Texting Drivers Ticketed

THE
JOURNAL
CREWE
BURKEVILLE
Serving Progressive and Historic Southside Virginia,
All The Way All The Time
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
VOLUME 54 NO. 3 FAX 434-645-1848
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2013
PHONE 434-645-7534
SINGLE 75c
(ISSN 8755-9463)
Honeybee
Ordinance
Virginia State Police Write Hundreds Of Citations Attracts
A Swarm
Texting Drivers Ticketed
Since the act of texting
while driving became a primary
offense July 1, 2013, Virginia
State Police troopers have cited
several hundred motorists
statewide, said state police
spokeswoman Corinne Geller.
From July 1 through Sept.
28, troopers have stopped and
charged 328 drivers for
violating Virginia’s “textingwhile-driving” law.
During the 2013 Virginia
General Assembly Session,
legislators amended Code of
Virginia 46.2-1078.1 (http://
leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/
legp504.exe?000+cod+46.21078.1) to make it a primary
offense. A violation of this
section is a traffic infraction
punishable, for the first offense,
by a fine of $125 and, for a
second or subsequent offense,
by a fine of $250. The law
applies to the operator of a
passenger vehicle in motion and
exempts law-enforcement and
other first responders.
Since the law went into
effect, Virginia state troopers
have been enforcing it just like
any other primary offense. The
trooper must observe the illegal
conduct of the vehicle’s
operator, thus providing the
trooper with reasonable
suspicion to initiate a traffic stop
on that vehicle. Further
investigation determines what,
if any, offense(s) the driver will
be cited for by the trooper.
Troopers have the discretion to
warn, summons or arrest a
violator.
“Keep in mind that this data
does not provide an exact
account of the problem that
exists concerning texting while
driving
on
Virginia’s
highways,” said Colonel W.
Steven Flaherty, Virginia State
Police
superintendent.
“Depending on the observation
of the investigating trooper,
drivers can also be cited for
reckless driving and, therefore,
not included as a texting-whiledriving violation. Regardless,
texting while driving puts at risk
the driver, passengers and every
other motorist, motorcyclist,
pedestrian and bicyclist sharing
the roadway with that
inattentive driver.”
In addition, state legislators
this past session also established
Code of Virginia 46.2-341.20.5
(http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/
legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2341.20C5). The law prohibits
anyone from texting while
driving a commercial vehicle or
a vehicle used to transport
(SEE TEXTING, PAGE 10)
Customer Appreciation Day Nov. 1
Holly King Morris Works To Make It Successful
By RICK GUNTER
The Journal Staff
CREWE — The closest
thing to a traditional festival
left in Crewe this year will
happen in downtown Crewe
this Friday, November 1.
The event is called
Customer Appreciation Day.
Its creator and chief
organizer is pharmacist Holly
King Morris, of Crittenden’s
Drug Store.
She has handsomely
redone the interior of what
many residents consider to be
the centerpiece downtown
business. Out of that
experience she got the idea for
Customer Appreciation Day.
The idea has grown and
grown, and Mrs. Morris has
worked her fingers to the bone
to make the day a success.
She has spent hours
visiting other downtown
businesses enlisting them to
join the effort. At least 31
businesses have joined the
project. “I did not know there
are that many businesses
downtown,” she said last week.
A list of participating
businesses was published in last
week’s issue of The Journal.
Several of the businesses plan
special discounts and other
promotions on Friday as a way
to draw customer traffic and
show their appreciation for
patronage.
In the case of Crittenden’s
Drug, Mrs. Morris and her
associates plan to give away hot
dogs and cold drinks. There will
be free diabetes and cholesterol
screenings from 10 a.m. until 2
p.m.
Some lucky patron stands to
end up with $500 cash.
To enter the giveaway, visit
all participating businesses,
have each business initial an
official entry form, and enter to
win. As an ad on the giveway
stated in last week’s Journal,
“It’s that simple!
“Each
participating
business will have a copy of the
official entry form,” the ad said.
(SEE CUSTOMER, PAGE 10)
(Second of Two Parts)
By RICK GUNTER
The Journal Staff
CREWE — Mayor Lee
Simmons, who only votes in
case of a tie on matters coming
before Crewe Town Council,
told a beekeeping family locked
in a controversy involving
beehives on their in-town
property, that there would have
been no problem if a fence had
been erected.
(SEE PROPOSED, PAGE 5)
Arrest
Made In
Hit, Run
CREWE — Police here
recently arrested a man in
connection with a hit-and-run
incident on October 11 near the
police department.
Police Chief A.A. Booth II
told The Journal that the
incident occurred about 8:40
p.m., that day in the 200 block
of East Carolina Avenue
A 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
was struck in the rear by another
vehicle that then left the scene.
Sgt. Jim Shreck responded
to the call and was able to
determine the color of the
suspect’s vehicle through the
transfer of paint that occurred
during the accident, said Chief
Booth.
Sergeant Shreck checked
the area but was unable to locate
a vehicle that matched the
possible description of the
fleeing vehicle.
Crewe pharmacist Holly King Morris, of Crittenden’s Drug
Store, originated the idea of Customer Appreciation Day.
Before she was finished, she had virtually signed up every
business in downtown Crewe to join the effort that is
scheduled for this Friday, November 1.
(SEE HIT, PAGE 10)
SEC Competes In World Championships
2 Southside Linemen
Finish In Top 10
In The World
CREWE — Six linemen
from Southside Electric
Cooperative (SEC) proudly
represented their co-op in the
30th Annual International
Lineman’s Rodeo World
Championships Saturday,
October 19th. Held in Bonner
Springs, Kansas at the National
Agriculture Center & Hall of
Fame, the event is a culmination
of various regional and national
competitions in the U.S. and
around the world that test the
various skills used by electric
utility line workers every day.
More than 200 teams of
linemen
representing
cooperatives, investor-owned
and municipal electric utilities
came together for four days for
fellowship, competition and
training. In addition to the
rodeo, attendees benefitted from
a safety and training conference,
ample networking opportunities
Move Your Clocks
Back 1 Hour Early
Sunday Morning
The team that represented Southside Electric Cooperative in the International Linemen’s
Rodeo World Championships in Kansas are pictured above, left to right: Troy Burgess,
Brandon Rust, Trevor Robertson, Kinte Robinson, Brad Ashwell and Blake Poindexter.
Daylight Savings Time
(DST) is nearing its end as
colder months fall upon much
of the U.S. Instead of long,
sunny days, most U.S. states,
including Virginia, will set their
clocks back an hour and enjoy
an extra hour of sunlight in the
morning but an earlier onset of
darkness in the evening.
Daylight Savings Time ends
on Sunday, November 3, at 2
(SEE MOVE, PAGE 10)
and
vendor
expos
demonstrating new industry
technology and equipment.
SEC Linemen Troy
Burgess, Kinte Robinson and
Brad Ashwell competed as a
team in the Journeyman
Division, finishing 12th out of
32 teams in the co-op division,
and 59th out of 210 teams in the
overall competition. The SEC
Journeyman team also finished
in the top 80 (out of 210 teams)
in both overall “Mystery
Events,” which are meant to
challenge the competitors with
(SEE SEC, PAGE 9)
COMMUNITY
THE CREWE-BURKEVILLE JOURNAL
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2013
CREWE, VIRGINIA
PAGE 10
Proposed Honeybee Ordinance Attracts A Swarm Of Comments
(FROM PAGE 1)
Mayor Simmons made his
comment during a meeting of council on Wednesday, October 16, at
Crewe Library and Conference
Center. Council held three public
hearings that night, including one on
a proposed bee ordinance.
While a fence, which is not
an inexpensive acquisition,
would appear to be folly to the
layman considering the path of
honeybees, experts contend that
they divert or stymie the bees’
path.
Mayor Simmons said he
had researched bees and their
keeping and read much about
the subjects since the neighbors
of Mr. and Mrs. John Vaught, of
100 West Pennsylvania Ave.,
began lobbying the town to
prohibit the bees.
In last week’s edition, The
Journal reported on the meeting
and comments made by the
Vaughts, by their daughter-inlaw, by Town Attorney Tessie
Bacon, and by Al Simpson,
husband of Donna Simpson.
The Simpsons live next door to
the Vaughts and Mrs. Simpson
a few meetings ago told council
that the presence of honeybees
at the Vaught residence makes
the quality of life for her family,
including three grandchildren,
ages three, seven, and nine,
difficult. She has said that she
was forced to close the family
swimming pool because of the
presence of the bees.
Key Players In Controversy
Pictured On Page 12
Other people also made
comments at the October 16
council meeting, including
beekeeper Mike Craver, of
Blackstone.
He shared some of his
knowledge on bees with the
council and public and spoke of
the bee ordinance that is in place
in his town. He said it requires
hives to be 20 feet from the
property line and 50 feet from
any dwelling.
Blackstone Mayor Billy
Coleburn has told The Journal
that the town also regulates the
presence of beehives by zoning,
allowing them in some parts of
the municipality but not in other
areas.
Crewe resident David Dicks
verbally jousted with Mayor
Simmons. At one point, the
mayor told Mr. Dicks he would
not answer his public questions
on the issue.
“We are not here to answer
questions,” the mayor pointedly
told the resident.
Mr. Dicks said he was
neutral on regulating bees, but
found the proposed ordinance
that would require a beekeeper
to have an enormous area of
nearly an acre for a hive and
require beekeepers to earn a
strenuous “master” certification.
The above Pontiac Grand Prix shows damage following
a hit-and-run incident earlier this month.
Hit-And-Run Arrest
Made By Crewe Officers
(FROM PAGE 1)
He passed this information to Officer Joyner and at the end of
his shift Officer Joyner was able to located the suspect’s vehicle
parked behind a residence at 210 East Tennessee Ave., said Chief
Booth.
The information in turn was passed to Sergeant Shreck, who
met with the vehicle’s owner.
Ponciano N. Cruz-Margarito admitted to driving the vehicle
and hitting the victim’s car, said Chief Booth.
Sergeant Shreck obtained warrants on Mr. Cruz-Margarito for
hit-and-run, and driving without a valid operator’s license.
As one non-beekeeper was
overheard to say, “The town
does not want bees in the
corporate limits.”
Among the questions posed
by Mr. Dicks was, “Who do I
call?” (when he has trouble with
bees).
The proposed ordinance
would make it “unlawful for any
purpose to locate, construct,
alter, maintain or sue on any lot
or parcel of land within the town
any hives or other enclosures for
the purpose of keeping any bees
or other such insects unless
every part of such hive or
enclosure is located at least 100
feet” from any dwelling located
on any adjoining property
occupied by anyone other than
the person maintaining the
apiary…”
The proposed ordinance
defines an “apiary” to mean “the
assembly of one or more
colonies of bees at a single
location.”
The proposal also would
require the apiary to be 100 feet
from “any apartment, hotel,
motel, office, commercial
establishment, church or school.
It would be required to be
100 feet from any public
highway, street or right-ofway.”
The proposed ordinance
would limit a beekeeper to no
more than three hives or
colonies of bees.
In addition to earning a
“master
beekeeper ’s”
certification, the beekeeper
would be required to apply for
a permit to keep bees. The
application fee would be $25.
The town manager “or his
designee may revoke a permit
issued …if he determined that
public safety concerns warrant
it. The decision to revoke a
permit may be appealed to the
town council…”
A violation of the ordinance
would be viewed a Class 4
misdemeanor, conviction of
which could bring a fine of not
more than $250. “Each day that
a violation exists or continues to
exist shall constitute a separate
offense.”
Resident Donnie Slaw, as he
had done at a previous council
meeting, complained about the
bees and warned that the town
was opening itself to legal
trouble if it fails to act on the
issue.
The number of calls
stemming from bee stings
answered by emergency
personnel also was discussed. A
couple of speakers minimized
the number of calls, but no
specific figures were voiced.
A bee sting can prove fatal
if the victim is allergic to the
sting.
Custom Appreciation
Planned For Friday
In Downtown Crewe
Texting Tickets
Being Written
By The Hundreds
(FROM PAGE 1)
(FROM PAGE 1)
“Start anywhere you wish.
Businesses will be offering their
special offers, such as raffles,
sales, free gifts, etc. The event
will take place from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. The grad prize drawing
will be held at 5 p.m. at
Crittenden’s Drug, Inc. The
official entry form will be
validated before the grand prize
will be awarded. (Some
businesses will code the entry
form to discourage cheating.)”
The 31 listed participated
businesses
contributed
financially to the cash giveaway.
Wilkerson Aircraft Tires, Inc.,
graciously provided advertising
for the event.
Mrs. Morris said two radio
stations, Big Bobcat and WSVS,
planned live remote broadcasts
from downtown Crewe.
between nine and 15 passengers.
The law does permit “texting
when necessary to communicate
with law enforcement or other
emergency services.”
Code of Virginia 46.2-919.1
(http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/
legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2919.1) prohibits the use of any
wireless telecommunications
devices by persons driving
school buses.
Getting It Right
In a story on the proposed
Crewe bee ordinance in last
week’s issue, The Journal
wrongly reported that the public
hearing on the issue was held
that Monday. The hearing
during a Crewe Town Council
session was held Wednesday,
October 16. We regret the error.
Little Fact
Grover Cleveland was the
only U.S. president to serve
non-consecutive terms.
It is pretty clear that the
council wants to extricate itself
from the controversy and when
Mr. and Mrs. Vaught offered to
compromise on the issue, the
panel immediately took that out
to avoid an up-or-down vote
following the October 16th
public hearing.
If the panel had voted on the
proposed ordinance, the result is
very hard to gauge.
Council members Shirley
Daulton, E.B. Fisher, and John
Spencer likely would have
voted for the ordinance.
Councilman Spencer said
during the meeting that bees
“belong in the country.”
Vice-Mayor Stinson probably
represents a swing vote on the issue
and could have voted either for or
against.
Councilman Steve Sisk Jr., said
during the October 16 meeting that
he is considering becoming a
beekeeper.
Councilman Phil Miskovic
appeared to oppose regulating bees
and likely would have voted against
the proposed ordinance.
Councilman Robbie Knight,
who missed the October 16 meeting,
is believed to oppose bees in town.
This council is sympathetic to
Mr. and Mrs. Simpson and the other
neighbors of the Vaughts and to a
degree to the Vaughts.Council
members also know that the Vaughts
were told there was and remains an
absence of ordinances regarding
bees when the couple asked about
the issue prior to acquiring hives.
Move Clocks Back
One Hour Sunday
(FROM PAGE 1)
a.m., when clocks go back to 1
a.m. DST usually ends the final
Sunday in October, but this year,
it occurs on November’s first
Sunday.
The extra hour could help
some folks catch up on the sleep
they lost back in March, when
Daylight Savings Time made
everyone “spring ahead” and
lose an hour of sleep.
While you are changing the
time on clocks and watches also
put fresh batteries in your
smoke alarms. If you don’t have
smoke alarms, this would be a
good time to install the devices.
They could save your life or the
lives of your loved ones.
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