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Vol. 142, No. 22 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830 Established in 1882 Wednesday, July 20, 2022 - $1.00
Sheriff relinquishes grant funds
BEN ROBERTS
benroberts@bellsouth.net
After weeks of insisting the county
had no authority over $425,000 in
grant funds given to his department
last year, Sheriff Alfonzo Williams
turned over the remainder of that
money to the county manager’s of
fice last week.
Burke County Finance Director
Michael Wiseman confirmed his of
fice received a check in the amount
of $217,914.16 on Thursday, July 14.
Wiseman said there was no corre
spondence included with the check.
In an emailed statement to The
True Citizen, Williams said the
amount represented all the remain
ing funds and that he had assurances
those funds would be added to the
budget for the Burke County Sher
iff’s Office (BCSO).
“We are making the first move
towards restoring trust and confi
dence,” Williams said regarding his
choice to turn over those funds now.
County Manager Merv Waldrop
confirmed the remaining monies
would be appropriated for BCSO
use as they had in previous years;
however, there were a number of
additional steps that must be taken to
ensure any funds previously spent by
Williams were done so appropriately
and properly accounted for.
“I expect it will take some time to
determine where to record the previ
ous expenses and how to record the
current revenue and where it needs
to be appropriated. If any was used
for personal expenses the Board
will have to decide how they want
to pursue it,” Waldrop said.
Williams’ relinquishing control of
the funds marks a turning point in
what has been an ongoing dispute be
tween Williams and commissioners.
In December of 2021, Williams sued
the commission to take control of his
department’s payroll administration.
In January, Superior Court Judge
Jesse C. Stone denied the sheriff’s
request. Williams has since appealed
that ruling.
County officials first became
aware of the grant funds in April
of this year, during a work session
between Williams and the commis
sioners. An ensuing investigation
revealed Williams had received the
$425,000 over the course of several
months in the fall of last year and
deposited those funds in separate
BCSO bank accounts without noti
fying the county manager’s office.
Williams has denied he attempted to
hide the grants from county officials.
At last Tuesday’s regular commis
sion meeting, the county’s contracted
auditor, Kay S. Proctor, of Lanier,
Deal & Proctor, gave
a report of her firm’s
investigation into both FUNDS,
Williams’ spending 7A
Arrest made
in 2016 case
Waynesboro, ca 1905-1910. Popularly known as the “Red Devil," this is said to have been the first automobile in
Waynesboro. It was owned by R.C. Neely, Sr. Note clothing and goggles worn for a ride.
“Red Devil” spotted in Waynesboro
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
As it made its way through
downtown Waynesboro, the
noise of the “Red Devil” caused
havoc for residents and shoppers.
The first automobile owner
brought his two-seated touring
car, a Duryea, dubbed “Red
Devil” to Waynesboro in 1905.
According to author Albert M.
Hillhouse, the car belonged
to W.A. Wilkins, Jr. However,
according to local historian Jo
Goodson Knight the car belonged
to R.C. Neely, Jr. The two gentle
men were related. In is writings,
Hillhouse points out that in 1910
President William Taft visited
Waynesboro for an afternoon as
the guest of Neely, who then re
sided in Augusta. A tea was given
in his honor at Wilkins’ home.
Taft arrived in a motorcade.
Regardless, five years earlier,
the “Red Devil” aroused great
interest, earning its nickname
as it frightened horses that com
monly made their way down
the unpaved and wagon-rutted
dirt roads. Standard motorist
equipment included a duster,
goggles, caps for men, veils for
ladies, patching kits for flats and
a hand pump. Most car tops were
collapsible. Traveling at approxi
mately 10 mph, a trip to Augusta
required several hours.
“At first, horses were afraid of
the new chug-chug intruder; in
consequence, a city ordinance
was passed in Augusta against
driving a car in the residential
‘Hill area’ because it would
frighten the children’s ponies,”
Hillhouse wrote.
According to a November 4,
1905, article in The True Citizen,
a fatal accident occurred when an
automobile was passing down
Liberty Street in front of Mr.
Sims’ store. The horse became
frightened as it was standing
hitched to a buggy close to
the sidewalk. The automobile,
traveling at 3-4 mph, got about
10 feet in front of the animal
when the horse tore away from
its fastening, running at a “break
neck speed north, flying between
wagon after wagon that lined
both sides of the
street.” SEE
A child named red DEVIL,
Warren Colson oa
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
The Burke County Sheriff’s Office
searched a pond off of Ponderosa
Road for the remains of Simon Pow
ell.
The search began Thursday, July
14 and ended that afternoon, result
ing in nothing found. However over
the weekend, the BCSO identified
another pond they referred to as a
“point of interest” in this case. In
vestigators along with EMA began
working this area Monday, July 18.
“The area we are working is locat
ed on private property and is consid
ered part of a crime scene and is not
accessible to anyone other than those
individuals working this case, so the
location will not be disclosed at this
time,” said Captain Jimmy Wylds in
an emailed statement Monday.
Investigators announced last week
they arrested and charged 38-year-
old Stacey Welch, with murder,
armed robbery and kidnapping in
connection with Powell’s 2016 dis
appearance. Welch did not confess
to murdering Powell but disclosed
details of the role she played in his
disappearance. The BCSO is search
ing the pond based on that informa
tion. According to a relative, Welch
is the mother of three children and
is known to use illegal drugs. Ac
cording to a July 13 press release, the
BCSO expects to make other arrests.
June marked the sixth anniversary
of the unsolved case. Powell was last
seen by family members around 7
p.m. on Wednesday, June 1, 2016,
wearing blue Dickies coveralls and
driving a 2012 white Ford pickup
truck, after he had just visited neigh
bors on his 4-wheeler. His truck was
discovered destroyed by fire the next
day on Wil
son Road.
However,
GBI tests
confirmed
there were
no human
remains
among the
mins.
“It is be
lieved the
vehicle was
driven to the isolated area for the
purpose of disposing of it,” said Sgt.
Dedric Smith at the time.
The original pond owner Elizabeth
Goodson said the BCSO notified
her Tuesday, July 12, 2022, that
they would be searching the ap
proximately 2-acre pond that sits
about 2 miles off of the roadway on
112 acres. She has been living on
the property since 1984. She did not
know Powell or Welch.
“I am very confused,” Goodson
said last week as investigators
searched her pond. “It’s weird.
Somebody said a dead person had
been put in the pond, but we didn’t
see anything floating around in the
pond.”
In July 2016, Powell’s family held
a prayer vigil for the missing man.
In August 2016, a crowd gathered
at Mount Zion CME Church to pray
for Powell, who was 63 years old at
the time and suffered from diabetes.
Sheriff Alfonzo Williams offered
a $30,000 reward last month to any
person who supplied information
that lead the BCSO to the where
abouts and recovery of Powell. Ac
cording to Captain Jimmy Wylds, no
one is up for the reward.
More information will be given as
it becomes available.
Stacey Welch
Crowd gathers over townhouse development
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
A large crowd gathered during
Monday’s City Council meeting,
waiting for Mike Smith to explain
the plans for the proposed develop
ment of the Brinson Farms 2 project.
Smith explained that the project
includes townhouses constructed
on a tract of land located on Hunter
Road, which will be both rented out
and purchased by property owners.
An application for the county to an
nex part of the land into city limits
was withdrawn after the Board of
Commissioners objected due to
concerns about increased traffic.
In response, developers came up
with a plan that diverts the traffic
to Herndon Road. A second request
for annexation was also denied after
the city had not approved the de
velopment. Additional requests for
rezoning have been postponed. The
project plans include construction
of approximately 45 townhouses
over time.
“The last two attempts haven’t
exactly gone as planned,” Smith said
and added that it seems like the city
is not supportive of the project.
There were no public comments
made.
In other news, the panel unani
mously approved a zoning amend
ment from R-1 Residential to Zone
P professional for a property located
at 459 4th Street. Medical Specialists
has potential plans of purchasing and
utilizing the property for storage or
future office space, as well as ad
ditional parking for their patients.
Mike Smith hands out maps pertaining to the Brinson Farms 2 project
during the July 18 City Council meeting.