Newspaper Page Text
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US POSTAGE
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L GAN? ; , AUGUSTA GA
, » PERMIT NO 302
es‘ : , Serving Metro Augusta,
LA O , South Carolina and The CSRA
January 5 - January 11, 2006
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ey
Still a hero
Despite evangelist
Kirk Franklin’s ‘per
sonal struggles’ he has
not had a daznfix:ncd
spirit and has released
a new album.
P‘.!gc 2A
Terrorized by mov
ing company
A woman reveals her
nightmare when she
hired a moving com
pany to assist her with
switching apartments,
but she got a bad deal.
Page 2A
Letier 1o the Editor
by Allen Childs
Can Coach Deke
Cophenhaver come
out on top?
Page 4A
Movers and Shakers
The Augusta Focus
will present 2006
Movers and Shakers in
a special edition issue.
Page 1B
GRO B RS R S ASOPI RU R
Miss Rhomania 2005
Tiffanie Cook is
Miss Rhomania 2005
for the sorority Sigma
Gamma Rho Inc. after
Reborad fmndead
and im‘growng the quali
ty of life for her commu
nity.
Page 6GA
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T ARSSR VS TSR PR RS 0
me.at ...".....1B
.u"nm ..........1‘
City/Regi0n......3A
Classifieds ......5B
Good New5......6A
Happenings ....4B
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w‘ lqat-nqlncm.iz.
Vol. 25, No. 1224
Commission’s issues still visible
By JESSICA BAPTISTE
Augusta Focus Stafl Writer
“That shows that this body
cannot work together.” Rev.
James Williams, a concerned
minister said during his delega
ton at the fint commission
meeting of 2000.
Rev. Williams sentuments
may have summed up why
Commissioner J.R. Hatney
suggested the group go on a
retreat 0 get o know each
other, betore working together.
Even though there are some
new faces on the Augusta-Rich
mond County Commission,
there are some old Isues that
just wont die. Atter newly elect
ed Commissioners Beuy
Beard, Calvin “Coach™ Hol
land, Jerry Brgham and Joe
Bowles were given their oath of
othice, the body pluuk'd o
attend to the “business of the
any . The first issue was dead
ing on the mayor pro empore
tor 2000. last vear, Maron
Smith still on
administrative leave
By JESSICA BAPTISTE
Augusta Focus Stats Writer
Former engineering direc
tor, Teresa Smith's severance
vackage was given the old
rw.u'c ho by the commission
and was sull placed on
administrative h‘d\'c with
av. Smith was fired after a
[HIIL‘I batde with some
commissioners, which
resulted in a 6-4 racially
divided vote by the com
mission. Betore she was ter
minated, her department,
the tormer Public Works
Department, was split into
three enutes: solid waste,
maintenance and engineer
ing. City administrator,
Fred Russell's severance
package included one
month’s pay tor each vear of
service, up to halt a year and
accrued vacation pay.
Mayor Pro Tem., Marion
Williams claimed that
emplovees that are fired
should not receive any sev
erance pay. Commissioner
Jerry Brigham agreed. How
ever, Commissioner Hatney
stated that if the commis
sion had all the hiring and
firing power, what was the
city administrator’s job?
“It we are going to super
vise, we dont need an
administrator.” he said.
He also said that Russell
did not propose Ms. Smith’s
termination and that it
What’s in store for 2006?
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In 2006, | am going to take time for myself.
In past years, 've been overly involved In
community affairs. This year, 'm going to
stop and reflect on Ben Allen.”
Ben Allen
Subscribe to the Augusta Focus, Call (706) 722-4222, extension 210
Williams and Bobby Hanker
son battled for the position,
after former interim mayor and
District 9 commissioner; Willie
Mays relinquished the mayor
pro em post. Now, Williams
and Commissioner Andy
Cheek are in competition for
the “second in command” job.
Those issues, along with
appointing, standing commit
tees were put oft unal a later
rnme.
In other business during the
meeting, Rev. Williams
called tor an investiga
tion ot the actions taken
by the commission at its
Dec. 19 meeting. At that
meeting, Engineering
Director Teresa Smith
was sited in a 6-4 vote
and Howard “Bubba”
Willis was hired perma
nently as fire chiet. Rev.
Williams claims that
Smith’s job was in jeop-
S Issues, pagc 10A
acted alone in firing her,
without the recommenda
tion of the city administra
tor,
The Commission vorted
5-4, which failed, to give
Ms. Smith a severance pack
age. Williams said that in
giving Ms. Smith a sever
ance package, there may
have been some “strings
attached”, such as her
inability to sue.
I think the Commission
discriminated. | think they
were wrong.” he said.
Commisstoner Jimmy
Smith said that Ms. Smith
has already been replaced
with another black engi
neering director who s
doing a good job, so far.
Williams denounces this
and claims that the new
director cannot possibly be
doing a good job with
everything occurring,
“They've got .mmicr one,
Smith said another black.”
Williams said, “He’s been
there two weeks how can he
get on target?”
He also says that the plan
to fire Ms. Smith was the
creation of Commissioners
Don Grantham, Jimmy
Smith and Bobby Hanker
son.
“Anybody with one eye
and half a brain can see
through that.” he said.
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“This year | am going to become fluent in
a foreign language.”
Christopher Walker
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Photo by Jessica Baptiste
Calvin “Coach” Holland takes the oath of office before the first commission meeting of the year.
Betty Beard, Joe Bowles and Jerry Brigham were also given the oath.
Holding the Fort Down
Article of analysis and interpretation
By MICHAEL MEYERS
Augusla Focus
In the absence of some of
Augusta’s most prolific lead
ers, one man has stood tall
and has wken the bull by
the horns. In recent weeks,
we have seen some stiategic
planning in the black com
munity atter the deteat of
tormer Commissioner
Willie Mays. What some
politicos say could have
been a major setback in
local politics, despite the
blatant racially ~ charged
attacks by the daily newspa
per and by the overzealous
hard right such as the likes
of representative Sue
Burmeister, a tremendous
amount of community sup
port has been corralled.
Just when some in the black
community had witnessed
Andy Cheek planting
WRD's (Weapons of Racial
Destruction) and a litany of
unfathomable attempts 1o
disenfranchise the black
community. Like the firing
of Teresa Smith, the hiring
of Bubba Willis over a more
qualified minority, the
failed attempr at restructur
ing the local government,
Augusta seems primed for a
What’s in store for 20067
“In 2006, | am not settling for less.
Whoever sald less is more, lled.”
Princess White
www.augustafocus. com
major showdown. If we
think that racial unity s
paramount in the “We feel
good” city, then there’s no
better time than now to
seize the moment. We are in
a unique position where our
leaders are rising to the
occasion but again one man
comes to mind when we
think of someone having
courage under fire. Say
what you may but our
Mavor Pro Tem has proven
that he will not buckle
under pressure and that his
motives are as pure as gold.
Marion Williams is a
thorn in the side of the
power structure and more
importantly, despite how
they portray him as an agi
tator, he is a powerbroker.
Not surprising, however, is
that most political pundits
expect him to play fair.
Unlike other politicians
who play both sides of the
tence, Williams has certain
ly shown that while hes a
stickler for what is right, he
has some great ideas as well.
His vision for a drag strip is
gaining support from a
cross section of the commu
nity and seems to be on the
right track. However, some
FIFTY CENTS
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Marion Willilams
sources close to commis
sioners have reported that
sabotage is in near view. For
instance former Commis
sioner Hankerson seemed
to have gone overboard not
to support the potential
economic booster that
would bring some SSO mil
lion dollars to the area.
Some in local government
say that Augusta is at a piv
otal point of seeing signifi
cant economic growth.
Finally, the economic devel
opment organizations are
working rtogether to
improve downtown and
South Augusta. These two
areas have been the focal
point for the commission
See Marion, page 9A
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In 2006, 'm going to continue to live
by Matthew 6:33 that says seek God
first In everything you do.
Wilile Peoples