The murder case that was moved from Miller County where it happened, to the adjoining county of Early, was completed Friday, February 3, with guilty verdicts given by the Early County jurors picked by the state and defense attorneys.
The murder trial that came for the shooting death of Rocky Heard of Colquitt, started at the Early County Courthouse on Monday, January 30, when most of that day was devoted to selecting a jury. The murder case occurred when Rocky E. Heard and his brother, Ray Dean Heard, were in a fight with Joe Elvin Cloud.
According to witnesses at the scene, after the fight, Cloud pulled a shotgun from his truck and shot Rocky Heard in the back, and attempted to shoot Ray Dean Heard, but missed him. Rocky Heard was taken to the Miller County Hospital, but was declared dead soon after he arrived.
The witnesses stated that the shooter, Cloud, put his shotgun back into his truck and continued pumping gas, where he was arrested and taken to jail for booking. Cloud was later charged with the murder of Rocky Heard and moved to a jail in another county until the trial was moved to Early County by presiding Judge Joe C. Bishop.
The Early County jurors heard the testimony of all the witnesses, including suspect Joe Elvin Cloud of Iron City.
The attorneys gave their closing arguments to the jury on Friday, February 3. Judge Bishop charged the jury, and the jury returned verdicts as follows: The case of State v. Joe Elvin Cloud # 2005-CR-056 - The jury heard and viewed all of the relevant evidence admitted in the case and found in Count 1, Malice Murder- Guilty; Count 2, Felony Murder arising out of the alleged aggravated assault of Rocky Heard - Guilty; Count 3 - Felony Murder arising out of the alleged aggravated assault of Ray Dean Heard - Guilty; Count 4- - Aggravated Assault - Guilty; Count 5 - Aggravated Assault - Guilty; Count 6 - Possession of a Firearm during the commission of a crime - Guilty; Count 7 - Affray - Not Guilty.
The district attorney for the State did not ask for the death sentence, so the sentence could be life imprisonment on the murder charge.
The sentencing hearing date has not been set at this time.
Cloud was moved to the Miller County Jail until the sentencing date is announced. After Cloud is sentenced, his attorneys have 30 days to file for an appeal after the sentencing hearing.

Bert Priest, 97, died Friday, February 3, 2006, after a short illness with cancer.
Mr. Priest came into the Miller County Liberal newspaper business when he married Willie Toole on June 2, 1927. He became co-editor with Joseph Toole, his brother-in-law, from 1933- 1940. Mr. Priest was editor and publisher from 1940 to 1976, when he sold the Miller County Liberal to his nephew, Terry Toole, who is the grandson of the founder, Zula Brown Toole.
Mr. Priest worked in and edited the newspaper at a time when the Liberal was set by hand type and later by Linotype. At that time the Liberal was printed on a George Washington two page flatbed press. Priest saw the newspaper business go to the Justiwriter and be printed on offset presses with up to eight pages.
As far as this writer knows, his uncle never wrote an editorial in his career. He was highly respected in the community, his church and by all who knew him. As he often said, “I’ve lived a good, long life and enjoyed it.”
He was self-sufficient up until the last few weeks of his life, living alone and although blind, enjoying life to the fullest.
There are very few men who live to the age of 97 years, but there are even fewer who live alone, do everything for themselves and court good-looking women right up until they enter the hospital at 97.
He was a wonderful father, a most devoted and caring husband, the best uncle ever, a good citizen and a loving friend to all.

A ceremonial “big check” for $294,897 was presented to officials from Golden Triangle Resource Conservation and Development (RC & D ) Council, Inc., by F. Stone Workman, state director of USDA-Rural Development, at an annual meeting of the RC & D Council.
“This grant allows Southwest Georgia Cooperative Development Center to build on their previous success and extend services statewide,” Workman said.
Golden Triangle RC & D is a nonprofit agency covering nine counties in Southwest Georgia and is serving as the coordinator of this project. They serve Baker, Decatur, Early, Miller, Seminole, Calhoun, Dougherty, Grady, and Mitchell counties. With this grant comes a name change to Georgia Cooperative Development Center.
“The expansion of the Cooperative Center will have a tremendous impact on the economy of rural Georgia. Having each of the state RC & D’s involved and promoting the cooperative business structure can only be a positive for our agricultural community,” said Craig Scroggs, the Georgia USDA Cooperative Development specialist.
The grant is available through Rural Development’s Rural Cooperative Development Grant program. Grants provided under this program are to establish and operate centers for cooperative development. The ultimate goal is to improve economic conditions by developing or improving cooperatives. Jerome Brown, Golden Triangle RC&D coordinator, said that the first grants awarded under this program were in Fiscal Year 1997. Golden Triangle RC & D received a grant under this program in FY 2001 and established the Southwest Georgia Cooperative Development Center. Over $6.3 million was made available this year nationwide for this program.
With the initial grant money, Golden Triangle RC & D contracted with the University of Georgia’s Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development to provide the technical assistance to interested cooperative groups. County Extension Agents were trained in the cooperative business structure so that they could serve as meeting facilitators and informational conduits.
One cooperative that benefited in FY’03 was a group of local landowners who formed Southwest Georgia Escapes. This group was formed as a marketing cooperative to work together to advertise their agriculturally related tourism opportunities. Hunting, fishing, bird-watching, winery tours and horseback riding were some of the anticipated activities to be made available from the members.
Other cooperatives that have approached the Center for assistance during the past year include those interested in poultry litter processing, cotton ginning, natural beef production, organic vegetable, cantaloupes, peanut shelling, and a farmers’ market.
Dr. Bill Thomas, Cooperative specialist at the University of Georgia, stated, “The creation of the Georgia Cooperative Development Center will allow us to help people in rural Georgia organize into cooperatives to increase their net income. We have found that cooperatives allow farmers and others to work together to add value to existing enterprises or to find new enterprises which will increase their bottom line.”
Golden Triangle and the Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development continue to work closely with Craig Scroggs, the Georgia USDA Cooperative Development specialist. More information on the Georgia Cooperative Development Center is available at their website at http//www.swgacoop.com/. or www.gacoop.org.com
The Georgia Cooperative Development Center is located in Albany, Georgia. Contact Jerome Brown, coordinator at 229-420-5487
Information on Rural Development programs is available at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/ga/.

Four vehicles and six people were involved in an accident on Main Street Saturday, February 4, at 7:58 p.m.
The accident occurred when a 16-year-old juvenile was driving a 2004 Lincoln Aviator owned by Victoria Merritt, west on Main Street. Zacharus Antwan Calloway, driving a 1994 Ford Thunderbird, was in front of the Lincoln, and slowed down to make a right turn into Red’s Liquor Store. The driver of the Lincoln struck Calloway’s Ford in the rear end. Calloway’s auto rotated clockwise, entering the parking lot of Red’s Liquor Store, striking a parked 2002 Chevrolet Impala owned by Angela A. Monroe of Arlington.
Calloway’s vehicle also struck a 2004 Ford Explorer owned by Bowen Keith Middleton which was parked.
The impact caused minor damage to the two parked vehicles.
According to the incident report, the juvenile driving the Lincoln then proceeded to travel west on Main Street, turning around and returning to the scene. Statements and photos were taken at the scene. Occupants of the two parked vehicles stated that the driver of the Ford Thunderbird did not use a turn signal prior to turning into the liquor store. The report indicated that no alcohol tests were given to any of the drivers.
The contributing factor given by the investigaing officer, Greg Richey, was following too close by the driver of the Lincoln.
The driver of the Ford Thunderbird, Zacharus Antwan Calloway, and passenger, Erica Johnson, 23, of Colquitt were transported to the Miller County Hospital by ambulance for observation. None of the other four occupants were shown as injured. It was unknown if any or all were using safety equipment. No air bags were deployed.

Week of February 5, 2006