Injuries sustained by an infant Wednesday night brought the immediate attention of law enforcement in Candler County.
Candler County deputies and investigators responded to the emergency room Wednesday night around 7:30 in reference to 10-month-old child that had been presented with injuries, and those in uniform wasted no time in apprehending the person who is believed to have harmed the baby.
Candler County Sheriff’s Office reports that it was determined that the child had been injured during an incident of domestic violence. Deputies were able to quickly identify the suspect believed to have inflicted the injuries, secured an arrest warrant, and took the individual into custody but not before the person tried to avoid law enforcement by attempting to hide inside a residence.
Deputies breached the door of the home and made the arrest without further conflict and the person was transported to the Candler County Jail.
The investigation remains active and additional charges may be pending.
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After clinching their 12th consecutive Region Championship, the Vidalia High School Literary team traveled to Bremen on Saturday to defend their title as the reigning State Champions from 2024. The team put forth an impressive effort but ultimately finished as State Runner-up, narrowly falling short to the host school, Bremen.
Kingston Ryals distinguished himself by securing 1st place in Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking, earning his title as a back-to-back State Champion. He also joined forces with Dylan Conway to achieve State Runner-up in Duo Interpretation. “We are especially thrilled for Kingston Ryals and his continued success in domestic extemporaneous speaking!” Pournelle expressed.
Conway had a standout day, contributing to the Boys Quartet alongside Gregory Huston, Cole Dean, and Kingston Wadley, who finished as State Runner-up, while he also earned third place in Humorous Interpretation. Additionally, Huston excelled in the Boys Solo category, capturing fourth place.
Vidalia Interim Principal Steve Freenor expressed his enthusiasm for the team's performance, stating, “We are immensely proud of these students and their leaders. At Vidalia High School, we take great pride in our performing arts department, and Saturday's achievements serve as yet another example of our students rising to the occasion in their relentless pursuit of excellence, both inside and outside the classroom."
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Due to high fire danger conditions, including dry fuel sources, low humidity levels, and increased wind conditions, the City of Vidalia has issued an Open Burning Ban effective immediately.
The Open Burning Ban applies to all residents and businesses and prohibits the burning of:
● Yard waste
● Land clearing debris
● Other open-burning materials
Permitted Burning Activities – Outdoor grilling and small backyard fire pits are allowed, but only natural falling debris may be burned in fire pits.
Year-Round Illegal Burning Materials – Regardless of burn bans, the following materials are always prohibited from being burned:
● Plastics
● Metals & wire (for recycling purposes)
● Glass
● Tires & rubber
● Grease & asphalt products
● Liquid petroleum products & hazardous wastes
● Furniture & mattresses
● Building & demolition debris
● Animal wastes or carcasses
Safety and Compliance – While open burning is now allowed, individuals are urged to exercise caution, monitor weather conditions, and follow all fire safety measures to prevent uncontrolled fires. Fire officials will continue to enforce restrictions on illegal burning, and violations will be subject to penalties, including fines and citations.
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A large number of jobs in the 17 counties served by the Heart of Georgia – Altamaha Region are related to the Savannah and Brunswick Ports.
According to study released Friday by the Georgia Ports Authority, over 17,000 jobs in agriculture, food processing, and manufacturing industries in the Heart of Georgia region depend on the ports including Chicken of the Sea, Trane, Inc., in Toombs County, and Claxton Poultry Farms in Evans County. Three of the largest crops native to the area are shipped through the ports including pecans, cotton, and of course, Vidalia Onions.
Breaking the figures down, 1,502 jobs in Toombs County are port-related, and 1,017 jobs in Emanuel County are. In fact, every one of the 17 counties in the Heart of Georgia -Altamaha Region document employment-based dependency on the ports.
The Heart of Georgia-Altamaha Region serves the counties of Appling, Bleckley, Candler, Dodge, Emanuel, Evans, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne, Wheeler, and Wilcox.
The study also shows that trade through Georgia’s ports yields $10 billion in federal taxes, $2.8 billion in state taxes, and $2.5 billion in local taxes annually.
A study by the University of Georgia says that Georgia ports support more than 600,000 jobs across the state.
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