Fauquier Times 12/06/2023

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HALEY’S FOOTBALL LIFE: Feature story, LHS wrestling, Kettle Run boys-girls hoops previews. SPORTS, Pages 13, 14, 15 December 6, 2023

Our 206th year | Vol. 206, No. 49 | www.Fauquier.com | $1.50 VIRGINIA PRESS ASSOCIATION: BEST SMALL NEWSPAPER IN VIRGINIA 2017-2022

Bealeton pilot killed in crash near Fauquier airport Simmie Adams, 62, was ‘well respected, experienced’ flyer, friends say By Hunter Savery

Fauquier Times Staff Writer

Thick fog and low clouds blanketed much of Fauquier County, and daylight was beginning to fade Sunday afternoon as Simmie Adams, of Bealeton, tried to bring his single-engine plane down for a landing at Warrenton-Fauquier Airport. Less than half a mile from the tarmac, the plane struck several trees just beyond the airport’s fence and burst into flames. Adams, 62, did not survive the crash. The Army veteran and organizational consultant was the sole occupant of the plane. An investiga-

PHOTO BY HUNTER SAVERY

The remains of a plane that crashed Sunday, Dec. 3 about a half-mile from the Warrenton-Fauquier Airport. tion by the National Transportation Safety Board is already underway to try to determine what happened.

The accident occurred at approximately 3:54 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3, according to Virginia State Police.

‘Pumpkin man’ collects 5K pumpkins for area farm animals

The crash site, with Adams’ 1975 Beechcraft C23 Sundowner now encircled by yellow police tape, lies at edge of the woods near the intersection of Midland and Ebeneezer Church roads. Adams was an experienced pilot with many hours in the cockpit. He had been flying for two hours Sunday to log more flight hours to maintain his instrument certification, according to David Huss, director of the Warrenton-Fauquier Airport. Neither Huss nor Wayne Green, Adams’ flight instructor of the past five years, wanted to speculate about the cause of the crash, though both noted the foggy weather. See PLANE CRASH, page 17 Holiday note: The Fauquier Times will not publish on Wednesday, Dec. 27. See publisher Scott Elliott’s note, page 7.

By Cher Muzyk

Times Staff Writer

As the temperature dips below freezing and holiday lights begin to twinkle on rooftops, a local Marine veteran has turned cleaning up our fall decorations — specifically pumpkins — into a mission. “The Pumpkin Man,” as Michael Prosser, 66, calls himself, has been collecting pumpkins since Nov. 1 and reached his goal of retrieving 5,000 this week. That’s more than 30 pickup truck loads of pumpkins, all of which he delivered to Warrenton farm animals. Driving a pickup adorned with a “Pumpkins for Pigs” banner, Prosser, of Bristow, scooped up hundreds of pumpkins from homes in western Prince William County that would otherwise have ended up in the county landfill. “Oh, she does have nice pumpkins here. Like five big ones!” Prosser said during a Wednesday, Nov. 29 stop, as he pulled over for an interview with the Prince William Times. Prosser’s truck was already loaded with pumpkins, but he was out collecting a few more. See PUMPKIN MAN, page 17

PHOTO BY DOUG STROUD

Michael Prosser, a retired U.S. Marine from Bristow, began collecting pumpkins for local farm animals last year. This fall, he reached his goal of 5,000.

Merry, bright scenes from the Warrenton Christmas Parade, page 2

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