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The Vidalia Advance Established 1901
Area Celebrates
Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Lyons Progress Established 1894
See Page
Reverend
Robert
Vol. 124 No. 3
Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia
January 19, 2022
Even if I knew that
tomorrow the world
would go to pieces,
I would still plant
my apple tree.
- Martin Luther
King, Jr.
News
BYTES
Chamber
Annual Meeting
February 3
Registration is open
for the Greater Vidalia
Chamber's annual
meeting on February 3.
The event, featuring the
Swingin' Medallions, will
be held at the Vidalia
Community Center.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Tickets are $50. Call
912-537-4466 or email
Debbie at debbiee@
greatervidaliachamber.
com for more
information.
Tales From
the Altamaha
Tryouts
"Tales from the
Altamaha" folk life play
will hold cast tryouts
Tuesday, January 25, and
Thursday, January 27, at 6
p.m. at The Blue Marquee
Theater in Lyons. Ages
5 and up welcome!
Actors, stagehands, and
musicians wanted. Have
questions? Call Lyons
Main Street at 912-526-
6445. Find out more
at www.lyonsmainstreet.
com/tales-from-the-
altamaha.
Murder Suspect Arrested
In Arizona Bus Station
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail.com
A suspect in the double homicide of a
Vidalia mother and daughter was arrested by
U.S. Marshals in Flagstaff, Arizona, on Janu
ary 12. His extradition back to Georgia is
pending.
Joshua Magual Sanders, age 27, of Bir
mingham, Alabama, was arrested on charges
related to the shooting deaths of Latorey
Denise Harden, 24, and Pamela
Harden, 42, at 802 Fifth Street
around 1 p.m. on January 6. Al
legedly, the suspect was an ac
quaintance of Latorey Harden
and the shooting followed a do
mestic dispute.
Latorey Harden died at
the scene. Pamela Harden was
transported to Memorial Health
Meadows Hospital and trans
ferred to Memorial Health Uni
versity Medical Center in Sa
vannah where she succumbed
to her injuries. Eyewitnesses
said Latorey Harden’s toddler
was found next her body and
was unharmed.
Sanders was arrested at a
Flagstaff Greyhound bus ter
minal on outstanding warrants
for aggravated assault (two
Joshua Magual
Sanders
Please see Arrest page 9A
Community Loses Beloved Citizen
Doyle NeSmith Passes Away at Age of 92
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail.com
Lyons and Toombs County lost
a beloved citizen with the passing of
Doyle NeSmith on Sunday, January 9,
just a few days shy of his 93rd birthday.
NeSmith was an avid Georgia Bull
dogs fan, and, ironically, the next day,
January 10, his favorite team clinched
the national championship. NeSmith
would have been so very proud.
“My mother, my sister and I talked
about that,” said his son, Lyons Mayor
Willis NeSmith. “We know exactly
what he would have said if he had been
able to see that game. He would have
wished all of the friends who used to go
to the games with him and my mother,
and who have passed away, could have
seen that game. But you know, we think
he was up there in Heaven watching the
game with those friends.”
Please see NeSmith page 3A
CiM/iaUe tfAppraalkiH
BUILDER
A Southern Baptism
BELOVED CITIZEN - With the passing of Doyle NeSmith on January 9, Toombs County lost a
true community servant. Above, in the photo from The Advance files, NeSmith, an avid UGA
Bulldog fan, relaxes in his "Dawg House," where he displayed his large collection of UGA
memorabilia.
Joined
Together Quilt
Show
Quilts of Toombs County
and beyond will be
featured in a show
January 29-February 26
at the Altama Museum
of Art and History, 611
Jackson St., Vidalia.
Gallery hours are
Monday, Thursday, Friday
and Saturday, 10 a.m.
until 2 p.m. A closing
reception will be held
Saturday, February 26,
noon until 3 p.m.
IN THIS ISSUE
Editorials Page 5A
Obituaries Page 7A
From the Record Page 8A
Your Mind On Line Page 3A
Sports Page 1 B
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NEWSSTAND
Solar Farm
Coming to Alley
Mayor Roper Addresses
Recent Surge in Crime
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail.com
The town of Ailey
in Montgomery County
is one of three sites in
Georgia that will be gain
ing a solar facility in the
near future. The three
sites in Montgomery, Jeff
Davis and Lee counties
are part of a collaborative
to stimulate economic
activity across the state
and provide low-cost, re
newable power to Geor
gia’s electric coopera
tives.
Green Power EMC,
the renewable energy
supplier for 38 Georgia
Electric Membership
Corporations (EMCs),
and Silicon Ranch, one
of the nation’s largest in
dependent solar power
producers, announced
on January 13 an agree
ment to bring an addi
tional 252 megawatts
(MWAC) of solar en
ergy online to serve 16
subscribing cooperatives
from across Georgia.
The total capacity will be
Please see Solar page 8A
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
The atmosphere was tense
and somber as the regular January
monthly meeting of the Vidalia City
Council began with a heartfelt ad
dress from the city’s leader.
“We are beginning to face events
that are more common to larger cit
ies in our small town,” Mayor Doug
Roper said. “In the midst of that, I
want you all to know we are thank
ful to have the leadership that we
do. I believe that we have a group of
people — either elected or serving
the community in another capacity
— that are willing to run forth and
fight to preserve the peace.”
He shared his gratitude toward
community servants. “I am certainly
thankful for our men and women
in uniform — our fire department,
police department, EMS, and first
responders. They are always on call
24/7, and are willing to risk every
thing for their community.”
This emotional address comes
after Vidalia and the surrounding
areas have been plagued with crime
and tragedy throughout the month,
having withstood a tornado, double
homicide, destruction of property,
Please see VCC page 9A
i I 1 1 l|
axy/ CreeJc
ShTAJT 1 ' COMPANY
WELCOME, WAYNE!
On Behalf of Reedy Creek Meat Co.
We would like to welcome Wayne Wheeler
to our sales team!
Please contact Tony McDonald or Wayne
Wheeler for all your pork, beef, chicken and
usda custom processing.
Wayne Wheeler Albert and Kim Cosnahan Tony McDonald
Call 537-3131
(or delivery!
204 Washington Street | Vidalia, GA • 912-386-4623 • www.reedycreekmeat.org