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The Vidalia Advance Established 1901
The Lyons Progress Established 1894
Vol. 124 No. 33
Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia
August 17, 2022
What is freedom of
expression?
Without the
freedom to offend,
it ceases to exist.
- Salman Rushdie
News
BYTES
Volunteers
Needed
Tri-County Connection
is calling for volunteers
to pack 500 book
bags on August 18,
9-11 a.m., at the
old Wheeler County
Elementary School. A
Back to School supply
giveaway is scheduled
for August 20, 9 -11
a.m., in a drive-
through event at the
old elementary school.
Cub Scouts
Information
Local Cub Scout Pack
933 leaders will be
at Toombs Central
Elementary School on
Thursday, August 18,
at 6 p.m. to provide
information about
the program and to
answer any questions.
Casino Night
The Boys and Girls
Club Casino Night
will be held Saturday,
August 20, at the
Vidalia Community
Center. Tickets for the
fundraiser are $50. Call
912-538-8899.
Wine and Paint
The Pal Theatre is
hosting a wine and
paint event on August
22, during which
participants will be
crafting signboards.
Cost is $45 per person.
For more information,
call 912-535-0290.
The Rainbow
Fish Auditions
The Pal Theatre is
holding auditions
for an upcoming
local production of
The Rainbow Fish on
August 29-30 from
6:30-8 p.m. Children,
ages 7-15 are
welcome to try out.
For more information,
call 912-535-0290.
IN THIS ISSUE
Editorials Page 6A
Obituaries Page 8A
From the Record Page 5A
Your Mind On Line Page 10A
Sports Page 1 B
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STOP. LOOK. LISTEN.
5th Train-Vehicle Collision in Toombs This Year
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Photo by Daniel Ford
ANOTHER TRAIN VS, CAR MISHAP - The cities of Vidalia and Lyons are experiencing an uptick in collisions between trains and
motor vehicles, as the fifth accident of this nature this year occurred on Wednesday, August 10,
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail. com
The driver of a 2019 Chev
rolet Blazer collided with an
eastbound train on Wednes
day, August 10, marking the
fifth of these types of accidents
this year and the second crash
between a train and a car this
month.
The Vidalia Police Depart
ment was dispatched to the
scene of the accident at 9:36
a.m. on Wednesday morning
at the intersection of Rigsbee
Drive and Old Vidalia-Lyons
Road.
According to the prelimi
nary investigation by the Geor
gia State Patrol Post 18-Re-
idsville (GSP), the driver of
the Blazer was traveling south
bound on Rigsbee Drive ap
proaching the Georgia High
way 30 crossing. The train was
moving westbound along the
tracks and struck the vehicle
driver’s side as the Blazer pulled
Please see Trains page 3A
BPC Dedicates Newest
Dormitory to Barbara
Thompson Conner
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
LEAVING A LEGACY - Barbara Thompson Conner's legacy is
not only memorialized with the name of the dormitory, but also
with a plaque on the wall, which is being admired by Barba
ra's sister Maranda Thompson Baird (left) and niece Helen Kate
Baird (right).
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Members of the Thomp
son and Conner families
joined Brewton-Parker Col
lege staff and fellow commu
nity members to dedicate the
school’s newest dormitory to
the late Barbara Thompson
Conner on Saturday, August
Please see Conner page 9A
One Airlifted
After Accident
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
A crash between a Kawa
saki Dirt Bike and a Mont
gomery County Road De
partment truck left one man
critically injured on Friday,
August 12.
Nathaniel Terralle Baker,
25, of Vidalia, was flown by
a medical air ambulance to
Memorial Health University
Medical Center in Savannah
after colliding with Road De
partment employee Patrick
Tristan Willis, 26. Baker is
Please see Crash page 9A
Suspect Sought
In Armed Robbery
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
The Vidalia Police Depart
ment is investigating an armed
robbery that occurred early Sat
urday morning at the Food Mart
on McIntosh Street.
Police responded to the in
cident at 402 McIntosh Street
at 12:05 a.m. Upon arrival, offi
cers interviewed the store’s clerk,
who explained that an unknown
male, dressed in all black except
for a white facial covering, en
tered the store, jumped over the
counter, and attacked the clerk
while demanding money. Once
the clerk obliged and the suspect
received the money, he fled on
foot from the scene.
No arrests have been made
in the case, and police are re
questing the public’s help for
information. Anyone with in
formation about the incident
may call the VPD Investigative
Services Division at (912) 537-
4123 or Crimestoppers at (912)
386-4480.
Public Hearings Slated
On Proposed Tax Hike
The Toombs County Board
of Education has announced its
intention to increase the 2022
property taxes it will levy this
year by 5.11 percent over the
rollback millage rate.
All concerned citizens are
invited to the public hearings on
this tax increase to be held at the
Toombs County High School,
500 Bulldog Road, Lyons, on
August 25 at 5 p.m. and Septem
ber 1 at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
A statement from the
Toombs County Board of Ed
ucation explained that each
year, the Board of Tax Asses
sors is required to review the
assessed value for property tax
purposes of taxable property in
the county. When the trend of
prices on properties that have
recently sold in the county indi
cate there has been an increase
in the fair market value of any
specific property, the Board of
Tax Assessors is required by law
to redetermine the value of such
property and increase the assess
ment. This is called a reassess-
Please see Tax page 10A
