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LETTERS
TOSAMTA
Mail your letters to:
SANTA LETTERS
c/o Ahuance
205 E. 1st Street, Vidalia, GA 30475
Deadline is
December 5.
The Vidalia Advance Established 1901 The Lyons Progress Established 1894
ncc
Vol. 126 No. 48
Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia 75$ November 29, 2023
Progress is man’s
ability to
complicate
simplicity.
- Thor Heyerdahl
It's Beginning to Look
A Lot Like Christmas
News
BYTES
Christmas in
Dixie
The annual Christmas in
Dixie celebration will be
held from 10 a.m. until 6
p.m. on Saturday,
December 9, in front of
Wholesale Customs in
Higgston. The event will
feature a car show, arts
& crafts, live music,
Santa's train ride, slides,
vendors, and more. For
more information,
contact Wholesale
Customs at (912) 537-
8208.
Rich's Memory
Discussion
The Dr. Mark and Tonya
Spivey Public Library will
reminisce on the past
Rich's establishment in
Vidalia with a chat with
Rich s A Southern
Tradition Author Jeff
Clemmons at 1 p.m. on
Saturday, December 2.
Signed copies of the
book will be available.
For more information,
call (912) 537-9283.
Mistletoe on
Main
The Toombs County
Schools Special
Education Department
will host the annual
Mistletoe on Main
Market from 10 a.m.
until 1 p.m. at the
Toombs County Ag
Center on Thursday,
December 7. The
market will feature
several items, including
those made by
individuals with special
needs. For more
information, contact
Toombs County Schools
at (912) 526-3141.
IN THIS ISSUE
Editorials Page 6A
Obituaries Page 8A
From the Record Page 5A
Your Mind On Line Page 2A
Sports Page 1 B
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BRINGING CHRISTMAS CHEER TO THE AREA - Kids are sure to see Santa and enjoy all the fun of the holi
days with several activities planned throughout the area this month,
Parades
• The Lyons Lighted
Christmas Parade will illumi
nate the streets at 6 p.m. on Fri
day December 1. The parade
Please see Christmas page 5A
By Makaylee Randolph &
Deborah Clark
The Christmas Season has
begun, and the air is filled with
cheer! As we enter December
this week, several events and
traditions celebrating the holi
days will keep families busy
and festive throughout this
magical time.
Toombs County
Toombs County first be
gan their kickoff to the season
on Tuesday, November 28, as
the City of Vidalia held their
annual Christmas Tree Light
ing at Ronnie A. Dixon City
Park. Yet, that event was merely
the start to a series of festivities
designed to ensure all remain
holly and jolly throughout the
month.
GBI Releases
More High
Speed Chase
Details
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail. com
The Georgia Bureau
of Investigation (GBI)
has released more details
about a high-speed chase
that began in Laurens
County and ended with
a crash in Montgomery
County.
According to the
agency, at around 3:45
p.m. on Sunday, Novem
ber 19, a Laurens County
sheriff’s deputy pulled
over Kadeem Amir Wick
er, 32, of Wrightsville, on
Interstate 16 for reckless
driving. Quickly, the rou
tine traffic stop escalated
when Wicker drove away
as the deputy approached
the vehicle.
This action began a
pursuit that continued
into Treutlen County, dur
ing which the Treutlen
County Sheriff’s Office
began to assist. Wicker
fired multiple rounds of
shots at both the Laurens
and Treutlen County dep
uties as he led the group
into Montgomery County,
along Georgia Highway
221. According to Mont
gomery County Sheriff
Doug Maybin, Montgom
ery County sheriff’s depu
ties were en route to assist
with the chase, which end
ed before their arrival.
Once into Montgom
ery County, a Treutlen
County deputy performed
a PIT maneuver in at
tempt to end the chase,
which caused Wicker to
wreck along the side of the
highway just before reach
ing Georgia Highway 199.
Wicker was injured in
the crash and taken to the
hospital where he remains.
Both drugs and firearms
were found in Wicker’s ve
hicle.
The Georgia State Pa
trol is investigating the ac
cident, while the GBI is in
vestigating the aggravated
assault (shots fired) upon
the deputies. Anyone with
information is asked to
contact the GBI Eastman
Office at 478-374-6988.
Anonymous tips can also
be submitted by calling
1-800-597-TIPS (8477),
online at https: //gbi.
georgia.gov/ submit-tips-
online, or by downloading
the See Something, Send
Something mobile app.
MoCo Board of Tax
Assessors Gives Update
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
The Montgomery County
Board of Tax Assessors gave an up
date on the county’s search for a
Chief Appraiser during a regular
monthly meeting on Thursday, No
vember 16.
According to the Board, no ap
plications or resumes have been
submitted for the county’s Chief
Appraiser position, which was re
cently vacated due to former Chief
Appraiser Julie Adams’ resignation
last month. When discussing this
matter, Board member Chad Har
rison emphasized the difficulty of
finding a Level 4 Appraiser, stating
that most of the state offices are
struggling to fill these positions be
cause of the lack of appraisers with
Please see MoCo page 2A
Five More Men Restored
GRADUATES - The graduation on November 18 marked the 3rd time which
Forge has graduated men from the facility, proving the center's success in
restoring men to lives of freedom, hope, and purpose. Front, L to R—Whit
field Boyd, Jacob Brannon. Back, L to R - Patrick Bowen, Caleb Beasley,
Heath Boney.
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Five more men were restored to
a life of freedom, hope, and purpose,
thanks to Forge Men’s Recovery
Center, who celebrated the men’s
graduation from the Center with a
ceremony at the Blue Marquee on
Saturday, November 18.
Jacob Brannon, Patrick Bowen,
Whitfield Boyd, Caleb Beasley, and
Heath Boney will now utilize the
tools and character gained through
their time at Forge to reintegrate
themselves into a life of sobriety out
side of the facility’s walls. This grad-
Please see Forge page 2A
