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Vol. 143, No. 14 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
Established in 1882
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 - $1.00
Commissioners urge sheriff to curb spending
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Except for Commissioner Lucious
Abrams, the Board of Commission
ers has made two recent written
requests to Sheriff Alfonzo Williams
to control his department’s spending.
The letters signed by the remaining
four commissioners, dated April 14
and May 9, emphasize the Sheriff’s
Office’s budget is $7,756,360. The
April letter points out that if spend
ing continues at the same rate for the
rest of the year, the BCSO will be
$851,227 over budget by the end of
the fiscal year, September 30,2023.
However, by May the panel informed
Sheriff Williams that amount had
already increased to $863,873.
“Your budget in 2019 was $12,886
overspent, your 2020 budget was
$346,743 overspent, your 2021
budget was not overspent, and your
budget ending in fiscal year 2022
was $326,038 overspent,” the May
letter states. “Also, the Detention
Center spending is tracking to go
over budget by $16,433 if trends
continue.”
The BOC suggested the Sheriff
implement a hiring freeze until the
next fiscal year, purchase fuel at the
County’s pumps, contain overtime
salaries and limit purchases of sup
plies and equipment.
“The Commission is
asking you to stay within
your budget and is here ®
NOT FORGOTTEN:
Sardis
man died
serving his
country
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Sardis resident Luther A. Bell died of
spinal meningitis at the age of 19 years old,
while serving with Company E, 1st Brigade
Regiment of the Army National Guard.
Waynesboro has been home to a Georgia
National Guard unit since it welcomed the
Burke Light Infantry Feb. 5,1890. The unit,
serving as Company E 1st Georgia Infantry Regi
ment, was mobilized to the Mexican border July 5,
1916 where they served with the 118th Field Artillery,
31st Division.
in Texas. Villa's forces then raided the town
of Columbus, New Mexico March 9,1916,
resulting in the death of sixteen Americans.
In response, Wilson’s administration de-
Luther Bell of Sardis was born December 7,1897 and died
of Spinal Meningitis December 14,1916, while serving with
Company E, 1st Georgia Brigade Regiment.
SEE
BELL
6
BACKGROUND ON CONFLICT
Pancho Villa, a Mexican revolutionary leader who
controlled much of northeastern Mexico during 1914
and 1915, experienced military setbacks after breaking
with the Carranza government and subjected to a U.S.
arms embargo. The Woodrow Wilson Administration
supported Carranza as the legitimate Mexican head of
state. Prior to the Mexican Revolution, the U.S. only
lightly policed the border with Mexico. The instability
of the revolution led to an increased U.S. military pres
ence, while American citizens along the border often
sympathized or aided the various factions in Mexico.
As part of a campaign against U.S. interests in
Northern Mexico, Villa's forces attacked U.S. min
ing executives in Mexico on January 9, 1916. The
attack provoked public anger in America, especially
Medical personnel of the Company E, 1st Georgia
Brigade Regiment pose for a photo.
DABC to take fresh
look at Masters event
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetuecitizen.shelliel@gmail.com
Chairwoman Lindsai Gentry en
couraged other board members to
take a fresh look at how the Devel
opment Authority of Burke County
can get their greatest “bank for the
buck” during the annual Red Carpet
Masters-related marketing event.
The Rock Fore! Dough concert is
off the table for next year. Invoices
from 2018 show the DABC paid
$3,500 for Rock Fore Dough Benefit
Concert tickets. In 2019, tickets for
the same concert cost the department
$4,000. However, that is just a small
dent in the $45,000-a-year event that
has never resulted in a business relo
cating to Burke County. “The major
items are the (Masters) tickets, the
house and the food and hospitality
costs,” said Gentry during the May
23 monthly meeting. According to
public records, the DABC dished
out $12,375 in 2018, to accommo
date their invitees in a 5-bedroom
house on Wheeler Road in Augusta.
In 2019, a 6-bedroom house was
rented on Wheeler Road for $ 13,000.
In 2020, the department rented a
house on Ravenel Road in Augusta
for $18,000 to accommodate their
guests from April 5-12. The cost of
supplying the guests with beverages
typically ranges from $500 to $700
and includes beer, wine, mixers and
distilled spirits.
The County is requiring their de
partments submit initial budgets for
the next fiscal year by May 31,2023.
Gentry suggested the DABC panel
submit a tentative budget amount
while talks continue. She also said
the board will look more into the
possibility of housing guests locally
and providing them with a tour of
the county.
“We will weigh it in for sure,”
she said.
Runaway
juvenile
Sawyer Johnson was last
seen in the Girard area
wearing a hoodie and blue
or red jeans. Anyone with
information is asked to
contact the Burke County
Sheriff’s Office.
Communicating during WWII
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Simeon Alexander Gray Jr. “Alex”
was drafted into the U.S. Army Au
gust 10, 1944 and completed basic
training at Fort Wheeler in Macon.
He served in the 94th infantry Divi
sion of Company L.
After coming home for a short
Christmas break, Simeon went to
New York where he boarded a ship
headed to England. From England,
Simeon traveled to the banks of
the Moselle River, at the border
triangle of Luxembourg, Germany
and France.
“They didn’t have a regular place
to live,” said his widow Joyce Gray.
“They were out in the woods. They
lived in foxholes.”
Simeon was wounded by en
emy fire February 20, 1945. A shot
through the chest miraculously
missed his heart but injured his
shoulder and lungs. Joyce believes
Simeon was initially transported to a
German Hospital that was occupied
by American soldiers. As he was get
ting transported by air to a hospital
in England, his lungs collapsed,
prompting an emergency landing in
Paris. Approximately three weeks
later, Simeon was admitted into a
hospital in England before eventu
ally ending up at Kennedy Veterans
Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Western Union delivered tele
grams in specially marked cars.
Many people dreaded the sight of
the vehicles as the war continued.
Receiving a telegram meant a loved
one was either wounded or killed.
Simeon’s parents, Simeon A. Gray
Sr. and Agnes (McConnico) Gray
received a telegram March 4 stating
that their son had been wounded.
However, the next month they re
ceived encouraging news. A card
came in the mail stating that Sime
on’s health was improv
ing. Also in April 1945, SEE
they received a miniature G RAY
letter and drawing from c
Waynesboro residents Simeon Gray Sr. and his wife Agnes received
this telegram in 1945, informing them that their son had been injured
while serving during WWII.