Newspaper Page Text
The Lyons Progress Established 1894
Vol. 126 NO. 40
National
4-H Week
See Page 10A
Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia 75$ October 4, 2023
The Vidalia Advance Established 1901
Inside
This Week
nee
“Barbecue is
the poetry of the
South. It’s its
own art form.”
- Myron Mixon
News
BYTES
It's Goin'
Down in the
Toombs
The annual It's Goin'
Down in the Toombs
rodeo, which features
bulls, broncs, and bar
rel racing - will be
held at the Toombs
County Ag Center on
October 14-15. The ro
deo will begin at 6
p.m. each night. Tick
ets cost $15 for adults,
$10 for kids, and chil
dren ages 6 & under
get in free. For more
information call Stacy
Stanley at (478) 588-
1353 or Alayna Stanley
at (912) 585-1940.
Faith & Blue
The Lyons Police De
partment and other
leaders in the commu
nity have partnered to
bring the 4th Annual
Faith 8c Blue commu
nity worship event
back to the city. The
event will be held in
the Toombs County
High School audito
rium at 6 p.m. on
Monday, October 9.
For more information,
contact Lyons City
Hall at (912) 526-3626.
Change of
Meeting
Dates
The Vidalia City Coun
cil has changed their
regular monthly meet
ing date for the up
coming meeting to
Tuesday, October 10,
at 6 p.m. within the Vi
dalia Municipal An
nex, and the Vidalia
City Schools Board of
Education have
moved their regular
monthly meeting from
5 p.m. to 4 p.m. on
Tuesday, October 10.
IN THIS ISSUE
Editorials Page 6A
Obituaries Page 15A
From the Record Page 20A
Your Mind On Line Page 22A
Sports Page 1 B
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By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail. com
Light the grill and
bring your appetite. The
annual Real Squeal BBQ.
& Music Festival is back
this weekend to deter
mine who has the best
barbecue around! This
year, the competition
is fierce as several local
competitors come out to
test their skills in both the
professional and amateur
barbecue competitions.
Sweet Onion Social
and the Red Stag will go
head-to-head with re
turning contenders Sum
mer’s BBQ.& Stew and B
& B Barbecue, who both
racked up placements
within the Top 6 in every
Backyard BBQ. category
last year. Bearded Pig
BBQi Pi Kappa Hog, and
I.B.O.K. Holy Smokers
will also be competing
for the ultimate bragging
rights in amateur sauce,
chicken, and pork ribs.
A total of $1,350 in
prizes is available, as the
grand champion will take
home $350 and the re
serve grand champion will
Please see Squeal page 2A
Community Turns
Out For Meadows’
60th Anniversary
Photo by Evan Riekhof
JOB WELL DONE - Dr, Benjamin Neely, center, was presented a Lifetime Achieve
ment award during Memorial Health Meadows Hospital's 60th anniversary cel
ebration. Dr. Neely was recognized for 55 years of devoted service to Meadows
Hospital and the community. Also shown, from left, are Meadows CEO Matt
Hasbrouck, Mrs. Susanne Neely, and Meadows CMO Karen McColl.
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail. com
Memorial Health Meadows Hos
pital marked its 60th anniversary at a
festive event on Tuesday, September
26, in the hospital’s lobby. The eve
ning was filled with tributes, music,
food, and fellowship as the community
turned out to help celebrate the mo
mentous occasion.
One of the highlights of the night
was a presentation to local physician
Dr. Benjamin Neely, who was surprised
with an award for his contributions to
the hospital and the community since
moving to Vidalia in 1967. Dr. Neely
was appointed to the Meadows medi
cal staff on February 13, 1968, and
continues to serve as a member of the
staff. “He has been a part of the Mead-
Please see MHMH page 4A
Stephens Named
Lyons Citizen
Of The Year
Photo By: Makaylee Randolph
PASSING THE TORCH - 2022 Lyons Citizen of the Year
Lucretia Nobles (right) announced Raymond Kim
Stephens (left) as the 2023 Lyons Citizen of the Year
at the annual banquet on Thursday, September 28.
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Longtime youth mentor and Lyons citizen
Raymond Kim Stephens was honored on Thurs
day night, September 28, as he was named the Ly
ons Citizen of the Year.
“I don’t feel like I deserve any of this - I re
ally don’t,” Stephens reacted upon the announce
ment of the award. “It’s a great achievement for me,
and I have done something that I feel like my dad
would have wanted me to do years ago. I just work
hard - that’s all I can say about this. I’m trying to
do the best I can for my community, and of course,
I do love working with these kids. I don’t know
what to say, this is just amazing. I think there’s a
Please see Lyons page 5A
