About The Advance. (Vidalia, Ga.) 2003-current | View Entire Issue (April 26, 2023)
(The The Left’s Favorite Lie: Widespread White-On-Black Violence See page 6A Onion Festival See The Vidalia Advance Established 1901 The Lyons Progress Established 1894 Vol. 125 NO. 17 Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia April 26, 2023 It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers. -James Thurber News BYTES Blood Drive The American Red Cross will hold a Blood Drive at the Vidalia High School Cheer Room, located at 901 North Street West, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Friday, April 28. Art in the Loft A free Student Art Ex hibit featuring the work from students at the Art By Gwen Studio will be showcased in the loft of the Historic Pal Theatre until May 14. Exhibit is open daily from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. on weekdays, and from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. on weekends. National Day of Prayer The Community Na tional Day of Prayer ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thurs day, May 4, at the Toombs County Court house. For more infor mation, contact Vicki Tillery at 912-293-2381. DOT Issues Advisory About Road Work The Georgia Depart ment of Transportation has advised that road work will be underway on State Route 4/U.S. Highway 1 over the Al- tamaha River from West River Road in Ap pling County to George Hill Road in Toombs County through May. Daily lane closures are scheduled from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. IN THIS ISSUE Editorials Page 6A Obituaries Page 8A From the Record Page 5A Your Mind On Line Page 4A Sports Page 1 B SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 30% OFF NEWSSTAND IMV Call 537-3131 (or delivery! Photo by Makaylee Randolph BREAKING GROUND - Many members of the Greater Vidalia Cham ber and Toombs County Development Authority came together to break ground on the Center on Monday, April 17. L to R: Sena tor Blake Tillery, Sean Moxley, David Sikes, Mayor Doug Roper, Matt Richardson, Kevin Palmer, Michele Johnson, TimTruxel, Leesa Hagan, Mike Hagan, Steven McComas. A REGIONAL CENTER - The Center for Rural Entrepreneurship will serve as a regional center for entrepreneurs and small business owners to gain skills and knowledge about how to best operate their facilities. By Makaylee Randolph Staff Writer mrandolphadvance@gmail.com The Greater Vidalia Cham ber and Toombs County De velopment Authority kicked off the 2023 Vidalia Onion Festival week by breaking ground on the regional business incubator fa cility on Monday April 17. According to Toombs County Development Author ity Executive Director and Greater Vidalia Chamber Presi dent Michele Johnson, the Cen ter For Rural Entrepreneurship is a project that has been in the works for the past five years. “The Center is a Southeast Georgia regional initiative that will stimulate the establishment and growth of entrepreneurial companies by providing co- working, incubation, mentor ing, technology, tools, strategic support, and a collaborative downtown environment where entrepreneurs can develop the projects of their dreams,” John son explained. In June 2022, Vidalia was one of nine communities to benefit from a $17.25 million al location of Downtown Develop ment Funds by the Georgia De partment of Community Affairs. Please see Center page 2A VPD Shuts Down Royalty Lounge GTC Pioneer Inducted Into ITPA Hall of Fame Courtesy of the Vidalia Police Department Royalty Lounge LLC has lost their business license after the Vidalia Police De partment discovered the op eration of an illegal adult en tertainment nightclub within the facility on Thursday, April 20. The Department recently completed a joint investiga tion with the Bureau of Alco hol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives due to complaints of the operation of an illegal adult entertainment night club within the City. On April 20, at around 11:29 p.m., the Vidalia Po lice Department - Investi- Please see VPD page 5A Cornerstone Receives Top Star in Latest Rating A SHINING STAR - Cornerstone Children's Center in Vidalia has been given a 3 out of 3 star rating by the Georgia Depart ment of Early Care and Learning Quality Rated Committee, By Makaylee Randolph Staff Writer mrandolphadvance@gmail.com Cornerstone Children’s Center has solidified itself as a shining star in both the eyes of the community and the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, as the daycare recently received a 3 out of 3 star rating in the latest quality review. Please see Cornerstone page 2A By Deborah Clark Regional Editor dclarkadvance@gmail.com Janice Adams O’Brien, a pio neer in the telecommunications industry in Georgia, was inducted into the Independent Telecom munications Pioneer Association (ITPA) Hall of Fame on Sunday, April 23. Mrs. O’Brien, of Glen- wood, passed away in 2021. She owned and operated Glenwood Telephone Company for almost Please see O’Brien page 3A Janice Adams O'Brien Arrest Made In Fatal Stabbing Courtesy of the Vidalia Police Department The suspect of a fatal stab bing that took the life of a 21 year-old woman on Saturday, April 15, was cap tured by the Eman uel County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, April 18. On April 15, the Vidalia Police Department re sponded to a report of a stabbing on West Jenkins Street at around 10 p.m. that night. When they arrived, they discovered 21-year-old Kaysey Jordan, of Vidalia, suffering from multiple stab wounds. Jordan was transported by ambulance to the Memorial Health Meadows Hospi tal, where she later succumbed to her injuries. The Georgia Bureau of Investi gation joined the Vidalia Police De partment in the in- Please see Stabbing page 5A JAMI JANAE DAVIS
