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FRIDAY,
DEC. 2
5to9PM
Rain or Shine
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Vol. 142, No. 41 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830 Established in 1882 Wednesday, November 30, 2022 - $1.00
BOC requests return of turkey money
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
The Board of Commissioners may
be stepping into the role of Scrooge,
just in time for the holidays.
The panel is asking that money
spent last year on turkeys for the
Burke County Sheriff’s Office’s
2021 turkey giveaway is reim
bursed to them by the meat vendor
until and unless they determine it
is a legitimate BCSO expenditure.
Additionally, the BOC is asking
Sheriff Alfonzo Williams for a $552
reimbursement for the purchase of
turkeys he delivered to the county’s
outlying areas.
Handing out turkeys is not the
only charitable act under the panel’s
scrutiny. Seventeen letters signed by
Chairwoman Terri Lodge Kelly and
County Manager Merv Waldrop,
were dated November 3 and included
asking the Burke County Health
Foundation to return a $10,000
donation.
“After receipt of your check, the
Board will in turn consider sending
to you the same amount in budgeted
funds which have been approved for
Sheriff expenditures, if we deem
the original expenditure appropriate
under Georgia and Federal law and
regulations,” the letter states.
A contribution of $5,000 toward
the recent Praise in the Pines gospel
music event is on the list, along
with $500 to Forces United;
$250 has been requested
back from Golden Harvest DUU ’
Food Bank, a $ 150 donation 5
The BOC has asked Lanier’s Fresh Meat Market to return $6,858.97 paid to
them for meat given away during the BCSO’s 2021 annual turkey giveaway.
Crowned
King Oliver Jeffers and Queen Minnie Bradley were crowned Burke Senior Center royalty for 2022-2023.
Sardis officer injured during assault
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
A Sardis man was arrested and
charged with a felony after he at
tempted to gain control of an of
ficer’s gun.
Sardis police officer Mikko Luck-
ey suffered a minor injury after a
brief struggle Monday evening, in
an attempt to arrest 42-year-old Dave
Council Jr. on a felony probation
violation warrant.
According an official incident
report, Luckey was dispatched to
a Sardis residence on Golden Drive
after a family member said Council
was “causing trouble.”
During the course of that call,
Luckey encountered Council and
discovered that he was wanted for a
felony probation violation stemming
from a guilty plea on four counts
of entering an automobile in 2018.
Luckey advised Council that he
would be placing him under arrest.
Council resisted arrest and a struggle
ensued during which Luckey’s
shoulder was injured while Council
attempted to choke him and kicked
him in the side.
According to an official incident
report, Luckey drew his depart
ment issued Taser 7 and attempted
to deploy it, but
the Taser had no
effect on Coun
cil. Luckey and
Council contin
ued to struggle
while falling to
the ground.
Council at
tempted to re
move Luckey’s
service weapon from his holster.
During the struggle, Luckey was able
to draw his ASP Baton g^
and attempted to strike
Council in an effort to ASSAULT,
fend him off. 3
Mikko Luckey
Ritz makes its way
back to Waynesboro
Ritz Instrument Transformers, Inc has announced that the company has
leased the former Evercare building on Burke Veterans Parkway
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Ritz Instrument Transformers,
Inc. announced they will soon open
a new manufacturing facility in
Waynesboro.
In addition to expanding opera
tions in their current Lavonia loca
tion, the company announced in a
November 29 press release, that the
company leased the Evercare build
ing located on Burke Veterans Park
way for the purpose of manufactur
ing and testing current and voltage
transformers. The existing HV In
ductive IT capacity in Europe, which
currently serves the North American
market, will remain open and the
new facility in Waynesboro will
serve as additional capacity. Ritz
will take possession of the building
January 1 with a projected start-up
with a skeleton crew of sometime
during the second quarter of 2023.
“We have to do some renovations
to the building to prep it,” said Holly
Smith, talent acquisition manager.
“We are excited to get back to Burke
County to re-employ some of the
workforce. It is a skilled workforce
and it is the workforce that we em
ployed previously. We want to attract
that talent back.”
The Burke County Development
Authority has been notified of the
move, but was not instrumental in
bringing the company aboard, Smith
said.
Founded in Hamburg, Germany in
1945 by Dr. Hans Ritz, the company
operates eight facilities throughout
Germany, Austria, China, Hungary
and the United States. Ritz produces
instrument transformers from 600 v
to 69 k, cast-coil power transformers
and solid insulation bus-bar systems.
The plant in Lavonia was opened in
2010 and produces low voltage and
medium-voltage instrument trans
formers and cast parts for the utility
and OEM sectors.
Ritz opened its first HV It factory
in the U.S. in Waynesboro in 1991,
but sold it in 2006 as part of a broader
restructuring of the company.
People wishing to apply for the
Waynesboro location can find more
information on the company’s web
site. Smith said that Ritz will also
host job fairs in the future.
Early voting begins with extended hours
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
The Senate run-off race between
Democratic incumbent Sen. Ra
phael Warnock and Republican
challenger Herschel Walker drew
427 Burke County voters on the
first day of early voting.
“For comparison, the two Sat
urdays of early voting for the
November General Election saw
128 and 153 respectively,” said
Beau Gunn, director of the Board
of Elections. “So, turnout has been
way up and that is a great thing
to see.”
In fact, the highest total of vot
ers on any day of early voting for
the November General Election
was 435 on the final Friday. As of
Monday afternoon, more than 550
voters cast their ballots.
Thanks to a court order, the
Burke County Board of Elec
tions and Registration was able
to offer voting on
the Saturday after
Thanksgiving, said
Gunn. Before the
SEE
RECORD,
5