Toombs County Magazine Fall/Winter 2024

Toombs COUNTY MAGAZINE

UVALDA, GA 30473

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WORKING IT OUT TOGETHER

Bulding on her love for ballet, Maria Gibase brings a new type of fitness to Vidalia.

38 THE FARMER’S MESSAGE

A life of farming provides inspiration for Sam Baker’s sunday message of thanksgiving.

46 BELIEVING TOGETHER

Navigating a Sturge Weber diagnosis, Brynlee Butler’s family learns that love is more powerful than fear.

54 A FAMILY TRADITION

McLemore’s Abattoir has been a multigenerational family favorite for over 80 years.

66 SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE

After proving himself a leader at UGA, Lyons native Bryson Henriott has established himself in the halls of Congress helping our servant leaders.

74 IS YOUR BUSINESS ELIGIBLE FOR TAX CREDITS?

Vidalia’s Rural Zone designation aims to revitalize downtown through economic tax incentives.

76 BUILDING FROM SCRATCH

In pursuit of the American Dream, Dustin Hall has built a business on hard work, thanksgiving and paying it forward.

84 ALL FOR THE TEAM

City of Vidalia Mayor Doug Roper on the challenges of Hurricane Helene and how they’ve helped our community become stronger.

95 WE ARE TOOMBS STRONG

Your thoughts and stories about overcoming one of the worst tragedies to hit Toombs County since its inception.

Hurricane lessons–cliff notes from the early hours of September 27th.

at home

WINTER WONDERFUL

Delicious recipes from Azure Rountree for the coming cold weather months.

RESCAPING YOUR YARD AFTER THE STORM

Enjoy these tips for landscaping your yard after Hurricane Helene.

focus on health

In the aftermath of Helene, HCA Healthcare provided help and resources to staff and their families.

| Scenes of Toombs

| Advertiser’s Index

After Helene, Vidalia Mayor Doug Roper joined community leaders to initiate large-scale relief efforts. Many are familiar with his regular Facebook updates that were like a beacon of light letting people know what was going on, how to get help, and that all would be okay. In this article, Mayor Roper shares his own personal story, the lessons he learned about overcoming, and how to move forward in unity. With this photo, our photographers perfectly captured the spirit of resiliency that has become predominant in Toombs over the last few months.

The word of the year is...resilient

I hate needles, which is why I’ll probably never get a tattoo. The thought of needles makes me feel queasy and faint. I have no idea why, but I confess I’ll drudge through a dose pack over a shot any day. My kids don’t share this sentiment–one is even studying to become a nurse–and they’ve been talking about tattoos since they were preteens. So we quickly developed two rules about tattoos: you have to wait until you’re an adult, so you can bear the responsibility if it doesn’t go well, and 2) if you are going to proclaim something over your body, it better be something good.

When my youngest daughter Emma was about thirteen and in the midst of some teenage crisis, she brought me a canvas she had been painting. The abstract work was a mix of blue, green and purple and stamped in gold across it was the word “Resilience.” She had been having a rough go of it, and now she proudly proclaimed, “Mom, this is my word.”

Two days after she turned eighteen, she called me on the way home from Savannah. “Don’t be mad. I got a tattoo, but it’s meaningful so I think you’ll like it.” It was a simple word on the inside of her wrist in Italian, resiliente. Permanently her word and now permanently ours.

I’ve heard a lot of words over the past couple of months repeatedly–overwhelming, devastating, life-changing...resilient. This is the word that keeps coming back to me, and the word that I see our community embracing above all the others.

Our stories this issue focus on people standing firm in their faith to overcome obstacles and provide for their families. But my favorite stories are the ones you gave us. We are Toombs Strong (page 95) is a collection of thoughts, comments and brief stories about people’s experience with Helene. It reveals that we are much stronger than we realized, and we are all in this recovery together.

There are some silver linings to Helene’s dance through our county that aren’t tangible–time with family on lantern lit porches telling stories with generators humming in the background, talking to neighbors you probably haven’t spoken to in years, being reminded of how great it feels to help others. And maybe, like me, you had the joy of having your grandkids stay with you for two weeks.

Helene was tragic, yes. But how we respond to tragedy shapes our future. For this community, the future is definitely looking shiny and bright. As a proud member, I just want to say, well done Toombs, well done.

keeping the stories alive,

Stephanie Williams Executive Editor

To discover more that Toombs County has to offer, see our business index on page 127!

Toombs County MAGAZINE

PUBLISHER

Red Door Design & Publishing, LLC

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Stephanie Williams

CREATIVE | DESIGN

Stephanie Williams

ASSISTANT MANAGER

Nikki Guzman

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND MEDIA RELATIONS

Madison Beverly SALES

Jennifer Crutchfield

Dottie Hicks

Daphne Walker

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Renée Martin

Ann Owens

Azure Rountree

Teri R. Williams

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jennifer Crutchfield

Ruth English

Evan Riekhof, EZ-E Photography

The Fuller Effect Photography

Daphne Walker

PROOFING

Megan Morris

COVER PHOTO

The Fuller Effect Photography

For more stories, visit us at www.toombscountymagazine.com

Telling stories by candlelight

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TRestoration The Next Chapter

THE STORM IS OVER. IT'S TIME TO REBULD.

BY TERI R. WILLIAMS

The first time U. S. Highway #1 was paved, the state contracted Dannie Elliott Thompson–known as “Big Daddy” to my husband, Clint Williams, and his four older siblings, Coogan, Dannie, Tommie, and Nancy (Stanley)–to complete the Waycross to Augusta portion. Dannie, his wife, Betty, and two daughters, Mary Wyl (Gossett) and Lluuana (Williams), along with workers for D. E. Thompson Trucking, moved from town to town as they paved one section at a time. When it was finished, the highway led people like the infamous Al Capone and renowned writer Margaret Mitchell to the old Elberta Hotel and Restaurant in Lyons, run for many years by Clint’s Great-Aunt Nellie (Wynn).

Over the past months, we’ve watched Highway #1 taken down to its humble beginnings. Section by section, the old concrete road has been removed to make way for a new, four-lane asphalt highway. Living right off #1 in South Thompson Community, we have a front-row seat to the ongoing work. Driving to town, we travel the shifting lanes that accommodate the work as it is being done.

The only thing that separates us from the construction on the highway is – or was – our pond, which Clint’s grandfather built. When the new project began, we were told our pond had to go. Until the work is finished, landscape renovation is impossible. At least we still had a few trees to help block the sight and absorb the sound of passing trucks and vehicles on Highway #1. And then Hurricane Helene took them, too.

We raised our four children on this land and now welcome our grandchildren and great-grandchildren here with unimaginable joy. This land holds our stories in its memory. And, like all stories, another chapter must be written to keep it going.

The story told by the vibrant old Magnolias, Dogwoods, Crepe Myrtles, Red Maples, and pear trees that gave color to fall and announced the promise of Easter in spring along Center Drive and throughout our community were planted long ago. Watching trucks haul away what was left after the storm was heart-breaking. Many were planted by the labor and love of a generation before us. Now it’s our turn to plan and plant for those who will learn from our story and add to it their own.

From Jeremiah 30, a line in verse 18 reads: “…the city will be rebuilt on her ruins…” That’s the amazing beauty of restoration. God uses the ruins of the past as a foundation for the future. Nothing is ever wasted with Him. Even our mistakes can be turned for good. He uses it all. That’s what makes the glory of the later house greater than the first–Restoration (ref. Haggai 2:9).

Clint will always remember Highway #1 for his grandfather’s part in paving the old Dixie Highway, which eventually ran from Maine to Key West. It’s a story our children have heard more than a few times around the Williams table. Once this present road project is through, we’ll build a smaller pond, plant new trees, and write a new chapter in the story that this land bears witness to. And as we restore the land, our restoration story will be a chapter for generations that follow.

A commitment that goes beyond healthcare

When Toombs County was devastated by Hurricane Helene, HCA Healthcare stood by their commitment to care like family by providing help and resources to staff and their families.

Toombs County has experienced a few hurricanes over the years. But certainly nothing like Hurricane Helene, which hit the central Georgia area on the early morning of September 27. The powerful storm devastated the region with tornadoes and high winds. Vidalia mayor Doug Roper told WTOC news, “This is the biggest natural disaster our community has ever faced, bar-none.”

When the sun came up Friday morning, our community’s worst fears were confirmed. “Listening to the storm Thursday night, walking through the facility, we knew it was worse than it was supposed to be,” said Jared Kirby, chief financial officer at Memorial Health Meadows Hospital. Leaders who stayed at the hospital overnight began to hear that most colleagues couldn’t get to work due to downed trees and power lines. The city of Vidalia and the surrounding communities were largely without water, power and cellular phone service.

Showing the power of the HCA Healthcare family, Memorial Health in Savannah sent leaders and staff to assist the Meadows team. HCA Healthcare’s enterprise emergency operations center found resources that could be deployed immediately to Vidalia. Kirby said, “There’s a good chance we would not have been able to stay open if it weren’t for HCA Healthcare.”

As they continued to assess the damage and determine how to best move forward, two important priorities guided their actions.

• How can we support our colleagues so they can care for our patients?

• How can we help our community?

By Friday afternoon, crisis management leaders from HCA Healthcare’s corporate emergency

management team had arrived on-site to work closely with Meadows Hospital and Toombs County emergency management leaders to address the most critical needs. As one of the nation’s largest hospital companies and one with many facilities in hurricane-prone areas, HCA Healthcare has vast experience in preparing for and recovering from storms like Helene. The company’s emergency operations group had already been deploying resources into Florida and Georgia, so they could respond quickly to areas affected by the storm. One of the most critical needs for the hospital and the community was to restore the water supply. HCA Healthcare was able to quickly deploy generators to bring Vidalia’s city water supply back online. City manager Josh Beck said, “They provided us two generators, which was absolutely instrumental in getting not just Vidalia up on water, but also the cities of Lyons and Soperton. HCA Healthcare stepped up in a tremendous way.”

Another immediate need was to provide assistance for Meadows Hospital colleagues and their families. Grocery stores and gas stations were closed. Many employees had serious damage to their homes and property. “Supplies came almost immediately,” said Kirby. Fuel trucks were deployed to Meadows Hospital so that colleagues had gas to get to and from work. A mini-market opened to provide food, bottled water and other household staples. Washers, dryers and supplies arrived so that colleagues could do laundry for their families. Hotel rooms were provided for colleagues whose homes suffered serious damage. And, thousands of hot meals were provided to colleagues and their families. In the days following the storm,

it was common to see colleagues and their families enjoying a meal at the hospital. Food services worker Jennifer Blount and her grandchildren walked for miles to get to the hospital. She said, “That was the only place that I knew that I was going to be able to get help.”

In addition to these much-needed resources, HCA Healthcare also sent in clinical manpower to support Meadows Hospital. There were 28 registered nurses and patient care techs from around the HCA Healthcare network who traveled to Vidalia to cover for colleagues who were impacted by the storm.

Vidalia and the surrounding communities also benefited from the emergency resources made available through HCA Healthcare. In addition to the generators for the city water system, first responders were able to get fuel for their vehicles so they were able to serve the community. Brian Sikes, fire chief for the City of Vidalia, said, “Fire trucks, police cars, everyone was getting close to empty. The fuel trucks they had at the hospital made a big difference.” HCA Healthcare also brought in five ambulances to provide support for EMS services in the area.

In the aftermath of this storm, we see that HCA Healthcare’s commitment to care like family extends to not just its patients but also to its colleagues and community. And, while we hope our region never experiences another storm of this magnitude, it is comforting to know HCA Healthcare stands ready in times of crisis. As Vidalia city manager Josh Beck said, “HCA Healthcare is a valuable resource for the entire region. What they did during this storm…I just can’t say enough good things about them.”

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winter wonderful

Enjoy these delicious recipes on cold winter nights or while celebrating with friends and family during the holidays.

HEARTY

WARM UP THIS WINTER WITH PINTO BEAN CHILI

The days are getting colder and the best way to warm up is with a pot of chili that is simmered to perfection. Just add cheese dip for super delicious Chili Cheese Dogs.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

½ cup diced Onion

1 ¼ pound Ground Beef

1 (27-ounce) can Bush’s Chili Pinto Beans Mild Chili Sauce

1 (15-ounce) can Tomato Sauce

1 (14-ounce) can Petite Diced Tomatoes

1 (1.25-ounce) packet McCormick Original Chili Seasoning Mix

Salt & Pepper (to taste) Corn Chips, Chives & Shredded Cheese (for serving)

Instructions

In a large heavy pot, add olive oil and turn to medium heat. Once hot, sauté onion for 1 to 2 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, then drain and add back to the pot along with pinto beans, tomato sauce, petite diced tomatoes, chili seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour. Serve with your favorite chips, crackers and toppings.

SAVORY

RING IN A NEW YEAR WITH HAM & COLLARDS QUICHE

Start things off right this January with something great like the Ham & Collards Quiche! This amazing recipe has cheesy eggs nestled in diced cooked ham, sautéed onion and collards that have all been baked in a flaky soft crust. With all of this deliciousness in one dish, you are bound to have great fortune in the New Year!

Ingredients

1 frozen Deep Dish Pie Shell (thawed)

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1/3 cup diced Onion

3/4 cup frozen Chopped Collard Greens (absorbed with a paper towel)

3/4 cup Whole Milk

4 large Eggs (beaten)

1 ¾ cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1/2 cup cubed Cooked & Diced Ham

1/2 teaspoon bottled Minced Garlic

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add olive oil to a skillet and turn to medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and collard greens and cook while stirring for around 5 minutes or until the onions are tender. Remove from the stove and let cool. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the whole milk, beaten eggs, shredded cheddar cheese, diced ham, minced garlic, salt, cooled onion and collards. Pour the mixture into the thawed pie shell. Bake on the 3rd (middle) rack for around 40 to 45 minutes or until the center comes out clean when tested with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool slightly, then serve.

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ENJOYING HOLIDAY SOIREES WITH THE CRIMSON COCKTAIL!

The hustle and bustle of Christmas is upon us with gift giving, decorating and parties galore! Bring a hint of red to your special gathering this year with the Crimson Cocktail. It has the perfect blend of cranberry, pomegranate, champagne and orange liqueur with a little sweetness of agave nectar making it a festive drink for your guests to enjoy while taking in all of the sights and sounds this Holiday Season!

Ingredients

2 (750ml) bottles Pink Champagne (chilled)

3 cups Cranberry Pomegranate Juice (chilled)

¼ cup Triple Sec Orange Liqueur

¼ cup Agave Nectar

Instructions

In a large pitcher, combine all of the ingredients, then serve.

SWEET

A TASTE OF CHRISTMAS WITH THE MARBLE PEPPERMINT POUND CAKE

In the season of giving, making those around you feel special this time of year warms the heart and soul. This Christmas, give those you care about a taste of the season with the Marbled Peppermint Pound Cake. With moist beautiful layers of marble red and yellow cake that has a hint of peppermint and then topped with a delicious glaze garnished with crushed peppermints, this treat is most definitely the ultimate gift to give this Holiday season.

Ingredients

3 cups Cake Flour

¼ teaspoon Baking Soda

3 sticks Land of Lakes Unsalted Butter (room temp)

3 cups Sugar

6 large Eggs

1 cup Sour Cream

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

½ teaspoon Peppermint Extract

2 Tablespoons Red Food Coloring Vegetable Shortening (for greasing)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan, then set aside. Combine the cake flour and baking soda, then sift into a mixing bowl and set aside. In a large mixing bowl and with an electric mixer, beat butter while adding the sugar. Beat in the eggs and then sour cream. Beat in the vanilla and peppermint extracts. Transfer half of the batter to another bowl and add the red food coloring and stir until combined. Add half of the yellow batter to the bundt pan and spread, then add half of the red batter and spread. Repeat with remaining batter. Bake on the 3rd (middle) rack for around 1 hour and 40 to 45 minutes or until a cake tester or fork comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 25 minutes, then turn over onto a cake plate. Let cool completely, then make the glaze.

Glaze:

1 ½ cups Powdered Sugar

2 ¼ Tablespoons Milk Crushed Peppermints (for garnish)

Combine powdered sugar and milk until creamy. Drizzle glaze over the cooled cake. Top with crushed peppermints.

Azure Rountree is the wife and mother to four beautiful children. She is a business owner, Autism & Women’s Health Advocate and Public Speaker. She has published two cookbooks, “Family Favorites”, which was published in 2013 and “Kid Friendly Recipes”, which was published in 2015. Her recipes are featured on the Pottery Barn Blog Website and are in ten publications throughout Southeast Georgia. Her famous, “Derby Hat Cake Pops”, have been shared by Southern Living, and she has even been approached by Shark Tank about her business. Azure has a love for cooking and sharing recipes, which is why she enjoys contributing to Toombs County Magazine.

Rescaping your yard after the storm

As you rebuild after Hurricane Helene, take some lessons from the storm and plan your landscape accordingly.

The affects of Hurricane Helene on South Georgia are evident everywhere. After the devastation, hundred year old trees along with acres of younger ones lay strewn for miles across counties like a giant game of pick up sticks. Agricultural landmarks we are all familiar with (turn left past the pecan orchard) are no longer relevant. Entire neighborhoods were suddenly open to light and views of sunsets that had never been seen before.

As homes get repaired and rebuilt one area that will eventually be important to reclaim is landscaping. A look around town quickly reveals that some species are more wind resistant than others. For example, younger loblolly pines appeared to be more resistant than older longleaf pines, but this is mostly due to age and canopy. And not surprisingly, palm trees, which aren’t native to Georgia, had no problems at all.

The strength of these trees has a

lot to do with their root system, their canopy and the water saturation of the ground. A full or uneven canopy can cause a tree to snap easily. Trees in lowlying areas are particularly susceptible to damage when combining heavy rain and wind.

When it’s time to start designing your new landscape, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

Prep the Land

Before planting anything new, remove existing debris, like branches and leaves, and inspect the soil for erosion and drainage issues. When trees fall in low lying areas, they often block the existing flow of water creating issues with water runoff. Make sure storm drains are clear and replace any topsoil removed by flooding. If you have experienced flooding or water in unwanted areas, this is the time to consider adding a retaining wall or changing the topography of your yard to divert water.

When selecting ornamental trees for your yard, look for varieties with strong root systems that are wind tolerant like the Southern Magnolia and the Dogwood. They produce beautiful flowers making an attractive addition to your landscape.

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Start with Trees Small trees can sometimes be saved if they have a trunk diameter smaller than 4 inches and still have roots intact with no twisted trunks. These should be staked and the damaged branches pruned. If planting new, opt for native trees that are wellsuited to climate and soil conditions to avoid future issues with pests and disease. Planting trees in clusters adds additional wind resistance. Also be mindful of power lines and proximity to your home when planting trees that will grow tall. Most importantly, choose varieties that are known for their strength, such as live oaks, bald cypress, crape myrtles, southern magnolias, American holly, red maple, black gum, sycamore and dogwood. While 105 mph winds will challenge any tree, these varieties offer greater endurance.

Keep it Healthy Regularly trim trees and shrubs to maintain a healthy shape and reduce wind resistance. As trees grow, this may require the help of an arborist, but keeping trees in shape helps prevent them from falling during a storm and also ensures dead branches don’t become a hazard.

Redesign your Beds High winds and heavy rains will easily reveal problem areas in your yard–especially where water is concerned. Hopefully, we will never see another hurricane, but if you are redesigning and replanting, why not be prepared? Begin by remove damaged plants and provide support to surviving ones. Introduce soil stabilization techniques to reduce future erosion. Check your gutter situation to see if it properly diverted water from

Found all along the southeast coast, southern live oaks are known for their resistance to hurricanes and strong winds due to a deep tap root that develops into an extensive root system. Their low center of gravity also helps stabilize them during a storm.

your home or if you need to make some adjustments. Add soft mulch that will help new plants establish a strong root system and won’t become damaging projectiles during high winds.

Hardscape When replacing fence, look for hurricane resistant varieties. Again, we hope this will never be needed, but even a high wind can blow your fence into your neighbor’s yard, so take advantage of this opportunity to upgrade to something more durable.

If you need help with forestry

removal, tree pruning, or mulch replacement, we have experts right here in Toombs County.

Working it out Together

Building on a lifetime love of ballet, Maria Gibase introduces a new type of fitness to Vidalia –offering something for everyone.

BY RENÉE MARTIN

PHOTOS BY EVAN RIEKHOF, EZ-E PHOTOGRAPHY

Weights and high-dollar exercise equipment sat untouched. Never was the silence more deafening than that caused by the Covid shutdown in gyms across America. Many never reopened. Among those that survived, masks and distance requirements made a return to group fitness classes practically impossible. Exercise routines, social connections, and overall health suffered. The changes frustrated both gym owners and disciplined gym goers. As the weeks turned into months, Maria Gibase looked for ways to keep active. With her background in ballet, she turned to Barre and began training to pass the Barre certification to become an instructor.

“When Covid hit, I was stuck in my house like everyone else,” she said. “Sure, I could have just sat around all day and watched Netflix.” I smiled politely, knowing that Maria was no more capable of apathy than Mother Teresa of indifference. “I was looking for something to keep me fit, so I tried Pure Barre and other Barre classes in Savannah. Barre uses elements of ballet, Pilates, yoga, and sometimes strength training. With my background, it seemed a good fit.”

Maria’s background was actually in classical ballet. “Growing up, the only thing I did was ballet,” she said. It was her mother’s dream to one day have a daughter she could dress in tulle and pink ballet slippers and dance the Nutcracker. But as the years passed, having a second child for Josephine and Doug Barnhill did not seem possible. “Years after my brother was born, my parents realized that they could not have more children—at least, not in the conventional way,” said Maria. “So, they chose to adopt me,” she smiled.

As soon as she was old enough, Josephine enrolled her daughter in ballet classes at Madeline Walker’s School of Dance. In hindsight, her mother’s dream would prove prophetic. The hope in Josephine’s heart became Maria’s passion and joy. “Classical ballet was all I did,” said Maria. “It was my only hobby. My only pastime. I loved it.”

Maria graduated from St. Vincent’s Academy, an all-girls Catholic school in Savannah, Georgia, in 1985 and continued her education at the University of Georgia. While pursuing her degree in microbiology, she took every dance class available.

In 1989, Maria graduated from UGA and was accepted into optometry school. But plans change, as plans do when love is involved. Instead of optometry school, Maria married Frank.

“Frank and I met right after I graduated from high school,” she said. “We dated the entire time I was at Georgia.” After getting married, Maria and Frank moved to Alabama for him to complete his internship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. A year later, the two moved to Nashville so Frank could complete his residency at Vanderbilt. While in Nashville, their two sons, Frank and Robert, were born.

In 1995, Dr. Gibase took a position in Vidalia, Georgia, as an Anesthesiologist at Meadows Regional Medical Center (now Memorial Health Meadows Hospital.) For over twenty years, he served as Chief of Anesthesiology at MHMH.

Throughout those early years of marriage and motherhood, ballet

was never far from Maria’s heart. “Wherever we lived, I would find a studio and take a class,” she said. When they moved to Vidalia, Maria found an adult ballet class with Christine Wooten. But after her third son, Joseph, was born, there was little time for anything other than raising her children and following their interests and activities. Then, Maria had Tessa.

“When our last child was a girl, I wanted her to have the chance to take classical ballet like I had as a child,” said Maria. So, she started Vidalia Ballet with three other mothers, Elaine Giles, Amelia McShane, and Jami McDonell, and operated the studio under the umbrella of the Savannah Conservatory of Dance. “They would send us teachers, and that’s how we started.”

As different owners and instructors came and went, Maria kept things going. In 2016, Christine Wooten’s daughter, Jennifer Wooten, bought the studio, which has since been renamed The Hive Collective. “Jennifer does an excellent job,” said Maria.

Even after Tessa graduated high school and left home for college, Maria continued to teach classical ballet classes at Jennifer’s studio. If not for the disruption in 2020, Maria might have kept doing just that. But the unplanned break in routine gave time for her to reflect and consider the future.

Classical ballet was never far from Maria’s heart. She discovered her heart’s passion through the beauty of the music and movement. After Tessa was born, ballet was about Tessa. However, in this new season of life, Maria just wanted to stay active to keep herself in shape. At the same time, she said, “I had friends who had depended on the gym for group exercise classes and missed the accountability and connection. Several asked if I would lead a class, so I decided to get my certification as a Barre instructor for myself and for

them.” But it was Brianna Hasbrouck’s support and encouragement that helped Maria turn a plan to help out a few friends into a vision for the community.

Brianna moved to Vidalia in 2021 when her husband, Matthew, took the CEO position at Memorial Health Meadows Hospital. Before she had even unpacked, her new neighbor, Sandy Ponce, came to welcome her to the community. When Sandy learned that Brianna was a Barre instructor, she invited her to Maria’s class.

“When we walked in, she immediately introduced me to Maria as a Barre instructor,” Brianna smiled. “Maria said, ‘Awesome! Are you interested in teaching?’ I kind of laughed and said, ‘Sure.’ Then she asked when I could start. I said, ‘Next week?’ It was crazy. And that’s basically how it started.”

Maria’s seemingly impulsive proposal proved a blessing in more ways than anyone could have imagined. Brianna had an extensive background in fitness and dance that started with her school’s “High Kick” dance team in Minnesota. After graduating college

with a Psychology and Family Studies degree, Brianna coached the high school dance team while working as a family advocate for DFACS.

In 2010, Brianna and her husband, Matthew, moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. Matthew worked as an Administrative Intern at St. Marks Hospital, and Brianna worked with Head Start. As Matthew continued to advance in his work with HCA Healthcare, job opportunities led the family south to Dublin, Georgia, Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia. Each place brought new opportunities for both.

In Dublin, Brianna taught Special Education at the high school. When Addie (now 9) was born, she returned to teaching fitness. Her daughter Brynlee (now 7) was born in Charleston, where Brianna taught at a Barre Above studio. In Savannah, she taught Barre and Yoga classes. When Brianna moved to Vidalia, she held several group fitness certifications, including MOSSA, ACE, and AFFA.

With Maria’s background in ballet and Brianna’s Barre certification, the two made the perfect team. As their friendship deepened and the Barre class grew in size, talk turned to

moving into a place of their own. It was a big conversation for Maria, who knew firsthand the commitment involved after years of supporting and sometimes managing the ballet studio. Classical ballet had been Maria’s world. When Tessa came along, she focused solely on providing ballet classes for Tessa. As she and Brianna talked, Maria felt her heart and purpose shift toward the community, and Brianna was right there to help make it happen.

Downtown Barre—Vidalia opened for business on October 5, 2023, and the community showed up with its support. Instead of two classes a week, Maria and Brianna shared the responsibility of nine to twelve classes a week. Various classes were scheduled throughout the day, including Barre, Adult Beginner Ballet, YogaFlow, Body Sculpting, and Pilates. “The classes are for everyone at any level,” said Maria. “It’s for the one who hasn’t worked out in years. It’s for the person looking for the accountability group exercise offers. We’re here to serve anyone and everyone at any fitness level.”

Ten months after opening Downtown Barre, Brianna learned that Matthew had been offered a position as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at St. Mark Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, where his career began. As Brianna and Matthew talked and prayed, it came down to the best decision for their family. Time would not stand still. While living in Georgia, the distance from family made visits few and far between. Utah would at least bring them closer to home. Still, it didn’t make it easier to leave the community they had both come to love.

Maria felt the loss most of all. Brianna had been an integral part of Downtown Barre and a dear friend. “We are losing our sweet Brianna, my partner and my friend,” she posted on Facebook, “as she moves on to her next adventure. The studio would not exist without her passion and her dedication. I will be forever grateful for this journey with her and for her belief in us and our community…”

As Maria considered how best to move forward without Brianna, she found a community of friends ready to step up and help carry the

“The classes are for everyone at any level, says Maria.” It’s for the one who hasn’t worked out in years. It’s for the person looking for the accountability group exercise offers.

LEFT Brianna Hasbrouck was a key element in the development of Downtown Barre. Not only was she a great friend to Maria, she also brought a wealth of experience to the studio. ABOVE In Brianna's absence, Maria has found a community of friends to step up and help carry the studio forward.

studio forward. In addition to Maria’s classes in Barre, Pilates, and Adult Beginner Ballet, Staci Worth leads the Body Sculpting class, Jennifer Everett teaches Pilates, and Teri Williams leads a YogaFlow class. “There’s literally something for everyone at every level,” said Maria.

Like it or not, every stage of life is a journey of change. Sometimes, as we learned from Covid, change comes without warning. Navigating the unforeseen is part of the journey, but it takes creativity and courage to rise from the ashes of the former way of doing things and move on to something new. I can’t think of a better way to describe Maria than as that phoenix who carries creativity and courage like a crown.

It’s one thing to discover your gift. It’s another to do the work to develop it. When your gift is given to benefit others, its purpose is truly realized. Downtown Barre—Vidalia is Maria’s gift realized and shared with this community.

“This song makes me so happy,” she says as she leads a Barre group to the beat of “Red Solo Cup,” or her latest favorite Ed Sheeran song. Regular exercise and connection with others: Downtown Barre—Vidalia provides both.

The studio is located at 105 East Meadows Street in downtown Vidalia. (The name kind of gives that away.) The first class is free. More information is available on Facebook at The Downtown Barre—Vidalia.

SPA ON FIRST

THERAPEUTIC MASSAGES FOR WELLNESS

Tess Vann

Massage Therapist, LMT MT 014448 Wendy

Massage Therapist, LMT MT001876

Massage Therapist, LMT MT12653

Owners Brandon & Ashley Smith

BY TERI R. WILLIAMS PHOTOS BY DAPHNE WALKER

Farmer's The message

A LIFETIME OF FARMING PROVIDES INSPIRATION FOR SAM BAKER'S MESSAGE OF THANKSGIVING AND HOPE.

“I wish you’d talk about something besides farming,”

said the church member. Far from offended, the pastor of St. Matthews Baptist Church in Mount Vernon took it as a compliment. He was in good company, after all. Many of the teachings of Jesus are parables about agriculture. “I get so many revelations from farming,” said Sam Baker, smiling good-naturedly.

Even with all the cultural changes and technological advancements, the minister/farmer’s Bible teachings are as relevant today as at any other time in history. “[Farmers] produce the crops that help to feed, fuel and clothe a growing world, while caring for the lands and waters on which their livelihoods depend” (nature.org). No matter how much has changed, farming is still the most essential industry today for our wellbeing.

Even with all the new technology of the day, few children put farming at the top of their dream career list, especially those who grow up on a family farm. And yet, Sam found connection and contentment in the communion of laboring with the land to produce a harvest.

Back when almost everybody in the South did some kind of farming, both sides of Sam’s grandparents worked as sharecroppers. In the early 1940s, Henry Baker Sr., his paternal grandfather, bought a few acres of land and established his own farm in the MacGregor Community in Ailey, Georgia. Over time, he added more acreage. After his wife died, Henry Baker Jr., Sam’s father, quit school to help his father with what was now 132 acres of farmland. Henry Jr. had just completed the 7th grade. At twenty, he purchased 121 acres of his own.

In the years that followed, more land was added to the family farm. Like many families in South Georgia during that time, the Bakers

"My dad had a seventh-grade education, but he sacrificed and paid for seven of us to have a college education," said Sam.

OPPOSITE PAGE Today Sam

grew tobacco, peanuts, and corn and raised hogs. Henry Jr., his wife Beatrice, and all the children worked together, learning the life lessons only the land can teach. Working alongside their parents, Sam and his brothers developed a strong work ethic and critical thinking skills.

“My dad had a seventh-grade education, but he sacrificed and paid for seven of us to have a college education,” he said. Sam was sixth in the order of the Baker’s nine children. After graduating from Montgomery High School, he earned a degree in agricultural education from Fort Valley State University. But the timing could not have been more unfavorable for farming as a profession. Historically, the 1980s Farm Crisis may well prove to have been as disastrous to the family farm as the Great Depression of the 1920s. As a result, the landscape of American farms changed.

“My dad and one of my brothers were farming at the time,” said Sam. “My dad suggested I get a job. He smiled and added, “That was a tough time.” From 1980 until 2012, he worked full-time as a farm loan manager for the US Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, and part-time on the farm. His first five years as a loan manager were

operates the family farm with his brothers (Henry, Robert and Alvin).

in Swainsboro, followed by a year in Toombs County. Sam then managed the office in Dublin for ten years and spent his last eighteen years with the USDA working in Jefferson County.

In 1995, he bought land from his father and established his own farm while continuing to work full-time as a loan manager. In 1997, Sam became pastor of the First Baptist Church in Soperton, where he served as a bi-vocational minister until he retired from the Department of Agriculture in 2012 and turned his focus to family, ministry, and farming.

“It’s me and my brothers Henry, Robert, and Alvin now working the farm,” said Sam. In 2017, after twenty years of serving the church in Soperton, Sam took a pastoral position at St. Matthews in Mt. Vernon.

Farming has been an inspiration for Sunday messages and a comfort in times of loss. Every seed planted is a reminder of the process of death and resurrection life. “We’ve always been a close-knit family. This past year has been tough, but it’s made

us more aware of how important it is to spend time together.” From February 2023 to March 2024, they walked through the loss of three family members. In February 2023, the Bakers laid to rest their ninetysix-year-old mother, Beatrice Baker. They buried their brother, Dwight Baker, in August of that same year. The following March 2024, Sam lost his oldest sister, Rosetta Summerset, whom many will remember for her exceptional work as an educator and administrator in the Vidalia school system.

One of the many lessons from farming Sam has taken to heart is the importance of gratitude even amid loss. Often, it is not until we offer a prayer of thanksgiving that our eyes see what can all too easily be taken for granted. When Sam was asked to lead the prayer at the Toombs County Young Farmer’s “Blessing of the Crop” held by the Toombs County Young Farmers this past March (2024), he spoke from personal experience about the power of gratitude.

Every seed planted and every crop harvested on the Baker farm is with prayer and thanksgiving. “We’re taking it one day at a time with faith in God’s goodness and protection,” said Sam. “We just do the one thing at hand and then go on to the next. We are confident that all will be well in the end.”

In addition to farming, Sam currently serves as pastor at St. Mathew's Missionary Baptist Church in Mount Vernon where his farming experience provides a lot of opportunity for parables and lessons.

As every farmer knows, growing crops is a tough job. "We're taking it one day at a time with faith in God's goodness and protection," said Sam. "We are confident that all will be well in the end."

As Sam and his brothers began the long and tedious process of reestablishing what has taken three generations to achieve, it is with thanksgiving for the blessings at hand and the family relationships they share. Like many farming families in our area, Hurricane Helene damaged crops, irrigation systems, and other structures. However, the foundation of hard work and deep-rooted love shared by Sam and his family gave them the strength and resilience to quickly gather what was left of their peanuts and cotton crops while looking forward.

…There ain’t a branch, a root, a twig that You don’t hold account of.…You give us the opportunity to tend that for You. We’re just managers as farmers…” (Prayer by Valdosta Shiloh Pecan Farmer Buck Paulk during a press conference on October 4 following Hurricane Helene; Video by Hrisanthi Pickett on the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer website.)

With all the technological advancements of the past century, the need for God’s blessing on our lives and crops has never changed. Sam’s Sunday sermons are the Creator’s messages to us all—living words that produce a harvest no storm can ever uproot.

Therefore be long-suffering, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer eagerly awaits the precious fruit of the earth exercising longsuffering over it until it receives the early and late rain. -James 5:7

Believing Together

BY

As Brynlee Butler's parents navigate an unforeseen Sturge Weber diagnoses, they discover that love is more powerful than fear.

TERI R. WILLIAMS PHOTOS PROVIDED BY HANNAH DEAN

HHannah Dean planned to become a schoolteacher. After graduating from Vidalia Comprehensive High School in 2022, she started classes at East Georgia College in Swainsboro. Then, in the last semester of her first year, Hannah found out she was pregnant. Even though the pregnancy was unplanned, the new life growing inside her filled her with joy. It was a joy that was beyond comprehension, the joy of a mother’s love.

Brynlee was born on September 21, 2023. Hannah and Brynlee’s father, Ty Butler, were overjoyed. The young parents did not understand the pediatrician’s concerns about the purplish-colored birthmark, known as a port wine stain, on the left of Brynlee’s face. However, the results of an MRI showed enlarged blood vessels on the left side of Brynlee’s brain, which confirmed a diagnosis of SturgeWeber syndrome.

According to rarediseases.org, “One estimate places the incidence at 1 in 20,000-50,000 live births.” Even though

facial birthmarks and neurological abnormalities are the most common characteristics of the disease, “Each case of SturgeWeber Syndrome is unique and exhibits the characterizing findings to varying degrees” (sturge-weber.org). It was a lot for Hannah and Ty to process. Even so, they were confident that their love for their daughter and faith in God would lead them through the days ahead.

Because seizures and glaucoma are common complications with Sturge-Weber, Brynlee was scheduled for doctor appointments at two weeks old with three different specialists at the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta (CHOA). Thankfully, no signs of glaucoma were detected by the ophthalmologist. The

“Sturge Weber was a name I had never heard until September 21, 2023. I never knew how much power that name would hold.” –Hannah Dean

“Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; it is the greater work.”

–Oswald Chambers

vascular doctor advised Hannah on laser treatments for the birthmark.

“He said Brynlee could begin laser treatments for the birthmark at six months as long as she remained seizure-free,” said Hannah. Thirdly, the neurologist took scans of Brynlee’s brain to detect any changes in the future.

“We were advised on all the signs to watch for. Her doctors encouraged Hannah to take Brynlee home and treat her as any normal child,” said Hannah. And that’s what they did—at least, until December 26, 2023.

For updates on Brynlee’s progress, visit Hannah Dean on Facebook.

“Ty and I had taken three-monthold Brynlee to Dublin to have lunch with his dad on his birthday,” said Hannah. “But Brynlee wasn’t feeling well. We took her to the emergency room, and they told us she had the flu.” Brynlee was started on Tamiflu and told simply to watch her closely.

While Ty went in Walmart for formula, Hannah waited in the car with Brynlee. “I noticed that her fist was clenched, and it seemed strange. When Ty got back with the formula, she just started projectile vomiting. Then she went completely limp. We thought we had lost her,” said Hannah.

Brynlee was rushed back to the hospital. When they arrived, Hannah said, “Her gaze had become fixed. I asked the nurse if this might be a seizure, explaining that she was at risk for seizures.” The nurse was adamant that Brynlee’s symptoms were not indicative of a seizure just before her small body began twitching and jerking uncontrollably. That night, Brynlee seized for four hours straight.

“They couldn’t get an IV in for emergency medications,” said Hannah, “so they had to drill into the bone marrow and do an IO.” According to MedicineNet.com, “Intraosseous (IO) cannulation or IO access is a rapid method to administer medications through the bone marrow cavity in a critically ill or injured patient.” “They had to do it twice because they didn’t get it in right the first time,” said Hannah. “But they had to get it in, or we would lose her.”

Brynlee was stabilized and immediately transported to a hospital in Augusta. “We were in the hospital there for a month before they could settle her seizures with what they refer to as a ‘cocktail of medicines.’”

After she was released, Brynlee was sent home with four different medications and a strict routine for their disbursement. “I used to put the medicine in her bottle, but it caused her not to want to drink her bottles anymore because she always thought every bottle had the medicine in it,” said Hannah. Over time, Brynlee adjusted to the routine.

Through every moment, Hannah

had the support of her parents, Jennifer and Shane Dean, as well as Brynlee’s father, Ty, and his parents, Melody and Craig Butler. “Each time Brynlee has been in the hospital, Ty has been there the entire time. He will barely leave the room.”

The seizures seemed to be triggered by illness. We always keep emergency medicines for that sort of thing on hand,” said Hannah. In May, she came down with an ear infection. “Brynlee only had five seizures during that time.” Five was so many less than times before that Hannah could only be grateful.

In June, Brynlee was taken to CHOA for the complicated process of weaning her off of all her medications for an evaluation. Brynlee’s seizures were monitored with an EEG as she was taken off of each one. While there, she also had a PET scan and an MRI. “They needed to make sure that she was eligible if brain surgery became necessary,” said Hannah.

But things didn’t go so well. “She had to be given the emergency medication for seizures. She stopped breathing, and they had to call Code Blue,” said Hannah. Thankfully, Brynlee pulled through. With the testing behind them, the results were then submitted to a team of doctors for consultation.

On September 16, 2024, Hannah and Ty met with a neurosurgeon. The scan taken just after her birth had been compared to scans taken in July. “There is a major amount of shrinkage and damage to Brynlee’s brain,” wrote Hannah in a post to friends on Facebook. As the seizures worsen, Brynlee could potentially become paralyzed on her right side.

According to the surgeon at CHOA, Brynlee’s best option would be a hemispherectomy. “A hemispherectomy is a rare surgery that either removes or disconnects half of the brain for the other half,” according to the Cleveland Clinic website. “As the seizures worsen, Brynlee could easily become paralyzed on her right side,” said Hannah.

There are risks with the surgery but more significant risks without it.

“Never in a million years would I have thought I would be sitting here having to make this decision,” Hannah wrote on Facebook. “My heart is hurting, and my mind is full of all the different possibilities…. God has truly blessed us, and I know to turn to him for guidance and direction always. He will make everything okay. May our decision be from the knowledge and strength that God gives us.”

Prayer cultivates a sense of dependence on God, aligns our will with His, and provides strength and comfort. The 17th-century French Mystic Madame Guyon spent eight years in prison for the simple truths she published in a book called The Short and Easy Method of Silent Prayer (1685). “Prayer,” she wrote, “is the application of the heart to God and the internal exercise of love.” As a community, this is an opportunity to pray for Brynlee and her family. For those who are followers of Jesus, prayer may very well be our most important purpose and calling.

Brynlee’s surgery is tentatively scheduled for early January (2025). Hannah and Ty will stay six to eight weeks in Atlanta for their daughter’s surgery at CHOA and the rehab to follow. Monies raised through a corn hole tournament sponsored by the Shriners of Lyons will allow Brynlee’s parents to be with her. “We are so grateful for everyone who gave,” said Hannah.

At times, fear can be easier to allow in our hearts than hope. But love is always more powerful than fear. Even when hope struggles to endure, love never fails. From the moment a child is born, a parent is transformed by a love beyond words. For all the unknowns, Hannah and Ty’s love will be there to guide and strengthen them. And through Brynlee’s surgery and time of recovery, may we as a community be a continual source of encouragement through love and prayers for this amazing little girl.

A Family Tradition

MCLEMORE'S ABATTOIR IS A MULTI-GENERATIONAL FAMILY BUSINESS AND LOCAL FAVORITE THAT'S BEEN SERVING THE VIDALIA AREA FOR OVER 80 YEARS.

Like many of the early Scottish families who migrated to what is now Toombs County, the McLemore clan can be documented as far back as the late 1700s. The oldest internment in Pinecrest Cemetery and Mausoleum, in fact, is a John Howell McLemore (b. 1790s d. 1841). A log cabin built in 1864 for his son Chesley Boswick (C.B.) McLemore still stands today and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the McLemore-Sharpe Farmstead. Even so, nothing speaks more effectively of the McLemore family’s legacy and service to this community than the longstanding family business in Vidalia known as McLemore’s Abattoir, which was formed by Bill McLemore.

Born in 1911, Bill McLemore was a cattleman and a farmer. “He had over a hundred head of brooding cows all the time,” said Gene, one of seven children born to Bill and Ella (Williamson) McLemore. In addition to Gene, there was Billy, Betty Kate (Todd), Patricia (Usher), John Lee (Pee Wee), Elouise (Seidel), and Mercer. All seven of them worked on the farm, whether that meant plowing a field or butchering a cow.

“Work was always a family thing,” said Elouise. When slaughtering and selling livestock became the focus of their work, all seven children contributed in one way or another. Even though Elouise didn’t work on the kill floor, she was quick to add, “Our sister Patricia [Usher] was faster than the boys as far as skinning a cow. She was really good at it.”

All in the family

McLemore's Abattoir is still a family run business offering the same great service started by "Big" Bill McLemore years ago.

ABOVE From left to right, Gene, Sue Ellen, Shawn, Bill, Janice Usher Sammons, Patricia McLemore Usher, Taylor McLemore, Elouise McLemore Seidel and Hunter McLemore.

Ella McLemore not only raised seven children but also provided a full meal at lunchtime for all the help every day, which always included a daily batch of fresh biscuits. Housekeeping was as different in those days as the slaughtering business. “Mama didn’t need a dustpan,” said Elouise. “The cracks in the wood floor were big enough to let the dirt fall through.”

In those early days, livestock was butchered right in the woods on a bed of straw. Still warm, the carcass would be taken to town on the back of a horsedrawn wagon, sometimes halved or quartered and further processed by local butchers and places with refrigeration. Such practices seem inconceivable in our day, but it was not so long ago as one might imagine. Like Elouise and her brother, Gene, there are still those, perhaps even some of our own grandparents and great-grandparents, who remember these times.

“Daddy got his first truck around 1942,” said Elouise. “He hauled fresh meat to town on the back of that truck to one of the local stores with refrigeration, where it was salted and smoked to stay fresh until customers wanted to buy it. There weren’t big grocery chains like now. There were small, locally owned grocery stores like Morris’s and Shuman’s.”

“And Piggly Wiggly had big, refrigerated warehouses,” added Gene.

“Back then, you could just walk into a grocery store and offer the meat you raised on your farm for sale,” said Hunter, grandson of Gene and Sue Ellen, and great-grandson of the (Big) Bill McLemore. “Or they might deliver it to somebody’s home where they would salt and smoke it themselves.” These were

“Work was always a family thing,” said Elouise.

and Sue Ellen McLemore can still be seen at the abattoir overseeing daily operations.

Gene eventually bought out his brother's portion of the business and his son "Little" Bill McLemore (LEFT) came on board to continue the family tradition.

family stories he had heard all his life, memories that were as much a part of him as the McLemore name.

“Daddy first worked out of a place on Highway 297,” said Elouise. “And then he used the old Frozen Products building behind Morris Grocery store close to what used to be the Southern Cafeteria.” It was almost as if the listener could see the image in her memory reflected in her eyes.

Bill McLemore built the white block building on Center Drive sometime in the late 40s and named his business McLemore’s Abattoir. With its sawdust floors and butcher blocks for worktables to accommodate several workers, the abattoir became a center point for procuring fresh meat for families in the community and surrounding areas.

Gene

With each new development in slaughtering and processing, the McLemore family implemented new practices to accommodate the changing requirements for meat inspection. “Sanitation, killing methods, and structural requirements have completely changed over the years,” said Hunter. “Now we have refrigeration. We use electric saws. We can butcher the livestock right here and cut it up just the way the customer wants it.”

John Lee was the first to help his father actually manage the business. “Everybody from the lowest to the highest knew him as Pee Wee,” said Elouise. “Everybody liked him. Even the Governor knew Pee Wee,” she laughed. “He was real and just a good man.”

Tragically, Pee Wee died in 1982 at only forty-four years of age. After Mr. McLemore, the founder of McLemore’s Abattoir, died in 1991, his sons, Gene and Mercer, took over the business. A short time later, Gene bought out his brother, and Gene's son, “Little” Bill, left his job at the Department of Corrections to join his father in the

slaughtering business that carried their family name.

There was no regret in this decision for Bill. For the grandson of “Big Bill” McLemore, the American Dream wasn’t about the right to do his own thing but the opportunity to help make the business that carried his family name a success. The legacy of the McLemore name wasn’t so much about what they did but how they did it. McLemore's Abattoir was always about family.

Sue Ellen started working at the abattoir right after she and Gene married in 1971. She’s still there today. Hunter says his grandfather, Gene, is always nearby to help oversee the goings on of things when needed. His experience and input is greatly valued, which speaks of the kind of people behind the McLemore name.

“The abattoir does everything,” said Bill. “We kill the cow, skin it out, let it hang depending on what the customer wants, which could be from seven to fourteen days for tenderizing, and cut it up how the customer wants it. We wrap it and put it in the cooler or freezer according to when

ABOVE McLemore's Abattoir is still a "hands-on workplace" maintaining the same personalized customer service they've offered since the 1940s. They cut, tenderize, wrap and freeze meat according to customer specifications. The retail store offers various cuts of beef and pork for customers to stop in and purchase.

they want to pick it up. Computers can’t run this kind of work. It’s a hands-on workplace. We’re old school.”

“They still use a cash register they’ve had since the 70s,” said Hunter.

“If something ain’t broke, we don’t replace it for the heck of it,” smiled his father.

In our present time of convenience and expediency, local businesses like McLemore's often find it hard to compete. But during Covid, the importance of buying local really hit home. “Some stores were rationing meat, and many ran out,” said Bill. “That’s when people remembered us. We’ve been here for over eighty years. During that time, the line was out the door. People came from everywhere. Some came from as far away as Miami and brought coolers.”

“Before Covid hit,” said Hunter, “ground beef was around $2.89 a lb. After Covid, it was around $6 a lb. People started raising their own meat again. They realized it was just more efficient to raise their own cow, bring it here to get butchered, and they knew exactly where it came from.”

Inside the retail store at McLemore’s Abattoir, there are various cuts of beef and pork from which to choose. Fresh ground beef and sausage, a McLemore specialty, are wrapped and sold by the pound. Steaks can be cut to order. “We’re known for our sausage,” said Elouise. “We have a patent on our seasoning.”

In accordance with state regulations, before any work can proceed, the abattoir goes through a thorough

inspection every morning. Everything is inspected, from the temperature of the coolers to the knives and all equipment.

Like other local businesses, finding good labor is a problem. “Years ago,” said Hunter, “it was more cut and dry. You had to work to survive. You had to work to pay for what you wanted. In this day and time, many don’t have to do that.”

Despite the cultural changes in mindsets and work ethics, McLemores Abattoir continues to thrive. The resilience of the business comes down to one thing: family. More than what they do, the work is about who they are. Hunter’s third great-grandparents set a precedent from which each generation that followed has built. More than a business, the work demonstrated character.

“Knowing my family history tells a story of where I came from to where I am now,” said Hunter. “It’s an ethic I inherited.” And like any inheritance, it didn’t come without costs. “I see how my family has worked their whole life, and it’s taught me how to work.” (Hunter’s mother, Shawn McLemore, has worked as the registrar for Vidalia City Schools for many years.)

In 2021, Hunter graduated with a degree in agriculture from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC). Today, he demonstrates his family’s work ethic and commitment to the community as a substation apprentice electrician with Georgia Power. Following Hurricane Helene, Hunter helped rebuild and restore damaged substations in our community. No one had to “inspire his dreams” for him to do his job. It’s who he is.

For Hunter and his wife, Taylor, who works as a mental health therapist for Care More Counseling, the name McLemore is more than an abattoir. It’s a commitment to family. It’s the kind of work ethic that does what needs to be done. For those who may find themselves discouraged by the present state of our society and the generation

coming in its wake, this story is a reminder that the simple things we do often have the most impact. A prayer with our children at night. The forgiveness we give each other. The diligence we give to get the job done, whether the work is butchering livestock or repairing substations.

We make an impact in our community not only with our lives but also with our money. Even though orders come from around the state, McLemore’s Abattoir relies on local support. When we spend our money locally, we stimulate our own economy and strengthen our ties with one another. It matters where we shop. Covid taught us that much. Let’s bring it home again and show our children what the legacy of a name means to families in our community.

“Computers can’t run this kind of work," said Bill.

“It’s a hands-on workplace. We’re old school.”

BY TERI R. WILLIAMS

Serving those who serve

After proving himself a capable leader at the University of Georgia, Lyons native Bryson Henriott has established himself in the halls of Congress helping our national servant leaders.

Bryson Henriott was well-prepared in all the right ways when he left home for the University of Georgia in the fall of 2019. He had already decided on his major. His plan was to pursue a degree in political science and public relations as the first step in getting his law degree. Although he was a first-generation college student, his participation in the Harvard Model Congress and other activities during his four years of high school at Vidalia Heritage Academy sparked his interest in politics and law. Bryson had enjoyed the mockups of congressional procedures at the events led by Harvard undergrads, which “tackle a diverse array of complex issues, debates, caucuses, trials, press conferences, testimonies, and crises” (harvardmodelcongress.org). In his senior year of high school, Bryson shadowed Senator Blake Tillery at his law office in Vidalia to better understand the profession.

As prepared as he was academically, the campus at UGA, which is spread over 767 acres and accommodates over 41,500 students, was a bit overwhelming. As Bryson explored the many organizations on campus for a place to connect, he found his place with RISE, “a student-led organization designed to give rural students a sense of community at the University of Georgia and a ‘home away from home’” (uga.campuslabs.com). RISE was the perfect place for Bryson to connect with other students from rural communities and served as a great resource for everything from prospects for scholarships to community service opportunities. Throughout school, Bryson served in various roles in the Student Government Association. In his junior year, Bryson served as President of RISE and helped other rural students like himself find their way at UGA. He spent the following summer working as an intern in Washington, D.C., in the Government Relations office of Home Depot.

Those who serve alongside our leaders are often the influencers, the voice of wisdom and clarity in chaos or, in the absence of truth, the voice of deception.

In the spring of 2022, he ran for president of the Student Government Association and won. As he stepped into the role as president his senior year, he worked diligently to represent all students before the UGA Board of Trustees, Alumni Council, University Council, and other university-wide governing boards.

When Bryson was accepted into law school at UGA his senior year, the next three years of his life seemed set. However, an internship with the UGA Office of Government Relations at the Georgia State Capitol during his last semester caused him to reconsider immediately starting law school. Instead, he made plans to take the opportunity to work at the Georgia State Capitol full-time.

While Bryson made plans to work at the State Capital, his three closest friends, with whom he’d interned on the Hill the previous summer, were making plans to move to D.C. and work as congressional staffers. When they asked Bryson to join them, it was an

opportunity not to miss. He signed a lease for an apartment in D.C. with his friends before he even had a chance to secure a job.

During his spring break, Bryson flew to D.C. and met with everyone he could to apply for a position as a staffer on the Hill. The day before his graduation from UGA, a call came with an invitation to interview via Zoom for a position with Congressman Ferguson from Georgia’s third district. The following day, which was also the day of his graduation, someone with the congressman’s office had one question for Bryson: “Can you start next week?”

In Washington, D.C., he served as both a staff assistant for Congressman Ferguson and his personal assistant, which meant he was also the congressman’s personal driver. In a short time, Bryson was promoted to Legislative Correspondent, taking calls from people with complaints or other issues and responding with letters to each one. “It was my responsibility

OPPOSITE Speaker of the House Mike Johnson with house staffers including Bryson (back center).

LEFT After graduation from UGA, Bryson moved to D.C. with three of his closest friends to apply for staff positions at the Capitol. BELOW Bryson with Congressman Ferguson and his wife at a UGA game.

Responding to Helene: A view from the Hill

We asked Bryson about the response from Georgia leaders after Hurricane Helene, and here are his insights.

TCM: What were your thoughts when you learned about the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in Toombs County?

Bryson: Luckily, my family faced no personal injuries, and our home was intact, but the destruction of land and trees was severe. It was hard to grasp the damage and carnage of the hurricane from the pictures and videos I was receiving from my family. My initial thought when I learned the storm was coming was how it would impact my dad, who works for the electrical company. I watched as he, along with hundreds of others, worked around the clock to restore power during the highest power outage in our community's history. I think this experience was eye-opening to many in our community about how hard they work. It was amazing for me to witness others see what I have watched my dad (Van Henriott) do my whole life.

TCM: How did you perceive the response from Georgia’s leaders concerning the devastation in Georgia caused by Hurricane Helene?

Bryson: I think the response from Georgia leaders after the devastation of Hurricane Helene was swift and strong. I saw Georgia leaders at the federal, state, and especially at the local level jump into action to solve the problems brought on by one of the most powerful natural disasters in our state's history. It made me very proud to be from Toombs County when I saw federal and state leaders witness the strength and resiliency of small rural towns, which we have always known. On a political level, it was also interesting to see the responses tied into campaigning a few months before the election, with many state and federal leaders touring damage sites throughout the southeast.

TCM: How much or how little do you feel things that happen in rural Georgia impact and influence what happens in Washington, D.C.?

Bryson: The aftermath of Hurricane Helene was felt at the local level, but the impact was seen both at the state and federal levels. In Washington, D.C., this event immediately became a topic of conversation around policy and immediate relief. The hurricane hit around the same time as the potential of a government shutdown, and the topic of additional FEMA relief money being included in the continuing resolution was one of the most significant discussions. It is very interesting to see how issues such as natural disasters turn into very split policy debates because often, it is based on region of representation, not necessarily party split.

to explain the bills being voted on to Congressman Ferguson’s constituents and give them his position on the bill.”

It was no small disappointment for Bryson when Congressman Ferguson announced he was retiring at the end of his term, which was January 2024. “It was a really great office to work for, and I would not be where I am today without that office and Congressman Ferguson,” said Bryson.

He then applied for a position with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and was hired as a Press Assistant, where he drafted social media posts and statements. “I went from an office of about fifteen to fifty,” he said.

In July 2024, Bryson was contacted by the office of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and asked to come in for an interview,” he said. Bryson was hired to work with the Majority Leader’s team as a Floor Assistant. “Our job is to be out there on the house floor during debate and votes,” said Bryson, “talking to members of Congress.” He also works with all the committees to schedule when bills will come to the floor for a vote.

Bryson never imagined he would work for both the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader when he left his home in Georgia. But what he did imagine was serving in whatever place or position in which he found himself.

The need for leaders of moral truth and strong principles is evident. Still, it would be a mistake to assume decisions made in these political positions are independent of the influence of others. Those who serve alongside our leaders are often the influencers, the voice of wisdom and clarity in chaos or, in the absence of truth, the voice of deception. Whether as a parent, a business owner, a teacher, or a politician, wherever we serve, the impact we make matters. With this truth in his heart, Bryson will always see the next step forward. And wherever his path leads, we are proud he calls Toombs County home.

ABOVE Bryson with Congressman Ferguson and staff.

Is Your Business Eligible for Tax Credits?

The Rural Zone program, created in 2017, is a collaboration between the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and the Georgia Department of Economic Development. This state initiative designates specific rural downtown areas as “Rural Zones” to incentivize economic development by offering tax credits to businesses and individuals who invest in job creation and property improvements within those designated zones. The goal of the program is to revitalize struggling rural communities and keep historic downtowns intact, which benefits both local citizens and local businesses.

Up to 10 rural zones can be established in Georgia per year enabling businesses and investors to obtain tax credits for qualified activities occurring within designated Rural Zones. These zones are selected based on applications submitted to DCA in partnership with the Georgia Department of Economic Development. The eligibility requirements

that must be met for rural zone designation include:

• Communities with populations under 15,000

• Must have a concentration of historic commercial structures

• Must prove economic distress based

• Must be in compliance with the state requirements

• Must submit a feasibility study or market analysis

• Must submit a master plan or strategic plan

In 2024, Vidalia received the Rural Zone Designation. This designation allows projects within the designated Rural Zones to utilize three state income tax incentives – the Job Tax Credit, Investment Credit, and Rehabilitation Credit – for job-creation activities, investment in downtown

properties, and renovation of properties.

The Job Tax Credit is equivalent to $2,000 annually for each new full-time equivalent job for up to five years. The Investment Credit is equivalent to 25% of the purchase price of a property within the designated Rural Zone (not to exceed $125,000). The Rehabilitation Credit is equivalent to 30% of the qualified rehabilitation costs of a building located within a designated Rural Zone (not to exceed $150,000). Credits can be layered, but none are available without the job creation element being present. If these tax credits are something your business might be able to utilize, contact Tonya Parker at the Downtown Vidalia Association for more information.

Are you considering purchasing a building in downtown?

Do you already own a building and are interested in renovating it?

Perhaps you are a new business that has created jobs or an existing business that has recently added new employees.

If any of these seem applicable to you, you may be eligible for State Income Tax credits for your business if it is located within the City of Vidalia’s Rural Zone.

Rural Zone Tax Credits for Property Purchase, Building Rehabilitation, and Job Creation

THE JOB TAX CREDIT

• For a new business owner that creates at least 2 new jobs or an existing business that hires at least 2 new employees

1

• At least two net, new full-time equivalent jobs (an aggregate of employee worked hours totaling 40 hours per week between two or more employees) must be created to qualify

• Equal to $2,000 per new full-time equivalent job per year, up to 5 years and not to exceed $200,000 total or $40,000 per year

THE INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT

This credit is for investors who purchase a building within the designated Rural Zone. The credit is equivalent to 25% of the purchase price, not to exceed $125,000 total or $25,000 per year. At least two net, new full-time equivalent jobs must be created and maintained at the property location to qualify for the investment credit.

2

THE REHABILITATION TAX CREDIT

This credit is to offset development costs associated with the rehabilitation of a property located within a designated Rural Zone. The credit is equivalent to 30% of the qualified rehabilitation costs, not to exceed $150,000 total or $50,000 per year. At least two net, new full-time equivalent jobs must be created and maintained at the property location to qualify for the rehabilitation credit.

3

If you think you may qualify for these tax credits and would like more information, please contact your Rural Zone Team Leader:

Tonya Parker

128 Church Street, Vidalia, GA

downtownvidalia.org

tparker@vidaliaga.gov

912-537-8033

Vidalia Main Street

SHOP LOCAL. EAT LOCAL. SPEND LOCAL. YOUR COMMUNITY WILL THANK YOU.

BY S WILLIAMS

Building from scratch

In pursuit of the American Dream, Dustin Hall has built a successful business on hard work, thanksgiving and paying it forward...and he's just getting started.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY

DHE CONTRACTORS

It was a scene familiar to most people in Toombs County. The power and phone service were the first things to go. Then the atmosphere organized into strong gusts followed by the eerie sound of trees snapping and whistling wind reverberating in the darkness. From his house just off Adams street, Dustin Hall and his wife Lindsay rushed their family into the laundry room where they hunkered down for the rest of the night. He thought about the farm he and his wife had purchased just a year ago with pecan trees and timber and soon to be Vidalia onions. He thought about the safety of his employees and the equipment he had stationed around town in case he needed it after the storm. Mostly, he thought about protecting the people right there in the laundry room with him. But anything he could have imagined going on outside that night paled in comparison to what he saw when he stepped onto his porch the next morning.

“I walked out and a neighbor standing across the street said, ‘What do we do?’” said Dustin. “I just looked at him and said, ‘we start cutting.’” It took seven hours to cut out of Dustin’s house and make it down the street to Food World. Along the way, people from all walks of life joined the effort. “It was amazing,” said Dustin. “Everyone was working together to help me clear the streets.” By the time he made it to Food World, he looked up to see some of his bigger machinery headed toward him. “My guys had been working and cutting through all the way from Lyons to get there. So we made a plan, and we went to work.” For the next three weeks, Dustin’s company DHE Contractors continued working for the city alongside other contractors to clear roads so residents could travel safely.

Dustin’s appreciation for this community has deep roots. “I was raised here and grew up in the country,” he said. “We were always on equipment doing stuff.” After high school, Dustin attended East Georgia College to study forestry, but as he was graduating, the price of planted pines dropped significantly making it difficult to cruise timber or find any job in his field. Instead, he found a job at South Georgia Equipment working in electrical maintenance.

“They sent me to Oregon to install an onion line, and while I was out there, I sold some additional equipment.” said Dustin. “As soon as I got back, they asked if I would be interested in sales.” For the next 17 years, he continued working in sales at South Georgia Equipment and then at Lowcountry JCB in Pooler. Working around heavy equipment was the catalyst that pushed Dustin to start a tree removal business on the side. Then after years of working in sales, Dustin decided in 2015 to become his own boss.

DHE Contractors began as a tree removal and mulching service. Today, they operate as a full-site development company, which includes grading, paving, construction, utilities, excavation and more. He’s recently added businesses to his portfolio that cater to fiber installation and hydraulic services. DHE Hydraulics will be a full-service hydraulic shop offering services that aren't currently found in this area. Dustin's business vision is a true sign of an entrepreneur. “I like to start a building project and then be able to see the finished product. It’s my small way of helping build part of America.”

DHE Contractors works both solo and as a contractor with other development companies and with the state of Georgia. “We just finished Little Ocmulgee State Park in McRae,” said Dustin. “We removed and rebuilt the existing

Dustin with wife Lindsay and family.

cabins, roads, sewer system and sea walls.” Currently, DHE Contractors is working on the construction of Warmouth Sands, a new golf complex and course located off Ezra Taylor Road in Toombs County. But he isn’t just focused on large jobs. “We pretty much do everything construction related,” said Dustin. “We'll grade someone’s driveway one day and grade a mall the next. We offer a range of services, but we never forget our roots or the people that helped us get where we are. I tell my guys, ‘As long as I own this company, we’re still going to grade people’s yards or haul them a load of dirt when they need it.’”

It’s the fifteen employees that Dustin has whom he’s also building his companies for. They were first put to the disaster test when a tornado ripped through Vidalia in May 2024. “I took about half my crew,” said Dustin, “and we did a grid across the city clearing roads so Georgia Power could get in and start with repairs.” It’s the kind of volunteer effort you are willing to do when you love the community you live in.

The tornado revealed the necessity for emergency materials and communication devices as well as having a strategic plan for a business that is capable of helping with recovery after a storm. Dustin even made the decision to maintain a core group of his team at his shop whenever a bad storm was in the forecast. But Hurricane Helene was a different test. As the realization sunk in that this one was going to be really bad, Dustin decided to station equipment around town for potential use following the storm, and then told his employees to go home to their families. He left them with a simple set of instructions, “If anything happens and communication lines are down, everybody work to get to the police station.” The intention was to be prepared to help people if needed, and it would definitely prove to be needed.

Whether it’s age or experience, Dustin has realized the importance of giving back whenever possible. “I took enough away from this community when I was younger, and now it’s time for me to pay it back,” he said. Of course, now he has

LEFT Dustin has a crew of 15 working for his land development company.

BELOW When a tornado touched down in Vidalia in May, Dustin and his crew were ready to help clear roads so utility companies could make repairs.

a family here too. “We love our community, and we want to build it better for our kids to enjoy. Lindsay and I both know that everything we have comes from the Lord, and we take that seriously. We always pray that God will continue to bless us so that we can bless others.”

Thanksgiving and humility are the first keys to success, but sometimes these get left behind when companies start to grow. Dustin is adamant about staying humble and maintaining the simple roots that got him started even with big plans for expansion on the horizon. “I'm the perfect example of how the American Dream is still alive. I built this company from scratch with an old 650 bulldozer from the family farm that my parents gave me to get started. Now that we are growing, I'm helping my employees experience the dream too.”

If it takes a storm to have us see the world in the right perspective, so be it. But let's hope we never have to experience the likes of Helene again. If we do, it's comforting to know that Dustin and his crew at DHE Contractors will be on the scene ready to help and ready to serve the community that he is proud to call home.

The Hope House Ministry

The Hope House Ministry was formed to offer men and women the opportunity to live a life free from addiction. Our goals are to provide lifelong recovery skills and to see individuals and their families fully restored.

All for the Team

IN THE FACE OF HURRICANE HELENE, CITY OF VIDALIA MAYOR DOUG

ROPER PULLED FROM A LESSON HE LEARNED LONG AGO–EVERY SITUATION PROVIDES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND GROW.

Hurricane Helene will most likely go down in history as the single most damaging event to land and property ever to occur in Toombs County. “For Georgia Power, Hurricane Helene was the most destructive storm in the company’s 140-year history,” wrote Southern Company on its website. Altamaha EMC’s Facebook post read, “Every meter that we serve is without power.” But for the Mayor of Vidalia, Doug Roper, the story worth memorializing is one of miracles. With unprecedented support shared between Vidalia and Lyons, the storm only proved that we are Toombs Strong.

Whether speaking with leaders, service organizations, or churches, Doug’s account begins with the night before the storm. Standing in his kitchen with his wife, Marly, he heard the Holy Spirit whisper two words to his heart: “Prayer Walk.” As was his practice, he shared what he felt he’d heard with his wife before heading out the door. As he walked the perimeter of his home, he prayed aloud a simple prayer for protection. “Lord, will you let my footsteps be a literal hedge of protection around my home? Please protect my family and my home. If things fall, please let them fall outside of this circle and not inside this circle.” He then went next door to his in-laws and did the same.

As darkness fell, Doug and Marly placed blow-up mattresses in the hallway of their home for their two sons, Cutter (12) and Durham (9). Around 2:30 a.m., the sound of the wind had turned into an eerie howl. Doug went out on his back patio. “That’s when I realized we were in some kind of trouble.” Even then, he would never have dreamed what the morning would reveal.

Like the rest of Toombs County, Doug could only describe what he saw as apocalyptic. “If someone wanted to make a movie about the apocalypse, that would have been the time,” said local writer Stacy Worth. “It was a ready-made movie set.”

The winds that came through that night would later be documented at over 100 mph, producing tornadoes throughout the Southeast. Hundreds of thousands of trees

were ripped from the ground. Others had been snapped in two pieces like toothpicks. When Doug finally pulled himself together, he walked around his home to assess the damage. Even though over a hundred trees fell around his house–one only a few short feet from Durham’s room–not one had fallen within the circle of his prayer walk.

As Doug and Marly came to their garage, they saw a sign. “We’d never seen it before. We don’t know where it came from.” The sign read: “Vote Jesus Always and Forever.” Whatever the intent of the sign’s creator, the message for Doug was clear. Obeying the prompting of the Holy Spirit to walk and pray was the most important preparation Doug could have done for the storm’s coming.

Doug spent many hours working on recovery solutions. His regular Facebook updates helped keep people informed.

Later, his friend and owner of Georgia Pine Straw, Micah Williams, came to clear the fallen trees from his yard. “It’s just human nature to forget,” said Doug, “which is why we asked Micah to cut us a piece of wood from one of our trees. We want to document this so we never forget what God did for us. We’ll plane it, sign and date it as a family, and use it to frame that sign. I told our boys, ‘Every time you see it, I want you to remember two things: First, the strength of that storm. And second, I want you always to remember that it paled in comparison to the power of prayer.’”

The devastation to local landscape was overwhelming. But there was another side to this story. There were miracles that happened here of near Biblical proportions. Doug acknowledged the mercy of God as he heard story after story from families in Toombs County. A single mother got up to check on her child literally seconds before her bedroom window was blasted into pieces, landing on the bed from which she had just risen. Many trees toppled in the opposite direction from houses. In some places, the trees fell in opposite directions, almost as if trees had

"Here is what I know: we are strong, we are resilient, we love each other, we have amazing first responders, and we might bend but we will not break."

been pushed outward by the house itself. As a result of the storm, Toombs County tragically suffered one fatality.

If the storm had come at any other time, the narrative of our encounter with Hurricane Helene would read very differently. Had this storm hit our community during the daylight hours, some cars might have been on the road. Families might have risked driving through the storm to check on loved ones. But while the wind ripped tin from buildings and wrapped deadly debris around branches of trees, families were forced to remain in their homes. Blinded by the night, we could only wait until the wind had finished its work to navigate around the downed poles, power lines, and trees blocking roadways and driveways. And since no one could go out in the darkness to see what was happening or attempt to save our properties, we were saved instead.

OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AND BE SERVED

By midday on the morning after the storm, Altamaha EMC reported on its Facebook page “…Every meter that we serve is without power. Many roadways are currently impassable, delaying a total assessment of the situation….” All sixteen substations were without power. “The entire power grids for Georgia Power and Altamaha EMC were destroyed,” Doug wrote in a Facebook post on September 28th.

“Those two power companies were having to cut their way to transmission lines to begin the restoration process,” said Doug. “There was not one home or commercial business that had power. The power companies had to work by helicopter because they couldn’t even cut their way to the transmission lines.” On October 6, EMC estimated there were 1,500 or more broken poles in our area to be replaced.

On day one, water became the first priority. “You can do without a lot of things, but water is not one of them,” said Doug. When his phone rang early Friday morning, it startled him. “I hadn’t been able to call anyone all morning. It was Mike Hagan, VP of Operations at Memorial Health Meadows Hospital. “He said, ‘Doug, if we don’t get water soon, the hospital will run out in about five hours.’”

Once connections were made with the Vidalia Fire Department,

fire trucks were sent to Southeastern Technical College. “They were literally going to STC’s pond,” said Doug, “dropping in a hose and filling a tanker to take to the hospital to put in their filtration system. This provided enough water to keep them operating until we could address the power issue at our wells.”

Dodging power lines and trees, Doug made his way to the home of City Manager Josh Beck. Together, they established an EOC (Emergency Operating Center) in the EMA building in Vidalia. The most important thing at that moment was communication and connection with Lyons Mayor NeSmith, Lyons City Manager Jason Hall, Toombs County City Manager John Jones, Commission Chairman David Sikes, Senator Blake Tillery, Representative Leesa Hagan, GEMA representative C.J. Worden, EMA director Lynn Moore, and incoming Commissioner

Buck Moon. Also present was leadership from city and county law enforcement, fire departments, EMS, and service organizations.

“I believe it was County Manager John Jones who said, ‘What you are looking at is the largest mobilization that Toombs County has ever seen.’ No one alive has ever seen this level of devastation in our community,” said Doug. “By collaborating, critical decisions could be made for the entire county to get back on its feet as quickly as possible.”

Every hour revealed a new crisis. “An event like this brings out the good and the bad,” he said. “Looting had to be addressed immediately.

The National Guard, DNR, GBI, and all law enforcement agencies were strategically placed throughout the county.” Arrests were quickly made, and looting was minimalized.

Three vital decisions set the course for unprecedented

accomplishments. The first was hiring Looks Greater Services, a debris removal company that moves debris from right of ways, and Debris Tech to monitor their work.

“You’re required to hire a monitoring company whenever you hire a removal company,” said Doug. In the beginning, Vidalia and Lyons had separate contracts with the removal company.

“In talking with Debris Tech, we realized that having separate contracts would be a logistical nightmare. So, we nullified the separate contracts and let the county take the lead on the debris removal contract with the two cities signing intergovernmental agreements with the county.”

The third was bringing on Laurel Matula with ER Assist to cover documentation for FEMA reimbursement. “She knew the language needed for the mountain of paperwork involved as well as the potential grant funding on the back end of this,” said Doug. “Those three hires were critical.”

It would be difficult to explain some of the events that occurred without belief in God’s supernatural involvement. One such instance was the message Doug received from a woman named Amanda Rainwater from Peachtree City. “She was here to check on family,” said Doug, “and when she saw the devastation, she

As Doug and Marly prepared for the storm, he felt an urge to do a prayer walk around his house. Afterwards, he and Marly found a sign they had never seen before in their yard. The "Vote Jesus Always and Forever" sign and the fact that no trees fell within his prayer circle were confirmation to Doug that his prayers had been honored.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: During the days and weeks after the hurricane, city leaders created an emergency operating center so they could meet and discuss ways to move forward. City Mayors Doug Roper and Willis NeSmith worked together with county officials like David Sikes to secure resources and cleanup crews in an unprecedented show of unity. Amanda Rainwater was in town to check on family, but she reached out to Doug and offered to connect him with valuable resources for supplies. The Lineman parade offered a bit of fun from hard days, and it allowed the community to express their gratitude.

said, ‘Doug, you’re not getting the attention that you need, and you're not going to get the aid you need without it. I'm going back to Peachtree City to advocate for you.’”

Amanda Rainwater contacted an organization called the United Cajun Navy. After speaking with Doug, the United Cajun Navy landed 23 planes filled with emergency supplies at the Vidalia Regional Airport the following day. That was just the beginning. Others quickly followed. “Angel Flight Soars and Dan’s Hurricane Pals began flying in and sending semi-tractortrailer trucks filled with emergency supplies.” Help literally came from all over the country.

“Now, we needed a distribution center and a bunch of volunteers to distribute the supplies we’d received,” said Doug. “David Sikes, God bless his soul, let us use the old Lasseter Building on U.S. Highway 1. Teachers, staff, students, and athletes from both schools and young men from the Paul Anderson Youth Home showed up to help. Phyllis Frederick volunteered to lead the distribution center and organize the army of volunteers. She was a Godsend. And our faith-based community truly showed what it was to be the hands and feet of Christ during this time.”

First Baptist Church of Vidalia fed approximately 45,000 meals and brought in chainsaw strike teams through Georgia Baptist Relief. “Joe Gabbard with Assembly of God was my main point of contact for Convoy of Hope,” said Doug. “They set up at Vidalia High School and fed hundreds.

Andy Blount oversaw the organization of volunteers to deliver goods from the airport to the distribution center. “The Salvation Army, Vidalia Rec Department, and many others did so much during this time.”

It would be impossible to name them all. “Many will never get recognition,” said Doug. “People just grabbed chainsaws or got on a skid steer to help their neighbors. Other people offered their homes for showers and meals. Please know that you're just as valued. You're just as appreciated. To watch our community rise to an occasion like this is humbling and motivating.”

Doug's history with God helped prepare him “for such a time as this.” That phrase from Esther 4:4 is often spoken with stirring bravado from church pulpits. But in context, it’s doubtful Esther heard the Eye of the Tiger playing in the background when Uncle Mordecai reminded the young woman he had raised as an orphan that everything she had been through had been preparation for this crisis. With fear and trembling, Esther helped save the Jewish people in Persia from genocide. Doug didn’t need an Uncle Mordecai to explain that every moment of his life had been preparation “for such a time as this.”

BAD HOP OR MISSED OPPORTUNITY

Doug didn’t plan on returning to Vidalia anytime soon after graduating in 1995 from Vidalia High School. He had led the Vidalia Baseball team to its first state championship title that year. Doug wasn’t just a good baseball player—he was a great baseball player. Tim Corbin, now head coach at Vanderbilt, obviously agreed when he recruited him to play for Clemson. It was a dream come true to play for head coach Jack Leggett, now in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and Assistant Coach Kevin O'Sullivan, the head coach at the University of Florida.

When Doug’s leg was broken in two places by a foul ball his sophomore year, he was forced to sit and watch his teammates play out the season with a medical red shirt. “When you're

young,” said Doug, “you think sports is about the mechanics. But sports have a unique way of preparing you for life. During that time on the bench, I learned more by having to watch my teammates play than in all my years of playing. Psalm 46:10 became real to me. ‘Be still and know that I am God.’ I learned more in that calendar baseball season by ‘being still’ and observing my teammates than in all my years of playing up to that point.”

Doug’s leg healed in time for him to play the following summer in the Cape Cod League, the country's premier wooden bat league for collegiate baseball players. In 1999, Doug was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays. “I decided to forego my senior year at Clemson and play professionally,” said Doug.

On June 4, 2000, Doug was playing against the Baltimore Orioles. When he came up to bat, the bases were loaded. “I get a base hit and knock in a couple of runs. The next guy hits a ground ball to the shortstop. I’m preparing to slide into second to break up the possibility of a double play when, at the last second, the ball gets past the shortstop.” Doug went from a position of “almost sliding” to pulling himself back on his feet to take third. Instead, his right foot caught the bag. “When it hits the bag, my right foot explodes, and every ligament and tendon in my ankle is torn.” Doug looked up and said quietly, “And that was the last time I ever put on a baseball uniform.”

Doug went back and finished out his last year at Clemson. He returned home in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts

There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.

–Ronald Reagan

in Speech and Communications and went to work with the Paul Anderson Youth Home. Anyone would have understood if he had felt cheated out of a lifelong dream. But Doug was more than a baseball player. It was a truth he might not have seen had it not been for the words of wisdom his father gave him when he was about twelve years old.

“We worked on baseball yearround,” said Doug. Since his mom Linda Roper was a P.E. coach at Sally D. Meadows, Doug and his dad often worked in the gym. “One evening, we were working on infield ground balls, and after fielding about two hundred balls, I inevitably missed one. I retrieved the ball, and when I turned around, my dad had walked the length of the gym to speak with me. ‘What happened on that ground ball?’ he asked. Like most twelve-year-olds, I made up an excuse. I shrugged and said, ‘It took a bad hop.’ My dad said, ‘That ball didn’t take a bad hop. It was a missed opportunity.’”

Doug’s father had no desire to push his son to perfection. Quite the opposite. He knew his son would eventually face disappointment at some point in his life. When he did, he wanted his son to know how to look for meaning and purpose in more than two hundred successful plays. The missed ball was not a failure but a chance to fine-tune. To use as an opportunity to learn and perhaps do something differently. With his baseball career over, his father’s words returned to him with all the love with which they were spoken.

Instead of a missed career as a professional baseball player, Doug adjusted his perception and returned home to serve the community where he grew up. He worked with the Paul Anderson Youth Home for the next six years. “The youth home is a residential home providing Christian rehabilitation for young men,” said Doug. “I was raised in a good home and brought up in church. But it was there that I really

grew in a deeper, personal relationship with Jesus.”

In 2007, Doug accepted a position as Branch Manager and Consumer Lender at the Vidalia Federal Savings Bank in Lyons, where he continues to serve today. In 2020, at the onset of the global crisis caused by Covid-19, Doug found himself running for mayor of Vidalia.

OPPORTUNITY TO UNITE

Mayor Ronnie Dixon had given forty-plus years in positions of service in Vidalia when he died in office in 2020. Doug never planned to run for mayor. However, as he and his wife Marly discussed the importance of having the right person step in the vacancy, Doug began to question if this might be an opportunity to make more of an impact.

With Marly’s encouragement and support, Doug made the tough decision to resign from the Vidalia City School Board, where he had served for nine years. It was not an easy decision. And if he didn’t win, he would have resigned for no reason. “Public education has always been important in our house. We believe it’s the backbone of a healthy society,” said Doug. Thankfully, he won the special election and the regular election again in 2021.

“Willis and I have always worked together well,” Doug said proudly. “The storm only strengthened our resolve to work together for the good of Toombs County.” Ironically, Doug’s day job is in Lyons and Willis’s is in Vidalia, which is a perfect picture of the attitude in which these leaders work together. “The better Vidalia does, the better Lyons does. The better Lyons does, the better Vidalia does. The better we individually do, the better Toombs County does.”

As all entities collaborated, “egos were checked at the door,” said Doug. “There was only one question to be asked: What must we do for our community to heal and recover? We all

wanted to get Toombs County back on its feet quickly.”

Having different leaders come together in one room with representations from all entities was not the norm. “Outside organizations would get emotional because no one had ever seen this kind of collaboration before,” said Doug. “Normally, they would have to meet with each group separately, which would waste valuable time and resources simply because they couldn’t—no, wouldn’t work together. They looked at us and said, ‘This just doesn’t happen.’”

As Mayor of Vidalia, Doug demonstrated humility without compromising one ounce of authority. As someone outside looking in, I can say he doesn’t need a title or position to affirm his worth or identity, which is why he could stand in his position and bring together a team of leaders. Like Esther, Doug got it: Everything in his life was preparation for a time like this.

“While this storm might permanently change our landscape, it will not change our resolve. It will not change the fabric of who we are,” said Doug. “We are an incredible community. What we did together speaks of who we are.”

The test of who we are requires more from us than an identity with an onion that “puts us on the map.” We grow onions. In fact, thirteen counties and parts of seven others grow “Vidalia Onions®.” We are more than a sweet onion. And believe it or not, we are more than the school that won the latest sports game, although, I’ll admit, it does put a bit of spice and fun on things one night a year.

Our families live spitting distance apart. (Does anyone stay on one side of the city limit sign between us on a given day?) We go to church together, buy groceries together, and eat in the same restaurants. This storm proved who we really are: two cities that together make Toombs Strong. And as my husband, Clint, always says, “This is the greatest place to live on earth.” Even in a Hurricane – perhaps, especially in a hurricane. Our sincere thanks to you, Doug. You stepped up to the plate and gave your all for the team. I’d call that a win for Toombs Strong.

Rachel’s House Pregnancy Clinic Staff and Board of Directors: Britt McDade, Stephanie Williams, Buck Moon, Heather Gourley, Bobbie Robinson, Elaine Deloach, Russell Clark, Brandy Sikes, Katie Beasley, Jill Miller, Sandi Ponce, and Trent Akins

we are TOOMBS STRONG

On September 27, 2024

Hurricane Helene ravaged our small towns leaving a path of destruction like most in Toombs County have never seen. In the aftermath, words like "devastating","overwhelmed"," and "catastrophic" became commonplace in everyday conversations. But from the leveled pine forests and building debris rose something new and hopeful. A strength, a unity, a resilience also like we have never witnessed. The determination of our community leaders set an example to surrounding areas, volunteer workers from other places were blessed by what they experienced here, and mostly, as neighbors, we began to build a new, better future together. At Toombs County Magazine we believe there is strength in sharing our stories, so we've collected a few of yours to remind us that we are all in this together, that we will overcome, and that Toombs County is the best place to live.

Resilience A Community defined by

WRITTEN BY THE COMMUNTY

PHOTOS BY EVAN RIEKHOF/EZ-E PHOTOGRAPHY EXCEPT WHERE CREDITED

By the Numbers

THE STORM

80-100

miles per hour wind gusts

1.2 million

cubic yards of debris removed from right of ways (equivalent to 1.2 million washing machines)

POWER OUTAGES LOSS TO AGRICULTURE

8,300

Georgia Power broken poles

4,500

Georgia Power damaged tranformers

This storm caused the most damage to our system of any storm in history. Throughout the event, crews worked diligently to safely restore power to over 1,570,000 customers in Georgia. We had an incredible response of over 20,000 personnel actively engaged in restoration efforts, which is more than Michael, Irma, Zeta, and Matthew combined.

Crews came from all over the country and internationally to help us respond to Helene. We had crews from 35 different states from all corners of the country along with crews from Canada working to restore power to Georgians. –GEORGIA POWER POST STORM

$6.46 billion cost to Georgia's economy due to agricultural damage

36 million

Estimated pounds of pecans lost

18

Altamaha EMC substations were out to downed transmission lines

21,561

Altamaha EMC meters without power (every meter in the 7 county territory)

40

semi truck loads of materials and 2,000 poles delivered to EMC warehouse for repairs

FORESTRY DAMAGE RECOVERY EFFORTS

35 states that sent volunteer crews to restore power

25,000+ beds and resources provided at sites for power recovery workers

1,900+ linemen from around the country

400,000+ meals prepared by Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief

$1.28 Billion timber resources impacted in Georgia

26 million+

tons of pine in Georgia valued over $728 million destroyed

30 million+

tons of hardwood in Georgia valued over $555 million

8.9 million

Estimated acres of Georgia's forestland in Helene's path

88% of impacted land was privately owned

Your Stories

#toombsstrong

Everyone has a story and it would take thousands of issues to fit them all in, but the stories on these pages share a perspective that many of us can relate to, be inspired by, or can simply be in awe of. If nothing else, realizing you are not alone in this situation provides comfort and a feeling of hopeful camaraderie. We are all in this together. We will all overcome it together.

The first two days I noticed there were no “official” looking crews, just good ole guys and gals in pickups and tractors with chainsaws and their two hands. On day three, some of us mail carriers went in to try to deliver what we could, knowing some of the items were much needed medicine and perhaps items ordered to prepare for the storm that didn’t make it in time. The look of bewilderment and gratitude on customers’ faces were worth it, and they could not believe we were out in those conditions! Over the next few days, I heard so many say that if the mail is running things must be getting better. I never knew the mail could bring that kind of security. The following days were an emotional roller coaster. You see, when you are a mail carrier, you are a part of people’s daily lives; you watch their children grow, you know when they get a new puppy, and you know when they lose a dear loved one. I have seen the fear and sadness in the things that have been lost, and I have rejoiced with many as they came to tell me they got power. I have seen the invisible walls that separate us all fall down, neighbors helping clear trees and hook up generators, strangers offering food, water and showers. It has shown me that when it comes down to it, good seems to prevail! This has been an experience that I pray we never have to live through again, but I wouldn’t trade the lessons learned. The lessons in humanity being the biggest!

–ANNA BETH WILLETT

"This was when we first walked out at daylight and showed them the tree through the house"

–Kellyn Wilkes

When daylight came on the morning after the storm, I could not believe my eyes at the devastation. I told my wife it would be three months before we would have power in our rural community 12 miles from town. The damage was hard to comprehend, and we prepared ourselves to live off of generators for months as we knew it would take that long to restore any type of power to our area. Despite my prediction, we received electricity only seven days after the storm. I’m still not sure how this feat was pulled of in that amount of time, but I want to personally thank the men and women of Altamaha EMC for working tirelessly around the clock to get power restored. I know these employees sacrificed cleanup of their own property to stay the course and see to the needs of the members of the cooperative. If there has ever been a doubt of the level of dedication of Altamaha EMC and its employees, Hurricane Helene proved we are fortunate to have such an organization in our community.

–CHRIS HOPKINS

This unity has proven that our community is resilient and truly special! Despite the challenges we may face, I am fully confident in the bright future ahead for our community. Exciting opportunities are on the horizon, and I firmly believe many great things are coming our way! –Toombs County Commissioner Buck Moon

Photo by Eric/ Kellyn Wilkes

Ihad 15 dogs in the boarding kennel; some SOAPS rescues but most were customers’ dogs. The roof was off the kennel, and I was so scared to open the door, but thank God, all the dogs were ok. My neighbors from the Mustang Ranch came up and we hugged and cried - so thankful to still be here but scared of what we would do next. They came back with chain saws and began work on clearing our road.

That Sunday my 75 year-old brother called to tell me he was heading down from Vermont with a generator and gas. I just sat and cried. I don’t think I have cried this much since my husband was sick and passed away. My amazing neighbors, friends and customers checked in on me and offered showers, water, food or anything else I may have needed. Our community is just amazing and there is nowhere else I would ever want to live. I have been here in Toombs County for 21 years and have always known this was home and is where I am supposed to be. I still ride through town in total awe of how bad it was and how much has been accomplished, but yet there is still so much to do. Not to sound sappy, but I still cry and/or get goosebumps every time I hear another story.

–THYRA BURAKOWSKI/GRETEL KENNELS

If our house wasn’t made out of brick, we would have died. A giant pine tree almost crushed us in my parents’ bedroom where we all slept. Six trees fell on our house and around four of those were over our heads. My mom grew up in Tornado Alley, so she knew what to do. She huddled us in her closet with their mattress covering us. We were in the closet around three hours…We were lucky that we were able to survive the night.”- Eleanor Martinez, 10th grade, TCHS

Photo by Eric and Kellyn Wilkes

Iwalk around my area of town on a regular basis. On my first posthurricane walk, I felt like I was somewhere new. I didn't recognize the terrain. Pine straw covered sections of the sidewalk, hiding the carpet of acorns. Acorns will roll and make you think you're roller skating...I speak from experience. I live here...but felt like I had no business being on that street...viewing the damage my neighbors have experienced.  There was a sense of embarrassment. Seriously, I could feel my face turning red and not from exertion. It was as though the houses were naked people lining the street...just standing there...on display for unrestricted public viewing. The shelter and seclusion that these stands of trees had provided for so very many years was just gone.

It was the neighborhood chainsaw gangs who set the recovery in motion. Paths were cleared allowing folks to drive and check on friends and family because the phone signal was as fleeting as a fifth-grade romance. In some cases, it meant parking and walking in because the side roads leading into many neighborhoods were literally log jammed. Never underestimate a group of single-minded men with chainsaws...

Beauty was taken from us...changed...made unrecognizable and unfamiliar. It will be a long time before those houses are once again hidden behind trees...if ever. What that hurricane couldn't change is the way we love our own.  They say that “a thing of beauty is a joy forever." I hope I never forget the joy of watching the true beauty around me bloom.  We really are #toombsstrong.

–MICHELLE STINNETT / THE YANKEEBELLE CHRONICLES

Afew days after the storm a friend reached out and asked if we needed any help cleaning up. We did not have any large trees down, but my mother-in-law had some larger trees that Charles would need some help getting cut and to the road. The following weekend my mother-in-law showed up at the house and said that the Latter Day Saints had been at her house all day cleaning up. Not only did they clean her yard, but they cleaned the one next door as well! A whole crew of people, I believe from Savannah, who cleaned up yards for people they didn't even know! –ANGELA LANE

Photo shared by Doug Roper

Photo shared by Facebook

Photo shared by Doug Roper

Photo shared byFacebook

So this is definitely no act of heroism and no act of anything other than checking on a friend, who like me, lived alone and had spent four frightening hours in a closet waiting for the storm to pass and the sun to rise. No phone service like everyone else, but I knew my friend lived way back in a pecan orchard. I've got a jeep, so no problem, right? Except when I arrived at her gate, every single one of those huge trees were uprooted covering the lane back to her home. I did the only thing I knew to do - I got out and started walking, navigating my way through debris, mud, and downed trees. At this point, I was afraid for her, so I started yelling her name. After what seemed like an eternity, I heard her yelling back at me and as I rounded another tree, I saw her walking toward me. We were soaking wet covered in mud, but she was alive, and I was most grateful. Hurricane Helene may have forever changed our landscapes, damaged our homes, and destroyed 100-year-old trees, but there's one thing she couldn't do - her strongest winds were no match for our friendship.

–CELESTE ROBISON

Robert and Hank DeJarnette are certainly heroes! They got out on Adams St. (They live close to the Julie Dr. entrance where I live) and started cutting and moving trees to clear the road. There were so many trees and power lines down across the road for miles!! Adams Street was blocked from beyond the city limits to 280. They started cutting and moving and just kept seeing the need and kept cutting!

Dustin Hall happened to show up and moved the dozens of trees from the road, so we could come and go. These are heroes. Dustin Hall is a hero! He was in many places in our community utilizing blessings from God to be a blessing. He definitely deserves a huge shout out!

-LISA CHESSER

26 trees fell on my family’s 2 acre property, but, miraculously, we had zero house or property damage other than a section of fence -Peyton Johnson, 10th grade, TCHS

Photo from Toombs County Sheriff's Office

Photo from Toombs County Schools

Photo shared by Luther Wardlaw

Our neighbor’s house had a tree that went through his bedroom, my husband saw it the morning after and ran over and pounded on his door. He told me later that he thought to himself, "Please don't let me have to break down this door and find that man deceased." The neighbor finally came to the door and the sigh of relief when my husband walked back into our house was overwhelming. Neighbors helping Neighbors.

-Tracie Summers

One of my youth leadership students was serving at the food and supply drive-thru, and as she went to greet the family and ask how many were in their home, she realized they were a deaf family. She is fluent in ASL and was able to communicate with them! There were two lines run by lots of volunteers, so she didn’t get to interact with every family. I know God orchestrated this timing so that she was the one to speak to and serve them. I know that family left feeling seen in a world where they likely feel forgotten and especially fearful in the midst of tragedy and devastation.

–JORDAN ROBINS

As bad as things were in Toombs County, people still rallied together to send a trailer of supplies to North Carolina. People who lost some of their own stuff here still managed to send what they could to people who lost everything. The girls up in North Carolina are part of the Marsh to Mountains Relief Team, and they distributed supplies by mule (the 4 legged kind!) to victims in the mountains. When we left from delivering the initial load everyone was bawling because it meant so much to them.

From an Ag standpoint we lost everything at the farm. After close to 30 years of owning the farm and 15 years of owning my horse breeding operation, it is almost completely gone, and I do not know how we will rebuild. I had to ship all 35 head of my personal and partnership owned breeding horses–mares, stallions and foals–off to a friend’s farm in North Georgia since our farm wasn’t safe for them due to debris from the destroyed barns. I had horse friends reaching out from across the United States, Mexico, Canada, Europe and Australia calling and texting offering to help or offering prayers. The horse community and ag community has rallied together from across Georgia and several other states to send supplies such as hay, feed, medical supplies, fence supplies and diesel to distribute to local farmers. We received a semi-trailer load of feed and a semi-trailer load of hay that we were able to distribute to about 15 local cattlemen and other livestock owners. Our little town was being seen around the world by the horse and ag community.

–BROGAN ADAMS

One thing I was really impressed with about Americans and the hurricane was that on day one, I was wandering around (you couldn’t drive anywhere) and I went to the end of my street and there was a giant, giant tree blocking the whole road. In true American fashion, a load of guys, just random men, pull up in a truck and get out chainsaws and start sawing this giant tree and moving it off the road. I don’t think they were together, they just appeared – random folks.

–LUCY DONEGHAN

Photo shared by Altamaha EMC

Idistinctly remember seeing my neighbor across the street, standing in the yard in absolute awe and taking it all in. Little did I know, her husband had barely escaped a tree landing on him as it plummeted through their living room roof and ceiling. Everywhere we looked there were trees through houses, power poles snapped with lines covering the street, and neighbors checking on neighbors. Despite the destruction there was comfort in the sense of community. The days following the hurricane were unlike anything I’ve ever experienced; it was like time stood still. Without air conditioning, it felt better to be outside and that’s where everyone was. Without access to the roads, people were walking around on foot. I met and chatted with so many neighbors that have never slowed down long enough to really talk. Again, the clear sense of community grew. On Saturday the neighborhood helped elderly neighbors with a tree through their house get to their sons who had trekked down from Atlanta. The sons came bringing the neighborhood supplies and planning to take their parents for a brief vacation to air conditioning. A complete stranger helped provide them buggy rides since the roads were still impassible. Again, a sense of community. The following days were filled with clean up. Several men in the neighborhood worked together to cut a path out for a neighbor whose daughter was getting married out of town. The church showed up with chainsaws and helped clear driveways and walkways. Meals were prepared and shared amongst the neighbors - breaking bread with the community. As the days went on, the community continued to show itself as a neighbor was reported missing and, still without phones, so many neighbors passed along the word to search for him and to work together until he was found safe. I could go on and on about how our community showed up and showed out. God truly blessed us when he moved us to Vidalia. –KRISTIN WRIGHT

We achieve more together. I’ve always known Toombs was strong. But as we began to come together for a common purpose, it was remarkable to me how strong we could really be. Lines were blurred, and old disagreements were buried. I witnessed a sense of alliance I had never seen before. I remember discussing clean up processes with our group and the sense that we needed to treat our community as a whole was the base line and prevailing thought from everyone in the room. This became even more relevant as I worked at the distribution center. So many people working together for a common goal was amazing.

–LYONS

Photo from City of Lyons

Photo from City of Lyons

Vidalia City Manager Josh Beck and Lyons City Manager Jason Hall

CITY MANAGER JASON HALL

As soon as daylight broke, I walked outside, and the first thing I saw was two huge oak trees in our front yard laying on the ground. These trees were the main reason we purchased the land and built our house there four years ago. The trees were over 150 years old. My heart broke at the loss of our beautiful oaks. I quickly dried my tears and got dressed to go to work at Altamaha EMC. Our driveway was blocked and the highway in front of my house was impassible in both directions due to downed trees. Jordan Kight arrived at our house about this time. He lives about 2 miles past us and he was trying to make his way home to check on his family and home. He informed us of the conditions of the roads and told us he had to drive through ditches and fields to get to our house. With the help of my husband and the advice of Jordan, I was able to drive through some ditches and fields in my 4-wheel drive and finally make it to work. A drive that normally takes 15 minutes took almost 2 hours.

In the days that followed, the community supported us at Altamaha EMC in ways that I would have never imagined. Numerous churches fed us meals and delivered snacks and drinks for our employees. Countless members also fed us and offered to help in any way needed. Several of our members made trips to Sam’s to buy food and supplies for us to feed our crews and contractors who came to help us restore power. Many of these people didn’t have electricity at home, but they wanted to help take care of our linemen who were working to restore power across our 3,300 miles of line. They could see the devastation in our service area and understood the need to help. The kindness and love that was extended to us during the most difficult times we have ever seen is something I can never put into words. We are thankful for each act of kindness, no matter how big or how small. –TAMMYE VAUGHN

Photo shared by Doug Roper

Photo shared by The CIty of Vidalia Police Department

Photo shared by The CIty of Vidalia Police Department

My 19-year-old, who works for Lowes unloading their trucks, was working and would not be off until about 1 a.m. I was so worried that I got him a hotel room in town so that he wouldn't have to drive. I stayed in contact with him until about 2 a.m. when we lost power. It took him seven hours to get from the hotel to our place on Orange Street. Those were the longest seven hours of my life.

Waking up and walking outside that Friday was like nothing I've ever felt; I literally just cried. My husband and I went right into survival mode. We had ten trees blocking our driveway that we had to move so we could get out. Saturday we took all of our meat out of the freezer and cooked over 50 hamburgers and drove around town and gave them to all the workers that filled our streets. On Sunday, my best friend and I decided to hit up the local churches and food drives. I spent almost $800.00 on supplies, water, diapers, formula – so many people donated to us, and we loaded her car and drove to Mcnatt Falls to hand out supplies. It was the saddest thing I've ever seen. The littlest areas were hit so hard. They had no running water, no food. One single mom of three cried and told us she had used her last diaper and wasn't sure how she was going to feed her kids the next few days as they were trapped in by trees and didn't have the funds to get food much less a generator and gas for it. I struggled so hard, even now I see the faces of the elderly who cried to us, saying they have never in all their years seen something like this. Even to this day when I go outside and see our once beautiful farm looking the way that it does, I get a lump in my throat, but then I remember that family in their small demolished home, thankful to just have bottled water, and it humbles me. –JENNIFER COURSEY

The most touching story for me was a lineman (Derrick) from Blue Ridge Mountain EMC who came to help us restore power. He had been here almost two weeks and always had a smile on his face and a positive word to share. One morning at breakfast he told us that his young son, Rhett, was diagnosed with Leukemia a few months earlier and was in the hospital at Scottish Rite Hospital in Atlanta. When Derrick got the call to come assist us, he went to the hospital to see his son and told him of the need to help people in South Georgia who didn’t have electricity. He asked Rhett if it was okay to leave for a couple of weeks or if he wanted his dad to stay with him. Rhett looked at his dad and said, “Daddy, you go help those people. I’ll be here when you get back.” I don’t care how strong you are, that will bring you to tears and make you thankful for heroes like Derrick.

–TAMMYE VAUGHN

It’s easy to focus on what has been lost, but I ask you to take a moment and remember what we still have: our community, our neighbors, and each other. In times like these, we must not lose sight of the strength we find in our unity, the kindness we continue to show one another, and our determination to rebuild....We are better together, and together we will heal, recover, and emerge stronger.

-Lyons Mayor Willis NeSmith

Infrastructure on the Robert Toombs Christian Academy campus was damaged and many of the trees were on the ground. RT families, staff, and students volunteered around the campus to help, and businesses took time away from their own livelihood to help at the school. Perhaps the most memorable aid came from ‘rival' schools, Piedmont Academy and Frederica Academy. Their student bodies and families collected and delivered supplies. They brought with them cases of water, loads of food, storm clean-up supplies, gas cans, and so much more that would serve to lighten the load of those affected by the storm.  These items were such a blessing to the RT families and the community around Robert Toombs.  A few weeks after the Hurricane, RT families got the chance to help others when they collected items for Lyons First Baptist Church to deliver to Western North Carolina.  It was truly amazing to see these schools come together for each other off the field, then give RT a chance to help others as well. –ASHLEY M.B. LAMPP

My dad has a tractor and other heavy equipment that he used to help clean our yard, and once we got done with ours, we rode around and just saw the mass destruction in town and even on the other dirt roads around our house. My dad spent almost everyday after the storm cleaning up other people’s yards. There was not a day that he was not in somebody else’s yard helping them, whether he knew them or not. Another great thing is that he did it free of charge and did not expect to be paid for something he wanted to do. As I watched my dad throughout those two weeks, I just really took note of his actions, and it is something that I’ll always remember. I’ll always want to be more like him and his selfless actions. –AUBREY

GAY, 11TH GRADE, TCHS

Hurricane Helene brought more than just destruction and despair. It brought me and my family life and happiness with a story to tell. My wife, Margaret Anne, was 29 weeks pregnant with twin girls when Helene ripped through our town. She noticed some pains, and I jokingly said, "now is not the time to go into labor." Ten minutes later, her water broke. Unfortunately, we were trapped in our yard with no access to the road. We had no power or cell service, no 911, no EMS; we were on our own. The feeling of helplessness was unimaginable. We gathered our two year old daughter, Emerson, got in the car and headed to the nearest hospital. We had to search for a passage that didn’t have a pine tree down. We turned around many times only to be met with more roadblocks. The amount of destruction was unsettling. I spoke to a doctor in Vidalia who said they could deliver the babies, but the extreme prematurity of the 29 week gestational twins would serve as a challenge. Due to their premature age, they would need respiratory support and a NICU. The twins wouldn’t have been able to be transferred to a hospital with a NICU because all EMS and AirEvac were not operating. We made the bold decision to drive two hours to Piedmont Augusta on our own, not knowing what obstacles we would encounter along the way or if it was even possible to make it there. With less than a quarter tank of gas and no way of getting more, we were praying for a clear path to Augusta. Along the way, we tried 911 with no answer. No police officer could offer any assistance or escort. My biggest fear was delivering the twins on the side of the road with no way to get help and no way of calling anyone. After two hours of driving through the median, riding on the other side of the road and dodging escaped cattle on the interstate, we made it to Augusta. But we were not out of the woods yet. The hospital didn’t have water or power and no air conditioning. Without air conditioning, the surgical supplies would be ruined, preventing surgery. Our prayer that the OR continued to stay open was answered. Margaret Anne had developed an infection from the babies sac rupturing, so she had to have an emergency C-section. With each obstacle put in our way, God got us through it. The babies were safely delivered and spent two months in the NICU. The twin girls, Annie and Ella James, are currently doing well and looking to go home soon! We have truly been showered with God’s Grace through it all. With many prayer warriors keeping up with our journey, the power of prayer is truly amazing. My family and I are extremely blessed and give all the glory to God.

–KIRBY ALLMOND

Ithink [the hurricane] helped our community grow closer, as everyone says, but especially I think it helped us grow close to the older people in the community, observing that they needed help, whether it was a lot or a little, and being able to help them and, in doing so, learning a lot about them. Meeting close relatives from out of town who came to help with clean up, and realizing just how amazing our little community is. –JEAN PETERSON, 11TH GRADE,

As I drove by old, busy streets, I came across a house that used to be surrounded by trees, and was now in plain sight. The trees had all snapped in half while the house remained in the center, untouched –Karyme Arias, 10th, TCHS

TCHS

Photo by Kirby Allmond

The linemen have helped out a lot of people non-stop. They were the people picking not just trees and debris, but even trash from the side of the road. -Stephanie Eduardo-Ramos, 10th grade, TCHS

For as much as Helene took from us I will forever be changed by all the acts of selfless love shown throughout our communities. One of the most touching moments for me was in Mount Vernon a few days after the storm. I arrived at the First Baptist church looking to find how I could help when I was greeted by a small boy toting a wagon full of water bottles waiting for the next person in need. I soon found his mother and she shared with me the heartbreaking story of how the storm had ruined their home and totaled her husband’s vehicle. Despite having lost so much, they knew that others were in greater need and had quickly looked for any way to help serve their neighbors. Her willing heart was shown through her faithful little boy who continued to cart wagon load after wagon load to each car that drove up.

I pray we all continue to have such open eyes to see our blessings despite all the hardships we may endure.

–ROSALIE TIPPS

The City of Vidalia has always held a special place in my family’s hearts. To see her lie in ruins the morning after the storm, caused complete heartbreak. I have never witnessed something so catastrophic, and for something of this magnitude to arrive on our front steps was overwhelming. Through all the devastation, over the next few weeks, we saw the hands and feet of God move through this community. People placed their neighbors’ needs over their own. Businesses provided supplies and basic necessities for those in need. Strangers, that have never set foot in the City of Vidalia, were landing their planes with food and supplies. As days turned to weeks, I realized that God was providing everything this community needed. It was our responsibility to accept it. God never left our side through the entire process. As needs arose, needs were filled.

Through various times in our life, we get distracted. Our priorities get misaligned, and our focus starts to drift from what matters in life. In order to grow, sometimes we need pruning. We need something to get our attention. Our community has always been loving and affectionate, but through this devastation God has been able to remind us that we can always be better.

We are a resilient community that has always been Christ centered. Traditions of excellence and devout faith prepared us for this event. These values are why so many devoted people call it home; it’s why my family calls Vidalia home. This is why I am so honored to serve it. –VIDALIA CITY MANAGER JOSH BECK

LanzaTech Freedom Pines, headquartered in Skokie, Illinois, is a small company in Soperton with just over 40 employees. Without hesitation employees in both Georgia and Illinois jumped into action to help their own as well as the surrounding community. The employees in Skokie sent tractor trailer loads of supplies as well as a separate shipment of 10 generators for employees. These shipments included items for distribution to the community. The Executive Team offered hotel rooms for employees who were displaced from their homes due to damage or power outages, and while the plant was getting back up and running, LT corporate encouraged their employees to volunteer in the community or find ways to help each other. All these actions demonstrated the core values of LanzaTech: Find A Way, Lift People Up, Own Your Decisions, and Always Learn.

Shaun had major shoulder surgery on the evening of the hurricane. We were released from the hospital at 5:30pm Thursday evening as Helene was rolling toward us. He literally had a 7 inch incision, stapled closed, on his left shoulder that's supposed to be iced every 2 hours in order to heal properly. And then we have Helene! No water, no power. Chris and Jennifer Hyatt somehow find their way out of their neighborhood to check on us on Friday afternoon. They were heading to Warner Robins and asked if there's anything they can do or get for us. I'm not a needy friend but was honest with them and told them, if possible, I needed a generator, and that I'd pay them back when the banks opened back up. My friends that are my family absolutely came through for me! They stood in line in Warner Robins and then hauled a generator and fuel back for us on a trailer when their own safety was in peril doing so! They provided a resource for me that I was not able to secure for myself and at a time when it was most critical! They are my heroes!

–KELLY TIPPETT

WIhen we got cell phone service, we spoke with our kids and decided to go to Atlanta to stay until electricity was restored. We assumed it would be a day or two but it was a solid nine days. Our boys came to Vidalia with a tractor and chainsaw to clean our yard and help with some of our family’s yards. After, seeing the devastation, they planned to come back the next weekend to help more family and extended family in our community.

My family’s boutique sold tee shirts and used the money to give back to the community and also provide stuff for the families in North Carolina who lost so much more. -Sophie Kelly, 11th Grade, TCHS

When my mom and I rode around our neighborhood to check on everyone, we saw hundreds of trees down, powerlines, buildings, etc. But not a singular cross was knocked down. Every single cross we saw was still standing in front of over a 100 trees.

–ELLY HAYGOOD

absolutely believe that there is a silver lining, and that is the readiness and call-to-arms. Immediately, I witnessed several leaders and organizations of not just my home city, Lyons, but the entirety of Toombs County, gathering volunteers and staff, and reading out to outside organizations to find aid. The readiness of the community was inspiring and without that attitude, we would still be picking up the pieces to this day. -TYLER REESE, 11TH

GRADE, TCHS

I learned a lot about myself, and I think my boys learned a lot, too; I learned that I can trust them because they can do the work I couldn’t do. I’m most thankful God blessed us with great kids, good friends, wonderful family and extended family. I learned a lot through the storm. I’ll never be the same because of it and I’m thankful for God’s mercy. God is good all the time and all the time, God is good.

–BOB DIXON

There was a lot more damage than I expected. All the surrounding buildings of my house were destroyed, but my house was untouched. –DOMINICK SMITH

Iwoke up around 3:30 in the morning while the hurricane was coming though my area, and I heard very loud tearing and crashing noises. It sounded like our house was getting torn to pieces…When I looked out the front door the next morning, I was in complete disbelief, our yard looked like a warzone, there was absolutely nothing left on our porch except one item. Keep in mind the wound and the force of the storm pushed heavy pots and chairs off the sides of the porch. The one thing that stayed was my dog’s stainless steel water bowl, with water still inside, not touched or moved a centimeter. To me, I believe that God was showing us His power and He was watching over us through all the chaos” -ALEXA ANDERSON, 10TH

Your Thoughts

We asked high school students to share their thoughts on the hurricane, silver linings, and miracles. Here's what they said.

“It taught people how much we take things for granted.”

-Brayden Harrison, 11th

“My emotions were fear and stress. I did not know what the next day would bring.”

-Sarah Manning, 10th

“I didn’t think it was real, and I was scared of what the aftermath would look like. But when I went outside to look, it was as bad as I thought. After I had seen other places and how my roads were just blocked off, I couldn’t believe it. Especially all those people that really lost their homes and everything they had.”

-Emma Wright, 11th

“My first thought when waking up after the storm was to make sure the people in my house and community were safe and secure”

- Wyatt Bunch, 10th

“I was thinking the world was ending.”

-Case Conner, 10th

“I got to spend a lot of quality time with my grandparents in the week or two following the hurricane. I think it allowed everyone to slow down and take a step back from our day-to-day, busy lives, since we could not really do anything regularly. We all had time to hang out and talk, in between cleaning yards, but it was a nice change of pace for a while.” - Sarah Walker, 11th

“My first thoughts when I woke up were actually quite optimistic. ‘It’s probably not that bad, just the power out, I doubt we got much damage, probably just a lot of rain. Hurricanes never damage us much.’ I was wrong. Extremely wrong.” -Tyler Reese, 11th

“I connected more with nature; I

discovered alternative activities

to do during the day that didn’t involve my phone.”

-Karyme Arias, 10th

“Be grateful

for

what you have because in an instant it can all go away.”

-Juan Rodriguez, 12th

“If we continue to help each other and work through these tough times, we can be stronger community”

-Sadie Deperro, 11th

“Just keep pouring into the community, and then once our community is back to ‘normal’, get our community together and help others, not just with storm relief, but with anything” -Emerson Powell, 11th

“I was thanking the Lord I was alive.” -Abby McLendon, 11th

“My family got closer and my siblings started to play outside together, instead of playing on electronics separated in our rooms” -Katie Eduardo, 10th

“We are blessed as long as our loved ones are okay.”

-Adam O’Neal, 10th

“Yes, we were alive. I’m so grateful for that.” -Eleanor Martinez, 10th

“[My takeaway was] to continue to help those who need it and stay together”

-TJ Stanley, 12th

“We need to put our differences aside more.”

-Colin Milligan, 11th

"[I thought] how long will life be like this?”

-Vick Moore, 11th

“Everyone was spending less time on their phones and paying more attention to their families and to nature.”

-Ella Kate Adams, 11th

“My first thoughts the morning after the storm was thankfulness. I was thankful for the fact that all of my family was safe and healthy. Because all of the material things can be replaced, but family can’t.”

-Hayden Ford, 10th

by

Embark on a journey through time at the Altamaha Cultural Museum, located in our new office at 124 NW Broad St., where the rich heritage of the greater Altamaha river basin comes to life. Immerse yourself in the stories of yesteryears as you explore relics ranging from moonshine stills to barn looms and an array of house and farm implements. Our museum serves as a vibrant testament to the resilience and creativity of our community, preserving traditions that have shaped our identity. Join us in celebrating this cultural treasure trove, open to all who seek to connect with the heart of Altamaha’s history.

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Since Dot’s founding in 1960, our focus has been on giving our employees the resources they need in order to grow and succeed. And that’s been our ongoing mission here in Vidalia since joining the community in 1999. Whether you spend your days in our warehouse, our office, or over the road, we are proud to offer advancement opportunities as well as great benefits, job flexibility, performance bonuses, and the pay you deserve.

Jacksonville, FL, Ocala, FL, and Hialeah, FL

2024 Business Expo is a huge success

The 2024 Business Expo sure was sweet! Nearly 300 attendees had a chance to sample what the community has to offer by visiting over 70 Chamber member’s booths and playing a variety of games and entering to win various prizes. The Chamber gave away $1,000 in Community Bucks to one lucky attendee who filled out their punchcard visiting 20 specific booths throughout the Community Center. No other event gives a business as much exposure in the community while also being able to network with other businesses and professionals.

Legislative Luncheon January 9th

Annual Meeting February 7th

ConnectHER March 27th

Showcasing

Greater Vidalia® May 9th

The mission of the Greater Vidalia® Chamber (GVC) is to prepare, develop, and promote our businesses and community for economic growth. The GVC is the largest business/ leadership organization in our community. Simply put: We’re in business to help business. If you want to start a business, grow a business, take part in leadership development or advocacy programs, GVC is for you! Perks of Chamber Membership include:

• SizeUP® Business Analytics Tool

• Promotion via Website, Email, Newsletter, Social Media, and Online Community Calendar

• Listing in GVC Business Directory

• Members-only Business Referrals

• “Grow with Us” Luncheons

• Shopping Locally Promotions with Community Bucks Program

• Ribbon Cutting, Open House, and Groundbreaking Events

• Discounted Workers’ Compensation and Health Insurance Premiums

• And So Much More!

For more information, contact Dana Brown at danab@greatervidaliachamber.com or by phone at 912.537.4466.

Applications Now Open for the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship

Are you a start-up or an established business looking to grow? Or maybe you need a dynamic, inspiring space to work or study? The Greater Vidalia® Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, serving as a business incubator, accelerator, and coworking center has a place for you! We’re now accepting applications for business tenants and membership in our thriving community. Here’s what we offer:

• Flexible coworking memberships for individuals needing workspace for work or study.

• Business incubator and accelerator memberships for start-ups and growing businesses looking to access a supportive ecosystem of other like-minded professionals, business training, and workshops.

• A range of facility rentals—from our boardroom to our classroom to hot desks and temporary office spaces.

• Gain exclusive access to mentorship from experienced professionals and a wealth of

The Perfect Gift for Any Season!

What are Community Bucks?

business resources designed to support your growth at every stage.

Choose from four different memberships tailored to fit your needs. Take the next step and join us! Be one of the FIRST to be a part of a space that supports growth, collaboration, and innovation.

Community Bucks are checks that can be spent at over 80 chamber member businesses. There is no fee to purchase a gift check. A complete list of accepting businesses, can be found by visiting www.greatervidaliachamber.com, click on Member Directory and search for “Community Bucks Participants.”

Why Buy Community Bucks?

The Chamber provides this as a service to our members and to encourage residents to...

HOMETOWN HAPPENINGS

ALTAMA MUSEUM LIP SYNC COMPETITION

Photos by Evan Riekhof/EZ-E Photography

HOMETOWN HAPPENINGS

Photos by Evan Riekhof/EZ-E Photography

HOME TOWN

LYONS SCARE ON THE SQUARE

Photos by City of Lyons

HOMETOWN HAPPENINGS

Photos by Evan Riekhof/EZ-E Photography

HOMETOWN HAPPENINGS

Photos by Evan Riekhof/EZ-E Photography

IN TOOMBS COUNTY

HOMETOWN HAPPENINGS

Photos by Evan Riekhof/EZ-E Photography

GABBY’S CHRISTMAS MARKET

Scenes of Toombs Co.

Nature can always astound us with her beauty no matter how ferocious or serene. Aristotle wrote, “In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.” While Toombs County may not look her best right now, there is joy in knowing that nature repairs, regrows, bounces back. She is resilient just like the people of

Toombs County!

photo by | LINDA CONLEY

photo by | DIANNE S. MIXON

photo by | REGGIE WOOD

photo by | JOE CLARONI

photo by | ED WONN

photo by | ED WONN

photo by | EVAN RIEKHOF

photo by | DIANNE S. MIXON

photo by | SARA TAYLOR

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LAST Words

Lessons from a Hurricane

Cliff Notes from the early morning hours of September 27th

I was scared, really scared. I cried. I plugged my ears to stop from hearing the trees cracking and crashing and the whistling wind coming through my windows. I sat next to my husband and held his hand, and I realized this could very well be how he and I exit this life and, if that be the case, I was grateful that I was wearing clean underwear. I prayed a lot, mostly for my children. The only other time that I was that grateful that something was over was when, unmedicated, I finally expelled my 7-pound daughter from my body… the sense of relief, both physically and emotionally, was the same as a long and painful birth, only the results were not anywhere near as joyful or beautiful.

Having said that, what in the Helene (thanks, Pete) has been happening in our county and country this year has been one for the books, and I, for one, will be glad when the pins are removed from our voodoo doll and someone quits rolling the Jumanji dice. We’ve had absolutely enough of tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, crazy and nasty election season, assassination attempts, a severe geomagnetic storm, turtles, frogs, salamanders, house flies, and fruit flies riding in on the backs of the largest mosquitoes I’ve ever laid eyes on. Nothing is the same, everything has changed, but truthfully, I’m not really mad about some of it.

Our landscape has changed forever. It has been 49 days (at the time of this writing) since HH, and I am still not used to seeing the piles of dead and dismembered trees and blue tarps everywhere. The privacy that we once enjoyed behind the pines and the oaks and the magnolias is either gone or much less for most of us. I felt this on another level just a few weeks ago when I took a bag of garbage outside in only a t-shirt and no pants as a truck was driving down my road in clear view. Sorry, dude, I know that was scary for you.

Our belief and faith that this will never happen to us is no longer there. We have had 3 major weather-related events in the span of 7 months that were of the likes we have never seen here before. I wish I had a dollar for every time the weather folks told us that we were in for something bad and we may have had a lawn chair blow over as a result. The day before this storm, my husband texted me and said, “This one is going to punch us in the mouth,” and he was so right. I now have a list of emergency preparedness items that I will always have on-hand and a stockpile of wine, Reese Cups and batteryoperated fans are on the top of that list. Apparently, these items were in high demand those several weeks and I was willing to meet someone in a back alley for any and all of it. Did you know white wine doesn’t have to be cold OR served from a glass? Well, now you do.

I’ve also taken a hard look at myself because I was sorely disappointed in my own lack of inner strength and patience. I felt sorry for myself when I had no right to. I was fearful of what was to come next when I still had an intact roof over my head. I was grouchy when it was hot and sticky in my house for 10 days, and I was dog tired because the loud generator kept me awake at night. I had fantasies of running you people over who don’t know how to act when red lights are out and very bad words came out of my mouth when the lady in front of me bought the last 3 gallons of milk and the last 4 packages of toilet paper all in one swoop. My ugly was showing, and I realized I didn’t have what it took to live on the prairie, that I was spoiled, and ridiculously narcissistic when in reality I was very, very blessed. This all hit home for me the day I drove up to my daughter’s house and she was in the yard raking up debris. My grandsons were sitting at a play table in the front yard having a blast, and my other daughter was dipping little boy

underwear out of a pot of boiling water from a fish cooker and hanging them on a drying rack. They were happy, they were laughing, they weren’t whining or complaining or feeling distressed and, truth be told, they never really were any of those things the entire time they were without power, which was much longer than we were. They were prairie living at its finest and handling it so much better than their older and supposedly wiser mother.

So here’s what I’ve learned and I’m not mad about it; 1) I need to toughen up mentally and physically; 2) I have added ‘fortitude’ to my emergency list; 3) while not having any form of communication is terribly difficult, not having all the extra technology was surprisingly nice; 4) bacon and pancakes on an outdoor griddle are better than cooked on an indoor stove; 5) don’t take wandering half clothed in your yard for granted; 6) one can survive for days with just clean arm pits, clean teeth, and dirty shorts; and 7) I have confirmation that I raised my children well and married above my grade.

While at a downtown event a few weeks back, I watched sweet little Ann Elise Moon walk up to a woman she knew and ask her with all sincerity “How’s your house?” I’m sure she had heard her parents say it hundreds of times in the previous weeks, but this was totally unprompted and it choked me up. Our community compassion, love and generosity spread its fingers everywhere, even to our littlest residents, and planted a very deep seed in all of us that will grow strong and will never, ever be blown over by a hurricane or tornado or swept away by flooding because it is deep inside of us. We are worn but resilient. We are #toombsstrong.

P.S. I’m kind of done attempting to be strong. If locusts are next, I’m outta here.

Ann Owens is a writer, creative genius, entrepreneur, mother, and wife who enjoys pondering what makes

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Jason Colbert, CHPCA, CEO