Newspaper Page Text
Established in 1882
Vol. 129, No. 36 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 - $1.00
Wende Dickey is embraced by her pre-K
students at SGA Elementary.
Head of
the Class
Dickey honored as Teacher of the Year
By Anne Marie Kyzer
annemariek@thetruecitizen.com
At an age when most teachers are halfway
to retirement, Wende Dickey was just start
ing her career in the classroom.
But it didn’t take her long to become one
of the best in her profession.
Dickey, a pre-kindergarten teacher at SGA
Elementary, was honored last week as the
2010 Teacher of the Year for Burke County
Public Schools.
After volunteering in the classrooms of her
own children, Dickey decided this was the
path for her. She attended college in her 30s
and graduated around the same time her son
and daughters were finishing high school.
She started her teaching career at age 41.
Doting mother turned educator, Dickey
said teaching small children is a role she
fills easily.
In the classroom, her animated smile and
sweet nature draw the children to her like
bees to honey.
“It’s just natural for me to come here with
these little ones,” she says, laughing as half
a dozen students nearly topple her over in a
group hug.
They settle on the mg around her and wait
for her next idea for fun. After Dickey leads
them in a choms of God Bless America,
singing aloud and using sign language, the
children beam with pride.
“My favorite part is when they learn some
thing new whether it’s a science experiment
or reading,” she says, “and to see them
smile.”
- See Teacher, page 9
Sardis officer
resigns after
photo surfaces
By Elizabeth Billips
lizbillips@yahoo.com
A Sardis police officer has resigned following the circulation
of a nude photograph.
Former officer Dwayne Burke turned in his letter of resigna
tion Friday amidst a Georgia Bureau of Investigation probe into
what appears to be a frontal nude photograph Burke took of
himself in the mirror of the
police headquarters restroom.
In the letter, Burke indi
cated he was leaving to take a
higher paying job.
Gary Nicholson, special
agent in charge of the
Thomson GBI office, says the
photograph was actually taken
several months ago but was
recently brought to his agency’s attention following the mass
forwarding of it via cell phones.
Before his resignation. Officer Burke claimed he had never
taken a nude photo of himself and that someone altered an exist
ing image of him that was taken from the chest-up.
Agent Nicholson said he could not release information about
where the photo was taken and whether it had been altered.
GBI agents will soon submit then findings to District Attorney
Ashley Wright who will determine if Burke should be charged.
“If the photograph was passed between two consenting adults,
I don’t know that any laws have been violatedAgent Nicholson
said, noting that policy violations are a different matter alto
gether.
Agents say Burke appears to have originally sent the photo
graph to an adult woman, and it was later forwarded to others by
a third party without his or her consent.
In the meantime, the GBI continues to investigate a May 2009
incident in which Burke is accused of donning a ski mask and
knocking out the windows of a Sardis home.
H1N1 flu
Restrictions lifted
for vaccination
By Anne Marie Kyzer
annemariek@thetruecitizen.com
Access to H1N1 flu vaccines has been opened up to everyone
over 6 months of age.
The Georgia Department of Community Health announced
last week the vaccine would no longer be restricted to those in
priority groups, such as children and pregnant women.
Burke County has more than 1,800 doses of the vaccine in
stock and can order more if needed, according to Gina Richardson,
nurse manager for the Burke County Health Department. Both
the shot and mist forms of the vaccine are available. To date, no
one in Burke County has reported any side effects from the mist
or injectable doses.
Though no definite plans have been made, Richardson said her
department may also offer clinics in different locations to ex
pand access among area residents.
“We are discussing opening
sites in the community to make
it easily accessible for all who
want it,” she said.
The vaccine is free and no ap
pointment is needed. However,
children ages 9 and under must
receive two doses spaced about
a month apart.
Burke County Health
Department Hours
Monday-Thursday
8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Every other Friday
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
(Open this Friday)
Tax bills to barely beat New Year
By Elizabeth Billips
lizbillips@yahoo.com
Anyone counting on a
2009 property tax deduction
will have to act fast.
This year, the county’s
bills won’t go out until at
least Dec. 28 - and that’s if
everything goes right.
Delays in local millage rate
adoptions have postponed a
mandatory meeting between
the Georgia Department of
Revenue (GDOR) and Burke
County Tax Commissioner
Cynthia McManus, which
otherwise would have been
held earlier this month.
On Dec. 23, Burke County
commissioners are planning
to adopt their millage rate,
which incorporates the Burke
County Board of
Education’s.
While they’re meeting in
Waynesboro, McManus will
be sitting at the GDOR of
fice in Atlanta awaiting the
go-ahead to submit the tax
digest for approval and re
quest an order to begin bill
ing.
Barring any delay, every
bill will be ready for a stamp
on Dec. 28 and due 60 days
later.
For those counting on 2009
deductions, it could be a
close call.
McManus is hoping to help
beat the clock by allowing resi
dents to prepay. Right now she
is awaiting permission from
GDOR to begin accepting early
payments.
If approved, the easiest
method for calculating
what’s owed is to retrieve
your 2008 bill and add $178
for the state homeowner tax
credit that has since been re
scinded. Any differences will
be sorted out after the offi
cial bills have been issued.
CITY BILLS
Tax bills from Burke
County’s municipalities
will be mailed after the
county bills, most in early
to mid-January. Munici
pal bills, like the county’s,
will be around $180
higher for homeowners
due to the phasing out of
the state tax relief.
HELP FILL A STOCKING
Send a donations to:
Jaycees’ Empty Stocking Fund
P.0. Box 378
Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
This week: $2,440
Total: $7,215
Goal: $20,000
Waynesboro Rotary Club $253
In Memory of Emory “Bull” Williams $100
Willing Workers Garden Club $50
Queensborough National Bank $62
Citizens of Georgia Power $1,000
Suzanne & Bob Payton $50
Hal Herrington Jr $25
Burke County Retired Teacher Assoc $100
Bo & Anne Hogan $200
In Memory of Lonnie & Evelyn Mallard $50
In Memory of Dolores Mathis $50
William & Betty Pellerin $300
In Memory of Don & Vera Umpleby. $100
In Memory of Amanda & John Bolton $100
FORD**
YEAR END
1706-554-2114 ^
www.mizellford.com