Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInVIDALIA (KNOE) - The Vidalia Police Department is warning the public of an active sinkhole “It’s getting worse and we’ve completely closed off this intersection to keep traffic off of it because any kind of vibration will cause more of the asphalt to fall in,” said Buz Craft Mayor Craft said the sinkhole is currently about 7-8 feet deep He also said repairs could cost millions of dollars We have to wait for the river to go down because any kind of subsurface infrastructure repairs that we do Mayor Craft said the supporting soil and material around the drain under the road eroded and caused the road to collapse “It depends on mother nature and what the river allows us to do and how quickly it can dry up If it dries up and we have rain events every week it’s going to be hard to fix,” said Mayor Craft Mayor Craft said there is potential for another sinkhole to form just down the street and it has been also been blocked off as a precaution “I’ve been watching that area for the last few years and you can actually see some of the ground is actually starting to fall off into the drain,” said Mayor Craft the police department said to avoid Concordia Avenue and Elm Street Citizens were also ordered not to trespass onto nearby residents’ property to view the sinkhole Officials said those who violate this order will receive a ticket The Vidalia Police Department said in part the safety of both the public and residents is of utmost importance.” (WTOC) - UPDATE: Vidalia police said missing 16-year-old Marlee Lola Heasman was safely located in Elkhart Police said an initial investigation revealed that the teen was last seen leaving the Vidalia Onion Festival carnival with 20-year-old Rafael Flores Investigations later showed that the Flores and the teen has gone to Elkhart Law enforcement says Flores was also found and arrested on one count of interference with custody and one county of contributing to the delinquency of a minor Police say Flores is currently awaiting extradition in Toombs County to face his charges the Vidalia Police Department thanked the public for their tips and the law enforcement agencies that helped locate the teen This investigation is still active and ongoing The Vidalia Police Department said they are asking for the community’s help in locating missing 16-year-old Marlee Lola Heasman Police said Heasman is from Gibsonton, Florida and she went missing during the Vidalia Onion Festival. She last seen at the carnival hosted by Modern Midways. She is described 5’02″ and was wearing a white shirt Vidalia Police said at this time they believe Heasman is currently with 20-year-old Rafael Flores of Powder Springs If you have information about where Heasman is you can contact the Vidalia Police Department – Investigative Services Division at (912) 537-4123 or Crimestoppers at (912) 386-4480 The 48th Annual Vidalia Onion Festival brought food and fun to the weekend as community members and visitors alike enjoyed concerts several contests and competitions were also underway as people showcased their talents and abilities inside and outside the kitchen local high school students competed to see who could create the best sidewalk chalk drawings continued from page around both the Vidalia Onion and a dancing in the street theme it was Vidalia High School Seniors Lily Grace Maybin and Noah Varn who were victorious in the competition Fellow Vidalia High School Students Emilynn Campbell and Gabby Barton earned the second place honors while Toombs County High School Students Julissa Borja and Leia Bradley took third place At the Vidalia Onion Recipe Contest on Saturday several chefs were recognized for their delicious creations in various categories whose bacon-wrapped onion rings were a crowdfavorite Allen’s onion rings also claimed the top honors in the miscellaneous category as Jayne Coleman’s Vidalia Onion Pop Tart and Janice Graham’s Onion Pasta were also amongst the top three dishes it was Allen’s mother Elaine Allen that took home the prize as her Vidalia Onion and Apple Chicken Salad earned her 1st place in the competition Mary Dunn and her Sweet Mac and Cheese was also a favorite while Pam Bishop’s Vidalia Onion and Honey Baked Beans took home 3rd place honors Eve Heaton was victoriuous in the appetizer category as her Vidalia Spring Roll Dip found favor with the judges Charlee Adams honored her late grandmother with her original “Luci’s Dip,” and earned second place honors Janice Graham rounded out the top three spots with her caramelized onion dip competitors gathered at the Vidalia Onion Festival Arts & Crafts Festival stage to see who had what it took to win the World Famous Onion Eating Competition Tiny Miss Vidalia Onion Ryleigh Gray Hitchcock proved her love of the onion by tying for first place with Hudson Crow The pair were followed by 3rd Place Winner Sawyer Harvill Only two teenagers were brave enough to compete in the 12-17 year-old division as Peyton Coursey took top honors and Finley Crow came in a close second and Jonathan Flowers followed not far behind in 3rd place it was a safe and fun weekend according to Vidalia Onion Festival Committee Chairman Andy Woodruff who said that he was immensely grateful for all the festival committee and others who came together to make the festival possible Vidalia Onion Festival Committee Chair of Volunteers Paige Alexander also spoke on her gratitude to everyone who gave their time to make sure that the festival was possible the festival cannot happen without the volunteers who take time away from their lives to help every year providing dozens of volunteers who helped us day in and day out the entire week of the festival and even helped with cleanup/break down after everything ended I would also like to extent my thanks to VHS BETA and CTAE I feel so optimistic about the future of the festival with so many people willing to step in and help and I am so thankful for everyone willing to give their time.” The 49th Annual Vidalia Onion Festival will occur next April and is sure to bring just as much excitement CHALK WALK 1ST PLACE – Drawn by Lily Grace Maybin and Noah Varn CHALK WALK 2ND PLACE – Drawn by Emilynn Campbell and Gabby Barton CHALK WALK 3RD PLACE – Drawn by Julissa Borja and Leia Bradley — The powerhouse season for the Redskins ended in the Sweet 16 on Thursday as Social Circle was swept by the 20-seeded Vidalia Indians but Social Circle came out on the losing end of both contests One of the big reasons was the Vidalia pitching staff that kept the ‘Skins from mounting comebacks on both occasions the Indians found a way to get to pitcher Caden Richardson A pair of RBI groundouts in the second inning put the Indians ahead by two and they added one more in the third frame on a sacrifice fly from Ryan Brantley Social Circle managed a few singles and a walk through the opening innings but it was not until the fourth that the Redskins pushed their first run home After Richardson singled to open the inning Cooper Davis laced a line drive into the left-center gap but Davis was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double Lucas Langley sent a RBI single into right field for the team’s first run of the series After an RBI groundout from Barrett Bramlett Brayden Allen singled into right field to tie the game at 3-3 The two teams stayed neck-and-neck at 3-3 for the remainder of regulation which meant the fans at Burks Field were going to be treated to extra innings Brantley scored both on a two-run double to left-center Henry Adams scored Brantley on an RBI single Richardson managed to get the strike out to escape the inning but the Redskins were in need of a big rally if they wanted to win the series opener With starter Jackson Berry still on the mound for Vidalia in the bottom of the eighth he pitched a one-two-three frame to give the Indians the win in game one The Redskins out-hit Vidalia in the contest but were unable to capitalize with runners on base Richardson pitched the full eight innings and allowed five earned runs on seven hits The senior struck out seven in what was the final pitching outing of his Redskins’ career Ian Miller came through with a three-hit performance in the loss Allen and Langley finished with two hits apiece In what was a do-or-die game for Social Circle Vidalia’s Veer Patel pitched a gem to close out the series Patel no-hit the Redskins through seven innings as he struck out 10 batters Gehrig Knapp started the game for Social Circle and only allowed two earned runs through five innings of work The senior allowed four walks but also struck out four batters The only runs of the game came early on for the Indians Berry singled to score Gabe Cleghon to make it a 2-0 lead Social Circle managed to get a pair of walks off Patel in the second and seventh innings but Redskins were unable to bring either run home Despite losing multiple key seniors from a year ago the Redskins still managed to produce a 30-win season in 2025 to accompany a Region 4A-Division I title Sophomore Ian Miller posted a .480 average on the year as he proved to be a welcomed addition to the Social Circle lineup as an everyday player Allen and Luke Cross followed with averages of .440 and .420 the Redskins will now enter the offseason as they will see the departure of seniors such as Cross You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience The Town of Vidalia has scheduled a system-wide electrical shutdown on Wednesday from 11 p.m to perform required maintenance on the Vidalia Substation residents and businesses in Vidalia will have no electrical service Town officials are asking the community to take proactive steps to prepare for the outage If you have family members or neighbors who might not have access to this notice—particularly older adults or individuals without social media—please reach out to share the information directly Officials said the outage is essential to improve service reliability at the Vidalia substation consider powering down sensitive electronic devices in advance Contact the Vidalia City Hall or the Utility Barn with questions Monday’s SWAC college basketball lineup has lots in store Among those contests is the Southern Jaguars squaring off… Ranked squads are on the Monday college basketball schedule in two games including the Wake Forest Demon Deacons… Monday’s college basketball schedule has several interesting games including the matchup between the McNeese Cowboys and the Stephen… which includes the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Florida Panthers Top-25 teams will take the court across two games on Monday’s college basketball slate Adams County residents: Could you live with once-a-week garbage pick up if it would save you significantly on your monthly garbage collection bill View Results The precious yellow PRR F1 Granex hybrid by any other name than Vidalia would not smell―or taste―as sweet although Walla Wallas and Texas Sweets have tried It is the terroir (pronounced tare-wah)―the air the lack of sulfur in the rich sandy loam of Georgia's Magnolia Midlands―that created the distinctive conditions for the happy accident that blossomed into the Vidalia onion 96 years ago when a farmer named Moses Coleman planted "the wrong" onion But he stumbled upon a phenomenon that has grown into a $120 million a year hand-cultivated crop that has cornered 40% of the total sweet onion market in the United States Savannahians will drive out to Bulloch and Screven counties just to buy 10-pound bags of the lustrous amber bulbs as close to where they were picked as possible Only 13 Georgia counties and portions of seven more have the honor of growing these gastronomic gems, and they are protected by the Vidalia Onion Act of 1986 which requires farmers to obtain licenses before growing these beauties only 60 farmers in the 20-county area were registered More than 10,000 acres that year were hand-planted Most of those farms area concentrated around Toombs County Not a single onion sold before the official packing date―which was April 15 this year―could be called a Vidalia Stranger things in Georgia: How the Vidalia Onion Museum offers fun and education will host the annual Champagne of Onions Restaurant Week from May 17-24 Some Savannah-area restaurants will be participating and creating recipes specifically centered on the Vidalia onion and Flora and Fauna are among those participating Look for Dining Updates in the Savannah Morning News as the sweet week grows closer Here's another recipe that will pair nicely with pulled pork come Memorial Day when backyard barbecues are all the rage and the onions are at the their peak sweetness Courtesy of Shuman Farms Some other recipes to try come courtesy of the Vidalia Onion Committee (vidaliaonion.org/recipes) dedicated to maintaining the cultivation and taste standards of Georgia's official state vegetable The Committee also hosts the Blessing of the Crops every March and sets the annual packing date for when the first shipments of hand-picked Vidalias head to grocery stores and farm stands Beginning Thursday, April 24 (today) through Sunday, April 27, Toombs County, will turn out for the annual Vidalia Onion Festival street dance and opening ceremonies in downtown Vidalia The party continues on Friday and Saturday at the regional airport with genre-bending singer-songwriter Ernest as the headliner on Friday and neotraditional country superstar Clint Black taking the stage on Saturday Sunday's festivities evoke a state fair vibe with the Vidalia Onion Run For tickets, go to vidaliaonionfestival.com editor and reporter for the Savannah Morning News It was a great morning for the Kiwanis Vidalia Onion Run on Saturday morning They had the largest turn out in race history with over 800 runners signing up for the event They kicked off the day with the fourth running of the half marathon There were two new records set this year and one that was just missed It was a great morning for running with good temperatures as the racers took to the streets of Vidalia With a great story and an even better time came in with a new course record of 1:13.38 That time according to Runners World is good enough to place him in the top 1% of runners in the world for half marathon times Which means that is going to be a tough time to beat who moved to Atlanta just three months ago had not run in a race in two years and had never run in a half marathon He found the Onion Run online and decided that he wanted to check out the home of the onions And what a race he ran to come in with that time Second place in the half marathon went to Jae Chel Lim who is a South Korean currently living in Claxton His time of 1:26.01 was just three minutes off the old record Third place was Brayan Escudero in a time of 1:30.37 Carlee James of Satesboro took the top spot in the half marathon in a time of 1:36.21 also of Statesboro came in second with a time of 1:38.18 Third place went to Holly Olson in a time of 1:48.57 There was also a new record set for the men in the 5k this year The old record was 17.18 set last year by Toombs County's Juan Luna Adyn Easton from South Effingham High School took the top spot with a new record time of 17.09 Luna came in second in 17.37 and third place was Adam Costello with a time of 19.34 finished in first place with a time of 20.50 The winner of the 1-Mile Fun Run was Joseph Nelson from Reidville The female winner was Macey Todd of Vidalia who ran that after taking third place in the 5k 2nd place) from Statesboro both came close to the women’s half marathon record.Photo by Mike Branch The Toombs County Grand Jury reconvened on Tuesday one of which dealt with the recent child abuse case that led to the death of 4-year-old Reese Hughes Seth Hunter Brown and Taylor Marie Hughes were each indicted on two counts of malice murder and two counts of cruelty to children in the first degree.– one for each body part (abdomen and head) which was struck during the incident The couple also were charged with four counts of felony murder – a count each for “maliciously causing cruel and excessive physical pain by striking the child” in the head and abdomen and a count each for harming the child’s brain and intestines Two additional counts of aggravated battery were also charged to the continued from page Toombs County 911 Dispatch received a call about an unresponsive child The caller shared that they were driving to the emergency room from their residence with the child and needed an ambulance to meet them on the route The child was later identified as 4-year-old Reese Hughes Toombs-Montgomery EMS met the caller and Reese at the Enmarket in Lyons located at the intersection of West Liberty Street and South Victory Drive where they immediately took Reese and began working to try to save her life she was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the Memorial Health Meadows Hospital in Vidalia Toombs County Sheriff Jordan Kight requested assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Region 12 Office to probe the case suspicion arose that Reese was beaten to death and Taylor Hughes’s boyfriend Seth Hunter Brown The couple both went before Chief Middle Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Robert Reeves for their first appearance in court on Monday where Judge Reeves informed the pair that bond would not be considered at the current time Hughes requested a court-appointed attorney while Brown stated he would hire his own counsel Middle Judicial Circuit District Attorney Tripp Fitzner stated that investigators were working to get the case to be reviewed by the Toombs County Grand Jury as quickly as possible because if an indictment is not presented within 90 days Toombs County Sheriff Jordan Kight commented on the indictment “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all my staff and District Attorney Tripp Fitzner and his staff for working tirelessly on this case The fact that Brown and Hughes have been indicted of these charges 39 days after their arrest is a true testament to the unwavering dedication and teamwork of the Sheriff’s Office Brown and Hughes will now begin the process of entering a formal plea to the court to determine their next steps in the judicial process Former Step By Step Learning Center Employee Nicole Kathleen Cabrera was indicted by the Toombs County Grand Jury and was charged with 9 counts of cruelty to children in the first degree and 3 counts of aggravated battery The issue was discovered after families began noticing bumps and other marks on their babies’ heads after picking them up and spoke with the daycare about the issue The facility shared that Cabrera had been terminated from employment these families then reached out to law enforcement Cabrera was arrested at her home in Collins on Wednesday She is accused of several incidents of child cruelty including forcefully shoving two children in chairs forcefully “snatching [a child] off the ground and slamming [them] down,” forcefully “snatching a child off the floor by [their] arm and slamming [them] down,” “snatching a child off a changing table and dropping [them] to the floor,” “forcefully shoving a child off the floor and slamming them down,” and “snatching a child out a chair by [their] arm and throwing [them] onto the floor.” She is also accused of leaving three children in infant swings or bouncer seats for extended periods of time causing one child to suffer skull deformities and two other children to have skull disfigurations Cabrera will now enter a formal plea into the court to determine whether she will face trial or sentencing Tobias Ke’Vion Bell was indicted for the 2021 murder of Matthew Williams- Jacobs was found severely wounded near Tammy’s Do Drop In on Orange Street after police received reports of gunshots in the area of Thompson Street and West Jenkins Street Jacobs was taken to Memorial Health Meadows Hospital for immediate treatment for a gunshot wound and transferred to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah The Vidalia Police Department and Georgia Bureau of Investigation probed the incident by members of the United States Marshals Service Bell is charged with one count of malice murder and one count of possession of a firearm during commission of a felony He will now enter a formal plea to the court to decide his next steps in the judicial process Destiny Shianne Gilchriest was indicted and charged with interference with government property criminal damage to property in the second degree and burglary in the second degree for her actions on July 18 Gilchriest is accused of breaking a window and damaging equipment within the Toombs County Health Department Gilchriest will now enter a formal plea to the court to determine her next steps within the judicial process other individuals charged included: • Martez Ray Walker Jr Taylor Marie Hughes Tobias Ke’vion Bell Nicole Kathleen Cabrera Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInVIDALIA, Ga. (WTOC) - For the small city of Vidalia, the Vidalia Onion Festival is the biggest weekend of the year. Since 1977, Vidalia becomes the center of the southeast Georgia community as people gather to celebrate those sweet onions. All week, Vidalia has hosted different events for the community with movies and art shows for the 48th Vidalia Onion Festival. City leaders say they expect over 20,000 people in town based on ticket sales and crowds from years past. For the community as a whole, millions are made in revenue across the board and city leaders say, at the end of the day it’s all about the onions. Downtown Vidalia Association Director Tony Parker said, “we have something that can only be grown within this area and so we love it. We are very proud of it. We like to wear it and we like to eat them!” A few of the fun events happening Friday for the festival includes two sessions of “Mimosas and Onion Art” at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. There is also “sweet shopping” all day and a carnival all night. The gates open at 5 p.m. for the concert with Ernest, Josh Ross, and Kaleb Sanders starting at 6 p.m. plus much more. The Vidalia Onion Festival continues Saturday morning with 2025 Annual Vidalia Onion Run, fun activities during the day, and a Sweet Onion Showdown with Bulls Broncos and Barrels Saturday night. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vidalia Onion Festival (@vidaliaonionfestival) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vidalia Onion Festival (@vidaliaonionfestival) The Greater Vidalia Chamber graduated its 31st class of leaders on Friday as participants gave presentations on the things that they learned during the Greater Vidalia Leadership Program and how that knowledge has helped to equip them throughout their leadership journeys The class first began the program last August as 17 local professionals met for orientation to learn more about themselves and their leadership styles the class met once a month to explore local businesses and industries throughout the area Each session was designed to highlight the inner workings of the community and how participants can engage with personal topics of interest around them Class members also worked to complete service projects outside of the class where they raised funding for local nonprofit organizations and helped to better the community by investing in individuals throughout the community and industries were represented in this year’s class The Leadership Class is overseen by Chairs Jordan Robins and Clint Hutcheson Both Robins and Hutcheson spoke on the success they had seen throughout the participants’ activities in recent months and the impact of the program on the local area “I am amazed at each class member’s engagement and their willingness to dig in to the community in order to make impactful changes making our area a great place to live “There are many facets that make this program valuable and it would not be possible without the many businesses and individuals who sponsor and volunteer with the program furthering the mission of the longstanding program.” Pineland Telephone Company sponsored this year’s leadership program while The Temples Company and Chapman Healthcare Pharmacy sponsored the graduation Nominations are currently open for the 20252026 Leadership Class It is the absolute first day set by the Georgia Department of Agriculture that the oh so delicious Vidalia onion can be packaged and sold In the Vidalia onion world that official day is called I have some buddies in extension that live in Tattnall County which is in the middle of Vidalia onion country and I can always get the good news on what happening in the Georgia onion world shared some of his insight into this year’s crop Seedbeds had some big struggles from tropical storms and we are in a good weather pattern to finish growing and dry for harvesting Aubrey liked to point out that a little less than half of all those Vidalia’s come from his county of Tattnall with a Farm Gate value of $69.5 million What is it that makes the Vidalia onion so special To keep the Vidalia onion a Georgia only commodity Georgia passed legislation in 1986 giving Vidalia onions legal status This legislation also defined the 20-county production area where the only place in the world that can have the name Vidalia onion can only be grown in a specific twenty counties in Georgia The reason the Georgia State Vegetable is so sweet isn’t because of what is added to the soil Sulfur is naturally occurring in the farming soil but in Tattnall County and the other 19 surrounding Vidalia onion producing counties The result is a milder taste with less heat the sweet taste is the big motivation we keep coming back every year for more delicious Vidalia’s Vidalia onions are Georgia’s number one vegetable commodity which produces over 200 million pounds of product this commodity has an economic value averaging $150 million yearly Shelf life for Vidalia’s can be a challenge to growers technology borrowed from the apple industry was adapted to begin the controlled atmosphere storage of Vidalia onions With production typically lasting from April to June 125 million pounds of Vidalia onions can be put into controlled storage for up to seven months This allows for extended Vidalia onion sales into the fall holiday season Similar to Girl Scouts with their annual cookie sale fundraiser some of Georgia’s 230,000 kids involved in UGA’s 4-H program use the sale of Vidalia onions to raise money for scholarships Participating 4-H'ers get “onion credit” based on what they sell If you would like to purchase some Vidalia onions for the Richmond County 4-H fundraiser to help send some of our local 4-H'ers to summer camp we are taking orders at the UGA Extension office until April 25 bags as well as the Vidalia Onion Cookbook available for this great cause 706-821-2350 or  https://tinyurl.com/2025-VidaliaOnions The form is also on our UGA Richmond County website May 6 at the Georgia State Farmers Market at 1150 5th St. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page — Water completely flooded Front Street around the Vidalia Conference and Convention Center and Riverbridge Hospital on the Vidalia Riverfront on Friday afternoon in the midst of heavy rain and a high river Video of the flooding shared by Tim Vance on Friday showed water completely covering the road and part of the hospital parking lot around the convention center Vidalia Mayor Buz Craft said none of the water got inside the buildings “The pumps are working and we’ve got people on the ground keeping watch of it,” he said just before 1 p.m The Mississippi River at Natchez and Vidalia is expected to crest at 56 feet between April 29 and 30 and expected to remain above the flood level of 48 feet until May 11 according to the National Water Prediction Service The flood threat increased from moderate to major at 57 feet “I start to get nervous when the river is at 58 or 59 feet,” Craft said earlier this week of the flood’s threat to properties on the riverfront He said Friday that the Corps of Engineers will have a meeting with officials at the riverfront at 4 p.m Recipes for savoring the flavor all season long Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christina Daley Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen (WTOC) - Leather Love and Freedom in Vidalia isn’t just known for its motorcycles Junior Elkhatib has always had a heart for helping Last year alone he says he raised 22 thousand dollars for homeless veterans by camping out on the streets for 7 days on to raise money and awareness a lot of things have happened here,” said Junior Elkhatib When Helene hit Toombs County and neighboring areas Elkahtib packed up his food truck and headed to where people needed him He put himself to the side to help other people,” said Crowley A man with a heart of gold now left with a business of soot “I’ve got a lot of work to do a lot of things,” said Elkhatib After a fire at his business Tuesday morning now his main source of income is reduced to rubble “God puts certain people in your life that will show you love and you gotta show that love forward,” said Elkhatib “Every time you try to offer him help he’s like no no no that’s just how Junior is he puts everyone else first and then him on the side but that’s not the case now,” said Crowley A community he has poured into is returning the favor Phil Crowley and his wife are long-time friends of Elkhatib’s and when they learned he didn’t have insurance they started a GoFundMe So the man who has spent so much time spreading love will get it back “For now all those crazy people that love on me so much I’ve just gotta take it in,” said Elkhatib Citizens and officials are mourning the loss of Vidalia Mayor Pro-Tem Raymond Turner Turner has served on city council since January 1 acting as Mayor Pro Tem and serving as the Interim Mayor in 2020 following the death of former Mayor Ronnie Dixon He was Vidalia’s representative on the Heart of Georgia Altamaha Regional Commission Board and had worked diligently to improve the community by helping to secure grants – such as the community development block grant which he helped the area get to establish the Toombs County Boys and Girls Club – and to revitalize blight- continued from page The City recently recognized Turner for his devotion to public service as they announced that the Vidalia Municipal Annex would be renamed the John Raymond Turner Municipal Building “Renaming the current annex building ‘the John Raymond Turner Municipal Building’ is a fitting tribute to a man whose heart has always been with this community or decades in public office – has touched countless lives We also recognize the unwavering support of his wife Public service is a sacrifice for families as well and we are deeply grateful to both of them,” Mayor Doug Roper shared at the ceremony on January 30 other officials spoke of their admiration of Turner and the impact that they felt he had on the community Turner’s unwavering dedication to our city and its citizens is unparalleled His leadership has helped guide Vidalia through both prosperous and challenging times leaving a legacy that will be felt for generations to come,” City Manager Josh Beck remarked Councilman Cecil Thompson—who has known Turner and his wife “Raymond and Lillie have been the ‘salt of the earth.’ His wisdom and unwavering dedication have guided the city through difficult times and he has mentored so many of us in public service His legacy is one of treating people with kindness “[Turner] is a cornerstone of this city,” Councilman Bob Dixon commented “He brings invaluable historical knowledge and a steady welcoming presence that made me feel comfortable seeking his wisdom.” “His hard work and commitment left an undeniable mark and his love for this community is truly inspiring It has been an honor to serve alongside him,” Councilwoman Jennifer Evans said Turner passed away on the 5-year anniversary of the death of his friend and fellow public servant The men’s combined years of service to the community totaled over 80 years Turner is the epitome of what embodies that terminology We will be forever grateful for his long-lasting impact and we will strive relentlessly to honor and continue his legacy,” Mayor Doug Roper emphasized Members of the community were invited to pay their respects to the late Mayor Pro-Tem on Monday as a public viewing was held in the City Council chambers of the John Raymond Turner Municipal Building — A Sheriff’s Sale of the former Vidalia Mills property is stalled for appraisals to be completed first The property belonging to Vidalia Industrial Facilities LLC — also known as Vidalia Mills — was advertised for a Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Sale on April 9 the auction is postponed indefinitely while parish officials wait for paperwork The property must have two property appraisals — one from the plaintiff and one from the defendant — that come within 10 percent of each other to start the sale The sale starts at two-thirds of the appraised value The sale will include a total of 81.87 acres of land the 900,000-square foot building and numerous pieces of equipment on the property Vidalia Mills owes approximately $32.5 million in principal cost to Jefferson Financial Federal Credit Union and Greater Nevada Credit Union The plant never reopened as promised by Vidalia CEO Dan Feibus after its shutdown in November 2024 Former employees report not receiving their past-due wages or tax documents the company was granted a $25 million loan from Jefferson Financial Federal Credit Union and another $5 million from Greater Nevada Credit Union for additional equipment and working capital According to 7th Judicial District Court records became the Town of Vidalia’s property after the departure of Fruit of the Loom in 2017 the town sold it to Vidalia Industrial for $12 million in an agreement facilitated by Natchez Inc. $8 million of the purchase was to be granted back to Vidalia Mills for capital improvements to the site There was also a clawback agreement that if Vidalia Industrial did not meet certain payroll requirements those funds would revert back to the Town of Vidalia Feibus claims Vidalia Mills met those stipulations with a smaller than expected number of people employed with higher-than-expected wages but Vidalia Mayor Bus Craft said it did not the city has an option to purchase the property back for $4 million which is the purchase amount minus the $8 million grant The town has hired attorneys to investigate whether it can recoup any of the grant money How will the imposition of new tariffs affect your spending View Results The Troy Exchange Club’s annual Vidalia Onion Sale is underway 10-pound bags of onions will be $15 and 25-pound bags are $30 Onions will be picked up in Georgia by the Exchange Club and will be available for pick up  in Troy on May 14 Customers can pick up their onions across from Murphree Park contact any Troy Exchange Club member of Call Jerry Beckett at 334-672-7315 or Donna McLaney at 334-268-2553 Onion orders can also be placed by calling WTBF at 334-566-0300 Orders must be placed by the May 9 deadline The proceeds from the Vidalia Onion Sale are used to support local Exchange Club Projects All money from the sale goes back to the community through local service programs There are four games featuring a SWAC team on the Monday college basketball schedule 5-3 SWAC) will attempt to build on a three-game home winning streak when… The Nashville Predators’ Roman Josi and the Ottawa Senators’ Brady Tkachuk will be two of the most exciting… will be in action Monday versus the Ottawa Senators at Bridgestone Arena,… (KNOE) - A Vidalia woman was arrested after hospital staff in Jackson alerted law enforcement about a severely burned infant The Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office said the investigation started on March 2 which resulted in the arrest of Hannah Harveston Harveston was arrested on one count of cruelty to a juvenile and one count of obstruction of justice “If we want to protect the well-being of children we must learn to recognize the signs of abuse and know how to respond,” CPSO posted on Facebook Those who suspect child abuse or neglect can contact the Louisiana DCFS at (855) 452-5437 or law enforcement by dialing 911 VIDAILA, La. — Clarion Suites, a 103-room full-service Mississippi riverfront hotel on the Vidalia Riverwalk, is being auctioned with bidding now live on the website redfieldgroup.com owned by Virgil Jackson of Jackson Enterprises Inc. has been a fixture of the Vidalia Riverfront for over a decade The online-only auction ends March 25 at 2:30 p.m Redfield Group is auctioning the property in conjunction with Patrick Gibson of United Country — Southern States Realty Redfield Group has conducted auctions in over 40 states and in Mexico “We’ve been involved with this sale for the last 90 days,” Fisher said Those who have an interest in finding out more can find a ton of information on our website at redfieldgroup.com auction information packets and surveys.” the owner has the right to accept or refuse the sale The hotel was previously listed for sale by Edna Murray of Murray Land & Homes LLC for $7.5 million The property is available for preview and inspection on March 13 and March 20 from 9 a.m the 103-unit hotel boasts riverfront views and amenities such as an indoor swimming pool entertainment and dining areas and conference rooms to attract business and leisure travelers alike There is also the option to purchase the adjacent 6,600 square foot commercial property that is currently leased as a day spa For more information, contact Mike Fisher at 256-413-0555 or email mikefisher@redfieldgroup.com. the City of Vidalia announced that they will be expanding their Open Burning Ban to include fire pits and burn barrels This is due to ongoing extreme fire danger conditions The City of Vidalia said a large fire broke out over the weekend that took over four hours to contain Vidalia officials said Georgia Forestry was called in for support- they sent a helicopter from Macon for aerial water drops this incident highlighted the danger that current dry and windy conditions pose originally banning the open burning of yard waste and clearing debris The City of Vidalia wrote there will be a strict enforcement of this ban in place Ignoring this ban could lead to serious penalties including fines and/or citations If you have information or would like to report illegal burning you can contact Chief Brian Sikes at 912-537-4388 (WTOC) - The Vidalia Onion Festival announced their 2025 concert lineup anticipated by food and music-lovers from across the nation is set to take place April 24-27 this year The lineup features country music stars Clint Black, Ernest, Will Moseley, Josh Ross, Kaleb Sanders, Blaine Craft, Cade Beecher and Lauren Watkins. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vidalia Onion Festival (@vidaliaonionfestival) You can find details of Onion Festival events here. You can buy tickets here. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vidalia Onion Festival (@vidaliaonionfestival) — Vidalia Mayor Buz Craft updated the public on a variety of projects during the Vidalia Board of Aldermen meeting on Tuesday including plans to build an inclusive playground in the Polk Park project modeled after one that opened in the spring of 2024 in Ryder Park in Grand Island features a wide variety of equipment with a fully accessible play space for children of all ages and abilities A video shown of the playground during Tuesday’s meeting highlighted a few of these features an in-ground wheelchair accessible merry-go-round Adjacent to the playground will be a splash pad with more play features and an outdoor fitness court and studio “I’m pushing hard to get this done by the fall,” Craft said but everything is done and they should be starting the infrastructure work any day.” was one of many projects approved by the town for use of excess revenue from hydroelectric royalties from the Sidney A Murray Jr “It’s something to be excited about,” Craft said of the park “People are going to be coming here to play instead of going somewhere else.” Other ongoing projects include expansion of the Vidalia water plant a slough pumping station to help with drainage renovation of the Council on Aging building adding new safety netting for Recreation District ball parks and trimming problem trees — Two people from Natchez were arrested on Thursday after both reportedly beat and robbed victims while displaying an AR-15-style pistol both of Natchez were arrested and charged with two counts of armed robbery and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon Police also have warrants for the arrest of a third suspect who has not yet been named Vidalia police reportedly received a call on Sunday from a victim stating three individuals attempted to rob him as he was returning home the victim stated the suspects forced him to show them where another person lived The suspects reportedly made contact with the second victim and beat him while displaying an AR-15-style pistol The second victim received several injuries from this incident and had items stolen from him in the process The suspects were identified and warrants were issued for their arrest “These arrests show we won’t tolerate this type of behavior,” said Chief Joey Merrill “I thank Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten and his deputies for their assistance in making these arrests This is yet another example of local law enforcement agencies working together to keep our communities safe.” An investigation is ongoing and police expect the third arrest to be forthcoming (WTOC) - The city of Vidalia announced the passing of Mayor Pro-Tem Raymond Turner Mayor Doug Roper shared the following statement: “It is shared with profound sadness we announce the passing of Mayor Pro-Tem Raymond Turner While he leaves tremendous void in our community we celebrate his over four decades of service to the City of Vidalia Mr.Turner is the epitome of what embodies that terminology and we will strive relentlessly to honor and continue his legacy.” The city says Turner will be remembered not only for his leadership and public service but for his quiet strength California Ag Today California Tree Nut Report Idaho Ag Today US Cattle and Pork Producers Losers in China Trade War Ethanol Expert Weighs in on Industry's Future Estate Tax Exemption David Sparks Ph.D. Russell Nemetz Tim Hammerich of Natchez has been arrested and charged with two counts of armed robbery and aggravated assault with a firearm making the third arrest in a Vidalia Police Department case Investigator Sam King of Vidalia Police Department said investigators Robert “TJ” Cross and Delmarcus “DJ” Johnson worked this case and brought it to a close with these arrests Adams County Sheriff’s Office deputies assisted and were “invaluable in effecting these arrests,” he added Two people from Natchez were arrested on Thursday The trio reportedly beat and robbed victims while displaying an AR-15-style pistol are charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault in Vidalia were also arrested and charged with two counts of armed robbery and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon Davis’s bond is pending a hearing set for Thursday The United States Marshal – Southeast Regional Task Force and Vidalia Police Department worked together to capture two wanted men on Valentine’s Day morning According to Interim Police Chief Garry Colson these men both had outstanding warrants from the Vidalia Police Department Colson stated that these have not been deemed gang related offenses at this time Officers and marshals captured Christopher “Turla” Beasley and charged him with 2 counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of certain crimes 1 count of obstruction of a law enforcement officer 1 count of theft by receiv- continued from page 1 count of possession with intent to distribute (ecstasy) and 1 count of possession of a controlled substance was also arrested by the officers and marshals and 1 count of cruelty to children in the 3rd degree These men were transported to the Toombs County Detention Center where they continue to be held without bond Colson stated that the Vidalia Police Department also helped the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Southeastern Regional Drug Enforcement Office to capture an individual with outstanding warrants on Maple Drive This individual’s identity was not disclosed by Colson but the offender was charged with additional firearm charges upon capture Colson clarified that none of the three arrests are related to each other Marshals Southeastern Regional Task Force prepares to enter the apartment where one of the arrested men was staying.Photo by William F Ledford MEET AND GREET — The Wheeler County Chamber of Commerce hosted a meet and greet event at the Chamber office in downtown Alamo on Monday incoming Chamber President Suzanne Couey chats with new Superintendent of Wheeler County Schools Dr and new Wheeler County Coroner Kandi Day Purvis.Photo by Deborah Clark Find out what makes this onion a Southern delicacy University of Georgia: National Center for Home Food Preservation. Freezing Onions.