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Vol. 143, No. 34 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830 Established in 1882 Wednesday, October 11,2023 - $1.00
WPD makes budget wish list
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
The Waynesboro Police Depart
ment expressed its budget needs
to the city council during a Public
Safety Meeting October 2.
Chief Willie Burley began the
meeting with an update of the
department’s employee numbers.
Currently, the WPD employes 24
people, including three serving in
administrative capacities and 21 road
patrol officers.
Investigator Angela Collins in
formed the city that the department
has made an effort to get rid of “junk
vehicles” that were littering up the
agency’s back parking lot. The WPD
was able to raise approximately
$21,000 from the sale of the autos,
most of which did not run.
“We are hoping next year, instead
of asking for funds for an unmarked
vehicle, we will use that money in
part to purchase (one),” Collins said.
“Once we fill our (open) positions,
we will have no unmarked spares.”
Additionally, the WPD used seized
asset funds to purchase two new
laptops, thereby reducing the number
of laptops still needed for road patrol
officers. Still, the WPD
has asked for an ad- SEE
ditional 10 computers WPD,
at a cost of $2,313.26 g
WPD Investigator Angela Collins and Chief Willie Burley addressed the
city October 2 with the department’s budget needs.
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Teresa L. Carter said a routine mammogram caught breast cancer
before the disease had metastasized beyond the breast and nearby
lymph nodes to other organs in the body.
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Teresa L. Carter, executive di
rector of Communities in Schools
of Burke County, Family Con
nection, knows the value of early
detection of cancer.
In 2018, Carter was admitted
into the hospital for a procedure
to address increased menstrua
tion flow. However, during the
operation, doctors found one of
her ovaries to be “flipped over”
and growing on it was a tumor.
A biopsy confirmed it was stage
1 ovarian cancer.
Carter was blessed to receive
such an early diagnosis. Accord
ing to the Georgia Department
of Public Health, “every year in
Georgia, about 615 females are
diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Non-Hispanic white females
are 21% more likely than non-
Hispanic black females and
42% more likely than Hispanic
females to be diagnosed with the
disease. About 395 females die
from ovarian cancer each year”
in the state. Ovarian cancer is
the eighth most common cancer
diagnosed and the fifth leading
cause of cancer death among
women in Georgia.
Ovarian cancer is often re
ferred to as the “silent killer”
because many women experi
ence almost no symptoms until
the disease has reached stage 4.
The most prevalent symptom is
bloating. However, even in stage
1, Carter’s menstruation flow had
increased to the point of requiring
blood transfusions. Doctors were
able to remove the ovary and
Carter was spared the experience
and effects of chemotherapy. Fol
low up appointments moved from
every three months to every six
months. Her oncologist cleared
her September 22, 2022 of the
devastating disease.
“I graduated to coming back
once every year,” Carter stated.
However, five days later Carter
was floored when she was given
a diagnosis of stage 3B breast
cancer.
“It was time for my routine
mammogram ap
pointment,” Carter SEE
explained. In fact, SURIVI0R,
she was the first 7
State clears board in
election investigation
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetuecitizen.shelliel@gmail.com
The Secretary of State’s Office
cleared the Burke County Board
of Elections and former Elections
Supervisor Laverne Sello on allega
tions made by Brenda
Lewis and Doris Tongo
in reference to the No
vember 2019 race.
According to an In
vestigations Division
Summary, Lewis and
Tongo alleged there
were 148 unaccounted
absentee ballots, some
absentee ballots were
intentionally mailed
late and the number of
voters were fewer than
the number reported.
However, the SOS department
said the investigation did not reveal
any evidence to
support the local
Board Elections
violated Georgia
Election Code,
SEE
INVESTIGATION,
5
The Burke County Board of Elections met Tues
day morning, (left clockwise) Chairman Harrison
Simpson, Board Member Carol Jones, Vice
Chairman Ed Burke and Board Member Mat
thew Abrams. Democrat Party President Herman
Brown (back) sat in on the meeting.
Fire Department makes 100k
capital equipment request
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Chief Robert Parrish III of the
Waynesboro Fire Department asked
the city to consider more than
$100,000 in capital equipment re
quests for 2024.
Included on his budget request is
$15,000 to replace a fire hose that
failed pressure testing in 2022 and
2023. Also, two portable generators
are needed to replace a mounted
31-year-old generator that is well
past its useful life and another that
is mounted to a surplus military unit
that is no longer in service.
The most expensive item on the
list is a new chief’s vehicle estimated
at $85,000. Parrish said the current
2005 Ford Excursion with 131,000
miles has a worn- out front end.
Not on the list is a new fire engine
since the one most recently pur
chased will not be paid off for anoth
er two years. Parrish suggested the
city start considering the purchase
of another one around the middle
to end of next year since delivery of
new fire trucks is backlogged up to
two years.
So far this year, the Fire Depart
ment has responded to 352 calls,
including 37 fires, 39 medical service
incidents, 42 hazardous material in
cidents (no fire) and79 false alarms.
Domestic abuse survivors are not alone
DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE
Awareness
Month
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Georgia ranks 25th in the nation
in the number of domestic violence
incidents.
According to the National Coali
tion Against Domestic Violence
(NCADV), 37.4% of Georgia wom
en and 30.4% of Georgia men ex
perience intimate partner physical
violence, sexual violence and/or
stalking in their lifetimes.
The coalition defines domestic vi
olence as willful intimidation,physi
cal assault, battery, sexual assault,
and/or other abusive behavior as part
of a systematic pattern of power and
control perpetrated by one intimate
partner against another. It includes
physical violence, sexual violence,
threats and emotional abuse.
In 2019, Georgia domestic vio
lence programs answered 52,282 cri
sis calls. Domestic violence shelters
in the Peach State provided safety to
7,214 victims. An additional 4,176
were turned away due to lack of bed
space.
In 2017, there were 149 domestic
violence-related fatalities in the
state, with 70% of those involving
firearms. Additionally, Georgia
ranked 10th highest in the nation for
women murdered by men that year.
Domestic violence is an epidemic.
This year, the Defense Department is
calling on the military community
to help prevent abuse and support
victims as part of Domestic Violence
Awareness Month, which is rec
ognized annually in October. This
national observance was created to
raise awareness about how to report
domestic abuse and encourages com
munity members to speak up if they
suspect abuse. This year's campaign
theme is "United Against Domestic
Abuse."
According to the Department's Re
port on Child Abuse and Neglect and
Domestic Abuse in the Military for
Fiscal Year 2022, there were 15,479
reports of domestic abuse. Abusive
and unhealthy relationships are not
limited to military members and their
spouses. They can also include those
who are dating, living together or
have children in common. Resourc
es , including safety plans, protection
orders and emergency services that
address medical, housing, legal and
counseling needs, are available to
help victims, a press release states.
The Defense Department provides
resources to support individuals
experiencing domestic abuse and
keep them safe through the Family
Advocacy Program. It also strives
to help service members and their
partners build and maintain healthy
communication and relationship
skills through counseling and educa
tion services offered by the Family
Advocacy Program.
In a White House press release
issued September 29, President Joe
Biden said, “Every survivor should
know that they are not alone and they
deserve better. Together, we will
keep spreading awareness, chang
ing culture, supporting survivors
and moving toward a world free of
gender-based violence.“