LIFE’S MOST PERSISTENT AND URGENT QUESTION IS, ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR OTHERS?

’ — Martin Luther King Jr.

Established 1879 | Columbus, Mississippi

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Monday | January 18, 2021

37,000 addtl.
MONDAY PROFILE
vaccine doses
40 years of patient care expected in
Cunningham finds a family at Baptist, where her job ensures staff
don’t transmit infections to patients state this week
New vaccination
appointments will likely
be available again in
Mississippi the week
of Jan. 25
BY LEAH WILLINGHAM
The Associated Press/Report
for America

JACKSON — Mississippi Gov.

Tate Reeves said Friday that he is
expecting about 37,000 first doses of
coronavirus vaccine to arrive in the
next week, which will help bolster
the state’s supply after a surge in de-
mand left the state with no available
appointments at drive-thru vaccina-
tion sites.
Officials said all appointments
were filled at the state’s 18 drive-th-
ru vaccination sites Wednesday, the
day after Reeves announced that the
state was making vaccinations avail-
able to anyone 65 and older or people
of any age with underlying health
conditions.
About 16 percent of the state’s res-
Isabelle Altman/Dispatch Staff
idents are 65 or older, according to
Registered nurse Betty Cunningham, second from left, chats with associate nurses Audrey Moore, Shan Williams
and Amberial Covington at the help desk in Outpatient Pavilion at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle Fri-
U.S. census data. The Department of
day afternoon. Cunningham has worked at Baptist for 40 years, and says the people she works with have always Health listed more than 12 chronic
been like one big family to her. health conditions on its website that
would qualify someone to receive a
BY ISABELLE ALTMAN Columbus native has held in the 40 different,” Cunningham said. “I vaccination. The list includes diabe-
ialtman@cdispatch.com years she’s worked at Baptist. would help take vital signs. I would tes and obesity. About 37 percent of
Mississippi’s population qualifies as

R
egistered Nurse Betty Cun-
ningham was walking through
the hallways of Baptist Memo-
rial Hospital-Golden Triangle on the
way to her office Friday afternoon
when a fellow employee turned the
corner, masked and rubbing disin-
fectant on his hands.
“That’s what I like to see,” Cun-
ningham said approvingly.
Cunningham is an infection
prevention coordinator, someone
who works with staff to help avoid
hospital-acquired infections among
patients. It’s a job that involves
everything from ensuring doctors
and nurses know how to correctly
put on and remove personal protec-
tive equipment (PPE) to showing
the janitorial staff how to correctly
disinfect patients’ rooms.
It’s one of several jobs the
Growing up, Cunningham had
never spent any time in hospitals
and didn’t know much about health
care. But she did admire one
Baptist employee who attended her
church.
“She wore her uniform to church
every Sunday,” Cunningham said.
“I didn’t know what she (did), I just
knew she looked very professional.
She always talked about her job at
the hospital and she always said
how much she loved working here,
and it was like a family.”
Impressed, Cunningham applied
for a position with Baptist — then
Golden Triangle Hospital — in 1980
at the age of 20 and became a unit
coordinator, which she described as
“like a secretary,” in the hospital’s
maternity unit. Despite her role,
she did far more than clerical work.
“Nursing back then was totally
go in and assist a mom when she
called for assistance, just to hold
the baby for a few minutes while
she went to the bathroom or go and
get her some food if she wanted
something to eat. ... It was just do-
ing whatever needed to be done.”
She liked that every role at the
hospital, from nurses to clerical
staff to cleaning staff, was import-
ant.
She also felt like she’d been “ad-
opted” into another family at work.
It was the nurses in the maternity
ward who encouraged Cunningham
to enter East Mississippi Commu-
nity College’s nursing program for
her LPN in 1983. From there, Cun-
ningham went on to the Bachelor’s
nursing program at Mississippi
University for Women, where she
graduated in 1988.
See CUNNINGHAM, 6A
obese and more than 13 percent of
the population has been diagnosed
with diabetes.
New appointments to get corona-
virus vaccinations in Mississippi will
likely be available again the week of
Jan. 25, after the next shipment ar-
rives, state Department of Health
officials said.
State Health Officer Dr. Thomas
Dobbs said that, so far, the state has
been getting a steady supply each
week — but it’s difficult to predict
for sure what allocations will look
like.
“We don’t have a lot of clear vis-
ibility on how it’s going to change,”
he said. “We have a sense, we have
basically you know, like a wink or a
nod thing. We think we’ll get a stable
supply of doses, but we don’t have
any guarantee.”
In addition to those 65 or over
and with health conditions, health
care workers and people living in
See VACCINE, 3A

UNDER THE CAPITOL DOME

Analysis: Mississippi pump fight unresolved as Trump departs
lican President Donald Trump’s Joe Biden becomes president, The EPA vetoed a version of
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gave a green four years in office, propelled by or if the lawsuit by the conserva- the proposed pump project in
light to the flood-control project on Friday lobbying from Mississippi elect-
ed officials.
tion groups will block what the
Corps of Engineers has done.
2008, but the agency’s admin-
istrator appointed by Trump,
BY EMILY WAGSTER PET TUS presidential administration. The U.S. Army Corps of En- American Rivers, National Andrew Wheeler, said in April
The Associated Press Four conservation groups gineers on Friday gave a green Audubon Society, Sierra Club that the EPA would reconsider
are suing the Environmental light to the project, but Con- and Healthy Gulf sued the EPA that decision. An EPA regional
JACKSON — Farmers and Protection Agency, with the gress has set aside only a por- on Jan. 12 in federal court in administrator in Atlanta wrote
environmentalists have been ultimate goal of blocking con- tion of the money needed. The the District of Columbia. The Nov. 30 that the current version
arguing for decades over pro- struction of pumps in the Yazoo estimated price tag is at least lawsuit says the pumps would of the pump project is not sub-
posals for a massive federal Backwater area north of Vicks- $400 million. “drain tens of thousands of acres ject to the agency’s 2008 veto.
flood-control project in the burg. It’s unclear how the EPA will of hemispherically significant The conservation groups say
south Mississippi Delta. The The pump project moved view the pumps once the agency wetlands in an ecologically rich in their lawsuit that the EPA’s
fight is continuing into a new closer to reality during Repub- gets a new leader as Democrat and sparsely populated area.” See ANALYSIS, 3A

INSIDE FIVE QUESTIONS LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC

Classifieds 6B 1 What company did Kanye West MEETINGS
Comics 4B team up with in 2015 to design Jan. 19: Columbus
Crossword 3B the Yeezy line of shoes?
2 What two Seattle companies City Council, 5 p.m.,
Dear Abby 4B
Obituaries 5A did Chinese president Xi Jinping Municipal Complex,
Opinions 4A visit on his U.S. trip in 2015? facebook.com/Cityof-
3 In 2015, which Big Ten team ColumbusMS/
did the Duke Blue Devils beat Feb. 1: Lowndes
to win their fifth NCAA men’s County Board of
basketball championship?
WEATHER 4 What is the official name of
Supervisors, 9 a.m.
Courthouse, facebook.
Mt. McKinley since 2015?
High 56 Low 37
Sunny
5 What James Bond arch villain
reappeared in “Spectre” after a
32-year absence?
com/LowndesCounty-
Mississippi/
Feb. 3: Columbus Mu-
Full forecast on nicipal School District
page 3A. Answers, 6B review meeting (virtual),
11:30 a.m., columbus-
cityschools.org.
Feb. 12: Lowndes
County School District
Kelly Denton works at Columbus Board, 12:30 p.m.,
141st Year, No. 264 Orthopedic Clinic and loves to sing. District Office

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2A MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

In inaugural address, Biden will appeal to national unity

President-elect to be sworn in Wednesday
BY ZEKE MILLER
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Presi-
dent-elect Joe Biden will deliv-
er an appeal to national unity
when he is sworn in Wednesday
and plans immediate moves to
combat the coronavirus pan-
demic and undo some of Presi-
dent Donald Trump’s most con-
troversial policies, his incoming
chief of staff said Sunday.
Biden intends a series of
executive actions in his first
hours after his inauguration, an
opening salvo in what is shap-
ing up as a 10-day blitz of steps
to reorient the country without
waiting for Congress, aide Ron
Klain said.
Klain told CNN’s “State of
the Union” that Biden, in his
inaugural address to the na-
tion, will deliver “a message of
moving this country forward. A
message of unity. A message of
getting things done.”
Biden will end Trump’s re-
striction on immigration to the
U.S. from some Muslim-ma-
jority countries, move to rejoin
the Paris climate accord and
mandate mask-wearing on fed-
eral property and during inter-
state travel. Those are among
roughly a dozen actions Biden
will take on his first day in the
White House, incoming chief of
staff Ron Klain said Saturday in
a memo to senior staff.
Other actions include ex-
tending the pause on student
loan payments and actions
meant to prevent evictions and
foreclosures for those strug-
gling during the pandemic.
“These executive actions
will deliver relief to the millions
of Americans that are strug-
gling in the face of these cri-
ses,” Klain said in the memo.
“President-elect Biden will take
action — not just to reverse the
Harris to be sworn in by Justice Sotomayor at inauguration
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Harris’ inauguration plans.
Harris has expressed admiration for both
WASHINGTON — Vice President-elect Ka- Sotomayor and Marshall. She and Sotomayor
mala Harris will be sworn in by Supreme Court share experience as prosecutors, and she once
Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Wednesday, a histo- called Marshall — like Harris, a graduate of
ry-making event in which the first Black, South Howard University — one of her “greatest he-
Asian and female vice president will take her roes.”
oath of office from the first Latina justice. The vice president-elect said in a video post-
Harris chose Sotomayor for the task, accord- ed to Twitter that she viewed Marshall as “one of
ing to a person familiar with the decision. She’ll the main reasons I wanted to be a lawyer,” call-
also use two Bibles for the swearing-in, one of ing him “a fighter” in the courtroom.
which belonged to Thurgood Marshall, the first And this will be the second time Sotomayor
Black Supreme Court justice. takes part in an inauguration. She swore in Pres-
ABC News first reported the latest details of ident-elect Joe Biden as vice president in 2013.
gravest damages of the Trump administration will tackle the ward that really calls on all of us
administration — but also to nation’s challenges. to work together,” she told “Fox
start moving our country for- “I think you can expect that News Sunday.”
ward.” this will be a moment where Despite the flurry of ex-
Incoming White House com- President-elect Biden will really pected executive action, “full
munications director Kate Be- work to try to turn the page on achievement” of Biden’s goals
dingfield said Biden would use the divisiveness and the hatred will require Congress to act,
his address to the American over the last four years and real- Klain said memo, and that in-
people to appeal to those frus- ly lay out a positive, optimistic cludes the $1.9 trillion virus re-
trated by the rancor of Wash- vision for the country, and lay lief bill that Biden outlined last
ington and to explain how his out a way — lay out a path for- Thursday.

FBI vetting National Guard troops

in DC amid fears of insider attack
About 25K National Guard members
in Washington for inauguration
BY LOLITA C. BALDOR
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Army Secretary Ryan
U.S. defense officials say
they are worried about
an insider attack or oth-
er threat from service
members involved in se-
curing President-elect
Joe Biden’s inauguration,
prompting the FBI to vet
all of the 25,000 National
Guard troops coming into
Washington for the event.
The massive under-
taking reflects the ex-
traordinary security con-
cerns that have gripped
Washington following the
deadly Jan. 6 insurrection
at the U.S. Capitol by pro-
Trump rioters. And it un-
derscores fears that some
of the very people as-
signed to protect the city
over the next several days
could present a threat to
the incoming president
and other VIPs in atten-
dance.
McCarthy told The Asso-
ciated Press on Sunday
that officials are con-
scious of the potential
threat, and he warned
commanders to be on the
lookout for any problems
within their ranks as the
inauguration approaches.
So far, however, he and
other leaders say they
have seen no evidence of
any threats, and officials
said the vetting hadn’t
flagged any issues that
they were aware of.
“We’re continually go-
ing through the process,
and taking second, third
looks at every one of the
individuals assigned to
this operation,” McCar-
thy said in an interview
after he and other mili-
tary leaders went through
an exhaustive, three-hour
security drill in prepa-
ration for Wednesday’s
inauguration. He said
Guard members are also
getting training on how to
identify potential insider
threats.
About 25,000 members
of the National Guard are
streaming into Washing-
ton from across the coun-
try — at least two and a
half times the number
for previous inaugurals.
And while the military
routinely reviews service
members for extremist
connections, the FBI
screening is in addition to
any previous monitoring.
Multiple officials said
the process began as the
first Guard troops began
deploying to D.C. more
than a week ago. And they
said it is slated to be com-
plete by Wednesday. Sev-
eral officials discussed
military planning on con-
dition of anonymity.
“The question is, is
that all of them? Are there
others?” said McCarthy.
“We need to be conscious
of it and we need to put
all of the mechanisms in
place to thoroughly vet
these men and women
who would support any
operations like this.”
In a situation like this
one, FBI vetting would
involve running peoples’
names through databas-
es and watchlists main-
tained by the bureau to
see if anything alarming
comes up. That could in-
clude involvement in pri-
or investigations or ter-
rorism-related concerns,
said David Gomez, a for-
mer FBI national security
supervisor in Seattle.
Insider threats have
been a persistent law en-
forcement priority in the
years after the Sept. 11,
2001, attacks.

Democrats build impeachment case, alleging ‘dangerous crime’

BY LISA MASCARO AND as this week, just as Dem-
MARY CLARE JALONICK ocrat Joe Biden is sworn
The Associated Press in as the 46th president.
Rep. Jamie Raskin,
WASHINGTON — D-Md., did not say when
The lead prosecutor House Speaker Nan-
for President Donald cy Pelosi, D-Calif., will
Trump’s historic sec- send the single article
ond impeachment began of impeachment against
building his case for con- Trump — for “incitement
viction at trial, asserting of insurrection” — to the
on Sunday that Trump’s Senate, which will trigger
incitement of the mob that the beginning of the trial.
stormed the U.S. Capitol But Raskin said “it should
was “the most dangerous be coming up soon” as Pe-
crime” ever committed losi organizes the formal
by a president against the transfer.
United States. A Senate The House voted to
trial could begin as soon impeach Trump last
Wednesday, one week
after the violent insurrec-
tion that interrupted the
official count of elector-
al votes, ransacked the
Capitol and left Congress
deeply shaken. Before the
mob overpowered police
and entered the building,
Trump told them to “fight
like hell” against the cer-
tification of Biden’s elec-
tion win.
“We’re going to be able
to tell the story of this at-
tack on America and all
of the events that led up
to it,” Raskin said. “This
president set out to dis-
mantle and overturn the
election results from the
2020 presidential elec-
tion. He was perfectly
clear about that.”
Democrats and the
incoming administration
are facing the challenge
of reckoning with the
Capitol attack at the same
time that Biden takes of-
fice and tries to move the
country forward. They
say the Congress can do
both, balancing a trial
with confirmations of the
new president’s Cabinet
and consideration of his
legislative priorities.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021 3A

Heavily fortified statehouses Civil Rights,

around US see small protests history museums
Security stepped up in recent days after the FBI
warned of the potential for armed protests around
the country ahead of Joe Biden inauguration
BY DAVID A. LIEB
AND ADAM GELLER
The Associated Press
Small groups of right-wing pro-
testers — some of them carrying
rifles — gathered outside heavily
fortified statehouses around the
country Sunday, outnumbered by
National Guard troops and police
brought in to prevent a repeat of
the violence that erupted at the
U.S. Capitol. As darkness fell, there
were no reports of any clashes.
Security was stepped up in re-
cent days after the FBI warned of
the potential for armed protests
in Washington and at all 50 state
capitol buildings ahead of Presi-
dent-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration
on Wednesday.
Crowds of only a dozen or two
demonstrated at some boarded-up,
cordoned-off statehouses, while the
streets in many other capital cities
remained empty. Some protesters
said they were there to back Pres-
ident Donald Trump. Others said
free on MLK Jr. Day
they had instead come to voice their
support for gun rights or decry gov-
ernment overreach.
“I don’t trust the results of the
election,” said Michigan protest-
er Martin Szelag, a 67-year-old
semi-retired window salesman
from Dearborn Heights. He wore a
sign around his neck that read, in
part, “We will support Joe Biden as
our President if you can convince us
he won legally. Show us the proof!
Then the healing can begin.”
As the day wore on with no
bloodshed around the U.S., a sense
of relief spread among officials,
though they were not ready to let
their guard down.
The heavy law enforcement pres-
ence may have kept turnout down.
In the past few days, some extrem-
ists had warned others against fall-
ing into what they called a law en-
forcement trap.
Washington State Patrol spokes-
man Chris Loftis said he hoped the
apparently peaceful day reflected
some soul-searching among Amer-
icans.
“I would love to say that it’s be-
cause we’ve all taken a sober look Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
in the mirror and have decided that
we are a more unified people than Facebook page to live stream the
certain moments in time would in-
dicate,” he said. museum’s annual ‘MLK Night of
The security measures were in-
tended to safeguard seats of gov- Culture’ program at 6 p.m. today
ernment from the type of violence
that broke out at the U.S. Capitol THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
on Jan. 6, when far-right Trump
JACKSON — The Mississippi Civil Rights
supporters galvanized by his false
Museum and the Museum of Mississippi History
claims that the election had been
will be free to the public on Monday in honor of
stolen from him overran the police
Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
and bashed their way into the build-
FedEx Corporation is supporting free admis-
ing while Congress was certifying
sion, according to a museum press release.
the Electoral College vote.
The museums will open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The attack left a Capitol police
on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Due to the coro-
officer and four others dead. More
navirus pandemic, visitors must wear masks and
than 125 people have been arrested
observe social distancing guidelines.
over the insurrection.
The museums will also be holding virtual
Dozens of courts, election of-
events to celebrate the holiday.
ficials and Trump’s own attorney
At 6 p.m. on Monday, the Mississippi Civil
general have all said there was no
Rights Museum Facebook page will live stream
evidence of widespread fraud in the
the museum’s annual “MLK Night of Culture”
presidential race.
program. Writer and poet C. Leigh McInnis will
On Sunday, some statehouses
headline the event. It will include live painting,
were surrounded by new security
music and spoken word performances by local
fences, their windows were board-
artists.
ed up, and extra officers were on
This year’s theme is “I Am a Man,” a decla-
patrol. Legislatures generally were
ration of the 1968 Memphis sanitation strikers.
not in session over the weekend.
King joined activists Rev. James Lawson, T.O.
Jones and others in support of the sanitation
strike.
A new special exhibition, I AM A MAN: Civ-
il Rights Photographs in the American South,

Health fraud case: Mississippi pharmacy owner gets 18 years
Hattiesburg man also ordered to
repay government nearly $287.7M
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
HAT TIESBURG — mit money laundering.
A Mississippi owner of
pharmacies and pharma-
cy distributors has been
sentenced to 18 years in
prison and ordered to re-
pay the government near-
ly $287.7 million for his
part in what prosecutors
described as a $510 mil-
lion health care fraud in-
volving high-priced pain
cream.
Wade Ashley Walters,
54, of Hattiesburg, also
was ordered at Friday’s
sentencing to forfeit near-
ly $56.6 million that he
gained personally from
the scheme, according to
a news release from the
U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Walters had been
charged in a 37-count
indictment. He pleaded
guilty in July to one count
each of conspiracy to
commit health care fraud
and conspiracy to com-
Sentencing was conduct-
ed Friday by U.S. District
Judge Keith Starrett.
“The fraud committed
by Walters and others in
this investigation wast-
ed hundreds of millions
of taxpayer dollars and
deprived individuals of
needed medical care,”
said David P. Burns, Act-
ing Assistant Attorney
General of the Justice
Department’s Criminal
Division.
He called it a “sig-
nificant sentence” and
said prosecutors and
their agency partners
are committed to root-
ing out health care fraud
schemes and bringing
those responsible to jus-
tice.
Between 2012 and
2016, Walters orchestrat-
1960—1970, will open at the museums Saturday,
Jan. 30. It will feature a wide range of photo-
graphs capturing key events of the Civil Rights
ed a scheme to defraud
Tricare, the insurance
hadn’t been recruited.”
On Friday, Walters
Movement across the South, including James
Meredith’s integration of the University of Mis-
program for U.S. mili-
tary, veterans, and their
apologized for his ac- sissippi and the sanitation workers’ strike in
tions, saying he didn’t Memphis.
families, and private really know what he was At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, the New Stage Theatre
health insurers by dis- getting involved in until it production The Debate for Democracy, a conver-
tributing compounded was too late and his pride sation between Martin Luther King Jr. organizer
medications that were not would not let him back Ella Baker, and activist Fannie Lou Hamer, will
needed, prosecutors said. out. live stream on the Mississippi Civil Rights Muse-
Walters said he ob- um Facebook page.
“By then the stakes
jected to being called the
were too high,” he said. “I
kingpin of what is most
thought I should get out
likely the state’s largest
of it. I regret that I didn’t
fraud case, saying he
didn’t start the fraud but see that right away.”
got involved once it had He also apologized to Tell your child a bedtime story.
begun, the Hattiesburg his family and friends for
American reported. causing them pain and
Starrett, however, told embarrassment.
Walters the fraud would
never have gotten so big
if it had not been for Wal-
ters’ involvement, “not
nearly to the extent that
it was.”
“You organized and
orchestrated the fraud by
your management skills,”
Starrett told Walters.
“You involved so many
people — good people.
Maybe they would not
have been involved if they

Analysis
Continued from Page 1A
reversal of its own veto
disregarded “core princi-
ples of administrative law,
including the obligation to
seek public comment and
provide a rational expla-
nation for such an abrupt
reversal.”
The flatlands between
the Mississippi and Ya-
zoo rivers are dominated
by agriculture and dotted
with small communities.
The area has flooded nine
of the past 10 years, in-
cluding a 2019 deluge that
lasted several months.
The current proposal
calls for pumps near Deer
Creek north of Vicksburg,
while a previous proposal
would have put them a few
miles away.
Opponents say push-
ing water out of the south
Delta could cause worse
flooding downstream
along the Mississippi Riv-
er, and that the main ben-
eficiaries of the project
would be agribusinesses.
The late Republican
Sen. John McCain of Ar-
izona once called the Ya-
zoo Backwater pumps
“one of the worst projects
ever conceived by Con-
gress.”
The pumps have bipar-
tisan support in Mississip-
pi, including from Dem-
ocratic U.S. Rep. Bennie
Thompson, whose district
includes the backwater
area.
Republican Gov. Tate
Reeves, Republican U.S.
Sens. Roger Wicker and
Cindy Hyde-Smith and
other politicians who sup-
port the pump project ap-
peared in Vicksburg on
Jan. 11 with Wheeler.
The pumps were orig-
inally proposed as part of
a larger federal flood-con-
trol plan. Wicker said Ya-
zoo Backwater flooding
has been exacerbated by
other structures that were
built as part of that plan,
according to the Vicks-
burg Post.
“So we are going back
with the other half of this
project that has been au-
thorized for some time
and we haven’t been able
to get done,” Wicker said.
“This balances sound
conservation and flood
protection; it is based on
sound science.”
The Corps of Engi-
neers said in 2020 that
pumps would decrease
the depth and duration
of flooding in the Yazoo
Backwater, and that rain-
fall would keep this part of
the Delta from drying out.
The conservation
groups say in their law-
suit that the pumps would
damage environmentally
sensitive areas, including
“globally significant habi-
tat for migratory birds and
waterfowl.”
The Mississippi Levee
Board said in a statement
Friday that it will vigorous-
ly oppose the lawsuit. The
board statement added:
“Our community knows
better than outsiders how
backwater floods can dev-
astate lives, homes and
our natural resources.”

SOLUNAR TABLE

Vaccine
The solunar period indicates
peak-feeding times for fish and game.
Mon. Tue.
Major 5:25a 6:06a
Minor 12:11p 12:37p
Major 5:46p 6:26p
Continued from Page 1A Minor — 12:26a
Courtesy of Mississippi Department
of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
long-term care facilities million, had received the 2,342 new confirmed

are also eligible to re-
ceive shots now. Reeves
has said he hopes to ex-
pand to teachers and first
responders next.
As of Friday, more than
87,000 people in Missis-
sippi, a state with a total
population of roughly 3
first dose of coronavirus
vaccine. Just under 10,000
people had received their
first and second doses,
according to the Depart-
ment of Health.
The state Health De-
partment reported Fri-
day that Mississippi had
cases of the virus as of
Thursday evening. The
department also report-
ed 55 deaths Friday. The
state has reported nearly
248,189 cases of the virus
and 5,411 related deaths
since the start of the pan-
demic.
The Dispatch
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Opinion
4A MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021
PETER BIRNEY IMES Editor/Publisher
BIRNEY IMES III Editor/Publisher 1998-2018
BIRNEY IMES JR. Editor/Publisher 1947-2003

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SLIMANTICS
Whose Day is it really?
T
oday is Mar-
tin Luther
King, Jr. Day,
the one day each
year when white
conservatives, par-
ticularly in Missis-
sippi, seem vaguely
aware of Black
people in general
and King in partic-
ular, at least in any
positive, affirming Slim Smith
way.
Throughout the
day, you’ll see the white con-
servative politicians who wield
virtually all of the power in
this state wax semi-poetic and
superficially sincere in their
praise of King, his mission and
his legacy.
This year, in particular,
these same politicians will
make these proclamations
with self-congratulatory zeal,
having allowed a change in
our state flag, a change more
driven by commercial implica-
tions than by any sort of moral
reckoning. They
feel mighty proud
of themselves right
now.
To be honest,
I don’t know why
they even bother to
mention MLK Jr.
After all, a tree
is judged by its
fruit, and you don’t
have to look too
closely to observe
the inconsistencies
between what these
people say today and what they
have done and continue to do
today.
Today is MLK Jr. Day across
the nation. In Mississippi, it’s
also Robert E. Lee Day.
Each year, Rep. Kabir
Karriem of Columbus intro-
duces a bill to separate the two
state holidays. Each year, the
legislation never sees the light
of day, left to die in committee
by conservative Republican
committee chairs. House
Speaker Phillip Gunn and Lt.
Gov. Delbert Hosemann have
the clout to push it through, but
have shown no interest.
What this tells us is that
MLK Jr. Day is for Black folks
and Robert E. Lee Day is for
white folks.
MLK Jr. Day is Toss a Dog a
Bone Day, mainly because the
federal government demands
it.
We’re just supposed to
ignore the incongruity of
celebrating the nation’s great
civil rights leader with the man
who led an armed conflict to
suppress equal rights on the
same day, I guess. Both sides
of the story, I guess.
So, they’ll quote MLK Jr.
today and ignore his message
on all the others.
Their favorite MLK Jr.
quote, perhaps the only quote
they have committed to memo-
ry, is: “I have a dream that my
four little children will one day
live in a nation where they will
not be judged by the color of
their skin but by the content of
their character.”
I’ve often thought about why
so many white conservatives
love this quote so much. I think
it’s because it requires nothing
of them since they are gener-
ally suspect of Black people’s
character in the first place,
especially poor Black people.
If Black people suffer, it’s
because of a character defect
rather than systemic racism,
their thinking goes. It’s the
weary old bootstraps argu-
ment.
But there are other quotes
from MLK Jr. you will never
hear from their lips.
“All lives begin to end the
day we become silent about
things that matter,” he said.
Today in Mississippi, we
have serious issues with edu-
cation, access to health care,
poverty -- all of which are far
more pronounced in our Black
communities.
Yet our leaders stubborn-
ly refused to properly fund
education or expand Medicaid
to tens of thousands of working
men and women. Expanding
Medicaid hasn’t even come up
for serious discussion in the
Legislature. It’s completely
dismissed.
That’s why you won’t hear
any of these politicians repeat
another quote from King: “Of
all the forms of inequality,
injustice in health care is the
most shocking and inhumane.”
No, all we’ll hear from these
people today are empty trib-
utes to “the content of charac-
ter” blah, blah, blah.
Sounding brass, tinkling
cymbals. It’s meaningless. No,
it’s worse than meaningless.
It’s insulting.
The policies of the people
who run our state are more
consistent with Robert E. Lee
than MLK, Jr.
So really, whose Day is it,
Mississippi?
Slim Smith is a columnist
and feature writer for The
Dispatch. His email address is
ssmith@cdispatch.com.

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE MISSISSIPPI VOICES

A challenge to be positive
Last Monday, we were for-
tunate enough to receive snow.
The timeless wisdom of King’s letter
As most residents of this region
know, snow is a rare luxury.
Having woken up around 6:00
from a Birmingham Jail
A.M. that morning, I was able to BY KIM MILLER

view the streets of snow before
they were disturbed by vehicles.
Blankets of snow coupled with
continuous snowfall painted a
beautiful scenery, one that would
be difficult to describe with words
alone.
That peaceful snowfall
drowned out all other noises that
one would normally hear. Dis-
cord, strife, chaos, and uncertain-
ty are all descriptors that many
would agree are synonymous with
this past year.
My challenge to my fellow man
is to let our demeanor each day of
this new year be a positive one —
a blanket of snow, if you would —
drowning out all discord, strife,
chaos, and uncertainty.
Positivity can only be valid if it
is genuine.
Hunter Perrigin
Columbus
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Letters to the Editor, PO Box 511,
Columbus, MS 39703-0511.
TODAY IN HISTORY
Today is Monday, Jan. 18, the
18th day of 2021. There are 347
days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Jan. 18, 1911, the first
landing of an aircraft on a ship
took place as pilot Eugene B. Ely
brought his Curtiss biplane in for
a safe landing on the deck of the
armored cruiser USS Pennsylva-
nia in San Francisco Harbor.
On this date:
In 1952, Jerome “Curly” How-
ard of Three Stooges fame died in
San Gabriel, Calif., at age 48.
In 1957, a trio of B-52’s com-
pleted the first non-stop, round-
the-world flight by jet planes,
landing at March Air Force Base
in California after more than 45
hours aloft.
In 1967, Albert DeSalvo, who
claimed to be the “Boston Stran-
gler,” was convicted of armed
robbery, assault and sex offenses.
(Sentenced to life, DeSalvo was
killed in prison in 1973.)
In 1990, a jury in Los Ange-
les acquitted former preschool op-
erators Raymond Buckey and his
mother, Peggy McMartin Buckey,
of 52 child molestation charges.
SOURCE:
The Associated Press
I
n April 1963 after five days of sol-
itary confinement, Martin Luther
King was shuffled to a regular jail
cell and handed a Birmingham newspa-
per. Inside the pages, King found a “A
Call to Unity” from eight white clergy-
men, urging King and his companions
to cease their protests and be patient.
They said King’s efforts were “untimely
and unwise.”
King picked up a pen and wrote a re-
sponse in the margins of the newspaper.
Rather than enlarge the divide between
them, he started, “I feel that you are
men of genuine good will and that your
criticisms are sincerely set forth.”
Next, he looked for common ground
to build on.
“I therefore concur with you in your
call for negotiation. Too long has our
beloved Southland been bogged down in
a tragic effort to live in monologue rather
than dialogue.”
Fifty-one years later in a new era of
riots and divisiveness, Martin Luther
King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail
offers pertinent words.
“In 2020 we learned we can get into
a dangerous place when we paint each
other with a broad brush and don’t really
listen to each other or really get to know
each other,” said Russell Mord, Associ-
ational Missions Director at the Golden
Triangle Baptist Association. “My hope
for 2021 is that we will find ways to listen Courtesy Image/Architect of the Capitol
to one another. Someone is not ‘the bad The bust of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is pictured on display in the U.S. Capitol Ro-
guy’ just because they are in the oppos- tunda. The bust was unveiled in 1986 on what would be King’s 57th birthday.
ing camp.”
Mord says we have not yet achieved Many Black parents still take great threatened.”
the dialogue Dr. King talked about. care in teaching their children how to The past year’s divisiveness has left
“Christians need to let our common interact with the police so that they do no stone unturned. Christians have gone
faith be what pulls us together and binds not get arrested or hurt. toe-to-toe, including leaders within the
us to one another. We’ve also got to be “When the news came out about Southern Baptist Convention.
willing to die to self. Sometimes other Ahmaud Arbery, that really got to me. “I’m just thankful they are willing to
people’s perspectives are threatening I have nine grandsons who are in his have the discussion and communicate
to what we’ve always done or what we age range,” Winters said. “As our family about race issues. They are taking initia-
cherish. It’s easy to be entrenched in a talked about Arbery, my daughters and tive to deal with the problems, and that’s
position when you don’t know anyone nieces became emotionally exhausted. good,” Winters said.
with an opposing view.” So we started gathering on Zoom to pray “Possibly the strongest indicator of
Fostering relationships across the ra- for the men in our family every Tuesday change can be found in churches on
cial divide is the aim of Neddie Winters, night.” Sunday morning as people bring their
President of Mission Mississippi. Over the last few months, their prayer own biracial children and grandchildren
“As people start talking to each other, list has grown to over 400 black men. to worship with them. And everyone is
they realize we are more alike than we “So now we meet on Zoom on Sunday accepted and loved. This is happening
are different. As we get to know each nights so that I can find out who all these more and more often,” Mord said. “I
other, we change our stereotypical view- people are that we are praying for. My think personal relationships—especially
points. Many times, people find out they daughter in Houston has told me, ‘You family ties to children—and the gospel
actually like each other,” Winters said. just don’t know how much this prayer are breaking down barriers.”
In his letter to the clergymen, King time has meant to me.’ Other family As the calendar turned to 2021,
described how his tongue twisted and members have said the same.” Americans looked hopefully to a clean
his speech stammered when he tried to While sharing one another’s burdens slate. However, recent events indicate
explain to his six-year-old daughter why is integral to the Christian faith, mem- the need for hard work in order to uproot
she couldn’t go to a new amusement park bers of American churches rarely cross divisiveness.
near Atlanta. Winters said black parents racial lines to do so. “We keep passing on a legacy of the
are still having to talk to their children “We’ve been so suspicious of one ruins of racism because we aren’t doing
about topics white parents generally do another for so long. But we have to be anything intentional about it,” Winters
not have to broach. honest about our suspicions and work to said. “My hope for 2021 is that we will
“When I was growing up, my daddy overcome them by being willing to not go deeper with God and deeper with
stressed to me how important it was be offended,” Mord said. “We need to each other. The closer we get to our
for me to behave properly in public,” get off our eggshells around one another Father, the closer we get to our siblings.
Winters said. “My daddy told me that and be honest. We’ve got to be able to We need to get to know each other by
the police were out to get me so that they ask hard questions. And we’ve got to be building relationships of trust, respect,
would have someone to work on their ready to hear the hard answers.” and truthfulness. This takes intentional
roads.” “We are most easily offended when effort.”
The Mississippi Plan, which allowed we feel like our way of life or identity is Kim Miller, of West Point, wrote this
Black citizens to be arrested for things threatened,” Mord continued. “When we piece on behalf of Mission Mississippi, a
such as vagrancy and forced to involun- hold to our faith in God above all else, we non-profit which provides opportunities for
tary labor, shaped his father’s concerns. can talk about the issues without being individuals to connect across racial lines.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021 5A

‘Little old West Virginia’ sets pace on vaccine rollout

At least 7.5 percent of the state’s population
has received the first of two vaccine shots
BY CUNEYT DIL
The Associated Press
KENOVA, W.Va. — Griffith
& Feil Drug has been in busi-
ness since 1892, a family-owned,
small-town pharmacy. This isn’t
their first pandemic.
More than a century after
helping West Virginians con-
front the Spanish flu in 1918,
the drugstore in Kenova, a com-
munity of about 3,000 people, is
helping the state lead the nation
in COVID-19 vaccine distribu-
tion.
West Virginia has emerged
as an unlikely success in the
nation’s otherwise chaotic vac-
cine rollout, largely because of
the state’s decision to reject a
federal partnership with CVS
and Walgreens and instead en-
list mom-and-pop pharmacies
to vaccinate residents against
the virus that has killed over
395,000 Americans.
More shots have gone into
people’s arms per capita across
West Virginia than in any other
state, with at least 7.5 percent
of the population receiving the
first of two shots, according to
federal data.
West Virginia was the first
in the nation to finish offering
first doses to all long-term care
centers before the end of De-
cember, and the state expects
to give second doses at those
facilities by the end of January.
“Boy, have we noticed that. I
think the West Virginia model
is really one that we would love
for a lot more states to adopt,”
said John Beckner, a pharma-
cist who works at the Alexan-
dria, Virginia-based National
Community Pharmacists As-
sociation, which advocates for
pharmacies across the country.
It’s early in the process, but
that has not stopped Republican
Gov. Jim Justice from proclaim-
ing that the vaccine effort runs
counter to preconceived notions
about the Mountaineer State.
“Little old West Virginia,
that was thought of for hun-
dreds of years, you know, as a
place where maybe we were
backward or dark or dingy,”
Justice said last week.
Instead, it turns out that
“West Virginia has been the
diamond in the rough,” Justice
said on CBS’ “Face the Nation”
on Sunday.
Rather than relying on na-
tional chains, 250 local phar-
macists set up clinics in rural
communities. The fact that
residents who may be wary of
the vaccine seem to trust them
makes a difference.
“As my uncle always told
me, these people aren’t your
customers, they’re your friends
and neighbors,” said Ric Grif-
fith, the pharmacist at Griffith
& Feil in Kenova, a town near
the Kentucky state line.
A chatty raconteur and for-
mer mayor of Kenova, he can
recall generations of patrons
frequenting the shop, which
is almost unchanged since the
1950s, with a soda fountain and
jukebox in the front and pre-
scriptions in the back.
Griffith, 71, began taking
over the pharmacy from his fa-
ther in the early 1990s and was
elected to the House of Dele-
gates as a Democrat last year.
His daughter, Heidi Griffith
Romero, 45, followed into the
family business and is also ad-
ministering shots.
Holding a vaccination clin-
ic at the town high school, he
recalled his uncle telling him
he lost four classmates to the
1918 flu pandemic, which killed
more than 50 million people
worldwide.
“And it was a tragedy that
I thought I would never be in-
volved with,” he said, taking a
break from giving vaccines to
teachers aged 50 and over.

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Estelle Gore
COLUMBUS — Es-
telle Gore, 87, died Jan.
17, 2021, at Windsor
Place.
Arrangements are
incomplete and will be
arranged by Lowndes
Funeral Home of Co-
lumbus.
Bernice McDonald
GORDO, Ala. —
Bernice Jones McDon-
ald, 56, died Jan. 16,
2021, at DCH Regional
Medical Center of Tus-
caloosa, Alabama.
Lavender’s Funeral
Services of Aliceville,
Alabama, was in charge
of arrangements.
James Gillentine
AMORY — James
Michael Gillentine, 31,
died Jan. 15, 2021.
Funeral services will
be at 1 p.m. Tuesday,
at the House of Prayer
Baptist Church, with
Philip Lindsey and
Scott Witcher officiat-
ing. Burial will follow
in the Palestine Baptist
Church Cemetery. Vis-
itation is from 5-8 p.m.
today, at the church.
Cleveland-Moffett Fu-
neral Home of Amory
is in charge of arrange-
ments.
Mr. Gillentine was
born April 20, 1989, in
Tupelo, to Mike and
Tammy Finn Gillentine.
He was a graduate of
Amory High School
and ICC. He was
AREA OBITUARIES
formerly employed as
the pastor of House of
Prayer Baptist Church.
In addition to his par-
ents, he is survived by
his wife, Nikki Gillen-
tine; siblings, Crystal
Cody, Deanna Cheree
Gillentine Lyle and
Katie Clayton.
Mary Gilliam
KENNEDY, Ala.
— Mary Catherine
Gilliam, 87, died Jan.
15, 2021, at Druid-City
Hospital in Tuscaloosa,
Alabama.
A funeral service
for family will be held
Wednesday, at Dowdle
Funeral Home, with
Raymon Spann offici-
ating. Dowdle Funeral
Home of Millport,
Alabama is in charge of
arrangements.
Mrs. Gilliam was
born Aug. 6, 1933,
in Fayette, Alabama,
to the late Jesse and
Dullie Rainey. She was
a graduate of Fayette
High School and cos-
metology school. She
was formerly employed
as a cosmetologist and
was a member of Mead-
ow Branch Missionary
Baptist Church.
In addition to her
parents, she was
preceded in death by She was formerly em-
her husband, William ployed as a homemaker
Leslie Gilliam. and was a member
She is survived by of Fernbank Baptist
her children, William Church.
Bill Gilliam, Dan- In addition to her
ny Wayne Gilliam parents, she was pre-
and Barney Gilliam; ceded in death by her
siblings, Doris Ann siblings, David Blanton,
Selman, Curtis Rainey Eddie Blanton, Randall
and Woemack Rainey; Blanton and Nancy
seven grandchildren; Beck.
Bobby Garner
and eight great-grand- She is survived by Graveside Services:
children. her husband, Jerry; Saturday, Jan. 23 • 11 AM
Friendship Cemetery
Pallbearers will be children, Joy Lasseter Burial
Jason Gilliam, Chance of Pensacola, Florida Friendship Cemetery
2nd Ave. N. Location
Gilliam, Trace Gilliam, and Jonathan Hagood
Clinton Gilliam, David of Saltillo; siblings,
Selman, Randy Rainey Jim Blanton and Roy
and Greg Rainey. Blanton; three grand-
children; and three
Mae Hagood great-grandchildren.
MILLPORT, Ala.
— Mae Jean Hagood, Neal Jones memorialgunterpeel.com
81, died Jan. 16, 2021, STEENS — Neal
at Glenwood Center in Jones, 68, died Jan. 17,
Florence, Alabama. 2021, at his residence.
Mrs. Hagood was Arrangements are
born Nov. 19, 1939, in incomplete and will be
Lamar County, Ala- announced by Lown-
bama, to the late Boyd des Funeral Home of cdispatch.com
and Dorothy Blanton. Columbus.

March for Life asks its

supporters to stay home this year
The march has been held annually smaller than usual.
Local March for Life
since 1974, one year after the events also have been
affected this year. State
Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision marches in Arkansas and
Oregon have been indefi-
that legalized abortion across the U.S. nitely postponed, while a
march planned in Tucson,
BY DAVID CR ARY march, Mancini said. Arizona, was converted
AP National Writer Mancini said she looks into a car caravan dubbed
forward to holding the the Road Rally for Life.
Organizers of the event in person next year. The annual National
March for Life, the an- The march has been
ti-abortion movement’s Prayer Vigil for Life, usu-
held annually since 1974, ally held the night before
preeminent annual event,
one year after the Su- the national march at the
are asking their sup-
preme Court’s Roe v. Basilica of the National
porters nationwide not
Wade decision that legal- Shrine of the Immaculate
to gather in Washington
ized abortion across the Conception in Washing-
this year because of the
United States. Even bliz- ton, will instead be a lives-
COVID-19 pandemic and
political unrest. zards in 1987 and 2016 treamed event, with bish-
Instead, a small group did not force cancellation, ops participating virtually
of invited anti-abortion although turnouts were from across the U.S.
leaders will march Jan.
29, and the event will be
livestreamed, March for
Life’s president, Jeanne
Mancini, announced Fri-
day.
“Since we are in the
midst of a pandemic
which may be peaking,
and in view of the height-
ened pressures that law
enforcement officers
and others are current-
ly facing in and around
the Capitol, this year’s
March for Life will look
different,” she said. “The
annual rally will take
place virtually and we are
asking all participants to
stay home and to join the
March virtually.”
Tim Tebow, the foot-
ball star, is still scheduled
to make a keynote speech
at a virtual gala taking
place after the downsized
6A MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Restaurants, bars scramble for propane amid pandemic winter

Local propane tank shortages result not just
from higher demand but household hoarding
similar to the pandemic run on toilet paper
BY MEAD GRUVER
The Associated Press
FORT COLLINS, Colo. —
With coronavirus restrictions
forcing bars and restaurants to
seat customers outside in the
dead of winter, many are scram-
bling to nab erratic supplies of
propane that fuel space heaters
they’re relying on more than
ever to keep people comfortable
in the cold.
It’s one of many new head-
aches — but a crucial one —
that go with setting up tables
and tents on sidewalks, streets
and patios to comply with public
health restrictions.
“You’re in the middle of ser-
vice and having staff run up and
say, ‘We’re out of propane!’” said
Melinda Maddox, manager of a
whiskey tasting room in Colora-
do.
Propane long has been a life-
line for people who live in places
too remote to get natural gas
piped to their homes for heat,
hot water and cooking. This
winter, 5-gallon propane tanks
have proven a new necessity
for urban businesses, too, espe-
cially in places like the Rocky
Mountains, where the sun of-
ten takes the edge off the chill
and people still enjoy gathering
on patios when the heaters are
roaring.
The standard-size tanks,
which contain pressurized liq-
uid propane that turns to gas as
it’s released, are usually read-
ily available from gas stations,
grocery stores or home im-
provement stores. But that’s not
always the case lately as high
demand leads to sometimes er-
ratic supplies.
“I spent one day driving an
hour around town. Literally
went north, south, east, west
— just did a loop around Fort
Collins because every gas sta-
tion I went to was out. That was
frustrating,” said Maddox, who
manages the Reserve By Old
Elk Distillery tasting room in
downtown Fort Collins, about
65 miles north of Denver.
Nearly all states allow at least
some indoor dining, but the
rules nationwide are a hodge-
podge of local regulations. In
Fort Collins, indoor seating at
bars and restaurants is limited
to 25 percent of normal capacity,
so there’s a strong incentive to
seat customers outside despite
the complication and expense.
Local propane tank shortag-
es result not just from higher
demand but household hoard-
ing similar to the pandemic
run on toilet paper and other
goods. One national tank sup-
plier reported a 38 percent sales
increase this winter, said Tom
Clark, executive director of the
Rocky Mountain Propane Asso-
ciation.
But Clark says the supply is
there, it just may mean search-
ing a bit more than normal. If
there are 10 suppliers in a neigh-
borhood, “maybe 1 out of 10 may
be out of inventory. Certainly,
you can find propane exchange
tanks if you look around,” Clark
said.
Franklin, Tennessee-based
tank manufacturer Manchester
Tank has been paying workers
overtime and boosting produc-
tion in India to meet demand,
company President Nancy
Chamblee said by email.
So far, the surge in demand
for small-tank propane hasn’t
affected overall U.S. propane
supply, demand and prices,
which are running similar to
recent winters, according to the
U.S. Energy Information Ad-
ministration.
But trying to find a steady
supply of propane can cost al-
ready-stressed businesses time
and money they lack in the pan-
demic.
Gas stations are better than
home improvement stores for
propane tank runs because you
can park closer, said Maddox,
but shops that refill tanks are
best because it’s cheaper and
not as complicated as trying to
run every tank dry.
“The issue there is it takes
longer,” Maddox said. “You just
have to build that into your day
and say OK, it’s going to take 40
minutes instead of 25 minutes.”

Cunningham
Continued from Page 1A
In her time at Baptist,
she’s worked in infection
prevention, employee
health, case management,
education and nurse man-
agement.
Infection prevention
is a department she first
worked in shortly after
graduating from MUW,
and it was what she called
a “hidden gem” at the hos-
pital at the time. Many of
her fellow staff members
didn’t know what it was
she did.
Over the years, she
said, it’s grown in impor-
tance as the public has
become more aware of
patients getting sick from
being in hospitals.
“The community now
is really aware of hospi-
tal-acquired infections,
and they look at those
rates,” she said. “That
also helps them decide,
‘Where do I want to go
for care?’ So our focus is
to make sure we provide
the best patient care, help
them have good out-
comes.”
She stays up to date
with national standards
set by organizations like
the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
and professional health
care organizations to en-
sure staff at Baptist, from
the doctors to the cafe-
teria workers, are using
best practices for keeping
patients safe.
“Betty is like a life-
line,” said Cunningham’s
supervisor, Belinda Sand-
erson, quality director
for infection prevention.
“She is very, very knowl-
edgeable about infection
control. She has done it
for many, many years. …
She really takes pride in
the work that she does,
and she stays current all
the time, reading, learn-
ing, making sure that we
have the most current
data and sharing that with
other team members in
the hospital.”
COVID-19
Awareness of hospi-
tal-acquired infections
has been growing for
several years, but the
COVID-19 pandemic
ramped it up. Now, Cun-
ningham is one of those
in charge of ensuring
doctors and nurses not
only have the correct
PPE, but that they know
how to take it on and off
correctly.
For example, she said,
health care workers have
to be specially fitted to
wear portable HEPA
(High Efficiency Par-
ticulate Air) units, large
air filtration equipment
involving a pump and
mask for filtering the
air for doctors coming
into contact with highly
contaminated rooms or
highly infectious patients.
Even those wearing the
less cumbersome N95
filtration masks have to
be aware not to touch the
outside of the mask when
removing it after leaving a
patient’s side.
“If we go into an isola-
tion room with that mask
— and that mask is re-
quired — then remember,
the outside of that mask
potentially is contaminat-
ed,” she said. “... You’re
going to pull the straps
down one at a time and
then you’ll remove it that
way. If they have to touch
the front of the mask,
then they need to perform
hand hygiene … which
is usually going to be an
alcohol-based solution.
Then when you get to a
sink, wash your hands
with soap and water.”
Like many other
nurses at Baptist, Cun-
ningham also signed up
to give vaccinations to
patients when Baptist
received its shipment
of Moderna COVID-19
vaccines. The first doses
were given to doctors and
other health care workers
most at risk of coming
into contact with the
virus. Then the hospital
moved to distributing
them among members
of the public 75 and over,
who are at greater risk of
contracting a serious case
of COVID-19.
It’s that age group that
Cunningham was espe-
cially glad to be helping
out. Many of the patients
Isabelle Altman/Dispatch Staff
who went to the hospital Registered nurse Betty Cunningham, an infection prevention coordinator, has
to be vaccinated had been worked at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle for 40 years. She specializes
isolated in their homes, in training and working with other staff to help prevent hospital-acquired infections
not spending time with among patients.
friends or family and
avoiding crowds to keep took photos, since she child (she now has three ly been important in my
from catching the virus. didn’t have a professional children), it was her fellow life, my hospital family
“They came out ready photographer. A year staffers who threw her a here at Baptist helped
to get that vaccine,” she later, when she became baby shower. play an important role in
said. “And they were so pregnant with her first “Everything that’s real- it,” she said.
thankful, so grateful.”
One woman Cunning-
ham vaccinated Wednes-
day was 103 years old.
“103, and (she) said,
‘I still want to live. I still
want to have a good life.
I still want to get outside
my home and be with
my family and friends,’”
Cunningham said. “And
she was still in good
health. … For us to give
that vaccine to that group
of individuals, that meant
a lot.”
A family
Cunningham said she’s
extremely proud of the
work she and the other
employees at Baptist do to
care for the community,
but she also loves how
close the staff are.
When she got married
to a Columbus Fire and
Rescue battalion chief,
James Cunningham, it
was her fellow nurses who
planned and cooked for
her reception, and who

Hunt named Partnership

director for tourism
DISPATCH STAFF REPORT
Greater Starkville De-
velopment Partnership
has named Paige Hunt
as the organization’s new
director for tourism, ac-
cording to a Partnership
press release.
Hunt, who has an “ex-
tensive background” in
promoting locations for
cultural tourism, con-
ventions and sporting
events, will begin in the
role on Wednesday. Her
duties will be to develop
and implement programs
to increase tourism in
Starkville.
“ M r s . economy of our city.”
H u n t ’ s Hunt said she is
k nowledge “thrilled” to join Partner-
and expe- ship’s team.
rience cou- “I began my career in
pled with the tourism industry in
her enthu- Starkville some 20 years
siasm for ago, and while I’ve served
S t a r k v i l l e Hunt other Mississippi destina-
and Mis- tions, none hold my heart
sissippi’s College Town like Starkville,” she said.
will benefit our entire “I’ve seen the positive
community,” Partnership impact that tourism can
President and CEO Mike have on a city’s econo-
Tagert said in the press my, and I look forward to
release. “She brings a bringing my experience
wealth of experience to to Mississippi’s College
our tourism post and an Town and growing its
understanding of how im- tourism sector,” she add-
portant tourism is to the ed.

Get promoted? Win an award? Send us your business brief.

news@cdispatch.com
subject: Business brief
Sports
MISSISSIPPI STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SPORTS LINE
662-241-5000
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021
B
SECTION

No. 14 Mississippi State blown out by No. 8 Texas A&M

BY BEN PORTNOY Nikki McCray-Penson’s
bportnoy@cdispatch.com bunch was uninspired,
ill-prepared and down-
Two states, 575 miles right dominated for all
and nearly nine and a 40 minutes of Sunday’s
half hours away, Mis- Lone Star State swing.
sissippi State (8-4, 3-3 “Folks, that’s not Mis-
SEC) offered a haunting sissippi State that we all
look at its growing gap know and what they’ve
from the nation’s elite earned over the last
Sunday in College Sta- few years,” Texas A&M
tion, Texas. head coach Gary Blair
Dropping its sec- said postgame. “And
ond Southeastern Con- Nikki will get them right
ference contest since back to where they are.
Thursday, the No. I know what it’s like on
14-ranked Bulldogs fell the road...the road can
to No. 7 Texas A&M be tough, particularly in
(13-1, 5-1 SEC) 69-41 the SEC.”
in a game that was less That the Bulldogs
close than the score even remained even
might indicate. In short, within striking distance
first year head coach early against the Ag-
gies was perhaps the
most impressive feat in
a start that took “ugly”
to the next level. Notch-
ing a program-low three
points in the first quar-
ter, the Bulldogs shot a
combined 7.7 percent
from the field in a 1 of 13
start.
Sophomore sensa-
tion Rickea Jackson,
who was relegated to
the bench in Thursday’s
loss against Alabama,
returned to the starting
lineup only to miss her
first seven shots of the
afternoon.
Junior forward Jes-
sika Carter, too, was Mississippi State athleticst
rendered utterly mean- Mississippi State guard Myah Taylor led all scorers with 11 points at halftime as the
See WBB, 3B Bulldogs were blown out by No. 8 Texas A&M Sunday in College Station, Texas.

After losing PRO FOOTBALL

Mahomes,
Chiefs and
Henne hold
Brady, Bucs, end playoffs for
off Browns
22-17
Saints, Brees, 30-20
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

K ANSAS CITY, Mo.

— The Kansas City
Chiefs had lost Patrick
Mahomes to a concus-
sion and were in danger
of losing the game.
Then their defense
and Chad Henne —
their defense and Chad
Henne?! — along with
a gutsy call by Andy
Reid kept their hopes
of a Super Bowl repeat
alive, holding off the
Cleveland Browns 22-17
on Sunday to advance to
their third straight AFC
See CHIEFS, 3B

MSU guard
Dareuan
Parker
declares for
NFL draft
BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com

STARK VILLE — Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports

Another Mississippi
State draft decision has
been made.
Bulldogs starting
guard Dareuan Parker
announced Sunday af-
ternoon that he will for-
go the extra year of el-
igibility the NCA A has
afforded players amid
the COVID-19 pandem-
ic and will enter the
2021 NFL draft.
“First and foremost, I
would like to thank God
for giving me the ability
to play the sport I love,”
Parker wrote on Twit-
ter. “I would also like to
thank my coaches and
teammates for helping
me become the football
player I am today. To
my mom and dad, thank
you for your uncondi-
tional love and contin-
ued support. Lastly, to
the greatest fans in the
world, thank you for giv-
ing me the best college
atmosphere and wel-
coming me to the Bull-
dog family. After much
thought and prayers, I
have decided to pursue
my dream and enter my
name in the NFL draft.”
Parker was one of the
few stalwarts along an
MSU offensive line this
fall that endured ample
See PARKER, 3B
In what may have been his last career game, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) waves to the crowd as he walks off the field
after a NFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS — Tom
Brady’s best game in three
tries against New Orleans
kept the Buccaneers moving
on in the NFL playoffs, and
has Saints quarterback Drew
Brees headed home — per-
haps for good.
Brady and the Bucs’ offense
turned three Saints turnovers,
including two interceptions of
Brees, into touchdowns, and
Tampa Bay beat New Orleans
30 -20 in the divisional round
of the NFL playoffs Sunday
night.
Two of those touchdowns
came on short passes to Mike
Evans and Leonard Four-
nette. And after Brees was in-
tercepted by linebacker Devin
White in the middle of the
fourth quarter, Brady drove
the Bucs to the 1, from where
he scored himself to all but
ensure his 14th trip to a con-
ference championship game
— his first in the NFC.
That game will take place
in Green Bay next week,
where the 43-year-old Brady
will try to advance to his 10th
Super Bowl in a showdown
with Packers All-Pro QB Aar-
on Rodgers.
“We worked hard to get to
this point. Two road playoff
wins is pretty sweet,” Brady
said. “We’ve got to go beat a
great football team we know
pretty well. Aaron’s playing
incredible.”
Meanwhile, the Brees era
in New Orleans could be over
after 15 seasons.
The game may have been
the last in the Superdome for
the 42-year-old Brees, who is
under contract for one more
year but has not discussed
any plans to play beyond this
season, and has sometimes
hinted at his impending re-
tirement.
While just 3,750 tickets
were distributed in the 73,000 -
seat Superdome to comply
with local COVID-19 restric-
tions, the fans made them-
selves heard with an eruption
of cheers when Brees took the
field for New Orleans’ first of-
fensive series.
If it was his last game, it
won’t be one he’ll want to re-
member. The NFL’s all-time
leader in completions and
yards passing was 19 of 34 for
134 yards, one touchdown and
three interceptions.
Brady finished 18 of 33 for
199 yards in what often re-
sembled more of a defensive
struggle. Unlike his previous
two meetings with the Saints
— both losses — he was not
intercepted and largely avoid-
ed pressure, taking only one
sack.
“Really just locking in and
playing a lot better than we
did the first two times we
played them,” he said. “We
had a bunch of turnovers last
time. This time they turned it
over and that’s usually the sto-
ry of football games.”
After Brees’ third intercep-
tion on a tipped pass late in
the fourth quarter, the Bucs
were able to close out the
game with Brady, in his first
season with Tampa Bay after
20 with New England, taking
a knee.
The Saints led 6 -3 when
Brees, while trying to flee
pressure, underthrew Mi-
chael Thomas and was inter-
cepted by Sean Murphy-Bun-
ting, who raced 36 yards along
the sideline to the Saints 3.
Brady hit Evans one play later
to put the Buccaneers up 10 -6.
The Saints answered,
helped by a drive-extending
third-down defensive holding
call on Murphy-Bunting. New
Orleans drove to its 44 before
unleashing a trick play.
Kamara took a direct snap
and gave the ball to receiver
Emmanuel Sanders on a re-
verse Sanders lateraled back to
Jameis Winston. The reserve
QB launched an accurate pass
down the middle to Tre’Quan
Smith for a 56-yard score.
Ryan Succop’s 37-yard field
goal capped an up-tempo Bucs
drive powered by Fournette’s
40 yards from scrimmage, ty-
ing the score at 13 to end the
half.
Brees’ 16-yard pass to Smith
put the Saints ahead 20-13, and
New Orleans appeared primed
to build on that lead when
Brees completed a third-down
pass to Jared Cook across the
50. Bucs safety Antoine Win-
field Jr. stripped Cook from
behind and White snagged the
loose ball as it bounced to him,
returning it 18 yards to the New
Orleans 40.
Five plays later, Brady hit
Fournette over the middle for a
6-yard score.
Succop’s 36-yard field goal
made it 23-20 before White’s in-
terception of a pass intended for
Kamara gave the Buccaneers
the ball at the New Orleans 20.
STATS
Fournette finished with 107
yards from scrimmage, 63 on
the ground. Kamara had 105
yards from scrimmage, with 85
on the ground. Thomas was
held without a catch in his fi-
nal game of an injury-plagued
season.
2B MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Chiefs’ Reid: QB Mahomes ‘doing good’ after concussion

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pat-
rick Mahomes had enough wits
about him after a concussion
knocked the star quarterback
from the Kansas City Chiefs’ di-
visional-round playoff win over
the Cleveland Browns to get a
rather clever hashtag trending
on Twitter.
“HenneThingIsPossible,” it
read.
It was a reference to his back-
up, Chad Henne, who came on
when Mahomes got hurt mid-
way through the third quarter
Sunday. Henne pulled off two
edge-of-your seat plays in the
closing minutes, scrambling for
13 yards on third-and-14 before
a fourth-down completion to
Tyreek Hill, which allowed the
Chiefs to run out the clock and
preserve a 22-17 victory.
Now, the question is wheth-
er Mahomes will be cleared
to play the Buffalo Bills in the
AFC title game next Sunday.
“He’s doing great right now,
which is a real positive as we
look at this. He passed all the
deals he needed to pass and
we’ll see where it goes from
here,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid
said after the game. “I just talk-
ed to him and he’s doing good.
We’ll see how he is tomorrow,
but right now he’s feeling good.”
Mahomes had been shred-
ding the Browns most of the
cold, windy afternoon. He com-
pleted 21 of 30 passes for 255
yards with touchdowns on the
ground and through the air,
helping the Chiefs take a 19-3
lead at halftime.
They still led 19-10 after
Baker Mayfield’s touchdown
pass to Jarvis Landry early in
the third quarter, and were on
the move again near midfield.
But on third-and-1, the Chiefs
decided to run an option play
toward their sideline and Ma-
homes elected to keep the ball,
ducking for the first-down yard-
age just as Browns linebacker
Mack Wilson got him around
the head.
Mahomes remained crum-
pled on the turf as about 17,000
fans sat in stunned silence.
When he tried getting to his
feet, his leg buckled and Ma-
homes nearly went down again.
It took the training staff to help
him get to the blue tent on the
sideline, and he emerged from
that a few minutes later and
jogged to the locker room.
In a matter of minutes, he
had been ruled out with a con-
cussion.
“You never want to say some-
one purposely tries to take
you out of the game, but after
the initial hit, they were fired
up, saying, ‘That’s what we do.
That’s what we do,’” said Chiefs
tight end Travis Kelce, who
could be seen heatedly discuss-
ing the play with Browns pass
rusher Myles Garrett on a cou-
ple of occasions.
“I don’t ever want him to feel
like my guys or my team is out
there trying to injure someone
or put them out the game,”
Garrett explained. “We’re try-
ing to put some bruises on you
and we’re trying to hurt you,
but we’re never trying to injure
someone or take them out on
purpose.”
Following the game, Wilson
went on Twitter and sent his
best wishes for Mahomes to re-
turn next week.
“All good brother!” Ma-
homes said.
Wilson also defended his
reputation, claiming he’s “never
been a dirty player in my life. I
just try my best to play fast and
make plays.”
Mayfield was also concerned
about Mahomes.
“Those hits are scary,” he
said. “You never want to see
that, especially with obviously
me being extremely familiar
with Pat. Hopefully, he is OK.”
Mahomes already had been
hobbling after he appeared to
tweak his ankle early in the
game.
“I think when anybody goes
down the team tries their best
to rally around that particular
player,” Chiefs safety Tyrann
Mathieu said. “Today was Pat-
rick Mahomes. I think the
whole stadium knew he was
out of the game. But definitely,
it was all about team. Any time
you get some motivation to pull
it through, you have to take ad-
vantage of those moments.”
Indeed, the Chiefs rallied
around Henne, a 35-year-old
journeyman, who was ready for
the spotlight in part because he
had played the entirety of their
loss to the Chargers in Week 17.
The Chiefs had locked up the
No. 1 seed and first-round bye,
so Reid elected to sit Mahomes
and most of his starters for the
otherwise meaningless game.
His appearance Sunday?
There couldn’t have been much
more meaning to it.
“I’m always a competitor,”
said Henne, who threw an inter-
ception in the end zone but had
enough gumption to flush the
bad play for his memory, then
make two spectacular ones
when the Chiefs needed to put
the game away.
“I felt confident,” Henne add-
ed. “There’s a lot of playmakers
out there and just a great oppor-
tunity for me to make plays.”
The Chiefs also lost corner-
back Bashaud Breeland to a
concussion in the fourth quar-
ter, while the Browns lost left
tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. to an
ankle injury on their first offen-
sive play and his backup, Ken-
dall Lamm, to an elbow injury.
Bills advance to AFC
championship with 17-3 win
over Ravens
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. —
In what was supposed to be a
showdown between Buffalo’s
Josh Allen and Baltimore’s La-
mar Jackson, Taron Johnson lit-
erally stole the show.
If not for the wall separating
the field from the stands in the
back of the east end zone, the
Bills cornerback might still be
running after returning an in-
terception 101 yards for a touch-
down that propelled Buffalo
to its first AFC championship
game appearance in 27 years.
Johnson’s pick-6 of Jackson’s
pass with 41 seconds remaining
in the third quarter helped se-
cure a 17-3 win over the Ravens
in a divisional-round playoff
game Saturday night.
“We’re excited. It’s not done
yet, we’re not done yet,” John-
son exclaimed. “It’s just a bless-
ing. Our defense stepped up to
the challenge.”
Johnson’s return matched
the longest in NFL history and
punctuated a stellar defensive
outing in which Buffalo (15-3)
limited the NFL’s top running
offense to 150 yards on 32 car-
ries.
Jackson, last season’s NFL
MVP, was sacked three times
and did not return after sustain-
ing a concussion following the
final play of the third quarter,
and two plays after Johnson
scored. He finished 14 of 24 for
162 yards passing, while being
limited to 42 yards rushing on
nine carries.
Allen, an MVP candidate
this year, finished 23 of 37 for
206 yards and a touchdown.
In a season in which the Bills
relied mostly on their dynamic
Allen-led offense to outscore
opponents, the third-year quar-
terback was gratified to see Buf-
falo’s defense make a difference
in a game the pass-happy attack
was kept mostly in check.
“I can’t say enough words for
what that game was for our de-
fense,” Allen said. “Taron John-
son’s is a play that people are
going to remember for a long
time here in Buffalo, potentially
a franchise-altering play.”
The Bills advanced to the
AFC championship game for
the first time since 1994 on
their way to making — and los-
ing — their four consecutive
Super Bowl appearance. Buf-
falo also extended a season in
which it has broken numerous
droughts by claiming its first
AFC East division title in 25
years and, with last week’s vic-
tory over Indianapolis, winning
its first postseason game since
the same year.
The Bills, have won eight
straight to match their best
streak since 1990 and will play
the winner of the AFC’s oth-
er divisional playoff between
Cleveland and Kansas City on
Sunday.
The fifth-seeded Ravens (12-
6) had their season come to an
end after leading the NFL in
yards rushing for a second con-
secutive year.
Baltimore clinched its third
playoff berth in three years
by winning its final five regu-
lar-season games. The winning
streak came after a 1-4 skid
capped by a 19-14 loss at Pitts-
burgh on Dec. 2 in a game re-
scheduled three times due to
COVID-19 issues.
“It’s a sad moment, but this
team has been through a lot,”
tight end Mark Andrew said.
“It’s tough right now, but team-
mates and coaches and camara-
derie, it was a group of special
guys that worked hard, came to
work every day and didn’t take
anything for granted. We’re go-
ing to hold our heads high and
come back and work.”
Tied at 3 after the first half,
the Bills took control in the
third quarter.
Buffalo went ahead 10-3 on
Allen’s 3-yard touchdown pass
to Stefon Diggs to cap an 11-
play, 66-yard opening drive.
The Ravens threatened to
answer on their next drive,
which ended with Johnson’s in-
terception. With Baltimore fac-
ing third-and-goal from the 9,
Johnson jumped in front of the
pass intended for Andrews and
took off up the right sideline.
He followed teammate Tre’Da-
vious White, who made sure
Jackson didn’t have an angle to
push Johnson out of bounds.
Johnson, who also returned
an interception for a score in
a 26-15 win over Pittsburgh
on Dec. 13, said he initially
thought about going down after
catching the ball, before seeing
no one in front of him.
“I caught the ball and kind of
looked down, but then I looked
up and saw a whole bunch of
green grass to that side of me,”
he said. “At that point, there’s
one person I have to beat. And
that’s No. 8 (Jackson).”
Johnson’s interception re-
turn matched Packers defen-
sive back George Teague’s INT
return in Green Bay’s 28-24 win
over Detroit in a wild-card play-
off on Jan. 8, 1994.
Things turned worse for Bal-
timore two snaps later, when
Jackson was forced out of the
game.
Facing second-and-10 at
Baltimore’s 25, center Patrick
Mekari snapped the ball over
Jackson’s head. The quarter-
back turned and chased the
bouncing ball down inside the
5, turned and quickly threw it
away as Tremaine Edmunds
had him by the legs and Trent
Murphy fell on top of him.
Jackson’s injury left Tyler
Huntley to finish the game after
being promoted off the practice
squad.
“I’m not frustrated at all,”
Ravens coach John Harbaugh
said in announcing Jackson sus-
tained a concussion. “The play-
ers are disappointed. It’s tough
to lose a game. Our guys played
like crazy, and if you don’t win
the game you’re going to feel it.”
Missing kicks
Gusting winds played havoc
with the kickers.
Baltimore’s Justin Tucker,
the NFL’s most accurate kick-
er, hit the left upright from 41
yards and the right upright
from 46 yards, before hitting a
34-yard attempt. It was the first
time he missed twice from in-
side 50 yards in the same game.
Buffalo rookie Tyler Bass
missing two of three field goal
attempts — a 43-yarder that
was wide right in the second
quarter and a 44-yarder that
sailed wide left with 5:30 re-
maining.
Practice squad to playoffs
Huntley, who had attempted
just five passes in two appear-
ances this season, finished 6 of
13 for 60 yards on three drives,
the final two in which Baltimore
turned the ball over on downs.
Up next
Ravens: Season over.
Bills: Advance to AFC cham-
pionship game for first time
since 1994, where they’ll face
Kansas City for a second time
this season following a 26-17
loss to the Chiefs on Oct. 19.

72 tennis players in lockdown after virus cases on flights

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The number of play-
ers in hard quarantine
swelled to 72 ahead of
the Australian Open
after a fifth positive
coronavirus test was re-
turned from the charter
flights bringing players,
coaches, officials and
media to Melbourne for
the season-opening ten-
nis major.
That means they won’t
be allowed to leave their
hotel rooms or practice
for 14 days, creating a
two-speed preparation
period for the tourna-
ment. Other players in
less rigorous quarantine
will be allowed to prac-
tice for five hours daily.
Australian Open or-
ganizers confirmed late
Sunday that the latest
case involved a passen-
ger on the flight from
Doha, Qatar to Mel-
bourne who was not a
member of the playing
contingent, But all 58
passengers, including
the 25 players, now can-
not leave their hotel
rooms for 14 days.
There were already
47 players, including
Grand Slam winners, in
hard quarantine after
three positive tests were
returned from a charter
flight that arrived from
Los Angeles and one
from a flight that depart-
ed Abu Dhabi.
Some players have ex-
pressed anger at being
classified as close con-
tacts merely for being on
board those flights with
people who later tested
positive. That classifi-
cation has forced them
into a harsher isolation
than the broader group
of players.
But local government,
tennis and health author-
ities have said all players
were warned of the risks
in advance.
“There’s been a bit of
chatter from a number of
players about the rules -
well, the rules apply to
them as they apply to
everybody else, and they
were all briefed on that
before they came and
that was a condition on
which they came,” Vic-
toria state premier Dan-
iel Andrews told a news
conference Monday.
“There’s no special treat-
ment here ... because a
virus doesn’t treat you
specially.”
Responding to re-
ports that eight-time
Australian Open cham-
pion Novak Djokovic had
proposed a list of ideas
to change the quarantine
conditions for players,
Andrews said: “People
are free to provide lists
of demands but the an-
swer is no.”
Players have been
warned that breaching
of the rules could result
in heavy fines or being
moved to a more secure
quarantine complex with
police stationed at their
doors.
Victoria state’s
COVID-19 quarantine
commissioner Emma
Cassar told a news con-
ference Sunday that
some people were “test-
ing” or challenging the
quarantine procedures,
but there’d been “zero
tolerance for that behav-
ior.”
“This is designed to
make people safe,” Cas-
sar, who is also in charge
of the state’s prisons,
said. “We make no apol-
ogies for that.”
The first three pos-
itive tests were an-
nounced Saturday and
the next two on Sunday.
All five cases had tested
negative before boarding
their flights to Australia.
All have now been trans-
ferred to a health hotel.
Among them is Syl-
vain Bruneau, who
coaches 2019 U.S. Open
champion Bianca An-
dreescu. He said he was
on the flight from Abu
Dhabi and had tested
positive.
So far, no players have
returned a positive test
since landing in Austra-
lia.
Australian Open orga-
nizers said 17 charters
flights from seven in-
ternational destinations
brought up to 1,200 peo-
ple to Australia for the
tennis, all arriving with-
in a 36 -hour period up to
Saturday morning. The
Australian Open starts
Feb. 8 following a week
of warmup tournaments
at Melbourne Park and
the ATP Cup.
Several players, in-
cluding Sorana Cirstea
of Romania, Belinda
Bencic of Switzerland
and Yulia Putintseva of
Kazakhstan complained
in social media posts
that the rules seemed to
have changed between
what they saw before
traveling to Australia
and what was being im-
posed in Melbourne.
Cirstea posted on
Twitter: “If they would
have told us this rule
before I would not play
Australia ... I would have
stayed home. They told
us we would fly at 20%
capacity, in sections and
we would be a close con-
tact ONLY if my team or
cohort tests positive.”
But Victoria’s quar-
antine commissioner re-
jected those claims and
explained why.
“If you’re on a plane
16 -24 hours, with air
that circulates through-
out the plane, you are a
close contact,” Cassar
said. “This was made
very clear and nothing
has changed.”
Australian Open tour-
nament director Craig
Tiley said organizers
and players were fore-
warned there’d be a “sig-
nificant risk.”
“Now we have to
manage an environment
over the next 14 days for
those who won’t be able
to practice,” Tiley said.
“It’s a tough situation.
We’ve got to do whatev-
er we can to make it as
fair as possible for those
players that are in lock-
down.”
Being unable to leave
their hotel rooms would
mean the only work-
outs they’re able to have
would be on exercise
equipment left in the
rooms of all 72 players
in lockdown. Some have
posted on social media
to show their makeshift
training methods, in-
cluding hitting tennis
balls against the walls.
Any players not in
the hard lockdown will
be allowed to train un-
der strict conditions and
with supervision. Some
players were allowed to
start Monday.
Tiley said there were
no plans to delay the
Australian Open any fur-
ther — it’s already start-
ing three weeks later
than usual — although
organizers were review-
ing the schedule for the
warmup tournaments
starting Feb. 1 to find
ways to make it easier
for those players in strict
quarantine to prepare.
Australia’s interna-
tional borders are ba-
sically closed to travel-
ers, although there are
exemptions in special
circumstances and all
arrivals must do manda-
tory quarantine. Each
of Australia’s states and
territories has its own
border and travel re-
strictions, and those can
change on very short no-
tice.
Victoria state, which
has as its capital Mel-
bourne, accounted for
810 of Australia’s 909
deaths from COVID-19,
most of those during
a deadly second wave
three months ago which
resulted in curfews and
lockdowns for the city.
Djokovic, Rafael Nad-
al and Serena Williams
are among a group of
players involved in an
exhibition event in Ad-
elaide, South Australia
state, on Jan. 29. Those
players flew straight to
Adelaide to begin their
hotel quarantine period.
So far, there’s been no
COVID-19 cases report-
ed from the quarantine
in Adelaide.

Contacting the Sports Department

If you need to report game scores or statistics, you can call us at 662-327-2424 ext. 126. If you need to reach sports editor Garrick Hodge, email him at ghodge@cdis-
patch.com. If you need to reach sports writer Ben Portnoy, email him at bportnoy@cdispatch.com or sports writer Theo DeRosa, email him at tderosa@cdispatch.com.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021 3B

Chiefs
Continued from Page 1B
championship game.
With their star quarterback re-
duced to a spectator, the oft-for-
gotten bunch opposite Mahomes’
high-powered offense forced the
Browns to punt in the waning
minutes. Then, his 35-year-old
backup showed some moxie with
a 13-yard third-down scramble
and audacious fourth-down com-
pletion to Tyreek Hill — when go-
for-broke Reid decided to go for
it — that gave the Chiefs (15-2) a
first down with just over a minute
left and allowed them to run out
the clock.
“That’s why we love Big Red.
He’s always on time,” Chiefs safe-
ty Tyrann Mathieu said. “He’s
like our spirit warrior out here
and we let it slip,” Browns pass
rusher Myles Garrett said. “We
had two opportunities. We didn’t
make it happen. It was right in
front of us and we just — this time
we didn’t get it done.”
Mahomes completed 11 of his
first 12 passes and led the Chiefs
to back-to-back touchdowns to
start the game. He ran for the
first and let Travis Kelce turn
a dump-off into a 20 -yard catch
for the other, making him the
first player since the 49ers’ Steve
Young in 1995 with three straight
playoff games with TDs on the
ground and through the air.
In fact, Mahomes was so sharp
passing in the first half that he
even completed a celebratory
The momentum finally turned,
the Browns began to lean heavily
on their vaunted run game, which
had produced just 18 yards in the
first half. Nick Chubb convert-
ed on fourth down with a hard
run, then Hunt followed another
fourth-down conversion on the
same drive by hitting the end
zone against his former team to
make it 22-17 with 11:07 to go.
It remained with Cleveland
when Karl Joseph picked off
Henne in the end zone a few min-
utes later, but the Chiefs stuffed
Chubb on first down, forced an in-
Sudoku YESTERDAY’S ANSWER
completion and ultimately made
Cleveland punt.
Sudoku
Sudoku is a number-
placing puzzle based on
Sunday’s answer
Sudoku 9 8 7 6 2 3 5 1 4
Henne’s gutsy scramble and a 9x9 gridis witha several
num-
ber-placing
Reid’s equally daring fourth- given numbers.puzzleThe object 3 5 2 4 9 1 6 7 8

2021 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

behind the scenes. He’s always heave to a lucky fan in the far based onthe a 9x9 4 6 1 5 7 8 3 2 9
down call kept the Browns from is to place numbers
trying stuff. We always knew he reaches of Arrowhead Stadium’s grid
having another chance. 1 to 9with
in theseveral
empty spaces 1 3 9 2 4 7 8 5 6
has one play on the table.” upper deck following his touch- given
“It’s a little different when your so that numbers.
each row, eachThe 5 7 4 3 8 6 2 9 1
Or, as Mahomes wrote on down jaunt. object
Twitter after the win: “#Hen- After the teams swapped field quarterback goes down, someone column and each 3x3 the
is to place box 6 2 8 1 5 9 4 3 7
numbers
contains the1same to 9 number
in
neThingIsPossible.” goals, with Butker breaking so important to your offense and the empty spaces so 2 9 5 8 1 4 7 6 3
“We go through all those Sat- the Chiefs playoff record with your team,” Kelce said, “but you only once. The difficulty 8 1 6 7 3 2 9 4 5
that each row, each
urday night with the quarter- a 50 -yarder into the wind, the have to throw it all into the same level increases from
column and each 7 4 3 9 6 5 1 8 2
backs, those situations: ‘Fourth- Browns marched for what could bucket of, ‘When adversity hits, Monday
3x3 boxtocontains
Sunday. Difficulty Level 1/16

and-1 to win the game, what do
you want?’” said Reid, who never
once thought about punting on
fourth down. “My coaches were
on board, they all did a great job
with the spot, with the calls, ev-
erything — they were spot-on. It
was a great job.”
Mahomes hadn’t played in 21
days, since the Chiefs clinched
the AFC’s top seed in Week 16,
but he hardly missed a beat be-
fore leaving midway through the
third quarter. He finished 21 of 30
for 255 yards and a TD, and ran
for another score.
Harrison Butker added three
field goals for the Chiefs, who
nearly blew a 19-3 lead but sur-
vived to become the first AFC
team to host three consecutive
conference title games. They’ll
face the Buffalo Bills next Sun-
day.
“It stings,” Browns coach Kev-
in Stefanski said. “We came here
to win and didn’t get the job done.
There is a finality to that.”
Baker Mayfield threw for 204
yards with a touchdown and a
pick for the Browns (12-6), who
were coming off their first play-
off win since the 1994 season.
But their inability to drive for the
winning touchdown — they punt-
ed with 4:23 left in the game —
and defensive letdown kept them
from winning two playoff games
in a season for the first time since
1950.
“It came down to us on defense
have been a momentum-swinging
score heading into halftime. But
just when Rashard Higgins tried
to stretch over the goal line, the
Chiefs’ Daniel Sorensen arrived
to deliver a hit, popping the ball
into the end zone for a touchback
— the call stood after a video re-
view.
The entire complexion of the
game changed early in the third
quarter, though.
First, the Browns held the
Chiefs when Mayfield threw an
interception and Butker missed
a field goal. Then, Mayfield led
them briskly the other way, cap-
ping a 77-yard drive with a TD
throw to Jarvis Landry. And fi-
nally, roughly 17,000 fans allowed
in the stadium due to pandemic
were left sitting in stunned si-
lence when Mahomes was tack-
led around the head with 7:27 left
in the quarter and left crumpled
on the turf near midfield.
Mahomes, already hobbled by
a foot injury, stumbled as he tried
to get to his feet. He was eventu-
ally helped to the blue tent on the
sideline, then ran to the locker
room, where he was evaluated for
a concussion.
“It kind of knocked the wind
out of him and everything else,”
Reid said after the game. “He’s
doing great right now, which is a
real positive as we look at this. He
passed all the deals he needed to
pass and we’ll see where it goes
from here.”
what are you going to do? Where the same number only once. The difficulty level
does your mind go? Where do we increases from Monday to Sunday.
go from here as a team?’ We ral-
lied around Chad, gave him some
confidence, knowing we were out
there making plays every sin-
gle snap, just like if Pat was out
there.”
Back on the field
Stefanski made his playoff
head coaching debut after miss-
ing last week’s game in Pitts- Sunday’s Cryptoquote:
burgh because of COVID-19. Pro
Bowl OL Joel Bitonio and CBs
Denzel Ward and Kevin Johnson
also were back from their illness-
es.
Injuries
Browns: LT Jedrick Wills Jr.
left with an ankle injury on their
first offensive play. His backup,
Kendall Lamm, left with an el-
bow injury, forcing Blake Hance
to make his second NFL appear-
ance.
Chiefs: RB Clyde Edwards-He-
laire (ankle) was inactive after
returning to practice this week
for the first time since mid-De-
cember. CB Bashaud Breeland
left in the fourth quarter with a
concussion.
Up next
The Chiefs begin preparing for
the Bills next Sunday. They beat
them 26 -17 in Buffalo in Week 6.

Parker ACROSS
1 Penny
Continued from Page 1B
5 Mural setting
changeover and mismatching combinations. Hav- comes the fourth MSU player to enter their name 9 “West Side
ing started all 10 games in 2020, he was named into the NFL draft after senior linebacker Erroll Story” heroine
third-team All-SEC by Pro Football Focus for his Thompson and senior defensive ends Kobe Jones 10 Assumed
efforts. Parker, a former three-star recruit out of and Marquiss Spencer did so earlier this offseason. name
DeSoto Central High School, he appeared in 46 MSU closed its 2020 campaign 4-7 with a win 12 Make law
games, starting 21, over his Bulldog career. over No. 24 Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl on 13 Honking birds
With his announcement Sunday, Parker be- Dec. 31. 14 Short races
16 That woman

WBB
Continued from Page 1B
ingless for the umpteenth time
against stiff competition as she
earned two early fouls and spent
the bulk of the first half on the
bench. When on the court Carter
failed to make an impact. Too of-
ten she was stymied from reach-
ing her spots, settling for fade-
aways, lacking any semblance of
offensive rhythm that has helped
her lead MSU in scoring night in
and night out.
Instead, it was junior guard
Myah Taylor who shouldered the
offensive load in one of the more
uninspired halves of MSU wom-
en’s basketball in recent memory.
Normally lauded for her all-world
assist to turnover ratio and facili-
tating ability, Taylor led all scor-
ers at the break with 11 points, in-
cluding a 3 of 6 mark from 3-point
range.
“From the start, we knew that
they were going to change de-
fenses against us,” McCray-Pen-
son explained. “We’ve been work-
ing against it. We just acted like
we didn’t know what was happen-
ing. We didn’t play well. It is that
simple.”
Miraculously trailing by just
seven points at the half in a gap
that felt wider than the Mariana
Trench runs deep, MSU returned
to the floor with the same lacka-
17 Nantes notion
18 Survived
21 Sedan or
SUV
22 Math compar-
daisical and sloppy approach that ers who played meaningful min- isons Sunday’s answer
led to its dismal first quarter. The utes last year. But for a team that
23 Fence sup- DOWN ter
Bulldogs notched seven turn- entered the year ranked in the
overs in the third quarter com-
ports 1 Calgary’s 22 Optimistic
top-10 nationally and was expect-
pared to just three assists, while 24 Japanese country 23 Chart model
ed to compete for an Elite Eight
Texas A&M outpaced the visiting entertainer 2 Pencil end 24 Deep cuts
spot and potentially a Final Four
maroon and white 24-12 over the 26 Nile serpent 3 Alcove 25 Flammable
berth, the Bulldogs are teeter-
frame. 29 Kind of glass- 4 London mu- gas
ing more toward fighting for an
Speaking with reporters post- NCA A tournament chance at all
es with pointed seum 26 On the beach
game, McCray-Penson revealed rather than angling for the zenith corners 5 Funny fellow 27 Boat backs
the Bulldogs held a “pow wow” of women’s college basketball. 30 Regarding 6 Tavern drink 28 Does some
to discuss Sunday afternoon’s af- This isn’t to say the wheels 31 Fire remnant 7 Deceives modeling
fair. The discussion was a chance have completely fallen off in 32 Robe parts 8 Mascara 29 Group of
for players to voice grievances, Starkville. The Bulldogs still 34 Golf club part targets actors
take pride in what’s next and how have nine conference games re- 37 Mall business 9 Army healer 30 Fall flower
best to address the lack of grit 38 Choir mem- 11 Canary snack 33 “The Thin
maining, including a 10 -day lay-
and toughness -- staples of the ber 15 Cuts drasti- Man” dog
off before Dawn Staley and No. 5
Vic Schaefer era that have sud- 39 Seabirds cally 35 Sly one
South Carolina come to town. Op-
denly been lost -- going forward. 40 Hot, in a way 19 “— girl!” 36 Attempt
portunities against No. 17 Arkan-
“This program is built on 41 Son of Zeus
sas and No. 23 Tennessee are also 20 Pop’s daugh-
toughness,” she said. “This pro-
gram is built on competing, all of on the ledger over the next four
those things. We play hard. We weeks. But should the Bulldogs
have to continue to do the tough continue to turn in performanc-
things -- rebound the basketball. es like Sunday, more and more
We have to continue to get stops questions will persist regarding
when we need to. The offense, the future of the program and its
that’s going to come here and first-year leader in McCray-Pen-
there, but the defensive end is re- son -- and rightfully so.
ally where it starts for me.” “We understand where this
For MSU, Sunday’s dismal ef- program has been,” she said. “We
fort was a staunch reminder of understand the commitment to
how far the program has to go. this program, without question,
There are excuses, sure. MSU we understand that. We’re going
is breaking in a new coaching to compete and we’re going to be
staff and boasts just four return- better.”

CORRECTION
A story on Page 3B of Sunday’s edition incorrectly stated the score of Friday’s boys basketball game between Co-
lumbus Christian Academy and Hebron Christian School. Hebron won 62-47, and Dash Turman led the Eagles with 22
points. The Dispatch regrets the error.
4B MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021
Rockets look to future after trading Harden to Brooklyn
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — James
Harden forced his way
out of Houston without
bringing the Rockets an
NBA title.
Now that he’s in Brook-
lyn, the Rockets hope the
huge haul of draft picks
they received in the trade
will allow them to chase
championships in the fu-
ture.
“Our goal remains un-
changed,” general manag-
er Rafael Stone said Sun-
day, addressing the trade
for the first time. “I think
we’re well-positioned to
develop something really
special.”
Houston dealt Harden
to the Nets last week, a day
after he said the Rockets
Comics & Puzzles
DILBERT
ZITS
GARFIELD
CANDORVILLE
BABY BLUES
BEETLE BAILEY
MALLARD FILLMORE
weren’t “good enough,”
in a four-team trade that
also involved Cleveland
and Indiana. The Rockets
didn’t receive a franchise
cornerstone in the deal
but got many draft picks
that should position them
to build a talented roster.
The Rockets received
Brooklyn’s unprotected
first-round picks in 2022,
2024 and 2026 and the
right to swap first-round
selections with the Nets
in 2021, 2023, 2025 and
2027. Houston also got
Milwaukee’s 2022 first-
round pick from Cleve-
land.
Houston acquired
three players in the deal,
getting Victor Oladipo
from the Pacers, Dante
Exum from the Cavaliers
FAMILY CIRCUS
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
and Rodions Kurucs from
the Nets.
“What’s super exciting
about this deal is it gives
us flexibility,” Stone said.
“In the NBA, picks — es-
pecially high picks — are
the best currency. Every-
body likes them. Every-
body values them. So that
was great. Organization-
ally, it gives us flexibility
to do different types of
deals as they come up this
year, next year or whenev-
er.”
While the trade should
benefit the Rockets in the
long run, it doesn’t leave
them in a great position
this season. In eight full
seasons with Harden, the
Rockets never missed the
playoffs and reached the
Western Conference fi-
nals twice. Houston hasn’t
won a championship since
winning consecutive ti-
tles in 1994 and ’95 with
Hall of Famer Hakeem
Olajuwon.
This season, the Rock-
ets don’t have a realistic
chance of contending for
a title and it might be a
stretch for them to con-
tinue their postseason
streak. Houston entered
Sunday tied with New Or-
leans for the second-worst
record in the West at 4-7.
With Harden gone, the
Rockets are led by five-
time All-Star point guard
John Wall, who was ac-
quired from Washington
for Russell Westbrook just
before the season. Hous-
ton also has veterans P.J.
Tucker, Eric Gordon and
Dear Abby
D
EAR ABBY:
As a way to
manage my
stress and anxiety
when COVID hit,
I started to exer-
cise. Neither my
husband, “Chris,”
nor I had ever
been into fitness
at all. As the
months have gone
on, I have realized
the power of being
healthy, and I try
to exercise every
day. The problem? Dear Abby
Chris is angry. He
calls it “me time”
and has made it very difficult
for me to go.
I tried swimming in the
morning before work, but he
said he couldn’t manage at
home to get our 2-year-old
ready for school. I tried to go
to the gym in the early evening,
but he said he needs me to
help get the children ready for
bed. I tried running later at
night, but it didn’t feel safe, and your husband might even grow
I also had trouble falling asleep. to enjoy it.
Abby, I don’t know what to
do. Last night he told me I am
selfish and should move out.
Can you help me? — KEEPING
MY SANITY
DEAR KEEPING: Establish-
ing a routine of regular exercise
wasn’t selfish. It was the right
thing to do. People have been
experiencing symptoms of
depression and extreme stress
since this pandemic began. It is
more important now than ever
Horoscopes
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan.
18). Among your birthday wish-
es are beautiful goals. Still, you
embrace the spirit of develop-
ment, which always happens
in the present moment. Your
habit of bringing yourself back
to the center of the action and
the crux of control only gets
stronger. You incrementally rise
in power. Month after month you
do as you command yourself
to. Aries and Gemini adore you.
Your lucky numbers are: 8, 44,
2, 28 and 10.
ARIES (March 21-April 19).
Combine the previously uncom-
bined for magical results. You’ll
create a fit that wouldn’t occur
DeMarcus Cousins and
the team is excited about
the potential of Christian
Wood, Jae’Sean Tate and
Sterling Brown.
“We have a really in-
teresting crew,” Stone
said. “And our goal is to
compete and really put a
fun team on the court that
that really gets after it.”
First-year coach Ste-
phen Silas has been par-
ticularly impressed with
Wood’s performance.
The 25-year-old center
has played for six teams
in five seasons but seems
to have found his groove
with the Rockets.
Wood leads the team by
averaging a career-high
23.2 points and 10.9 re-
bounds. He’s also first on
the Rockets and fourth
that you continue
to take care of
your physical and
emotional health,
and it’s a shame
your husband
didn’t do the
same.
Rather than
prevent you from
doing what you
have been doing,
your husband
should have
praised you.
Could he be jeal-
ous or threatened
by what you have
accomplished?
That he would say something
so extreme as “you should
move out” was childish. (Who
would look after the kids then?)
A mature approach would be
for the two of you to agree upon
a schedule in which he either
dresses the kids in the morning
OR tucks them in at night. It
not only would be a lot less
expensive than a divorce, but
DEAR ABBY: I am a divorced
father of two, both over 18. I
have been dating a divorced
mother of three. Her children
are between the ages of 7 and
12.
We are really good together,
and we would like to make a life
together. The problem is, she’s
reluctant to let her ex-husband
know about me for fear of his
violent reaction (she has no lin-
gering feelings toward him other
to others. Actually, the match
won’t occur to you either. You’ll
just keep moving and trying
things until it clicks in.
TAURUS (April 20-May
20). Do not be afraid to cause
discomfort to yourself or anyone
else. To make a person aware
of a problem does this, but the
problems would never be known
or solved without that rub.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21).
Build a system. This is the only
way you’ll be able to take on
more. It’s not going to be as
hard as you think. In fact, the
hardest part is deciding to stop
doing it the old way.
CANCER (June 22-July 22).
in the NBA in blocks per
game at 1.9.
Harden’s desire to get
out of Houston had been
a dark cloud hanging over
the team. Now that the
situation is resolved, the
Rockets hope things will
improve on and off the
court.
“I think it just gives
us a chance for a real di-
rection ... so we can just
move forward with what
each player needs to do,”
Gordon said.
Silas, who was an NBA
assistant for two decades
before being hired in
Houston, has had a tur-
bulent start to his tenure
while dealing with the
Harden situation and the
league’s COVID-19 proto-
cols.
than fear). Because of this, she
doesn’t want her kids to know
we are romantically involved.
They think I’m just a “friend.”
She gets defensive when I bring
this up.
We have been seeing each
other for a couple of years now.
I love her, but I’m starting to get
the feeling this will never move
forward. What should I do? And
how long should I wait? — TEN-
TATIVE IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR TENTATIVE: I wish you
had written sooner. It appears
that although the woman you’re
involved with is divorced, she
is far from free. If she’s afraid
her ex will become violent if
she makes her relationship
with you official, and he has
acted violently toward her in
the past, she should contact
her local police department and
report it. She may also want
to consider a restraining order
and/or supervised visitation
when he sees the children. If
she is unwilling to free herself,
then for your own sake, end
the relationship because it will
never progress.
DEAR READERS: Today we
remember the Rev. Martin Lu-
ther King Jr., who was martyred
in the cause of civil rights in
1968. His words ring as true
today as when he first uttered
them: “We must accept finite
disappointment, but we must
never lose infinite hope.” His
was a voice of reason in a time
of insanity, silenced too soon.
— ABBY
It’s as though you’re able to
concentrate the goodwill you’re
putting into the world and give
just the right thing to the right
person. The way you share
yourself will change people.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). In a
way, you are focusing on your
reputation. It won’t feel like
that. It will feel like you’re just
doing the correct thing, the best
work you can for your reputation
and the flow of business.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).
Like an employee at a tech
company that prizes innovation,
you are being assessed by not
only the metrics of your job
description but also by the side
projects you take on, which will
now earn you fans.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).
You admit what you don’t know,
and then watch all the people
who were pretending to know
breathe a sigh of relief. This
just might be the start of the
conversation that gets everyone
up to speed.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).
One scenario is that you trust
in a process and do the work.
Alternately, you act as though
you trust in a process, and you
do the work. Either will produce
brilliant outcomes.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec.
21). You can’t help it — an
expectation has already formed
in your head. It will turn out that
this story about things coming
together and you feeling fabu-
lous about it is not so far off.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.
19). You read the meaning
inside small gestures. You’ll like
some of what you learn. What
do you do with the rest of it?
Mentally file the information and
save it for later.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.
18). You’re a traveler along
life’s highway. Driving on low,
both literally and figuratively, is
dangerous and not worth the
risk. Pull over to the rest stop
to fuel up.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March
20). For a different outcome,
you need different thoughts,
and for different thoughts, you
need a changed mind. The eas-
iest and most effective way to
change your mind is to change
your actions.
Talk through one’s hat
SOLUTION:
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021 5B
Classifieds
Ads appear in The Commercial Dispatch,
The Starkville Dispatch and Online
To place ads starting at only $12,
call 662-328-2424 or visit ads.cdispatch.com
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021 n 6B

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© The Dispatch

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RAPID TEMP A & T TREE SERVICES WORK WANTED: Licensed

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Looking for goods Home & RV.
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Serving Columbus
since 1987. Senior
electrical, minor plumbing,
insulation, painting, demo−
lition, gutters cleaned,
or services? Call 602−736−4880. citizen disc. Call Alvin @
242−0324/241−4447
"We’ll go out on a limb for
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you!"
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2 Room − $80 LAWN SERVICE
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