50¢
Powhatan, Virginia
The hometown paper of Bobby J. Weatherford
Vol. XXVIII No. 34
August 19, 2015
Investigation results could take weeks By Laura McFarland
Road. Sgt. Stephan Vick, state police public information officer, said on Wednesday, OWHATAN – The results of an Aug. 12 that the investigation is still oninvestigation into a deputy in- going but when it is complete, the agenvolved shooting that cy will hand the results over left a 71-year-old to Cox’s office to determine man dead this month may the next course of action. take weeks to be released, Cox said that as of Aug. 14 according to Powhatan his office had not received any County commonwealth’s atinformation from the state potorney Richard Cox. lice yet but that when he did, Virginia State Police are the facts will be available to still investigating the incident the public. in which Franklin M. Short “The thing that people SHORT of Powhatan was shot and should know is it does take killed by a Powhatan County Sheriff’s time and to do it right it takes time. deputy. The incident occurred about When the investigation is complete 9:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 3 at Short’s home in the 2100 block of Urbine see SHOOTING page 3A
News Editor
P
Football equipment stolen from youth league By Laura McFarland News Editor
P
OWHATAN – About 100 local children are starting their fall football season with a big disappointment looming over it after Flat Rock Warriors Football organizers realized that its heavy training equipment had been stolen. The association, which has players ages 5 to 14, first became aware that about $10,000 in heavy training equipment was missing when organizers went to pick it up a few days before the start of the season on Saturday, Aug. 8 and saw that it wasn’t there, Jennifer Cabaniss, secretary for Flat PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND Rock Warriors Football, Flat Rock Warriors players were busy in their said. first week of practice. The association suffered a loss when it discovered its heavy training equipsee FOOTBALL page ment had been stolen.
PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND
Family and friends gathered at the Powhatan County Courthouse to remember Franklin M. Short and emphasize their need for answers in his death.
Family remembers man killed Aug. 3 in shooting By Laura McFarland
gathered Saturday, Aug. 15, on the lawn of the Powhatan County Courthouse to News Editor remember Short, 71, who was killed in POWHATAN - What the family of an officer involved shooting on Monthe late Franklin M. Short wants more day, Aug. 3, at his home in Powhatan. than anything right now is answers. see FAMILY page 10A A small group of family and friends
Parade seeks entrants
FILE PHOTO BY ANJIE HENLEY
The Southside Shriners put on a zany show with their mini vehicles during the 2014 Labor Day Parade.
By Laura McFarland News Editor
P
OWHATAN – The Powhatan Lions Club is gearing up again for some good old fashioned fun on Labor Day and is hoping the Powhatan County community is excited to join in.
The Lions Club will hold its annual Labor Day event on Monday, Sept. 7 in the courthouse area. Vendors will set up from 10 a.m. to 2 p. m. on the Courthouse Green, and the main event, a community parade, begins at 11 a.m. The event is free and see PARADE page 4A
8A
P OW H ATA N S TAT E PA R K LO O K S TO F U T U R E By Laura McFarland News Editor
POWHATAN – Powhatan State Park received a late birthday gift this month with a groundbreaking ceremony on a new campground that is expected to be a boon for its future. The youngest park in the Virginia State Park System has come a long way since it opened on July 6, 2013, but the start of work on a campground in the park will represent a huge step forward in increasing park use and visitation numbers, Matthew O’Quinn, park manager, said. Currently, 30 to 40 percent of the 1,596-acre park is closed off to the pubSUBMITTED PHOTO lic because of campground construcLocal and state officials attended a groundbreaking ceremony on tion, he said. But when that space Saturday, Aug. 8 at Powhatan State Park for its new campground project. opens, the park will have the capacity
Inside
Sports
B6 Teachers head back to school for professional development
B1 New BSH head coach brings 50 plus years of experience to position
to add onto its access by road and to increase the length and number of trails. “That is going to be the heart of our park once it opens,” O’Quinn said. “When you have overnight guests that stay with you for a certain amount of time, you can offer them a lot of different programming. Those are the people that are going to keep coming back.” The park has made some great improvements in the last two years since it opened with the critical infrastructure in place – the buildings and roads, he said. But those features don’t “necessarily make it a park.” Seeing the park continue to grow and have opportunities to develop and attract more visitors is exciting, he said. see PARK page 4A
Index Calendar A9 Classified B10-11 Crime Report A2 Obituaries A2 Opinion A6 Puzzles A9 Horoscope A9 TV Listings B8-9