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Thursday | December 3, 2020

CPD pleads
Surprising Sonya with public to
Customers provide Hardee’s employee with $1,900 ‘thank you’ wear masks
after reported
violations of
mandate
Police to patrol
restaurants, bars after
11 p.m. to enforce late
night alcohol ban
BY YUE STELLA YU
syu@cdispatch.com

Columbus Po-
lice Department is
asking the public
to comply with the
city’s mask mandate
due to recent spikes
in COVID-19 cases
and a rising number
of citizen complaints Shelton
about violations, Chief Fred Shel-
ton said at a Wednesday press con-
Slim Smith/Dispatch Staff
ference at City Hall.
Sonya Baldwin, whose reputation for her warm greetings to customers at the Hardee’s drive-through has made her
Violations have resulted in eight
a local legend, listens as Kathy Perritt talks about what Baldwin has meant to customers over the years. Perritt
organized an impromptu fundraising campaign that raised $1,900 as a token of appreciation from hundreds of citations of businesses and individ-
customers who made contributions. uals since Oct. 1, with a fine rang-
ing from $300 to $1,000, Shelton
BY SLIM SMITH A little after 10 a.m., Baldwin greet people. That’s it. I’m over- said.
ssmith@cdispatch.com took a brief break from her job whelmed. I don’t know what to say.” Shelton’s reminder came on the
day when Mississippi recorded

B
y necessity, customers’ en-
counters with Sonya Baldwin
are brief.
For 23 years, Baldwin has
worked the drive-through window
at Hardee’s Restaurant near Leigh
Mall in Columbus. Although her
interactions with drive-through
customers last only seconds, her
always-sunny disposition has left
an enduring impression on them.
How much of an impression?
Wednesday morning provided
all the evidence needed.
duties to allow a small group of her
customers to present her with a
certificate for a Spa Day at Allegro
MedSpa, along with $1,700 in cash,
funds collected over just a few days
after one customer, Kathy Perritt,
posted an appeal on Facebook.
Baldwin had gotten wind of the
post but was stunned by the magni-
tude of the gift.
“I had no idea,” Baldwin said,
who struggled for words to de-
scribe her reaction. “I don’t do
anything but come to work, smile,
Baldwin wasn’t the only person
who was stunned by the outpour-
ing of affection.
Perritt just wanted to give Bald-
win a little gift.
“Somebody had posted on Face-
book that we needed to nominate
Sonya to be ambassador for the city
of Columbus, and somebody else
said we should get her a gift,” Per-
ritt said. “I said, ‘You know what
would be good is if we could get her
a spa day.’”
See BALDWIN, 6A
2,457 COVID-19 cases — the high-
est single-day increase since the
state’s first case in March. The dai-
ly number of hospitalized patients
statewide exceeded 1,000 on Nov.
29 and has remained high as hos-
pitals struggle to provide enough
beds for patients.
The Golden Triangle has seen
more than 6,000 cases as of Tues-
day afternoon, with 2,552 in Oktib-
beha, 2,528 in Lowndes and 961 in
Clay, according to the Mississippi
State Department of Health.
“This is a public safety issue,”
Shelton said of the mask mandate.
“People are actually dying from
this COVID-19.”
Faced with increases in infec-

CVB, Main Street plan project to light downtown buildings tions, Gov. Tate Reeves implement-
ed a statewide mask mandate Aug.
4 and allowed it to expire Sept. 30.
In light of recent spikes, however,
$15,000 project to be paid for with private donations; lights will Now that
plan
INSIDE
could n OUR VIEW: he has placed 54 of the 82 counties
follow features of commercial buildings on Main Street become a Expressing our
pride in lights.
under mask mandate, including
Lowndes, Oktibbeha and Noxubee
reality. Bige- Page 4A
BY ISABELLE ALTMAN She had driven through oth- thing like that to Columbus. counties.
low met last Despite the expiration of the
ialtman@cdispatch.com er towns throughout Mississip- “The downtown just illumi- month with statewide mandate, Columbus has
pi, Alabama and Texas, where nates,” she said. “It looks so Columbus Visitors Bureau had an ongoing mask mandate
Main Street Columbus Ex-
ecutive Director Barbara Bige- she has family, in which lights nice, and it brings an energy Executive Director Nancy since March 21. The original city
low has been wanting to light along downtown commercial into the downtown area when Carpenter, Columbus Light order, Shelton said, was to require
up downtown for a few years buildings lit up the skyline, you see them. It kind of excites and Water General Manag- mask-wearing in public space and
now. and she wanted to bring some- you.” See LIGHTS, 3A See CPD, 3A

BUSINESS MOVES WITH MARY

Two new food trucks continue craze in Columbus

PLUS: New barbecue joint opens in West Point The Rib Shack offers
Glenn’s famous barbe-
“… We wanted to reach
more people on this side of
BY MARY POLLITZ Near the Southern Joni Baldwin, wife of cue on wheels while the town, and with the COVID
biz@cdispatch.com Snow Shack on Chubby Glenn Baldwin, opened Wacky Wiener has hot situation you can’t really
Drive, you may have no- two food trucks there dogs, cotton candy and go out to eat. We’ve got

T
he food truck fad is ticed there’s a couple food about a month ago: The more. tables outside and they are
growing strong in trucks appearing in the Rib Shack and the Wacky “It’s picking up more spaced six feet apart.”
Mary Pollitz
Columbus. open lot. Weiner. and more,” Baldwin said. See BUSINESS, 3A

WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC

Jackson Frye
Third grade, Annunciation
1 Who reunited with songwriter Max Martin to Today MEETINGS
work on music for the 2016 movie “Trolls”? Dec. 7: Lown-
■ Holiday Bazaar: Shop for Christmas
2 A rare watch from what watchmaker was des County
auctioned off for a record $5 million in 2017 in at the annual Holiday Bazaar held at
the Mill; more details to come. Follow Board of Super-
Geneva?
3 What literary award is given for achievement on Instagram@StarkvilleHolidayBazaar; visors meeting,
in the sci-fi/fantasy — Hugo, Newbery or 662-323-3322. 9 a.m., Lown-
Eisner? ■ Hospice Tree Lighting Ceremony:
4 What kind of animal, named April, made a des County
Baptist Hospice-Golden Triangle honors
name for herself when she gave birth live on lives of those lost with this outdoor
Courthouse,

55 Low 46
YouTube from a New York zoo in 2017? facebook.com/
5 What high-rolling city saw the Golden Knights event at 5:30 p.m. at 2309 Bluecutt
High make their first-ever selections in the 2017 NHL Road, Suite B. Light refreshments LowndesCoun-
Cloudy, chance rain
Expansion Draft? served. 662-243-1173. tyMississippi/
Full forecast on Answers, 6B
page 3A. Dec. 15:
Friday Columbus City
■ Grinch Fest: Don’t let the grinch
INSIDE steal your Christmas; watch for plans.
Council, 5 p.m.,
Municipal Com-
This event from 5-8 p.m. features down-
Business 5B Dear Abby 3B plex, facebook.
Classifieds 6B Obituaries 5A town shopping, activities and getting Thomas Synovec graduated with
your “passport” stamped in Whoville. a PhD degree in civil engineering com/CityofCo-
Comics 3B Opinions 4A
141st Year, No. 227 Crossword 6B Main Street Columbus, 662-328-6305. from Mississippi State University. lumbusMS/

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2A THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Congress swats back Trump’s

veto threat of defense bill
BY LISA MASCARO
AP Congressional Correspondent
WASHINGTON — President
Donald Trump is closing out his
relationship with Congress with
one more power jab, threatening
to veto a hugely popular defense
bill unless lawmakers clamp down
on big tech companies he claims
were biased against him during
the election.
Trump is demanding that Con-
gress repeal so-called Section
230, a part of the communications
code that shields Twitter, Face-
book and others from content li-
ability. His complaint is a battle
cry of conservatives — and some
Democrats — who say the social
media giants treat them unfairly.
But interjecting the complicat-
ed tech issue threatens to upend
the massive defense bill, which
Congress takes pride in having
passed unfailingly for half a cen-
tury. Trump almost sabotaged
the package with an earlier veto
threat over plans to stop allowing
military bases to be named for
Confederate leaders.
It’s another example of the
president’s brazen willingness to
undercut Congress, even his al-
lies, to impose his will in his final
months in office.
On Wednesday, a bipartisan
coalition of leaders on the House
and Senate Armed Services com-
mittees said enough is enough.
“We have toiled through almost
2,200 provisions to reach compro-
mise on important issues affect-
ing our national security and our
Biden facing pressure over secretary of defense pick
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden is facing escalating
pressure from competing factions within his own party as he finalizes
his choice for secretary of defense.
Black leaders have encouraged the incoming president to select an
African American to diversify what has so far been a largely white pro-
spective Cabinet, while others are pushing him to appoint a woman to
lead the Department of Defense for the first time.
At the same time, a growing collection of progressive groups is op-
posing the leading female contender, Michèle Flournoy, citing concerns
about her record and private-sector associations.
A coalition of at least seven progressive groups warned Biden to
avoid Flournoy in an open letter to Biden obtained Wednesday by The
Associated Press that referenced her record of “ill-advised policy deci-
sions” — particularly in relation to Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Afghani-
stan — and an “opaque history of private-sector activity.”
“Ms. Flournoy’s consistent support for military interventions has
contributed to devastating crises around the world, including in Ye-
men,” said Jehan Hakim, chairperson of the Yemeni Alliance Commit-
tee, which helped organize the letter.
Other contenders are emerging, including retired Army Gen. Lloyd
Austin and Jeh Johnson, who served as the Pentagon’s top lawyer and
then as head of the Department of Homeland Security during President
Barack Obama’s second term. Both Austin and Johnson are Black.
military,” Reps. Adam Smith of “The time has come to do that
Washington and Mac Thornberry again,” they said.
of Texas, the chairman and top Re- The powerful Republican chair-
publican on the House Armed Ser- man of the Senate Armed Services
vices Committee, said in a joint Committee, Sen. James Inhofe of
statement. Oklahoma, said he personally
In a rare joint rebuke, they said spoke with Trump, explaining that
that “for 59 straight years,” the the defense bill is not the place for
National Defense Authorization the big tech fight.
Act has passed because lawmak- “I agree with his sentiments —
ers and presidents agreed to set we ought to do away with 230,” In-
aside their own preferences “and hofe told reporters Wednesday on
put the needs of our military per- Capitol Hill after having spoken
sonnel and America’s security with Trump. “But you can’t do it in
first.” this bill.”

Arizona’s Kelly is sworn into Senate, narrowing GOP edge

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Ari-
zona Democrat and former
astronaut Mark Kelly was
sworn into the Senate on
Wednesday, narrowing
Republican control of the
chamber and underscor-
ing his state’s shift from
red to blue.
Kelly, 56, defeated GOP
Sen. Martha McSally in
last month’s election, mak-
ing her one of only three
incumbents to lose. By tak-
ing office, he has reduced
the Republican edge in the
chamber to 52-48.
That will have scant
impact on Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell’s control
over the chamber for the fi-
nal month of this congres-
sional session. But it sets
the stage for two pivotal
Jan. 5 Senate runoff elec-
tions in Georgia.
If Democrats win both,
they will command the
50-50 chamber for the
new Congress that begins
in early January because
Vice President-elect Ka-
mala Harris would cast
tie-breaking votes.

CPD
Continued from Page 1A
business employees to
wear masks when inter-
acting with customers.
The city council passed a
resolution in July expand-
ing the original order to
ask all employees and
customers to wear masks,
and Mayor Robert Smith
issued a letter Oct. 1 to
clarify the language of the
mandate, Shelton said.
Relying on a com-
plaint-based system, po-
lice officers respond to
calls about customers or
employees not wearing
masks and try to convince
them to comply with the
mandate, Shelton said.
If they refuse to put on a
mask, they will then re-
ceive a citation and a court
date when a judge will
determine the amount of
fines, he said.
Recently, the police de-
partment has seen a lot of
Lights
Continued from Page 1A
er Todd
Gale and
C ol u mb u s
Mayor Rob-
ert Smith
to plan a
$15,000
project
to string Bigelow
about 2,500
feet of
lights along
Main Street
buildings
to light up
during hol-
idays and
special oc- Carpenter
casions.
“I don’t think it’s just
a winter look,” Carpen-
ter said. “I think in the
spring, when we’ve got a
major event going on, the
Fourth of July, something
great for (Mississippi
University for Women),
for Columbus Air Force
Base, we’d look forward
to turning on the lights.”
Initially, Carpenter
said, the lights will be
strung for two blocks
along both sides of Main
Street — from Catfish
Alley on Fourth Street
to City Hall on the north
side of Main and The
Dispatch building on the
south side.
The cost will be cov-
ered by
p r i v a t e
donations
from area
businesses,
residents
and orga-
nizations.
Gale said Gale
CLW will
provide the labor to set
up the lights. The brunt
of the cost will go toward
equipment, including the
lights themselves — large
white LED bulbs — and
specially designed met-
al brackets to be placed
along building rooftops to
hold them.
“It’s going to be a line
of lights that will follow
the tops of the building
Business
Continued from Page 1A
You can stop by for
some barbecue or even
soup during this cold
season Tuesday through
Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Baldwin added that
she is continuing to pro-
vide more and more each
day, including games and
activities for kids to enjoy
while the parents eat.
Moving to East Colum-
bus, the Citgo Gas Station
on Highway 69 South
has opened Columbus
Discount Wine and Li-
quor store. Owner Karam
Patel said the gas station
had an empty portion
of the building that has
been vacant for at least
six years. He said he has
been planning to open the
liquor store for the past
six months and officially
opened Nov. 30.
For its grand opening,
customers can get a 5
percent discount on all
purchases until February.
Be sure to check out the
new store at 323 Idlewild
Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton asks the public
at a Wednesday press conference to comply with
the city’s mask mandate in light of recent spikes in
COVID-19 cases and increasing complaints about vio-
lations of the order. “This is a public safety issue,” he
said. “People are actually dying from this COVID-19.”
complaints coming from
customers and employees
alike, Shelton said.
“(Citizens) are going
to businesses and em-
ployees at the businesses
(following) the features
of the building,” he said,
adding the brackets
would be placed about
every foot along the build-
ing facades.
Once installed, the
costs of usage would be
minimal and would be in-
cluded with streetlights,
he said.
Bigelow and Carpen-
ter have sent letters to
the business and build-
ing owners asking them
to sign waivers allowing
CLW to install the lights.
Both said the reactions
they’ve received so far
have been positive.
Smith said city officials
are excited about the proj-
ect and the partnership
with CVB, CLW and Main
Street.
“This project will
bring our
dow ntow n
area into a
favorable
view and
can be used
not only at
Christmas,
but at spe- Smith
cial times
throughout the year,” he
said in a prepared state-
ment. “I also encourage
our downtown business-
es to support this project.
Just as our Christmas
Tree lighting is a vital
part of Columbus, I look
forward to the time when
these lights are also part
of Columbus.”
Carpenter said anyone
wishing to donate can
make checks out to Co-
lumbus Cultural Heritage
Foundation and mail them
to CCHF at P.O. Box 789,
Columbus, MS 39703.
Adding a spark
The downtown Co-
lumbus project is part of
a larger trend in light-
ing projects for cities
throughout the country.
While large metropolitan
areas like New York and
Las Vegas have had lights
Drive Monday through
Saturday from 10 a.m. to
10 p.m.
Speaking of expan-
sions, Lighting Unlimited
on Gardner Boulevard
has expanded as well.
The lighting store has
expanded from carrying
largely light fixtures to
home décor items such as
furniture. Now, Lighting
Unlimited + Uncommon
Living announced the
store’s expansion on
social media near the end
of October.
If you’re looking for
lighting or home decora-
tion needs, check out the
store’s expansion Monday
through Friday 8 a.m.-5
p.m
Moving over to West
Point, we have a new car-
ry-out restaurant in town.
Angelo and Barbara
Williams opened Rib-
shack BBQ about two
months ago at 11 Grove
St.
The “traditional
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
Yue Stella Yu/Dispatch Staff
are not wearing masks,
and neither are they ask-
ing their customers to
wear masks,” he said. “…
(In other instances) em-
ployees are complaining
on their buildings for de-
cades, smaller towns in
the South are increasingly
doing the same, Bigelow
and Carpenter said.
Starkville has had
lights along
its Main
Street build-
ings for sev-
eral years,
said Mike
Tager t,
president
and CEO for Tagert
the Greater
Starkville Development
Partnership. He said the
lights, which stay on all
year round, were possible
due to the close working
relationships between
the city of Starkville, the
Partnership and down-
town businesses.
“It provides additional
... safe options for people,
from the downtown shop-
ping foot traffic to public
dining,” Target said. “So
anything that you can do
that improves the aes-
thetics of downtown is
only going to enhance the
economy downtown.”
Carpenter said that
in planning Columbus’
project, she, Bigelow
and Gale reached out to
Christy Burns, executive
director for Corinth Area
Convention and Visitors
Bureau, who helped im-
plement a project to light
up Corinth’s downtown in
2018.
Burns said she re-
ceived help from Main
Street Corinth, the city’s
fire and utility depart-
ments and volunteers to
string 5,000 lights along
downtown buildings to
accentuate the city sky-
line during the holiday
season. Earlier this year,
they added another 4,000
lights.
“The intent was to
draw people downtown to
enjoy the holiday season,”
Burns said. “This year
we added more lights just
because I think every-
barbecue joint” serves up
brisket, chicken, pork and
anything you can think
of. For Angelo though,
that’s not the secret that
keeps people coming
back for more.
“We base our hat
on quality, portion and
consistency,” he said.
“There isn’t really one
thing we do more than
the other. They all kind
of sell pretty equally. …
The marquee item for us
is our sauce. We make a
homemade sauce. It’s ac-
tually a third generation
sauce. That’s what a lot of
people have been talking
about.”
With COVID-19, Wil-
liams said The Ribshack
is only open for carry out,
but you can get your bar-
becue Thursday through
Saturday 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
“We have really big
support from the commu-
nity,” Williams said. “The
community has really
been good to us.”
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020 3A
Mississippi health
about their safety.”
Entering the holiday
advisory: Avoid
season, Shelton said he
also hopes people volun-
tarily comply with the law
gatherings to curb virus
and opt for smaller gath- ‘... Just to be very clear, it’s
erings.
“The smaller the (gath- nonessential social activities that
erings), the less chance
there (is of) public infec- are absolutely undermining the
tions,” he said. “We want
people to have a happy health and well-being of our state’
holiday season, but again, State health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs
we don’t want a spike in
cases where people could BY EMILY WAGSTER PET TUS
AND LEAH WILLINGHAM
die.”
The Associated Press
Additionally, the po-
lice will begin patrolling
JACKSON — Mississippi reported its sin-
restaurants and bars to- gle-day record of nearly 2,500 new coronavirus
day and cite those that
cases Wednesday as the state health depart-
serve alcohol between 11 ment issued an advisory saying people should
p.m. and 7 a.m. — a vio- avoid social gatherings, including weddings, fu-
lation of a state executive nerals, sporting events and in-person religious
order signed into effect services.
Sept. 30 and set to expire “Where we are in the pandemic right now,
Dec. 11, Shelton said. The just to be very clear, it’s nonessential social
fine will also range from activities that are absolutely undermining the
$300 to $1,000. health and well-being of our state,” Dr. Thom-
as Dobbs, the state health officer, said during a
news conference.
Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has declined
to reinstate a statewide mask mandate that ex-
pired two months ago, but he has issued mask
body needed something mandates for 54 of the state’s 82 counties where
extra special this year. virus transmission is highest. Many physicians
We did several churches have called on the governor to require masks
that have just not straight statewide in public places.
rooftops, they have a lot Dobbs said Wednesday that the mask con-
of peaks and it looks re- versation “is distracting from the real threat” of
ally cool, so we took that spreading the virus through nonessential gath-
on. ... People walk around erings. He said people let down their guard and
and enjoy the lights. ... It hug others at parties or funerals, often without
really makes the holiday their faces covered.
season kind of special.” “In some states that have a statewide mask
Bigelow said she mandate, yes, people aren’t catching it when
hopes to bring the bene- they go to grocery shop,” he said. “But they’re
fits of projects like that of catching it when they have an after-school party
Corinth and Starkville to with 100 people around a swimming pool.”
Columbus. Like many states, Mississippi has seen a rap-
“It’s just exciting,” id spread of the highly contagious virus in re-
Bigelow said, adding it cent weeks.
would also make down-
“We’re not at our peak. We’re rapidly ascend-
town sidewalks safer
ing to a peak that, no one knows what it’s going
for pedestrians. “It just
to be,” Dobbs said. “We’re way higher in our dai-
adds a real spark, I think.
ly case counts now, and our hospitalizations are
Not that our downtown
growing at a rate that is absolutely terrifying.”
doesn’t have a lot of spark
already. I love our down-
town, but this will just be
an added attraction.”
While Gale said he’s
not sure what the timeline
is for the project — some
of the equipment has al-
ready been ordered, but
not all businesses have
given their permission
yet — he estimates it will
only take about two weeks
to install the lights. Car-
penter said optimistically
she hopes to have them
up by Christmas, but said
it could be closer to Janu-
ary.
She added if the ini-
tial phase of the project
is successful, she would
like to expand it and add
more lights throughout
downtown.
“We can raise the mon-
ey. I know that we can,”
Carpenter said. “There
are so many people that
have already said, ‘Look,
I’m on board.’ There’s no
donation that is too small
or too large for us to ac-
cept.”
SOLUNAR TABLE
The solunar period indicates
peak-feeding times for fish and game.
Thurs. Fri.
Major
Minor
3:15a
8:17p
4:10a
9:15p
Major 3:42p 4:38p
Minor 12:01p
11:11a
Courtesy of Mississippi Department
of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
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Periodicals postage paid at Columbus, MS Phone: 662-328-2424
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516 Main St., Columbus, MS 39703
Opinion
4A THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 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

OUR VIEW
Expressing our pride in lights
T
here is no purely practical
reason for people to manicure
their lawns, plant flower gardens
or pressure-wash their driveways, yet
many people do it anyway.
Why? For some, it is pride of own-
ership. For others, presenting their
homes in an attractive fashion is a
commentary on who they are.
The same principle can be applied to
a town or city’s downtown.
When a city’s downtown is clean and
appealing, it says something about the
community as a whole. It’s a show of
confidence, pride and optimism.
This week, Main Street Columbus,
the Convention and Visitors Bureau,
Columbus Light and Water and the City
of Columbus announced a joint venture
designed to enhance the ambience of a
two-block section of downtown Colum-
bus.
The plan calls for stringing approx-
imately 2,500 white LED lights along
the top architectural features of build-
ings along both sides of Main Street be-
tween Catfish Alley/Fourth Street and
6th Street. If all goes well, the lights
could be installed by Christmas.
The lights would only be illuminated
during holidays and special events, add-
ing an extra dimension of visual charm
to the city’s skyline.
In doing so, the plan enhances one
of the city’s best features. The section
of downtown chosen includes buildings
more than 100 years old that feature a
unique architectural charm.
The project could be expanded to
other downtown blocks in the future.
This is not a new idea. Other cities
— Starkville and Corinth, for example
— have used this kind of lighting to
draw attention to their downtown areas.
Of no small importance, the project
will not require taxpayer funding, apart,
from the minimal cost of usage, a cost
greatly mitigated by the usage of LED
lights.
CL&W will string the lights at no
cost while the cost of purchasing the
lights will be covered through dona-
tions.
The Dispatch, which is included in
the initial lighting plan, has donated
$1,000 for the project. We encourage
other businesses and individuals
throughout the county to contribute as
well. Our downtown is worth showing
off, and this effort will be one more way
we can highlight one of our city’s most
important assets.
Making our downtown more beauti-
ful sends a message to our community
and, perhaps more importantly, our
visitors.
We are proud of our city and all that
it has to offer.
And we’re going to say it in lights.
For more information contact the
Convention and Visitors Bureau or
Main Street Columbus. Donation
checks large and small may be mailed
to Columbus Cultural Heritage Founda-
tion, P.O. Box 789, Columbus, Missis-
sippi 39703.

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Considers teachers essential for vaccine
I really cannot believe that not one time has another very im-
portant group to receive the COVID-19 vaccination early not been
mentioned! Maybe I have missed something, but why hasn’t anyone
thought how important it is for teachers to receive vaccinations
after healthcare people? Schools should be open so that students
continue their education and parents can go to work.
I might not have thought it all through, but I consider teachers to
be essential workers.
Alice Edwards
Ackerman

Numbers continue to climb

Today’s numbers:
n 3144 – the number of people who died yesterday (12/2) of
Covid-19 – in the US, a record high;
n 144 – the number of people who died yesterday (12/2) of
Covid-19 – in Canada;
n 274,070 – cumulative Covid-19 deaths (US);
n 100,000 – the approximate number of hospitalized Covid-19
patients (US);
n 13,998,857 – cumulative Covid-19 cases (US) thus far;
n 46 – the length in minutes of the video President Trump
released where he discussed ONLY his baseless claims about fraud
in the recent election (despite losing a case in court for the 39th – of
40 – attempts);
n 46 – that is, the number of consecutive minutes where he
failed to mention anything about the unprecedented death — over
30 times the number of lives lost on 9/11 — resulting on his watch IN MEMORIAM
from the pandemic.
This simply extends his failure to mention — or, from what I
can tell, care – about those who have lost family as a result for his
unparalleled failure to act on information we know he knew back in
Walter E. Williams 1936-2020
W
February and March thanks to Bob Woodward. alter Wil- Despite his opposition to the welfare state,
If we have turned a corner as President Trump said daily up until liams loved as something doing more harm than good,
November 3rd, it is not the corner any of us had in mind. teaching. Walter was privately very generous with both
Wear a mask and, better yet, stay at home if you can. Unlike too many oth- his money and his time in helping others.
Paul Mack er teachers today, he He figured he had a right to do whatever
Columbus made it a point never he wanted to with his own money, but that
to impose his opin- politicians had no right to take his money to
OTHER EDITORS ions on his students.
Those who read his
give away, in order to get votes.
In a letter dated March 3, 1975, Walter
syndicated newspa- said: “Sometimes it is a very lonely struggle
’Keep Tupelo Open’ is an excellent campaign for community per columns know trying to help our people, particularly the
In last Tuesday’s column by Mayor Jason Shelton, he communi- that he expressed ones who do not realize that help is needed.”
cated that the Tupelo Economic Recovery Task Force is launching his opinions boldly In the same letter, he mentioned a certain
Thomas Sowell
a campaign to encourage widespread compliance with the city and and unequivocally hospital which “has an all but written policy
state masking ordinances as a show of responsible citizenship and there. But not in the of prohibiting the flunking of black medical
community solidarity. We completely agree, and as we recently classroom. students.”
editorialized, we believe Gov. Reeves should reinstate the mask Walter once said he hoped that, on the day Not long after this, a professor at a pres-
mandate statewide. he died, he would have taught a class that tigious medical school revealed that black
Mayor Shelton went on to explain that the primary message of day. And that is just the way it was, when he students there were given passing grades
the campaign will be to ‘Keep Tupelo Open,’ saying this “includes died on Wednesday, December 2, 2020. without having met the standards applied
our churches, businesses, schools, health care system, and all He was my best friend for half a century. to other students. He warned that trusting
other institutions and entities through which we experience a more There was no one I trusted more or whose patients would pay — some with their lives —
normal and satisfying life.” We know the Mayor is not entertaining integrity I respected more. Since he was for such irresponsible double standards. That
lockdowns, and we would never support them with the knowledge younger than me, I chose him to be my has in fact happened.
we have now after the experience this past spring. literary executor, to take control of my books As a person, Walter Williams was unique. I
Lockdowns were not wrong at that time, and the recommenda- after I was gone. have heard of no one else being described as
tion from the federal government to only wear a mask when caring But his death is a reminder that no one being “like Walter Williams.”
for someone who was ill was not wrong at the time either. Our local, really has anything to say about such things. Holding a black belt in karate, Walter
state and federal leadership was working with the best available As an economist, Walter Williams never was a tough customer. One night three men
data at the time. got the credit he deserved. His book “Race jumped him — and two of those men ended
We now know the devastation from the spring shutdown is still and Economics” is a must-read introduction up in a hospital.
being felt economically by businesses, emotionally by our citizens, to the subject. Amazon has it ranked 5th in The other side of Walter came out in
and physically by those that delayed other health care priorities not sales among civil rights books, 9 years after relation to his wife, Connie. She helped put
named COVID-19. The spring shutdown for some businesses lucki- it was published. him through graduate school — and after
ly had federal dollars through the CARES Act that followed to help. Another book of his, on the effects of he received his Ph.D., she never had to work
A go it alone approach by any community at this time would have no economics under the white supremacist again, not even to fix his breakfast.
financial help following a shutdown. apartheid regime in South Africa, was titled Walter liked to go to his job at 4:30 AM.
Last week, Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus “South Africa’s War Against Capitalism.” He He was the only person who had no problem
Response Coordinator and former U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator went to South Africa to study the situation finding a parking space on the street in down-
for President Obama, said, “our biggest threat for transmission is directly. Many of the things he brought out town Washington. Around 9 o’clock or so,
not the public square. It’s small family gatherings. Family gather- have implications for racial discrimination in Connie — now awake — would phone Walter
ings where people become more comfortable. They remove their other places around the world. and they would greet each other tenderly for
face mask, and they get together. And it’s this silent epidemic that I have had many occasions to cite Walter the day.
begins to transmit. But it’s not intra-school transmission. The truth Williams’ research in my own books. Most We may not see his like again. And that is
is, for kids K through 12, one of the safest places they can be, from of what others say about higher prices in our loss.
our perspective, is to remain in school.” low income neighborhoods today has not yet Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the
A study by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of caught up to what Walter said in his doctoral Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Visit
the United States of America, one of the most cited scientific jour- dissertation decades ago. his website at www.tsowell.com.
nals, surveyed the effects of the coronavirus on small businesses.
PNAS surveyed more than 5,800 small businesses between March
28 and April 4 and found the median small business with $10,000
in monthly expenses had about two weeks of cash on hand. This
means most small businesses would have to have immediate layoffs
THE STAFF OF THE DISPATCH
of employees and most likely could not survive a closure that was EDITOR/PUBLISHER Jackie Taylor Kadee Holmes Slim Smith Quaylon Jones
long enough to have any kind of community effect on virus trans- Peter Imes Deanna Robin- Jan Swoope Marquisto Miller
mission, if any at all. BUSINESS OFFICE son-Pugh Tess Vrbin Bobby Williams
We support Mayor Shelton and the Tupelo Economic Recovery Lindsey Beck Yue Stella Yu
ADVERTISING
Task Force in campaigning to our community to wear masks, wash Claudi Arrington Debbie Foster NEWS PRODUCTION
hands frequently and socially distance. We cannot ever support Kelly Ervin Mary Ann Hardy Isabelle Altman MAILROOM Roderick Bell
shutting down of our local businesses. We follow the words and Melissa Johnson Eddie Johnson Theo Derosa Christina Boyd William Hudson
advice from scientists advising President-elect Joe Biden who said Beth Proffitt Courtney Laury Matt Garner Joseph Ellis Mike Lindsey
as recently as last Friday, “I am not going to shut down the econo- Mary Jane Run- Garrick Hodge Jeffrey Gore Jamie Morrison
my again.” nels CIRCULATION Zack Plair Katrina Guyton Anne Murphy
(Tupelo) Daily Journal Luther Shields Michael Floyd Ben Portnoy Doris Hill Tina Perry
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020 5A

CDC: Stay home for the holidays or get tested twice

Agency also announced new guidelines that
shorten recommended quarantines after close
contact with someone infected with virus
BY LINDSEY TANNER
AP Medical Writer
Don’t travel over the upcom-
ing holidays. But if you must,
consider getting coronavirus
tests before and after, U.S.
health officials urged Wednes-
day.
The federal Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention
said that the best way to stay
safe and protect others is to
stay home.
The agency also announced
new guidelines that shorten
recommended quarantines af-
ter close contact with someone
infected with coronavirus. The
agency said the risk in a short-
er quarantine is small, but that
the change makes following the
guidance less of a hardship.
The no-travel advice echoes
recommendations for Thanks-
giving but many Americans
ignored it. With COVID-19 con-
tinuing to surge, the CDC add-
ed the testing option.
“Cases are rising, hospital-
izations are increasing , deaths
are increasing. We need to try
to bend the curve, stop this ex-
ponential increase,” the CDC’s
Dr. Henry Walke said during a
briefing.
He said any travel-relat-
ed surge in cases from travel
would likely be apparent about
a week to 10 days after Thanks-
giving.
The virus has infected more
than 13.5 million Americans
and killed at least 270,000 since
January.
“The safest thing to do is
to postpone holiday travel and
stay home,” said Dr. Cindy
Friedman, another CDC offi-
cial. “Travel volume was high
over Thanksgiving,’’ and even
if small numbers were infected,
that could result in ‘’hundreds
of thousands of new infections.”
‘’Travel is a door-to-door ex-
perience that can spread virus
during the journey and also into
communities that travelers visit
or live,” she added.
For those who decide to
travel, COVID-19 tests should
be considered one to three
days before the trip and again
three to five days afterward,
the CDC said. The agency also
recommended travelers reduce
non-essential activities for a full
week after they return or for
10 days if not tested afterward.
And it emphasized the impor-
tance of continuing to follow
precautions including masks,
social distancing and frequent
hand-washing.
The revised quarantine guid-
ance says people who have been
in contact with someone infect-
ed with the virus can resume
normal activity after 10 days, or
seven days if they receive a neg-
ative test result. That’s down
from the 14-day period recom-
mended since the pandemic
began.

Nurses wanted: Swamped hospitals scramble for pandemic help

‘The reality is December and January and February are going to be rough times’
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
OMAHA, Neb. — U.S.
hospitals slammed with
COVID-19 patients are
trying to lure nurses and
doctors out of retirement,
recruiting students and
new graduates who have
yet to earn their licenses
and offering eye-popping
salaries in a desperate bid
to ease staffing shortages.
With the virus surg-
ing from coast to coast,
the number of patients
in the hospital with the
virus has more than dou-
bled over the past month
to a record high of nearly
100,000, pushing medical
centers and health care
workers to the breaking
point. Nurses are increas-
ingly burned out and get-
ting sick on the job, and
the stress on the nation’s
medical system prompted
a dire warning from the
head of the Centers for
Disease Control and Pre-
vention.
“The reality is De-
cember and January and
February are going to be
rough times. I actually be-
lieve they are going to be
the most difficult time in
the public health history
of this nation,” Dr. Robert
Redfield said.
Governors in hard-hit
Dr. Robert Redfield
states like Wisconsin and
Nebraska are making it
easier for retired nurses to
come back, including by
waiving licensing require-
ments and fees, though it
can be a tough sell for old-
er nurses, who would be
in more danger than many
of their colleagues if they
contracted the virus.
Some are taking jobs
that don’t involve working
directly with patients to
free up front-line nurses,
McMillan said.
Iowa is allowing tempo-
rary, emergency licenses
for new nurses who have
met the state’s education-
al requirements but ha-
ven’t yet taken the state
licensing exam. Some
Minnesota hospitals are
offering winter intern-
ships to nursing students
to boost their staffs. The
internships are typically
offered in the summer but
were canceled this year
because of COVID-19.
Methodist Hospi-
tal in Minneapolis will
place 25 interns for one
to two months to work
with COVID-19 patients,
though certain tasks will
remain off-limits, such as
inserting IVs or urinary
catheters, said Tina Kval-
heim, a nurse who runs
the program.
“They’ll be fully sup-
ported in their roles so
that our patients receive
the best possible, safe
care,” Kvalheim said.

COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
OBITUARY POLICY
Obituaries with basic informa-
tion including visitation and
service times, are provided
free of charge. Extended obit-
uaries with a photograph, de-
tailed biographical information
and other details families may
wish to include, are available
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 pro-
vided by The Commercial Dis-
patch. Free notices must be
submitted to the newspaper
no later than 3 p.m. the day
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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.
Sue Patrick
COLUMBUS — Sue
Newell Patrick, 77, died
Nov. 24, 2020, at a fami-
ly residence in Peral.
There will be no
memorial services.
Otts Funeral Home of
Sulligent, Alabama was
in charge of arrange-
ments.
Mrs. Patrick was
born Oct. 8, 1943, in
Birmingham, Alabama,
to the late Hobart
Newell and Leta Lavelle
Smith. She was a grad-
uate of Sulligent High
school and St. Vincent’s
with Lamar County
General Hospital,
Baptist Memorial Hos-
pital-Golden Triangle
and Internal Medicine
Associates.
In addition to her
parents, she was
preceded in death by
her husband, Howard
David; and siblings,
Douglas Newell and
Linda Kaye Jenkins.
She is survived by
her daughter, Alanna
Patrick of Pearl.
Earnest Wells
BROOKSVILLE —
Earnest Wells, 87, died
Dec. 2, 2020, at Merid-
ian Anderson Regional
Hospital.
Arrangements are
incomplete and will be
announced by Carter’s
Funeral Services of
Macon.
Brenda Baker
STARKVILLE —
Brenda Lee Morland
Baker, 71, died Nov. 30,
2020, at OCH Regional
Medical Center.
A private service
was held Wednesday,
at Cockrell Funeral
Home. Burial followed
in Adaton Baptist
Church Cemetery.
Cockrell Funeral Home
of Macon was in charge
of arrangements.
Mrs. Baker was
born March 24, 1949,
in Oktibbeha County,
to the late Jessie Dee
Moreland and Mary
Lou Sanders Moreland.
She was a graduate of
Noxubee County High
School and attended
AREA OBITUARIES
ously employed with
Presley construction
Company and as the
manager of First Finan-
cial Services. She was
a member of Longview
Baptist Church.
In addition to her
parents, she was pre-
ceded in death by her
step-father, Malcolm
Kendrick.
She is survived by
her husband, Jack-
ie Baker; children,
Kendrick Adams of
Mathiston and Tyler
Higginbotham of Long
Beach; step-children,
Troy Baker, Jody
Baker Fortenberry
and Taft Baker; sev-
en grandchildren;
and two great-grand-
children; and six
step-great-grandchil-
dren.
Jimmy Elkin
COLUMBUS — Jim-
my Lynn Elkin, 85, died
Dec. 2, 2020, at Baptist
Memorial Hospital-Ox-
ford.
Funeral services will
be at 11 a.m. Friday,
at Lowndes Funeral
Home Chapel, with
Sammy Crawford offici-
ating. Lowndes Funeral
Home of Columbus is
in charge of arrange-
ments.
Mr. Elkin was
born Aug. 12, 1935, in
Walthall, to the late
Ruby Mitchell Elkin
and Ernest Elkin.
He was a veteran of
the United States Air
Force. He was former-
ly employed with the
Lowndes County depu-
his wife, Sarah Henley
Elkin; children, Gary
Elkin of Columbus,
Donnie Elkin of tupelo
and Ronnie Elkin of
Amory; seven grand-
children; and six
great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be
made to Fairview Bap-
tist Church, 127 Airline
Road; Columbus, MS,
39702.
Neal Bivens
WEST POINT —
Neal Bivens, 92, died
Dec. 1, 2020, at the
State Veterans Home of
Oxford.
A private family
graveside service will
be at Memorial Gar-
dens Cemetery, with
the Rev. Buchanan
officiating. Robinson
Funeral Home of West
Point is in charge of
arrangements.
Mr. Bivens was born
July 31, 1928, in West
Point, to the late Porter
James and Eva Miller
Bivens. He was a veter-
an of the United States
Navy and was formerly
employed with Babcock
and Wilcox and the Civ-
il Engineering Division
at Columbus Air Force
Base. He was a member
of First United Method-
ist Church.
In addition to his par-
ents, he was preceded
in death by his sister,
Kay Bivens Bryan.
He is survived by his
wife, Martha Coleman
Bivens; children, Lynn
Utsey of Cordova,
Tennessee, Lisa Morris
of Watson, Louisiana,
of Pontotoc; brother, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Friday, at
Hugh Miller Bivens Lavender’s Funeral Ser-
of Albuquerque, New vice. Lavender’s Funer-
Mexico; nine grand- al Service of Aliceville,
children; and 13 Alabama is in charge of
great-grandchildren. arrangements.
Memorials may be
made to First United
Methodist Church, P.O.
Box 293, West Point,
MS, 39773.
Betty Horton
REFORM, Ala. —
Betty Jane Horton, 70,
died Nov. 29, 2020.
A home going
celebration will be at
11 a.m. Saturday, at Re-
form Temple Church of
God. Burial will follow
in Old Bethany Prim-
itive Baptist Church
Cemetery. Lavender’s
Funeral Service of
Aliceville, Alabama is
in charge of arrange-
ments.
Charlie Dancy
BOLIGEE, Ala. —
Charlie Dancy, 71, died
Nov. 30, 2020.
A home going cel-
ebration will be at 11
a.m. Saturday, in New
Cemetery of Aliceville.
Visitation will be from

Kenneth Stanley
School of Nursing. She Mississippi State Uni- ty sheriffs. Beth McKee, West
was formerly employed versity. She was previ- He is survived by Point and Jim Bivens

Kenneth (Ken) Eugene Stanley, age 75, died

Lon Adams, Slim Jim jerky recipe creator, dies of COVID-19
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RALEIGH, N.C. —
Alonzo “Lon” T. Adams
II, the man who created
the formula for Slim Jim
beef jerky sticks, has died
from complications of
COVID-19. He was 95.
Lynn Barrow of
Brown-Wynne Funeral
Home in Raleigh, North
Carolina, confirmed
Wednesday that Adams
died on Nov. 28. A grave-
side funeral service was
held Wednesday, Barrow
said.
Andrew Adams told
The News & Observer of
Raleigh that his grand-
father contracted the
virus as a resident of an
assisted living facility in
Raleigh that had expe-
rienced an outbreak of
cases. His grandfather
tested positive for the vi-
rus and died about a week
later, leaving behind fam-
ily in Raleigh, Illinois and
Michigan.
But Adams noted that
he had great memories of
what his grandfather ac-
complished.
“It’s actually crazy —
every gas station in the
country, I walk in and see
something that my grand-
pa formulated,” Andrew
Adams said.
Adams was a World
War II veteran who sur-
vived the Battle of the
Bulge despite being shot
in the head. After recu-
perating, Adams attend-
ed St. Ambrose College
in his native Davenport,
Iowa, and then obtained
a master’s degree at Iowa
State University.
While Slim Jims were
first created in 1928, the
current formula is Adams’
work. It was described by
The New York Times in
1996 as a lengthy process
that calls for processed
ground beef, chicken
meat and other parts,
along with a range of spic-
es and chemicals. Adams
worked on the jerky reci-
pe for more than 20 years
at GoodMark Foods in
Garner, North Carolina,
from 1968 until his retire-
ment in 1991.
Food processor
Conagra Brands bought
GoodMark Foods in 1998.
Adams is survived by
two children and three
grandchildren.
Monday, November 30, 2020, at the University of
Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville.
Mr. Stanley was born on December 7, 1944,
to the late Seth Pool (Sonny) Stanley and Hazel
Dawkins Stanley. He was a graduate of Caledonia
High School, Class of 1963. Following graduation,
he worked many years at Ceco Building Systems
in Columbus and Gulf States Metal Buildings in
Starkville before going into business for himself.
He served in the U.S. Marine Reserves and was
honorably discharged in 1970. Mr. Stanley was
an avid Alabama football fan and loved his dogs
Max, Rosco and Axel.
Survivors include wife, Mary Roberts Stanley;
son, Kenneth Todd Stanley (Patti) of Caledonia,
MS; stepdaughter, Sharon Roberts of Louisville,
TN; grandchildren, Peyton Stanley, Cooper
Stanley, Justin Tjaden, Noah Whalen and Kaelyn
Cannon; Uncles, Lynn Dawkins (Gale), Doug
Dawkins (Brenda).
No arrangements at this time.
Paid Obituary - East Tennessee Mortuary Service
6A THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Fashion Barn turned into ‘Whoville’

for downtown Christmas event
DISPATCH STAFF REPORT

C
olumbus’ Wassail Fest in
downtown Columbus takes
on a new look for 2020.
“We realized that it would be
difficult this year to enjoy Wassail
Fest in the same way as in the past.
However, that ‘Grinch’ is not going
to take away the fun of our holidays
and we chose to alter, instead of
cancel, our community holiday
plans”, said Barbara Bigelow,
executive director of Main Street
Columbus.
“Grinch Fest in Whoville” is
5-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4 downtown,
presented by Saint Leo University Courtesy photo

Columbus Air Force Base. Six-
teen downtown merchants will be
open Friday evening for shopping.
Pick up a “Whoville Passport” at
participating merchants and get
it stamped for a chance to win a
grand prize in gift certificates pro-
vided by Main Street Columbus.
“There will be two lucky win-
ners this year,” Bigelow said. “First
prize is gift certificates worth
$650, and the second prize is $350
in gift certificates. Who doesn’t
like gift certificates, especially at
this time of year?”
The former Fashion Barn will
be transformed into “Whoville.”
“Check out the fabulous setting
thanks to Homer and Joann Beaty,
Zion Church, Lighting Unlimited
The former Fashion Barn is being transformed into Whoville for Grinch Fest
in downtown Columbus Friday.
and Vibrant, who have partnered
with Main Street Columbus in this
year’s fun. Have your picture taken
with a ‘Whoville’ character. Be
sure to wear your mask and stay
socially distanced,” Bigelow said.
Dress in costume as a “Who-
ville” character, stop at the photo
booth inside “Whoville” and have
your photo taken for a chance to
win a prize.
Traditional holiday singing will
be provided in Leadership Plaza by
carolers from Sunday Local.
“After enjoying a great time,
dine in one of our fabulous down-
town restaurants or view ‘The
Grinch Movie’ at 8:30 p.m. inside
The Princess Theater, provided by
Sunday Local,” Bigelow said. The
movie is free at the recently-reno-
vated venue.
The Grinch Fest is sponsored by
the City of Columbus, Homer and
Joann Beaty, Main Street Colum-
bus, Lighting Unlimited, Zion
Church, Vibrant, DexImaging and
WSMS 99.9 and presented by Saint
Leo University Columbus Air
Force Base.
“Our huge thanks to all of our
sponsors and volunteers who make
the Grinch Fest possible,” Bigelow
said. “Don’t Let the Grinch steal
your Christmas!”

Baldwin
Continued from Page 1A
Perritt solicited contri- “Everybody has a back what’s going on with realizes what a positive
butions on Facebook. story.” people,” she said. “Every- influence she has on
“I called the spa and Whatever those body has their stuff. So people.”
found out we could get troubles may be, Johnson I just try to greet them, On a day of surpris-
a spa package for $155,” said Baldwin seems to give a smile, maybe a lit- es, her customers were
she said. “I thought, ‘OK. have that rare ability to tle prayer, anything that probably not surprised
Worst case scenario, I’ll leave them behind when helps to lift their spirit when she responded to a
kick in the rest if we don’t she walks through the just a little bit.” question about what she
get enough to cover it.’” door each morning. Perritt said she intended to do with the
By the time Perritt It’s the same approach hopes the gifts will help $1,700 in cash.
went to bed that night, she applies when the oc- Baldwin understand just “I’ll bless other people,
$400 had been raised. By casional grumpy custom- how much she means to not just myself,” she said.
the next evening, the to- er arrives at her window, customers. “There are a lot of people
tal was more than $1,000. perhaps encountering the “She is the perfect out there who could use a
“We wound up with first smile of the day. example of what custom- blessing.”
$1,700 in cash, plus the “I don’t let it bother me er service can be,” Perritt
$155 gift card and the because you never know said. “I just hope that she
spa upgraded it to a $200
package, so it all came
to $1,900,” Perritt said.
“Never in a million years
did I see this coming.”
In addition to the
contributions, more than
1,000 people left com-
ments sharing their own
appreciation for Baldwin.
Besides the gift card,
cash and a bouquet of
flowers, Baldwin received
a print out of many of
those comments.
Debra Johnson,
district manager for
Hardee’s, said Baldwin’s
impact is not confined to
customers.
“She’s a big influence
on everyone here,” John-
son said. “You can’t have
a bad day around her.
Your spirits automatically
are lifted when you come
through the door and see
her. It’s contagious. With
all that’s going on, she’s a
ray of sunshine in a dark
world right now.”

Becoming
a local legend
She has become some-
thing of a local legend,
something Baldwin, now
51, would never have
imagined when she first
entered the doors of the
restaurant in 1997.
“I walked all the way
from Main Street to fill
out an application,” she
said, never imagining
she would spend the next
two decades-plus in a
business where turnover
is notoriously high and
frequent. “I just needed
a job.”
Early on, she walked
two miles to and from
work from her home
near Military Road while
raising four kids and
struggling to make ends
meet.
“I get the impression
she’s had her share of
troubles,” Johnson said.

cdispatch.com
Sports
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THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020
B
SECTION

Tigers rally for Verdell after hard hit, airlift

BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
MACON — Diesha Verdell was still
on her way.
After her family convoy missed the
turn that would take them to North
Panola High School — where her son
Damian, a senior running back for the
Noxubee County football team, was
playing that night in an MHSA A Class
3A quarterfinal — Verdell hadn’t yet
made it to the Cougars’ stadium in
Sardis when she got a text from her
coworker, Renee Hunt.
Have you checked on your son?
Verdell drew a deep breath and sent
a reply.
What’s wrong?
A few minutes later, as the calls and
texts began to roll in and the helicop-
ter braced for landing, Diesha began
to realize something: She wasn’t go-
ing to the stadium after all.
‘A different feeling’
As the first quarter wound to a
close, Verdell took a handoff from
quarterback Chrishaad Ruper and
carried the football toward the Nox-
ubee County sideline. A North Pano-
la defensive end came over to tackle
him; as Verdell went down, a Cougars
safety dropped low to hit the Tigers
running back in the head.
Unable to see the play, Noxubee
County coach Teddy Young asked Austin Frayser/Dispatch file photo

Hunt relayed what she knew: Dami- Verdell to come back in a couple plays Noxubee County tailback Damian Verdell (7) finds a hole in a playoff game against
an had taken a hard hit. He was being later. An assistant relayed the word Coahoma Agricultural on Nov. 8, 2019, in Macon. Verdell will be available for the
Tigers’ state championship game against Magee after suffering a mild concussion in
attended to on the bench. See VERDELL, 2B Noxubee County’s north state semifinal against North Panola.

MSU WBB MISSISSIPPI STATE

top-rated
2021 signee
Godfrey to
be eligible
Jessika Carter finds groove in
this spring
BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com
MSU’s throttling of New Orleans
STARK VILLE —
Nikki McCray-Penson
is getting reinforce-
ments at the semester
break.
KN’isha Godfrey,
Mississippi State’s
top-rated recruit in the
class of 2021, told The
Dispatch Wednesday
that she will be imme-
diately eligible to play
this season upon enroll-
ing early this spring.
A 5-foot-9 guard out
of Florida, Godfrey is
rated a four-star re-
cruit, the No. 8 point
guard and No. 40 over-
all recruit in the class
of 2021 according to
ESPN HoopGurlz. She
previously committed
to MSU on May 29,
while the school con-

See GODFREY, 2B

Southern
Miss hires
Will Hall
as its new
football Mississippi State athletics

coach Jessika Carter skies over a New Orleans defender in Mississippi State’s win over the Privateers Wednesday in Starkville.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

H AT TIESBURG,
Miss. — Southern Miss
has hired Tulane offen-
sive coordinator Will Hall
as its new head football
coach.
Athletic director Jere-
my McClain announced
the hiring on Wednesday,
replacing Jay Hopson,
who resigned after the
Golden Eagles lost the
opener to South Alabama.
Hall spent the past two
seasons at Tulane after
stints as an assistant at
Louisiana-Lafayette and
Memphis, among others.
He’s a former head
coach at West Alabama
(2011-13) and West Geor-
gia (2014-16). Hall led the
two Gulf South Confer-
ence programs to com-
bined records of 56-21,
winning three league ti-
tles and two coach of the
year honors.
He took four teams to
the Division II playoffs
and led West Georgia to
the semifinals in both
2014 and 2015.
BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com
STARK VILLE — Af-
ter sputtering offensively
through a season opening
win over Jackson State last
week, Mississippi State’s bigs
backed up a Brinks truck into
the paint at Humphrey Coli-
seum and cashed in through-
out the Bulldogs’ 106 -51
throttling of New Orleans on
Wednesday night.
First-year head coach Nik-
ki McCray-Penson harped on
MSU’s size advantage against
a scrappy New Orleans squad
that traveled just nine players,
only one of whom stood taller
than 5-foot-11, throughout her
first midweek media avail-
ability of the young season
Tuesday. In response, MSU’s
6 -foot-4-plus frontcourt con-
tingent of Jessika Carter,
Sidney Cooks and Yemiyah
Morris scored nearly as many
points (46) as New Orleans
did all night (51), while the
Bulldogs notched a 72-12
points in the paint advantage.
“Our emphasis was to get
it inside,” McCray-Penson
said postgame. “We knew that
they were going to play a lot of
zone and we knew that we had
the size advantage.”
For Carter, Wednesday
served as a glimpse of what
her game can be when click-
ing. A timid and mild-man-
nered player on and off the
court, McCray-Penson has
challenged the Georgia native
to be more aggressive and fi-
ery in competition. Against
an undermanned Privateers
team, Carter bowled up,
through and around whatev-
er man, zone or double-team
came her way en route to a
23-point, 10 -rebound perfor-
mance.
She even offered a brief
glimpse of intensity as she
finished through contact over
a minute New Orleans guard
midway through the second
quarter, flexing toward the
basket after the referee failed
to call the bump a foul.
“Even though it’s a small
team, just to know that I’m
finishing around the basket,
making those easy buckets --
I feel like that’s a big part of
my confidence,” Carter said
through a wry smile. “And for
the point guards, they’re get-
ting the ball to me. They’re
feeding me consistently...So I
feel like that boosts both our
confidence, honestly.”
Following a sophomore
campaign in which she made
the leap from peripheral con-
tributor to focal point, Carter
is among the more crucial
pieces to MSU’s success in
McCray-Penson’s inaugural
season in Starkville.
For what the Bulldogs
boast in a plethora of scoring
options at guard and the ev-
er-efficient wing Rickea Jack-
son, they lack in frontcourt
depth. Morris showed up in
spurts in her first season at
MSU after transferring from
the junior college ranks, par-
ticularly in the Southeastern
Conference tournament, but
she’s more of a complementa-
ry piece. Cooks, too, has been
lauded for her next-level abili-
ty, though she’s better suited
as a stretch-five type.
Enter Carter.
In 33 games, she led MSU
in rebounding (8.7), blocks
(1.8), field goal percentage
(.585) and double-doubles
(11). But for all her success,
there were layers of frustra-
tion. Facing South Carolina
second team All-American
forward Aliyah Boston, Car-
ter was frustrated to just sev-
en points on 2-of-7 shooting
between two games against
the Gamecocks in Columbia
and the SEC tournament fi-
nal. Carter also mustered just
22 points over MSU’s final
four games of the COVID-
19-shortened 2019-2020 cam-
paign.
“Last year she got a lot of
shots off dumps, now we’re
feeding her the ball,” Mc-
Cray-Penson said. “So now
she’s got to make post moves
and stop fading away from
the basket. I don’t want her to
have to think so much. I want
her to play and I want it to be
natural for her.”
McCray-Penson has con-
sistently held her hope for
this year’s squad is to main-
tain a high shooting percent-
age, tempo and an ability to
find and create good shots.
Wednesday, Carter appeased
her head coach, converting
nine of 12 shots, including a 5
of 7 mark from the free throw
line, as the Bulldogs enjoyed a
See WBB, 2B
2B THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Steelers overcome rust, short-handed Ravens to move to 11-0

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PIT TSBURGH — Mike
Tomlin isn’t one for excuses.
Even as COVID-19 wreaked
havoc with his team’s sched-
ule, pushing their matchup
with Baltimore from Thanks-
giving night to middle of the
afternoon in the middle of
the week in the middle of a
pandemic, the longtime Pitts-
burgh Steelers coach refused
to reach for one.
So while the Steelers
stayed perfect with a disjoint-
ed 19-14 win over the under-
manned Ravens in the first
NFL game on a Wednesday
in eight years, their play was
anything but. And Tomlin
knows it.
“To be bluntly honest, I’m
really disappointed in our
performance tonight,” he said
after Pittsburgh improved to
11-0. “We did enough to win
tonight, that’s all.”
Calling it “junior varsi-
ty”-level play, Tomlin seethed
in the aftermath, a testament
to both how high the bar is set
and just how far the Steelers
came from clearing it.
Asked about an offense
that managed just one touch-
down in four trips to the red
zone — missed opportunities
that allowed the Ravens (6 -5)
to hang around until the final
minutes — Tomlin didn’t offer
analysis as much as rage.
“Us sucking,” he said, de-
clining to get into specifics.
There really was no need
to.
The Steelers turned it over
twice, once on a fourth-down
heave into the end zone by
Ben Roethlisberger, the oth-
er a fumbled punt by Ray-Ray
McLoud that set up a 1-yard
touchdown plunge by Gus
Edwards. They let Baltimore
backup quarterback Robert
Griffin III briefly turn back
the clock to his 2012 Rookie
of the Year season and looked
at times like a team in the
middle of ho-hum midweek
practice — which, to be fair,
Wednesdays typically are —
rather than a showdown with
its longtime rivals.
“Obviously we won, but it
sure doesn’t feel like it,” said
Roethlisberger, whose 1-yard
strike to JuJu Smith-Schus-
ter early in the fourth quarter
gave the Steelers a 12-point
lead they flirted with squan-
dering. “Just not good football.
It starts with me. It’s a mental
game, it’s been a challenging
and draining week but at the
end of the day we need to step
on the field and play good foot-
ball when it’s time.”
Pittsburgh didn’t for long
stretches, though some of
the credit goes to a spirited
effort from the Ravens. Run-
ning onto Heinz Field missing
more than a dozen players on
the reserve/COVID-19 list,
including reigning NFL MVP
Lamar Jackson and running
backs Mark Ingram and J.K.
Dobbins, Baltimore didn’t ex-
actly roll over.
While Griffin complet-
ed just 7 of 12 passes for 33
yards and a first-quarter Pick-
6 by Joe Haden that gave the
Steelers an early lead, Griffin
ran for a game-high 68 yards
before leaving in the fourth
quarter with a left hamstring
injury. Trace McSorley, one
of 11 players promoted from
the practice squad, came on
and connected with Marquise
Brown for a 70-yard touch-
down with 2:58 to go. But the
Steelers were able to drain
the clock behind a third-down
grab by James Washington,
eliminating the Ravens from
repeating as AFC North
champions.
“The way the game went,
obviously we wanted to win,”
Griffin said. “We felt like we
had a chance to come in here
and win, shock the world and
do something special. I put it
on myself. I feel like if I didn’t
pull my hamstring in the sec-
ond quarter we would have
won. It was really emotional
trying to fight through that. I
feel like I let my guys down.”
A COVID-19 outbreak in
Baltimore forced the NFL to
push the game back three
times: first from Thanksgiv-
ing to Sunday, then from Sun-
day to Tuesday, and eventually
from Tuesday to Wednesday.
The teams kicked off in the
afternoon to not interfere
with NBC’s annual Christmas
special at Rockefeller Center.
Good idea. The fewer eye-
balls on this one the better.
While NFL Commission-
er Roger Goodell called it “a
great game,” the product on
the field suggested other-
wise.
The Ravens couldn’t
pass. Pittsburgh’s receivers
couldn’t catch. And a contest
that looked like a mismatch
— the Steelers went off as 10
1/2-point favorites, a rarity
in a rivalry that is one of the
NFL’s best — was instead a
festival of blah.
Piling on
The Ravens were trailing
12-7 late in the second quar-
ter when a 39 -yard sprint by
Griffin helped move the ball
to the Pittsburgh 1. A hand-
off to Gus Edwards on second
down went nowhere. Out of
timeouts, the Ravens could
have spiked the ball to set
up a field goal to draw with-
in two at the break. Instead,
Baltimore nearly converted,
but Luke Willson — a reserve
who had played all of 21 of-
fensive snaps on the season
coming in — couldn’t bring
in Griffin’s pass in the end
zone.
Ravens coach John Har-
baugh thought Pittsburgh’s
defense took its time — per-
haps too much of it — getting
up after stopping Edwards,
allowing the clock to tick
away.
“We knew we had enough
time to run the two plays we
wanted to run,” He said. “I
just feel like if you’re laying
on the ground like that you’re
either injured or it’s delay of
game.”
Injuries
Ravens: Cornerback Jim-
my Smith left with a groin in-
jury in the first half.
Steelers: Outside lineback-
er Bud Dupree exited in the
fourth with what appeared to
be a knee injury. Dupree has
eight sacks this season and
is set to become a free agent
next spring. Pittsburgh lost
starting inside linebacker
Devin Bush to a torn ACL ear-
lier this year.
Up next
Ravens: Host Dallas on
Tuesday in a game originally
scheduled for this Thursday.
Steelers: Welcome the
Washington Football Team
next Monday afternoon. The
NFL pushed back the game
a day after Pittsburgh’s game
against Baltimore was re-
scheduled.
Short-handed Ravens put up
fight, fall short in Pittsburgh
The Baltimore Ravens
didn’t practice for more than
a week while COVID-19
raced through the locker
room and forced the NFL to
postpone their trip to Pitts-
burgh three separate times.
They ran onto Heinz Field on
Wednesday afternoon with
11 practice squad players
added to the roster and star
quarterback Lamar Jackson
and starting running backs
Mark Ingram and J.K. Dob-
bins back in Baltimore.
And somehow, they hung
in there against the league’s
last unbeaten team. While
their 19 -14 loss eliminated
the Ravens from defending
their AFC North crown, head
coach John Harbaugh didn’t
exactly raise the white flag on
the season or his club.
“I appreciate our players
the way they fought through
this,” he said. “I’m proud of
our guys for doing this. This is
a crazy year in a lot of ways.”
One that took a wild turn
over the last week as the NFL
pushed Baltimore’s show-
down with the Steelers from
Thanksgiving night to Sunday
to Tuesday to finally, Wednes-
day as the number of Ravens
on the reserve/COVID-19 list
ballooned to more than 20.
Protocols forced Baltimore
to work remotely while the
league tried to sort things out.
They finally gathered for a
walkthrough on Tuesday and
24 hours later found them-
selves taking on longtime a
rival off to a historic start.
It was ugly at times. Robert
Griffin III, filling in for Jack-
son, turned it over twice in the
first quarter, including a Pick-
6 that Joe Haden returned
14 yards for a touchdown. A
chance to take the lead late in
the first half ended up with an
incompletion to a backup tight
end as time expired. There
were penalties (seven for 84
yards) and just one first down
achieved through the air.

Verdell
Continued from Page 1B
back to Young: Verdell couldn’t. He
was hurt.
Hunt, whose son Rickie plays right
tackle for the Tigers, sent Diesha Ver-
dell a picture of Damian seated on a
bench behind the sideline as assistant
Earnest Harmon Jr. and a trainer at-
tended to him. It was good he was sit-
ting down and not lying down, Diesha
thought.
But once he took a seat, Verdell
said, everything got worse. He was
dizzy. The back of his neck hurt. He
couldn’t feel his left arm from the
shoulder down. Team staff asked him
to keep his eyes open, but his head
hurt so badly he kept having to close
them.
When running back Bobby Shank-
lin asked him what was wrong, Ver-
dell couldn’t form the words to answer
him. He only heard snatches of con-
versation around him, single words:
Helicopter. Memphis.
Though Panola Medical Center in
Batesville was only a 15-minute drive
south, EMTs manning the ambulance
that sat behind the field on site had
decided to airlift Verdell to Le Bon-
heur Children’s Hospital in Memphis,
Tennessee. Noxubee County athlet-
ic director Karen Dixon relayed the
news to Diesha, still in the car with
her sister Shmeka, her brother in law
Tedrick Liddell and her niece Alydia
Liddell.
Diesha, who now works as the
admission coordinator at Noxubee
County Nursing Home and previously
worked at Noxubee General Hospital,
had seen airlifts before; this one, of
course, was far from the same.
“I’ve seen that, but just to expe-
rience it being your own child, it’s a
different experience,” she said. “It’s a
different feeling.”
It was a “bad moment” for the team,
too, Shanklin said. At halftime, trail-
ing the Cougars 14-13, the Tigers
made a promise in the locker room:
We’re going to win this game for Da-
mian.
A win for Damian
Lying on a stretcher, Verdell was
bundled into the waiting helicopter,
two EMTs behind him in the con-
fined space to monitor his condition.
He recalled a shaky ride of 15 or
20 minutes as the chopper motored
north.
Upon his arrival, he was sent for
tests to check his spine and nerves as
well as a CT scan to rule out a skull
fracture or brain injury. Someone
took Verdell’s hand to check his grip;
the grasp was weak.
In the car, headed up Interstate
55, Diesha fielded texts, phone calls
and FB messages from friends and
family, all asking for updates on her
son. She tried her best to stay calm
and think clearly.
“It was kind of busy on the way, so
I really didn’t have time to sit back to
think to even get anxious or nervous
or anything,” she said.
With her medical knowledge, Die-
sha knew what to look for. She stayed
on the phone with Dixon, telling her
what to ask the EMTs: What was Da-
mian’s blood pressure? Had he vom-
ited? Was he conscious? Did he walk
off the field, or was he carried?
“She was there with me the whole
time, and I greatly appreciate that,”
Diesha said of Dixon.
The medics’ answers were prom-
ising: Damian hadn’t lost conscious-
ness, and he hadn’t thrown up. Die-
sha took a moment to pray.
“I just felt like he was going to be
OK,” she said.
‘It made me feel good’
When she crossed the Tennessee
border and reached the hospital, Da-
mian was undergoing the C T scan.
The doctor in charge told Diesha her
son’s grip had improved with time.
“I’m amazed at how well he turned
around, how fast he did,” he informed
Diesha.
“Yeah, I am, too,” she replied.
“But I’m thankful as well.”
Verdell was diagnosed with a mild
concussion and a stinger — a rela-
tively serious injury but a lucky fate
considering the circumstances.
“ That probably could have affect-
ed him on down the line, after foot-
ball,” Shanklin said.
Shortly after midnight, Verdell
was released from the hospital, and
the family headed back to Macon.
Packed tightly in the car, the four
passengers slept.
When they returned — after 4
a.m. — they stopped by Verdell’s
grandma’s house, where the football
team had dropped off the belongings
he had left at the game. That includ-
ed his iPhone — full of messages
from teammates, relatives and some
people he didn’t even know.
“It made me feel good,” Verdell
said.
So did the final score, which he
learned while at Le Bonheur, some-
where between the tests and the
pain and the worry. Noxubee Coun-
ty had shut out North Panola 26 - 0
in the second half to win 39 -14 and
advance. The Tigers had won it for
Verdell, like they promised.
One more chance
But the good news of Noxubee
County’s win came some bad news —
doctors at Le Bonheur said Verdell
was probably out for the rest of the
season. If the Tigers were to make
the state championship, he’d be un-
able to compete.
Verdell, understandably, was up-
set. He attended practices, but he
could only watch from the sidelines
as healthy teammates prepared for
the north state championship game.
Still, he kept a positive attitude and a
smile on his face — being the “typi-
cal Damian,” according to Young.
“ To see him walking around, up-
beat, that’s a great thing,” the coach
said.
When Noxubee County beat Win-
ona 50 -7 last Friday, Verdell couldn’t
play. The disappointment, Diesha
said, was the hardest part.
“Being his senior year, that will
kind of weigh heavily on you,” she
said.
Still, Verdell remained deter-
mined to get back on the field. On
Tuesday, at a follow-up appointment
in Columbus, he was cleared to play
in Friday’s state title game against
Magee in Jackson. No matter how
the Tigers’ season ends, Verdell is
getting one more chance to get on
the field.
“It’s very tough anytime a kid has
a neck or head injury,” Young said.
“ That’s a scary thing. It’s a violent
sport that we play, and I’m just happy
that he’s healthy and doing good.”

Godfrey
Continued from Page 1B
firmed she had signed on Nov. 11.
Godfrey is one of three high school
players to sign with the Bulldogs in
the 2021 class including fellow four-
star recruits Jasmine Shavers (No. 55
player in the ESPN HoopGurlz class
of 2021) and three-star prospect Mia
Moore (No. 20 point guard in 2021
class per ESPN HoopGurlz).
Godfrey’s eligibility going forward
will not be affected by playing this
spring. The NCA A ruled earlier this
fall that athletes will not lose a year
of eligibility for participating in com-
petition this year due to uncertainty
regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thus, Godfrey would remain a fresh-
man during the 2021-2022 campaign.
With Godfrey in the fold, the Bull-
dog’s add another piece to a roster in
desperate need of bodies this year.
Following the transfers of Chloe Bib-
by and Andra Espinoza-Hunter cou-
pled with Xaria Wiggins’ ongoing bat-
tle with a blood clot in her right lung,
MSU was down to just 10 players in
its season opening win over Jackson
State on Sunday.
“I think it has been disjointed, No.
1 because we don’t have a full team in
which we can scrimmage so we have
to rely on our practice guys,” head
coach Nikki McCray-Penson said
Tuesday in reference to being short-
handed. “Because of COVID, to start
out, you can only have so many peo-
ple in the gym and everybody went
through this so the fluidity of what I
want is not there yet.”
MSU is slated for its second game of
the season Wednesday night against
New Orleans. The Bulldogs will then
be off until a Dec. 14 meeting with
Troy after their game against South-
ern Miss, initially scheduled for Dec.
12, was canceled due to COVID-19-re-
lated issues within the Golden Eagle
program.

WBB
Continued from Page 1B
62.9 percent shooting night.
All told, the victory over New Orleans and Carters’ stat-stuffing are performances that should be expected of a team that came in at No. 6 in the Associated Press Top
25 poll. For Carter, there will be stiffer matchups come conference time, but Wednesday’s game offered a glimpse at a more refined and fiery competitor at the center
of the MSU offense.
“If you’re bigger than everybody, I feel like you should be able to produce in the paint anyway,” she said. “So when we saw that ‘Ok, we’re getting the ball inside, y’all
need to keep it up and y’all gotta score,’ that’s what we did.”

Titans’ receiving duo of Brown, Davis balancing out Henry
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NASHVILLE, Tenn. —
The Tennessee Titans are
clicking at a pretty high
level offensively, and a lot
of the credit goes to Der-
rick Henry.
Just don’t make the
mistake of thinking the
Titans are a run-only of-
fense.
Tennessee has been
looking for years for top
wide receivers, and the Ti-
tans now have two in A.J.
Brown and Corey Davis.
They keep making key
catches while also block-
ing for the NFL’s leading
rusher, a combination that
has the Titans (8-3) the
NFL’s sixth-best offense
in scoring 29.5 points a
game.
The Cleveland Browns
Comics & Puzzles
DILBERT
ZITS
GARFIELD
CANDORVILLE
BABY BLUES
BEETLE BAILEY
MALLARD FILLMORE
(8-3) get to defend the Ti-
tans’ duo and the rest of
this potent offense Sunday.
“That’s what makes
this a big challenge be-
cause this is a very, very
good offense, and it’s not
a one-man show,” Browns
coach Kevin Stefanski
said Wednesday. “They
have the ability to throw
it to (those) guys ... They
have a really good trigger
man. I don’t think you can
key in on one guy because
they can hurt you in multi-
ple ways.”
Davis, the No. 5 pick
overall in 2017, has a team-
high 42 catches. Brown, a
second-round selection out
of Ole Miss in 2019, leads
Tennessee with 638 yards
receiving and eight TD
catches. Brown is averag-
ing a team-high 18 yards
FAMILY CIRCUS
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
per catch followed closely
behind by Davis averaging
14.7 yards a catch.
Titans quarterback Ryan
Tannehill says it’s huge hav-
ing such production from
Davis and Brown.
“Both of those guys are
extremely talented and have
been huge for us all year,
so being able to have two
weapons like that is huge,”
Tannehill said. “They can’t
key in on one guy, try to
take away one guy. They
have to honor both sides of
the field. So I’m lucky and I
call it a blessing to be able
to share the field with those
guys.”
Brown has gotten plen-
ty of attention after leading
rookies with 1,051 yards
receiving last season, the
third-best rookie season
in team history. Nobody in
franchise history has had
more than Brown’s 16 TD
catches through the first 25
games of his career.
The 6-foot-1, 226-pound
Brown also is a perfection-
ist. After uncharacteristic
drops in a Nov. 12 loss to In-
dianapolis, Brown couldn’t
wait for the rematch. He
scored twice in a 45-26 rout
of the Colts last week and
led the Titans with four
catches for 98 yards.
“Oh, I replayed it,”
Brown said of his drops.
“It was in my mind for like
two weeks, to be honest.
It was definitely a rough
week. I was just trying to
just shade back. But I have
learned it’s week to week,
some highs and lows.
You’ve got to appreciate
the lows because it gives
you more motivation.”
Dear Abby
D
EAR ABBY:
My husband
came down
with COVID and
has been having a
hard time getting
over it. When
he first started
showing the symp-
toms, I took him
to a drive-through
medical clinic and
got him tested
for COVID. The
results were neg-
ative, so a couple
of days later, I
carpooled with a Dear Abby
friend to another
friend’s house
where seven other friends had
gathered. Several days later,
when my husband still wasn’t
improving, I took him to an ER
where they did another COVID
test. This time it came out
positive.
I thought I owed it to
whomever I was around at the
get-together to tell them about
my husband. At this get-togeth-
er, we all wore masks. We took
them off only to eat and then
put them back on. It has been
more than 14 days since my
husband got sick, and although
he is not yet over the virus, I
haven’t come down with it.
I thought my friends would
be supportive of me and what
my husband is going through.
However, I learned from one of
these “friends” of more than
Horoscopes
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Dec.
3). You’re a natural-born leader
who doesn’t usually seize the
role. Rather, it’s handed to
you by those who admire your
wisdom. Early 2021, you’ll be
attracted by the aesthetics of a
situation and find in the months
that follow that there’s sub-
stance to match. This is a love
connection that will develop into
a creative endeavor. Aquarius
and Libra adore you. Your lucky
numbers are: 6, 35, 14, 3 and
22.
ARIES (March 21-April 19).
People are weird and therefore
will behave in strange and often
unpredictable ways, many of
which aren’t worth giving a great
deal of thought to. Sometimes,
the most brilliant response you
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020
The 6-foot-3, 209-pound
Davis was the first receiv-
er selected in the 2017
draft. As much as they’ve
liked the physical receiv-
er’s run-blocking — Da-
vis can be seen downfield
doing just that on many of
Henry’s TD runs — they
didn’t pick up his fifth-
year option for 2021.
He’s also clutch with
67 of his 85 catches since
the start of the 2019 sea-
son going for first downs,
a 78.8% conversion rate
that puts him fourth in the
NFL in that span.
Davis has had three
100-yard receiving games
this season despite going
on the reserve/COVID-19
list Oct. 7 and losing his
older brother, Titus, to
rare kidney cancer Nov.
11. Davis said it’s huge
20 years that
they formed a
private Face-
book group to
discuss how each
one has been
doing on a daily
basis, and I was
not invited to
participate. I feel
betrayed by these
paranoid friends.
At this point,
I don’t think I
can ever look at
any of them the
same way. I have
been contemplat-
ing ending my
friendship with
all of them. What do you think?
— KICKED WHEN DOWN IN
OKLAHOMA
DEAR KICKED: I think you
should ask the friend who told
you about the private Facebook
group whether any of the wom-
en got sick after that get-to-
gether. If the answer is yes,
make an appointment and have
yourself COVID-tested — twice,
if necessary — to ensure that
you are not a symptomless
carrier. If it turns out that you
are positive, tell your friends.
If you test negative, your
first priority should be to help
your husband get well and pro-
tect yourself from getting the
virus. As to whether you should
end your relationship with
these “distanced” friends, from
the way they are behaving, it
can contribute is a shrug.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20).
It’s what you don’t say. Not only
that, it’s when you don’t say it.
Restraint is eloquence. It can
also be generosity. Throw in
some warmth and good inten-
tions and silence is elevated to
“saintly.”
GEMINI (May 21-June 21).
Just because you passed the
same road sign doesn’t mean
you’re regressing. There are
roundabouts on this path.
Sometimes, it takes a few cir-
cles before you figure out where
your correct exit is.
CANCER (June 22-July 22).
The energy of this day will be a
wild ride — points of high excite-
ment and dips of lovely calm.
If there’s one thing that’s a
3B
that both he and Brown
are playing well this sea-
son.
“But we have a lot of
talent, a lot of talented
players on both sides of
the ball,” Davis said. “And
now one week it might
be yours to go off, and it
might be the other guy’s.
So we’ve got to do our part
to stay in it mentally and
physically.”
NOTES: The Titans
added LS Matt Orzech to
the practice squad after
waiving him Monday. ...
WR Adam Humphries,
who has missed the past
four games in the con-
cussion protocol, prac-
ticed fully Wednesday
along with TE MyCole
Pruitt (knee). RT Den-
nis Kelly (knee) was lim-
ited.
appears they may have ended
their relationship with YOU, and
for that you have my sympathy.
DEAR ABBY: I recently had
my hair dyed by my brother-in-
law who is a great hairstylist.
I have seen his work on other
clients, and he knows what
he’s doing. I have received a
lot of compliments on my new
“do.”
Problem is, I didn’t get what
I ASKED for. I was a coward
at the time and didn’t speak
up. Now my roots are starting
to show, and I’ll be needing
a touch-up soon. How do I go
about going to another salon
for what I want without hurting
his feelings or causing hard
feelings with my sister-in-law?
— COWARD IN KANSAS
DEAR COWARD IN KANSAS:
Make the appointment and
have your hair done the way
you prefer. If your sister- or
brother-in-law asks about it,
say you know he is terrific and
how busy he is and didn’t want
to “impose” further. If he’s as
good as you say he is, he will
notice that the color is different
from what he used on you.
You’re not a coward for
wanting to spare your BIL’s
feelings. You do a disservice to
him, however, as a profession-
al for not being truthful about
your opinion of his work on you.
If he mentions it, explain that
this is a color you are more
comfortable with. Your head,
your choice.
waste of energy, it’s resisting
the flow. Ride the current.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Work
the crowd and shake out the
opportunities therein. These
days, obviously, it’s most opti-
mally accomplished in a digital
format. It’s also a lucky time to
try out new social media.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).
Among the many wonderful
things about animals is that
they are seldom staring at their
cellphones. Instead, they are
present in the moment they
happen to inhabit. We can take
the lesson.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).
The steps you’ve taken to make
your home a comfortable and
happy place pay off daily. Also,
it’s an evolution. New things
will please you and are worth
pursuing. Those who spend
time in your home will want to
come back.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov.
21). There are those who would
rather not be rejected by you,
and so they don’t put them-
selves out there, where you’re
concerned. You’re in the driver’s
seat here if you wish to bridge
the gap with warmth.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec.
21). You have gone the dis-
tance through an entire cycle.
The old wounds are healing in
the way wounds do, with no
conscious help from you. Your
job is not to interfere; just step
back and allow.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.
19). It happens that to commu-
nicate as fully as you can, you
must choose the right words,
which can be, in and of itself,
a reductive act. “Words cannot
express” is more accurate and
yet less effective. Just try.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.
18). Your positive, enthusiastic
attitude brings the breath of
fresh air that was missing in a
certain group of people. Usually,
you don’t mind competition, but
right now you absolutely thrive
on it.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March
20). You don’t always love the
tickertape going off in your
mind. If thinking the best of
people (or, as the case may be,
of yourself) doesn’t come au-
tomatically, make a conscious
practice of it. One day, it will.
Dead heat
SOLUTION:
4B THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Business
Biden, top Democrats swing behind bipartisan virus aid bill
President-elect: Developing aid package ‘wouldn’t be the answer,
but it would be the immediate help for a lot of things’
BY ANDREW TAYLOR
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Pres-
ident-elect Joe Biden swung
behind a bipartisan COVID-19
relief effort Wednesday and his
top Capitol Hill allies cut their
demands for a $2 trillion-plus
measure by more than half in
hopes of breaking a monthslong
logjam and delivering much-
sought aid as the tempestuous
congressional session speeds to
a close.
Biden said the developing
aid package “wouldn’t be the
answer, but it would be the im-
mediate help for a lot of things.”
He wants a relief bill to pass
Congress now, with more aid to
come next year.
Biden’s remarks followed an
announcement by House Speak-
er Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and
Senate Democrat leader Chuck
Schumer of New York in support
of an almost $1 trillion approach
as the “basis” for discussions.
The announcement appeared
aimed at budging Senate Ma-
jority Leader Mitch McConnell,
R-Ky., who so far has been un-
willing to abandon a $550 billion
Senate GOP plan that has failed
twice this fall.
The Democrats embraced a
$908 billion approach from mod-
erate Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.
Va., and Susan Collins, R-Maine,
among others. It would establish
a $300 per week jobless benefit,
send $160 billion to help state
and local governments, boost
schools and universities, revive
popular “paycheck protection”
subsidies for businesses, and
bail out transit systems and air-
lines.
“In the spirit of compromise
we believe the bipartisan frame-
work introduced by Senators
yesterday should be used as the
basis for immediate bipartisan,
bicameral negotiations,” Pelosi
and Schumer said. They said
they would try to build upon the
approach, which has support
in the House from a bipartisan
“problem solvers” coalition.
The statement was a signif-
icant concession by Pelosi and
Schumer, who played hardball
this fall during failed preelec-
tion discussions with the admin-
istration on a costlier bill. They
wanted a more generous unem-
ployment benefit and far more
for state and local government.
Their embrace of the $908 bil-
lion measure was a retreat from
a secret $1.3 trillion offer the
two Democrats gave McConnell
just on Monday.
It’s another sign of urgency
for additional COVID aid and
economic stimulus as the econ-
omy struggles to recover from
being slammed by the novel
coronavirus. While the jobless
rate isn’t as high as was feared,
the restaurant and airline indus-
tries are desperate for aid, as are
other businesses, state and local
officials, transit systems and the
Postal Service, among others.
The new plan includes a lia-
bility shield for businesses and
other organizations that have
reopened their doors during the
pandemic. It’s the first time Pe-
losi and Schumer have shown a
willingness to consider the idea,
a top priority of McConnell,
though there’s been no discus-
sion on the details, which are
sure to be tricky.
McConnell had dismissed
the bipartisan offer on Tuesday,
instead aiming to rally Repub-
licans around the $550 billion
GOP proposal. But McConnell
himself endorsed a $1 trillion-or
so plan this summer, only to
encounter resistance from con-
servatives that prompted him to
retrench. He has acknowledged
that another infusion of aid to
states and local governments,
a key Pelosi demand, probably
will pass eventually.
McConnell wouldn’t respond
when asked about the Demo-
cratic statement. His top deputy,
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said
GOP leaders might agree to
merging the bipartisan proposal
with McConnell’s bill.
“I think there’s still time, al-
though it’s short, to put a bill to-
gether,” Thune said.

Fed reports slowing US economic activity due to virus surge

Report: Among the sectors doing
better were manufacturing, housing
construction and existing home sales
BY MARTIN CRUTSINGER
AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON — A
Federal Reserve survey
of business conditions
around the country
found that economic ac-
tivity in several regions
slowed in November
as coronavirus cases
surged.
The Fed report re-
leased Wednesday said
that overall, the Fed’s
12 regional banks char-
acterized the economic
expansion as “modest or
moderate.” But it noted
that three Midwest re-
gions and the Philadel-
phia region reported ac-
tivity had begun to cool
in early November as
COVID-19 cases surged.
Four districts report-
ed “little or no growth”
during November, while
five others reported that
activity remained well
below pre-pandemic lev-
els in some sectors.
Kathy Bostjancic,
chief U.S. financial econ-
omist for Oxford Eco-
nomics, said the latest
Fed survey showed the
recovery continues to be
uneven across many sec-
tors of the economy.
The report said that
among the sectors doing
better were manufactur-
ing, housing construc-
tion and existing home
sales. But banks said
there had been deterio-
ration in their loans, par-
ticularly those to retail-
ers and the leisure and
hospitality industries.
The report said that
most districts found that
local businesses’ opti-
mism has “waned,” with
many citing concerns
about the wave of virus
cases and renewed lock-
down restrictions.

MARRIAGES AND DIVORCES

Lowndes County Perrigin; Nov. 9
Marriages
■ William Holliman and Evelyn
Rast; Nov. 2
■ Rynell Davis and Dante
Davis; Nov. 4
■ Prentiss Jones and Catina
Walker; Nov. 4
■ Jonathan Bishop and Alexis
Spears; Nov. 7
■ Kody Anthony and Catherine
Gottschalk; Nov. 7
■ John Sams and Franke
Thomas; Nov. 7
■ Benjamin Edwards and
Jessica Brooks; Nov. 7
■ Kenneth Randolph and
Coretta Swanigan; Nov. 8
■ Parker Rodabough and Kerri
■ Jason Mcelvy and Chelsey
Reed; Nov. 10
■ Lavell Hudson and Carla
Gregory; Nov. 12
■ Daniel Lanter and Tracie
Allen; Nov. 14
■ Jodi Baucom and Kristen
Bailey; Nov. 14
■ Logan Bell and Sarah
Kinard; Nov. 14
■ Joshua Traxler and Kellin
Mackey; Nov. 14
■ Wallace Hines and Susan
Heranney; Nov. 14
■ Tristan Davis and Amber
Irby; Nov. 17
■ Yusuf Karriem and Zakei
Gavin; Nov. 18
■ Jeremy Duke and Kasey
Adams; Nov, 21
■ Jacob Britton and Kayla
Joseph; Nov. 21
■ Michael Solorzano and
Savana Carrillo; Nov. 21
■ Matthew Ferguson and
Hannah Jones; Nov. 22
■ Tommie Stinson and Lauren
James; Nov. 24
■ Richard Hubbard and Gracie
Plant; Nov. 25
■ Austin Finch and Allison
Boney; Nov. 28
Divorces
■ Anna Kathryn Beckett Files
and Christopher Todd Giles;
Nov. 11
■ James Nelson and Bethene
Nelson; Nov. 9
■ Kannika Carley and Donald
Scott Carley; Nov. 13
■ Ledereke D. Stewart and
Natasha D. Stewart; Nov. 10
■ Henry Williams and Sierra
Winston Williams; Nov. 9
■ Mazy Davis and Robert
Perkins; Nov. 11
LOCAL GAS PRICES
Source: gasbuddy.com
COLUMBUS
1.82 MURPHY USA
1913 US-45 N

1.87 SPRINT
3115 US-45 N

1.88 SPIRIT
1450 Jess Lyons Rd.

BUILDING PERMITS
STARKVILLE
Lowndes County
Dec. 2, 2020 1.69 MURPHY USA
1012 MS-12

■ Windie Woods; 796 Hwy 45 Alt. S.; set up mobile home; Jessie James
■
■
Windie Woods; 796 Hwy 45 Alt. S.; move up mobile home; Southern Housing
Michael O’Bryant; 248 Cedar Lane; construct s/f residence; owner
1.77 BREAK TIME
1045 Louisville St.

1.77 RACKLEY OIL

■ Spec; Avalon Dr.; construct s/f residence; Michael Scott Swain
■ Michael Nickoles; 363 Alomar Road; set up mobile home; Nickoles Electric, Inc 225 Industrial Park Rd.

■ Michael Nickoles; 363 Alomar Road; move up mobile home; Roberson Mobile Home
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020 5B
Classifieds
Ads appear in The Commercial Dispatch,
The Starkville Dispatch and Online
To place ads starting at only $12,
call 662-328-2424 or visit ads.cdispatch.com
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020 n 6B

Apts For Rent: Other Sporting Goods

Employment COLEMAN Real Estate ED SANDERS GUNSMITH

Call us: 662-328-2424
TOWNHOUSES & APARTMENTS
General Help Wanted
Tombigbee River Valley
Executive Director Position
Open for season!
Community
RENTALS Ads starting at $25
Tue−Fri: 9−5 & Sat: 9−12
Ads starting at $12
Over 50 years experience!
Repairs, cleaning, refin−
1 BEDROOM Lots & Acreage ishing, scopes mounted & Good Things To Eat
zeroed, handmade knives.
2 BEDROOMS 1.75 ACRE LOTS Good/ Located: Hwy 45 Alt, North
3 BEDROOMS Bad Credit Options. Good of West Point, turn right on
credit as low as 20% down, Yokahama Blvd, 8mi & turn
LEASE, left on Darracott Rd, will
© The Dispatch

Tupelo District Office $499/mo. Eaton Land,

see sign, 2.5mi ahead
Applicants should have a DEPOSIT 662−361−7711.
shop on left.
Masters Degree from an AND 662−494−6218.
accredited university and
experience consisting of 5
CREDIT CHECK LAMAR CO., AL−80 ACRES
hunting land, north of

Vehicles
years work experience in a
662-329-2323
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related field or industry OR Call for more info,
a Bachelor's Degree from 205−695−2248 or
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AND experience consisting Ads starting at $12
of 6 years work in a re-
lated industry.
COLUMBUS, MS Mobile Homes for Sale
Trailers & Heavy Equipment
Sudoku YESTERDAY’S ANSWER

A qualified candidate that

possesses adequate mana-
Houses For Rent: North 2019 Clayton Mobile Home
Brand new, never lived in. JD D110 42" Lawn Tractor Sudoku
Sudoku is a number-
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gerial work experience but COLONIAL TOWNHOUSES. Fully furnished, perfect for $800. Sudoku
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2020 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

bath townhouses. $650 to Attached front porch with 6’ x 10’ Carry−On Trailer,
quirements, will remain the
$750. 662−549−9555. roof. May have to be fully lighted, high sides based onthe
is to place a 9x9
numbers 3 6 7 8 5 2 4 9 1
right of the Districts Board
of Directors to amend the Ask for Glenn or text. moved unless lease is $1,000. 662−368−6779. grid
1 to 9with
in theseveral
empty spaces 1 5 9 6 2 4 3 7 8
required educational quali-
approved by land owner.
$40,000. 828−674−8659 given
so thatnumbers.
each row, eachThe 6 8 3 9 1 7 2 4 5
fications. Mobile Homes for Rent object
column and each 3x3 the
is to place box
numbers 2 7 4 5 3 8 9 1 6
Application deadline contains the1same to 9 number
in
7 1 6 2 4 3 5 8 9
the empty spaces so
Merchandise
3BR/2BA MH in New Hope.
December 18, 2020 only once. The difficulty
Five Questions: 8 4 5 1 6 9 7 3 2
$650 dep + $650/mo. No
that each row, each
pets, quiet area. Leave full level increases from
Paper Applications must be name & message, column and each 9 3 2 7 8 5 1 6 4
received prior to December 205−712−6697.
18, 2020. Ads starting at $12 It’s a classified Monday
3x3 boxtocontains
Sunday. Difficulty Level 12/02

Apply to TRVWMD Firewood / Fuel rule-of-thumb: 1 Justin the same number only once. The difficulty level
increases from Monday to Sunday.
ATTN: Jack Savely
P.O. Box 238
RENT A CAMPER!
CHEAPER THAN A MOTEL! FIREWOOD FOR SALE. We tell readers Timberlake
Pontotoc, MS 38863 Utilities & cable included, Various lengths.
or jack.savely@gmail.com from $145/wk − $535/mo 662−295−2274.
what they need
2 Rolex
Columbus & County School

to know to buy
locations. 662−242−7653
or 662−245−9799. Lawn & Garden

Rentals STIHL EQUIPMENT:

BG 55 Hand held blower what they need. 3 Hugo Award
$50.
Ads starting at $25 FS 55RC Grass Edger $50.
HS 45 Hedge Trimmer $50.
Apts For Rent: North
Have a rental property?
662−368−6779. 4 Giraffe
Large Upstairs Studio Apt,
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Hwy 45 North location. No
smoking, no pets. Water, ads.cdispatch.com Read local. cdispatch.com 5 Las Vegas
sewer, and trash are
included. $450 deposit.
$450/mo. 205−243−3653

Apts For Rent: West

VIP
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Apartments & Houses
1 Bedrooms
2 Bedroooms
3 Bedrooms
Furnished & Unfurnished
1, 2, & 3 Baths
Lease, Deposit
& Credit Check
viceinvestments.com
327-8555
Apts For Rent: Other

ACROSS
1 Electrical
problem
6 Tightfisted
11 Hawaiian
island
12 Blood line
13 Sean of “The
Lord of the
Rings”
14 Hollowed out
15 Like vehicles
not made for all
terrain
17 Pound sound
The Military Square 19 Singer Yoko
20 CIA’s fore-

Service Directory
Apartments are now
accepting applicants! runner
We have 1, 2, and 3
23 Gangster’s 43 Price add-ons 20 Obsolete
bedroom units available.
All apartments are newly gun 44 Foe 21 Play part
remodeled, and include: 25 A lot of DOWN 22 Tear into
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26 Visitor who’s 1 Reggae’s kin tatters
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Promote your small business starting at only $25 crossed a border 2 Possesses 24 Farm grazer
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discounts for: Carpet & Flooring General Services General Services Painting & Papering
29 Regal seat 4 Forecast word 27 Prickly plant
−Active Military
30 Sixth sense, 5 Shack topper 31 Melodies
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35 Fleece 10 Spot to jot
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3 Rooms − $90
Mowing, cleanup, tree
cutting, landscaping,
wins
In 2014, The Carpet−Rugs−Tile−Cars sodding & bush hogging. Got leaky pipes?
Dispatch started DAVID’S CARPET &
UPHOLSTERY
662−356−6525
Lowndes County CLEANING TERRA CARE
Imagination Call for more info!
662−722−1758
LANDSCAPING L.L.C.
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Phone: 662−549−1878
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profit that Clean Up, Plant Care,
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