Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 140, No. 11 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
Established in 1882
Wednesday, April 29, 2020 - $1.00
Schools set promotion!credit plans
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
The Burke County Public
School System has announced its
promotion/credit criteria for the
2019-2020 school year in light of
the coronavirus outbreak.
According to a press release
following the board of education’s
meeting last week, all students in
pre-K through the eighth grade will
be promoted to the next grade. “The
standards missed at the end of this
school year will be taught at the
beginning of the 2020-2021 school
year,” the release stated. “Teachers
will continue distance learning to
help students, at minimum, maintain
their current level of mastery.”
For high school students, their
grades at the end of the third quarter
will be their final grades, though
they do have the opportunity to
improve those grades by working
on assignments through the last
day of school, which is May 22. No
students’ grades will be negatively
impacted, the release went on to say.
Beginning this week, Waynesboro
Primary, Blakeney Elementary and
the city park in Sardis now serve
as meal pickup locations for area
students. All students, 18 years and
younger, will be served regardless
of their school affiliation. Pickup
times are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday -
Friday. Children must be present
when picking up meals. The school
board’s statement also said they
hope to begin the bus meal deliveries
again soon.
BCHS seniors may pick up their
cap and gown as well as graduation
announcements on Monday, May 4,
from 1-3 p.m. at the school.
According to Amy Nunnally,
BCPS Public Information Officer,
the items will be handed out via zero
contact curbside delivery directly
to the backseat or trunk of the
vehicle. “Please have a sign with
your student’s name to hold up to
the window for the representatives
to see,” she said. “Every precaution
for a safe, sanitary delivery will
be taken.” This date
is subject to change
pending alterations
to the shelter-in-place 2
SEE
SCHOOLS,
Virus test site moves to McDuffie
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
After two weeks of operation in Burke County,
the Department of Public Health’s SPOC (Specimen
Point of Collection) site for COVID-19 has moved
on to McDuffie County.
Gina Richardson, County Nurse Manager at
B. Lamar Murray Public Health Center, says
the decision to move was to serve others in the
northern part of the health district as Burke served
the southern counties.
“We were fortunate to be able to initially host
the site,” Richardson said, adding that during its
two-week duration, 639 people from all over the
13-county region were tested; of those, 21 results
were positive. “I am very happy with what Burke
County partners/agencies accomplished while
hosting DPH’s COVID-19 SPOC site. It was
well-organized, easy to navigate, and efficient.
A huge shoutout to our screening/testing staff
as well; we had one patient who compared
their experience to Chick Fil-A, a morally-high
standard corporation, who certainly sets the bar
for customer service and efficiency.”
Though this particular site has moved from
Burke County, Richardson added that Augusta
University continues to test in both Richmond
and Columbia counties. “Public health would like
everyone to have an opportunity
for free COVID-19 testing, SEE
but still following a screening TEST SITE,
process. Regardless of where 2
Local businesses deal
with economy restart
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
While many businesses across the
state and in the local area are still
debating on whether or not to open
their doors, those who have say
things are definitely different.
Taylor’s BBQ in Waynesboro
returned Monday after a month
long hiatus due to the COVID-19
pandemic, and Anita Flakes said
even with the changes, “it feels so
good to be back.”
The restaurant, famous for its
southern-style menu and made-
to-order hamburgers, now has a
plastic shield separating customers
from those working the buffet line,
but that did not stop the faithfuls
from showing up for lunch Monday
afternoon. “We have to wipe
down counters and
SEE
appliances every hour
whether they are used RESTART,
or not, and everyone 8
Palmer appointed to fill remainder
of term for Chief Magistrate Judge
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
Local attorney Andrew Palmer
has been appointed as Burke County
Chief Magistrate Judge.
Superior Court Chief Judge Carl
C. Brown Jr. made the announcement
last week. In a letter to county
manager Merv Waldrop, Brown
wrote, “After prayerful consideration
and deliberation, the Judges of the
Superior Court have unanimously
agreed to appoint Mr. Andrew A.
Palmer to the remainder of the term
... We trust that Mr. Palmer will
serve well.”
The seat was left vacated following
the March 18 death of incumbent
judge Sterling Wimberly, who had
served in the position for the past
12 years.
Palmer, an alum of Burke County
High School, studied 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. That same year,
he joined the Office of the District
Attorney for Burke, Richmond
and Columbia counties, serving
Andrew Palmer
as Assistant District Attorney.
Currently, he is an associate attorney
at the Law Offices of Tanya D.
Jeffords & Associates, the position
he took in March of this year.
According to Burke County Board
of Elections Director Laveme Sello,
a special qualifying period for
democratic candidates only will be
held the first week of August because
no Republican had qualified earlier.
The November General Election will
ultimately determine Wimberly’s
successor.
Palmer has already announced his
intention to run for the office.
Gov. Kemp undecided on when to end Georgia shelter-in-place
BEAU EVANS
Capitol Beat News Service
Ahead of an April 30 end to the
state’s shelter-in-place order, Gov.
Brian Kemp urged Georgians to
continue social distancing and
to seek testing if they experience
common coronavirus symptoms
like coughing, fever and shortness
of breath.
At a news conference Monday,
Kemp did not say whether he will
extend the statewide shelter-in-place
order beyond Thursday, when it is
set to end. The order has already
been extended once since it was first
issued on April 3.
He noted only that the order is
currently scheduled to end after
April 30 and that he plans to make
a decision later this week on what
to do next.
“I just haven’t made those
decisions yet,” Kemp said.
The governor did say, however,
that elderly persons and those with
chronic health issues will likely need
to continue sheltering-in-place well
into mid-May, and perhaps for longer
than that.
Georgia's shelter-in-place order
has required people to remain at
home except for essential errands
like grocery runs and to exercise,
and for most businesses to limit their
operations only to levels that will
keep them financially afloat.
As businesses start slowly
reopening, Kemp and the state’s
public health commissioner,
Dr. Kathleen Toomey, stressed
that anyone in Georgia who is
experiencing common coronavirus
symptoms can now receive a
diagnostic test. On Monday, Kemp
called on those with symptoms to
“take us up on this offer.”
“We have the tests, we have the
physicians, we have the sites and
we have the bandwidth,” Kemp
said. “What we need
right now is to have SEE
more Georgians SIP,
participate.” 2
Let’s Support Local Bisiiosses As The; Begin To le-opei
They need us now more than ever/
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