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Vol. 140, No. 52 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830 Established in 1882 Wednesday, February 17, 2021 - $1.00
Middle school teacher arrested on assault charges
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
Rashad Carter, a teacher at
Burke County Middle School,
was arrested Thursday on two
felony charges: aggravated
assault and cruelty to children
in the first degree (deprivation
of sustenance).
According to a statement
from the Burke County
Sheriff’s Office, school
resource officers at BCMS
“were made aware that a
teacher at the school had
assaulted a student in the
hallway during early
dismissal,” and investigators
were able to identify Carter
via surveillance video and
various teacher witnesses.
Deputies who went to the
home of the student to notify
the parents and check on
the welfare of the student
reported that there were no
visible injuries at the time, the
report said.
According to Georgia
code, “A parent, guardian,
or other person supervising
the welfare of or having
immediate charge over
custody of a child under the
age of 18 commits the offense
of cruelty to children in the
first degree when such person
willfully deprives the child of
necessary sustenance to the
extent that the child's health
or well-being is jeopardized.”
Investigators said evidence
obtained through interviews
with both the victim and
Carter revealed he had in
fact denied the student of
sustenance, which could have
led to serious physical harm or
possibly death. They did not
define what sort of sustenance
was withheld from the child.
The investigation is ongoing
and additional information
was not available.
School superintendent Dr.
Anglea Williams said, “The
school system is and will
continue to be fully cooperative
with law enforcement and
other agencies per district
protocol.”
Carter was released on
bond Feb. 12, according to
the BCSO.
Rashad Carter
Bill Hargrove transforming a piece of raw wood into a wooden bowl.
More than just wooden bowls
BEN PALMER
When woodworker Bill Hargrove talks of the raw
product he uses to turn stunningly beautiful wooden
bowls, he speaks with almost spiritual reverence.
“When I make these bowls, I don’t want them to
highlight my work (as a craftsman). I want them to
highlight the beauty of the wood. I want them to show
God’s creation,” he said.
Hargrove has been turning out dozens if not hundreds
of bowls in his shop near his home in the Northlake
community where he and his wife, Terri, live in northern
Burke County.
Hargrove is not at present taking requests for bowls,
although he has let some go in return for contributions
to help people doing mission work.
During a recent visit to the Hargrove’s wood frame
house, bowls in various stages of finishing covered the
dining room table and were stored in the basement.
Other wood “blanks” used to create more bowls were
scattered inside Hargrove’s substantial shop building.
Outside the shop and around the nearby portable sawmill
were more pieces of wood that will be later cut into more
blanks for turning bowls.
Hargrove said leaving the raw wood out in the elements
awhile allows it to go through a natural process that results
in “spalting” of the wood. The spalting creates dark lines
of color that enhance the finished bowls.
The sawmill was erected by Bill and his twin
brother, Fred. Portable hardwood mills of the type were
commonplace throughout Georgia and the Southeast
before the time of larger permanent mills.
The Hargrove brothers grew up, so to speak, in the
lumber and forestry businesses.
Their grandfather, D.L. (Deke) Stone, a former mayor
of Waynesboro, operated a sawmill in the city for years.
Their mother, Mary Stone Hargrove, had four brothers:
Paul Stone, Roy Stone, Bill Stone and Harold Stone.
The Stone brothers all worked in the business at some
point in their lives.
Another strong influence in the evolution of Bill
Hargrove’s woodworking was his relationship with
mentor Joe Reynolds Jr. whose home and
shop were located behind his house on
Liberty Street in Waynesboro just up from the BOWLS,
Hargrove family. 10A
Hospital will be leased
ROY F. CHALKER JR.
BEN ROBERTS
The Burke County Hospital
Authority unanimously voted
Tuesday to enter into a lease
agreement with a medical
group to run all operations of
Burke Medical Center.
The facility will become a
specialty center for orthopedic
surgeries and procedures, but
will continue to offer all
current services.
Hospital Authority
Chairman Chris Collins said
Tuesday that “leasing the
hospital is the best option
going forward.”
The Burke County
commission has committed
to subsidize the operations
at the hospital for the next
four years. The county’s
commitment is $22 million
over the four-year period,
which includes $2 million
for capital improvements to
the facility.
The firm leasing the
hospital, Burke Hospital
Company LLC, is headed by
Dr. John George and Michael
Kleinpeter. They have also
agreed to contribute an initial
$2 million for improvements
to the hospital.
The emergency room will
remain open and staffed with
8 beds as it currently is. There
will be six beds reserved for
hospital patients. The average
daily census has been very
low over the last four years,
so officials predict six beds
will be adequate.
Under the lease, which will
begin in June of this year, all
current employees will be
employed by the new group
with their current level of
seniority.
Local taxpayers have
contributed $33 million
to the hospital’s operation
since 2015. This agreement
calls for local funding to end
at the end of 2024. Burke
Hospital Company will pay
$240,000 in rent for the first
two years and $360,000 for
the remaining five years of
the initial seven year term.
The Hospital Authority would
also receive 10 percent of any
profits generated in the future
as additional rents.
The lease agreement is for a
total of 40 years, divided into
five year terms after the first
seven year term. The last term
would be for three years.
Hospital Administrator
Tiffany Varnadoe said
Tuesday, “I am a staunch
advocate for rural healthcare
and believe it is vital for a
community to have access to
quality services when needed.
As many people know, the
financial hurdles of a rural
hospital are tremendous and
sometimes insurmountable.
The hospital has been losing
money every year and the level
of support from the county
has become unsustainable. So
I am hopeful that this decision
will allow the hospital to
continue to operate and serve
citizens for many years to
come.”
She added that, “during the
past year, BMC rose to the
challenge of taking care of
people during a pandemic and
I could not be prouder. It has
been such an honor to work
with this team!”
COVID CORNER
According to the Georgia Department of Public
Health, Burke County has had a total of 2,309 COVID
cases since the beginning of the pandemic. This number
includes 1625 confirmed cases and 684 instances in
which antigens were found which indicated an earlier
infection.
The agency also reported Tuesday that there had been
a total of 50 confirmed and probable deaths here from
the virus, including 5 in the last week.
The county has been averaging about 5 new cases
per day for the last two weeks and has had a total of
136 hospitalizations.
The DPH reports that there have been a total of
969,702 cases of COVID 19 in Georgia, resulting
in 16174 deaths. This total includes 1,998 probable
COVID deaths and 14,176 confirmed deaths.
Come by and get your FREE MASKS while supplies last.
Help ensure our communities stay healthy during this
time. We are so close. Let’s finish strong!!
330 US HWY. 25 NORTH, WAYNESBORO - 706-554-2114 - www.mizellford.com