Newspaper Page Text
PLAY TO
WIN.
'
If fear is cultivated it
will become stronger,
if faith is cultivated it
will achieve mastery.
-John Paul Jones
News
BYTES
Special Needs
Back to School
Bash
The Altamaha Down
Syndrome Society will
hold a Back to School
Bash from 3 p.m. until
5 p.m. on Saturday,
August 26, at the
South Georgia
Bounce Funhouse in
Lyons. This event is free
to families of those
with special needs. For
more information, call
Stacie Randolph at
(912) 253-3356.
Courthouse
Memorial
Bricks for Sale
As the Toombs County
Courthouse nears
completion, officials
are now selling en
graved bricks to be
placed within the
courthouse's grounds.
Each brick costs $100,
and may be pur
chased through the
Toombs County Com
mission website, under
the "Notices" web
page. For more infor
mation, contact (912)
526-3311.
Elder Fraud
Forum
Altamaha Bank & Trust
is holding an Elder
Fraud Forum Lunch &
Learn to educate the
public on protecting
themselves and loved
ones from common
scams targeting senior
citizens. This event will
be held at the Vidalia
Community Center on
Thursday, September
7. Lunch will be served
at 11:00 a.m., and the
forum will begin at
11:30 a.m. To register,
call Valerie McLendon
at (912) 537-6624.
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!
25 Years of Service
Beloved Sheriff Announces Retirement
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Toombs County Sheriff
Alvie “Junior” Kight has an
nounced he will be retiring
next year at the end of his
current term.
Sheriff Kight will have
spent 25 years serving as
Sheriff when he hangs up
his badge, and said he is ex
cited for the future. “I think
it’s time now to step back,”
he remarked. “I have been
doing this for a long time -
I’ve been policing over 35
years. I think it’s time that
[my wife] Patti and I enjoy
our last years of life, and for
someone younger to come
in and do a great job with the
Sheriff’s office.”
In a heartfelt letter the
Sheriff expressed his grati
tude to the citizens he served
and reflected on his 25 years.
To the Citizens of Toombs
County:
For 25 years, it has been
the greatest honor of my life to
serve as the Sheriff of Toombs
County. It is with a bittersweet
heart that I am announcing
that I will not be running for
re-election in 2024. I believe
it is time for the people of
Toombs County to choose the
next Sheriff and pray that you
will select someone who loves
this county as much as I do.
Though I will miss this job and
the people that I work with, my
wife, Patty, and I look forward
to this next phase of our lives.
There are many people
who have been integral to the
success of the Sheriff’s Office;
to each and every one of you,
thank you! First, I am thank-
Please see Kight page 10A
2020 Alamo Shooting
Wraps Up with Aug. 14
Death Case
Sentencing
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail.com
Four men indicted in a May
24, 2020, incident in which an
Alamo resident was killed and
two other persons were injured
have been sentenced in Wheeler
County Superior Court. The
shooting occurred at a gradua
tion party on Bluebird Lane in
Alamo.
Jaquaves Hooks of Alamo,
Cory Johntavious McRae of
Glenwood, and Turner Logan
Flint and Malik Chavez McDuf-
fey of McRae-Helena, were
charged following a shooting
which claimed the life of Ron-
esta Kotoya Williams, 42, of
Alamo, and wounded Michael
Waddell and India Harris. Wad
dell was hospitalized in critical
condition and Harris was treated
for a non-life threatening injury.
Please see Shooting page 10A
MCBOE Rolls Bach Millage Rate
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail. com
At a called meeting on Fri
day, August 18, the Montgom
ery County Board of Education
voted to roll back the millage
rate past the official rollback
rate to 14.75 mills.
According to the Board,
the official rollback rate for the
Board’s set millage rate would
be 14.95, just slightly less than
the past 15.00 rate for FY23.
Board Chairman Henry Price
explained that the Board had
reviewed the rate with both
the best interest of the schools
and local taxpayers in mind and
came to the solution of setting
the rate at 14.75, and even stat
ed that the Board would look at
lowering the rate even further
in the future, depending on the
tax digests.
Superintendent Stan Rentz
also commented, “With the
cost of benefits to classified
Please see MCBOE page 2A
Hansley Honored As Sweet Onion Citizen
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
A treasured teacher
was honored on Mon
day, August 14, as Mayor
Doug Roper presented
the monthly Sweet Onion
Citizen Award to Carol
Hansley.
“This individual has
served our community
for over 35 years through
the Concerned Citizens
Coalition [whose] focus
is on drug and alcohol
abuse, child abuse, and
teenage pregnancies,”
Roper explained.
Hansley has also
been a member of the
Altama Museum of Art
& History, Fort Valley
State University National
Alumni Association, and
the South Central Chap
ter of the Alumni Asso
ciation. She is currently
a member of the Georgia
Retired Teachers Asso
ciation and the Toombs
County Retired Educa
tors Association, and is
an active member of the
Vidalia Planning & Zon
ing Committee. She also
formerly served with the
Lady of the Year organi
zation and 2022 Vidalia
Athletic Hall of Fame Ex
ecutive Committee.
“Mrs. Carol Hans
ley has been an intricate
Please see VCC page 3A
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
TEACHING SERVICE - Carol Hansley (left) was honored with the Sweet Onion Citi
zen Award by Mayor Doug Roper (right) at the recent Vidalia City Council meet
ing on Monday, August 14, Hansley was praised for her dedication to teaching
youth, but also for her value of community service, which she worked to help
inspire within others,
