Newspaper Page Text
The True Citizen, Wednesday, August 25, 2021 — Page 3
1
I TODAY |
| THURSDAY I
1 FRIDAY 1
| SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BURKE
COUNTY'S
- -
FIVE-DAY
FORECAST
Partly Sunny
20% Chance of Showers
Mostly Sunny
30% Chance of Showers
Partly Sunny
50% Chance of Showers
Mostly Sunny
30% Chance of Showers
Mostly Sunny
86° 170°
90°
71°
89172°
91°
71°
92171 0
Forecast of the National Weather Service
COVID continues to make itself known
WHAT’S NEXT?
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
The Delta variant of CO
VID 19 continues to circulate
throughout the county.
The Georgia Department
of Public Health reports 102
new cases of the deadly virus
in Burke County during the
2-week period preceding Au
gust 23. There are currently
105 active confirmed positive
cases of COVID-19 from the
Plant Vogtle Units 3&4 work
force, according to Georgia
Power spokesperson Jeffrey
Wilson.
Burke County vaccination
rates include 44% of its resi
dents having received at least
one dose and 36% fully vac
cinated as of Monday.
Hospital personnel continue
to feel the strain of the vims
according to the Georgia Co
ordinating Center, which tracks
regional patient distribution.
As of Monday, Augusta Uni
versity Health was listed as
overcrowded, while Doctors
Hospital and University Hospi
tal were listed as severe. Burke
Medical Center was listed as
normal.
The Delta Variant continues
to affect unvaccinated people
to a larger degree. According
to Augusta University Health
August 22, out of 97 hospital
ized COVID patients, only
three had received the vaccine.
Nearly half of the 97 required
more intense treatment in the
Intensive Care Unit. Approxi
mately half of the total patients
are on ventilators.
The Burke County Public
Schools system reports 39
new COVID-19 cases amongst
its student population and 15
new cases within its faculty
and staff this week in spite
of moving to online learning
beginning August 16.
The U .S. Food and Drag Ad
ministration gave full approval
to the first COVID-19 vaccine,
according to an August 23
press release.
“The vaccine has been
known as the Phzer-BioNTech
COVID-19 Vaccine, and will
now be marketed as Comimaty
(koe-mir’-na-tee), for the pre
vention of COVID-19 disease
in individuals 16 years of age
and older. The vaccine also
continues to be available under
emergency use authorization
(EUA), including for individu
als 12 through 15 years of age
and for the administration of a
third dose in certain immuno
compromised individuals,” the
State Superintendent recovers from
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
The Georgia Department
of Education posted a press
release Tuesday, August 24
from Superintendent Richard
Woods, crediting his recovery
of the COVID-19 vims to vac
cination.
“Prior to the start of this
school year several weeks
ago, I tested positive for COV
ID-19. Despite all the time Ed
spent in classrooms last year,
practicing mitigation strate
gies and getting the vaccine as
soon as I was eligible, I got a
breakthrough case of COVID
prior to entering classrooms
this year, he said. “I did expe
rience severe symptoms and
had to spend the beginning of
the school year in the hospital,
instead of in classrooms."
Though he suffered severe
symptoms associated with a
breakthrough case, his doctors
fully believe the vaccine as
sisted in mitigating the effects
of the vims and kept him alive
during the ordeal, the post says.
“I am not just speaking to
you as State School Superin
tendent, but as a fellow Geor
gian, when I say: I encourage
all who are eligible to consult
with their doctor and prayer
fully and thoughtfully consider
getting vaccinated. These med
ical professionals have been
on the frontline of the battle
against this vims since day one.
The decision to get vaccinated
is a very personal and private
Waynesboro council qualifying ends
There will be some changes
in the makeup of the Waynes
boro City Council.
Veteran council member Al
berta Anderson did not qualify
to mn for her Ward 2 Post 5
in the November 2 election.
She will be replaced by ei
ther former council member
and Mayor Pro-tem Herman
Brown or newcomer Maurice
McBride.
Another veteran, Willie Roy
Williams, is being challenged
for his Ward 3 Post 6 seat by
Hermonica Bennett.
Long-serving incumbent
Richard H. Byne has no oppo
sition for Ward 1 Post 4.
Qualifying for the city elec
tion ended Friday, August 20.
LETTERS TOTHE EDITOR
Editor:
Sheriff Alfonzo William's
recent behavior before the
county commission was below
the dignity of the office he
holds and certainly lowered his
stature in the eyes of many. His
attacks on county administrator
Merv Waldrop were way out
of line. Such behavior brings
to mind that of a spoiled child
throwing a temper tantmm.
The people of Burke County
are fortunate to have Merv
Waldrop managing our county
government. He has done an
excellent job of holding de
partment heads and this sheriff
accountable for the tax dollars
they spend.
I also thank Art Lively for
having the backbone to stand
up to the sheriff. Up until his
arrival commissioners had
given this sheriff everything
he has demanded resulting in a
more than doubling of the sher
iff department's budget. Art
took the initiative to compare
the sheriff's budget to other
departments around the state
and found that William's has
built one of the most expensive
operations in the state, yet he
wants even more. William's is
an empire builder who has an
unquenchable thirst for more
tax dollars to spend.
Sheriff Williams is intoxi
cated on his own arrogance and
ego which Ben Roberts rightly
concludes has no limits. He has
no concern for the train wreck
that is about to take place in
Burke County when Vogtle's
new units go on line and once
again triggers a plummeting of
our property digest.
Bill Hargrove
Editor:
As a nurse of 48+ yrs and
also volunteering at the DPH
Covid vaccine site in Augusta,
want to thank you for Shellie
Smitley’s articles on Covid.
I had in the past sent an email
to The True Citizen back in
February, March and April
and asked you to possibly put
something on the front page
regarding Covid and the im
portance of getting the Covid
vaccine. I commend Shellie
for writing the articles and I
think that the newspaper has
possibly contributed to the
increase in vaccines over the
past few weeks.
I have heard negative com
ments about your articles.
People say that you are instill
ing fear in the community re
garding Covid. The community
should be afraid of Covid and
especially of it infecting the
vulnerable elderly, children
and even the younger people
in our community.
Please continue writing your
articles. I really think it is in
fluencing the community and
it is very important for them to
know the facts.
Geri Burke
SIMULCAST
PRISCILLA SHIRER
Tickets: $25
includes lunch, snacks
10 a.m.— 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021
Botsford Baptist Church
825 Botsford Church Road, Waynesboro
Buy them here:
https://events.idonate.com/botsford-baptist-church
Or purchase by cash/check In the church office.
• jv: m
. r *
For more information,
email botsfordevents@gmail.com
or scan the QR Code.
0
press release said.
The virus is not putting a
stop to everything. According
to a Facebook post August 23,
COVID will not stop Waynes
boro’s Fourth Thursday cel
ebration August 26th. How
ever, due to ongoing concerns
about the vims, the event will
not include local cheerleaders,
mascots and musicians.
A Spokesperson from A
Child’s World Daycare said
they have not had to close and
do not see a significant decline
in attendance due to the vims.
The Burke County Coroner’s
Office reports no COVID-
related deaths in the past week.
DeLoach-McKerley-Prescott
Funeral Home reported the
same.
COVID-19
one, but I urge you to consult
tmsted medical professionals
and information, considering
your health and the health of
loved ones,” he said.
Woods addressed the re
newed challenge this school
year due to the Delta variant.
He said school leaders are in
a much stronger position than
last year because vaccines are
widely available. Schools have
become more accustomed to,
and experienced with, quaran
tining and mitigation practices.
There are additional resources
to deploy, are better prepared
and have better infrastmcture
for remote learning.
Woods received the Johnson
& Johnson vaccine last spring.
ZOOM CLASS REUNION
Waynesboro High & Industrial School Class of '63 & '64 will
hold its Zoom class reunion Saturday, Oct. 9 from 1-3 p.m. EST.
For more information, contact: David Hankerson (770) 355-2197
or Eleanor G. Hopson (706) 799-1734.
PUBLIC NOTICE
The Housing Authority of the City of Louisville will conduct
a Public Hearing to discuss the Agency Annual Plan as estab
lished by the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of
1998. The purpose and goals will be explained and the Hous
ing Authority will receive comments from all interested parties.
This public hearing will be conducted on Wednesday, October
6, 2021 at 12:00 PM at the Housing Authority Office located on
Nelms in Louisville, Georgia. All interested parties are invited
and encouraged to attend this meeting.
Glen & Goleen Barnhart have been happily married
since August 21, 1951.
To honor their 50th Wedding Anniversary, the couple
was given a reception by their children at Waynesboro
Mennonite School.
CROSSWORD
IS FreeDailyCrosswords.com
ACROSS
I) Comments that sting
6) "Donna" or "vera" opening
II) Infant's soft food
14) Become waterlogged
15) Conlinenlal cash
16) The whole shootin' match
] 7) Littering thieves?
19) Lead-in for "Bravo"
20) Functioning currently
21) Worthy of holy veneration
23) Units of light flow
26) Nerve cells
27) Negative battery terminals
28) Card carrier
29) French vineyard
30) One of Satan's minions
32) Feline nickname
35) Show of affection
37) Kind of typing
39) Metric weight
40) Type of grain
42) Trousers fold
44) Thanksgiving dinner
request
45) Checked IDs
47) Core groups?
49) More saline
51) Catches on to
52) Up and at 'em
53) Cancel, as a liftoff
55) Bird in the "Arabian
Nights"
56) Like delicious chow for a
chow?
61) Seek an answer
62) Not perfectly round
63) Piano specialist
64) Various guys
65) High times?
66) One for the books?
PEI
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Bv Timothy
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Copyright [c)2016 uclictc.oom
DOWN
1) Network on the telly
2) "Mode" lead-in
3) Become decayed
4) Mollycoddled
5) Astounded
6) Cribbage needs
7) of thumb
8) CPA's nest-egg suggestion
9) Food tidbit
10) Battery's partner in crime?
11) Payments for some high-maintenance
birds?
12) "Men in Black" creature
13) Walks laboriously
18) Autumn apple
22) Haunted house noise
23) Is deficient
24) Tear open, ironically
25) What the rodent match-making club
wants?
26) John Gamer (FDR's first veep)
28) Is willing to
31) One with a long, sad face
33) Censor's insertion
34) Lotus position instructors
36) They prevent mattress sags
38) Rescuer's shout
41) Used the fitting room
43) Castle features
46) From the beginning
48) Racket-stringer's material, once
49) Silverman of comedy
50) Left one's seat
53) Once more, country-style?
54) Physiques, informally
57} Baby's first word, sometimes
58} Ms. Yoko
59) "... the fields we go ..."
60) Empty, as a well
ANSWERS ON 8