Established 1879 | Columbus, Mississippi
CDISPATCH.COM
Apartment complex fails to pay bills; 100+ left without water
CLW: Beztak Properties ‘substantially’ behind despite
tenants paying for water service as part of their rent
BY SLIM SMITH
ssmith@cdispatch.com
When Rosheda Moseley arrived at
her East Columbus apartment a little
after 7 a.m. Friday, she washed her
face and went to bed.
Sometime during her slumber, the
water service for her and the other res-
idents of Cypress Park Apartments, a
144-unit complex at 300 South Lehm-
berg Road, had been shut off.
Columbus Light and Water General
Manager Todd Gale said service had
been disconnected to the complex for
Weiss honored with road dedication
at Lowndes County Port
Lowndes County Port Director Will Sanders, left, presents a street sign to Henry Weiss, 90, the first president
of the Lowndes County Port Authority Board, Friday morning at a dedication ceremony renaming a portion of Port
Access Road to Henry Weiss Boulevard. From left: Weiss’ son-in-law Gregg Rader; his daughters Welissa Rader, Risa
Mansfield and Wendy Weiss; and longtime friend Rex Swedenburg were among the group of family and friends who
organized the event.
First port authority
board president helped
establish the port
as a business hub
BY TESS VRBIN
tvrbin@cdispatch.com
B
obby Harper joked that he
might have fewer people at
his funeral than there were
at Henry Weiss’ road dedication on
Friday.
About 30 people gathered at the
intersection of Port Access Road and
what is now Henry Weiss Boulevard,
in honor of the first president of
the Lowndes County Port Author-
ity Board. Columbus City Council
approved the renaming of the road at
its Jan. 19 meeting.
“Henry took his job as president
and a member of the board very
seriously,” said Harper, a longtime
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Residents at the 144-unit
Cypress Park apartment
complex on South Lehm-
berg Road in Columbus
were alarmed to find that
nonpayment of its water bill, although
the water service at the
he would not disclose how long the complex had been shut off
management company operating the Friday morning for non-pay-
complex had been in arrears or how ment. Residents’ water is
much it owed on its bill. included in the monthly
“I’ll just say it’s a substantial amount rent payment, so resi-
of nonpayment,” Gale said. dents were unaware that
For residents like Moseley, the dis- their water service was
in jeopardy. The company
connection came as a shock, especial-
ly since water is included in their rent that manages the complex
reached an agreement
payment to Beztak Properties.
with Columbus Light and
“I had no idea at all,” Moseley said. Water and service was
“... All I know is I’ve been here since restored Friday afternoon.
See CYPRESS PARK, 8A Deanna Robinson /Dispatch Staff
Keith Gaskin
qualifies to
run for mayor
Marty Turner hopes to
reclaim Ward 4 council seat
BY TESS VRBIN
tvrbin@cdispatch.com
Keith Gaskin, a long-
time Columbus resident
and the executive direc-
tor for the Mississippi
School for Mathematics
and Science Founda-
tion, qualified Friday to
run for mayor of Colum-
bus. Gaskin
“I have decided to
enter the race because
I love Columbus and I
believe in her people,
her progress, and in
our potential,” Gaskin
said in a press release.
“I also believe that, at
this pivotal moment, Turner
local governments
must work both harder and smarter
to control the (COVID-19) pandemic
locally, foster new and existing small
businesses struggling in its wake, as
Tess Vrbin/Dispatch Staff well as avoid wasteful spending in
See GASKIN, 8A
4-County
friend of the Weiss family. “He (to support it), so this is like his little
secures $35M
understood it, he could talk it and baby,” Sanders said.
he enjoyed what he was doing, never
looking or expecting or wanting any Weiss’ business legacy
recognition or any personal credit
for what he did.”
Weiss, 90, served on the board
in Columbus
Weiss grew up in Clarksdale
and moved to Columbus in 1956
in federal funds
for about 18 years and played a
major role in establishing the port
as a commerce and transportation
specifically to start a scrap material
recycling company on The Island,
Weiss’ son-in-law Gregg Rader said.
for broadband
hub along the banks of the Ten-
nessee-Tombigbee Waterway. His
United Technologies Corporation CEO: Funding should assure
was establishing itself in the region,
family drove him to the dedication building small electric motors via its association’s ability to
site Friday morning, where he was American Bosch brand, and Weiss
surprised to find a small crowd and a saw the business opportunity there. offer service systemwide
new road sign on the street corner. Rader and his wife, Weiss’ daugh-
He received a second road sign, ter Welissa, became the owners of
over next four years
which the city of Columbus paid for, Columbus Scrap Material in 1996. BY ZACK PLAIR
to keep for himself. Rader is now retired as CEO. zplair@cdispatch.com
Port Director Will Sanders Columbus Scrap has grown to
approached the city and county with include 12 scrap yards in four states. On a “good day,” the internet con-
the idea to rename the road after The company recycles any and all nection speed at Hebron Christian
Weiss. metals, including aluminum, brass, School in Pheba reaches 3 megabits
“He was really instrumental in copper, nickel, tin and zinc. The per second, Headmaster Bobby Eiland
the creation of our port, and he also metal comes from a range of things said. On a “really good day,” it pulls
went after funding and legislation See WEISS, 8A about 6.
By March, when the school hooks
See 4-COUNTY, 8A
FIVE QUESTIONS INSIDE TODAY CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC
1 What spice is also the name of Don’t
Thursday, MEETINGS
the humanoid robot designed in miss The Feb. 1: Lowndes
Japan as a human companion? Dispatch’s ■ Tree give-
County Board of
2 What baseball ace pitcher is 2021 away: The
Supervisors, 9
known by the nickname “Mad- Dining Lowndes County
Burn”? a.m. Courthouse,
Guide, Soil and Water
3 Which of these islands would facebook.com/
with Conservation
you not expect to visit on a District hosts a LowndesCounty-
Caribbean cruise — Aruba, Fiji or menus Mississippi/
from area free tree give-
Barbados?
4 What movie actress is men- restau- away from 8:30 Feb. 2: Columbus
City Council, 5
tioned in the lyrics of the 2014 a.m.-4 p.m.
rants, in
while supplies p.m., Municipal
song “Uptown Funk”? today’s
5 The 25th anniversary of the paper. last at 2282 Complex, face-
taking down of what European MLK Jr. Dr. One book.com/Cityof-
landmark was celebrated with ColumbusMS/
bundle per per-
the release of 8,000 white Feb. 3: Colum-
son. 662-328-
balloons? 5921 (ext. 3). bus Municipal
Answers, 5B Erin Taylor, of Columbus, School District
works for Allegro Clinic. She review meeting
loves going to concerts, (virtual), 11:30
shopping and getting her a.m., columbusci-
hair done. tyschools.org.
DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471
2A SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021
B
lacks
played
a very
significant,
though mostly
under acknowl-
edged, role in
the exploration
and settlement
of the Tom-
bigbee River
Valley. The
names of very
Rufus Ward
few Black in-
dividuals who
contributed so much to
our history have survived. during the successful
Here are some of those
stories from our past.
The European explo-
ration of the Tombigbee
River Valley began with
the expedition of Hernan-
do de Soto in 1540, which
included seven or eight
Blacks. De Soto crossed
the Tombigbee River in
what is now the Colum-
bus area in December
1540 and established his
winter camp probably in
the Starkville area. That
was 67 years before the
English landed at James-
town in Virginia.
One of the most
interesting figures in
Mississippi’s colonial his-
tory was Simon, who was
known as “the Brave free
Black.” Simon was a free
Black French officer who
commanded a company of “the hurricane on Tom
45 Black French soldiers
during the French/Choc-
taw-Chickasaw Battle of
Ackia (site of present-day
Tupelo) on May 26, 1736.
The French force of
about 600 soldiers was
dispatched first to French license out of Mobile, Nat-
Fort Tombecbe (located
about 10 miles south of
Gainesville, Alabama),
which had been con-
structed on a bluff over-
looking the Tombigbee
River. The French then
proceeded to the mouth of
Tibbee Creek /Plymouth
Bluff, where they camped by flatboat from John
for three days, and then
to the Chickasaw villages
they attacked.
The Chickasaws re-
pulsed the assault, sound- Earlier in January 1814,
ly defeating the French
and Choctaws. After the
French defeat, several
soldiers questioned the
courage of Simon’s com-
pany.
To show his bravery,
Simon ran back through
the concentrated fire of
the Chickasaws to the
Indian village. There,
he threw a rope over
the head of a Chickasaw
horse and rode it back to
the French lines through
a shower of musket fire.
He was greeted with
cheers, and no one ever
again questioned the
bravery of Simon or
his company of Black
soldiers.
During the American
Revolution, the closest
battle to Columbus was
fought at Mobile, Ala-
bama, on March 8, 1780.
There, English Fort
Charlotte was attacked by house, thereby indicat-
a combined force of Span- ing that Scott was a free
Recognizing 481 years of history
ish soldiers
and settlers
from along
the Tombig-
bee River.
The first man
wounded in
the assault
was a free
Black man.
Another free
Black, Loren-
zo Montero,
commanded
a cannon in a
Spanish artillery battery
assault.
At the end of the
American Revolution,
England surrendered
West Florida to Spain. In
1792 the Spanish gover-
nor of West Florida wrote,
“The Colored People have
served during the late
war with great courage
and usefulness.”
After American
independence, the role
of Blacks continued to
expand. By 1791, William
Cooper, a free Black
contractor, was working
and trading over the
entire region from Baton
Rouge to Mobile and up
the Tombigbee. In 1791
he was selling horses for
$15 a head, and in 1792
he delivered corn and
tobacco to a place called
Bigby River.”
In 1794 Cooper worked
on the construction of a
fort on the Tombigbee for
John Turnbull, an Amer-
ican operating a trading
business under Spanish
chez and Baton Rouge.
Cooper fell in love with
Turnbull’s slave servant
Medlang, and after trad-
ing his noted racehorse
“Cooper’s Grey” for her,
he took her as his wife.
George Gaines, in
March 1814, took supplies
Pitchlynn’s at Plymouth
Bluff to St. Stephens. He
had a crew of five, includ-
ing Dick, a Black man.
Gaines had sent a Choc-
taw Factory (trading post)
boat upriver from St.
Stephens to Pitchlynn’s.
Two unnamed Black men
were hired to row the
boat. Between 1806 and
1816, 22 different Black
men were employed by
the U.S. Choctaw factory
(trading post) on the low-
er Tombigbee River.
Black men played a key
role in the founding of Co-
lumbus. The first keelboat
for Tombigbee River trade
built at the site of Co-
lumbus was said to have
been built by two Black
men in 1817. An interest-
ing figure from the time
of Columbus’ founding
was James Scott. During
the mid-1820s, he sold
lumber in Columbus and
the 1822 through 1825
tax records indicate that
no whites resided in his
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
ASK RUFUS
ident of the United States
‘To The Men of Color’ shall be informed of your
“Soldiers — From the
conduct on the present
shores of Mobile I collected
occasion, and the voice of
you to arms — I invited
the Representatives of the
you to share in the perils
American nation shall ap-
and to divide the glory of
plaud your valor, as your
your white countrymen. General now praises your
I expected much from ardor. The enemy is near;
you, for I was not unin- his sails cover the lakes,
formed of those qualities but the brave are united;
Drawing by the late Frank Swords
which must render you so and if he finds us con-
Black men played a key role in the founding of
Columbus. In 1817 two Black men built the first formidable to an invading tending among ourselves,
foe. I knew that you could
keelboat at Columbus for the Tombigbee River trade, it will be for the prize of
but their names were never recorded. endure hunger and thirst valor, and fame its noblest
and all the hardships of reward.”
Black man. Dr. B.C. Barry Indians. On Dec. 18, 1814, war. I knew that you loved
began construction of a Jackson reviewed his the land of your nativity, Though February has
frame house in Columbus troops in anticipation of and that, like ourselves, been set aside as Black
on the southwest corner the British attack. Each you had to defend all that History Month, these
of what is now Market unit was assembled and is most dear to man — real American heroes
Street and College Street, addressed. Jackson’s But you surpass my hopes. and founders should be
in 1824. He purchased his address given the two I have found in you, united celebrated and honored
lumber from Scott. battalions of Free Men of to these qualities, that whenever our history is
In 1842, Horace King, Color was published in noble enthusiasm which told.
though a slave, was an newspapers across the impels to great deeds. Rufus Ward is a local
engineer and bridge country. “Soldiers — The Pres- historian.
builder from Tuscaloosa.
He built several bridg-
es in Lowndes County,
including the first bridge
over the Tombigbee. That
bridge came off the top of
the bluff at Fourth Avenue
South. It was a wooden
covered bridge 420 feet
long and 65 feet high.
King was eventually given
his freedom by his owner
and then, as a free man,
formed a partnership with
his former owner.
Isaac and Thomas
Williams appeared in
Columbus not long after
1840. They were “free
men of color” who were
from South Carolina.
Isaac was a carpenter/
laborer and Thomas was
a blacksmith. Their busi-
ness prospered and about
1843, they built for their
family the Williams-Glass
House, which still stands
across the corner from
the present-day Trotter
Convention Center. From
the city’s earliest days,
Black carpenters and con-
tractors played a signifi-
cant role in the building
of Columbus. Their
history and contributions
show a very important,
but little-recognized,
part of Columbus histo-
ry. However, increasing
pressure and overbearing
restrictions on the free
Black community by the
city created intolerable
conditions for the Wil-
liams and by the early
1850s they moved from
Columbus.
The importance of
diversity and the impor-
tance of African Amer-
icans in the creation of
this country is nowhere
more clearly seen than
in 1815 at the Battle of
New Orleans. At Andrew
Jackson’s celebrated
victory over the British,
his army was as diverse
as the American South.
His troops in line of battle
included U.S. regular
Army, Louisiana, Tennes-
see, Kentucky, Missis-
sippi and Orleans militia,
Free Men of Color, Jean
Lafitte’s Baratarian
pirates and Choctaw
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 3A

SOCSD invites parents to discuss Caledonia man dies after

potential move to year-round school being struck by vehicle
Modified schedule would keep current number of
days, holidays, shorten summer break to six weeks
BY ISABELLE ALTMAN
ialtman@cdispatch.com
Officials with
Starkville-Oktibbeha
Consolidated School
District plan to hold
two meetings with
parents next week to
discuss modifying
the 2021-22 calendar
to year-round school. Peasant
Super intendent
Eddie Peasant sent
an email to parents
Thursday that said
district officials and
employees have been
in talks “both formal
and informal” about
potentially moving Thomas
to a modified sched-
ule next school year. The email
contained a survey for parents to
complete and information on how
to log in to two Zoom meetings, one
at 6 p.m. Tuesday and one at noon
Thursday, to further discuss the
schedule.
“We have an opportunity to re-
think the traditional school calen-
dar and to determine if a modified
school calendar could offer a more
personalized school experience
with additional enrichment op-
portunities for learning,” Peasant
wrote in the email.
Public Information Officer Ni-
cole Thomas said district officials
have been in talks with Corinth
School District, which has held
year-round school since 2016, and
other school districts about how the
potential transition to the new cal-
endar would work. She and Peasant
both said the district would require
the same number of days — 180
learning days for students and 187
work days for teachers — as well
as the same holidays, including La-
bor Day, Christmas, Easter and ex-
tended fall and spring breaks. The
summer would be shortened from
12 to six weeks, and those extra
days would be distributed to longer
breaks throughout the year.
Thomas said the COVID-19
pandemic and the challenges it
has presented to school districts
has caused district officials — and
those at other schools around the
state — to look at a modified calen-
dar “through a different lens.” By
having extended breaks through-
out the school year, students could
retain more information and any in
need of extra help could get reme-
diation throughout the year, instead
of all at once over summer break.
The breaks throughout the year,
Thomas said, could also offer more
educational opportunities for stu-
dents who don’t necessarily need
that extra help.
“In the letter, we talk about ex-
tended breaks in the fall and spring
specifically,” she said. “Some of
those days would be considered in-
ter-sessions. ... The inter-sessions
would be opportunities for students
to participate in remediation, to
help master some standards, or
opportunities for enrichment, so
more of a summer camp-type expe-
rience. So ... the opportunity would
be there for all students.’’
Columbus Municipal School Dis-
trict officials, who have also spoken
with Corinth School District, began
DISPATCH STAFF REPORT
asking for parents’ input last month
to gauge support for moving to a A Caledonia man has died after being struck by
similar modified schedule. While
some parents are enthusiastic, The
a vehicle in Hamilton Friday morning.
Monroe County Coroner Alan Gurley identified
Dispatch previously reported, oth-
the victim as Dennis Ray Thomas, 34. According
ers raised concerns about their chil-
to a press release from Gurley’s office, Thomas
dren missing traditional summer
experiences. Some parents who was a pedestrian on Highway 45 North at about
5:53 a.m. when a Ford F-150 struck him just north
work said they are concerned about
the logistics of having to schedule of the Hamilton Road intersection. Thomas died of
child care for younger students for “multiple trauma” at the scene.
multiple two- or three-week periods The release said the driver of the truck, who is
scattered throughout the year, rath- a Hamilton resident on his way to work, was not
er than one two-month block in the injured.
summer. Sgt. Derrick Beckom, a spokesperson with Mis-
Thomas said the latter concern, sissippi Highway Patrol, which is investigating the
in particular, is one the district incident, said MHP does not expect to file charges
wants to be sure to discuss with in the incident.
parents.
“Certainly that is part of our con-
versations with our community ...
and definitely we’re exploring some
options for that,” she said.
In addition to the parent meet-
ings, district officials will hold
further meetings with faculty and
at least one with community stake-
holders before bringing the issue to
the school board for a final decision.
Though there is no set deadline for
parents to turn in their surveys,
Thomas said she will likely send a
follow-up email reminding parents
to give their input before the board
approves next year’s calendar.
The district must finalize and
turn in its 2021-22 calendar to the
Mississippi Department of Educa-
tion by May 30.
“I think we’re always reflecting
and thinking about how we might
be able to offer a more personal-
ized school experience to meet the
needs of all of our students and how
that might look, and we want to take
this opportunity with the calendar
to extend that conversation to our
faculty and our parents and our
greater community,” Thomas said.

Daniels qualifies as Ward 4 alderman

candidate, creating three-person race
the North Star Industrial
Will face Austin Check in Republican primary in April Park as an example of the
BY TESS VRBIN unteer fire services, and the same time, I feel like I city’s industrial growth
tvrbin@cdispatch.com Democrat Mike Brooks, have the ability to connect and potential to create
the Planning and Zoning with students and the stu- “sustainable, high-paying
A third Commission chair. dent population. I don’t jobs.” He also hopes to
candidate Daniels, 36, said he feel like it was that long foster the city’s Parks and
has entered has “always believed in ago that I was a student Recreation department.
the race for public service” and want- myself.” “I feel like we have the
the open ed to capitalize on the A lifelong Starkville opportunity going for-
Ward 4 opportunity to serve his resident and a graduate of ward to make Starkville
seat on the hometown and Ward 4, Starkville Academy and a destination spot for not
Starkville which he described as Mississippi State Univer- only university sport-
board of al- Daniels “exciting and dynamic.” sity, Daniels completed ing events but also for
dermen. He has lived in the Tim- an industrial and systems just regular community
Kevin Daniels, a Re- bercove neighborhood engineering bachelor’s events, as well as youth
publican, qualified Friday west of South Montgom- degree in 2008 and a mas- sports and things of that
to run for the seat that in- ery Street for more than a ter’s degree in 2016. He nature,” he said.
cumbent Alderman Jason decade. works as the materials The deadline to qual-
Walker will not defend “I feel like I understand manager for Motus Inte- ify for candidacy is Feb.
after serving two terms. the needs and wants of grated Technologies in 5. Daniels and Check will
Daniels joins fellow Re- traditional neighbor- Columbus. face each other in the
publican Austin Check, hoods like Timbercove, If elected, Daniels April 6 Republican prima-
a longtime member of Pleasant Acres and Need- hopes to attract new busi- ry before the June 8 gen-
Oktibbeha County’s vol- more,” Daniels said. “At nesses to Starkville, citing eral election.

If you don’t read The Dispatch, how are you gonna know?

Lottery money used to repave

state highways in Mississippi
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
JACKSON — New funds from the
Mississippi Lottery are helping to lower
a backlog in the state’s road maintenance
projects and have aided in the repaving of
more than 250 miles of highway across
the state, the Mississippi Department of
Transportation said.
Officials said the roughly $80 million
in lottery funds helped the Mississippi
Transportation Commission put a priority
on pavement restoration, focusing on up-
grades to aging infrastructures, WLBT-
TV reported.
“We don’t gamble on safety. MDOT
wasted no time putting these funds to use
and awarded numerous projects through-
out the state, many are already underway,”
said Commissioner Tom King, chair, of
the Mississippi Transportation Commis-
sion. “MDOT is very appreciative of the
lottery proceeds to Mississippi’s mainte-
nance needs.”
As of December, a total of 281 miles
have been or will be repaved, and so far, a
total of $73.4 million has been awarded for
these projects statewide.
“Adequate funding is the winning tick-
et for a safe and efficient transportation in-
frastructure. These paving projects make
our highways safer and make Mississippi
a better place to live and work,” said Com-
missioner Willie Simmons of the central
district.
“Paving projects help ensure the people
and businesses of Mississippi have effi-
cient and reliable infrastructure for travel
and transport of goods and services,” said
Commissioner John Caldwell, of the north-
ern district. “This money isn’t just going
into Mississippi’s highways—it’s going to
our people as well. You will begin seeing SOLUNAR TABLE
The solunar period indicates

legislature for designating a portion of the the benefits of these projects soon.”
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4A SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021
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328-2471.
June Shirley
STEENS — June A.
Shirley, 80, died Jan.
24, 2021, at her resi-
dence.
Graveside services
were at 1 p.m. Sat-
urday, at New Zion
Steens Cemetery, with
the Rev. Christopher
Wriley officiating.
Visitation was from 1-5
p.m. Friday, at Hairston
and Hairston Funeral
Home of Columbus,
which is in charge of
arrangements.
Mrs. Shirley was
born Aug. 24, 1940,
in Steens, to Charlie
Bradley and Icie Mary
Summerville Bradley.
She is survived by
her husband, Charles
Shirley, Sr.; children,
Ernie Shirley, Barbara
Price, Gwendolyn Har-
ris, Jacqueline Kyles
and Linda Pernell
all of Steens; sister,
Willie Ann Poole; 14
grandchildren; and 33
great-grandchildren.
Ezell Mason
MACON — Ezell
Mason, 66, died Jan.
27, 2021, at his resi-
dence.
Arrangements are
incomplete and will be
announced by Lee-
Sykes Funeral Home of
Macon is in charge of
arrangements.
Bessie Wilkins
KENNEDY, Ala. —
Bessie “Bess” Sutton
McCool Wilkins, 86,
died Jan. 28, 2021, at
her residence.
Graveside services
will be at 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, at Graham Me-
morial Cemetery, with
the Rev. Tim Meherg
and Rev. John Wesley
Burkhalter officiating.
Visitation will follow.
Skelton Funeral Home
of Reform is in charge
of arrangements.
Mrs. Wilkins was
born Nov. 3, 1934, in
Carrollton, Alabama, to
the late John A. Sut-
ton and Vera Strick-
land Sutton. She was
formerly employed as
an LPN with Pickens
County Medical Center
and was a member of
Reform First Baptist
Church.
In addition to her
parents, she was
preceded in death by
her husband, Harold
K. Wilkins; son, Frank
McCool; and siblings,
J.W., Andrew, Rayford,
Louis, Hubert Sutton,
Lucy Shields, Malyn-
da Sutton and Alice
Marlowe.
She is survived by
her children, Debbie
Gottschalk, Karen
Holsonback and Wade
McCool; sister, Fran-
ces McDaniel; nine
grandchildren; and 13
great-grandchildren.
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
AREA OBITUARIES
Pallbearers will be April 6, 1942, in White- on March 11, 1957, in West Point Memorial morial Hospital-Golden
Dan Gottschalk, Mike water, Missouri, to the Aberdeen to the late Gardens in West Point. Triangle.
Holsonback, Michael late Elwin and Addie Ralph Wayne and Hel- Carter’s Mortuary Arrangements are
Holsonback, Samuel Cappella Dyer. He en Ann Dodd Pruitt. Services of West Point incomplete and will be
Kennedy, Jason Hill received his bachelor’s He attended Aberdeen is entrusted with ar- announced by Lown-
and Kody Anthony. degree in Math from High School and grad- rangements. des Funeral Home in
Memorials may be Southeastern Louisi- uated from Hamilton Ms. Lenoir was born Columbus.
made to St. Jude Chil- ana University. He was High School in 1976. July 8, 1937, in West See OBITS, 7A
dren’s Hospital, Me- formerly employed at He enlisted in the Mis- Point to the late The-
morial Giving, 501 St. Weyerhaeuser Co. as a sissippi Army National odore Roosevelt Yates
Jude Place, Memphis, safety training manag- Guard and retired as and Dora Lee Yates.
TN 38105-9959. er. He was currently Captain. Stephen was Katie was formerly
employed with East formerly employed as a employed as a welder.
Henry Summerville Jr. Mississippi Communi- machinist, In addition to her
He is survived by parents, she was
COLUMBUS — ty College as technical
Henry Summerville training and instructor. his son, Casey Pruitt preceded in death by
Jr., 81, died Jan. 22, Ken was a member of of Hamilton; broth- her brothers, James
2021, at Baptist Memo- Masonic Grand Lodge ers, Lamar Pruitt and Henry Yates and Willie
rial Hospital-Golden of Mississippi, Knights Wayne Pruitt, both George Yates; and
Triangle. Templer of Mississippi of Aberdeen; and one sister, Sara Hill.
Graveside services and the Shriners of grandson. She is survived by
were at 2 p.m. Satur- Mississippi. her children, Dwight
day, at Mrs. Dyer was born Mary Carter Yates of Beaumont,
Guy Richards
Memorial Sept. 27, 1939, to the WEST POINT — Dobie Yates of Tyler,
Graveside Services:
Gardens, late Willie and Flor- Mary Ella Carter, 96, Texas, Donna Reese Saturday, Feb. 6 • 2 PM
ence Reid Rushing in and Angela Walton, Friendship Cemetery
with Casey died Jan. 18, 2021, Burial
New Orleans. She was at North Mississippi both of Starkville, De- Friendship Cemetery
Bush
a member of the East- Medical Center-Tupelo. ionne Lenoir of West 2nd Ave. N. Location
officiating.
ern Star of Mississippi Graveside services Point; brother, Samuel
Carter’s
Clarence LeBlanc
and East End Baptist are 3 p.m. Monday at Yates of Bolingbrook,
Funeral Incomplete
Summerville Church. Gloria worked Greenwood Cemetery Illinois; sister, Jean
Services College St. Location
as a teacher for several in West Point with the Price of West Point; 14
of Colum-
years and at Baptist Rev. Randy L. Conley grandchildren and 11
bus was in charge of
Memorial Hospi- Jr. officiating. Carter’s great-grandchildren.
arrangements.
Mr. Summerville tal-Golden Triangle as Mortuary Services of
was born Dec. 4, 1939, a switchboard operator. West Point is entrusted Donald Reeves
in Columbus, to the In addition to her with arrangements. COLUMBUS memorialgunterpeel.com
late Henry Summer- parents, Mrs. Dyer Ms. Carter was born ­ Donald J. Reeves
—
ville Sr. and Armatha was preceded in death March 20, 1924, in “Duck,” 81, died Jan.
Jones Summerville. by her sisters, Gladys West Point to the late 29, 2021, at Baptist Me-
He is survived by his Rushing and Gwen Benjamin Young and
wife, Carrie Summer- Baker. Dove Montgomery
ville; children, Diane Mr. and Mrs. Dyer Young.
were both preceded in In addition to her
Thomas, Lisa Samp-
death by their daugh- parents, she was pre-
son, Denise Strong,
ter, Ginger Rogers; two ceded in death by her
Gerry Summerville,
grandchildren and two son, Dennis Carter;
Anthony Summerville
great-grandchildren. daughter, Shirley
and Chandra Lanford
They are survived Upshaw; brothers,
all of Columbus; nine
by their daughters, Sammy Young and
grandchildren; 14
great-grandchildren; Gina Dyer, Greta Mill- Benjamin Young; and
er, Gidget Dyer and sisters, Nider Williams
and great-great-grand-
children. Gawain McGuff; Mr. and Carrie Ewell.
Dyer’s brother, Keith She is survived by
Dyer, and sisters, Kar- her sons, Chris Carter,
William Eads Jr. en Tullier and Karolyn Ronald Carter and
OLD HICKORY, Featherston; Mrs. Donald Carter; daugh-
Tenn. ­— William “Bill” Dyer’s sister, Glenda ters, Rochelle Danner
Edward Eads Jr., 90, Holliday; eight grand- and Christine Carter;
died Jan. 26, 2021. children and eight 14 grandchildren and
A celebration of life great-grandchildren. 36 great-grandchil-
service will be held at dren.
a later date. Burial will
be at Friendship Cem-
Stephen Pruitt
etery in Columbus.
MONROE COUNTY Katie Lenoir
— Stephen Dale Pruitt, WEST POINT
Bond Memorial Chapel
63, died Jan. 28, 2021, — Katie Ruth Yates
in Mt. Juliet, Tennes-
in Monroe County. Lenoir, 83, died Jan.
see, is entrusted with
Graveside services 23, 2021, at Baptist Me-
arrangements.
are 2 p.m. today at morial Hospital-Golden
Mr. Eads was born
Oddfellows Rest Triangle.
in Columbus to the late
Cemetery with James Graveside services
William Edward Eads
Clardy officiating. are 11 a.m. Monday at
Sr. and Annie Johnson.
Tisdale-Lann Memo- West Point Memorial
He was a member of
rial Funeral Home is Gardens in West Point
Cooks United Meth-
honored to assist the with the Rev. Tim
odist Church and a
family with the ar- Brinkley officiating.
veteran of the U.S. Visitation is Monday
rangements.
Air Force. Bill was from 10:30-11 a.m. at
Mr. Pruitt was born
formerly employed
Dardanell Lollar
with Mississippi State
University as the head
of Property/Receiving
Control. Dardanell Franks Lollar, 90
In addition to his of Paris, went home to be with
parents, he was preced- her Lord on Thursday, January
ed in death by his wife, 28, 2021.
Faye Smith; sisters, Funeral services have been
Mildred Darling and
Rosa House.
He is survived by
set for Monday, February 1,
2021, at 2:00 PM at Ramseur Guy Richards, Jr.
Baptist Church, with Rev. Don Henry Guy Richards Jr., age 80, died Wednes-
his daughters, Kathryn Morton officiating. Interment day, January 27, 2021, at Windsor Place Nursing
and Martha. will follow at Evergreen & Rehab Center.
Memorials may be Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Graveside services will be held Saturday, Feb-
made to Cooks United Monday starting one hour prior to the service ruary 06, 2021, at 2:00 PM at Friendship Ceme-
Methodist Church, time. tery with Rev. Jearl Hunley officiating.
7919 Lebanon Road, She was born March 27, 1930, to Pluma Hughes Mr. Richards was born on Monday, December
Mt. Juliet, TN; or Mt. Franks and Gabriel Clifton Franks in Columbus, 02, 1940, in Columbus to the late Henry Guy and
Juliet Help Center, Mississippi. In 1946 she married a local, Claude Murla Studdard Richards, Sr. He was a lifelong
3452B N. Mt. Juliet Lollar, with whom she spent 67 years with. Soon resident of Columbus and a member of Cumber-
Road, Mt. Juliet, TN. they started their family, a son, Lawrence Calvert land Presbyterian Church. Mr. Richards was a
Lollar; daughters, Candice and Michele. Having graduate of S.D. Lee High School and attended
Ken and Gloria Dyer began their family journey in Columbus, they Mississippi State University. During his lifetime
COLUMBUS — lived in various cities throughout Mississippi, he owned and operated numerous businesses in
Kenneth Eccles Dyer, but then moved to Rogersville, Tennessee, Fort Columbus. In addition to his parents, he was pre-
78, and Gloria Joyce Pierce, Florida and eventually moved to Paris in ceded in death by his granddaughter, Catherine
Dyer, 81, died Jan. 28, 1976. She stayed active in her church, Ramseur Crosby Richards.
2021, at their resi- Baptist Church and was active with DAR. Survivors include daughter, Stephanie Dillard,
dence. She leaves behind her son and both daughters; (Greg), Columbus, MS; sons, Guy Richards, III
A memorial service as well as two grandchildren, Graham Harrison (Elizabeth), Peachtree City, GA and Lee Rich-
will be held 1 p.m. Scott of Rogers, Arkansas and Catherine ards, (Linda), Columbus, MS; sister, Donna
Wednesday at Lown- Cardenaux Trevino of Dallas, Texas. Sue Wade, (Sam); brother, Ted Richards, (Don-
des Funeral Home in Online condolences may be sent to the Lollar na); grandchildren, Jack Richards, Matthew
Columbus with Byron family at www.fry-gibbs.com. Richards, Mary Paige Richards, Blake Dillard
(Dawn), Keys Kizer (Cade) and Jeremy Dillard;
Benson officiating. Paid Obituary - Fry-Gibbs Funeral Home
Mr. Dyer was born and six great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St.
Jude Place, Memphis TN 38101 or Ronald Mc-
Donald House Charities, 1009 Wolfe St., Little
Rock AR 72202.
Sign the online guest book at
www.memorialgunterpeel.com
716 Second Avenue North • Columbus, MS

Playing favorites? Hospital
boards, donors get COVID shots
BY RUSS BYNUM,
MICHELLE R. SMITH
AND RACHEL LA CORTE
The Associated Press
While millions of
Americans wait for the
COVID-19 vaccine, hos-
pital board members,
their trustees and donors
around the country have
gotten early access to
the scarce drug or offers
for vaccinations, raising
complaints about favor-
itism tainting decisions
about who gets inoculat-
ed and when.
In Rhode Island, At-
torney General Peter
Neronha opened an inqui-
ry after reports that two
hospital systems offered
their board members vac-
cinations. A Seattle-ar-
ea hospital system was
rebuked by Washington
Gov. Jay Inslee after it
offered COVID-19 vac-
cination appointments
to major donors. And in
Kansas, members of a
hospital board received
vaccinations during the
first phase of the state’s
rollout, which was intend-
ed for people at greater
risk for infection.
Hospitals in Florida,
New Jersey and Virgin-
ia also have faced ques-
tions about distributing
vaccines, including to
donors, trustees and rela-
tives of executives.
The disclosures could
threaten public confi-
dence in a national rollout
already marked by vac-
cine shortages, appoint-
ment logjams and incon-
sistent standards state
to state for determining
who’s eligible.
“We want people vac-
cinated based on priori-
ty, not privilege,” Inslee
spokesman Mike Faulk
said. “Everyone deserves
a fair opportunity to get
vaccinated.”
At the direction of
the federal government,
states have set up tiered
distribution pipelines
aimed first at protecting
essential workers and
those most at risk, includ-
ing older Americans. In
California, for example,
medical workers, first re-
sponders, nursing home
residents and people 65
and older are at the front
of the line for the coveted
shots.
In some cases, it’s not
clear if rules were violat-
ed when people outside
priority groups received
vaccinations. Guidelines
vary by state, and hos-
pitals can have leeway
making decisions. In Cal-
ifornia, providers have
more latitude to make
sure they do not squan-
der hard-to-get vaccine in
cases where it might be at
risk of going to waste.
In Rhode Island, At-
torney General Peter
Neronha began an in-
quiry into two hospital
systems after The Prov-
idence Journal reported
this month that some
board members of hos-
pital systems Lifespan
and Care New England
had been offered vaccina-
tions.
In an interview Fri-
day with The Associat-
ed Press, Neronha said
the report, if true, raised
questions about wheth-
er the vaccine was being
distributed appropriately.
“We all know the
stakes are incredibly
high. People are frus-
trated, they’re scared,”
Neronha said. “Given the
lack of supply here, every
dose is critical.”
Care New England
spokeswoman Raina
Smith said in an emailed
statement that adminis-
Local journalism matters
Support The Dispatch by subscribing or advertising
662-328-2424 or cdispatch.com
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 5A
US pauses plan to give virus vaccine this month that it planned to offer the
vaccine to prisoners as it vaccinated all
to Guantanamo prisoners personnel at the detention center.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. is At the time, U.S. Southern Command
backing off for now on a plan to offer said it expected to have enough vaccine
COVID-19 vaccinations to the 40 prison-
for all of the approximately 1,500 per-
ers held at the detention center at Guan-
sonnel assigned to the detention center.
tanamo Bay, Cuba.
It said that the vaccine would be offered
Pentagon chief spokesman John Kirby
to prisoners but did not plan to reveal
said in a tweet Saturday that the Defense
Department would be “pausing” the plan how many actually received it because of
to give the vaccination to those held at medical privacy regulations.
Guantanamo while it reviews measures There have been no reported cases of
to protect troops who work there. coronavirus among the detention center
Kirby said no prisoners had yet re- prisoners. Early in the pandemic the U.S.
ceived the vaccination. The plan drew military stopped reporting cases at indi-
some criticism after The New York vidual bases for security reasons.
Times reported that the vaccination of The U.S. opened the detention center
prisoners would start in the coming days. in January 2002 to hold detainees sus-
“We’re pausing the plan to move for- pected of links to al-Qaida and the Tali-
ward, as we review force protection pro- ban. Those who remain include five men
tocols,” Kirby said. “We remain commit- facing a trial by military commission for
ted to our obligations to keep our troops their alleged roles planning and aiding
safe.” the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
The U.S. military announced earlier SOURCE: AP
trators would cooperate in Hayward, California,
with the probe. Lifespan got a first vaccine before
spokeswoman Kathleen Christmas along with
Hart emailed a statement first responders and
saying the hospital sys- frontline medical work-
tem had followed guid- ers.
ance from Rhode Island Naranjo told KNTV-TV
health officials and had he wasn’t seeking special
recently received clear- treatment ahead of oth-
ance to vaccinate em- ers. He said he’s often at
ployers and volunteers the hospital “walking the
considered at lower risk, halls, talking to people,”
“including board mem- and wanted to serve as a
bers, who fall into the vol- role model for others in
unteer category.” the Hispanic community
The Seattle Times has to get vaccinated.
reported that Overlake “The main thing I
Medical Center & Clin- wanted to do is to show
ics emailed about 110 do- people to take the vac-
nors who gave more than cine and not to be afraid,”
$10,000 to the hospital Naranjo said. “That it is
system, telling them that safe. They need to be pro-
vaccine slots were avail- tected.”
able. The email gave the Hospital spokesman
donors an access code to Sam Singer said Naranjo
register for appointments was the only board mem-
“by invite” only. ber to receive a vaccina-
At the same time, tion, because he visits the
the public Overlake reg- hospital weekly to meet
istration site was fully with doctors, nurses and
booked through March. patients.
The medical center’s In Kansas, members
chief operating officer of the Stormont Vail
said the invitation was a Health board, along with
quick-fix solution after its fundraising board,
the hospital’s scheduling received vaccinations
system failed. Overlake during the first phase
shut down online access of the program, which
to the invite-only clinic was focused on nursing
after getting a call from homes and health care
Inslee’s staff, and CEO J. workers. Spokesman
Michael Marsh issued an Matt Lara said workers
apology. got shots first, and board
Seattle Mayor Jenny members received them
Durkan called on the because they govern the
state to reassess its vac- hospital and its daily op-
cine policy to make sure erations.
the most vulnerable, es- In California’s Santa
pecially people of color, Clara County, southeast
are prioritized. Hospital of San Francisco, health
donors should be banned, officials are withholding
she said. COVID-19 vaccines from
“We have an obligation a hospital after it offered
to ensure that our fight the vaccine to about 65
against the pandemic teachers and staffers
does not exacerbate ineq- from a wealthy school
uities,” she said. district in Silicon Valley,
Arthur Caplan, medi- skipping people over 65
cal ethics director at New and health care workers.
York University’s Gross- Teachers and staff at
man School of Medicine, Los Gatos Union School
said it’s not surprising District received an email
that hospitals supplied last week from Superin-
with vaccine to inoculate tendent Paul Johnson of-
their workers would in- fering vaccines ahead of
terpret guidance broadly schedule. In the email,
and include those who first reported by the
don’t work directly with San Jose Spotlight news
patients, such as comput- outlet, Johnson said the
er technicians. hospital’s offer was made
But giving hospital in gratitude because the
board members early district raised funds for
access to the vaccine, re- 3,500 meals that went to
gardless of an individual frontline workers at Good
hospital’s rationale, only Samaritan Hospital and
damages public confi- another facility.
dence that shots are be- Teachers, in the email,
ing distributed equitably, were told to impersonate
Caplan said. health care workers de-
“It’s a reminder that if spite the threat of perjury
you’re rich, well-connect- to obtain access to the
ed and know how to work vaccine. Good Samari-
the system, you can get tan CEO Joe DeSchryver
access that others can’t,” said in a statement Tues-
Caplan said. “Here it is, day that all appointments
right in our face, when it for a vaccine for people
comes to vaccinations.” who are not health care
Fred Naranjo, owner workers or over 65 have
of a San Francisco in- been canceled.
surance company and a “We regret the mistake
board member and chair we made in our efforts to
of the finance commit- use all vaccines prior to
tee at St. Rose Hospital expiration,” he wrote.
Opinion
6A SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021
PETER BIRNEY IMES Editor/Publisher
BIRNEY IMES III Editor/Publisher 1998-2018
BIRNEY IMES JR. Editor/Publisher 1947-2003

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

ZACK PLAIR, Managing Editor

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

OUR VIEW
Roses and thorns
A rose to
the Colum-
bus-Lowndes
Public Library
for an inno-
vative way to
encourage kids to read. The
library’s “Downtown Story
Walk” runs through Febru-
ary. Starting Monday, kids
can walk through downtown
and read the children’s book
“If You Give a Pig a Pancake”
by Laura Joffe Numeroff. The
pages of the book, including
the illustrations by Felicia
Bond, will be enlarged and
displayed in the windows of
downtown businesses. The
idea is to promote children’s
literacy and specifically the
2021 Winter Reading Chal-
lenge at the Columbus-Lown-
des Public Library System,
said Tori Hopper, children and
teens librarian and services
coordinator at the Columbus
branch. Children, teens and
adults are all encouraged to
sign up for the challenge and
read 10 books between Jan. 1
and Feb. 28. Not only does the
walk encourage kids to read, it
also gets them up and moving
around. It’s also likely to be a
shot-in-the arm for downtown
businesses, who certainly
welcome the exposure.
A thorn
to the man-
agement at
Cypress Park
Apartments,
for its failure to
stay current on the water bill
at the 144-unit complex in East
Columbus. Columbus Light
and Water General Manager
Todd Gale said service was
disconnected Friday after
repeated unsuccessful efforts
to reach the complex man-
agement. Water service was
disconnected Friday morning,
but was restored about eight
hours later after CL&W was
able to reach the company that
manages the complex, Michi-
gan-based Beztak Properties,
to work out a payment arrange-
ment. Since the water bill is
part of the rent, residents were
unaware of the problem. Ulti-
mately, it may have been the
complex management’s error,
but it was the residents who
suffered the consequences.
A rose to
the Mississippi
Department of
Archives and
History for
grants to fund
much needed repairs to histor-
ic buildings in Columbus and
Macon. In Columbus, MDAH
awarded $25,600 to repair the
front porch roof at the Stephen
D. Lee Home and $35,000 to
rebuild the front porch at the
Tennessee Williams Home
and Visitors Center. In Noxu-
bee County, MDAH awarded
$200,044 to replace the clay
tile and make exterior repairs
to the Noxubee County Library
in Macon. All three buildings
are listed on the National
Register of Historic Places and
are designated Mississippi
Landmarks. Because repairs
and renovations at historic
buildings must be consistent
with the original architecture
and building materials to main-
tain their cultural integrity,
the costs are often high. The
grants provide the funding to
ensure that future generations
can enjoy the history and beau-
ty of these historic places.
A rose to
Mississippi
State Univer-
sity, which
will provide
$1,000 for
undergraduate students to help
them make ends meet during
their final year before gradua-
tion. MSU announced its first
completion grants Tuesday,
given to students in financial
need who have completed at
least 75 percent of their credit
hours and are within a year
of graduation. The money
will help those students that
were experiencing financial
challenges in the last two
semesters of college, accord-
ing to John Daniels, financial
literacy coordinator with the
university’s student financial
aid office. “As with COVID, we
realized that oftentimes those
needs were amplified,” Daniels
said. “Not only were the needs
amplified, but we began to find
out more funding opportunities
related to COVID relief and
programs through the gover-
nor’s office that we wanted to
participate in so that we could
get these funds to the students
that needed them in a timely
fashion.”

OTHER EDITORS
Nary a word on Medicaid expansion
In his 2,200-word State of the State address
Tuesday, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves did not
make a single mention of Medicaid or Medic-
aid expansion.
Other than saying that “Mississippians
don’t want welfare,” there’s not even a reading
between the lines to indicate that the subject is
on his mind.
Such negligence has established Reeves as
the leading obstacle to doing what 38 other
states and the District of Columbia have done
— accepting the federal government’s gener-
ous offer to cover 90% of the cost of providing
health insurance to the working poor.
As a result, the state is losing out on about
$1 billion a year in federal money, is missing
out on the thousands of jobs Medicaid expan-
sion would create, is putting rural hospitals
in danger of financial collapse, and is leaving
170,000 to 300,000 Mississippians without the
health insurance they could otherwise have.
Reeves and like-minded Republicans in
the Legislature have long argued — even as
Medicaid expansion money has been flowing
to other states — that Mississippi simply can’t
afford to come up with its 10% share of the cost,
or roughly $75 to $100 million a year.
There may, however, not be a cost at all.
The Mississippi Hospital Association, for
instance, has offered a plan that would pass
on the state’s share to the hospitals and the
individual beneficiaries. Why would Mississip-
pi’s hospitals volunteer to pay more in taxes?
Because they would get many times more in
return by reducing the number of patients they
treat who can’t pay for their care.
Even better, the experience in other states
that have expanded Medicaid, including Mis-
sissippi’s neighbors in Arkansas and Louisiana,
suggests there may be no need for the hospi-
tals or the newly insured to pony up. That’s be-
cause the economic activity from the extra $1
billion a year from Washington would produce
more than enough in new tax revenue to cover
Mississippi’s 10% match. In other words, Med-
icaid expansion — when all the savings and
economic spinoffs are factored in — produces
a net plus to the state’s balance sheet.
It is glaringly ironic that while Reeves has
no interest in a Medicaid expansion that would
probably pay for itself, he is keen on a tax cut
that almost certainly would not. He used Tues-
day’s platform to again push for eliminating
the state’s tax on personal income, even before
the state knows the full effect of a reduction
in that same tax that’s in the midst of being
implemented.
The income tax covers about a third of the
state’s $6 billion general fund budget. There is
no way the state can eliminate that much reve-
nue without raising taxes elsewhere — such as
hiking Mississippi’s already high sales tax or
establishing a state tax on property — or cut-
ting allocations for schools, public safety and
the other necessary services that the income
tax funds.
Reeves pretends that eliminating the
income tax would generate such an explosion
in economic growth that it would offset the $2
billion a year in lost revenue to the state with
other taxable sources. No serious economist
believes that. Unlike Medicaid expansion,
which would bring in loads of new money and
thus truly stimulate the economy, ending the
income tax would mostly shift already existing
money from one pocket to another. Whatever
jobs were created in the private sector as a
result of eliminating the income tax would be
offset by jobs lost in the public one.
For the moment, the ramifications of Mis-
sissippi’s failure to expand Medicaid are being
softened by the pandemic stimulus packages.
But that money is going to dry up, probably
within the next year. When it does, the cost of
Reeves’ stubbornness will be plain and poten-
tially irreversible.
Greenwood Commonwealth (Jan. 27)
PARTIAL TO HOME
Chowing down in the Black Hills
O
ne
day
last
week while
organiz-
ing my
mother’s
desk my
sister came
across
a box of
letters.
Calling Birney Imes
them let-
ters might
be a stretch. These were postcards
and notes written to our father by
his children from summer camp
and during trips with friends.
Gratefully, many of them were
preserved by my father’s longtime
secretary, Helen Gault.
Aunt Helen, as we called her,
put each letter in a small business
envelope bearing the logo of “Co-
lumbus, Mississippi, The Friendly
City” and with her Smith-Corona
manual typed the pertinent infor-
mation: “Letter to Mr. Imes from
Tanner, June 1963” or “Written
when Birney was at Culver, Sum-
mer of 1962.”
Evidently, Aunt Helen filed these
away at The Dispatch, otherwise
they would have been lost in the
1967 fire that destroyed our home
on Chickasaw Drive.
Let me pause here to urge you,
dear reader, if you should be so
fortunate to have children who
send you postcards or letters from
afar, by all means hang on to them.
They, like savings bonds — anoth-
er arcane practice you don’t hear
much about — will only increase in
value over time.
In June of 1965, Andy Brislin,
Carl Edwards and myself set out
for Alaska in a brown station wagon
captained by now-legendary Junior
High football coach Warren “Oop”
Swoope.”
Our ultimate destination was
Petersburg, a fishing village set in
a string of islands off the coast of
Birney Imes III sent this postcard to his father while on a road trip to Alaska
in June 1965.
British Columbia. A sister of the
mother of Roger and Dean Swartz,
two of Oop’s former charges, lived
there and had hosted earlier such
expeditions.
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s admo-
nition that life is more about the
journey than the destination was
never more applicable than on this
adventure. We may have stayed
in a motel a time or two, but most
nights we camped and cooked our
meals over a fire.
We motored through the Black
Hills of South Dakota where we
tipped our hats to Mt. Rushmore;
journeyed up the AlCan Highway,
then much of it unpaved and brutal
on tires; camped near Denali (then
Mount McKinley) where we had to
fish for our supper; visited Anchor-
age, the state capital, where Oop
wrangled an audience and photo
op with the governor and then took
a ferry to our destination, a fish-
ing village settled by Norwegians
where we pulled fish out of the
ocean until our arms ached.
All this recollection was evoked
by a modest card postmarked,
“Keystone, South Dakota June 8,
1965.” On the front of the card is
a doctored photo of two men in a
Courtesy photo
1950s vintage motor boat pulling a
gigantic fish from a lake.
“Dear Dad, Look at the fish.
There are millions of ducks up
here. We see mostly mallard
drakes. Today we saw six antelope
in Sand Hills. I tried to get close
enough to take a picture but I
couldn’t … We’re fixing to chow
down. Your son, BI.”
A letter written from Camp
DeSoto by sister Tanner reveals a
more informative and affectionate
correspondent. She begins a letter
that contains a dizzying array of
activities in the following way:
“Dear Daddy, I am having a
good time. We are going to DeSoto
Falls Sunday. Will you please send
me some color film (size 127).”
No doubt shortly after receipt of
said letter, Aunt Helen was dis-
patched to one of the many down-
town drug stores (Gardner and
Myers, Alford’s, Shull’s or Laws)
for color film.
One has to wonder in this digital
age what equivalent will future gen-
erations have to these humble, but
treasured relics of a distant past.
Birney Imes (birney@cdispatch.
com) is the former publisher of The
Dispatch.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 7A

Mississippians quickly fill new Court date set for medical

virus vaccine appointments marijuana initiative dispute
BY LEAH WILLINGHAM AND
EMILY WAGSTER PET TUS
The Associated Press
JACKSON — Mississippi
residents scrambled to book ap-
pointments for COVID-19 vac-
cinations after Republican Gov.
Tate Reeves announced Friday
that 15,000 new openings were
available for the first of two dos-
es.
“I’m sure they will be booked
quickly!” Reeves wrote on Twit-
ter. “Stay safe and God bless!”
In just over two hours, all of
the appointments were filled.
Laurie Bertram Roberts,
who splits time between her
home in Jackson and a job in
Alabama, told The Associated
Press she and one of her daugh-
ters went online Friday and
booked vaccination appoint-
ments for themselves and six
other family members.
Roberts said they managed
to get appointments for five peo-
ple in Jackson, where they live.
But, they had to book one ap-
pointment in Vicksburg, which
is about an hour’s drive one
way, and two in Natchez, which
is about a two-hour drive in one
direction.
Roberts posted to Facebook:
“Got my whole family regis-
tered for vaccine appointments
and I feel like we got the Golden
Ticket!”
Coronavirus vaccinations in
Mississippi are currently avail-
able for people 65 and older,
health care workers and those
who are at least 16 and have
health conditions that might
make them more vulnerable to
the virus.
Inoculations are being done
at hospitals, community health
centers, private clinics and at
19 state-run drive-thru sites.
Jim Craig, senior deputy and
director of health protection at
the state Department of Health,
said Friday officials are work-
ing to add more drive-thru sites
to increase access.
Two new drive-thru sites are
scheduled to open next week.
A site in Warren County at the
Uptown Vicksburg, formerly
called Pemberton Mall, is open-
ing Feb. 1. A site in Lawrence
County at the Senior Center in
Monticello is opening Feb 2.
Officials said adding more
sites in the future will depend
on whether they are able to get
increased doses of the vaccine
from the federal government.
Mississippi has received ap-
proximately 37,000 doses of the
vaccine a week from the federal
government for the last three
weeks. State Health Officer Dr.
Thomas Dobbs said the Depart-
ment of Health officials have
been told by the federal govern-
ment to expect a 16% increase
over the next few weeks.
Additionally, the state has re-
claimed 9,000 doses of excess
Pfizer vaccine that was orig-
inally allocated to long-term
care facilities and has not been
used by CVS and Walgreens,
pharmacies that were contract-
ed by the United States gov-
ernment to complete long-term
care inoculations.
“We’ll be working to get that
quickly into the arms of eligible
Mississippians,” Dobbs said.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
JACKSON — The Mississippi Supreme Court has set
oral arguments for a lawsuit that questions the state initia-
tive process and seeks to block development of a medical
marijuana program.
The court issued an order Thursday setting the argu-
ments for April 14.
Voters in November approved Initiative 65, which re-
quires the state Health Department to establish a medical
marijuana program by the middle of this year.
A lawsuit by Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler is
trying to block the program by arguing that the proposal
should not have been on the ballot because Mississippi’s
initiative process is outdated.
The state constitution says petitioners must gather an
equal number of signatures from five congressional dis-
tricts. Mississippi dropped from five congressional dis-
tricts to four after the 2000 Census. Butler argues that this
creates a mathematical impossibility: With four districts,
more than one-fifth of the signatures must come from each.
In papers filed Dec. 28, state attorneys argued that Mis-
sissippi has two sets of congressional districts — one set
used for congressional elections and one set used for other
purposes.
Butler opposed Initiative 65 because it limits cities’ abil-
ity to regulate the location of medical marijuana business-
es.
The Health Department, the Mississippi Municipal
League and some others have filed briefs supporting But-
ler’s lawsuit. The Health Department argued that Initiative
65 seeks to transform the department “into something it
is not,” even as the department is stretched because of the
coronavirus pandemic.

Obits
Continued from Page 4A

David McCarty
COLUMBUS — David
Warren McCarty, 56, died
Jan. 29, 2021, at Baptist
Memorial Hospital-Golden
Triangle.
Graveside services are 11
a.m. Tuesday at Memorial
Gardens. Lowndes Funeral
Home in Columbus is en-
trusted with arrangements.
Mr. McCarty was pre-
ceded in death by his wife,
Amanda McCarty; father,
James Lewis McCarty; and
mother, Patsy Jane Morris
McCarty.
He is survived by his
daughter, Brittany McCa-
rty; sons, Nathan McCarty,
Gabriel McCarty and Jacob
McCarty.
Pallbearers will be Alex
Sargent, Otis McNamee,
Tommy Burchfield, Dennis
Collum and Randy Robles.
Memorials may be made
to American Cancer Society,
1380 Livingston Lane Jack-
son, MS 39213.
Arthur Davis
STARKVILLE — Arthur
Ganong Davis, 86, died Jan.
29, 2021.
A memorial service will
be held Tuesday at Odd Fel-
lows Cemetery in Starkville.
A graveside visitation will be
held Tuesday from noon-1
p.m., followed by a short
service at 1 p.m. Welch
Funeral Home in Starkville
is entrusted with arrange-
ments.
Mr. Davis was born Nov.
29, 1934, in Clarksdale to
the late J. Harper Davis and
Shelby Ganong Davis. He
graduated from Clarksdale
High School in 1952 and
attended Mississippi State
University. During his
junior year he was named
1954 Southeastern Confer-
ence “Player of the Year” by
the Nashville Banner and
Atlanta Constitution, and
during his senior year he
was named 1955 All Ameri-
can and “Player of the Year”
by the Football Writers
Association of America. He
was a former NFL player
for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After his football career, he
was as a coach for multiple
high schools and colleges.
He worked at Mississippi
School Supply Company, the
Development Foundation
at MSU as director, and
worked in public relations
for United Southern Bank
and First National Bank
of Clarksdale. Arthur was
a member of St. George’s
Episcopal Church in Clarks-
dale
In addition to his parents,
he was preceded in death
by his wife, Frances Habig
Davis; and brother, Harper
Davis.
He is survived by his
daughter, Diane Davis Jones
of Starkville; son, Douglas
Arthur Davis of Lake Oswe-
go, Oregon; four grandchil-
dren and four great-grand-
children.
Freddrick Harrison
COLUMBUS — Rev.
Freddrick Harrison, died
Jan. 28, 2021, at Baptist
Memorial Hospital-Golden
Triangle.
Arrangements are incom-
plete and will be announced
by Carter’s Funeral Services
of Columbus.
8A SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

South Carolina GOP censures Rep. Rice for impeachment vote

BY MEG KINNARD
The Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South
Carolina Republicans on Sat-
urday issued a formal censure
to U.S. Rep. Tom Rice to show
disapproval over his vote in
support of the second impeach-
ment of former President Don-
ald Trump.
Rice was among 10 GOP
representatives who joined
Democrats on Jan. 13 in voting
to impeach Trump for his role
in the violence a week earlier at
the U.S. Capitol. A Senate trial
is expected in February.
With two abstentions, Satur-
day’s vote was 43-0. In a state-
ment afterward, Rice vowed
to help the Republican Party
where he could but said he felt
some in the GOP “have forgot-
ten their very own creed, which
states, ‘I will never cower be-
fore any master, save my God.’”
A day after his vote, Rice
— who represents South Caro-
lina’s 7th District, an area that
voted heavily for Trump — told
The Associated Press “it hurts
my heart” to have gone against
the president, but he decided
to back impeachment after
seeing what he characterized
as Trump’s inaction during the
Capitol Hill riot.
Party committees across the
country have moved to punish
many of those 10 House Repub-
licans who supported Trump’s
impeachment. His hold on state
parties reflects the ex-presi-
dent’s continued popularity
with the base and the work his
political operation has done to
plant loyalists in the typically
obscure local GOP apparatus.
State party-level censures
aren’t common in South Caro-
lina. The GOP in 2009 issued
one to then-Gov. Mark Sanford
after he fled the state for five
days to visit a lover in Argen-
tina. In 2009 and 2010, several
county-level Republican par-
ties censured U.S. Sen. Lind-
sey Graham for his willingness
to work on bipartisan deals,
with one county deriding Gra-
ham’s “condescending atti-
tude” to the party’s grassroots
organizers.
The censure is a symbolic
expression of disapproval that
some warn could have elec-
toral consequences for Rice,
who has represented the 7th
District since its creation in
2012. Long a reliable backer
of Trump’s policies, Rice cam-
paigned with the president and,
according to FiveThirtyEight,
voted 94% of the time in favor
of Trump-backed legislation —
the highest percentage among
South Carolina’s current dele-
gation.
In his only primary since
first elected in 2012, Rice won
with 84% of the vote. He’s been
reelected each time with at
least 56% of votes cast. Now,
Rice is all but sure to face at
least a handful of primary chal-
lengers, with one formally cre-
ating an exploratory commit-
tee this past week.
Rice told the AP he knew
he’d likely face a difficult pri-
mary and that the impeach-
ment vote could potentially
cost him his seat. “If it does, it
does,” he said.

4-County
Continued from Page 1A
up to FASTnet broadband, it will be hun-
dreds of times faster.
“It will be like going from a dirt road
to a four-lane highway,” Eiland said.
Hebron Christian sits
in one of the areas includ-
ed in FASTnet’s pilot pro-
gram, which covers west
Clay, northeast Choctaw
and north Noxubee coun-
ties — a small way for
4-County Electric Power
Association to “test the Clark
waters” for building out
a far more ambitious broadband infra-
structure project, CEO Brian Clark said.
But news 4-County announced Fri-
day all but assured the association’s goal
of offering high-speed internet to its en-
tire electric membership.
4-County secured more than $35 mil-
lion from a Rural Development Oppor-
tunity Fund auction held in late 2020,
according to a press release it issued
Friday. It will receive the funds in equal
installments over 10 years.
The auction win, along with $6 mil-
lion in state grant funds for the ongo-
ing pilot program, makes up more than
one-third of the $110 million 4-County
will need for a full broadband buildout.
Clark said those funds, along with what
4-County expects in customer revenue
over the first five to 10 years, should be
enough to pay for the project.
The Federal Communications Com-
mission offered $16 billion nationwide
last year through the RDOF auction.
4-County joined a consortium to enter
the auction, Clark said, anonymously
providing details and cost estimates for
its broadband project. Mississippi proj-
ects secured $495 million from the auc-
tion, the second highest for any state,
trailing only California.
Another RDOF auction, planned for
this year, will offer another $4 billion.
A 2019 state law allowed rural elec-
tric cooperatives to offer broadband in-
ternet to its customers. Since then, the
nonprofit 4-County has conducted two
feasibility studies and created FASTnet,
a for-profit subsidiary, to handle its inter-
net service. The targeted pilot program
began late last year — offering packages
with speeds from 200 MBPS to 1 giga-
bit per second to roughly 2,700 custom-
ers. Since then, 4-County has hung 300
miles of fiber, Clark said, and has con-
nected 80 customers so far.
Those customers, from what Clark
has heard, “seem pretty happy with it.”
“At first, we were nervous to get into
this, because we’re good at the electric
side and we want to make sure the ser-
vices we offer are at least at the same lev-
el as our electric service,” Clark told The
Dispatch. “We’ve been building confi-
dence as we’ve gone through this pro-
cess, and we’re convinced it’s the right
thing to do. It’s what Mississippi needs.”
4-County has nearly 50,000 electric
customers, including 37,000 residential,
in its nine-county coverage area — which
includes rural portions of Lowndes, Ok-
tibbeha, Clay and Noxubee counties.
Clark said the next step is structuring
a strategic timeline for when the service
will be available to certain areas. It could
take up to four years to build it out to ev-
eryone, he said.
“I figure pressure will ramp up on us
from people who are wanting it, and that
may speed up the process,” Clark said.
“Everybody is not going to get it right
away, though, so we want people to be
patient with us.”
Clark encouraged 4-County custom-
ers to visit www.4cfastnet.com to see if
their address qualifies for the pilot pro-
gram. Even if they don’t, he said, the
company is keeping a log of those visi-
tors to see where the greatest levels of
immediate interest is.
That will determine, in part, where
FASTnet will build out next, Clark said.
4-County will borrow the funds for
the buildout, Clark said, and pay it back
with RDOF and grant funds, as well as
customer revenue. Feasibility studies in-
dicated 4-County needs 30-percent par-
ticipation for broadband to pay for itself,
a key factor since the electric rates can-
not be used to subsidize FASTnet. Clark,
however, believes 4-County will “do bet-
ter than 30 percent,” which might pay
dividends for all its electric customers.
“Ongoing cashflow will allow this to
pay for itself,” Clark said. “The electric
company will not subsidize the sub-
company, but the subcompany, when it
is profitable, can help the ratepayers of
4-County.”
Meanwhile, Eiland can hardly wait
for March. Hebron Christian has held
in-person classes since August, but a few
months last spring, after the COVID-19
pandemic hit, teachers were offering
virtual lessons from their homes where
they had better internet connection than
the school.
Even now, some students take an on-
line Spanish class at school that “spends
a lot of time buffering.” Broadband, he
said, will immensely improve classroom
teaching, billing and so much more.
“We’re excited about it,” Eiland said.
“It’s going to be great for our school.”

Gaskin
Continued from Page 1A
order to re-invest in our
aging infrastructure to
facilitate prosperity for
the future.”
As an independent,
Gaskin, 56, is guaran-
teed a spot in the June
8 general election, chal-
lenging incumbent Rob-
ert Smith, a Democrat,
and will not be on the
ballot for the April 6 par-
ty primaries.
Gaskin’s other pri-
orities, if elected, will
include neighborhood
safety, street and park
maintenance, bringing
“good-paying” jobs to
Columbus and providing
sufficient resources for
schools and health care
facilities, according to
the press release.
His career has con-
sisted of leadership and
fundraising for institu-
tions of higher educa-
tion, including Missis-
sippi State University
and the University of Al-
abama, in addition to the
MSMS Foundation. He
holds a Ph.D. in higher
education with an em-
phasis on community
college leadership.
Gaskin’s experience
“building relationships
between the public and
private sectors” should
come in handy if elected,
he said.
Additionally, a former
Ward 4 councilman qual-
ified to run for the seat
again.
Former councilman
qualifies to run again
Marty Turner, 43,
first won the seat in
2009 after defeating in-
cumbent Fred Stewart
and held the position
until Fredrick Jackson
unseated him in the
Democratic primary
runoff election in May
2017.
He told The Dispatch
one of his priorities
is fiscal responsibili-
ty, having served on
the budget committee
during his previous
stint on the council. He
also wants to focus on
modernizing Columbus’
infrastructure with the
goal of bringing new
jobs to the city and en-
hancing the workforce.
“If we get some good
infrastructure and hire
locally, that will in-
crease our economy,”
Turner said.
He said he believes
Ward 4 is “one of the
most neglected wards”
in the city and wants to
foster programs to help
youth under 18 stay on
the straight-and-nar-
row.
“( We can) be more
pre-emptive instead
of locking people up,”
Turner said. “Let’s try to
stop some of the crime
before it happens.”
Turner worked in the
furniture business for
years, including as a
consultant training fur-
niture store managers.
Retired educator Pat
Fisher Douglas is also
running for the Ward
4 seat. She and Turner
will face each other in
the Democratic primary
in April.
Incumbent Council-
man Pierre Beard has
not qualified to run for
re-election, nor has he
said he will not be run-
ning. The deadline to
qualify for candidacy is
Feb. 5.

Weiss
Continued from Page 1A
including street signs,
car wheels, radiators,
barrels, computers, soft
drink cans and wire.
Roughly 85 percent of the
metal comes from indus-
trial manufacturers that
Columbus Scrap Material
sells to foundries, steel
mills and specialty mills.
The Lowndes County
Port was commissioned
in the 1970s, construc-
tion began in 1985 and
it opened for business
in 1987. A group of
advocates for the port,
including Weiss and
Harper, traveled to Wash-
ington D.C. to meet with
U.S. Sen. John Stennis,
a Mississippi Democrat,
to discuss the possibility
of federal funding for the
port.
They managed to se-
cure a meeting with the
senator himself, not with
a member of his staff, in
his office, Harper said.
“He asked a few ques-
tions, which I think were
answered to his satisfac-
tion, about the port and
the plans and so forth,
and he said, ‘Boys, y’all
go on back to Mississippi.
I won’t consider the Tenn-
Tom Waterway complete
until there’s a port in
Columbus,’” Harper said.
“And he stood by his
word and he delivered.”
The port has since
grown from one building
on the east side of The
Island to another location
on the west bank of the
river. Businesses in-
cluding Kinder Morgan,
Southern Ionics and Steel
Dynamics transport and
receive materials via the
port.
Baldor Electric would
have left Columbus
entirely if the company
hadn’t been able to relo-
cate to the port, District
1 Supervisor Harry Sand-
ers told The Dispatch.
“We talked them into
staying here, and they
built that building there
(on Port Access Road),”
he said.
‘Can’t put it into words’
MSU football legend
Art Davis was a lifelong
friend of Weiss, having
grown up with him in
Clarksdale.
“He said Henry was
the smartest person he
had ever known when
it came to dealing with
numbers and figures,”
Harper said. “He said
he was especially smart
when those numbers had
dollar signs in front of
them.”
The audience laughed.
“He also said Henry
never needed an adding
machine or a calcula-
tor to get what he was
looking for,” Harper
continued. “He could
figure it out in his head a
lot quicker than he could
with a machine. Art went
on to say he never could
understand why Henry
had such a hard time
with high school algebra.
The only thing he could
imagine was that those
numbers didn’t have
dollar signs in front of
them.”
Mayor Robert Smith,
who served on the port
authority board when
Weiss was president, said
Friday was “a great day
for the city.”
“This was an honor
that is well-achieved,”
Smith said.
Weiss himself was
floored by the recogni-
tion, he told The Dis-
patch.
“I can’t put it into
words,” he said. “It’s an
honor.”

Cypress Park
Continued from Page 1A
March and haven’t been late
on a rent payment, not even
once.”
Moseley said she first
heard of the disconnection
from a neighbor, who texted
her to ask if she had water in
her apartment.
“I told her yes because it
was working when I got home,”
Moseley recalled. “She said
I’d better check again.”
Residents first assumed
the water had been cut off for
maintenance, but after a cou-
ple of hours, they began call-
ing city officials and CLW.
“The people at the water
department said there was
nothing they could do since
the bills weren’t being paid,”
said Shirley Harris, whose
daughter lives in the complex.
Both Harris and Moseley
tried to reach the apartment
manager at the complex but
never got a response.
“That doesn’t surprise me,”
Moseley said. “Any time I’ve
put in a maintenance request,
they never respond. You can
never get them.”
Gale said CLW had its own
problems reaching that apart-
ment manager.
“I don’t know how many
times they’ve changed man-
agement there,” Gale said. “I
do know that we had been try-
ing to reach them about their
bill and never reached any-
body. So (Friday morning) we
disconnected service.”
Gale said CLW Chief Fi-
nancial Officer Mike Bernsen
finally reached Angelique Del
Campo, a manager at the Bez-
tak Properties headquarters
in Michigan and struck a pay-
ment agreement to have water
service reconnected at the
complex later at about 4 p.m.
Friday, about eight hours after
the disconnection.
Columbus and Lowndes
County firefighters stood by
to ensure emergency respond-
ers could provide water to the
complex if a fire or other emer-
gency occurred while the ser-
vice was turned off, city Fire
and Rescue Chief Martin An-
drews told The Dispatch.
Del Campo attributed the
failure to pay the water bill
as a mix-up with the complex
owner. Ownership changed
hands at some point recently,
she indicated, but the man-
agement company is respon-
sible for collecting fees and
paying bills.
“It caught us by surprise,”
Del Campo said. “When you
go through a transition of own-
ership … they just didn’t give
us the information we needed
about the bill. But we’re mak-
ing sure we get this straight-
ened out so this doesn’t ever
happen again.”
Del Campo declined to say
when the ownership transition
occurred or answer any ques-
tions about the arrangements
made to restore water service
at the complex.
The Lowndes County Tax
Assessor’s website lists Co-
lumbus Partners LP as the
owner of the complex since
2003. That company is man-
aged by Cypress Park LLC out
of Valdosta, Georgia.
Gale said CLW goes to
great lengths to avoid discon-
nections, especially at apart-
ment complexes where water
service is often part of the
rent.
“We understand the people
who live there haven’t done
anything wrong,” Gale said.
“So we are slower to discon-
nect at apartment complexes
than we would be at a home.”
Asked if CLW made any at-
tempt to alert Cypress Park
residents to the issue by plac-
ing a door-hanger on each
unit, Gale said no.
“But it’s probably a pretty
good idea,” Gale said. “We
may start doing that.”
Lifestyles
Making the best of it
Residents at Garden Hill Assisted Living in Lowndes County make a body sugar scrub Thursday with coconut oil,
sugar and essential oils. It’s one of many activities the senior living facility and others like it are offering residents
during the pandemic that keeps them on campus. In back are Garden Hill Enrichment Director Stacy McGraw and
staff members Jill Garner and Mary Horton. Residents’ names are withheld by request.
Activity planning goes into overdrive during pandemic
BY JAN SWOOPE
jswoope@cdispatch.com
A
daptability has
been a keyword
of the COVID-19
pandemic; that is as true
of senior living facilities
as it is of every household,
workplace, school or
church around the globe.
When the novel corona-
virus abruptly curtailed
most in-person family and
community interaction
last March, staff at such
places as Garden Hill As-
sisted Living in Lowndes
County were challenged
to help provide reassur-
ance, guard health and
enrich daily life during
an unprecedented period
of isolation. No one could
foresee then the isolation
would still be prevalent
almost a year later.
In a time when family
members aren’t able to
visit face-to-face and rec-
reational excursions are
W School
of Education to
support educators
with GEER
MUW UNIVERSITY RELATIONS
E
ducators and students
impacted by the coronavirus
pandemic will receive sup-
port and training from Mississippi
University for Women’s School of
Education due to a grant from the
Governor’s Emergency Education
Relief (GEER) Fund.
The $244,035 grant will estab-
lish the OWL-STAR (Strategic
Training for Academic Results)
Project to improve student
achievement and enhance teach-
er effectiveness by providing a
comprehensive program of online
professional development.
“It’s a stressful time for every-
one as we navigate through these
unprecedented times caused by
COVID-19, but in the midst of it
all, academic learning doesn’t
hit the pause button. The W’s
School of Education envisions
strengthening and expanding
its current professional learning
See GEER, 10A
A Garden Hill resident writes a letter to a pen pal in
another senior facility in a different state. The pen pal
campaign helps residents connect with others during
the pandemic.
on hold, staffs regularly
brainstorm ways to help
residents stay occupied
and connected. “It’s easy
to get a little down in the
dumps just being in your
room so much. We just
IN THE GARDEN WITH FELDER
All plant sites are not created equal
Choosing plants for tough locations can pose plenty of
challenges.
Courtesy photo
want to get the residents
engaged and out of their
rooms. We want them out
and moving,” said Garden
Hill Administrator Bran-
dee Delaney.
“We really work hard
Felder Rushing/Courtesy photo
LIFESTYLES EDITOR
Jan Swoope: 328-2471
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 n 9A
Courtesy photo
The family of Joshua Reed has
established a scholarship in honor
of the graduate of East Mississippi
Community College’s Utility Line-
worker Technology program, who
passed away in October of 2019.
Scholarship
established by
family of Utility
Lineworker
graduate
EMCC OFFICE
OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
T
Courtesy photo he family of Joshua Reed, a
May 2019 graduate of East
Mississippi Community
College’s Utility Lineworker Tech-
nology program, has established a
scholarship in Reed’s memory.
The Joshua Reed Memorial
Utility Lineworker Technology
Scholarship was created in the fall
and keep of 2020. Students enrolled in the
a record Utility Lineworker program are el-
of making igible to apply for the scholarship,
sure all res- which will be awarded annually.
idents are “Joshua was a very selfless per-
getting out son and I think he would be proud
and walk- that this scholarship will help
ing, even if
Delaney others continue their education
it’s in the and become linemen like he was,”
hallway,” Reed’s sister, Raychal Roberts
said Delaney. “We can said.
stagger the times. Or they Reed, a resident of Louisville,
can sit outside and get earned a degree in Electrical
fresh air and sunshine. Technology at EMCC’s Golden Tri-
We’re having activities angle campus before enrolling and
outside when weather completing the Utility Lineworker
permits, playing games.” program at the college’s Scooba
Everyone wears a campus.
mask, of course. The After graduating from EMCC,
facility closely follows Reed was hired to work for
CDC and Mississippi Starkville Utilities.
Department of Health “He loved his work and talked
guidelines. Delaney, in about it all the time,” Roberts said.
fact, began following the Reed passed away at the age of
COVID-19 story in Janu- 24 in October of 2019 from com-
ary 2020 and had already plications stemming from injuries
begun limiting exposure he sustained in an automobile
even before the official accident.
“lockdown” began last Reed’s parents, Ray Reed and
March. Shelia Reed, along with Roberts,
See GARDEN HILL, 10A knew they wanted to establish a
scholarship at EMCC in Joshua
Reed’s memory. They held the
See REED, 10A
G
ardeners revamping of
get irked a major street,
when
plants refuse
to step up and
over a mile of
new sidewalk
was laid, with
overcome chal- unsuitable
lenging situa-
plants shoe-
tions. But plants horned into
themselves two-foot wide
often face more ribbons between
than frustration pavement and
when forced into
Felder Rushing curbs.
daunting set- No question,
tings; they can
barriers be-
die. Or, worse
tween people and traffic are
to gardeners, languish and
useful. Beyond increasing
look terrible.
pedestrian safety, they keep
Ghastly sites for plants
fire hydrants, street signs,
include dense shade with
tree root competition, heavy mailboxes, utility poles and
clay or exposed subsoil, dry garbage cans out of the way
slopes and low areas that of walkers, and reduce the
are boggy all winter but amount of muddy “road
dry into cracked dust in the splash” flung onto people by
summer. Oh, and the low cars after a rain.
humidity and light of offic- For practical reasons
es, or atop the television. those areas might best be
But the worst of all is a paved, bricked or cob-
challenge I’m facing this blestoned; however, they
week, of helping neighbor- often get sodded with lawn
hood improvement leaders grasses which require con-
sort out a serious eyesore. stant mowing, edging and
During a much-need See FELDER, 10A
10A SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Garden Hill
Continued from Page 9A

Staying connected
Winter months limit time
outside, of course, so indoor
activity is in overdrive.
Family connections are
integral, and seniors every-
where have gotten acquainted
with FaceTime and similar apps
to stand in for those in-person
visits they can’t have right now.
At Garden Hill, the Golden
Triangle Planning and Develop-
ment District has donated two
laptops for residents to better
stay in touch with their fami-
lies. “Window visits” — with
residents and family members
on opposite sides of a window
— are also encouraged, said
Delaney.
Thursday afternoon found
Garden Hill residents gathered
at tables mixing their own
sugar scrubs, using coconut oil,
sugar and essential oils.
“We’re introducing body
care activities, for taking care
of themselves while they are
away from family,” said Enrich-
ment Director Stacy McGraw.
“We’re doing body sugar
scrubs for hands
and feet, which is
really (enjoyable)
for them because
they can take
it back to their
rooms.”
One resident,
Margaret J., said, McGraw
“It was so fun. I
hope it helps my arthritis.”
Soon, the group will tackle
making soaps.
During the pandemic, some
living at Garden Hill have
become pen pals with others at
senior facilities in Oregon and
Arizona. They have also sent
out letter to celebrities.
“It’s really fun to see who
writes back,” said McGraw.
Two activities residents
enjoyed before the pandemic
hit have been able to continue
virtually — music theory and
chair yoga.
“I’m so grateful we had part-
nered with The W to do music
theory,” said Delaney. “Since
no one could come in (after
March), the students were able
to hook up a laptop and plug it
into our big TV, so we’re able to
Zoom music theory now.”
Chair yoga, led by the
daughter of a resident, can also
continue weekly via the same
format.
McGraw is especially excited
about a “consignment store” in
February. It will give residents
who have been unable to get out
and shop for months a browse-
and-buy experience.
“People are donating
clothing, toiletries, everything.
It’s going to be big,” said the
activity director. “Everything
is going to be a penny, and
everyone will be given a dollar
in pennies to shop with.”
Community counts
Visitors from outside aren’t
allowed for now, but donations
of treats ranging from toiletries
to crafts are still delivered by
groups including one at Fair-
view Baptist Church.
“They have just become a
part of the Garden Hill family,”
said McGraw. Others, including
from Columbus Air Force Base,
Courtesy photo
Birthday celebrations at Garden
Hill look a little different during
the COVID pandemic. Instead
of group parties, Stacy McGraw
takes the birthday cart to indi-
vidual’s rooms with cake, ice
cream and party favors.
also donate items.
“People have been so gener-
ous to still find ways to be con-
nected,” Delaney said of such
volunteer efforts. “Residents
know they’re thought about.”
McGraw added, “They get to
see who else is concerned for
them, which is pretty awe-
some.”
Continued vigilance
Even with a vaccine pro-
gram underway, virus variants
present a great unknown; it will
be months before life returns
to “normal.” So, brainstorming
for activities continues. One
planned at Garden Hill is to in-
troduce science-based projects,
such as observing caterpil-
lar-to-butterfly transformations.
“It would be something res-
idents could be engaged with
over a period of time,” Delaney
said.
Sometimes, it’s the simple
things that are so important —
especially in such a stressful
year.
“For our residents who have
dealt with isolation, they have
really flourished,” said Mc-
Graw. “It just kind of brought us
all together. These are some of
the most amazing people. I’m
so proud to even know every
single one of them. They have
rocked it.”

Geer
Continued from Page 9A
experiences to embrace
the governor’s desire to
implement high-quality
training for students,
parents and educators to
support effective online
learning,” said Melinda
Lowe, School of Educa-
tion coordinator of edu-
cation and OWL-STAR
Project director.
The online profession-
al development from the
program will support
the personal and pro-
fessional growth of The
W’s School of Education
faculty, staff and stu-
dents; PK-12 teachers
and administrators; and
PK-5th grade parents.
The project is expect-
ed to increase technical
assistance and distance
learning support, height-
en the importance of
mindfulness and self-
care and reduce financial
hardship in regards to
technology needs caused
by the pandemic.
“Managing instruc-
tion, advising and coach-
ing teacher candidates
during this pandemic
has presented many
challenges. Our faculty
has remained focused
on its effort to maintain
quality and continuity
in the program during
this unusual time. This
grant will further bolster
our efforts by providing
valuable and professional
learning sessions,” said
Shelley Bock, School
of Education interim
department chair.
An additional emer-
gency award of $500
will be made available
to students in The W’s
School of Education who
may not have the tech-
nology at home such as
up-to-date computers,
Wi-Fi and web-cameras
needed to access online
classes. All undergradu-
ate and graduate stu-
dents currently enrolled
in the School of Educa-
tion will receive an email
with all the details for
applying.
The purpose of the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief
and Economic Security
(CARES) Act Educa-
tion Stabilization Fund,
under which the GEER
Fund program is au-
thorized, is to prevent,
prepare for and respond
to the novel coronavirus.
The GEER Fund pro-
gram aims to address
the impact that the
coronavirus pandemic
has had, and continues
to have, on students
and parents across the
nation. The U.S. De-
partment of Education
awarded GEER Funds by
formula to the nation’s
Governors. Mississippi
received an allocation of
$34,622,872.

Felder
Continued from Page 9A
watering, or get weedy
and require herbicides.
Worse, some very nar-
row beds are stuffed with
regular landscape plants,
few of which are adapted
to tight spaces surround-
ed by pavement, a setting
which horticulturists call
“hell strips.” And most
initial plantings peter out
quickly.
Truth is, while it’s easy
enough for designers to
draw little circles onto pa-
per plans and assign plant
names to them, in real
life it’s sheer misery for
plants. The shallow dirt
is usually hard-packed
clay with no aeration for
roots, which stays wet
all winter and causes
root rot. And often the
only summer moisture is
from occasional rains or
roaming dogs. Not a lot of
plants can survive these
conditions.
Plus, sight restrictions
dictate small shrubs,
grasses, evergreen
groundcovers,and flowers
that generally need to
stay under two or maybe
three feet tall and not
very wide lest they sprawl
into foot or vehicular
traffic. They have to tol-
erate or recover quickly
from being stumbled over
or being run over with
cars, and look good most
if not all year without
needing a lot of pruning
or tidying. And thrive
in sun or shade, and not
have thorns. And not be
poisonous to passing pets.
And not accumulate litter
(good luck with that).
Throw in how pave-
ment absorbs solar
energy that in Mississip-
pi’s summers can easily
heat it to 160 degrees and
radiate well into the night,
so we end up with soil
that dries out quickly and
plants get baked to death.
The closest I can temisia, oregano, clover, combining a few of these a Mississippi author,
come to these condi- Stella d’Oro daylily, and street-side toughies with columnist, and host of the
tions is from decades heat- or cold-hardy annu- cobblestones may do “Gestalt Gardener” on
of growing plants in a als. Even wildflowers are the trick without much MPB Think Radio. Email
coffee table size box in better than dead plants! upkeep. We’ll see. gardening questions to
the back of my pickup I’m hoping that Felder Rushing is rushingfelder@yahoo.com.
truck. Through trial and
error I’ve found plants
that can tolerate tempera-
tures ranging from hard
freezes to over a hundred
degrees and survive on
only rainfall while I live
overseas for months on
end.
The most durable
include dwarf yaupon
hollies, soft-tip yucca,
various dwarf Nandinas,
thornless prickly pear
cactus, groundcover
sedum, stubby-foliaged
white iris, rosemary,
variegated Liriope, some
small ornamental grass-
es, and compact soft-leaf
yucca (Y. recurvifolia).
Add seasonal color from
lantana, dwarf Tete a Tete
daffodils, silvery gray ar-

Reed
Continued from Page 9A
Joshua Reed Memorial
Golf Tournament June 6,
2020, at Louisville Coun-
try Club.
“We were amazed at
how well the golf tourna-
ment went,” Roberts said.
“We had a lot of people
who contributed to it.”
Reed was an organ do-
nor and one of the high-
lights of the golf tourna-
ment for his family was
when they got to meet the
woman who received the
young man’s liver.
“She came to the golf
tournament and we got
to meet her for the first
time,” Roberts said.
“That was a really incred-
ible experience.”
More than $12,000
was raised during the
tournament, which
Roberts said they hope
to make an annual spring
event to fund the scholar-
ships in perpetuity. The
family established the
scholarship fund through
the EMCC Development
Foundation.

CALENDAR
Thursday, Feb. 4
Tree giveaway — The Lowndes County Soil and Water Conservation District hosts a free tree
giveaway from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. while supplies last at 2282 MLK Jr. Dr. One bundle per person.
662-328-5921 (ext. 3).
Lecture series — Mississippi State’s Institute for the Humanities opens its spring lecture
series with a virtual event, “What are the Sports Humanities Anyway?” Featuring MSU’s Greggory
Twietmeyer and Scott Kretchmar at Pennsylvania State University, the talk is 3:30 p.m. at the
institute’s Facebook page. Free to the public.

Friday Feb. 5
Early James in concert — Early James and The Latest perform at 7 p.m. at the Columbus
Arts Council’s Omnova Theater, 501 Main St. Tickets: $15 members/$20 non-members ($20 day
of show). Doors open 6:30 p.m. Get tickets at columbus-arts.org or 662-328-2787.

Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 25-27

Virtual Magnolia Independent Film Festival — The Mag in Starkville returns with
independent films and shorts. Visit magnoliafilmfest.com.

■ For more Lifestyles content, including MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences add-
ing its first endowed faculty fellowship, Southern Gardening, pet-friendly home de-
sign tips and clothing care recommendations, go to cdispatch.com.
Sports
PREP BASKETBALL
SPORTS LINE
662-241-5000
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021
B
SECTION

Starkville boys close out Germantown; girls fall to Mavs

BY THEO DEROSA just seven points, Holling-
tderosa@cdispatch.com shed delivered a big block
and a crucial layup to put
STARKVILLE — the Jackets back up nine
When the Starkville High points. Senior Eric Green
School boys basketball followed with an and-one
team headed into the lock- basket to push Starkville’s
er room at halftime of Fri- lead back to 12 points, and
day’s home game against the Jackets held off the
Germantown, head coach Mavs from there for a 67-
Greg Carter and assistant 52 home win to close out
Ed Townsel took note of MHSAA Class 6A, Region
the effort each player had 3 play.
shown in the first two “They got down sev-
quarters. en, probably felt like they
Senior Leroy Holling- could make a run at it,”
shed had brought the Townsel said. “That was a
energy the Yellow Jack- big stretch for us.”
ets wanted for his final It helped Starkville
home game. Sophomore finish the regular season
Makhi Myles and Jacob on a high note in a game
Reese, the coaches decid- in which not much went
ed, couldn’t quite say the smoothly for the Jackets,
same. according to Townsel.
When the second half “We didn’t play well,”
started, the Jackets left he simply said. “I feel like
Hollingshed on the court. we went through the mo-
That turned out to be a tions tonight.”
wise decision. Townsel promised
Late in the third quar- those issues will be fixed
ter, the Mavericks cut by the Jackets’ Feb. 12 dis-
what was once a dou- trict championship game
ble-digit Starkville lead to against either the same
Mavericks team they
faced Friday or South
Panola. For Starkville, at
least, an improved perfor-
mance after halftime is a
reason for optimism.
“We did try to guard
more in the second half,
and we got more stops
and got in transition and
made more shots,” Town-
sel said.
The Jackets went on
an 11-4 run to head into
halftime up 34-27 as se-
nior Coltie Young hit a 3,
stole the ball and dunked
it hard to stretch out
Starkville’s lead.
Young, who led the
team with 23 points,
showed off his talent both
at the rim and outside the
arc all night. In the first Theo DeRosa/Dispatch Staff
quarter, he needed only Starkville senior Keyvon Pearson (15) drives on Germantown sophomore Marvin
one hand to finish an al- Spann (30) during the first quarter of Friday’s game in Starkville. The Yellow Jackets
ley-oop feed from senior won 67-52. “We did try to guard more in the second half, and we got more stops and
Keyvon Pearson; in the got in transition and made more shots,” Starkville assistant Ed Townsel said.
fourth, he followed a layup
with two straight 3-point- “(Germantown) got down seven, probably felt like they
ers to make the score 60-
45 in the Jackets’ favor. could make a run at it. That was a big stretch for us.”
See PREPS, 6B Starkville assistant Ed Townsel on Yellow Jackets’ key third-quarter spurt

Dudy Noble MISSISSIPPI STATE 95, IOWA STATE 56

Field to be at
25 percent
capacity for
Bulldogs decimate Cyclones in SEC/Big 12
2021 season
BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com
Challenge matchup in Starkville
STARKVILLE —
Dudy Noble Field will be
at 25 percent capacity for
the 2021 baseball season.
Mississippi State an-
nounced the limited at-
tendance number in a
release Friday afternoon
after school officials gave
reporters a tour of the
field and ran through new
operating procedures
related to the COVID-19
pandemic Thursday
morning.
“We’re not saying we
all love the picture,” Ex-
ecutive Senior Associate
A.D./Internal Affairs
Jay Logan told reporters
Thursday. “But we’ve got
to live with it.”
Though MSU did not
name an exact figure as
to what capacity will be
due to ongoing conversa-
tions and modeling, the
See BASEBALL, 6B

New Hope
boys soccer Mississippi State Athletics

headed to Mississippi State point guard Iverson Molinar (1) drives to the lane during Saturday’s game against Iowa State at Humphrey Coliseum.

north state BY GARRICK HODGE

FROM SPECIAL REPORTS
SALTILLO — New
Hope junior Trey Par-
nell had three goals in
the first half as the Tro-
jans beat the Tigers 3-2
in Saturday’s MHSA A
Class 5A second-round
playoff game.
New Hope will face
Center Hill in the north
half state championship
match Tuesday.
Lafayette girls 5, New
Hope 0
OXFORD — The
New Hope girls saw
their strong season end
Tuesday at Lafayette in
their 5A second-round
game.
New Hope (12-4)
went undefeated in
district play and made
the playoffs, neither of
which the Trojans had
accomplished in the
past six years.
ghodge@cdispatch.com
STARKVILLE — A Cyclone
warning was issued for the area
surrounding Humphrey Colise-
um Saturday evening.
But just as Vegas meteorol-
ogists forecasted, the visiting
Iowa State Cyclones barely had
enough gust to blow over a stray
Starkville tumbleweed, let alone
escape Mississippi with a victo-
ry.
Mississippi State (10-8)
snapped a three-game skid by
dismantling the hapless Cy-
clones (2-9), seeing four players
reach double figures in a 95-56
victory as part of the SEC/Big
12 Challenge. While the result
itself really only matters for
conference bragging rights, the
Southeastern Conference cap-
tured the challenge by a score
of 5-4.
“I thought we came out and
played really hard,” MSU coach
Ben Howland said.
Sitting winless in Big 12 play,
Iowa State still had four players
on its roster averaging double
figures coming into Saturday.
Yet, only two of them were avail-
able against the Bulldogs. Just
how lousy were the Cyclones
on Saturday? For context, MSU
also beat Mississippi Valley
State, rated the worst team in all
of Division I by KenPom.com,
by 39 points. The 39-point loss
was the second-worst margin of
defeat in Iowa State history to a
nonconference opponent, with
the program record sitting at a
41-point loss against Grinnell in
1910. Rust may have been a fac-
tor for ISU, as the Cyclones had
four games postponed between
Jan. 13 and Jan. 23 because of
COVID-19 related issues.
“My heart goes out to Iowa
State, too, because they’re
without two of their starters,”
Howland said. “They have some
guys coming off of COVID pro-
tocol; it’s really obviously been a
tough experience for them deal-
ing with all the COVID issues.”
As it has been for most of the
year, Saturday was the Iverson
Molinar and D.J. Stewart show.
Molinar had a game-high 20
points on a 8-of-13 shooting
effort, while Stewart scored
17 points and dished out five
assists. Tolu Smith chipped in
16 points and seven rebounds,
while freshman guard Deivon
Smith reached double-digit
point totals for the third time
this season after scoring 10
points and dishing out nine as-
sists.
“Every turnover in practice
this week meant 10 pushups,”
Deivon Smith said, who had a
9-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio
Saturday. “With these two prac-
tices before this game, everyone
came in ready to take care of the
ball and play together today.”
In all, 12 different Bulldogs
scored, including Derek Foun-
tain (seven points), Keondre
Montgomery (two) and New
Hope product Andrew Junkin
(two).
“I was really happy to see An-
drew Junkin get in at the end;
he’s such a great kid,” Howland
said of the walk-on. “All of these
kids that got in, they’re really
important for our team and we
really have a great group and
I’m proud of how supportive
they are of each other each and
every day.”
The Bulldogs suffocated the
Cyclones defensively, holding
them to 34 percent shooting and
forcing 19 turnovers.
“We were trying to be hun-
grier than the other team,” Dei-
von Smith said. “I feel like the
last few games we did lose, we
played good team defense, but
we came up short. Tonight, it
was on every person to come to-
gether and play great.”
Iowa State couldn’t handle
the MSU frontcourt, getting
outscored 48-14 in the paint.
Despite building a 44-28
lead entering the break, the
onslaught didn’t stop after half-
time. MSU started the second
half on a 9-0 run and outscored
the Cyclones 24-5 in the first
7:30 of the second half.
MSU is back in action in a
road matchup against Arkansas
at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
“I’m just glad to get a win
as we prepare to head out for
another road game,” Howland
said. “... We won’t be able to see
too much film from this because
we’re right on to Arkansas. But
they all have access to it, and
I’m sure they’ll watch it.”
2B SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Senior-heavy Rams hope to go out with a bang after 15-1 start

BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
STEENS — When
Audrey Foreman was in
ninth grade, she was part
of a Columbus Christian
Academy junior varsity
girls basketball team that
blazed through district
play.
Even then, the young
Rams couldn’t help but
look forward to the bright
future they saw before
them.
“Oh yeah, senior year,
we’re going to go all the
way,” Foreman and her
teammates told them-
selves. “We’re going to try
for everything.”
Three years later, their
bold prediction could be
coming true.
This season, with Fore-
man living up to her last
name, Columbus Chris-
tian’s varsity team has
been nothing short of
dominant. The Rams beat
rival Hebron Christian by
25 points Friday in Steens
to cap a 15-1 regular sea-
son in which CCA’s aver-
age margin of victory has
been even greater: In their
13 non-forfeit wins, the
Rams are outscoring their
opponents by more than
27.8 points per game.
“Since it’s senior year,
I wanted to have a pretty
good year,” senior Cayden
Harding said. “That’s
what we’ve done so far.”
That could be an un-
derstatement as the Rams
blew through their district
schedule to close the reg-
ular season. Columbus
Christian’s only loss on
the year was Jan. 7 at Wi-
nona Christian School,
With its seven seniors in the front, the Columbus Christian Academy girls basketball team poses for a picture
Friday morning in Steens. Assistant coach KC Cunningham stands to the left, and head coach Jason Williams is
on the right. The Rams are 15-1 in their second season under Williams and hope more wins are on the way.
and the Rams — led by
seven seniors, including
Foreman and Harding —
have been scorching ever
since.
“It’s just a really good
group,” coach Jason Wil-
liams said. “I’m proud of
them. You rarely find this
many seniors at a small
school like we have, and
it’s just a tribute to them
having a really good atti-
tude and work ethic.”
Senior Taylor Tipton
said the Rams have ded-
icated themselves to cor-
recting their weaknesses,
improving their strengths
and learning how to play
together ever since their
preseason workouts start-
ed.
“I feel like all our prac-
tices and all our hard work
and the hours we put in
are paying off for us right
now,” Tipton said.
She said Columbus
Christian has focused
on improving fundamen-
tals like free throws and
layups after poor execu-
tion of the same cost the
Rams in a “devastating”
47-42 first-round loss to
Manchester Academy in
last year’s postseason.
But this season, CCA
is determined not to bow
out so early as the Rams
prepare for next week’s
MAIS Class 2A, District
2 tournament at Newton
County Academy.
“We really want to fin-
ish off strong and just try
to make our name known
for whenever we get into
the district tournament
and state and all that,” se-
nior CC DeVos said.
This season, DeVos
and the Rams have stood
out by taking their de-
fense to another level. The
Rams’ press forces lesser
opponents into countless
turnovers, and most of
them turn into points in a
hurry.
“We are very aggres-
sive,” Tipton said. “We
Theo DeRosa/Dispatch Staff
will get after that ball no
matter what.”
That’s something the
Rams have been proud of
under Williams, who is
in his second year as Co-
lumbus Christian’s head
coach.
“We pride ourselves in
playing hard, whether it’s
on offense or defense, half
court, full court,” Williams
said. “That’s where we’ve
seen our most success:
when we just have a lot of
effort and everybody’s get-
ting after the basketball.”
Last season, with the
Rams making an adjust-
ment to Williams’ coach-
ing style, Columbus Chris-
tian finished 15-10 — a
win total they’ve already
matched before their post-
season even begins.
“In the past, we haven’t
made it this far, done this
good,” senior Emma Kate
Griffin said. “For our se-
nior year, it’s great to say
that we’ve come this far.”
This year, the Rams
have practiced harder
both together and indi-
vidually, working hard on
being unselfish and dis-
tributing the ball. So far,
those strategies have paid
off in a big way.
“I couldn’t ask for any
better of a team,” Tipton
said. “I couldn’t be more
proud of our team and
where we’ve gotten and
what we’re going to ac-
complish.”
Tipton said it’s “scary
but exciting” what the
Rams have already been
able to achieve this year
and what could lie ahead.
Senior Emma Kate Griffin
said she just hopes Colum-
bus Christian will end up
“going out with a bang” for
her final year.
“I think we can go
really far,” Griffin said.
“You never know what
the bracket’s going to
look like, so hopefully the
bracket works out good
and we can make it to state
or even overall.”
And no matter how it
shakes out for the Rams
in the end, they’re glad to
have enjoyed the success
they’ve already had.
“We just like to have
fun,” senior Lily Barlow
said. “Winning is a big
plus.”

PREP BASKETBALL ROUNDUP

Patriots snap Knights’ 29-game winning streak

BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
The Heritage Acade-
my boys basketball team
put an end to a 29-game
winning streak for visit-
ing Tuscaloosa Academy
with a 67-48 win on Friday
in Columbus.
Whit Altmyer led the
Patriots with 16 points.
Jack Ketchum scored 12,
and Trey Naugher had 11.
Heritage Academy will
begin play at its district
tournament at Winston
Academy next week.
Other scores
Prep Girls Basket-
ball
Heritage Academy 43,
Tuscaloosa Academy 34,
Friday
The Heritage Acade-
my girls beat Tuscaloosa
Academy 43-34 in Fri-
day’s home game.
Lucy Sharp led the
Patriots with 13 points.
Chloe Boyd had 10, and
Taylor Wheeler and Kaic-
ey Chitmon had nine
each.
The Patriots will play
Lamar School at 3 p.m.
Tuesday in their district
tournament opener in
Louisville.
Noxubee County 43,
New Hope 42, Friday
MACON — The Nox-
ubee County girls pulled
out a 43-42 win over New
Hope on Friday in Macon.
Na’Kaiyla “Tootie”
Lockett led the Tigers
with 22 points and add-
ed three rebounds and a
steal. Jakeia Walker had
13 points, five rebounds
and three steals, and Aa-
liyah Brandy had seven
points, 10 rebounds and a
block.
For New Hope, Anna
Prince led with 15 points.
Madyson McBrayer
scored 13, and Taylor
Brownlee had nine.
Noxubee County 58,
Louisville 56
MACON — The Tigers
got their second straight
close win Saturday, beat-
ing Louisville 58-56 at
home.
Lockett had 25 points,
two steals and four blocks
for Noxubee County.
Walker had 17 points,
eight rebounds and four
steals, and Brandy had
three points, nine re-
bounds and two steals.
Noxubee County’s
next game will be Tues-
day at Neshoba Central in
Philadelphia.
West Lowndes 54,
French Camp Academy
23, Friday
FRENCH CAMP —
The West Lowndes girls
beat French Camp Acade-
my 54-23 in Friday’s road
game.
Averi Sanders scored
15 points to lead the
Panthers, and Tydajasha
Hood added 12.
West Lowndes will
play Tuesday at Ethel.
Columbus Christian
Academy 54, Hebron
Christian 29, Friday
STEENS — The Co-
lumbus Christian Acade-
my girls improved to 15-1
with a 54-29 home win
over Hebron Christian
School on Friday.
Taylor Tipton scored
16 points to lead the
Rams. Audrey Foreman
had nine, and CC DeVos
and Morgan Whitten
each had seven.
For the Eagles, Elisha
Carter had 13 points, and
Amber Wedel had eight.
Both teams will play in
the district tournament
on Tuesday at Newton
County Academy.
Pontotoc 72, Caledonia
24, Friday
Prep Boys Basket-
ball
New Hope 56, Noxubee
County 54, Friday
MACON — The New
Hope boys eked out a road
win Friday at Noxubee
County, 56-54.
Jorden Edwards
scored 15 points for the
Trojans. LJ Hackman and
Caleb Parr each had 12,
and Ty Crowell had eight.
New Hope will host
Caledonia on Tuesday.
Pontotoc 70, Caledonia
38, Friday
CALEDONIA — The
Caledonia boys lost Fri-
day’s home game to Pon-
totoc, 70-38.
Jarvis Leigh scored 18
points to lead the Cava-
liers, and Jeremy Emer-
son had 10.
Kameron Young and
Brenden Shows had three
points apiece, and Ja’Von
Hopkins and Issac Grady
both had two.
Aberdeen 56, West
Point 36
WEST POINT — The
West Point boys lost Sat-
urday’s home game to Ab-
erdeen, 56-36.
Elijah Young led the
Green Wave with 14
points, and Steven Moore
had nine. Tylan Wicks
added five points, and
Lebron Lewis had four.
West Point will play
Monday at Columbus.
Grenada 65, West Point
44, Friday
WEST POINT — The
West Point boys also
dropped Friday’s home
district game against Gre-
nada, 65-44.
Young had 14 points
for West Point, and Lew-
is had 10. Wicks scored
seven for the Green Wave,
and Tallie Webber had
five.
Hebron Christian 43,
Columbus Christian Acad-
emy 28, Friday
STEENS — The He-
bron boys beat Columbus
Christian 43-28 in Fri-
day’s game in Steens.
Dash Turman led He-
bron with 18 points. Doug
Loden had nine, and Jon
Garrett Lowe had eight.
Joe Michael Edwards
had eight points for the
Rams, and Ben Campbell
had six.
Pickens Academy
(Ala.) 71, Southern Acad-
emy (Ala.) 63
GREENSBORO, Ala.
— The Pickens Acade-
my (Alabama) boys beat
Southern Academy (Al-
abama) 71-63 in Friday’s
road game.
Rafe Brown led the
Pirates with 18 points.
Hayden Dyer had 17, Wil-
liam Parker had 14, and
Drake Lowery had nine.
As the No. 2 seed in
AISA area play, Pickens
will play at Coosa Valley
Academy at 4 p.m. Mon-
day for a trip to the state
elite eight in Montgom-
ery.
West Lowndes 85,
French Camp Academy 69,
Friday

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Sahvir Wheeler leads balanced Georgia past Ole Miss in Athens

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATHENS, Ga. — Sahvir Wheeler had 13 points and
five assists to lead Georgia to a 71-61 victory over Ole
Miss on Saturday night.
The Bulldogs (10-6, 3-6 Southeastern Conference)
used an 11-2 run to take a 67-55 lead with 6:07 remain-
ing. Ole Miss (8-8, 3-6) pulled within seven points with
about five minutes left but didn’t get closer.
Tye Fagan had 13 points for Georgia. Toumani Ca-
mara added 10 points and eight rebounds, and P.J.
Horne and Justin Kier chipped in eight points apiece
and combined for all six of the Bulldogs’ steals. Each
starter had at least one 3-pointer and an assist.
Andrew Garcia scored 11 points off the bench for
the Bulldogs, who finished shooting 55% (26 of 47) and
made nine 3-pointers.
Jarkel Joiner had 14 points and six steals to lead Ole
Miss. Devontae Shuler added 11 points and Robert Al-
len had 10.
The Rebels led just twice, their last at 32-31 with 1:56
to play in the first half. Georgia shot 60% (15 of 25) from
the floor and made six 3-pointers, but had 11 turnovers
in the first half in building a 37-34 halftime advantage.
Camara scored nine points and Wheeler added eight.
It was Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis’ first loss (2-1)
with the Rebels at Stegeman Coliseum.
Ole Miss, which has lost two straight, hosts Tennes-
see on Tuesday. Georgia looks for consecutive wins fol-
lowing a two-game losing skid when it plays at Auburn
on Tuesday.
Louisiana Tech 65, Southern Miss 62
RUSTON, La. — Amorie Archibald scored 15 points
and his pair of free throws with two seconds remain-
ing secured Louisiana Tech’s 65-62 win over Southern
Miss on Saturday.
Tae Hardy converted a three-point play with 44 sec-
onds left to pull Southern Miss within 63-62, but the
teams traded misses in the last 16 seconds before Ar-
chibald was fouled.
Kenneth Lofton, Jr. added 14 points for Louisiana
Tech (14-5, 7-3 Conference USA). Isaiah Crawford add-
ed 11 points.
New Hope product Tyler Stevenson had 20 points
and seven rebounds for the Golden Eagles (7-10, 3-7),
who have now lost four games in a row. Justin Johnson
added 14 points. Hardy had 10 points.
Louisiana Tech 76, Southern Miss 63, Thursday
RUSTON, La. —Cobe Williams posted 15 points as
Louisiana Tech topped Southern Miss 76-63 on Thurs-
day night.
Lofton Jr., Crawford and JaColby Pemberton each
added 10 points for Louisiana Tech.
Stevenson, Hardy and DeAndre Pinckney had 15
points apiece for the Golden Eagles.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
No. 18 Tennessee beats No. 15 Kansas in SEC/Big 12 Challenge
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Se-
niors Yves Pons and John Fulk-
erson wanted some payback af-
ter losing to Kansas each of the
past two seasons.
Pons scored 17 points with
Fulkerson adding 11 as No. 18
Tennessee never trailed Satur-
day in beating the 15th-ranked
Jayhawks 80-61 in the Big 12/
SEC Challenge.
“I was really excited about
playing them because I wanted
to get my revenge, and that’s
what we did tonight,” Pons said.
The Volunteers (12-3) won
their second straight and
notched their second win
against a top-15 opponent this
season, a much-needed boost
to their resume after COVID-19
issues scratched No. 1 Gonza-
ga, No. 14 Wisconsin and also a
trip to Notre Dame.
This was just Tennessee’s
second win all-time against
Kansas in six games. The Vols
now are 5-2 in the Big 12/SEC
Challenge, which the SEC won
this season 5-4 for only the sec-
ond time.
Jaden Springer scored 13
for Tennessee, whose only
losses have been without the
freshman this season. Victor
Bailey Jr. had 11 apiece, and
Josiah-Jordan James had nine
points and 11 rebounds. Pons,
the reigning SEC defensive
player of the year, was 7 of 9 and
knocked down a pair of 3s after
scoring 24 in a loss at Kansas
last season.
“He was just phenomenal to-
night,” James said.
Kansas (11-6) has lost four
of five, the first time the Jay-
hawks have done that in a five-
game span since Roy Williams’
first season as head coach in
1988-89. Kansas is 4-4 against
Harmon scores 18; No. 24 Oklahoma tops No. 9 Alabama
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NORMAN, Okla. — Ala-
bama coach Nate Oats tried to
warn his team.
Sure, Oklahoma would be
without leading scorer Aus-
tin Reaves and starting guard
Alondes Williams because of
COVID-19 protocols. But Oats
told his players that the Soon-
ers still would be a problem for
the Crimson Tide.
His players didn’t listen, and
they paid for it. De’Vion Har-
mon scored 18 points to help
No. 24 Oklahoma defeat No. 9
Alabama 66-61 on Saturday in
the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
“Sometimes, when teams
are down a couple of players
there’s a galvanizing effect,”
Oats said. “It’s happened for us
and against us. I thought these
guys (Oklahoma), they play
hard to begin with, and then
when they’re down two start-
ers, they really bought in. We
tried to tell our guys. I’ve got
to do a better job making sure
we’re ready to play.”
Elijah Harkless scored 14
points and Brady Manek added
12 for the Sooners (11-4), who
became the second team in
the past 25 years to beat three
Texas Tech’s last-minute flurry beats LSU
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BATON ROUGE, La. — No.
10 Texas Tech’s experience in
close games paid off against
LSU.
Trailing by seven points
with a minute remaining, the
Red Raiders scored 12 consec-
utive points to come away with
a 76-71 victory in the SEC/Big
12 Challenge on Saturday.
Texas Tech had played five
Big 12 games decided by few-
er than three points or in over-
time.
“Even if something doesn’t
go our way at the end, you are
still proud of the fight,” Texas
Tech coach Chris Beard said.
“You are still giving yourself
a chance by playing it to the
bone. You just got to keep put-
ting yourself in this position.
“There’s a poise and confi-
dence required to win a game
down the stretch. Our guys
showed that today. We made
just enough plays on defense
and we made just enough plays
on offense.”
Mac McClung, who had not
made a field goal in the second
half, ignited the comeback
Kansas guard Dajuan Harris Jr. (3) defends against Tennessee guard Jaden Springer (11) during Sat-
urday’s game at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee.
ranked opponents this season
and 5-3 all-time in the Big 12/
SEC Challenge.
“We were bad and Tennes-
see was great,” Kansas coach
Bill Self said. “I don’t think we
did anything to make them play
poorly. And I think they did a lot
of things to make us play poor-
ly.”
David McCormack led the
Jayhawks with 17 points, Mar-
cus Garrett added 15 and Jalen
Wilson had 10.
Keon Johnson opened the
scoring with a jumper and San-
tiago Vescovi added a 3 as Ten-
top 10 teams in a row following
wins over Kansas and Texas.
It also was the fourth victo-
ry for Oklahoma against a Top
10 team in the month of Janu-
ary. It was a critical win for the
Sooners in a season that hasn’t
offered many opportunities
for marquee non-conference
games.
“It’s huge,” Oklahoma coach
Lon Kruger said. “Anytime you
can win a game like that is big
from a resume standpoint, big
from a confidence standpoint,
momentum. It’s continuing to
move in the right direction.
Those wins, you never take
those for granted.”
Alex Reese scored 15 points
and Jaden Shackelford added 14
for Alabama (14-4), which saw
its 10-game win streak end.
“Not our best performance,”
Oats said. “I told our guys if we
can learn from it, it’ll end up
helping us in the long run. We
can go one of two ways. We can
come back and play a lot better
the next game or we could tail-
spin. We’ll see what our leader-
ship does.”
The Sooners forced six turn-
overs in the first five minutes
and rolled to an 11-2 lead. The
Crimson Tide rallied and tied
by the Red Raiders (12-5). He
made two 3-pointers sand-
wiched around a missed free
throw by Josh LeBlanc to move
Texas Tech within 71-70 with
31 seconds to play.
Terrence Shannon had
a steal and score after Mc-
Clung’s second 3-pointer to put
the Red Raiders ahead 72-71
with 27 seconds left. On LSU’s
next possession, Cam Thom-
as missed a shot and Trendon
Watford committed a foul go-
ing for the rebound.
Shannon put the Red Raid-
ers ahead by three points by
sinking two free throws with
16 seconds remaining. Thomas
missed another 3-point shot for
the Tigers with two seconds
left and Shannon sealed it with
two more foul shots with one
second left.
“This is college basketball,”
McClung said. “Every night is
a difficult night. You have to
close out games. We did that
today against a big, athletic
SEC team.”
Shannon had 23 points and
10 rebounds, McClung added
22 points, and Kevin MuCul-
lar had 10. Marcus Santos-Sil-
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
Photo by Caitie McMekan/Knoxville News Sentinel
nessee grabbed the lead from
the start. Kansas missed its
first three shots and had a shot
clock violation before McCor-
mack hit a short jumper with
16:51 left for the Jayhawks’ first
points.
McCormack scored six of
Kansas’ first eight points, pull-
ing them within 9-8 with 14:47
left. That was as close as the
Jayhawks would get.
The Vols led by as much as 16
in the first half inside the final
minute before Tyon Grant-Fos-
ter’s layup pulled Kansas with-
in 40-26 at halftime.
the game at 17, and a 3-pointer
by John Petty Jr. finally put the
Crimson Tide ahead. Oklaho-
ma rallied to take a 32-29 lead
at halftime. Harmon scored 11
points before the break.
Jalen Hill’s one-handed stuff
down the middle of the lane put
Oklahoma up 37-34 early in the
second half.
Manek struggled with his
shot before he scored in close
and was fouled. His free throw
put the Sooners up 47-40.
Manek followed with a 3 to put
Oklahoma up 50-41 with just
under 12 minutes remaining.
The Sooners pushed their lead
to 12 points before the Crim-
son Tide rallied. A pair of free
throws by Keon Ellis gave Ala-
bama a 60-59 lead with just un-
der four minutes to play.
Oklahoma responded again.
With a 63-61 lead in the final
minute, the Sooners worked
the shot clock down before Har-
kless hit a difficult turnaround
in the lane to push the lead to
four with 19 seconds remaining
and put Oklahoma in control for
good.
“It was great,” Kruger said
of Harkless’ shot. “It wasn’t
picture by the book, necessari-
ly. He had to kinda pivot a cou-
va grabbed 12 rebounds to go
along with six points.
Javonte Smart matched his
career high with 29 points for
LSU (11-5). Thomas finished
with 25 points. Darius Days
had 11 points before leaving
the game with a knee injury in
the second half.
“We played extremely
hard,” LSU coach Will Wade
said. “We just didn’t have some
poise and some discipline we
needed in key stretches, es-
pecially in the last minute.
We played well enough to win
against a very good ballclub.
We couldn’t close it out.”
LSU held the lead for most
of the first half, but Texas Tech
was down by only 33-32 at the
break. The Red Raiders out-
scored the Tigers 8-2 over the
last three minutes to cut into a
seven-point deficit. McClung
scored 14 first-half points to
keep Texas Tech close through-
out the opening 20 minutes.
The Red Raiders got off to a
quick start in the second half.
After falling behind by six
points, Texas Tech answered
with an 11-2 run.
The Jayhawks tried to make
a run to start the second half
with Ochai Agbaji scoring back-
to-back buckets to pull them
within 47-35. Tennessee scored
the next nine points and led as
26 down the stretch.
Big picture
Kansas: This won’t help the
Jayhawks burnish their own
resume for postseason play,
and there’s still a trip to Texas,
which beat them by 25 on Jan. 2,
and another game against No. 2
Baylor left in conference play. ...
ple of times. The toughness to
hang in there and get it off —
it was huge. Huge play by E.J.,
and credit to him. Then we got
a stop on the other end, and that
was important as well.”
Poll implications
Oklahoma could surge near
the Top 10. Alabama could take
a significant hit with this loss,
especially given the players
Oklahoma was missing.
Big picture
Alabama: The Crimson
Tide needed this one. Because
the SEC doesn’t have many
ranked teams, Alabama has
few opportunities to prove itself
against top competition.
Oklahoma: The Sooners did
the Big 12 a favor with a mas-
sive non-conference win that
helps justify so many teams in
the conference being highly
ranked.
Sooner empathy
Manek, who still is just get-
ting back to normal after being
out with COVID-19, said he
feels badly for Reaves and Wil-
liams.
“Just got to make sure their
NFL
Lions trade Stafford to LA
for Goff, draft picks
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — The De-
troit Lions are trading quar-
terback Matthew Stafford to
the Los Angeles Rams in ex-
change for quarterback Jared
Goff, two future first-round
picks and a third-round pick,
a person with knowledge of
the deal tells The Associated
Press.
The person spoke on con-
dition of anonymity Saturday
night because the deal has not
been completed. ESPN first
reported the swap, which will
include the Rams’ first-round
picks in 2022 and 2023, along
with their third-round pick
this year.
The blockbuster trade of
two starting quarterbacks
and former No. 1 overall draft
picks will provide a change of
scenery for two players who
probably need it.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 3B
The Jayhawks have to work on
their shooting. They wound up
going 6 of 24 outside the arc and
just 15 of 22 at the free throw
line.
Tennessee: The Vols have
proven they can play stingy
defense, and they dominated
on the boards 38-23, scoring
14 second-chance points. This
game showed why they were
picked to win the SEC title this
season by putting together an
impressive offensive perfor-
mance. They shot 52.8% (28 of
53) and 8 of 13 from 3 (61.5%)
and 16 of 17 at the line.
“The key is honestly you’ve
got to take open shots when
they’re there,” Tennessee coach
Rick Barnes said. “If we do that,
it takes care of a lot of things.”
Bragging rights
Barnes now has 721 career
victories. He came into this
game as the seventh-winnin-
gest active coach in Division
I, just ahead of Self with 719.
Barnes also notched his eighth
head-to-head win over Self,
most of any coach. Tom Izzo of
Michigan State has seven wins
over Self.
Quick turnaround
The Jayhawks played Thurs-
day night, beating TCU, then
had to travel while Tennessee
last played Tuesday night. Self
said the Vols were rested and
had Kansas well-scouted. “The
quick turnaround didn’t help
us, and it’s not the reason why
we got beat,” Self said. “But it
didn’t help us.”
Up next
Kansas hosts Kansas State
on Tuesday night.
Tennessee visits Ole Miss on
Tuesday night.
mind’s right,” Manek said.
“It takes a toll on you, sitting
at home watching guys you
practice with every single day.
It’s not fun. It sucks, honestly.
Wish they were here, wish they
could’ve experienced that. It
was a big-time game and got a
couple more ahead. We need
them back.”
Quotable
Oats on Harmon: “I was out
watching our guys warm up ear-
ly and he was there full sweat,
ready to play. I tell the kids
‘He’s amped up.’ They knew
they were going to be missing
their starting point guard. They
pushed him over to it, and he
did an unbelievable job.”
Stat lines
Harmon is averaging 18.2
points per game during Oklaho-
ma’s five-game win streak while
shooting 53% from the field.
Up next
Alabama: Hosts LSU on
Wednesday.
Oklahoma: Visits No. 10
Texas Tech on Monday. The
Sooners lost to the Red Raiders,
69-67, in Norman on Dec. 22.
Stafford asked to be trad-
ed shortly after the current
season ended with the Lions’
third straight double-digit los-
ing record. He has been one of
the NFL’s most prolific pass-
ers during his 12-year career
spent entirely in Detroit, but
has never won a playoff game.
Meanwhile, the Rams’
coaching staff and front office
have publicly expressed a clear
loss of confidence in Goff in re-
cent weeks after Los Angeles
earned its third playoff berth
and posted its fourth straight
winning record during his
four years under coach Sean
McVay.
Stafford, who turns 33 years
old next month, has two years
left on a $135 million, five-year
contract.
Goff is about to begin a four-
year, $135 million contract
with $110 million guaranteed.
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County of Lowndes

Call us: 662-328-2424 Notice of Sale

WHEREAS the following ten-

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Notice of Sale MARY SIKES C1025

WHEREAS the following ten- BRIAN BROWNLEE C1207

ants entered into a lease with
RENT-A-SPACE for storage MICHAEL HENDERSON D1430
spaces in which to store per-
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made in the payment of the
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– UNIT 6023
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to sell the personal property to
satisfy the past due rent and
any other charges owed to it.
NOW THEREFORE, notice is
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will sell at auction to the
highest bidder and best bidder
for cash all personal property
in the storage. Said property
located at RENT-A-SPACE 1526
GARDNER BLVD. SUITE 1,
COLUMBUS, MS will be sold at
9:30 AM on FEBRUARY 19,
2021.
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be sold is believed to be good, RENT-A-SPACE
but at such sale, RENT-A-
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title as is vested in it pursuant PUBLISH: 1/31/2021
Medical / Dental to its leases and as allowed
under Mississippi Code Annot-
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(Supp1988).
hereby given that RENT-A-
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will sell at auction to the
highest bidder and best bidder
for cash all personal property
in the storage. Said property
located at RENT- A- SPACE 406
WILKINS WISE RD COLUMBUS,
MS will be sold at 9:00 AM on
FEBRUARY 19, 2021.
Title to the personal property to
be sold is believed to be good,
but at such sale, RENT-A-
SPACE will convey only such
title as is vested in it pursuant
to its leases and as allowed
under Mississippi Code Annot-
ated Section 85-7-121 et seq.
(Supp1988).
WITNESS MY SIGNATURE ON
JANUARY 25, 2021.
By: MANAGER

WITNESS MY SIGNATURE ON
Employment
JANUARY 25, 2021.
Call us: 662-328-2424
RENT-A-SPACE
By: MANAGER General Help Wanted
PUBLISH: 1/31/2021
THE COMMERCIAL
DISPATCH seeks a motiv-
NOTICE OF STORAGE ated, contracted carrier for
CONTENTS SALE
the Caledonia area. Excel-
THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUAL IS lent opportunity to earn
IN DEFAULT OF PAYMENT ON money for college. Must
THEIR STORAGE AT MCCON- have good transportation,
NELL BROTHERS TRANSFER valid driver's license & in-
AND STORAGE, 2406 HWY 69 surance. Delivers on
SOUTH, COLUMBUS, MS Sunday morning and Mon-
39702. THE CONTENTS OF
THIS STORAGE WILL BE AUC- Fri afternoons. Apply at The
TIONED ON 2/18/21 AT 10:00 Commercial Dispatch, 516
A.M. Main Street in Columbus.
No phone calls please.
James Henley – Unit 18

All legal notices must Fred Hughes – Unit 15

be emailed to PUBLISH: 1/31, 2/3 &

2/7/2021 Read local.
classifieds@cdispatch.com cdispatch.com
Find the best deals.

Service Directory
Promote your small business starting at only $25
Air Cond & Heating General Services General Services Painting & Papering

RAPID TEMP
Heating & cooling.
A & T TREE SERVICES
Bucket truck & stump BANKRUPTCY SULLIVAN’S PAINT
SERVICE
Home & RV. removal. Free est. CHAPTER 7 Special Prices.
Service & install. Serving Columbus BANKRUPTCY Interior & Exterior Painting.
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Call 602−736−4880. citizen disc. Call Alvin @
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Carpet & Flooring "We’ll go out on a limb for BANKRUPTCY
you!" All Attorney Fees Through The Plan QUALITY PAINTING

GRAVEL, $360 PER LOAD.

Local delivery, 14 yd truck.
Backhoe & Dozer work.
Mobile Home Pads &
Driveways. Concrete work.
662−497−1388
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HANDYMAN SERVICE
Clean in the New Year!
Licensed with over 20 yrs
1 Room − $50 experience. Lowest rates in
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Carpet − Rugs − Cars
DAVID’S CARPET &
UPHOLSTERY WORK WANTED: Licensed
CLEANING & Bonded. Carpentry, minor
Jim Arnold, Attorney
662-324-1666
104 South Lafayette Street, Starkville
Please visit our website:
jimharnold.com
Saturday morning appointments
available for Starkville Office.
Lawn Care / Landscaping
JESSE & BEVERLY’S
LAWN SERVICE
Fall Cleanup, Tree Cutting,
Landscaping, Sodding &
Bush Hogging
662−356−6525
Ext/Int Painting
Sheet Rock Hang, Finish &
Repair. Pressure Washing.
Free Estimates. Ask for
specials! Larry Webber,
662−242−4932.
Sitting With The Sick / Elderly
I am a Caregiver for the
elderly seeking a daytime
position. Very loving &
caring, light housekeeping
offered. Call or leave msg,
662−570−8175.

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insulation, painting, demo−
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lition, gutters cleaned, Don’t have time Are you
pressure washing, land− to cut your lawn?
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a painter?
Advertise here!

Just a click away! The best place for personalized

advertising in your community.
ads.cdispatch.com
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with a dash of color. an attention getter.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 5B

Apts For Rent: Other Mobile Homes for Rent

Rentals 3BR/2BA MH in New Hope.

Ads starting at $25
Apts For Rent: North
2−3BR/1BA DUPLEX,
Apt B, newly renovated with
bonus room. HUD
accepted. 662−425−6954.
FOX RUN APARTMENTS
1 & 2 BR near hospital.
$595−$645 monthly.
Military discount, pet area,
pet friendly, and furnished
corporate apts.
24−HOUR PROFESSIONAL
GYM. ON SITE SECURITY.
ON SITE MAINTENANCE.
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24−HOUR CAMERA
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message, 205−712−6697.
RENT A CAMPER!
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Utilities & cable included,
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Columbus & County School
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Mobile Home Spaces
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paved parking. Please text
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more details. $1,800/mo
COLEMAN to rent. 720−635−5696.
RENTALS
TOWNHOUSES & APARTMENTS
1 BEDROOM Real Estate
Garage Sales ON THE WEB
Two free signs Visit www.cdispatch.com
Estate Sales for a printable copy of
Huge Estate Sale these puzzles.
138 Turkey Creek Rd.
Starkville, MS 39759
Fri. Jan. 29, 9am−4pm
Sat. Jan. 30, 9am−4pm
Sun. Jan. 31, 1pm−4pm
Mon. Feb. 1, 9am−4pm
Estate Of John Wells
vast collection of
advertising items,
Fiestaware, Lego sets, old
radios, Lance jars, Tom’s
jars, Lance jar stands, Boy
Scout items, Star Wars,
Nintendo, Atari, Victrola,
Vinyl collection 33, 78,
cd’s, Blues posters,
Walnut sideboard with
game birds, Coca Cola &
Dr. Pepper clock, Bulova
watch clock, coca sign,
military collectibles, Elvis

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collectibles, Pez collection,
2 BEDROOMS 4 outdoor storage buildings

Rentals
3 BEDROOMS Ads starting at $25 packed, tools. Thousands
of items. See photos
@www.estatesales.net
LEASE,
© The Dispatch

Farms & Timberland

Apartments & Houses Stewart’s Antiques &

1 Bedrooms
DEPOSIT
AND 203 ACRES
Estate Sales
Columbus, MS
662−251−1515
Sudoku YESTERDAY’S ANSWER

2 Bedroooms CREDIT CHECK

Sudoku
Sudoku is a number- Yesterday’s answer
PRIME TIMBERLAND
$270,000
3 Bedrooms Exc deer, turkey hunting placing puzzle based on
662-329-2323 Good Investment
Too much
Sudoku
a 9x9 gridis
ber-placing
witha several
num- 7 3 9 5 4 2 8 6 1
Furnished & Unfurnished (615)719−8329 given numbers.puzzleThe object 6 8 5 7 3 1 2 9 4

STUFF?

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

2411 HWY 45 N based onthe
is to place a 9x9
numbers 2 1 4 6 9 8 5 7 3
1, 2, & 3 Baths grid
COLUMBUS, MS 1 to 9with
in theseveral
empty spaces 1 5 7 3 2 4 6 8 9
Lease, Deposit Houses For Sale: East
given
so thatnumbers.
each row, each The 4 2 8 9 5 6 1 3 7
& Credit Check Houses For Rent: North FSBO: 4BR/2BA. New roof, object
column and each 3x3 the
is to place box
numbers 9 6 3 8 1 7 4 5 2
contains the1same to 9 number
in
new paint, fenced
viceinvestments.com
3 4 6 2 7 5 9 1 8
327-8555 the empty spaces so
COLONIAL TOWNHOUSES. backyard, driveway leads
2 & 3 bedroom w/ 2−3 behind house. $128,000. only once. The difficulty 5 7 1 4 8 9 3 2 6
662−889−1443. that each row, each
bath townhouses. $650 to level increases from
$750. 662−549−9555. column and each 8 9 2 1 6 3 7 4 5
Monday
3x3 boxtocontains
Sunday.
Did you
Ask for Glenn or text. Lots & Acreage Difficulty Level 1/29

?
know
In 2016 The Dispatch won
the Bill Minor Prize for the
best news story in the state.
Houses For Sale: Other
the same number only once. The difficulty level
3BR/1.5BA, clean, modern
appliances, dishwasher,
1.75 ACRE LOTS: Good/
Bad Credit Options. Good
increases from Monday to Sunday.
central AC&heat; carport, credit as low as 20% down,
wash/dry hookup, fenced $499/mo. Eaton Land,
back yard, 3216 Military Rd 662−361−7711.
$800+dep. 574−8559
NEW HOPE AREA:
Sell idle items +/− 1 acre. Open land with
with a quick action water & electricity nearby.
Start your
classified ad. $17,900. Call or text,
662−435−0401.
de-cluttering by
placing a garage
sale ad today!
Ads starting at...
1 day $10
3 day $18
6 day $34
Price includes 4 lines of text;
$1/line after base cost.

Merchandise
Ads starting at $12
Appliances

Appliances: New in box

Electrolux front load washer
$500. Kenmore gas range/
oven two years old $300.
Two year old front load
Electrolux washer $250.
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Bargain Column

FREE TREE GIVEAWAY!

Thur. 2/4/21, 8:30a−4p ACROSS
Lowndes Co SWCD, 1 Gown features
2282 MLK Jr. Dr
328−5921, ext.3 7 Ship staff
One Bundle Per Person. 11 Quiz show
fodder
Trucks, Vans & Buses Outdoor shop kerosene 12 State frankly
heater, $20. 13 Take offense
Electric foot massager,
$20. at
662−497−0588 14 Hunting garb,
General Merchandise
for short
15 News item
ELECTRIC WHEELCHAIR 16 Clan symbol
and carrier for car/truck, 17 Mansion part
$350. 662−368−6779.
18 Where the
Sporting Goods Fraser flows
19 List-ending
ED SANDERS GUNSMITH
Open for season! abbr.
Tue−Fri: 9−5 & Sat: 9−12 21 Made a rush DOWN dent
Over 50 years experience! 22 Wee 1 Scatter 22 Grateful reply
Repairs, cleaning, refin−
ishing, scopes mounted & 25 Gift tag word 2 Famed Roman 23 Car price
zeroed, handmade knives. 26 Deceitful sort fountain reducer
Located: Hwy 45 Alt, North 27 Come to 3 Out of bed 24 Crime against
of West Point, turn right on
Yokahama Blvd, 8mi & turn 29 Puts away 4 Gets satisfac- the state
left on Darracott Rd, will 33 Fragrant tion for 25 Diamond
see sign, 2.5mi ahead wood 5 Cream buy sides
shop on left.
662−494−6218. 34 Willem of 6 Was inactive 28 Malden and
“Platoon” 7 Georgia city Marx
35 Ogler 8 Forum icons 30 Burning
Community 36 Secant’s
reciprocal
9 Eventually
10 Like some
31 Printer need
32 Garden
37 Work hard bobsleds starters
Ads starting at $12 38 Cherished 16 Shire of 34 Ninny
Pets 39 Phoenix team “Rocky” 36 “East of
40 Solitary sorts 18 Plane part Eden” brother
Boxer/Lab Puppies 20 10th presi-
2 males and 2 females
$400. 662−361−4081

Five Questions:

1 Pepper

2 Madison
Bumgarner

Looking for goods 3 Fiji

or services?
4 Michelle
Find it in the Pfeiffer
classifieds!
5 Berlin Wall
6B SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

MLB

Cardinals to acquire Arenado from Rockies

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The St. Louis Cardinals have
agreed to acquire All-Star third
baseman Nolan Arenado from
the Colorado Rockies in a trade
needing approvals before it can
be finalized, a person familiar
with the swap tells The Associ-
ated Press.
The person
spoke on condi-
tion of anonymity
Friday night be-
cause the trade
had not yet been
finalized.
Arenado, an
Arenado
eight-time Gold
Glove winner,
signed a $260 million, eight-
year deal with Colorado in Feb-
ruary 2019 and is owed $199
million for the six remaining
seasons.
Colorado would pay St. Louis
a large amount of cash as part of
the trade, the person said, and
Major League Baseball must
approve a cash transaction of
more than $1 million.
Arenado’s contract has a no-
trade provision that requires his
approval for any assignment.
He may restructure his con-
tract as part of a trade, the per-
son said, which could require
approval of the players’ associ-
ation. The trade agreement was
first reported by The Athletic.
The 29-year-old Arenado
has hit .293 with an .890 OPS
over eight seasons, averaging
35 home runs and 114 RBIs
per 162 games. Aided in part
by hitter-friendly Coors Field,
he’s led the National League in
home runs three times and led
the majors in RBIs twice.
The Cardinals finished sec-
ond in the NL Central last sea-
son and lost a first-round playoff
matchup against the San Diego
Padres. Arenado will bump
Matt Carpenter out of his role
as the starting third baseman
and play in an infield with All-
Stars Paul DeJong at shortstop
and Paul Goldschmidt at first
base.
Arenado slumped during
the pandemic-shortened 2020
season, hitting .253 with eight
home runs and a .738 OPS
over 48 games. He earned
$12,962,963 in prorated pay.
Colorado general manager
Jeff Bridich acknowledged last
offseason that he was listening
to trade offers on the five-time
All-Star, and Arenado said in
February of 2020 that “there’s a
lot of disrespect around there”
and “there is no relationship
anymore” between him and
Bridich.
Like Troy Tulowitzki and
Matt Holliday before him, Are-
nado grew tired of losing, es-
pecially in an NL West division
ruled by the Los Angeles Dodg-
ers every year he’s been in the
big leagues.
Arenado’s contract called for
salaries of $35 million annual-
ly from 2021-24, $32 million in
2025 and $27 million in 2026.
His deal included a provision al-
lowing him to opt out after the
2021 season to become a free
agent.
St. Louis brings back much
of the same team that made last
year’s postseason, including
veteran pitcher Adam Wain-
wright, who finalized an $8 mil-
lion, one-year deal Friday. Wain-
wright is returning for his 17th
season with St. Louis, matching
Bob Gibson (1959-75) for the
second-most seasons with the
Cardinals among pitchers, one
behind Jesse Haines (1920-37).
Wainwright was 5-3 with a
3.15 ERA last season, striking
out 54 in 65 2/3 innings. He is
167-98 with a 3.38 ERA in his
career, earning three All-Star
selections and two Gold Gloves.
All-Star catcher Yadier Mo-
lina remains a free agent. The
38-year-old could still return for
an 18th season with the Cardi-
nals after hitting .262 with four
home runs in 2020.
In the ten years since the
Platinum Glove Awards were
introduced honoring the best
fielder regardless of position in
each league, Molina and Are-
nado are tied for the most with
four each.
Arenado would be the latest
established star acquired by St.
Louis in his prime.
Mark McGwire came over
from Oakland in July 1997 and
agreed two months later to a
$28.5 million, three-year con-
tract rather than test the mar-
ket. Jim Edmonds was obtained
from the Angels in March 2000
and reached a $57 million, six-
year deal that May. Matt Holli-
day arrived in a swap with the
Athletics in July 2009, became
a free agent and agreed in Feb-
ruary to a $120 million, sev-
en-year deal.
Most recently, the Cardi-
nals acquired Goldschmidt,
a six-time All-Star, from Ari-
zona prior to the 2019 season,
and he signed a $130 million
deal to stay with St. Louis
through 2024.

Baseball
Continued from Page 1B
stadium will be at roughly
25 percent of 15,000-plus
available seating, while
clubs and suites will be
limited to a maximum of
75 percent seated capac-
ity (indoor and outdoor).
Those capacity limits fall
in line with COVID-19
related restrictions from
both the governor’s of-
fice and the Center for
Disease Control.
The largest changes
to the game day experi-
ence will be in the Left
Field Lounge boxes.
Patrons will only be al-
lowed to have as many
as four people in a given
box and will be required
to wear a wristband that
grants them access to the
outfield concourses and
walkways. Those with-
out the wristbands will
not be allowed to wan-
der through the outfield
seats. Left Field Lounge
patrons will be asked
to enter the stadium
through the center field
gate only.
Student seating will
also be under new guide-
lines this season. Ad-
ministrators will use the
berms down the left and
right field lines, plus the
usual right field student
seating sections to ac-
commodate around 225
people, though that’s still
a rough estimate. Stu-
dents will receive a ticket
that grants them access
to all three locations and
ushers will be responsi-
ble for directing them to
areas that have available
socially distanced seat-
ing.
General admission,
non-student tickets will
not be available this year
as everyone aside from
students will have a re-
quired seat.
Midweek game tickets
will be sold on a first-
come, first-serve basis
and will go on sale in the
day or two prior to the
contest. Weekend series
tickets will be made avail-
able to purchase based on
Bulldog Club standing.
“It’s not because we
don’t want to have 15,000
fans in here or as many
people as we can,” Logan
said of the limited capaci-
ty. “We want people to be
safe, to be comfortable
and to respect each oth-
er.”
Other new measures
instituted this year to
combat the COVID-19
pandemic include re-
quired facial coverings
over the nose and mouth
for fans during ingress,
egress and movement
throughout the ballpark.
Seats will be organized
in pods of two and four
people from the same
household and six-feet of
space will be required be-
tween parties. Fans will
also be asked to fill out a
pre-game health screen
that includes a tempera-
ture check and a review
of COVID-19 symptoms.
Walk-up tickets will
not be available this sea-
son and gates will open
an hour before first pitch.
The Left Field Lofts,
however, will not fall un-
der Dudy Noble Field’s
limited capacity mea-
sures, according to MSU
officials. They will still
be subjected to capacity
limits as it relates to fire
code and will be limited
in how many people can
be out on the balconies
overlooking the ballpark.
“We want to make
sure it’s not a chance for
people to have a free for
all on the balconies to
watch baseball games,”
Executive Senior Associ-
ate A.D./Bulldog Club &
Ticket Operations Mike
Richey told reporters
Thursday.
MSU begins its sea-
son on the weekend of
Feb. 19 in Arlington,
Texas as part of the State
Farm College Baseball
Showdown. The Bull-
dogs will take on No.
3 Texas Tech, No. 9
Texas and No. 10 TCU
over the course of three
days. MSU’s first home
game is slated for Feb.
23 against Jackson State
as part of a two-game
slate. The Bulldogs’
first Southeastern Con-
ference series will take
place between March 26
and 28 against No. 8 Ar-
kansas.

Preps
Continued from Page 1B
“We’d like to see it
more — and probably will
get to see it more in the
playoffs,” Townsel said of
Young’s array of skills.
By then, the Jackets
will have had plenty of
time to practice and pre-
pare for a third game
against either the Mavs
or the Tigers. Either way,
Townsel said, Starkville
should be playing better
by then.
“I think we’ll be fine,”
he said.
Germantown girls 57,
Starkville 46
After her third-quarter
layup rolled off the rim,
Starkville senior Amaya
Ford kept running to the
back wall of the gym and
slapped her hand hard
against the black padding
affixed to it.
Her frustration was
clear.
Even though Ford
scored a game-high 25
points, she couldn’t will
her team to a win in Fri-
day’s home game against
Germantown, the Jack-
ets’ second loss to the
Mavericks this season.
Starkville lost 51-47 in
overtime Jan. 8 in Mad-
ison and couldn’t make
up for it in Friday’s regu-
lar-season finale.
“It’s going to be a bat-
tle every time we play,”
Starkville coach Kristie
Williams said. “It was a
battle until the end like
we expected.”
Williams said the game
came down to the funda-
mentals, and the Jackets’
couldn’t match the Mavs’
execution. Starkville
missed open shot after
open shot and made just
Starkville senior Amaya Ford (15) takes Germantown
senior Hannah Duran (13) off the dribble during the first
quarter Friday in Starkville. Ford led the Yellow Jackets
with 25 points.
15 of its 28 attempts from
the foul line.
“This time of year,
it’s about details: Free
throws. Making wide-
Theo DeRosa/Dispatch Staff
open layups,” Williams
said. “You’ve got to have
them if you want to con-
tinue on.”
Starkville didn’t, and
that made the difference
Friday. Germantown
sophomore Madison
Booker — the No. 4 re-
cruit in the country in
the Class of 2023 — said
her team was able to go
pound for pound with the
Yellow Jackets, and that
effort delivered the Mavs
the win.
“Sometimes we play
down a little bit, but to-
night, we matched their
aggressiveness and their
tenacity,” Booker said.
“We played hard. We
played with them. We
boxed out and got re-
bounds.”
Junior Essence Bak-
er led Germantown with
17 points, and Booker
added 14. While Ford
ended up outscoring
both Mavs, Booker said
her team knew what its
game plan would be de-
fensively against the Lou-
isiana-Monroe signee for
the second meeting be-
tween the two teams.
“We’ve just got to
stop Ford,” Booker said.
“That’s the main key.”
For all intents and pur-
poses Friday, the Maver-
icks did. They kept Ford
— capable of scoring 40
points in a game — well
below that mark and kept
her teammates in check,
too.
“It was very, very
tough,” Booker said. “It’s
just a good win.”
The victory gave Ger-
mantown the No. 1 seed
in the district tourna-
ment, which it will host in
Madison. Starkville will
face South Panola on Jan.
8 for the right to play the
Mavs in the tournament
final.

Dear Abby

D
EAR ABBY: I am a 59-year-
old man who was engaged
to a 46-year-old woman. She
told me she was going to leave
for work on Friday, but I found
out she was actually going on a
vacation. She was pretending to
go to work but driving to Georgia
to meet a married man she met
on a dating site instead.
We live in New Jersey, and it’s
a 13-hour drive. I found her phone
the day before and deleted all
his info, but she still drove down
there to meet him. I am devas-
Dear Abby
tated and crushed. Any help or
suggestions? I wish people who
do this stuff could be tattooed on the forehead
to warn other good people. — HURT IN NEW
JERSEY
DEAR HURT: I sympathize with your pain,
which I am sure is considerable. I do have some
advice, which I hope you will heed.
Please realize that finding her
phone before her departure was a
gift to you from above. Thank your
higher power that you now under-
stand exactly who this woman is
and didn’t marry her.
The time has come to move
forward resolutely. There are
better days — and better women
— ahead. I say this with certainty
because you can’t do worse than
this one.
DEAR ABBY: I reached out re-
cently to the daughter of my cous-
in who had just passed away. I
offered condolences and a picture
of her great-grandfather, who was my grandfa-
ther. I also shared some warm memories of her
dad, my cousin.
She shot back with some seriously negative
information about her dad’s dad, my uncle.
It really shook me. I didn’t want to know that
information. I barely knew my uncle, but my
memories of the family all involved happy times
together.
What she said shocked and saddened me. I
wish I didn’t know. I think people should speak
well of those who are gone or say nothing. Don’t
you? — UNPLEASANT IN THE WEST
DEAR UNPLEASANT: Most people tend to
omit the unpleasant details when talking about
someone who has passed on, but I do not think
there are any hard-and-fast rules. I’m sorry you
were upset about the dose of truth you received
in exchange for your warm memories. But
understand, I have read obituaries and listened
to eulogies that were so sanitized I didn’t recog-
nize who was being discussed. Perhaps there is
a happy medium.
DEAR ABBY: I’m a 13-year-old with an
addiction to screens. I sometimes pull over-
nighters on my phone. I’m starting to realize my
limits. Sometimes I cannot trust myself with
my actions, and I think I may need help. Do
you have any advice? — SEEING THE LIGHT IN
MARYLAND
DEAR SEEING: It takes a brave person to
admit they have a problem and be proactive
in accepting that it may be something they
can’t solve on their own. I congratulate you for
admitting it. You are not the only teen with this
issue. Many people your age and older struggle
with it, too.
Your next step should be to talk to your
parents about your concerns and ask for help in
breaking your screen addiction. This can some-
times involve more than going “cold turkey,”
and they may need to seek a referral from your
doctor.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren,
also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded
by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear
Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440,
Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Horoscopes
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 31). No
one teaches the bird to make a nest.
You, like the bird, will tap into those
instincts that came part and parcel
with the collective knowledge of
Mother Nature and build a beautiful
structure of protection, solace and
nurturing. From there, you’ll sing
yourself to the sky, attracting the
right company to share it with. Aries
and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky
numbers are: 1, 31, 5, 17 and 49.
ARIES (March 21-April 19).
Resolve issues quickly regardless of
how small and inconsequential they
may seem. Otherwise, tiny tangles
of troubles in the corners of your
mind will have a way of slowing your
thought processes.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20).
When the map disagrees with the
ground, even the best cartographer
in the world knows which is at fault.
You’ll be given instructions. Feel free
to forget them all in favor of reacting
to what’s going on.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The
day brings a happiness trifecta:
something to do, someone to love
and an event on the horizon to look
forward to. Your appreciation of life’s
balance makes this steadiness all
the sweeter.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). The
picture looks better when the image
is defined. Bringing more light to it
isn’t necessarily bringing more clar-
ity. You need the darkness, too. It’s
the interplay of light and shadow that
provides definition.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You tend
to take any responsibility as serious-
ly as if you were getting paid to fulfill
the order. However, your attitude can
get a little lax with your responsibil-
ities to yourself. Fight this. Show up
stronger for yourself.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).
Through meditation, you can sweep
out your mind, though, like most
things that get swept, it only stays
clear for the few moments it takes to
set the stage for a glorious torrent
of ideas.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).
Though you may not currently have
all the tools you need to make what
you want to make, start anyway.
While you’re already moving, you’ll
learn what you need and who has it.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Con-
versation comes from the subcon-
scious. This is why you sometimes
are very surprised at what you say.
For instance, today a thought occurs
to you for the first time just as it
leaps from your tongue.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec.
21). Your critical eye will be helpful
in many tasks of the day, but use
it judiciously. It won’t always be
appropriate to offer an opinion. And
when working alone, save the critical
phase for after the creative brain-
storming.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19).
Words can intrigue, delight, offend
and portend — but they can’t actu-
ally do. You’ll be made aware of just
how much can only happen in the
thrust of action.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). In
some faiths, it is believed that there
is, at our deepest level, a part of us
that cannot be stained. This eternal
purity within, if you can imagine it
exists, will be accessible. One touch
can fuel your day.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). A
while back when you were reorga-
nizing the pantry of your mind, an
expensive little nugget of bitterness
got pushed to the back wall. It’s still
there, though without potency, as
faded as an old spice.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 7B

Religion
Let it go and let God bring justice in your life
W
e serve moments such as it? If so, don’t get upset, just let arguments to make matters justice to all who are treated
a God of these, we have to it go and let God bring justice worse. Instead, we can let it go unfairly.” (Psalm 103:6) NLT
justice! let it go and let God in your life. God knows how and let God bring justice in our So be encouraged today and
He’s a just and fair deal with them in hard you work and everything lives. “When justice is done, it always remember: When we let
God that loves to His way. By doing that was taken from you. He’s brings joy to the righteous but it go and let God, He will bring
bring justice in His this, God will bring going to give it back and more. terror to evildoers.” (Proverbs justice in our lives. “He is the
people’s lives and justice in our lives “For I, the Lord love justice; 21:15) Rock, His work is perfect; For
solve their cases. by repaying them I hate robbery and wrongdo- All of us have gone through all His ways are justice, A God
However, we have back for all the ing. In my faithfulness I will a situation where we were of truth and without injustice;
to let go of every- wrong things they reward my people and make treated unfairly. Maybe a Righteous and upright is He.”
thing going on in did to us. “For we an everlasting covenant with friend cheated us in a business (Deuteronomy 32:4) NKJV
our lives and let Sherry Ivy know Him who them.” (Isaiah 61:8) NIV deal and we lost a lot of money, Minister Sherry Ivy is a
Him do it. “For the said, “Vengeance Some people can be jeal- or a co-worker schemed a Minister of The New Providence
Lord is righteous, He loves is Mine, I will repay,” says the ous of us or hate us for no contract from us. When this M. B. Church (Healing & Yoke
justice; the upright will see His Lord. And again, “The Lord reason. They will try to ruin happens to us, we have to let it Destroying Ministry) in Macon
face.” (Psalm 11:7) NIV will judge His people.”(He- our reputation, self-esteem or go and let God bring justice in Mississippi, under the lead-
When people do us wrong, brews 10:30) NJKV career by spreading vicious our lives. He sees our injustice ership of her husband, Pastor
our immediate and natural Are you working on a job rumors and telling lies on us. and He’s not going to let people Willie J. Ivy Sr. You can contact
instinct will be to get even, pay where you’re doing all the We don’t have to stoop down continue to mistreat us. “The her via email at minsivy@
them back or get revenge. In work but not getting credit for to their level by getting into Lord gives righteousness and yahoo.com

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Churches likely have modified service types and hours. Please contact a church before attending a service due to changing COVID restrictions.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is F eatured C hurch

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

2500 Military Road Suite 1

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

WESLEY UNITED METHODIST — 511 Airline Rd. Sunday School 9:45 a.m., Worship 10:55 a.m.,
Wednesday 5:15 p.m., Chancel Choir 7 p.m., Youth Monday 6:30 p.m. Rev. Sarah Windham.

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

R Free Estimates
LER OO 1721 Hwy 45 N
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COMMERCIAL 662.848.0919
“A Family Business Since 1946” RESIDENTIAL Monday-Saturday 10am-8pm
662-328-3625 • 662-328-7612 In Style. In Reach. Sunday 1pm-5pm

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Call Beth, Mary Jane,
Since 1960 RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
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Hunting • Fishing
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BRISLIN, INC. Insurance Services:

Young
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4051 Military Road • 662-328-5814 1205 Gardner Blvd.,Columbus, MS

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

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, INC The McBryde Family

Hwy. 45 Alt. N., West Point n 662-494-4344
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Jarrett’s Towing This ad space can be yours

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If you need to change your church’s online listing or would like to add
your church information, call 328-2424 or email changes to tinap@cdispatch.com
8B SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 9B

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10B SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Puzzles