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The Vidalia Advance Established 1901 The Lyons Progress Established 1894
Page 1B
Vol. 123 No. 42 Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia October 20, 2021
Just as they did in
Philadelphia when they
were writing the
constitution, sooner or
later, you ’ve got to
compromise. You’ve got
to start making the
compromises that arrive
at a consensus and move
the country forward.
Colin Powell
News
BYTES
Loran Smith
Book Signing
Drop by The Advance
office, 205 E. 1st St.,
Vidalia, on Tuesday,
October 26, 4-6 p.m.,
to meet and tailgate
with the legendary UGA
Bulldog sportscaster,
columnist, author and
Georgia Sports Hall
of Famer Loran Smith.
Copies of his new
book, Whaddya Got
Loran? Dispatches From
Georgia, will be available
at the book signing.
Early Voting
Underway
Early voting in the
November 2 Vidalia
Mayoral Election will be
held through October 29
at the Vidalia Municipal
Complex (Police
Department). Early
voting for Lyons elections
will be held through
October 29 at the
Toombs County Board of
Elections Office at 125
W. Lincoln Ave, Lyons.
Saturday voting will be
held October 23, from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in both
locations. 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.
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.
IN THIS ISSUE
Editorials Page 5A
Obituaries Page 7A
From the Record Page 8A
Your Mind On Line Page 9A
Sports Page 1 B
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Happy
Fall, VatU
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail. com
The Fall theme is evident in
downtown Vidalia with businesses,
schools, and individuals decorating
the street comers with scarecrows
as part of the annual Scarecrows
‘Round Downtown Competition.
In this contest, participants
craft unique scarecrows that are
judged by Downtown Vidalia As
sociation (DVA) judges and on
line by the public to determine a
winner. Most of these scarecrows
reflect the trades of the businesses
or the missions of the organiza
tions that set them up; for example,
Vidalia Federal Savings created a
bank teller scarecrow, the Sassy
Sisters Dance Studio display fea
tures four dancers in various poses,
and The Therapy Tree creation is
a scene of scarecrows “fishing for
autism awareness.” The public is
invited downtown to see the scare
crows in person, but they may also
be viewed online on the DVA’s
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
SCARECROWS DOWNTOWN — Ryan Rutan, an employee of Million Pines Community Bank, sets up
the company's bank teller scarecrow display Monday afternoon. Vidalia businesses and organi
zations crafted unique scarecrow scenes to decorate street corners and sidewalks in the annual
Scarecrows 'Round Downtown competition sponsored by the Downtown Vidalia Association.
Facebook page.
Many other celebrations for the Fall season
are scheduled throughout the area. The Down
town Vidalia Association will host the Down
town Spooktacular Trick-or-Treating event for
ages 12 and under at 5:30-7 p.m. on Thursday,
October 28. The City of Lyons will offer down
town Trick-or-Treating through the Lyons Main
Street Scare on the Square event on Saturday, Oc
tober 30, from 6-8 p.m.
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
CONCERNED CITIZEN — Local businessman Vincent Drummer voices his con
cerns about issues facing the Vidalia Police Department, Drummer spoke dur
ing the recent Vidalia City Council session. Acting Chief, Capt, James Jermon,
briefed the Council about efforts to address the officer shortage within the
Department.
VPD Addressing Officer Shortage
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Issues facing the Vidalia Police De
partment elicited an appeal from a local
businessman at the Vidalia City Coun
cil meeting on October 11. The Coun
cil also heard from the acting Vidalia
Police Chief, Captain James Jermon,
about the Police Departments officer
shortage and recruiting status.
Jermon, who has served as interim
Please see VPD page 10A
Two More Suspects
Charged In Death of
Alamo Policeman
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail.com
As the Georgia Bureau
of Investigation continues to
probe the October 9 shoot
ing death of Alamo Police-
m a n
Dylan
H a r r i -
son, two
more
arrests
have
been
made in
the case
and additional arrests and
charges are expected.
An update from the
GBI reported on Tuesday,
October 12, that Charlotte
Ferguson, age 45, of Alamo,
was arrested and charged
with Hindering the Ap
prehension or Punishment
of a Criminal. Charlotte
Ferguson is the sister of
Damien Anthony Ferguson,
aka Luke Ferguson, who
has been charged with the
murder
of Harri
son.
O n
Wednes
day, Oc
tober 13,
Ferguson Damien
Fer
guson
was also charged with Bias
Motivated Intimidation of
First Responders, related to
the shooting death of Of
ficer Harrison. Asia Kinsey,
Please see Alamo page
3A
Kinsey
Dr. Stan Rentz Named MoCo Superintendent
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Interim Superinten
dent Dr. Mark Davidson
was officially relieved of
his duties at the Mont
gomery County School
System on Tuesday, Octo
ber 19, after the Board of
Education approved the
employment of Dr. Stan
Rentz as the new superin
tendent in a 4-1 vote.
Davidson rose to the
Interim Superintendent
position within the Dis
trict in late March when
previous superintendent
Hugh Right was termi
nated. Since then, the
Board began searching for
a permanent replacement,
opening the application
process on July 1.
Montgomery County
BOE Chairman Jim Paul
Poole praised Davidson
for his service. “I just want
Dr. Stan Rentz
to say on behalf of the
Board, we really appreci
ate Dr. Davidson coming
in and taking hold of the
reins and really continu
ing a good program. He
has gone above and be
yond the call of duty, I
believe. We are going to
miss him.” Davidson, who
was working in a part-
time capacity as a retired
educator, will be leaving
the Montgomery County
School System to pursue a
new position as golf coach
at Brewton Parker College
in Mount Vernon.
Addressing the public
for the last time as Interim
Superintendent, David
son said, “It has been an
honor to serve each of you
and our students. That’s
what it is all about—our
kids. We have a great sys
tem and great staff. We
have great students and a
great community. It has
truly been a blessing to
Please see MoCo page
3A
ELECTION
DAY NOV 2
VOTE EARLY
TODAY
