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Thursday | June 4, 2020

$6.5M street paving bond moves forward

Some councilmen concerned about timing
given pandemic, city’s existing debt
BY YUE STELLA YU
syu@cdispatch.com
Columbus City Council vot-
ed 5-1 Tuesday night to signal
its intent to issue a $6.5 mil-
lion general obligation bond
to pay for capital improve-
ments, despite concerns from
some council members over
the city’s existing debt and
the financial outlook amid the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The $6.5 million bond could
help pay for infrastructure im-
provements in the city, such as
street paving, truck purchases
and other needs, Ward 6 Coun-
cilman Bill Gavin said.
To pay off the bond, the city
would raise the property tax
millage rate over several years
and dedicate the generated
revenue toward the debt, Gavin
said. The pay-
back method di-
planned to pay them off in 15 or
20 years, The Dispatch report-
carries roughly $14 million of
debt from those street paving
verges from the
city’s traditional
ed. All the bonds would be paid
off by 2031, city records show.
projects over the years, city
Chief Financial Officer Deliah
way of paying off “We would take the money Vaughn said Tuesday.
the street paving out of incomes we had at that Financial Adviser Lynn
bonds — using time without doing the tax in- Norris of Tupelo said the bond
money from the crease … so that we wouldn’t could help set up a capital im-
Gavin
city’s general put the burden on the people,” provement plan for the city,
funds to either Gavin said. “And since then, which could pay for infrastruc-
pay for the work directly or it’s drained the coffers a little ture improvements and other
repay bonded debt issued for bit. We still owe money on most projects. The millage increase,
such projects, he said. projects, and the streets need he said, would guarantee a
The city took out multimil- repaving again.” steady revenue source toward
lion-dollar bonds in 2010, 2014 The city, which was $36.4 those projects long term.
and 2016 for street paving and million in debt by March, now See PAVING, 6A

BUSINESS MOVES

Food, face masks distributed

WITH MARY

STAGgerIn
in Oktibbeha County Topgolf Swing
Southern Foundation
for Homeless Children,
Suites coming
local NAACP join forces to College View
to provide supplies PLUS: Louisiana Shrimp
to those in need; more Shack open next week
masks available at in Columbus
Saturday march BY MARY POLLITZ
biz@cdispatch.com
BY SLIM SMITH

ssmith@cdispatch.com
By 9:30 Wednesday morning, a
line of about 60 cars were aligned
in serpentine fashion in the parking
lot of Spiller Furniture in Starkville.
They had arrived at the scene to
collect free face masks, milk and
produce at an event co-sponsored by
the Southern Foundation for Home-
less Children in Starkville and the
Oktibbeha County NAACP, but a
half-hour after the 9 a.m. event had
started, the line of cars remained at
a standstill.
Willie Watt, who made the drive
over from Sturgis, didn’t seem to
mind the wait, though.
“It probably takes a little while to
get everything unloaded,” she said.
“I don’t mind. I’m just grateful they
are doing this. It really helps.”
Watt, 66, said the effects of the
COVID-19 pandemic have created
some food security issues for her.
Wednesday, she picked up a gallon
of milk and a 10-pound box of pro-
duce.
J
ason
Roden
opened
STAGgerIn
Sports Bar
in the Cot-
ton District
on April 1,
2011. No
joke.
Nearly
a decade
later, the
Mary Pollitz
Slim Smith/Dispatch Staff
sports bar
Volunteers from the Oktibbeha County NAACP and the Southern Founda-
will soon relocate to College View
tion for Homeless Children in Starkville unload milk from trucks during
Wednesday’s milk and produce distribution in the parking lot of Spiller with a few surprises in store for its
loyal customer base.
Furniture in Starkville. The milk and produce was provided under a USDA
program initiated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Partnering with Topgolf Swing
Suites, STAGgerIn will have your
In her case, a little means a lot. in Starkville has distributed food classic sports bar favorites with an
“I’ve really had to be careful and provided through the USDA’s “Food interactive simulator to put your
watch things (so) I don’t run out of Box” program. The program was athletic capabilities to the test. The
food,” she said. “This gives me a lit- started to help vegetable and dairy bar will have a Topgolf projection
tle more food, enough so that I don’t farmers avoid wasting food that, screen with football, baseball, hock-
run out.” because of transportation issues ey, golf and more games to keep you
Wednesday’s event was the third caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, laughing, competing and having fun
week in a row the Southern Founda- can’t be sold. with friends. The simulator actually
tion for Homeless Children (SFHC) See SUPPLIES, 3A is the same one used by profession-
al golfer Tiger Woods and Golden
See BUSINESS, 6A

Engineers: No conflict of interest for Pritchard on county lake dam project

Supervisors seeking input from state ing projects for the county
but does not work on pri-
The primary outlet
valve in the Oktibbeha
AG, ethics commission vate development projects
because, he said, it would
County Lake Dam was
overwhelmed with
water in February af-
BY TESS VRBIN replacement of the Oktib- be unethical for him to ter heavy rainfall put
tvrbin@cdispatch.com beha County Lake Dam take on a project he would the levee at risk of
is unfounded, according have to approve before the breaching. The county
The alle- to Pritchard and peer en- county board of supervi- cut off the valve in
gation that gineers from other coun- sors in order for them to April to allow water
Oktibbe- ties. authorize it. to flow more quickly
ha County Pritchard is a private “There is no conflict of out of the dam, and
Engineer consultant for the county, interest,” Pritchard said. there was very little
C l y d e water in the lake as of
not an employee, and the “The county engineer is
Wednesday, but coun-
Pritchard county owns and main- appointed to do engineer- ty officials continue
has a con- Pritchard tains the dam. His firm, ing work for the county.” to debate whether to
flict of in- Pritchard Engineering, The suggestion of a replace the dam.
terest in the potential regularly does engineer- See PRITCHARD, 3A Tess Vrbin/Dispatch Staff

WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC

1 What is a penny farthing — a bicycle, a soc- MEETINGS
cer cleat or a badminton racket? June 9: West Point
2 Which iconic New York skyscraper used to Board of Selectmen,
house the Cloud Club, a three-story club and 5:30 p.m. City Hall
speakeasy? June 12: Lowndes
3 Which crime fighter, once played by Seth Ro- County School District,
gen, drives a weapons-laden Chrysler Imperial
Crown nicknamed “Black Beauty”? 12:30 p.m., Central
Abigail Trout Office
4 The governor of what southern state was
Fifth grade, Annunciation June 15: Lowndes
deposed because he opposed secession from

84 Low 70
the United States before the Civil War? County Board of Su-
High 5 What group was formed by Luciano Pavarotti, pervisors meeting, 9
Mostly cloudy, chance t-storm
Plácido Domingo and José Carreras? a.m., Lowndes County
Full forecast on Answers, 6B Courthouse
page 3A. June 16: Columbus City
Council, Municipal Com-
plex, 5 p.m., stream live
INSIDE at facebook.com/Cityof-
ColumbusMS/
Business 5B Dear Abby 3B
Classifieds 6B Obituaries 5A Nelle Cohen is looking forward to June 25: Clay County
Comics 3B Opinions 4A Starkville’s racial justice protest on Saturday: Board of Supervisors, 9
141st Year, No. 72 Crossword 6B “I really love this community so much.” a.m. Courthouse

DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471

2A THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Protests eclipse pandemic, but

White House fears resurgence
‘What Trump needs
more than anything is a
resurgence of consumer
and business confidence’
Republican strategist
Alex Conant
BY JONATHAN LEMIRE
AND ZEKE MILLER
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — For weeks,
President Donald Trump has been
eager to publicly turn the page on
the coronavirus pandemic. Now
fears are growing within the White
House that the very thing that fi-
nally shoved the virus from center
stage — mass protests over the
death of George Floyd — may bring
about its resurgence.
Trump this week has eagerly
pronounced himself the “president
of law and order” in response to the
racial unrest that has swept across
the nation, overshadowing the pan-
demic that has claimed the lives of
more than 105,000 Americans and
imperiled his reelection prospects.
But political dangers for the
president remain.
Thousands of Americans —
many without protective face masks
— have jammed the nation’s streets
over the past week in defiance of so-
cial distancing guidelines from gov-
ernors and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. The White
House coronavirus task force,
which has dramatically scaled back
its operations as states reopen their
economies, is scrambling to track
the potential impact on infection
rates.
Mississippi prosecutor suggests
virus should spread in riots
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DANIELSVILLE — A county prosecutor in Mississippi has come
under fire, and a community college band director in the state has re-
signed, due to comments they made on social media about national pro-
tests over the death of George Floyd.
Madison County Prosecutor Pamela Hancock has since deleted a
Facebook comment made over the weekend that said “we can only hope
the deadly strain” of the coronavirus “spreads in riots,” news outlets
reported.
Her post drew criticism, including by Monique Harrison Henderson,
a commentator on Facebook who said Hancock’s words matter since
she “makes decisions about which black people to prosecute,” the Clar-
ion Ledger reported. “People shouldn’t wish death on anyone,” Hender-
son said.
The second-term prosecutor defended herself in an interview with
Mississippi Today saying she was “really just making light of it” and was
“not serious about wanting anyone to die.” Hancock told the news outlet
she has “nothing against people peacefully protesting,” adding that she
is “against any breach of peace or criminal activity.”
Meanwhile, Pearl River Community College Band Director Reuben
McDowell resigned from his job after receiving backlash over a Face-
book post where he said police should “start shootin a few” protesters
in San Diego “and the rest will scatter,” WLOX-TV reported. He added
that law enforcement should use “overwhelming force” and “make some
examples.”
Any uptick in cases in the weeks wave or prolonged civil unrest will
ahead could slow the economic re- undermine that.”
birth that Trump’s advisers believe It could take weeks to judge the
he needs before he faces voters impact of the nationwide protests
again in five months. on the spread of COVID-19, which
“A second wave, whether now or had been dramatically ebbing
in September, would obviously be a across most of the country before
setback to the economic recovery the killing of Floyd, a black man
and Trump’s reelection hopes,” said who died after a white Minneapo-
Republican strategist Alex Conant. lis police officer pressed a knee on
“What Trump needs more than any- Floyd’s neck for several minutes
thing is a resurgence of consumer even after he stopped moving and
and business confidence. A second pleading for air.

Mississippi sends Guard troops to Washington amid unrest

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS and other Mississippi ly protest. He also said the Wednesday. “They want
cities in recent days, and state would be prepared to protest. They want to
JACKSON — About more protests have been to respond swiftly to any be clear. They want to be
400 members of the Mis- announced for Friday and violence or destruction of heard. They want a voice.
sissippi National Guard Saturday. property. But they do not want vio-
have been deployed to Reeves has said this “Mississippians do lence.”
Washington, D.C., amid week that he respects not want to tear down
mass protests over the people’s right to peaceful- our state,” Reeves said
killing of an African
American man in police
custody in Minneapolis.
Republican Gov. Tate
Reeves said Wednesday
that Mississippi was one
of about eight or nine
states to send troops to
the nation’s capital “at
the request of our federal
partners.”
He said the Guard
members were sent to
protect people who are
protesting peacefully and
to help ensure “that those
who are not peacefully
protesting, those who are
going across that line and
rioting, are dealt with.”
Peaceful protests de-
crying police violence
against African Ameri-
cans have been held in
Jackson, Oxford, Biloxi

Prosecutors charge
3 more officers in
George Floyd’s death
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MINNEAPOLIS —
Prosecutors charged
three more police officers
Wednesday in the death
of George Floyd and filed
a new, tougher charge
against the officer at the
center of the case, deliver-
ing a victory to protesters
who have filled the streets
from coast to coast to fight
police brutality and racial
injustice.
The most serious
charge was filed against
Derek Chauvin, who was
caught on video pressing
his knee to Floyd’s neck
and now must defend
himself against an accu-
sation of second-degree
murder. The three other
officers at the scene were
charged for the first time
with aiding and abetting
second-degree murder
and second-degree man-
slaughter.
All four were fired last
week. If convicted, they
could be sentenced to up
to four decades in prison.

Pritchard
Continued from Page 1A
conflict of interest has
been circulating for
weeks, and the board of
supervisors decided two
weeks ago to ask the state
attorney general’s opinion
on the matter. The debate
over whether to replace
the dam started in Janu-
ary, when Pritchard said
the levee showed early
signs of breaching. It
would have forced a mass
evacuation of the neigh-
borhoods surrounding it
if the county’s emergen-
cy action hadn’t relieved
enough pressure to keep
the dam from breaking.
Pritchard has told the
supervisors the best way
to eliminate the problem
would be to completely
remove the existing dam,
build a new one with larg-
er valves to control the
water level and build a
new emergency spillway
and a temporary detour
road below the levee — a
project estimated to cost
up to $8 million.
Supervisors voted 3-2
on March 16 to use coun-
ty operating funds for
Pritchard to develop blue-
prints to replace the dam,
although the decision to
go through with the proj-
ect has yet to be made.
Pritchard said he usu-
ally only charges the
county for 8 percent of
the cost of most construc-
tion projects, though the
state allows him to collect
12 percent, the amount
he will collect for the
dam project. He collects
40 percent of this fee as
soon as the county puts
a project out for bids and
the remaining 60 percent
after a project is com-
pleted, which sometimes
takes several years. An
$8 million Blackjack Road
project is five years in the
works, for example, and
a $2 million Longview
Road project took about
12 years to complete.
The price of the bid for
the dam project is expect-
ed to be $5,305,500, and
12 percent of that cost
is $636,660. Pritchard
would make $254,664, or
40 percent, for drawing
up the plans if the super-
visors agree to put the
project out for bids. He
would only receive the
remaining 60 percent of
the $636,660 if the dam is
replaced, he said, and nei-
ther the completion of the
project nor the estimated
dollar amounts are guar-
anteed.
Seeking an outside
opinion
The board voted unani-
mously on May 18 to send
a letter to both the AG’s
and the Mississippi Eth-
ics Commission to ask if
a county engineer can do
work for the county on a
project he or she is over-
Supplies
Continued from Page 1A
USDA purchases the
milk and produce, then
distributes it across the
nation through partner
organizations such as the
SFHC.
Gwendolyn Gray, CEO
of the SFHC in Starkville,
said the program has been
a huge success, based on
her observations during
the last three weeks.
“Today’s we’re pro-
viding over 850 boxes of
produce and 900 gallons
of milk,” Gray said. “It
will be gone in a couple
of hours, just like it has
been the last two weeks.
There’s definitely a need
for it. You can tell by the
response.”
In addition to provid-
ing the products to those
who drove to the event, 10
area churches were pro-
vided milk and produce to
distribute in their neigh-
borhoods.
Wednesday, the Ok-
tibbeha County NAACP
used the event to distrib-
ute more than 1,000 face
masks to people arriving
to pick up the milk and
produce.
“There’s definitely a
demand for masks,” said
NAACP chapter president
seeing. Board Attorney
Rob Roberson said he
sent the letters on May 21
and had not received a re-
sponse from either entity
as of Tuesday.
“Just because there’s
a state law that says
you can do (something)
doesn’t mean that ethi-
cally we don’t need to re-
quire some things,” Rob-
erson said.
The law in question is
the rules and regulations
for the Mississippi Board
of Licensure for Profes-
sional Engineers and
Land Surveyors. Section
7 of Rule 17.4 states that
a licensed engineer “serv-
ing in any official capaci-
ty, either part-time or full-
time, as the engineer or
surveyor for any county,
city or other governmen-
tal body … cannot review,
approve or recommend
approval of his own plans
or documents, or plans or
documents prepared by
any member of the firm of
which he is a member.”
Pritchard emphasized
he is neither a full-time
nor a part-time county
employee.
Roberson suggested
contacting the attorney
general, and District 3
Supervisor Marvell How-
ard pro-
posed the
board vote
on the mat-
ter. Howard
lives near
the dam and
has been
the most Howard
vocal advo-
cate for its replacement.
He told The Dispatch he
never believed Pritchard
had a conflict of interest
but proposed the vote to
dispel any doubt.
District 1 Supervisor
and Board
President
John Mont-
gomery and
District 4 their work,” he said.
Super v isor
Bricklee
Miller have
consistent- Montgomery
ly voted
against bringing the
county closer to replacing
the dam. Both have said
at board meetings money
spent replacing the dam
would be better used on
county road projects.
Montgomery told
The Dispatch he wants
Pritchard to “find the
most cost-effective solu-
tion” for the dam and that
he trusts Pritchard to
work “to the letter of the
law on top of the table.”
“I’ve urged him to
find other options (than
replacing the dam), but
sometimes there may not
be other options,” Mont-
gomery said. “Whatever
we’ve got to do to fix this
dam, I know as a board
Willie Watt of Sturgis waits in line to pick up milk
and produce in the parking lot of Spiller Furniture in
Starkville Wednesday morning. The distribution is
part of a USDA feeding program initiated during the
COVID-19 pandemic. The event was organized by the
Southern Foundation for Homeless Children and the
Oktibbeha County NAACP, which passed out more than
1,000 face masks during the event.
Yulanda Haddix. “Now
that things are opening
up, the need for masks is
only going to increase.
We’re happy to do this for
our community.”
Haddix said the masks
were provided by the
National NAACP and
distributed to chapters
throughout the country
for distribution.
What masks were left
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
The Oktibbeha County Lake Dam had reached capacity earlier this year and coun-
ty officials issued a warning in January that the levee might breach and flood the
surrounding area. The county siphoned water out of the dam until it was down to a
safe level by April, and there is very little water in it at the moment, but the debate
over how to address any future risk of breaching continues. County Engineer Clyde
Pritchard said the only way to completely eliminate the danger is to replace the dam.
we’ll do it within MDEQ
compliance.”
Pritchard: No one has
questioned his ethics
before
Howard and Montgom-
ery both said Pritchard
is the engineer most fa-
miliar with the dam and
therefore is the best per-
son to work on the po-
tential replacement, so
the supervisors did not
consider seeking bids for
another engineer to work
on the designs.
Pritchard agreed and
emphasized his special-
ization as a geotechnical
engineer. He also said
his role means supervi-
sors trust him to work on
county property.
“Essentially what the
county does when they
appoint a county engineer
is pre-qualify him to do
William McKercher,
head of the Mississippi
Department of Environ-
mental Quality dam safe-
ty division, said the coun-
ty was right to seek the
AG’s input. His office has
received questions and
comments from Oktibbe-
ha County citizens asking
if Pritchard has a conflict
of interest, and McKer-
cher said it is not his or
MDEQ’s place to offer an
opinion.
“Given that there’s a lot
of opposition to the proj-
ect, people are looking
at multiple avenues for
whether or not the way
(the county is) handling it
is appropriate,” McKerch-
er said.
In his time as county
engineer, Pritchard has
worked on 192 projects
funded by the county —
not including projects
Slim Smith/Dispatch Staff
after Wednesday, Haddix
said, will be distributed
Saturday at a planned
march for racial justice
in the wake of George
Floyd’s death in Minne-
apolis.
“We’ll still have anoth-
er 500 masks to pass out,”
she said. “We plan to be at
the march on Saturday, so
we expect to give out a lot
of masks there.”
funded by the Office of
State Aid Road Construc-
tion or the Local System
Bridge Replacement and
Rehabilitation Program
— and no one has called
his ethics into question
before, he said.
The two most recent
public projects Pritchard
has worked on are the
planned addition of a stop-
light on Poor House Road
and the planned repairs to
the mudslide behind the
Oktibbeha County Jail.
Both public projects went
out for bids May 5.
Additionally, engi-
neers in Mississippi must
complete a two-hour
ethics course every two
years.
“If there’s anything
we’re guilty of, it’s only
for billing less than we
should bill,” Pritchard
said.
The scope of the job
Lowndes County Engi-
neer Bob Calvert told The
Dispatch the only way a
county engineer would
have a conflict of interest
would be if he had to ap-
prove the plans for every
single engineering proj-
ect that came before the
board of supervisors.
Like Pritchard, Calvert
is a consultant rather
than a county employ-
ee. He runs the Calvert-
Spradling engineering
firm in West Point, and
he was a member of the
Mississippi Board of Li-
censure for Professional
Engineers and Land Sur-
veyors for four years. He
also spent 25 years on the
National Council for Ex-
aminers for Engineering
and Surveying and was
president of the commit-
tee that writes problems
The Commercial Dispatch (USPS 142-320)
Published daily except Saturday.
Entered at the post office at Columbus, Mississippi.
Periodicals postage paid at Columbus, MS
POSTMASTER, Send address changes to:
The Commercial Dispatch, P.O. Box 511, Columbus, MS 39703
Published by Commercial Dispatch Publishing Company Inc.,
516 Main St., Columbus, MS 39703
THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 3A
“Neel-Schaffer miss-
es out on a lot of private
develop -
ments in
Columbus
because we
represent
the city,”
Stafford
said. “This
s i t u a t i o n Stafford
happens probably two
or three times a year. A
private developer comes
and says they want us to
develop a site for them in
the city, and we say, ‘I’m
sorry, we have to review
and approve that site on
behalf of the city.’”
Neel-Schaffer recent-
ly turned down the con-
struction of some offices
near Baptist Memorial
Hospital-Golden Trian-
gle and a property at the
Tess Vrbin/Dispatch Staff
intersection of Bluecutt
Road and Highway 45,
Stafford said. The firm
has also declined work on
the Car-Mart of Colum-
bus on Highway 45, First
Presbyterian Church on
for licensure exams. Bluecutt Road and the
“A consultant is hired Bank of Vernon just south
to do a job,” he said, “and of Highway 82, he said.
as long as
you operate
Pritchard said Habitat
under the
for Humanity’s local office
contract
has been a client of his in
the past and approached
that you
him recently with an offer
have with
for a project in Oktibbeha
your entity,
County. He said he also
nobody has
turned down work on the
to approve Calvert
Acadiana Park subdivi-
those plans,
sion on South Montgom-
unless it’s established by
ery Street in Starkville.
the board that they have a
(designated) reviewer.” “I told them we would
While Starkville City love to do it for them, but
Engineer Edward Kemp we can’t do that work be-
is a full-time city employ- cause ultimately it would
ee, Columbus City Engi- have to come to me for
neer Kevin Stafford is a approval on behalf of the
consultant, like Pritchard county, so I referred them
and Calvert, and works for to another engineer,”
the Neel-Schaffer firm. Pritchard said.
SOLUNAR TABLE
The solunar period indicates
peak-feeding times for fish and game.
Thurs. Fri.
12:26a
Major
Minor
—
4:52a 5:37a
Major 11:57a 12:55p
Minor 7:08p 8:16p
Courtesy of Mississippi Department
of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
The Dispatch
Answers to common questions:
Phone: 662-328-2424
Website: cdispatch.com/help
Report a news tip: news@cdispatch.com
Opinion
4A THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020
Now is the perfect time for sincere, symbolic action
T
he past two weeks have been
a painful, but necessary,
period of self-examination
in our nation. The death of George
Floyd at the hands of a white Min-
neapolis police officer, along with
other recent unjustified killings of
black citizens, has promoted pro-
tests throughout the nation, many of
which have led to mindless acts of
destruction and violence.
The discussion has expanded
beyond police brutality inflicted
on black citizens to the broader
realization of the true nature of race
relations in our society.
There has never been a time
when black Americans did not
claim, justly and with certainty, our
nation is plagued with systemic rac-
ism. Yet now, even white people who
have steadfastly claimed instances
of racial oppression are an unfor-
tunate aberration are beginning to
find that view untenable. The ev-
idence is just too powerful to ignore.
OTHER EDITORS
Can the statue be
relocated now?
The vandalism of the confeder-
ate monument on the University
of Mississippi campus was a bleak
affair – one that could have been
prevented, had the Institutes of
Higher Learning Board of Trust-
ees made any effort to approve its
relocation once and for all.
Instead, the IHL Board has
kicked the proverbial can down the
road for four months, their thinly
veiled excuse for not acting being
that they need “more information”
from Ole Miss before discussing
the topic further. Newsflash: When
every other organization/state
entity has given their approval on a
matter, a request for “more infor-
mation” seems like a cop-out.
The IHL Board is not comprised
of elected officials. No one has a
say in who serves on the board
aside from the Governor and,
regardless of whether you person-
ally agree with his policies or not,
it’s a fair bet to say the members
of the Board do not represent or
serve the interests of ALL Missis-
sippians.
Board member Tom Duff origi-
nally made the motion to table the
statue relocation discussion back
in January 2020. In the same meet-
ing, the IHL approved to rename
the STEM building on the UM
campus, which has yet to begin
construction.
The Board voted to name it the
“Jim and Thomas Duff Center for
Science and Technology Innova-
tion.” The Duffs have committed a
$26 million donation to the school.
It doesn’t take a genius to realize
the timing of Duff’s request to
table the discussion and the timing
of the donation are suspect, at best.
Still, the IHL Board has held
multiple meetings since January,
during which the statue relocation
was never a topic of discussion.
While the EAGLE Editorial
Board has published its fair share
of criticism of UM Chancellor
Glenn Boyce, we wholeheartedly
agree with his weekend state-
ment: “Change means moving the
monument away from the center
of campus.” Blame for the statue’s
current placement cannot be laid
on his shoulders.
The monument, although not
originally placed in the spirit of
malice, has devolved into just that:
a beacon of hatred.
Relocating the statue won’t rid
the Ole Miss campus of hate, but it
will give its beacon a less promi-
nent place to shine.
There are channels in which the
statue relocation can be handled
in a peaceful manner, avoiding fur-
ther destruction as has been seen
in cities like Birmingham, Ala.,
where protesters in a mob mental-
ity have attempted to tear down
statues and circumvent processes
in place for the redress of their
grievances.
The statue’s fate is in the hands
of the IHL, and we implore them to
make the right decision.
Oxford Eagle
OUR VIEW
It has been said that no one is
born a racist. But more and more,
fair-minded white Americans are
beginning to realize that we are
born INTO racism — a culture
built on white privilege, an under-
stood code that doesn’t have to be
spoken to be taught.
This unpleasant truth is
something more and more white
Americans are beginning to
acknowledge, which should be an
important step toward real prog-
ress.
When we listen to black citizens
who are speaking out, we hear
calls for white citizens to join with
them, to be an ally in a just cause.
But one must wonder, given
the indisputable truths we see all
around us, how much confidence
our black citizens can have in our
latest vows of support from the
white community.
What is needed is more “show”
and less “say.”
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Voice of the people
Where are our
advantaged leaders?
What if CEOs, pastors, and those
white people at the top of the economic
ladder could follow lessons from 50
years ago in battling racism? In 1970
during the black power movement’s
heyday, I remember a great lesson.
The airman who was the leader of the
movement at Lackland AFB wanted a
base sanctioned march/demonstration
promoting justice, equality, and tol-
erance. He petitioned the base public
affairs office to approve the plan and
was promptly dismissed. Undaunted,
The airman got an appointment with
the major general who was commander
of Lackland and asked for his approval
of such an event. Much to the surprise
of many, the general enthusiastically
embraced the idea and told the airman,
“I want you and me to lead the March.”
We are going to be arm-in-arm. Not
surprisingly, many of the rest of the
base leadership joined the demonstra-
tion. Where are the leaders now who
will act to promote racial justice?
John W. Ross
Colonel, USAF (ret.)
Columbus
An excellent experience
I thought about responding to Mr.
Hairstons comments, but I’ll just say
that I believe he’s being mislead by
fake news.
What I want to do is give kudos
to someone I met yesterday. I was at
Lowes, trying to find/buy some paving
stones. Computer inventory showed
they had a large number on hand but
there were none on the shelf. This
young lady went all over the place
looking for the missing pieces. Twice
around the outside. Not finding them,
she escorted me to the customer
service desk and let them know what
Dispatch
The
This is especially true in our
state.
A good first step would be for
our Legislature to pass a law to
change our current state flag,
which is adorned with the Confed-
erate flag in its canton.
It is, quite literally, the least we
can do.
In a state that has its own spe-
cial Memorial Day for the Confed-
eracy, celebrates Confederate Her-
itage Month, operates under a Jim
Crow-era state constitution, holds
sacred monuments to the Confed-
eracy from one end of the state to
the other and not only has a state
holiday to honor Robert E. Lee, but
observes it on the same day as the
federal Martin Luther King Jr. Day
(hardly a coincidence), it’s under-
standable if our black citizens put
little stock in any claims of opposi-
tion to racism.
All of those things exist be-
cause — in a state where the black
was going on. They finally decided the
inventory was wrong and those pieces
did not exist. Making matters worse,
they were not able to order any.
This young lady went with me back
to the shelf area where I proceeded
to pick out some stones but I wanted
them delivered. Since the truck for de-
livery had not been loaded she thought
I might could get them delivered that
day. She went with me back to the
customer service desk where I made
the order. I was told it would be June
9th before delivery could be made.
and I replied, “okay, get them to me
when you can”. I expressed my sincere
thanks to her for all the time and effort
she put into helping me and left.
On my way home the phone rang
and it was this young lady. She wasn’t
satisfied with the delivery and was
working to see if it could still be made
that day. She called me at home later
to inform me that she couldn’t make it
happen, but would secure my order. I
thanked her and said just send them
out when you can.
This young lady is Denise. Her
parents can be proud of how she took
so much time to help an old white man.
Her actions are the epitome of custom-
er service. Thanks again Denise, you
made my day! If you are at Lowes and
see her, give her a thumbs up.
Roger Wade
Columbus
Why we cry
It has been asked, why are African
Americans so angry? Since slaves were
first brought to America in 1619, black
people have not only been treated like
second class citizens, but oftentimes
treated worse than animals.
The recent murder of George Floyd
has restarted a fire in America. Make
no mistake about it, this fire was never
PETER BIRNEY IMES Editor/Publisher
BIRNEY IMES III Editor/Publisher 1998-2018
BIRNEY IMES JR. Editor/Publisher 1947-2003
BIRNEY IMES SR. Editor/Publisher 1922-1947
ZACK PLAIR, Managing Editor
BETH PROFFITT Advertising Director
MICHAEL FLOYD Circulation/Production Manager
MARY ANN HARDY Controller
population is 38 percent — whites
in overwhelming numbers have
supported them, either directly
through the vote or indirectly
through the people we send to
Jackson to write our laws. The
power to change rests in the hands
of the white population of our
state. White legislators have an
overwhelming supermajority in
both chambers. If the flag is not
removed, it is because those white
legislators choose not to remove it.
We have long advocated for the
removal of our racially-demeaning
state flag.
It is always the right time to do
the right thing, as Martin Luther
King Jr. noted long ago.
And there is no better time to
remove our state flag than today, as
a show of faith to our black citizens
and evidence that our renewed
sense of commitment to racial jus-
tice is no longer mere hollow words
of appeasement.
out. The embers have always been
smoldering under the ashes. From
slavery, lynchings, black slave women
being raped, the assassinations of our
black leaders, banks’ redlining practic-
es and constant media attacks, blacks
have always and continue to endure
racial injustices in America.
The recent decision by Attorney
General Lynn Fitch to dismiss the case
against Canyon Boykin with prejudice
was an atrocious act on so many fronts.
First, it caused blacks who already
mistrust the criminal justice system to
have more reasons of mistrust. Sec-
ond, the disrespect shown to District
Attorney Scott Colom makes one ask
whether she would have done this to
him if he were white? The family of
Ricky Ball was left with a bitter taste
of injustice, and blacks were reminded
once again that we are not equal in this
country.
We cry because the many whites
that know better won’t stand out and
stand up with us. We cry because
when we kneel, we are un-American.
When we protest we are thugs. When
we stand up, we are knocked down.
We cry because the country that we
love does not love us back. Because, as
he stated in a May 8, 1967 interview,
we realize that Dr. King’s Dream was
really a nightmare.
Lavonne Latham Harris
President of the NA ACP-
Lowndes County
Columbus
Questions validity of column
Is Columbus, Mississippi really at
a point where our newspaper believes
defunding the police is a legitimate
point of view?
Margo Toledano
Columbus
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 5A

Mississippi license offices to reopen with virus precautions

Public Safety Commissioner: As offices reopen,
people will generally only be able to access
services on one day of the week depending on
the first letter of their last names
BY EMILY WAGSTER PET TUS
The Associated Press
JACKSON — Mississippi
driver’s license offices will re-
open Monday after being closed
for about two months because
of the coronavirus pandemic,
Gov. Tate Reeves announced
Wednesday.
The Department of Public
Safety is setting guidelines to
try to minimize wait times as
officials acknowledge a backlog
in the demand for new licenses
and license renewals.
The 31 offices have been
plagued for years with long
lines that often require people
to take entire days off work
just to get a license. Because
of short staffing, some license
offices have closed on short
notice, forcing people to drive
long distances to other offices
or to return on other days.
“Let’s be honest — they
were not the most efficiently
run operation in the history of
the world before COVID-19,”
Reeves said Wednesday. “The
pent-up demand created by this
pandemic is only going to make
the existing challenges even
worse. We believe that we have
a plan to make it run as safely
and smoothly as possible, but
we also know that there’s a lot
of structural work we’ve got to
do for a real fix.”
Public Safety Commissioner
Sean Tindell said that as offices
reopen, people will generally
only be able to access services
on one day of the week depend-
ing on the first letter of their
last names: A through E on
Monday, F through L on Tues-
day, M through S on Thursday
and T through Z on Friday. On
“walk-in Wednesday,” anybody
can go in.
Tindell said he urges people
to renew licenses online, even
those that have been expired up
to 18 months.
Mississippi requires people
to show government-issued
photo identification to vote,
and a person who doesn’t have
a driver’s license can use an ID
card issued by the Department
of Public Safety. People who
need to renew an identification
card or get a duplicate of one
should do that online because
those services will not be of-
fered at driver’s license sta-
tions, Reeves said.
The Department of Public
Safety will still require teenag-
ers to take a written test to get a
learner’s permit. But the depart-
ment is temporarily waiving the
road test for all non-commer-
cial driver’s licenses. People
younger than 18 must submit a
sworn statement by a parent or
guardian to show completion of
at least 50 hours of supervised
driving time.
Reeves said concealed-carry
permits for guns are valid for
the rest of the year because the
state is automatically extending
the expiration date.
Social distancing will be re-
quired at license stations, and
the offices will be cleaned each
night, Tindell said.
The Health Department said
Wednesday that Mississippi —
with a population of about 3 mil-
lion — has had at least 16,322
cases and 782 deaths from the
coronavirus as of Tuesday eve-
ning. That was an increase of
302 cases and 15 deaths from
the numbers reported a day
earlier.

COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
OBITUARY POLICY
Obituaries with basic informa-
tion including visitation and
service times, are provided
free of charge. Extended
obituaries with a photograph,
detailed biographical informa-
tion and other details families
may wish to include, are avail-
able for a fee. Obituaries must
be submitted through funeral
homes unless the deceased’s
body has been donated to
science. If the deceased’s
body was donated to science,
the family must provide official
proof of death. Please submit
all obituaries on the form
provided by The Commercial
Dispatch. Free notices must be
submitted to the newspaper
no later than 3 p.m. the day
prior for publication Tuesday
through Friday; no later than 4
p.m. Saturday for the Sunday
edition; and no later than 7:30
a.m. for the Monday edition.
Incomplete notices must be re-
ceived no later than 7:30 a.m.
for the Monday through Friday
editions. Paid notices must be
finalized by 3 p.m. for inclusion
the next day Monday through
Thursday; and on Friday by 3
p.m. for Sunday and Monday
publication. For more informa-
tion, call 662-328-2471.
Joe Dorse
NOXUBEE COUN-
TY — Joe T. Dorse, 85,
died May 30, 2020, at
Vineyard Court Nurs-
ing Center.
A private family only
graveside service will
be at 1 p.m. Friday, in
Holmes Cemetery, with
Constance Scott officiat-
ing. Private family only
visitation is from 2-5
p.m. today, at Carter’s
Funeral Service. Car-
ter’s Funeral Service of
Macon is in charge of
arrangements.
Mr. Dorse was born
May 29, 1935, in Nox-
ubee County, to the
late Charlie Dorse and
Emma Dorse Brown.
He is survived by his
children; J.C. Doss of
Brooksville; and grand-
children.
Vivian Maughan
REFORM — Vivian
Louise Maughan, 84,
died June 2, 2020, in
Perkinston, Mississippi.
Funeral services are
at 3 p.m. today, at Skelt-
on Funeral Home Chap-
el, with Eddie Rogers
officiating. Burial will
follow in Arbor Springs
Cemetery. Visitation is
one hour prior to ser-
vices. Skelton Funeral
Home of Reform is
in charge of arrange-
ments. Mrs. Maughan
was born Dec. 16, 1935,
in Reform, to the late
Henry Jefferson “Pat”
Sentell and Alvie Collier
Sentell. She was for-
merly employed as a
seamstress with County
Miss.
In addition to her
parents, she was pre-
ceded in death by her
husband, Murray Gene
Maughan; son Delmer
Gene Maughan; and
AREA OBITUARIES
infant daughter, Rose
Ann Maughan.
She is survived by
her daughter, Cindy
Rodgers of Perkin-
ston; siblings, Leon
Sentell, Genean
“Judy” Maughan and
Brenda Hardy; three
grandchildren; and 14
great-grandchildren.
William House Jr.
MILLPORT, Ala. —
William Mervin House
Jr. died June 2, 2020, at
his residence.
Funeral services will
be at 2 p.m. Saturday, at
Dowdle Funeral Home.
Burial will follow in
Millport City Cemetery.
Visitation will be one
hour prior to services
at the funeral home.
Dowdle Funeral Home
of Millport is in charge
of arrangements.
Mr. House was born
to the late William
House Sr. and Rosie
Eads House. He was a
veteran of the Air Force
and formerly employed
with General Tire.
In addition to his
wife, he was preceded
in death by his wife,
Delores House.
He is survived by his
children, Robert House,
David House, Lynn
House and Jeanette
Kennedy; and siblings,
Cappy Scrivner, Susy
Parker, Sally Cash and
Buddy House.
Martha Donovan
COLUMBUS —
Martha E. Donovan,
68, died May 28, 2020,
at her residence.
Arrangements are
incomplete and will be
announced by Memori-
al Gunter Peel Funeral
Home and Crematory
Second Avenue North
location.
Debra Matheny
NOXUBEE COUN-
TY — Debra Matheny,
60, died June 3, 2020.
Carter’s Funeral
Services of Macon is
in charge of arrange-
ments.
Carol West
COLUMBUS — Car-
ol Anne West, 74, died
June 2, 2020, at Bap-
tist Memorial Hospi-
tal-Golden Triangle.
A family funeral ser-
vice will be at 11 a.m.
Friday, at Lowndes
Funeral Home Chape;.
Burial will follow at
Memorial Gardens.
Mrs. West was born
May 8, 1946, in Colum-
bus, to the late Sidney
Walter and Norma e
May Poer Johnson. She
was formerly employed
as a bus driver with
the Columbus Munici-
pal School District and
was a member of New
Covenant Ministry.
In addition to her
parents, she was pre-
ceded in death by her
sister, Glenda Jackson.
She is survived by
her husband, Roger
West; children, Brenda
Wilson, Debbie Bene-
field, Leann Simp-
son, Darla Estes and Pat Harris
Services:
Roger West; siblings, Friday, June 5 • 2 PM
Wilburn Johnson and Annunciation Catholic Church
Jeannie Richards; 10 College St. Locaiton
grandchildren; and 10
great-grandchildren. Woody Robinson
Memorials may be Incomplete
made to Shriners Hos- College St. Location
pital for Children, 815
Market Street, Galves- Martha Donovan
Incomplete
ton, TX 77550.
2nd Ave. North Location
Woody Robinson
COLUMBUS —
Woody Robinson died
memorialgunterpeel.com
June 4, 2020, at his
residence.
Arrangements are
incomplete and will be
announced by Memori-
al Gunter Peel Funeral
Home and Crematory cdispatch.com
College Street loca-
tion.

Patricia Harris
Patricia Norris Harris, age 90, of Ridgeland,

Malaria drug fails to prevent COVID-19 in a rigorous study
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A malaria drug Presi-
dent Donald Trump took
to try to prevent COVID-19
proved ineffective for that
in the first large, high-qual-
ity study to test it in people
in close contact with some-
one with the disease.
Results published
Wednesday by the New En-
gland Journal of Medicine
Can I get COVID-19
through my eyes or ears?
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Can I get COVID-19
through my eyes or ears?
It’s possible through the
eyes, but not likely through
the ears.
As with the nose and
mouth, doctors say the
eyes may be a route of in-
fection if someone with the
virus coughs or sneezes
nearby. Infection is also
possible when rubbing
your eyes with hands that
have been exposed to the
virus.
Tears from an infected
person could also spread
the virus.
Frequent hand washing,
social distancing and the
use of facial coverings in
public are ways to keep the
virus from spreading, in-
show that hydroxychloro-
quine was no better than
placebo pills at preventing
illness from the coronavi-
rus. The drug did not seem
to cause serious harm,
though -- about 40 percent
on it had side effects, most-
ly mild stomach problems.
“We were disappoint-
ed. We would have liked
for this to work,” said the
study leader, Dr. David
cluding through the eyes.
Glasses may also offer
added protection, accord-
ing to the American Acad-
emy of Ophthalmology.
Health care workers are
advised to use safety gog-
gles when treating poten-
tially infected patients.
Ears, on the other hand,
are not believed to be a
route of COVID-19 infec-
tion, according to the U.S.
Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention.
The skin in the outer
ear canal is more like reg-
ular skin, unlike the tissue
in the mouth, nose and si-
nuses. That creates a barri-
er that makes it difficult for
the virus to enter, accord-
ing to Dr. Benjamin Bleier
at Massachusetts Eye and
Ear in Boston.
Boulware, an infectious
disease specialist at the
University of Minnesota.
“But our objective was to
answer the question and
to conduct a high-quality
study,” because the evi-
dence on the drug so far
has been inconclusive, he
said.
Hydrox ychloroquine
and a similar drug, chloro-
quine, have been the sub-
ject of much debate since
Trump started promoting
them in March. Hydroxy-
chloroquine has long been
used for malaria, lupus
and rheumatoid arthritis,
but no large studies have
shown it or chloroquine
to be safe or effective for
much sicker patients with
coronavirus, and some
studies have suggested the
drugs may do harm.
MS, formerly of Columbus, MS, passed away
June 2, 2020, at Beau Ridge Assisted Living of
Ridgeland, MS.
Funeral services will be Friday, June 5, 2020,
at 2:00 PM, with a Rosary service at 1:30 PM
at Annunciation Catholic Church with Father
Jeffrey Waldrep officiating. Memorial Gunter
Peel Funeral Home & Crematory 903 College St.
location is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Harris was born February 22, 1930, in
Horry County, SC, to the late Lucian Gordon and
Letha Viola Cox Norris. She was a member of
Annunciation Catholic Church.
In addition to her parents, Mrs. Harris was
preceded in death by her husband, Gilliam
Stelling Harris; sons, Joel Leslie Harris and
Benjamin Jay Harris; sister, Bert Hickman; and
son-in-law, Max Tullos.
Survivors include her son, John G. Harris and
his wife Carolyn of Ridgeland, MS; daughters,
Susan Harris Ward and her husband Johnny of
Birmingham, AL and Karen Harris Tullos of
Jackson, MS; sister, Gladys N. Jernigan of NC;
grandsons, Matthew Harris and his wife Allyson
of Madison, MS and their children John, Ava,
Noah and Eden, James Harris and his wife Laura
of Winterville, NC and their children Stelling,
Abigail, Hughes, Levi and Adeline, Andrew
Harris and his wife Anna of Madison, MS and
their children Patrick and Mary Rob, Peter
Ward and his wife Caroline of Oxford, MS and
their children Luke and Liles, Thomas Ward of
Birmingham, AL and Max Tullos, III, of Oxford,
MS; granddaughter, Sims Tullos of New York,
NY; and several nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be family and friends.
Memorials may be made to Annunciation
Catholic School 223 North Browder Columbus,
MS 39702.
Sign the online guest book at
www.memorialgunterpeel.com
College Street • Columbus, MS
6A THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020
Paving
Continued from Page 1A
Norris presented the
council with three pay-
back options on the bond.
If the city opts to pay the
bond off in 10 years, the
interest rate would be
3.25 percent and the city
would have to raise the
millage rate by 1.25 mills
every year from 2022
through 2025, Ward 4
Councilman Pierre Beard
said.
The millage rate in-
crease schedule would
be the same for a 12-year
bond option, which would
require the city to pay
a 3.5-percent interest,
Beard said. The 15-year
option, he said, would al-
low the city to raise one
mill each year for 2022,
2023 and 2025.
Gavin told The Dis-
patch the millage in-
crease provides a more
secure revenue option
for capital improvements,
since the city would no
longer rely on the ups
and downs of sales tax
revenue, which accounts
for roughly 40 percent of
its income.
“This (plan) has a
built-in financial stream
that we know we will have
the money to come in ev-
ery year to pay for it,” he
said.
The city’s millage rate
stands at 51.24, Lowndes
County Tax Assessor
Greg Andrews said. Of
that amount, 8.2 mills pay
toward the city’s general
obligation bonds, Vaughn
said.
A 1-mill increase,
Business
Continued from Page 1A
State player Steph Curry.
So it’s time to put your
skills to the test.
The Starkville location
will be Mississippi’s sec-
ond, with the first Topgolf
Swing Suites introduced
in Biloxi.
Roden anticipates the
new attraction to bring
in a large crowd and
hopes to add an additional
gaming screen if things
take off.
Moving into 385 Col-
lege View, the Mississippi
State University develop-
ment just off campus, Ro-
den said he’ll have more
than 3,000 square feet to
work with.
“When I signed (my
lease) at College View,
I always wanted to have
more of a gaming area,”
Roden said. “I checked out
Swing Suites in Atlanta
and South Carolina and
fell in love with it. …It’s
going to be something
pretty good. I really feel
like it’s just a home run.”
Due to COVID-19,
Roden said he’s run into
more than a few road-
blocks. Now, he’s finally
happy to get the ball
rolling. Barring any more
delays, he hopes to have
construction start by the
Andrews said, would
normally bring the city
roughly $190,000 in addi-
tional revenue each year.
However, he warned the
revenue could be low-
er with the city’s loss of
several local businesses
over the years and the
negative impact of the
COVID-pandemic.
Despite the impact of
the pandemic, Beard said
he thinks the city is in
good shape to pay back
the bond, pointing to the
millage increase and the
internet sales tax revenue
the city began to receive
this year, which would
bring an estimated annu-
al income of $923,000 by
2023.
Voting in favor of the
plan, he said street pav-
ing is a necessary ex-
pense.
City Engineer Kevin
Stafford, who normally
assists the city in creat-
ing a list of street paving
priorities each year, told
The Dispatch he first
heard of the potential for
a tax-backed capital im-
provement plan at Tues-
day’s meeting. He said
he would be helping with
the design of the plan if it
comes about.
Some council members
voiced their concerns of
taking up millions of debt
when the city’s financial
outlook remains murky.
Ward 3 Councilman
Charlie Box, despite vot-
ing in favor, said he’s wor-
ried about the timing of
the bond issue as the city
end of June and open by
mid-September.
Elsewhere in
Starkville, a kid’s play
center may close down if
no buyers approach the
owner.
Alexis Bullock, owner
of Little E’s Playground on
Highway 12, announced
the children’s play center
will not reopen despite
the Gov. Tate Reeve’s safe
return order.
“Under the current
circumstances, my family
will have to stay isolated
as much as possible in
order to protect a high-
risk family member,” she
announced.
Bullock will offer re-
funds for booked birthday
parties.
She doesn’t want Little
E’s to leave Starkville
and close permanent-
ly. If you’re interested
in purchasing a small,
local, family owned and
operated play center,
contact Alexis at alexis@
starkvilleplaygrounds.
com..
Moving to Columbus,
it’s what we’ve all been
waiting for.
The Louisiana Shrimp
Shack expects to open
shop early next week.
cdispatch.com
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
Mickens Box
is projecting a 40-percent
drop in sales tax revenue
amid the COVID-19 pan-
demic.
“That doesn’t even
take into consideration
the businesses that we
might lose because of this
(crisis),” he said. “Maybe
it might be wise to start
this next year? Is it crit-
ical that we do this right
now?”
Ward 2 Councilman
Joseph Mickens, who was
the lone dissenting vote,
questioned the city’s abil-
ity to afford more debt
while it’s still paying off
money on some projects.
“Another thing that
comes to the table … is
what other bigger proj-
ects we’ve got looming
down the road that we are
going to have to tackle
and deal with besides the
paving,” Mickens said.
The public will have a
chance to share their in-
put, Gavin said.
If citizens wish to start
a petition against the is-
sue and put it to a vote,
they must gather at least
1,500 signatures from
registered voters in Co-
lumbus and submit the
petition to Vaughn by 5
p.m. on July 7, the date of
Owner Kenneth Helmer
said he’s ready to serve
customers some good ol’
seafood: jambalaya, gum-
bo, po’boys and more.
Located at the former
Pumpkin Patch, 6188
Hwy. 45, Helmer said
once the eatery is open
it will only be for takeout
for the time being. “Until
things settle down,” he
said.
In September 2016,
the Barataria, Louisiana,
native first opened the
Louisiana Shrimp Shack
in Columbus before clos-
ing less than a year later.
After docking his shrimp
boat for retirement, he
said he’s ready to move
into the Friendly City
and serve up Louisiana
classics.
You can pick up a taste
of the good life Monday
through Saturday from 11
a.m.-8 p.m.
Moving to East Colum-
bus, there’s a new con-
signment shop in town.
Sweet Purseonality,
1118 B Gardner Blvd., will
host its grand opening
June 12. The shop will
showcase pre-owned
and new designer bags
slashed 70 percent off. Be
sure to check it out next
the first council meeting
that month, said Chief
Operations Officer David
Armstrong.
That would trigger a
ballot issue giving voters
the final say in whether to
approve the tax.
Some COVID-19
restrictions relaxed
while others remain
in place
During the meeting,
the council also voted
unanimously to follow
state guidelines during
the pandemic but put cer-
tain restrictions in place.
Apart from following
state guidelines, indoor
businesses in the city
must keep a six-foot dis-
tance between custom-
ers, use signs and mark-
ers to provide instruction
and require employees to
wear masks.
Child care facilities
must keep children who
cough and sneeze away
from others, check tem-
peratures of all staff, re-
quire staff to wear cloth
masks when in contact
with children and make
sure parents do not drop
off sick kids. Parents must
also report any suspected
COVID-19 symptoms.
Conflict disclosure:
Managing Editor Zack
Plair took part in editing
this article. He is currently
involved in legal proceed-
ings with the city of Colum-
bus.
Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sweet Purseonality
will be open Monday and
Tuesday by appointment
only, Wednesdays 10
a.m.-2 p.m., Thursday and
Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
and Saturdays 9 a.m.-2
p.m.
We’ve got some more
business moves and news
in Columbus.
The former Medical
Arts Pharmacy, which
closed in 2016 at 504 Mil-
itary Road, will no longer
stay vacant. The Flower
Girl Wedding & Florist
shop, 925 Third Ave. N.,
will move to Military Road
by the end of this month.
Owner Loretta Shelton
first opened The Flower
Girl in 2014 and said she’s
been arranging bouquets
and doing florist work for
35 years. After opening
her own shop in her
brother-in-law’s antique
shop, though, she said she
outgrew her own space.
“We are moving be-
cause we needed space,”
Shelton said. “… We will
be adding several new
features to our shop which
we will be announcing lat-
er and we are very excited
to be on historic Military
Road.”
Sports
How Mississippi prospects are viewed in the selection process
BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com
STARKVILLE — The
selection process for the
Under Armour All-Amer-
ica Game is long and tax-
ing.
Thousands of athletes
compete at camps across
the country for a chance
to represent their high
school, state and future
colleges on high school
football recruiting’s
grandest stage each year,
while only 85 were select-
ed for the 2021 game.
For players in Mis-
sissippi, success in the
game and the exposure
spring camps bring to
those players participat-
ing helps put formerly
unknown recruits on the
map in a state flush with
Division I talent. But in a
year that COVID-19 has
brought a startling halt to
sports worldwide, those
involved in the Under Ar-
mour All-America Game
recognize the impact
cancellations will have on
players from the Magno-
lia State.
“The spring is recruit-
ment time and camps,
and that’s your expo-
sure time — all the way
through June and July,”
Holmes County Central
and former Under Ar-
mour Next game coach
Marcus Rogers told The
Dispatch. “I think it’s go-
ing to hurt recruiting a
little bit for kids that were
kind of on the fence that
were trying to go to differ-
ent schools but some kids
it will help them because
some schools won’t be
able to get their true (40-
yard dash) times.”
Of those involved
with the Under Armour
All-America Game and
Mississippi football as a
whole, Starkville High
School head coach Chris
Jones has as deep an un-
derstanding of a canceled
spring and the ramifi-
cations of the contest as
anyone.
As a player, Jones
starred at Noxubee Coun-
ty before a standout ca-
reer as a wide receiver at
Jackson State. A spell in
the NFL with the Seattle
Seahawks and Minneso-
ta Vikings followed. So
too did stints with the
HERITAGE ACADEMY
Base-‘Ball’: Pats find new head coach
BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
Heritage Academy has
been Chris Ball’s home
for 10 years, and the as-
sistant baseball and foot-
ball coach said he has
never been anything but
loyal to the school.
On Wednesday, the Pa-
triots officially rewarded
that loyalty, hiring Ball to
be the school’s new head
baseball coach — one
of three head coaching
hires announced by the
school in the past two
days.
Ball will replace Justin
Flake, who took the head
coaching job at Choctaw
County on April 28.
“It means a lot be-
cause I’ve been around
all these kids for so long,
and I’ve been invested
in this school,” Ball told
The Dispatch on Wednes-
day. “I love the place — I
love what Heritage offers
academically and athleti-
cally. ... I’m super excited
and super proud that I’ve
been given this opportu-
nity.”
Football coach and
Demetric Warren (left) stands with current Syracuse quarterback Tommy DeVito during the 2017 contest. Warren,
a longtime coach in Hollandale, has worked in varying capacities at Simmons High School for years.
now-defunct Arena Foot-
ball League’s Kansas City
Commanders and the Ca-
nadian Football League’s
Saskatchewan Roughrid-
ers.
Now entering his
fourth year as the head
coach of the Yellow
Jackets, Jones has com-
piled an 81-20 record be-
tween stops at Starkville
and Kemper County
High School. Under his
watch, nine players from
Starkville have been sent
to the Division I ranks,
and at least another three
are slated to join them af-
ter the 2020 season.
Boasting a deep appre-
ciation for the exposure
— or lack thereof — that
City cancels rec sports
leagues; still full steam
ahead for Lowndes Co.
Chris Ball (right) was hired as Heritage Academy’s new
head baseball coach Wednesday. Ball served as an
assistant under head coach Justin Flake this season.
athletic director Sean
Harrison said Ball, as
an assistant under Flake
and under prior coach
Bruce Branch, was inter-
viewed for the position
first. Ball’s knowledge of
UNDER ARMOUR ALL-AMERICA GAME
Mississippi prospects
receive on the larger re-
cruiting scene, Jones said
prospects within the state
benefit hugely from the
normal spring camp sea-
son.
“The thing about Mis-
sissippi players is you
have to project them two,
three, four, five years
down the line versus the
kid from Texas or Geor-
gia is ready right now,”
Jones told The Dispatch.
“It’s not that we can’t play,
it’s that we develop a lit-
tle later because we don’t
have the same resources
and facilities that some of
your better programs in
Texas and California. But
if you look in the NFL,
Courtesy of Chris Ball
baseball and his ability to
teach the game stood out
right away.
“He was the first
choice, the obvious
choice,” Harrison told
The Dispatch. “We’re
you can see there’s a lot
of kids from Mississippi
there.”
On a more national
level, Demetric Warren
has moved toward the
center of the Under Ar-
mour All-America Game
selection process. As one
of five members of the
game’s selection com-
mittee, Warren and his
fellow board members
are tasked with whittling
down thousands of pros-
pects into the rosters that
appear on ESPN each Jan-
uary.
A Mississippi native
and longtime coach in
Hollandale, Warren has
worked in varying coach-
ing capacities at Simmons
really excited that he ac-
cepted.”
Ball takes over a pro-
gram that won the 2019
MAIS Class AAA cham-
pionship in baseball and
could have been poised
to repeat a year later if
the COVID-19 pandemic
hadn’t derailed the sea-
son. He said he doesn’t
plan to change anything
from the head coaches
who predated him and
with whom he found suc-
cess on Magnolia Lane.
“We were always
as good as who we
coached with and who
we coached,” Ball said.
“(Flake) leaned on me
just as much as I leaned
on him.”
Ball called Heritage
Academy one of the best
schools — if not the best
— in the Golden Triangle
and a top five program
in the MAIS. He knows
taking charge of the Pa-
triots will mean plenty of
additional responsibility,
but he wouldn’t have it
any other way for his first
head coaching job.
“I think God put this
See PATRIOTS, 2B
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020
Courtesy of Demetric Warren
High School for years.
He’s also been connect-
ed to the inner workings
of the recruiting world in
Mississippi for equally as
long.
“Mississippi is al-
ways going to have two
or three kids pop up late
that you’re going to say
should’ve been All-Amer-
icans,” Warren told The
Dispatch. “But some kids
out in small towns don’t
have film or some kids de-
velop a little later. So it’s
a tough process — at the
end of the year, when it’s
time to hit Orlando, there
are maybe five or 10 kids
sitting there like, ‘Man,
we should’ve got that
kid.’”
BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
The city of Columbus
has canceled its summer
youth baseball and soft-
ball leagues, Columbus
Recreation Director Greg
Lewis confirmed to The
Dispatch
on Wednes-
day.
Lewis
said that a
large por-
tion of par-
ents of the
383 players Lewis
signed up
for the league wanted a
refund of the league fees
due to the COVID-19 pan-
demic, unsure how safe it
was for their children to
be participating.
“The majority of them
felt it was just too early to
get out,” Lewis said.
As of Thursday, the
city only had enough play-
ers to field two or three
teams, so Lewis decided
to cancel league com-
SPORTS LINE
662-241-5000
B
SECTION
At the collegiate lev-
el, Mississippi State has
been a major beneficiary
of players participating
in the Under Armour
All-America Game in re-
cent years. Since 2018,
MSU has inked six play-
ers that participated in
the annual contest —
matching its entire total
since the game’s incep-
tion in 2008.
The Bulldogs will wel-
come their 13th such play-
er in school history this
summer when Philadel-
phia High School stand-
out Lideatrick “Tulu”
Griffin arrives on campus
this summer.
A four-star recruit in
the class of 2020, Griffin
shined in last season’s
competition. Though he
had arrived at the game
as a wide receiver, the
future Bulldog flipped to
cornerback when coaches
were in need of an extra
defensive back during
game week.
“He did a good job of
saying, ‘Hey, y’all, we can
play too, and it’s not just
me — we’ve got a bunch
of ballers in Mississippi,’”
Jones said of Griffin af-
ter coaching him in last
year’s game. “I’ve always
been the type of person
that when I was play-
ing college ball, pro ball
with guys from all over
the world, I was always
bragging and boasting on
Mississippi....You’ve got
some of the best football
players ever coming from
Mississippi. We can play
ball with anyone.”
Now heading into its
13th year of existence,
the Under Armour
All-America Game has
springboarded a number
of Mississippi prospects’
high school careers into
the collegiate ranks. And
while that number could
shrink some in 2020 given
the cancellation of camps
and other evaluation peri-
ods, Warren remains con-
fident in those kids from
the state that do end up
being selected.
“There’s never a hes-
itation to take a kid from
Mississippi because
they’re going to do ab-
solutely well,” he said.
“They stack up real well
against (the rest).”
petition, refund parents
and ask coaches to return
league equipment.
Parents of players in
the following city leagues
will receive refunds:
4-year-old coed, 5-6 boys,
5-6 girls, 7-8 boys coach
pitch, 7, 8, 9 and 10 girls
fastpitch, 9-10 baseball,
11-12 baseball and 11-12
girls fastpitch.
According to previous
Dispatch reporting, Lew-
is said at a May 14 meet-
ing that many parents
and coaches had already
expressed their concerns
about the safety of play-
ing this summer.
“Would I like for them
to play baseball right
now? Yes,” Lewis said.
“(But) listening to my
coaches and parents (I
talked to), they don’t feel
that it’s safe right now.”
Lewis said the city
will still provide fields for
“pick-up” games. Those
who still want to play can
See REC, 2B
2B THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

MLB rejects 114-game schedule, threatens plan of about 50

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — If Ma-
jor League Baseball and
its players take the field
for a coronavirus-delayed
2020 season, it will be af-
ter acrimonious negotia-
tions that resemble their
labor war of a generation
ago.
MLB rejected the play-
ers’ proposal for a 114-
game regular season with
no additional salary cuts,
and will turn its attention
to a shortened slate of
perhaps 50 games or few-
er. Owners last week pro-
posed an 82-game sched-
ule starting in early July.
“We do not have any
reason to believe that a
negotiated solution for an
82-game season is pos-
sible,” Deputy Commis-
sioner Dan Halem wrote
in a letter Wednesday to
chief union negotiator
Bruce Meyer that was ob-
tained by The Associated
Press.
MLB’s plan included
a sliding scale of pay de-
creases that would leave
players at the $563,500
minimum with 47% of
their original salaries and
top stars Mike Trout and
Gerrit Cole at less than
22% of the $36 million
they had been set to earn.
Players insisted they
receive the prorated sala-
ries agreed to in a March
26 deal, which would
give them 70% pay at 114
games. That agreement
called for the sides to “dis-
cuss in good faith the eco-
nomic feasibility of play-
ing games in the absence
of spectators.” The union
has said no additional
cuts are acceptable.
There has not been a
schedule averaging fewer
than 82 games per team
since 1879.
“Despite what it
sounds like with some
of the Twitter bickering
back and forth and some
of the posturing back and
forth, I am optimistic that
we are going to play base-
ball this year,” Milwau-
kee president of baseball
operations David Stearns
said. “I’m optimistic that
both sides genuinely want
to play baseball this year,
that there’s a path to do-
ing so, even if it’s a short-
er season, even if it’s 50
games.”
Ballparks without fans
appear certain due to the
pandemic. MLB claims
large losses due to the
virus, which the union
disputes, and teams want
additional salary reduc-
tions. Halem said 27 of
the 30 teams would lose
money with each addi-
tional game.
A 50-game schedule
would result in players re-
ceiving about 30% of their
full salaries under the
March 26 deal.
“You confirmed for us
on Sunday that players
are unified in their view
that they will not accept
less than 100% of their
prorated salaries, and we
have no choice but to ac-
cept that representation,”
Halem wrote.
“Nonetheless, the com-
missioner is committed to
playing baseball in 2020,”
Halem added. “He has
started discussions with
ownership about staging
a shorter season without
fans.”
Halem ended his let-
ter by telling Meyer “we
stand ready to discuss
any ideas you may have
that might lead to an
agreement on resuming
play without regular fan
access in our stadiums.”
MLB wants to start the
season in early July, and
Halem wrote an agree-
ment would have had to
be reached by June 1 in
order to reopen training
camps by June 10. That
would leave three to four
weeks of preparation,
which Halem said is the
“wide consensus.”
“We are opposed to
rushing to begin the
season and then subject-
ing players to a grueling
schedule,” he said.
Players made their pro-
posal Sunday, five days af-
ter management’s initial
economic plan. Opening
day would be June 30
and the regular season
would end Oct. 31, near-
ly five weeks after the
Sept. 27 conclusion that
MLB’s proposal stuck to
from the season’s original
schedule.
MLB does not want
to play past October be-
cause it fears a second
wave of the coronavirus
could disrupt the postsea-
son and jeopardize $787
million in broadcast rev-
enue. Halem cited MLB’s
infectious disease consul-
tant, Dr. Ali Khan, Dean
of the College of Public
Health at the University
of Nebraska.
“It is not in the collec-
tive interest of clubs or
players to begin a 2020
season and subsequently
be forced to suspend or
cancel it before the com-
pletion of the postsea-
son,” Halem wrote.
“Dr. Khan and his
team have advised us that
to minimize the risk of a
subsequent delay or can-
cellation of the 2020 sea-
son we should endeavor to
complete the season and
postseason as early in the
fall as possible,” he wrote.
“In addition, your propos-
al ignores the realities of
the weather in many parts
of the country during the
second half of October. If
we schedule a full slate of
games in late October, we
will be plagued by cancel-
lations.”
As part of the March
26 deal, players got $170
million in salary advances
— ranging from $16,500
to $286,500 — and a guar-
antee that if the season
is scrapped each player
would get 2020 service
time matching what the
player accrued in 2019.
MLB’s proposal on
May 26 would lower 2020
salaries from about $4 bil-
lion to approximately $1.2
billion, not including sign-
ing bonuses, termination
pay or option buyouts.
There would be a $200
million bonus if the post-
season is completed.
The union’s offer
would have salaries total
about $2.8 billion, leaving
each player with about
70% of his original salary.
Halem said corona-
virus testing would cost
the teams $40 million to
$50 million. He claimed
“clubs would fare even
worse economically if we
were to play a significant
number of doublehead-
ers, as your counter-pro-
posal contemplates.”
Players proposed that
$100 million in salaries
be deferred to 2021 and
2022 if the postseason is
canceled.
“Deferring salaries,
with interest, is the
economic equivalent of
assuming more debt,”
Halem said. “Clubs al-
ready have assumed $2
billion in additional debt
that must be serviced and
do not have the financial
capacity to push more
2020 financial obligations
into future years without
impacting their financial
stability.”
Both sides have pro-
posed expanding the
playoffs to 14 teams, and
the union has offered to
guarantee the expansion
through 2021. Both sides
also are willing to widen
use of the designated hit-
ter to all games this year.

Rec
Continued from Page 1B
call in to request reserv-
ing a field for a specific
date and time.
Caledonia, Lowndes
County leagues on as
scheduled
Lowndes County Rec-
reation Manager Roger
Short said things are on
as scheduled for the coun-
ty’s summer leagues.
Team practices began
Monday, and competition
begins June 15 at Lake
Lowndes State Park.
This summer, the
county will offer T-ball their players before Mon- between games, avoid be used and sanitized Church league softball
for ages day’s start date. The sharing bats or helmets during games.
5 and 6, department hopes to re- and remain six feet from Mississippi Gov. Tate to be played in August
coach pitch lease a game schedule each other at all times. Reeves announced May Lowndes County is
also offering men’s and
for ages 7
and 8 and
soon for the summer sea-
son.
Coaches are also encour-
aged to remain masked,
27 that up to 100 players,
coaches and fans are al- women’s church league
a baseball Teams will have to fol- stay outside the width of lowed to attend games softball league starting
league for low certain guidelines to the batter’s box and prac- provided that social dis- Aug. 25.
ages 11 and play on the fields, Short tice social distancing. tancing is in place as An entry fee of $300
12. Regis- Short said, according to previ- Teams should not en- much as possible. Fan per team is due by Aug.
tration fees ous Dispatch reporting. ter the dugout until oth- attendance is limited to 14.
for the other age divisions During a May 14 meet- er teams exit the field, two household members There will be a coach-
have been refunded. ing, he presented a list according to the recom- per player, both of whom es interest meeting at
Caledonia’s parks and of recommendations for mendations. One des- are encouraged to wear 6:30 p.m. July 7 at New
recreation department athletes and coaches to ignated adult is encour- masks and must leave Hope Community Center.
said on its Facebook page follow during the season. aged to wipe down the the field immediately af- All games will be
that it will be refunding Athletes are recom- bats after each use, and ter the game and return played at Lake Lowndes
parents who withdrew mended to wear masks multiple softballs should to their cars. State Park.

Patriots
Continued from Page 1B
in my lap for a reason, and
I’m gonna follow through
with it,” Ball said. “I’ve
always wanted to be a
head coach, but there’s no
better place to be a head
coach than Heritage.”
Mohlenbrok to lead
volleyball program
Emily Mohlenbrok
thought her volleyball ca-
reer was over.
When the high school
standout moved to town
with her husband Austin
— a pilot in training at
Columbus Air Force Base
— a year and a half ago,
she shared
with him
her con-
cerns that
the career
she wanted
wasn’t in
the cards. Mohlenbrok
“I real-
ly wanted
to be a volleyball coach,
but I wanted to be kind
of established in Colum-
bus and didn’t know even
where to begin to look for
that,” she said.
In early May, she saw a
post from former Heritage
Academy volleyball coach
Kelly Combs on the base’s
Facebook page. Combs,
due to have a child in Sep-
tember, was advertising
her own job; Mohlenbrok,
who had friends in town
who worked as teachers
at the school, liked what
she saw.
“It was just kind of
like an answered prayer,”
Mohlenbrok said. “Kelly
posted it, and I was like
‘Oh, I need to do that right
now.’”
Mohlenbrok, hired as
the Patriots’ new volley-
ball coach Tuesday, will
be getting to do just that.
“I’m excited to help
grow the program the
best that I can,” she said.
Harrison said that he
was happy to find a candi-
date of Mohlenbrok’s abil-
ity in the area, where her
sport is relatively new.
“Finding volleyball
coaches in Columbus is
always tough,” Harrison
said.
Mohlenbrok, a vol-
leyball player since fifth
grade, said she attended
a small private school like
Heritage Academy and
saw the potential for a lot
of one-on-one instruction
with a smaller roster. In-
heriting a team that grad-
uated a lot of seniors after
last fall, Mohlenbrook
said she’s looking forward
to build on the things
Combs put in place in her
two years at the helm.
“I’ll be the best coach
that I can be for them, and
they’ll play the best that
they can play,” Mohlen-
brok said.
Pats tab Matthews as
softball coach
Heidi Matthews was
nervous before her Zoom
interview with Harrison
for the head
softball
coaching
job at Heri-
tage Acade-
my.
As it Matthews
turned out,
Matthews needn’t have
worried.
“I told somebody she
was one of the best coach-
ing interviews I’ve ever
done,” the athletic direc-
tor said Tuesday, less than
an hour after officially an-
nouncing to parents that
Matthews had earned the
job.
The former player and
current graduate assis-
tant at the Mississippi
University for Women
said seeing the confi-
dence Harrison and head-
master Greg Carlyle had
in her was significant.
“It means the world
— just the fact that Dr.
Carlyle and Coach Harri-
son were willing to give
me a shot to build a pro-
gram and get it on its feet
again,” Matthews said. “
... (The program) already
has a good culture — just
build on that and continue
to grow it.”
Matthews said she
became familiar with
the school thanks to a
teammate of hers at The
W who, like Matthews,
hailed from South Caroli-
na. The teammate’s aunt
is Heritage Academy high
school teacher Teri Mar-
tin, and Matthews and her
teammate watched Teri’s
daughter Carley Martin, a
rising senior, play softball
and basketball on occa-
sion.
Matthews, pursuing a
master’s in teaching, will
join Teri Martin in the
school’s faculty ranks,
teaching language arts to
seventh and eighth grad-
ers.
“Being able to coach
and teach was a huge
deal,” Matthews said.
The 23-year-old said
she “really wasn’t expect-
ing” to land a head coach-
ing job at her age.
“A lot of people, they
see your age, and they’re
just going, ‘I’ll push you to
the curb,’” Matthews said.
Harrison and Carlyle
saw things differently, of
course. They’re excited
for Matthews to get to
work soon — she’ll hold a
parents meeting Monday
and start workouts Tues-
day.
“I’m really excited to
get Heritage softball real-
ly going under her leader-
ship,” Harrison said.

NBA presents players with plan for season restart
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The NBA has told the
National Basketball Play-
ers Association that it will
present a 22-team plan
for restarting the season
to the league’s board of
governors on Thursday, a
person with knowledge of
the situation told The As-
sociated Press.
The teams that will be
going to the ESPN Wide
World Of Sports complex
on the Disney campus
near Orlando, Florida,
would play eight games
to determine playoff seed-
ing starting around July
31 before the postseason
begins, according to the
person who spoke to the
AP on condition of ano-
nymity Wednesday be-
Comics & Puzzles
DILBERT
ZITS
GARFIELD
CANDORVILLE
BABY BLUES
BEETLE BAILEY
MALLARD FILLMORE
cause the league has not
released its proposal pub-
licly.
The plan, once ap-
proved, would have 13
Western Conference
teams and nine Eastern
Conference teams going
to Disney, and the cutoff
being that teams must
be within six games of a
playoff spot at this point.
Playoffs would start in
August, and the NBA
Finals will likely stretch
into October, the person
said.
The Milwaukee Bucks,
Los Angeles Lakers, To-
ronto Raptors and Bos-
ton Celtics already have
clinched playoff spots —
and, if only eight games
are left, that would mean
the Miami Heat, Indi-
FAMILY CIRCUS
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
ana Pacers, Philadelphia of triggering a play-in se-
76ers, Los Angeles Clip- ries.
pers, Denver Nuggets, “I’m all in from the
Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City state’s perspective,” Flor-
Thunder and Houston ida Gov. Ron DeSantis
Rockets would theoreti- said at a news conference
cally have clinched spots Wednesday in central
as well. Florida. “I don’t think you
The Dallas Maver- could find a better place
icks would be virtually than Orlando to do this.
assured of clinching a I think it’s very exciting.”
West spot, holding a sev- DeSantis met by phone
en-game lead over eighth- with NBA Deputy Com-
place Memphis. That missioner Mark Tatum
would mean the Grizzlies, on Tuesday. The governor
Portland, New Orleans, also said the state helped
Sacramento, San Antonio with the plans to make
and Phoenix all would a golf match last month
be in the running for the featuring Tiger Woods,
No. 8 seed out West. In Phil Mickelson, Tom
the East, Washington is Brady and Peyton Man-
six games behind No. ning — one that raised
7 Brooklyn and 5 1/2 $20 million for coronavi-
games behind No. 8 Or- rus relief — happen. And
lando — so within range Major League Soccer
Dear Abby
D
EAR ABBY:
My friend
“Kate” has
had a lot of trauma
in her life, and she
feels things very
deeply. She has ex-
perienced assault,
the suicide of a
close friend, the
death of several
family members,
discovered she
can’t have children,
and managed to
escape an abusive
relationship, all in
the last five years Dear Abby
or so.
Kate does all the things
people are supposed to do
when coping with grief and is
doing very well. The problem is
me. I find it hard to be around
her because of all the drama.
Intellectually, I understand none
of this is Kate’s fault. She isn’t
being attention-seeking or delib-
erately causing drama. But I find
myself becoming impatient with
her ongoing discussion of feel-
ings. I’m not someone who feels
deeply or is easily traumatized.
Bad things happen, I get over it
and move on. How can I learn
to be the patient, caring friend
she needs? -- TRYING TO BE A
BETTER FRIEND
DEAR TRYING: Quit being so
hard on yourself. You are and
have been a good friend. It’s
important that you not allow
Horoscopes
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (June
4). This year turns up your vital-
ity; lifestyle changes and excit-
ing projects figure in. People you
admire find their way into your
world. You already have what
others need, and you’ll find the
niche that allows you to feel a
deep sense of contribution and
belonging, not to mention the
chance to get exactly what you
want. Libra and Cancer adore
you. Your lucky numbers are: 2,
44, 48, 31 and 16.
ARIES (March 21-April 19).
There is a symbiosis between
the superhero and the supervil-
lain, friend and enemy, predator
and prey. You have a healthy
respect for the opponent who
gives you the chance to be as
announced Wednesday a
plan to restart its season
in Orlando.
“Orlando really could
be the epicenter of the
comeback of professional
sports,” DeSantis said.
For an NBA play-in
series to happen to de-
termine the No. 8 seed
on either playoff brack-
et, the ninth-place team
would have to be with-
in four games of eighth
place once the eight-game
schedule of lead-in games
is completed. If a play-in
series occurs, it would
basically be a best-of-two
— where the No. 9 seed
would have to win two
head-to-head matchups to
take over the No. 8 spot.
There also would be
some jostling for playoff
Kate’s burdens
to “sink” you. The
two of you are very
different people,
and you should
explain that to her
as you have to me.
If her trauma and
drama become
more than you can
healthfully absorb,
step back and
tell her you will
talk with her later,
tomorrow or when
it is convenient for
you both, which
will allow you time
to come up for air.
DEAR ABBY: I am self-quar-
antined for a number of reasons
because of the virus. I am 87 and
live alone. My daughter is very
concerned that I not become
ill because her husband is in
treatment for cancer. Obviously,
she doesn’t want to have to
come care for me and endanger
her husband’s already reduced
immunity.
A friend called to ask how
I am doing. I told her I was
self-quarantined, and she asked
if I needed anything. I told her I
didn’t have eggs, but it was no
big deal. She said she would
bring me some. I sent her a text
and asked her to leave them on
the porch, and she said, “You
mean you won’t let me in the
house?” She said she isn’t sick
and can’t understand why I’m
sharp as you can be.
TAURUS (April 20-May
20). The science shows that
daily cardio can be as effective
an anti-depressant as some
types of prescriptive medicine.
Relatedly, you’ll solve a problem
with a low-cost, low-risk, totally
natural remedy.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21).
Job descriptions are just con-
structs used to attract the right
applicants. The real job is to
do what it takes to get a result.
Whether a task is technically
your job or not may be irrelevant
to the big picture of what needs
doing.
CANCER (June 22-July 22).
Your quiet confidence comes
as a result of the kindness at
THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 3B
positioning happening in
the eight-game restart.
In the East, Toronto and
Boston are separated by
three games for the No. 2
spot, and Miami, Indiana
and Philadelphia are sep-
arated by two games for
the No. 4 spot. Out West,
the Clippers, Denver,
Utah, Oklahoma City and
Houston are all within
four games of one another
in the race for the No. 2
seed on that bracket.
There are still some el-
ements of the restart plan
that could be changed,
and other matters are still
being negotiated — such
as how much of a per-
centage of their salaries
players will lose because
some regular-season
games will be canceled.
doing this. I tried to explain that
you can be contagious without
symptoms, but she was still
insulted.
I thought everyone in the
world knew the basics of quar-
antine, but apparently she’s still
taking it personally. She hasn’t
called for three days, and I’m
heartsick. Advice? -- SHUT IN IN
ARIZONA
DEAR SHUT IN: In spite of the
fact that the federal, state and
local governments are releasing
information on a daily basis
about the importance of social
distancing and self-quarantining,
there is still confusion in the
minds of some of the public. Your
friend is a perfect example of
this. You are doing what you’re
doing for the right reason, and I
hope you will continue, not only
for your son-in-law’s sake, but
also for your own.
DEAR ABBY: I’ve been
married five years, and I just
discovered that my husband
still has several text messages
from his late wife. He thinks I
shouldn’t be upset about it. Am
I wrong for asking him to delete
them? -- FEELING BETRAYED IN
THE SOUTH
DEAR FEELING BETRAYED:
Yes, you are! Do not compete
with a deceased spouse. Hang-
ing on to mementoes is a way
many people grieve. If the texts
hold significance for him, let him
have them. You’re his wife now,
and that’s what matters.
the bedrock of your character.
You’re kind on purpose, on ac-
cident, without reason, without
warning; you’re kind in theory
and in practice.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22).
You’ll revel in your freedom. Be-
ing left alone to live as you like
without being nagged, judged or
subjected to the whims of au-
thority is the perk of adulthood
you cherish.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).
It is safe to assume today’s
work will come easily to you.
This cosmic offer is only good
for the next 24 hours though.
What’s coming won’t be harder;
it will just be better approached
without assumptions.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).
You become like the people
around you and this is why
you’re pretty choosy about
whom you allow to the inner
circle, or, for that matter, any
concentric circle of which you
are the center.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov.
21). You know the sensation
you get when you look back on
old photos and realize that a lot
of your concerns back then were
needless? Be happy now. Cast
worry aside. Trust time. It will
handle so much for you.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec.
21). Your cosmic gift of the day
is a clear demarcation on the
point of diminishing returns.
This prevents you from unneces-
sary work and frees you to focus
on what matters most to you.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.
19). Judges get paid to judge.
Why should those who aren’t
judges do this for free? You
refuse to concern yourself with
matters that do not directly con-
cern you. It takes less energy to
live and let live.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.
18). The rules and boundaries
are not as ambiguous as they
would appear. What they are
is undiscovered. You can find
them by asking, researching or
crossing them.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March
20). You want what’s best for
all. You prefer to use subtle
tactics like charm, friendliness
and reward to incentivize people
toward your aims. In the rare
case that doesn’t work, right is
might.
Windshield wiper
SOLUTION:
4B THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 5B

Business
US job losses in May could raise
3-month total to 30 million
Economists foresee
unemployment
remaining in the double-
digits through November
elections and into 2021
BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER
AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON — The epic
damage to America’s job market
from the viral outbreak will come
into sharper focus Friday when
the government releases the May
employment report: Eight million
more jobs are estimated to have
been lost. Unemployment could
near 20 percent. And potentially
fewer than half of all adults may be
working.
Beneath the dismal figures
will be signs that job cuts, severe
as they are, are slowing as more
businesses gradually or partially
reopen. Still, the economy is mired
in a recession, and any rebound in
hiring will likely be painfully slow.
Economists foresee unemployment
remaining in double-digits through
the November elections and into
2021.
If their forecast of 8 million jobs
lost in May proves correct, it would
come on top of April’s loss of 20.5
million jobs — the worst monthly
loss on record — and bring total job
cuts in the three months since the
viral outbreak intensified to nearly
30 million. That’s more than three
times the jobs lost in the 2008-2009
Great Recession. And if the jobless
rate does reach 20 percent for May,
it would be double the worst level
during that previous recession.
Overhanging the jobs picture is
widespread uncertainty about how
long the unemployed will remain
out of work. Most of the layoffs in
recent months were a direct result
of the sudden shutdowns of busi-
nesses in response to the corona-
virus pandemic. As many of these
businesses reopen, at least partial-
ly, workers who had been laid off
have held out hope of being rehired
soon.

Looting devastates businesses already shaken by virus

BY JOYCE M. ROSENBERG
AP Business Writer
NEW YORK — Loot-
ing and vandalism in cit-
ies across the country
have dealt another blow
to small businesses that
were already reeling from
the coronavirus outbreak.
Along with big chain
stores like Target, Wal-
green and Macy’s, in-
dependent retailers in
neighborhoods and down-
town sections were tar-
gets of vandals and loot-
ers who struck as police
mobilized to contain large
demonstrations over the
killing of George Floyd in
Minneapolis.
Many businesses had
been closed by state and
local government orders
as officials tried to con-
tain the spread of the
coronavirus, leaving own-
ers with little or no reve-
nue since March. Now,
already facing an uncer-
tain future amid ongoing
restrictions related to the
virus, owners must figure
out how to rebuild or relo-
cate their companies.
Over three nights,
Ahmed Muhumud’s Min-
neapolis optician shop
was vandalized, looted
and burned, leaving Mid-
town Eye Care in ruins.
The store was just getting
back to business after
having been shut since
mid-March by the virus
outbreak.
“This has been a dif-
ficult couple of months,
and now with the protest-
ers and everything that
followed — it’s very diffi-
cult,” Muhumud said.

BUILDING PERMITS
City of Columbus
May 26-28, 2020
■ Columbus Municipal School
District; 924 20th Street
North; Reroof eight building;
Advantage Roofing
■ William A. Evans; 3501
Bluecutt Road; Sigh; Mid-
South Signs
■ Danny Chandle; 415 East
Gaywood Street; Electrical;
Robert Johnston
■ Alexander Blunt; 702 7th
Avenue South Electrical; Jim-
mie Chism
■ Roger James; 400 Alabama
Street; Mechanical; Elliot’s
A/C & heat
■ Baptist Medical Clinic;
2400/2402 5th Street North;
Mechanical; E & H Heating
& A/C
■ Laura Smith; 158 Commu-
nity Road, Lot 22; Plumbing;
Tabor Plumbing
■ Laura Smith; 158 Commu-
nity Road, Lot 27; Plumbing;
Tabor Plumbing
■ Mary Ann Brewer; 120 21st
Street South; Plumbing; Tabor
Plumbing
Lowndes County
June 3, 2020
■ Tim Hudgins; William
Roberts Road; set up mobile
home; owner
■ Tim Hudgins; William
Roberts Road; move mobile
home; McNairy Mobile Homes
■ Tim and Cheryl Thomson;
164 Windchase Dr.; construct
pool; Sobley Pool Company
■ Slip N Dip; 312 Lake Lown-
des Road; construct pool;
Sobley Pool Company
■ Jeffery Weber; 469 N.
Spruline Road; set up mobile
home; Williams Electric
■ Jeffery Weber; 469 N.
Spruline Road; move mobile
home; Mills Home Center
■ Andy Peterson; 8439 Hwy
12 E; install solar panels;
owner
■ Jason Smith; 86 Valleydale
Cove; construct storage/
shop; Bostick Construction
■ Larry Joblin; 476 Donna
Lane; construct shop/stor-
age; owner
■ Southern Natural Gas; Togo
Road; modify gas line; owner
■ Woody Williams; 1134 mercial building; Weathers
Crowe Road; construct s/f Construction
residence; owner ■ Troy and Leigh Kriley; 146
■ Sharon Glasgow; 161 Neighbors; construct s/f
Valleybrook Dr.; construct residence; owner
storage/shop; Bostick Con-
struction
■ Vickie Roosevelt; 446
Merry Valley Dr.; construct
pool; owner
■ Kenneth Shaw; 368 Old
New Hope Road; set up mo-
bile home; owner
■ Kenneth Shaw; 368 Old
New Hope Road; move up
mobile home; Alan’s Mobile
Home
■ Dennis Jackson; 1389
Buck Egger Road; set up
mobile home; owner
■ Dennis Jackson; 1389
Buck Egger Road; move up
mobile home; Alan’s Mobile
Home
■ Rob and Joanie Moore;
463 Curtis Chapel Road; con-
struct s/f residence; owner
■ Spec; Frye Circle, lot 24;
construct s/f residence; Frye
Tile & Exterior
■ Suburban Propane; 5234
Military Road; remodel com-

MARRIAGES AND DIVORCES

Lowndes County ■ J’Michael Kelley and Jessica
Marriages
■ Alexander Dorrego and
Lourdes Soriano; May 1
■ Allen Dillard and Markey
Johnson; May 1
■ Jacob Lefler and Megan
Hoeg; May 1
■ Donell Evans and Nikiela;
May 1
■ Michael Younger and Lauren
Temple; May 2
■ Frederick Shields and
Tamara Bush; May 2
■ Gregory Elkins and Deborah
Thompson; May 5
■ Cameron Ogden and Paije
Madison; May 7
■ Kevin Herman and Allison
Buchanan; May 8
■ Isiah West and Jennifer
Shields; May 8
■ Lamark Stepp Shawnetta
Poe; May 8
■ Timothy Mason and Kellie
Thomson; May 9
Buoni; May 22
McCrary; May 23
■ Lucas Eads and Jordan
Wade; May 23
■ Jaylon Hodges and Aaliyah
Walker; May 23
■ Rufus Easley and Tierrah
Little; May 24
■ Richard Huckaby and Amy
Weathers; May 24
■ Justin Degraffenreid and
Cleshunda Tate; May 26
Divorces
■ Dorothy J Johnson and
Charles E. Jones; May 28
■ Carly Puckett and Ricky T.
Puckett; May 28
■ Alexander Mascagni and
Joshua Mascagni; May 29
■ Lisa Lynn Heath and Walter
Johsnon Heath; May 29
■ Georgie Michelle Durham
and Robert Charles Durham;
May 28
■ Alicia N. Gavin and Thomas
E. Forte; May 15
■ Toby A. Butler and Cristy
Renee Butler; May 15
■ Davis Shadail Monroe and
Malunya Simone Monroe; May
12
■ Kristy M. Stripling and
Arnold Stripling; May 14
■ Gayle Fortenberry and Keith
Fortenberry; May 18
■ Roy Lee Lewis III and Kyleigh
Alexis Polk Lewis; May 20
■ Latoria Tate Jackson and
Kelvin Jackson; May 20;
■ Rodger Coan and Amanda
Perkins Coan; May 22
LOCAL GAS PRICES
Source: gasbuddy.com
COLUMBUS
1.55 CHEVRON
488 US-45 S & Frontage Rd.
1.59 SHELL 166 W Plymouth Bluff

■ Paul Fortier and Salome Craig Gavin; May 29

Clarke; May 12
■ Austin Beckermeyer and
■ Christopher Alan Hall and
Brandy Adams Hall; May 4
1.67 SPIRIT1450 Jess Lyons & Ridge Rd.

Mary Anderson; May 14

■ Ricky Childs and Ashakie
■ Shawntea Denise Harris and
Marchallo Harris; May 4 STARKVILLE
Moody; May 15
■ Chance Hall and Gabrielle
■ Henry Bernold Shermanand
Chevon Shonel Hood Sher- 1.49 MURPHY USA
1012 MS-12

Thomas; May 16 man; May 11

■ Nathan Dyess and Satah
Culpepper; May 16
■ Krystal Ordoyne and Patrick
Ordoyne; May 11
1.49 SPRINT308 Hwy. 12 East

1.49 WALMART
■ Steven Bankhead and ■ Clinton Alan Richards and
Monekia Sherrod; May 20 Julie D. Richards; May 12 105 Market St.

■ Jared Helm and Rachel ■ Shirley Rush Forte and Dean

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Apts For Rent: Other Garage Sales: East Travel & Entertainment

Employment COLEMAN
102 Shelton St, Columbus.
Sat, 6/6/20; 6:30−11:30
Community PUBLIC CATFISH POND
@ 130 Hillcrest Drive.
Call us: 662-328-2424 RENTALS am; Furniture, bedding,
TOWNHOUSES & APARTMENTS kitchen items, rugs, linens, Ads starting at $12 Open Tues−Sat, 7a−5p
plus size women’s clothes, 662−386−8591
Call for pricing.
Customer Service 1 BEDROOM small appliances, wall Special Notices
decor, heaters, books, etc.
LOCAL LAW FIRM is seek- 2 BEDROOMS Priced to sell! 662−549−
ing Receptionist/Secretary.
Previous experience
3 BEDROOMS 1561 ATTENTION:
If you or someone you Five Questions:
LEASE,
© The Dispatch

helpful but not necessary. Garage Sales: Other know worked out of
Computer skills a must. Plumbers/Pipefitters
DEPOSIT
Email resume to:
job109@cdispatch.com AND
5532 HWY 50 E.
Th, F, & S. 7a. − until.
Union Local 714 (or
619) between 1967 1 Bicycle
CREDIT CHECK Too much to list! and 1970 or worked for
Warren Kleban
General Help Wanted
2 Chrysler
Engineering between
CARPENTER NEEDED w/ at 662-329-2323 1967 and 1969 please
least 4 yrs. of experience.
Ideal candidate will have an 2411 HWY 45 N Merchandise call Rebecca at
Simmons Hanly Conroy
toll−free at (855) 988−
Building
Sudoku
eye for detail, be depend- YESTERDAY’S ANSWER
able, have good communic- COLUMBUS, MS Ads starting at $12 2537. You can also
email Rebecca at
3 Green Hornet Sudoku
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rcockrell@
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specialize in home remod-
Houses For Rent: North Appliances simmonsfirm.com Sudoku is a number- Yesterday’s answer
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a 9x9 gridis a several
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given numbers.puzzleThe object 2 6 8 3 5 9 4 1 7

2020 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Fenced in yard. $675. space. Revolv brand, 2.5
CALEDONIA BUSINESS 662−549−9555. btu, 208−230 voltage. Place your ad online. based onthe
is to place a 9x9
numbers 1 3 4 2 7 8 9 5 6
needs General Laborer. Ask for Glenn or text. $900. Crawford, MS. ads.cdispatch.com grid
1 to 9with
in theseveral
empty spaces 9 4 7 1 8 5 6 3 2
Valid driver's license, given
so thatnumbers. The
5 Three Tenors
662−497−2754.
transportation & experi- each row, each 6 1 3 7 9 2 5 4 8
object
column and each 3x3 the
is to place
ence helpful. Will train on
the job if needed. Call
Jesse & Beverly's Lawn
Real Estate Furniture
Auctions numbers
contains the1same
the empty spaces so
box
to 9 number
in 5
3
8
7
2
1
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6
2
3
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7
8
9
6
1
5
Power Lift Love Seat by only once. The difficulty 4 2 5 8 3 6 1 7 9
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Ads starting at $25 Serta This power lift love that each row, each
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JAMIE'S SALON is seeking for my elderly father; Monday
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Sunday. Difficulty Level 6/03
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THE COMMERCIAL sqft. Has 25’x30’ wired Original new cost
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Must have good transporta-
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Sunday morning and Mon- Good credit as low as 10% Visit 516 Main Street
Fri afternoons. Apply at The down, $299/mo. Eaton or call 662−328−2424
Land, 662−361−7711.
Commercial Dispatch, 516
Main Street in Columbus. Waterfront Property
No phone calls please. Lawn & Garden

Real Estate NEWLY RENOVATED three HAYES DAYLILIES

COLEMAN REALTY seeks
Administrative Office
Assistant. Must possess:
organizational skills with
attention to detail; com-
puter skills including
Microsoft office, Excel,
Outlook & QuickBooks;
professional & courteous
communication skills with
clients, public & co-work-
ers. Send resume' to
P.O. Box 9306,
Columbus, MS 39705.
Transportation
FLATBED DRIVERS
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experience required.
$1,000+ per week oppor-
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662-251-4536.
Leave msg if no answer.
bedroom, two 1/2 bath Open mornings. M−S.
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662−549−2768
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Emmanuel’s Christian WORK WANTED: JESSE & BEVERLY’S
Furnished & Unfurnished HOME REPAIRS &
Academy−Child care Licensed & Bonded. LAWN SERVICE sides
MAINTENANCE Work
23 Mex. neigh-
1, 2, & 3 Baths wanted. Carpentry,
concrete, electrical &
AVAILABLE SOON For ages
6 weeks to 12 years old.
Carpentry, minor electrical,
minor plumbing, insulation,
Mowing, cleanup,
landscaping, sodding, bor
Lease, Deposit plumbing, shingle & metal emmanuelsca@yahoo.com painting, demolition, & tree cutting.
24 Pop stars
& Credit Check roofing, fascia & soffit
repairs, pressure washing
or text 662−245−6998 gutters cleaned, pressure
washing, landscaping,
662−356−6525
25 Maximum
viceinvestments.com & mobile home repairs. Electrical cleanup work, moving help. LAWN CARE amount 4 Surgeon’s tool 25 Clark’s
327-8555
662−242−3608.
No Job Too Small. Mowing, weed eating, 27 Road goo 5 Boom variety co-worker
662−549−7031. blowing, etc.
Free estimates. 28 Bach work 6 Singer Piaf 26 Meantime
Apts For Rent: Other Carpet & Flooring PRESSURE WASHING Reasonable prices. 29 Chart topper 7 Touch lightly 28 Closes
Commercial & residential. 662−549−3790 32 Watch anoth- 8 Finished off 30 Concise
CARPET INSTALLATION. Bricks, concrete & siding.
Re−Stretch & Repair also Call for quote, er’s home 9 Went ahead 31 Bull features
SAM’S LAWN SERVICE
avail. I accept select jobs. 662−295−6880. No lawn too large or too 36 Frolic 11 Brass band 33 Steamed
Call Walt, 662−574−8134. small. Mowing, trimming & 39 Wander members 34 Infamous
MOUNTING TV’S AND
weedeating. 40 Squirrel’s 15 “Why don’t czar
HIDING WIRES CHAPTER 7 BANKRUPTCY Call 662−243−1694
stash we!” 35 Watch over
$545 plus Filing Fee
Mount TV:
$60/TV (mount not incl) CHAPTER 13 BANKRUPTCY
Painting & Papering 41 Persia, today 17 Mountain cat 36 Preserve
Mount TV & hide wires: All Attorney Fees Through The Plan 42 Salamanders 18 “What — 37 Great serve
QUALITY PAINTING.
$120/TV (mount not incl)
Jim Arnold, Attorney Ext/Int Painting. 43 Patch up now?” 38 Promise
Johnny Beamon
662−251−8472 662-324-1666 • 601-656-6914 Sheet Rock Hang, Finish & 19 “Toodle-oo!”
104 South Lafayette Street, Starkville Repair. Pressure Washing. DOWN 20 Belongs
Free Estimates. Ask for
General Services
specials! Larry Webber, 1 Occupied 21 Eden evictee
DAVID’S CARPET &
A & T TREE SERVICES 662−242−4932. 2 Mimic 22 “Downton
UPHOLSTERY
CLEANING Bucket truck & stump SKILLED CRAFTSMAN. Any 3 Short skirt Abbey” countess
removal. Free est. kind of work! We can build, SULLIVAN’S PAINT
1 Room − $50 paint, drywall, clean,
2 Rooms − $70 Serving Columbus SERVICE
since 1987. Senior pressure wash & cut grass. Special Prices.
3+ Rooms − $30 EA Reasonable rates. Safe & Interior & Exterior Painting.
Rugs−Must Be Seen citizen disc. Call Alvin @
242−0324/241−4447 Reliable. 662−386−3658. 662−435−6528
Car Upholstery Cleaning
Available "We’ll go out on a limb for
662−722−1758 you!" Lawn Care / Landscaping

Have a rental property?

HILL’S PRESSURE
WASHING. Commercial/
Are you a painter? Residential. House,
List it here for fast results. Advertise here! concrete, sidewalks &
mobile washing. Free est.
ads.cdispatch.com 662−386−8925.
Jake’s Mowing
Mowing, Weed−eating, Read local.
Blow off walks, Trim shrubs cdispatch.com
Free quote. Great pricing.
Call, text, leave message.
662−570−8815

Buy. Sell. Discover. In the Classifieds section.

On the web: ads.cdispatch.com • Or call: 662-328-2424