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Local Chick-fil-A employee awarded franchise
lewis and nick

Chick-fil-A Hinesville operations Director Christopher Lewis was recently awarded his own Chick-fil-A franchise in California.

Chick-fil-A Hinesville owner Nick Westbrook said, Lewis is the first employee from the Hinesville eatery selected.

“It is an incredible honor to be selected as a Chick-fil-A franchisee,” Westbrook explained. “It is a unique franchise model where the company selects each franchisee to have the opportunity to own a franchise. It is not available to just everyone. They are very selective of the people they select to have the opportunity to represent the brand and take the brand to different communities.”

Westbrook said the company had about 75,000 applicants for franchisees this year.

“And they’ll only select about 100 to 120 people,” Westbrook said. “They say it is easier to get into Harvard then it is to get your own Chick-fil-A franchise.”

Lewis said he knows he faces big challenges ahead.

“I was excited and nervous,” Lewis said. “There is a lot to do in starting a new business and just being able to take on that responsibility was an honor, especially with Chick-fil A, which is a great brand and what they’ve been able to accomplish over the years is amazing.”

Lewis has been with the company for 16 years, the last two of which employed and the Hinesville location. He began his Chick-fil-A career in Thomasville, Georgia while also putting himself through college at Valdosta State.

“I’m motivated a lot by my family and being able to grow and do better and give my kids a better place in life than where I started,” Lewis said. “Also continue to grow myself and now the brand.”

He said the company is currently building his new restaurant in California and he is excited about meeting new people.

“We grew up in Georgia, been here most of our lives,” Lewis said. “But we are excited for the change and to get to know a new community.”

Westbrook said he was happy to be a part of Lewis’ growth and learning process.

“It’s been my dream to offer that opportunity since I was selected nearly three years ago, and we have our first selection coming out of our restaurant here in Chick-fil-A Hinesville,” Westbrook said.

Westbrook said he invited Lewis to join the Hinesville team two years ago after meeting at their daughters’ volleyball and conversing. Westbrook said he realized Lewis had overcome many difficult obstacles in his life and had the potential to succeed in Chick-fil-A.

“I saw the investment that he had in his own family,” Westbrook said. “My role was to help develop him as a leader and create a business owner mindset.”

“Chick-fil-A is different than most brands,” Lewis added. “They have a way of imprinting on you and the operators and the people in the business I’ve known have made a significant impression in my life and it made me want to do that for other people.”

Westbrook noted that Chick-fil-A is a company that recognizes and promotes people from within who also exemplify a willingness to serve the community as well as their customers. He said he hopes that Lewis is the first of many Team Hinesville Members that will one day get their own franchise as well. To commemorate the occasion Westbrook had a Team Hinesville Chick-fil-A jersey made with the number one printed on the back.

“Hopefully the first of many,” Westbrook said.

 

Lewis to get own franchise

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3rd ID, Army, allies mourn four soldiers lost in accident
Farewell ceremony set for Thursday morning in Lithuanian capital
four soldiers

The four U.S. Army soldiers assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry found deceased near Pabradė, Lithuania have been identified.  

The Army has confirmed the four soldiers who died when their vehicle sank into a bog as Staff Sgt. Edvin Franco, 25, Staff Sgt. Jose Duenez, 25, PFC Dante Taitano, 21, and Staff Sgt. Troy Knutson-Collins, 28.

"First and foremost, we offer condolences to the loved ones of our soldiers,” said Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. “I can't say enough about the support our Lithuanian Allies have provided us. We have leaned on them, and they, alongside our Polish and Estonian Allies - and our own sailors, airmen and experts from the Corps of Engineers - have enabled us to find and bring home our soldiers. This is a tragic event, but it reinforces what it means to have Allies and friends.” 

The four soldiers, who were the crew of a M88A2 armored recovery vehicle, went missing in the early morning hours of March 25. Their vehicle eventually was found March 26 but it was beneath approximately 14 feet of water and sunk into more than six feet of mud.

Crews worked to drain the area around the vehicle to make it stable for heavy equipment needed to pull out the M88. U.S. Navy divers were flown in and attached cables to hoist points so the submerged vehicle could be lifted out of the bog.

"This past week has been devastating. Today our hearts bear the weight of an unbearable pain with the loss of our final Dogface Soldier," said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd ID commanding general. “Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them.” 

Knutson-Collins, Duenez Jr., and Franco were all posthumously promoted to the rank of staff sergeant.

Knutson-Collins was an artillery mechanic with over seven years in the Army. He arrived at Fort Stewart in February 2018 and was assigned to 1/41 Field Artillery Battalion.

Knutson-Collins graduated from the Army Basic Leader Course, the Advanced Leaders Course, the Tracked Vehicle Recovery Operations course, and the Combat Lifesaver course. He deployed to Korea in 2020.

His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Master Technician Badge.

“Words cannot express how deeply this loss is felt by everyone in our unit,” said Capt. Jackson Patillo, commander, Foxtrot Company, 1/41 Field Artillery Battalion. “Staff Sgt. Troy Collins was an exceptional friend to all of us and an irreplaceable member to our entire Fox family that we will truly miss.”

“The pain we feel from this loss is insurmountable,” said Lt. Col. Erick Buckner, 1/41 Field Artillery Battalion commander. “Staff Sgt. Knutson-Collins was well loved throughout our unit and a brother to all. He was an expert, an incredibly talented mechanic and a warrior. We will never forget his dedication to his unit, his family and his country.”

“We are incredibly relieved that we were able to bring this recovery to an end and bring closure to all the families, friends and teammates of our soldiers,” said Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commanding general of the 1st Armored Division, who also grew up on Fort Stewart. “We cannot thank our Allies and fellow service members enough, especially the Lithuanians, who spared no resource in support of this mission. Together, we delivered on our promise to never leave a fallen comrade.” 

Throughout the seven-day recovery effort, the combined and joint team worked day and night to find the soldiers. 

“As the fourth and final soldier has been recovered from this tragic accident, we will continue to mourn their loss as we work to quickly return our Dog Face Soldiers home to their families,” said Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commanding general of V Corps and former Fort Stewart and 3rd ID commanding general. “It has been truly amazing and very humbling to watch the incredible recovery team from different commands, countries and continents come together and give everything to recover our Soldiers. Thank you, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, the U.S. Navy and the Army Corps of Engineers. We are forever grateful.” 

All four soldiers were deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve to provide credible ground deterrence alongside Allies and partners, and were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart. 

“I'm immensely proud of our entire team. They have been relentless in their efforts to search and recover our soldiers and get every capability and asset necessary to enable this effort,” Gen. Donahue said. 

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also posted on X his sorrow at the loss of the four soldiers.

“I want to personally extend my deepest condolences to the families of all four fallen soldiers,” he wrote. “Our hearts are heavy across the Department of Defense. We are deeply grateful to our brave servicemembers who enabled this difficult recovery and to our Lithuanian hosts who labored alongside them. The recovery was conducted with urgency, resolve and deep respect for the fallen. We will never forget these soldiers — and our prayers are with their families.”

A farewell ceremony for the soldiers will be held Thursday morning in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital.

“Every soldier is also a Lithuanian soldier, and their families’ pain is our pain,” said a statement from the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense.

The U.S. Army is investigating the cause of the accident. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available. 

"We continue to stand by the families and loved ones through this incredibly difficult time,” said Maj. Gen. Norrie. “Now, it’s time to bring them home.” 

 

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