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Page 8 — Wednesday, November 11,2009, The True Citizen P >r the Record Crime forum draws questions, concerns By Elizabeth Billips lizbillips@yahoo.com Nearly 100 residents turned out for a crime forum last week, ask ing everything from where stolen guns were being sold to whether it’s legal to shoot a burglar. The forum, which was hosted by the Burke County circuit of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, also drew Augusta news media and a number of law enforcement officers and elected officials. Rev. James Ivery, president of the local SCLC chapter, said the hour-and-a-half long meeting was the first of many forums designed to bring the general public and area leaders together on common ground to seek solutions. He said the meeting had been organized, in part, to address talk of vigilante justice by fearful and frustrated homeowners. One educator, who said she’d been burglarized twice, received a round of applause when she asked if it was legal to shoot a bur glar inside her home. Sheriff Greg Coursey, who said he’d attended the meeting mainly to answer that very question, said she had the right to shoot if some one had actually broken in and she was afraid for her life or the life of her loved ones. “You have a right to defend yourself,” he said, cautioning the audience that they could be charged with murder if they shot someone who was trying to leave or was stealing something outside. “But you don’t have the right to shoot someone just because he is stealing from you ... and the last thing we need is for an innocent person cutting through a yard to get hurt. Regardless, we’re talking about a human being. Is it really worth taking somebody’s life over a lawn mower?” Waynesboro Police Chief Karl E. Allen spoke briefly about the number of guns stolen in car break-ins and burglaries and said the firearms are not only being sold on the streets in Burke County, but on a national level. “They wouldn’t steal it if no body would buy it,” Sheriff Coursey added. “Some of our neighbors are not being good neighbors... and when we find out who is buying this stuff, we’re going to prosecute them too, and just as hard.” On the contrary, officers agreed that good neighbors and neighbor hood watch programs are the best deterrents. They also suggested security systems and cameras, and urged residents to mark then electronic equipment with inscribing tools available from the sheriff’s office so that if goods are stolen, they can be tracked. However, Burke County resident David DeLoach told the audience that isn’t enough. “We can talk about this all night long,” he said, calling for local volunteerism and for agencies to create an auxiliary police force to Resident David DeLoach called for an auxiliary police force to help patrol the county. patrol the county. “If you’re not willing to connect (as a volunteer) for one hour... all you’re doing is talking.” Burke County’s new Juvenile Court Judge Willie Saunders agreed with DeLoach and invited him and others at the forum to at tend his Tuesday court sessions in Burke County to see if their tal ents could be matched up with needs within the court system. Judge Saunders blamed the surge in juvenile crime on the re placement of family with the gang system and a general lack of edu cation. ‘Go to most sentencings and the vast majority of defendants have less than a high school education Veteran pilot injured Glider goes down in northern Burke By Elizabeth Billips lizbillips@yahoo.com A former combat pilot was hospitalized after his homebuilt aircraft was taken out by me chanical problems and pine trees in northern Burke County. Augusta pilot Donald Murphy, 72, remained in fair condition at MCGHealth Tuesday, two days after what he described to offic ers as a "hai'd landing.” Burke County deputies say the veteran aviator was traveling in his “moto-glider” from the Pea Patch, a private airport in South Richmond County, to Wrens when he began having problems. According to the report, the glider has an onboard motor which is used for takeoff and positioning but is otherwise switched off during flight. While Murphy flew over the Lazy Acres area, he attempted to reposition his glider but could not get the motor to restart. As the glider lost altitude, a wing got caught in a tree and the aircraft was spun around so that it rested Student arrested for bringing gun to school By Elizabeth Billips lizbillips@yahoo.com A Burke County High School student was arrested after a drug sniffing canine led offic ers to a gun and ammunition in his parked vehicle. According to a report filed at the Burke County Sheriff’s Of fice, Jerrell Demond Kelly, 20, was jailed around 10 a.m. Mon day following what began as a routine search of the school campus. A drug sniffing dog led of ficers to Kelly’s vehicle where they found a small grinder and container with marijuana resi due inside. They also found an unloaded 9 mm Luger and magazine un der the driver’s seat and a 15- round magazine and ammuni tion for a Glock under the pas- Waynesboro Police The following arrests and cita tions were reported by the Waynesboro Police Department for the past week: Monday, Nov. 2 • Shonda Shonta Herndon, 28, of Magnolia Acres, Waynesboro, was arrested for no driver’s li cense, no insurance and operating a vehicle with suspended, can celled or revoked registration. Tuesday, Nov. 3 • Moroccus Tywon Heath, 27, of Wallace Street, Waynesboro, was arrested for probation viola tion. • Leroy Dewayne Whitfield, 26, of Jones Avenue, Waynesboro, was arrested for two counts of criminal trespass. A $2,600 prop erty bond was posted. Wednesday, Nov. 4 • Willie Lee Coleman, 57, of Peacock Road, Waynesboro, was charged with criminal trespass and dumping on the land of another. • Julius Temell Johnson, 42, of King Court, Waynesboro, was ar rested for no driver’s license and failure to stop at a stop sign. • Tom Cuyler Sr., 39, of Bryant Street, Waynesboro, was arrested for probation violation. Friday, Nov. 6 • Leroy Ellison, 54, of Martin Luther King Drive, Waynesboro, was arrested for shoplifting and interference with police. Saturday, Nov. 7 • Dairen Lanill Jones, 32, of Lee Street, Waynesboro, was arrested for simple battery. Burke County Sheriff The following arrests and cita tions were reported by the Burke County Sheriff’s Office for the past week: Sunday, Nov. 1 • Quinton Ryan Flakes, 17, of Lloyd Lane, Waynesboro, was ar rested for entering an auto (three counts). • Zachary Henry Souza, 19, of Idlewood Road, Waynesboro, was arrested for entering an auto (four counts). Monday, Nov. 2 • Cassandra Denise Herndon, 28, of Davis Road, Waynesboro, was arrested for affray. A $1,300 property bond was posted. • Eric Lamont Wade, 35, of Per simmon Drive, Waynesboro, was an'ested for probation violation. Tuesday, Nov. 3 • Willie Jean Clarke, 38, of River Road, Waynesboro, was arrested for DUI. A $1,875 property bond m. fi TANNER'S LAWX CARE, LL<’ Commercial G Residential Lawn Maintenance Landscaping Sodding Pinestraw Grading Leveling Mulch Outdoor Landscape Lighting to Fertiliser & Weed Control >A Pressure Washing 706-554-1100 or 706-871-8626 Lawn Care 6 Landscaping Prsfri&icnal Utrn Cire TLt,. Georgia Wilderness Outfitters THE SOUTHEAST’S SPORTSMAN HEADQUARTERS We Now Have ARCHERY Equipment GET READY FOR DEER SEASON 40% OFF ON ALL ON TIME FEEDERS GUNS & SCOPES ON SALE NOW & ... most only attended through ninth or tenth grade,” he said. “They’ve been out committing crimes when they should have been in school.” Rev. Ivery ended the forum with a call for residents to put aside their fears of retaliation and for parents to raise their children with a stron ger hand. “People, we cannot be afraid of our children anymore,” he said, noting that reporting crime activ ity is the only way to put a stop to it. “We cannot stand by. We know what (the criminals) are doing, and the police know what they’re do ing ... but they need a probable cause. You are that probable cause.” i Wildern ess OiutM Open: Tuesday - Friday 9 am - 6 pm / Saturday 9 am - 3 pm Toll Free: (866) 564-2012 E-mail: gwo@windstream.net 120 N. Main Street • Sylvania, GA 30467 No Phone Quotes...All Sales Are Final-All Sales Are As Is a Public Meeting of the www.srs.gov 800-249-8155 Savannah River Site Citizens Advisory Board Marriott Hotel & Suites Two 10th Street Augusta, GA 30901 November 16 - 17, 2009 Monday, Nov 16th I p.m. - 5 p.m. Combined Committee Meeting - Update on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding Activities - Site Performance Measures - CAB Outreach Initiative Tuesday, Nov 17th 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Full Board Meeting - Water Resource Planning - Annual Historic Preservation Update - SRR Liguid Waste Project Execution Plan for FY 2010 - H Canyon Conduct of Operations Performance Improvement Initiatives THE PUBLIC IS INVITED Public comments accepted at various times during the day atop a cluster of tree tops. Depu ties say the limbs gave way and the glider dropped to the ground, landing on its top. Murphy managed to extricate himself and was transported to Augusta with numerous abra sions and contusions but no in juries believed to be life threat ening. senger seat. Officers say Kelly did not have the Glock in his possession. He is charged with posses sion of a firearm on school property and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. was posted. • Keisha Omikea Bonner, 33, of Reynolds Street, Waynesboro, was an'ested for aggravated stalking. Friday, Nov. 6 • Leroy Ellison, 54, of Kingston Drive, Waynesboro, was arrested for sale of crack cocaine. FRANK’S FLEA MARKET Auction Barn License #AU-C002788 Hi! We’re having an AUCTION! 1 A* PLEASE PLAN TO JOIN US SAT., NOV. 14TH @ 6 PM 432 PERKINS ROAD - MILLEN,GA ★l (Millen ByPass & Perkins A Road) NEW & 432 PERKI (Mill ★ iviiitLfbii ,un 3 erkins .Road) NOT SO NEW STUFF Call 478-494-0681 for more Info. ^Auctioneer: Marion Griffin 7* GAL#3290 S 10% Buyer’s Premium Deadline from page 3 application in line to move up.” Brown said neither EQIP nor WHIP would have any major changes from the way they were administered last year. EQIP funds conservation prac tices based on locally identified natural resource concerns, such as energy, forestry, grazing, soil ero sion, water conservation and wa ter quality. Around 60 EQIP con servation practices apply, such as pasture and hay land planting, pro tecting heavy use areas, waste stor age facilities, teiracing, pest man agement, tree planting, organic crop assistance and wildlife habi tat management. Qualifying prac tices vary by county based on lo cally identified natural resource concerns. WHIP prioritizes restoring na tive fish and wildlife habitats, re ducing the impact of invasive spe cies on habitats and restoring or developing habitats for important or at-risk species. For more infor mation on EQIP or WHIP, visit the “programs” section of the NRCS website, www.ga.m-cs.usda.gov. We’ve Moved! Ashton Blount Insurance Agency has moved to 325 B, South Liberty Street, next to Cajun &, More and across from Burke Medical Center, AMERICAN NATIONAL ASHTON BLOUNT INSURANCE AGENCY 706-554-7788 “Serving Burke County for 30 Years”