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Vol. 126 Issue No. 14 500
Legal Organ For Peach County. City of Fort Valley and City Of Byron
Railroad Death
is Ruled
Ah Accident
By Victor Kulkosky
News Editor
The Peach County Medical
Examiner has ruled the death of Oscar
Ross an accident.
According to a statement released by
Fort Valley police, the coroner ruled
that Ross, 39, died from “multiple
blunt force traumas.” Ross was found
dead last week on railroad tracks near
Samuel Jones Street in Fort Valley.
Maj Lawrence Spurgeon with the
police division of the Fort Valley
Public Safety Department said in the
statement that investigators are waiting
for a toxicology report expected to
take 60 to 90 days. He said police
have been working closely with rail¬
road police and reviewing on-board
cameras of trains that passed through
Fort Valley on the night in question.
Spurgeon further said in the state¬
ment that investigators have put togeth¬
er a time line for Ross’s death but are
still trying to find out what he was
doing on the railroad tracks.
Investigators want to talk to anyone
who might have seen or spoken with
Ross that night. Anyone with informa¬
tion can call (478) 825-3384.
Whats
INSIDE
f each la & Out >
Folic* Beat 3
Opinion..... I
Country LMnj ••••••••••••a 8
faith Matters. 6
Sports............ 7
School............ ,8
Ugil« ............ 9-11
Crossword Puzzle 18
Classifieds.......... ..13
Shop Local.......... 14
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Wednesday April 13
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Peach County's Newspaper
High Winds Destroy Big Peach, Topple Trees
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The twisted remains of the Big Peach lie near the Big Peach Antiques Mall last Wednesday I
while a worker repairs the roof. It is not clear if the Big Peach will be replaced. Photo by
Victor Kulkosky I
2010 CENSUS
Cities Gain ,
Minorities Increase
By Victor Kulkosky
News Editor
With the Census Bureau
release of Census 2010 data at the city
level, the picture of Peach County has
gained some details.
Although the trend has been obvious
for years, the actual numbers confirm
what everybody knows: Byron’s growth
was explosive in the past decade, with
its population rising 56.3%, from 2,887
in 2000 to 4,512 in 2010. •
The more detailed count of the decen¬
nial Census changes the story for Fort
Valley. The county seat also showed
an impressive increase in population,
from 8,005 in 2000 to 9,815 in 2010, or
22.6%. Less precise estimates during
the past decade suggested Fort Valley’s
population changing very little.
The changing racial/ethnic balance
already visible at the county level also
showed at the city level. Byron's white
population increased, but its share of
the total population dropped over 11
percentage points in the past decade,
from 76.7 to 65.4. Byron’s black popu¬
lation more than doubled in number,
and also gained almost nine percentage
points, from 20.2 to 29. Although still
small in percentage, Byron’s Hispanic
Continued to page 3
2010 Census Figures for Peach County and Cities
2010 # 2010 % 2000# 2000% %Chon fl8
PEACH
CO.
"
Total 2 7.6*>5 ; 23,648 + 17.0
White 1 3,3<3 48.3 12,135 51.3 + 10.3
8lock 12,715 45.? 10,738 45.4 ♦ 18.4
Hitponic 1,890 6.8 998 4.2 + 89 4
59 0.2 77 0.3 - 13.4
Asian 222 0.8 78 0.3 + 185.6
Hawaiian- 8 8
Pacific
Othf fioos 874 0.1 433 1.8 - 94
Two+ Roc*t 425 1.2 199 0.8 + 73.9
BYRON
Total 4,512 2,887 +56 3
White 2,951 65.4 2,214 76.7 +33.3
i,310 29.0 584 20.2 + 124.3
Hispanic 174 MS. 24 0.8 +623.0
Am. Indian S It -375
Asian 25 15 +66.7
2 3 -33.3
Pacific
Othsr Roc» 89 16 +456.2
Two* Rocns 72 1.5 +63 6
FORT
VAU.EY
Total 9,815 8,00 + 22.6
5
White 1.337 13.6 hZSl 22.1 -24.4
Black 8,006 81.6 5,97 74.7 ♦ 34.0
6
570 5.8 35 4.4 +62.8
0
23 3 0.4 -23.3
0
25 2 0.2 +25 0
0
2 0 -50 0
4
274 2.8 ?4 1.8 +85.1
9
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148 1.5 *155.2
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A pecan tree lies on the ground in North Peach Park last Wednesday.
Violent winds from an overnight storm snapped the tree like a tooth¬
pick. Photo by Victor Kulkosky
By Victor Kulkosky
News Editor
Peach County residents and fre¬
quent visitors have had an iconic
guide to let them know they’re close
to home: the Big Peach, standing high
above the Big Peach Antiques Mall,
visible from Exit 149 on 1-75.
In the past week or so, passers-by
have probably noticed the Big Peach
is missing. It was knocked down and
destroyed last week, the victim of hur
ricane-strength winds that whipped
through the area late that Monday
night and Tuesday morning.
On Wednesday last week, the dam-
age was still visible. The Big Peach
lay on the ground at the end of its
toppled pole, with its internal metal
supports twisted. The fall of the Big
Peach knocked a hole in the ceiling and
wall of the antiques mall. A worker
was starting to repair the damage,
John K„ owner of the Big Peach
Antiques Mall, said his insurance
agency was calculating the cost of the
damage. He said it was not clear if
the Big Peach could be repaired. The
antiques mall was open for business
while repair work was underway,
The Big Peach was first put up in
1987 and has been refurbished peri¬
odically. The last restoration cost
$17,000-$18,000 and required a com¬
munity fundraising effort.
The storms caused damage around
Peach County. At a county commis¬
sioners work session last week, county
Public Works Director Paul Schwindler
said about 200 trees had been toppled
during the storms and crews had been
up all night removing trees from roads
and sidewalks. He said a number of
trees had fallen in North Peach Park.
Last "Wednesday morning, several
fallen pecan trees lay on the ground,
along with many scattered branches.
The trees’ trunks had been snapped by
the strong wmds
Last week s storms were the second
to strike the area in as many weeks.
Storms the previous week tore off part
of the roof of the Day’s Inn in Byron
and destroyed a road sign, and also
knocked over trees.
On® fallen tree was still lying
Park across kxt a walkway Wednesday m North Photo Peach by |
w tef or Kulkosky
pupet
April
2011 Relay For
tile Up
And Walking
Purple Ribbons To
Honor Tony Sellier
By Victor Kulkosky
News Editor
The clock is ticking for this year’s
Peach County Relay for Life, sched¬
uled for Friday, April 29 at Byron
Elementary School.
The annual event is a major fund¬
raiser for the American Cancer Society.
Each year in the spring, community
Relays recruit teams to raise funds
for the battle against" cancer, which
is America’s second leading cause of
death. Cancer took 598,668 lives
in 2009, according to the prelimi¬
nary report on causes of death from
the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
Peach County Relay for Life
Co-Chairs Tonia Lettice and Marie
Usry have the local event well under
wa y In this electronic age, 25 Relay
g^g^em^oX^SL^lS
through the Internet, in addition to the
usual methods such as yard sales, bake
sales and the hat.
The April 29 Relay will feature team
booths, the traditional walking around
the track, and after dark, the moving
display of Luminaria, which are bags
containing candles lit in honor of a
cancer survivor or person who died
of cancer. The Luminaria circle the
inside of the track, creating a moving
scene representing light in darkness
and the memory oftha^ who won the
battle and those who fought but lost.
This year, Tonia Lettice is spear
heading an effort to remember the late
Tony Sellier, a state representative,
businessman and humanitarian who
passed away last year after a long bat¬
tle with cancer. You can buy a purple
ribbon in memory of Tony by sending
your name, address, phone number and
a $10 check made out to Tonia Lettice,
708 Main Street, Byron, GA 31008.
To donate by credit card, call the local
American Cancer Society office at
(478) 743-6391.
Th‘ s being the second decade of the
21st century “there’s an app for that.”
‘Phone owners can buy the Relay for
Continued to page 3
"How Doth Iho
Little Busy Boo? H
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Wen , arHsh recentfy JT paint .
, this , . bee , as part of the on
going Peach County Mural
Project. ’ The Mural needs
a swarm or , busy , bee , artists
to fill up the 600-foot wall
af Jhe p each $h @ By .
ron, which will depict scenes
and events from all over the
county. A handful of spaces
have been completely or
partly painted, but plenty
more are available, espe¬
cially for Fort Valley scenes
and events. All paint and
equipment will be provided
free, and artists of any age
and skill level are welcome.
To volunteer or for more in
formation, call 956-5555 or
95 ^ 2 409. Photo by Victor
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