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iTne?Fire StilllBiums ‘SeMpoge,2B The Vidalia Advance Established 1901 The Lyons Progress Established 1894 Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your children. - Sam Levenson News BYTES Saturday on the Square The Montgomery County Merchants As sociation will host their monthly Saturday on the Square small busi ness event from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on July 22. During this time, the public is in vited to the Montgom ery County Courthouse Square to purchase from local businesses and to donate school supplies to the county school. For more infor mation, contact the Montgomery County Citizens and Mer chants Association Facebook. Jive After Five The City of Lyons will host an informative session at 9 Columns Bed & Breakfast on July 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This free event will feature busi ness networking op portunities, refresh ments, food, entertain ment, prizes, and com munity input regarding "Keeping Lyons Clean" with Lyons Code En forcement Officer Chris Failla. Back to School Bash Toombs County's an nual Back to School Bash will be held on July 29 from 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. at Southeastern Technical College. This event will feature booths from various resources that provide students and families with informa tion, school supplies, and more. For more in formation, contact Toombs County Family Connection Executive Director Paige William son at (912) 245-2542. 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 IMV Call 537-3131 (or delivery! Caught In The Crossfire By Makaylee Randolph Staff Writer mrandolphadvance@gmail. com An innocent citizen and the Vi dalia Police Department have been caught in the crossfire of gang violence this past week. You are hurting a community, but you are hurting your own family because eventually you will be caught. The per son that lost their life or got seriously injured - their family has to suffer as well.” He added, “We are tired of the bloodshed - I know I am. You don’t “The community is hurting and there is fear because no one wants to take a stray bullet.” - Chief James Jermon Vidalia Police Chief James Jermon has issued a plea to gang members in the area after responding to the in stances of suspected gang warfare. “Drop your guns and let’s find some common ground. Everything was not always solved with a gun and a bullet. want to see anyone shot, not even the gang members, because that gang member is attached to a family - a fam ily that cares deeply about them.” On Thursday, July 13, the Vidalia Please see Caught page 11A LOOKING FOR A SOLUTION - The Vidalia Police Depart ment is seeking the aid of outside authorities to put an end to the gang violence within the city, Hyundai to Train Workers at STC COLLABORATIVE EFFORT - STC and Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant of America are collaborating in their efforts to help individuals gain employ ment, as the college creates a plan of study to prepare students to work at the new Hyundai Metaplant in Bryan County, L to R: STC President Larry Calhoun, Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant of America President Oscar Kwon, By Makaylee Randolph Staff Writer mrandolphadvance@gmail.com Southeastern Techni cal College and Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant of America (HMGMA) signed a memorandum of understanding for a training partnership that will lead to automotive industry jobs at the metaplant location cur rently under construction in Bryan County. The sign ing took place at an event in the College’s Tattnall Audi torium on July 11. The $5.5 billion elec tric car manufacturing plant is Hyundai’s first elec tric car plant in the U.S., and is expected to be com pleted in 2025. It will pro duce 300,000 to 500,000 vehicles per year. Although the site is still under construction, Hyun dai Motor Group has al ready begun to think about the need for employees at the plant. This led them to partner with STC to create the Electric Vehicle Profes sional Technical Certificate Program, which will pre pare students for entry- level employment in the electric vehicle production industry. The eight-credit- hour certificate includes three courses and will focus on safe and effective auto motive shop operations, Please see Hyundai page 2A Memorial Health Meadows Physicians Children's Care To Host Back to School Event Memorial Health Meadows Physicians Children’s Care will host a “Back to School” event on Tuesday, July 25, from 4 to - 6 p.m. The event will be held at the practice location at 125 Church Street in down town Vidalia. “We want to help kids get excited and ready to go back to school,” said Dr. Caryn Master- man-Smith, pediatrician. Please see MHMH page 11A Back to School is Cool On July 21 The Vidalia City School System is proud to partner with Memo rial Health Meadows and DOT Foods for our 1st annual “Back to School is Cool” Ice Pop giveaway! On Friday, July 21, staff members from JD Dickerson Primary School, Sally D. Mead ows Elementary School, and the District Central Office will be distribut ing free “Ice Pops” to Vidalia City School Stu- Please see VCS page 11A VHS FCCLA Receive National Honors TOP TEN NATIONALLY - Cristal Franklin's Chapter Service Project (left photo) and the Entrepreneurship Project by Hillaree Hankerson, Kingston Ryals, and Sanaya Lewis (right photo, R to L) both gained Top 10 finishes in the FCCLA National Competition, Courtesy of Vidalia City Schools The Vidalia High School (VHS) Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) at tended the FCCLA National Com petition in Denver, Colorado, on July 2-7 and brought home three Gold Medals and two Top Ten placements in the National Competition. Cristal Franklin, who submitted a Chapter Service Project entitled "Picnic at the Farm," brought home a Gold Medal, and her project placed in the top ten in the Nation. For this Please see VHS page 2A