Newspaper Page Text
24 Pages, 2 Sections
A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Winder, Barrow County, Georgia $1.00 Copy Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Winder Barrow crowns
Homecoming King and Queen
Credit: WBHS
Tyreeck Hall was crowned Homecoming
King during the Winder-Barrow pep rally
Oct. 20.
Credit: WBHS
Abby Polk was crowned Homecoming
Queen during halftime of the football
game Oct. 21.
source: Rock Solid Distillery
The Rock Solid Distillery operated out of a building on 24 Woodlawn Ave. in Wind
er, which sat vacant since it was used as a pants factory in the 1970s. Upon entering
into a 40-year lease with property owner Don Maxwell, the Birts spent years and
thousands of dollars to bring the once condemned building up to code.
Birt and Maxwell feud over
Rock Solid Distillery erupts
By Morgan Ervin
morgan@barrownewsj ournal. com
The future of Rock Sol
id Distillery remains to be
seen as its founder, Billy
Stonewall “Stoney” Birt,
and the family who owns
the building the distillery
once operated out of con
tinue to feud, both inside
the courtroom, and most
recently, on social media.
While it was open for
business. Rock Solid Dis
tillery was a major tourist
attraction in downtown
Winder that opened its
doors in 2019. Around the
same time, Birt starred in
a hugely popular podcast,
“In the Red Clay,” which
chronicles the story of the
Dixie Mafia from his per
spective as the son of one
of its key players in the
early 1970s, Billy Sunday
Birt.
MAILING LABEL
>0 4 8 7 9
The latest spat between
Birt and the Maxwell fam
ily, particularly Shane and
Carrie Maxwell, the son
and daughter-in-law of
building owner Don Max
well, is among many in the
years since Birt’s son, Bil
ly Stonewall “Stone” Birt
II, and his wife Chelsea,
entered into a 40-year lease
agreement with Don Max
well and eventually made
it home to Rock Solid Dis
tillery.
Many run-ins between
the feuding families took
place at the distillery
and were reported to the
Winder Police and include
reports of cars being van
dalized, the building being
broken into, verbal threats
and misplaced mail.
Most notably, however,
was when Carrie Max
well's allegations against
Birt landed him in jail
twice over a 24-hour period
in Feb. 2022.
Just over a month before
Birt’s arrests, the distillery
was shut down due to an
expired alcohol permit.
Although the distillery
had held an active alco
hol permit in the City of
Winder since May 2018.
its Dec. 2021 application
for renewal was denied by
Winder city administrator
Mandi Cody.
Since the denial in Jan.
2022. Birt has reapplied
four times with the city,
with the most recent appli
cation filed by his attorney
Sept. 26, to which the city
hasn't yet responded.
Carrie recently took to
the comments section of
a post on the “In the Red
Clay” Facebook page,
where fans were asking
when the distillery will
reopen. In the comment
thread, Carrie said Birt’s
lease on the building was
“forged and notarized in a
county office,” where nei
ther her husband, Shane,
nor her father-in-law, Don,
were present.
“Don't believe every
thing you hear,” she wrote.
“The real reason it is
shut down is the DOR [De
partment of Revenue] shut
them down because there is
not an active liquor license
on the business.”
Birt quickly posted a re
sponse to Carrie’s post on
the Rock Solid Distillery
Facebook page, where he
said, “We have been closed
due to the direct actions
of the owner of the build
ing that we have a 40-year
lease with.”
When Birt’s son, Bil
ly Stonewall “Stone” Birt
II entered into the lease
agreement with Maxwell,
the building was a con
demned 44,000 square-foot
warehouse.
According to Birt, it took
close to three years and up
wards of a half million dol
lars to remodel and bring
up to code the entire build
ing as it was full of junk,
mold and remnants of the
pants factory it once was
many years ago.
In return, Birt said, Max
well was left with an up to
code building that, aside
from less than 10,000
square feet being used by
the distillery, “he could use
any way he wanted and at
absolutely no cost to him.”
“When we finally opened
at the end of 2019, the
See Distillery, page 2A
BNJ’s Halloween House of the Year
(fiVrrW^a-iv
M , j
Y Jtr
rmm. \
si
* . 'vT.--''
* ' j,
* !
With giant spiders and ghosts in the attick windows, coupled with impeccably
placed orange and purple lighting, Taffy McCormick’s Halloween decorations
at her home on Center Street in Winder is this year’s choice for the Halloween
House of the Year.
Trick-or-treat in Barrow
Safety tips from Sheriff Smith
Sheriff Jud Smith provided the following
safety tips for the community to keep in
mind when out trick-or-treating Monday,
Oct. 31:
• Carry a flashlight or glow stick to help
make kids visible
•Small children should always be ac
companied by a parent or responsible adult
•Older kids should trick-or-treat in
groups for enhanced safety
•NEVER enter someone’s home without
permission from parents
•Do not eat any treats until a parent or
responsible adult has inspected them
•Walk only on sidewalks or the furthest
edges of streets, against traffic flow
•Cross streets only at intersections and
not between parked cars
•Approach only well-lit homes on a
pre-determined route
•Attach reflective tape to treat bags for
added visibility
•Always walk, don’t run
•Don’t cross through yards or alleys to
get to the next house - use sidewalks
• Make sure that masks are properly vent
ed and don't obstruct visibility
•Buy only flame-retardant costumes, or
make a special homemade costume your
self
•If you will be welcoming the ghosts and
goblins to your home this year, remember
these important safety tips:
•Make sure your driveway and sidewalk
are clear of any tripping hazards
•Keep lit jack-o-lanterns off to the side
of your porch and away from children
•Do not invite children into your home
unless they, and their parents, are personal
friends
•Do not distribute treats that are un
wrapped or appear to have been tampered
with
•Remember that small, hard candy treats
can be a choking hazard for young kids
•If you are planning to give treats to
trick-or-treaters, keep your porch light on
The Barrow County Sheriff's Office
wants to remind all drivers on Halloween
night to be especially cautious when navi
gating vehicles through neighborhoods and
inhabited areas. Slow down, be on the look
out for children crossing the streets in front
of you, don’t use your cell phone while
driving, turn the stereo down and remem
ber that pedestrians have the right-of-way.
“Let’s all work together to make sure our
kids have a safe and fun Halloween night,”
said Smith.
Early Voting continues
breaking records
From the Georgia Secretary of State
Georgia voters continued to hit record
breaking turnout on day three of Early
Voting. As of Thursday morning, just un
der 400,000 Georgia voters have cast their
ballot during in-person Early Voting, with
126,918 showing up on Wednesday, Oct.
19. Wednesday’s total marks a 63.3% in
crease from day three of 2018 midterm
Early Voting and is only slightly under
the total of day three of Early Voting in
the 2020 Presidential election.
Georgia has had record Early Voting
turnout since the first day of Early Vot
ing this year, surging to nearly twice the
number on the first day of Early Voting
in 2018. Yesterday’s total continues to
surpass the previous midterm Early Vot
ing records made in the 2018 midterm
election, and the cumulative total is only
15,000 votes under the Presidential elec
tion cumulative total at this point in 2020.
“The counties have worked tirelessly
alongside our office to encourage Geor
gians to cast their vote early,” said Geor
gia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperg-
er. “County election directors are getting
the job done and Georgians know it.”
Reports of long lines were rare, with
some lines in the metro areas being re
ported. No substantial delays were re
ported yesterday. Early Voting turnout is
expected to increase during the last week
of Early Voting. All counties will have
YOUR
★ ★★
★ ★★
mandatory Saturday voting this coming
Saturday. To find Early Voting locations
and hours in your county, visit the Secre
tary of State's My Voter Page.
TURNOUT NUMBERS
THROUGH OCT. 19, 2022:
• Total Turnout: 434.546
• Early In-Person: 396,332
• Absentee: 38,214
• New Turnout Since Previous Day:
138,745
o
1 4 5 4 1
See Vote, page 2A
— O