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WRITE IN
NOVEMBER 3, 2020
JUDGE ANDREW PALMER
CHIEF MAGISTRATE JUDGE, BURKE COUNTY '
LICENSED ATTORNEY
COMMUNITY ADVOCATE
WWWJUDCEPALMER.ORG
©/JUDCEANDREWPALMER J
Candidates forum slated for Thursday
DIANA ROYAL • jdianaroyal@gmail.com
In conjunction with the Burke County Chamber of Commerce,
The True Citizen will host a Virtual Candidate Forum to
introduce the public to candidates running for both local and
state offices.
The forum, which is scheduled for Thursday Oct. 15, at 2
p.m. will take on a hybrid format — candidates will gather that
afternoon in person while the event itself is live-streamed on
the Chamber’s YouTube channel (search YouTube for Burke
County Chamber of Commerce or look for the link via the hosts’
social media pages).
During the forum, each candidate will take a moment to
discuss their platforms and then will be presented with questions
from True Citizen Publisher Roy F. Chalker Jr., who is serving
as moderator.
CANDIDATES INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FORUM INCLUDE:
BURKE COUNTY CLERK OF COURT
Radeta Smith (D - Incumbent)
Karen Ellison (R)
BURKE COUNTY CHIEF MAGISTRATE JUDGE
Andrew Palmer (D — Incumbent)
Cynthia Kelley (D)
BURKE COUNTY PROBATE COURT JUDGE
Rex Myers (R — Incumbent)
Ashley Moore Jr. (D)
BURKE COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 1
Lucious Abrams (D — Incumbent)
Rodney Braswell (R)
BURKE COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 3
Evans Martin (R - Incumbent)
George Wimberly (D)
AUGUSTA JUDICIAL CIRCUIT DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Natalie Paine (R - Incumbent)
Jared Williams (D)
SENATE DISTRICT 23
Max Bums (R)
Ceretta Smith (D)
Ellison and Kelley have declined their invitations to
participate, and organizers have been unable to reach a third
candidate for chief magistrate, Portia Washington (D).
See pages 7A-9A for a special Meet the Candidates Q&A section.
Hundreds of voters turned out to cast their ballots
early for the upcoming Nov. 3 general election.
The line at the historical Burke County Courthouse
stretched outside into the parking lot for several
hours on both Monday and Tuesday as citizens
took advantage of the early voting period, which
began Monday and will continue through Oct. 30.
According to Laverne Sello, executive director for
the Burke County Board of Elections Office, 307
county residents came out on Monday to vote, and
as of 3 p.m. on Tuesday, another 206 showed up, for
a total of 513 in less than two days. Sello said there
is rarely 100 on the first day, even with big races like
that for United States President. She also noted that
absentee ballot requests continue to pile in. “Our
mailbox is overflowing every day,” she said, adding
that some days it’s so full another mail container is
required at the post office. Voters took to social me
dia after casting their ballots, showing off “I voted”
stickers after waiting, for some, an hour or more in
line. “It was worth the wait,” many said, while one
woman in particular added the whole process had
restored her faith in humanity. “Folks of all races
were helping each other, opening doors, getting
chairs for older folks,” she said. “This was America
this morning in the hallway of the courthouse. It was
a beautiful thing.”
Keep Waynesboro a little Western
Rodeo begins Friday
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
Get the boots ready; it’s
rodeo week in Waynesboro.
The greatest show on dirt
— the eighth annual Hat
and Spur Ranch Pro Rodeo,
kicks off this Friday night
with some fierce competition
from more than 200 of the
best cowboys and cowgirls
in the world.
Competitors in the event are
not only contending for a prize
pot of more than $20,000 but
also a trip to the International
Pro Rodeo Association finals
to be held in Oklahoma City.
The rodeo marks the final leg
of qualifying, with only the
top 15 in each of the eight
categories getting a shot at
the finals. Events include
bareback bronc riding, bull
riding, calf roping, cowgirl
barrel racing, cowgirl
breakaway roping, saddle
bronc riding, steer wrestling
and team roping.
Cowboy Leroy Lane says
that year after year the rodeo
is made possible thanks to
the numerous sponsors and
dedicated spectators who
continue to support the event.
“We’d be lost without them,”
he said. “And we can’t forget
the ones who put on the show;
our competing cowboys and
cowgirls are so talented.
That’s what keeps everyone
coming back.”
The rodeo will take place
this Friday and
J CCC
Saturday, Oct. acc
16-17, at the RODEO,
Hat and Spur 3A
EMA is restructured,
new chief search on
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
Changes are coming to
some county departments.
In a called meeting last
Wednesday, the Burke County
Board of Commissioners
voted unanimously to
reorganize the structure of
the EMA, Burke Transit
and E911 departments in
order to provide the most
efficient operation of the three
departments.
County manager Merv
Waldrop explained the EMA
director was in charge of
all three and suggested a
restructuring on the heels
of the retirement of Chief
Rusty Sanders, who has been
director since 2002. Waldrop’s
proposal included a pay grade
change in the EMA director’s
salary to provide separation
between the director and
assistant director and to
move both Burke Transit
and 911 services from under
EMA, establishing separate
departments with their own
directors.
Following the vote,
commissioners then entered
into an executive session for
nearly half an hour to discuss
a personnel issue. Once back
in public, chairperson Terri
Kelly signed an affidavit, with
the approval of the board,
that no actions were taken.
The commissioners then
voted unanimously in favor
of authorizing Waldrop to
hit the vacant EMA director
position.
The following day, an
advertisement for the
position was placed on the
county’s website and was
sent to The True Citizen for
publication, but on Friday,
Waldrop retracted the ad,
replacing it with one with
different verbiage. In the new
advertisement, “required”
was changed to “preferred”
in reference to five years
experience as a paramedic
and in fire supervision.
Additionally, the original
advertisement said applicants
“must” meet firefighter
requirements set forth by
the Georgia Firefighters
Standards and Training, hold
certification as a Georgia
certified firefighter and be a
certified Georgia paramedic.
That wording has also been
changed to reflect preference
and not requirement.
While obtaining
authorization to fill a vacancy
is typical, Waldrop says the
board normally
ccc
does not get
involved in the EMA,
job description, 3A
COVID CORNER
This week, the Georgia Department of Public Health
showed a total of 333,304 confirmed COVID-19 cases for
the entire state as of Tuesday afternoon, including 7,454
deaths and 29,762 hospitalizations. On Tuesday, 1,021
newly confirmed cases were reported as well as 27 deaths
and 106 hospitalizations.
Locally, according to the B. Lamar Murray Public Health
Center, Burke County has reached a total of 859 confirmed
positives, up 18 from last Tuesday. There have been 10 local
deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
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