Newspaper Page Text
TheTrue Citizen, Wednesday, September 29, 2010 — Page 9
Wanted in Burke
The following persons are wanted on outstanding arrest warrants. Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to call
the Burke County Sheriff’s Office at 706-554-2133.
Online burn permitting
system offered
No photo
available
Timothy Carl
Roberson, 42;
Wanted since
May 2010
Two felony counts
of forgery in the first
degree
Issued on May 13,
2010
Thomas Wesley
Wright, 28;
Wanted since
June 2009
Probation violation
Desmond
Striggles, 31;
Wanted since
July 2009
Probation violation
and child support
warrant
Charles Allen
Sheffield, 32;
Wanted since
Feb. 2010
Probation violation
Tyrone Patterson,
48
Wanted since
Nov. 2009
Probation violation
Fired WPD officer files appeal
By Elizabeth Billips
lizbillips@yahoo.com
Former Waynesboro police
officer Jonathan Cates has ap
pealed the chief’s decision to fire
him.
Chief Karl E. Allen delivered
Cates’ termination letter on Sept.
14 - two weeks after Georgia
State Patrol troopers jailed the
off-duty officer for racing an
other vehicle through a
Waynesboro neighborhood.
Last week, Cates filed an ap
peal with city administrator Jerry
Coalson, who says he is in the
process of interviewing several
people involved in the case. He
expects to make a decision to
day (Wednesday).
If Cates is not satisfied with
Coalson’s decision, he’ll have 10
days to make a final appeal to
city council. In that case, Cates,
along with other witnesses,
would testify at a public hearing.
His criminal case is on the State
Court docket for November.
Teens burglarize home with preschooler in tow
By Elizabeth Billips
lizbillips@yahoo.com
Three Burke County teen
agers are accused of letting a
preschooler tag along while
they burglarized a home.
Officers detained the three
13-year-old boys after a wit
ness spotted them going into
a vacant Hometract Road
home along with the child, ac
cording to Deputy Tyrone
Brihm of the Burke County
Sheriff’s Office. The trio al
legedly ransacked and van
dalized the home, then stole
a television and other elec
tronic equipment. The goods
were later recovered at the
Waynesboro home of one boy.
According the report, the
entire burglary was witnessed
by one offender’s four-year-
old brother.
The three teens have been
charged through the juvenile
justice system.
FBI releases 2009 crime statistics
According to the figures re
leased today by the FBI, the es
timated number of violent
crimes in the nation declined in
2009 for the third consecutive
year. Property crimes also de
clined in 2009, marking the sev
enth straight year that the col
lective estimates for these of
fenses dropped below the pre
vious year’s total.
Reports from page 8
in a 55 mph zone) and failure to
maintain lane. A $2,650 property
bond was posted.
• Ronnie Lavon Walker, 42, of
Washington Street, Sardis, was
arrested by the Sardis Police De
partment for theft by shoplifting.
Saturday, Sept. 25
• Fernando Ramone Griffin,
38, of Long Road, Girard, was
arrested for battery and three
counts of cruelty to children in
the third degree (Family Vio
lence Act). A $5,775 property
bond was posted.
• Leroy Waltower, 54, of
Phillips Street, Keysville, was ar
rested for simple battery (Fam
ily Violence Act). A $2,450 prop
erty bond was posted
• Jessie Mae Stokes, 47, of
Phillips Street, Keysville, was ar
rested for disorderly conduct
(Family Violence Act) and ob
structing or hindering a law en
forcement officer. A $3,175
property bond was posted.
The 2009 statistics show that
the estimated volumes of vio
lent and property crimes de
clined 5.3 percent and 4.6 per
cent, respectively, when com
pared with the 2008 estimates.
The violent crime rate for the
year was 429.4 offenses per
100,000 inhabitants (a 6.1 per
cent decrease from the 2008
rate), and the property crime
rate was 3,036.1 per 100,000
persons (a 5.5 percent decrease
from the 2008 figure).
These and additional data are
presented in the 2009 edition of
the FBI’s annual report Crime in
the United States. This publica
tion is a statistical compilation
of offense and arrest data re
ported by law enforcement
agencies voluntarily participat
ing in the FBI’s Uniform Crime
Reporting (UCR) Program.
The UCR Program collects
information on crimes reported
by law enforcement agencies
regarding the violent crimes of
murder and nonnegligent man
slaughter, forcible rape, rob
bery, and aggravated assault, as
well as the property crimes of
burglary, larceny-theft, motor
vehicle theft, and arson. (Al
though the FBI classifies arson
as a property crime, it does not
estimate arson data because of
variations in the level of partici
pation by the reporting agen
cies. Consequently, arson is not
included in the property crime
estimate.) The program also col
lects arrest data for the offenses
listed above plus 21 additional
offenses that include all other
crimes except traffic violations.
In 2009, there were 17,985
city, county, university and col
lege, state, tribal, and federal
agencies that participated in the
UCR Program. These agencies
represented 96.3 percent of the
nation’s population. A summary
of the statistics reported by these
agencies are included in Crime
in the United States, 2009.
From Staff Reports
The Georgia Forestry Commis
sion has unveiled a new bum per
mitting system that is being of
fered online.
By logging on to GaTrees.org,
users statewide can instantly re
ceive a permit to burn hand-piled
natural vegetation, when condi
tions in their communities are
safe.
However, residents living
within city limits, like
Wayneboro’s, are not allowed to
bum outdoors at any time due to
existing municipal ordinances.
For those outside the limits, the
new 24-hour bum permitting pro
cess allows users to click through
a simple online template that
swiftly analyzes weather condi
tions, records user requests, and
issues a numbered permit for use
that day. Permits issued after dark
are valid the following day. Resi
dents who prefer to phone in their
requests may still utilize 1-877-
OK2-BURN (1-877-652-2876).
“The new automated system
saves time for our customers who
use the same computer to request
permits,” explained Alan Dozier,
Chief of Forest Protection for the
Georgia Forestry Commission.
"The system ‘remembers’ the
customer, and pulls up their pre
viously entered data, which
speeds the process.” Dozier said
communities also benefit from
the new system because it pro
vides information about the lo
cation of permitted area bums and
contact information for those in
charge.
Permits are required for burn
ing all natural vegetation that is
hand piled, including leaf piles on
the premises where they fall, and
vegetative debris from storm
damage, weed abatement, disease
and/or pest prevention. It is un
lawful to bum all man-made ma
terials such as tires, shingles, plas
tic and lumber. Failure to secure
a valid bum permit may result in
penalties. If an unpermitted fire
escapes and causes wildfire, sup
pression charges will be levied.
The average suppression charge
is $200.
Dozier noted that with mild to
moderate drought conditions
spreading across Georgia, extra
caution will be necessary for any
one planning to bum outdoors.
Fire safety tips and information
about Georgia’s forest re
source, visit GaTrees.org.
CRIME PREVENTION
Brought to
you by:
KARL E.
ALLEN
Chief of Police
SAFETY TIPS FOR
WALKING
1. Avoid walking alone and
at night. Stay in well-
lighted, populated areas.
2. Don’t take short cuts
through vacant lots,
parks or fields.
3. Always walk facing the
traffic so you observe
oncoming vehicles.
4. If you sense that you are
being followed, go to the
nearest well-lighted open
business or where you
see other people gath
ered.
5. Be alert when giving
directions to pedestrians
or motorists. Stay a safe
distance away to avoid
being grabbed or
dragged into an auto
mobile.
Only at...
Mr. Auto Parts
DUI CONVICTION
NAME: Richard Jeremy Johnson
ADDRESS: 2411 Browning Road,
Girard, GA 30426
DATE OF ARREST:
February 21,2010
TIME OF ARREST: 2:47 AM
PLACE OF ARREST:
Griffin Landing Road
DISPOSITION: Guilty Plea/12 Months Probation
except for 2 days confinement/$32.00 Monthly
Probation Fee/Attend Risk Reduction Program/
Alcohol Assessment/$25.00 Photo Fee/30 days
community service/5826.00 Fine/Ignition Interlock
waived due to financial hardship.
DATE OF DISPOSITION:
August 18,2010
NAME OF COURT:
Burke County State Court
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Mn Auto Parts
Waynesboro
201 East 7th Street * UUaynesbnro, GA 30330-1498
706*554-4484 • 706-554-4485
Help
Keep Vour Neighborhood
Safe and Clean
Saturday
October 9,2010
City nf Wciyneiburu
Planning & Development
567 West. 9“ Street
"Old Head Start Building"
8:00cm i - Meet & Greet
8:30am" 0:00pm Clean Up
12;00pm - 12:30pm Lunch
12:30 pm -■ Neighborhood Watch
For more Information Cull
Community Development Director
Trlnetta Shinny at (7og) 554-uooo
Or (706)554-8000
Clean Up, Clean Up, Everybody
Everywhere, Clean Up 111
ip* 'W
mm
We Need You!!!
Residents) ■ Businesses
Church Ministries
Civic Organisations
liny Scouts / Girl Scouts
Etc.,.
Free Lund) Provided
Target Area:
W Street • Gilsttop
Holly l)r ■ Cherry Street
Jones Avenue * ft" 1 Street
Nesbitt |t * Davis Park M
Pierce Street * 7 th Street
Cedar Lane • Ury:ml Street
Martin Luther King Jr, Dr.
Catos Street * Ward Street
W 9 ,h Street # Academy Ave