Newspaper Page Text
When The Lunch Bell Rings
This School Year, It’s time
For Lasagna! See Azure 11A
An Education Worth Waiting On
See Page 12A
The Vidalia Advance Established 1901 The Lyons Progress Established 1894
ncc
Vol. 126 No. 31
Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia
75$ August 2, 2023
Ah, summer, what
power you have
to make us suffer
and like it.
-Russell Baker
Wheeler Citizens Question
Tax Assessment Increases
News
BYTES
Entrepreneur
Mixer
The Greater Vidalia
Chamber will host a
networking event for
local entrepreneurs
from 5:30 p.m. until
6:30 p.m. at 104 NW
Broad Street in Down
town Lyons on August
3. Special Guest "
Speakers will be Terra
Dolce Farms Owners
Tommie and Stepha
nie Williams. For more
information, or to
RSVP, contact Ann
Owens at (912) 537-
4466.
Touch A Truck
Downtown
Event
This month's Sweet
Saturday event, lo
cated in Downtown
Vidalia, will feature
the opportunity to
"Touch A Truck," al
lowing children and
the public to learn
more about the jobs
in our community. This
event will be held
from 11 a.m. until 3
p.m. on Saturday, Au
gust 12. For more in
formation, call the
Downtown Vidalia As
sociation at (912) 537-
7661.
Warm Feet for
Warriors
1st Franklin Financial
will be accepting all
colors and sizes of
new socks in original
packaging for U.S.
troops and veterans
until November 30.
These socks may be
dropped off at any
surrounding area lo
cation of 1st Franklin
Financial, including
the Vidalia office,
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 11A
Sports Page 1 B
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NEWSSTAND
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By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail.com
“l know there are a lot of upset
people here tonight/’ Chairman of the
Wheeler County Board of Assessors
Martin Roberts said as a much-antic
ipated meeting kicked off on July 20.
The session, held at the Alamo Com
munity Center, was conducted by the
Board to answer the public’s questions
about recent property assessments that
increased substantially over last year —
by as much as 50%, according to one
resident.
The Wheeler County Commis
sioner’s meeting room at the commu
nity multi-purpose center was filled as
residents gathered to ask questions and
register complaints about the assess
ments, which were mailed on June 23.
Also in attendance was Chief Appraiser
Please see Wheeler page 10A
Photo by Deborah Clark
ASSESSMENTS CHALLENGED - From left, Wheeler County Chief Appraiser Rhonda Cason, Chair
man of the Wheeler County Board of Assessors Martin Roberts, and Melzar Nye, president of
Technical Appraisal Services of Georgia, Inc., in Macon, answer questions from citizens about
recent county property assessments in a meeting in Alamo on July 20.
Rei’L Worldwide Annual Gala
Brings In More Than 375Attendees
Photo by Majestic Image Photography
GIVING TO HER COMMUNITY - Debbie Griggers (right)
was presented with the Annie Rose Jackson Humanitarian
Award by Rei'L Founder Luther Wardlaw. (right)
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
There was glitz, there was glam
our - there were celebrities, digni
taries, tuxedos, evening gowns, and
red carpets - but it was the amaz
ing cause of Rei’L Worldwide that
ored people in the community, and
awarded individuals from the Rei’L
Worldwide program that helps to
serve the formerly incarcerated and
children of incarcerated parents.
The event was hosted by Vidalia’s
very own Fred Stokes, a former NFL
football star and Superbowl winner.
Quinton Aaron, often profession-
“I believe it is important to honor
those in the community who have made
an impact on the lives of others.”
-Luther Wardlaw
brought more than 375 people to
the Vidalia Community Center last
Thursday night, July 27, for the an
nual awards and recognition gala.
This was the second year the
Rei’L Worldwide founder and di
rector Martin Luther Wardlaw
brought celebrities to the city, hon-
ally known as “Big Mike” from the
movie The Blind Side, was also one
of the celebrity entertainers of the
evening, along with Michael Win
slow, America’s noisy man from the
Police Academy movies, who was
the guest speaker and gave an amaz-
Please see Rei’L page 9A
Hopkins Reappointed to Cotton Commission Board
Courtesy of The Georgia
Cotton Commission
Toombs County
Farmer Chris Hopkins
has been reappointed for
a three-year term on the
Georgia Cotton Com
mission Board of Direc
tors.
Last month, the
Commodity Commis
sion Ex-Officio Commit
tee met to make appoint
ments to the Georgia
Cotton Commission
Board of Directors. At
this meeting, Hopkins
and Morgan County
Farmer John Ruark were
Chris Hopkins
selected to be reappoint
ed for three-year terms,
while Bulloch County
Farmer Greg Sikes was
chosen to fill the seat of
Lee Cromley, who had
served on the Commis
sion’s board since 2011.
Hopkins and his wife
Marilynn started their
operation on 50 acres
in 2005. He is a first-
generation farmer and
has served on the Com
mission’s board since
2017. He grows cotton,
peanuts, corn, and rye
Please see Hopkins page
3A
Smoke Cave Burglar Captured
Courtesy of The Vidalia Police
Department
The Vidalia Police De
partment has identified Jack
Malone Kelly, 30, of Vidalia, as
the Smoke Cave burglar and
charged him with two counts of
Criminal Attempt to Commit
Burglary - 2nd Degree and one
count of Burglary - 2nd Degree.
Between May 28 and June
16, officers have responded to
multiple instances of burglaries
that occurred in the early morn
ing hours. Upon further investi
gation, authorities were able to
identify Kelly as the suspect and
charge him with such offenses.
Currently, Kelly remains an
inmate at the Toombs County
Detention Center due to his pre-
Please see Burglar page 3A
