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A dog’s
day
Peaches was blessed. So were Barley, Bugsy, Ban
dit and a host of other pets including a cat and a cocka
too at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church’s annual Bless
ing of the Animals at the park Sunday. The Rev. Dr.
Jim Shumard conducted the ceremony in honor of
St. Francis of Assisi with help from the Rev. Deacon
Terri Degenhardt. For more photos, see The True
Citizen’s photo gallery at www.thetruecitizen.com.
Meth lab
raided
By Elizabeth Billips
lizbillips@yahoo.com
A man accused of operating a meth lab was jailed after
investigators found him hiding in a closet.
Mark Lawrence Raymond Jr., 37, was arrested last Tues
day after parole officers and Richmond County narcotics of
ficers paid a visit to his home on Eagle Pass Road in north
Burke County.
According to Sgt. Dan Lowe of the
Burke County Sheriff’s Office, after of
ficers discovered Raymond hiding in a
bedroom closet, they seized a small
amount of methamphetamine, along with
numerous components to make a working
lab. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation
was called in to assist and HAZMAT agents
disposed of toxic chemicals used in meth
production.
More arrests were made when a van
pulled into Raymond’s driveway during the search and sei
zure.
“When they saw officers at the scene they backed out and
took off,” Sgt. Lowe said, noting that the van was pulled
over in Richmond County later that night. Among the occu
pants were Burke County residents Marcus Pope, 30, and
Willis Carson Pope, 38. The younger Pope was arrested for
possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and the elder
was detained for questioning.
Raymond is charged with manufacturing methamphetamine,
possession of methamphetamine and probation violation.
Keysville to hold
festival Saturday
By Anne Marie Kyzer
annemariek@thetruecitizen.com
The 22 nd annual Come Home to Keysville Day will be cel
ebrated this Saturday.
The festival will kick off with a parade through town at 11
a.m.
Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Roy Barnes and Demo
cratic candidate for secretary of state Georganna Sinkfield
will serve as Grand Marshalls.
The parade will proceed to the Keysville City Park, where
vendors, children’s activities and plenty of good food will
fill the afternoon.
Sen. Ed Tarver will be the guest speaker.
This year’s festival will also include the Keysville Cook
Off and a car show.
For more information or to sign up for the parade, contact
Keysville City Hall at 706-547-3007.
Mark Lawrence
Raymond Jr.
Childcare program begins in old Blakeney
By Anne Marie Kyzer
annemariek@thetruecitizen.com
A dusty, long-unused wing in
the old Blakeney Elementary
School is now bustling with tod
dlers at play and the babble of
babies.
Burke County launched its
Early Head Start program last
Friday, welcoming children, ages
6 weeks to 3 years, to a renovated
portion of the old building that
has been transformed into a state-
of-the-art childcare facility.
“We had an excellent day for
the opening. It was veiy well re
ceived,” director Allene Reed
said. “I think our parents were
very excited and I know the chil
dren were.”
It’s a project that’s been nearly
a year and a half in the making
and is bringing millions of fed
eral dollars as well as nearly 30
7 *1612 2 *04 420 7
jobs to Burke County.
"It took us a while to get it but
it’s here,” Reed said. “It’s been a
beautiful transition.”
The program offers enriched
childcare and parental develop
ment services to low income
families at no charge. Aside from
the 64 children cared for by day
at the center, 30 pregnant moth
ers are also receiving prenatal
counseling and services.
Burke County Public School
officials are administering the
program using $2.6 million in
federal funding. The grant re
ceived from the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services
was the only new program of its
kind funded in the entire state this
go-round. The money will fund
Early Head Start for two years,
after which time local officials
plan to re-apply and continue the
program, according to Assistant
Superintendent Howell Thomp
son, who led the effort on behalf
of the school system. Thompson
said dozens of children are already
on a waiting list for the program,
illustrating the need in Burke
County.
Reed stressed the importance
of the services offered, which
especially target teen mothers and
require participants to be attend
ing school, be employed or ac
tively seeking work.
Though the center has been
staffed, Reed is calling for vol
unteers to participate in story
time, meals and other activities.
For more information, contact
Thompson at 706-554-5101 or
Reed at 706-554-2306.
A New Look at Old Blakeney
Though a date has not been set,
an open house is being planned
for the end of this month. Reed
and Thompson want to offer com
munity members a chance to see
the transformation within the old
building. From the eight immacu
late classrooms to the covered play
ground outside, administrators
hope area residents will take pride
in the improvements.
Two toddlers host a pretend tea party during the opening day of Burke County’s
Early Head Start.