A decade after the passage of a law named after her, Ava Bullard and her family continue to transform autism care in Georgia.
EDUCATING FOR SUCCESS THE LOST PHOTOGRAPH THE ED SMITH LEGACY
Exciting
Building a community, one game at a time
New vocational programs help students find successful careers in needed fields. 38 FINDING HER SOUTHERN FIT
Mitzi Norris teaches how to balance smart choices with a smart fitness program.
A rediscovered photograph connects Dan Brown to his father’s history. 62 WHERE BRANTLEY GRACE BEGINS
A Mother’s Day birth inspired Stacie Randolph to a mission of love and advocacy for families with disabilities.
74 SERVICE OVER SPOTLIGHT
Kim Stephens is a humble, hardworking man whose dedication to family and community has shaped the lives of many.
84 CHANGING THE POSSIBILITIES
A decade after the passage of Ava’s Law, its namesake and her family continue to transform autism care in Georgia.
LYONS AND BEYOND
Many locals have benefitted from this littleknown organization, which provides support to those in our community who need it most. 108
Coach Ed Smith’s unexpected path led him to Vidalia where he created a legacy of community through the Vidalia Recreation Department. 118
Ri’en Perez counted on love, faith and perseverance to overcome life’s toughest challenges in pursuit of his dream.
Can you handle the truth? Grappling with the dark side of retirement.
Vibrant recipes from Azure Rountree for your backyard barbecue, picnics and casual nights at home.
Memorial Health Meadows Hospital offers personalized maternity care–including expert midwifery services.
For seven years, Ava Bullard and her mother Anna advocated for the rights of families with autism on a state level. Once they were able to pass Ava’s Law, which required insurance companies in Georgia to cover autism therapy expenses, it seemed like their work was done. Now ten years after the passage of the bill, Ava’s family is discovering new ways to help local Georgia families with autism. This includes her own cousin Daniel who is now thriving thanks to the path Ava helped pave before him.
Planting seeds
After nine months of looking at my sad yard and its litter of dead tree limbs, we finally spent a glorious, poison ivy infested weekend (worth it) clearing out, piling up and burning the debris. This inspired a trip to the plant nursery as well as a side eye from my husband Tommie who claims that only three-quarters of the plants I buy actually make it into the ground. I’ll admit, I do sometimes get distracted.
I had read that magnolia trees have strong roots that hold up well during high winds. So those were on my list of trees to plant–especially since all fifteen of the 30-year-old Leyland cypress we once had were flattened by Helene and now in the debris pile. I added a few Crape myrtle and an assortment of colorful plants to the mix and made sure that everything found its way into the dirt.
Days after we planted the magnolias, I came across a huge variety that stood about 40 feet tall in my sister-in-law’s yard. Will mine get that big one day? I thought. Will I ever live to see it? Will my grandkids climb in the limbs of my trees and make forts like I used to do? I pondered these things until the concept of time started getting weird in my mind like a wavy mirror in a carnival fun house.
When you move past the 50 year mark, it’s hard not to constantly put things in a perspective of time. I’ve caught myself thinking about all the projects Tommie and I have and wondering why we throw ourselves relentlessly into them, and why, for goodness sake, are we forever dreaming of new ones to start? This is what happens when two visionaries unite.
Recently, we had a conversation with Wes and Abigail Chapman about history, old buildings and ideas for revitalizing areas of our community. Before long we were sharing our dreams, acknowledging that they come with a hefty price tag, and wishing that we could find the ever elusive “bag of money” so that we could do all the things. It seems like the big dream conversations always revolve around money and time. Then, Wes said something that struck me like a rock. “It’s not about finishing. It’s about planting a seed. You may never see the end result, but you can see it get started.” Wow. That spoke to my soul. Starting is just as important as finishing. Creating a community isn’t something that happens in just one lifetime, rather each generation plants the seeds that the next generation can enjoy and cultivate. My grandkids will never enjoy the shade of the trees that I don’t plant.
We have some beautiful stories in this issue of people planting seeds for the future and stories of people that are building on what others have started–creating their own legacies through acts of love and kindness.
I may never see those magnolias grow to their full height. But I bet one day someone will say, “there was a lady that lived here, and she planted these after some crazy storm.” And that’s where the story begins...
keeping the stories alive,
Stephanie Williams Executive Editor
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
Ruth English
To discover more that Toombs County has to offer, see our business index on page 127!
To share a story, send a note, or just get information: toombscountymagazine@gmail.com • (912) 293-0063
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Experienced Legal Advice For Families And Small Businesses
Here for the Moments that Matter Most
Memorial Health Meadows Hospital offers personalized, compassionate maternity care—including expert midwifery services—to support families through every stage of pregnancy, birth, and beyond.
WWelcoming a new baby is one of life’s most meaningful moments. At Memorial Health Meadows Hospital, we’re proud to support families with personalized, compassionate care through every stage of pregnancy and birth.
Last year, more than 691 mothers chose Meadows Hospital to bring their new babies in the world. Our Women’s Pavilion has an experienced team of physicians, nurses and certified obstetric caregivers that provides compassionate, high-quality care for mothers in our private birthing suites. After the baby is born, they will be moved into our state-ofthe-art newborn nursery, which is equipped for both healthy babies and infants born with special needs. The newborn nursery also has dedicated spaces for in-nursery medical procedures as well as a nesting area for moms and babies. To help keep babies safe, our Women’s Pavilion is monitored by an advanced infant security system.
One of the hallmarks of our maternity program is our team of certified nurse midwives. Some patients want an entirely unmedicated birth or low-intervention options. Our certified nurse midwives will work with you to ensure your safe pregnancy and delivery.
We understand every expectant mother has unique preferences for maternity care and childbirth. Memorial Health Meadows Hospital offers customized birth plans which allow you to choose procedures and providers to will align with your wishes. That is why we offer midwifery care for women interested in alternative delivery options.
Certified nurse midwives are advanced practice providers who specialize in supporting women through healthy, low-
risk pregnancies. They provide prenatal care, guide patients through labor and delivery, and support recovery in the postpartum period. What sets midwifery care apart is the emphasis on connection. Midwives spend extra time during appointments, listening closely, educating patients, and building trust.
Is midwifery care right for you? Patients who choose midwifery care often want a more natural approach to pregnancy and birth, but midwives also support epidurals and other interventions as part of a flexible, patientcentered plan. At Meadows, our midwives are part of a larger maternity care team; they collaborate with obstetricians, anesthesiologists, and nurses to ensure safety and confidence through every phase of your care.
Here are a few of the things you can expect with midwifery care:
• Longer, relationship-based prenatal visits
• Support for natural or medicated births
• Education and personalized birth planning
• Empowerment in shared decision-making
• Emotional and physical support before, during, and after delivery
Patients often say their midwife felt like part of the family by the time baby arrived, and that’s exactly the goal.
Midwifery services are available right here in Vidalia at Memorial Health Meadows Hospital, with access to private labor and delivery suites, 24/7 OB coverage, and an experienced women’s care team. It’s expert care, close to home.
THE EXPERTS IN WOMEN’S CARE
Memorial Health Meadows Hospital is proud to offer midwifery care alongside comprehensive maternity services for families in Toombs county and the surrounding area. From prenatal education to delivery and beyond, our team is here to guide, support, and celebrate your growing family.
Learn more about Memorial Health Meadows Hospital’s women’s services at MemorialHealthMeadows.com/WomensCare
MIKE CALDWELL
BRANDEN FOSKEY
celebrate summer
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy fresh, vibrant recipes that celebrate the season’s best ingredients. From juicy fruits and crisp vegetables to light grilled dishes and refreshing drinks, summer recipes are all about flavor, simplicity, and sunshine. Whether you’re planning a backyard barbecue, a picnic at the park, or just a casual meal at home, these recipes will help you savor every sunny bite
STARTERS
MINI SAUSAGE FRITTATAS
These Mini Sausage Frittatas are great as a breakfast/brunch dish or an appetizer.
Ingredients
1 ½ Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cups Baking Potatoes (peeled & diced small)
1 (16-ounce) package Jimmy Dean
Regular Sausage
6 large Eggs
1/3 cup Milk
1 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Non-Stick Cooking Spray
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray, set aside. In a large skillet and over medium heat,
add olive oil. Once hot, add potatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add sausage to potatoes and cook for 7 minutes, then remove from stove and pour mixture into a large mixing bowl. Let mixture cool slightly. In a medium size bowl, combine eggs, milk, shredded cheddar cheese and salt. Pour into bowl with sausage mixture and stir to combine. Fill each muffin cup almost full, leaving just a little room at the top for it to bubble. Bake on the 3rd (middle) rack for around 24 minutes. Let cool slightly, then remove from pan and serve.
FLAVORFUL
SWEET & STICKY
BBQ CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS
This recipe is truly a family favorite! The sweet and sticky sauce is soooo good and it can be used with other types of meat like ribs or pork.
Ingredients
¼ cup White Distilled Vinegar
½ Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 cup Ketchup
4 Tablespoons Margarine (cubed)
½ cup Light Brown Sugar
½ Tablespoon Pepper
½ teaspoon Chili Powder
14 Chicken Drumsticks
Instructions
In a saucepan and over medium heat, bring vinegar and Dijon mustard just to a boil. Add the ketchup, margarine, light brown sugar, pepper and chili powder. Stir together and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low for 15 minutes, stirring often. Let the sauce cool and divide the sauce between 2 bowls. Baste the chicken with 1 of the bowls of sauce. Grill for around 15 to 20 minutes on one side, then turn and grill for another 15 to 20 minutes on the other side. Grilling time depends on what type of grill you have. Make sure that the juices run clear when pierced to know that the chicken is fully cooked. Once chicken is done grilling, remove and baste with the other bowl of sauce, then serve.
A tent for every event
–JEFF HOLLOWAY & BRIAN CORRIGAN, CO-OWNERS
acon Tent Rentals is proud to serve individuals, event planners, caterers, and bridal parties with over-the-top attention to every detail that keeps our clients coming back celebration after celebration. Whether you have a wedding, a 16th birthday bash, a 50th anniversary celebration, or a corporate ground breaking, you can always expect a pristine, quality tent with all the fixtures professionaly installed by Macon Tent Rentals.
You can rest easy when Macon Tent Rentals is entrusted with your once-in-a-lifetime special occasion!
TOMATO & SPINACH PASTA SALAD
An easy summer salad that’s healthy, cool and refreshing. This pasta salad is the perfect accompaniment to all your barbecue favorites.
Ingredients
2 cups diced Tomatoes
3/4 cup chopped Fresh Spinach
3 cups uncooked Rotini Pasta
1 cup Feta Cheese
1/4 cup Terra Dolce Farms Olive Oil
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried Basil
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and let cool. In a large mixing bowl, combine pasta, diced tomatoes, chopped spinach and feta cheese. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, then stir together. Just before serving, pour mixture over salad and stir until everything is combined.
SWEET
LEMON ICEBOX CHEESECAKE
This recipe is so delicious & refreshing for summer! Just simply put together the ingredients and chill in the fridge.
Ingredients
2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
1 stick Unsalted Butter (melted) (1/2 cup)
1 (3-ounce) box Lemon Jello
1 cup Boiling Water
1 (8-ounce) package Cream Cheese (room temp)
1 cup Granulated Sugar
5 Tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice
1 ½ cups Heavy Cream
Instructions
In a medium size bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar and melted butter. Reserve
2 tablespoons for the topping, then press the remaining crumbs into the bottom of a 9x13 inch dish. Bring a small pot of water to a boil on the stove, then remove 1 cup and combine with the lemon gelatin. Stir until the gelatin dissolves, then set aside. In a large mixing bowl and with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese while adding the 1 cup sugar. Next, beat in the fresh lemon juice. In a separate bowl and with an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream until it is fluffy and forms soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, then pour the filling over the graham cracker crumbs. Sprinkle with the reserved crumbs for the topping. Place in the fridge to chill for several hours, then serve with additional lemon slices if desired.
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.
RENÉE
Educating for Success
The traditional concept of education is being redefined as new vocational programs like the heavy equipment operations pathway at TCHS are leading students to success...without college.
Growing up, there was always a backhoe or some other piece of heavy equipment at Blake’s house. Raising a few cows, a couple of pigs with a dozen or so piglets between them, a herd of goats, and a yard full of chickens, Blake used any excuse to use whatever equipment his dad had around the house at the time.
Industrial equipment like the backhoe was a common sight at the NeeSmith home. Blake’s father, Chad NeeSmith, traveled all over the United States in his work with Siemens Energy, repairing and cleaning equipment during shutdowns at power plants. His mom, Katherine NeeSmith, worked as a nurse for many years but has more recently worked as a contract truck driver for companies like McLendon and Sikes Brothers. Her most recent job was hauling asphalt. The NeeSmith’s truck hauling contract labor is Blake’s parents’ idea of something they can both do after his father retires.
Blake’s experience with equipment was a benefit of growing up in rural Georgia. Even so, there was no such advantage to attending a school in the rural South. When the Georgia Board of Education eliminated the vocational diploma in 2007, some educators and business owners felt the drive for classroom knowledge had replaced training needed for hands-on skills in industrial and mechanical trades. As a result, local businesses have suffered. Preparing all students equally for success seemed more focused on preparing all students for bachelor’s degrees rather than jobs in industries within their own communities.
There were several problems with this version of equality that pushed all students to prepare for college, including Blake. “It's not that finding a job in the trades, or even manufacturing, means needing no education after high school,” writes Jon Marcus in an article entitled “High-paying jobs that don't need a college degree? Thousands of them sit empty” published on npr.org. “Most regulators and employers require certificates, certifications, or associate degrees,” he continues. “But those cost less and take less time than earning a bachelor's degree.”
While a college degree is no guarantee of economic prosperity or, frankly, even a job, the costs of college often become an enormous financial burden. Like the little boy in “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” sometimes the obvious question has to be asked: What is the purpose of school? Of course, we all know “knowledge is power.” But it’s not necessarily an income. Shouldn’t preparing the upcoming generation
ABOVE Blake NeeSmith grew up on a farm with equipment readily available for chores, so it made sense for him to participate in the heavy equipment pathway pilot program at Toombs County High School. After graduation he quickly landed a job with McLendon Enterprises. Now he is an example to other students who are seeking a vocational tract forward.
for success mean graduating high school students with skills that will enable them to bring in a reasonable income? The pay of someone in any trade these days is proof enough of the efficacious salary one can potentially make.
Concerned educators and business owners reasoned that the solution was not less classroom knowledge but perhaps the addition of a pathway with hands-on experience to prepare those who want to go into trades. “Today, nearly 90% of construction companies nationwide are having trouble finding qualified workers, according to the Associated General Contractors of America,” writes Marcus in his article for NPR.
As technology has advanced, the knowledge needed to operate machinery and utilize the newest equipment has advanced. Preparing students for work in industrialtype trades is about more than regaining lost skills. It’s about preparing students to gain new knowledge of the technological advances required to work in today’s jobs in the construction industry.
In early 2021, Matthew White met with McLendon Enterprises and Chairman of the Toombs County School Board, Clint Williams, to pitch the idea of a heavy equipment pathway at Toombs County High School. “He was a former teacher in Statesboro but was working with a company called CEFGA” (Construction Education
Georgia), said Chairman Williams. “He had done much of the groundwork for a new pathway in heavy equipment operations and basically just needed a school system willing to pilot the program.”
For some time, business owners in the area have struggled to find people to hire with experience. All agreed that the program was exactly what our community needed. With the full support of Superintendent Barry Waller and the entire School Board office, a meeting with stakeholders in the area and the State Board of Education was put in motion. Local companies and the State Board members were invited to a dinner at the TCHS Ag building to pitch the idea of adding a heavy equipment pathway. The response from local and state businesses was astounding. In addition to Mclendon Enterprises, there were representatives from C.W. Matthews, Lasseter/John Deere, Yancey/ Caterpillar, Sikes Brothers, Volvo, Komatsu, and many others.
With hard work and diligence from all involved, TCHS became the first school system in Georgia to offer the Heavy Equipment Operations program as a career pathway.
According to the GADOE website, “The courses” for the program “were developed with feedback from industry representatives from Flint Energy Company, McLendon Enterprises, and others, as well as Southeastern Technical College, the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia (CEFGA), and Toombs County Schools” (gadoe. org).
“Toombs County High School was the first in Georgia and only the third in the nation to implement a Career Pathway in heavy equipment operations. We’re the pilot program for Georgia, and we’re proud of that,” said Coach Tom Brodnax, the instructor for the new program.
The pathway is composed of three courses. The courses are Industry Fundamentals and Occupational Safety, Introduction to Heavy Equipment, and Heavy Equipment Operations 1. The first course got underway in the fall of 2021 with the Industry Fundamentals class.
In the fall of 2022, TCHS received its first two CAT® Heavy Equipment Simulators, which was Blake’s first class
in the new pathway. “From the start, we were supported with site visits courtesy of McLendon Enterprises,” said Coach Brodnax. “And in the spring of 2022, we were able to practice skills on real equipment thanks to Clint Williams and his company Advanced Fabrications loaning us a mini excavator and a skid steer.”
Blake had thought he might like to drive a big truck and haul logs after graduating from high school. However, the more Blake learned in the Heavy Equipment class, the more he understood the many opportunities available to him.
“There are two portions of the course. The first part teaches you the basics. Then, you have the advanced part, which is about learning what to do with the equipment. The simulator is a lot like running an excavator out in the field. It’s great training for the real thing,” said Blake.
The CAT® simulators give students unique opportunities to train and learn needed skills. Once the program is completed, students receive a certificate
The Heavy Equipment Operations program at Toombs County High School utilizes four state-of-the-art CAT® Simulators to teach students operation and safety skills. TCHS was the first school in Georgia to offer the pathway, and now it has become a huge success.
BOTTOM Coach Tom Brodnax who directs the Heavy Equipment program at TCHS works with a student on one of the simulators.
from CAT® simulators. (TCHS received two additional simulators in the fall of 2023.)
During the last course of the program, Blake completed a “capstone project” hosted by McLendon Enterprises. “They brought out five mini excavators and three small dozers to one of McLendon’s pits at Cobb Creek on US Hwy #1 for everybody to actually run a piece of machinery,” he said. The students were given a task booklet and then graded on how well the tasks were completed.
“The first thing we had to do was a machine walkaround,” said Blake, “which is a safety inspection of the machine. Then, we did slope work, dug trenches, and did some grading. The tasks were done on either a dozer or an excavator. If you pass all of it, you receive a certificate.” The top three students also competed for prizes sponsored by McLendon Enterprises.
Blake finished the third course in the pathway in the first half of his senior year. He then joined the TCHS school-based internship program led by Derrick
McLendon, vice president of McLendon Enterprises. “I still had to take my academic classes,” said Blake. “So, I would go to school in the mornings, and then work with McLendon Enterprises from 11:00 AM to 5:30 PM.” Blake gained invaluable experience and was also paid for his work.
After graduation, Blake’s work ethic and experience with the work-based program earned him a permanent position with the company. “If you put forth the effort in your work, you move up,” said Blake. His work ethic and common-sense logic will no doubt take this young man far.
“The program's success is largely due to Tom Brodnax and McClendon Enterprises, who do so much to make this pathway a success for our students,” said Chairman Williams.
The instructor at the core of the pathway knows his way around equipment. As soon as he was old enough, he was driving big rigs for his dad’s trucking company in Atlanta. Tom Brodnax received his BA in Exercise
Science from Furman University and a master’s in exercise physiology from UGA. In addition to teaching, he also assists with the TCHS girls’ soccer team. But when Tom is not teaching school or coaching soccer, he can be found tending to the animals on his family farm or competing in team roping, for which he’s won more than a few awards.
Coach Brodnax gives the students in the new pathway the unique opportunity to learn from those who actually work in the industry. “I try to schedule someone from different companies to come and speak to the class every couple of weeks,” he said. “Vice-President of Mclendon Enterprises Derrick Mclendon, Mclendon Equipment Manager Tim Adams, and Mclendon’s Safety Director Brent Holcomb are some of the ones who come and speak. We also get support from several companies that are members of the Georgia Highway Contractors Association.” This kind of exposure motivates and promotes learning and gives students a huge advantage over book learning alone from classroom teachers with head knowledge but little to no hands-on experience.
All six of the first graduating seniors to complete the Heavy Equipment Pathway were hired into industry jobs after graduation. Students entering the pathway today benefit from training on one of four state-of-the-art Cat® Simulator systems.
“These are not menial jobs for those who aren’t ‘college material,’” Coach Brodnax reiterated. “College degrees are unnecessary for these high-paying jobs. We’ve got graduates from the program already making six figures in the industry. They get paid good money right out of high school and climb the ranks without college debt for something they will never use. The sky’s the limit for these kids. With the new technology available in this industry, someone in Lyons could potentially operate a piece of equipment in Jacksonville, Florida. “In fact, I just learned that a guy in Colorado is operating machinery remotely in Germany.”
With programs now in twenty-five Georgia schools, industry leaders hosted Georgia’s first Heavy Equipment Operations State Championship at TCHS on December 2-3, 2024. Twenty-three of the twenty-five schools competed. “Only two students per school could compete: one for the dozer program and one for the excavator,” said Coach Brodnax. Competitions were held on equipment and simulators.
Companies represented at the competition, which was sponsored by Simformotion LLC, included the Georgia Highway Contractors Association, Georgia Utilities, Reeves Construction, and others. “Companies are basically scouting at these competitions for people to hire,” said Coach Brodnax, who also won prize money and tools in the competition between program teachers.
Had it not been for the new high school pathway, Blake NeeSmith would not have left high school with the certification he received or the experience he needed to enter the workforce as a full-time heavy equipment
operator. Recently, Blake also fulfilled another lifetime dream of becoming a volunteer firefighter, which required several months of training.
“I’m now a certified volunteer firefighter with the Toombs County Fire Department,” he said. After the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in our area, Blake was one of those firefighters who cleared trees off the roads around the county.
Whenever you’re feeling discouraged about this generation or the schools preparing them for the future, I encourage you to come back and read this article. There are young people like Blake, teachers like Tom Brodnax, administrators like Superintendent Barry Waller and the Toombs County school system, businesses like Mclendon Enterprises, and many others invested in our youth's future. Change is not only possible but a responsibility many in our community have taken to heart. Instead of complaining about the lack of hirable high school graduates, TCHS is helping prepare those who want to work in this industry with the skills to do so. The very purpose of education is not just to get knowledge but also to apply knowledge. With that goal in mind, the Toombs County school system has purposed to equip students for whatever future dreams they may hold.
ABOVE Georgia's first Heavy Equipment Operations State Championship was held at Toombs County High School last December. Twenty-three of the twenty-five schools that have implemented the program competed for prizes. There were also representatives from a variety of construction related companies present to "scout" for talent.
Monday-Friday: 8 AM–5 PM
Monday-Friday:
Caroline Musa, MD, Medical Director Jeremy Wilson, Director of
BY TERI R. WILLIAMS
Finding Her Southern Fit
From garage workouts to storefront success, Mitzi Norris is redefining small-town wellness through personalized fitness, nutrition, and homegrown hustle.
Without goals and objectives, things slip between the cracks—sometimes important things. When our health and physical well-being get pushed to the bottom of the list, we risk jeopardizing all we hold dear. No one has time—until we are forced to make time. For personal trainer Mitzi Norris, a strong, healthy body gives the Spirit a temple to live in and love a heart to work through. And one won’t happen without the other.
Mitzi and her husband, Scott, moved to Vidalia from Quincy, Illinois, in 2022. It wasn’t a job offer or family that brought them to Toombs County. They were just literally sick of shoveling snow. It made sense to me, although Mitzi did wonder if she jinxed us this past March when Toombs County got enough snow to make us all mad.
She and Scott both grew up around Quincy. They did not know a soul when they moved here. Since Scott worked at the DOT Foods headquarters in Mt. Sterling, Illinois, which is the headquarters for “North America's largest food industry redistributor” (www.dotfoods.com), a transfer to the Vidalia office was no problem. And the transfer south guaranteed that he and Mitzi would never have to shovel their way out of the house again.
To say the move was a culture shock is putting it mildly. The infamous cliché attributed to the South about its hospitality is a bit of a misnomer. Like every other small-town community, we have our cliques and factions. That is not to say the South is unwelcoming; it just means you have to find your fit. Since joining a local church family was a priority for Scott and Mitzi, it was first on the list. But it was the home group that gave Mitzi the connection for which she was hoping to find.
Of course, a potluck supper preceded each weekly Bible study. After all, nothing can soften the heart and open the spirit like good food. And that is where Mitzi’s talents shone like a light set on a hill. There’s nothing Southern folk love more than homemade sweets. Her cinnamon buns, chocolate chip cookies, and other sweets made that North-to-South transition as smooth as homemade butter.
In true Southern style, word of her baking spread faster than she ever imagined. With a slew of orders, Mitzi could barely keep up. Out of necessity, she got her cottage license and established the “Batter Bowl” business in the fall of 2022. Soon, her homemade sweets were in two storefronts in town.
There was only one problem with this scenario. Baking was not the kind of work she hoped to reestablish in her (very) warm new home in South Georgia. In fact, the whole baking development was a bit of a misnomer. Mitzi was, in fact, a certified personal trainer. She was AFAA (Athletics and Fitness Association of America) certified and held a certification through NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine). She’d found her niche in personal one-on-one training.
ABOVE A certified fitness trainer, Mitzi expanded her home gym and started her own business after the COVID gym shutdowns in 2020. This eventually evolved into a full-time profession for her, and today she has clients that come regularly for training.
Before the 2020 COVID shutdowns, Mitzi worked as a group instructor and personal trainer at Anytime Fitness. When the gyms closed in Quincy, she turned her garage into a workout studio for her own use. However, as the gyms remained closed, former gym members reached out. She expanded her home gym into a business she named Legit Fit.
Mitzi’s business quickly evolved into a full-time profession with five and six clients daily, coming two and three times a week for one-hour individualized training sessions. She added outdoor boot camp-style weekend workouts utilizing dynamic exercises with tractor tires, battle ropes, sledgehammers, and sandbags.
Baking was Mitzi’s form of stress relief, not a calling. But in Vidalia, it had proved the perfect segue. She had her home gym set up and ready. From baking to the gym was only a short distance when word got out. And getting the word out about something is what
Mitzi discovered baking her signature treats was a great way to connect with new people once she and her family moved to Vidalia.
we do best here in the South. Soon, Mitzi was in her gym more than the kitchen.
Although Scott and Mitzi did not miss the snow, they did miss the NutritionHQ. store in Quincy, where they regularly purchased their vitamins, supplements, preworkout, and protein powders. It wasn’t just the quality of the products but the personal attention they received from the store manager, Tyler. “He wasn’t trying to sell us everything in the store. He took time to learn why we were there and what our needs were and catered toward that,” said Mitzi. “We really came to appreciate and trust him.”
Every few weeks, they placed an order with Tyler and waited for it to arrive. Out of frustration, Scott said one day, “Why can’t we have this here?” It was a crazy idea, wasn’t it? But once the thought was said aloud, neither could shake it.
After a bit of research, they realized that the owner of the franchise was Tyler’s father.
Mitzi sent an email. “I figured I wouldn’t hear anything,” she smiled. “But the response came immediately. From there, it was like a confirmation from God that this was meant to be. It just made sense. It would be an extension of what I do with my personal training, and all the advice that I give to my clients about what they should be eating and how they should be fueling their bodies, whether that be protein powder, a multivitamin, or any other supplement.”
They signed a franchise agreement in July 2023. Now, they just had to find the right location and someone reliable to hire so Mitzi could continue her work as a personal trainer and Scott his job with DOT Foods. Nine months later, on April 26, 2024, NutritionHQ. opened for business.
It wasn’t exactly a baby, but it sure seemed like it. In the end, everything came together, including the perfect help in running the store. “Brylen was quick to learn and has excellent customer skills. He’s really a Godsend.” (I would have said “miracle” in this day and time, but Godsend works.)
NutritionHQ. is not just for bodybuilders and gym-goers. It's for all ages and all walks of life. “We're about promoting health and taking care of the body,” said Mitzi. Vitamins, supplements, protein powders, and pre-workout mixes are just a start.
Just like the great customer service they received back in Quincy, NutritionHQ. focuses on the customer’s needs rather than making a sale. The one thing they do suggest to all customers is a good, high-quality multivitamin. “I don’t think any of us get all the nutrients and vitamins we need even with a healthy diet,” said Mitzi. Customers often come looking for something to help them deal with a particular health issue. “Of course, prescription medications have their place. But we want to help our customers in their health journey work toward a more homeopathic way of life.”
One of the main draws for new customers is NutritionHQ.’s InBody scale. “It provides an accurate body composition analysis in terms of muscle, fat, and water,” said Mitzi. InBody body fat analyzers are renowned for gold-standard accuracy and precision, validated in thousands of clinical studies, and offer quick, non-invasive scans with no radiation, pinching, dunking, or costly admin” (inbodyusa.com).
“To our knowledge,” said Mitzi, “the closest place that has one is a gym in Statesboro. We’ve been told it costs from $50 to $60 per use. Ours is free for
members, and membership is free. It’s available every four to six weeks, which is best for correctly determining results.”
NutritionHQ. also sells a line of frozen foods from CLEAN EATZ. “We have everything from breakfast bowls to keto dishes with macronutrients - the right amount of protein, carbs, and fats – and meals with extra protein.” Mitzi recommends a gram of protein per body pound to her clients. “That can seem a daunting number,” she smiled. “But you have to pay particular attention to your protein; these meals can help you do that.”
NutritionHQ. also offers protein shakes as a supplement, which can be mixed with milk or water. “The powders provide roughly twenty-five grams of protein per scoop. But if someone comes straight from the gym or a hard workout and needs something quick, we have readymade drinks in our cooler and protein bars in our snack rack.”
The best advertisement is always a satisfied customer, which is precisely how I found out about Mitzi’s personal training business, Legit Fit. My friend Gill Herndon and I had a bike trip planned in March to Mallorca, one of Spain's Balearic Islands. Gill had been training with Mitzi for several months, and her increased stamina and strength were noticeable. The rides in Spain would be
anywhere from twenty-five to forty-something miles per day. Six weeks before we were set to leave, I called Mitzi. It was the best decision I ever made. Those six weeks of preparation made all the difference for me on that trip.
Mitzi approaches each client as an individual. Every workout is tailored for that person on that day, and how many sessions a week is up to the client. Her goal is simple: to help the individual person build stamina and strength for whatever they want to accomplish, whether that means keeping up with the kids as a parent or grandparent, preparing for an upcoming class reunion or summer swimsuit, or maintaining a healthy body. It’s one-on-one with Mitzi. Whether short-term or long-term, she is there all the way. And from personal experience, I can attest to her excellence and warmth as both a coach and encourager.
Now, if you’re reading this and in Mitzi’s church small group or ordered from the Batter Bowl in the past, no need to panic. The Batter Bowl is still available for orders. Even though I agree with Mitzi’s son, Brock, who once said, “Mom, this side gig you've got
Bringing NutritionHQ. to Vidalia was an idea that Mitzi and Scott had because they missed the store they frequented back in their hometown. They also wanted to offer individualized help for people seeking nutritional supplements and healthy lifestyle information.
going on. Don't you think it's rather malicious that you do it in the same place where you train people? Your clients are walking in smelling cinnamon rolls or chocolate chip cookies baking, and they've got to train for the hour. Don't you think that's kind of mean?”
Mitzi just smiled because it’s the perfect motivator.
Establishing priorities is crucial in all aspects of life. No matter how much we get right in our spiritual life, family relationships, and work ethics, “If you haven't got your health, then you haven't got anything,” according to the villain Count Rugen in The Princess Bride. Next week, I’ll be back at Mitzi’s at 7:30 a.m. She will have already completed her own workout and had an hour’s session with another client before I arrive. When I walk into her home gym, Mitzi will have already posted my personalized workout for the day.
From one former transplant to another, we are truly honored and grateful to have Mitzi and Scott in our community. And because they are here, perhaps we can have our cake and eat it too.
For more information, NutritionHQ., LegitFit, and The Batter Bowl can be found on Facebook.
Owners Brandon & Ashley Smith
The Lost Photograph
A long lost photograph connects Dan Brown to his father's history
BY TERI R. WILLIAMS
As the picture appeared on the computer screen, Dan’s breath caught. It was almost inconceivable that he would ever find the picture of his father with Amelia Earhart from nearly a century ago. Even though he had heard the story many times, until that moment, the story had seemed almost mythic. Unbidden tears filled Dan’s eyes. “Daddy! I found it!” he called out to the empty research room at the Ladson Genealogical Library.
Although the memory of that day in 1934 with Amelia Earhart was momentous, it embodied so much more. The image was a testament to a transformational moment in American history and a visible thread that tied Dan’s life to the experiences that had shaped his father before him.
Born in 1917, his father, Edmund Daniel Brown Jr., had grown up in Hapeville on the south side of Atlanta. Edmund was four and his brother, Jody, two when their father died suddenly at the young age of twenty-eight. The boys’ mother, Verita Doolittle Brown, worked as an office nurse for a local physician. Even though the Depression made for difficult times, this single mother made it her mission to educate her sons with experiences in nature and with trips to historical sites. “She took them to places like Washington, D.C., and did such an outstanding job of raising my dad and his brother that they didn't even know there was a depression going on.”
Adjacent to Edmund’s neighborhood lay an abandoned mile-and-a-half oval racetrack. “It was the perfect place for bike riding,” smiled Dan. The racetrack, known as “The Atlanta Speedway,” was built in 1910 by Asa Candler, Sr. Mr. Candler had made his fortune with a recipe he purchased in 1887 from Atlanta chemist John S. Pemberton. With that little investment, Candler became the founder of the Coca-Cola® company.
Although the racetrack operated only one year, many of motorsports’ first competitors raced at the track during its short period in operation, including automobile-racing legends Barney Oldfield, renowned auto racer and developer of the Oldfield tire for Firestone, and Louis Chevrolet, co-founder of the Chevrolet Motor Car Company. “There was even a small building built on the site for a ‘hospital’ to treat the drivers when they wrecked,” said Dan.
After its closing, the abandoned racetrack was given new purpose for a different kind of
PHOTOS BY THE FULLER EFFECT PHOTOGRAPHY
Dan holds the rediscovered photograph of his dad and friends with Amelia Earhart at Candler Field in 1934.
adventurer. “After the closing of the Atlanta Speedway,” writes David Henderson on sunshineskies.com, “Mr. [Beeler] Blevins obtained a permit from the Candler estate to operate his aircraft there.” For several years, local pilots had used the old racetrack as a landing site giving Dan’s father a front-row seat to the beginnings of aviation history in the making.
Growing up Dan remembers his father telling him stories about Candler field, the pilots that flew there and meeting Amelia Earhart.
“At the end of WWI,” said Dan, “the Army had a surplus of Curtiss JN-4 training planes known as the ‘Jenny.’ You could buy them for a couple of hundred dollars brand new, still in a crate unassembled. These early pilots in aviation history would buy these planes and put them together to scratch a living, selling rides to local folk wherever they went. Barnstormers or gypsy pilots, as they were known, would fly around the countryside selling airplane rides, often for a penny a pound or $5, which was the standard rate.”
Three pilots, including Beeler Blevins, lived in Edmund’s neighborhood. According to Dan’s father, pilots had constructed small wooden sheds at the field for supplies and flew their planes in and out of Candler Field. All three pilots would become important figures in the history of aviation in their own rights.
Both Beeler Blevins, known today as the “Dean of Georgia Aviation,” and Doug Davis, who was recognized in the 20s for his death-defying feats as a pilot, lived on the same street as Dan’s father. Bonnie Rowe, a pioneer in stunt flying and one of the first to parachute from a plane, lived next door to Dan’s father. The three pilots in Edmund’s neighborhood sold 15-minute plane rides around Atlanta.
According to Henderson, “Beeler Blevins’ expertise and experience at Candler Field [that] helped influence Atlanta's decision to choose the site for the airport.” In 1919, Asa Candler agreed to donate the land for a “landing space.” The site was named Asa G. Candler Field in honor of the donor. Through the 1920s, it was Alderman and City Council member William B. Hartsfield who “played a pivotal role in the development and progress of the airport…,” which is why Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest airport in the world today, bears his name (sunshineskies.com) Edmund was about ten years old when his neighbor, Doug Davis, gave him his first plane ride. “It cost him $2.50,” said Dan. “Davis took my dad up in a high-wing monoplane called a Curtiss Robin. It had one high wing,
like a Cessna or a Piper Cub. There was one seat up front for the pilot and a bench seat behind the pilot that could accommodate two passengers.” (Edmund Brown later built a model plane of the infamous “Mystery Ship,” a secretly built racing plane flown by Davis, which is on display at the historical Hapeville Depot Museum.)
During his short life, Doug Davis would break world records in aviation.
“In Cleveland in 1929, Davis broke world speed records in a show which marked a new era for commercial aviation, one in which commercial planes achieved dominance over military craft that would endure until WWII, and the monoplane became the standard for high performance,” according to the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame website (www. gaaviationhalloffame.com). Tragically, Davis died in 1934 at thirty-three years of age while competing in the Thompson Trophy Race. Today, his pilot license is on display at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, Georgia, and signed by Orville Wright. Dan’s father would remain friends with Davis’s widow, Glenna Mae Davis, throughout his life.
In 1934, Edmund, then a junior at Russell High School in East Point, along with two school friends, Fred Turner and James Hodges, learned that Amelia Earhart planned to fly into Candler Field. “Only two years earlier, Amelia Earhart had followed Lindbergh’s solo flight across the Atlantic to become the first woman to do so,” said Dan. “She was as big a deal as Lindbergh.” Even so, Earhart’s visit was not a public event. “She was flying into Candler Field to meet with the Atlanta chapter of The Ninety-Nines,” an international organization of female pilots of which she served as their first president.
“Fred had made some sort of model plane,” said Dan, “which he brought along in hopes that it would get her attention and give them a chance to meet her.” When the three young men approached Ms. Earhart, a photographer from the Atlanta Journal took their picture. “Apparently, the
Dan and his wife Bonnie (Garrett) have made Vidalia home for 40 years. After retiring from Plant Hatch as a Nuclear Specialist, he volunteered at the Vidalia Cancer Center and researched at the Ladson Genealogical Library.
photographer thought it would make a good human interest picture to have Miss Earhart pose with three young admirers and the model plane.” It was a moment Dan had heard his father describe countless times. But only as a memory. After so long a time, he was certain any evidence of that encounter was indeed lost. In a typewritten memoir signed, “To Dan, with much love,” Edmund stated: “Unfortunately, I never did see the picture when it came out in the paper.”
Edmund Brown graduated from the University of Georgia in 1939 with a degree in commerce (the equivalent of a business degree today). He learned to fly and became a licensed pilot in his junior year of college. But instead of piloting planes, Edmund chose to serve the aviation industry in its formative years as an agent for Eastern Airlines in Indianapolis. From there,
he was assigned to an airport in Spartanburg, followed by a move to Chattanooga. It was there that he met and married his wife Connie only five weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. His attempt to enlist had been rejected due to severe asthma.
As an airline agent, Edmund’s duties included everything but flying the Eastern DC-3 planes. Recalling a picture of his father during that time, Dan said, “His uniform looked more like that worn by an airline pilot today, complete with a captain’s hat.” In those early years of commercial aviation, only a few planes landed and took off. “My dad talked to the pilots through their twenty minutes or so during their approach and descent. After landing, he refueled the planes and cleaned the cabins.”
Eddie Rickenbaker was the president of Eastern Airlines. Rickenbaker was the “Ace of Aces” and WWI's most decorated American pilot. Twice, Edmund wrote to him with suggestions and ideas for better efficiency in the airline’s service. Both times, his ideas were initiated. Edmund was also financially rewarded and received personal letters of gratitude from the war hero for his ideas. The letters and a small gold pin with a diamond in its center are mementos treasured by Edmund’s son today.
In 1946, Edmund and Connie moved to Forest Park, Georgia. They raised their two children, Dan and Pat five miles south from where their father once rode his bike around the abandoned racetrack turned airfield.
When Dan was eight, his father took him for his first airplane ride about nine miles from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport at a little airstrip in Jonesboro called South Expressway Airport. Undoubtedly, childhood experiences can mark our destiny. But the experience in flight that day for Dan only confirmed the mark already placed upon his soul as the son of Edmund Brown.
Dan graduated from Forest
Using research that his father had passed on to him, Dan has thoroughly documented thirteen lines of his family tree.
Park Senior High in 1969 and left home for college. He would complete an Associate of Science in Chemistry. After that, he attended more college and roamed a bit. He even hitchhiked from Germany to Amsterdam with $15 in his pocket.
Dan’s talents are many. His natural gift for languages has enabled him to learn German and a little Spanish and engage in a brief study of Hebrew and Greek. He worked toward his degree in physics after serving in the Air Force from 1971 to 1975 as a ground radio communications equipment repairman.
Before moving to Vidalia, Dan worked as a product development technician with a company called GlasRock. There, he developed a plastic cup full of activated charcoal that filters water. He described the process using terms like “ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and void volumes.” I nodded as if I understood, which I did not.
In 1978, Dan moved to Toombs County and took a position as a Radiation Protection Technician with Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Power Plant. In his spare time, he took up photography and videography. In 1985, Dan married Bonnie Faye Garrett, and they made their home in Vidalia. In 1990, Dan earned his pilot’s license. Of the five planes he owned and flew, the Curtiss Jenny replica, which he built himself from a set of plans, was his pride and joy. After years of flight, Dan donated the Jenny to the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, where it remains on display to this day.
There is one memory with his father that stands out for Dan. “For Father’s Day, four years before my father’s passing, I took him to Kissimmee, Florida. There was an airline down there called Vintage Air that operated a DC-3, just like the ones Dad used to service for Eastern Airlines. They flew the DC-3 from Kissimmee to Key West, where you got to spend the day before flying back again. Pilots and flight attendants dressed in the 1940s
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uniforms worn at the time. They even handed out Life magazines from the 1940s,” said Dan.
On the return flight, one of the flight attendants came out to make an announcement. “She said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I have an important announcement. The Japanese have surrendered! The war is over!’ A bottle of champagne was opened and served in celebration.’” Sharing that experience with his father is one
gift of memory Dan will always hold close to his heart.
Following his retirement as a Nuclear Specialist at Plant Hatch, Dan volunteered his time at the Tommy and Shirley Strickland Cancer Center. In early 2024, one year after the Ladson Genealogy Library was moved into the newly constructed Dr. Mark and Tonya Spivey Public Library in Vidalia, Dan took a part-time position as a clerk
Agent Kailey Dees’ daughters, Emi and Ruthie
Kailey Debbie Daisy Linda Baleigh
in the genealogy library. “We usually don’t think much about genealogy until we get older,” Dan said with a smile. His father had given him research compiled by a cousin; with it, he’d done extensive research on thirteen different lines of his family tree.
On that particular day, Dan was familiarizing himself with the digital resources in the research center. “I was learning my way around the Digital Library of Georgia when I stumbled across an item that read, ‘Previously unpublished photos of Amelia Earhart at Candler Field in 1934.’ I thought, ‘That’s the year my dad had his picture made with her.’” Still, he never imagined what would come next.
The file had been uploaded three years earlier by someone at the Georgia State University Library Special Collection and Archives department. “This girl was down in some basement where they had a bunch of just old photographs and negatives stored,” said Dan, “when she came across an envelope that had scribbled on it, ‘Women pilots old.’”
The envelope, she discovered, held a bunch of negatives. Pulling them out and holding one up to the light, Dan said, “She recognized Amelia Earhart.” A positive image of the negatives confirmed that it was indeed the world-famous female pilot, along with the women in the Atlanta chapter of The Ninety-Nines, who had met with her that day in 1934. As the photograph of Amelia Earhart with Dan’s father and his father’s two friends appeared on the screen, Dan didn’t move. He barely breathed. “There was my dad on the right in his ROTC uniform from Russell High School,” said Dan. “I could see the RH on the patch on his shoulder. And there was Ms. Earhart holding the model airplane.” With tears streaming down his face, Dan had called out, “Daddy, I found it!” His father’s nearness was certain.
The photograph was more than a mark on a timeline in American aviation. At that moment, Dan understood in a new way that he was a continuation of
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the stories before him. “We forget that the soul has its own ancestors,” said American psychologist James Hillman. Like Elijah’s valley of dry bones, retelling our experiences to the next generation can breathe life into the bones of the past and bring history to life again. Some stories are ours to remember, and others are for us to forget, not with denial but with
forgiveness. The importance of the picture Dan found of his father with Amelia Earhart is in more than a historical moment. The greater significance is in the honor Dan had for his father’s memories. And that, in my estimation, is the kind of love a father prays to find in sharing his life stories with his son.
Brantley
Where Grace Begins
A surprise Mother’s Day birth transforms Stacie Randolph’s fear into purpose, inspiring a mission of love and advocacy for families with disabilities.
BY TERI R. WILLIAMS PHOTOS BY THE FULLER EFFECT PHOTOGRAPHY
SStacie did not utter a word about how fast they were traveling. All she knew was that this baby was coming. A baby for which she had not planned. A baby that she had been advised to consider aborting. Her husband’s prayers accentuated the moments of silence between contractions. Whispers, really. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. An induction was scheduled for the following Monday morning, but this was Sunday, and this baby wasn’t waiting for her appointment.
When her labor had begun early Saturday morning, Stacie and Jason Randolph had gone to the hospital forty miles away. They were sent away without ever having seen a doctor. “A nurse monitored me for about two hours and said that the baby was in distress. The heart rate was staying lower than they would want for longer than they would want.” Even so, Stacie was sent home.
“Jason asked if they could just keep me overnight since I was considered high-risk.” Stacie was thirty-nine at the time. “The nurse said, ‘No, you’ll be fine to wait ’til Monday. Just keep a watch on things.’”
By Sunday morning, Stacie knew she was in trouble. It was Mother’s Day (2015), although she would only consider that fact much later. The last thing she had expected was to find herself pregnant at this stage in her life. At the time, her youngest daughter, Ansleigh, was in third grade, and her oldest, Makaylee, was a junior. Stacie was also facing some personal challenges. But all of that took a backseat to the shock of her pregnancy. Overwhelmed, her shield of protection from the fear and confusion became anger. It was not a kind friend.
“Because of my age, they wanted to do a lot of testing.” But she opted out of everything. When her gynecologist asked that she at least do the Harmony test to assess the risk of certain chromosomal disorders, she agreed. When the results came in, Stacie was told that the baby girl she was carrying had a 99% chance of having Down Syndrome.
“I didn’t know much about Down Syndrome,” said Stacie. “I felt like this baby was broken. Doctors and medical staff were very sterile in how they talked about it. I was offered an amniocentesis. I asked what the purpose was. I thought it was to help determine care at birth and where I should have her. It wasn’t. I was told it was to help me decide on having an abortion.” Regardless of her personal issues, abortion was off the table for Stacie and her husband.
ABOVE Jason and Stacie Randolph weren't sure how to tell their family and friends that their baby would likely have Down Syndrome. From the moment Stacie's other daughters Makaylee (above left) and Ansleigh (above right) saw Brantley Grace (center), they fell in love. “ What I thought would be a burden was one of the greatest blessings we’ve ever received. BG gives so much more to us than we give to her.”
“We opted not to tell anyone about the baby having Down Syndrome, not even our children,” she said. Dealing with the knowledge herself was almost more than she could bear. “I didn’t know how it would make them feel.”
Moments away from the hospital in Dublin, Stacie realized she wasn’t going to make it. “I’d been praying for God to get me to the hospital for pain meds. But at this point, it didn’t matter anymore. All I could do was ask for mercy.” Immediately, a calm washed through her. The car hit a little dip in the road at the Flexsteel furniture plant, and her water broke. “At the railroad tracks at Friendly Gus, the baby came without any effort.”
As soon as she delivered, Stacie saw the cord wrapped around the baby’s neck. At first, there was no sound. She held the baby with one hand, and with the other, she held the cord from her neck. “Once I did that, she made noises but never really cried.” Right there, in the front seat of her car, as she fought for her child’s life, she said, “Everything I thought about Down Syndrome changed. I thought, ‘This baby is not broken.’ I was the one broken.’” There would be much to learn in the days and weeks ahead, but at that moment, Stacie did not see Down Syndrome, she only saw her daughter, Brantley Grace.
In the chaos, Jason missed the entrance to the Emergency entrance and had to circle back. As he ran inside, “He called out, ‘My wife just had a baby in the car!’ For a moment, everyone in the room just stared at him. He said a couple of ‘not nice words,’” smiled Stacie, “and he shouted again, ‘I said I need help now!’” The doors of the E.R. flew open. “It
“Everything I thought about Down Syndrome changed. I thought, ‘This baby is not broken.’ I was the one broken,” said Stacie.
“I wanted to create a space for events where families with disabilities could come together and be with their community of peers,” said Stacie.
looked like something off a movie.”
Brantley Grace was taken one way and Stacie another. “She was having respiratory issues from the cord being around her neck and was put on oxygen and given an I.V.” It took two hours for the paperwork to be completed before Stacie was moved from the small room where she’d been placed. Things might have turned out differently if it had not been for her pediatrician, Dr. Soos. “When he arrived, he stayed with Brantley Grace and didn’t leave her side for twenty-four hours straight.”
Stacie and her newborn were released three days later with orders to see the pediatrician every few days in those early weeks. “From the moment my girls saw her, they never felt anything but love. What I thought would be a burden was one of the greatest blessings we’ve ever received. BG,” which is the name by which she is affectionately known, “gives so much more to us than we give to her.”
With a child with Down Syndrome, Stacie’s eyes were opened to a whole new world. The following October, during Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Stacie’s family participated in the Buddy Walk® in Savannah, sponsored by the Low Country Down Syndrome Association, as “Team Brantley Grace.” The walk became an annual event for the Randolph family until 2020, when it was canceled due to COVID.
The cancellation gave Stacie time to consider the limited resources available in her own community for children with disabilities. “The Buddy Walk®, which is sanctioned
by the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), helped families with Down Syndrome in Savannah, but not families in my community,” said Stacie. “When you’re in a rural community, you don’t have the support and opportunities for children with disabilities that you have in a larger place.” As a result, Stacie formed a nonprofit organization called the Altamaha Down Syndrome Society (ADSS) in 2021.
“There aren’t a lot of children with Down Syndrome in our area,” she said, “but there are many with different disabilities. The name is to honor BG because she has Down Syndrome, but the organization is for any and every child or adult, regardless of age, with a disability.”
The first event was a small walk in Stacie’s hometown of Mount Vernon. “We had local vendors set up along the road, and families walked together. We put together several free events for the children. Since its creation, ADSS has held several events, including an afternoon at the skating rink, a day at a Bouncy House, and movie days. The events allow ADSS to reduce stressful triggers and give opportunities for families with disabilities to be together.
“I wanted to create a space for events where families with disabilities could come together and be with their community of peers,” said Stacie. “No one will point them out if they’re too loud, for example, because we understand. I thought, ‘If I could do little things like this, it would let our kids do some things they might not normally do. And hopefully, be a place and time for parents to encourage each another.’”
“During Christmas, we had Santa, the Grinch, Frosty, and a Reindeer for pictures,” said Stacie. “It’s just not always possible to go to the mall with a child with disabilities and stand in a long line for pictures with Santa. The kids got to
dance with them and make cookies and ornaments.” This past April, a “sensoryfriendly” Easter party allowed families in the community with disabilities to come together for an Easter Egg Hunt complete with Easter Bunny and other fun activities. Events are posted on the Altamaha Down Syndrome Society Facebook page. “We invite anyone with children to participate, whether a family member has a disability or not,” said Stacie. The reason we encourage this is two-fold,” said Stacie. “Children with disabilities mimic what they are around. Typical children allow them to have that influence. But typical kids also get the opportunity to learn compassion for those who may be different from them. Rather than pointing them out, they get
LEFT Having served many years as a teacher and in public office, Stacie began a new role as Montgomery County Probate Judge in 2025.
the opportunity to be helpful and see that these kids are also fun to be around.”
On January 1, 2025, Stacie stepped into her new role as Montgomery County Probate Judge, culminating many years of service teaching school and serving in public office. “I worked as an administrative assistant with my mother, the former Montgomery County Tax Commissioner Lawana Sharpe,” said Stacie. Her experience includes eight years as an elementary school teacher in Montgomery and Toombs Counties. In August of 2021, she served Montgomery County Probate Judge Rubie Nell Sanders as chief deputy clerk and was elected following her retirement.
There was only one drawback. “Serving as Probate Judge meant stepping down as Executive Director of ADSS. Although I can serve on the board, I can’t lead or participate in fundraising, regardless of the cause. It’s considered an ethics issue,” she explained. “But my oldest daughter, Makaylee, has worked beside me since the beginning and has stepped forward to take the lead as Executive Director.” For Makaylee, it is an honor to continue this legacy of service, along with board members Cynthia Crawford and Julie Waller, for her sister BG and others with disabilities in our community.
There is no doubt that having a child with a disability changes the lives of the parents and families. “When I first learned that my baby had Down Syndrome, I felt it was like a punishment. But on Mother’s Day in 2015, I realized that it wasn’t a punishment—She was a gift. You can’t understand this unless you have or care for a child with Down Syndrome or with a disability. I came to understand that my daughter was a gift to us. She gives so much more to us than we could ever give her.”
The champion thoroughbred racehorse Secretariat did not win
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the Triple Crown because he was the biggest horse but because he had the biggest heart. After his death, his heart was discovered to be over three times larger than that of an average racehorse. It’s difficult to know what’s in the heart until it’s tried. Nothing reveals more about the capacity of the heart to love than our children. Families with disabilities learn things about acceptance, perseverance, compassion, and flexibility that make Secretariats out of field horses.
Stacie will always remember that Mother’s Day in May of 2015 as the day her heart grew larger than any hardship she might face. The Altamaha Down Syndrome Society was the outflow of that love. BG was not just a gift to Stacie and her family but a gift to us all.
BY TERI R. WILLIAMS PHOTOS BY DAPHNE WALKER
service over spotlight
Humble and hardworking, Kim Stephens's dedication to family, faith, and community has quietly shaped the lives of many, earning him the 2024 Lyons Citizen of the Year Award and a place of honor in the hearts of those he's served.
KIM STEPHENS IS A PRACTICAL MAN, DOWN-TO-EARTH IN EVERY SENSE.
He’s never pursued the praises of people and is uncomfortable with it when it comes his way. He’s served our community as a businessman and Scout Master of the 939 Boy Scout Troop (now Scouting America) for many years simply because he cares and couldn't care less if anyone gave him notice. As a matter of fact, he’d rather them not. What matters, what has always mattered to Stephens, is serving God, loving his family, and leading the young men in Troop 939 over the years, which is exactly why he was a worthy recipient of the 2024 Lyons Citizen of the Year Award, even if it was received with surprise and more than a little discomposure. In his opinion, others in the room were more worthy recipients. “I just work hard,” he said with an apologetic tone.
When Mr. Stephens came along, the definition of a hardworking man was working on the family farm. “We were poor as dirt,” he said. The hardships of farming were expected. But no amount of hard work could overcome the extended period of drought in the late 70s for his family farm in Orianna, Georgia, just outside of Adrian. “We put our last seed in the ground in 1978,” said Stephens, the same year he graduated from Adrian High School.
On June 19, 1977, The New York Times wrote, “The worst drought in a quarter of a century has hit the farms of the Deep South, irreparably stunting corn and seriously endangering crops of peanuts, soybeans, and hay. The dry spell follows the longest, harshest winter in modern Southern memory…”
1978 was also Stephens’ senior year of high school. “I was planning on going into the Army. But a guy from Nashville Auto Diesel came to the school to speak with students on the same day a recruiter from the Army came. I sat down with the Army guy and wasn’t impressed. Then I went over to the guy from the diesel college, and he said I could get this degree in one year and go out and work. They would even help me find a job.”
Farmwork gave Stephens a foundation in life skills, including a good working knowledge of mechanics. “That's what farming life was about,” he said. “We knew how to work with our hands because everything was mechanical back then. It wasn’t like today, where computers run farm equipment.”
He and his brother, Michael Jack Stephens, left home in 1979 for Nashville and graduated in 1980 with Master Technician Degrees. “We came down to Vidalia and set up shop in the old Durden Chevrolet Body Shop.” After a short time there, he said, “We went into a building that was sitting where Shoney’s is now. It had been a bar and had two big doors.”
Stephens Truck Center found a more permanent location in a brand new shop built by Harold Wright on 127 HD Wright Road in Lyons. “My daddy had a business relationship with Harold Dean Wright, and he talked him into putting up the shop there.”
He soon learned that the most challenging aspect of running a trucking business was not working on trucks but working with the public. By this time, his brother had moved on, and Stephens was on his own. A strong work ethic, he soon discovered, was not enough to survive as a business owner. It also required a strong disposition.
“Owning a business is not running a charity,” he said in his common-sense manner. “If you let people run over you, you won’t be in business long.” Stephens soon understood that honesty required thick skin at times. Even though we live in the “Bible belt,” some folks just don’t take to heart everything it says.
Kim Stephens became involved with Scouting America when his son Martin expressed interest in joining. Martin would eventually achieve Eagle rank, and, seeing the benefit of scouting, Kim would become Scoutmaster of Troop 939. Although Wynn Tippett has recently stepped into the role, Kim's years of leadership helped lead many young men on to noteworthy accomplishments.
“If I can get them off the couch and outside in the wilderness canoeing, backpacking, hiking, all this stuff, then maybe I can get them to put down their phones,” said Stephens.
After fifteen years of diligence and hard work, Stephens Truck Center relocated from HD Wright Road to a shop and property on Highway 1 south of Lyons. The truck center provides “a full service facility offering International trucks, Freightliner trucks, and a wide variety of other truck models.” Their friendly sales and service department is available to help customers find new and used trucks, truck parts and truck accessories. In addition to Stephens Trucking in Lyons, he has added two parts stores, one in Hazelhurst, and another in Statesboro.
As much as three locations require, Stephens still manages his priorities: his wife of over thirty years, Brenda; his three children, Jessica,
Cheyney, and Martin; and two grandchildren, Cheville and Cash. Family is everything to him.
Much of Stephens’ community work through the years began simply as a father following his children’s interests. When his son Martin played sports, he got involved with the Toombs County School athletics. Long after his son graduated from high school, he was still involved as a Booster Club sponsor. Stephens’ commitment has never been in words only. Whether cooking or just working the concession stand, he continued doing whatever was needed.
His support of the Toombs County Future Farmers of America (FFA) has always been close to his heart. Even after both parents had passed, he and his three siblings managed to keep up the homeplace in Orianna. “We’ve still got our home place where we grew up, and we’re keeping the home up. I’ve got a few cows there,” said Stephens. “My oldest brother is a retired pilot, and he lives there now on land he inherited. So, he keeps a watch on things.” One of his sisters comes down every July just to put up fig preserves for them all.
One of his most invaluable roles in our community has been as Scoutmaster of Troop 939. Stephens’ involvement with the Boy Scouts of America (now known as Scouting America) began when his son brought a paper home from the Cub Scouts in middle school. “When Martin told me this was something he really wanted to do, I said, ‘That’s fine. But you need to understand something. This is not something you start and then quit. If you’re going to do this, you’re going to do it all the way.’”
Martin didn’t quit. He went on to achieve Eagle rank, the highest rank attainable in Boy Scouts, which is only reached by about 6% of the group. “Each boy now has to have twentytwo merit badges for Eagle. Some of those are required merit badges, and others are electives.”
As for Martin’s father, he continued to help lead many young men in Toombs County toward this noteworthy accomplishment. When
Boy Scouts went through a critical time in 2019, the troop no longer had a sponsor. Stephens' longstanding commitment to Lyons Community Church (formerly Lyons United Methodist Church) provided all the validation needed for the church to take on sponsorship of the former Boy Scouts of America organization. In recent months, Assistant
Scoutmaster of Troop 939, Wynn Tippett, has stepped into the role of Scoutmaster for Troop 939. “I'm a charter representative for our troop, which means I serve as a liaison between the church and the troop and report back to the church what the troops are doing. And, of course, I'm there every Monday night for the Troop meeting just to help in any way
Stephens humility is apparent. Upon receiving the Lyons Citizen of the year award, he said, “I don't feel like I deserve any of this. It's a great achievement for me...I just work hard...trying to do the best I can for my community...”
I can,” said Stephens. Liam Tipps and Trace Tippett from Troop 939 recently became the most recent young men to reach Eagle status, with three more young men about to begin the process.
“Two years ago, we started a Cub Scout group from scratch,” said Stephens. “From the beginning, the Scoutmaster was Marie Davis. We couldn’t have taken this on without her. She’s doing an outstanding job.” This year, the number of five to tenyear-olds in Troop 939 Cub Scouts has already reached twenty.
The most recent development was Girl Scouts Troop 939g. “We just got it chartered last week,” said Stephens, “and we’ve already had five 11 to 18-year-olds to join.” Like the boys, the girls will enjoy outdoor activities, an essential focus of Scouting America.
The loss of play outdoors, not just organized play, but time spent outside like many did as kids, is as much to blame as anything else for much of the physical, mental, and spiritual issues faced by children today. That’s
my opinion, but I believe it’s shared by many grandparents today. An interesting read on the subject is the New York Times Bestseller “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder” by Richard Louv, published in 2008. In it, he writes, “In our bones we need the natural curves of hills, the scent of chaparral, the whisper of pines, the possibility of wildness. We require these patches of nature for our mental health and our spiritual resilience.”
There’s no question we are in a pivotal time for the youth of America. There is simply no comparison between Stephens' childhood on a farm and the world in which children are growing up today. If you want to really set him off, this is the issue that will do it. “They’re not learning how to work. It burns me up because it’s hurting everything in our world. If I can get them off the couch and outside in the wilderness canoeing, backpacking, hiking, all this stuff, then maybe I can get them to put down their phones.” His voice softened just slightly. “This is our
future workforce.” Don’t mistake his passion as only an economic concern, although that should honestly concern us all. It’s also a desire to lead youth on a path closer to God’s creation and His intended purpose.
When Stephens was surprised by the announcement that he was, indeed, the recipient of the 2024 Lyons Citizen of the Year Award, he did not come to the podium in a suit but in the uniform of a Scoutmaster. He did not give an eloquent speech in anticipation of the award. He simply shared his heart. That’s all he’s ever done. Stephens is the kind of man our community appreciates—a leader to follow.
I recently stumbled across a blog by Catholic speakers Jacki and Bobby Angel with an article by Bobby entitled “Mad Men and Good Men.” He writes,
Magazines like Maxim or Esquire dress boys up with nowhere to go but back to a self-indulgent pit, and Men’s Health is anything but what its label suggests—change Men’s to Boy’s and Health to Perpetual Adolescence and Destructive Behavior and I think you have a more accurate title,”
(jackiandbobby.com)
If that seems offensive or judgmental, consider the cost to our children for stepping back and letting this message, these images, be the only voice our children hear. The landscape of childhood has changed so much in recent years. But one thing has not changed – the need for people like Kim Stephens in our community who care enough to do something. We don’t need a suit and tie or a crafted speech. We just need a few good men and women who will lead so our children can have an example to follow.
changing the possibilities
BY TERI R. WILLIAMS PHOTOS BY RUTH ENGLISH
A decade after the passage of Ava’s Law— which mandated insurance coverage for autism therapies in Georgia—its namesake Ava and her family continue to transform autism care in Georgia by opening a rural clinic that offers life-changing ABA therapy to children.
Ten years ago this April (2025), Governor Deal signed a bill into law that changed the lives of thousands of children in Georgia. That bill was named Ava’s Law, and Ava is my granddaughter. When Ava was diagnosed with autism in 2006, insurance was not required to cover any treatment for children with autism in Georgia. With the diagnosis, her mom and dad, Anna and Noah Bullard, were informed by their insurance company that the speech therapy Ava had been receiving would no longer be covered simply because she had been diagnosed with autism.
Anna and Noah soon began a desperate search for the best way to help their daughter. What they found was “Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA),” which is a therapy “based on the science of learning and behavior…. More than 20 studies have established that intensive and long-term therapy using ABA principles improves outcomes for many but not all children with autism” (autismspeaks.org)
“I found a preschool in Savannah that offered an inclusion portion of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in their half-day program,” said Anna. “It wasn’t one-on-one therapy, but at least it was something.”
She moved with her three young daughters to Savannah to live with her grandparents so that Ava could get the little bit of ABA therapy the preschool provided. Ava was three years old at that time and had no language. Without the ability to communicate, she was becoming increasingly frustrated. Simple things like walking through a doorway could trigger a full-blown meltdown. There was no way to know if Ava wanted something or if something was wrong, which could result in forty-five minutes to an hour of her crying. The only place they could go as a family was to our home – and it was breaking our hearts.
After a few weeks, Anna and her girls came home for the weekend. I was so excited because Anna said Ava was saying a few words. Sitting around the table, Anna pointed to herself and said, “Ava, who am I?” She responded, “Mama.” It was the first word I had ever heard her speak, and to this day, the memory of that moment still brings me to my knees in gratitude.
ABOVE When Anna and Noah Bullard's nephew was diagnosed with autism, it prompted them to act on an idea they had been considering: opening a clinic that offered autism services to families in Toombs and surrounding counties. In 2023 Alinea was established.
Since the preschool did not have a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) to do assessments or write individualized programs specifically for Ava’s needs, Anna and the girls moved back home. Day after day, Anna called and searched online for a place in Georgia that offered ABA therapy. When she found an ABA clinic in South Carolina, she decided she had nothing to lose and called. Amazingly, the BCBA there agreed to travel to Lyons to see Ava.
With help from Anna’s family, Anna and Noah paid out of pocket for the BCBA to establish an ABA program for Ava. Anna hired college students for the BCBA to train that summer, and she began Ava’s 30-hour-a-week therapy, which she had to learn to do herself. Although not ideal for any parent whose child needs medical treatment, no other option was available.
By the time Ava entered pre-K, she had language skills and could participate in a regular education classroom with her peers. Anna and the BCBA from South Carolina worked with the
Toombs County school system to establish a program for Ava, and by second grade, Ava had more than proven what the impact of ABA therapy could mean for a child with autism. Most importantly, Ava was happy and could express her own wants and needs.
After seeing firsthand the potential impact of ABA therapy, Anna began to question, “What about other children with autism in Georgia?” The statistics for autism diagnosis were continuing to rise. That’s when she began to ask, “What can I do?”
In 2009, Anna took that question to her Uncle Tommie (Williams), who served in the Georgia State Senate as the pro-tempore at that time. Anna had already made contact with a handful of advocates who were working on an autism bill. “With Uncle Tommie’s support and guidance, we were able to find the right people in the legislature to start working on legislation that would change the law to require insurance companies to cover ABA and other evidence-based treatments for autism,” she said. 2009 was the beginning of a seven-year battle. “I thought that as soon as legislators realized what insurance companies were doing, they would say, ‘Oh! That’s not right!’ and do something to change it. But it wasn’t about right or wrong or even children with autism. If it had been, results from research as far back as the 70s that had already proven the benefits of ABA therapy for children with autism would have been enough. It was about money.”
Because autism was excluded from coverage, there were few providers in Georgia. “The ones here were in larger cities, and families had to pay out of pocket for anything considered treatment for autism, which included speech, occupational, and physical therapies. And at that time, the out-of-pocket cost could be $30,000 and upward per year.”
More often than not, school became the catch-all for children with autism. Although the right treatment at any age is beneficial, early intervention has shown the best results. By the time a child is school
In April 2015, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed Ava's Law, which required insurance companies in Georgia to cover therapy for autism. Having advocated for the bill, Ava was present for the signing.
“Families in Georgia with autism should have the right to choose, whether it’s ABA or some other evidencebased treatment,” said Anna.
age, the most effective time for treatment has often been missed. “Families in Georgia with autism should have the right to choose, whether it’s ABA or some other evidence-based treatment.”
The fight continued year after year. Anna learned firsthand the fight was centered around one thing: money. According to one ethics government website, which was available online at the time, the Insurance and Labor Committee chairman’s five largest campaign contributors the previous election year (2008) were either medical associations or insurance companies.
Even so, there were still good people like her Uncle Tommie working to make a difference. One particular day at the Capital stood out in Anna’s memory. “I’d been trying to meet with this one legislator for some time. When I saw him ahead of me on the stairway, I called out his name. He turned and walked straight up to me. He was a big guy, and he had a rather stern expression. He told me that he’d heard me speak about Ava a few days earlier and realized that this might be what was going on with his son. He went home and talked to his wife, and they made an appointment to have him evaluated for autism. He wanted me to know I had his full support.”
In 2013, Governor Perdue, a strong advocate for children with autism, made a bold move by adding ABA therapy to Georgia's State Health Benefit Plan. Even though Noah was a public school teacher with state insurance, it came too late for Ava. Thankfully, she had already received the ABA therapy she needed and the impact had been life-changing.
Some questioned and even asked Anna, “Do you think Ava still has autism?”
“We just smile,” she said. “Autism isn’t something you outgrow. This is what ABA
RIGHT When Anna's longtime friend and colleague Dr. Michael Morrier, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst— Doctoral, was retiring from Emory, she asked if he would work with Alinea.
"When he said, ‘Yes,’ I knew God was making a way for us,” said Anna.
therapy did for Ava.” Even though the addition to the state health plan would not benefit Ava, it would benefit literally thousands of children with autism in Georgia in the years to come. The immediate benefit would also allow advocates to collect much-needed data to present to legislators.
“We hadn’t been able to pass the bill because lobbyists for insurance companies told legislators that if these therapies for autism were added to insurance plans, it would cost them millions,” said Anna. “The Georgia Chamber of Commerce went so far as to state in an Insurance and Labor meeting that the cost would be ‘billions.’ Autism advocates joked about it for years because it was so absurd. And still, the truth was not enough.”
By this time, other states had passed legislation. Data from these states had already proven the cost was inconsequential.
“However, with data taken from the state plan over the next two years, we had our own proof that the insurance companies were not providing factual information. The cost was, in fact, less than .10ç per month per member,” said Anna.
In 2015, two years after adding coverage to Georgia's State Health Benefit Plan, Ava’s Law passed. “It took another two years to get Medicaid coverage in Georgia,” said Anna, for which she continued to advocate returning again and again for meetings with leadership.
“Eligibility for Medicaid is based on disability or income, and the individual state sets
income. Georgia has a very high-income level threshold for Medicaid eligibility. Because of this, many children with autism now qualify for Medicaid coverage based on income or disability. When ABA therapy was added to Medicaid, it was a vital part of getting services for children with autism in Georgia.”
Ten years have passed since Ava’s Law was enacted, and the impact continues to change the lives of families in Georgia today. “All these providers have now come into our state, and our children are accessing services, which include ABA therapy,” said Anna. As for Ava, she’ll be graduating from the University of Georgia in a few months with her bachelor’s degree in biology.
“She has always been the bill’s greatest advocate,” said Anna. “If people can’t see for themselves, it’s difficult for them to understand. Uncle Tommie shared our story with the Senate in 2009, and she led the Senate in the Pledge of Allegiance. She was four years old at the time. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. By age seven or eight, Ava was advocating for those with autism in Insurance and Labor committee meetings. But it was always her choice. Ava is not just the face of Ava’s Law. She is the reason we have coverage here in Georgia today.”
LEFT Ava will graduate from the University of Georgia this year. She continues to advocate for families with autism. Her cousin Daniel will benefit from the groundwork she and her family have laid over the past decade.
Even today, Ava continues to advocate for services for children with autism. “We were just at the capital last week, advocating for more opportunities for families with autism in rural areas where there may be gaps in coverage or a lack of treatment available,” said Anna. In 2023, these gaps once again became personal for our family.
For the past ten years, Anna has continued to work in autism services and government relations as an advocate for autistic individuals at the state and national levels. When her two-year-old nephew, Daniel, showed signs of autism, it all came home again. In January 2023, Daniel was officially diagnosed with autism. For Anna, it was like stepping back in time. “Daniel had a lot of symptoms similar to Ava at that age. The meltdowns, a lot of sensory issues.” And like Ava, Daniel was completely nonverbal, unable to communicate if he was hungry, afraid, in danger, or simply wanted to call out for his mom or dad.
“Even though Ava’s Law had passed in 2015, there was still no ABA program for my sister Ruth and her husband Mason to access for Daniel simply because of where he
lived,” said Anna. Research had already proven the impact of ABA therapy for children with autism. The only option he had was through Telehealth, which was not ideal.
“You’ve got a two-, three-, or even six-year-old child with autism, and Telehealth can only do so much,” said Anna. “There is a place for Telehealth, but it’s not how a child needs to receive all of their therapy. For Daniel to reach his potential, he needed the oversight of a BCBA, a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) to implement his programs, and social interaction with other children.”
Anna had been asked on more than one occasion, “Why don’t you open a clinic in Toombs County?” After working in autism services and governmental relations as an autism advocate for many years, she knew firsthand what it meant to run a clinic. Anyone who has owned their own business can appreciate her hesitation. But the clock was ticking, and the question would not go away. If we don’t do something, what will happen to Daniel?
Anna and Noah already had full-time jobs. Where would they find someone to manage the clinic and BCBAs and RBTs willing to work in rural Georgia? And whenever Anna would say to her husband, “I can’t do this,” he would say, “Yes, you can. I know you can.”
With every day that passed, Daniel became more frustrated and his behavior more difficult to manage. “As a child with autism gets older and has no communication skills, behaviors become more challenging,” said Anna. “My sister, Ruth, was teaching Daniel some signs, and he was catching on. However, he needed what ABA therapy could give him to learn language and social skills.”
In April 2023, Anna and Noah filed for an LLC for their autism company. Noah’s faith and their love for Daniel just pushed them forward. It came down to this: They would do this for Daniel no matter how hard it might be or what sacrifice they had to make.
They named their new autism clinic “Alinea,” which is the name of the paragraph mark that symbolizes the start of a new paragraph. The idea for the name came from Anna’s longtime friend and fellow autism advocate, Julie Kornack. “About two years ago, she suggested Alinea would make a great name if I ever decided to open a clinic,” which Anna insisted at the time she did not plan to do.
Once Anna and Noah stepped out, it was as if Moses had lifted his rod and the Red Sea had begun to part. Anna called Dr. Michael Morrier, a BCBA-D (Board Certified Behavior Analyst—Doctoral), to ask for advice concerning the clinic and finding a BCBA. “Dr. Morrier had worked at Emory University in Atlanta for twenty years and was a longtime friend. It just so happened that he was about to retire from Emory, so I just asked if he would work with us. When he said, ‘Yes,’ I knew God was making a way for us.”
In addition to Dr. Morrier, Anna trained and hired three RBTs. “I’d helped more than a few clinics get started through the years,” said Anna. “Many began in the back rooms of their churches, and our church was happy to let us use part of our facility at River of Life. In September 2023, we began serving Daniel and two other autistic children. We didn’t advertise. But people heard we were going to open a clinic and began to call.”
The other day, I watched a video taken one year ago of my grandson, Daniel. A year ago, he still made undiscernible sounds and had only a few words. Today, Daniel is fully verbal. He is playing t-ball this spring. He will go to pre-k in a regular education classroom in the fall. Like Ava, the possibilities for our grandson are endless. The trajectory of his life has changed because of ABA therapy. With the right treatment at the right time, there is nothing to hold Daniel back from anything he sets his heart to do.
LEFT Anna's nephew Daniel was the catalyst for Anna starting Alinea. Anna and Noah decided that they would open a clinic if for no other reason than to help Daniel. Recently, Alinea moved to a new larger location to accommodate the growing number of children who have requested services.
“Of course, this is what we want for every child that comes into our clinic,” said Anna. “We would love to take them all. But it’s really about staff. Several of our RBTs are in the BCBA program. We’re very excited about this. The best chance for rural communities to create quality in-person ABA therapy is through organic growth, people from the community who want to stay and impact their hometown.”
Autistic children served by Alinea have already seen incredible gains. “What we know is that without therapy and intervention, their challenges and deficits would continue to impact their ability to be independent and be a part of day-to-day life. It is so exciting to come to the Alinea clinic every day and see the kids’ progress. We are so grateful to all our staff because we couldn’t do it without them,” said Anna.
Alinea’s success is a direct result of the staff and the support from this community. “We were met at every turn with the generosity of our church, families, and businesses in Toombs County. “Providers in Atlanta and other large cities have sheer numbers to make a business successful. When you’re in a rural area, it really takes the entire community’s support.”
As the calls from more and more parents of children with autism in the community came in, Anna and Noah began to look for a larger, more permanent location. In April 2025, Alinea moved into its new location in the old Robert Garbutt house on Hwy 292. “We were so grateful for the McClendon family. They have been very generous in helping develop this space into a clinic.” Since opening at the new location, Alinea has added additional staff and another BCBA, enabling them to serve more children with autism in our community.
The most recent estimates from the CDC report that about 1 in 31 children are now being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Just like Ava’s Law, serving autistic children at Alinea is personal for Anna and Noah. As the autism clinic grows and serves more families in our community, the impact will be felt for generations to come.
The impact of intensive early intervention with ABA therapy is immeasurable for our family. It means seeing my granddaughter Ava and grandson Daniel fulfill whatever they set their hearts to do. With Alinea in our rural community, families with autism can access high-quality ABA services right here at home. And that fact makes Toombs County even sweeter than a Vidalia onion.
For more information on services or if you are interested in working with children with autism, please email Anna and Noah at admin@alineaautismservices.com.
Loving Lyons
and Beyond
WITHOUT MUCH FANFARE, THIS ORGANIZATION QUIETLY AND DILIGENTLY PROVIDES SUPPORT TO THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO NEED IT MOST.
When Joseph Akins walked into the Lyons Upper Elementary School office to meet with then-principal Tabatha Nobles, she greeted him courteously, but her discernment skills were on high alert.
“If it would be okay, we would like to give a new pair of TOMS® shoes to every student and faculty member at this school,” he said.
Ms. Nobles knew two things about Joseph: He was the Faith Assembly of God pastor in Lyons, and he drove a bus for the Toombs County schools. Still, she was apprehensive. Ms. Nobles had seen it before—an offer for something free with an expectation in return.
Joseph understood and appreciated her diligence and oversight. He smiled. “All we need are the shoe sizes.” All students and faculty were measured for shoe sizes. A few weeks later, Joseph returned with a few others to deliver a truckload of brand-new TOMS® shoes perfectly fitted to the shoe size of 500 students and 70 faculty members.
When Joseph’s church decided to organize a Halloween trunk-or-treat for the children in the community, the small congregation simply did not have enough vehicles to pull off the event. But when the teachers who had received the shoes heard, dozens showed up with trunks filled with treats to distribute to the children in the community.
The TOMS® shoes project was Ms. Noble’s introduction to the work of Loving Lyons and Beyond (LLAB). Over the following months, the non-profit organization did many other projects
for students. Today, Ms. Nobles serves as the board chairperson for the 501 (c) 3, with Jason Hall (Vice-Chair), Anna Stanley (Secretary), Tres Herin (Treasurer), Willis NeSmith, Wesley Walker, Kevin Collins, Kimberly Holland, Jordan Robins, Will NeSmith, Russ Bell, Carl Wardlaw, and founder, Joseph Akins.
The ministry began in 2020 as Loving Lyons. “We began by serving our hometown,” said Joseph. Everything they do today grew out of the principle that serving begins at home. As the work expanded to include all of Toombs and surrounding counties, the name changed to Loving Lyons and Beyond to reflect their growing reach.
Much of LLAB's work is done behind the scenes. This ministry does not blow a trumpet on a street corner to announce its next project. In fact, the credit often goes to the organizations they supply, and that’s the way they like it. For several years, LLAB has provided the Lyons Fire Department with toys to distribute during Christmas. The ministry has provided food boxes for the Lyons Lions Club to distribute to those in need. LLAB supplied free tote bags from Target to every student in the schools in our county. During this year’s Toombs County Special Olympics, parents and students from Toombs, Montgomery, and Jeff Davis counties received autism decals “designed to be displayed in the rear window of a vehicle or entrance to a home. The decal indicates to first responders and LEOs that there is a special needs person in the vehicle or home to assess a situation better,” said Joseph.
ABOVE Much of Loving Lyons and Beyond's work is done behind the scenes, providing support for schools, community service organizations and ministries like Forge Addiction Recovery Center.
The heart of LLAB is “serving those who serve.” We all want committed law enforcement, schoolteachers who love children, first responders and firefighters willing to risk their lives to save others, patient and attentive care from healthcare workers, and community organizations that serve community needs. However, the high turnover rate in these fields reveals
the enormous need for encouragement and support. The alarming statistics below are just a few examples:
According to the Rockefeller Institute of Government, “Studies indicate that roughly 40 percent of novice teachers leave the classroom within the first five years” (https://rockinst.org).
“Since February 2020, the US healthcare sector has lost close to half a million workers, according to estimates from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics” (worldcrunch.com).
FireRescue1’s What Firefighters Want survey indicates a staggering “42% of respondents expressed the possibility of departing from the fire service, citing stress as a primary factor” (firerescue1.com)
In a day when self-care has become a catchword, acts of kindness may prove just as beneficial to our well-being. New research at Ohio State University, published in The Journal of Positive Psychology, found that “performing acts of kindness may even result in greater social well-being than techniques used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat depression and anxiety.”
LLAB is a ministry of kindness that has no evangelistic goal other than expressing the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth by providing practical supplies for those who serve in our community. For Joseph, the journey from a young Robert Toombs Christian Academy graduate
LLAB is a ministry of kindness serving Toombs and surrounding counties led by a group whose heart is for loving the people of these communities. Odds are, your children, co-workers, and family members have been impacted in some way by what they do.
LLAB rarely refuses donations. Instead they store items until they decide who the items will benefit best.
to the ministry of LLAB had many twists and turns. More times than he can count, God sent Joseph personal messages through those around him that his mistakes had not disqualified him from serving. Transformation, after all, involves change, and nothing is as effective in finding our God-given identity as the redemption of our mistakes.
Even though Joseph had attended Southeastern Bible College in Lakeland, Florida, he left before completing a degree. When he and his wife, Wendy, married, he had been through a divorce, which some might consider a disqualification from ministry—still, serving burned in his heart. Joseph and his wife thought perhaps they could be helpful in
ministry to ministers, which was a valid need: “91% [of pastors] have experienced some form of burnout in ministry” (soulshepherding.org). But all those twists and turns in the journey had led him back home to Lyons, where he has served as pastor of the Faith Assembly of God for the past eight years.
The catalyst for the non-profit ministry was a one-day training event presented by Convoy of Hope (COH). According to Joseph, COH receives truckloads of surplus items from various sources to distribute wherever needed. They work “In partnership with churches, businesses, civic organizations, and government agencies…” to deliver these supplies and goods to places of need, whether
for disaster relief or simply where the items might serve as a blessing.
LLAB has distributed items such as water bottles, bleach, hand sanitizer, disinfectants, paper towels, hand soap, baby food, and more to organizations, businesses, schools, and ministries like the Forge, a drug addiction recovery center serving our community. They’ve held projects such as food drives, men’s breakfasts, and more events than could be named in this one article.
“There are so many resources available,” said Joseph. “We rarely refuse something, even if we don’t yet know who it will best benefit, so we are often one of the first calls donors like Convoy of Hope will make. We have been blessed with some great
benefactors, but it takes calls and connections, the legwork of loading and unloading goods, warehouse space, and just a little vision,” he smiled. More importantly, he added, “Everything begins and ends with the favor of God.”
Although resources are available, the work of LLAB is limited. The time, space and labor it takes to efficiently run the organization requires volunteer effort, which is why this behind-the-scenes ministry agreed to let us tell their story. “This is not about one church. It’s about what can be done by a community,” said Joseph. Toombs County Magazine had planned to publish an article on Loving Lyons and Beyond last fall. But in the days and weeks following Hurricane Helene, we watched this community come together in unprecedented ways. Many outside organizations brought emergency
supplies and helped us through that difficult time. Of course, LLAB was a part of that work. “Bulldogs” and “Indians” helped Joseph unload trucks and trailers and break down pallets to deliver supplies where needed. But the work of LLAB is not limited to times of crisis. When everyone left, the work continued. At the writing of this article, the ministry has served businesses and organizations in Toombs and twelve other counties. Joseph has never perceived his calling to serve as limited to preaching from a pulpit or even serving through LLAB. Early in the morning and late in the afternoon, the pastor is a bus driver for the Toombs County Schools. When a student gets on or off his bus, he looks for simple ways to encourage. Joseph was recently surprised to realize that his advice to one bus rider had been taken to heart and memorized by another who had
"We have been blessed with some great benefactors," says Joseph, "but it takes calls and connections, the legwork of loading and unloading goods, warehouse space, and just a little vision.”
overheard it. “If you control what you think, you can control what you say. And if you can control those two things, you can control what you do.”
Whether Joseph is driving a bus, preaching a sermon, or delivering free goods and supplies, it’s with the conviction that one person can make a difference. And together, he believes that the difference made has the power to restore the hearts of those who serve and those in need.
We don’t want to wait for another crisis to bring us together again. All we need is a heart to help and the willingness to work.
For more information or to join in serving with LLAB, Joseph can be contacted by email at contact@lovinglyons.org.
For more information on Convoy of Hope, visit convoyofhope.org).
THERAPEUTIC MASSAGES
WELLNESS
THE HEART BEHIND THE FIELD: The Ed Smith Legacy
Coach Ed Smith’s unexpected path led him to build the Vidalia Recreation Department, leaving a lasting legacy of community, character, and family.
BY TERI R. WILLIAMS PHOTOS BY THE FULLER EFFECT PHOTOGRAPHY
Friendships have always been second only to family for Ed Smith. In 1993, when he was awarded the Distinguished Professional of the Year Award, Joanie Lindsey, then Editor for Recreation and Parks in Georgia magazine, asked Coach Smith, “If you could make a change in the Recreation Profession, what would it be?” He answered, “I believe we need to become more family-oriented in an effort to pull our basic families back together.”
At ninety-four, his mind is as clear as ever. With a keen sense of humor, Coach Smith shared what he considered to be the blunders in his career path that led him to Vidalia. What was most notable was the realization that if just one of those “blunders” had gone differently, this community might not be what it is today. In Coach Smith’s case, the missed turns brought opportunities he might never have known otherwise. Sometimes, it’s not so much about what we miss as what we gain in the process.
Born in 1931 in Bulloch County, Ed’s family moved to Sylvania when he was four years old. From a young age, playing sports filled his every thought. He played baseball and ran track all four years of high school. He played football only his senior year, but that one year got the attention of a Clemson recruiter and a full scholarship to play with their football team.
Ed graduated from Sylvania High School (now Screven County High School) in 1949 and went through fall practice with the football team at Clemson in 1950. During spring
practice, he got hit head-on by a fullback in a drill and broke his nose. The broken nose wasn’t a big deal for Ed, but playing on one field when his heart was on another was. “I thought I was a better baseball player,” he said, his eyes smiling. “But they wouldn’t even talk to me about baseball, so I showed them. I went home.” It was said with all seriousness, but his eyes creased with laugh lines as he added, “That’s not the last dumb thing I’ve done, but it was one of them.” That rich sense of humor was one of many things he and Coach Callaway shared. Now, I understood how these recreation department directors from two rival towns (as far as athletics is concerned) were actually great friends.
When Georgia Teacher’s College (now Georgia Southern University) offered Ed a baseball scholarship, he accepted. “I played with them for two years and then got persuaded into going down to Palatka, Florida, to play Class D ball.” Ed played for a few months before the curve ball sent him home again. “I just couldn’t hit a curve ball,” he said, shaking his head. He was not the only ballplayer to struggle with the tricky pitch.
When Ed came home this time, it was not to play ball. Because he’d signed a contract with a semi-pro team, he was ineligible to go back and play on a college scholarship. He shook his head. “That was another one of those dumb things I did.” Even then, there was laughter in his eyes. This is what made Coach Smith and Coach Callaway such good friends, I thought—the gift of good humor.
“Ed, Thanks for all of your wisdom over the years— and for your and Shirley’s friendship. I think both of us can wear any cap we want too [sic]. I have admired you for a long time. Note: They don’t make Rec people like you and me anymore!
Thanks again, Anson”
A personal note from the late Coach Callaway (Lyons Recreation Director from 1961-2015) to his longtime friend, Vidalia Recreation Department Director Ed Smith.
In 1953, he returned home to find work. The unexpected turns and “dumb decisions” he’d made, as he called them, had led him to be at the right place at the right time to meet the love of his life—Shirley Raye Rowse. The two married in September of that year, and Ed was drafted into the Army the following December, during the last year of the Korean War. He spent two years in the Army. In his second year of service, he served in Korea as a corporal in the cryptographic division, which was top-secret work.
After serving in the Army, the G.I. Bill afforded Ed the opportunity to return to Georgia Teachers College where he graduated with a B.S. in Physical Education in 1957. Ed had found work in Sylvania with the recreation department as the pool director. Although Sylvania was small, it was one of only thirty-five recreation departments in the whole state of Georgia, and many of those had only part-time positions. Keeping up the pool was no small task in those days. “It wasn’t like today,” said Ed. “People didn’t have pools in their backyards.” In addition to swimming lessons, the pool was the central location for the community's youth all summer long.
“You were at the city pool or playing outside,” said Ed’s daughter, Phyllis James.
When Sylvania Recreation Department Director Bud Stone and Statesboro’s Director Max Lockwood learned Vidalia was starting a recreation department, they encouraged Ed to apply. “By that time, we had our son Frank.” In 1957, Ed was hired as the first Recreation Director of the Vidalia Recreation Department.
The budget was $5000 a year, with $4,200 of that his salary. The property was on 3rd and Bay Street and included a swimming pool, a swing set, and a type of playground spinner called a whirl. According to Coach Smith, oversight of the pool on Bay Street, which had no filter in those first few years, meant draining the 280,000 gallons of water it held twice a week and cleaning it with a broom.
By the following summer of 1958, Coach Smith had seventy-five boys ages 8-12 sign up to play in VRDs first Little League football. Many will recognize a few of the names among those first players. According to Coach Smith, they included Rusty and Harry Moses, Kay Stafford, Jack Sasser, and Glenn Mixon. “We played on the corner lot. If the ball was hit too hard, it went in the pool, and somebody had to go get it,” he smiled.
That first year, teams played one other. The following year, they were ready for competition with other departments in the state, including the Little League teams in Statesboro. “They were hard to beat and our biggest rival.” Coach Smith laughed.
He added baseball and track in the spring, and other sports quickly followed. It was literally a one-man show. Coach Smith did everything but the cheerleading. Some of the sports and community events that brought the community together in those days were men's and women’s softball teams and a social club night for teenagers. “They met uptown at the Women’s Club,” said Coach Smith. “We had it one night a week where we played music.”
His daughter, Phyllis, looked surprised. “For teenagers?” she asked.
ABOVE Family focus has always been important to Coach Smith, whether providing opportunities at the rec department or serving as a patriarchal example to his own children and grandchildren.
He smiled, “You were too young to remember that.” Phyllis was born in 1958, and her younger brother Hugh in 1960. “Frank, Hugh, and I had a wonderful childhood being at the park every night with all these kids in the community. It was just a camaraderie of friendships,” she said.
Phyllis would become an athlete in her own right and later played softball at Georgia Southern. But she was only one of many athletes in the family. “We all played something,” she said. “It’s just what we did.” All of Coach Smith’s children and grandchildren were athletes, and today, his great-grandchildren can be found continuing the tradition at the complex started by their great-grandfather.
As he continued to build the Vidalia Recreation Department, Coach Smith was unaware of the legacy he was building. In his mind, he considered the position of Athletic Director as a stepping stone to coaching high school football one day. But make no mistake. He was not holding back for something better. He gave his best to everything he did, and his best took this small-town recreation department to championship titles again and again.
For thirteen years, he coached Midget Varsity football, which was like the middle school B team today, according to Phyllis. Practice was Monday through Friday in preparation for the Saturday night game. The 1965 Midget Varsity Team finished district runner-up and received many other regional and state victories before ending in 1979.
Coach Smith might not have coached football as he had imagined, but anything those 11-, 12-, and 13-year-old boys accomplished on the high school football field was a direct result of the training and preparation they received from him before they got there. “This was the ‘feeder program,’ you could say, for high school football. The entire community came out to watch them play on Saturday nights,” said Phyllis.
For many years, Coach Smith was a one-man show. “Daddy did everything until they added Bill [James] and Gary [Adams] on staff,” she said. Phyllis’s husband, the late Bill James, coached, taught school, and worked with the recreation department for fifty years, many of which were spent beside her father. “Today, they have volunteer coaches,” said Phyllis. “But that was not a thing back then.”
In his thirty-seven years as Director, Coach Smith would serve on the state athletic committee for 28 years. In 1969, VRD was named Agency of the Year on the state level and First District Agency of the Year in the years that followed too many times to count. In 1979 and 1983, Coach Smith was named First District Professional of the Year. By the time of his retirement on March 31, 1994, the department had seen forty state championships.
On May 10, 1995, the following year, Coach Smith was asked to dedicate a new tee ball field at the new VRD complex on Stockyard Road. However, the true purpose of his attendance at the event was for another reason altogether. May 10th, according to the late Mayor Ronnie Dixon, was officially named Ed Smith Day. The crowning event of the day was the unveiling of the new sign for the
VRD sports complex, which had been named the Ed Smith Complex in his honor.
When Hurricane Helene came through this past September, the Ed Smith Complex did not escape its destruction. Over the past few months, renovations have continued with Scott Strickland’s leadership as Director, Joe Bush (Assistant Director), Robbie Sharpton (Operations Manager), and the VRD board members. With the additional help of faithful volunteers, activities resumed at the Ed Smith Complex this spring (2025).
ABOVE Through the years the Vidalia Recreation Department and Coach Smith received many awards including the First District Professional of the Year Award. BELOW Coach Smith and his wife Shirley raised their children–daughter Phyllis and sons Hugh and Frank–in Vidalia.
A career as a recreation department director was not the path Ed Smith imagined his life would take. In his words, his seeming “mistakes " led him to the community of Vidalia, where he accomplished much more than he could ever have imagined. As I sat across from this ninetyfour-year-old legend and listened, the stories I heard were not about the many titles, awards, and accolades Coach Smith received but about his family and the families of this community. His one request for this article was that his wife, whom he lost five years ago, be remembered for her part in everything he ever accomplished. “I couldn’t have done any of it without her,” he said.
Coach Smith’s work as the first Director of the Vidalia Recreation Department was integral in the groundwork of godly values on which the community was built. As one generation passes their values onto the next, Coach Smith’s influence continues. Even so, his wife and children were and always will be first in his heart, which has made him such a great man to follow. His six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren continue to bring him great joy. For this writer, it is my hope that as the years come and go and another generation plays their heart out on the fields of Ed Smith Complex, we will not forget to tell them about the great man behind the name.
RIGHT Coach Smith lost his wife Shirley five years ago, but still acknowledges her part in his success, " I couldn't have done any of it without her," he said. BELOW The legacy Coach Smith has created will carry on for future generations.
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.
He came from five generations of plumbers and learned to hold his own from a young age. High school football in Texas taught him all he needed to know about getting back up and taking ground. College and football were the plan. He enrolled in the University of Northwestern St. Paul (UNW) to play football and pursue a degree in criminal justice. He was in his first semester when he sustained a football injury that fractured his spine. That same week, he found out his girlfriend was pregnant.
man of resilience
BY TERI R. WILLIAMS
FROM A YOUNG COLLEGE ATHLETE TO A RESILIENT
HUSBAND, FATHER, AND HONOR GRADUATE,
RI’EN PEREZ’S JOURNEY IS A POWERFUL STORY OF CHOOSING LOVE, FAITH, AND PERSEVERANCE
TO OVERCOME LIFE’S TOUGHEST CHALLENGES IN ORDER TO PURSUE A DREAM.
Ri’en considered himself resilient, as any true Texan would. But in that moment, he realized that resilience was not something you were born with. It was something in which you walked, sometimes crawled. “Resilience is one choice. And then another choice. It’s a path you must keep walking when there’s no road,” said Ri’en. “It’s the choice you make in hardship and disappointment to keep moving forward, to own your mistakes and work to right them if possible, and to navigate failure or disappointment.”
At that moment, at UNW in Minnesota, Ri’en chose to make resilience his best friend. At nineteen, he put his college dreams on hold. With no money, job, or idea of what was next, he packed his bags and moved to Lyons, Georgia, to be with his girlfriend. “I could have crumbled and run away,” said Ri’en, “just like my father did when he learned my mother was pregnant with me. But instead, I chose my son.”
Ri’en’s son, Ben, was born just as Covid was shutting down the world. During that time, he worked at whatever job he could to make ends meet for his young family. “I only had my faith in God, my wife’s love and support, and the smile on my son’s face to keep me focused and moving forward,” he said.
After much self-reflection, Ri’en said, “My family was first. I was a husband and father. No
Ri'en and Ellie Perez with their son Ben and daughter Miriam
one had to tell me to work hard to help provide for my family. At the same time, I wanted the work to be something I could put my heart into. When I thought about a career, my mind went to family members who had served in the military and law enforcement, family members I held in high regard. I realized that the desire to protect and serve others had always been a part of who I was.”
Ri’en also loved the outdoors and the wildness of nature. Growing up in Texas, he would get up early enough to go dove hunting before school. By the time he was eight, Ri’en had already learned to field dress a deer from his grandfather, affectionately called “Paw-Paw” by his grandchildren.
One other memory from his childhood kept coming to mind. “I was about thirteen when I started watching a TV series about game wardens called Lone Star Law,” said Ri’en. “The show had this catchphrase that always moved me: ‘Protecting wild animals and wild places, keeping the public safe, and every now and again, putting a bad guy in jail.’” Soon, the idea of becoming a game warden was all he could think about. Ri’en also knew that becoming a game warden was beyond his reach at the time since he would need a two-year college degree.
Fast forward two years.
Ri’en and his wife and son had lived in Texas for two years. “Ellie was very homesick, and wanted to move back to Georgia. I was on board, except there was only one thing I asked –that we figure out a way for me to go to school because I was going to become a game warden,” said Ri’en.
It took all the money they had to get back to Georgia. As soon as they arrived, Ri’en began looking for the right school to attend. “When I discovered the Fish & Wildlife Management program at Ogeechee Tech led by the state 2021 Rick Perkins winner, Mrs. Casey Corbett, I knew this was the place for me.”
In 2023, four years after his first attempt at college, Ri’en applied to Ogeechee Technical College (OTC). As
soon as he was accepted, he began to second-guess his decision. “I thought, ‘What if I fail?’” he said. Because he had dyslexia, school had always been a challenge.
The internal conflict did not last long. This time, Ri’en had all the motivation he needed to choose
resilience. “I had my son, Ben, my wife to make proud, and now, our baby girl, Miriam, to be strong for,” said Ri’en.
Now a full-time father, full-time employee, and full-time student, he determined to do his best. “All of it was only possible because of the support of my family, my employer, and the
instructors at OTC. OTC offered me flexibility, affordability, a sense of community, and the best instructors. I learned so much from Mrs. Corbett, both in the field and classroom.”
On May 17, 2025, Ri’en graduated from OTC with honors to become a first-generation college graduate in his family. With the same spirit of resilience, he hopes to complete the process of becoming a game warden with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
In early January 2025, Ri’en learned he had been selected as OTC’s 2025 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) winner. In May, he traveled to Atlanta to participate in the statewide competition, with winners representing technical colleges across Georgia. The grand prize was a 2025 KIA Sportage. On the event's final night, another Toombs County student representing Southeastern
Technical College, Jason Colbert, was named winner, and Ri’en was named Runner-Up.
As much as he would have liked to have driven that KIA home to his family, he had only praise for Colbert as “a very deserving” first place winner. For Ri’en, representing OTC as the first runner-up in the state was an incredible honor. In fact, his only response was to say, “Toombs County taking 1st and 2nd in a competition this fierce sure says a lot about where we call home!”
Ri’en’s story is one of determination and hard work. It’s a story of the power of love to overcome obstacles, no matter how difficult the path. Above all, Ri’en’s story is a testament to the difference the grace of God makes when you choose to make resilience your best friend. For that and so much more, Ri’en, you win.
Join the Main Street Movement and Shape the Future of Lyons
Lyons is more than just a town—it’s a vibrant, growing community full of heart, history, and hope for the future. At Lyons Main Street, we believe in building a stronger Lyons from the inside out, and we need you to help make it happen.
We’re inviting residents, business owners, and neighbors of all ages to be a part of something special. Whether you’ve lived in Lyons your whole life or just arrived, your voice matters.
Share Your Story with Lyons Heart & Soul
The Lyons Heart & Soul initiative is currently gathering stories and experiences from people just like you—stories about life in Lyons, what makes this town special, and what your hopes are for the next five years. This project is about listening, learning, and building a community vision based on what matters most to those who live here.
Your input will help guide decisions about development, events, and projects that shape our town’s future. So tell us: What do you love about Lyons? What do you want to see change or grow?
Exciting Events Ahead – Fall Concert Series at 304 Society Garden
We’re also thrilled to announce the launch of a Fall Concert Series, starting this September at the beautiful downtown park at 304 Society Garden. Come out for live music, local food, and the chance to connect with friends and neighbors in the heart of our community. It’s just one of the many events we have planned to bring Lyons together.
Now is the perfect time to step in, step up, and become a part of something bigger. Whether you’d like to volunteer, attend events, share your story, or help shape community initiatives, Lyons Main Street wants YOU on our team.
Together, we can honor the past, celebrate the present, and build the future of Lyons—one story, one event, and one person at a time.
Let’s make Lyons better—together.
Visit us online or stop by our office to learn more about upcoming events and how you can get involved. Questions? Ideas? Stories to tell? We’re all ears— and we can’t wait to hear from you.
Showcasing Greater Vidalia Draws a Crowd
Showcasing Greater Vidalia® was a huge success. Approximately 300 people attended and nearly $100,000 was raised to foster the Chamber’s mission of preparing, developing, and promoting our businesses and community for economic growth. This successful endeavor would not be possible without our community partners: an incredible, hard-working committee, the sponsoring businesses including the Presenting Sponsor, Paul Thigpen Automotive Group, and those who donated auction items, and those who attended and supported these efforts.
Our community partners are vital to the success of the Chamber and the economic
prosperity of the region. They understand that connecting their name to these efforts by sponsoring the event demonstrates they are an integral part of the economic engine led by the Chamber. Businesses see a return on their investment by participating in high profile visibility programs and initiatives.
Chamber initiatives that are supported by the efforts of Showcasing Greater Vidalia® include the implementation of the Greater Vidalia® Center for Rural Entrepreneurship. The Center provides existing and startup businesses with the resources they need to be successful. The Public Policy Council initiatives include offering civic education through the State of the Community series,
a voice for business through the Legislative Luncheon, and taking a stand on the state’s legislative agenda in the areas of taxation and economic development, health and wellness, and talent and workforce. The adult and youth leadership programs integrate people in the community in a way no other program does, allowing participants an opportunity to leave a legacy that benefits the entire region. These are just a few examples of what we do to support economic growth.
It takes courageous leadership to take on the co-chair responsibility of Showcasing Greater Vidalia®. A huge thank you to this year’s co-chairs, Laura Dowd and Natasha Goss!
Business Summit
Kris Paronto offers a firsthand account of what really happened on the ground during the 2012 Benghazi attack, coupled with insights on what America and the world can learn from that day. Bringing valor, compassion, and authenticity to the stage, Kris shares the unforgettable story of the brave individuals who fought back during the Battle of Benghazi and risked their lives for the greater good of the world, along with key takeaways on leadership and teamwork that can be applied in any environment.
Shop Local with Community Bucks!
What are Community Bucks? 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 Shop Local.
Become part of the Greater Vidalia® Chamber
The Greater Vidalia® Chamber is working for you!
photo by | DIANNE S. MIXON
photo by | GILL HERNDON
photo by | ED WONN
photo by | LINDA CONLEY
Scenes of Toombs Co.
Halfway through winter most of us southerners are beginning to wonder when spring will arrive. It’s not so much the temperature we long for–because we all know how blazing hot it will be come July–but more for the change of season. Winter has her place of solitude, but spring brings life. “Spring will come and so will happiness. Hold on. Life will get warmer,” writes Anita Krizzan. The joy brought by spring and summer is an attitude we can all grasp hold of, and no better place to enjoy your change of season than here with your neighbors in
Toombs County!
photo by | GILL HERNDON
HOMETOWN HAPPENINGS
Photos by Evan Riekhof/EZ-E Photography
KID’S ART DAY AT THE ALTAMA MUSEUM
index of advertisers
LAST Words
Can You Handle The Truth?
Grappling with the dark side of retirement
I did a thing last December and left the working world for “retirement.” I despise that word, by the way; it sounds so dang final and feels old. I would rather say that I have made a huge “shift” from one thing to another – something new. My goodness, what a challenge it has proven to be for a person such as myself who was all up in the know of her community. Most of you said that I was going to LOVE it, that it will be the best years of my life, that I could sit in the morning and drink my coffee (which I don’t drink), meditate (which makes me fall asleep), take walks, etc. People also said, “The world is now your oyster.” Apparently, those people and I are not of the same cloth because I have found it hard and depressing and lonely and sometimes just downright miserable. I only had one friend that told me the first 6 months are very difficult but that it would get better. Having only just reached the almost 5-month mark, I am seeing a bright light at the end of the tunnel. The grass is always greener on the other side, folks, and that has never rung truer for me.
Those first few weeks, I was all about it. I began gutting my house of unnecessary items and cleaning like a mad woman. It was great and rewarding until it wasn’t. Then the mental funk set in, I wore my jammies all day, watched crap TV, took too many naps, and only got up and moved right before the husband got home. I snapped out of it long enough to start cleaning again, baking and cooking like Martha Stewart, donned an apron all day, lit candles, and most days the only words out of my mouth were, “Alexa, play soft jazz.” I even attempted to film a few cooking reels for Instagram and start a new life as a retired influencer, but it quickly occurred to me that there was no good filming angle for my many chins, I don’t wear the proper amount of makeup, my nails are not manicured, I seriously doubted that I would be able to handle
the haters, and most importantly, my children would be mortified.
Back to the jammies and naps.
Last month, my 4th month in, I hit rock bottom beginning with the day that I had to physically drag my 82-pound Labrador through 4’ of water and mud from the swamp behind my house to keep him from eating a cat – and, of course, he got desperately ill afterwards. Future cats will have to hold their own at my house because I will never, ever go to those extremes again as I am too old, and I threw my back out dragging his big old butt. Shortly thereafter, we had to put our 14-year-old dog, Lily, down who was my best companion during the long and quiet days, and then, the very next day, I had an intruder attempt to get into my front door. Was I still in my jammies at 2:00 p.m.? Yes, yes I was–top, no pants, no bra, and had only seconds earlier walked in from outside to take the garbage out. Just as an FYI…if you own a weapon, use it frequently, so you won’t be useless as I found myself to be at a time when I needed to have my wits about me. I somehow had always imagined myself to be some sort of Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) type character should an emergency arrive where I had to protect myself but instead, I was hiding around the corner, shaking like a bowl of Jello salad, and barely able to hold my phone to call 9-1-1. In hindsight, I should have just stepped to the window beside the door and flashed my 62-yearold, untethered puppies, granny panties, and cellulite covered thighs at him while screaming “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!” I seriously feel like this would have made him rethink his plan.
I can tell you that after a few more days of sadness about losing my Lily, fear that I was no longer safe in my house, copious amounts of prayer, and a very gentle kick in the pants by my husband, I turned a corner. I have chosen to focus on the positive things, the reality of my current circumstance, the realization that I am not old, invisible, or invaluable;
I am simply shifting into my next and probably most beautiful stage of life.
The Good Stuff:
I get to lie in bed in the morning and get up when I want to, which is big for someone like me who has hated getting up her entire life. The husband warns me of bed sores and my only response is, “Have a good day!!”
I get to help with my grandchildren when needed and that is a such a plus.
I no longer have a “weekend” to shove everything into because every dang day is my weekend.
I can spend lunch hours and days with my friends doing cool stuff. I don’t ever have to say “I can’t because I have to work” again. I can craft and try new recipes, and I am making a habit of taking a 30-minute nap every day at 3:00 pm. I am still watching some trash TV, but I am also listening to some amazing podcasts and trying out new music. And when we get our stock tank pool set up, I can float and tan and dream up new things to try.
Most importantly, I’ve realized that work is work, and it doesn’t define me. One of my old bosses told me once, “The graveyard is full of ‘indispensable’ people,” and that has stuck with me forever. We are all dispensable until it comes to your family and friends and that’s the God’s honest truth, so I will focus this season on them and ME, for a change. I am the woman who is finding herself spiritually, physically, and emotionally; it’s a good place and I thank God for finally putting me here and being patient with me as I fought through this gift of time.
Also, don’t forget that if you come to my house attempting to break in, I may no longer have my yappy Lily to warn me, but I do have the confidence to find a weapon and use it. I won’t be caught with my pants down again (pun totally intended), but if I am, it will be my second weapon, I assure you.
Ann Owens is a writer, creative genius, entrepreneur, mother, and wife who enjoys pondering what makes the world click
