Established 1879 | Columbus, Mississippi

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Monday | June 15, 2020

Aldermen MONDAY PROFILE

interview two ‘It’s totally different when
parks director you’re up there’
candidates
Spruill: No set date
for board’s decision yet
BY TESS VRBIN
tvrbin@cdispatch.com

Starkville alder-
men interviewed
two candidates for
the vacant Parks and
Recreation executive
director position at
their Friday work
session.
The final two of Spruill
the twenty-one applicants are Craig
Dolan, the director of recreation
in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and
Thomas Peters, the interim direc-
tor of wellness and intramurals at
Claflin University in Orangeburg,
South Carolina. They made their
cases to Mayor Lynn Spruill and
five of the seven aldermen via vid-
eo conference, the second time the
city has conducted interviews en-
tirely remotely. The first time was
in January 2019, when the board
interviewed candidates for commu-
nity development director.
Gerry Logan, the previous parks
director, left at the end of March
to take a position as Mississippi
sales representative with MUSCO
Sports Lighting. David D’Aquilla, a
member of the design team for Cor-
nerstone Park, has been serving as
Courtesy photo/Mike Highfield
part-time interim director. Starkville native Tyler Highfield received a $10,000 scholarship from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association last
Dolan has 15 years of experi- week. The money will be put toward training en route to earning Tyler’s private pilot certificate when he turns 17.
ence in recreation and has held
his current position since 2014. He
previously worked in the recreation Starkville Academy junior earns scholarship to high school flight program
department in Largo, Florida and
has both a bachelor’s and master’s
BY GARRICK HODGE “I flew a plane by myself before with Tyler and his instructor a few
ghodge@cdispatch.com I could drive by myself,” Highfield years ago, nerves got the better of
degrees in sports management. He

has also worked for the Naval Air
Station in Jacksonville, Florida.
He described himself as “pas-
sionate about sports” and a fast
talker because he grew up in New
Jersey. Ward 3 Alderman David
Little asked Dolan about his man-
agement style, and Dolan said he
does not micromanage his staff but
is sure to display his passion for his
job.
“(I believe in) being a motivator,
giving them the skills necessary
and showing them where they
need to be, but also being honest
and open with them and not having
them be afraid to fail,” Dolan said.
He said he was drawn to
Starkville partly for career ad-
See ALDERMEN, 6A
A
teenager’s 16th birthday
is typically an important
milestone.
That held true for Starkville
native Tyler Highfield. Only his big
moment didn’t take place in the
Department of Motor Vehicles.
After about 20 hours of in-
struction with Circle S Aviation in
Starkville, Highfield successfully
navigated his first solo flight on his
16th birthday on Oct. 3, 2019. Be-
cause a person can’t fly solo until
they’re 16, Highfield was so amped
up about getting to the airfield that
he didn’t mind putting his driver’s
license on the back burner.
said. “That’s pretty crazy. … So
far it’s probably one of the coolest
moments of my life.”
The milestone was a figurative
lap around Cloud Nine, considering
the soon-to-be junior at Starkville
Academy dreamt about being a
pilot since he was 6 years old.
But good luck trying to figure out
where his love of the sky originat-
ed.
No one in his immediate family
is a pilot, nor can Highfield pin-
point exactly where his fascination
with planes started. Ironically, his
father, Mike, would much rather
stay firmly on the ground. In the
middle of an airborne experience
the elder Highfield, leading to the
flight ending prematurely.
But the younger Highfield has
a burning passion for all things
aviation, nevertheless.
“I’ve always wanted to be a
pilot,” Tyler said. “I’ve always just
really liked planes. I don’t know
where the original idea came from.
I’ve just known I’ve always loved it.”
Tyler received a bit of good news
last week, being selected as one of
80 high school students nationwide
to receive a $10,000 scholarship
from the Aircraft Owners and
Pilots Association (AOPA) 2020
High School Flight Scholarship
See HIGHFIELD, 6A

UNDER THE CAPITOL DOME

Analysis: Mississippi could erase multistep election system
The Mississippi Constitution currently requires a statewide candidate candidate to win a majority of
the popular vote and a majority
could decide the outcome of an
election.
to win a majority of the popular vote and a majority of electoral vote of electoral vote. One electoral Mississippi is the only state
vote is awarded to the candi- with this multistep process for
BY EMILY WAGSTER PET TUS wide officials. proposal says that a candidate date receiving the most support electing a governor. The pro-
The Associated Press Legislators are close to who wins a majority of the pop- in each of the 122 state House cess was written when white
agreeing on House Concurrent ular vote would win a statewide districts. If no candidate wins politicians across the South
JACKSON — Mississippi Resolution 47. It would put a election. If nobody receives a both the popular vote and the were enacting laws to erase
voters might get a chance to proposal on the ballot this No- majority in a race with three or electoral vote, the race is de- black political power gained
purge a Jim Crow-era provision vember, letting people decide more candidates, the top two cided by the state House. But, during Reconstruction. The
from the state constitution and whether to erase an Electoral would go to a runoff. representatives are not obligat- separate House vote was pro-
simplify the process of electing College-type provision from the The Mississippi Constitution ed to vote as their districts did moted as a way for the white
the governor and other state- state’s 1890 constitution. The currently requires a statewide — and that means arm-twisting See ANALYSIS, 3A

WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC

1 In 1971, surfer Tom Morey invented the light- MEETINGS
weight foam bodyboard and named it what? Today: Oktibbeha
2 The energy from the Hoover Dam serves the County Board of
electrical needs of customers from which three Supervisors meeting,
states? Chancery Courthouse,
3 Curtis Jackson is the real name for which 5:30 p.m.
rapper and actor?
4 Which self-rinsing product was invented in June 16: Starkville
Miller Purtell Board of Aldermen
1989 by Joy Mangano, played by Jennifer Law-
Kindergarten, Annunciation meeting, 5:30 p.m.,
rence in the 2015 movie “Joy”?

88 Low 60
5 Which 2014 science fiction novel by Jeff Van- City Hall
High derMeer was made into a film starring Natalie June 23: OCH Regional
Mostly sunny
Portman? Medical Center Board
Answers, 6B of Trustees, 4 p.m.
Full forecast on
page 3A. July 3: Starkville Board
of Aldermen work ses-
sion, 10 a.m., City Hall
July 6: Oktibbeha
INSIDE County Board of
Classifieds 6B Dear Abby 3B Supervisors meeting,
Comics 3B Obituaries 4B Jordan Beard is looking forward to his senior Chancery Courthouse,
Crossword 2B Opinions 4A year at Columbus High School this fall. 9 a.m.

DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471

2A MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

A THOUSAND WORDS

ABOVE: From left, Amy Ballard

and Nedra Mitchell practice
pole-wrapped shibori dyeing
during an art class on Tues-
day evening at Columbus Arts
Council. Ballard is mixing the
blue-dyed water so that the
fabric is colored evenly while
Mitchell holds the pole around
which the fabric is wrapped.
Shibori dyeing is a Japanese
art that will create a very
intricate striped pattern in the
fabric. RIGHT: Fabric wrapped
tightly around a pole sits in a
bucket of blue dye during an
art class on Tuesday evening
at Columbus Arts Council.
The fabric soaks in the dye for
eight minutes before it is set
out to dry. — Photos by Claire
Hassler/Dispatch Staff

Mississippi schools get schedule

options during pandemic
Plan gives districts three options A traditional schedule
requires students to be
cases and 880 deaths
from the coronavirus as
for offering classes in the fall present in school with
scheduling modifica-
of Friday evening.

semester: a traditional schedule, a tions to follow CDC and

hybrid schedule and a virtual schedule
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
JACKSON — The
Mississippi Department
of Education is offering
options for how schools
can offer classes starting
in the fall semester, with
consideration for social
distancing and other safe-
ty guidelines because of
the coronavirus pandem-
ic.
The department has
released a plan giving
school districts three op-
tions: a traditional sched-
ule, a hybrid schedule and
a virtual schedule.
The plan “outlines a
three-month timeline of
strategies for superinten-
dents and principals to
consider to plan for the
start of the 2020-21 school
year” and is “intended to
be used as a resource and
starting point for districts
to consider local needs in
collaboration with stake-
holders,” department
spokeswoman Jean Cook
told the Clarion Ledger.
It will be updated in to
adjust to changes with the
COVID-19 pandemic, she
said.
Jason Harris, Colum-
bia School District su-
perintendent, is one of
nine superintendents who
worked with the state to
create the plans.
“This isn’t a ‘You must
follow,’” Harris said. “This
is just guidance that peo-
ple can use as a reference
when determining what is
best for their district.”
Harris said that while
his school district intends
to have the tradition-
al schedule, he knows
some parents may not feel
safe sending children to
school. That’s when the
hybrid schedule or virtual
schedule could be used.
So, for the upcoming
school year, students who
study from home would
have the option of watch-
ing their teacher’s lesson
from a classroom web-
cam. The lesson would be
recorded and uploaded,
giving the student the op-
tion to watch it later.
“We realize that the
word internet is a little bit
tricky because people do
have it via their phones
or hot spots,” Harris said.
“We know that the effi-
ciency of it sometimes
may not be what we need.”
Mississippi Department
of Health recommenda-
tions. It includes daily
screening and disinfect-
ing protocols. It creates a
plan for serving students
and adjusting duties for
staff who cannot return
to the building because
of health issues. It also
limits student movement
and restricts gatherings
in buildings to achieve so-
cial distancing.
A hybrid schedule
combines online and
face-to-face instruction.
Schools must meet dis-
tance-learning require-
ments. Student popula-
tion is divided in half,
with each half reporting
to school on alternating
days and participating in
distance learning during
days scheduled at home.
Fridays could be used
for tutorials, professional
development or help with
special needs.
A virtual schedule
would have distance
learning, including train-
ing for teachers in giving
online classes.
The Health Depart-
ment said Saturday that
Mississippi — with a pop-
ulation of about 3 million
— has had at least 19,300

Leader of MHP retiring at end of June

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
JACKSON — The officer who leads
the Mississippi Highway Patrol says he
will retire June 30, after a 26-year career
with the Department of Public Safety.
Col. Chris Gillard was named assis-
tant commissioner of public safety and
head of the state’s largest law enforce-
ment agency in February 2016.
A news release from the department
said the Tupelo native was previously
director of the Driver Service Bureau,
director of training, executive officer
to the public safety commissioner, a
member of the governor’s executive
protection detail, a drug trafficking in-
terdiction officer and a Highway Patrol
recruiter.
“We are blessed to have a great team
of dedicated public servants who will
continue working hard to protect the cit-
izens of our great state,” Gillard said in
the news release. “I am especially thank-
ful for the support and prayers over the
years from my wife, mother, family and
friends who encouraged me along the
way.”
Gillard was injured during his first at-
tempt at Highway Patrol school, but he
completed the course and graduated in
1994. He was outstanding trooper of the
year in 1997.
“Col. Gillard has been a strong lead-
er within the Mississippi Department of
Public Safety and a brave public servant
within the Mississippi Highway Patrol
dedicated to making Mississippi a better
and safer place for all who call our great
state home,” Gov. Tate Reeves said in the
release.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020 3A

Mississippi sees jump in suicide hotline calls during virus

Department of Mental Health chief of staff:
One in five Mississippians will experience
mental illness during their lifetime
BY LEAH WILLINGHAM
The Associated Press/Report
for America
JACKSON — Calls from
Mississippi to the national Sui-
cide Prevention Lifeline have
increased by 20 percent since
the start of the coronavirus
pandemic, a leader at the state
Department of Mental Health
said Friday.
“There are severe mental
health challenges going on as
a result of this virus,” Gov. Tate
Reeves said at a press briefing
with Wendy Bailey, chief of staff
at the Department of Mental
Health. “There is fear, there is
pain and there is anxiety in this
country and in our state and
those cannot be overstated.”
The number of people seek-
ing mental health services in
the state has increased across
the board since February, Bai-
ley said. These challenges can
be spurred by changes in eat-
ing or sleeping habits, anxiety
about one’s health or the health
of loved ones, stress over the
loss of a job or increased use of
substances, something that is
common during a major event
like the pandemic, Bailey said.
One in five Mississippians
will experience mental illness
during their lifetime, Bailey
said.
“It’s common, but it’s not of-
ten talked about,” she said.
Bailey and Reeves took time
to share mental health resourc-
es, including the 24/7 mobile
crisis unit in each of the state’s
82 counties that responds to
mental health emergencies.
The Department of Mental
Health launched a website in
March, which includes a direc-
tory of resources by county and
videos of Mississippians talking
about living with mental illness.
Reeves said loneliness and
isolation are “powerful diseases
of the mind” that are “too often
deadly.”
“We cannot pretend that
everyone is doing ‘just OK,’”
Reeves said. “We need to face
the depression, anxiety and
fear that are plaguing us.”
Bailey said connecting with
loved ones is a powerful anti-
dote.
“Gov. Reeves spoke about
social distancing,” she said. “It
has saved innumerous lives.
But at the same time, social dis-
tancing does not mean discon-
necting from everything.”
The national suicide preven-
tion lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK.
More resources can be found
at mentalhealthms.com. Those
seeking help with substance
misuse can go to standupms.
org.

Mississippi voucher program Columbus man killed

could get 4-year extension in weekend crash
DISPATCH STAFF REPORT

Educational scholarship accounts consideration would set

allow special-needs students to
receive $6,500 a year in public money
to attend private schools
BY EMILY
WAGSTER PET TUS
The Associated Press
JACKSON — Mis-
sissippi legislators have
voted to keep a school
voucher program alive for
another four years, send-
ing a bill to Republican
Gov. Tate Reeves.
Senate Bill 2954 would
reauthorize a program
for educational scholar-
ship accounts, with some
changes. The accounts
allow special-needs stu-
dents to receive $6,500 a
The following arrests
were made by the Oktib-
beha County Sheriff’s Of-
fice:
n Deunte Hoskins, 22,
was charged with armed
robbery and possession of
a weapon by a felon.
n Donnie Brownridge,
24, was charged with pos-
session of a weapon by a
felon and hold for other
agency.
n Devierre Outlaw, 27,
was charged with an in-
dictment.
n Terrance Rogers, 41,
was charged with domes-
tic violence, kidnapping,
petite larceny, obstructing
justice, DUI 1st and no
drivers license.
n Kerry Lucious, 41,
was charged with grand
larceny, DUI 1st, expired
drivers license, failure to
yield to right of way and
year in public money to
attend private schools.
The current program
was established in 2015
and is set to expire at the
end of June.
The Senate voted ear-
lier this year to keep the
program alive, and the
House agreed to the bill
Friday. Reeves supported
the program as lieutenant
governor last term, and
he steered an extra $2
million into it last year as
he was running for gover-
nor.
The bill awaiting his
AREA ARRESTS
Hoskins Brownridge
driving on
the wrong
side of the
road.
n Mat-
t h e w
Graves, 27,
was charged
Busby
with pos-
session of a
weapon by a felon, MDOC
hold and two counts pos-
session of marijuana.
n Hannah Busby, 20,
was charged with pos-
session of a controlled
substance, DUI, curfew
violation, possession of
new limits on the pro-
gram by requiring that
the money could only be
used in schools that pro-
vide services a student
needs. It also would elim-
inate the use of vouchers
for out-of-state or online
schools.
Grant Callen is pres-
ident of Empower Mis-
sissippi, a group that has
pushed to keep the pro-
gram alive.
“While we celebrate
this victory, we are disap-
pointed for the children
who will have their lives
upended because schools
that were meeting their
needs are no longer eligi-
ble,” Callen said in a state-
ment Friday.
The Parents’ Cam-
paign, a group that lob-
Outlaw Rogers
Scott Riley
marijuana, no insurance
and improper equipment.
n Jiderries Scott, 20,
was charged with posses-
sion of schedule 2 drug,
speeding and possession
of marijuana.
n Donnell Riley, 36,
was charged with bur-
bies for public schools,
has opposed the voucher
A local man died in a car accident in East Co-
lumbus Saturday afternoon.
program. The group’s ex- Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant iden-
ecutive director, Nancy tified the victim as Ernest Terrel McCoy, 42, of Co-
Loome, wrote in an email lumbus. McCoy was driving west on Maple Street
when he apparently lost control of the vehicle and
this week that the bill
“takes important steps to left the road, hitting a concrete bumper and tree in
front of an office building, Merchant said. The ve-
limit this horribly flawed
hicle flipped and McCoy was ejected from the car.
voucher program that Merchant pronounced McCoy dead at the
takes scarce tax dollars
scene.
away from public schools
to pay tuition at private
schools.”
Almost half the stu-
dents in the program have Man charged with capital
come from five urban
school districts — Rankin murder of Mississippi deputy
County, Madison County,
DeSoto County, Jackson Man was being taken to a mental
and Hinds County. People
who would like to use the health facility under court order
money have had problems THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
finding schools in rural
areas. MENDENHALL — The Mississippi Bureau
of Investigation said Sunday that a man has been
charged with capital murder in the shooting death
of a 77-year-old deputy sheriff who was taking him
to a mental health facility.
Joaquin Blackwell, 22, of Magee was arrested
Saturday in Simpson County, a day after the fatal
shooting. After an extensive manhunt, Blackwell
was caught behind a gas station near the Region 8
Mental Health Services building.
Blackwell was being taken to the facility under
a court order Friday. Simpson County Sheriff Paul
Mullins said investigators believe Blackwell took
a gun from deputy James Blair, shot him and ran
into the woods.
Lucious Graves
It was not immediately clear Sunday whether
Blackwell is represented by an attorney. He was in
custody in nearby Rankin County.
MBI said Sunday that an investigation contin-
ues to determine whether anyone helped Black-
well evade law enforcement officers during the
search for him.
Blair had continued to work to provide for
grandchildren he and his wife were raising, news
Sheehy McCloud
outlets reported. He had also worked as a school
glary of a residence and crossing guard.
simple assault. “We have lost a true public servant and a great
n Dwayne Sheehy, 48, man,” the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department
was charged with MDOC said Saturday on its Facebook page.
hold. Dave Van, the executive director of Region 8
n Nicholas McCloud, Health, had told WJTV that Blackwell was in the
28, was charged with pos- custody of the sheriff’s department when he was
session of controlled sub- being brought to Regions 8 Health for an evalua-
stance and MDOC hold. tion.

Analysis
Continued from Page 1A
ruling class have the final
say in who holds office.
African American
plaintiffs sued Missis-
sippi in 2019 in an effort
backed by former U.S.
Attorney General Eric
Holder. They argued that
the state’s multistep pro-
cess unconstitutionally vi-
olates the principle of one
person, one vote. Plain-
tiffs’ attorneys said Mis-
sissippi’s history of racial-
ly polarized voting means
that candidates preferred
by black voters must re-
ceive a higher share of
the statewide vote to win
a majority of House dis-
tricts.
Days before Mississip-
pi elected statewide offi-
violation of one person,
one vote is “arguably ...
their strongest claim.”
The plaintiffs’ attor-
neys argued that the Mis-
sissippi system for elect-
ing statewide officials is
similar to a Georgia coun-
ty-unit election rule that
was invalidated by a fed-
eral court ruling in 1963.
“They’re right,” Jordan
wrote.
Jordan noted that Mis-
sissippi’s election provi-
sions “are not merely stat-
utes that can be revised
in one legislative session;
they are constitutional
provisions that require
amendment.” Jordan put
the lawsuit on hold in De-
cember, saying he would
an amendment would re-
quire a simple majority of
votes.
That last time a gov-
ernor’s race was thrown
to the Mississippi House
was 20 years ago. Nobody
received the required ma-
jorities in a four-person
race for governor in 1999.
The top two candidates
were white, and each won
61 electoral votes. In Janu-
ary 2000, House members
chose Democrat Ronnie
Musgrove, who had re-
ceived the most votes,
over Republican Mike
Parker. At the time, the
House was controlled by
Democrats. It is now con-
trolled by Republicans.
Some Democrats SOLUNAR TABLE
The solunar period indicates

cials in November, U.S. give legislators a chance thought the electoral

peak-feeding times for fish and game.
Mon. Tue.
Major 8:26p 9:06p
District Judge Daniel P. to remedy the system. provision might come Minor 2:58a 3:25a
Jordan III wrote that he That’s where the pro- into play in a tight 2019 Major
Minor
8:45a
3:37p
9:26a
4:32p
has “grave concern” about posed constitutional governor’s election, but Courtesy of Mississippi Department
of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks

the constitutionality the amendment comes in. Republican Tate Reeves

electoral vote provision. Legislatures must put
Jordan wrote that the the question on the state-
plaintiffs’ argument about wide ballot, and adopting
Tell your child a bedtime story.
The Dispatch
easily defeated Democrat
Jim Hood and two less-
er-known candidates.
The Commercial Dispatch (USPS 142-320)
Published daily except Saturday. Answers to common questions:
Entered at the post office at Columbus, Mississippi.
Periodicals postage paid at Columbus, MS Phone: 662-328-2424
POSTMASTER, Send address changes to:
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Report a news tip: news@cdispatch.com
Opinion
4A MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020
PETER BIRNEY IMES Editor/Publisher
BIRNEY IMES III Editor/Publisher 1998-2018
BIRNEY IMES JR. Editor/Publisher 1947-2003

Dispatch
The
BIRNEY IMES SR. Editor/Publisher 1922-1947

ZACK PLAIR, Managing Editor

BETH PROFFITT Advertising Director
MICHAEL FLOYD Circulation/Production Manager
MARY ANN HARDY Controller

POSSUMHAW
Expect the unexpected
“Toleration is the
greatest gift of the
mind; it requires the
same effort of the
brain that it takes to
balance oneself on a
bicycle.”
Helen Keller
1880-1968
Out came the
bicycles, having
been in storage for Shannon Bardwell
about six to eight
years. Sam aired up the tires
and checked over the bikes’
mechanics. They were maybe
a little dusty and a little rusty.
We wiped them down and
decided to take a short spin.
Our gravel road with two hills
is not a pleasant way to start
out a bike ride, so we loaded
the bikes into the truck bed
and found a paved road. The
agreement was we’d start out
slow and not ride far. The last
time we took the bikes out we
tackled our ride too fast and
too long and haven’t tried it
again until now.
Sam took a quick
spin on his bike
and I attempted
to mount mine,
but with the first
complete spin of
the wheel the bike
stopped; I almost
lurched over the
handlebars. I tried
it two more times
with the same
results. I hollered at
Sam and asked him
to come check my bike. The
wheels moved freely until the
wheel was turned left. The bike
abruptly stopped.
Turns out the handlebars
were turned around 360
degrees, and when the wheel
turned left the line to the brake
tightened and activated. OK,
well it had been a long time,
as I mentioned. We flipped the
handlebars around and took
off. We rode through a subdivi-
sion with perfectly manicured
lawns. The neighborhood
was utterly quiet and with no
movement except for one lady
pruning her roses. We rode a
long connector road from the
subdivision back to our truck
for an altogether nice outing.
The weather was perfect, cool,
a bit breezy and sunny.
The next ride was at the
west bank of the Tenn-Tom
Waterway. Again, we saw only
one vehicle and it parked while
the occupants viewed the
river. Along our route a gaggle
of geese were feeding in the
grass with their goslings. Be-
fore we left, the momma geese
herded the offspring back to
the river.
The third day out we parked
in a parking lot and followed a
long and winding road sid-
ed with trees and fields. Up
ahead was a man walking his
dog alongside a cemetery.
Sam whizzed on by with no
problem. I was a fair distance
behind Sam and, when I
reached the man and the dog,
the German shepherd charged.
I stopped motionless.
The owner quickly grabbed
the dog’s harness while the
Shepherd continued to pull
against him. The man was
wearing a mask. I wasn’t, so I
apologized. The meeting was
unexpected.
The man also apologized,
saying, “I thought there was
only one biker.”
I remained still. The dog
pulled. My heart beat a little
fast as I continued looking at
the dog. His teeth were bared
as he strained at his harness.
Mostly I was awed. If he knew
me, he’d love me. I’m an animal
person.
Eventually I was able to
move on and all was well.
Having met with the dog, we
decided to take the long way
home, only to discover once
again — there’s no place like
home.
Email reaches Shannon
Bardwell of Columbus at msdel-
tachild@msn.com.

OTHER EDITORS
Four bad years
wrapped into one
If you’ve been thinking that
2020 is a year unlike any other,
here’s some evidence that you are
correct.
On a recent edition of The Bul-
wark podcast, the analysis went
like this: Americans started 2020
by reliving 1974. We then moved
on to 1918. Then 1929. And now
1968.
That’s an accurate assessment.
In 1974, the House prepared
to impeach President Richard
Nixon, who resigned when fellow
Republicans in the Senate told
him that he did not have the votes
to remain in office. This year,
President Donald Trump was im-
peached and the Senate acquitted
him.
In 1918-19, more than 50
million people around the world,
including 500,000 to 850,000 in
the United States, died during a
15-month influenza pandemic.
A century later, we are three
months into another viral pan-
demic. Thankfully, there are far
fewer deaths this time.
But the coronavirus prompted
a worldwide economic shutdown,
one that sent the U.S. unemploy-
ment rate from 3 percent to 15
percent in a matter of weeks.
That’s the 1929 comparison, when
a stock market crash was the first
signal of the Great Depression, a
financial calamity that lingered
for more than a decade. It took
World War II’s massive military
spending to end it.
The past week, with down-
towns aflame after the death of a
black man at the hands of police
in Minneapolis, has called to
mind 1968, when student protests
against the Vietnam War were
common and Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy died
at the hands of assassins.
The good news is that America
survived all four of those years.
We’ll survive this one, too, al-
though the first five months make
you wonder what the next seven
have in store.
Greenwood Commonwealth
Voice of the People
We encourage you to share your
opinion with readers of The Dis-
patch.
Submit your letter to The Dispatch
by:
E-mail: voice@cdispatch.com
Mail: P.O. Box 511, Columbus, MS
39703
In person: 516 Main St., Columbus,
or 101 S. Lafayette St., No. 16,
Starkville.
All letters must be signed by the
author and must include town of res-
idence and a telephone number for
verification purposes. Letters should
be no more than 500 words, and
guest columns should be 500-700
words. We reserve the right to edit
submitted information.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Suggests reconsidering representa-
tives of state in Statuary Hall
With all the discussions and actions
to change our state flag and remove
Confederate monuments, let us not
forget who currently represents our
state in the National Statuary Hall in the
US Capitol in DC. These are individuals
chosen to represent Mississippi to our
fellow countrymen and the world’s citi-
zens. Currently, the representatives for
Mississippi are Jefferson Davis, an inef-
fective leader who declared war on his
own country in order to preserve slavery
and his wealth and James Zachariah
George, another Confederate who spent
his days legally suppressing the rights
of black Mississippians. I know we can
do better. Here are a few suggestions
for better representatives of our state:
Medgar Evers, Elvis Presley, William
Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Ida B. Wells,
Muddy Waters, Tennessee Williams,
Richard Wright, and Walter Payton.
Let’s move forward and show the world
that we are finally closing the chapter of
our Confederate past and embracing a
brighter and better future.
Nichole Cancellare
Columbus
Amused by case for keeping flag
I read with amusement the argu-
ment C.T. Carley made for keeping the
current state flag. The following two
paragraphs are written tongue in cheek:
This symbol is not only beautiful but
also highly significant in its design.
It was a Christian symbol for Christ’s
victory over death. It was widely used in
church decoration in the Middle Ages.
It was an Armenian symbol for eternity
and G-d. It was a sacred symbol in near-
ly all Asian religions.
It was chosen in the 1920s to repre-
sent purity and superiority, and used in
Germany (for the losing side, as was the
battle flag for the South). I have German
heritage. So what this symbol means to
me is an acknowledgment of my German
heritage, and that the religious symbol-
ism can be traced back many thousands
of years. By all means, keep the swasti-
ka flying.
Now, in all seriousness, when a
religious symbol is co-opted to stand
for atrocities, it needs to be set aside,
as we did with the swastika. The battle
flag represented a culture that believed
people were property. I certainly do not
hold that viewpoint. I am embarrassed
that Mississippi fought so hard for that
culture. It is time for us to put aside this
symbol of such a terrible past. Move
on, Mississippi, to see what our future
holds, without the constant reminder
that this state believed in slavery.
Bonnie Oppenheimer
Columbus
An example of ‘defunding’ police
When the radical left as Pat calls
them, talk about defunding the police
departments, it’s not about dismantling
them as Pat would want you to believe,
but using some of their money for youth
initiatives and social services.
I encourage you to search for: What
the city where defunding the police
worked tell us.
Camden, New Jersey, is an example
of a city that was amongst the nation’s
most dangerous with a homicide rate
equivalent to that of El Salvador before
a funding upheaval and a list of reforms
which resulted in the lowest murder rate
the town had seen since 1987.
James Hodges
Steens
One recap of last week
A lot can happen in a week. Things
began positively.
Largely peaceful Black Lives Matter
marches continued all over the country,
including protest marches in Starkville
and Columbus.
NASCAR banned the flying of
Confederate flags and Lady Antebellum
shortened their name to Lady A.
President Trump and his re-election
campaign are moving in the opposite
direction. The President retweeted a
baseless conspiracy theory aimed at
Martin Gugino, the 75-year-old man
injured at a peaceful BLM protest in Buf-
falo. Unpresidential at best, the timing of
the retweet - on the morning of George
Floyd’s funeral — highlighted this Pres-
ident’s increasing inability to connect
with the great majority of us.
The Trump campaign then an-
nounced their first rally in months
would be held on Juneteenth in Tulsa,
site of the largest and most vicious U.S.
episode of white-on-black terrorism in
1921. To say this was a poor choice is to
understate it magnificently. (Awkward
side note: rally attendees must agree not
to sue the Trump campaign should they
contract COVID-19 while in attendance.)
The next morning news broke the
President’s speech at the Republican
National Convention in Jacksonville
would take place on August 27th, the an-
niversary of a locally infamous incident
of white-on-black violence known as ‘Ax
Handle Saturday’. Oops.
Friday afternoon the President
backed down and moved the Tulsa rally
to the day after Junetenth — “out of
respect.” Translation: due to overwhelm-
ing political pressure. Wise choice. No
word as yet whether or not the President
will still top off the Ax Handle Saturday
festivities with his speech.
Sadly, as most know, the news day
was still not over. Rayshard Brooks was
shot dead in Atlanta. Two shots. In the
back. After a 30-minute encounter with
a multitude of non-violent off-ramps.
Poor decisions on both sides but the
poorest on the part of the officer who
shot — when the situation never should
have escalated at all.
A lot can happen in a week. Given the
context of the events of the preceding
two weeks, the events from Tuesday on
are, to me, largely incomprehensible.
If you are still inclined to think “it’s
just a few bad apples” I think it is high
time you think again. This week, more
than any other so far, has shown me we
still have a very long road ahead before
we get to that more perfect union. But
the diversity of the crowds at the march-
es and the reactions in polls have shown
me that there are a lot of us who can see
that path and intend to walk it. The mor-
al arc of the universe is, in fact, bending
— slowly, but in the right direction.
Paul Mack
Columbus
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020 5A

Mississippi faces reckoning

on Confederate emblem in flag
“I feel like it’s a cop-out to say ‘I’m going to let
Mississippi decide’ instead of righting a wrong”
Jackson Black Lives Matter protest organizer Maisie Brown
BY EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
The Associated Press
JACKSON — The young activists
who launched a protest movement
after George Floyd’s death are bring-
ing fresh energy to a long-simmering
debate about the Confederate battle
emblem that white supremacists em-
bedded within the Mississippi state
flag more than 125 years ago.
Anti-racism protests have toppled
Confederate statues and monuments
across the United States in recent
days, and even NASCAR banned the
display of the rebel flag. But Missis-
sippi has been a holdout for years
in displaying the emblem in the up-
per-left corner of its banner.
Republican Gov. Tate Reeves re-
jects the idea of a legislative vote on
erasing the symbol. If the flag is to be
redesigned, “it should be the people
who make that decision, not some
backroom deal by a bunch of politi-
cians in Jackson,” Reeves said this
week.
The mere mention of removing
the Confederate emblem from the
Mississippi flag stirs anger in its de-
fenders, who tell people to leave the
state if they don’t like it.
The issue has gained new mo-
mentum since Floyd was killed last
month by Minneapolis police. Thou-
sands of people turned out June 6 in
downtown Jackson for a protest or-
ganized by Black Lives Matter. One
of the organizers, 18-year-old Maisie
Brown, read a list of demands that
started with “the removal of all Con-
federate symbols and memorabilia.”
A loud cheer rose from the racially
diverse crowd on a street outside the
Governor’s Mansion. Reeves was not
home to hear it. He was out of town
with his family.
Mississippi, with a 38 percent
black population, still has dozens of
rebel soldier statues outside court-
houses. It’s also the only state with
a flag that includes the Confederate
battle emblem — a red field with a
blue X dotted by 13 white stars.
Reeves has repeatedly refused to
answer reporters’ questions about
whether he thinks the flag properly
represents the state. The first-year
governor declared April to be Con-
federate Heritage Month.
Mississippi has used the Confed-
erate emblem in its flag since 1894,
when white supremacists in state
government adopted it after Recon-
struction. Georgia put a large Con-
federate battle symbol on its state
flag in 1956, during a backlash to
the civil rights movement. That state
purged the symbol from its banner
in 2001 — the same year Mississippi
voters chose to keep it on their flag.
During two news conferences
last week, Reeves would only repeat
what he said during the 2019 gover-
nor’s race — if the flag is going to be
changed, it should be done by a state-
wide election. He said any Missis-
sippi resident can start a new ballot
initiative, which requires signatures
from more than 100,000 voters.
“When the people believe it’s time
to change the flag is when the flag
will be changed,” Reeves said.
Brown, who was born several
months after the 2001 Mississippi
flag election, said she has little pa-
tience for the governor’s position.
“I feel like it’s a cop-out to say
‘I’m going to let Mississippi decide’
instead of righting a wrong,” Brown
said Tuesday. “For Mississippi to
show that it cares about its citizens
who are not white, they have to take
down the flag.”
Enacting a law to change the flag
would take a veto-proof two-thirds
majority in a Republican-led Leg-
islature. Some legislators said this
week that they were trying to build
a bipartisan coalition to reach that
margin, but they acknowledge it’s
tough. Several lawmakers embrace
the flag, and many think their politi-
cal careers would be ruined by a vote
for change.
George C. Bond, leader of the
Mississippi Division of Sons of Con-
federate Veterans, said legislators
should not engage in political deals to
change the flag. He said hate groups
have “misused” the Confederate
symbol and that Mississippi National
Guard soldiers have carried the state
flag into battle beginning with the
Spanish-American War and continu-
ing to the current war on terrorism.
“That flag, to them, represent-
ed home, represented Mississippi,”
Bond said.
The 2001 flag referendum includ-
ed a proposal to replace the Confed-
erate emblem with a blue rectangle
topped by circles of white stars to
represent Mississippi as the 20th
state. Critics derided it as a “pizza
flag.”
A different design has been gain-
ing traction the past few years, with
people flying it at their homes and
businesses. The “Stennis flag” has
red bars on either end and a white
center topped with blue stars — 19
small ones encircling a large 20th
one.

Mississippi sees increase in alcohol sales during pandemic

Department of Revenue: Most of the
increase is sales at liquor stores
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
GULFPORT — Alco-
hol sales in Mississippi
are seeing a big jump
during the coronavirus
pandemic, the state De-
partment of Revenue says.
“Since March 16, we
have shipped 932,120 cas-
es, which represents an
increase of 140,785 cases
over last year,” the de-
partment’s division of Al-
coholic Beverage Control
said in a social media post
last week.
Numbers reported by
the agency include sales
to some casinos and
restaurants, said Depart-
ment of Revenue spokes-
man Jacob Manley.
Most of the increase
is sales at liquor stores,
Manley told the Sun Her-
ald.
“The sales slacked off a
little bit since restaurants
and casinos reopened,”
but are still strong, said
order,” the agency said.
“We ask for your patience
Danielle Yelle, who han-
dles information technol-
as we work to get your or-
ders out.”
ogy and sales at Shawn’s
Petit Bois Liquor Store in
Biloxi.
Officials wrote in the
social media post that the
state agency is shipping
at capacity every night.
Crews are working to re-
duce a backlog of requests
at the state warehouse
that supplies wine and
alcohol for liquor stores,
restaurants and casinos.
“It will take longer
than usual to receive your

Bars reopening in New Orleans. Will tourists come?

Capacity is limited to 25 percent and
live music remains prohibited
BY KEVIN MCGILL
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS —
Bar owners in New Or-
leans prepared for a soft
opening, and an uncertain
one, as they began letting
customers in Saturday for
the first time in months.
Capacity is limited to 25
percent, live music re-
mains prohibited, and
nobody knows how many
tourists will show on
Bourbon Street in the age
of COVID-19.
Pam Fortner, owner of
six French Quarter ven-
ues, is opening only two
of them, both on Bour-
bon, where the custom-
ary blocks-long frat party
atmosphere ended in an
abrupt shutdown in mid-
March.
Now, she’s not sure
what to expect. She sat at
a sidewalk table at Royal
and St. Ann on Thursday,
eating a Caesar salad and
deriving hope from the
occasional out-of-state li-
cense plate she saw amid
sparse traffic.
“I think Saturday will
be busy,” she said in an
interview.
Cherie Boos, manag-
er of Lafitte’s Blacksmith
Shop, in an authentical-
ly rustic, creaky floored
18th-century Creole cot-
tage, said she’s hoping
locals will help keep the
bar financially afloat as
Bourbon Street revives.
But she adds, “We’re hop-
ing that, you know, we
can start generating some
tourists in the city, too,
now that the bars are go-
ing to be open.”
Bourbon Street, which
had the ambiance of an
empty movie set in April,
has experienced a slow
re-awakening in recent
weeks. Dine-in restau-
rants have been allowed
to reopen at 25 percent
capacity, as have bars
with food permits. Still,
traffic has been slow and
plywood covered numer-
ous tavern windows until
Mayor LaToya Cantrell
announced the latest eas-
ing of restrictions in a city
that, in the spring, had be-
come an international hot
spot for COVID-19.
Even as they an-
nounced the reopenings
on Tuesday, city officials
admitted they were con-
cerned about a possible
recurrence.
“Oh, I’m worried. I am
worried,” Cantrell said at a
news conference. She said
city code enforcement of-
ficials will watch to make
sure social distancing,
masking requirements
and building capacity lim-
its are enforced.
Customers will have to
be mindful, too, said Dr.
Jennifer Avegno, the city’s
health director. “If you’re
there, with your house-
hold group and you’re hav-
ing drinks at a table at a
bar, we really need you not
to go off and mingle with
the other tables,” she said
Tuesday.
Toward that end, there
will be no musicians on
stage at Fortner’s Tropi-
cal Isle bars on Bourbon
Street. That prevents peo-
ple from congregating
near the stage and elimi-
nates the possibility that
a singer belting out a song
could also be unknowing-
ly spreading the virus.
That fear that has kept the
city from allowing live mu-
sic performances, includ-
ing choirs in churches.
Some New Orleans bar
owners are critical of the
restrictions. “Why are
they picking on the musi-
cians?” said Fortner.

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subject: Business brief
6A MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Aldermen
Continued from Page 1A
vancement and partly
because he has family in
Mississippi. He owns land
near Oxford and his in-
laws are Mississippi State
University graduates, he
said.
Ward 2 Alderman San-
dra Sistrunk, the board’s
budget chairperson,
asked about the size of
the recreation budget
Dolan manages, and he
said it’s about $1 million.
Starkville’s recreation
budget is more than $1.7
million.
He also said he has ex-
perience obtaining grants
for Tarpon Springs’ rec-
reation programs, in re-
sponse to a question from
Spruill, and he also is in-
volved in marketing for
the department.
“I have a gentleman
who does our digital mar-
keting, so I spin out a lot
of ideas and he creates
them,” Dolan said.
Peters
Peters’ career in recre-
ation started when he was
growing up in Louisiana.
He worked for the parks
department in Pine Bluff,
Arkansas, for almost four
years before he took his
position at Claflin Univer-
sity in August.
“I wanted to become a
director, and I kind of got
overlooked at Pine Bluff,”
Peters said.
He said two oth-
er things draw him to
Starkville: he is an asso-
ciate pastor of a church in
Jackson, and Starkville is
building a new recreation-
al facility, Cornerstone
Park.
One of his biggest chal-
lenges in Pine Bluff was
learning how to publicize
the parks department
Starkville aldermen interview Thomas Peters, on screen, Friday for
the Parks and Recreation executive director job. The previous direc-
tor, Gerry Logan, left at the end of March. Peters is currently the
interim director of wellness and intramurals at Claflin University in
Orangeburg, South Carolina.
in a small city with two
colleges, he said, and he
is learning how to write
grants
“I’m really good at
talking to people and get-
ting money out of people,”
Peters said. “The worst
thing anybody can ever
tell you is no.”
He managed a parks
budget of about $1.3 mil-
lion in Pine Bluff, and
he said the budget de-
creased over time, so he
is used to “tightening the
belt,” as Spruill said the
city will have to do thanks
to the expected sales tax
revenue shortfall during
the COVID-19 coronavi-
rus pandemic.
“If we don’t need it,
don’t buy it, and as much
as we can do in-house,
we do in-house,” Peters
said. “Even though I’m
the director, I don’t mind
getting out there and cut-
ting grass to help out our
facility guys.”
Like Dolan, Peters said
he does not like to micro-
Tess Vrbin/Dispatch Staff
manage his staff, but he
said he regularly follows
up with them to make
sure they get things done.
Spruill told The Dis-
patch there is no set date
for the board’s decision
yet.
“I’m going to let them
chew on it a little bit and
then check on them next
week,” she said.
Other business
■ The board will con-
sider a permit for “march-
es and protests distinct
from the special event
permit requirements,”
according to the meeting
agenda. The racial justice
march and rally in the city
on June 6 was a response
to “a movement of national
importance” and planned
on such short notice that
the organizers did not
have the time or resourc-
es to secure a special
event permit. Spruill said
at the time that the city
needed to re-evaluate its
Tess Vrbin/Dispatch Staff
Leah Kemp, right, director of the Carl Small Town Center in Mississip-
pi State University’s College of Architecture, Art and Design, explains
a proposed outdoor dining area on Main Street to the board of alder-
men at their work session Friday. The board will vote Tuesday on the
concept and later on whether they want to implement the “Streatery.”
the Mississippi Depart- tion would extend a multi-
permit process to allow
for “spontaneous” expres- ment of Transportation. use path east from the
sions of First Amendment The city, Oktibbeha Coun- Blackjack Road-Highway
rights. ty and MSU partnered to 12 intersection to provide
■ The board will also seek the grant funding in access to MSU’s campus
vote Tuesday on the con- 2018. The proposed sec- along Bully Boulevard.
cept of the “Streatery,” a
temporary outdoor din-
ing space proposed and
designed by the Carl
Small Town Center in
MSU’s College of Archi-
tecture, Art and Design.
The seating area would
cost about $4,000 and
take up nine parking
spaces on Main Street
between Restaurant Tyler
and Moe’s Original BBQ,
Carl Small Town Center
Director Leah Kemp said.
The aldermen will decide
at a future meeting if they
want to implement the
Streatery.
■ The board will vote
to advertise for bids for
the last of three sections
of the sidewalk linkage
project funded by a Trans-
portation Alternatives
Project (TAP) grant from

Highfield
Continued from Page 1A
Program. The money will be put
toward training en route to earn-
ing Tyler’s private pilot certificate
when he turns 17, meaning he
could have other people in the
plane alongside him.
“It’s not only helpful to him, but
helpful to our whole family,” said
Shelley Highfield, Tyler’s mother.
The application required several
essay questions, information about
his experiences as a pilot, his tran-
script, a letter of reference from
his flight instructor and a letter of
reference from a teacher.
“I was really excited and really
surprised as well,” Highfield said.
“Ten-thousand dollars, that’s a lot
of money. For someone wanting
to donate that to you is a surreal
experience.”
‘She was a really big influence
on my training’
Tragedy struck the Starkville
community on July 6, 2019, when
18-year-old Lake Little was killed
after crashing a single-engine
airplane she was flying solo on
the grounds of the University of
Mississippi golf course.
Little went to school with Tyler
at Starkville Academy, and the pair
played on the same tennis team
and attended the same youth group
together. But they both shared a
love of aviation.
“We always talked about flying.
She loved it,” Tyler said. “I was just
getting into it around the time she
was also getting into it. She always
talked to me and asked about what
was going on with my flight train-
ing. She was a really big influence
on my training.”
While attending Little’s funeral,
Tyler spoke with Lake’s father,
David. The elder Little told Tyler
not to let Lake’s accident deter him
from his dreams of becoming a
pilot.
“That meant a lot to me as a
dad that he said that,” Mike said.
“Because honestly, that’s always
in the back of my mind every time
he’s in the air.”
A future of flying
Highfield’s first lesson with Cir-
cle S Aviation took place in January
2019.
“My parents bought me a flight
lesson for a Christmas gift,” Tyler
said. “After the first flight, I was
hooked on it.”
Since his first experience in the
air, Mike estimates his son has
spent about 100 hours in the cock-
pit of an airplane.
He has a lot more planned in the
future.
“Something that makes us con-
fident in him continuing to fly is
that he loves it so much and that he
does want to pursue it as a career,”
Mike said. “We see this as an in-
vestment in his career choice, and
a lot of times that’s not something
you can do at 15 or 16 years old.”
Before he graduates high
school, Tyler hopes to receive his
commercial license, meaning he
can be paid to fly.
Upon graduation from Starkville
Academy in two years, Tyler hopes
to attend either the Naval Academy
or the Air Force Academy for col-
lege to pursue a career in aviation
in the military.
“It’s totally different when
you’re up there,” Tyler said of the
experience of flying. “You see the
world from an entirely different
point of view. It’s something most
people don’t get to experience, but
once you do experience it, you’re
hooked on it and you can’t give it
up.”

If you don’t read The Dispatch, how are you gonna know?
Sports
BRISCOE FINDS A WAY, WINS XFINITY RACE AT HOMESTEAD
Driver Chase Briscoe (98) celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity series race Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOMESTEAD, Fla.
— Chase Briscoe lost
much of his team and got
a win for them.
Briscoe survived two
late cautions and a frantic
overtime finish to prevail
in an Xfinity Series race at
Homestead-Miami Speed-
way — while adding to a
nightmarish weekend for
Noah Gragson, who saw a
huge lead slip away in the
final laps for the second
consecutive day.
Briscoe was with-
out crew chief Richard
Baseball players say talks futile, tell MLB to order return
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Major
League Baseball appears
headed to its shortest sea-
son since the 1870s.
Continuing a conten-
tious back-and-forth in a
bitter dispute over pay,
baseball players told the
commissioner’s office on
Saturday night that ad-
ditional talks to start the
season during the coro-
navirus pandemic are
pointless and said owners
should order a return to
work.
The union’s action
might lead to a season
of about 50 games rath-
er than the 82 initially
proposed by MLB. The
Major League Base-
Boswell, car chief Nick
Hutchins and engineer
DJ Vanderley, all of whom
began serving four-race
suspensions for a safety
violation that happened
Saturday. So Briscoe —
a big Tony Stewart fan
growing up — got Stew-
art-Haas Racing com-
petition director Greg
Zipadelli to fill in as his
crew chief and prevailed.
“It’s just a testament to
our team,” Briscoe said.
Brandon Jones was
second, Ross Chastain
was third and A.J. All-
mendinger was fourth.
ball Players Association
could respond by filing a
grievance that would be
heard by arbitrator Mark
Irvings,
arguing
players
are owed
hundreds
of millions
of dollars
in damag-
es due to Manfred
a shorter
season.
Overall, this all could
spark lengthy litigation
over money and a renewal
of the sport’s labor wars.
It could even prompt
some star players to sit
out.
“It unfortunately ap-
pears that further dia-
NASCAR
Gragson placed fifth, los-
ing not only a race that
was in his hands for the
second straight day but
also the $100,000 “Dash
For Cash” bonus that
wound up going to All-
mendinger instead.
“Guess we’ll go to Tal-
ladega and do it again,”
Allmendinger said.
With 15 laps to go, it
was basically down to a
two-car race: Gragson
was leading, about 2 1/2
seconds ahead of Briscoe.
Nobody else was within
10 seconds of the lead, a
very similar scenario to
logue with the league
would be futile,” union
head Tony Clark said in
a statement. “It’s time to
get back to work. Tell us
when and where.”
MLB responded with
a statement accusing the
union of not negotiating
in good faith and cited
the March agreement
that called for prorated
salaries but did not obli-
gate teams to play in emp-
ty ballparks. Clubs could
file a grievance claiming
the union did not meet its
“good faith” obligation.
“The MLBPA’s po-
sition that players are
entitled to virtually all
the revenue from a 2020
season played without
fans is not fair to the thou-
Saturday when Gragson
had a huge lead over Dale
Earnhardt Jr. going into
the last laps before a cau-
tion tightened the field
and gave Harrison Bur-
ton the chance to grab the
win on the final lap.
With every lap, Briscoe
chipped away. He got
within 2 seconds. Then a
second and a half. Then
a second. But he brushed
the wall with about three
laps left, slowing his
momentum — or so it
seemed.
“I just kept trying to
run the fence harder
sands of other baseball
employees that clubs and
our office are supporting
financially during this
very difficult 2020 sea-
son,” the commissioner’s
office said in a statement.
“We will evaluate the
union’s refusal to adhere
to the terms of the March
agreement, and after
consulting with owner-
ship, determine the best
course to bring baseball
back to our fans.”
While the NBA, NHL
and MLS have figured
out deals to return in
this summer of the coro-
navirus, baseball has
descended into the frac-
tious labor strife that led
See MLB, 2B
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020
and harder and harder,”
Briscoe said.
Austin Cindric spun
out and brought a late cau-
tion, derailing Gragson’s
momentum and setting
up the first of two over-
time finishes. Gragson
never had control of the
race again, and Briscoe
wound up in victory lane.
“The team did an un-
believable job to set up
the car,” Gragson said.
“We had the lead there at
the end. ... I have to start
working on myself. That’s
unacceptable by my stan-
dards. These guys, they
2022 lockout
possible for MLB
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Jer-
emy Jeffress, Jordan
Montgomery, Kevin
Plawecki could be play-
ing for free this season,
earning salaries lower
than what they already
received as advances.
Mookie Betts, George
Springer, J.T. Realmuto,
James Paxton and Mar-
cus Stroman are likely to
find fewer bidders, dol-
lars and contract years
as the free-agent market
lurches into a free fall
next offseason.
And all of baseball
SPORTS LINE
662-241-5000
B
SECTION
Wilfredo Lee/USA TODAY Sports
work their tails off and it’s
not to run fifth. It’s to win
these races.”
Conditions were gruel-
ing, especially after most
of the drivers in the field
also competed in high
heat and humidity at
Homestead on Saturday.
By the final portion of the
race, the temperature at
Homestead had climbed
to 87 degrees and the heat
index — how it feels when
combining the tempera-
ture and humidity — was
nearing the 100-degree
See NASCAR, 2B
could be bracing for a
spring training lockout
and shortened 2022 sea-
son after the coronavirus
pandemic heightened
the likelihood of the
sport’s first work stop-
page since 1994-95.
“Bryce Harper, Man-
ny Machado, Christian
Yelich, all these guys are
lucky that they signed,”
former Miami Marlins
president David Samson
said Sunday. “The big-
gest people you should
watch this offseason are
Mookie Betts and J.T.
Realmuto because J.T.
See LOCKOUT, 2B
2B MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020
Marcelo takes a knee
as Madrid wins at its
training center
MADRID (AP) — Play-
ing a home game but not at
its famed Santiago Bern-
abéu Stadium, Real Ma-
drid resumed its Spanish
league campaign with a
3-1 win over Eibar on Sun-
day to keep pace with lead-
er Barcelona. The game
saw Marcelo take a knee
during a goal celebration
in apparent support for the
Black Lives Matter move-
Lockout
Continued from Page 1B
thought that he would
surpass Joe Mauer and
Buster Posey, and there
is likely no chance. And
Mookie Betts thought
that he would be above
Bryce Harper and I would
view that as much less
likely now.”
The pathogen high-
lighted each side’s eco-
nomic interest: players
care most about the reg-
ular season, when they
accrue the entirety of
their salaries; owners
worry about the postsea-
son, when $787 million in
broadcast revenue is due.
Major League Baseball
owners are left with the
decision of how long a reg-
ular season to schedule
after players’ union head
Tony Clark said Saturday
night that “unfortunate-
ly it appears that further
dialogue with the league
would be futile.”
Bruce Meyer, the
union’s chief negotiator,
sent Deputy Commission-
er Dan Halem a letter that
“we demand that you in-
form us of your plans by
close of business on Mon-
day.”
A March 26 agree-
ment called for players
to receive prorated sala-
ries and bound the sides
to “complete the fullest
2020 championship sea-
son and postseason that
is economically feasible,”
consistent with a series
of provisions: no govern-
ment restrictions on mass
gatherings, no travel re-
strictions and no health
or safety risk “to stage
games in front of fans in
MLB
Continued from Page 1B
to eight work stoppages
from 1972-95. The union
has seethed followed a
collective bargaining
agreement in late 2016
that led to relatively flat
salaries for five straight
years, an unsuccessful
grievance accusing the
Chicago Cubs of manipu-
lating third baseman Kris
Bryant’s service time to
delay his eligibility for
free agency and a griev-
ance accusing teams of
improperly using reve-
nue sharing proceeds, a
process the union calls
“tanking.”
These raw negotiations
heighten the chance of a
spring training lockout af-
ter the current collective
bargaining agreement ex-
pires on Dec. 1, 2021.
“Given your continued
insistence on hundreds
of millions of dollars of
additional pay reductions,
we assume these negotia-
tions are at an end,” union
chief negotiator Bruce
Meyer wrote in a letter
to Deputy Commissioner
Dan Halem on Saturday
that was obtained by The
Associated Press. “If it is
your intention to unilat-
erally impose a season,
we again request that you
inform us and our mem-
bers of how many games
NASCAR
Continued from Page 1B
mark.
“That was a team win,
for sure,” Briscoe said.
Briscoe’s victory
capped a historic week-
end for the Xfinity cars.
It was the first time
that the series — by any
of its names since it was
first formed in 1982 —
raced on consecutive days
at the same track, the ob-
ment.
The Brazilian veter-
an defender put his left
knee down and raised his
right fist into the air after
scoring the third goal for
Madrid. Marcelo’s ges-
ture made him one of the
few players in the Spanish
league to make public their
support for the movement
which has protested po-
lice brutality after George
Floyd’s death in the United
States. Valencia’s players
last week had also taken a
knee before a training ses-
each of the 30 clubs’ home
ballparks.”
It also called for MLB
and the union to “discuss
in good faith the econom-
ic feasibility of playing
games in the absence of
spectators or at appro-
priate substitute neutral
sites.”
Commissioner Rob
Manfred has threatened
a regular-season of about
50 games, which would
lead to players receiving
about 31% of their salaries,
about $1.23 billion. That
is less than the $1.27 bil-
lion they were guaranteed
in the offer they turned
down, a deal worth $1.45
billion if the postseason is
completed.
MLB appears likely to
announce a decision after
Manfred confers with the
30 controlling owners.
Barring a move toward
a deal, both sides proba-
bly will file grievances.
The union would claim
MLB failed to schedule
the longest season pos-
sible and ask for money
damages.
The union would say
to make an evaluation it
needs documents detail-
ing the equity relation-
ships between baseball
owners and regional
sports networks, and be-
tween owners and real
estate ventures adjacent
to ballparks. MLB would
claim the union did not
bargain in good faith.
Players say they have
no obligation to help clubs
reduce expenses caused
by playing in empty ball-
parks. Agent Scott Boras
you intend to play and
when and where players
should report. It is unfair
to leave players and the
fans hanging at this point,
and further delay risks
compromising health
and safety. We demand
that you inform us of your
plans by close of business
on Monday.”
Players and MLB
agreed to a deal on March
26 calling for prorated
salaries, $170 million in
salary advances and a
guarantee of service time
for 2020 even if no games
are played.
That deal agreement
gave baseball Commis-
sioner Rob Manfred the
right to start the season
provided there were no
travel restrictions and
games could be played
before fans in regular-sea-
son ballparks. It called for
“good faith” negotiations
to play in empty ballparks
or neutral sites.
Players insist they
should not have to accept
additional cuts. A unilat-
eral decision to start play
could mean the playoffs
would remain at 10 teams
and not expand to 16, as
both sides have proposed.
High-risk players can opt
out and still receive sala-
ry and service, but others
viously odd occurrence
happening this year be-
cause of all the reschedul-
ing caused by the corona-
virus pandemic.
The back-to-back at
one track is scheduled to
occur again July 9 and 10
at Kentucky.
This wasn’t, however,
the first time the series
has run on back-to-back
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
sion to show their support.
Toni Kroos and Ser-
gio Ramos also scored as
Madrid won the game at
the club’s training center
while major renovation
work takes place at the
80,000-capacity Bernabéu,
about 10 kilometers (6
miles) away.
Eden Hazard, who had
been expected to miss the
rest of the season because
of a foot injury sustained
before the coronavirus
pandemic, thrived on his
return and set up two of
says the MLB stance is
akin to saying: “When
lighting strikes you, you
tell the runners no race
until you fix my track.”
Arbitrator Mark Ir-
vings, who ruled against
Chicago Cubs third base-
man Kris Bryant in the
service time manipula-
tion grievance filed by the
union, would likely spent
months ruling on docu-
ment demands before the
sides even start to present
the merits of the case.
Players have received
$170 million in salary ad-
vances, up to $286,500
each. That means a play-
er with a salary of about
$925,000 or less whose
contract did not include a
lower rate of pay while in
the major leagues — Jef-
fress, Montgomery and
Plawecki, among them —
already has received more
money that he would be
owed under the proration
formula.
Those players wouldn’t
have to return any money;
instead, the money would
be paid back to MLB
by the union from taxes
collected from teams for
exceeding internation-
al signing bonus pool
thresholds.
All players will lose
chances to accumulate
statistics for games lost
that are never made up.
While they argue and
file briefs, Betts, Realmu-
to and the rest are unlike-
ly to reach the $300 mil-
lion-and-more deals given
to Mike Trout, Harper,
Giancarlo Stanton, Gerrit
Cole and Machado. The
who sit out would lose
both.
“The solidarity of the
players has never been
more concentrated in
years,” said Scott Boras,
baseball’s most high-pro-
file agent, who has three
clients on the union’s
eight-man executive sub-
committee.
MLB made three eco-
nomic offers, the last
Friday, and the union pro-
posed two. The executive
subcommittee held a call
Saturday followed by a
larger group of about 100
players, including the full
executive committee and
others.
The sides remain far
apart on how much play-
ers should get of the $4
billion in salaries they
originally were set to
earn: MLB has offered
to guarantee $1.27 billion
and increase the total to
$1.45 billion if the post-
season is completed. Play-
ers want $2.25 billion and
an 89-game season.
“Players want to play.
It’s who we are and what
we do,” Clark said. “Since
March, the association
has made it clear that our
No. 1 focus is playing the
fullest season possible,
as soon as possible, as
safely as possible. Play-
days. It happened three
times previously at dif-
ferent tracks — June 26,
1982 at South Boston and
June 27, 1982 at Rock-
ingham; Sept. 3, 1983 at
Hickory and Sept. 4, 1983
at Darlington; and Sept.
10, 1983 at Richmond and
Sept. 11, 1983 at North
Wilkesboro.
Only two drivers in
the goals in the game.
There were no fans at the
6,000-capacity Alfredo Di
Stéfano Stadium, which is
used mostly by Madrid’s
“B” team.
“This is completely dif-
ferent to what we experi-
enced before, you have to
adapt,” said Madrid coach
Zinedine Zidane, who
completed 200 matches in
charge. Zidane has the
second-most league victo-
ries as Madrid coach with
90, behind the 257 of Mi-
guel Muñoz.
Sudoku YESTERDAY’S ANSWER
Sudoku
Sudoku is a number-
placing puzzle based on
Sunday’s answer
Sudoku
a 9x9 gridis witha several
num- 6 7 8 4 2 9 5 1 3
average salary, stagnat-
ber-placing
given numbers.puzzleThe object 9 3 4 5 7 1 6 8 2
2020 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
ed around $4.4 million
based onthe
is to place a 9x9
numbers 1 2 5 3 6 8 9 4 7
since 2016, is likely to fall
grid
1 to 9with
in theseveral
empty spaces 8 6 7 2 1 4 3 9 5
sharply this winter. given
And if the coronavirus so that numbers.
each row, eachThe 4 9 3 8 5 7 2 6 1
object
column and each 3x3 the
is to place box
lingers into 2021, another numbers 5 1 2 6 9 3 8 7 4
season could be impact- contains the1same to 9 number
in
7 4 6 9 3 2 1 5 8
the empty spaces so
only once. The difficulty 3 8 9 1 4 5 7 2 6
ed. Unless the sides reach that each row, each
level increases from
an agreement, the sides column and each 2 5 1 7 8 6 4 3 9
Monday
would argue whether 3x3 boxtocontains
Sunday. Difficulty Level 6/13
MLB has the right to sus- the same number only once. The difficulty level
pend the Uniform Player increases from Monday to Sunday.
Contract during a nation-
al emergency, as Manfred
threatened before the
March agreement. Teams
also will probably push for
a pandemic provision in
the guarantee language
of new guaranteed con-
tracts.
Bargaining during a
major grievance will be Sunday’s Cryptoquote:
even more difficult than
usual heading into the la-
bor contract’s expiration
on Dec. 1, 2021. Given
the experience of 1994
and the union’s threat
to strike in 2002, teams
would rather have a con-
frontation during spring
training than in summer.
And if Joe Biden de-
feats Donald Trump in the
presidential election and
Democrats win control of
both houses of Congress,
player take-home could
go down no matter what.
“If the Democrats win,
I think they recognize
that tax rates are going to
go through the roof,” for-
mer Commissioner Fay
Vincent said. ”$40 million
is an awful lot of money,
but the tax on that is go-
ing to be extraordinary.”
ACROSS
1 Hits with the
ers agreed to billions in palm
monetary concessions as 6 Sports figure
a means to that end, and 10 Infant’s
in the face of repeated ailment
media leaks and misdi- 11 Tennis setting
rection we made addition- 13 Heartburn
al proposals to inject new 14 Canadian lout
revenues into the industry 15 Drill part
— proposals that would 16 On the —
benefit the owners, play- (fleeing)
ers, broadcast partners, 18 Letter before
and fans alike. It’s now be- upsilon
come apparent that these 19 Ballpark
efforts have fallen upon
fixtures
deaf ears.”
22 Co. abbr. Sunday’s answer
Manfred said last week
there is a “100%” chance 23 Mob revolt 44 Extinct bird 24 Rate
of a season, adding “un- 24 Lower in 45 Office sights 25 Fought
equivocally we are going esteem 26 Guacamole
to play Major League 27 Chili need DOWN base
Baseball this year.” Yet, 28 Rescue 1 Strike defiers 27 Increased
it will be the shortest sea- 29 Swindle 2 Deductive 29 “60 Minutes”
son in more than a centu- 30 Movie-plan- thinking network
ry. And Meyer’s letter to ning sketches 3 Justice Samuel 31 Like some
Halem cited remaining 35 List-shorten- 4 Deep hole questions
open issues in the health ing abbr. 5 Triangle type 32 Carnival
protocols needed before 36 Snaky shape 6 Doofus attractions
players report for a re- 37 Lyricist 7 Overly 33 Guzzled
sumption of training. Gershwin 8 Vienna setting 34 Sea dogs
Owners must now de- 38 Closes with a 9 Trample 39 Seething
cide whether to go ahead bang 12 Has faith in 41 “Now — seen
with a shortened sched- 40 Kind of pool 17 Alphabet start everything!”
ule, of perhaps 48 or 50 42 Car type
games. A 50-game reg-
20 Stair part
43 Happening 21 Sports setting
ular season at prorated
salaries would total $1.23
billion, leaving the union
to claim about $1 billion
plus interest in damages
should the case continue
to a decision and players
prevail.
Sunday’s Xfinity race
were even alive when
those previous back-to-
backs — in what was then
called the NASCAR Bud-
weiser Late Model Sports-
man Series — happened:
Allmendinger was born in
December 1981, and Cae-
sar Bacarella was born in
December 1975.

A safe return for golf as Berger wins Colonial in a playoff
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT WORTH, Tex-
as — Daniel Berger
dreamed of moments like
this, a putt on the final
hole with everything rid-
ing on it, and he pulled it
off to perfection Sunday
at Colonial.
What he never imag-
ined is how quiet it would
be.
No cheers when his
10-foot birdie on the final
hole gave him a share of
the lead. No groans when
Collin Morikawa missed
a 6-foot birdie putt for the
win. And more silence on
the first playoff hole that
Berger won with a par.
“It was a little different
for sure, but in the end, I
was holding the trophy,”
Berger said. “And that’s
Comics & Puzzles
DILBERT
ZITS
GARFIELD
CANDORVILLE
BABY BLUES
BEETLE BAILEY
MALLARD FILLMORE
all that matters to me.”
The PGA Tour made
a healthy and muted re-
turn from the COVID-19
pandemic at the Charles
Schwab Challenge, ex-
cept for Morikawa and
Xander Schauffele hav-
ing reason to feel sick to
their stomachs.
One hole after a
chance to win in regu-
lation, Morikawa hit a
superb pitch on the 17th
hole in the playoff to 3
feet. Berger converted
his simple up-and-down
for par from behind the
green, and Morikawa’s
short par putt to extend
the playoff hit the right
side of the cup and spun
out.
“Just hit a better putt,”
Morikawa said. “My
mind can’t go much else
FAMILY CIRCUS
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
than other what just hap-
pened on that hole.”
Schauffele, whose
moxie is easy to miss
behind his California
cool, made three straight
clutch putts — for par,
bogey and birdie — that
kept him tied for the lead
only to learn new mean-
ing of “Horrible Horse-
shoe” at Colonial. His
3-foot par putt on the 17th
in regulation dipped in
the hole on the right side
and came out on the left.
His 25-foot birdie putt
on the 18th to force a
playoff was right on line
and came up short.
“If there are fans
and everything with
the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs,’ I’d
probably be a little more
(ticked) off,” Schauffe-
le said. “Maybe that’s a
good thing for me right
now. But it was definitely
weird. It was sort of an in-
ternal battle, which it al-
ways is for me, but more
so internal this week just
with no fans.”
Berger, whose birdie
on the 18th gave him a
4-under 66, won for the
third time on the PGA
Tour, all three titles com-
ing on this week in the
calendar. The other two
in 2016 and 2017 were at
the St. Jude Classic when
it preceded the U.S. Open.
This felt different be-
cause Colonial was devoid
of fans — just like the next
four weeks will be on the
PGA Tour — and because
of the routine he followed.
Berger went from the
golf course to his rented
house, his uncle serving
Dear Abby
D
EAR ABBY:
I recently
welcomed my
third child, a baby
boy who was want-
ed and planned.
We are overjoyed.
Our two daughters
are just under 10
years old. Over
the years, my
social circle has
consisted mostly
of the parents of
my daughters’
friends.
Abby, my news Dear Abby
was met with
mixed reactions.
Some were thrilled for my
pregnancy, while others were
shocked. One woman even told
me, “I’m just not in that phase
of life anymore.”
After my son was born,
I didn’t get visits or even a
phone call from some of them.
I announced his birth on social
media and mailed out a beauti-
ful announcement, but he hasn’t
been acknowledged nor have I
been checked on.
I know he won’t really be
affected by this and I’m trying to
focus on the positives. We have
a big family on both sides, and
many people within our commu-
nity have warmly welcomed him.
But I have been a good friend to
these women, supported them
in their times of need and even
reached out during this pandem-
ic to check on them in an effort
to reconnect. I’m so disappoint-
Horoscopes
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (June
15). You’ll help many by sharing
your resources and expertise
in an ever-widening network.
You may even save people.
And while you’re not in it for
the money, there will be that
as well. A life change could
be locational or just having to
do with different professional
horizons. New friends will inject
your life with fun in 2021. Libra
and Scorpio adore you. Your
lucky numbers are: 7, 2, 22, 28
and 31.
ARIES (March 21-April 19).
There was a time when you were
wide-eyed and hopeful. Your
current ferocity makes hope
as the chef. He had a saliva
test in Florida and a nasal
test when he arrived for
the new coronavirus, both
negative.
He was excited when he
arrived — Berger has shot
par or better every round
since Oct. 11 — because
golf was back to business.
And he was thrilled when
he left, a winner again
after missing nearly five
months at the end of 2018
because of a wrist injury.
The victory moved him
from outside the top 100 to
No. 31 in the world.
PGA Tour Commis-
sioner Jay Monahan, on
the first tee when golf
returned Thursday, was
back in Florida watching
a final round unfold with
eight players taking turns
at the top, and a half-dozen
ed. What am I
supposed to say
to these “friends”
when I run into
them again? — ­
NEW MOM AGAIN
DEAR MOM:
When you
encounter them,
be cordial. Make
polite conversa-
tion and ask how
they and their
families are doing.
If they inquire,
tell them you and
your family are
well. Then move
on, recognizing
you are dealing with individuals
who are solely centered upon
themselves. Do not attempt to
revive a relationship with anyone
who cares so little about you
that they would treat you as
they have, but DO recognize how
fortunate you are that you know
not to invest more of your time
or yourself in them.
DEAR ABBY: I divorced my
abusive ex-husband and am
happily remarried. I have a son
and daughter from my first mar-
riage. They saw a lot of physical
and emotional abuse when they
were young. I stayed in the mar-
riage to keep the family together
until I realized my children were
being hurt in the process. My
son witnessed more of the
abuse than my daughter.
My son has constantly
brought up the past and has
never been able to make a
seem quaint. Why hope when
you can do whatever it takes to
make it happen?
TAURUS (April 20-May 20).
Everything you experience has
a benefit to you, although it can
take days or years to under-
stand the benefit, if indeed
understanding ever comes.
Today’s cosmic gift: immediate
comprehension.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21).
Meeting new people will be a
key component in your personal
wheel of happiness, and you’ll
love how that rolls out. Virtual
connections are different,
though they count!
CANCER (June 22-July
MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020 3B
still in the mix over the
final hour.
The scorecard this
week included 487
tests for COVID-19 at
Colonial, all returned
negative. The leaders
brought star power, Co-
lonial brought heritage,
and it was the first live
PGA Tour event since
March 12 because of the
pandemic.
“This has been a phe-
nomenal start to our re-
turn,” Monahan said.
It almost was a tre-
mendous return for Mori-
kawa, who is so steady
that he already has won
and has made every cut
as a pro dating to his
graduation from Cal a
year ago. No newcomer
has had a streak that long
since Tiger Woods.
decent living. He’s married with
three children, and they have
lived with his mother-in-law for
years. I have apologized many
times for what happened in the
past and asked for forgiveness.
I don’t know what else I can do.
I always send birthday and
holiday money telling them that I
love them, but for some reason
they have stopped answering my
calls or responding to my texts.
I call them three or four times a
year. They used to call me when
they needed money, but now
they don’t call at all. Should I
stop sending birthday checks?
They missed Mother’s Day and
my heart is broken. I don’t know
what I’ve done wrong. — PAYING
FOR THE PAST
DEAR PAYING: You will
never know what you “did
wrong” unless one of your adult
offspring decides to tell you. I
hope you realize that you are
being abused again, this time by
two passive-aggressive adults.
You are not the reason your son
lives with his mother-in-law. As
to your daughter, who knows her
reason for radio silence?
Please stop flogging
yourself. Start living your own
life. Bind up that broken heart
and focus on happiness with
your new husband because, as
things stand, you’re not going to
find much with these two. Send
cards if you must, but omit the
money. If you do, I’m sorry to
say you may hear from them
sooner.
22). Peace is not the same as
resignation. Peace is making a
choice to disarm. Resignation is
the recognition of loss and the
acceptance that there’s nothing
more worth fighting for.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22).
It’s amazing how much more
attractive people become when
they simply decide to engage in
life and in other people instead
of remaining glued to a glowing
screen. You’ll have heart-eyes
for someone.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).
You’re well aware of the differ-
ence that a stellar presentation
can make. You’ll influence the
powerful as you put your ideas
into a form they are likely to
connect with.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).
Music is a natural energizer, an
emotional button-pusher, an
anti-gravity machine, a romantic
mood maker and so much more.
You’ll use the magic of melody
to propel your day.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov.
21). The direct route isn’t al-
ways obvious to you, and that’s
what makes you so creative.
Consider working with a robot,
as this could provide the perfect
complement to your whimsy.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec.
21). You’ll get the sneaking
suspicion that you are missing
some vital obligation. The obli-
gation is to yourself. The obliga-
tion is to seize a novel chance
at a different kind of happiness
before the window closes.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.
19). You’ll be enlisting the help
of others. Explaining the task
well will be key. A light dose of
humor will make the hard work
that follows more palatable to
all.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.
18). The compulsion to make
rules is as human as the desire
to break them. Don’t be too
hard on yourself when you
inwardly defy the constraint that
comes with a commitment you
cherish.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March
20). People may not mean to
intrude on your boundaries,
but whether they cross them
on purpose or by accident is
irrelevant. Strong and obvious
delineations are less likely to be
crossed.
Ozone friendly
SOLUTION:
4B MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020
Experts hail swift moves in wake of Atlanta police shooting
‘I do not believe
that this was a
justified use of
deadly force’
Atlanta Mayor Keisha
Lance Bottoms
BY RUSS BYNUM
AND SEAN MURPHY
The Associated Press
Atlanta police on Sun-
day quickly released
body-camera and other
footage that captured the
shooting death of a black
man by a white officer
who was swiftly fired —
moves that policing ex-
perts said could help de-
fuse anti-racism protests
that were reignited by the
shooting.
Atlanta police an-
nounced that an officer,
Garrett Rolfe, had been
fired after he fatally shot
Rayshard Brooks, 27, on
Friday night, and anoth-
er officer, Devin Bros-
nan, had been placed on
administrative duty. On
Saturday, Mayor Keis-
ha Lance Bottoms had
called for the immediate
firing of the officer who
opened fire on Brooks
and announced that she
had accepted the resigna-
tion of Police Chief Erika
Shields.
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.
Martha Hall
COLUMBUS —
Martha Hall, 89, died
June 14, 2020, at Aurora
Health and Rehabilita-
tion.
Arrangements are
incomplete and will be
announced by Lown-
des Funeral Home of
Columbus.
Brad Lamar
COLUMBUS — Brad
Thomas Lamar, 48,
died June 14, 2020, at
his residence.
Arrangements are
incomplete and will be
announced by Memori-
al Gunter Peel Funeral
Home and Crematory,
Second Avenue North
location.
Shameka Gandy
COLUMBUS —
Shameka Shanae
Gandy, 34, died June 6,
2020, at Baptist Memo-
rial Hospital-Golden
Triangle.
Services will be at 11
a.m. Tuesday, at Car-
ter’s Funeral Services
Chapel, with the Rev.
Sammie Lyons officiat-
ing. Burial will follow
cdispatch.com
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
Floyd death sparks efforts to hold more officers accountable
BY ANDREW SELSKY lawmakers and other elected of- eral law enforcement officers assumption that the shooting by
The Associated Press ficials have introduced proposals have been arrested on murder the officer was legally justified,”
to take such charging decisions or manslaughter charges result- said Stinson, a former officer. “As
SALEM, Ore. — The mur-
der charges against the four po-
away from local prosecutors, ing from on-duty shootings. Five a result, the investigations are of-
eliminate officers’ wide immuni- were convicted of murder and 22 ten incomplete and inadequate,
lice officers involved in George
ty from lawsuits and make the re- of manslaughter, said Philip Stin- making it difficult for prosecu-
Floyd’s death present rare in-
stances of officers being held lationship between prosecutors son, a criminal justice professor tors to successfully prosecute.”
legally responsible for their and police less cozy. at Bowling Green State Univer- Initiatives introduced in sev-
actions. Now state lawmakers Police fatally shoot about sity who maintains a database of eral states would put the state at-
around the country want to make 1,000 people each year across cases. torney general’s office in charge
it easier to do. the country, according to a Wash- “When there is a fatal shoot- of investigating and, if warrant-
In the days since protests ington Post database. Since the ing by a police officer ... inves- ed, prosecuting officers accused
rocked cities across the U.S., beginning of 2005, 110 non-fed- tigators seem to start with the of wrongdoing.
“I do not believe that ficer who is now a police Cedric Alexander, the “And people will ask fire was out before mid-
this was a justified use chief in Ennis, Texas, and former public safety di- the question, had he been night. Atlanta police said
of deadly force,” Bottoms the author of books and rector of Dekalb County, white and pulled onto the Sunday that 36 people had
said. training curriculum on Georgia, who now works side of the road to take a been arrested in connec-
Roughly 150 protest- community policing. as a police consultant, nap and sleep it off, would tion with the protests, but
ers marched Saturday “Transparency today said the shooting will they have given him a ride gave no further details. A
night around the Wendy’s is a whole different ball undoubtedly lead to ques- home?” makeshift memorial had
restaurant outside where game. It’s what the com- tions about how officers
The Wendy’s was set been erected outside the
Brooks was shot, reignit- munity expects,” Harvey might have defused the aflame at one point Sat- restaurant Sunday morn-
ing demonstrations that said. “We have to always situation.
urday night, although the ing.
had largely simmered be open about the good, “Here’s a man who
in the Georgia capital the bad and the ugly. Not took it upon himself to
nearly three weeks after just the good. I think it pull off the road to take
George Floyd, another actually builds trust and a nap,” Alexander said.
black man, died after a confidence when we’re “Could they have given
white Minneapolis police open about the ugly as him a ride home, could
officer pressed a knee to well.” they have called him an
his neck. Both Rolfe and The Georgia Bureau Uber, and let him sleep
Brosnan are white. of Investigation said that it off later, as opposed to
The firing of Rolfe and Brooks, who was seen on arresting him? Now that
the quick release of the body camera video sleep- does not in any kind of
video to the public could ing in a car blocking the way excuse Mr. Brooks
go a long way toward eas- Wendy’s drive thru, failed for resisting arrest. But
ing tensions in the city, a sobriety test and was the question is: Are there
said Andy Harvey, a vet- shot in a struggle over a other protocols that po-
eran law enforcement of- police Taser. lice could have taken?”
AREA OBITUARIES
at Pilgrim made to Baptist Memo- parents, she was
Rest M.B. rial Hospital Hospice, preceded in death by
Church P.O. Box 1307, Colum- her husband, Noel W.
Cemetery, bus, MS 39703. Reeves; and brother,
in Brooks- Glen Hankins.
ville. Dorothy Reeves She is survived by
Visitation SULLIGENT, Ala. — her son, Wendell Lynn
is from Gandy Dorothy W. Reeves, 90, Reeves of Lexington,
2-5 p.m. died June 12, 2020, at
today, at the funeral Kentucky; two grand-
her residence. children; and one
home. Carter’s Funeral Services are at 2 p.m.
Home of Columbus is great-grandchild.
today, at Otts Funeral
in charge of arrange- Home Chapel, with
ments. Randy Burbank offici-
Ms. Gandy was born ating. Burial will follow
Aug. 7, 1985, in Colum- at Wofford Cemetery.
bus, to Bruce Taylor
Visitation is one hour
and Roxanne Gandy.
prior to services at the
In addition to her
funeral home. Otts Fu-
parents, she is survived
neral Home of Sulligent
by her children, Bri-
is in charge of arrange-
unna Brewer, Rihunna
ments.
Gandy, Rashad Gandy,
and Zachariah John- Mrs. Reeves was
son, all of Columbus; born Dec. 19, 1929, in
and siblings, Demario Lamar County, to the
late Luther D. Hankins
Gandy, Rocquez Gandy,
and Iesha Gandy, all of and Jessie Thompson.
Columbus. She was a graduate of
Lamar County High
School and was for-
Sheila Terrell merly employed as a
COLUMBUS — Shei- bookkeeper with Mc-
la Atkins Terrell, 65, Coy Manufacturing and
died June 13, 2020, at Gattman Sportswear
Baptist Memorial Hos- and as a teacher with
pital-Golden Triangle. Sunnyside and Bedford.
Graveside services She was a member of
will be held at 10 a.m. Oak Hill Methodist
Tuesday, at Friendship Church.
Cemetery, with the Rev. In addition to her
Jimmy Criddle officiat-
ing. Memorial Gunter
Peel Funeral Home
and Crematory, Second
Avenue North location,
is in charge of arrange-
ments.
Mrs. Terrell was
born Dec. 11, 1954, in
Columbus, to Marvin
Gay and Doris Gavin At-
kins. She was formerly
employed as a surgical
technologist.
She was preceded in Beth Feland
Visitation:
death by her brother, Monday, June 15 • 1-2 PM
Terry “Rabbit” Atkins. First Presbyterian Church
In addition to her Memorial Service:
Monday, June 15 • 2 PM
parents, she is survived First Presbyterian Church
by her husband, Clay 2nd Ave. North Location
Terrell of Columbus;
daughter, Dawn My- Sheila Terrell
Graveside Service:
ers of Ocean Springs; Tuesday, June 16 • 10 AM
brothers, Ronnie At- Friendship Cemetery
kins, Steven Atkins, and 2nd Ave. North Location
Gary Atkins; and one
grandchild. Brad Lamar
Incomplete
Pallbearers will be 2nd Ave. North Location
Chris Terrell, Brad
Atkins, Collin Atkins, Olaf Burgess
Brent Atkins, Beau At- Incomplete
kins, and Daniel Talley. 2nd Ave. North Location
Memorials may be
memorialgunterpeel.com
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020 5B
Classifieds
EMPLOYMENT
CALL US: 662-328-2424
General Help Wanted
CARPENTER NEEDED w/ at
least 4 yrs. of experience.
Ideal candidate will have an
eye for detail, be depend-
able, have good communic-
ation skills, reliable trans-
portation & basic tools. We
specialize in home remod-
els & new construction.
Call 662-312-3130 for info.
AREA BUSINESS
is seeking a mature,
motivated person who
enjoys interacting with
people, being outdoors
and multitasking. Skills
related to maintaining
equipment and/or farm
work are desired but not
required. Person needs to
be flexible enough to pitch
in where ever needed but
also keep their core
responsibilities in mind.
If you enjoy a different ex-
perience on the regular,
meeting new people and
believe in customer
satisfaction this job might
be for you.
Please submit resume to:
Blind Box 675 c/o The
Commercial Dispatch
PO Box 511
Columbus, MS 39703
THE COMMERCIAL
DISPATCH seeks a motiv-
ated, contracted carrier for
the Brooksville & Macon
area. Excellent opportunity
to earn money for college.
Must have good transporta-
tion, valid driver's license
& insurance. Delivers on
Sunday morning and Mon-
Fri afternoons. Apply at The
Commercial Dispatch, 516
Main Street in Columbus.
No phone calls please.
Read local.
cdispatch.com
RENTALS
ADS STARTING AT $25
Apts For Rent: North
FOX RUN APARTMENTS
1 & 2 BR near hospital.
$595−$645 monthly.
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Apts For Rent: West
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1 Bedrooms
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RENTALS
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1 BEDROOM
2 BEDROOMS
3 BEDROOMS
LEASE,
© The Dispatch
DEPOSIT
AND
CREDIT CHECK
662-329-2323
2411 HWY 45 N
COLUMBUS, MS
Houses For Rent: North
135 HORSESHOE LOOP,
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USED COMPUTER. Must
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Waterfront Property
NEWLY RENOVATED three
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a deck that overlooks
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662−549−2768
Looking for goods
or services?
Find it in the
ADS APPEAR IN THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH,
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To place ads starting at only $12,
call 662-328-2424 or visit ads.cdispatch.com
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020 n 6B
General Help Wanted
GARAGE SALES
TWO FREE SIGNS
Estate Sales
HUGE ESTATE SALE
3431 Hwy.12 E.
Steens, MS 39766
Fri. 19th 9−5, Sat. 20th 9−
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PUBLIC CATFISH POND
@ 130 Hillcrest Drive.
Open Tues−Sat, 7a−5p Carpet & Flooring Electrical General Services Lawn Care / Landscaping
662−386−8591
Call for pricing. CARPET INSTALLATION. HILL’S PRESSURE JESSE & BEVERLY’S
Re−Stretch & Repair also WASHING. Commercial/ LAWN SERVICE
avail. I accept select jobs. Residential. House, Mowing, cleanup,
Call Walt, 662−574−8134. concrete, sidewalks & landscaping, sodding,
Five Questions: mobile washing. Free est. & tree cutting.
662−386−8925. 662−356−6525
Painting & Papering
1 Boogie board PRESSURE WASHING
Commercial & residential.
MOUNTING TV’S AND QUALITY PAINTING.
Bricks, concrete & siding.
HIDING WIRES Call for quote,
Ext/Int Painting.
2 California, Ari-
Sheet Rock Hang, Finish &
Mount TV: 662−295−6880.
$60/TV (mount not incl) Repair. Pressure Washing.
zona and Nevada Mount TV & hide wires:
$120/TV (mount not incl) CHAPTER 7 BANKRUPTCY
Free Estimates. Ask for
specials! Larry Webber,
$545 plus Filing Fee 662−242−4932.
DAVID’S CARPET & Johnny Beamon
3 50 cents
UPHOLSTERY 662−251−8472 CHAPTER 13 BANKRUPTCY
CLEANING
1 Room − $50 General Services All Attorney Fees Through The Plan SULLIVAN’S PAINT
SERVICE
2 Rooms − $70 Jim Arnold, Attorney Special Prices.
4 Miracle Mop 3+ Rooms − $30 EA
Rugs−Must Be Seen
A & T TREE SERVICES
Bucket truck & stump
662-324-1666 • 601-656-6914
104 South Lafayette Street, Starkville
Interior & Exterior Painting.
662−435−6528
Car Upholstery Cleaning removal. Free est.
Available Serving Columbus
5 “Annihilation”
662−722−1758 since 1987. Senior SKILLED CRAFTSMAN. Any
citizen disc. Call Alvin @ kind of work! We can build,
242−0324/241−4447 paint, drywall, clean,
Childcare
"We’ll go out on a limb for
you!"
pressure wash & cut grass.
Reasonable rates. Safe &
Emmanuel’s Christian
Academy−Child care
AVAILABLE SOON For ages WORK WANTED:
Reliable. 662−386−3658.
Licensed & Bonded. Lawn Care / Landscaping
6 weeks to 12 years old.
emmanuelsca@yahoo.com Carpentry, minor electrical,
or text 662−245−6998 minor plumbing, insulation, Jake’s Mowing
painting, demolition, Mowing, Weed−eating,
gutters cleaned, pressure Blow off walks, Trim shrubs
Grow your
classifieds! If you don’t advertise
your business,
how are they gonna know?
washing, landscaping,
cleanup work, moving help.
662−242−3608.
Free quote. Great pricing.
Call, text, leave message.
662−570−8815
business.