Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 132, No. 31 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
Established in 1882
Wednesday, October 3,2012 - $1.0C
Investigator Charles Prescott cuffs suspected drug dealer Nicholas Gresham.
LU
I
Operation Clean Sweep
Police charge 19 drug dealers
By Elizabeth Billips
lizbillips@yahoo.com
While the sun was rising Thurs
day morning, Waynesboro police
were filling their transport van
with suspected drug dealers.
All the suspects had sold drugs
to undercover officers equipped
with hidden video cameras, ac
cording to police chief Alfonzo
Williams.
By yesterday (Tuesday) morn
ing, 11 offenders had been ar
rested during the round-up. Op
eration Clean Sweep. They’re
accused of selling everything
from prescription medication to
crack cocaine and methamphet-
amines.
Police are still searching for
eight more suspects.
“Having them on video/audio
should facilitate some plea deals
...I don’t think many of these
cases will go to trial," Chief Wil
liams said. “Hopefully this will
help the DA move the cases
along.”
Investigators said all the buys
took place over a 40-day period,
and the majority of the suspected
dealers had been the subject of
complaints from Waynesboro
residents.
‘ ‘We focused on those who have
been habitual in the sale of chugs,”
the chief added, noting that a num
ber of the offenders have previ
ous convictions. “ And we also
paid attention to complaints from
citizens."
- See page 9 for photos
of all 19 suspects
Suspects second shooting since July
Waynesboro man
murdered at club
By Elizabeth Billips
lizbillips@yahoo.com
A Waynesboro man was murdered during a birthday party at
Club 358.
Rockregas Sursson, 24, was shot just before 2 a.m. Sunday as he
walked to a car to retrieve a CD.
Later that afternoon, Brandon Rashad Mickens, 19, was arrested
for his murder.
“The witness said that as Sursson
went to open the car door, Mickens
came up from behind and shot him,”
Sgt. Dan Lowe of the Burke County
Sheriff’s Office said, noting security
officers kicked Mickens out of the club
earlier that morning for fighting with
an unknown man. “We are still un
sure what the motive was ... whatwe’re
hearing is that the victim and offender
knew each other but had never, ever
had a problem with each other."
But this wasn’t the first shooting at
the hands of the Waynesboro teen.
Mickens was jailed in July for firing two shots a former Burke
County Bears football star during a party celebrating his Navy re
cruitment. In that case, the victim escaped with a grazed hand and
was able to report to the Navy as planned.
Sunday’s victim took a single bullet in the back and died at 3:25
a.m. while being prepped for surgery at Georgia Health Sciences
Medical Center, according to Burke County Coroner Lee Webster.
Mickens fled from the Bates Road Club before Burke County
deputies arrived. Later that afternoon his father called a Waynesboro
police officer and said his son was ready to turn himself in. Mickens
was taken into custody without incident and is being held at Burke
County Jail without bond.
Deputies say they are still fracking down leads and looking for
witnesses among the 100-150 people who attended the birthday
party Saturday night and Sunday morning. Anyone who saw the
shooting or has any information related to the case is asked to call
investigators at 706-554-2133.
The next big thing
Vogtle readies for first pour
of nuclear grade concrete
By Anne Marie Kyzer
annemariek@thetruecitizen.com
It’s seen as the most signifi
cant event since Plant Vogtle
received its historic construction
and operating license last Feb
ruary.
Later this month, the long
anticipated “first pour” of
nuclear grade concrete will
flow into Unit 3’s nuclear is
land.
Joseph “Buzz” Miller, for one,
plans to be there to witness the
6,800 cubic yards of nuclear
concrete taking shape.
As the executive vice presi
dent of nuclear development for
Georgia Power and Southern
Nuclear, Miller sees that first
pour as a major event along the
construction timeline.
“It’s a definitely a big mile
stone,” he said on a tour of the
site last week, peering far be
low into the nuclear island and
watching workers make prepa
rations. “I would venture to say
we’ll have a lot of company
leadership here for it.”
For 48 hours around the
clock, concrete will flow
through large boom pumps to
fill in the bottom 6-feet of the
nuclear island where a network
of rebar enforcements are in
place. About two dozen mixer
trucks will haul concrete
- See Vogtle, page 9
Hundreds of workers, Southern Nuclear personnel and NRC inspectors were on hand to perform a “practice pour,” simulating
the placement of nuclear grade concrete later this month.
Nearly 350 turn out for benefit race
By Anne Marie Kyzer
annemariek@thetruecitizen.com
It’s hard to say who had more
fun.. .the children who benefited
from last Saturday’s Bird Dog
Breakaway or the hundreds of
runners who were there to sup
port them.
Nearly 350 pounded the pave
ment to raise around $ 10,000 in
the fifth annual 5K.
The event benefit’s the Cen
ter for New Beginnings, a local
non-profit that provides services
and resources at no cost to chil
dren with special needs and their
families. And thanks to 48 spon
sors and a huge jump in partici
pation, the fundraiser will help
the donation-fueled center make
more professionals available to
those children, who cope with
Hundreds turned out to either participate or support the Breakaway. Clay Wilson, 17, far left,
crossed the finish line first in the 5K with his time of 18:18.
a range of behavioral, physical
and emotional challenges.
Serious runners and stroller
pushing parents alike set off
from the start line at the city
park in the 5K run and 2-mile
walk, while a number of young
sters sprinted in the Derby Dash
and Pup Trot.
But perhaps the most excit
ing moment was when a num
ber of the 125 children served
by the center crossed the finish
line in an adaptive run/walk of
- See Race, page 9
18
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04420
7
From 4 th and 5 th graders
Spooky stories wanted
Go ahead ... give us goose bumps!
Between now and Oct. 24, fourth- and fifth-graders are invited
to scare us in the annual Spooky Story Writing Contest, spon
sored by The True Citizen and Papa’s Pizza to Go.
We’ll publish our favorite stories in the Oct. 31 Halloween
edition of the newspaper, then readers will go online and vote for
their top picks.
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, private or
home schools.
Stories will be judged on readability, plot, originality, the use
of suspense and the ability to scare the heebie-jeebies out of us.
Movie plots and graphic violence should be avoided.
Entries must be received at The True Citizen office, 629Shadrack
Street, Waynesboro, no later than 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 24.
They may also be emailed to TmeCitizenNews@hve.com or faxed
to 706-526-4779.
Stories should be typed or clearly printed, no more than 500
words and include the author’s full name, grade, teacher and school.