Law enforcement and Strawberry Fest organizers clash over traffic and security needs

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office closed the introduction gates to this year’s Strawberry Festival over postulation and information issues today, according to Sheriff Michelle Cook.

Visitors reported immense postulation backups successful the country adjacent the fairgrounds arsenic radical came successful droves to the yearly event.

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Sheriff Cook released a connection Saturday blasting the organizers for what she calls inadequate staffing:

“For the past fewer years we person gone backmost and distant with the promoter astir the information and postulation needs for the Strawberry Festival. A mates of years agone they virtually hired 2 deputies to enactment the event. Although they person accrued the fig of disconnected work deputies, the staffing is inactive not acceptable. Our deputies person been retired determination each time with nary breaks. We’ve had to telephone successful connected work unit to assist. This is unacceptable. This volition not hap again.

“Let maine beryllium precise clear….the Strawberry Festival should prosecute capable unit to enactment an Incident Management Team (those that bid and enactment the moving personnel) and prosecute capable unit to enactment a afloat and broad postulation program - akin to what the Fair does - the CCSO volition not enactment this event.”

The Clay County Agricultural Fair took to societal media Saturday day to guarantee that the weren’t liable for the postulation this time.

“While we are surely not cleanable and person our atrocious days too, delight cognize that we bash unit vastly antithetic than astir to hole for each antithetic sorts of scenarios,” the Clay County Fair organizers said. “We enactment with what we’ve got the champion we can, a 2 lane authorities roadworthy with 1 mode successful and out.”

The just continued, saying it added 200 further parking spots past twelvemonth and is doubling its CCSO officers for parking and postulation enforcement connected 2025′s busiest just days.

The Clay County Agricultural Fair begins April 3rd.

Related: Clay County Fair announces 2025 performance lineup

Sheriff Cook is encouraging neighbors and lawsuit visitors to email the Strawberry Fest organizers immoderate feedback they person astir the event, particularly regarding postulation issues.

The Sheriff’s Office plans to person much on-duty unit assigned to the lawsuit tomorrow, but emphasized that “taxpayers should not person to wage for a backstage vendor event.”

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