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The True Citizen, Wednesday, January 5, 2022 — Page 3
BURKE
COUNTY'S
FIVE-DAY
FORECAST
SUNDAY
Partly Sunny
40% Chance of Showers
68°I48°
Forecast of the National Weather Service
Year In Review
Continued from front
Georgia and The University of
Georgia,” Operations Coordi
nator Angelique Jackson said.
“Burke is actually the 14th
community to be established.”
The organization hopes to
hire someone by August for the
historic courthouse location.
“Really Archway is just
about understanding what
the needs are in a community
and then how the University
of Georgia can help address
those needs,” Jackson said.
“It’s really about connecting
communities in Georgia to the
resources at UGA.”
Obituaries included Alveara
Jones Abrams, Cresham Ni
cole Griffin-Ingram, Sherri
P. Joyner and Vachel Dennis
Lane.
JULY 7
Burke County houses and
parcels of land are selling like
hot cakes.
Max Boswell of Mary Yelton
Realty said he has witnessed a
substantial increase in sales of
houses and land over the last
18-24 months.
“Especially land in the 50
acres and below,” Boswell said
and pointed out the appeal of
such parcels for people looking
to build new homes. “It’s a very
competitive market and the
inventory is down, so you have
more buyers in the market than
there are properties available.”
Boswell speculates that a
combination of high-priced
building materials, COVID
19 and extremely attractive
interest rates have created
a renewed interest in home
purchasing, that in-turn, has
created a shortage of houses
to buy.
Obituaries included Jewel
Banks.
JULY 14
The City of Waynesboro
Utilities Committee will ad
dress the full Council with
the potential need to revisit an
ordinance that requires hom
eowners to pay for repairs to
sewer problems beyond their
property line.
Mary Yelton Lively brought
the issue to the attention of
Utilities Committee members
July 12.
“If the City Council has
made an ordinance requiring
all property owners to pay for
the main sewer lines and tap
to be paid individually by all
property owners, do you realize
how many people this will af
fect, young and old, on Sunset
Drive?” Lively asked the com
mittee members. “This is truly
not fair to any of the property
owners.”
Lively owns a house on
Sunset Drive. Upon inspec
tion of a sewer problem, it was
determined by plumber Ryan
Smith that the tap connected to
the main sewer line failed, pos
sibly due to the weight of traf
fic. Lively paid for repairs to
the sewer line on her property,
replacing it with PVC pipe. But
now she is faced with having to
pay for tearing up the road and
repairing it.
Obituaries included Mary
Elizabeth Carpenter-Crawford,
Lucinda “Lucy” Wilkinson,
Paul W. Sexton, Marietta J.
Tyler, Louvenia Jones and
Michael A. Rhaney.
JULY 21
COVID-related backorders
of materials are slowing down
the completion of the Shadrack
St. project.
“As of right now the holdup
is our supply chain,” said Water
Superintendent Jody Ellison
who is also acting as Director
of Public Works after the resig
nation of Robert Seamans. “We
have a projected date but (the
pipe) has not showed up yet.”
Scheduled for delivery be
ginning July 19, the pipe will
arrive two pieces per truckload.
“It’s going to take a little
while to get it all here,” El
lison said during the Utilities
Committee meeting July 12.
The city intends to develop a
new goal for completion of the
project this week.
Obituaries included Enice
Hendley Johnson, Ann Luchs
Tinley, James Carpenter, Lred
Chambers, Jr., Alfonzo Shon-
dell Green, Bernice Lewis
Griffin and Miriam Mallard
Mitchell.
JULY 28
A Waynesboro man was
arrested in Llorida last week
after shooting his girlfriend in
the head.
According to Waynesboro
Police investigators, Bobby
Jermaine Turner, 33, has been
charged with murder, theft by
taking (automobile), posses
sion of a firearm by a convicted
felon and possession of a fire
arm during the commission of
a crime.
Authorities say Turner is sus
pected of shooting 36-year-old
Stephanie Gordon, whose body
was found inside a home on
Wallace Street in Waynesboro
on July 22.
Obituaries included Pat
sy Thompson, Diante “Dee”
Walker, Prince Perry, Hymond
M. Meriweather and Ira Mae
Lreeman.
AUG. 4
Mike Wood’s last gig as op
erator of Duggs Doggs Good
Good! Hotdog stand took place
July 31 at William Mizell Lord.
Wood’s plans are simpler
from now on. He’s going to
enjoy his family, watch TV
and ride his Honda Goldwing
motorcycle.
“Be retired,” he said laugh
ing. “I’m not going to do
anything.”
Obituaries included Aaron
“Sugarfoot” Thomas, Sr., Sam
uel Liske Maguire. Melvin Ber
nard Jones, Skye Emory-Rose
Williams, Eugene T. Henry,
Hilliard Baker, Warren Wilson
and Gwendolyn Gilmore.
AUG. 11
Learning the new voting
laws is proving to be a cumber
some task.
The Burke County Board
of Elections met August 2 to
further discuss the changes
that Senate Bill 202 requires
the panel to implement.
The bill, passed March 25,
amends Chapter 2 of Title 21
of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated,relating to elections
and primaries.
The Georgia Department of
Public Health Vaccine Distri
bution Dashboard reported that
as of August 9, the percentage
of fully vaccinated people in
Burke County increased by
1%.
The DPH reported that 35%
of the county’s residents are
fully vaccinated after being
stagnated at 34%.
Obituaries included Clifford
Jones, Gregory J. Durrence,
James Hill McClellan, Sr.,
Louise Walker, Willie Da
vis “Willie D” Turner, James
U. Brim, Jr. and William S.
Striggles.
AUG. 18
A frustrated Sheriff faced
the Burke County Commis
sion August 10 demanding
they adopt a reasonable budget
as mandated by law, without
restrictions, limitations and
requirements concerning how
it is spent.
Speaking for more than an
hour, Sheriff Alfonzo Williams
publicly criticized County
Manager Merv Waldrop refer
encing him as “clerk,” demand
ing that he abide by the law
and “get out of the Sheriff’s
Department’s business.”
Williams also informed the
board that he needs suffi
cient funding to obtain at least
50-acres of land, required for
a training center with a bring
range at an estimated cost of
$400,000 that will be opera
tional prior to December 31,
2021. He suggested that the
panel allocate money from the
American Rescue Plan Lunds,
already designated toward
helping to solve the broadband
issue.
Obituaries included Latrecia
Devone Lrank, Deacon Prince
Albert Cunningham, Emma
Jean Adams, Charlie “Joe”
Anthony, Inward Young, Sr.,
Daniel Cooper, Jr. and Valorie
Melissa Moten.
AUG. 25
A Lacebook post last week
for Brown’s Quality Seafood
read, “Due to being under
staffed we are no longer taking
phone orders for the remainder
of the day. We are sorry for the
inconvenience... and thanks
for understanding. We en
courage you to use our online
ordering or the Waitr app for
delivery service.”
McDonalds’ Customer Ser
vice Manager Sharon Cooper
said the local fast-food restau
rant is facing the same problem
with staffing. They are continu
ously having to keep the lobby
closed and service customers
through the drive-thru only.
The chain, known to offer
college tuition incentives, typi
cally pays its employees less
than $15 per hour upon hire.
“We don’t have the staff,”
Cooper said and pointed out
that many of the teenaged
employees it attracts refuse to
work weekends. “It’s mainly
on the weekends, because
nobody wants to work week
ends. They feel like, I guess,
that they are supposed to have
every weekend off.”
Restaurants here and all over
the area are reporting the same
problem.
Obituaries included Carleigh
Peyton O’Connor, Joanne
Davidson Inniss, Betty Jean
Royal, Brooks “BG” Givens
and Joseph H. Roberson.
SEPT. 1
Abeloved community leader
has died following a battle with
COVID-19.
John “Johnny” Jenkins,
Chairman of the Burke County
Board of Education, passed
away Saturday, Aug. 28.
Lamily says Jenkins had
planned to receive the vaccine
for the vims but had a knee
replacement in April and was
waiting to get stronger from
the surgery.
He was 78 years old.
A family and community ori
ented man, Jenkins was elected
to the BOE in January 1979,
spending more than 42 years
in his seat. He was one of the
longest serving chairmen in the
state of Georgia.
Obituaries included Doro
thy Maxine Gibbs Johnson,
Dwayne Curtis Cunningham,
Wilheminia Rogers Williams,
Margarita Odessa Rodriguez,
Ruby Hilliard Gilchrist and
John Miller “Johnny” Jenkins.
SEPT. 8
Arthur Long, who served on
the Sardis City Council for 17
years died September 2 due to
COVID-19 complications.
A statement from the City
of Sardis September 7 said the
following: “Mr. Arthur Long
served on Sardis City Council
for seventeen years. During
2015 - 2019, he was appointed
as Mayor Pro-tem.
He resigned on July 13th,
2021, due to ongoing health
issues. Everyone in the com
munity is saddened by the loss
of Mr. Arthur Long. He was
kind and generous and served
on the city council in an effort
to help local businesses and
the people in our community.
He was loved and respected
by everyone in our small com
munity and will be missed.”
Obituaries included Mary
Ceabrina Williams-Saxon,
C.J. “Bobby” Stewart, Alan
Grogan, Mamie Lou Johnson,
Kathleen Walden, John Arthur
Long, Sr.,Roy Sullivan, Willie
James Young, Ruby Walker,
Rodney Larmont Graham,
Sylvester “Preacher” Daniels.
Key’Aundrya Devon Gillette,
Nathaniel Coward and Jaheim
Xavier Jenkins.
SEPT. 15
A father of three students in
the public school system has
announced his candidacy for
the District 5 seat on the Burke
County Board of Education.
Guy “Lranklin” Lane Jr.
qualified this week for the spe
cial election that will determine
who fills the seat left vacant
by late veteran BOE chairman
John M. “Johnny” Jenkins.
Lane, a reactor operator
with no previous political
experience, said he decided to
run after being approached by
several residents in District 5
encouraging him to serve.
Obituaries included Glynn
Bassett, Rebecca Ward, Willie
James Walker, Phillip Bazley,
Keshauna Danielle Bolden and
James Lake.
SEPT. 22
Darrell Smith, 53, of
Waynesboro qualified last
Monday to run in the special
election to fill the seat of veter
an BOE chairman Johnny Jen
kins. He is a lifelong resident
of Burke County, a graduate
of Waynesboro High School
and is currently employed as
an operations supervisor at
EZGO Textron. His children
are graduates of Burke County
Public Schools (BCPS), and his
youngest daughter is currently
a seventh-grader at Burke
County Middle School.
Obituaries included Steve
Cook, Barbara McGlothlin
Byne, Rufus Julian “Rusty”
Eskew, Jackie Eugene Pitts,
Bessie Mae Walker, Michael
Thomas Harrell, Elouise Wash
ington and Lelicia Anita Brew
ster.
SEPT. 29
Local pharmacies and agen
cies are geared up to administer
booster shots of Pfizer’s CO
VID-19 vaccine.
The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention ap
proved a booster dose of Pfizer
vaccine September 24 for older
adults and people with high
risk of exposure or severe dis
ease who received their second
dose at least 6 months ago.
However, only people who
have already been fully immu
nized with Phzer-BioNTech’s
two-dose COVID vaccine are
eligible for the booster shot.
Citing a lack of evidence,
the Pood and Drug Adminis
tration is not endorsing that
people who received the Mod-
erna or Johnson & Johnson
vaccines, should get a booster
of the Pfizer shot.
Obituaries included Bes
sie Mae Walker, Gerald Ann
Clayton, Charlie Story, Johnie
Quarles Crockett, Jessie Mae
Phillips and Addie Bell Mc
Coy.
OCT. 6
City of Waynesboro officials
are saying that “no theft or
wrongdoing has occurred”
after Augusta radio talk show
host Austin Rhodes alleged
on Oct. 1 that an employee is
suspected of embezzling over
$120,000.
In a Lacebook post, Rhodes
said that even though elected
officials are aware of the al
legation, they are “refusing to
call in the GBI to investigate.”
In a statement issued Mon
day, City Manager Valerie
Kirkland said that the city “is
aware of the accusations made
against the Municipal Court
concerning the collection of
fines” and that the city is con
ducting an internal investiga
tion and reviewing the court’s
financial records.
Two political newcomers, a
previous councilman and two
incumbents have qualified to
run in the Nov. 2 general elec
tion for the City of Waynes
boro.
Longtime councilman Rich
ard “Dick” Byne qualified for
Ward 1, Post 4 and runs unop
posed for the seat.
Alberta Anderson, who cur
rently serves Ward 2, Post 5,
did not seek re-election. Voters
will choose between two famil-
WHAT’S
) UOU C QilUlt- f V f'/'l fi
lar faces: former vice mayor
Herman Brown and Waynes
boro native Maurice McBride.
Incumbent for Ward 3, Post
6, Willie “LeRoy” Williams,
has also sought re-election.
He is being challenged by Her-
Monica Givens Bennett.
Obituaries included Charles
Cleveland “Chuck” Jenkins,
Jerome Mario Gardner, Bobby
Purse and Bobby Cecil Greene.
OCT. 13
The Development Authority
of Burke County gained a new
chairwoman and is losing its
executive director.
The board elected Lindsai
Gentry as chairwoman last
month, replacing Preston Con
ner who notified the county that
he was relocating to Llorida.
Tuesday, the board called a
special meeting after Execu
tive Director Molly Olson
gave notice of her resignation
effective November 2. Olson
has accepted another position
out-of-state.
Obituaries included Roy
G. Black, Althea Daniels and
Gary Dean Johnson, Sr.
FINAL PART OF
YEAR-END WILL RUN
IN NEXT WEEK'S
TRUE CITIZEN
NEXT?
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Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022
Burke County Retired Educators Association will meet at Mt.
Olive African Methodist Church on West Seventh Street. Guest
Speaker is CTAE Director Sean Middleton of Burke County
School System.
Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022
The Burke County Improvement Association is sponsoring
MLK Parade at 1 pm. The theme is "Dream for Justice". Dead
line entry date is January 5. Call 706-825-4075 to submit entry
information.
Notice to the Public
An application for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) has been filed
with the City of Waynesboro for the following properties:
543 S. Liberty Street (Shadrack Street W07 085A)
A public hearing will be held with the Waynesboro Historic Preservation
Commission at the Waynesboro City Hall, 615 N. Liberty Street, on Tuesday,
January 25th, 2022, at 6:00pm. All those in favor or objecting to these applications
should be present to voice their support or objections. Persons will special needs
relating to disability access may use the Georgia Relay Service for the hearing
impaired at 1-800-255-0056 or contact the City Administrator, Valerie Kirkland,
at (706) 554-8000.
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