Posted on June 18, 2025 theadvance_20250618_b_6-18-25_vid_03_w-opt_art_3.xml
The Advance Get all the local news you need on your computer, smart phone or tablet. $ 95 5 mo. With Honor and Respect for Those Who Served Vol.122No.22 Inproportionas yougivethestate powertodothings YourNewspaper-Toombs,Montgomery& WheelerCounty,Georgia May27,2020 IS ONLINE! foryou,yougiveit powertodothings Free toyou. -AlbertJayNock Testingin Glenwood TheSouthCentral COVID-19 In1971,Congressdes-ignated thelastMondayin MayasMemorialDay,ana-tional holidaytocommem-orate themenandwomen HealthDistrictissponsoring freedrive-upCOVID-19 testinginGlenwoodon whodiedwhileserving theircountryinthemilitary service.Anationalmoment ofremembrancetakesplace Monday,June1,from11 a.m.until3p.m.Noreferral isneededforthetest.The at3:00p.m.localtimeon testsiteislocatedatthe OldMiddleSchool,503S.W. ThirdAvenue,Glenwood. MemorialDay. Formoreinformation,call VeteransDayisob-served annuallyonNovem-ber 478-275-6570. 11eachyearandisaday setasidetohonorallmen andwomenwhoservedin “CountMeIn!” themilitaryduringwaror peacetime. CensusEvents TheMontgomery In2017,theLionsLy-ons Clubcreatedaproject tohonorthesacrificesof deceasedToombsCounty veteranswhoservedour CountyCommission, country in the Armed www.theadvancenews.com MontgomeryCounty Library,Tri-CountyFamily Forces.TheLyonsLions Clubandits60members Connectionandthe withhelpfromstudents MontgomeryCounty atToombsCountyHigh Schoolsarepartneringto sponsorCensus2020events inMontgomeryCounty.For details,Seepage3A. andtheLeoClubofRob-ert ToombsAcademyand theCityofLyonsconstruct- Pleasesee Crosses page 2A ByDeborahClark RegionalEditor dclarkadvance@gmail.com KEEPINGPATRIOTISMATTHEFOREFRONT—MembersoftheLyonsLionsClub,thecivicorganizationresponsiblefortheme-morial crossesandflags,poseinfrontofthestreet-longdisplayonVictoryDrive.LtoR:JasonHall,ClubPresident,James Thompson,Jimmy“Spook”Alexander,WayneWheeler,LucretiaNobles,AlysaMarsciano,JillO’NealandDarrellNobles. News PhotobyWilliamLedford Vol.122No.22 BYTES Inproportionas yougivethestate powertodothings foryou,yougiveit powertodothings toyou. -AlbertJayNock YourNewspaper-Toombs,Montgomery& WheelerCounty,Georgia May27,2020 INTHISISSUE Afteralmostaquartercentury atherpostastheToombsCoun-ty sheriff’ssecretary,itishardfor JohnnieJeanBranchtoretire,but Free COVID-19 Editorials...........................Page Obituaries.........................Page YourMindOnLine...........Page9A Sports................................Page SeePage 4A 6A asshesaid,“Whenyougettobe 77yearsold,itistimetogohome androckonthefrontporch.” Johnniewas52yearsofage GBIInvestigatingin Alamo;NoArrestsMade Testingin Glenwood TheSouthCentral HealthDistrictissponsoring 1B 10A shared. whenToombsCountySheriff CharlesDursthiredhertowork asareceptionistatthecountyjail. Shesoonascendedtotheposition ofsecretary,ajobpreviouslyheld byBillieJones.Mrs.Joneshad beensecretarytherefor40years andshebrieflyreturnedfromre-tirement tomentorMrs.Branch.“I alwayscalledher‘myteach,’”John-nie Johnniechuckledwhenshe relatedhowshejoinedthesheriff’s office.Itwasjustaftershehadlost herjobof25yearsatLyonsManu-facturing inRosebud.Theplant closed,andpriortothat,Johnnie hadworkedatOxfordShirtCom-pany theGBIstatedintherelease. ByDeborahClark RegionalEditor free dclarkadvance@gmail.com drive-up COVID-19 testinginGlenwoodon Monday,June1,from11 a.m.until3p.m.Noreferral isneededforthetest.The testsiteislocatedatthe OldMiddleSchool,503S.W. ThirdAvenue,Glenwood. Formoreinformation,call 478-275-6570. In1971,Congressdes-ignated thelastMondayin MayasMemorialDay,ana-tional holidaytocommem-orate PhotobyWilliamLedford for10years.“Myhusband, Jack,knewthesheriff.Ijusthap-pened toseehiminthepostoffice AWheelerCountymanwasshotand killedandtwoothersinjuredinashootingthat occurredearlySunday,May24,inAlamo. “CountMeIn!” themenandwomen BITTERSWEET—After24yearsofservice,JohnnieBranch, aboveatherdesk,isretiringfromherpositionassecre-tary totheToombsCountySheriff.ShewashiredbySher-iff CharlesDurstin1996andhasworkedwithSheriffAlvie Kight,standing,above,forthepast22years.Johnnieis onedayandtoldhimIhadlostmy jobwhentheplantclosed.Iasked himjokinglyifhehadanything Icoulddo.”Thenextthingshe RonestraKotoyaWilliams,42,ofAlamo, diedinanincidentat#4BluebirdLane,the GeorgiaBureauofInvestigationreportedin apressrelease.TheGBIwascalledinshortly after2a.m.SundaytoassisttheAlamoPolice Departmentinprobingtheshootingthattook placeduringahighschoolgraduationpartyat whichmultipleindividualsexchangedgunfire, Asofpresstime,noarrestshavebeenmade. MichaelWaddell,26,ofMcRae,was woundedintheincidentandislistedincriti-cal condition.IndiaHarris,18,receivedanon-threatening gunshotwoundandisbeingtreat-ed forherinjuries,theGBIreported. Theinvestigationisactiveandongoing. Anyonewithinformationregardingthisinves-tigation isaskedtocontacttheGBI’sRegion12 Eastmanofficeat478-374-6988ortheAlamo PoliceDepartmentat912-568-7153. INTHISISSUE Editorials...........................Page Obituaries.........................Page CensusEvents YourMindOnLine...........Page9A 4A 6A TheMontgomery CountyCommission, whodiedwhileserving theircountryinthemilitary service.Anationalmoment ofremembrancetakesplace MontgomeryCounty at3:00p.m.localtimeon MemorialDay. VeteransDayisob-served Pleasesee Crosses page 2A KEEPINGPATRIOTISMATTHEFOREFRONT—MembersoftheLyonsLionsClub,thecivicorganizationresponsibleforthememorial crossesandflags,poseinfrontofthestreet-longdisplayonVictoryDrive.LtoR:JasonHall,ClubPresident,James Thompson,Jimmy“Spook”Alexander,WayneWheeler,LucretiaNobles,AlysaMarsciano,JillO’NealandDarrellNobles. lookingforwardtoretirementbutadmitsleavingherfamily atthesheriff’sofficeisbittersweet. Pleasesee knew,shewasbeinginterviewed Branch page 3A Sports................................Page Library,Tri-CountyFamily Connectionandthe MontgomeryCounty Schoolsarepartneringto sponsorCensus2020events annuallyonNovem-ber inMontgomeryCounty.For 11eachyearandisaday setasidetohonorallmen andwomenwhoservedin themilitaryduringwaror peacetime. In2017,theLionsLy-ons details,Seepage3A. Clubcreatedaproject tohonorthesacrificesof deceasedToombsCounty veteranswhoservedour countryintheArmed Forces.TheLyonsLions Clubandits60members withhelpfromstudents atToombsCountyHigh andtheLeoClubofRob-ert ToombsAcademyand theCityofLyonsconstruct- Pleasesee Crosses page 2A KEEPINGPATRIOTISMATTHEFOREFRONT—MembersoftheLyonsLionsClub,thecivicorganizationresponsiblefortheme-morial crossesandflags,poseinfrontofthestreet-longdisplayonVictoryDrive.LtoR:JasonHall,ClubPresident,James Thompson,Jimmy“Spook”Alexander,WayneWheeler,LucretiaNobles,AlysaMarsciano,JillO’NealandDarrellNobles. PhotobyWilliamLedford 1B SeePage 10A Tegus? ByDeborahClark RegionalEditor dclarkadvance@gmail.com BITTERSWEET—After24yearsofservice,JohnnieBranch, aboveatherdesk,isretiringfromherpositionassecre-tary PhotobyWilliamLedford totheToombsCountySheriff.ShewashiredbySher-iff Afteralmostaquartercentury CharlesDurstin1996andhasworkedwithSheriffAlvie Kight,standing,above,forthepast22years.Johnnieis atherpostastheToombsCoun-ty sheriff’ssecretary,itishardfor JohnnieJeanBranchtoretire,but asshesaid,“Whenyougettobe lookingforwardtoretirementbutadmitsleavingherfamily atthesheriff’sofficeisbittersweet. Pleasesee Branch page 3A 77yearsold,itistimetogohome androckonthefrontporch.” Johnniewas52yearsofage whenToombsCountySheriff CharlesDursthiredhertowork asareceptionistatthecountyjail. Shesoonascendedtotheposition ofsecretary,ajobpreviouslyheld byBillieJones.Mrs.Joneshad beensecretarytherefor40years andshebrieflyreturnedfromre-tirement tomentorMrs.Branch.“I alwayscalledher‘myteach,’”John-nie shared. Johnniechuckledwhenshe relatedhowshejoinedthesheriff’s office.Itwasjustaftershehadlost herjobof25yearsatLyonsManu-facturing inRosebud.Theplant closed,andpriortothat,Johnnie hadworkedatOxfordShirtCom-pany for10years.“Myhusband, Jack,knewthesheriff.Ijusthap-pened toseehiminthepostoffice onedayandtoldhimIhadlostmy jobwhentheplantclosed.Iasked himjokinglyifhehadanything Icoulddo.”Thenextthingshe knew,shewasbeinginterviewed GBIInvestigatingin Alamo; NoArrestsMade AWheelerCountymanwasshotand killedandtwoothersinjuredinashootingthat occurredearlySunday,May24,inAlamo. RonestraKotoyaWilliams,42,ofAlamo, diedinanincidentat#4BluebirdLane,the GeorgiaBureauofInvestigationreportedin apressrelease.TheGBIwascalledinshortly after2a.m.SundaytoassisttheAlamoPolice Departmentinprobingtheshootingthattook placeduringahighschoolgraduationpartyat whichmultipleindividualsexchangedgunfire, theGBIstatedintherelease. Asofpresstime,noarrestshavebeenmade. MichaelWaddell,26,ofMcRae,was woundedintheincidentandislistedincriti-cal condition.IndiaHarris,18,receivedanon-threatening gunshotwoundandisbeingtreat-ed forherinjuries,theGBIreported. Theinvestigationisactiveandongoing. Anyonewithinformationregardingthisinves-tigation isaskedtocontacttheGBI’sRegion12 Eastmanofficeat478-374-6988ortheAlamo PoliceDepartmentat912-568-7153. ByDeborahClark RegionalEditor dclarkadvance@gmail.com PhotobyWilliamLedford ByDeborahClark RegionalEditor dclarkadvance@gmail.com ByDeborahClark RegionalEditor dclarkadvance@gmail.com PhotobyWilliamLedford The Advance Get all the local news you need on your computer, smart phone or tablet. $ 95 5 mo. With Honor and Respect for Those Who Served Vol.122No.22 Inproportionas yougivethestate powertodothings YourNewspaper-Toombs,Montgomery& WheelerCounty,Georgia May27,2020 IS ONLINE! foryou,yougiveit powertodothings Free toyou. -AlbertJayNock Testingin Glenwood TheSouthCentral COVID-19 In1971,Congressdes-ignated thelastMondayin MayasMemorialDay,ana-tional holidaytocommem-orate themenandwomen HealthDistrictissponsoring freedrive-upCOVID-19 testinginGlenwoodon whodiedwhileserving theircountryinthemilitary service.Anationalmoment ofremembrancetakesplace Monday,June1,from11 a.m.until3p.m.Noreferral isneededforthetest.The at3:00p.m.localtimeon testsiteislocatedatthe OldMiddleSchool,503S.W. ThirdAvenue,Glenwood. MemorialDay. Formoreinformation,call VeteransDayisob-served annuallyonNovem-ber 478-275-6570. 11eachyearandisaday setasidetohonorallmen andwomenwhoservedin “CountMeIn!” themilitaryduringwaror peacetime. CensusEvents TheMontgomery In2017,theLionsLy-ons Clubcreatedaproject tohonorthesacrificesof deceasedToombsCounty veteranswhoservedour CountyCommission, country in the Armed www.theadvancenews.com MontgomeryCounty Library,Tri-CountyFamily Forces.TheLyonsLions Clubandits60members Connectionandthe withhelpfromstudents MontgomeryCounty atToombsCountyHigh Schoolsarepartneringto sponsorCensus2020events inMontgomeryCounty.For details,Seepage3A. andtheLeoClubofRob-ert ToombsAcademyand theCityofLyonsconstruct- Pleasesee Crosses page 2A ByDeborahClark RegionalEditor dclarkadvance@gmail.com KEEPINGPATRIOTISMATTHEFOREFRONT—MembersoftheLyonsLionsClub,thecivicorganizationresponsiblefortheme-morial crossesandflags,poseinfrontofthestreet-longdisplayonVictoryDrive.LtoR:JasonHall,ClubPresident,James Thompson,Jimmy“Spook”Alexander,WayneWheeler,LucretiaNobles,AlysaMarsciano,JillO’NealandDarrellNobles. News PhotobyWilliamLedford Vol.122No.22 BYTES Inproportionas yougivethestate powertodothings foryou,yougiveit powertodothings toyou. -AlbertJayNock YourNewspaper-Toombs,Montgomery& WheelerCounty,Georgia May27,2020 INTHISISSUE Afteralmostaquartercentury atherpostastheToombsCoun-ty sheriff’ssecretary,itishardfor JohnnieJeanBranchtoretire,but Free COVID-19 Editorials...........................Page Obituaries.........................Page YourMindOnLine...........Page9A Sports................................Page SeePage 4A 6A asshesaid,“Whenyougettobe 77yearsold,itistimetogohome androckonthefrontporch.” Johnniewas52yearsofage GBIInvestigatingin Alamo;NoArrestsMade Testingin Glenwood TheSouthCentral HealthDistrictissponsoring 1B 10A shared. whenToombsCountySheriff CharlesDursthiredhertowork asareceptionistatthecountyjail. Shesoonascendedtotheposition ofsecretary,ajobpreviouslyheld byBillieJones.Mrs.Joneshad beensecretarytherefor40years andshebrieflyreturnedfromre-tirement tomentorMrs.Branch.“I alwayscalledher‘myteach,’”John-nie Johnniechuckledwhenshe relatedhowshejoinedthesheriff’s office.Itwasjustaftershehadlost herjobof25yearsatLyonsManu-facturing inRosebud.Theplant closed,andpriortothat,Johnnie hadworkedatOxfordShirtCom-pany theGBIstatedintherelease. ByDeborahClark RegionalEditor free dclarkadvance@gmail.com drive-up COVID-19 testinginGlenwoodon Monday,June1,from11 a.m.until3p.m.Noreferral isneededforthetest.The testsiteislocatedatthe OldMiddleSchool,503S.W. ThirdAvenue,Glenwood. Formoreinformation,call 478-275-6570. In1971,Congressdes-ignated thelastMondayin MayasMemorialDay,ana-tional holidaytocommem-orate PhotobyWilliamLedford for10years.“Myhusband, Jack,knewthesheriff.Ijusthap-pened toseehiminthepostoffice AWheelerCountymanwasshotand killedandtwoothersinjuredinashootingthat occurredearlySunday,May24,inAlamo. “CountMeIn!” themenandwomen BITTERSWEET—After24yearsofservice,JohnnieBranch, aboveatherdesk,isretiringfromherpositionassecre-tary totheToombsCountySheriff.ShewashiredbySher-iff CharlesDurstin1996andhasworkedwithSheriffAlvie Kight,standing,above,forthepast22years.Johnnieis onedayandtoldhimIhadlostmy jobwhentheplantclosed.Iasked himjokinglyifhehadanything Icoulddo.”Thenextthingshe RonestraKotoyaWilliams,42,ofAlamo, diedinanincidentat#4BluebirdLane,the GeorgiaBureauofInvestigationreportedin apressrelease.TheGBIwascalledinshortly after2a.m.SundaytoassisttheAlamoPolice Departmentinprobingtheshootingthattook placeduringahighschoolgraduationpartyat whichmultipleindividualsexchangedgunfire, Asofpresstime,noarrestshavebeenmade. MichaelWaddell,26,ofMcRae,was woundedintheincidentandislistedincriti-cal condition.IndiaHarris,18,receivedanon-threatening gunshotwoundandisbeingtreat-ed forherinjuries,theGBIreported. Theinvestigationisactiveandongoing. Anyonewithinformationregardingthisinves-tigation isaskedtocontacttheGBI’sRegion12 Eastmanofficeat478-374-6988ortheAlamo PoliceDepartmentat912-568-7153. INTHISISSUE Editorials...........................Page Obituaries.........................Page CensusEvents YourMindOnLine...........Page9A 4A 6A TheMontgomery CountyCommission, whodiedwhileserving theircountryinthemilitary service.Anationalmoment ofremembrancetakesplace MontgomeryCounty at3:00p.m.localtimeon MemorialDay. VeteransDayisob-served Pleasesee Crosses page 2A KEEPINGPATRIOTISMATTHEFOREFRONT—MembersoftheLyonsLionsClub,thecivicorganizationresponsibleforthememorial crossesandflags,poseinfrontofthestreet-longdisplayonVictoryDrive.LtoR:JasonHall,ClubPresident,James Thompson,Jimmy“Spook”Alexander,WayneWheeler,LucretiaNobles,AlysaMarsciano,JillO’NealandDarrellNobles. lookingforwardtoretirementbutadmitsleavingherfamily atthesheriff’sofficeisbittersweet. Pleasesee knew,shewasbeinginterviewed Branch page 3A Sports................................Page Library,Tri-CountyFamily Connectionandthe MontgomeryCounty Schoolsarepartneringto sponsorCensus2020events annuallyonNovem-ber inMontgomeryCounty.For 11eachyearandisaday setasidetohonorallmen andwomenwhoservedin themilitaryduringwaror peacetime. In2017,theLionsLy-ons details,Seepage3A. Clubcreatedaproject tohonorthesacrificesof deceasedToombsCounty veteranswhoservedour countryintheArmed Forces.TheLyonsLions Clubandits60members withhelpfromstudents atToombsCountyHigh andtheLeoClubofRob-ert ToombsAcademyand theCityofLyonsconstruct- Pleasesee Crosses page 2A KEEPINGPATRIOTISMATTHEFOREFRONT—MembersoftheLyonsLionsClub,thecivicorganizationresponsiblefortheme-morial crossesandflags,poseinfrontofthestreet-longdisplayonVictoryDrive.LtoR:JasonHall,ClubPresident,James Thompson,Jimmy“Spook”Alexander,WayneWheeler,LucretiaNobles,AlysaMarsciano,JillO’NealandDarrellNobles. PhotobyWilliamLedford 1B SeePage 10A Tegus? ByDeborahClark RegionalEditor dclarkadvance@gmail.com BITTERSWEET—After24yearsofservice,JohnnieBranch, aboveatherdesk,isretiringfromherpositionassecre-tary PhotobyWilliamLedford totheToombsCountySheriff.ShewashiredbySher-iff Afteralmostaquartercentury CharlesDurstin1996andhasworkedwithSheriffAlvie Kight,standing,above,forthepast22years.Johnnieis atherpostastheToombsCoun-ty sheriff’ssecretary,itishardfor JohnnieJeanBranchtoretire,but asshesaid,“Whenyougettobe lookingforwardtoretirementbutadmitsleavingherfamily atthesheriff’sofficeisbittersweet. Pleasesee Branch page 3A 77yearsold,itistimetogohome androckonthefrontporch.” Johnniewas52yearsofage whenToombsCountySheriff CharlesDursthiredhertowork asareceptionistatthecountyjail. Shesoonascendedtotheposition ofsecretary,ajobpreviouslyheld byBillieJones.Mrs.Joneshad beensecretarytherefor40years andshebrieflyreturnedfromre-tirement tomentorMrs.Branch.“I alwayscalledher‘myteach,’”John-nie shared. Johnniechuckledwhenshe relatedhowshejoinedthesheriff’s office.Itwasjustaftershehadlost herjobof25yearsatLyonsManu-facturing inRosebud.Theplant closed,andpriortothat,Johnnie hadworkedatOxfordShirtCom-pany for10years.“Myhusband, Jack,knewthesheriff.Ijusthap-pened toseehiminthepostoffice onedayandtoldhimIhadlostmy jobwhentheplantclosed.Iasked himjokinglyifhehadanything Icoulddo.”Thenextthingshe knew,shewasbeinginterviewed GBIInvestigatingin Alamo; NoArrestsMade AWheelerCountymanwasshotand killedandtwoothersinjuredinashootingthat occurredearlySunday,May24,inAlamo. RonestraKotoyaWilliams,42,ofAlamo, diedinanincidentat#4BluebirdLane,the GeorgiaBureauofInvestigationreportedin apressrelease.TheGBIwascalledinshortly after2a.m.SundaytoassisttheAlamoPolice Departmentinprobingtheshootingthattook placeduringahighschoolgraduationpartyat whichmultipleindividualsexchangedgunfire, theGBIstatedintherelease. Asofpresstime,noarrestshavebeenmade. MichaelWaddell,26,ofMcRae,was woundedintheincidentandislistedincriti-cal condition.IndiaHarris,18,receivedanon-threatening gunshotwoundandisbeingtreat-ed forherinjuries,theGBIreported. Theinvestigationisactiveandongoing. Anyonewithinformationregardingthisinves-tigation isaskedtocontacttheGBI’sRegion12 Eastmanofficeat478-374-6988ortheAlamo PoliceDepartmentat912-568-7153. ByDeborahClark RegionalEditor dclarkadvance@gmail.com PhotobyWilliamLedford ByDeborahClark RegionalEditor dclarkadvance@gmail.com ByDeborahClark RegionalEditor dclarkadvance@gmail.com PhotobyWilliamLedford
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