Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 130, No. 22 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
Established in 1882
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 - $1.00
Burke’s Dawg in the fight
Cornelius Washington set for standout year at UGA
By John Ard
Special to The True Citizen
Cornelius Washington, a 2007
high school All-American foot
ball player at Burke County
High School, is being counted
on for a standout year with the
University of Georgia in Ath
ens.
Washington, a 21-year-old
red-shirt sophomore and outside
linebacker, played in all 13
games last season and recorded
several big performances.
This year, he’ll play under a
new position coach, Todd
Grantham, who joined the Bull
dogs after defensive coordina
tor Willie Martinez and two
other defensive coaches were
fired after last season in an ef
fort to turn the Georgia defense
around. Coach Grantham has
installed a new, more aggressive
3-4 defense at Georgia, mean
ing three down linemen and
four linebackers in the forma
tion. Last year, Martinez
coached a 4-3 read-and-react
defense. That defense resulted
in a sub-par 8-5 record for the
Bulldogs.
“We’re looking for Cornelius
to give us a good rush-end
from the outside linebacker po
sition,” said Coach Grantham.
Washington believes Coach
Grantham’s approach is more
forceful.
“Coach Grantham’s defense is
much more aggressive than
Coach Martinez’s,” said Wash
ington. “Last year, we would
read the offense and then react
to what they did. This year,
we’ll be much more aggressive.”
- See Washington, page 12
The True Citizen will post photos
taken at UGA’s season opener
laterthis weekfor viewing and pur
chasing by the public.
Cornelius Washing
ton tackles Louisi-
ana-Lafayette’s
quarterback during
UGA’s season
opener. Washing
ton saw a signifi
cant amount of
playing time during
the Bulldogs 55-7
win over the Ragin
Cajuns and was
credited with a
tackle and blocked
pass.
I
4=
05
CO
County awarded $500,000
for special needs center
By Anne Marie Kyzer
annemariek@thetruecitizen.com
Burke County will receive
$500,000 in grant funding to
improve a local training facil
ity for mentally disabled resi
dents.
Governor Sonny Perdue an
nounced yesterday (Tuesday)
that more than $43 million will
go to projects in 75 Georgia
communities, including Burke
County.
The federal funds will be
administered through the
state’s Community Develop
ment Block Grant program by
the Georgia Department of
Community Affairs.
According to county admin
istrator Merv Waldrop, the
7 *16122 *04 420 7
grant funds will be used to
renovate or possibly rebuild the
county-owned center leased to
Ogeechee Behavioral Health
Services on the Old Millen
Highway south of town.
"This is good news,” he said.
“Finally, we have some state
money to help these folks who
desperately need a decent place
to congregate.”
Ogeechee Behavioral Health
uses the center for a daytime
training program for mentally
disabled adults. Clients partici
pate in jobs, such as yard main
tenance and a recycling pro
gram for newspaper and card
board.
"It keeps them busy and gives
the families a chance to go out
and do shopping or whatever
else they need to do,” Waldrop
said. “So much time is devoted
to caring for these folks.”
Waldrop said Burke
County’s application was sub
mitted about six months ago,
but he did not hear until yes
terday Burke County would be
funded.
He said State Rep. Gloria
Frazier (D-Hephzibah) had
worked with the county dur
ing the process.
“This is an issue that is near
and dear to her heart,” he said.
- See Grant, page 12
Burke County was awarded $500,000 in federal funds
to improve its day center for mentally disabled residents.
WPD officer
is arrested
for racing
By Elizabeth Billips
lizbillips@yahoo.com
Georgia State Troopers have more questions than answers
when it comes to a drag racing accident that landed a 15-
year-old in the hospital and a Waynesboro police officer in
jail.
Officer Jonathan Cates, 28, was arrested last Tuesday night
after a pickup he was allegedly racing overturned and hit a
tree.
State troopers have not yet determined who
was driving the truck, why the vehicle was
moved from the crash site or why Officer Cates
fled the scene.
According to Police Chief Karl E. Allen,
Cates has been placed on paid administrative
leave while the case is investigated.
Georgia State Trooper Ben Forehand is the
lead man on the case and says his investiga
tion has been frustrated by conflicting state
ments, compromised evidence and too many
unanswered questions.
What has been established, however, is that a resident who
saw the crash called 911 around 8:20 p.m. last Tuesday. Burke
County EMA technicians alerted police and arrived at the scene
exactly five minutes later.
“Nobody was at the scene when we got there,” EMA Chief
Rusty Sanders said, in reference to Cates and the injured boy.
According to the report filed at the Waynesboro Police
Department, when
officers arrived
Top Quality Auto
employees David
Cadle, 37, and
Michael Imler, 32,
were already in the
process of moving
the wrecked Nissan
Titan from the
Eleventh Street
yard where it
crashed.
Both men were cited for interference with police, and the
wrecking company was “suspended” from removing any ve
hicles involved in WPD cases.
The towing company is owned by the father of a 15-year-
old boy who was injured in the wreck and, according to sev
eral witnesses, was the gathering spot for a small crowd, in
cluding Cates, who appeared to be hanging out and drinking
beer just prior to the accident.
Among Trooper Forehand’s long list of concerns is the fact
that the race took place in a residential area ... and without
regard to who might have been put in danger.
“There were two small children playing in their yard when
they saw the trucks race by,” he said, estimating the kids at
less than 20 feet away. “Anything could have happened.”
Trooper Forehand said nearly an hour passed before po
lice called him.
Even more time would pass before Cates finally appeared.
According to Trooper Forehand, it was after 11 p.m. when
Cates was taken to the police station by his brother, a fellow
officer.
“(Cates) appeared to have been drinking - but so much
time had passed, and he had not been in custody during that
time,” the trooper said, noting he could not prove whether
Cates consumed alcohol before or after the accident. “Ac
cording to case law, if it’s past the three-hour window the
case doesn’t stand a chance in court. If he’d been in jail those
three hours, I could have tested him.”
But alcohol isn’t the only big question mark in the case.
Trooper Forehand has still not been able to determine who
was driving the Nissan truck Cates was allegedly racing.
Both Cates and the boy point to 37-year-old Earl Culver,
an employee at Top Quality Auto. The wrecked truck is reg
istered to his girlfriend and is uninsured.
They said Culver was behind the wheel, and the boy was in
the passenger seat.
Trooper Forehand isn’t so sure.
He is looking into the possibility that the teen was actually
the driver or that a third person was involved.
While the boy sustained visible injuries, Culver was clean.
“I examined him from head to toe and couldn’t find the
first injury - not a scratch, not a bruise, not a hair out of
place,” Trooper Forehand remarked, describing the totaled
truck with extensive damage to the front end. “While that’s
not impossible in an accident like this, it’s highly unlikely.”
He searched the track for evidence but nothing turned up,
including blood or hair, that could put Culver in the driver’s
seat.
- See Racing, page 12
“(Cates) appeared to have
been drinking - but so much
time had passed, and he had
not been in custody during
that time.”
- Trooper Forehand
Jonathan
Cates