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Teenager murdered in Magnolia Acres
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
Another teenager is dead following
a shooting at the Magnolia Acres
housing complex.
According to the Burke County
Sheriff’s Office, deputies and
Waynesboro Police officers
responded to a call around 8:15 on
the night of Wednesday, Nov. 27,
with reports of a shooting at the
housing authority complex. Upon
arrival, authorities found the body
of 17-year-old Ta'Corey Brigham
of Girard.
Law enforcement officers worked
together canvassing the area and
questioning witnesses and say they
are now processing evidence and
following up on various leads. BCSO
Chief Deputy Lewis Blanchard
said no further information can
be provided at this time as the
investigation is still open.
Anyone with information
regarding the case is asked to call
the sheriff’s office at 706.554.2133.
A $2,000 reward is being offered
by the BCSO for information that
assists with an arrest/conviction.
Brigham’s death, which occurred
on the eve of Thanksgiving, is not the
first teen killed in a shooting incident
this year.
Tybrelyn Kelly, 16, was murdered
on June 23 in Briarwood Apartments,
and less than a month later, 19-year-
old T’Rique McCollough was shot
to death in Sardis on July 4. All
suspects who have been arrested and
charged with those murders were
teenagers at the time..
Malik Harris, then 17, was charged
in Kelly's murder, and Vernon
Donnell Rhodes Jr. and Montrez
Jerquail Griffin, 16 and 19 at the time
of their arrests, have been charged for
the murder of McCollough.
“The violence that we are seeing
across the CSRA and across America
involving our youth is of grave
concern and something that we must
all work on to resolve,” said Chief
Deputy Blanchard.
Ta'Corey Brigham
Staff from the Burke County Recreation
Department have been busy this week
sprucing up the old courthouse for Christmas.
(Photo by Dylan Thomas)
20 years of tradition
Christmas on Liberty
Square is Friday night
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
Twenty years of tradition will be
the centerpiece for Friday night’s
festivities.
The Downtown Organization of
Retailers (DOOR) will present its
20th annual Christmas on Liberty
Square beginning at 5 p.m. on Dec.
6. Citizens of Burke County will
gather to celebrate two decades of
Christmas tradition, while adding a
few new ones to the list.
As always, the event will open with
the Victorian stroll at 5:30 as carolers
make their way by candlelight from
First United Methodist Church to
the old courthouse steps. VOCE: the
Young Voices of Greater Augusta
will lead Christmas carols, and Jesse
C. Palmer III will give the historical
address. Carol Palmer will then read
“The Christmas Story,” and a certain
elf from the North Pole is said to be
making a special arrival.
A number of performances are
planned at First Liberty Market,
beginning with OnCue Dance
Studio at 6:15 and Simply Strut
Dance Studio at 7:30.
A live nativity provided by
Vineyard Church of Burke County
will be located in the alley next to
Good Day Cafe.
From 6:15-9 visits and pictures
with Santa Claus will take place
in the old Capital City Bank and
children are invited to have cookies
and story time with Mrs. Claus in
the DOOR elf house.
Free activities for children will
take place all evening, including
favorites such as the Polar Express
train ride and Christmas-themed
arts and crafts provided by local
businesses. Businesses and vendors
will also have a variety of items
available for purchase, from food
to toys and other crafts, not to
mention drink and food specials
at local eateries and discounts at
multiple shops.
Attendees also have the chance
to help warm up the holidays for
those less fortunate. Burke County
High School’s art club, “ARTreach,”
will be collecting coats, jackets,
sweaters and hoodies to donate
locally.
DOOR co-chair Lindsey Beazley
Keller says this year the organization
has a 20th anniversary Christmas on
Liberty gift for those who spend a
minimum of $20 at participating
stores.
“It’s our way of saying thank you
to those who continue to support
this amazing event year after year.
Christmas
on Liberty is
such a beloved
tradition, and
we hope to see
it still just as
special to our community another
twenty years from now.”
SEE
CHRISTMAS
ON LIBERTY,
2A
New turn signals coming to Waynesboro bypass intersections
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
New turn signals will soon be
going up at two Burke County in
tersections notorious for severe and
oftentimes deadly crashes.
The Georgia Department of Trans
portation (GDOT) announced Mon
day that it had reviewed warrants for
left-turn signal phases along Burke
Veterans Parkway, specifically the
intersections of highways 24 and 56.
“The results mean both loca
tions will receive left turn signals
heading southbound, GA 24 going
westbound and GA 56 coming east-
bound,” said GDOT spokesperson
Kyle Collins, adding that total war
rants for the left-turn signal additions
were not met for all four corners of
each intersection mentioned. “When
installed, these new signal heads will
operate as Tagging lefts’ meaning
the head kicks in at the end of the
signal cycle. The green ball comes
for the mainline travel first, allowing
a yield turn condition during that
time, and then those still sitting in
the left turn bay are activated at the
end of the cycle with what will be a
Plashing Yellow Arrow head.”
Over the last several years, these
intersections have seen a number of
crashes. According to Burke County
Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Lewis
Blanchard, there were 15 accidents
on Highway 25 from Liberty Street
to Highway 24 last year, and in the
past three years, three people have
died at the intersection of highways
24 and 25.
Blanchard said the sheriffs office
has met with GDOT regularly in
an effort to reduce crashes, injuries
and fatalities. “Recently, [GDOT]
extended the 55 mph speed zone past
the new Dodge dealership, added
various signs and added rumble
strips in various areas,” he said.
“Now, we are getting some new safe
ty additions to help the Waynesboro
bypass area. We have also requested
a full county safety study and are on
the list for next year.”
Collins says GDOT will provide
updates when the contract is awarded
in the coming weeks and install work
is slated to begin.
He added that the bypass corridor
will be added to a request list for
a future Road Safety Audit (RSA)
under the GDOT Safety Office.
“The RSA will bring local officials
and transportation engineers together
in Waynesboro to evaluate the data
and make site visits,” he said. “A
report will be developed with future
safety project changes along the
roadway.”
330 US HWY. 25 NORTH, WAYNESBORO - 706-554-2114 - www.mizellford.com