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Stone
SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE
TO KEEP THE ONLY BURKE COUNTY JUDGE
ON THE BURKE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT,
VOTE JUDGE
Jesse Stone on may 24 th
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Vol. 142, No. 13 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
Established in 1882
Wednesday, May 18, 2022 - $1.00
General Primary Election is Tuesday, May 24
ROY F. CHALKER JR.
rchalker@bellsouth.net
Early voting ends Friday and the
polls will open at 7 a.m. Tuesday
for the 2022 General Primary. Local
voters face a number of choices on
next Tuesday’s ballot.
Among those is a Superior Court
Judgeship held by a Burke Coun-
tian for one of the few times in
the history of the judicial circuit.
Former Waynesboro mayor and
State Senator Jesse C. Stone, who
was appointed to the bench by Gov.
Brian Kemp, is opposed by Augusta
attorney Charles H.S. Lyons III.
Incumbent Judge Ashley Wright
has opposition from Laverne Lewis
Gaskins. Judge Wright is also the
former District Attorney of the Au
gusta Circuit.
Veteran Burke County Board of
Education member Ruby Saxon-
Myles faces opposition from Leon
ard Hill. Hill is the former Director
of Transportation for the schools
system. Myles has held the District
one post for the past 11 years.
School board incumbents Jackie
Payton and G. Franklin Lane, Jr.
have no opponents.
Republican
The Republican ballot leads off
with the U.S. Senate race, featuring
Trump favorite, Herschel Walker.
Walker, who played football for
Trump’s New Jersey Generals USFL
team after a spectacular career at
UGA, faces five opponents, includ
ing former Georgia Agriculture
Commissioner Gary Black. Other
candidates are Josh Clarke, Kelvin
King, Jonathan “Jon” McCollum and
Latham Saddler.
Incumbent Governor Brian Kemp
faces a serious challenge from an
other Trump favorite, former U.S.
Senator David Perdue. This race has
gained a lot of national attention as
it is a test of Trump’s control of the
GOP. Trump has criticized Kemp for
maintaining that Georgia’s results in
the 2020 presidential election were
correct and accurate.
Trump also has a favorite in the Lt.
Governor’s contest. He has endorsed
Burt Jones, another UGA football
player and 2020 election denier.
Butch Miller, like Jones a member
of the state senate, is also running
along with Jeanne Seaver and Mack
McGregor.
Secretary of State Brad Raffens-
berger, who also declared that the
Georgia election results were legiti
mate and earned Trump’s wrath, has
three opponents. Trump favorite,
Congressman Jody Hice,-also an
election denier, David C. Belle Isle
and T. J. Hudson.
Attorney General
Chris Carr is op
posed by John Gor
don.
SEE
ELECTION,
10A
The City of Waynesboro will acquire nine parcels and will be responsible for constructing the project site
and building as shown, according to the April 2021 Preliminary Architectural Report.
New community center planned for city
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Waynesboro’s proposed new
community center will cost
the city more than $500,000 in
matching funds.
Plans for the 6th Street project
originated in 2020, according to
City Manager Valerie Kirkland.
The city held public hearings in
both 2021 and 2022. They also
applied for a Community De
velopment Block Grant (CDBG)
in 2021, but did not receive the
funding.
This year, Waynesboro intends
to prepare and submit a much
more competitive application for
the grant, Kirkland said.
“The 2021 application did not
accurately reflect the project
need and benefits, etc.,” she
wrote in an email.
For application purposes, the
building is referred to as “The
Boro Complex;” however, a
permanent name may be decided
later.
A recent resolution by the
city council states the City of
Waynesboro authorized the May
or/Vice Mayor to apply for a
2022 CDBG for the purpose of
constructing a community center
to provide educational, social and
other services.
After completion, the city will
be responsible for maintenance
and operation of the facility.
That would include coordination
with non-profit agencies that will
provide services and operate
programs at the center to provide
direct benefit to low and moder
ate income persons. The city will
also provide a staff member to
coordinate the scheduling of each
of the programs with the various
program representatives.
The building floor plan is
available in the Preliminary Ar
chitectural Report (PAR). The
executive summary of the archi
tectural report specifically states
that the multifunctional building
and site will address a senior
center to augment the county’s
senior facility, after school pro
grams for BCPS students as well
as summertime programs for
children to include breakfast and
lunch meals, evening classes for
GED eligible adults, homeless
services and counseling.
The complex will be con
structed between 6th and 7th
Streets and between Nesbitt
Street and the existing old city
cemetery. The city owns a por
tion of the land, currently used as
a city park. However, the project
includes the acquisition of nine
additional property parcels, ac
cording to the PAR.
“The city then purposes to
construct a single, story multi
purpose building consisting of
approximately 4200 sq. ft.,” ac
cording to the document. “The
total estimated cost for this proj
ect including land acquisition is
estimated at $1,211,010.”
However, that figure is slightly
lower than the amount provided
for in the resolution. Kirkland
also confirmed May 10, that the
requested CDBG amount is $1
million and the remaining funds
committed by the City Council
are $550,000.
Kirkland explained the goals
on both revitalization of an area
identified in the city’s Urban Re-
SEE
COMMUNITY
CENTER,
12A
development
Plan as being
plagued with
poverty, vacant
property, crime
City approves two
liquor store sites
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
The City Council voted on four
applications for businesses licensed
to sell distilled spirits during a public
hearing Monday, May 16.
After no one made public com
ment, the council voted on each
location individually. An application
by Harper Mobley LLC to open Bird
Dog Beverages on 627 Shadrack
Street passed unanimously.
“They met the distance require
ments,” said City Manager Valerie
Kirkland.
The establishment proposed by
Hirani Investments LLC, Burke
Beverage Outlet, to be located at the
Walmart shopping center received
less support passing by a 3-2 vote.
An application submitted by Yogi
Swami LLC to open The Package
Store at 505 W. 6th Street prompted
more discussion from the panel due
to its proximity to the 6th Street Park.
Still, the application was denied
after Councilwoman Vickey Bates
motioned to reject the application.
The council tabled a fourth ap
plication submitted by Kimberly
Peek Taylor to open Taylor Bros.
Express Package Shop at 1105 N.
Liberty Street. Kirkland pointed out
there are four daycare centers in the
area. The panel will re-address that
application during the next meeting,
Tuesday, June 21.
Each location was surveyed by
Steve Bargeron & Associates to
make sure the proposed liquor stores
met distance requirements from
parks, churches and schools.
2022 GRADUATION EDITION
Burke County’s top graduates sat down last
week with True Citizen News Editor Shellie
Smitley to talk about how they got to the top of
their class as well as their plans for the future.
Read these stories and more in our Salute to
the Class of 2022 in this week’s issue.
BCHS parent
requests investigation
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
The parent of a Burke County High
School student has requested an in
vestigation after she learned of Scott
Hooker’s arrest last month for im
proper sexual conduct of a student.
Hooker was employed at BCHS as a
Student Services Coordinator.
The parent stated to Burke County
Sheriff’s Office deputies May 8, that
her daughter had told her Hooker
made her uncomfortable on several
occasions. The parent claims she
requested a new teacher for her
daughter but the request was denied.
Hooker was adamant about being
solely responsible for her daughter’s
one-on-one tutoring.
According to the incident report,
the parent believes more went on
than her daughter disclosed. She
asked for an investigation into her
daughter’s experience in working
with Hooker.
Re-Elect
RUBY I