What We Think
What We Think: The Knight of the Alapaha Circuit
W.D. “Jack” Knight compared being a judge to his college days serving as a referee for basketball games.
“Here, I learned the foundation for being a fair and just judge,” Knight wrote earlier this year. “First, I had to observe what had happened; second, I had to determine if what happened was right or wrong; then I had to make a judgment call.
“Most importantly, this decision had to be right because, once made, the decision could not be reversed!”
For nearly three decades, Judge Knight used his refereeing experience again and again in the courtrooms of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit. He ruled with a cool head — one filled with an impartial temperament and knowledge of the intricacies of the law.
Knight died this past weekend at the age of 75.
He had no qualms about sentencing guilty defendants to prison. “If they need sending, I can send ’em with no remorse,” Knight said in 1996 article in The Valdosta Daily Times shortly before his retirement. “It’s just like raising a child. If you don’t pop the whip, then somebody’s going to be bad. And if that’s the judge, so be it.”
Judge Knight could be tough, but compassionate. Stern but fair. Throughout his 19 years of being active on the bench, and as a senior judge in following years, Jack Knight fit the ideal of a judge: A man of the law who could parse conflicting evidence, separate right from wrong, then make a call.
But he also made a call to be a part of his community. Born in Ray City, he returned to his native Berrien County to practice law, raise a family, and be a citizen who served in numerous organizations.
Jack Knight lived up to the expectations of his profession and the noble echo of his name: He was the knight of the Alapaha Circuit.
- What We Think
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Labor Day
Once was the time that Labor Day marked the unofficial last day of summer. Labor Day was the last day of summer before school started. Labor Day hinted at the coming football season. It meant the return of numerous community and cultural events. It signaled a renewed dedication to work as summer vacations and summer breaks came to an end.
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Home Economics
Home economics once meant sewing, cooking, child development, family finances, and food nutrition. It was once a subject taught solely to young women in high school.
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Thumbs up
THUMBS UP: To the milling and resurfacing work underway on Patterson Street. On July 15, Reames and Sons Construction Company Inc. began work on the 2.833-mile stretch of road. According to the Georgia Department of Transportation, the project was let for bid on May 21 and is scheduled to be completed on Oct 30. The $1 million-plus project, although a bit of a nuissance for those traveling the road after 7 p.m. and during the overnight hours, is long overdue. It’s been 12 years since Patterson Street was resurfaced and the high-traffic road has been a rough ride for motorists for a while due to tree roots and wear and tear.
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Football traditions 2010
With the Valdosta State University Blazers returning to the field Saturday, the region’s football season is in full swing. The traditions continue.
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What we think: Preserve our past
Now that the majority of offices and personnel have relocated to the new Lowndes County Judicial Complex, the former courthouse is sitting empty and ready for its next incarnation.
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What We Think: Gubernatorial South Georgia
Both the Democrat and Republican candidates for governor are targeting South Georgia as part of their campaigns.
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Don’t blame the fee
The Lowndes County Trash Permit has only been around for two years, so how is it to blame for all of the illegal dumping that is and has been going on for decades?
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Flatlanders Fall Frolic
It just wouldn’t be Labor Day weekend in South Georgia without Lakeland’s Flatlanders Fall Frolic. And this tradition of great crafts, tasty food, and good music continues this coming weekend.
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Don’t be a drip
We take water for granted. Even during past droughts, water has been plentiful. Homeowners had to curtail lawn watering, but the region still had plenty of water for drinking, showers, and other necessities.
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Thumbs up, thumbs down
THUMBS UP: To Leisa Marshall for helping area families in need. In the process of improving her own health, the Valdosta State University accounting professor developed a fundraiser to help a student's father, who was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. The inaugural Honor Our Neighbor 5K Run was held on July 10. Future runs will benefit another family battling disease.
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Labor Day
