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The Perfect Summer Treat with Key Lime Pie See Azure 10A attj t mum V w The Vidalia Advance Established 1901 nee The Lyons Progress Established 1894 The NAACP’s Stupid Anti-Florida Smear See page 7A Vol. 125 No. 23 Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia June 7, 2023 I never Imew whether to pity or congratulate a man on coming to his senses. -William Makepeace Thackeray News BYTES Community Food Drive Boy Scout Troop 933 is collecting canned goods and nonperishable items for God's Storehouse until June 27. Donations may be dropped off at the drop-off box on the front porch of the Vidalia Boy Scout Hut, located at 102 Stockyard Road beside the tennis courts. For more information, contact Scoutmaster Brett Copeland at (706) 476-1684. Sweet Saturday The Downtown Vidalia Association will host its monthly Sweet Saturday event from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 10. The event will feature live music, food trucks, games, and more. For more information, call the DVA office at (912) 537-8033. Southeastern Reptiles The Montgomery County Public Library in Mt. Vernon will host the Southeastern Reptiles on Wednesday, June 14, at 5 p.m. as a part of their Summer Reading Program. For more information, contact the library at (912) 583-2780. IN THIS ISSUE Editorials Page 6A Obituaries Page 8A Vidalia Among "Top 12 Cutest Small Towns” in South By Makaylee Randolph Staff Writer mrandolphadvance@gmail.com The city of Vidalia recently gained international attention, as it was named as one of the “Top 12 Cutest Small Towns” in the South ern United States by World Atlas. Vidalia found itself among a list of several well-known tourist loca tions, such as Helen, Georgia; Beau fort, South Carolina; Dahlonega, Georgia; and Blowing Rock, North Carolina. According to World Atlas Contributor Albert Quigg, these locations, among others, were high lighted for their “remarkable natural beauty, affluent cultural history, and a hospitable ambiance that make them a great holiday destination.” Overall, Quigg summarized the list, as he wrote, “Each town has its special allure and personal- Please see Cutest page 5A Photo By: The Davis House DOWNTOWN AESTHETICS - The article by World Atlas included a shot of the city's downtown, which was highlighted for its stores, eateries, and galleries. GBI Investigating Kibbee Shooting By Makaylee Randolph Staff Writer mrandolphadvance@gmail. com The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is assisting the Mont gomery County Sheriff’s Office in investigating a shooting which left one individual critically in jured on the afternoon of Sunday, June 4. According to Mont gomery County Sheriff Doug Maybin, the shoot ing came as a result of an altercation on Jake Mc- Caw Road, during which a firearm went off. The victim was driv en by ambulance to a field adjacent to Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church on North Old Kibbee Road, where AirEvac landed and at tempted to transport the patient to Savannah. Due to complications, the individual was trans ported by ambulance to Memorial Health Mead ows Hospital, where he was stabilized then trans ferred by AirEvac to Me morial Health University Medical Center. The vic tim remains in critical condition. Carol Bragg Elected President of State Association TROOP 939 TAKES ON APPALACHIAN TRAIL - Lyons Boy Scout Troop 939, chartered by the Lyons First United Methodist Church, recently hiked and backpacked 22 miles of the Appalachian Trail. The troop is current ly welcoming new members and asks any interested young men (must be an upcoming 5th grader and less than 18 years old) to contact the troop leaders. Front: Nicholas Matthews. Back row, L to R: Cheyney Stephens, Isaac Fontaine, Matthew Peters, Troop Leader Yurii Fontaine, Liam Tipps, Scoutmaster Kim Stephens, Sergei Fontaine, Troop Leader Adam Fontaine, Troop Leader Curt Peters. State Rescinds $2.2M Grant From the Record Page 5A Your Mind On Line Page 10A Sports Page 1 B Call 537-3131 for delivery! NEWSSTAND SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE By Makaylee Randolph Staff Writer mrandolphadvance@gmail. com A $2.2 million state grant to Montgomery County for improv ing neighborhood assets was re scinded last week after the Coun ty was found to be ineligible for the funding. On May 18, Governor Kemp announced $225 million of pre liminary grant funds to 142 rural communities for improvements to neighborhood assets, such as parks, recreation facilities, side walks, and healthy food access. Among the list of grantees was Montgomery County, which planned to use its award for im provements to the recreation de partment. According to County Man ager Brandon Braddy, the Office of Planning and Budget deter mined that the County was ineli- Please see MoCo page 5A By Deborah Clark Regional Editor dclarkadvance@gmail.com Wheeler County Clerk of Superior and Juvenile Courts Carol Bragg has been elected President of the Superior Court Clerks Association of Georgia Inc. Bragg’s duties will in clude serving on the Board of the Constitutional Offi cers Association of Georgia (COAG), which is made up of sheriffs, tax commis sioners, probate judges, and court clerks. During her two-year term, Bragg will preside over meetings of the 159-mem ber Clerks Association, and will appoint members to committees, including the legislative committee, which works in conjunc- Please see Bragg page 4A