Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 140, No. 45 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
Established in 1882
Wednesday, December 30, 2020 - $1.00
Runoff for Senate, Public Service Commission is Jan. 5
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
Two days of early voting
remain ahead of the January
runoff for two Senate seats
and a spot on the state’s
Public Service Commission.
As of Tuesday afternoon
around 2:30 p.m., a total of
2,994 Burke Countians had
opted to vote early according
to Laverne Sello, executive
director of the county’s board
of elections and registration.
Early voting will continue
today (Wednesday) and
tomorrow, from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. at Sello’s office, located
on the first floor of the historic
courthouse in Waynesboro.
The office will be closed on
Jan. 1 to observe New Year’s
Day. Sello said her office had
mailed out 2,110 requests for
absentee ballots so far.
The runoff will take place
on Jan. 5, from 7 a.m. to
7 p.m. Voters will report
to their normal precincts,
with the exception of North
Waynesboro. Due to an
ongoing renovation project
at the Burke County Senior
Center, those who normally
vote there will vote at the
Burke County Office Park,
located at 715 W. Sixth Street
in Waynesboro. This change
is temporary because of the
construction at the senior
center.
Voters did not have to
participate in the general
election in November in order
to vote in the runoff.
The Senate races on the
ballot pit two Republican
incumbent senators
against strong Democratic
challengers: Sens. David
Perdue and Kelly Loeffler
face opposition from Jon
Ossoff and Raphael Warnock,
respectively. These two high
profile races could flip the
chamber if Democrats, who
already control the House,
win.
For Public Service
Commission, Republicans
incumbent Lauren “Bubba”
McDonald Jr. faces Democrat
Daniel Blackman.
Taking oath
Burke County elected officials took their oaths of office this week, with some beginning their second terms and others
vowing to serve again after a multitude of re-elections over the decades. Pictured above at left, Cynthia Kelley was sworn
in by probate judge Rex Myers to serve as the new chief magistrate judge for the county. At right, Ashley Moore Jr., with
Superior Court Judge James G. Blanchard Jr., signs his oath to serve as the new probate judge. Both Kelley and Moore
are serving their first terms in office.
PART ONE
COMPILED BY
ROYF. CHALKER JR.
January 1
A local woman will ride on
the Donate Life float during
the 131st Rose Parade in
Pasadena, Calif., on New
Year’s Day.
Sherrell Gay, an organ
recipient three times over,
will join others with varying
stories but who all share
one thing — they get the
opportunity to ride the float
thanks to people who gave
the gift of life and became
organ donors.
Obituaries included Huey
Odis Dixon.
January 8
Burke Medical Center
announced this week that it
has formed a partnership with
Medical Associates Plus to
run daily operations of the
hospital’s clinic, located in the
office which formerly housed
the OB-GYN practice of Dr.
Mark Gresham.
One of the major changes
resulting from the agreement
is the termination of weekend
services by the clinic. New
office hours will be 8:30 a.m.
- 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday.
Obituaries included
Thomas N. Bareheld, Howard
Alvin McClain and Gloria
“Jean” Mobley Loren.
January 15
With the growing issues
of teen violence, gangs and
murder in the Burke County
community, the sheriff’s
office recently called together
a committee to try to figure
out the best way to address
the problem. The group,
made up of pastors, board of
education, city and county
officials, teachers, mentors
and community and church
leaders, were eager to do their
part if it meant getting to just
one more youth, saving just
one more life.
“We are solving murders
but not the problem,” Chief
Deputy Lewis Blanchard said
as he explained young black
males have been the victims
and perpetrators in all of the
recent shootings and murders
in the county. He shared that
boys as young as the fourth
grade are being recruited to
join gangs.
Obituaries
included
William H.
(Bill) Brown,
SEE
YEAR-END
REVIEW,
9A
Crash on Christmas
kills two local women
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
Two Burke County women
were killed in a head-on
collision Christmas night.
According to a report from
the Georgia State Patrol, the
victims were 81-year-old
Marlene Kay Boyle of Blythe
and Deanna Joy Coleman, 56,
of Waynesboro.
The crash happened just
after 11:30 p.m. on Highway
25 South near Winter Road.
Boyle was reportedly traveling
in the wrong direction down
the southbound lanes of
Highway 25 when her 2008
Toyota RAV4 hit a 2009
Inhniti, driven by Coleman,
head on.
Both women were
pronounced dead at the
scene, the report said. No
alcohol or drug tests were
performed on either victim,
and there were no other
contributing factors listed in
the investigation findings.
There were no additional
passengers involved.
This crash marks the fourth
and fifth fatalities on Burke
County roadways in 2020.
Needed more help
man ’s family says
ROY F. CHALKER JR.
DIANA ROYAL
Family members of a
missing man whose body was
found last week don’t think
law enforcement did enough
to help find him.
Carletta Houston, a niece
of 60-year-old Mike Jones
of 418 West 8th St., said
this week that the family
“made numerous calls”
to the Waynesboro Police
Department asking for help
in finding the man, who went
missing on Wednesday, Dec.
16.
Houston said that the police
department never searched the
man’s home or neighborhood,
and “only asked a couple of
questions and said to let them
know if he shows up.”
The family put out their
own fliers and asked for help
on social media.
While WPD Sgt. Jose
Colon’s report does not
mention any drug use, Maj.
Gary Jones said that when
Colon responded to the
residence on Dec. 17, to meet
with the family, “he was led
to believe that Mr. Jones had
been known to be a frequent
user of illegal drugs. There
were also some concerns
expressed that Mr. Jones may
have been suffering from the
early stages of dementia.
No information or evidence
indicated that Mr. Jones’ life
was in danger. Additionally,
he allegedly had gone with an
unknown person to do some
work and had not been heard
from since.”
Maj. Jones went on to say
that no search of the area
was conducted upon Colon’s
receipt of the report nor did
Colon notify Maj. Jones or
the Criminal Investigation
Department (CID).
“The following day I
learned of the incident and had
the WPD CID to construct a
flyer to distribute throughout
the city and to forward to
the media outlets,” he said.
“WPD investigators along
with BCSO CID responded
to the residence to interview
the roommate and to attempt
to obtain a consent to search
the home.”
Colon was suspended for
two days/24 hours without
pay, according to
Maj. Jones, for SEE
not following MISSING
protocol. MAN,
Mr. Jones’body 3A
COVID CORNER
The number of local COVID cases over the last two weeks
totals 73, giving the county a cumulative total of 1,147
confirmed cases. There have been 108 Burke Countians
hospitalized, 16 confirmed deaths and three probable COVID
deaths here, according to the GDPH website. The agency
reported Tuesday that there were 552,712 confirmed cases
in the state, with 9,759 deaths.
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