Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 125 No. 12 Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia March 22, 2023
Most people have
the will to win, few
have the will to
prepare to win.
- Bobby Knight
News
BYTES
DOT Issues
Advisory About
Road Work
The Georgia Depart
ment of Transporta
tion has advised that
road work will be un
derway on State
Route 4/U.S. Highway
1 over the Altamaha
River from West River
Road in Appling
County to George
Hill Road in Toombs
County through May.
Daily lane closures
are scheduled from 7
a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Island
Castaways
The Pal Theatre will
host its first live event
with local actors on
March 27 & 28, be
ginning at 7 p.m.
each night. Main
floor tickets cost $10,
while balcony seat
ing costs $15. Tickets
are available online
or at the box office.
For more information,
call 912-535-0290.
Sweeten Your
Ride
The annual Sweeten
Your Ride car decal
event will occur on
Friday, March 24,
from 11:00 a.m. until
5:30 p.m. and Satur
day, March 25, from
10 a.m. until 2 p.m. in
the parking lot of the
old Walgreen's store
in Vidalia. Each de
cal will cost $10,
which will benefit the
Sweet Onion Chris
tian Learning Center.
IN THIS ISSUE
Editorials Page 6A
Obituaries Page 10A
From the Record Page 5A
Your Mind On Line Page 3A
Sports Page 1 B
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Leslie Seabury Receives
Debra Brantley Award
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Photo by Makaylee Randolph
DEBRA BRANTLEY AWARD - J.R, Trippe Middle School Special Education Teacher Leslie Seabury is
no stranger to the Debra Brantley Award, having received it in the past. She was honored with this
year's award at the regular meeting of the Vidalia City Schools Board of Education on Tuesday,
March 14, L to R: Special Education Academic Coach Sarah Cook, Director of Student Services
Katrina Black, Leslie Seabury, J.R. Trippe Middle School Principal Dr. Sandy Reid,
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
The Vidalia City Schools
Board of Education, at its
regular session on Tuesday
March 14, celebrated the suc
cess of a teacher and approved
leadership changes for the dis
trict.
Debra Brantley Award
The Debra Brantley
Award, also known as the Spe
cial Education Teacher of the
Year, is awarded to one teacher
within each RESA district ev
ery year to honor the memory
of beloved former Toombs
County Special Education
Teacher Debra Brantley, who
passed away in 2015. Recipi
ents of this award exemplify
the qualities that define a suc
cessful Special Education in
structor and advocate for stu-
Please see Vidalia page 2A
First-Ever Porchfest Hits
The Streets This Saturday
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail. com
A new kind of community
event hits the streets next Satur
day, March 25, as residents of the
Jackson Heights Neighborhood
invite the public to enjoy musical
performances from the porches
of each home at Vidalia’s first-ever
Porchfest.
According to Porchfest Com
mittee Chairman Wes Chapman,
the festival centers around music,
which is why there are a total of 28
artists scheduled to perform be
tween the hours of noon and 6 p.m.
on porches throughout the neigh-
Please see Porch page 5A
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
PORCHFEST HITS THE STREETS - Several bands will be featured in the event, but it is the Coleman
Family Cooperative who will be playing music and telling stories at the Altama Museum of Art &
History porch for the entirety of the festival on March 25.
Sheila Cheek Appointed
Montgomery County
Election Supervisor
Vidalia Firefighters
Rise in Rank
Photos by Makaylee Randolph
RISING IN RANK - Two Vidalia Fire Department Firefighters were of
ficially promoted at the beginning of the Vidalia City Council meet
ing on March 13, (left) Captain Robert Phelps, left, stands as his wife
Amanda pins on his badge, and Lieutenant Justin Butry, right, stands
as his wife Rhiannon pins on his badge.
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail.com
Montgomery County’s
newly-appointed election
supervisor, Sheila Cheek, as
sumed her duties Monday.
She was named to the posi
tion on February 28 during a
called meeting of the Mont
gomery County Commis
sion, replacing Kayla Cheek,
who stepped down from the
position on March 10.
Cheek comes to Mont
gomery County from
Wheeler County where she
Sheila Cheek
served as election supervi
sor since 2021. Prior to that
time, she was the county’s
chief registrar, holding that
post from 2013 until 2021
until state legislation created
Please see MoCo page 8A
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Two City of Vidalia firefight
ers were officially promoted at the
regular monthly meeting of the
Vidalia City Council on Monday,
March 13.
Robert Phelps and Justin Bu
try were recognized at the meeting,
where their wives pinned on their
new badges.
Please see VCC page 9A