Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

Middle School STEAM Camp My U-U »“ "• - " Elementary School STEAM Camp 8 a.m, -1 p.m. $30 o 04 ^3* o 04 03 co Vol. 143, No. 20 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830 Established in 1882 Wednesday, July 5, 2023 - $1.00 Keysville mayor refuses to show how public funds were spent Last month, Keysville citizens ex pressed confusion during the council meeting when it was announced by Councilwoman Maggie Terrell that Mayor Linda Wilkes borrowed approximately $54,000 from road funds to help pay for the construction of a second well without the City Council’s approval. After the meeting, Wilkes stated that Terrell was incorrect and the $54,000 didn’t come from the roads account, but rather a different ac count instead. Further confusion stemmed from the mayor previously exclaiming the city already had the funding in the bank to finance the $397,000 project. During a February 14,2023 meeting, Wilkes made a point of stating the city’s financial health was headed in the right direction. The city had the money in the bank and they had saved up enough to purchase a second well, she said. “That’s $397,000,” Wilkes is quoted as saying in a February 14, 2023 article in The True Citizen .“We don’t have that kind of money lying around. That took a lot of saving and lot of money management to even get to that point.” Flowever, Wilkes has changed the story of how the well was getting paid for a few times. Last month, she promised citizens during the public meeting the well would be paid for using SPLOST IV funding and a $197,000 grant attributed to Senator Raphael Wamock’s congres- sionally directed spending requests. She claimed that the dispersing of SPLOST IV funds was holding KEYSVILLE, up the financing of the 9 Linda W. Wilkes Major Keysville Mayor Linda Wilkes ip' — — 1 The FCA group at the Senso-ji Temple in Tokyo travels to “If I had to choose a favorite part about the trip, it would be impossible,’’said Faith Christian Academy student Kaden. “Ev erything was equally great... this trip will be in my memory forever as the best trip ever.” When Michelle Bureau took a teaching position at Kaya Junior High in Yosano, Japan, she had no idea that it would impact students in Waynesboro in a life- changing way. Michelle taught English in Yosano for two years. A year after her return to the U.S., she joined the staff at Faith Christian Academy as an English teacher. Students knew from the mo ment they walked into her class room and saw it decorated with scenes from Japan that she was passionate about Asian culture. However, as Ms. Bureau con nected with her students, she realized how little the students knew about it. She approached Principal Amy Grubb about or ganizing a school trip. Michelle announced the trip in 2021 which partnered with Education First, a global organization which plans tours for students and teachers. The travelers would spend nine days in Japan, traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto to Nara and Osaka, not far from where Ms. Bureau had spent her years teaching. Michelle organized fundrais ers to assist with the cost: yard sales, cookie decorating classes and bake sales. Students began to register for the trip and families jumped on board with the fund raising. By the start of the 2023 school year, Ms. Bureau had 15 travelers for her trip and most students had raised over five hun- ’ dred dollars each to help ^ ® ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL: Sheriff says no to compromise with BOC This is the final part of a 3-part series looking at the depletion of detention center salary funding. Sheriff Alfonzo Williams has made it clear that his department is not going to find the money to pay the depleted detention center salary funds within his budget, thus leav ing it to the BOC to make up the difference with public funds in their possession. “The commission will have to find the funding to pay for inmate hous ing and detention center salaries,” he stated in a June 14 email. “I do not expect that they will allow any employee to work without pay.” Why the BOC keeps approving over budgeted expenditures In 2022, Judge Jesse Stone denied the Sheriff’s mandamus petition ask ing that the Board of Commissioners turn over payroll administration and funding to his department. Judge Stone ruled it essential that the BOC fulfill its role as fiscal agent to ac count for the use of funds and county property. The law mandates the BOC gives the Sheriff a budget but does not allow them to tell him how to spend it. However, the BOC has to ac count for how public funds are spent. They have sent numerous letters to the Sheriff in recent months asking him to curb his spending and warn ing him about how over-budget his department will be by the end of the 2023 fiscal year. One of the most recent letters dated June 13, 2023, and signed by all the commission ers except Lucious Abrams, pointed out that if spending continues at the same rate, the Sheriff’s office will be $750,145 over budget by September 30. The Detention Center is tracking to go over budget by $305,862. “That is more than $1 million over the budget approved by the Board,” the letter states. Although the BOC suggested the Sheriff implement a hiring freeze until the next fiscal year to conserve money. Williams refuses to take the panel’s advisement to any degree. Last month, the Sheriff promoted the ranks and raised the pay for eight personnel effective July 2 and hired at least five new deputies and cor rectional officers. He created two new Colonel positions not previously included in the County’s pay plan. In response to the promotions and newly created positions, the BOC asked the Sheriff to hold off until the next fiscal year in a letter dated June 23. The letter was signed by the com missioners , except Lucious Abrams. “The problem is, as we have warned you in writing for three months straight, you are on a trajectory to run out of money in your budget in possibly August before the new bud get year begins on October 1,2023,” they stated. “These promotions and new positions at this time will only cause the drain to quicken and your budget to be depleted sooner rather than later. If you must implement these increases, please consider them taking effect on October 1 when your will have a new budget.” Ignoring the BOC’s suggestions, Williams continues to refuse to take his own SEE advice. SHERIFF, “I guess we will keep g Local heroes played a role in the Revolution During the Revolutionary War, two clashes between Tory and Patriot forces occurred on Burke County soil. In December of 1778, the British began their Southern strategy with the attack and capture of Savannah. In Waynesboro, a group of Patriot officers met at the Burke County jail. The meeting on January 14, 1779 was a Council of War and included at least 14 Burke County natives. It also included Patriot leaders James Ingram, Francis Pugh, John Twigs, Benjamin Few and William Few. The location of the old jail is unknown; however, it is not the site of the his toric jail on Old Herndon Road, con structed in 1939, but rather thought to be located about a mile from the center of present-day Waynesboro. The jail was built by Patriot John Sharpe and used to house captured loyalists. The Council of War group issued a proclamation giving inhabitants three days within which to come to the jail and pledge allegiance to the American cause. They also rallied for the arrest of Tory leaders who had recruited people to join the Brit ish crusade. “...Be it therefore known to all the good people of this State, that all those that will repair to the American standard at Burke jail, take the oath of allegiance and take up arms within the space of three days after seeing this shall be deemed as friends of their country and be protected in their persons and properties...” the proclamation stated. Lt. Col. Archibald Campbell led Tory troops on a march to conquer Augusta. When news of the Burke County jail meeting spread, Ar chibald sent a detachment of men to take the patriots gathered at the jail. Lt. Col. James Ingram and Col. Pugh manned the first Burke County scourge and were joined by Col. John Twiggs as the British troops marched to the jail. The Tories attacked the approximate 300 Patriot men, and though the Burke County men de feated them, the Tory troops did not give up. With reinforcements from South Carolina, they attacked the Burke County men again the follow ing day. However, the British were defeated once more. Capt. Joshua Inman was credited with killing three of the enemy men “at three succes sive strokes with his saber.” The British successfully occupied Augusta by January 31, 1779 and evacuated the city February 14, 1779. Looking for a better fortified posi tion, the British landed at Hudson’s Ferry, about 15 miles below the mouth of Brier Creek. Approxi mately 1,700 Patriot troops posi tioned themselves on Brier Creek in southern Burke County to better protect the upper part of Georgia. They set up camp at the junction of SEE Brier Creek and REVOLUTION, the Savannah