THE SPIRIT of youth football was alive and kicking this past weekend at the Ikhusteng Stadium in Warrenton where the 053 Future Stars Youth Tournament Easter Games 2025 unfolded over two action-packed days brought together promising young footballers from across the Northern Cape and beyond all united by a shared love of the beautiful game.  the tournament provided a vital platform for nurturing talent Organisers expressed heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to the tournament’s success – from the teams and coaches to the loyal supporters in the stands and passion made this tournament an unforgettable experience,” they said in a statement.  “Your energy and cheers drove the teams forward and we’re honored to have you as part of this journey.” The referees and officials who helped run the tournament were also acknowledged for their vital role in ensuring the games were played in a fair and expertise continue to pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable sporting world Organisers praised the officials as trailblazers who are breaking barriers and leaving a lasting legacy Their contributions do more than shape the flow of a game – they inspire the next generation of referees to dream bigger and aim higher and unwavering commitment to excellence,” read one message of appreciation Some of the workers who have lost their jobs following the closure of Warrenton Super Chicken in the Northern Cape A once-promising community poultry cooperative in the small town of Warrenton in the Northern Cape has closed despite receiving substantial financial support from the provincial government This has resulted in 65 people left unemployed for over a year Warrenton Super Chicken closed shop in December last year with no date of when the operations might resume One of the beneficiaries of the cooperative said they felt let down by the department of agriculture and land reform in the province as they appointed a middleman to operate the affairs of the farm and things started falling apart from there “Our problems really started last year as the person who was appointed by the department the middleman Nosariti Business Enterprise And the department was putting money into the account of Nosariti Business Enterprise which stalled everything because we could not access those funds everything got frozen which meant the farm could not operate We as beneficiaries approached the department and they told us they also cannot do anything until the assets have been dealt with,” he explained Bangiwe said they have no clue how much the government has injected into the project and have asked for invoices for the purchased mechanisation “Whatever was happening here was between the department and the service provider they are the only people who knew what was happening [It] is sad and unfortunate that when we seek the answers from government nothing is coming forth “We are told we should wait for the estate of the deceased to round things up from what we are gathering we do not think we will ever be able to get the money back,” he said Bangiwe said a lack of transparency and monitoring from the department let them down and called on the department to act on some senior officials who have contributed significantly to the cooperative’s downfall “We believe that the amount that the department states that they have spent here is way more than that We demand invoices and proof of the money they claim they have spent here,” he expressed Bangiwe said they hope to reopen the cooperative despite not getting the necessary support from the department He noted that several investors are interested and in talks with them to see how they can operate the business for the better the media liaison officer for the department said the project closed due to a lack of operational budget and internal conflicts among beneficiaries within the cooperative and land reform has invested approximately R45 million into the firm for the growth and expansion of the business “The department appointed a consultant she successfully revived the business and secured a market for its products The department also played an active role in monitoring the project throughout its existence,” he said Galane stated that the department encourages project beneficiaries to apply for different government funds to revive the multi-million rand project efforts are underway to link the project with external partners and stakeholders including potential funding through the Land Bank’s blended financing product which offers a 50% loan and 50% grant structure,” he said Saamtrek Saamwerk Northern Cape coordinator Sehularo Sehularo said it is unfortunate that a cooperative stationed strategically on the busy N12 road had to close “We believe that the department failed the cooperative it has been in operation for over 20 years For it to close like this is very short-sighted and points to the frustrations we have that there is really a lack of monitoring and evaluations in the department “Millions have been spent but so far there is really nothing to show for it rural towns are dying because funds are misused It is for this reason that we call on the premier and MEC to intervene to open this farm we call on the special investigating unit and the Hawks to also investigate the corruption and mismanagement of taxpayers’ funds,” he said READ NEXT: Raising the bar: Dedication drives SA beer excellence Sign up for Mzansi Today: Your daily take on the news and happenings from the agriculture value chain Tshianeo Mathidi in Venda is cultivating more than just potatoes – he's growing back a family legacy.. With 21 global awards in the first six years of its existence Food For Mzansi is much more than an agriculture publication unashamedly saluting the unsung heroes of South African agriculture We believe in the power of agriculture to promote nation building and social cohesion by telling stories that are often overlooked by broader society Contact usOffice: +27 21 879 1824News: info@foodformzansi.co.zaAdvertising: sales@foodformzansi.co.za Already have an account? 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Winds light and variable. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. New storage facilities, a trade school and a church expansion could be coming to Fauquier County. In April 2025, the Fauquier County Planning Commission recommended approval of a plan to convert the old New Baltimore fire station into a small trade school and contractor's headquarters. Warrenton Town Council members' latest move in their fight against data centers is to purge any mention of them from town zoning rules. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The future of Fauquier Times now depends on community support. Your donation will help us continue to improve our journalism through in-depth local news coverage and expanded reader engagement. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. 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THE DEPARTMENT of Water and Sanitation is engaging with Magareng Local Municipality in the Northern Cape regarding non-compliance with water and wastewater management following concerns that raw sewage is contaminating the Vaal River Residents have been cautioned against consuming untreated river water in the Magareng and Phokwane municipal areas following a cholera alert The founder of the Municipal Public People’s Participation Forum stated that raw sewage was flowing from Warrenton’s wards 1 “There is an unattended manhole in Agosi Street in Ikhutseng that is also leaking sewage,” Louw noted He highlighted that the pumps at the Warrenton wastewater treatment plant were switched off periodically in order to save electricity due to the debt owed to Eskom “This results in regular sewage spillages,” he said Louw added that the reservoir was bursting and leaking while progress to repair water pipes and construction of a new water purification plant have been slow and construction remains incomplete “The auditor-general’s reports between 2020 and 2024 highlighted unauthorised expenditure on water tankering services where funds were spent without proper authorisation or following procurement processes at Magareng Municipality,” said Louw “The auditor-general found that some of the water tankering services were either not delivered as per the contract or were unnecessary He pointed out that R51.9 million was granted in the 2023/24 medium-term revenue expenditure framework budget through the municipal infrastructure regional bulk infrastructure and water services infrastructure “This is while salaries amount to R53.7 million and infrastructure has fallen into a state of disrepair,” he said DA Magareng councillor Deidre Watson pointed out that the Warrenton wastewater treatment works was in a “critical state” having significantly deteriorated over the past decade DA provincial leader Harold McGluwa added that the Vaal River near Warrenton was heavily polluted with plastic and bottles while communities face continuous water challenges and supply cuts,” McGluwa noted Residents also complained of bright red worms that were in their water supply Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) spokesperson Wisane Mavasa stated that they were addressing operation and maintenance support to create capacity and improve infrastructure at Magareng Municipality “The Vaal River is in a poor state due to a number of pollution sources that include spillages from Warrenton The cholera present in the Vaal River is non-toxic communities are advised not to drink raw water from the river due to the poor state of the Vaal River water,” said Mavasa She stated that while load shedding could impact on the water and sewage pumping supply should not be purposefully interrupted in order to save electricity “The department is investigating expenditure to date on repairing water infrastructure as well as the lack of performance that led to the municipality terminating the mechanical contract and rendering for the remaining works An external service provider has been appointed to audit all expenditure.” She added that no funding had been allocated by DWS to repair the reservoir “The municipality is busy with an integrated network refurbishment programme funded by various programmes.” The municipality did not respond to media enquiries the acting head of the Department of Physical and Earth Sciences in the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences at Sol Plaatje University and his team this week discovered concerning levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in samples taken from three wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in Kimberley Chaukura stated that antibiotic resistance posed significant risks to both human and ecological health “Understanding and mitigating these risks is critical especially as wastewater treatment plants often act as hot spots for such pathogens,” said Professor Chaukura “This pioneering research offers significant potential to improve wastewater treatment practices locally and globally.” He envisioned the use of eDNA analysis to routinely monitor and track microbial activity at WWTPs in the future to advance public health and ecological stability “The research team plans to expand their scope to additional wastewater treatment plants across various districts in the Northern Cape aiming to provide a broader understanding of antibiotic resistance in the region,” he added The Warrenton Farmers Market debuted for its 50th season at its new location on April 19 The Warrenton Farmers Market debuted at its new location in Public Lot A at the corner of Lee St line up for some pickles from "Bad Ass Pickles." Easton Daniel 4 takes a big bite of his pickle-on-a-stick from "Bad Ass Pickles" at the Warrenton Farmers Market a "Mex-Peruvian fusion” prepares a dragonfruit lemonade for Stella Reid The Warrenton Farmers Market debuted for its 50th season on Saturday Sergio Lopez of Sergio’s Produce has a wide variety of flowers and plants for sale each week at the market speaks to a customer about his LG Medley drink of Bealeton and her stuffed sloth receives a blue raspberry lemonade from Junies Lemonade and Soda Stand A woman walks a Rottweiler through the Warrenton Farmers Market seen at the Warrenton Farmers Market on Saturday Aldo Sessarego of "Llamazing Blessed Homestead" and Monique Bray of Warrenton talk about peonies checks out the all the specialties available from Mabel’s Bakeshop Zach Sciandra and Alex Thorpe of Warrenton pictured with Bruno they adopted from Germany who was originally bred for the German army Jennifer Walker of Warrenton crosses the street from the Warrenton Farmers Market new location with Nowi of Arlington takes a big sip of his own blue raspberry lemonade 7 – walk back to their car with a big score of fresh plants purchased at the Warrenton Farmers Market on Saturday A Warrenton police officer was charged on Wednesday for using his Taser on multiple people without justification a grand jury indicted Mark Oakley on three counts of deprivation of rights under color of law related to three incidents involving his use of a Taser on multiple people without justification a lawyer representing some of the victims involved "It affirms what my clients have known all along that officer Oakley's conduct was in fact unconstitutional," Gupta said The Warrenton Police Department released body camera footage of a traffic stop involving Oakley after North Carolina Superior Court ordered the release of a video involving a traffic stop of Xavier Hicks in 2023 Hicks is not named as a victim in the federal indictment against Oakley a woman was heard repeatedly telling Oakley to stop asking what was wrong with him as he stunned her The video of Hicks' traffic stop came after multiple people filed petitions asking for the body camera footage Six of them wanted their videos released privately a district attorney representing Warren County said the investigation eventually became part of a larger probe by state and federal investigators "What led to charges being filed were people coming forward and a lot of investigative work by dedicated law enforcement both by SBI and FBI," he said Oakley used his Taser to stun one of the victims repeatedly while the person was handcuffed Oakley made an appearance in court on Wednesday and was released WRAL News reached out to Oakley by phone and he declined comment Oakley left the Warrenton Police Department and was hired by the Littleton Police Department in Halifax County Littleton police told WRAL News that Oakley remains employed while they gather more information The Warrenton Farmers Market has undergone several changes over the past five years including multiple location moves the Warrenton Farmers Market is making a big move The market also operated behind 21 Main St briefly before moving to Court Street in 2023 Editor’s Note: With so many great farm-produced food options in Fauquier County we wondered … Organizers say moving the Warrenton Farmers Market to a parking lot next to the Adult Detention Center will allow it to expand beyond its primary focus on food items Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight Three-judge panel approves expansion of Warrenton's town limits as well as 25 acres of commercial space planned for the former Alwington Farms property A faded public notice is posted on the edge of the former Alwington Farms Property directly across from Brumfield Elementary School Moving the town's boundary line puts the proposed Arrington development within town limits adding more than 250 homes and up to 25 acres of commercial space to the town The Town of Warrenton received unanimous support from a state commission to annex the proposed Arrington development into town limits big decisions about what growth should look like in Warrenton over the next few years have begun to inch their way before town officials in 2024 Email notifications are only sent once a day Chance of a shower or two during the evening Warrenton's proposed $52.9 million budget for fiscal year 2026 could increase resident's real estate tax and utility bills Warrenton Town Hall as seen from Culpeper Street in April 2024 The council’s commitment to annexing the land known as the Arrington development into the town is once again up in the air The Warrenton Aquatic and Recreation Facility is located at 800 Waterloo Road in Warrenton demonstrations or other events in town as seen here in 2020 The park has historical significance and is also home to a marker recognizing the county's eight Rosenwald schools the Fourth of July was a fun and relaxing day then skies turning partly cloudy after midnight Layne’s Chicken makes its meals to order in an effort to stand out as a premium fast food option Warrenton Police Chief Tim Carter's career spans more than 30 years in Fauquier County. Warrenton’s new police chief is not so new. Chief Timothy Carter joined the Warrenton Police… Sgt. James Tanner of the Virginia State Police was the first on scene of a fatal hit-and-run accident on Elk Run Road last fall. His actions that day and in the line of duty have earned him honors. The annual Valor Awards honor law enforcement officials who have demonstrated extraordinary efforts either at a specific incident or through a series of investigative endeavors.  Last year, Marshall Fire Rescue Capt. Mike Proper responded to a medical emergency on a flight from Vegas to Dulles. He was one of more than 80 local first responders honored at the 2025 Valor Awards. a former Warrenton Police officer faces federal charges after being indicted for using a Taser on multiple people without any justification Attorney's representing some of the victims said the charges are justified The Warrenton Commission on Open and Transparent Government has requested $50,000 to hire former town attorney Whit Robinson and $10,000 more to pay for “a third-party expert in information technology.' Warrenton Town Hall seen from Culpeper Street The committee will be allowed to review and craft reports on any land use application the town has received in the past six years The Warrenton Town Council fired town attorney Martin Crim Tuesday Chap Petersen is an attorney known for his fight against the proliferation of data centers in Northern Virginia Martin Crim and vultures could all be on the agenda Dismissed town attorney Martin Crim (left) gives up his seat to newly-hired Chap Petersen (right) during the Warrenton Town Council's Jan Bill Semple was elected by his colleagues in a 4-3 vote The Warrenton Town Council has voted to release documents connected to the 2023 decision to clear the way for an Amazon data center in town Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to cloudy skies overnight One of Warrenton’s favorite events is back in April with the return of First Fridays on Main Street Warrenton’s first First Friday of the 2022 season – and its first since the pandemic  – drew a crowd Long-awaited improvements are coming to Main Street this summer but Old Town businesses are hoping for outdoor eating options in the meantime The event comes following the townwide gas emergency in March Local officials and residents alike are frustrated as Columbia Gas’ investigation yields few “hard facts.”