Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 139, No. 51 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
Established in 1882
Wednesday, February 5 , 2020 - $1.00
Myers appointed probate judge
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal @ gmail.com
Following the retirement of
longtime Probate Judge Preston B.
Lewis III, Burke County recently
welcomed Rex T. Myers to take on
the roll.
On Friday, Myers was officially
sworn into office by Superior Court
Judge John Flythe, surrounded
by family, friends and colleagues
within the judicial system. The
appointment, which was made by
Superior Court Judge Carl C. Brown,
is for the remainder of Lewis’ term,
set to expire Dec. 31, 2020. Myers
has said he plans to qualify and run
for the position in the next general
election cycle.
In order to accept the appointment,
Myers, a Waynesboro resident, had to
resign from his position as Assistant
District Attorney for the Augusta
Judicial Circuit. Originally appointed
in March 2003 by Daniel J. Craig,
he has served under five District
Attorneys and was most recently
assigned as the lead prosecutor to
the Court of Judge Sheryl B. Jolly
before resigning.
“This career has been a great
source of pride in my life,” he
wrote in his resignation letter. “I
take great satisfaction in knowing
that my work as a prosecutor is
honorable, respectable valuable
and meaningful. I have obtained a
tremendous amount of legal jury
trial experience in the last 17 years.”
Prior to his appointment in
the District Attorney’s Office in
2003, Myers had a private law
practice in Jackson, Miss., from
Sept. 1998-April 2000,
and in Waynesboro, June ®EE
2000-March 2003, in the MYERS,
areas of criminal defense, 3A
Rex T. Myers
Eli Farrow and Jared DeLoach
STAR students
announced
Tripp Parker and Karen Reeves
DIANA ROYAL • jdianaroyal@gmail.com
Three seniors have been selected to represent their high schools as
the 2019-2020 STAR students.
Those receiving the prestigious distinction include Burke County
High School’s Eli Farrow, Edmund Burke Academy’s Tripp Parker
and Faith Christian Academy’s Benjamin Chamberlin. The trio, along
with their parents and their STAR teachers, will be recognized during
the annual awards ceremony, hosted by the Waynesboro Exchange
Club, on Monday, Feb. 10. The district STAR student will be revealed
at this time.
Recipients of the STAR student award must meet certain criteria
to be selected for the honor. They not only hold the highest SAT
(Scholastic Assessment Test) score at their respective schools, but
they must also be academically performing in the top 10 percent of
their class.
Two of this year’s STAR teachers are first time recipients of the
special honor: Farrow chose BCHS history teacher Jared DeLoach,
and Chamberlin chose FCA’s Kelley Johnson. At Edmund Burke,
Karen Reeves was picked by Parker, adding the 14th selection for
the beloved teacher.
Continue reading to learn more about these STAR SEE
students and the teachers who have been instrumental in STAR,
their successful and bright high school careers. 8A ® en < ^^ iam ^ )er ^ n anc ^ Kelley Johnson
Wimberly
Gala is
Saturday
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
It’s a Southern soiree perfect for a Saturday
night.
This year’s A Taste of Burke County, the
annual fundraiser for the Wimberly House
Ministries, celebrates Southern charm and
grace while serving up some of the most
amazing foods the CSRA has to offer. In
addition to the shindig’s impressive lineup
of restaurants and one of a kind dishes and
desserts, the gala also gives attendees an
opportunity to bid on items in both live and
silent auctions, including items made by local
artists (such as pottery, prints and paintings),
fine jewelry and several other surprises. The
featured band, Flashback, also returns for
another year of making memories.
The gala will be held at First Liberty Market
in Downtown Waynesboro, with doors opening
at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 8. Tickets for the event
are still available; they are $50 in advance for
individuals and will be $60 at the door. Rates
for corporate sponsors are also available.
Thirteen restaurants, caterers and local
foodies appear on the menu including Brown’s
Seafood, Byne Blueberry Farm, Camino
Real, Country Boys Cooking, Delmac, Dye’s
Catering, El Toro Taqueria, Finely Seasoned
Catering, Fish Eye Grill, Fuji, Good Day Cafe,
Honey’s Catering, JJ’s Krazy Nutz, Paulette’s
Fine Food and Pineland Bakery.
Lynn White, executive director for Wimberly
House Ministries, said she and other organizers
are continuously blown away by the generosity
and support of the community. “Our ministry
relies on this fundraiser to provide many
services throughout Burke County, and our
supporters keep us going from year to year,”
she said, adding that last year’s gala brought in
approximately $40,000. “We thank everyone
for their continued contributions, love and
support and hope to see another large crowd
on Saturday. The Wimberly board and friends
look forward to this fellowship each February.”
For tickets or additional information, contact
White at 706.339.2609.
Vaughts, Collins named Citizen, Business of the Year at Chamber meeting
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
The Citizen of the Year award
was a bit different for 2020 — for
the first time, it was received by two
individuals rather than one.
During the Burke County
Chamber of Commerce Annual
Meeting on Thursday night, Chip
Bareheld went on to explain what
set this year’s recipients apart.
“This year’s honoree is not a
Burke County native, although
they have lived and worked here
for quite some time now,” he said.
“This couple is not an organization
or group known for their work in this
community. They are simply two
people who have quietly taken the
commandment of ‘do unto others’
and have turned it into, for lack of a
better word, a hobby that fills a large
part of their spare time.”
As he began listing their efforts
— helping the homeless, the elderly,
children in crisis — eyes around
the room landed on Paul and Jean
Vaught.
“The kind acts of this couple
are numerous and wide ranging,”
Bareheld went on. “For over a decade,
the wife of this couple has travelled
to Peru every summer to work in
schools, orphanages, hospitals and
prisons. Together, they have travelled
to areas of Texas,
SEE
Louisiana, Virginia,
North Carolina and CHAMBER,
Georgia to provide 9A
At right: Citizen
of the Year: The
husband wife
duo of Paul and
Jean Vaught were
named Citizen of
the Year. They
are pictured with
Chamber board
member Chip
Barefield, far right.
Come Join Us For
of (Jurfce County
To Benefit Wimberly House Ministries
Saturday, February 8
First Liberty Market
6:30-11:00 p.m
330 US HWY. 25 NORTH, WAYNESBORO - 706-554-2114 - www.mizellford.com