUTURE — "I believe it is out of schools, like this wonderful academy, that future governors and senators and presidents and legislators will be made," former Gover nor Mike Huckabee said during his keynote address at the Vidalia Heritage Academy's 25th Anniversary celebration. By Makaylee Randolph Staff Writer mrandolphadvance@gmail.com The sanctuary of the First Baptist Church in Vidalia was buzzing with excitement on October 5 as attendees of Vidalia Heritage Academy’s 25th Anniversary Celebration awaited former Governor Mike Huckabee’s keynote ad dress. Vidalia Heritage Acad emy celebrated the school’s quarter-centennial anniversa ry with an elaborate program, complete with performances by the VHA Marching Eagles (led by Chester Proctor) and 3rd-5th Grade Choir (led by Suzanne Dixon), a student address by sophomore Rylee Toole, and a keynote address and special music finale by Governor Huckabee. VHA Headmaster Jeff McCormick introduced Huckabee by highlighting his service to Arkansas as one of the longest serving governors in the nation, his presidential runs in 2008 and 2016, and his work in the Education Commission of the States. Huckabee began his ad dress by explaining how easy it is to become discouraged with things going on in the nation. “One of my favorite things in this life is events like this, because sometimes it is easy to get discouraged about the future of our country,” he told the crowd. “I see people that think it is okay to bum a police car, to torch a federal building, to go into a store and gather up merchandise - Please see VHA page 4A Vidalia PD Probes Weekend Shooting By Deborah Clark Regional Editor dclarkadvance@gmail.com Local authorities are investigating a shooting that occurred over the weekend in Vidalia. The Vidalia Police Department re sponded to a call in the 200 block of Fifth Avenue around 2:30 a.m. Saturday and discovered a man with multiple gunshot wounds lying on the street near his car. The victim, 31-year-old Rakeem Rogers of Vi dalia, had apparently just left a party across the street and was walking to his vehicle Please see VPD page 3A Deputy Injured While Responding to Fatality By Deborah Clark Regional Editor dclarkadvance@gmail.com A Toombs County Sheriff’s Deputy was seriously injured while responding to a fatal wreck near the Normantown commu nity Saturday night. A single-vehicle accident at the inter section of Buck Road and Normantown Road around 8:30 p.m. Saturday claimed Please see Wreck page 3A Join us for a Book Signing Tuesday, October 26, 4 - 6 p.m. at with nee 205 E 1st St, Vidalia, GA 30474 Smith Drop by The Advance office and tailgate with one of UGA’s most popular Bulldogs, Loran Smith.

Georgia Historic Newspapers

The Advance. (Vidalia, Ga.) 2003-current, October 13, 2021, Image 1