Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 140, No. 26 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
Established in 1882
Wednesday, August 19, 2020 - $1.00
Waynesboro city manager resigns after 24 years
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
Waynesboro City Manager
Jerry Coalson submitted his
letter of resignation on Aug.
12 after nearly a quarter
century of service to the city.
In a letter addressed to
Waynesboro Mayor Greg
Carswell, Coalson stated
his last day will be Aug.
28. While the letter does
not give a reason for the
resignation, he does thank
the council and citizens
of Waynesboro for many
“wonderful opportunities”
over the years. “Working
with my co-workers at the
City and with other local
leaders around Waynesboro
and Burke County has been
one of the biggest blessings
that I could receive. I wish
them all the best,” the letter
said, with Coalson adding,
“Over the next few weeks,
I will be glad to assist in
any way possible with the
transition as the Council sees
fit. I will also still be available
to help by phone as much as
necessary.”
Coalson later told The True
Citizen he had accepted a
position in Jefferson County
to serve as county manager.
Jefferson County is also
represented by Dube and
Dowdy, the former city
attorney for Waynesboro.
“I cannot thank the mayor,
city council and, most of all,
the citizens of Waynesboro
enough for the opportunity
I have had over the years,”
Coalson said Tuesday
morning, after he’d attended
his final city council meeting
Monday evening. “We have
had many tough times, but I
have overall greatly enjoyed
the experience. The City
of Waynesboro has many
amazing employees who work
hard for their community. I
appreciate their service.”
Waynesboro’s mayor said
city council was saddened
by Coalson’s resignation.
“He has served the city for
over 24 years and has done
a wonderful job for our city,”
Carswell said. “I even spoke
with him in regards to what
could we do to keep him.
While we hate to see him
leave, we must continue to
move forward in finding his
replacement so the city can
continue to grow and move
forward.”
Councilman Dick Byne,
however, places some blame
on the council for Coalson’s
decision, but says council
would not allow him to finish
his statement in a closed
session on Monday night to
discuss appointing an interim
city manager. “They cut me
off because I had facts, and
they don’t want to hear facts,”
Byne said. “We should be
fighting for him, but they
chose to do nothing.”
Byne shared
QCC
his notes from
the meeting COALSON, 2
<
<
□
When life gives you lemons... drink lemonade!
Three young entrepreneurs have been busy selling lemonade at the Waynesboro City Park. Their dad, Will Jones, says
they built their lemonade stand for two reasons: to learn about operating a business and to earn some cash for a camping
trip. You can find the trio, plus dad, Friday-Sunday, usually between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., but they’ve been expanding their
work hours lately because business is good, and they are “so excited” to meet people in the community. Pictured above,
Jonathan, 5, serves up a cup to Cory Cooper and Shannon Neal of Hazelcreek Wealth Partners while his brothers, Jacob,
3, and Kimale, 11, look on.
Voting choices, procedures explained
BEN PALMER
Burke County registered
voters have three ways to
cast ballots in this year’s
general election, including
mail, in-person early voting
and traditional polling place
voting.
To obtain a mail-in ballot,
the registered voter can get a
ballot application form from
the Georgia Secretary of
State’s office. The form can
be printed off at the My Voter
Page on the Secretary of State
website (mvp.sos.ga.gov).
The ballot application form
can also be mailed from the
Secretary of State’s office.
The completed form
should then be mailed or
hand-delivered to the Burke
County Board of Elections
office located on the first floor
of the old courthouse.
Laverne Sello, executive
director of the Burke County
Board of Elections, said she
expects to begin mailing out
ballots by Oct. 12.
In addition to mail-in
balloting, three weeks of
early voting will be held at
the old courthouse weekdays
Oct. 12 to 30 from 9 a.m. to
5 p.m. Early voting will also
be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Touch-screen machines for
early voting will be set up in
the area formerly occupied by
the Clerk of Court on the first
floor of the old courthouse.
Sello said poll workers will
be wearing masks and will be
sanitizing voting equipment.
Voters are not required to
wear masks.
In other election news,
persons interested in running
for the position of chief
magistrate in Burke County
have until Sept. 8 to file
intention to run as a write-in
candidate for the post.
The candidate’s name will
not appear on the ballot, but
the ballot will have a place for
writing in the name.
No candidates qualified
for election to the chief
magistrate post before the
filing deadline for the general
election. Andrew Palmer has
been serving as interim chief
magistrate since the death
earlier this year of Chief
Magistrate Sterling Wimberly.
Exchange Club
fair canceled
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
For the first time in 61 years, the Waynesboro Exchange Club
Fair has been canceled. While fair-goers will miss the crisp
nights out on the fairway, eating cotton candy and hopping
from ride to ride, club members are concerned about what this
cancelation means for the nonprofit’s scholarship program.
Exchange Club President Art Lively explained the cancelation
is a devastating blow, and one that was out of the group’s hands.
Family Attractions, the company responsible for bringing the fair
to Waynesboro, had to pull out amidst the coronavirus pandemic,
which has set the company back tens of thousands of dollars.
“It’s a loss for everyone involved,” Lively said, adding that the
Macaroni family has been coming to Waynesboro for as long as
he can remember. “They’ve traveled all over the country, only
to get shut down once they’ve arrived. They just can’t take that
risk going forward, not knowing what the future holds with this
virus. We wish them nothing but the best and look forward to
seeing them again next year.”
In 2019, the Exchange Club had one of its best fairs in recent
years. In fact, member Richard Bailey reported the gate count
at nearly 7,600 over the the course of six days, up 1,337 visitors
from 2018. Monies collected through admissions and from food
booth sales are directly dispersed back into the community, most
notably through scholarships provided to graduating high school
seniors. For 2020, the club provided scholarships to a total of
nine students from Burke County High School, Edmund Burke
Academy and Faith Christian Academy. Then there’s the various
community service projects the club sponsors or participates in,
including Farm Fest, Trick or Treat on Liberty Street, Christmas
on Liberty, the annual Christmas parade and others.
The organization also hosts a Christmas party each year for
the training center staff, complete with dinner and a visit from
a gift-giving Santa Claus. Last year and for many years in the
past, the club has been able to invite special education students
from the Burke County Public School System to attend the fair,
which opens for a few hours just for them, and treats them to
lunch as well. Artists, crafters, cooks, photographers and other
local talents as well as 4-H Club students participate in the
fair’s exhibit hall, displaying mini booths and various projects
that earn them prize ribbons and a bit of cash. “There are so
many things that make our fair unique, and we would have
loved to be able to continue the tradition.” Lively said. “To say
that we are sad is an understatement; we will miss so many
things — the lights, the smells, the before- and after-hours
work we put in, visiting with each other and our friends in the
community, but hopefully our other fundraisers will sustain us.
We need everyone to keep showing their support so that we may
continue making a difference in the community ^|p
we love so much.” The club’s focus is now on
14
COVID CORNER
The Georgia Department of Public Health showed a total
of 238,861 confirmed COVID-19 cases for the entire state
as of Monday afternoon, including 4,727 deaths and 22,133
hospitalizations. On Monday, 1,843 newly confirmed cases
were reported as well as 25 deaths and 46 hospitalizations.
Locally, according to the B. Lamar Murray Public Health
Center, Burke County has reached a total of 591 confirmed
positives, up 59 from last Tuesday. The county still sits at 7
deaths and has had 69 hospitalizations.
Georgia Power reported Tuesday afternoon a total of 91
active cases at Vogtle 3&4. Sixty-one employees are awaiting
results. There are no updates available for Vogtle 1&2.
See page 6 for information about cases at the Burke
County Jail.
£ale£ L 8rem
2030 Ford
MUSTANG
Starting At
*26,639
StR ■# 1S766
PRICES .... DIALER RETAIN* REBATE PLUS $499 DEALER FEE, TVAT FIR, GA WARRANTY RIGHTS FEE, TITLE AND TAG FEE*
# | / % / yj
706-554-2114 www.mizellford.com Waynesboro, Ga.