Newspaper Page Text
Your Newspaper - Toombs, Montgomery & Wheeler County, Georgia 75$ January 31, 2024
Vol. 127 No. 5
Hagan
Re-Introduces
Soapbox
Derby Bill
See Page 5A
The Vidalia Advance Established 1901
I can’t change the
direction of the wind,
but I can adjust my
sails to always reach
my destination.
-Jimmy Dean
News
BYTES
Steel
Magnolias
Franklinia Playhouse will
perform their take on
the classic film Steel
Magnolias on February
8-10. The performances
will be held nightly at 7
p.m. at Southeastern
Technical College, and
an additional Saturday
matinee show will be
held at 2 p.m. on
February 10. Tickets are
required and may be
purchased online at the
Playhouse's website, or
at the door. For more
information, call (912)
293-5060.
Together, A
Portrait of
Americans
The Altama Museum of
Art & History will feature
a gallery of paintings by
David Salerno available
for viewing until
February 23. These
paintings detail both the
similar and unique
experiences of being an
American. For more
information, call the
museum at (912) 537-
1911.
Chocolate Walk
The Downtown Vidalia
Association (DVA) will
host their annual
Chocolate Walk from 10
a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on
Saturday, February 10.
This event requires
tickets for participation,
and will feature sales,
goodies, and more for
shoppers. Tickets are
$10 each and are
available at Peppy's,
located a 107 Jackson
Street, and Merle
Norman, located at 906
E. First Street. For more
information, call the
DVA at (912) 537-8033.
IN THIS ISSUE
Editorials Page 6A
Obituaries Page 8A
From the Record Page 5A
Your Mind On Line Page 5A
Sports Page 1 B
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2nd Suspect Arrested
In Lyons Murder
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
The Lyons Police De
partment has made the
second and last anticipat
ed arrest in the December
2023 murder of a Hazle-
hurst man.
On Wednesday Jan
uary 24, police arrested
Tyquan Tyhee Toby 22,
of Lyons, and charged
him with possession of
a firearm or knife during
certain crimes, aggravat
ed assault (two counts),
felony murder, malice
murder, and possession
of a firearm by a convict
ed felon for his suspected
role in the killing of Bran
don Green, 23, of Hazle-
Tyquan Tyhee Toby
hurst. Toby was identi
fied as a suspect in the
case by the Lyons Police
Department and Georgia
Bureau of Investigation.
Green was discov
ered with a gunshot
wound to the neck on
352 East Grady Street in
Lyons and was transport
ed to Memorial Health
Meadows Hospital in
Vidalia where he suc
cumbed to his injuries.
Thanks to community
involvement, authorities
were able to gather infor
mation and evidence that
helped move the investi
gation along.
Dalton Holcombe
was also arrested on
Please see Lyons page 5A
MoCo Citizens Speak Out at BOE
Photos by Makaylee Randolph
IMPACTING STUDENTS - Charles Page told the Board that purchasing an eyesight
screening machine for the district could have extensive impacts on the students'
lives.
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail. com
Three citizens ad
dressed the Montgom
ery County Board of
Education about their
concerns with recent
leadership actions and
decisions during the
Board’s regular monthly
meeting on Monday,
January 16.
Dana Goode - a
special education teach
er mentor who helped
guide a teacher within
the school system -
spoke to the Board about
her concerns with the
conduct and structure of
the district’s special edu
cation department.
Goode began her
address by explain
ing that she had an in-
depth understanding
and knowledge of spe
cial education, which
began when she was 3
years-old, as she grew
up watching her mother
assist adults with dis
abilities to transition
into the workforce. “As
a result, I was able to
observe firsthand adults
with disabilities become
homeowners, earn driv
er’s licenses, and gain
employment with in
surance and retirement
plans - all made possible
because of the collab
orative process between
parents and schools that
began on their first day,”
she commented on the
experience.
Along with this
Please see MoCo page
9A
Voter Registration
Deadline for
Presidential
Preference Primary
Approaching
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
The deadline for
voter registration for the
Presidential Preference
Primary Election is rap
idly approaching, as all
voters interested in vot
ing in the election must
be registered by Mon
day, February 12.
The Presidential
Preference Primary Elec
tion will allow members
of each political party to
select their preference
of which candidate they
wish to represent the
party in the nationwide
General Election in No
vember.
Vying for the Re
publican nomination
is former President
Donald Trump, former
South Carolina Gover
nor Nikki Haley, and
Texas businessman Ryan
Binkley. Fellow former
legislators Ron DeSan
tis and Chris Christie,
South Carolina Senator
Tim Scott, and entrepre
neur Vivek Ramaswamy
were in the fight for the
nomination until recent
ly, when they announced
the suspension of their
campaigns. In total, of
the needed 1,215 del
egate votes needed to
secure the nomination,
Trump has collected 32
delegate votes, while
Haley remains at 17 del
egate votes.
In previous Presi-
Please see Primary
page 9A
STC Announces Student
& Instructor of the Year
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
REPRESENTING STC - STC's GOAL Awardee and Rick Perkins Awardee will now
move on to the regional competitions, where they will compete with other
students and instructors to earn one of three slots to advance to the state com
petition, L to R: Rick Perkins Award Winner Sadia Ajohda, STC President Larry
Calhoun, GOAL Student Award Winner Jamie Mallard,
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail. com
Family, friends, and faculty gath
ered in the Tattnall Auditorium of
Southeastern Technical College
(STC) on Tuesday, January 23, as the
college announced the recipients of
the annual GOAL and Rick Perkins
Awards.
Being nominated for the GOAL
Award is one of the highest honors
which an STC student can achieve.
To be eligible for nomination, a stu
dent must have completed at least 12
Please see STC page 1OA