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Vol. 141, No. 4 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
Established in 1882
Wednesday, March 17, 2021 -$1.00
More delays expected in Shadrack Street project
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
More time and money will
be needed to resolve the
lingering drainage problem
on Shadrack Street, which
has been partially closed for
several months. It will cost
more to make the repairs than
the city anticipated.
At Monday night’s regular
city council meeting, Public
Works Superintendent Robert
Seamans said the bidding
process is behind by 30 days
due to higher than anticipated
costs of petroleum-based
pipe manufactured in Texas.
The city is waiting to allow
construction companies to
bid on the project, originally
estimated to cost $ 1.4 million.
The current price of the pipe
raises the cost of the repairs to
as much as $1.8 million.
Due to the size and depth
of the pipe, the city must
keep parts of the street closed
in order to keep it safe,
according to Seamans. The
project is estimated to take six
months to complete it, once
construction begins. Partial
closures will remain in place
throughout the construction
process.
“We will try to keep as
much of it open as we can,”
Seamans said.
Another council discussion
indicated that local dispatchers
may find themselves looking
for a new job. The Public
Safety Committee announced
that city workers who lose
their jobs because of changes
in the county 911 system will
be guaranteed interviews
for new positions, but will
not be guaranteed jobs. The
upgraded system affects four
city dispatch positions. One
dispatcher has indicated her
interest in attending the police
academy, according to the
committee’s report.
Under the new plan, calls
for the city police will be
routed from a centralized
county-wide dispatch unit.
Although the council voted
unanimously to merge with
the county’s 911 system,
talks about the details and
implementation of the joint
system are still in the works.
In other news, the city made
two decisions that involve
Sixth Street. The Public Works
Department removed and
scrapped outdated playground
equipment from the park on
Sixth Street.
And council approved road
closure between Sixth and
Eighth Streets for the Masters
Night Out Event, April 8. The
event is a fundraiser for grants
that provide local businesses
with signage.
The panel also
agreed to join an DELAYS,
effort to delay the 3A
County struggles with trash disposal options
Next phase in COVID-19
vaccinations rolls out
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
People across Burke
County are talking trash,
literally, and the public wants
to know why dump sites are
stuffed to the brim and litter
lines county roadways.
On Sunday afternoon, the
dump site at Lovers Lane
was filled with bags of trash
stacked high above the
containers and much of it
spilling onto the ground.
Burke citizens say this is
nothing new at any dump site
and feel the unkempt areas
and severely littered roads
are an eyesore and “make our
county look bad.”
According to Burke County
Manager Merv Waldrop, the
county continues to operate
dumpsters for the collection
of household trash, though
various options including
curbside and manned
convenience centers have
been discussed as well as
bidding for services with
municipalities within the
county.
“The board cannot agree
on what approach or when to
request proposals,” Waldrop
said, adding that many rural
counties in Georgia have gone
to curbside pickup and that
the state of South Carolina
has assisted its counties
in creating the manned
convenience centers.
Commissioner Evans
Martin has pushed for the
convenience centers for some
time and is frustrated at the
situation.
“I have been trying to do
something about the trash for
the last four and a half years,”
he said, “but no one else
seems to be too concerned
about it.”
After various meetings
and work sessions, there is
currently no plan in place for
change.
Waldrop said the next
step would be to issue an
RFP asking for companies
to give proposals for their
best approach to collecting
trash. “Curbside would be
the easiest to implement
as you would not have to
acquire property and build
convenience centers,” he
said. “Curbside pickup may
not cost much more than our
current solid waste collection.
Manned convenience centers
are expensive to build and to
operate.”
Currently, the county’s
annual disposal cost is
approximately $1.8 million.
“The board is torn between
a combination of curbside
and manned convenience
centers or just convenience
centers or just curbside,”
Waldrop added. “We have had
a number of meetings on the
topic and suggested that they
contact other counties where
curbside has been done. We
also have a few cities that use
our free dumpsters to dispose
of trash that they collect from
their citizens for a fee.”
“Any change will result in
angry citizens. No change
will result in angry citizens,”
he continued. “It is hard to
step out and try something
new but many other counties
have gone before us, and it
has proven successful in rural
counties.”
During previous meetings,
it was brought to the attention
of the commissioners that the
current budget could be cut
nearly in half by switching to
curbside pickup. Jesse Burke,
county road superintendent,
and Scott Lee, the county’s
building official, have shared
their opinions of favoring
both curbside service
and convenience centers.
Commissioner Lucious
Abrams has also expressed
his concerns over the county
getting into a contract that
could increase
in cost over SEE
time. Various TRASH,
companies that 8A
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
As vaccination numbers
climb, active cases of
COVID-19 are decreasing.
County Nurse Manager
Gina Richardson of the B.
Lamar Murray Public Health
Center reported as of Tuesday
afternoon there was only a
total of 66 cases in all 13
counties included in the
health district.
Last week, public health
administered the vaccine to
public and private school
employees within the county,
and during a day long period
provided vaccinations to 332
teachers and school staff and
administration. On Monday,
March 15, the next phase of
eligibility opened, Richardson
said, listing requirements:
• adults aged 55 and over
• individuals with
disabilities
• individuals aged 16 years
and older with certain medical
conditions that increase their
risk of severe illness from
COVID-19. Those conditions
include asthma, cancer,
cerebrovascular disease,
COPD, cystic fibrosis,
diabetes, hypertension,
heart conditions,
immunocompromised state
liver disease, neurologic
conditions, overweight and
obesity, pulmonary fibrosis,
sickle cell disease and
thalassemia.
She also noted that Pfizer
is the only COVID vaccine
currently approved for
children aged 16 and older.
In Burke County alone,
the health department
has administered 3,611
vaccinations, including
both first and second doses.
This number, Richardson
said, does not show how
many have been vaccinated
at local doctor’s offices or
pharmacies. In the health
district, including only public
health statistics, 50,081 had
received the vaccine as of
Monday. (According to the
DPH website, a total of
5,141 vaccinations have been
administered in the county.)
“I am very excited to see
those in our community eager
to receive vaccines, and we
are just as eager to give it to
them,” Richardson said. “It is
also very encouraging to us as
we can visibly see our case
numbers going down in our
county as well as our state.”
Richardson further stated
that some of the second
dose recipients experience
mild viral symptoms such
as low-grade fever, fatigue,
headaches and achiness. She
said this is not necassirily
a bad thing, explaining that
the initial dose revs up the
immune system and prepares
it to start defending against
the vims.
Beginning on April 15,
the drive-thru vaccination
clinic will begin offering
the Johnson & Johnson shot,
which is a one-time dose,
only approved for educators
by DPH at this time. “I am
hopeful that it will be offered
to others in the very near
future through public health.”
For additional information
or to make a vaccination
appointment, call the health
department at 706.554.3456.
PHASE TWO
In order of priority
• Individuals with 2+ comorbidities
(high risk for COVID-19
complications)
• Early education, K-12, transit,
grocery, utility, food and agriculture,
sanitation, public works and public
health workers
• Adults 65+
e Individuals with one comorbidity
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