The Montgomery County School System will lack nearly a quarter of a million dollars from state funding to operate its schools in 2009 than it did for 2008.Monday night, Superintendent Dr. Lynn Batten reported that based on the loss of 112 students from the school system this year, the preliminary Georgia Department of Education FY09 QBE Earning Sheet, the Education Equalization Funding Grant from the state will be $801,639 for 2009. That’s down $240,822.00 from the 2008 Grant. The reduction

Being the printed media, The Advance advocates reading, BUT, we do not take kindly to would-be thieves taking the entire newspaper rack.For the second time in as many weeks, a rack belonging to The Advance was taken by someone who was not a member of the staff, and in the latest pilferage, the thief was captured on video camera. The wire rack was stolen from Clyde’s on Green Street on the weekend of the Onion Festival. According to the official police report filed with the Vidalia Police De

Toombs County High School baseball team finished their season on a high note winning their last five games. Even with this feat though, they missed the playoff when Dodge County was able to beat Bleckley County.The Bulldogs started their week off Tuesday against East Laurens. Toombs jumped out with 10 runs in the first inning including a grand slam from Neal Rodgers. Trey Mosley followed Rodgers with a shot off the top of the fence for an almost back-to-back home run. He ended up with a tripl

Montgomery County High School played last week against Turner County in a playoff game to decide who was going to go into the state tournament with the three seed, and who would take the four seed in their bracket.Blake Hardeman was on the mound for MCHS. Montgomery County fell behind early with Turner scoring three runs in the top of the first inning, but MCHS came back in the bottom half of the inning. With Curt Tootle on second and Justin NeeSmith on first, Steve McLeod was able to hit a cho

When Vidalia® Onion season rolls around, it’s time for good cooks to bring out their utensils and put their culinary skills to work.That fact was made evident last Thursday evening in the Vidalia Community Center when the Vidalia Onion Committee sponsored the annual Vidalia Onion Cook Off in conjunction with the 31st Vidalia Onion Festival. Experienced contestants and novices alike filled tables with their best recipes all chocked full of Vidalia onions. Each dish fell within a category: side