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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 TIN G ZOO Bv Timothy E. Parker 1 2 3 4 1 1 7 8 9 " " 12 13 14 17 18 19 20 ■ ” 22 n 24 25 26 27 28 29 ■ 30 31 ■ 32 33 34 35 36 ■ 38 ■ 39 40 “ ■ ■ 44 45 46 • 46 49 50 ' 52 _ ■ 53 54 55 1 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 1 63 64 65 66 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