Newspaper Page Text
July 12, 2023
Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia
The Vidalia Advance Established 1901 The Lyons Progress
v-
nee
Established 1894
I like long walks,
especially when they
are taken by people
who annoy me.
- Fred Allen
News
BYTES
Statewide
Bible Reading
Montgomery, Toombs,
and Wheeler Counties
will all hold Bible Read
ing ceremonies at their
respective county
courthouses on Friday,
July 14, as a part of
the Georgia Statewide
Bible Reading Day. The
event will begin at 7:14
a.m„ and each
county will read differ
ing biblical passages.
Saturday on
the Square
The Montgomery
County Merchants As
sociation will host a
Back to School Bash as
this month's Saturday
on the Square small
business event from
10:30 a.m. until 2:30
p.m. on July 22. During
this time, the public is
invited to the Mont
gomery County Court
house Square to pur
chase from local busi
nesses and to donate
school supplies to the
county school. For
more information, con
tact the Montgomery
County Citizens and
Merchants Association
Facebook.
Warm Feet for
Warriors
1st Franklin Financial
will be accepting all
colors and sizes of new
socks in original pack
aging for U.S. troops
and veterans until No
vember 30. These
socks may be dropped
off at any surrounding
area location of 1st
Franklin Financial, in
cluding the Vidalia of
fice, which is located
at 1100 East First Street.
IN THIS ISSUE
Editorials Page 6A
Obituaries Page 8A
From the Record Page 5A
Your Mind On Line Page 10A
Sports Page 1 B
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Saved By A Single Minute
Local Heroes Rescue Child
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Two teenage lifeguards from the Vi
dalia Aquatic Center are being hailed as
heroes after their efforts saved the life of
a 4-year-old child, Demetri Sharpe, on
June 24.
Brylen Goss and Deuce Hightower
were working at the Aquatics Center
when Goss noticed that the little boy,
who was at the pool with a 16-year-old,
was floating in the water underneath the
surface. “We have three stands - two are
in the deep end, and one is in the shal
low end. I was sitting at the shallow end
stand. Usually, the shallow end is more
busy because of small kids being there,”
Goss explained. “I was watching, and I
looked down and saw the kid floating
in-between the top of the water and the
bottom. It’s not out of the ordinary for
kids to do that - to just go underwater
and just float around. I figured that’s
what it was because I saw him go un
derwater and roll. I just thought he was
playing around until he stayed under for
around 20 more seconds.”
Goss said he then got into the pool
to tell the boy to get above the water to
avoid making lifeguards think that he
was drowning. “I picked him up and
his body was completely limp. He was
completely unconscious and unrespon-
Please see Heroes page 12A
MATTER OF MINUTES - 4-year-old Demetri Sharpe is surrounded by the heroes that saved
his life. Lifeguard Brylen Goss was told by police officers and other responders had the boy
been in the water for another minute, he would have not been able to be resuscitated.
L to R: Corporal Scott Howard, Lifeguard Deuce Hightower, Sergeant David Williamson.
Lifeguard Brylen Goss, Demetri Sharpe.
Area Counties
Unite in Faith
COMING TOGETHER - Members of the communities will gather to
gether at their respective courthouses, just as members of Montgom
ery County are here, to read the Bible as a part of the Statewide Bible
Reading on July 14. L to R: Lydia Horne, Clarissa Ledford, Makaylee
Randolph, Tammy Foskey, Gail McArthur, and Ashley Thornton.
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
On Friday, July 14, Mont
gomery, Toombs, and Wheeler
Counties will unite with the re
maining 156 counties across the
state in the 5th Annual Statewide
Bible Reading Day event at each
county courthouse.
According to Georgia State
Bible Reading Coordinator Jerri
Tuck, the basis of this event -
Please see Bible page 3A
Juveniles Charged
In Car Break-ins
Courtesy of the Vidalia Police
Department
Between Monday, July 3, and
Wednesday, July 5, three juve
niles were arrested and charged
with entering automobiles after
a joint investigation between the
Vidalia Police Department Uni
formed Patrol and Investigative
Services Divisions.
Multiple cases of cars be
ing broken into were reported
between June 14 and 15 at both
Please see VPD page 11A
Cochran Wins
HCA Frist
Humanitarian
Award
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
DIVISION WINNER - Memorial Health Meadows Hospital Aux
iliary Member Mike Cochran (right) was presented the HCA
South Atlantic Division Frist Humanitarian Award by Hospital
CEO Matt Hasbrouck (left),
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Memorial Health Mead
ows Hospital Auxiliary Mem
ber Mike Cochran was pre
sented with the HCA Frist
Humanitarian Award at an
awards ceremony in the hos
pital lobby on Monday, July
10.
“Nobody here is more
surprised than me about get
ting this award,” Cochran re
marked. “We have a great lo
cal auxiliary with some great,
great people who put out a
lot of hard work. I think the
main job of the Auxiliary is to
care for the patients. I think I
do a good job at that -1 make
them feel comfortable and
safe - so, maybe I deserve the
award in that respect, but I
am very happy about getting
Please see MHMH page 4A
