The Advance. (Vidalia, Ga.) 2003-current, January 11, 2023, Image 1

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The Advance., January 11, 2023, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextVol. 125 No. 2 Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia January 11, 2023 The Vidalia Advance Established 1901 The Lyons Progress Established 1894 2023 See Healthlines 11A nee Protecting Your Mental Health In Don ’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia. - Charles M. Schulz News BYTES MLK Holiday Parade The annual MLK Holi day Parade will be held January 16 at 11 a.m. on Highway 280 in downtown Vidalia. Grand marshal will be Wilson Johnson. For in formation, contact Mi chael Johnson at 478- 494-8253 Tales From the Altamaha Tryouts Auditions for the 2023 Tales from the Alta maha, "Murder, May hem and Stranger Things," will be held January 24 and 25 at 6 p.m. at the Blue Mar quee in Lyons. Greater Vidalia Chamber Annual Meeting The Geek Squad will entertain at the Greater Vidalia Cham ber's annual meeting on Friday, February 3, at the Vidalia Commu nity Center. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $75. For information, call the Chamber at 912-537-4466. DOT Announces Lane Closures GA DOT announces that lane closures will occur daily on SR 4/US 1 over the Altamaha River, from West River Road in Appling County to George Hill Road in Toombs County. Closures are scheduled Monday-Fri- day, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., now through May 2023 during bridge construc tion. New K-12 Wheeler Co. School Dedicated in Jan. 2 Ceremony By Deborah Clark Regional Editor dclarkadvance@gmail.com The weather cooperated last Monday as a crowd gathered beneath sunny skies for a ribbon-cutting and dedication cer emony at Wheeler County’s new K-12 School in Alamo. As she stood at the podium on the steps at the school entrance, Superinten dent Suzanne Couey thanked local digni taries, school administration, and others who supported the construction of the almost $35 million structure. “It has been, as they say, a ‘long and winding road,’” Couey said at the after noon event. That road began in April of 2018 with the selection of architects Alt man and Barrett and contractors JCI/ Lentile in May of 2019. Ground was bro ken in December 2020, and students and staff started school in September 2022. Most of the construction is now complete, but some issues are still being addressed throughout the building. “So you will like- Please see School page 10A Photos by Deborah Clark DEDICATION CEREMONY - Wheeler County's new K-12 school was dedicated last Monday. Above, Elemen tary School Principal Pat Ethredge speaks following an invocation by High School Principal William Bell and before Superintendent Suzanne Couey (inset) takes the podium. The state-of-the art school houses all of the county's students under one roof and replaces the elementary and middle/high school structures which served the community for decades. A New Era Begins In Montgomery Co. Photo by Makaylee Randolph NEW MCBOE MEMBERS - First-time Montgomery County Board of Education Members John O'Connor (left) and Fernando Rodriguez III (center) were sworn in by Judge Rubie Nell Sanders (right) during a called Board meeting on January 3. By Makaylee Randolph Staff Writer mrandolphadvance@gmail. com Two Montgomery County High School (MCHS) gradu ates have officially returned to their alma mater as members of the Board of Education. John O’Connor, who gradu ated from the school system in 1992, and Fernando Rodriguez III, who graduated from MCHS in 2009, have officially joined the Montgomery County Board of Education (MCBOE), after winning their respective elec tions last May. O’Connor represents the Uvalda district, having defeat ed former MCBOE Chairman Jim Paul Poole, and Rodriguez represents Post 2 of the Alley/ Mount Vernon District, having Please see MoCo page 2A Wheeler’s GTC Gets $4.8 Million Grant for Broadband Expansion By Deborah Clark Regional Editor dclarkadvance@gmail.com Wheeler Countians can look forward to expanded broadband coverage thanks to an award announced January 4 by Governor Brian Kemp. Glenwood Telephone Company (GTC) has re ceived $4,864,941.00 — part Please see GTC page 3A Toombs Detention Center Officer Arrested By Makaylee Randolph Staff Writer mrandolphadvance@gmail.com A Toombs County Deten tion Center Officer has been arrested and is under investiga tion after the discovery of con traband being smuggled into Please see TCDC page 2A Hunter Malone IN THIS ISSUE Editorials Page 6A Obituaries Page 8A From the Record Page 5A Your Mind On Line Page 2A Sports Page 1 B SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 30% OFF NEWSSTAND IMV Call 537-3131 (or delivery! Hagan, Tillery Share Expectations for New Session at Legislative Luncheon By Makaylee Randolph Staff Writer mrandolphadvance@gmail.com State Representative Leesa Hagan (R-156) of Lyons and State Senator Blake Tillery (R-19) of Vi dalia shared their expectations for the upcoming legislative session during the annual Legislative Luncheon held by the Greater Vidalia Chamber on January 5. Both legislators spoke on the changes within each of their dis tricts, and reviewed the topics which they feel will be discussed. Leesa Hagan Hagan began her first full term on Monday, January 9, after winning reelection this past November. Previ ously, Hagan won the legislative seat during a special election in 2021 to fill former State Representative Greg Morris’s unexpired term after his res ignation. Comments on Community Please see Luncheon page 4A Photo by Makaylee Randolph HONORING A COMMUNITY SERVANT - Longtime South eastern Technical College (STC) Auditorium Manager Julie Busby (center) was honored with a proclamation from the Georgia State Senate for her work within the local commu nity. L to R: State Representative Leesa Hagan, Julie Busby, and State Senator Blake Tillery.