Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 131, No. 26 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830 Established in 1882 Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - $1.00
BOUNTY
OF BURKE
Producers, having mostly finished up the corn harvest, are now turning their attention to peanuts this time of year.
A rich farming heritage
yields big bucks in the county
Burke County is home to nearly 200,000 acres of farmland.
About 70,000 acres of that land was cultivated this growing sea
son, and the remaining acres mostly devoted to woodlands and
pastures. Though acreage varies from year to year, Burke County
is consistently one of the state's largest producers of soybeans,
corn, peanuts and milk. Nine dairies are scattered across the county,
and cow-calf operators make Burke one of the top beef-producing
counties in the state as well.
This county also plays host to the state's oldest organic blue
berry farm, Byne Blueberries, and Southern Swiss Dairy, which is
one of just two dairy cattle farms in Georgia that have on-site
bottling and processing plants.
By Anne Marie Kyzer
annemariek@thetmecitizen.com
It’s an industry that was flour
ishing here before any other and
it continues to thrive.
Production methods may have
changed since producers began
tilling the soil here roughly 250
years ago, but a reliance on the
land through agriculture has not.
Just outside the city limits of
Waynesboro, a patchwork of
cultivated fields begins to stretch
outward and covers tens of thou
sands of acres across the county.
Farmers plow and plant those
fields year in and year out,
through drought and rainy sea
sons, market highs and record
lows.
Last year, Burke County’s
farmers turned out more than
$105 million worth of goods,
ranging from row crops and
blueberries to beef cattle and
milk.
And as they keep the industry
alive, they are growing more
than commodities.
They also feed a major por
tion of the local economy, cre
ating jobs and a need for a num
ber of related businesses, accord
ing to Burke County Extension
Coordinator Peyton Sapp.
"To directly support this level
of production, you need fertil
izer dealers, tractor dealerships,
cotton gins, peanut and grain
buying points, equipment and
crop insurance agents, lending
institutions, mechanics, trucking
companies, feed stores and
chemical salesmen,” Sapp ex
plains. "Then, you have to take
into account the stores, shops,
schools, etc. that have to be in
Burke County for the farmers
and those who work in the pre
viously mentioned areas to
spend their money.”
Burke County boasts nearly
200 producers who rely on
farming as their primary source
of income. Hundreds of others
pitch in part time. According to
the last Census of Agriculture,
those farmers spent nearly $42
million on direct production
expenses alone.
And much of the land used
by farmers is maintained at little
or no cost to taxpayers, Sapp
adds.
The contributions of agricul
ture in this county are not lost
on many local leaders, and that
support for the industry and its
people, according to Sapp, is
part of what helps the farm
economy continue to thrive.
Another is the cooperative spirit
among producers themselves.
"It seems that everyone sup
ports 4-H and FFA with their
money and time,” he says. “I
continually see examples of
county government being sup
portive of farming. Also, fann
ers here often work together to
share equipment, labor and
other resources to be more effi
cient. .. There are lots of positive
things going for Burke County.”
Farm Fest 2011
is Saturday
By Anne Marie Kyzer
annemariek@thetruecitizen.com
The Waynesboro Shrine Club
will honor Burke County’s
farming heritage with its 10 th
annual Farm Festival this Sat
urday.
Each year, the club pays trib
ute to local farmers and the ag
ricultural community with a pa
rade and entire afternoon of ac
tivities at the Southern Bank Pa
vilion located at Fiberty and
Ninth streets.
The festival opens at 9 a.m.
and the parade will begin at 11
a.m. when plenty of tractors,
farm equipment and farm-
themed floats will travel through
downtown along Liberty Street.
The festival will continue
through most of the day with
dozens of vendors, attractions,
live music and children activi
ties and rides.
Plenty of good food will also
be served up.
In addition to food from ven
dors, festival goers will have a
chance to taste the best ribs that
area amateur grill masters have
to offer.
The annual Racks by the
Tracks cook-off will ran in con
junction with Farm Fest. More
than a dozen grilling teams will
compete for the title of best ribs
in Burke County and a share of
the $1,300 purse. Patrons may
also judge for themselves as most
teams offer rib plates for sale.
Anyone interested in partici
pating should call Jody Ellison
at 706- 437-0529.
Waynesboro Shrine Club
Driver has 43 bags of pot
Good Samaritan
saves house from
runaway car
By Elizabeth Billips
lizbillips@yahoo.com
A Good Samaritan stopped a suspected drag dealer’s car
from crashing into a Childers Circle home.
It happened late last Thursday morning just after a
Waynesboro police officer tried to pull over a speeding
Chrysler Sebring on Fiberty Street and found himself in a
high speed chase.
The driver, later identified as 30-year-old
Marion Leon Hamilton Jr., raced down High
way 25, running motorists off the road and
taking out shrubs and landscaping in an ap
parent effort to stop and bail.
Hamilton eventually made his move near
Waynesboro Deliverance Church where he
and passenger Cedric Devine, 36, leaped from
the moving car and took off running.
According to the report, the Sebring contin
ued to barrel through traffic at speeds estimated at 20-30 miles
per hour.
“It was heading straight for a house,” Waynesboro Police Chief
Alfonzo Williams said, praising the efforts of longtime commu
nity volunteer Jesse Sharpe, who happened to be working in his
yard when he heard the commotion and saw the out-of-control
car jumping a ditch.
“He actually jumped into the car and got it stopped,” the
chief said.
Sharpe then went to the aid of the lone officer who had chased
down and tackled Hamilton, but was straggling with him on the
ground.
The offender reportedly put the policeman “in a hold” and
began snatching items from his utility belt; but the officer was
able to break free and hold on to Hamilton until back-up arrived
to cuff him.
According to ChiefWilliams, 43 bags of marijuana were seized,
as well as another bag containing several rocks of cocaine.
Hamilton, who was released from prison three months ago
for aggravated stalking, is now charged with possession of co
caine, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute and
two felony obstruction charges, as well as a number of traffic
charges including DUI.
Devine, who initially fled the scene, later turned himself in on
a single charge of interference with police.
Accused in cover-up
Suspended officer quits
By Elizabeth Billips
lizbillips@yahoo.com
A police sergeant has resigned following his suspension
for covering up what would have been the arrest of a
Waynesboro teen.
Officer Mark Cates, a shift sergeant and three year-veteran
of the Waynesboro Police Department, quit his job Friday
night - the day after he was notified of his unpaid three-day
suspension.
According to Police Chief Alfonzo Williams, the incident
under investigation dates back to late August when an officer
under Cates’ direct supervision pulled over a 16-year-old for
racing another track down city streets at speeds around 70
miles per hour.
“(The juvenile) had several containers of liquor and a cooler
of beer,” Chief Williams said, noting the teen showed clear
signs of intoxication. “He was also trying to conceal a bong
with marijuana residue in it.”
The officer took the boy into custody, and Cates, who had
recently been promoted to sergeant for that shift, intervened
after seeing them at the station.
According to the disciplinary action letter obtained by The
True Citizen through the Georgia Open Records Act, Sgt.
Cates prevented his subordinate officer from performing al
cohol and drag tests, which are standard in such cases, be
cause he didn’t want the boy to be kicked out of his private
school. The alcohol and bong were thrown into a dumpster,
and neither an incident report or juvenile complaint was ever
filed.
“Sgt. Cates decided the issue should be dealt with by the
juvenile’s school, and he made some decisions that were not
in keeping with the law or with policy,” Chief Williams said.
In fact, the chief says he didn’t even learn about the inci
dent until Sept. 1 when a “concerned citizen” referenced the
juvenile’s run-in with the law and accused police of giving
preferential treatment to those with the right connections.
“She wanted to know if a black student at the public school
would be given the same treat
ment,” Chief Williams said. “I
- Officer, page 9
7
Marion Leon
Hamilton Jr.