Newspaper Page Text
MEET. PRAY. LOVE
Morning prayer becomes ritual at Burke County High
By Anne Marie Kyzer
annemariek@thetruecitizen.com
Students across the county
gathered in front of their
schools for prayer before the
morning bell last Wednesday.
Just like others nationwide,
they observed See You at the
Pole, an annual event that
brings students together for
prayer.
At public and private schools
across town, students and
teachers traded turns lifting up
prayers for their schools, class
mates and community. At
Edmund Burke Academy, they
incorporated scripture and two
students strummed their guitars
for a hymn.
But the sight of students bow
ing their heads on Burke
County High School’s front
lawn last Wednesday wasn’t a
whole lot different than it had
been on many other mornings
this school year.
Since the school year began,
classmates have been gathering
for prayer before school every
Monday, Wednesday and Fri
day, thanks to the leadership of
three friends who had strong
faith in common.
Over the summer, marching
band drum major Nakia Will
iams shared with fellow band
member JaLeah Jordan and
Bears running back Orlando
“Dre” Howard his hope for
organizing morning prayers to
affect change in their school.
After principal Sam Adkins
gave them his wholehearted
support, the three spread the
word on facebook and watched
in awe the first week of school.
"The first day, we had fifty-
six,” Williams said, his eyes
shining. “And that Friday, I’ll
never forget, we had seventy-
three.”
Initially, students would take
turns praying, mostly for their
school, their safety and that of
their classmates, their teachers
and their administrators, but
then wanted more for their
morning.
"We started out with a prayer
for everybody to receive a qual
ity education, but most impor
tantly, to be covered under the
blood of Jesus,” Williams ex
plained. “Now we do a full
devotional and a song. We felt
like it was pointless without a
scripture.”
And just as they had hoped,
Williams said they have
watched their prayers being
answered.
“We’ve seen our test scores
rising and better grades, and I
believe overall everyone just
has a more positive attitude,”
he said.
Adkins agreed and said he’s
touched to see students place
such an emphasis on the power
of prayer.
“Our student body believes
they can be successful and this
is another way they are build
ing that capacity,” he said. “Our
school is really changing and
it’s exciting to watch.”
As for Williams, he’s mostly
excited to see so many of his
classmates exercise their faith,
opening their hearts and their
school to Christ.
“You can always take the
prayer out of schools but not
out of the students,” he said.
"And like the Bible says, where
two or three are gathered. He
will be in the midst of them.”
For photos of See You at
the Pole, see page 25.
Redistricting plans hinge on demographics
By Anne Marie Kyzer
annemariek@thetruecitizen.com
The racial makeup of pro
posed voting districts delayed
local officials in their decision
for drawing new lines.
Burke County Commission
ers and Board of Education
members met last week to dis
cuss three possible options for
the new districts, which will be
redrawn based on 2010 Cen
sus data.
County Administrator Merv
Waldrop and Superintendent
Finda Bailey met with legisla
tive reapportionment staff in
Atlanta and brought three op
tions back for commissioners
and BOE members to consider.
However, those options
didn’t result in districts that had
the same racial composition as
the current ones.
Historically, Burke County’s
districts 1 and 2 have been
majority African-American.
But the population has shifted
since the current districts were
approved in 2002, making Af
rican-Americans the minority
in district 1.
"One of the things that be
came apparent was the change
in demographics ... the racial
composition of the districts.
There was enough concern so
support for a plan would not
have been unanimous,”
Waldrop said. “They want a
proposal that everyone is com
fortable with.”
Bailey and Waldrop are
scheduled to travel back to At
lanta next week and meet with
reapportionment staff to de
velop two more options.
Once local officials agree on
a redistricting plan, it will be
sent to the Department of Jus
tice for approval.
The Justice Department rec
ommends the districts be
within a 2 percent deviation
from each other in population
and that leaders attempt to have
the same racial ratios as before.
7 *18122
'04420
Shooting ruled accidental
Policeman shot
by deputy
returns home
By Elizabeth Billips
lizbillips@yahoo.com
A Waynesboro policeman has been released from the hos
pital after being accidentally shot by another officer.
Friday night, officer Daniel Windham was rushed to MCG
Health hospital after his elbow was shattered by a shotgun
blast.
Waynesboro Police
Chief Alfonzo Williams
called the shooting “an
unfortunate accident”
that happened when
Burke County Deputy
Mark Gatlin, who was
helping police raid a li
quor house on Martin
Futher King Drive,
tripped over the curb and
accidentally fired his
Deputy Mark Gatlin, left, re
turned to work this week, and
officer Daniel Windham, right,
continues to recover at home.
weapon.
Windham, who was running ahead of him, took two pellets
to the back of his elbow.
The 24-year-old officer, who has been on the Waynesboro
force just over a year, underwent surgery Friday night and
was discharged Monday. “He is in very good spirits,” the
chief said, noting Windham is expected to return to work
after a couple of months of physical therapy.
Deputy Gatlin, who has been with the county around six
months, was initially put on paid suspension but returned to
work last night (Tuesday), according to Burke County Sher
iff Greg Coursey.
Waynesboro police are expected to wrap up their internal
investigation this week with footage that was recorded by a
patrol car camera. All of the witnesses and evidence have
affirmed that the shooting was completely accidental, Chief
Williams reiterated.
The chief also made clear that Windham and Gatlin have
been in communication and are on good terms.
“They have reached out to one another and are equally con
cerned about the other,” Chief Williams said. “They are both
already healing. We really want them to recover and get back
to work and doing what they do best.”
THE JOB
The accident didn't keep Waynesboro police and Burke County
deputies from the job they set out on Friday night.
They'd already arrested Antonio “Tony” Vershone Mims, 33, back in
June for the illegal sale of alcohol and suspected
he was at it again. Waynesboro police got the
confirmation they needed for a no-knock war
rant when an informant purchased a liquor drink
at a Martin Luther King Drive home that Mims
uses as a “gathering place” several weeks ago.
They served that warrant around 8 p.m. Fri
day and seized assorted bottles of beer and
liquor, plastic cups and more than $250 cash.
Antonio "Tony" Mims was once again jailed for unlawful manu-
Vershone Mims facture/possession/transportation of alcoholic
beverages.
From 4 th -5 th graders
Spooky Stories wanted
Go ahead... scare us.
Between now and Oct. 19, fourth- and fifth-graders are
invited to give us a good fright in our annual Spooky Story
Writing Contest, sponsored by The True Citizen and Papa’s
Pizza to Go.
We’ll publish our favorite stories in the Oct. 26 Halloween
edition of the newspaper, then readers will go online and choose
the winner.
The student with the most votes will win a pizza party for
his or her entire class, compliments of Papa’s Pizza.
The contest is open to all fourth- and fifth-graders who live
in Burke County or are enrolled in Burke County public, pri
vate or home schools.
Stories will be judged on readability, originality, use of sus
pense and the ability to scare the heebie-jeebies out of us.
Graphic violence and movie plots should be avoided.
Entries must be received at The True Citizen office, on East
Sixth Street, Waynesboro, no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday,
Oct. 19. They may also be emailed to
tmecitizennews@Uve.com.
Stories should be typed or clearly printed, no more than
500 words, and should include the author’s full name, grade,
teacher and school.
877-637-3586
www.mizellford.com