Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 140, No. 18 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
Established in 1882
Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - $1.00
Waynesboro attorney, court staff resign
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
The City of Waynesboro has
been dealt a handful of resignations
following a line item to discuss
replacing the city attorney on
council's agenda for Monday night.
Just a few hours prior to the meeting,
city attorney Chris Dube submitted
his resignation, and by Tuesday
morning, the city’s public defender,
Marnique Oliver, had resigned as
well. At press time, Chief Municipal
Court Judge Christopher Hudson
and Associate Municipal Court
Judge Gary Beddingheld had also
submitted letters of resignation to
the City of Waynesboro.
“I have received no contact from
any councilmember in this regard,
whether by telephone, text or email,”
Dube said in a letter to city manager
Jerry Coalson. “No meeting has
been requested to discuss any issues
related to my firm’s representation of
the City or my firm’s performance
as its legal counsel. After fifteen
years of service to the City, I would
have expected a higher level of
professionalism and courtesy from
the Mayor and Council.”
On Monday morning, Dube told
The True Citizen he was surprised
to see the agenda.
“It speaks volumes about a council
when they favor backroom politics
over performance,” he said. “They
cannot name one specific legal
issue I have left unattended for
Waynesboro over the past 15 years.”
During Monday’s meeting, council
members discussed how to go about
finding Dube’s replacement, with
Coalson saying they could advertise
for the position but were not obligated
to do so based on the city’s charter.
Councilwoman Alberta Anderson
said she did not want to advertise
it, but council voted to do so. Back
in March, Anderson organized
a finance committee meeting to
discuss the same issue and what the
process was for appointing a new city
attorney. She said at some point she
would like to see a new city attorney
appointed but did not give a specific
reason why. When questioned about
the agenda item prior to Monday’s
meeting, Anderson denied comment.
During the March 10 meeting, the
committee, consisting of Anderson,
Chick Jones and Willie Williams,
discussed advertising for a new
auditor as well as new positions for
a utility locator and a city clerk, and
having an annual review for Coalson.
The committee also reviewed the
list of municipal court judges and
their term lengths and discussed the
process for requesting proposals
for a new contract for operating
and maintaining the Waste Water
Treatment Plant and Sewer services.
Waynesboro Mayor Greg Carswell
was also in attendance; Dube and
Coalson were absent
from the meeting. _ r
In a statement t1cai ' aN ’
released on Tuesday, ^
A different kind of camp
The Burke County Recreation Department has been busy delivering summer camp to children across the
county over the past few weeks through its camp in a box initiative. BCRD Program Manager Dylan Thomas
said the department has been overwhelmed to the response and that staff has given out 500 boxes every
Monday since it began. “Everything we do is for the children in our community, and this has been really
fun for them and for our staff,” he said. “It’s allowed us to see all the faces we haven’t seen in months while
reaching new ones, too. The effort has included our entire staff, from programming to athletics to office and
maintenance. We even have our fitness instructor driving a van. The whole thing has been wonderful.” Next
Monday will wrap up the four-week program with a Fun in the Sun themed box. The delivery schedule for box
drop-offs is available on the BCRD Facebook page or by calling 706.554.5210.
Eddie Byrd
BCHS teacher arrested on
sex crimes against student
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
A Burke County High School
math teacher has been arrested for
sexually assaulting a 15-year-old
female student.
Eddie Byrd, 50, of Augusta was
arrested on June 11 and charged with
sexual assault, computer pornography
and child exploitation, enticing a
child for incident purposes and child
molestation (non aggravated).
According to a report filed at the
Richmond County Sheriff’s Office,
the student’s parents contacted
deputies after she admitted to having
met him in front of their home at 2
a.m. to perform oral sex on him in
exchange for vapor boxes. She told
her parents he’d begun to message
her on Snapchat, asking for nude
photos, and that she was scared.
The girl had performed oral sex
on Byrd four different times since
the beginning of May, the report
said. The reporting g^^
officer also noted
messages from SEX CRIMES,
a contact named 6
Authorities seeking
suspect in armed robbery
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
Authorities are searching
for a man whom they believe
robbed a local convenience
store at gun point.
Madison Antonio Lewis,
34, of Waynesboro is wanted
for armed robbery, two counts
of kidnapping, possession of a
firearm during the commission
of a crime, possession of a
firearm by a convicted felon
and unlawful street gang activity after the June 13
armed robbery at the Burke Haven Corner Store.
According to a report from the Burke County
Sheriff’s Office, Lewis entered the store just
before 10:30 on Saturday night, brandishing a
semi-automatic weapon and wearing socks over
his hands and a face mask. He held the store clerks
at gunpoint, demanding cash from the registers
and left with an undisclosed
amount of money, running across SEE
West Sixth Street toward Gilstrap ROBBERY,
Avenue. 6 Madison Antonio Lewis
706-554-2114 www.mizellford.com Waynesboro, Ga.