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Vol. 126 No. 41
Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia 75$ October 11, 2023
Life is what
happens while you
are busy making
other plans.
- John Lennon
News
BYTES
Food Truck
Fest
Downtown Vidalia will
host their annual Food
Truck Fest on Saturday,
October 14, from 11
a.m. until 8 p.m. The
event will run through
out the Downtown area
surrounding The Pal The
atre and Ronnie A.
Dixon City Park and will
feature live music, food
trucks, and vendors. For
more information, call
the Downtown Vidalia
Association at (912) 537-
8033.
MoCo Fall
Festival
The Montgomery
County Future Farmers
of America (FFA) will
host a Fall Festival for
the public from 6 p.m.
until 8 p.m. on Thursday,
October 19, at the
Montgomery County
Middle School Gym.
"Pumpkin Passes" will be
required to play games
and may be purchased
at the event. Attendees
may bring 5 canned
goods to donate to the
food drive to trade for
"pumpkin passes." For
more information, con
tact the Montgomery
County FHigh School at
(912) 583-2296.
T-Shirt Design
Contest
The Vidalia Onion Fes
tival committee is ac
cepting potential t-
shirt designs as a part
of their T-Shirt Design
Contest. Winner will
receive 1 free t-shirt, a
concert ticket, an air
show ticket, and $100.
For guidelines or sub
missions, email
Inew814@gmail.com
IN THIS ISSUE
Editorials Page 6A
Obituaries Page 8A
From the Record Page 5A
Your Mind On Line Page 10A
Sports Page 1 B
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A Squealin' Good Time
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail. com
This year’s Real Squeal BBQ.& Music
Festival brought excitement, competition,
and fun to Lyons as barbecue teams fought
for monetary prizes and bragging rights.
It was two college fraternity brothers of
Lyons Police Chief Wesley Walker that took
home a total of $650, winning the Grand
Champion title and both the Backyard
Chicken and Backyard Ribs competitions.
The team, which called themselves Pi Kap
pa Hog, was composed of Phil Rosomano
of Jacksonville, Florida, and Steve Walsh of
Moultrie. The men were unable to attend
the awards ceremony to receive their prize,
but Walker assured that he would inform
them of the success.
B & B Barbeque was not far behind,
clinching the title of Reserve Grand Cham
pion and 2nd Place in both the Backyard
competition categories, totaling $500 in
cash prizes.
The Professional Barbecue Competi
tion was fierce, with multiple scores near
ing perfection. Professional Competition
Grand Champion Team Yes, Dear BBQ_has
been competing at the Real Squeal for a de
cade, but never achieved the ultimate honor
of being named Grand Champion until this
Please see Squeal page 10A
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
GRILLIN' UP FUN - This year's competition brought over 30 barbecue teams to compete
in either the Professional or Backyard Barbeque competitions in several categories, in
cluding sauce, chicken, ribs, brisket, and more.
Early Voting Opens Monday
By Makaylee Randolph and
Deborah Clark
Citizens in Glenwood,
Mount Vernon, Vidalia, and Ly
ons will be able to begin visiting
the polls on Monday, October
16, as the early voting period
begins in preparation for the
municipal elections on Novem
ber?.
In Glenwood, several City
Council posts and the mayoral
seat will be on the ballot, as well
as a Special Local Option Sales
Tax (SPLOST) referendum.
Also, for the first time in 40
years, long-time Mayor and busi
nessman G.M. Joiner will have
opposition as he tosses his hat
into the political ring one more Council seats are also up for
time. Ava Bess Jones, a teacher, grabs and two newcomers are
is challenging Joiner for the post, challenging four incumbents for
The five Glenwood City the positions. One of the long
time Council members, Winston
Powell, will not seek reelection.
Janaria Bryant, an assistant
shift supervisor at Wheeler Cor
rectional Facility, and Thomas
Matthew Johnson, a lineman
with Altamaha EMC, will be
running against incumbents
Cynthia Kinchen, Eric Walter
Lee Pearce, Billy Thigpen, and
Wesley Ray Yawn. The top five
voter getters will win the at-large
posts.
Early voting in Glenwood
will be held at the Registrar’s Of
fice at 16 West Forest Avenue,
Suite 101 B (multi-purpose
center) in Alamo, and will be
gin Monday, October 16, and
Please see Vote page 4A
Kemp Extends
Gasoline Tax
Suspension
By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
Gov. Brian Kemp
has extended the tempo
rary suspension of Geor
gia’s sales tax on gasoline
and other motor fuels
for another month.
The Republican
governor cited ongoing
inflation and an uncer
tain economy caused by
what he called irrespon
sible policies at the fed
eral level for the need to
keep the suspension he
ordered last month in ef
fect. The suspension will
run through Nov. 11.
“We’re taking action
at the state level to de
liver relief to hardwork
ing Georgians fighting
through Bidenflation,
soaring interest rates,
and sky-high prices due
to Bidenomics,” Kemp
said Friday.
The average price of
regular gasoline in Geor-
Please see Gas page 10A
Bill to Honor Mount Vernon
Fallen Soldier Passes House
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
The U.S. Post Office in Mount
Vernon could soon have anew name,
as Representative Rick Allen’s bill to
rename the post office after Second
Lieutenant Patrick Palmer Calhoun
has unanimously passed in the U.S.
House of Representatives.
"I rise today to recognize the
life of an American patriot, Viet
nam veteran, and amazing man who
couldn’t be more deserving of hav
ing his name displayed on the U.S.
Post Office in Mount Vernon, Geor
gia,” Allen told the House during his
presentation.
Allen presented a narrative
biography of Calhoun’s life, as he
highlighted the native’s personal
and professional victories. “Second
Lieutenant Patrick Palmer Calhoun,
2nd Lieutenant Patrick Palmer
Calhoun.
a native of Mount Vernon, Georgia
- located in the 12th District - was
born on March 19, 1941,” Allen
Please see Calhoun page 10A
