Newspaper Page Text
The True Citizen, Wednesday, December 22, 2021 — Page 7 A
I^FOR THE RECORD
Wrongful termination decided by default
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
In a letter signed by City
Manager Valerie Kirkland, at
torney Chadwick Medlin was
informed that his client, Major
Gary Jones, failed to appeal the
city’s decision to terminate his
employment with the Waynes
boro Police Department.
A letter dated October 20
signed by WPD Chief Willie
Burley, stated Jones’ termi
nation was based upon an
investigation that determined
he was the sole source of
misinformation submitted to
the Chief regarding alleged
theft in the Municipal Court.
According to the city’s appeal
process, Maj. Jones retained
the right to file a grievance
with Burley. After that he was
entitled to file a letter of appeal
to the city manager within five
days of Burley’s decision. Ac
cording to the city’s Personnel
Policy and Procedural Manual
Jones had 10 business days
from the receipt of the City
Manager’s decision to appeal
the decision regarding Jones’
alleged wrongful termination.
If he still wished to appeal the
matter after that, the policy
enabled him to submit a request
to be heard by the mayor and
the city council.
According to Kirkland’s let
ter, as of December 20, the city
had not received any request,
in writing or otherwise, for
an appeal of a decision dated
November 23.
“As a result... Mr. Jones’
termination is final since he has
waived his right to continue his
appeal,” Kirkland wrote. “We
will be closing our investiga
tion at this time.”
In an October 20 Facebook
post, Maj. Jones claimed he
was terminated in retaliation
relating to the Whistleblower
statute as well as race discrimi
nation.
“I will go through the appeal
process with the city and I’ve
already obtained legal repre
sentation to seek damages,”
he wrote.
The city first became aware
of embezzlement accusations
made by Jones September 20,
when Burley and Jones met
with the mayor to show him
reports generated by Jones in
dicating $65,000 was missing.
As the investigation proceeded
Jones changed the unaccounted
funds amount to $144,000 and
then $25,000.
During the October 18 city
council meeting, Kirkland
stated that only $2,023.10
was still unaccounted for,
but efforts remained in place
to reconcile the statements
and understand how missing
funds were overlooked. That
Gary Jones
investigation is still underway,
according to Kirkland. She
said December 20 that she
will provide an official state
ment to The True Citizen once
the financial investigation has
concluded.
Jones is currently serving as
Mayor of Grove town.
BURKE EMA REPORT
The Burke County Emergency Management Agency
responded to 122 patients’ calls during the week ending
Dec. 19. Of those, 90 resulted in transports, including 60 to
Augusta hospitals and two to other out-of-county hospitals.
Forty one of the transports were determined to be emergen
cies and 49 were non-emergent.
The agency also answered 23 fire calls during the week.
They included one false alarm, one hre/smoke alarm, one
vehicle fire, nine rescues, one public service call and nine
unspecified calls.
a mnEEF* 1 ***®
Chief Robert Baynham’s grandchildren attended Midville’s
retirement celebration December 18 dressed in police uniforms.
BURKE COUNTY JAIL BOOKINGS DEC. 13-19
Andrew Paul
Eckerman, 18
Spring Valley Rd.,
Waynesboro
BCSO, Dec. 16
Accountability Court
sanctions
Charlie Evans, 68
Hancock Express
way, Colorado
Springs, CO
BCSO, Dec. 15
Disorderly conduct
Amber Serenity
Robinson, 19
Huntdiff Dr., Au
gusta
BCSO, Dec. 19
Terroristic threats
and acts
Darius Lamar
Webb, 28
Booth Rd., Smyrna
Sardis PD, Dec. 16
Safekeeping for
Cherokee County
SO
Jordan Ashley
O’Connor, 26
Perkins Green Fork
Rd., Perkins
BCSO, Dec. 14
Accountability Court
sanctions; State court
bond revocation
Joseph Lewis
Williams, 58
Moxiey Rd., Blythe
BCSO, Dec. 16
Accountability Court
sanctions
Jason Conway
Sousa, 39
W Tharpe St., Tal
lahassee, Fla.
BCSO, Dec. 15
Possession of
methamphetamine;
marijuana -posses
sion of less than one
ounce
Henry Charles
Quick, 47
Briar Creek Estates,
Waynesboro
WPD, Dec. 13
Marijuana -posses
sion of less than one
ounce; Municipal
Court Jail sanction
(housing for WPD)
William Thomas
Edenfield, 30
Hwy80W„
Waynesboro
BCSO, Dec. 16
Criminal damage to
property in the 2nd
degree (2 counts);
criminal attempt to
commit - criminal
damage to property
in the 2nd degree
Jonathon Don
Dossey, 27
Horseshoe Circle,
Hephzibah
BCSO, Dec. 15
Forgery in the 3rd
degree; printing, ex
ecuting, negotiating
checks, drafts, etc.
knowing information
is in error or fictitious
Anthony Lamont
Jones, 39
South Crystal Lake
Dr., Lakeland, Fla.
BCSO, Dec. 17
Use of communica
tion facility in com
mission of a felony
involving control sub
stances (2 counts)
Derrell Henry
Tucker, 43
Autumn Rd.,
Hephzibah
BCSO, Dec. 18
Failure to maintain
lane; open con
tainer of alcohol in
motor vehicle; DU I
-driving under the
influence of alcohol;
distribution of mate
rial depicting nudity
or sexual contact
Tanya Renay
Farrow, 40
Bernice Lane, Girard
BCSO, Dec. 17
Elder abuse-
exploit/inflict pain to/
deprive essential
services to disabled
person, elder per
son; simple battery
- family violence;
cruelty to children -
3rd degree - allow
child to witness
forcible felony/bat
tery/family violence
(3 counts)
Lake Taylor Day, 25
Piedmont St.,
Augusta
BCSO, Dec. 13
Burglary in the 1st
degree (felony);
marijuana -posses
sion of less than one
ounce (2 counts);
failure to appear
- misdemeanor (2
counts); possession
and use of drug re
lated objects; driving
without a tag.
Christopher James
Crosby, 30
Collins Rd.,
Waynesboro
BCSO, Dec. 17
Forgery-3rd
degree; printing, ex
ecuting, negotiating
checks, drafts, etc.
knowing informa
tion is in error or
fictitious; deposit
account fraud (2
counts)
Candice Renee
Amerson, 36
Pyes Court,
Hephzibah
BCSO, Dec. 15
Possession of
methamphetamine;
marijuana -posses
sion of less than one
ounce; safekeep
ing for Richmond
County SO (FTA -
traffic offense)
AGENCIES
BCSO: Burke County
Sheriff’s Office;
WPD: Waynesboro
Police Department;
GSP: Georgia State Patrol;
MPD: Midville Police
Department;
SPD: Sardis Police
Department;
DOC: Department of
Corrections
DNR: Departmentof Natural
Resources
DISCLAIMER NOTICE: ALL ARE PRESUMED INNO
CENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW
1022 N. Liberty St., Waynesboro - 706-551-0876
MUTUAL GRATITUDE
Midville honors
Police Chief’s service
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Police Chief Robert Bayn-
ham intends to take things easy
from here on out.
Health issues involving his
legs prompted him to announce
his retirement from the com
munity he has grown close to
over the years.
“It was a challenge at first
working by myself,” Baynham
said in regards to his initial
employment with the city. The
police chief at the time lived in
Gough. “It could take a little
bit to get back up down here.”
Over time, things got qui
eter and quieter in Midville,
he said.
“There is no crime here
compared to other places,” he
said. “It is a blessing to end my
career in a place that was not
a headache. I really enjoyed
it and thank the community
for me being here as long as
I have.”
The City of Midville showed
its gratitude by hosting a retire
ment celebration for Baynham
December 18 at the city’s
Community Center.
Members of the community,
family members, city council
members and law enforcement
representatives attended the
event and made remarks honor
ing Baynham’s 16 years of ser
vice with the city. Councilman
Wallace Lemons presented
Baynham with a plaque.
“I thank the Lord for en
abling me to make this journey
as long as I have and to meet
good friends and to fellow
ship,” Baynham said. “I am
going to miss all of you but
when I look back, I will say
‘well, I made it.”
Mayor Pro Tern Jack McLen
don pointed out that Baynham
served in the United States
Army Signal Corps. After serv
ing his country, he completed
courses at Georgia Military
College. In 1986, he became
employed, first as a road patrol
man and later as a booking ser
geant, with the Burke County
Sheriff’s Office. In 2005, he
took on the role of road pa
trolman in Midville where he
moved up the ranks to become
the city’s police chief in 2010.
Lt. Brandon Reeves re
marked on Baynham’s strong
support of the BCSO and the
successfulness of his policing
skills in Midville.
“He has been a staple to the
City of Midville and they were
blessed to have him as a police
chief,” he said.
Sgt. Paul Gay shared a mem
orable light-hearted story of
Baynham during his early
years with the BCSO in which
an officer pulled him over to
find that he had swerved while
consuming chicken and Coca
Cola in the car.
In a more heartfelt moment,
Midville resident Jeremy
Kempffer gave an emotional
speech about the impact Bayn
ham had on his life.
“Chief, I really love you,”
he said pausing to choke back
tears as he faced Baynham. “I
really want to stress to every
body how good God is and how
he works through people and
how he has worked through
my life to help me change my
life. He gave me more than one
chance and I love him for that.
This is your day and I want you
to enjoy every bit of it, because
you deserve it. You have been
so kind to us.”
The retirement celebration
included dinner, dessert and
gifts. Bayham’s last day of
employment is December 31.
3
d
0
4
1
3
1
3
X
1
1
3
a
X
d
V
d
%
1
N
N
Y,
8
a
3
X
A
s
V
%
*
N
n
V
Hs
3
n
n
q,
1
%
q*
i
d
0
d
i
X
q,
0
d
i
V
q fi
IAI
s
1
%
%
a
d
X
q.
X
S
s
i
IAI
s
3
IAI
X
0
A
N
a
V
n
n
A
a
M
0
9
N
1
4
n
d
A
n
n
X
d
V
A
q,
4
%
*1
3
n
V
%
V
d
V
%
s
M
%
>4
S
3
0
q,
■4
a
A
n
d
V
3
i
1
3
%
a
n
O
9
M
0
n
3
3
\
a
3
3
x
N
V
1
X
3
9
n
V
q,
1
■>
1
d
X
V
N
V
1
d
o
a
Y,
•
d
O
q,
K
A
9,
s s
3,
X
A
<A
3 e
4
s,
j^ed 3 Aqjoiuu Ag SSV10 WIMS