Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 140, No. 8 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
Established in 1882
Wednesday, April 8, 2020 - $1.00
WPD confirms seven positive for coronavirus
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
Just a few days after Waynesboro
Police Department Road Patrol
Commander Gary Jones tested
positive for COVID-19, the
department has now confirmed more
positive cases.
According to Assistant Chief
Tommy Henderson, seven of the
department’s employees have tested
positive so far.
“Our thoughts are with all of our
staff for a full recovery and a quick
return to public service,” he said,
adding that the department has
been proactive in taking as many
precautions as possible to reduce
exposure for officers as well as the
public. “All confirmed cases are
in quarantine and following the
guidelines set forth from the Heath
Department and the CDC and or
their PCP. I have been in contact
with each of them, and I am happy
to report that the majority of them
are feeling fine and are recovering
well. We have worked diligently in
preparation of the event that one of
our employees would test positive
and have taken steps to ensure and
reassure the community that we
remain fully operational and able
to deliver effective law enforcement
services.”
Henderson went on to encourage
all citizens to adhere and maintain the
Governor’s shelter in-place orders.
“We trust that as a community we
will rally and overcome these trying
times for a better future for us all,”
he said.
On Tuesday afternoon, Henderson
reported that the department was still
at seven positive results but that eight
had been returned negative, 10 were
pending and an additional five were
expected to be tested.
This week, Burt Sappenfield hosted
a briefing for the Burke County
Sheriff’s Office and WPD regarding
the various safety precautions they
should be taking for their personnel,
inmates and those who visit their
facilities and/or interact with their
employees. Sappenfield, who has
29 years experience in indoor air
quality issues, mold inspections,
mold testing, mold prevention/
remediation and water damage,
provided guidelines to the agencies
that are also applicable to food
service workers, delivery personnel
and sales associates. In addition
to frequent hand washing, he
encouraged attendees to
disinfect their shoes and SEE
leaving them in the garage WPD,
or a mud room when 6
First United Methodist Church Preschool teachers laid out a special
surprise for their students last week, just in time for Easter. On Good
Friday, they utilized Facebook to share devotion time and set up
brightly colored baskets outside the school’s doors for each child to
pick up. “It is heart breaking when the laughter and giggles and playing
aren’t in those walls because of something we can’t control,” Director
Kelli Jenkins wrote on Facebook. “May you all feel the blessings that
we have this morning! Continue to notice them each day as we all go
through this new normal.” As students began picking up their prizes,
parents snapped pictures and shared them on social media. Pictured
at right, Ethan Sperry was more than excited to receive his gift.
Virus test site to open here
ROY F. CHALKER JR.
rchalker@bellsouth.net
A COVID 19 testing site will
be operational in Waynesboro by
Thursday.
The East Central Health District
(District VI with Department of
Public Health) will be opening up a
drive-through testing site at Burke
County Middle School, located on
Southside Drive in Waynesboro.
Testing will start on Thursday, April
9th from 10:00 a.m. until 12 noon.
According to Gina Richardson,
County Nurse Manager at the B.
Lamar Murray Public Health Center
here, plans are for the site to be
open Monday-
Friday from
10-12, though VIRUS TEST SITE,
t h i s m a y 3
Local schools promise
graduation to seniors
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
With executive orders handed
down by the governor to close
schools across the state for the
remainder of the school year, area
seniors wonder if they’ll get a chance
to have a graduation ceremony. The
short answer to that is yes — from
all three local high schools.
According to Burke County
Schools Public Information Officer
Amy J. Nunnally, Burke County High
School Principal Dr. Kaveous Preston
has been speaking to both parents
and seniors about their options, and
so far, every parent and senior class
representative
have expressed SEE
they want to have GRADUATION,
a real graduation, 3
Palmer to seek magistrate judgeship
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
Attorney and Burke County native
Andrew Palmer announced this week
his plan to run for chief magistrate
judge for Burke County.
A Burke County High School Class
of 2009 alum, Palmer went on to
study law at Augusta State University,
where he graduated magna cum laude
in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in
both criminal
justice and
sociology.
In 2017, he
graduated cum
laude from
Georgia State
University
College of
Law with
his Juris
Doctorate.
rs
Andrew Palmer
SEE PALMER, 2
Chamber urges businesses to seek financial aid during crisis
ASHLEY ROBERTS
Executive Director
Burke County Chamber of Commerce
As we continue to navigate
through this very difficult time, it is
our goal to provide you with as much
information as possible to assist your
business or organization. Listed
below is a summary of the recently
passed legislation designed to help
small businesses, as well as links to
additional information.
Summary of Small Business
Owner's Guide to the CARES Act:
Payment Protection Program
(PPP) Loans
The program would provide
cash-flow assistance through 100
percent federally guaranteed loans to
employers who maintain their payroll
during this emergency. If employers
maintain their payroll, the loans
would be forgiven, which would help
workers remain employed, as well
as help affected small businesses
and our economy to snap-back
quicker after the crisis. PPP has
a host of attractive features, such
as forgiveness of up to 8 weeks of
payroll based on employee retention
and salary levels, no SBA fees and
at least six months of deferral with
maximum deferrals of up to a year.
Small businesses and other eligible
entities will be able to apply if
they were harmed by COVID-19
between February 15,2020 and June
30, 2020. This program would be
retroactive to February 15, 2020, in
order to help bring workers who may
have already been laid off back onto
payrolls. Loans are available through
June 30, 2020.
• These loans will need to be
applied for through the network of
SBA Lenders.
• These loans are 100% guaranteed
by the SBA instead of the former
85 % for loans under $ 150K and 75 %
guaranties for loans over $150K.
Credit underwriting is substantially
relaxed.
• Interest rates are capped at 4%
with opportunities for deferral on
payments. Loan term is 10 years on
loans that are not expended on costs
that are identified as forgivable.
Small Business Debt Relief
Program
This program will provide
immediate relief to small businesses
with non-disaster SBA loans, in
particular 7(a), 504, and microloans.
Under it, SBA will cover all loan
payments on these SBA loans,
including principal, interest, and
fees, for six months. This relief will
also be available to new borrowers
who take out loans within six months
of the President signing the bill into
law.
Economic Injury Disaster Loans &
Emergency Economic Injury Grants
These grants provide an emergency
advance of up to $10,000 to small
businesses and private non-profits
harmed by COVID-19 within
three days of applying for an SBA
Economic Injury Disaster Loan
(EIDL). To access the advance,
you must first apply for an EIDL
and then request the advance. The
advance does not need to be repaid
under any circumstance, and may be
used to keep employees on payroll,
to pay for sick leave, meet increased
production costs due to supply
chain disruptions, or pay business
obligations, including debts, rent and
mortgage payments.
We urge our small businesses
to take advantage of these SBA
programs. Details can be found on
the SBS web site or through your
local bank.
330 US HWY. 25 NORTH, WAYNESBORO - 706-554-2114 - www.mizellford.com