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The True Citizen, Wednesday, January 3, 2024 — Page 3
I TODAY I
THURSDAY 1
1 FRIDAY 1
| SATURDAY |
SUNDAY
BURKE
COUNTY'S
FIVE-DAY
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Nonprofit founder clears up BCSO grant confusion
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
The True Citizen spoke
to Dr. Annise Mabry after
the Board of Commissioners
asked for more information
about a grant aimed at distant
learning.
Sheriff Alfonzo Williams
briefly explained during the
BOC meeting December 12
that the Burke County Sheriff’s
Office has partnered with other
counties to secure a grant that
covers technological devices.
If accepted, the grant stipulates
that the devices must remain at
the Burke County Sheriff’s Of
fice headquarters, but belong
to the county, Sheriff Williams
explained. However, Mabry
said that is not true.
“The devices don’t belong
to the county,” she said. “The
devices belong to my founda
tion.”
The Dr. Annise Mabry Foun
dation received a 3-year grant
from the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture (USDA)
pertaining to telemedicine and
tele-learning. Part of the stipu
lation required the foundation
to reach out to organizations in
communities that were previ
ously underserved. At the end
of the grant period, the foun
dation decides if they want to
allow the devices to stay with
the agencies in which they
have been placed. Although
the grant has been awarded to
the foundation, Sheriff Wil
liams must seek approval
from the BOC for permission
to install the equipment at the
BCSO headquarters, where the
equipment must stay during
the 3-year period.
“We are just trying to get
these at-risk kids and their par
ents educated so they can go to
work and sustain themselves
to help reduce violent crime,”
the sheriff said December 12.
“They can come to our office
and utilize our equipment
there.”
The Sheriff also stated the
grant will enable the BCSO
to offer the use of laptops
and software to people who
are not attending traditional
classroom settings and do
not have computers at home.
However, Mabry indicated that
information is also incorrect.
The equipment at the BCSO
would be utilized mainly to
teach the online classes from
the Sheriff’s department.
“It’s not that they are coming
to the department to utilize the
equipment,” Mabry explained.
In part, the intention behind
the program is to provide better
access to high school diplomas
as a deterrence for committing
crimes. The program allows
anyone, regardless of age or the
number of previously earned
high school credits, to earn
a home school high school
diploma that is signed off by
a parent or legal guardian. The
diploma must be earned within
nine months by completing
three classes a month. The
curriculum can be accessed
through an app available on
smart phones.
“Everyone keeps focusing on
the equipment, but the equip
ment is irrelevant,” Mabry
stated.
When asked why the founda
tion is working with the BCSO
to implement the program,
rather than the school system,
Augusta Technical College or
the public library, Mabry said
her organization only partners
with rural law enforcement
entities and so that is how she
wrote the grant. She said she
is also working with Sheriff
Williams on a plan to promote
inmate education.
“In another county that I
work with, we have a man
date that no one leaves that
jail without a high school
diploma,” she stated. “That is
an area that we are working on
in Burke County, to identify
people coming into the jail
that do not have a diploma that
haven’t been successful in the
GED program.”
Georgia law states that home
school high school diplomas
do not require accreditation.
The foundation’s home school
cooperative would be provid
ing the curriculum; however,
parents and legal guardians
would sign off on the diplomas.
Mabry said the law requires
the diploma to be accepted by
employers and higher educa
tional institutions. However,
colleges and universities may
require further testing as a
prerequisite to admittance into
degree programs. Additionally,
Mabry admitted there are no
safeguards in place that prevent
anyone else from completing
the work for the student for
whom the diploma will be
issued. She emphasized that
graduates must have a parent or
legal guardian who is willing to
sign off on the diploma.
The standards are lower
than traditional classroom set
tings. While a grade of 60% is
considered to represent failure
in most classrooms, home
schooled students will pass
with the same grade. Also, the
curriculum is designed so that
students who are unable to
pass GED tests can more easily
achieve a diploma.
Another aspect of the pro
gram is the ability for younger
children who have been ex
pelled from school to continue
with their education. Also, it
includes the opportunity for
Dr. Annise Mabry
students to gain supplemental
assistance in reading, including
during the summer months.
There is also an honorary de
gree for senior citizens.
The Sheriff said approval of
the grant will contribute to the
continued growth and develop
ment of the BCSO, and Mabry
agreed. If the BOC approves it,
two smart boards will be per
manently affixed at the BCSO.
The technology would allow
for deputy training to be taught
at the BCSO headquarters or
streamed to the Sixth Street
training center.
There are no costs to the
students to utilize the program.
There are also no costs to
the BCSO or Burke County.
The foundation receives grant
funding from multiple sources
including The United Way, the
USDA and Dollar General.
“We are very well grant
funded,” Mabry said.
The BOC is expected to
reexamine the issue during the
January meeting.
The Dr. Annise Mabry Foun
dation is a nonprofit Commu
nity Economic Development
(CED) organization. Their
mission includes improving
the development and life op
portunities for homeless LG-
BTQ youth, sex trafficking
survivors, youth aging out
of foster care and the public
school system and high school
dropouts.
WHAT’S NEXT?
{In c3uxke Ccmty)
Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024
Burke County Retired Educators Association will meet at 3
p.m. at Burke County Senior Citizens Center. Guest Speaker is
Center Director Kimberly Mathis.
Thursday, Jan. 11
Public Hearing for Prioritization of Services for Seniors over
age 60 at 11 a.m. in person at CSRARegional Commission or via
GoTo Meeting. The CSRA Regional Commission Area Agency
on Aging invites you to attend a public hearing that will provide
an opportunity for seniors and individuals with disabilities to
voice their input regarding services in our community - what
is needed, missing or needs to be improved. Written remarks
may be submitted as part of the official record and forward to:
squattlebaum@csrarc.ga.gov or mailed to: CSRA Regional
Commission Area Agency on Aging, 3626 Walton Way Exten
sion, Suite 1, Augusta, GA 30909. Individuals may participate
in person or join by using the following link: https://meet.goto.
com/284145253 or complete the survey at: https://www.survey-
monkey.eom/r/AAA24
Saturday, Jan. 13
Burke County Improvement Association is sponsoring the 2024
MLK Parade with the theme, "It Starts With Me: Nonviolence".
Deadline entry date is Jan. 6. Request/Retum application by email
to jord426@hughes.net or call 706- 825-4075 to submit entry
information. The MLK Parade is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 20
Waynesboro High School Class of 1980 will hold a meeting at
12 noon at Burke County Library. Please share this information
with fellow classmates. Contact Margie Gilbert at 706-360-9589.
Thursday, Feb. 29
The Brier Creek Soil and Water Conservation District is hosting
a free workshop Thursday, February 29 for anyone who wants to
learn more about urban agriculture. The workshop will discuss
general practices and options for starting an urban agriculture
operation, such as soil testing, raised beds, non-organic vs or
ganic, aquaponics and pollinators. The workshop will take place
from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the auditorium located at 715 W Sixth
Street. Dinner will also be served. Registration at www.gacd.
us/events is required to attend. More information is available at
www.gacd.us/briercreekorby calling the GSWCC Region office
at 912-529-6728.
Chamber seeks nominations
for annual awards
The Burke County Chamber
of Commerce is now accepting
nominations for Citizen of the
Year and Business of the Year.
A committee will review the
nominations and select the re
cipients for this year’s awards.
Nomination forms can be ob
tained at the Chamber office lo-
revenue they would receive
at 10.247 mills and looked
at the budget to see if they
could make it work. Tinley
could not state the difference
in tax revenue the city would
receive if they set it at the lower
recommended amount. An
open records request indicated
the city could not provide the
information as well.
However, the city did provide
cated in the historic courthouse
or can be requested by calling
706-554-5451 .The deadline for
nominations to be submitted is
Friday, January 19. The awards
will be presented at the Cham
ber Annual Dinner Meeting
Thursday, February 1.
“There are many deserving
documentation showing
that setting the millage rate
at the lower recommended
amount would have afforded
a homeowner with property
valued at $ 100,000, a reduction
of $30.12 in taxes. The rollback
millage rate would have
afforded a homeowner with
property valued at $300,000
with $90.36 less to pay in
property taxes compared to
individuals and businesses in
our community, and we would
appreciate the public taking the
time to submit a nomination of
someone or somewhere you
feel is worthy of this distin
guished honor,” said Director
Ashley Roberts.
Continued from front
what they will pay now. The
city set the millage rate at 11
mills during a special called
meeting December 28.
Gerlinger approached the
Board of Commissioners
earlier this month with a
suggestion for a program that
would eliminate property taxes
for people over the age of 65
years old.
Millage rate
CROSSWORD
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9 rACROSS
I) Struggle for air
5) It goes through the roof
10) Pierce with a knife
14) Chip in a pot?
15) Holiday pie ingredient
16) Call to mind
17) Small biter
18) Absinthe flavoring
19) God of love
20) Brought up pickled fish?
23) Thaws a freezer
25) For this reason
26) Batters in Baltimore
27) Amount in grandma's
recipe
29) Acknowledge the villain's
entrance
30) It's guaranteed to remove
wrinkles
31) Guevara grills Kasparov's
equipment?
38) Chew the fat
39) Swarm
41) Key West shows?
45) Collection of sacred songs
48) Bring together
49) Second Amendment words
50) James Bond's depressing
drink?
53) Van Dyke
54) Like many teenagers' rooms
55) Haitian's head
58) Dueling sword
59) One of classic TV's
Huxtables
60) "Terrible" czar
61) Loch monster
62) First vertebra
63) Transmit, as a text
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3rd January
DOWN
1) Prevent from speaking
2) Massachusetts cape
3) Celebrities' favorite seafood?
4) He broke Ty Cobb's record
5) Thinly distributed
6) Dogmata
7) They turn litmus paper red
8) Charge alternative
9) Reflex-testing site
10) Like a Stephen King reader, often
11) Comic actor's asset
12) Immediately
13) He wasn't the dummy of the act
21) "You've got mail" co.
22) Thick-skinned jungle beast
23) Play-
24) Rocker Clapton
27) They're ahead of jrs.
28) Organized criminals
30) Make angry
32) Male bovine
33) Stuff one's face
34) Franken and Capone
35) Mythical island
36) What hunting dogs do
37) Have an opinion
40) Bride's title
41) Like a sneak attack
42) Needing more time on the vine
43) Sister's daughters
44) Vampires may take them to heart
45) Old Iran
46) Greek woodland deities
47) Former White House spokesman
Fleischer
49) Metabolism type
51) Urban organization of song
52) Leave a solid state?
56) Convert into leather
57) Author's last word?
ANSWERS ON 7