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The True Citizen, Wednesday, January 12, 2022 — Page 7
^FOR THE RECORD
Ramping up Midville’s police force
Sgt. Matthew Petrea met with the Midville City Council Jan.
7 to discuss plans for the Burke County Sheriff’s Office to
help ramp up the city’s police department.
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
The Midville City Council
voted to contract with the
Burke County Sheriff’s Office
while the panel searches for
a new police chief, replacing
Robert Baynham who retired
Dec. 31.
Subject to the approval of the
Board County Commission,
the BCSO will provide a ve
hicle to be assigned to the city
for use by the officer on duty.
The city will pay the deputies’
wages, workers compensation
insurance and for the fuel they
use. The county will provide
auto insurance.
Beyond enforcing the law,
the BCSO will work with the
city to ramp up its overall ef
fectiveness. One of the new
policies suggested by Sgt.
Matthew Petrea is that the city
adopt a technology fee of up
to $20 attached to any citation,
excluding seat belt fines. The
collected fees will be kept in
a separate account and used to
invest in new technology for
the law enforcement agency.
“That fee can pay for your
computers, it will pay for
anything technology related,”
Petrea explained to the panel.
“If you want to pay for a tag
reader, it will pay for that. It
builds up quickly and it doesn’t
burden the tax payers.”
Petrea also suggested that
Midville’s current fines for vio
lations are set too low. The city
council elected Jan. 7 to have
attorney and elected Solicitor
General of Jenkins County
State Court, Duff Ayers, act
as Midville’s Municipal Court
Judge. Ayers will work with the
city’s attorney, John Levis, to
increase the fines.
“I would highly recommend
evaluating those fines,” Petrea
said.
Midville is in desperate need
of a new police car. Petrea sug
gested the council remedy that
issue via SPLOST funds and/
or grants prior to hiring a new
chief. He assured the council
that the BCSO will assist in the
grant-writing process.
“I would start looking at it
now because patrol cars take
five to six months to get here
right now,” he said.
The BCSO is willing to as
sist in the search and hiring
process of a new chief as well.
Petrea suggested the panel
weigh out the benefits of a full
time versus a part time chief.
A full-time position may merit
a salary in the area of $50,000
a year, he said. The prospect
of finding a chief who actually
resides in Midville is slim. The
city may have to offer benefits
like taking the vehicle home
as an incentive. Finding a
chief who will fill the role for
approximately three years is a
reasonable expectation.
“If we paint the picture good
enough and set it up right,
I think we will be able to
find someone good for you,”
Petrea said and pointed out
that it benefits the BCSO to
assist in finding a qualified
candidate since it is crucial
that the two departments work
together.“You are in need of a
lot of stuff. We really want to
help set you up for the future.”
The BCSO will have a rep
resentative attend the monthly
council meetings and present
an incident report while they
temporarily handle the patrol
ling of the city.
The topic is on the BOC
agenda for the evening of Jan.
11.
Additionally, a special elec
tion will be held in the City of
Midville Tuesday, March 15
for the purpose of filling the
seat of deceased Mayor Sam
Cummings. Qualifying dates
for the position will be held
February 14-16. The qualify
ing fee is $35. All persons who
are not registered to vote may
register through the close of
Feb. 14. Advance voting will
begin Feb. 21 between 8:30
a.m. and 5 p.m.
BURKE COUNTY JAIL BOOKINGS
JAN 3-9
Shaina Marlene
Brisco, 27
Tucker Ave.,
Waynesboro
BCSO, Jan. 5
Possession of mari
juana with the intent
to distribute; failure
to stop at stop/yield
sign; tight reducing
material applied to
windows.
John Lee
Hardy, 40
Briarwood Court,
Waynesboro
BCSO, Jan. 5
Light reducing
material affixed to
windows; seatbelt
(adult); marijuana -
possession of less
than one ounce.
Craig Anthony
Harris, 36
Connock Court,
Grovetown
BCSO, Jan. 6
Bench warrant -
felony
Timmy Jay
Jackson, 55
Hwy23S., Sardis
BCSO, Jan. 9
Failure to appear-
felony
Zaneisha Nicole
Lakes, 26
Davis Rd.,
Waynesboro
WPD, Jan. 6
Battery - family
violence (1st offense)
misdemeanor; cruelty
to children in the 3rd
degree - family
violence
Harcedric Leeta
Marshall, 42
Maple Lane,
Waynesboro
BCSO, Jan. 6
DU I - driving under
the influence of
alcohol; headlight
requirements; no
insurance
Ernest James
Pierce, 41
Clayton Rd., Girard
SPD, Jan. 4
Theft by deception
- U.S. currency -
felony; theft by tak
ing - felony; criminal
damage to property
in the 2nd degree
Nathaniel David
Waid, 38
Leeway Landing,
Augusta
BCSO, Jan. 6
Cruelty to animals
DISCLAIMER NOTICE: ALL ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT
UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW
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
1022 N. Liberty St., Waynesboro - 706-551-0876
BURKE EMA REPORT
The Burke County Emergency Management Agency
responded to 135 patients’ calls during the week ending
Jan. 9. Of those, 81 resulted in transports, including 39
to Augusta hospitals and six to other out of county hos
pitals. Thirty six of the transports were determined to be
emergencies and 45 were non-emergent.
The agency also answered 36 fire calls during the
period. They included three brush/grass fire, one false
alarm, two power lines down, 12 trees down, 13 rescues,
two motor vehicle accident rescues, one public service
call and two unspecified calls
City works through
alcohol ordinance
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Members of the City Council
met for a work session Tues
day to discuss the proposed
ordinance, that once passed
will enable the establishment
of liquor stores in Waynesboro.
City Manger Valerie Kirk
land pointed out during the
session that six people have
expressed interest in opening a
liquor store, however the city
currently has received no of
ficial applications, including a
rumored location on Shadrack
Street.
Council members Dick Byne,
Bill Tinley and Vickey Bates
discussed some of the formali
ties the panel is addressing in
their drafting of the alcohol
ordinance. One of the concerns
is how to address the number of
liquor-related stores that might
pop up around the city.
“It’s not our job to pick and
choose what business comes
to Waynesboro,” Byne pointed
out to the attendees. Whether
wording actually limits the
number of stores that call the
city home in the future is not
as much of a concern to Tinley.
“I think the marketplace will
solve that problem,” he said.
The panel also discussed in
cluding verbiage that requires
that established liquor retail
stores must meet a 100 to 200
Omicron
virus within the county jail
as of Monday. Likewise,
Coroner Val Prescott said his
department has not seen any
Coronavirus-related deaths in
the last week.
The White House announced
a new policy Monday that
ensures that the cost of CO-
feet distance from each other.
Regardless, potential owner/
operators are likely to have to
meet the prerequisite of having
an existing building that meets
inspection in order to apply
for the license. It may also be
the applicants’ responsibility
to pay for advertising prior to
the application being heard in
a public meeting. The hours
that the businesses can operate
were also a topic of discus
sion. All of the panel members
agreed that convenience stores,
currently selling beer and wine,
should not be eligible to obtain
a license to sell distilled spirits.
Additionally, Bates ada
mantly suggested that there be
no loitering and no drinking al
lowed on liquor store premises,
including wine tasting events.
The council is sending the
proposed ordinance back to
City Attorney Randolph Frails
before it is presented to the
public Jan. 18 for comment.
Bates indicated it will prob
ably be a couple of months
before Burke Countians see a
liquor store in the city.
“We have some hurdles and
hoops to jump through,” she
said.
Citizens approved the ref
erendum in November which
allows the city to initiate the
ordinance that authorizes the
issuance of licenses for pack
age sale of distilled spirits
Continued from front
VID-19 diagnostic tests, ap
proved by the Food and Drug
Administration, will be cov
ered beginning January 15. In
surance companies and health
plans will be required to cover
eight free over-the-counter
at-home tests a month, per
covered individual.
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