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(51?e Aftuantg The ADVANCE, August 23, 2023/Page 13A
Montgomery County Works Director Resigns
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Montgomery County
Works Director Milton
Fountain reported to the
Commissioners for the last
time at the work session
on Thursday August 10,
as his official resignation
was accepted at the regular
monthly meeting on Mon
day August 14.
According to Foun
tain, he plans to remain a
resident of Montgomery
County, but received a job
offer that he said he could
not deny “I’ve enjoyed it,
but I have an opportunity
that I cannot pass up,” he
emphasized. “I will still be
in the County - I’m not
moving; so, I will be float
ing around and will help in
any way that I can.”
The Commissioners
shared their gratitude for
Fountain. “I want you to
know I appreciate you, I’ve
enjoyed working with you,
and the County is better off
today than it was when you
started,” Commissioner
Tim Williamson told him.
During his final report,
Fountain gave the Commis
sioners advice on current
and upcoming projects and
issues. He suggested that a
drainage system be installed
with the new sidewalks at
the Montgomery County
Sheriff’s Office, and sug
gested that the County’s
backhoe be replaced or
repaired due to problems
that occurred while trying
to utilize the equipment.
Fountain explained that
most recently, an opera
tor attempted to drive the
backhoe across Highway
280 to reach the other side
of the road, and the vehicle
malfunctioned, sending the
equipment and operator
into the ditch. “He was OK,
but it is definitely a safety
issue,” Fountain explained.
He also encouraged the
Commissioners to get the
company that works on the
backhoe to loan the County
a piece of equipment to
utilize during the repair pe
riod.
Fountain also told the
Commissioners to consider
replacing a worn-out part
on one of the County mo
tor graders, and reminded
them that the new motor
grader would be delivered
next month.
He spent the remain
der of his report inform
ing Commissioners of the
progress on the new Road
Department facility, field
seeding at the Recreation
Department, and installa
tion of security cameras at
the Solid Waste Treatment
Facility
Fountain will be re
placed by interim Road
Superintendent Bobby
O’Connor, who was ap
proved for the position at
the meeting on August 14
and will now oversee work
in the county
Several other decisions
were made during the meet
ing, including the transfer
of ownership of the old
Road Department build
ing, located across from
the Montgomery County
Sheriff’s Office, to the City
of Mount Vernon, which
plans to use the property for
improvements to the City’s
water system.
Commissioners agreed
to execute the Transporta
tion Investment Act of 2010
Project Agreement between
the Georgia Department of
Transportation and them
selves to fund the resurfac
ing of Sawmill Road. Also,
Commissioners approved
to apply for a grant through
the Georgia Department
of Natural resources that,
Please see MCC page
14A
MEET DR. LUKE:
A local chiropractor understands what it is like to endure a
health crisis without a correct diagnosis. Today, he restores
hope to his patients at Tri-County Clinic of Chiropractic.
By Amber Lanier Nagle
Luke Moja, D.C., a
chiropractor who recently
joined the team at Tri-
County Clinic of Chiro
practic, says his passion
for helping others regain
their lives comes from his
own personal journey after
Lyme disease left him with
chronic health problems
that took years to diag
nose.
“My illness started
around 2006,” Moja re
calls. “I was in college
[Stetson University in
DeLand, Florida] when
I started having digestive
issues. The following year,
things really fell apart and
my health totally crashed
— continued digestive
issues, extreme fatigue,
brain fog, mood swings,
and other crazy symp
toms. Somehow, I finished
school and graduated, but
something was clearly
wrong with me.”
He had always been an
active, healthy young man
interested in fitness and
athletics. He worked as a
certified personal trainer
and graduated from Stet
son with a degree in Inte
grative Health Sciences in
2008, even though his own
health had abandoned
him. After graduation, he
moved home with his par
ents to search for answers.
“I saw so many doctors
and specialists, but no one
could figure out what was
wrong with me,” he says.
“A few doctors implied my
illness was all in my head
or gave me some vague
diagnosis like, ‘Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome,’ but
I knew there was a rea
son for the decline. I kept
searching for answers.”
His weight dropped
dramatically The once fit,
muscular 6’ 3” young fit
ness guru who was a “pic
ture of health” weighing
in at 190 lbs. was shocked
to see 135 lbs. on his bath
room scale. Other debili
tating symptoms devel
oped including irritability,
insomnia and anxiety.
But in the midst of his
health crisis, Moja never
lost hope that he would
find the answers he was
searching for.
“Thoughts about
giving up popped into
my mind from time to
time, but I was able to get
through the really bad
days,” he says. “I’m lucky.
My family is so support
ive and my faith in Christ
helped me push negative
thoughts out of my head.”
Finally, in 2013, Luke
Moja was diagnosed with
Lyme disease and heavy
metal toxicity from mer
cury, lead, aluminum, and
other toxic metals. Lyme
disease is transmitted by
the bite of an infected
black-legged tick, com
monly known as a deer
tick. He doesn’t know
when or where he was bit
ten, but says that he has
spent a lot of time in the
great outdoors and tick
bites were common.
Though he had an ex
planation for the mysteri
ous illness, the treatment
protocol didn’t heal him
overnight.
“Today, I’m so much
better, but not perfect. I
have ups and downs, and
the Lyme disease still
flares up here and there. I
have improved enough to
work full time, and that’s a
blessing, and I am grateful
for where I am and how far
I have come.”
He says the experience
taught him many valuable
lessons.
“I was a Christian be
fore I got sick, but going
through the experience
has strengthened my belief
and my relationship with
the Lord,” he shares. “Con
tracting Lyme disease and
not knowing what was
wrong with me rocked my
world, but from that ex
perience, I learned to put
God first. I learned to rely
on his strength and not my
own.”
His faith remains
strong. Luke attends Con
nection Church at the
STC Toombs Auditorium
in Vidalia.
He encourages others
facing mysterious illnesses
to be relentless.
“Don’t give up,” he
says. “Find a good doc
tor who will help you find
the root causes of your ill
ness and not just treat the
symptoms.”
In 2018, Moja re
turned to school. He
graduated Summa Cum
Laude from Palmer Col
lege of Chiropractic in
Port Orange, Florida, in
2021. After graduation,
Moja moved to Vidalia
and joined the team at Tri-
County Clinic of Chiro
practic.
“My parents [Dave
and Lynda Moja] and I
moved to Reidsville in
2015, and I was a patient at
Tri-County before going
back to school to become
a doctor,” he says. “And I
interned there during my
final semester of chiro
practic school.”
The staff adores him.
“When he told us of
his interest to go to chiro
practic school himself, we
were very excited for him,
and we kept seeing him
periodically on his school
breaks when he was in
town visiting his parents,”
notes Heidi Reuschling,
D.C., C.S.C.S. “We loved
hearing how school was
going along the way, and
then we were even more
excited when he reached
out to us to do his intern
ship with us. I was really
proud of Dr. Luke for be
ing able to start and finish
chiropractic school with
his class for multiple rea
sons.”
Reuschling knows
how difficult chiropractic
school can be for a student
with no underlying health
conditions, and since she
knew about Moja’s battle
S TRI-COUNTY CLINIC
OF CHIROPRACTIC
with Lyme disease, she
knew it was even more dif
ficult for him to keep a full
schedule and have the en
ergy to get through the rig
orous requirements neces
sary to complete a Doctor
of Chiropractic degree.
“For me, it feels full
circle — to have a positive
influence on a patient that
motivates them to become
a chiropractor, and then
to have the joy of work
ing next to them once they
have their degree!” she
adds.
As for Moja, he says
his own health crisis has
made him a better doctor.
“It has given me a
great deal of compassion,”
he says. “I also feel my ill
ness made me a better lis
tener and helps me relate
to what others are going
through because I have
been through it before, too.
Because of my own health
problems, I researched
natural health and nutri
tion extensively so I have
a lot of knowledge to draw
upon when I’m helping a
patient — more than what
I learned in school. I’m ex
tra motivated to help.”
So far, so good. Moja
says every day is a gift, and
he loves to witness the
progress in each and every
patient he treats.
“I have a heart for peo
ple who are going through
difficult times,” he says. “I
know what it is like to not
be able to do the things you
love, and so it brings me a
great deal of satisfaction to
see them living their lives
again. I love to see a pa
tient’s improvement each
time he or she visits, but
most of all, I love to see
them happy That makes
me happy, too.”
SEE A CHIROPRACTOR
Each year, about 35 million individuals are treat
ed by chiropractors in the United States. Of those, an
overwhelming majority report chiropractic care as
being effective in controlling pain and treating certain
types of injuries and discomfort. Here are three rea
sons to consider chiropractic care.
TO REDUCE OR ALLEVIATE BACK
OR NECK PAIN
Many causes of back and neck pain originate from
irritated nerves and damage to the soft tissues of the
body. Chiropractic care and adjustments can help al
leviate pain or discomfort in the back and neck natu
rally, without the need for addictive pain medications.
WHEN YOU ARE INJURED
If you were injured in a fall or car accident, you
may have undetected musculoskeletal injuries (in
cluding herniated discs, sprains and strains) that
cause pain and discomfort. Many times, chiropractic
care can help alleviate these symptoms.
TO ENHANCE FEELINGS OF
GENERAL WELLNESS
Luke Moja, D.C. explains that 31 pairs of nerve
roots are integrated with the human spine. Pinched
nerves can cause pain and discomfort, and so proper
spine alignment can bring much-needed relief and
make a difference in overall feelings of health and
wellness.
511 Church St., Vidalia, GA, 30474
362 S Main St., Baxley, GA, 31513
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