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The ADVANCE, December 29, 2021 /Page 9A
Vidalia Police Department
Investigating Rash of Thefts
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail. com
Vidalia Police are in
vestigating a rash of thefts
that they believe are all
connected and may have
been committed by the
same suspects over several
days in the last two weeks.
Sergeant Investigator
John Humphrey said of
ficers responded on De
cember 16 to a report of
the theft of a stolen four-
wheeler at G Bone Sports
at 713 Donovan Street
in Vidalia. At the same
time the ATV was taken,
the keys to a 2007 Chev
rolet truck were stolen.
The thieves returned to G
Bone Sports, probably late
on December 20 or early
on December 21, and
made off with the truck
along with a trailer which
was attached. Humphrey
said the suspects rammed
a fence surrounding the
property to drive the ve
hicle and trailer out of the
enclosure.
Also, late December
20 or early December
21, thieves broke into Vi
dalia Motor Sports on
First Street and stole four
ATVs. The suspects next
went to Thompson’s Ser
vice Center on First Street
and stole another four-
wheeler, then went across
the street to Leather, Love
and Freedom bike shop
and took two dirt bikes.
The four-wheel
er taken from G Bone
Sports was recovered in
Vidalia on December 22.
The truck was recovered
in the woods near J.R.
Trippe Middle School
and the trailer was recov
ered in Emanuel County,
also on December 22.
The four-wheeler stolen
from Thompson’s Service
Center was recovered in
Toombs County. Police
are still searching for the
four-wheelers taken from
Vidalia Motor Sports, as
well as the dirt bikes.
The investigation is
ongoing, and anyone with
information is asked to
contact the Vidalia Police
Department at 912-537-
4123 or to call Crimestop-
pers at 912-386-4480.
Callers may remain anon
ymous.
Parker
continued from page 6A
mate concern that it was all
being done dishonestly, ac
cusing his colleagues of
camouflaging the real cost
of the legislation they were
advancing.
House Democrats ad
vertised the cost of the
Build Back Better act at
around $2 trillion.
However, the nonparti
san University of Pennsyl
vania Penn Wharton Bud
get Model, run by former
government economists,
estimated it at more than
twice this at $4.6 trillion.
Then the Congressio
nal Budget Office, which
answers to Congress, is
sued its estimate at close to
$5 trillion.
The issue is dishonest
game-playing by congres
sional Democrats. Multi-
billion-dollar programs
that clearly will be perma
nent are scored by those
who produced the bill to
expire after one year. In
formed observers agree
that this is ridiculous. The
Congressional Budget Of
fice scored the bill, assum
ing these programs last for
the 10-year duration of the
projection. As a result, the
CBO estimated the cost of
the bill at 2 1/2 times more
than those who produced
the legislation.
Manchin also did vot
ers a great service by calling
inflation, which has been
one of his great concerns
about the bill, “inflation
taxes.”
Inflation is indeed a tax
and also a result of sleight
of hand of legislators. How
many politicians would
specifically legislate $2 tril
lion in tax increases to pay
for a $2 trillion spending
bill? Did you say none?
Instead, funds get bor
rowed and then the central
bank prints money to pay
the bills.
More money in circula
tion means every dollar is
worth less. Prices go up —
inflation.
The latest report of a
6.8% increase in the CPI
means a 6.8% reduction in
the real income and savings
of every American.
All this without even
getting into the misguided
plans for all these funds.
And, hidden in it all, elimi
nation of the Hyde Amend
ment, which, for almost a
half-century, has prevented
the use of federal funds for
abortions.
Thank you, Sen. Man-
chin. Every American who
cares about saving our
country is indebted to you.
Star Parker is president of
the Center for Urban Renewal
and Education and host of the
weekly television show “Cure
America with Star Parker.” To find
out more about Star Parker and
read features by other Creators
Syndicate writers and cartoon
ists, visit the Creators Syndicate
website at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.
COM
Three Escape Injury in
Apparent Drive-by Shooting
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail. com
Two adults and a child
escaped injury in an appar
ent drive-by shooting De
cember 21 in Vidalia, but
their residence and vehicle
weren’t as lucky.
Vidalia police were
called to a residence on
Winona Street around 6:52
p.m. to investigate shots
being fired at a home with
people inside. When they
arrived on the scene, offi
cers discovered a man and
a woman and a three-year-
Southeastern Techni
cal College has announced
the 2021 Fall Semester
President’s List.
These students earned
a 3.75 GPA or higher this
semester while enrolled in
12 or more credit hours.
Area students include:
Montgomery Coun
ty: Katrina Walker;
Toombs County: Jes
sica Cain, Jania Cephus,
Cassidy Collins, Christo-
old boy inside the home
but unharmed.
VPD Sergeant Investi
gator John Humphrey said
the house and a car parked
in the driveway were struck
with multiple rounds of
bullets. He said no suspects
have been apprehended
and the case in under in
vestigation.
Anyone with informa
tion about the incident is
asked to contact the Vi
dalia Police Department
at 912-537-4123 or to call
Crimestoppers at 912-386-
4480. Callers may remain
anonymous.
pher Dykes, Tristen Guer
ra, Katelyn Hutcheson, Da
vid James, Aspen Johnson,
Elizabeth Loosberg, James
McBride, Madison Sikes,
Ronald Sikes, Jaden Taylor,
Crista Williams, Andrew
Wolfe;
Treutlen County:
Jason Cauley, Danita Fee,
Madison Noble;
Wheeler County:
Latson Ennis.
2021
continued from page 4A
surrounding the Toombs
County Courthouse in
Lyons in preparation for
work on its 50,000-square-
foot, $34 million replace
ment.
Plans were announced
for renovations and up
grades to the Vidalia-
Toombs County Library.
Area teachers and
school staff rolled up
their sleeves to receive
COVID-19 vaccinations.
Beginning March 8, eligi
bility for vaccinations was
extended to include teach
ers and staff at public and
private schools and eligi
ble daycare centers.
Saborris Johnson was
named the first Vidalia
Sweet Onion Citizen by
the City of Vidalia for his
volunteer efforts to make
the walk to school safer for
neighborhood children.
March 24:
Montgomery School
Superintendent Hugh
Right was terminated by
the Board of Education in
a March 18 session, pro
moting an emotional out
pouring from a stunned
community who support
ed the popular superinten
dent. Right said that his vi
sion and the board’s vision
differed.
Jennifer Evans won
her bid for the Ward 2 Seat
on the Vidalia City Com
mission that was previous
ly held by Gregory John
son. He resigned to seek
the Mayor’s post.
The Great Vidalia
Chamber debuted in a
western-themed event at
Hawk’s Point. Chamber
Board Chair Steven Mc-
Comas said the new name
is part of a holistic brand
ing effort for the Chamber
that includes a new logo,
new website and an ag
gressive marketing strat
egy-
Wheeler County
opened the first of six
fenced and staffed waste
disposal centers, replac
ing unsightly dumpsters
distributed around the
county.
Meadows Health Aux
iliary presented a $50,000
check for a new 3D mam
mogram machine to CEO
Alan Kent. The check
completed the auxiliary’s
$100,000 commitment for
the equipment’s purchase.
March 31:
Dr. Mark Davidson
was appointed interim
superintendent for Mont
gomery County Schools
pending a search for a new
superintendent. Davidson
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Campus News
Photo by Deborah Clark
STUDENTS PROTEST - Following a 3-2 vote by the Mont
gomery County Board of Education to terminate Super
intendent Hugh Kight on Thursday, March 18, students
left class the next morning to stage a protest in front of
the Board offices in Mount Vernon.
when there was controver
sy about where the county
seat would be located.
The 2021 Citizens of
the Year were named. Pat
Dixon was named Wom
an of the Year and James
Thompson was named
Man of the Year in the
73rd Annual Vidalia Citi
zen of the Year banquet.
Governor Brian Kemp
opened ceremonies at the
2021 Vidalia Onion Fes
tival, which attracted a
crowd of about 7,500.
May 5:
Meadows Hospital of
TWO CITIES BURY THE HATCHET - Mayor Willis NeSmith, center, of Lyons and Mayor Doug
Roper, right, of Vidalia join Toombs County Commission Chairman David Sikes in turning
the dirt at a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new County Courthouse April 20. The
ceremony provided an opportunity to "bury the hatchet" which harked back to the
county's founding and controversy about where the county seat would be located,
Photo by Evan Riekhof
TAKING A SWEET BITE - Tracy Clark with the Vidalia Lions
Club encourages a young participant in the Onion Eat
ing contest in April, The contest, held on the stage be
hind the Arts and Crafts Festival, was rescheduled from
Saturday to Sunday after the rain arrived.
was a part-time instruc
tor for the Montgomery
County School System
and former Superinten
dent for Wheeler County
Schools.
Wheeler County
School System broke
ground for its new school,
to be built on the site of
the present middle-high
school in Alamo.
April 7:
Israel Timothy Wil
liams was convicted and
sentenced for his role in
the 2019 murder of Ban-
don Colson in Lyons. Wil
liams was convicted of
malice murder.
District 156 Repre
sentative Greg Morris, R-
Vidalia, resigned his seat
as the 12th District rep
resentative in the Geor
gia House after being as
signed to the State Board
of Transportation. He
replaced Don Grantham,
who left the DOT Board
to assume a position on
the Georgia Ports Author
ity.
Debra Brown moved
into her new home on 5th
Avenue in Vidalia. She was
the first person to benefit
from the work of the non
profit Urban Revitaliza
tion Group, which is made
of local volunteers. The
group has plans to revital
ize neglected housing as
new homes for worthy in
dividuals.
April 28:
Ground was broken
for a new Toombs County
Courthouse on April 21.
City of Vidalia and City
of Lyons officials came
together to symbolically
“bury the hatchet” and
mark the beginning of a
new courthouse era. The
significance of the hatchet
harkened back to the days
of the county’s founding
ficially merged with HCA’s
South Atlantic Division as
HCA bought the formerly
community-owned facility
and most of its assets for
$73 million. As Memorial
Health Meadows Hospi
tal, the facility connects
with HCA’s system of fa
cilities and expertise, in
cluding Memorial Health
University Medical Center
in Savannah. In addition
to a name change, the re
gional hospital adopted a
new logo: the Caring Star
that represents the critical
Please see 2021 page
10A
