About The Advance. (Vidalia, Ga.) 2003-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 2023)
* Memories of - Ireland with * Guinness & Beef Pot Pie See Azure 13A The Vidalia Advance Established 1901 The Lyons Progress Established 1894 wi * 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 i ms? inns? f \ 1 w 2 ’ J , l / /'% 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 SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 30% OFF NEWSSTAND Imi Call 537-3131 (or delivery! 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
