Newspaper Page Text
The True Citizen, Wednesday, January 10, 2024 — Page 3
BURKE
COUNTY'S
FIVE-DAY
FORECAST
1
TODAY 1
THURSDAY 1
1 FRIDAY 1
| SATURDAY fj
SUNDAY
Mostly Sunny
51° 31°
Sunny
59° 138°
Cloudy
80% Evening Showers
69° 36°
Sunny
50° 30°
Mostly Sunny
51 °I29°
Forecast of the National Weather Service
Survey addresses Battey Park upgrades
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Burke County residents are
encouraged to give their feed
back on ways to upgrade Bat
tey Park at Ellison Bridge in
Sardis.
Engineering students from
the University of Georgia,
Athens (UGA), in coordination
with the Archway Partnership
and Burke County officials are
working together to develop
designs to renovate Battey
Park at Ellison Bridge (1589
Murray Hill Road) with more
recreational opportunities.
Residents can fill out an
anonymous survey by visiting
the Burke County, Georgia
Facebook page and pressing on
the link on the January 5 post.
Shellie Smitley
LET'EM GO
Sheriff Alfonzo Williams
recently prompted discussions
about incarcerating people
charged with misdemeanors,
DUIs and those who violate
probation and parole.
First off, you would think
there are bigger problems to
tackle than people who violate
traffic laws. It’s sad to see low-
income people on probation
for driving-related offenses,
especially when wealthier of
fenders have the option to pay
up front and miss out on all
the probation-related expenses.
What happened to the days
when drivers received tickets
and paid manageable fines?
As local governments need
ed more revenue to operate,
they implemented higher traf
fic fines. How well do they
think people are living on low
wages, while they pay their
added probation costs? What
city or county official has
never violated a traffic law?
How many paychecks should
it take to pay a traffic ticket?
In my opinion, traffic offenders
should never find themselves
in jail or on probation. They
pose the least, and often no,
threat to society. In my eyes, it
epitomizes the rich taking from
the poor concept.
The Sheriff suggested driv
ers under the influence could
be charged and released after
having their car impounded. It
sounds like a great idea to me
as long as somebody is willing
to pick them up. Even if there
is no one, they should be sober
enough to figure it out after a
12-hour hold. Releasing them
promptly enables them to get
their vehicle back and keep
their jobs. After all, they are
going to need income to pay
their future probation costs
and fines. The same goes for
misdemeanor offenders. Why
leave them sitting in jail, losing
their homes and jobs, often go
ing without their routine dental
and medical care, only to later
release them on probation and
expect them to keep up with
the costs?
It’s about as senseless as
laws that revoke licenses and
incarcerate (mainly men) for
falling behind in child support
payments.
Violating probation and pa
role can mean a lot of different
things. I believe a judge must
use discretion in deciding if
a person can return to society
or their supervision should be
revoked. However, should it
take weeks for a person to see
a judge? Wouldn’t it help al
leviate overcrowding if those
people saw a judge within two
or three days? If a judge is go
ing to allow them to resume
with probation, then why drag
it out? Cut them loose.
As citizens, aren’t we most
concerned about people com
mitting felonies? Aren’t those
the people we need off the
streets? Aren’t we most trou
bled by drug dealers, child mo
lesters, murderers and armed
robbers? Aren’t gang activity
and gun violence two of the
biggest issues at hand? Those
are the people that need to be
in jail. Let the rest of them
out while they wait months
and even years to maneuver
through the court system.
It might be for the wrong
reasons, but I think Sheriff
Alfonzo Williams’ way of
thinking is on track and long
overdue.
Elections
Continued from front
WHAT’S NEXT?
(in gBooRe Comty}
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
The Martin Luther King Parade begins at the Exchange Club
Fairgrounds at 1 p.m. and ends at the intersection of Ninth Street
and Pauline Jenkins Blvd.
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.
dean24.com/.
Marianne Williamson
Marianne Williamson is a
bestselling author, political
activist and spiritual thought
leader. She has focused
throughout her career on
poverty, anti-hunger and
racial reconciliation issues.
Williamson ran for the
Democratic nomination for
president in 2020. More
information about Williamson
is available at https://
marianne2024 .com/.
REPUBLICAN PARTY
CANDIDATES:
Ryan L. Binkley
Ryan L. Binkley is
the President and CEO of
Generational Group located in
Richardson, Texas. He and his
wife are also the founders of
Create Church. His campaign
focuses on balancing the federal
budget, driving down health
care costs, reaching across the
aisle to reform immigration
policy and "revitalizing
education" to encourage
community involvement.
More information about
Binkley is available at https://
binkley2024.com/.
Chris Christie
Chris Christie is a former
federal prosecutor who served
as the 55th Governor of New
Jersey from 2010 to 2018.
In 2015, he announced his
candidacy for the Republican
nomination in the 2016
presidential election, but
suspended his candidacy six
months later. He believes
climate change is real and
that humans contribute to
it. More information about
Christie is available at https://
chrischristie.com/.
Ron DeSantis
Ron DeSantis is the
46th Governor of Florida.
He represented Florida's 6th
congressional district in the
U.S. House of Representatives
from 2013 to 2018. His platform
includes fighting to lead the
Great American Comeback
and “restoring freedom.” More
information is available about
DeSantis at https://rondesantis.
com/.
Nikki Haley
Nikki Haley served as
Governor of South Carolina
from 2011 to 2017. She also
served as the 29th United
States Ambassador to the
United Nations from January
2017 through December 2018.
Her economic plan includes
getting rid of federal gas and
diesel taxes, cutting income
taxes for working families and
vetoing any spending bill that
doesn’t take the country back
to pre-COVID spending levels.
More information about her is
available at https ://nikkihaley.
com/.
Asa Hutchinson
Asa Hutchinson II is an
attorney who served as the 46th
Governor of Arkansas from
2015 to 2023. If elected to serve
as U.S. President, he promises
to repeal all the current
administration’s directives that
harm schools and businesses,
institute an immediate hiring
freeze for non-defense federal
workers, secure the border by
expanding the wall and balance
the nation’s budget within
four years. More information
about Hutchinson is available
at https://www.asa2024.com/.
Vivek Ramaswamy
Vivek Ramaswamy is the
founder of biotech company
Roivant Sciences. If elected
to the presidency, he said
he would visit Moscow to
negotiate terms to end the war
between Russia and Ukraine.
He would “accept” Russian
control of the territories that its
forces have taken and promise
to prevent Ukraine from joining
NATO in exchange for Russia
ending its military alliance
with China. He would also
end sanctions placed on Russia
and return it to the global
market. More information
about Ramaswamy is available
at https://www.vivek2024.
com/.
David Stuckenberg
David Stuckenberg is an
Air Force Reserve Major and
Florida businessman. He
believes the United States
is engaged in a power
competition to determine the
future of the world-order and
must present a powerful and
cohesive national security
strategy. More information
about Stuckenberg is available
at https://davidstuckenberg.
com/.
Donald J. Trump
Donald Trump served as the
45th President of the United
States from 2017 to 2021.
He is currently seeking a
second non-consecutive term
as the Republican nominee.
He believes the corrupt
government cartel is once again
destroying the country. He also
believes the U.S. surrendered
in Afghanistan, and allowed
Russia to devastate Ukraine,
China to threaten Taiwan and
Iran to build a nuclear weapon.
He believes free speech is
no longer allowed, crime is
rampant and terrorists are
invading the Southern border.
More information about Trump
is available at https://www.
donaldj trump .com/.
*** Doug Burgum, Perry
Johnson and Tim Scott all
dropped their bids for the
2024 Republican presidential
nomination.
CROSSWORD
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FreeDailyCrosswords.com
ACROSS
1) Some computers
6) "Father" in the nursery
10) Union buster
14) Doofus
15) Declare firmly
16) Henry Vlll's sixth wife
17) Driving force?
18) Rudolph's high beam
19) Arsenal contents
20) Pouring down, briefly?
23)" In the Family"
25) Coin of Afghanistan, once
26) " whiz!"
27) Brief moment?
28) Barely passing grades
30) Campus VIP
32) Rodeo rope
34) Wash one's hands of
36) Staircase post
38) Baby aids, briefly?
41) Trail user
42) Pekoe server
45) Foofaraws
48) Nursemaid in India
50) Achieve through hard work
51) "Give us this day daily
bread"
52) Cool, once
54) Gun, in a car
56) It divides a tennis court
57) Enjoying the see-saw,
briefly?
61) Cathedral section
62) Suffix with "scan"
63) Bathroom floor pieces,
often
66) Carnal craving
67) Inventor's brainchild
68) Give notice to
69) Eyelid swelling
70) Wilder ending?
71) One place for potted plants
10th January
r DOWN
1) Lower, as lights
2) Tokyo before it was Tokyo
3) Like the runt
4) Weaver's apparatus
5) Airfield
6) Behave like a misused participle
7) Solemnly swear
8) Hilfiger or Lauren, e.g.
9) Sharp mountain ridge
10) Bandy words
11) Lily-family member
12) General assemblies?
13) Denver athlete
21) Persistent pest
22) Curtis of hair care
23) Use a plus sign
24) Souvenir from Kauai
29) Bantu language group
31) Furious
33) Pond scum, e.g.
35) Shush, in the U.K.
37) Shrivel in the heat
39) Low-range sea change
40) U.S. anthem word
43) Iron man's quest?
44) Explosive initials
45) Destroys utterly, as a car
46) Production in general
47) Formal, fashion-wise
49) Madison Square Garden and others
53) Red cosmetic dye
55) All-important
58) Network of veins
59) Boot tips
60) Longest river
64) Physics class unit
65) Jeanne d'Arc's title (Abbr.)
ANSWERS ON 5