CLANG!
MARC ‘HEROES’ Store employees aid Rockdale center Page 2A
TIGERS-YOE READY TO GO, SPORTS 1B
and Messenger Vol. 147, No. 48 | Thursday, October 24, 2019
END OF ERA
Legendary writer dies at age 98 Funeral services are set Saturday, Nov. 2, for a revered Rockdale native w h o s e evocative depictions of t i me s gone by— both good and bad— warmed and challenged the hearts of Piper generations. Susie Sansom Piper died Monday at age 98. Mrs. Piper authored Black History Month series in The Reporter for 42 consecutive years. Her final series, written just months before her 98th birthday, was published Feb. 28. The author of numerous books of history, poetry and wisdom, her final book, ironically titled “When A Loved One Dies,” was published in September. The previous month The Reporter had sent her some photos for yet another publication she was planning. She was a retired teacher, having taught in both the Aycock and Rockdale schools. Mrs. Piper received numerous honors throughout her lifetime. In 2015, at age 94, she was featured speaker as the LBJ Library observed the 50th anniversary of President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act. FUNER AL—Services are at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, in Austin’s St. James Missionary Baptist Church, 3417 East Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Viewing prior to the service. A separate viewing will be scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, at a location yet to be determined at presstime. Following the Nov. 2 service there will be a meal. Burial will be at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Rockdale. Flowers/acknowledgments: Tamara Hebert Powell, 1712 Zydeco Drive. Round Rock, TX 78664. A full obituary will be published next week.
WEATHER THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
79 High 50 Low 40% chance rain 62 High 46 Low 40% chance rain 69 High 48 Low 0% chance rain
INDEX Classifieds................. 7B-8B Commentary.................... 7A Faith...............................8A Farm & Home...................6A Lifestyle.........................10B Newsbriefs.......................2A Obituaries........................9B Organizations...................6B Sports....................... 1B-4B
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Bitmain goal: 300 megawatts Local faciltity may be world’s largest of kind By MIKE BROWN Reporter Editor
Bitmain, located in most of the former Alcoa smelter, opened its doors Friday to a group of invited county business and civic leaders. They discovered the cryptocurrency-mining venture is humming right along. That’s literally. Company corporate officials, and local Bitmain Project Manager Clint Brown, spoke in front of the whirring buzz of 10,068 “antminers,” computer-like machines whose job is to chase complex mathematical puzzles in cyberspace and earn “Bitcoins,” a high-tech cryptocurrency
Reporter/Mike Brown
Bill Zhu, Bitmain CEO, welcomes visitors before portion of 10,068 ‘antminers’ online in repurposed potroom. which is seen as the wave of the future. The event, tagged a “grand opening,” was the first time photos were allowed at the
complex. Bill Zhu, Bitmain CEO, welcomed the group and said the local operation, Bitmain’s second in the United States, has been official-
ly christened “Bitmain Dory of energy. Availability of an existing electricity interface, Creek.” “G O OD T H I NG S”— such as exists at the former Currently, one line is operSee BITMAIN, page 10A ating, using 25 megawatts
Fair sales nearing $700,000 There were t wo huge highlights of the 2019 Rockdale Fair, which ended Saturday at Fair Park. T he Fa i r ’s c ombi ne d sales—to benef it Milam County 4-H and FFA youth— will top $700,000, including a record $430,000-plus livestock action Saturday night. And the park didn’t flood. That’s not a joke, and certainly nobody was laughing in 2018 when rains turned the Fair Park into a mud bath, canceling the rodeo and carnival and making other events difficult. “This year the weather was just about perfect,” Johnny Hill, Rockdale Fair Association (RFA) president, said. “Nice cool mornings. It got a little warm Saturday afternoon but the turnout was still spectacular for the events.” SALES—All the numbers were preliminary at Reporter presstime Tuesday as books on Fair sales didn’t close until Wednesday, with added money still being assessed, but a number of milestones are already assured. The youth livestock sale stood at $432,664. That’s a new all-time record and it’s a record by a lot. The previous high was $392,870 in 2017. It was also a record for the baked food div ision which stood at $21,725. Previous record was $16,135 in 2016. The commercial heifer sale was at $238,265 and ag mechanics was $6,695 Tuesday. Put them all together and the preliminary total was $699,349, virtually assuring the combined sales total for the 2019 Fair will top the $700,000 mark. A ll-time record is $712,270 in 2017. There’s more numeri-
Decisions, decisions Lots of those were made at the 2019 Rockdale Livestock Show during the weekend. Above, steer judge Dr. Aaron Cooper of Texas A&M eyes a show ring group before announcing results of his deliberation. The eventual grand champion in the market steer division (at right) was exhibited by Mason Leifeste of the Cameron 4-H Club. The annual sale brought in over $432,000. Final results will be announced next week. Reporter/Mike Brown
cal heights which will be scaled. Preliminary 2019 totals enabled the all-time cumulative Fair sales total to surpass $8-million. And the youth livestock auction is now over $6-million. “We all want to emphasize that every penny of that
has gone, and will continue to go, to the youngsters who work so hard to raise animals, bake items and make ag mechanics entries,” Hill said. “Nothing goes to the Fair Association or anySee FAIR, page 10A
COVERING THE FAIR
. Event-by-event results: 9A. . Livestock show, sale results, 4A-5A. . Commercial heifer show, 6A. . Home economics results, photos, 5B. . More Fair photos, 4B, 10B.
City selling property as deal falls through In July, Rockdale residents were thrilled when a Tennessee-based development company announced plans for a “major” retailer to locate on a West Cameron Avenue (US 79) location which was once envisioned as the site for Rockdale’s new police department. It’s not going to happen. City Manager Chris Whittaker told The Reporter he had been advised one of the venture’s three Reporter file photo/Mike Brown financial backers had pulled out of the project. Property at 1166 West US 79 is for sale again. “It’s not going to happen,” Whittaker said. “In fact we have posted, and advertised, a notice of tract with the developer so there were no legal bids and the property is for sale again by the city. issues involved. Whittaker said the city had never signed a con- BID SPECS—Originally the property’s price
was set at a minimum of $250,000 by the city. That’s the price the city paid in March, 2016, when it was purchased for use as Rockdale’s new police department. Opposition to the site developed and the new PD was built downtown. But the new call for bids does not specify a minimum bid. “We thought it was in the city’s best interests to try and get something for the property,” Whittaker said. The tract is 6.0 acres at 1166 West US 79. Signed and sealed bids will be accepted until 4 See DEAL, page 10A