Established 1879 | Columbus, Mississippi

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Sunday | December 6, 2020

Almond finds mission behind sixth door

Bedz4Kidz program builds
118 beds and counting
BY SLIM SMITH eled to the Dream Center’s
ssmith@cdispatch.com headquarters in Los An-

W
ith one ominous
exception, the
numeral 6 is not
prominent in the Christian
scriptures.
Even so, it is a number
rich in meaning for John
Almond and his faith-based
ministry headquartered in
Columbus.
In 2018, Almond, a retired
Arizona businessman who
moved to Columbus 10 years
ago, felt moved to exercise
his faith through service to
those in need in his commu-
nity. He didn’t have a clue
how or what to do, however.
“I’m an old white guy,” he
realized. “What do I know?”
As he was pondering
that question, he happened
to hear of an organization
called the Dream Center, a
nationwide faith-based orga-
nization dedicated to helping
the underprivileged whose
motto is, “Find a need, fill it.
Find a hurt, heal it.”
He was so intrigued by
the organization that he trav-
geles, spending a week as
a volunteer and getting to
know its operations.
One of the strategies em-
ployed by The Dream Cen-
ter was an “adopt a block”
program, so when Almond
returned to Columbus, he
headed to Memphistown,
one of the poorest neighbor-
hoods in Columbus, to see
what the needs were.
That’s where the numeral
6 comes in.
“I just started knocking Slim Smith/Dispatch Staff
on doors,” Almond said, TOP: Milo Gentry, 5, and his
brother, Will, 10, try out their new
“just trying to find out what
bed in the Columbus home they
the people needed.”
share with their mom, Christina
Nothing came to mind Gentry. The bed was furnished by
until he knocked on the the Bedz4Kidz program, a ministry
sixth door. of the Dream Center of Colum-
What he saw there bus. RIGHT: John Almond said
seemed like an epiphany. the idea of Bedz4Kidz came after
“There was a woman encountering a single mom with
there with two kids, ages two young children and noticing
4 and 7,” Almond recalled. there were no beds in the home.
Since then, Almond and his faith-
“There was a sofa with no based organization, Dream Center
upholstery left on it and two of Columbus, have provided 118
folding metal chairs. That beds in Columbus with plans to
was it. There was no other expand the program throughout
See BEDZ4KIDZ, 3A the Golden Triangle.

Superintendents FALLING JUST SHORT

reflect on virtual West Point
defender

learning, morale
Jacoby
McQuiller (5)
intercepts a
in fall defined pass during
the first half of

by pandemic
their MHSAA
5A State
Championship
football
Labat: ‘We’re ready for the game against
West Jones
worst, and we’re hoping for Saturday night
in Jackson.
the best’ in spring semester West Point’s
championship
BY ISABELLE ALTMAN AND TESS VRBIN streak came
ialtman@cdispatch.com, tvrbin@cdispatch.com to an end after
West Jones
Throughout the fall defeated the
semester, public school Green Wave
districts throughout the 33-27.
Golden Triangle frequently For more
adjusted learning models, coverage, see
equipment and just about page 1B.
Jim Lytle/Special to The Dispatch
everything else related to
teaching and learning, all
Labat
under the specter of a global

Man arrested for attempted murder, four

pandemic that has infected
millions of Americans.
Headed to the spring,
most area superintendents
are saying those adjust-
ments have paid off and bet-
ter prepared them to con-
tinue their current learning
others for conspiracy in November shooting
models through at least the Peasant Sheriff: Suspects conspired to locate victim is accused of shooting a 26-year-old
man after an argument at an Old
third nine weeks.
However, most school of- prior to argument that led to shooting West Point Road residence on Nov.
ficials say they are closely 19.
BY ISABELLE ALTMAN On Thursday, LCSO Sheriff Eddie Hawkins told The
monitoring case numbers
ialtman@cdispatch.com deputies and U.S. mar- Dispatch Gann and four other men
in the state and Golden Tri-
angle area and are ready to shals took Mark Steven all met and conspired to locate the
Investigators with Lowndes Coun- Gann, Jr., 34, into cus- Gann Jr. victim, who was flown to an area hos-
make adjustments — from
sending schools or districts ty Sheriff’s Office have arrested a tody in the parking lot pital in critical condition after the
back to the all-virtual model Allison man charged with trying to murder of a Dollar General on Military Road shooting. The four other suspects
first implemented when the an individual shot at a residence west in Columbus, according to a LCSO were all arrested last month and face
See SUPERINTENDENTS, 5A of Columbus last month. press release issued Friday. Gann See ARRESTS, 5A

WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC

Ivy Liu
First grade, Annunciation
1 Josh Archibald of what NHL team used the Stanley Cup Saturday, Dec. 12 MEETINGS
to help baptize his son in 2017 — Penguins, Bruins or ■ Whoville Cruisin’: Cars, trucks, golf Dec. 7: Oktibbe-
Blackhawks? ha County Board
2 What city was set to have a half marathon in March 2018 carts and gators are invited to decorate
celebrating landmarks including Nelson’s Column, the Royal “Grinch-style” and join this cruise through of Supervisors
Courts of Justice and the Gherkin? downtown Columbus at 3:30 p.m. Meet meeting, 9 a.m.,
3 Which actor fittingly posted this on Twitter after Leonard at the Hitching Lot Farmers’ Market, Sec- Chancery Court-
Nimoy’s 2015 death: “My heart is broken. I love you pro- ond Avenue and Second Street North, house
foundly my dear friend...”? between 2-3 p.m. (No vehicle to be driven Dec. 8:
4 What New York senator, known for sailor-esque language, outside parade route that is not street Starkville-Oktib-

High 54 Low 34
Mostly cloudy
was the first member of Congress to post her personal
financial disclosures online?
5 One of Oscar Wilde’s best-known works is a play titled
legal.) Main Street Columbus, 662-328-
6305.
beha Consoli-
dated School
District Board of
Full forecast on
“The Importance of Being” what?
Trustees meet-
page 3A.
Answers, 4B
Tuesdays in December ing, 6 p.m., 401
■ Holiday Fun at 501: Bring your lunch Greensboro St.
INSIDE and enjoy sounds of the season 11 a.m.-
1 p.m. at the Columbus Arts Council,
Dec. 11:
Starkville Board
Classifieds 4B Lifestyles 7,8A 501 Main St. Drinks, live music and hol- of Aldermen
Comics 7,8B Obituaries 4A iday fun provided. Free. Music by: Dec. Eddie Hogan lives in West work session,
Crossword 3B Opinions 6A 8-Jessica Horton; Dec. 15-Jace Ferraez; Point. He enjoys cooking 10 a.m., City
Dear Abby 6B Sports 1B Dec. 22-Suzuki Strings. 662-328-2787. occasionally. Hall

DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471

2A SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

ASK RUFUS

A Christmas Barbecue
W
ith dinner dried, and a pound of rai- ent Christmas dinner that magical ingredient, dered sugar
Christ- included sins stoned and floured traditions, though, are the mint julep.” Welty Chill all liquids then
mas “roast — tie it in a thick cloth, from the more recent then provided the recipe mix and keep chilled.
fast approach- young pig” and boil it steadily eight past. Among my grand- for the Whitehall Mint Makes about 30 serv-
ing, it is interest- and mince hours.” mother’s papers I came Julep from Columbus. ings. Nutmeg may be
ing to consider pie. Plum Another old Christ- across a December 1939, Though Welty’s sprinkled on top before
the traditional pudding mas favorite was ginger Detroit (Michigan) Eve- source of the mint julep serving.
foods of a was snaps, and for those peo- ning Times. In it was a recipe was my grand-
Christmas meal. always a ple who have not already cook’s tour of Dixie with mother, Mrs. T.C. Bil- I recall Christmas
They may not Christmas ordered a tin of Moravi- recipes for the holiday lups, I never recall mint dinner as a child with my
all be what you favorite an Ginger Snaps, here season. It was written juleps at Christmas. My great aunt and uncle, Dr.
think. and the old- is a hundred-year-old by Eudora Welty under grandmother’s favorite and Mrs. John Richards,
The first est family recipe from Columbus. the name of Prudence Christmas beverage where the meal always
Christmas cel- Rufus Ward cookbook I Penny. actually was milk punch included not jellied ap-
ebrated in what
is now Mississippi was
have, “The Ginger snaps There was a recipe for served in a chilled silver ples but pickled peach-
Virginia House-Wife” n 1 cup molasses jellied apples as pre- brandy snifter. One year es. Aunt Martie, as we
celebrated with religious from 1825, contains the n 1 teaspoon ginger pared by Mrs. Herschel a neighbor came over called her, also always
services and a barbecue. recipe for “An English n 1/2 cup sugar Brownlee in Port Gibson. for a Christmas morning served a pear salad. It
That occurred 480 years Plum Pudding.” n 1 teaspoon soda In addition to the jellied milk punch. She made a was simply a pear half
ago, probably between n 1/2 cup butter apples the article also in- mistake and drank two filled with Dukes mayon-
present-day Starkville
and West Point.
English plum pudding n 1/2 teaspoon salt cluded Mrs. Brownlee’s of them. As a conse- naise and grated cheese
“Beat eight eggs Mix molasses, sugar, recipe for stuffed eggs quence, she forgot about on top.
In 1540 a ragged very light, add to them ginger and butter. Put with spinach. her turkey in the oven It is interesting to note
army of almost 500 a pound of flour sifted, on stove, stir until butter Mrs. C.L. Lubb of and burned it to a crisp. that roast pork which
Spanish adventurers, and a pound of pow- is melted. Stir in 3 1/2 Aberdeen contributed a was first served here
soldiers, horses, war
dogs, pigs and some
dered sugar; when it cups flour into which recipe for that “southern Christmas milk punch 480 years ago was still
looks quite light, put in soda has been sifted. Let favorite,” beaten biscuits. n 2/3 quart of Bourbon considered a traditional
priests, women and a pound of suet finely this stand all night. In The article concluded n 2 quarts of milk Southern Christmas
free Blacks entered shred, a pint of milk, a the morning roll thin and with Welty saying, “A n 1/3 quart of cognac or meal in 1901. Actually,
what is now Mississippi nutmeg grated, and a cut. Bake in moderate collection of recipes brandy barbecue at Christmas is
near the present site of gill of brandy; mix with oven. from the Old South is no n 1 quart of half and half not a bad idea.
Columbus. About Dec. it a pound of currants, more complete than the n 1/2 quart of rum Rufus Ward is a local
16, 1540, the expedition washed, picked, and Most of our pres- Old South itself without n 10 tablespoons pow- historian.
of Hernando de Soto
crossed the Tombigbee
River with the best evi-
dence indicating a loca-
tion between Buzzard’s
Island (about seven
miles south of downtown
Columbus) and Waverly.
After crossing the
Tombigbee on rafts, de
Soto’s force marched to
an abandoned Chicka-
saw village, called Chi-
caza, arriving that night.
There, the Spanish
established their winter
camp of 1540-41. The
Chickasaws brought
food and blankets to the
Spanish, and the large
number of Europeans
probably greatly deplet-
ed the Indians winter
food supply. As a sup-
plemental food source,
the Spanish had been
driving a herd of hun-
dreds of hogs across the
South.
In December 1540,
possibly on the Feast of
St. Lucy or the Feast of
St. Nicolas or at Christ-
mas, de Soto would have
ordered the slaughter
and cooking of some of
the hogs as a special or
celebratory meal. This
was a form of roasting
meat over an open fire
that was called a bar-
bacoa. It was from that
word and form of cook-
ing that barbecue took
its name. That Spanish
meal would have been
the first pork barbecue
ever held in Mississippi
and makes this month
the 480th anniversary of
barbecue in the Colum-
bus, Starkville, West
Point area.
Newspaper accounts
during the early 1800s
show that pork con-
tinued to be a popular
Christmas serving. On
Dec. 21, 1843, it was re-
ported in Columbus that
“Several droves of hogs
are now in Town. Those
persons of the county
who desire pork can be
accommodated. Brains
and ribs are fine for
Christmas.” A newspa-
per account of a celebra-
tory dinner held near
Canton on December
21, 1846, described the
dinner as a barbecue.
An old family
cookbook from 1901,
“The New Dixie Rec-
ipe Book,” provides a
traditional southern
menu for Christmas
dinner. It should include
“oysters on half shell,
cream chicken soup,
broiled whitefish, sauce
Maitre d’Hotel, roast
goose, apple sauce,
boiled potatoes, mashed
turnips, sweet potatoes,
Christmas plum pud-
ding, lemon ice, squash
pie, quince jelly, delicate
cake, salted almonds,
fruit and coffee.” For
supper, “cold roast
goose, oyster patties,
coleslaw, charlotte
russe, popovers and
currant jelly” should be
the fare.
Other suggestions for
a traditional Christmas
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020 3A

23,000 fewer students are enrolled in state’s

public schools; it’s unclear where they went
BY K AYLEIGH SKINNER
AND A ALLYAH WRIGHT
Mississippi Today
More than 23,000 fewer students are
enrolled in Mississippi public schools
this year than last year, and a spokes-
person for the state Department of
Education did not answer when asked
where the students went.
Public school enrollment in Missis-
sippi has steadily declined in recent
years, but the most recent school year
(2020-2021) shows 23,286 fewer stu-
dents are enrolled in the public school
system this year compared to 2019-2020
— a 5% decrease from last school year.
On Monday, State Superintendent
Carey Wright said at an online event
hosted by Mississippi State University’s
Stennis Institute of Government and the
Capitol Press Corps that the Mississippi
Department of Education was looking
into the matter.
Wright said the department is work-
ing to gather data about the number
of students who have gone to different
options, such as private school or home
schooling. She plans to meet with atten-
dance officials within the department
later this week, she said.
“We are directing districts to have
school attendance officers to track
down any child who was in school last
year and not in school this year to find
out where they are,” Wright said. “My
goal is to make sure they are in a learn-
ing environment. If parents decided to
do home school, or private school, that
is certainly their choice. What’s not the
choice is to just not do anything.”
State law requires all children (ages
6-17) to be enrolled by a parent or legal
guardian in public school or “a state
approved, nonpublic (private school), or
educating the child at home in an orga-
nized educational program.” Additional-
ly, 5-year-olds enrolled in kindergarten
are also subject to the same rules
outlined in the law.
When asked if the department knew
where thousands of students went and
if the department knew which districts
lost the most students, a spokesperson
directed Mississippi Today where to
look at year to year comparisons in
enrollment data.
“We know the pandemic has impact-
ed schools across the country, including
in Mississippi,” the MDE spokesperson
said in an email. “That is why School
istock.com
Attendance Officers (SAO) are working
with school districts to identify compul-
sory school-age children whose fami-
lies have not re-enrolled them in local
public schools and have not submitted
a home school enrollment form to their
local SAO.”
This school year is unprecedented
in that the coronavirus pandemic has
forced districts to revise how they deliv-
er instruction. Though some still offer
traditional in-person schooling, many
are entirely virtual or use a hybrid mod-
el, making it difficult at times for some
schools to keep track of where students
are.
Jefferson Davis County High School
was one of the schools that opted for
virtual learning. But it has been chal-
lenging to teach and reach students due
to internet and transportation issues,
said Taylor Copeland, high school
social studies and French teacher. Co-
peland, a first year teacher at Jefferson
Davis, teaches 109 ninth graders in her
history classes and 14 students in her
French class.
Only 25 show up consistently for
their Google Meet class sessions. The
majority of her students have been
issued packets and some students have
not been reached at all, she said.
“A number of students we’ve reached
out to with calls, home visits, and not
doing the work at all … I understand
some are very self motivated and parent
motivated and some, they’re 14-years-
old,” Copeland said in a Zoom inter-
view. “I could be teaching all 109 of my
students, but that’s not the reality.”
This year 442,627 students are
enrolled in public schools. This figure
represents average daily attendance
as of Sept. 30, or the average number
of enrolled students who attend school
each day.
The largest drops in enrollment
occurred in the younger grades, with
pre-K and kindergarten each seeing
more than 10 percent changes.
“The annual decline in student
enrollment corresponds to a decline
in the overall population of the state,”
the department told Mississippi Today.
“Mississippi and states throughout the
country are seeing larger-than-expect-
ed drops in enrollment this year, par-
ticularly in the early grades beginning
with pre-K.”
Kate Royals contributed to this report.

Bedz4Kidz
Continued from Page 1A
furniture. She and her
children were sleeping
on the floor. That’s when
it hit me: I knew what I
could do.”
Almond began to do
some research. When he
learned that more than
2,000 children in Lown-
des, Oktibbeha and Clay
counties were without
beds, he had the idea he
had been looking for. At
that moment, Bedz4Kidz
was born.
“All this time, I didn’t
have two nickels to rub
together,” Almond said.
“But there’s a saying:
Money follows ministry.
Get out and do some-
thing.”
Seed money,
although it draws heavily build there.”
on the support of several The build in Macon
area churches. Other or- was the first outside of
ganizations such as the Lowndes County, the
Lowndes County Foun- first of many, Almond
dation, which helped hopes.
kick-start the program; “We hope to expand
Flexx Chiropractic, into Oktibbeha County
which donated $9,000 for and Clay County as soon
bedding; and 4-County as we can,” Almond said.
Electric Power Associa- Dream Center is
tion, have helped, too. working with Child
Meanwhile, Ebert’s Protective Services to
employer, Barge Forest identify children who
Products in Macon, need beds.
provides lumber at a “It’s not only about
discount and Alliance beds sometimes,” Ebert
Furniture Outlet in Co- said. “Sometimes, it’s
lumbus provides the twin something that keeps
mattresses at wholesale families together. In
prices. home inspections, if CPS
One of the biggest sees that a child doesn’t
new developments allows have a bed, that child
beds to be built off-site. can be removed from Slim Smith/Dispatch Staff

support arrives
In the three years
since Almond knocked
on that sixth door, he
has assembled a team
of volunteers — includ-
ing Jason Ebert, who
Almond calls “the brains
of the outfit,” who is in
charge of building the
beds; and Jason and
Elle Wills, who operate
the website and handle
marketing.
“We’ve placed 118
beds so far,” Almond
said. “But we’re just get-
ting started. The need is
so great.”
Each pre-fabricat-
ed bed or bunk bed is
assembled at the home
of the recipient. The
ministry also provides
new mattresses, pillows,
bed linens and covers.
The total cost is $175 per
bed.
The Columbus Dream
Center is not affiliated
with any specific church,
“We got an $8,500 the home. It’s a serious Alexis Brown, 9, gets comfy on the new bed provided by the Columbus Dream
Center’s Bedz4Kidz program. Alexis lives in Columbus with her grandmother, Mary
grant from 4-County, and situation.”
Brown, and two sisters. Hers is one of 118 beds placed by the program since it
we used that money to Almond is grateful for began in 2018.
buy a trailer and tools so the support the Dream
we can build at sponsors’ Center has received, but lived in Tucson, Arizo- about homes with dirt Anyone interested
sites,” Ebert said. “We he admits the need still na, for 45 years. While floors, poverty of the in joining the Dream
had a built in Macon, dwarfs the supply. there, he ministered to worst kind. But I can Center’s Bedz4Kidz pro-
sponsored by Calvary “We need all the members of the Tohono tell you this: There are gram can call Almond at
Baptist Church, a couple support we can get,” he O’odham tribe of Native places right here in the 662-889-5558. To learn
of weeks ago and built 21 said. “Financially, yes, Americans. Golden Triangle where more about the Colum-
“Very poor,” Almond the poverty is just as bus Dream Center, visit
beds.” but we also want to get
said. “We’re talking bad, maybe even worse.” dreamcenterms.org.
Ebert said the mobile the community involved
builds are comparable to — churches, businesses,
the Habitat for Humanity civic groups — through
concept. sponsoring builds and
“We’d really like participating that way. I
to get local industries think there’s something
involved by having them very powerful about
sponsor a build,” Ebert being a part of these
said. “We come to their builds.”
site and they provide the Before moving to
volunteers and have a Columbus, Almond, 71,

SOLUNAR TABLE
The solunar period indicates

Help us help them,

peak-feeding times for fish and game.
Sun. Mon.
Major 5:59a 6:51a

The Humane
Minor 11:22p 12:26a
Major 6:25p —
Minor 1:27p 2:03p

Society
Courtesy of Mississippi Department
of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks

662 327-3107
The Dispatch
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Entered at the post office at Columbus, Mississippi.
Periodicals postage paid at Columbus, MS Phone: 662-328-2424
POSTMASTER, Send address changes to:
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Report a news tip: news@cdispatch.com
4A SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

James Kitchens
VERNON, Ala. — ­ were at 11 a.m. Tues-
James Robert Kitchens,
81, died Nov. 19, 2020,
at Baptist Memorial
Hospital-Golden Trian-
gle.
Services are 2 p.m.
today at Vernon First
Baptist Church. A
graveside service and
burial for immediate
family only will follow at
Vernon City Cemetery.
No public visitation
will be held. Brandon
Phillips will officiate.
Otts Funeral Home of
Sulligent, Alabama, is
entrusted with arrange-
ments.
Mr. Kitchens was
born on Sept. 8, 1939,
in Vernon to the late
H.W. Kitchens and Raye
Crawford. He was a gra-
date of Lamar County
High School in Vernon
and was owner of car
lots and businesses
throughout Northwest
Alabama and Northeast
Mississippi. James was
a lifelong member of
Vernon First Baptist
Church.
In addition to his
parents, he was preced-
ed in death by his wife,
Glenda Kitchens; broth-
ers, Thaxton, Clyde and
Sonny Kitchens.
He is survived by his
daughters, Marquetta
Glasgow of Vernon,
Kimberly Holt of Ster-
rett, Alabama, and Kelly
Edwards of Vernon;
brother, John Paul
Kitchens of Vernon;
sister, Kathy Kitch-
ens of Vernon; three
grandchildren and two
great-grandchildren.
Graveside services
day in Furnace Hill
Cemetery with David
Sullivan officiating.
Otts Funeral Home of
Sulligent, Alabama, was
in charge of arrange-
ments.
Mrs. Baxter was
born Sept. 18, 1948, in
Dayton, Ohio, to the
late Willard Curtis and
Joann Elizabeth Baily.
Bertha was formerly
employed as a waitress.
In addition to her
parents, she was pre-
ceded in death by her
husband, Gary Orlan-
do Jacobs and sister,
Elaine Miller.
She is survived by
her daughter, Beverly
Casby of Vernon, Ala-
bama; siblings, Johnny
Curtis of Ashord, Ala-
bama, Sammy Curtis of
Sarasota, Florida and
Lloyd Curtis of Cowers,
Alabama; two grand-
children; and three
great-grandchildren.
Larry Bonman
SULLIGENT, Ala.
­ Larry Bonman, 66,
— live streamed via the
died Nov. 27, 2020,
at North Mississippi
Medical Center -Tupe-
lo.
No funeral services
were held. Burial was
at the Gilmer Addition
of Sulligent City Cem-
etery. Otts Funeral
Home of Sulligent, Al-
abama, was entrusted
with arrangements.
Mr. Bonman was
born May 19, 1954,
in Vernon to the late
Lawrence Bonman and
Annie Kate Cribbs.
AREA OBITUARIES
Guin, Alabama, Robbie In addition to his par- Mrs. Pinkerton was and sisters.
Ogden of Birmingham, ents, he was preceded born June 14, 1947, in Pallbearers will be
Alabama, and Perry in death by his sister, Sulligent, Alabama, Andy Robertson, John-
Ogden of Sulligent; sis- Sue Armstrong; and to the late James and ny Springfield, Greg
ters, Patsty Ann Evans twin sons. Mary Springfield. Pinkerton, Jeff Jordan,
and Frances Walker, He is survived by his In addition to her David Gunnels and
both of Sulligent, daughters, Amy Hol- parents, she was pre- Steve Patrick.
and Paula Bonman of lis of Belmont, Jamie ceded in death by her
Florida. Sullins and Fiance husband, Larry Pinker- Charlie Upton
Jamey Flanagan, both ton Sr.; son, Shane COLUMBUS ­­—
Jimmy Sullins of Guin, Alabama; Pinkerton; and two Charlie Upton, 87, died
HAMILTON, Ala. brothers, Buddy and grandchildren. Dec. 5, 2020, at Bap-
­ Jimmy Dale Sullins,
— Stevie Sullins, both of She is survived tist Memorial Hospi-
74, died Dec. 1, 2020 Hamilton, Alabama, by her sons, Derrick tal-Golden Triangle.
at TriStar Centennial and Billy Sullins of Pinkerton of Vernon Arrangements are
Medical Center in Winfield, Alabama; four and Larry Wayne incomplete and will be
Nashville, Tennessee. grandchildren and one Pinkerton II of Fay- announced by Memori-
Services are 4 p.m. great-grandchild. ette, Alabama; eight al Gunter Peel Funeral
today at Landmark Pallbearers are Allen grandchildren and five Home and Crematory,
Church in Hamilton, Walters, Roger Hall, great-grandchildren; Second Avenue North
Alabama. Burial will Curtis Allen, Wade and a host of brothers location.
follow at the Cooper Hollis, Mike Walters
Cemetery. Pastor Mark and Danny Oliver.
Collier and Dustin Wal-
ters will officiate. Visi- Jessie Sykes
tation was Saturday at COLUMBUS ­— Jes-
the church. The family sie Sykes, 62, died Dec.
has requested no hugs 4, 2020, at Baptist Me-
or handshakes and for morial Hospital-Golden
all in attendance to
Triangle.
wear a mask and prac-
Arrangements are
tice social distancing.
incomplete and will be
Otts Funeral Home of
announced by Carter’s
Sulligent, Alabama, is
Funeral Services of
entrusted with arrange-
Columbus.
ments. Services will be
funeral home’s Face- Linda Pinkerton
book page. VERNON, Ala. —
Mr. Sullins was Linda Pinkerton, 73,
born Aug. 10, 1946, in died Dec. 3, 2020, at
Hamilton, Alabama, to her residence.
the late James Caus- Public services will
ton Sullins and Mary be held 2 p.m. today at
Helen Morris Sullins. the chapel of Chandler
He worked as a ma- Funeral Home in Ver-
chine operator for NTN non with Eddie Finch
Bower in Hamilton, Ala- and James Godsey
bama. Jimmy was of the officiating. Burial will
Freewill Baptist faith follow at Fellowship
and enjoyed attending Baptist Cemetery. Pub-
and serving in his lic visitation will be one
church. hour prior to service.

Glenda Kitchens
VERNON, Ala. —
Glenda Kitchens, 78,
died Dec. 1, 2020, at
Baptist Memorial Hospi-
tal-Golden Triangle.
Services are 2 p.m.
today at Vernon First
Baptist Church. A
graveside service and
burial for immediate
family only will follow at
Ruth Owen
He was formerly em-
ployed in mobile home
manufacturing and
as a diesel mechanic. Catherine “Ruth” Kale Owen
Larry was a member entered the presence of the
of Greater Victory Lord on Tuesday, December 1,
Church of God. 2020.
In addition to his She was preceded in death by
father, he was preced- her parents, Julius MacDonald
ed in death by his wife, Kale and Catherine Law Kale
Nellie Mae Bonman; and her husband of 61 years,
and brother, Ed Bon- Jerry Boyd Owen, Sr.
man. She is survived by her three

Vernon City Cemetery.
No public visitation
will be held. Brandon
Phillips will officiate.
Otts Funeral Home of
Sulligent, Alabama, is
entrusted with arrange-
ments.
Mrs. Kitchens was
born Sept. 30, 1942,
in Detroit, Alabama, to
the late Leaman Knight
and Velma Lee Pickle.
She graduated from
Sulligent High School
in 1960 and attended
Vaughn Beauty Col-
lege in Aberdeen. She
worked for several
local beauty salons and
operated the beauty
shop at Generations of
Vernon Nursing Home.
Glenda was a member
of Vernon First Baptist
Church.
In addition to her
parents, she was pre-
ceded in death by her
husband, James Robert
Kitchens; and brother,
Kenneth Knight,
She is survived by
her daughters, Mar-
quetta Glasgow of
Vernon, Kimberly Holt
of Sterrett, Alabama,
and Kelly Edwards of
Vernon; three grand-
children and two
great-grandchildren.
Bertha Baxter
VERNON, Ala. —
Bertha Sure Baxter.
72, died Nov. 20, 2020,
at DCH in Tuscaloosa,
Alabama.
Visit us
on the web at
cdispatch.com
He is survived by
his sons, Cortez Davis
of Huntsville, Alabama,
Larry Birch of Bakers-
field, California, and
Jamar Bankhead of
Tuscaloosa, Alabama;
daughters, Tanisha
Bonman of Yukon,
Oklahoma, Ebony Bon-
man of Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma, Qounesha
Davis of Huntsville
and Sha Crawford of
Tennessee; brothers,
Lawrence Bonman of
Jim Pitts
Services:
A private service will be held.
2nd Ave. N. Location
memorialgunterpeel.com
Jim Pitts
James H. “Jim” Pitts, age
79, died peacefully December
3, 2020, at his residence in
Columbus, MS.
A private service will be held
at Memorial Funeral Home
Chapel in Columbus with Bro.
Charles Whitney officiating,
and music provided by Mrs.
Patricia Fields. Entombment
will be at Jonesboro Memorial Park Cemetery,
Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Jim was born on Sunday, October 5, 1941, in
Mississippi County, Arkansas, to the late H. C.
“Bud” Pitts and Dorothy Hardenia Griggs Pitts.
He was the loving husband of Beth Beckham
Pitts, and cherished father of two daughters,
Lisa Rouleau (J. P.) of Colorado Springs, CO,
and Jami Johnson (Steven) of Arcadia, OK. He
was dearly loved by his stepdaughters, Leigh
Beckham Williams (Neil) of Vicksburg, MS, and
Jamie Beckham Campbell (Francis) of Okinawa,
Japan, and stepson, Stephen Beckham (Heather)
of South Bend, IN.
He adored his grandchildren, Colton James
Rouleau, Laten Johnson, and Ava Johnson,
and bonus grandchildren, Jim Williams, Grant
Williams, Aurora Beckham, Declan Beckham
and Jonathan Campbell. He is also survived by
his sister, Carolyn Ellis of Kentucky.
In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded
in death by his wife of 54 years, Elizabeth “Liz”
C. Pitts; and sisters, Roye Lynn Mustion and
Drucilla “Dru” Thomas.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to:
Sanctuary Hospice, 5159 Main Street, Tupelo,
MS, 38801 or Grace Baptist Church, 708 Airline
Rd. Columbus, MS 39702.
Sign the online guest book at
www.memorialgunterpeel.com
716 Second Avenue North • Columbus, MS
children, Elaine Owen Taylor (Ray) of Columbus,
MS, Sarah Owen Pittman (Chuck) of Tuscaloosa,
AL and Jerry Boyd Owen, Jr. (CeCelia) of
Columbus, MS; and her sister, Betty Ann Kale
Brock (Henry) of Blairsville, GA.
A private family graveside service will be held
at Memorial Gardens, Columbus, MS.
Ruth was born February 7, 1936, in Moncks
Corner, SC. She graduated from Berkeley High
School and Palmer College. She worked as a
secretary and bookkeeper before marrying
and starting her family. Ruth was a loving and
nurturing mother to her three children, making
great memories with them while they were
growing up. Every Friday afternoon she would
have Hardin’s Bakery donuts for them after
school and take them to Leigh Mall. She cooked
supper every night and had the Sunday roast
in the oven while attending Sunday School and
church with the family each week. She very
much enjoyed baking cakes and cookies from
scratch for her family and friends.
Ruth was a Christian woman and a faithful
member of Fairview Baptist Church in
Columbus, serving on the counting committee
for many years, helping with Wednesday night
suppers, as well as teaching Sunday School,
Training Union, and GA’s when her children
were younger. A music lover, she sang in the
Fairview Baptist Church Adult Choir and in her
earlier years would sing solos in the church. She
also enjoyed live musical performances and once
attended a “Sister Sledge” Concert in Starkville.
She enjoyed watching “The Boston Pops” on
television every July 4th and “Christmas at St.
Olaf” as well as many other musical television
programs throughout the year.
Ruth enjoyed reading a wide variety of books,
including many of the classics as well as novels by
John Grisham and other writers of the mystery
genre. She and friends would trade and share
books when “a good one” was discovered by any
of them. She enjoyed working jigsaw puzzles and
had one going most of the time. Others began
showing up at her puzzle table and before long,
many in the family had caught the jigsaw puzzle
bug. She also enjoyed crossword puzzles and
word searches. She bowled with “The Possum
Town Gals” bowling team of Columbus for many
years and enjoyed friendships with her team
members.
Ruth was indeed a special person and will be
missed by so many. She was always ready and
willing to lend a hand, share a smile and a laugh,
and share her keen sense of humor. Truly, the
family’s loss is Heaven’s gain.
Any memorials may be made to Fairview
Baptist Church Building Fund, 127 Airline Road,
Columbus, MS 39702.
Compliments of
Lowndes Funeral Home
www.lowndesfuneralhome.net

Superintendents
Continued from Page 1A
pandemic began in March
or, more optimistically, in-
tegrating students back
into classrooms full-time
in the case of Columbus
Municipal School Dis-
trict.
Those decisions will
just be one more factor
school administrators
have to juggle in a year
defined by COVID-19.
Teachers have had to deal
with everything from en-
suring students can ef-
fectively work from home
— a problem made easier
in the last month when
CMSD and Starkville-Ok-
tibbeha Consolidated
School District distribut-
ed hundreds of devices
to students and teach-
ers — to the academic
challenges students face
when their access to
classrooms is limited and
they are dealing with the
stress of the pandemic.
“We’re ready for the
worst, and we’re hop-
ing for the best,” CMSD
Superintendent Cherie
Labat said. “I guess that
is the slogan of this pan-
demic.”
CMSD
CMSD has not offered
traditional in-person
learning to students since
the pandemic first shut
schools down in March,
instead giving students
the option between total-
ly virtual learning and a
hybrid model, where stu-
dents attend in-person
classes two days a week.
That has kept about 10 to
12 students in a classroom
at a time, Labat said.
That model will not
change going into Janu-
ary. However, administra-
tors opened enrollment in
November for any parents
who wanted to switch
learning models for their
children. By the time all
the students who wish
to move to hybrid have
made the transition in
January, about 70 percent
of CMSD’s students will
be hybrid and 30 percent
will be virtual, Labat said.
Her longer-term hope
is that by late February,
depending on the status
of the COVID-19 vaccine
and the number of cases
in the state and county,
administrators can begin
to phase students back
into a traditional, full-time
learning model starting
in the fourth nine weeks.
Alternatively, the
district is also ready if
the case count continu-
Arrests
Continued from Page 1A
conspiracy charges.
Gann has been charged
with attempted murder,
conspiracy to commit
murder and possession
of a weapon by a convict-
ed felon, according to the
press release. He was also
charged with possession
of methamphetamine and
conspiracy to commit bur-
glary for a separate inci-
ally grows to the point
where administrators
close schools. Thanks
to $353,000 in federal
CARES (Coronavirus
Aid, Relief and Economic
Security) Act funds, the
district has purchased
2,653 new laptops, allow-
ing each student to take
home a device for online
learning.
Labat is prioritizing
safety for her students
and staff.
“It’s been a very emo-
tional journey, but I think
that we’ve made great de-
cisions in the district ...,”
she said. “And we’re go-
ing to get through this.”
Starkville-Oktibbeha
SOCSD students have
the option between vir-
tual or in-person classes.
When the semester be-
gan, high schoolers also
had the option of choos-
ing the hybrid model, but
administrators did away
with that option in Octo-
ber after discovering that
not only was it difficult for
teachers to come up with
both in-person and virtu-
al lesson plans, but stu-
dents were falling behind
academically on the days
they were not on campus.
The district was also
forced in November to
temporarily move the
entire sixth grade online
after several teachers
at Partnership Middle
School had to go into
quarantine.
Along
with those
adjust-
m e n t s ,
Assist ant
Superinten-
dent Anna
Gunthar p
said, the Guntharp
biggest for
the district was trying to
facilitate internet access
for students.
“Probably one of the
things that we have
learned about is access to
technology for students
who are quarantined,”
she said. “... Thankful-
ly, we, in the last month,
have received devices
and have been able to dis-
tribute those to all of our
students that were virtual
students.”
Guntharp and district
Public Information Offi-
cer Nicole Thomas said
SOCSD spent $600,000 in
CARES funds to purchase
laptops for teachers and
Chromebooks for second
through 12th graders.
Reeves James
dent on New Hope Road on
Nov. 18.
Also arrested were: Ste-
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
Adminis-
trators also
repurposed
the dis-
trict’s iPads
to give to
each kin-
dergar ten-
er and first Thomas
grader.
Thomas said not only
does that ensure every
student can learn from
home, but it allows teach-
ers to more easily help
students navigate virtual
classrooms than if the
types or brands of devic-
es varied from student to
student.
“It’d be like everybody
having a different text-
book, with the same in-
formation but all laid out
differently,” she said.
Superintendent Eddie
Peasant said students’ ac-
ademic performance has
varied, “depending on the
child and the household.”
Factors like access to in-
ternet at home and paren-
tal involvement can affect
both their learning and
morale.
Administrators are
strongly encouraging
parents to enroll their
children in traditional,
in-person learning next
semester if that student is
not scoring at least Cs in
their classes, he said.
While there are no
definitive plans either to
bring all students back
to campus or all go back
to online classes, Peasant
said administrators are
following case numbers
in the community and
ready to have schools or
the district go back online
if need be.
“Of course we’ve dis-
cussed the different op-
tions of what it might look
like if we reach a certain
number or if we have a
certain number of infect-
ed students or teachers …
in our schools,” he said.
Lowndes County
At the start of the se-
mester, Lowndes County
School District adminis-
trators gave parents the
option between virtual
and in-person learning
and told parents they had
to stick with their choice
through the first semes-
ter, which ends Jan. 19.
However, concerns from
parents about the effec-
tiveness of virtual learn-
ing led LCSD to allow
roughly 200 students
to switch from virtual
to in-person learning
ven Bradley Carley, 34, on
Nov. 22; Kevin Lee Parker,
37, on Nov. 22; John David
Reeves, 36, on Nov. 23;
and Stephen Cody James,
38, on Monday. Carley and
Parker were each charged
with conspiracy to commit
a crime, conspiracy to com-
mit a felony and possession
of a weapon by a felon.
Reeves and James were
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020 5A
mid-semester. the school year with an calls or an email from The
LCSD is also expand- all-virtual learning envi- Dispatch by press time.
ing its Wi-Fi connectivity ronment, but switched on The Dispatch previously
at its sports facilities and Sept. 21, less than a month reported that more than
parking lots with about into the semester, to allow 1,000 of the district’s
$915,499 from the Mis- about 2,000 students — roughly 1,300 students
sissippi Pandemic Re- around 70 percent of the are enrolled in virtual
sponse Broadband Avail- district’s population — to learning, while the rest
ability Act. enroll in a hybrid system. are in hybrid classes,
Superintendent Sam Noxubee County which is available only to
Allison said the semes- School District Superin- kindergarteners and stu-
ter has reinforced that tendent Rodriguez Broad- dents with learning chal-
online learning is “not nax did not respond to lenges.
a replacement for the
classroom.”
“Some students do
fine in that environment,
but it’s really more of a
team effort,” Allison said.
“The parents really need
to be involved on the vir-
tual learning side more
to ensure more success.”
LCSD has the most
COVID-19 cases of any
district in Lowndes and
Oktibbeha counties, with
148 student and staff cas-
es all semester.
Allison said several
of these cases and out-
breaks have happened
outside school buildings.
“We feel comfortable
and good about what
we’re doing as far as
sanitizing and distanc-
ing,” he said. “With the
pandemic, everything is
day-by-day and anything
could change at the drop
of a hat.”
Allison said with more
than a month left in the
semester, it is still too
early to definitively say
what changes to safety
protocols might be enact-
ed next semester.
“We always evaluate
every situation we’re
in, and when you have
as many buildings or as
many kids (as we do),
you’re always looking
at ways to make things
better, whether it’s how
you eat lunch or how you
change classes,” Allison
said. “Our goal is always
to be the safest we can
be. If we have problems
or potential issues, we’re
going to change them.”
West Point,
Noxubee schools
West Point Consol-
idated School District
Superintendent Burnell
McDonald declined to
comment for this story,
according to his adminis-
trative assistant Carolyn
Golson, though she added
McDonald said there are
not currently any plans to
change learning models
or other COVID-19 poli-
cies and procedures.
The district began
both charged with conspir-
acy to commit murder.
As of Friday afternoon,
Gann was in custody at
Lowndes County Adult De-
tention Center on $25,000
bond. Carley’s bond was
set at $35,000 and Parker’s
set at $30,000. Both Reeves
and James had been re-
leased from custody on
$2,500 bonds.
Opinion
6A SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 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

PARTIAL TO HOME OUR VIEW

Streetcar Roses and thorns

I
f there was ever a time to
haul out the Christmas
lights, this is the year.
Tuesday evening after
supper I went to the space
over The Dispatch we call
“the studio” to change out the
blown bulbs on the strings of
lights that bedeck the place
and put them on timers.
Once lit, I sat in a chair and
basked in the red glow.
I wasn’t prepared for the Birney Imes
waves of nostalgia and memo-
ry that washed over me.
I thought about long-departed friends, the Cantrells,
Homer and Lewis. Their riotous Christmas light display
enshrouding their mobile-home enclave on Caledonia’s
McCullough Road was a holiday destination for many
and topped my list of the Wonders of Lowndes County.
The other Wonders, you ask?
There are the obvious choices: Friendship Ceme-
tery and Tales from the Crypt, the Riverwalk and the
restored Tombigbee Bridge, the Buttahatchee River,
MUW campus, the Columbus downtown and Catfish
Alley, Mother Goose, Rufus Ward.
You may have other ideas about this, dear Reader,
and if so, please email them in.
One of the literary wonders of the English-speaking
world — this is not hyperbole — who, through accident
of birth, spent his first years in Columbus, had an anni-
versary of sorts this past week.
As noted in Thursday’s Writer’s Almanac, which I’ve
drawn from extensively for the remainder of this col-
umn, 73 years ago, on Dec. 3, 1947, “A Streetcar Named
Desire” opened on Broadway.
Three years earlier “The Glass Menagerie” made
the 34-year-old Tennessee Williams famous, and he
had taken refuge in Mexico from the resulting social
demands.
Williams tried a variety of titles on his new play
including “The Moth,” “Blanche’s Chair in the Moon”
and “The Poker Night” before deciding on “A Streetcar
Named Desire.”
Elia Kazan, who would direct the play, didn’t like it
initially, but his wife, Molly, loved it and convinced her
husband to take it on. Kazan negotiated for himself star
billing and 20 percent of the profits.
Williams’ agent Audrey Wood wrote that during
tryouts in Boston, Kazan turned to Williams and said,
“This smells like a hit.”
“That would prove to be “the understatement of the
decade,” Wood wrote.
For the role of Stanley Kowalski, Williams and
Kazan wanted rugged leading man, John Garfield, but
found his demands unacceptable.
Kazan remembered a young actor, who had played
a supporting role in a failure of a play he directed,
“Truckline Cafe.”
It took Kazan a while to track down the 21-year-old
Birney Imes/Special to The Dispatch
Marlon Brando, who had no address and slept some-
where different every night.
Finally Kazan found Brando and sent him $20 bus
fare to Williams’ home in Provincetown.
Rather than take the bus, Brando hitchhiked and
used the $20 for food.
Before giving his reading, Brando did some repair
jobs on the plumbing and the electricity in Williams’
house.
Williams was dumbstruck by Brando’s reading.
Kazan said, “I received an ecstatic call from our au-
thor, in a voice near hysteria. Brando had overwhelmed
him.”
They cast Brando as Stanley.
On opening night, Williams sent Brando a telegram:
“Ride out boy and send it solid. From the greasy Polack
you will someday arrive at the gloomy Dane for you
have something that makes the theater a world of great
possibilities.”
(Brando turned down the opportunity to play the
“gloomy Dane” in a stage production of “Hamlet.”)
When the curtain went down, the audience applaud-
ed for 30 minutes.
Streetcar producer Irene Selznick said: “In those
days, people stood only for the national anthem. That
night was the first time I ever saw an audience get to its
feet … round after round, curtain after curtain, until
Tennessee took a bow on the stage to bravos.”
“A Streetcar Named Desire” ran for more than 850
performances on Broadway. It is among the most criti-
cally acclaimed plays of the 20th century and has been
performed countless times. The play earned Williams
a Pulitzer Prize, and the 1951 film adaptation won four
academy awards.
Birney Imes (birney@cdispatch.com) is the former
publisher of The Dispatch.
A rose to all those whose
hard work in transforming a
downtown Columbus building
into “Whoville.” That effort
was spoiled by the real Grinch
- COVID-19. As a new twist on
Main Street Columbus’s Wassail Fest, this year
visitors were encouraged to visit “Whoville,” at
the site of the old Fashion Barn at the corner
of Main and Fifth streets. Volunteers, with
the support of the building owners Homer and
Joann Beatty, Zion Church, Vibrant Church,
Lighting Unlimited and others, spent hours
decorating the site, only to be notified that
Friday’s event was canceled. The decision to
cancel was a wise one based on new recommen-
dations by the state health department. Still, it’s
a disappointment that visitors weren’t able to
enjoy the hard work of the volunteers. Perhaps
as it was in the original story, when “Christmas
came just the same,” all their hard work, while
unseen, does not go unappreciated.
A rose to Visit Columbus,
which was awarded Destination
Marketing Organization of the
Year by the Mississippi Tourism
Association during its annual
Governor’s Conference, held
Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in Biloxi. This annual education-
al and professional development event brought
together more than 120 tourism industry
professionals from across the state as well as
tourism partners from the surrounding region.
The awards program gives MTA the opportu-
nity to recognize the best of the best from their
200+- member organization. Visit Columbus,
which has routinely been honored at the event,
was recognized this year for “keeping their
finger on the pulse of all community events as
a tireless champion for all things tourism.” We
salute the work Visit Columbus does on our
behalf.
A rose to the Noxubee Coun-
ty Tigers football team, which
fell just short of its goal Friday,
falling to Magee, 42-26, in the
Class 3A championship game in
Jackson. It’s the second straight
year that the Tigers have fallen one win short
of the ultimate prize. Although the Tigers were
prone to some uncharacteristic mistakes, no
one could question their effort. While the sting
of falling short will persist for a while, we are
confident that Friday’s loss will only serve as
greater motivation for a program whose history
is measured in championships. We salute the
Tigers for a game effort and a season that,
despite the final outcome, would be the enjoy of
most of their peers.

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

COVID-19 Fatigue
I awoke this morning to
another bad COVID dream
wherein my wife and I encoun-
tered an obviously saddened
lady while waiting at a bus
stop. She was lamenting to
my wife that her close friend
who was involved in the horse
racing circuit was currently
on a ventilator suffering with
COVID with little expectation
for survival. After some dis-
cussion during which my wife
expressed great sympathy for
her friend’s plight, the ratio-
nal me, felt the cruel impulse
to chime in to explain that
the outcome of our collective
behavior is determined by our
individual behavior. I further
explained that the lady’s friend
had likely interacted heavily
with individuals who know-
ingly made themselves highly
susceptible to COVID due
in turn to heavy interaction
amongst other like individuals
and so on and so on. This was
enough to push this vulnerable
and distraught lady into con-
vulsive sobbing to which my
wife instinctively attempted to
console by drawing her to her
breast. I saw the error in my
ways. This is definitely not the
place or time for rational anal-
ysis and honesty. Thankfully
this was merely a dream!
So here we are one week af-
ter the Thanksgiving Holiday
with the early morning news
running in the background
repeating yesterday’s an-
nouncements by Dr. Thomas
Dobbs: “Our hospitalizations
are growing at a rate that is
absolutely terrifying,” “It’s not
going to end at least for weeks
if we keep everything perfect
today…,” and “So without a
doubt I think we are headed
into the darkest period of the
coronavirus for Mississippi”.
Overnight, daily new cases as
reported by MSDH more than
doubled from 1141 to unfath-
omable 2457! Thus, we are
now beyond the point where
it is appropriate to ask our-
selves what happened, for we
all know the answer. Months
earlier in this crisis when we
should have contemplated as
a community, as a state, and
as a nation what could have
been and should have been,
the answer was: we must only
look to the situation in Taiwan,
currently with no new cases in
over 200 days!
At the outset of this pan-
demic, I had emphasized the
need for rational action only
to see the occasional utter
disregard by individuals for
their own personal health as
well as that of their brethren,
especially when any resem-
blance of rational analysis is
brought to bear. All of this
has been rehashed over and
over by officials, administra-
tors, and front-line workers of
our health and medical care
community until they are blue
in the face. Yet remarkably,
during the gradual increases
as the crisis escalated, they
pick up the pieces and soldier
on to win major battles against
this virus. First, with remark-
able stopgap treatments that
reduced the fatality rate to a
tolerable level and now with
the rapid development and
deployment of two effective
vaccines. What more can
we ask of them? Why are we
unwilling to help them contain
the spread of COVID in the
interim? As we continue to
engage this common enemy,
we must decide the magnitude
of casualties we are willing to
endure as we fight the remain-
ing battle to the conclusion of
the war against this virus. Is
it 10, 20, 50, or 100 times the
number of 9/11 deaths? With
current deaths at 272,525 vs.
2,977, it will be definitely be
over 100 times and likely be
over 200 to 500 times at 1.5
million deaths. These were
unfathomable numbers four
months ago as the second peak
occurred following America’s
Fourth of July holiday. We can
reasonably argue that a couple
of successful measures have
conspired to allow complacen-
cy to creep in amongst us all,
even the most resolute, myself
included. First the nationwide
governors’ mandates issued
in mid-July and the foremen-
tioned drastic decrease in
fatality rate. Further, a couple
of other significant events
also did not occur. We saw no
directly attributable increases
due to drastic relaxation of re-
strictions on dine-in at restau-
rants and bars, and likewise,
with the opening of in-person
attendance at schools and
universities. We didn’t see the
return of the alarming expo-
nential rate of increase in new
cases that we saw in March,
just an intermediate, gradual,
and steady increase, caus-
ing this nationwide sense of
complacency and subsequent
relaxation of our guard against
the corona virus. “We have
met the enemy and he is us!”,
Pogo, by Walt Kelly.
But make no mistake, cur-
rent daily new cases are early
indications the likely return
of exponential rates. We as a
society have been slow and re-
luctant to reign in those among
us who intransigently persist
in their truculent and incalci-
trant behavior regarding our
confrontation with COVID-19.
They selfishly refuse to
engage the enemy even at the
low personal inconvenience
and discomfort of properly
wearing a mask while in
public. Though I have racked
my brain to great extent, I am
unable to find a suitable expla-
nation for the phenomena. All
I¬ that comes to mind: “Lord,
grant me the serenity to accept
the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things
I can, and wisdom to know the
difference.”
Now I offer instead some-
thing that is perhaps subtlety
different. During the 60-odd
years on this Blessed Earth, I
have benefited from numerous
events of serendipity. One that
currently comes to mind as I
ponder current events, is an
incident that remains etched
permanently in my mind as if
it occurred yesterday. In the
course of my formal education,
I had enrolled in the renown
Dr. Joe Brown’s infamous
lectures of Machine Design
during which he presented
several alternate explanations
to the practical application of
some particularly abstract and
obtuse concept, Castigliano’s
Theorem perhaps, and was
having difficulty landing the
concept adequately. Recog-
nizing his students’ lack of
apprehension, he candidly
reacted with great humor and
even greater humility, “…that
is all I have, would it help if I
said it louder?” So there and
then, I learned the great value
and power of humility.
With great anguish and
humility, I introspectively
submit: I have seen the enemy
for it is I!
Walter P. Okhuysen
Starkville
Hazard mitigation and city’s
project manager
I’ll say one thing about our
fair city, we have a lot of over
seeing the over seers. It seems
to me that with our cash or lack
thereof, the city would be very
careful about the monies spent.
We pay $90,000 per year plus a
percentage of all city contracts
to oversee city contracts to
J5. And now $92 per hour for
doing the paperwork for FEMA
tornado mitigation and now
mitigation for flood damage
grants. This would be maybe
OK, if Columbus was flush with
dollars. What am I missing? I
live in a flood-prone area and
the Columbus Public Works
Department doesn’t even
maintain the drainage ditches.
This applies to many parts
of our city. Maybe with this
grant of $600,000 and the city’s
$200,000 part, with J5 over
seeing the over seers, progress
can be made. The over seeing
of the Amphitheater and new
fire station has gone great? If
this grant comes to fruition
will that mean something
will be done to the flooding of
the Amphitheater and soccer
complex? I’m totally confused
about applying for grants, then
paying the city’s part from city
funds and we can’t fully fund
or staff our “First Responders.”
Back to the $92 hourly fee Mr.
Dillon is getting: Is the work
done on his off time? At $92 an
hour with a $10,000 limit, that’s
only 108.69 hours. How many
hours was spent on the tornado
mitigation? For years transpar-
ency has been missing in the
city’s operation. On the bright
side, the Harvey’s roundabout
is almost complete, flowers
and shrubs are tended to in
some areas. On the down side,
crime/shootings are on the
rise, infrastructure is crum-
bling, real estate values are
dropping, people are leaving
the city, businesses closing.
How many out there would join
“A Better Columbus” move-
ment? Columbus can change,
but it needs the help of con-
cerned citizens. Are you one??
God bless Columbus and
America!
Lee Roy Lollar
Columbus
Lifestyles LIFESTYLES EDITOR
Jan Swoope: 328-2471
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020 n 7A

Cedarhill raffle offers winner chance to stay

overnight at big cat sanctuary

Isabelle Altman/Dispatch Staff

Justin Stripling, the exotic cat caretaker at Cedarhill Animal Sanctuary, talks to Cinderella, one of 10 tigers at the Caledonia sanctuary on Thursday after-
noon. Cinderella is an unusually small tiger because she was kept in a small enclosure for the first few years of her life before being rescued by Cedarhill.
Stripling and other employees at Cedarhill care for 10 tigers, three lions, a cougar, 17 dogs, 10 horses, five pigs and more than 160 housecats who will live
out their lives at the sanctuary.

Event, in its fifth year, serves as

organization’s largest fundraiser
BY ISABELLE ALTMAN
ialtman@cdispatch.com

L
ast Monday, when the temperature in Caledonia
dipped below freezing, Charger the tiger went for
a swim in the pool in his enclosure at Cedarhill
Animal Sanctuary. When he emerged, the sanctuary’s
employees said, there were tiny icicles glistening on
his coat.
“He’ll swim in it when it gets real cold,” Cedarhill’s
exotic cat caretaker Justin Stripling said from beside
Charger’s enclosure Thursday, as the tiger batted his
head against the fence in greeting. “… He’ll go in there
and emerge dripping wet. Charger loves his swimming
pool.”
But for Cedarhill, the cold weather heralds more
than swims for Charger. For the fifth year in a row, the
sanctuary is hosting its biggest fundraiser, B&B with
the Big Cats, a raffle in which one winner can spend a
weekend at the 30-year-old sanctuary.
Normally closed to the public, Cedarhill opens for a
weekend every year for the winner of the annual raffle.
The winner, along with up to three guests over the
age of 18, gets to stay in a guest cabin overlooking the
enclosure of Tafari, Jala-Gypsy and Nombi — 3-year-
old lions and the most active of the sanctuary’s exotic
cats — and spend time with the sanctuary’s more than
200 animals.
The sanctuary provides a home for exotic and do-
Isabelle Altman/Dispatch Staff
mestic animals that have been abused or neglected, or Tafari, one of three lions at Cedarhill Animal Sanctuary in Caledonia, approaches the
whose owners simply couldn’t care for them anymore, fence of his enclosure to greet his keeper on Thursday. The sanctuary is holding its
Media Development Manager Michelle Roberts said. annual raffle for up to four guests to spend two days at Cedarhill, and they will stay in a
See CEDARHILL, 8A cabin beside the enclosure that houses Tafari and his sisters, Jala-Gypsy and Nombi.

HOLLY JOLLY SAAC’s annual Winter

Showcase — A hybrid show
SPECIAL TO THE DISPATCH 30 works by more than a
dozen artists in and outside of

S
tarkville Area Arts Coun-
cil announces the return
of its Art in Public Places
annual Winter Showcase. This
hybrid exhibit is on display
for in-person viewing in the
lobby of the Greater Starkville
Development Partnership in
downtown Starkville during
business hours (8 a.m.-5 p.m.
weekdays), subject to mask
requirements and social dis-
tancing guidelines. The online
gallery will be viewable at
Courtesy photo
starkvillearts.net until further
Main Street Columbus volunteers got in the holiday spirit as they readied Christmas trees to dec- notice. There will be no open-
orate the corners of Main and Fifth Streets in downtown Columbus. From left are Penny Bowen, ing reception.
Amber Brislin, Brooke Hill, Sally Frost, Morgan Galjour and Laura Catherine Yeatman. This exhibit features nearly
Mississippi (including Califor-
nia one from the Netherlands).
Works cover varying themes
and media, including acrylic,
oil, watercolor, ceramics,
mixed medium, photography,
and more.
As part of SA AC’s AiPP
series, works may be listed for
sale. SA AC collects and pays
sales taxes on behalf of the
artist for any work sold, and
the artist keeps 80 percent of
the proceeds. This exhibit will
be on display until February 1,
2021, in the lobby of The Part-
nership and available online
until further notice.
8A SUNDAY DECEMBER 6, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Transitions:
Area Weddings,
Engagements
and Anniversaries

Isabelle Altman/Dispatch Staff

Caitlin Sims plays with Nika, one of 17 dogs she cares for at Cedarhill Animal Sanctuary at the Caledonia
sanctuary on Thursday. Cedarhill rescues exotic and domestic animals from abuse and neglect, or from pet
owners who can no longer care for their animals. Sims said Nika and her sister Nina came from an abusive
situation, meaning Nika is shy around people she doesn’t know.

Cedarhill
Continued from Page 7A
“Some
of these
animals
came here
from such
horrible
circum-
stances,”
Roberts Roberts
said.
“Disciplined with weed
eaters, pepper spray
in the eyes. … These
animals can live out
their days here knowing
that they are 100 percent
taken care of. That’s
why we’re closed to the
public, because we make
sure that they don’t get
any stress from outside
sources.”
Keeping Cedarhill
running
In addition to Charger
and nine other tigers —
including his sisters Pen-
ny and Tashara — Ce-
darhill has three lions,
three bobcats, a cougar,
17 dogs, 10 horses, five
pigs and more than 160
housecats, Roberts said.
It’s a huge operation
that costs the sanctu-
ary about $50,000 per
month, including food,
veterinary care, main-
tenance of enclosures
and other facilities and
pay for staff members,
Roberts said. The
COVID-19 pandemic
and ensuing economic
recession has hit the
sanctuary hard, causing
a roughly 65-percent
drop in donations, which
the sanctuary relies on
to keep operating.
“That is detrimental
to a place like us that
runs solely on dona-
tions,” Roberts said. “I
had to get creative. We
did an auction to replace
the funds that we usually
make when we do our
festivals and things of
that sort. We (sell paint-
ings and collect dona-
tions at) Caledonia Days,
we were slated to do
Market Street this year. I
had to figure out some-
thing to basically replace
that lost revenue.”
The auction took
place on Facebook,
where people could bid
on art pieces, toys and
other items donated
by fans of Cedarhill,
Exotic cat caretaker Justin Stripling interacts with housecat Joey and cougar Cassi-
dy at Cedarhill Animal Sanctuary in Caledonia Thursday afternoon. Cedarhill, which
has seen a 65 percent drop in donations during the economic recession caused
by the COVID-19 pandemic, has launched its annual fundraiser selling raffle tickets
for up to four guests to spend a weekend at the sanctuary if they win.
Roberts said. The
auction made $8,000 —
more than going to the
markets would have, she
said. It was so success-
ful, she hosted anoth-
er, smaller one right
after Thanksgiving that
closed on Friday.
Still, the raffle is
especially important this
year, Roberts said. Last
year’s raffle made about
$9,000 for the sanctuary,
and has raised $3,000
this year since it began
Nov. 5. Donors can
still purchase tickets
up through Jan. 8, and
employees will draw a
winner on Jan. 11.
Anyone can purchase
10 tickets for $20, 30
tickets for $55, 50 tickets
for $90 and 100 tickets
for $190 on Cedarhill’s
website at https://www.
cedarhillanimalsanctu-
ary.org/.
Guests will also be
treated to a dinner and
breakfast, a tour of the
sanctuary and a painting
by an exotic cat. Some of
the exotics like to play in
paints, Roberts said, and
they will leave pawprints
and paint splotches on
canvases, some of which
the sanctuary sells
online or at festivals.
For their own paintings,
guests can choose which
colors they want and
watch the cats play in
the paint.
Guests will also have
time to relax and play
Natilee Marie Dunser and Benjamin Austin Ryals
Dunser/Ryals
Natilee Marie Dunser of Columbus and Benjamin
Austin Ryals of Columbus exchanged wedding vows
Sept. 26, 2020, at Annunciation Catholic Church in
Columbus, with Father Jeffrey Waldrep officiating.
The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tony
Dunser of Columbus. She is the granddaughter of the
Isabelle Altman/Dispatch Staff late Mr. and Mrs. James Dunser of Columbus, and
Mrs. Linda Castillo and Mr. Vincent Wood of Texas.
Sara Dunser Dye of Columbus served as matron
of honor.
Bridesmaids were Kaylee Bradford, Ashton Ridg-
ley, Morgan Leonard and Hollie Mullins.
The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald
with the domestic dogs animals that come here
Ryals of Columbus. He is the grandson of the late Mr.
and cats at the sanctu- and it also heals the hu- Claude Ryals and Mrs. Gracie Ryals of Columbia and
ary. Sunday, the last day, mans that work here. All the late Mr. and Mrs. Ira Fuqua of Columbus.
is usually reserved for of us have been through Larry Joe Brownlee Jr. of Columbus served as best
playing in the cat house, things in our life, and man.
a small residence on the honestly these animals Groomsmen were Tanner Ryals, Samuel Millsaps,
property where the ma- help us.” David Via and Zackery Wright.
jority of the sanctuary’s
housecats live.
Roberts stressed that
while guests are able to
choose their weekends
to visit, there may be
extra restrictions due to
the pandemic. Cedarhill
is currently closed to
volunteers, and cases
throughout the state
started rising before last
year’s winner was able to
come. Roberts said the
sanctuary’s employees
will make sure both he
and this year’s winner
get their weekends when
it’s safe.
“It’s not going to go
anywhere,” she said.
“You’ll still get your
weekend. It’s just we’ve
got to be safe for every-
body.”
Roberts said most
people who come to
Cedarhill find it restful
and even healing to
be around the rescued
animals.
“I think that’s what’s
special about Cedarhill,”
she said. “It heals the

CALENDAR
Saturday, Dec. 12
Whoville Cruisin’ — Cars, trucks, golf carts and gators are
invited to decorate “Grinch-style” and join this cruise through
downtown Columbus at 3:30 p.m. Meet at the Hitching Lot Farm-
ers’ Market, Second Avenue and Second Street North, between
2-3 p.m. (No vehicle to be driven outside parade route that is not
street legal.) Main Street Columbus, 662-328-6305.

Tuesdays in December
Holiday Fun at 501 — Bring your lunch and enjoy sounds
of the season 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Columbus Arts Council, 501
Main St. Drinks, live music and holiday fun provided. Free. Music
by: Dec. 1-Mother Goose; Dec. 8-Jessica Horton; Dec. 15-Jace
Ferraez; Dec. 22-Suzuki Strings. 662-328-2787.

■ For more Lifestyles content, including Felder

Rushing and Southern Gardening, go to cdispatch.com.
Sports MHSAA CLASS 5A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
SPORTS LINE
662-241-5000
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020
B
SECTION

SHOW STOPS HERE

Dream of five-peat comes to an end after West Point falls to West Jones 33-27

Jim Lytle/Special to The Dispatch

West Point defenders from left Jacquerious Thomas (24), Dahmarrion Williams (7) and Davion Rice (19) tackle a West Jones ball runner during the first half of their MHSAA
5A State Championship football game against West Jones Saturday night in Jackson.

BY THEO DEROSA “They fought hard West Jones’ title was the game. down on its second pos- games total over the
tderosa@cdispatch.com and fought through a its first state champi- Then Shavontre session. past four years — found
bunch of adversity this onship in school histo- Ryland took the sec- The Mustangs gave itself 4-3.
JACKSON — West year,” West Point coach ry, and Kentrel Pruitt’s ond-half kickoff to the the Green Wave new life The Green Wave talk-
Point’s “drive for five” Chris Chambless said. 4-yard touchdown run Mustangs’ 1-yard line, with a missed 30 -yard ed it over in the locker
ran into a brick wall Sat- rooms. They improved
“Came up a little short.” with 11:20 to go in the and the Green Wave field goal with 3:51 to
urday night in Jackson. practice habits and re-
With one final drive fourth quarter proved punched the ball in from go, and West Point got
Vying for their fifth solved to work harder
for the win, Green Wave the deciding score. there to tie the game 20 - into West Jones territo-
straight state title — on Mondays. It paid
failed on a fourth-and-7 West Point had multiple 20. ry but couldn’t finish its
and a public school-re-
play at the Mustangs’ 42 possessions in which to “Our guys never quit, drive. off: West Point beat Co-
cord 12th — the Green
with less than two min- tie or take the lead, but no matter what,” Cham- “We just didn’t exe- lumbus, New Hope and
Wave met their match
utes remaining. A deep the Green Wave failed to bless said. cute,” Chambless said. Center Hill to reach the
in a stingy West Jones
pass from Corbin Kel- pull ahead. But a high-powered “We just didn’t get playoffs, where they
defense in Saturday’s
ley on West Point’s fi- West Point already offense led by quar- things done.” beat Holmes County
MHSA A Class 5A cham-
nal snap fell incomplete made one significant terback Alan Follis — West Point’s season Central, Grenada and
pionship game at Mis-
with 1:01 to go, giving comeback Saturday, re- named the most valu- ended with a 10 -4 re- Ridgeland to reach the
sissippi Veterans Memo-
the ball back to West bounding rapidly from able player of Saturday’s cord. The Green Wave title game.
rial Stadium.
Jones. A facemask pen- a 20 -7 deficit at the end game — and a hearty opened the season with “It meant a lot,” se-
The Mustangs
alty on West Point nul- of the first half. With the defense ensured West a loss to then-No. 1 nior defensive end
stacked the box against
West Point’s vaunt- lified a late fumble, and Mustangs trying for an- Point would make no Starkville before win- Jaquarius Thomas said.
ed run game, found the Mustangs ran out other score before half- second dramatic come- ning four straight. “It was really special.
running lanes on the the clock to a full-throat- time, Antonio Facella — back. Then they lost twice We had a lot of doubt on
ground and cushions ed roar from the north wearing No. 25 because Deonta Crosby in- in a row to Lake Cormo- us. A lot of people said
through the air and beat side of the field. he forgot to bring his tercepted a pass on the rant and Grenada, put- we weren’t supposed to
the Green Wave 33-27 “They’re a really No. 15 jersey on the trip Green Wave’s first drive ting themselves behind make it. … We made it,
to deny them a chance good football team, and — returned a fumble 34 after Pruitt’s go-ahead the 8-ball in Region but we just didn’t finish
to extend the historic we knew that coming yards for a touchdown to score, and West Point 1-5A play. West Point — the mission.”
streak. in,” Chambless said. get West Point back in was stopped on fourth which had lost just three See WEST POINT, 6B

MHSAA CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Key mistakes cost Noxubee County against Magee

BY THEO DEROSA of Little’s waiting hands
tderosa@cdispatch.com and fell to the turf be-
low. The Trojans con-
JACKSON — An- verted on fourth down
thony Little braced for and scored a few plays
the pass as it headed later.
straight for him. Once again, Noxubee
On a key third-and-8 County had let a big op-
in the second quarter portunity slip through
of Friday’s MHSA A its fingers.
Class 3A championship Little’s dropped pick
game, Noxubee County wasn’t the only play that
defensive back watched cost the Tigers in Fri-
the errant throw by Ma- day’s 42-26 loss at Mis-
gee quarterback Chan- sissippi Veterans Memo-
dler Pittman sail past rial Stadium in Jackson.
its intended target and Ultimately, the same
directly to him. Little mistakes that hampered
squared to the football Noxubee County all
as it homed in the white year ended its season
No. 4 on his chest. one game short of a title
The ball bounced out for the second straight
year: a fumble inside the
red zone; a poor option
pitch; a holding penalty
negating another must-
have interception.
“We missed a lot of
opportunities,” Noxu-
bee County coach Teddy
Young said.
Magee quarterback
Chandler Pittman and
the Trojans made the Ti-
gers pay all day for their
transgressions. Pittman
was nearly perfect Fri-
day, moving the Trojans
down the field seeming-
ly at will against Nox-
ubee County’s vaunted
Jeremy Miller/Special to The Dispatch
defense. He finished Magee defenders bring down Noxubee County wide receiver Macardi Johnson (2)
with 158 yards and three in the first half of Friday’s MHSAA Class 3A championship game at Mississippi
See NOXUBEE, 6B Veterans Memorial Stadium.
2B SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

MISSISSIPPI STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MSU loses for first time in McCray-Penson’s tenure

she hit some shots and
that helps,” McCray-Pen-
son said. “The one thing
she’s got to do is to get
going and continue to
take good shots.”
But as was the case
all too often Saturday
night, defensive lapse af-
ter defensive lapse gave
the Bulls a five point
lead heading into the
fourth quarter as they
outscored MSU 11-0 to
close the frame.
With just under 40
seconds remaining,
the Bulldogs narrowly
missed their chance to
take a late lead as Matha-
ru came off a screen at
the top of the key, but
failed to keep her feet and
flung up an errant shot.
After a USF timeout,
Bulls guard Elisa Pinzan
— who narrowly missed
a triple-double with 14
points, 11 rebounds and
nine assists — hucked
up a long three under
heavy pressure from ju-
nior guard Myah Taylor
that clanked off the rim
and sent the game to
overtime.
As both teams strug-
gled to scoring droughts
of 2:20 or more during
the extra frame, it was
Pinzan who put the game
on ice with a pair of free
throws with 6.3 seconds
remaining to send MSU
to its second loss to an
unranked team since
2013.
“They’re learning how
to play a lot of minutes
and being able to pro-
duce and perform and
understand what we’re
doing,” McCray-Penson
said of her young team.

Photo courtesy of Mississippi State athletics

Magee defenders bring down Noxubee County wide receiver Macardi Johnson (2) in the first half of Friday’s
MHSAA Class 3A championship game at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.
BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com
Nikki McCray-Pen-
son’s honeymoon at Mis-
sissippi State ended Sat-
urday in Tampa.
After MSU boat raced
Jackson State and New
Orleans while scoring
an average of 97 points
per game to open its sea-
son, the Bulldogs fell to
South Florida Saturday
67-63 in overtime for
the first loss of the Mc-
Cray-Penson era.
“Obviously it doesn’t
feel good to lose and to
lose when you look at the
stat sheet and it tells a
story,” McCray-Penson
said. “But all things that
we can continue to learn
from.”
Just days after dom-
inating the boards
against an undersized
New Orleans squad
Wednesday, the Bull-
dogs were outrebounded
24-19 in the opening 20
minutes of Saturday’s
contest as South Flori-
da’s pesky defense held
MSU’s dynamic guards
in check.
Struggling to find
any kind of rhythm in
Tampa, the Bulldogs
went scoreless for more
than six minutes during
the second quarter and
missed nine of their final
10 field goals to close the
first half as they trailed
36-31 heading into the
break.
Sophomore Rickea
Jackson and junior Jessi-
ka Carter kept the Bull-
dogs in striking distance
as they turned in 11 and
nine first half points, re-
spectively.
Following a stagnant
first 20 minutes, soph-
omore guard Aliyah
Matharu momentari-
ly breathed life into an
otherwise anemic MSU
offense. Flashing the
inside-out ability that
made her a super sub
down the stretch a sea-
son ago for Vic Schae-
fer, Matharu notched
seven straight points
and 10 points overall in
the third quarter as she
helped the Bulldogs to a
six point lead.
“She had good energy,

Cheap thrills.
Go for a walk.

Mond, No. 5 Texas A&M finish

strong in 31-20 win over Auburn
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUBURN, Ala. — Texas A&M looked
every bit the playoff contender with a
seemingly unstoppable offense and im-
penetrable defense — in the fourth quar-
ter, at least.
And that was plenty.
Kellen Mond passed for two touch-
downs and ran for a third and the fifth-
ranked Aggies scored 17 points in the
fourth quarter of a come-from-behind 31-
20 victory over Auburn on Saturday.
The Aggies (7-1, CFP No. 5) domi-
nated the final quarter to win their sixth
straight and remain in College Football
Playoff contention. The Tigers (5-4), who
have gone 0-3 against teams ranked in the
top five at the time, led 20-14 entering the
fourth.
Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher wasn’t
interested in speculating on how the win
might affect his team’s playoff chances.
“That’s for y’all to judge,” Fisher told re-
porters. “I’m glad we’re winning, I’m glad
we’re playing. I don’t’ really care. We’ll
evaluate everything at the end of the year.”
Mond rebounded from his worst game
of the season against LSU with a strong
performance. He completed 18 of 23 for
196 yards, highlighted by two TDs to Jalen
Wydermyer, and ran for 60 yards.
“Down in the second half and in the
fourth quarter, having the ability to keep
your poise and still maintain that level of
composure was big-time for our offense,”
said Mond, whose third-and-9 run kept
the Aggies’ final drive alive.
Seth Small iced the game with a 32-
yard field goal with just over a minute re-
maining after an earlier miss had helped
Auburn remain within a score. It’s the
most league victories the Aggies have
had since joining the SEC in 2012.
“That’s a big-time kick coming back
after missing a kick there,” Fisher said.
Isaiah Spiller had his fifth 100-yard
game of the current winning streak,
gaining 120 on 20 carries. Devon Achane
also ran for 99 yards on just nine carries.
Wydermyer caught eight passes for 89
yards.
The Aggies took a 21-20 lead early
in the fourth quarter when Auburn line-
backer Zakoby McClain tipped the ball
into the arms of tight end Wydermyer
for a touchdown — instead of what could
have been a game-changing intercep-
tion.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020 3B

MISSISSIPPI STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL

Molinar scores 15 in season debut;
Bulldogs pick up second straight victory
BY GARRICK HODGE
ghodge@cdispatch.com

STARKVILLE —
Starting the possession
at the top of the key, Mis-
sissippi State point guard
Iverson Molinar glided
into the left corner in the
opening minutes of his
season debut.
With a North Texas
defender closing in, Iver-
Sudoku YESTERDAY’S ANSWER

son fired off a shot from

beyond the arc that rang
Sudoku
Sudoku is a number-
placing puzzle based on
Yesterday’s answer
Sudoku
a 9x9 gridis witha several
num- 3 1 2 7 9 8 4 5 6
true, as if Molinar hadn’t
missed a beat all season. ber-placing
given numbers.puzzleThe object 8 4 6 3 2 5 9 7 1

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

The only thing more im- based onthe
is to place a 9x9
numbers 7 5 9 1 6 4 3 8 2
pressive than his scoring grid
1 to 9with
in theseveral
empty spaces 2 8 5 6 4 3 7 1 9
output was his efficiency, given
so that numbers.
each row, eachThe 6 7 1 9 5 2 8 3 4
as he scored 15 points on object
column and each 3x3 the
is to place box
numbers 9 3 4 8 1 7 2 6 5
an efficient 5 of 9 shoot- contains the1same to 9 number
in
5 9 3 2 7 1 6 4 8
ing effort in 29 minutes the empty spaces so
only once. The difficulty 4 6 7 5 8 9 1 2 3
of action. It was a key fac- that each row, each
level increases from
tor in the second straight column and each 1 2 8 4 3 6 5 9 7
Monday
3x3 boxtocontains
Sunday. Difficulty Level 12/04

win for MSU (2-2) after

the Bulldogs took down
2019-2020 Conference
USA champion North
Texas (1-2) by a score
of 69-63 Friday at Hum-
phrey Coliseum.
Nevertheless, don’t let
the box score fool you.
Returning to practice just
Wednesday after missing
MSU’s first three games
after testing positive for
COVID-19, the 6-foot-3
guard admitted he was
tired after playing for his
first 6 minutes.
“It’s why I went hard
these last two practic-
es, just trying to get my
legs back,” Molinar said.
“I feel like I’m getting
there.”
In his absence, Mo-
linar watched his team-
mates go 1-2 without
him, losing by Clemson
and Liberty, which still
haunts him to this day.
“That really hurts be-
cause I really love the
sport,” Molinar said.
“The hardest part was
watching my teammates,
I feel like I let them down
the first three games. I
really felt bad. But I didn’t
have any symptoms, so I
feel blessed that I didn’t
have any.”
Stamina issues aside,
even though Molinar’s
addition gave a sore-
ly-needed boost to the
backcourt, his 3-pointer
in the opening minutes
New Hope’s Micaela Hudgins follows in
Mississippi State guard Iverson Molinar drives to the lane Friday against North Texas
at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville. Molinar had 15 points in his season debut.
was the only MSU made
the entire night. Shoot-
ing just 10 percent from
beyond the arc Friday,
MSU compensated by
limiting North Texas to
35.7 percent shooting.
“You can win a game
where you shoot 1-for-
10 from three if you play
really good defense,”
said MSU coach Ben
Howland, who won his
100th career game with
the Bulldogs. “And our
defense was tremendous
tonight.”
Howland’s Bulldogs
limited North Texas to
20 points in the first half
and one 3-pointer, while
center Abdul Ado bol-
stered the paint defense
with five blocked shots.
Photo courtesy of Mississippi State athletics
“What’s nice is we
had four guys in double
figures, so we had some
balance tonight,” How-
land said. “We kept our
turnovers down, we only
had 10 turnovers against
a team that plays great
defense and is very well
coached.”
Taking a nine-point
lead into halftime, North
Texas kept MSU honest
throughout the second
half, constantly chipping
away at the deficit, but
coming no closer than
four points. In addition to
Molinar, other Bulldogs
in double figures includ-
ed D.J. Stewart (16) and
Tolu Smith (12), both of
whom finished with dou-
ble digit points for the
the same number only once. The difficulty level
increases from Monday to Sunday.
fourth straight game.
“Bottom line is, I
thought D.J. was press-
ing a little bit (in the
first half), but he settled
down,” Howland said.
“He’s a veteran guy, I
think he really took over
the second half.”
Jalen Johnson added
10 points off the bench,
and made six free throws
after getting fouled twice
from beyond the arc.
“We’re very encour-
aged (by Jalen),” How-
land said. “He’s a really
smart player and getting
better defensively.”
MSU is back in action
against Jackson State at
8 p.m. Tuesday at Hum-
phrey Coliseum to close a
three-game homestand. ACROSS
1 Rush swiftly
back and forth
7 School mem-
ber
11 Portugal’s
place
12 Regarding
13 Braque, e.g.

mother’s footsteps, signs with MUW

BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com
NEW HOPE — Mi-
caela Hudgins is follow-
ing in her mother’s foot-
steps.
After spending her
high school career play-
ing for her mom, Becky,
an assistant volleyball
coach at New Hope, Mi-
caela too will spend her
college career at Mis-
sissippi University for
Women, as her mother
did in the 1990s.
“I kind of kept it
to myself that I really
would like her to play
at The W,” Becky con-
ceded Friday following
Micaela’s signing cere-
mony. “I didn’t want to
influence her decision. I
wanted her to make her
own decision. So when
she picked The W, I was
really excited.”
For both Micaela
and Becky, the former’s
high school career was
a balancing act between
mother and daughter re-
lationship. The pair toed
the line between being
too hard on one another.
If Becky crossed said
line, Micaela knew they
could have a conversa-
tion about it at home that
night and vice versa.
But for the minimal
brushups the pair en-
dured, Micaela’s time
at New Hope was filled
with success. The Tro-
jans reached the MH-
14 Very bright
15 Toss out
16 Public out-
burst
17 Secluded
spot
18 Be agreeable
19 Promotable
man 39 Vast expans- 18 Worry
21 Granola bit es 20 Let on
22 Ballet dance 40 Brought up 22 Headline spot
25 Hightail it DOWN 23 Atlas section
26 Physics 1 Cut into cubes 24 Latvia neigh-
amount
2 Nigeria’s bor
27 Response to capital 25 Passes the
a joke 3 Defy authority bar?
29 Muscle 4 Arm muscle 28 Floor squares
quality 5 Shopping aid 30 More mature
33 Deserve 6 Put away 31 Flower girl,
34 Farrell or 7 Ornate often
Firth 8 Words after 32 Over
35 Seethe “peekaboo” 34 Make do
36 Became 9 Early chopper 36 Butter unit
close 10 Truthful
Photo courtesy of Lissette Zemola 37 In the past 16 Smooths, in
New Hope’s Micaela Hudgins (center) signed to play volleyball at Mississippi 38 For each a way
University for Women Friday afternoon. Micaela’s mother, Becky, also played
volleyball at MUW in the 1990s.
SA A Class 5A semifinals “I think it just gives ity with the staff. Head
in back-to-back years, our program a little bit coach Brooke Beasley
falling to Long Beach of inspiration for these Carter has also served
and Lake Cormorant in younger players that as Micaela’s club coach
2019 and 2020, respec- are still coming up that at Level Elite throughout
tively. know that is an oppor- her high school career.
Micaela, too becomes tunity open to them Further, Becky’s for-
the first homegrown now,” Woolbright said. mer teammates have
player to join the college “And with a successful already begun blowing
ranks from a New Hope program they can go on up her phone in hopes of
program under the guid- and hopefully also get a seeing her daughter play
ance of Allison Wool- scholarship or get an op- at their alma mater as
bright that has cemented portunity to play at the soon as this year.
itself as one of the state’s next level.” “It was really cool,”
best over the past few Joining an MUW Micaela said of putting
years. Woolbright noted squad that’s in just its pen to paper. “It was
that Micaela’s commit- fourth year of compe- definitely an exciting
ment to play at MUW tition after the school opportunity. I’m happy
gives a blueprint for fu- brought back athletics to see how it goes, and
ture players at how they ahead of the 2017-18 I’m happy to finally be
can best go about reach- school year, Micaela al- signed and committed
ing the collegiate ranks. ready boasts a familiar- somewhere.”
Classifieds
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The Starkville Dispatch and Online
Medical / Dental
Employment
Call us: 662-328-2424
Education
The Mississippi School for
Mathematics and Science
is accepting applications
for the following positions:
Assistant Hall Director, Co-
ordinator for Admissions
and Director for Academic
Affairs. Application can be
made by submitting a re-
sume and cover letter to
amoore@themsms.org.
All applicants will be ac-
knowledged but only selec-
ted candidates will be in-
vited for an interview. De-
tails for each position can
be found by visiting
https://themsms.org/
about/employment
-opportunities/
General Help Wanted
Tombigbee River Valley
Executive Director Position
Tupelo District Office
Applicants should have a
Masters Degree from an
accredited university and
experience consisting of 5
years work experience in a
related field or industry OR
a Bachelor's Degree from
an accredited university
AND experience consisting
of 6 years work in a re-
lated industry.
A qualified candidate that
possesses adequate mana-
gerial work experience but
lack some educational re-
quirements, will remain the
right of the Districts Board
of Directors to amend the
required educational quali-
fications.
Application deadline
December 18, 2020
Paper Applications must be
received prior to December
18, 2020.
Apply to TRVWMD
ATTN: Jack Savely
P.O. Box 238
Pontotoc, MS 38863
or jack.savely@gmail.com
Houses For Sale: Other MAINTENANCE AIDE
The Columbus Housing
Authority is recruiting for
the employment position of
Maintenance Aide. Individu-
als who are interested may
come by the main office at
914 4th St. So. to apply
and request a copy of the
job description. Any ques-
tions, please call 662-328-
4236 and speak to Mrs.
Taylor or Mr. Jones.
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Mobile Homes for Rent
Rentals RENT A CAMPER!
CHEAPER THAN A MOTEL!
Vehicles
Utilities & cable included,
Ads starting at $25 from $145/wk − $535/mo Ads starting at $12
Columbus & County School
Apts For Rent: West locations. 662−242−7653 Trailers & Heavy Equipment
or 662−245−9799.
VIP
JD D110 42" Lawn Tractor
$800.
Rentals Real Estate 6’ x 10’ Carry−On Trailer,
fully lighted, high sides
Apartments & Houses $1,000. 662−368−6779.
Ads starting at $25
1 Bedrooms Lots & Acreage
2 Bedroooms
3 Bedrooms
1.75 ACRE LOTS Good/ Community
Bad Credit Options. Good
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credit as low as 20% down, Ads starting at $12
$499/mo. Eaton Land,
1, 2, & 3 Baths
662−361−7711. Good Things To Eat
Lease, Deposit Approx. 7 acres located
& Credit Check between Dale Road and
Buck Egger Road. Access
viceinvestments.com off either road. $30,000.
327-8555 662−549−0696
LAMAR CO., AL−80 ACRES
Apts For Rent: Other hunting land, north of
Millport. $585 per acre.
Call for more info,
205−695−2248 or
205−799−9846.
Mobile Homes for Sale
2019 Clayton Mobile Home
Brand new, never lived in.
Fully furnished, perfect for
an older couple or person.
Attached front porch with
roof. May have to be
moved unless lease is
approved by land owner.
$40,000. 828−674−8659
Merchandise
Need a new
Ads starting at $12
The Military Square
Apartments are now
Firewood / Fuel
companion?
accepting applicants! FIREWOOD FOR SALE.
We have 1, 2, and 3 Various lengths.
bedroom units available. 662−295−2274.
All apartments are newly
remodeled, and include: Furniture
New Washer/Dryer, New
Refrigerator, New A/C Unit! West Point: Good cond,
GE Washer ($500) & GE
We also offer rent Dryer ($125), microwave
discounts for: ($25). Call anytime, 662−
−Active Military 275−7679.
−Veterans
−Seniors Sporting Goods
Call us at: 662−205−0005
COLEMAN
ED SANDERS GUNSMITH
Open for season!
Tue−Fri: 9−5 & Sat: 9−12
When looking
RENTALS
TOWNHOUSES & APARTMENTS
Over 50 years experience!
Repairs, cleaning, refin−
ishing, scopes mounted &
for a new pet,
adoption is
1 BEDROOM zeroed, handmade knives.
Located: Hwy 45 Alt, North
2 BEDROOMS of West Point, turn right on
3 BEDROOMS Yokahama Blvd, 8mi & turn
left on Darracott Rd, will always a
LEASE,
© The Dispatch
see sign, 2.5mi ahead
DEPOSIT
AND
shop on left.
662−494−6218. good option.
CREDIT CHECK
662-329-2323
2411 HWY 45 N
Five Questions:
COLUMBUS, MS
Houses For Rent: North
1 Penguins
COLONIAL TOWNHOUSES.
2 London
2 & 3 bedroom w/ 2−3
bath townhouses. $650 to
$750. 662−549−9555.
Ask for Glenn or text.
3 Zachary
Mobile Homes for Rent
Quinto
3BR/2BA MH in New Hope.
$650 dep + $650/mo. No
pets, quiet area. Leave full
name & message,
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Have a rental property?
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5 “Earnest”
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General Services General Services Lawn Care / Landscaping
WORK WANTED: Licensed TERRA CARE
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insulation, painting, demo− Landscaping, Property
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pressure washing, land− Bush Hogging,
scaping, cleanup work. Herbicide Spraying
662−242−3608.
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Mowing, cleanup, tree Special Prices.
cutting, landscaping, Interior & Exterior Painting.
sodding & bush hogging. 662−435−6528
662−356−6525
Automotive Services
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020 5B

Religion
But God
B
“ ut God”
is a small
phrase but
has a powerful
impact in scripture.
Every time we read
a verse that says
“But God,” it is
good news that fol-
lows and here are
some examples.
In life, our flesh
will sometimes
become weak and
weary, and lack confidence be-
cause of all that life is throw-
ing at us. “But God” will give
us the strength we need to
keep going. “My flesh and my
heart faileth: but God is the
strength of my heart, and my
portion for ever.” Our cabinets, pantries and Some sicknesses that we and always remember: We can
(Psalm 73:26) K JV refrigerators may be running go through makes us feel like all testify how God was right
Sometimes we’re low on food or our bills may it’s our time to die. “But God,” there to help us no matter
tempted beyond be past due, “But God” is our grace and mercy will keep what we had to go through.
what we can bear, right time supply in our great- others as well as myself. “For “But God has helped me to
“But God” is right est need. “But my God shall indeed he was sick nigh unto this very day; so I stand here
there to provide supply all your need according death: but God had mercy on and testify to small and great
a way out for us to his riches in glory by Christ him; and not on him only, but alike. I am saying nothing
so we can endure Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) K JV on me also, lest I should have beyond what the prophets and
it. “There hath no Ever since I got promoted sorrow upon sorrow.” (Philip- Moses said would happen.”
temptation taken on my job to a higher position pians 2:27) K JV (Acts 26:22) NIV
Sherry Ivy you but such as is my co-workers have been When we were sinners, we Minister Sherry Ivy is a
common to man: doing evil things against weren’t fit to live or die, “But Minister of The New Providence
but God is faithful, who will me. “But God,” has turned God” showed His love by giv- M. B. Church (Healing & Yoke
not suffer you to be tempted it around for my good. “You ing His Son to die for our sins. Destroying Ministry) in Macon
above that ye are able; but will intended to harm me, but God “But God commends his love Mississippi, under the lead-
with the temptation also make intended it all for good. He toward us, in that, while we ership of her husband, Pastor
a way to escape, that ye may brought me to this position so were yet sinners, Christ died Willie J. Ivy Sr. You can contact
be able to bear it..” (1 Corinthi- I could save the lives of many for us.” (Romans 5:8) K JV her via email at minsivy@
ans 10:13) K JV people.” (Genesis 50:20) NLT So be encouraged today yahoo.com

For our complete church directory listing, visit us online at www.cdispatch.com/religion

Due to local restrictions, churches likely have modified service types and hours. Please contact a church before attending a service.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is F eatured C hurch

“There is Liberty”
Ke nne th Mo ntg o m ery www.memorialgunterpeel.com
Proudly serving our community 716 Second Ave. N. • Columbus, MS • 662-328-4432
for over 30 years 903 College St. • Columbus, MS • 662-328-2354

2500 Military Road Suite 1

Columbus, MS
662-328-7500 WEST REALTY COMPANY
westrealtycompany.com
Don West, Broker/Owner

YORKVILLE HEIGHTS CHURCH — 2274 Yorkville Rd., Sunday Connect Groups 9:30 a.m.,
Worship 10:30 a.m., Wednesday Worship 7 p.m.; Nursery available for all services (newborn-4).
www.yorkvilleheights.com

If you would like your church to be the featured church of the week,
submit a photo by emailing it to community@cdispatch.com.
Photos should be horizontal and high quality.
• RECYCLING SINCE 1956 •
Specializing in industrial accounts The Dispatch will publish photos at no charge as space permits.
662-328-8176 973 Island Rd. 1-800-759-8570

R Free Estimates
LER OO 1721 Hwy 45 N
EE FIN Licensed
& Insured Columbus, MS
W H INC. G ®

COMMERCIAL 662.848.0919
“A Family Business Since 1946” RESIDENTIAL Monday-Saturday 10am-8pm
662-328-3625 • 662-328-7612 In Style. In Reach. Sunday 1pm-5pm

Support Our Community Churches When Caring Counts... SHELTON’S TOWING, INC. TRINITY PLACE
by advertising here.
Call Beth, Mary Jane,
Since 1960 RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
or Luther to
24 Hour Towing Offering independent living apartments, personal
care/assisted living suites, and a skilled nursing home
schedule your ad. FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY 1024 Gardner Blvd. 300 Airline Road • Columbus, MS • 327-6716
328-2424 1131 Lehmberg Rd., Columbus • 662-328-1808 328-8277 “Our Bottom Line Is People”

Hunting • Fishing
Northeast Exterminating Working Or Stepping Out — We Have A Complete
Line Of Clothing For You And Your Family
If it Jimmy Linley • Richard Linley
LLC
Oktibbeha County Co-Op
crawls, Columbus
Check Out Our Boot & Cap Section
662-323-1742
call... 662-329-9992 201 Pollard Rd., Starkville

BRISLIN, INC. Insurance Services:

Young
Sales • Service • Installation Shelton Cleaners Personal
Auto Insurance Agency
Residential • Commercial • Industrial Home GEORGE F. YOUNG
Since 1956 3189 Hwy 45 N. • 328-5421 Commercial Office-662.570.1688
www.brislininc.com Final Expense Cell-662.251.3563
1702 6th St. N. • 328-5361 gfyoung08@gmail.com
4051 Military Road • 662-328-5814 1205 Gardner Blvd.,Columbus, MS

APAC-MISSISSIPPI, INC.
Michael Bogue & Employees
Lake Norris Rd. 328-6555

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, INC The McBryde Family

www.hydrovaconline.com 1120 Gardner Blvd. • 328-5776

Jarrett’s Towing This ad space can be yours

Wrecker Service for only $10 per week.
5209 N. Hwy 182 E. • Columbus, MS 39702
329-2447 We unlock Telephone: 662-327-1467 Call today 328-2424
If no answer 251-2448 cars P.O. Box 1278 • 1616 7th Ave. S., Columbus, MS 39703 to schedule your ad.

If you need to change your church’s online listing or would like to add
your church information, call 328-2424 or email changes to tinap@cdispatch.com
6B SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Prep roundup: Columbus High girls beat Shannon at Okolona tournament

BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
OKOLONA — The Colum-
bus High School girls basketball
team picked up a 52-44 win over
Shannon on Saturday at the Bob-
by Ford Shootout in Okolona.
DJ Jackson scored 22 points
and grabbed five rebounds to
lead Columbus.
Makayla Rieves had a dou-
ble-double, scoring 16 points and
pulling down 11 rebounds.
Columbus’ next game is Tues-
day at Noxubee County.
Other scores
Prep Girls Basketball
Starkville 61, West Lowndes 42
MACON — The Starkville
High School girls beat West
Lowndes 61-42 on Saturday at
the Triplett/Coleman Classic in
Macon.
Tydajasha Hood scored 20
points to lead the Panthers, and
Nenah Young had eight.
West Lowndes’ next game is
Tuesday at Caledonia.
Madison-Ridgeland Academy
40, Heritage Academy 28
The Heritage Academy girls
lost 40-28 to Madison-Ridgeland
Academy in Saturday’s home
game.
Lucy Sharp had 11 points for
the Patriots. Taylor Wheeler had
eight, and Reagan Merchant had
four.
Heritage Academy’s next
game is Friday against East
Rankin Academy in Columbus.
Noxubee County 60, West Lau-
derdale 51
MACON — The Noxubee
County girls won their second
game Saturday at the Triplett/
Coleman Classic in Macon, beat-
ing West Lauderdale 60-51.
Na’Kaiyla Lockett led the Ti-
gers with 29 points. Jakeia Walk-
er had seven, and Zachariah Av-
erett had six.
Choctaw Central 76, Noxubee
County 52
MACON — The Noxubee
County girls lost their first game
at the Triplett/Coleman Classic
on Saturday in Macon.
Lockett had 30 points, but the
Tigers lost to Choctaw Central,
76-52.
Walker added seven points,
and Kiresten Barnett had six.
Shannon 62, Caledonia 16,
Friday
Prep Boys Basketball
Columbus 57, Shannon 55
OKOLONA — The Colum-
bus High boys edged Shannon
57-55 on Saturday at the Bobby
Ford Shootout in Okolona.
Willie Young led the Falcons
with 16 points. Blake Burnett
and JJ Williams had 15 apiece.
Madison-Ridgeland Academy
81, Heritage Academy 53
Heritage Academy’s boys
team lost to Madison-Ridgeland
Academy 81-53 on Saturday in
Columbus.
Trey Naugher scored 16
points to lead Heritage Acade-
my, and Whit Altmyer had 10.
Josh Hubbard scored 28 for
Madison-Ridgeland Academy.
Shannon 63, Caledonia 32,
Friday
SHANNON — The Caledo-
nia boys lost Friday’s game at
Shannon, 63-32.
Isaac Grady had 11 points for
the Cavaliers, and Jarvis Leigh
had nine.
Caledonia will host West
Lowndes on Tuesday.
West Lowndes 69, Yazoo Coun-
ty 54
MACON — The West Lown-
des boys beat Yazoo County 69-
54 on Saturday at the Triplett/
Coleman Classic in Macon.
Darrell Brooks had 21 points,
three rebounds and three assists
for the Panthers.
Fred Rice Jr. had 17 points
and 18 rebounds, and Decam-
by Willis had 15 points, 10 re-
bounds and three assists.
Jaylon Sherrod had seven
points, two steals and four re-
bounds, and Tadarius Washing-
ton had four rebounds and four
steals.
Fred Rice had four points,
four rebounds and four steals.
Josh Franklin had two points
and three rebounds.
Starkville 61, Choctaw Cen-
tral 42
Prep Girls Soccer
Pontotoc 0, Caledonia 0, Fri-
day
CALEDONIA — The Cale-
donia girls lost on penalty kicks
to Pontotoc in Friday’s home
match.
The Cavaliers and Warriors
played to a scoreless tie before
going to penalties.
Caledonia’s next match
is Tuesday at home against
Itawamba Agricultural.
Starkville 1, Clarkdale 1, Fri-
day
MERIDIAN — The
Starkville High girls played
Clarkdale to a draw on Friday in
Meridian.
Emma Wilson scored for
the Yellow Jackets.
Starkville’s next match is
Tuesday at Germantown.
Prep Boys Soccer
Nettleton 8, Columbus 2,
Friday
NET TLETON — The Co-
lumbus boys lost 8-2 at Nettle-
ton in Friday’s road match.
Aaron Verdell and Destin
Poindexter had goals for the
Falcons.
Columbus’ next match is
Tuesday at Kosciusko.
Pontotoc 2, Caledonia 1,
Friday
CALEDONIA — The Cale-
donia boys came up one goal
short on Friday against Ponto-
toc in Caledonia.
Logan Burges had the
Cavs’ only goal in a 2-1 loss.
Starkville 2, Clarkdale 1,
Friday
MERIDIAN — The
Starkville boys beat Clarkdale
2-1 in Friday’s road match.
Ashton Staton and Ryan
Leach had goals for the Yel-
low Jackets (5-1).

West Point
Continued from Page 1B
The Green Wave will send off a talented senior
class including Thomas, Jaylin Rush and JaKobe
Pate, but they’ll return Young and plenty more tal-
ent next season. Chambless said he hopes that can
make the difference and that things break West
Point’s way the next time around.
“I wish the ball would have bounced different-
ly at times, but it didn’t,” Chambless said. “We’re
men. We’ve got to be men about it and understand
the good times we had and get ready to go on an-
other run.”
The Green Wave will get back in the weight
room Monday, ready to do that with the memories
of their past — wins and losses alike — entrenched
in their minds.
“I’ll remember this year, even when we didn’t
win it,” Chambless said. “I’ll remember this year
and all the rest of them.”

Noxubee
Continued from Page 1B
touchdowns through the
air and 187 yards and
three more scores on the
ground.
“He was exactly what
I expected — a dynamic
athlete, very fast, a lead-
er,” Young said. “He’s ev-
erything that we saw on
film.”
His counterpart, Ti-
gers quarterback Chr-
ishaad Rupert, balanced
good plays with painful
mistakes as he finished
24 for 37 passing for 308
yards. Rupert had a pret-
ty 42-yard touchdown
pass to Antonio Fowler
Jr. in the first quarter
and also connected with
Demone Cunningham
on a score; however, he
fumbled inside the 15-
yard line at the end of
a long run, misfired on
a pitch to running back
Bobby Shanklin in the
third quarter and threw
a fourth-quarter pick as
the Tigers struggled to
come back.
And every single
time, Magee cashed in.
After the Trojans re-
covered Rupert’s fum-
ble at their own 9 with
just seconds to go in
the first quarter, Magee
was set to punt the ball
away to start the sec-
ond. Instead, the Trojans
ran Keywhaun Duck-
sworth up the middle
for 45 yards, reaching
the Noxubee County 33.
Three plays later, Pitt-
man found Franks for a
4-yard score to extend
Magee’s lead to 13-6.
“They stole a pos-
session with the fake
punt and went down and
scored,” Young said.
“They took the momen-
tum going into the half.”
Magee claimed a
28-20 lead at halftime,
received the ball at its
own 29 to start the third
quarter and scored an-
other touchdown as Pit-
tman scrambled for ages
before finding Kyerston
Tucker open in the end
zone for a 1-yard touch-
down grab.
Trying to climb back
from two scores down,
Rupert tossed an option
pitch behind Shanklin,
and the Trojans pounced
on it at the Tigers’ 26.
Two plays later, Ma-
gee’s Cayden Bridges
took an end around 10
yards for a touchdown.
The Trojans led 42-20,
and it was effectively
over.
“They just made
plays, and we did not,”
Young said. “That’s what
it came down to: They
made more plays than us
today.”
Noxubee County
made just enough plays
to match Magee for
23 minutes, as Bobby
Shanklin took a direct
snap to pay dirt from 4
yards out with 4 min-
utes, 3 seconds left in
the first half and tied
the contest 20-20 on the
two-point conversion.
Then, with less than a
minute to go, defensive
back Mushune Walker
snagged a rare misfire
from Pittman in the
red zone. The Tigers
thought they had the
ball back.
Then the flag flew, and
the referee announced
the penalty: holding
against Noxubee Coun-
ty, an automatic first
down. Pittman ran the
ball in from 3 yards out
on the ensuing play and
finished the two-point
try as well to give Magee
a 28-20 lead that would
last into the half.
Pittman and the Tro-
jans controlled the game
from there, pulling away
for a comfortable victo-
ry — Magee’s first state
championship since
2000.
“It’s something that
I’ve always wanted to
achieve in my life, for
my community,” Pitt-
man said. “It hasn’t been
done in 20 years, so I
wanted to be the one to
change that.”
Across the field, as
Young dissected the Ti-
gers’ 2020 campaign, the
crowd on the north side
of the stadium erupted:
Pittman had been named
the most valuable player
of Friday’s game. Mean-
while, Noxubee County
players filed into their
locker room to pack
their things and board
the bus home.
“We’ve had a great
season,” Young said.
“We just didn’t finish
where we wanted to.”
So just seconds af-
ter the final whistle, in-
stead of bolting for the
showers straight off, the
coach kept his team on
the field to watch Magee
receive the celebratory
golden football.
“This is our second
year watching some-
body hold the trophy
up,” Young said. “We’re
just going to go back to
the drawing board, and
we’re going to find a way
to get over this hump.”
That might not hap-
pen right away — Nox-
ubee County graduates
a strong senior class in-
cluding Shanklin, Walk-
er, Rupert, defensive
lineman Travorus Hatch-
er and linebacker Trillo
Brown — but when it
does, it will mean all that
much more for Young
and the Tigers.
“Hopefully this makes
them hungry to come
back and make sure we
bring that ball home,”
Young said.
Magee 49, Noxubee
County 26
M 7 21 14 7 — 49
NC 6 14 6 0 — 26
First quarter
NC — Antonio Fowler Jr. 42 pass from Chrishaad
Rupert (run failed), clock 7:09
M — Kyerston Tucker 14 pass from Chandler Pittman
(Gavyn Chafin kick), clock 3:13
Second quarter
M — Xavier Franks 4 pass from Pittman (kick failed),
clock 11:20
NC — Demone Cunningham 15 pass from Rupert
(kick failed), clock 8:49
M — Pittman 8 run (Chafin kick), clock 6:14
NC — Bobby Shanklin 4 run (Shanklin run), clock 4:03
M — Pittman 3 run (Pittman run), clock 0:44
Third quarter
M — Tucker 1 pass from Pittman (Chafin kick), clock
7:32
M — Cayden Bridges 10 run (Chafin kick), clock 5:42
NC — Rupert 1 run (run failed), clock 2:55
Fourth quarter
M — Jawon Shaw 2 run (Chafin kick), clock 1:58
Other scores
Class 1A: Lumberton
20, Biggersville 14
Class 6A: Oak Grove
29, Oxford 28
Class 4A: Louisville
15, Poplarville 14
Class 2A: Taylorsville
42, Calhoun City 0

Dear Abby

D
EAR ABBY: My husband
and I are in our early 50s
and married for nine years.
I hate to say this, but the way
he dresses embarrasses me to
tears, and it’s hurting our rela-
tionship.
Is it acceptable for a man to
wear tights and nothing else? I’m
not talking yoga pants; I mean
ballerina dancer sheer tights that
leave NOTHING to the imagina-
tion. He mainly wears them in our
garage (where people who drive
by can see), but lately I’ve caught
him standing talking to neighbors
like that. Am I overreacting by tell-
Dear Abby
ing him he can’t wear things like
that outside the house? If it isn’t the tights, it’s
skin-tight biker-type shorts or shorts made from
a mesh material that shows it ALL if there’s a
light source behind him.
We have gone rounds over this almost daily.
He promises he will stop, but
it’s only a matter of hours before
he’s back in costume. Is it OK to
wear things like that now? I don’t
see women wearing tights that
show off as much as his do. I’m
at the point I want to gather up all
offending clothing and head to the
dumpster. If you say let him wear
what he wants, I will, and I will
keep my eyes and mouth shut. —
MORTIFIED IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR MORTIFIED: Your hus-
band appears to be an exhibition-
ist who cannot control his urges.
Frankly, I am surprised the neigh-
bors haven’t complained after see-
ing him in that attire. Ordinarily, I
would advise you to let your husband wear what
he wants, but in a case like this, it might be
prudent to check what the ordinances regarding
indecent exposure are in your community.
DEAR ABBY: I’m a woman in my mid-40s
and have been with my husband for almost 20
years. I have never wanted children. I’m 100%
certain about that and have been since I was a
kid myself. In fact, I had my tubes tied when I
turned 30.
For me, the no-children rule is nonnegotia-
ble. My husband knew this going into our mar-
riage and was fine with it, but in the past few
years he has been expressing an increasingly
strong desire for a child.
He has now taken to shaming me, saying
things like he’s depressed, that he’ll never be
happy “unless I give him what he wants” or
that I’d do it “if I truly loved him.” He always
apologizes later, saying he loves me and wants
things to work out. But, Abby, it’s becoming
increasingly difficult to shake what he has said
in the heat of the moment.
I cannot compromise on this. I know bring-
ing a child into the mix would only make things
worse and foster resentment all around —
toward my husband, toward the unwanted child
and toward myself — which wouldn’t be fair to
anyone. It seems we have reached an impasse.
I want this marriage because there are wonder-
ful times, too, but I can’t continue being hurt
like this. I don’t know what to do. — BROKEN IN
MICHIGAN
DEAR BROKEN: You and your husband
have indeed reached an impasse. Although he
agreed at the outset that your marriage would
be one without children, he is now facing his
biological imperative and can no longer live with
the deal he made.
Because you don’t want children and
because of your age, if he needs them, he may
have to do it with someone else. I am sorry if
this seems brutal, but there is no compromise
in a situation like yours. Please accept my
sympathy.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren,
also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded
by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear
Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440,
Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Horoscopes
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Dec. 6).
You’ll grow in power and defend
against the abuse of it. It will feel
wonderful to do for yourself what you
long ago wished someone else would
have done for you. Furthermore, you’ll
get to pay it forward. You’ll create a
presentation of sorts, and it will bring
you money and other resources need-
ed to launch a new venture. Leo and
Libra adore you. Your lucky numbers
are: 8, 6, 44, 12 and 20.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). As
proven by Sylvester and Tweety,
where natural enemies meet, there
are endless possibilities for entertain-
ment. There will be no need to take
sides today, but do stand ready to
intervene.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Action
geared toward creating stability down
the line is favored. Think into the
future. What could you start now that
would grow to serve you in bigger and
more beautiful ways?
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’ll
decide on what standards you need
to meet, and you’re really the only one
whose opinion matters here. Others
may expect or even pay for things, but
ultimately, you are the boss of you.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). While
it’s nice to be complimented —
awarded, even — it’s of no benefit
unless it comes with opportunity.
It’s the opportunities that give you a
chance to build, create and contrib-
ute. Make it known; that’s what you’re
after.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ll be
making choices having to do with your
personal expression and projection.
Style is tricky and personal. What’s
natural to one person is pretentious
to the next. A controlled stretch is
better than an impulsive reach.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Those
who care to receive the approval of a
leader will compete for favoritism and
position. Steer clear of such games.
Focus on doing work that could make
you indispensable, not just in this
group but in any group.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). To rely
on someone is to be susceptible to
their control. You’ll find a partnership
in which you can work together for the
greater good, neither party needing
the relationship too much and both
benefiting from it.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). To-
day, you respond well to the rules you
make for yourself. You have greater
powers of self-control at your dispos-
al, in part because certain aspects of
your process are starting to become
automatic.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21).
It is dangerous to allow yourself to
sail on the winds of compliments or
fly on the uplift of accolades. If you
can’t deflect, accept graciously, and
then put it up on a high shelf. It has
nothing to do with the work at hand.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19).
You’ll solve a problem and gain fol-
lowers. People who are confused are
easily led. You won’t take advantage.
You’ll do some high-level thinking
about how to avoid a co-dependent
dynamic.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18).
Power dynamics get worked out.
Relax; don’t compete. There’s nothing
to prove. You walk with confidence as
the commander of yourself, not with
arrogance as the commander of the
whole world.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The
beauty in having limited experience
in an area is that the early experienc-
es glow with specialness. There’s
nothing to compare that would tell you
otherwise. You’ll move quickly through
this phase, so enjoy it while it lasts.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020 7B

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omics
8B SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

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