Newspaper Page Text
are y'ali ready for some football1
O
CM
O
CM
CM
Vol. 142, No. 35 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830 Established in 1882 Wednesday, October 19, 2022 - $1.00
BCSO makes arrests during Exchange Club Fair
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Burke County Sheriff’s Office
deputies working special duty during
the Exchange Club Fair Saturday,
October 8 responded to a shooting
threat.
The BCSO received information,
along with a photo, of several people
who were searching for someone to
shoot and intended to use the fair as
their hunting ground. The people in
the photo were wearing identifiable
clothing and holding firearms as well
as gang signs.
A deputy patrolling the gate on
the Manau Street side noticed peo
ple walking outside the gate who
matched the description. Before they
could enter the fairgrounds, depu
ties met them and ordered them to
place their hands on a fence. A frisk
of Antonio Dishmond, 19, resulted
in deputies finding a .38 caliber
revolver loaded with six rounds. A
satchel hanging from Dishmond’s
neck contained two boxes of am
munition. Dishmond was arrested for
disorderly conduct and detained at
the Burke County Detention Center.
A juvenile who was in possession of
a firearm was also arrested.
The same day but in a separate
incident, deputies were patrolling
the perimeter of the fairgrounds
when they spotted three people in a
restricted area.
“When trying to make contact
with the subjects, they took flight
on foot from deputies and ran into
the crowded areas of the fair,” the
official incident report states.
Later, deputies identified and
detained Joenard Hughes as one of
the assailants. Hughes was on active
felony probation stemming from an
incident that occurred at the fair the
previous year. A condition of his pro
bation stated that he was not allowed
at the fair or on the fairgrounds.
Hughes was taken into custody and
charged with criminal trespass and
misdemeanor obstruction.
At right, 19-year-old
Antonio Dishmond
Let the fueling begin
THE CENTER FOR NEH BEGINNINGS
2022 BIRD DOG BREAKAWAY 5K
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
The Center for New Begin
nings is adding to the excitement
of the 15th annual Bird dog
Breakaway 5K by bringing 13 ar
tisan vendors to the annual event.
Guests and participants of
this year’s event will have the
opportunity to stroll through the
grounds and do a little bit of early
Christmas shopping. Vendors’
displays will encompass every
thing from woodworking, per
sonalized tumblers to handmade
jewelry. SoulBean Coffeehouse
and Kona Ice will also be on the
premises selling drinks.
This year’s event will feature
a free-of-charge kid zone. Fami
lies are invited to play outdoor
games. Staff will also engage
children at sensory stations.
The 2022 Bird Dog Breakaway
event will assist the center by
raising funds that will be com
bined with other funding sources
to purchase the building they
have leased for approximately
15 years. As part of the “raising
the roof” campaign, the center is
hoping to raise $20,000.
Last year, the event was moved
from September to October for
the first time to avoid conflict
with the Ironman competition.
Fundraising Coordinator Tracey
Ouzts said it worked out well,
raising approximately $10,000.
“We had a little bit of hiccup
with the road construction,” she
said. “But the county was amaz
ing and got it finished in time for
our event.”
The Center for New Begin
nings offers healing and hope to
children and young adults with
developmental disabilities or
learning disabilities as well as
families and caregivers. They of
fer specialized tutoring, behavior
and occupational therapy.
“We can expand,” Ouzts said
of the hope that comes with
buying the building “We can
continue to grow. We can add
additional small buildings out
back to grow the mission.”
The Bird Dog Breakaway 5K
course is USA Track and Field
Certified and the event has be
come an anticipated event to run
ners from surrounding cities and
states. Held at the Waynesboro
City Park, the 5K race and the
2-mile walk begin at 8: 30 a.m.
Shortly thereafter, the derby dash
for children aged 6-12 years old
takes place. A 50-yard dash pup
trot for children under 5 years old
follows and a quarter-mile adap
tive walk concludes the event.
More information regarding
signup is available at www.
runsignup.com/Race/GA/
Waynesboro/15thannualBirdog
Breakaway.
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Georgia Power announced Friday,
October 14 that fuel load into the
Vogtle Unit 3 reactor core has begun
at Plant Vogtle.
The fuel load process marks a
historic and pivotal milestone toward
startup and commercial operation
of the first new nuclear units to be
built in the U.S. in more than three
decades.
“The Vogtle 3 & 4 nuclear units
represent a critical, long-term invest
ment in our state’s energy future,
and the milestone of loading fuel
for Unit 3 demonstrates the steady
and evident progress at the nuclear
expansion site,” said Chris Womack,
chairman, president and CEO of
Georgia Power. “We’re making his
tory here in Georgia and the U.S.
as we approach bringing online the
first new nuclear unit to be built in
the country in over 30 years. These
units are important to building the
future of energy and will serve as
clean, emission-free sources of en
ergy for Georgians for the next 60
to 80 years.”
The start of Unit 3 fuel load comes
after Southern Nuclear received
a historic 103(g) finding from the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC) in August which signified that
the new unit has been constructed
and will be operated in conformance
with the Combined License and
NRC regulations.
During fuel load, nuclear techni
cians and operators from Westing-
house and Southern Nuclear are
scheduled to safely transfer 157 fuel
assemblies one-by-one from the Unit
3 spent fuel pool to the Unit 3 reactor
core in the coming days.
Startup testing will begin next
and is designed to demonstrate the
integrated operation of the primary
coolant system and steam supply
system at design temperature and
pressure with fuel inside the reac
tor. Operators will also bring the
plant from cold shutdown to initial
criticality, synchronize the unit to
the electric grid and systematically
raise power to 100%. Vogtle Unit 3
is projected to enter service in the
first quarter of 2023.
Southern Nuclear will operate the
new unit on behalf of the co-owners:
Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power,
MEAG Power and Dalton Utilities.
EARLY VOTING STARTS
Early voting for the November 8 General Election began Monday,
Oct. 17.
Any registered Burke County voter may vote early in-person at the
Board of Elections and Registration Office in the Historic Courthouse
at 602 N. Liberty St.
The office will be open for voting Monday through Saturday, October
17-22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as well as October 24-29. Voting will also
be open Monday through Friday, Oct. 31 - Nov. 4 during the same hours.
BOC
pushes roller rink/bowling alley plans forward
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
The Board of Commissioners
unanimously approved Scott and
Jaquelyn Telgren’s zoning request
October 11, paving the way for the
couple to raise the funds they need
to bring a family fun center to Burke
County.
Although the Planning Commis
sion voted unanimously last month
to recommend the BOC deny the
request, the BOC’s decision came
without much discussion. Only
Commissioner Art Lively made
some brief comments before he
moved to approve the request.
The Telgrens were in the process
of raising the money for the con
struction project by hosting events in
a building on the adjoining property
when Planning Commission Director
Scott Lee informed the couple that
the current zoning of OI did not al
low for an event venue business. The
couple said they had already raised
approximately a third of the $1.5 mil
lion needed to make the family fun
center a reality. Now they are about
a year behind in their plans.
“I am shooting for two years or
less,” Jaquelyn said of when the
community can expect construction
on the bowling alley/roller rink to
begin.
Scott said the BOC’s decision was
like a ton of bricks lifting off his
shoulders.
“There was just joy,” he said.
Anyone interested in renting the
venue for retirement, graduation,
bridal, baby shower and like events
should email Jaquelyn at telgren-
sj s 13 @ gmail .com
Scott Telgren eyes filled with tears of joy October 11 after the Board of
Commissioners unanimously approved his zoning request.