Local Knowledge: Murder, mayhem and food for thought

If you already know that former “Dynasty” star Cassie Yates was born in Macon and that the old Westgate Mall was the first enclosed mall in the state, then congratulations to you.

Unfortunately, neither of those tidbits are questions in this week’s “Local Knowledge” trivia. Get ready to test your mettle.

1. The Georgia-Mississippi State football game this past weekend marked the 95th anniversary of the first game played at Sanford Stadium on Oct. 12, 1929. Macon’s Vernon Smith, a former star at Lanier, scored all 15 points (two touchdowns, an extra point and a safety) in Georgia’s 15-0 victory over Yale. Smith got his famous nickname for biting the head off of what at Lakeside Park in Macon?

(A) Cat

(B) Catfish

(C) Crow

(D) Catawba worm

2. According to local lore, the application for the Middle Georgia community of Fox Valley was misread by post office officials in Washington, D.C., and recorded on the ledger as what name?

(A) Fort Valley

(B) Fort Valet

(C) Foxtrot Valley

(D) Foxworthy by the Sea

 3. Jaclyn White’s 2006 book, “Whisper to the Black Candle,’’ was about the sensational murder case of Macon restaurant owner Anjette Lyles. How did Lyles murder two husbands, her mother-in-law and 9-year-old daughter over a six-year period?

(A) She threw them in the briar patch.

(B) She gave them arsenic while sitting at their hospital bedsides.

(C) She force-fed them fruitcakes while sitting at their hospital bedsides.

(D) She tortured them with re-runs of “The Bachelor.” 

4.  The 1991 movie “Paris Trout” starred Dennis Hopper, Barbara Hershey and Ed Harris. The novel by author Peter Dexter was loosely based on a series of murders in the early 1950s in which Middle Georgia community?

(A) Dexter

(B) Elko

(C) Milledgeville

(D) Byromville

5. Artist James Berg’s painting of Temple Beth Israel, First Baptist Church of Christ and St. Joseph’s  Catholic Church is affectionately known by what name?

(A) “Lather, Rinse, Repeat.”

(B) “See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil.”

(C) “Shalom, Hallelujah, Amen.”

(D) “Holy Rolling Hill.”

6. Macon-born actor Melvyn Douglas won two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor. He was married to Helen Gahagan, who was famous for what?

(A) She was a leading fashion designer in Paris.

(B) She was chief horticulturist for the Rose Garden at the White House.

(C) She had 608,194  followers on TikTok.

(D) She ran against Richard Nixon for the U.S. Senate in California in 1950 and gave the future president his famous nickname, “Tricky Dick.’’

7. “Butch’’ was the name of an English bulldog owned by Mabry Smith of Warner Robins. In the days before the “Uga” bulldog bloodline at the University of Georgia, Butch served as mascot from 1947 until his death in 1951. What happened to Butch?

(A) He was fired after losing to Vanderbilt.

(B) He was shot and killed by a Warner Robins policeman after escaping from his pen.

(C) He got a better NIL deal.

(D) He fell in love with Lassie and eloped to Ludowici.

 8. The late Herman Cain, who ran for President in 2012, was CEO of a national restaurant chain that operated a franchise on Riverside Drive. What was the name of it?

(A) Godfather’s Pizza

(B) Steak & Ale

(C) Po’ Folks

(D) Bonefish Grill

9. How did the Bleckley County community of Cary get its name?

(A) They ran out of letters playing Scrabble.

(B)  It is the first two letters and last two letters of “Calvary,” in honor of nearby Mount Calvary Baptist Church.

(C) Actor Cary Grant was born there.

(D) It is the birthplace of cary-okie.

10. What Macon restaurant catered the farewell luncheon for the staff of former Gov. Sonny Perdue, of Perry, on his final day at the state capitol in January 2011?

(A) Sonny’s BBQ

(B) H&H Soul Food

(C) Nu-Way

(D) S&S Cafeteria

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ANSWERS

(1) B.

(2) A.

(3) B.

(4) C.

(5) C.

(6) D.

(7) B.

(8) A.

(9) B.

(10) C.

REPORT CARD:

(8-10) Sainthood.

(5-7) Popeworthy.

(3-4) Holly Roller.

(0-2) Excommunicated.