Newspaper Page Text
We are
Tkankful
for F riends
like You
o
04
^3*
■'3-
O
04
OJ
Vol. 143, No. 39 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830 Established in 1882 Wednesday, November 15, 2023 - $1.00
Property owner and church leader deny militant rumors
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Editor’s note: The True Citizen
received information via email Oc
tober 29, 2023, that some residents
in Willow Oak Estates were greatly
concerned about activities taking
place on approximately 40 acres
owned by a nonprofit, Father’s Heart
of Georgia. The email contained
a petition signed by 14 neighbors,
but not yet submitted, complain
ing to the Burke County Board of
Commissioners that the group’s
activities violated noise-related or
dinances. Additionally, the activities
on the property were described as
“militant” in nature, instilling fear
and “rocking” the community. The
author of the email expressed dis
satisfaction with the way the Burke
County Sheriff’s Office was handling
complaints.
“...but if our Sheriff department
is in the wrong here and continues
their lack of law enforcement, it
could drive someone to take the law
in their own hands, maybe then it’ll
be news worthy,” the email stated.
The True Citizen interviewed two
of the neighbors who mentioned
rumors of military-like cadence
sounds, animal sacrifice and several
hours of gunfire. The True Citizen
made open records requests with
the Burke County Sheriff’s Office,
spoke with Scott Lee of the Planning
Commission and County Manager
Merv Waldrop prior to reaching out
to the nonprofit’s founder, Jimmy
Harris. Harris willingly agreed to
a face-to-face interview and Morris
Williams willingly attended after
the invitation was extended to him.
In response to rumors that the FBI
and/or CIA may be monitoring the
activities on the property, The True
Citizen reached out to Sheriff Alfonzo
Williams for assurance that moving
forward with the story
was “safe ” from a law
enforcement perspective. RUMORS,
Sheriff Williams gave us 13
This drone footage photo was supplied to The True Citizen by one of the
neighbors.
FCA students visit
Washington, D.C.
Students, teachers and parents from Faith
Christian Academy arrived in Washington, D .C.
November 1 to experience the grandeur of the
nation’s Capital firsthand.
It was a trip of many firsts for the group of
eighth through twelfth grade students.
For most students, the flight from Augusta
Regional Airport to Reagan National Airport
was their first. When they arrived in Washing
ton, they took the Metrorail subway system to
the downtown hotel. Navigating their way on
the metro was another first for most. When they
arrived at the hotel on the National Mall, the
students caught their first glimpse of the Capitol
building and the Washington Monument. Later
in the trip, students embarked on a tour of the
Capitol building and later rode a tiny elevator
to the top of the Washington Monument.
“The Washington Monument was held
together by gravity and people holding their
breath,” exclaimed eighth grader Colin Bell.
“I know I was holding mine when we got to
the top.”
Sara Morgan Sapp added that her favorite
part of the Washington Monument tour was
“seeing all of the stones and decorations on
the inside of the monument.” Peyton Wheat
recalled wondering “if the group had gotten lost
at the top” of the 555-foot monument.
Students, teachers and parents recently embarked on
a trip to Washington, D.C. where they experienced a
multitude of historical sites.
The students also visited the Smithsonian’s
Air and Space Museum, a favorite of freshman
Jonathan Brown. He enjoyed seeing the “Spirit
of St. Louis.”
The group hit all the hot spots in
cluding, the Lincoln Memorial, the
MLK Memorial, the WWII Memorial,
the Vietnam Wall, the FDR Memorial
FRIDAY, 5 P.M.
Keysville mayor
receives deadline
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Keysville Mayor Linda Wilkes
has until Friday at 5 p.m.to comply
with a resolution that was approved
by the City Council last July or face
a Superior Court judge.
The resolution requires Wilkes to
add Vice-mayor Sharon Neely and
Councilwoman Maggie Terrell to the
city’s bank accounts. Initially, Wil
kes signed the document, however
she retracted her signature after she
noticed Sherrell Russ was named the
“interim” city administrator, instead
of city administrator. When Wilkes
attempted to justify her actions, City
Attorney Doug Kidd didn’t cut her
any slack.
“Your excuse for not signing it,
isn’t valid,” he retorted. “Even if she
had the wrong title on there, cross it
out and put the right title on it. There
was no need to go through this and
waste five months.”
After Wilkes rolled her eyes and
hem hawed about whether she could
complete the task by the end of the
week, the council voted to allow
Kidd to file a petition in Superior
Court asking a judge to order her
to comply if the task was not com
pleted by Friday, November 17. Kidd
pointed out that the city’s charter is
clear that the mayor is obligated to
provide financial information to the
council when asked. The mayor has
Linder the advisement of Attor
ney Doug Kidd, the Keysville City
Council gave Mayor Linda Wilkes
until Friday at 5 p.m. to add Vice
mayor Sharon Neely and Council-
woman Maggie Terrell to the bank
accounts.
stalled long enough, he said.
Kidd said the financial informa
tion is imperative as Keysville has
also been notified by the state re
cently that they are behind in their
audits for years 2020 through 2022.
After the council voted, Wilkes
responded that she wanted Kidd to
address filing another petition and
addressing issues she has with the
panel. She did not elaborate on the
issues of which she referenced.
“When do I have time to get with
you and file the other one?” she
asked Kidd. “I will make sure it is
filed.”
After the resolution ^ ^
issue was resolved,
John McClean of DEADLINE
Tumipseed Engineer- 9
Calling all smokers:
More lung cancer screenings needed in Burke County
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetuecitizen.shelliel@gmail.com
The Medical College of Georgia’s
Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Dr. Dan
Miller, said better access to lung
screenings is needed in rural parts
of the state.
Miller is also the director of the
Lung Screening Program at the
Georgia Cancer Center in Augusta.
“Only 5% of people in Georgia
who are eligible get screened,” he
said of the test for lung cancer.
Miller said the Augusta facility is
looking at getting a mobile unit that
will enable staff to screen people at
rural doctor’s offices, health depart
ments and rural hospitals, including
Burke County.
“It’s easier to go screen those
people instead of them coming to
us, because they have to work,” he
said. “But also, we will screen for
head and neck cancer, obtain cardiac
calcium scores and look for coronary
disease.”
There are more cases of undiag
nosed lung cancer and smoking-re
lated diseases in rural areas because
of the limited access to healthcare.
Also, rural dwellers tend to smoke
more cigarettes, Miller said. Since
successfully treating lung cancer is
tied to early detection, the survival
rates are higher in metro-Atlanta
than in rural areas.
“If there was no smoking in the
U.S., 50% of the hospitals would be
closed,” Miller stated.
Although many smokers may
not be familiar with lung cancer
screenings, information in The New
England Journal of Medicine in 2011
pointed to the value of the screen
ings in saving lives. However, they
were not approved for coverage by
Medicare until 2015. Medicaid just
approved coverage of the test two
years ago, Miller said.
Lung cancer screenings at Well-
star/MCG Health are $90 for the un
insured. Indigent care is available for
those who can’t afford to pay. Insur
ance companies, including Medicaid
and Medicare, cover screenings for
patients who are high risk, including
people between the ages of 50-80
years old, who are asymptomatic and
smoked for at least 20 years.
“If you have
J ccp
symptoms; cough
ing up blood or SCREENINGS,
pain, that’s not a 6
/
Dr. Dan Miller