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The Vidalia Advance Established 1901
The Lyons Progress Established 1894
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Friday, March 17
Vol. 125 No. 11
A
Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia
March 15, 2023
You gotta try your
luck at least once a
day, because you
could be going around
lucky all day and not
even know it.
- Jimmy Dean
Hagan Presents First Bill
Making Southeast Georgia
Soapbox Derby State Race
News
BYTES
Rollin' With My
Homies
The Altamaha Down
Syndrome Society
will host a free skat
ing event for individ
uals with special
needs at Sweet On
ion Skating, located
at 645 GA Hwy. 292
in Vidalia, from 12
p.m. until 2 p.m. on
Saturday, March 18.
This will be a sen
sory-friendly event
for all to enjoy. For
more information,
contact Stacie Ran
dolph at 912-253-
3356.
Vidalia
Porchfest
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail. com
District 156 State Representative Leesa
Hagan, R-Lyons, presented her first bill on
Monday February 27, that would declare the
Southeast Georgia Soapbox Derby as Geor
gia’s official Soapbox Derby. The bill passed in
the state House of Representatives with 168
votes in favor.
“I’m proud that my first House bill directly
impacts the 156th District and young Geor
gians,” Hagan emphasized. “By making the
Southeast Georgia Soapbox Derby Georgia’s
official derby, we shine the spotlight on a pro
gram that has a long history of positive influ
ence and fun for our youth and their families,
and we encourage others around the state to
participate. With all the negative influences
our children currently face, like drug use and
social media, I feel that this [action] is a timely
measure. The impact this program can have on
their lives cannot be overstated.”
The thought for this bill began several
years ago, when Lyons Main Street Director
Daphne Walker met a lady who began the
Swamp Gravy folk life play, which has been
named Georgia’s official folk life play. “We dis
cussed how that came to be, and she said name
it and claim it,” Walker explained.
“Since our Soapbox Derby has been run
ning for 31 years, investments were made in a
permanent track, plans are being made for a
new building to house the cars and equipment,
Please see Hagan page 11A
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WATCHING THE VOTE - Several representatives for the Southeast Georgia Soapbox
Derby and City of Lyons traveled to the State Capitol to watch the vote. L to R, front
row: Ashley Gordy; Teen Miss Southeast Georgia Soapbox Derby Melea Pittman;
Southeast Georgia Soapbox Derby Scholarship Pageant Director Leslie Harrell; Rep
resentative Leesa Hagan; Miss Southeast Georgia Soapbox Derby Emma Waters. L
to R, back row: Noah Gordy; Southeast Georgia Soapbox Derby Director Jonathan
Gordy; Lyons Mayor Willis NeSmith; Lyons Main Street Director Daphne Walker; and
Lyons City Manager Jason Hall,
A downtown music,
arts, and food festi
val will be held in
the Jackson Heights
neighborhood on
Saturday, March 25,
from 10 a.m. until 6
p.m. For more infor
mation, contact the
Altama Museum.
Teen Maze
Community
Night
The TriCounty Family
Connection will host
a Teen Maze com
munity night on
Tuesday, March 14,
at Brewton-Parker
College. For more
information, contact
Theotis Summerset,
Jr., at 478-697-3782.
Dr. Lindsay Crews
Joins Anesthesiology
Team at Meadows
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail. com
With the addition of
Dr. Lindsay Crews, Me
morial Health Meadows
Hospital now has four,
full-time anesthesiolo
gists on its medical staff.
She joins an anesthesiol
ogy team including Dr.
Frank Gibase, Dr. Sta
cie Wong, and Dr. Julie
Fitzgerald.
“We are excited to
have Dr. Lindsay Crews
join both our community
and the Meadows family,”
Please see MHMH page
9A
NEW ANESTHESIOLOGIST - Dr. Lindsay
Crews joined the medical staff af Memo
rial Health Meadows Hospital in Vidalia
in January. She joins the anesthesiology
team of Dr. Frank Gibase, Dr. Sfacie Wong,
and Dr. Julie Fitzgerald,
Lyons Granted $320,000 for
Sidewalks and Bike Path
MARCH WORKAVERSARY - Three Lyons employees -
Daphne Walker, Darel Corley, and Jeffery Parker - were
recognized for their dedication to the city and tenure
of work at the City Council meeting on March 7. L to R:
Mayor Pro-Tern Ivy Toole, Councilman John Moore Jr.,
Councilwoman Cathy Benton, Lyons Main Street Director
Daphne Walker, Mayor Willis NeSmith, and Councilman
Tracy Johnson. Not pictured: Lyons Police Captain Jeffery
Parker, Public Works Director/Fire Chief Darel Corley, and
Councilman Rick Hartley.
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Lyons City Manager
Jason Hall announced at
the regular meeting of the
City Council on Tuesday,
March 7, that the city has
been granted the Transpor
tation Alternatives Grant
of $320,000 by the state to
complete a few projects to
create sidewalks and bike
Please see Lyons page 1OA
IN THIS ISSUE
Editorials Page 6A
Obituaries Page 8A
From the Record Page 5A
Your Mind On Line Page 5A
Sports Page 1 B
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Shots Fired
At Walmart
Surveillance Video
Helps Solve Theft
The Vidalia Police De
partment arrested a bel
ligerent shoplifter accused
of shooting a gun in the
Walmart parking lot on
Monday afternoon.
At approximately 5:35
p.m. on March 13, the Vi
dalia Police Department
responded to Walmart in
reference of an irate female
shoplifter, later identified as
Kristen Castillo, 32, of Car
la ondale, Illinois. As officers
traveled to the scene, they
were informed that the fe
male was in possession of a
firearm and had discharged
Please see Shots page 1 OA
Surveillance vid
eo of an alleged thief
helped the Toombs
County Sheriff’s Of
fice identify and cap
ture a suspect on Sat
urday, March 11.
At approximately
6:47 a.m. onMarch 11,
Toombs County Sher-
Andrew Grimes
iff’s Deputies Rodney
Wardlaw, Bryan Wil
liams, Luis Patlan,
and Investigator Chris
Clark responded to
a residence on Jim
Gordy Road in refer
ence to a theft. Upon
Please see Theft page
4A