Newspaper Page Text
Page 2— Wednesday, July 22, 2020, The True Citizen
STUFF THE BUS!
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
It’s not too late to help Stuff
the Bus for Burke County Pub
lic Schools.
Donations are still being ac
cepted through August 15, but
this year’s campaign is a bit
different according to BCPS
Public Information Officer
Amy Nunnally.
“We are unable to hold this
year’s event at Walmart out
of an abundance of caution
due to COVID-19, so we’ll be
stuffing a virtual shopping cart
for Burke County students and
teachers instead,” Nunnally
said.
Regardless of what lies
ahead in the coming school
year, one thing is certain —
students and teachers still need
school supplies.
“United Way of the CSRA
is bridging that gap
while ensuring the
community remains
safe,” Nunnally said,
SEE
STB,
3
County approves solar farm
BEN PALMER
Burke County Commission
ers cleared the way last week
for construction of a 390-
acre solar farm on property in
the northwest section of the
county.
The property, known locally
as the Buster Templeton Place,
is situated on the east side of
Springhill Church Road near
its intersection with Hephzi-
bah-Keysville Road. The cur
rent owners of the 540-acre
agricultural tract are Carl T.
Perry and Mary K. Perry.
The solar project is named
Hobnail Solar, LLC, which is
a unit of Heelstone Renewable
Energy of Chapel Hill, North
Carolina. All power generated
by the solar array is to be sold
under contract with Georgia
Power Company.
Burke County Planning
Commission approved the
project at its June 23 meeting
and forwarded its recommen
dation to the full commission.
The property is currently
zoned A-1 agricultural and will
remain so, although Hobnail
will be allowed to build the
solar farm under the Condi
tional Use classification of the
county’s code of ordinances.
District 3 Commissioner
Evans Martin voted against the
Conditional Use motion, which
was approved on a 3-2 vote.
George DeLoach also voted no.
Martin, whose district in
cludes the Hobnail project, said
he opposed the motion because
of opposition from area resi
dents and because “it’s not the
right fit for our people.”
Furthermore, “it’s good farm
land, irrigated farm land,” and
the solar array will be “messing
with a growth area” of Burke
County, Martin said.
Waynesboro native wins international superior service award
On July 18, during the Vir
tual 82nd Grand Conclave of
the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
Inc., Waynesboro native Dr.
Henry Hankerson was the
recipient of the International
Superior Service Award, one
of the organization’s four
prestigious Achievement
Week Awards.
The Superior Service
Award is given to a member
who has demonstrated out
standing contributions and
sustained concern for the
activities of his chapter, his
district and to the fraternity.
Recipients have served in a
manner above and beyond
the ordinary participation
levels necessary to imple
ment programs and projects.
Dr. Hankerson has received
the Superior Service Award
on three occasions: for Xi
Beta Beta Chapter (Dublin)
in November 2019; the State
of Georgia Organization
(January 2020) and the 7th
District (which comprises
Alabama, Florida, Georgia
and Mississippi) in March
2020. These wins paved the
way for an opportunity at the
International Award that he
was awarded during the bi
ennial international meeting.
“Receiving the Inter
national Superior Service
Award is truly a remarkable
feat in which I am humbled
by,” Hankerson said. “It is a
testament to what hard work,
commitment and dedication
to helping positively impact
the lives of others can bring.
I do it not for the recognition
or accolades but for the joy
of knowing I have truly made
a difference in the world.
That has been my life’s work
to which I am grateful.”
Hankerson, a 1991 honor
graduate of Burke Coun
ty Comprehensive High
School, was initiated into
the fraternity in 1995 via
the Beta Zeta Chapter at the
University of Georgia. He is
the son of Hillary and Fula
Hankerson of Waynesboro
and the proud father of Hilla-
ree Hankerson of Vidalia.
Currently, he is an educator
with Twiggs County Schools
in Jeffersonville.
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity,
Inc. is an international or
ganization with over 28,000
active members in more
than 700 chapters through
out the United States, Ber
muda, Bahamas, Virgin Is
lands, Korea, Japan, Fiberia,
Dr. Henry Hankerson
Ghana, Germany, Mexico,
China, United Arab Emir
ates and Kuwait. The Na
tional Achievement Week
is a mandated program of
the organization that was
originally designed to pro
mote the study of African
American life and history.
Its beginnings date back to
the 1920 Grand Conclave in
Nashville, Tenn. Presently,
the Achievement Week Pro
gram is used to recognize
those individuals at the local
and national levels who have
made significant contribu
tions towards improving the
quality of life for others thru
community uplift.
Bears football player tests positive for COVID-19
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
Burke County High School
Bears Head Football Coach
Eric Parker has confirmed that
one of the football players
tested positive for COVID-19.
A total of eight individu
als, including both players
and coaching staff, have been
tested since the team began
small workout groups in June.
“We were 7-0 with negative
results until today,” Parker told
The True Citizen on Friday, as
he explained what will happen
next for the Bears.
The Georgia High School
Association guidelines allow
for local school systems to be
more restrictive but not less re
strictive in their own protocol,
Parker said, adding that he and
BCHS Athletic Director Wade
Marchman sent the GHSA
guidelines to a local physician
to gain an expert opinion and
settled on a specific plan for
Burke County that was a bit
stricter.
“In the event that someone
in our group were to test posi
tive, we decided that we would
shut down for fourteen days,”
Parker said, “and that is what
we are doing. We are suspend
ing all football activities for
the next two weeks.” Parker
went on to say that though they
could begin individual testing
next week and allow coaches
and players to “test back” into
workout sessions, they will
wait out the 14 days.
“Medical experts believe
that we have gone above and
beyond what is required, but
we just want to play it safe
and manage this to the best of
our ability,” he said. “I love
football, but as much as I love
this game, I do not want people
associated with Burke County
football to get sick. We feel as
though we are doing the right
thing and are going to follow
our own protocol.”
“The 14-day suspension
sounds worse than it is,” Parker
continued, adding that it in
cludes weekends and days that
the team did not have sched
uled workouts. “So we are only
missing six workout days.”
According to Parker, the
young man who tested positive
had a "slight symptom" and is
doing well.
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