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MS.JEANNIE I,LDN)P.Bn\; gt S PAID
Ros CHIPS DEPT, MAIN L cOA AUGUSTA GA
. ATHENS, GA 30602-1641 PERMIT NO 302
Serving Metro Augusta,
South Carolina and The CSRA R
August 19-August 25, 2004
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‘Soul sistah?
Black Republicans
angered by Teresa
Heinz Kerry's asser
tion that she’s an
African American
are taking to the air
waves. Page 2A.
NAACP heads south
The South Caroli
na NAACP is con
tinuing its economic
sanctions against the
home state over the
rebel flag. The
group’s crossing the
border, bringing its
state convention to
Augusta. Page 3A.
OPINION
Blueprint for bondage
In Part 2 of a spe
cial report uncover
ing the root causes
of the slave mentali
ty that exists"among
some African Ameri
cans, the Augusta
Focus reprints more
of the writings of a
British slave owner,
Willie Lynch, for
whom the term
“lynching” is
named. Page 9A
ARTBEAT
Laney Museum on a roll
The Lucy Craft
Laney Black History
Museum pushes
toward two decades
of showcasing black
arts and culture.
Page 1B
GOOD NEWS
Calling Georgia’s
brightest
Georgia School
Superintendent,
Kathy Cox, is looking
for some of the best
young minds in the
~ state to serve on the
Student Advisory
Council. Page 5A
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Vol. 23, No. 1173
Nov. 16, 1933 - Aug. 14 2004 .
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Remembering Mclntyre
By THERESA MINOR
Augusta Focus Staff Writer
It didnt seem to matter if
those who were reminiscing
knew him intimately or just in
passing, the reaction was
always the same. Edward
Investigation clears
Richmond County DFCS
Low morale and ‘unstable’ workforce noted
By THERESA MINOR
Augusta Focus Staff Writer
A state investigation into
allegations of mismanagement
an?a child endangerment
against the Richmond County
Department of Family and
Children Services (DFCS) has
wrapped up with the agency
being cleared, but not totally
exonerated.
The probe was sparked after
the Georgia Department of
Human Resources (DHR)
received several anonymous
letters reportedly from DFCS
employees and members of
the community charging,
among other things, that chil
dren were placed in inappro
priate foster homes and being
sexually molested. The com
plaints further alleged that
caseworkers who brought the
problems to the attention of
Auf'usta educator elected national |
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority president
Standin%hon the moral prin
ciples which undergird the 91-
ear history of gélta Sigma
2E'heta Sorority, Inc., newly
elected National President, Dr.
Louise A. Rice, is poised to har
ness the power of the over
200,000 members.
“We have to be a catalyst for
clmrge in the nation and the
world. We have to affect public
policy and its impact on the
oppressed and disenfranchised,
especially the mAufis"nc&s visited
upon people of African Ameri
can descent”, she commented
during a recent interview.
Com.mcniing o[n) Rtihe
u elections, Dr. Rice
stgfgd% election is very
important to us. We have to be
knowledgeable about the issues
and prepared to mobilize our
Subscribe to the Augusta Focus, Call (706) 722-4222, extension 225
Marlow Mclntyre, Sr. —the
city’s first black county com
missioner and only black
mayor — had established him
self in the minds of many as a
revered Augusta icon.
“He had one of the best
political minds in Augusta,”
managers were subjected to
retaliation which included ter
mination.
A five member assessment
team composed of staff from
DFCS and the Office of
Human Resource Manage
ment and Development
(OHRMD) began looking
into the problem in late May.
It characterized DFCS as “an
agency with an unstable work
force” and a perception by
much of the community as
being “in over its head.”
“The staff is admittedly
under a great deal of stress
because ofgrrecent turnover and
enormous caseloads... While
the caseload is tremendous,
the work expectations of the
different units and the staff are
... guided by policy. .. Recent
turnover in staff exacerbate the
workload and make the
smooth transitioning of cases
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Dr. Louise A. Rice
membership to get out the
vote.”
And finally, with an initiative
to increase the “heart and soul”
of Delta sorors, the sorority’s
23rd national president intends
to continue her pioneering ini
said Augusta Focus Publisher
Charles Walker, who worked
with Mclntyre in the political
arena extensively over the
years.
And because of that keen
political wit, the “Morehouse
man” as he so proudly referred
difficult,” states the report
obtained by the Augusta
Focus. That report was pre
pared by Dr. Janet Oliva,
DHR Division Director and
addressed to William Hillis,
Manager of DFCS Field
Operations.
The investigation further
concluded that the workload
had much to do with low
morale among DFCS work
ers. The assessment team
urged DFCS management to
immediately address the per
ception of the agency’s leader
ship as being “uniformed,
uninvolved or not being in
control.”
Since the controversy first
broke in April, the agency’s
director, Carolyn Beard has
been reassigned and several
staff members have been ter
minated.
tiative of reclamation and
retention. The PASS program
(Preserving and Sustaining Our
Sistedlr::% pairs collegiate and
alumnae members in a rela
tionship of mentoring, with a
follow-up community out
reach program involving mem
bers, parents and youth.
A native of Augusta and a
uate of Lucy Craft Laney
ly. School wl;lcn: s(lile former
taught En?hs and Reading,
Dr. lfi:c holds a B.A. degree
from ka%fi: University, a
MA. from Columbia Univer
sity in New York, and a Ph.D.
from the University of Georgia.
Having taught at Paine College
for 11 years, she is now an
Associate Professor Emeritus at
Augusta State University.
www.augustafocus.com
to himself, seemed destined
for greatness early in life. He
cou&i move the masses with
his charismatic personality
and resonating bass voice.
Among his %itical accom
plishments, I\/Yc(intyre is credit
ed for being the mastermind
behind the development of
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By HALEY A. DUNBAR
Augusta Focus Staff Writer
Smokers and non-smokers alike are weighing in on a pro
posed ordinance that would ban smoking in all public places,
including restaurants and bars in Richmond County.
The debate over the Smokefree Air Act has been spirited, rais
ing the ire of groups on both sides of the issue. Each group is
racing to have their side heard before the county commission
makes a final decision in the matter. ‘
“The real issue here is national and constitutional freedoms
and that’s what C.O.S.T (Citizens Opposing Socialist Tyranny)
stands for. We have things like freedom of assembly, equal pro
tection under the law, private property rights, no taxation with
out representation, unfair trade practices to protect those,” said
Michael D. Pirtle, founder of CO.S.T.
Pirtle’s comments followed a presentation from Dr. Frank M.
Rumph, Director of the Richmond County Health Depart
ment, during the August 17 convening of the commission. Dr.
Rumph explained to the near standing-room-only crowd that
the adverse effects of exposure to second hand smoke are serious
enough to make them a threat to public health. He told the
group that exposure to second hand smoke is the third leading
cause of preventable death — a statistic that his office cannot, in
good conscience, continue to feed.
“When lives are placed in harms way, I think it becomes my
responsibility as health director and commissioner of public
health to recommend the implementation of a non-smoking
policy in public places. Sometimes in order for the public to be
healthy, it is necessary for government to intervene and protect.
Historically, government has done this. That's why you have
See Smoking, page 10A
FIFTY CENTS
the Riverwalk, the construc
tion of via ducts to ease traffic
on major city thoroughfares,
reducing property taxes and at
the same time increasing the
wages of city workers. He
worked to blur the city’s racial
See Mcllntyre, page 12A