Newspaper Page Text
The ADVANCE, December 29, 2021/Page 4A
(Eift Aiiuancg
2021
continued from page 1A
the opening ceremonies.
Following the success
of the Onion Festival, it
appeared the commu
nity was beginning to get
back to normal. Until the
Delta Variant hit us in the
late spring and early sum
mer, we were starting to
believe we could breathe
a sigh of relief. The sec
ond and third waves of
the COVID virus were
more deadly than the first,
and this time its victims
were younger. That crisis
peaked in September, but
in the last days of 2021,
another variant named
Omicron—thought to be
more contagious but less
lethal—started to emerge.
Unfortunately, health
experts now say that we
may be contending with
some form of the virus
for a while. Vaccinations,
boosters, masks and social
distancing are still being
advocated by health care
providers. And we began
to feel the effects of the
nationwide supply chain
disruption. It was remi
niscent of a temporary gas
shortage caused by a cyber
attack on a regional gas
supplier in May.
While health proto
cols were in place from the
beginning of the pandem
ic in March 2020, thanks
to Governor Brian Kemp,
Georgia had never shut
down completely due to
the virus. Still, at the be
ginning of 2021, business
owners were struggling.
Many had been unable to
weather the pandemic;
others were having trouble
attracting workers who
had been sustained with
federal pandemic relief
funds. Later, Governor
Kemp refused to extend
these benefits because of
their adverse impact on
Georgia businesses.
After resorting to vir
tual learning for a major
ity of the 2020-2021 term
schools were able to re
sume on-campus classes
in Fall of 2021, although
not without a few hiccups
that caused some delayed
openings and temporary
closures. At the end of De
cember 2021, with vaccine
now readily available to
all adults and children as
young as five, and an abun
dance of caution, COVID
cases among school and
staff are few and far be
tween.
The year was one for
achievement in the educa
tional realm, including the
Fall opening of the Eagle
Academy at Montgom
ery County Schools and
the system’s achievement
of receiving accolades for
a 100% graduation rate
in 2021-2022. Both the
Southeastern Early Col
lege and Career Academy
(SECCA) and Toombs
County Schools launched
new, innovative programs
to groom a future work
force.
In addition to the
beloved Onion Festival,
other community events
that went forward in 2021
included the annual “Real
Squeal,” which attracted a
large turnout throughout
its two days of festivities
in downtown Lyons and
at Partin Park. The famous
park, site of Lyons’ annual
soapbox derby racing,
was also the set this sum
mer for a movie produced
by local music celebrity
Luther Wardlaw. Titled,
“Blue Lightning,” the film
is about a grandfather and
granddaughter who bond
over the sport of soapbox
racing, for which Lyons is
famous, and is due to be
released in 2022. Speaking
of movies, The Sweet On
ion Cinema, which closed
during the pandemic in
2020, has been remodeled
and has reopened for busi
ness.
The year was one
of progress in our com
munity as Meadows Re
gional Medical Center
was bought by healthcare
giant HCA. The hospital’s
name changed to Memo
rial Health Meadows Hos
pital and Matt Hasbrouck
was named new CEO. The
merger enabled the Vida-
lia-based hospital to con
nect with the services of
HCA throughout the re
gion, including Memorial
Health University Medical
Center in Savannah. In the
first five months of HCA’s
ownership of Meadows,
$12.5 million has been
invested in equipment
and services at Meadows,
which has, in turn, attract
ed new talent in the medi
cal field.
Some major strides
were made in Toombs
County with ground being
broken for the long-antici
pated courthouse in Lyons.
The new 50,000-square-
foot structure will replace
a 50-year-old building.
Also, a campaign
was launched to renovate
and expand the Vidalia-
Toombs County Library,
and the Paul Anderson
Youth Home in Lyons
marked 60 years of service.
Vidalia Heritage Academy
celebrated 25 years as an
educational leader and
former Arkansas Gover
nor and 2016 Presidential
candidate Mike Huckabee
came to town in October
to help make the occasion
even more memorable.
In November, Altama-
ha EMC announced a $29
million broadband project
that will supply 1500 miles
of fiber optic cable to the
area. Broadband plans
were also announced in
Mount Vernon and Alamo
as Glenwood Telephone
Company has already be
gun its project to install fi
ber optics in Wheeler and
Montgomery counties.
As 2022 dawns, we
are still optimistic that the
future will be bright, that
COVID will fade, that we
have learned lessons and
grown stronger through
our struggles, and that we
are united in the endeavor
to keep moving our com
munities forward.
The Year in Review
through the Pages of
The Advance
Following are high
lights of significant events
which occurred in 2021 in
The Advance coverage area
of Toombs, Montgomery
and Wheeler counties. The
events are listed chrono
logically and by the date
they were reported.
January 6:
The first dose of CO
VID-19 Moderna vac
cine was administered
to Dr. Kurt Hofmann, a
surgeon at Meadows Re
gional Medical Center. At
that time, the vaccine was
available to health care
workers, first responders
and to persons over 65.
Tina S. Lindsey was
sworn in as Toombs Coun
ty Probate Judge, replacing
Larry Threlkeld, who held
that office for 12 years.
Kaiser Jay Salem
was the first baby born at
Meadows Regional Medi
cal Center. He entered the
world on January 1 at 3:51
a.m.
Chicken of the Sea
in Lyons announced it
had increased productiv
ity by 20%, increased its
work force by 10% and
produced 26 million cans
of shelf-table tuna to help
meet the challenge of feed
ing the masses during the
health pandemic.
Ginger Morris took
office as the first female
commissioner on the
Montgomery County
Commission.
January 13:
The Montgomery-
Toombs County Chamber
of Commerce held a vir
tual pre-legislative forum
featuring Sen. Blake Til
lery, R-Vidalia, and Dis
trict 156 State Rep. Greg
Morris, R-Vidalia.
The Senior Chief Jus
tice renewed the state
wide judicial emergency,
in force since mid-March
2020, urging courts to use
technology whenever legal
and practical to conduct
court business.
Altama Museum
launched its Second Cen
tury Project to raise funds
for the restoration of the
1911 Brazell House, the
museum’s headquarters.
Meadows Boards ap
proved the sale of Mead
ows Regional Medical
Center to HCA, with the
deal expected to close in
April.
Area home sales were
over $90 million in 2020,
and Tom Peterson Real
tors was named Top Real
Estate Company for 2020
by the Altamaha Board of
Realtors.
January 20:
Governor Brian Kemp
reported 16,000 jobs were
created in Georgia during
the first half of FY 2021,
generating nearly $6 bil
lion in new investments.
The City of Vidalia
began the new year with
a new City Clerk and Fi
nance Director. Amy Mur
ray began her duties on
January 4, replacing Bill
Bedingfield, who retired
FIRST DOSE - Meadows Health Surgeon Kurt Hofmann,
M.D., receives the first Moderna Covid-19 vaccine
in January, The vaccine was administered by Tiffany
McKinley, Meadows Health RN and Occupational
Health Coordinator.
V* GREATER VIDALIA® CHAMBER
<0»
LEGISLATIVE
luncheon
HEAR ABOUT
Rick W. Allen
U.S. Representative
2022 LEGISLATIVE
PB.ORIT.es FROM-.
M
Leesa Hagan
State Representative
Blake Tillery
State Senator
First Baptist Church Lyons
144 S Washington Street, Lyons r . ,
° J For more information
Thursday, January 6, 2022 please call 912-537-4466
11:30am oremai1
amberoggreatervidalia
chamber.com
$45
Georgia Power Company, Kinetic by Windstream,
McLendon Enterprises, Tar Land and Timber
Bill Bailey presents
The New Year's
Gospel Music
Spectacular!
THURSDAY
January 6th
2022-7:00pm
VIDALIA, GEORGIA
SOUTHEAST
TECHNICAL COLLEGE
(3001 East First Street - Hwy 2001
NO TICKETS REQUIRED!
TRIUMPHANT QUARTET
The GUARDIANS
A $15 donation per person will be requested at the door for the concert
A love offering will be received during the concert for FCC Ministries
Doors open at 6nm, and all seating is general admission
FOR MORE INFO, call (941) 756-6942
http://www.billbaileyconcerts.com
after 13 years of service.
The Wheeler County
FFA Land Judging Team
won first place in the Area
IV FFA Land Judging Ca
reer Development Event
on January 12.
Toombs County
Board of Education wel
comed new member John
Dixon, District represen
tative.
January 27:
Farmers Insurance,
Edward Jones Invest
ment Company, J. Leigh
Hair Studio, and Georgia
Peach Boutique celebrated
their collective opening in
downtown Vidalia
Half-way through
FY2021, Georgia revenue
was exceeding its budget
by over $700 million and
personal income tax and
sales tax, Georgia revenue
drivers, continued to grow
through the pandemic.
Governor Kemp an
nounced in his State of
the State address that he
was putting more focus on
rural Georgia, earmarking
$40 million to establish
a Rural Innovation Fund
and $30 million to con
tinue building high-speed
broadband connectivity in
rural areas.
February 3:
Vidalia teacher Bobby
George was named local,
district and state Teacher
of the Year by the Toombs
County, District 6 and
Georgia Veterans of For
eign Wars and Auxiliaries.
Beloved local citizen
Helen Threlkeld Darby
passed away at the age of
102.
February 10:
Brewton-Parker Col
lege named Debbi Byarly
ored posthumously by the
global nonprofit group
Point 27.
February 17:
The 2021 Vidalia On
ion Festival Committee
announced that the festi
val would go forward on
April 22-25.
The City of Vidalia
and East Georgia Health
care Center teamed up to
offer COVID-19 vaccina
tions.
Middle Georgia Judi
cial Circuit District Attor
ney Tripp Fitzner called
on the faith community to
support a new early inter
vention program designed
to offer positive alterna
tives for young people
headed toward a career in
crime.
Montgomery County
Schools issued a mask
mandate for bus riders
beginning February 16
in compliance with CDC
protocol.
Brewton-Parker Pro
fessor of Chemistry, Dr.
Rachel Kaslowski, pub
lished a paper with the
National Academy of Sci
ences of the USA.
February 24:
Days of heavy rain
closed roads in the area
and caused flood warnings
to be issued.
Harold Quarter-
man, lead custodian at
the Montgomery County
Middle-High School, won
the first ever Georgia RISE
Award which honors clas
sified school employees.
Georgia became a Top
10 Exporting State for the
first time in 2020. Geor
gia businesses exported
$38.8 billion in goods in
2020, reaching 215 coun
tries and territories and
Photo by Deborah Clark
FORGING AHEAD - Chamber Chair Steven McComas
talks about the Chamber's newest initiatives during
the annual meeting in March, The Chamber has a new
name—Greater Vidalia Chamber—a new logo, and a
new agenda,
as Director of Nursing.
Fallen Alamo Police
Officer Art Villegas, who
died January 10 from CO
VID-19 complications af
ter a presumed exposure
while on duty, was hon
suffered the lowest rate of
export contraction despite
the effects of the pandem
ic.
March 10:
Traffic flow changed
Please see 2021 page 9A
0% or 42
MOWER FINANCING
MINIMUM FINANCE AMOUNT $3,500
Vidalia Small Engine Senvice
41© HlkBSaa
