TOOMBS COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) – Georgia’s Lt. Governor Burt Jones visited some of Helene’s hardest hit areas Thursday, including Montgomery and Toombs Counties.

One of Lt. Governor Jones’ stops included the Vidalia-Toombs EMA building where city and county leaders, including first responders, gave their “day seven” updates following Helene’s impact last week.

The Lt. Governor says he wanted to see how his office can help, as well as bring awareness to storm victims’ needs.

“We want to have every ability, it doesn’t matter if it’s like I said a local city system, county system, power companies, hospitals, whatever it might be, individual citizens or businesses, we want everybody to know that we are here to take your calls and provide whatever services that we need to do to accomplish our end goals,” said Lt. Governor Jones.

Lt. Governor Jones says he wants people to know his office has an open line of communication for those in need.

After power in the area is restored and all the necessary repairs are made, the Lt. Governor’s office will then determine how many state dollars will be allocated to the rebuilding process.

Montgomery County also suffered devastating damages after Helene made landfall a week ago.

To show their support, Lt. Governor Jones, alongside State Senator Blake Tillery, visited Montgomery County High School Thursday where volunteers have been passing out supplies to those in need.

Downed power lines, destroyed homes and trees ripped from the ground are just some of the reminders that Helene left for people in Montgomery County.

The storm damage prompting state officials to respond.

“Here in Montgomery County, it’s a lot like the other counties we’ve seen,” said Lt. Governor Jones. “It’s significant, the damage is significant, and it’s going to take resources.”

Resources that will help repair some of what was lost in the storm.

In the meantime, locals are doing what they can to support their own. Volunteers have been stationed at Montgomery County High School for nearly a week passing out food, water and other supplies to people in dire need.

The county’s school superintendent says they’re trying to help in every little way they can.

“We are eagles, so we were built to soar above the storm. Keep your head high. We’re not going to clean this up in a day,” said Rhonda Hightower. “When we get back to school, it’s going to be a slow start getting folks back to school. But we are going to get people back as quick as we can.”

These efforts are only the beginning of Montgomery’s long road to recovery, and people are hoping more help is on the way.

“This is something we’ve never been through in our lives. Just keep us in y’all’s prayers, please,” Judy Quarterman, volunteer and Montgomery County resident.

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The accused accomplice and rumored lover of a Georgia beauty queen claimed Thursday that he’s innocent and “nobody wanted” her then-estranged husband dead in the alleged murder-for-hire plot in the Bahamas.

Lindsay Shiver‘s ex-boyfriend Terrance “Adrien” Bethel was arrested alongside the mom of three and alleged hitman Faron “Faylo” Newbold in July 2023, when the trio was accused of attempting to kill former Auburn football captain Robert Shiver.

The plot was foiled when local police unearthed texts that detailed the planned hit during an unrelated investigation of a break-in at the waterfront bar where Bethel worked.

Lindsay Shiver allegedly sent a photo of her husband with another woman through a series of messages in the messaging service WhatsApp to Bethel and Newbold accompanied by the text “Kill him.”

“She sends the picture that was just sent to her,” Bethel told Good Morning America. “When she found out he was there and the kids were home, that’s when she’s like ‘kill him.’”

Bethel defended his former lover’s questionable message claiming she wanted to know if Robert Shiver left their kids unsupervised at their Caribbean island home.

“Nobody ever wanted him dead,” he insisted.

The Bahamian barman claimed his innocence to the outlet as Lindsay Shiver returned to Nassau for a pre-trial court hearing on Oct. 5.

“I’m definitely not guilty of conspiracy to commit murder,” Bethel said. “And Faylo is not guilty of being a hired hitman.

“It’s time to let the world know that we’re innocent.”

Lindsay Shiver admitted to investigators that she sent frustrating messages after fighting with her husband, whom she married in 2010.

Bethel had downplayed the texts saying “Everybody says things out of frustration” and people take things at “face value.”

“None of us have anything to hide,” he told the Daily Mail last August.

“Whenever she gets into an argument with him, she tells me about it. Of course, I’m livid about it, but planning to murder him? No,” Bethel said laughing at the notion he is an attempted killer.

Shiver “lived a double life” when she frequently traveled to the island of Abaco, where the family has a second home, and began an affair with Bethel, sources told The Post last August.

“She lived a double life — this Georgia housewife with the lovely kids and the Bahamas bad girl. She got caught up in something really bad. It’s sad,” the source said.

Before the collapse of their marriage, the Shivers split their time between a multimillion-dollar Thomasville, Georgia mansion and a luxury spread in the exclusive Bahamian enclave of Baker’s Bay.

The couple met while Robert Shiver was the Auburn University football team captain in 2007.

The barman said his romance with Shiver was known and they vented to each other frequently.

“Us loving each other was not a secret. She’s my best friend still, we continue to care about each other no matter what which also makes it hard going through this case,” Bethel said.

Shiver, who pleaded not guilty to her charges, has been staying with her parents in Alabama awaiting her March trial, and a Georgia judge granted her permission to travel to the Peach State to visit her kids.

Robert Shiver began dating Savannah Chrisley in Sept. 2023 — two months after surviving the alleged murder-for-hire hit.

The Auburn star went undrafted in the 2009 NFL draft but signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Falcons after college. He later became executive vice president for Senior Life Insurance Company.

After a needed bye week, Georgia Tech is back in action on Saturday night against 5-0 Duke. The Blue Devils are off to a great start this season and can not only remain undefeated with a win on Saturday, but clinch bowl eligibility as well. For the Yellow Jackets, they are looking to bounce back from their loss vs Louisville and get back on the winning track. Head coach Brent Key has a 10-1 record with the Yellow Jackets following a loss and he is looking to extend that mark on Saturday night.

On the latest episode of Bleav Georgia Tech, Jackson and RJ dive into the matchup between the two teams. Can Georgia Tech’s defense matchup well with Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy and the rest of the offense? How is Georgia Tech going to be able to handle Duke’s chaotic defense? Will the Georgia Tech run game get back on track?

If you like the show, like and subscribe on YouTube and follow us wherever you get your podcasts!

One thing is for sure, Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key has noticed it and he heaped a lot of praise on Diaz and his defense yesterday:

“They are either first or second. I think maybe second right now in the country in TFLs and Havoc plays in stuffed runs, which are 0 to minus 1, minus 2-yard runs. 42 % stuffed runs right now, it’s a credit to the way they play, the physicality they play with, the speed they play with. But when you look at who’s creating the negatives, it’s not just D-Linemen, it’s not just D-Lineman. There’s a lot of DBs. There’s a lot of safety pressure, nickel pressure inside /outside. That’s what Manny is, that’s who he’s been. They’re able their blitzes with because that’s who they are to different motions and different things you know, he’s a good football coach and you know he’s a good defensive football coach going against him a bunch in my career I respect him as it’s not just a coach but as a person you know I think he’s a he’s a good man and he’s a heck of a football coach so excited to have him here and play here at Bobby Dodd.

Yeah, well, you know, first off, there’s a lot of players back. They had a good foundation. I’m not saying this cause Tooch and Jess and those guys are here, but those guys play hard. They do, they play hard. You know, they’ve got good players. They’re strong. The strength coach There does a really good job with him. I’m not mistaken, he was there with them previously. So he does a good job with those guys. But they’re disruptive in how they get up the field. The defensive line, they are a penetrating group. If they’re not zone blitzing or fire blitzing, and they’re going step slanting, gaps over, They’re getting off the ball. They’re getting up the field, causing disruption. So I think anytime you take over a group and you’ve got some experience and they’re used to how you’re supposed to play and play hard, it’s an easy turnaround because it’s just a different, they might call it apples, they call it oranges, but they’re still playing hard. And they’re really good against the pass. They got experience, they’ve got an experienced secondary. Added a couple of new guys in here and there that have really helped bolster the depth. They play a lot of guys. And D-Line do a nice job of playing within the scheme and creating havoc and letting those other guys– or creating space really for those other guys to make the plays. Then when you go back to decision-making.”

Georgia Tech vs Duke kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET on ACC Network this Saturday.