Newspaper Page Text
Page 8— Wednesday, October 18, 2023, The True Citizen
m¥0R THE RECORD
“Free solar panels” can cost you
big time! How to spot a phony offer
KEVIN COLLINS
If you want solar panels, be
very careful when evaluating
installation offers. Con artists
use misleading sales tactics and
lies to trick homeowners out of
money and personal informa
tion. If you've received an offer
for "free solar panels," it could
be a scam. Always look for
businesses you can trust - like
Accredited Businesses using
the BBB Seal. Here's what you
should know.
How the scam works
Someone contacts you
through email, phone, social
media, or even in person, as in
cases reported to BBB Scam
Tracker. They are pretending
to be a solar company salesper
son. The "representative" has
a special offer: they can install
solar panels on your home for
a very low cost - or even free.
This amazing deal is only
available for a limited time, so
you must act now!
From here, the scam can
take several turns. In some ver
sions , the scammer is after your
personal information. They
ask you to fill out forms with
your banking details "to see if
you qualify." Other times, the
"solar representative" claims
you need to pay upfront costs,
which they promise will be
reimbursed by a (non-existent)
government program.
BBB Scam Tracker has seen
numerous reports of this kind
of scam. One homeowner was
approached by a door-to-door
salesperson "claiming he could
get me a new roof plus solar
equipment, with a government
rebate for 26% off cost, essen
tially paying for the new roof."
After doing their research, the
homeowner found that while
a government rebate program
existed, the salesperson mis
represented it to make a sale.
In another case, a hom
eowner spoke on the phone to
a "solar engineer" after being
approached in person. "The
engineer claimed they could
make it cost-free for us. He said
they had finished their installa
tions in our neighborhood and
met their quota but would try
to squeeze us in." However,
the conversation took a strange
turn when the "solar engineer"
asked for personal information.
When the homeowner declined
to answer, the conversation
got heated. "We ended the
conversation, and I received a
nasty text... It was completely
unprofessional."
One other homeowner re
ported, "Scammer used printed
notes left at front doors, pre
tended to represent freedom
forever solar company. A call
to the company revealed that
person was not one of their
employees, and they don't send
representatives going door to
door. Contact info on printed
note asked to be contacted by
phone or text message."
How to avoid solar panel
scams
• Do your research. Genuine
incentive programs and repu
table solar energy contractors
do exist. Before you accept
an unsolicited offer, do some
research on solar companies
in your area. Investigate each
company's reputation and busi
ness practices before signing a
service contract.
• Don't give in to high-pres
sure sales tactics. Con artists
want to provoke an emotional
reaction that would cause you
to give in to their requests
without thinking it through.
Take your time; know that
a legitimate company won't
pressure you to act. If someone
uses aggressive sales tactics on
you, it's best to cut off com
munication immediately.
• Get competing bids. Con
tact several solar installers if
you plan on going solar and
get bids from each company.
If someone is pulling a con,
they will be much easier to
spot this way.
• Ask plenty of questions
and consider the answers. Ask
questions about any aspect of a
contract or proposal you don't
understand. If the company
gets upset about your ques
tions, refuses to answer them,
or is vague with their answers,
consider it a red hag.
Find solar panel installers
near you and solar energy
contractors near you at BBB.
org. You can also hnd BBB's
guide to going solar, our Home
Improvement HQ, or our Roof
ing HQ.
Kelvin Collins is president
& CEO of the Better Business
Bureau serving the Fall Line
Corridor.
Man arrested
over 911 calls
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
James Woodring, 42, was
arrested after calling 911 hve
times in one day.
According to an incident
report, Woodring called the
911 center four times in a 45
minutes timeframe Thursday,
October 12. A Burke County
911 dispatcher contacted the
Burke County Sheriff’s Office
and reported Woodring demon
strated “vulgar and crass” be
havior while she attempted to
obtain information from him.
When hrst approached, Wo
odring informed deputies he
did not want to answer any
questions, but stated he would
rather go to jail because he
was upset about his current
living conditions. However,
the BCSO did not arrest him
until Woodring made a hfth
call and deputies had to return.
This time, Woodring claimed
he struck his fiancee. However,
when deputies arrived, his fi
ancee denied the allegations.
Woodring told deputies he
fabricated the story because he
was upset again.
Woodring was booked into
the Burke County Detention
Center on Unlawful conduct
during a 911 call by using ob
scene language.
James Woodring
BURKE COUNTY JAIL BOOKING OCT. 9-15
Please note that ages, arresting agency and booking photos are not
available due to new BCSO open records procedures.
Tommy Lee Fulcher
Lee St., Waynesboro
Oct. 15
Terroristic threats and acts - family
violence
Ricky Gray
Old Barbourville Rd.W.,
Corbin, KY
Oct. 11
Possession of child pornography
(6 counts); safekeeping for U.S.
marshal - probation violation
Desmond Reshun Hughes
Skylark Rd., Augusta
Oct. 15
Theft by taking - felony; financial
transaction card theft
Laura Ashley Ivey
Hadden Pond Rd., Waynesboro
Oct. 11
Simple battery - family violence;
cruelty to children in the 3rd degree
- family violence
Andrew Johnson
Patiller Rd., Hephzibah
Oct. 10
Marijuana - possession of less
than one ounce; trafficking in
methamphetamine; safekeeping for
Taliaferro County SO, FTA - traffic
offense
Haley Elizabeth Lane
Victoria Dr., Augusta
Oct. 10
Safekeeping for Richmond County;
safekeeping for Saint Clair County
SO, Belleville, IL
Tequilla Ann Lawton
Lumpkin Rd., Augusta
Oct. 10
FTA - felony; identity fraud
Christopher Percy
Lumpkin Rd., Augusta
Oct. 11
Shoplifting up to $1,000 (housing
forWPD)
Tara Ann Virginia Thurmond
Browning Rd., Girard
Oct. 13
Simple battery - family violence;
cruelty to children in the 3rd de
gree - allow child to witness forc
ible felony/battery/family violence;
criminal trespass
Alexander Bernard White
Lumpkin Rd., Augusta
Oct. 10
Aggravated battery - family vio
lence; terroristic threats and acts
- family violence; safekeeping for
Richmond County SO - giving false
information
Dustin Louis Williams
Fulcher Rd., Hephzibah
Oct. 13
Possession of methamphetamine;
possession of a firearm during the
commission of a crime; no brake
lights or working turn signals
Lyndale Wilson, Jr.
Auburn Dr., Augusta
Oct. 12
Probation violation for fingerprint-
able charge - felony
James Eugene Woodring
Kennedy Dr., Waynesboro
Oct. 12
Unlawful conduct during 911
call by using obscene/profane
language to intimidate/harass
911 office
James Seifert Young
Brack Rd., Midville
Oct. 10
Aggravated assault (3 counts);
possession of a firearm during
the commission of a crime; false
imprisonment; terroristic threats
and acts; unlawful street gang
activity (2 counts)
1022 N. Liberty St., Waynesboro - 706-551-0876
BURKE EMA REP0R1
The burke County Emergency Management Agency an
swered 95 patients’ calls during the week ending Oct. 15.
Of those, 62 resulted in transports, including 31 to Augusta
hospitals. Twenty eight of the transports were determined
to be emergencies and 34 were non-emergent.
The agency also answered 25 fire calls during the week.
They included one controlled bum. Three hre/smoke alarms,
hve rescues, three vehicle fires one public service call and
two unspecified calls.
Sardis awarded grant
for pipe replacement
Mayor Roger Lane and the
Sardis City Council announced
the city has been awarded a
$764,333.00 CDBG grant to
replace old iron water distribu
tion pipes.
The grant will assist in water
improvements in the Burke
Street target area and will im
pact residential households by
relieving them of msty colored
water originating from 80-year-
old corroded cast iron mains.
The project will specifically
benefit 98 persons, of whom
approximately 80% have low-
to-moderate incomes.
Sardis will provide a $23,933
cash match and $26,067 as le
verage for engineering design/
observation of the project. The
total project cost is estimated at
$825,331.
The project is projected to
begin in early 2024.
Programs Continued from 2
any race or economic class.
The number of calls fluctuates
from week-to-week, and tends
to increase around the holidays.
Not all the calls have escalated
to physical abuse when officers
arrive. Often, the task of law
enforcement is to deescalate
the situation.
“Sometimes, people just need
that extra person in the room,”
she said but also mentioned that
in contrast, responding to calls
of domestic violence incidents
can also be the most dangerous
calls to which officers respond.
Emotions are often high and
victims do not always agree
with the officers’ decision to
make an arrest.
“It’s not like any other call
we go on,” Hambrick said.
“Your house gets broken into,
and we catch the person, you
want them under the jail. In a
domestic call, the victim loves
this person that has hurt, threat
ened or abused them.”
Nowadays, perpetrators of
domestic violence include
men, women and teenagers.
Adams pointed out the State
Court does not handle juvenile
cases; however, she has noticed
an uptick in cases that involve
17- and 18-year-olds. Not all of
them come from broken homes,
she said.
“I think there is a mental
health crisis in our world, and I
believe these kids are products
of that,” she said.
Adams said there is a need
for a domestic violence shelter
in Burke County. SafeHomes in
Augusta is the closest domestic
violence shelter offering ser
vices and resources to Burke
County victims. The center is
primarily designed for women
with or without children and is
often full. There is also a shelter
in Bulloch County. However,
due to capacities, victims and
their children must often stay
temporarily in motels instead.
“They are overflowing,” Ad
ams said of the shelters.
Although it has never really
been talked about in the com
munity, the topic of a domes
tic violence shelter in Burke
County has been discussed to
some degree by members of the
Augusta Judicial Circuit Fam
ily Task Force, Adams stated.
Adams and Hambrick both
agree there is a need for a pro
gram that addresses violent be
havior in perpetrators as well.
Family Violence Intervention
Programs (FVIPs) are 24-week
programs that are designed to
rehabilitate family violence
offenders by holding them
accountable and prioritizing
victim safety through either
court order or by volunteer
enrollment. Currently, both
Richmond and Bulloch Coun
ties have a FVIP in place,
and Adams said it would
be a great community asset if
Burke County had one as well.
Classes average $25-$30 each.
Research indicates that par
ticipants who complete FVIPs
are less likely to commit new
acts of violence or to violate
restraining orders. Several
studies show that FVIPs reduce
recidivism by 36-85%. While
anger management classes
focus on anger as the impetus
for violence, FVIPs focus on
violence as learned behavior
that is primarily motivated by
a desire, whether conscious or
unconscious, by the abuser to
control the victim.
“Family violence is a learned
behavior. It is something they
have seen and witnessed in
their homes. It’s a cycle,” The
State Court does sentence
misdemeanor offenders to the
FVIPs in Bulloch or Richmond
Counties, however, many con
victed on domestic violence do
not have the means to travel to
complete the programs.
Theoretically, Burke Coun
ty Judicial Center contains
enough space to host the pro
gram. However, to imple
ment a FVIP locally requires
a licensed counselor who also
attends FVIP training through
the State of Georgia.
The wheels in the minds of
Hambrick and Adams were
spinning as the interview with
The True Citizen ended, each
one naming potential counsel
ors who could facilitate it in
Burke County.