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Vol. 140, No. 21 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
Established in 1882
Wednesday, July 15, 2020 - $1.00
Suspect arrested
Teen in intensive care following shooting
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
A teenage girl underwent surgery
Monday after being shot multiple
times in Waynesboro, and in less
than 24 hours, her shooter was
behind bars.
Alfonzo Shondell Green Jr.,
17, was arrested Monday evening
following a search, conducted by
both the Burke County Sheriff’s
Office and US Marshals, that
spread across Burke and Richmond
counties. He was charged with
felony aggravated assault and felony
possession of a firearm during the
commission of a crime.
According to reports from the
BCSO, the shooting occured around
2:15 that morning at MLK Drive
and Blakeney Street. Chief Deputy
Lewis Blanchard said the 13-year-
old victim knew the suspect and
that she was shot multiple times
before running from the scene,
about 300 yards, into a Waynesboro
Police cruiser. She was transported
to Augusta University Medical
Center and underwent surgery just
after 10 a.m. On Monday night, she
was reportedly in stable condition
at the hospital’s surgical intensive
care unit.
Blanchard said the shooting is
being investigated as potentially
gang-related but was not able to
provide any additional SEE
information on the SHOOTING
open investigation. g
“These senseless
Alfonzo Shondell Green Jr.
Brice Blackburn used art to express his feelings about the
coronavirus pandemic.
BCHS art students
prepore for virtual show
DIANA ROYAL • jdianaroyal@gmail.com
Though their time in the classroom was cut short, students in
Stan Dodson’s AP art class at Burke County High School were
determined to finish their portfolios with just as much thought
and effort as the classes before them. Not only did the group of
17 meet their deadline for submission, but now they are gearing
up for a virtual art show to display their talents.
“These changes [due to the coronavirus pandemic] were
unparalleled, resulting in loss of face-to-face instruction
time and limited access to acquire, build and strengthen
class concepts,” Dodson said, adding that it not only
impacted the products being created but also the artists
SEE
ARTS,
15
Morgan Chancey shows the process she went through to
create one of her pieces.
244 COVID CASES HERE
Positive cases of the coronavirus continue to rise at
an alarming rate in Burke County as well as throughout
Georgia.
The Burke County Health Department reported Tuesday
that the county has had a total of 244 cases, an increase of
73 over last week. Seven people here have died from the
virus and 37 have been hospitalized.
Numbers at the Plant Vogtle Units 3&4 construction site
have increased as well. The last number provided from
Georgia Power included 93 active cases and over 300 total
overall since testing began.
W.H. Harper Jr.,
dies at age 89
ROY F. CHALKER JR. • rchalker@bellsouth.net
W.H. “Dub” Harper Jr. died
Wednesday, July 15 at the age of 89.
Until his retirement due to
declining health a few years ago,
he was a fixture in Burke County
banking and economic development
for over 60 years.
He joined the Bank of Waynesboro
in the early 1950s and remained with
the institution over the years as it was
evolved under new ownership into
what was finally Capital City Bank.
He was a long-time member
and chairman of the Development
Authority of Burke County and was
involved with the Waynesboro Development Authority. He also
served on the Georgia Board of Public Safety which oversees the
Georgia State Patrol and other public safety services. For several
years he represented Burke County on the Board of Directors of
Augusta Technical College.
Even though he was not a member at the time, in recognition of
his decades of work in the economic development of the county,
he was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship by the Waynesboro
Rotary Club.
Ashley Roberts, Executive Director of the Burke County
Chamber of Commerce, said this week that, “Dub was very
devoted in his role as chairman of the Development Authority
of Burke County. He was very well known and respected
throughout the state and his dedicated work was instrumental in
many successes Burke County has experienced over the years.”
W.H. “Dub” Harper, Jr.
Sheriff will lead
some WPD investigations
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
A new directive issued at the
Waynesboro Police Department
means local officers will now call
on the Burke County Sheriff’s
Office to take the lead on certain
violent crime cases.
The directive, issued to all WPD
staff on July 1, states the BCSO
Criminal Investigative Division is
to be called simultaneously with
WPD investigators while on scene.
Crimes included are shootings,
reckless conduct involving a firearm,
aggravated assaults, homicides,
burglaries with firearms involved,
home invasions and gang-related
cases.
The issuance of the new order
stems from a June 22 meeting
between Waynesboro Mayor Greg
Carswell, Waynesboro Police Chief
James “Willie” Burley, Burke Sheriff
Alfonzo Williams and BCSO Chief
Deputy Lewis Blanchard in which
they discussed ways to provide for
more pro-active patrolling and ways
to lower crimes and increase safety.
“This is temporary to allow for
more hands-on training and support
as we rebuild our investigations
department,” Carswell said, adding
that in the past, the WPD called on
the Georgia Bureau of Investigation
to handle most of those crimes.
“We don't have all the people we
use to have, and [our officers] are
continuing to take classes. The BCSO
has the experience, and our officers
gaining that hands-on experience
alongside them will help put the
things they are learning into play thus
causing us to continue to grow so we
can be more independent.”
Blanchard added that many
of the violent crimes that take
place in Waynesboro are often
committed by people who do not
live in Waynesboro. “With our CID
database, gang database and the
extensive technology
we use along with our 59 E E
partners at the state WPD,
and federal level, this 7
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