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Vol. 140, No. 42 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
Established in 1882
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 - $1.00
Ffest, Santa
Everyone’s favorite elf made an early appearance on Saturday during the Christmas in Sardis event. Children took
turns sitting in his lap and whispering in his ear. There were also craft activities and vendors set up to help with gift
shopping. On Friday evening, the Downtown Organization of Retailers held its annual Christmas on Liberty Square
festival. To see more photos from both events, please see page 10A.
Mathews named
EMA Director
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
Burke County has a new
Emergency Management
Agency Director.
Interim Director Chief
Steven Mathews was
appointed to the position
during Tuesday night’s regular
commission meeting at the
recommendation of county
administrator Merv Waldrop.
Commissioner Evans Martin
made the motion, which was
seconded by Lucious Abrams
and passed unanimously.
Mathews, who became
interim director after the
retirement of Chief Rusty
Sanders, is no stranger to the
county or the job; he’s been
employed at Burke County
EMA for the past 32 years and
was, according to Waldrop,
the most qualified of the 14
candidates who applied for
the position.
In an extensive resume full
of certifications, training,
education and responsibilities,
Mathews’ experience includes
that of paramedic, firefighter,
training officer, battalion chief
and assistant director. He’s
functioned as EMA director
during drills and exercises in
cooperation with Plant Vogtle,
furthered his training and
education
in order to
be qualified
to serve as
director
and built
and
configured
the current
computer
network at
EMA headquarters, to name
a few.
The board of commissioners
received three separate letters
recommending Mathews for
the position. Debra Burch,
Chief Nursing Officer of
Burke Medial Center,
described him as honest,
loyal and hardworking while
Burke County Chief Ranger
Lones Williams said, “He
has always appeared to put
the ethics and values of the
Georgia Forestry Commission
first and foremost. And has
been a constant professional
throughout the years.”
Wayne Hickman, Burke
County Public Schools
Administrative Coordinator,
wrote, “[OJver the past
fourteen years, I have had
myriad opportunities to
work with him
regarding safety
and emergency EMA,
planning for our 6A
Steven
Mathews
COVID CORNER
Burke County continues to be among the Georgia counties
with the highest testing positivity rates at 21.3%. That means
more than one in five tests for the COVID 19 virus in Burke
County are positive.
The number of local cases over the last two weeks has
moved up to 58, giving the county a cumulative total of
1044 confirmed cases. There have been 101 Burke Countians
hospitalized, 13 confirmed deaths and three probable COVID
deaths here, according to the Georgia Department of Public
Health.
The agency reported Tuesday that there were 452,369
confirmed cases in the state, with 9,027 deaths.
New ‘nature park’ development underway here
BEN PALMER
A 354-acre tract of former
farmland in northern Burke
County is being restored to
its more natural state, with
the prospect of its eventual
use for public recreation and
education.
The site was donated fee
simple in 2016 to the non
profit Southeastern Trust for
Parks and Land, Inc. STPAL
perpetually conserved the
property by deed restriction
in 2019.
The property is now known
as Burke County Nature
Preserve.
About 95 percent of the
property is old pastureland
and 5 percent wooded. It is
believed that the land was
planted to cotton after the
native stand of longleaf pines
was harvested many years
ago.
The Burke County site is
among about 10,000 acres in
similar tracts of land around
Georgia acquired by STPAL,
according to STPAL’s Bill
Jones. Many of those like
Burke County are undergoing
environmental enhancement
and restoration.
In considering its other land
holdings, STPAL determined
Burke County to be the least
beneficial to wildlife and
people in its un-rehabilitated
state.
So the STPAL board
prioritized it for an intensive
rehabilitation process with
the goal of maximizing its
value as conservation land
and then open it up for no-cost
recreational and educational
public usage.
“It is really great for the
community,” Jones said.
Because of the Burke
County property’s probable
history of cotton culture
and pasture - now being
naturally succeeded by brush,
tree saplings and invasive
species - STPAL’s board
reluctantly decided in 2018
to aggressively clear 60 acres
using chemical spraying.
The board agreed that one
time spraying would allow for
a dramatic transformation that
over time should outweigh any
harm done by the chemicals.
In March 2019, fifty acres
were hand-planted in long-
leaf pine seedlings, but were
replanted in February 2020
because of drought damage
during the summer of 2019.
In July STPAL finalized a
contract to plant an additional
70 acres with long leaf pine
seedlings in the spring of
2021.
As the site develops, it
will improve as habitat for a
variety of wildlife in its 250
to 300 acres of long leaf pine
forest.
There are no plans to ever
do any commercial harvesting
of the long leaf pines.
As a permanent park, plans
also include establishing 10
miles of natural-surface trails
for hiking and running.
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