Col. William Few
On January 26, 1779, Georgia patriots make
a stand at Burke County Jail. In December of 1778, the British
began their new Southern strategy with the attack and capture of Savannah,
Georgia. The British were forced to reassess their strategy when France entered
the war because the theater of war suddenly stretched around the world. Troops
had to be taken from America and sent to other regions, such as the
Mediterranean and the West Indies, to defend British interests there.
The Southern strategy took the focus away from the northern
colonies and focused on retaking the south, where it was believed there was a
much larger loyalist population that would support the invading British troops.
After Savannah was captured, British Major James Prevost issued
an amnesty proclamation. If the citizens of Georgia would pledge their
allegiance to the King, their previous rebel activity would be overlooked.
About ten percent of the population took the oath, alarming Georgia's patriot
leaders.
Patriot leaders James Ingram, Francis Pugh, John Twiggs,
Benjamin Few and William Few (who would go on to sign
the US Constitution)
convened a meeting on January 14, 1779 at the Burke County Jail to
decide what to do. Meanwhile, Major Prevost sent a brigade of 3,000 men to take
Augusta. The Burke County Jail sat 20 miles southeast of
Augusta and the patriot leaders knew the jail would be a likely British target.
DOT LEADERS EARS WIDE OPEN FOR LOCAL SAFETY SOLUTIONS
Posted: Jan 21, 2020
By:
More than 1,500 people died on Georgia roadways in 2018. Even one death is too many, and each life lost ripples through countless families and communities.
Understandably, this personal connection with an intersection or roadway corridor gets reignited with every near miss or subsequent crash. Frequently, distressed residents contact local leaders, insisting for action to "fix" a perceived dangerous scenario.
When the often-deafening calls for immediate change ring out, the Georgia DOT East Central Region Traffic Office is the response team. East Central Region Traffic Manager Kedrick Collins, a 27-year Department veteran, runs a small team responsible for safety complaints in 27 counties.
Georgia DOT is concerned about every crash but must remove emotion from the equation and lean more toward experience, national standards and proven applications for traffic operations’ solutions.
And engineering analysis doesn’t always begin and end with a single remedy for all situations.
“It’s personal to people, especially when they may have family members using a particular intersection or corridor daily, with apparent safety concerns,” Collins said. “We understand their
heightened passion for wanting to get something done. But it is important that we implement the right fix for the location.”
What’s the vehicle volume? What kind or severity of crashes?
What time of day or year do incidents occur? What’s the most cost-effective solution? How do we fund the project? How soon can we implement?
A primary part of the process of addressing roadway safety concerns is local government communication and collaboration.GDOT relies heavily on local leaders and stakeholders to provide insight on safety matters along roadways in their communities.
These exchanges offer the best opportunity for both GDOT and the community to come together and resolve such matters. Recently, a case study blossomed out of partnership and outreach in Burke County. DOT & Burke County Officials Safety Partnership
