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County sets fourth public hearing for August, to review hazard mitigation
The Union County Board of Supervisors set a public hearing for Aug. 1 to review the county’s hazard mitigation plan. The plan, developed by Three Rivers Planning and Development District, needs to be updated every five years.
What is slightly unusual is that this is the fourth public hearing the board has scheduled for next month.
A hearing also set for Aug. 1 during the regular board meeting will be concerning a proposed ordinance that would create an emergency medical services district, regulating ambulance service.
The other two, perhaps of more public interest, will be Monday, Aug. 15.
One will be on the proposed county garbage ordinance and the other will be over the proposed supervisors’ redistricting as a result of population changes shown in the 2020 Census.
In general agenda items, the board voted to adopt the new mileage reimbursement rate set by the state, finally in light of the dramatic increase in fuel cost. The rate will increase from 58.5 cents per mile to 62.5 cents per mile.
The board formally accepted funds toward various infrastructure projects in the First and Second districts, including the Red Hill community.
They also agreed to make updates to the county driver written safety policy as required by their insurance carrier.
In personnel, Katie Hale was changed from part-time to full-time deputy clerk in the justice court office and Andrea Joyner and Penny Culver was approved as new deputy clerks.
Kayla Harrison will receive a longevity pay increase, having worked for the sheriff’s department for the past 10 years.
Sheriff Jimmy Edwards received permission to move $1,315 to the PIPE fund used to purchase information and evidence. This comes from seized funds rather than taxpayer money.
He also got permission to purchase a $629.99 inverter-generator from Harbor Freight to be used in the sheriff’s department special response unit. The unit has seen increased use, such as helping in searches for missing persons in the area and the generator in the truck was not new to begin with so it is essentially worn out. This also will come out of drug seized funds rather than taxpayer money.
Before adjourning, the board went into executive session to discuss economic development but did not report what action, if any, they took.
The next scheduled board of supervisors meeting will be Monday, Aug. 1, at 10 a.m. This is also the day for two public hearings mentioned above.
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Evans chosen for Walter S. Bounds Scholarship
Katie Evans, a 2022 graduate of New Albany High School, has been chosen to receive the 2022 Walter S. Bounds Scholarship for Excellence. Katie will be attending Mississippi State University this fall and major in Chemical Engineering with plans to attend medical school. She is the daughter of Dr. Lance and Brandy Evans. Pictured l-r are Dr. Phil Burchfield, Executive Director of Mississippi Association of School Superintendents; Evans; and, Alan Lumpkin, President of Mississippi Association of School Superintendents.
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Evans receives Bounds Scholarship from MASS
Katie Elizabeth Evans, a recent graduate of New Albany High School, is among 10 Mississippi students receiving $1,000 scholarships from the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents.
Touting a perfect grade point average with membership in the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta, Evans served as student council representative, Anchor Club president, and board member of the Northeast Mississippi Youth Foundation. She also was active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Future Business Leaders of America, band, and theatre.
Of significance is Evans’ completion of a 100-hour internship at Baptist Memorial Hospital in the 11th and 12th grades.
She plans to attend Mississippi State University to major in chemical engineering with a goal of entering medical school in pursuit of a career in radiation oncology.
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Historical society among recipients of $1.6 million in arts commission grants
The Mississippi Arts Commission is investing over $1.6 million through grants in more than 260 organizations, schools, and individual artists across the state for the fiscal year 2023.
Among those, the Union County Historical Society and Heritage Museum is receiving $4,500 to help fund the annual William Faulkner Literary Festival and Competition, which draws entrants from all over the world.
“Over the last two years, Mississippi’s artist community used their creativity to overcome the obstacles the pandemic placed in their way,” said Sarah Story, executive director of MAC. “One of the key ways MAC supports the arts in Mississippi is through awarding grants to artists and organizations. MAC is pleased to provide nearly twice as many grants as last year, investing into Mississippi’s creative workforce, education, artists and organizations, and local communities.”
“MAC is dedicated to supporting Mississippi artists, as they add so much to what makes Mississippi a unique place to live and visit,” said Marie Sanderson, board chair for MAC. “We will continue to promote the rich artistic culture of our state and the role it plays from education to the economy.”
MAC’s annual grant funds come from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mississippi State Legislature. Awards were made in 77 Mississippi House of Representatives districts and 51 state Senate districts.
General Operating Support for 60 arts organizations.
Project Support for 69 arts and community-based organizations across Mississippi to foster the continuation of the state’s folk and traditional art forms, support performances and arts programming, and strengthen education in and through the arts.
Project Support for 31 individual artists to support innovation, propel artists’ careers and encourage collaboration between artists and communities.
Artist Fellowship awards 31 individual artists across artistic disciplines who demonstrate the ability to create exemplary work in their chosen field.
Mini-Grants to 55 individual artists to support their professional development and 11 arts and community-based organizations to support arts programming and institutional strategic development.
In addition to making direct grants, MAC accepted 20 schools into its Whole Schools Initiative program, which provides PreK-12 educators with intensive professional development for integrating the arts across the curriculum.
MAC also approved 25 artists and performing groups for inclusion in its Artist Roster and Teaching Artist Roster, which features many of the best artists and arts educators in the state. The Artist Roster is updated annually in the fall on MAC’s website.
To see the complete list of grantees, visit https://arts.ms.gov/grant-recipients/. For more information on MAC’s grant programs, Artist Roster, and other services, visit the agency’s website at arts.ms.gov.
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“I took dancing from age 1 1/2 to 5, then gymnastics from ages 5-9, then I flopped back to dance. As I grew up, I fell in love with all aspects of performing,” she recalled.
As Guns & Roses once sang, Every Rose Has Its Thorns; every job has its difficult parts. For her, the hardest part of the journey from child to professional dancer has been, “Believing in myself and keeping my confidence.
There’s a lot of conditioning and cross training she has to do to stay flexible and strong to accomplish those goals. Her regimen includes jumping jacks, planks, splits, eye-high kicks, and Pilates.
“She couldn’t drive, so I stayed around to help her. Nicole saw an ad for the Branson Regional Arts Council saying they were putting on their first production in a new location. She wanted us to audition together but I did not want to audition as my plans were to go back to New York as soon as possible. Nicole ended up talking me into going. I got cast, and that led me to connections with various theaters in Branson. Later in the year, I auditioned for King's Castle’s 2018 Christmas season. I was offered the position as a part-time dancer for the season a few weeks later,” she said.
Viewed from the perspective of a resident, and not a tourist, she believes family values make Branson a special place. "Branson was created to offer family-oriented entertainment,” she said.
"The Sweethearts are a talented, hard-working group of young ladies,” Dasto said. “This season we took on a few new challenges and had an absolute blast. I love helping younger generations learn and grow in the industry, and inspiring people to become the best they can possibly be. It is truly an honor to be this team’s coach.”
Where does Coach K want to be five or 10 years from now?
Kristen Dasto
Woodland Hills Family Church Of Branson
Sally Dasto
American Music And Dramatic Academy
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It’s a tough time to be on a city or county board
New Albany aldermen and Union County supervisors are going to be earning their pay more than usual in the next month as they are faced with issues that will have long-term effects on the community.
Aldermen have promised a decision in August on whether to allow production, sales or both of medical marijuana, a strongly contested question.
Initially, the city board chose to opt out of the legislatively-passed program, but expressly stated that they were only doing so until they received updated zoning codes. Those codes, with a section governing medical marijuana, are here but the city board has not opted back. in.
It’s a tough issue in that public opinion on medical marijuana is approximately split, so whatever they do, they will make some people unhappy. Complicating the issue is that some are in favor of medical marijuana but opposed to the current law as being badly written and confusing, possibly moving more toward recreational marijuana.
Although aldermen initially appeared to be in agreement with allowing marijuana growth and sales, albeit with restrictions on locations, they have since faced vocal groups more than once that oppose opting back in. No group, or even individual, has spoken in a public meeting in favor of opting back in.
It takes a lot of intestinal fortitude to go against a determined group facing you, particularly when you know some of them personally.
Another complicating factor: if the city remains opted out, it can always opt in later. On the other hand, under the perhaps deliberately poorly written law, once you opt in you can never opt out.
Some of the arguments against marijuana sound like those made in opposition to the legalization of liquor. I can’t predict the future, but it appears that bringing liquor to the city neither proved to be a financial windfall nor left us with drunks passed out around downtown. The same could be true with marijuana, that it will simply not make a lot of difference for good or ill in the long run. We can’t know that yet.
Another wild card is that the legislature may be pressured into making substantial changes in the law next year; possibly making action now irrelevant. That may not be likely, but it is possible.
Union County supervisors are facing several issues of their own.
One potential ordinance could lead the county to regulating ambulance service and it’s not clear what real effect that could have.
Another concerns the redrawing of borders for supervisors’ districts. That will have some impact on people in New Albany who will find themselves with a different supervisor but shouldn’t have much impact on the community as a whole.
The other issue is deciding how to deal on a new law requiring permits for new construction or remodeling in the county, outside the city.
Supervisors appear to be trying to make implementing the law as painless as possible, sticking with bare minimum requirements.
They could, however, institute building codes that would both restrict county citizens in what they could do, and increase the value of the county and individual properties overall. Again, they probably won’t do that, but they could and county folks feel strongly about regulation.
Also, as with the marijuana law, the legislature may make substantial changes to the permit law next year. In fact, they probably are going to have to, in which case any action supervisors take will be only temporary.
One other thing about county supervisors and marijuana: they voted, under some pressure, to opt out of all aspects of the marijuana law. But they could still change their minds and, also, statewide elections are next year so Union County could have a different board Jan. 1, 2024. There are no guarantees.
Maybe these questions don’t sound so difficult to a typical citizen, but it’s a different matter when you represent thousands of people who have decidedly different viewpoints on the issue.
I don’t envy the aldermen or supervisors but they ran for the job and have to step up to make the hard decisions.
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Little League photos coming next week
Photos of the New Albany Park Commission Little League teams are scheduled to appear in the next two editions of the New Albany Gazette, Aug. 3 and 10.
The photos are being split into two groups because of the large number of teams.
The Gazette staff has tried diligently to get the names of players and coaches accurately but the rosters were written by hand by dozens of individual so we may be calling coaches to confirm spelling of some names.
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Abbie McQuary attended Law Camp at the Lee County Justice Center from July 18-21. Nicole McLaughlin was over it and Judge Jacqueline Mask Played a large role in the camp. On Monday the participants zoomed with Judge Ronald from the Supreme Court of Mississippi. They met circuit court and chancery court judges and completed a negotiation activity. On Tuesday, they watched an arraignment in which the trial date was determined, and the bond was set. Jim Johnson, Sheriff of Lee County, met with the participants. He discussed serial killers and how one was active in Mississippi at one time. They also talked to some more judges and attorneys. On Wednesday, they talked to workers at Youth Court. The workers did a skit to demonstrate how to respect the court and the judges and also discussed how to dress properly while attending court procedures. On Thursday, they saw an arraignment at a circuit court, and they participated in a mock trial. Abbie was the defendant. Abbie had an educational week, and it helped her to know if she might want to consider being a lawyer one day. Abbie is the daughter of Jack and Nicole McQuary and will be a junior next year. She is homeschooled in the ARROWS homeschool group.
Lou and Larry McQuary took five grandkids to Incredible Pizza in Cordova on Friday: Adilynn McQuary, Arden McQuary, Jace Howell, Jeter Howell, and Connor Coffey. They enjoyed the arcade games, and they had plenty to choose from. Some were too hard to figure out how to run, so they kept going from one to the other until they found one they liked. Before getting on the adventure rides, they ate lunch which offered plenty of choices. Their favorites were pizza, cookies, and pudding. The first adventure ride was a roller coaster. It was so colorful, red, blue, and yellow, zooming across the tracks. They also played on the bumper cars and a spinning ride. Adilynn rode the big spinner three times. She is like her daddy and enjoys the rides. Before leaving, they had another round of pizza and cookies. Incredible Pizza provided a day of fun for the McQuary grandkids.
Bro. David Grumbach started a new series on core values. It will consist of 10 different topics. He has asked five different people in the church to deliver a message on one of the core values. Yesterday, Bro. Jason Howell delivered a message on Christ Centered Homes and Churches. His four-point message discussed spiritual teaching in the homes and the responsibility of parents to teach their children diligently. First, he addressed why parents should teach their children. If children aren't taught the truths, they will be forgotten and ignored. Second, he brought out what they should be taught. We don't have to be great Biblical scholars to teach our children. Rather, we as parents should spend quality time with our children, teaching them what we know. As children see God working in our lives, they will have a role model to follow. Third, how should we teach them? One main word surfaces here: diligence. It is so easy to get sidetracked, but we must dedicate ourselves to the task. Fourth, who should teach them? We shouldn't rely on the church, friends, or relatives to teach our children. We, as parents, should take the lead in spiritual instruction. Bro. Jason's sermon was uplifting and encouraging.
Macedonia will have the Blessing of the Backpacks in the morning worship and a Back to School Bash on August 14 at 5 p.m. at the church. Make plans to attend both of these.
Thought for the Week: “Children just be taught how to think, not what to think.” Margaret Mead
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Mississippi Arts Commission supporting Faulkner Literary Fest and Competition
Writing, reading, photography, art and music are all part of the annual Faulkner Literary Fest and Competition in New Albany. The Mississippi Arts commission has awarded the festival and competition a grant that will be used for programming during the festival from July through October.
The grant totaling $4,500 is part of the more than $1.65 million in grants MAC awarded in fiscal year 2022-23 and will be used to finance speakers, exhibits, musicians, writing workshops and other programming for the festival.
“We are pleased to provide support for the arts organizations throughout the state who inspire and serve their communities every day, “said Sarah Story, executive director of MAC. “These funds will help organizations continue to create innovative exhibitions, performances and programming for millions of people to enjoy throughout the next year.”
The William Faulkner Literary Competition began on the 100th birthday of the New Albany native in 1997, and 2022 marks the 25th year for the festival, said Jill Smith, director of the Union County Heritage Museum who works with the Literary Committee to administer the competition and festival.
“The committee is very grateful to the Mississippi Arts Commission for this grant and we have good things planned for the coming months related to the arts for our community,” she said.
The exhibit “Visual Storytelling: Six Mississippi Voices” opened last week and is part of the annual programming. Faulkner biographer Carl Rollyson’s book talk and book signing on July 19 is another event. It will be up through August. The Community Read is “When You Can Throw From Deep Short” written by Brices Crossroad’s native Robert Hamblin. The book dramatizes the power of sport, baseball in particular, to inspire teamwork, camaraderie and hope to change lives for the better. Books are at the Museum Gift Shop and the Union County Library.
The August Museum Moments will feature Kate Stewart as she discusses the Faulkner book Intruder in the Dust: Young Detectives of Faulkner and Nancy Drew on Thursday, Aug. 18, at noon.
An exhibit featuring the work of artist and photographer Bill Stieber of Nashville will open in September exhibiting his photographs of blues performers from the area as well as his unique artwork of portraits that he has created using bits and pieces of objects from the locations where the blues performers lived and played from the Delta to the Mississippi Hills to Beale Street.
There will be writing workshops for children and song writing programming with the season two of Beyond the Tracks. There is a lot planned for Literary Fest 2022 in New Albany. “We try to include something for all ages and interests as much as possible to celebrate creativity and the arts,” Smith said.
More than $6,000 is awarded to winners of the annual literary competition to people all over the world. The deadline for entry into the Literary Competition is July 31 for plays, short stories and poetry. The deadline for novel entry was July 15. Student entries for short story deadline is Aug. 31, and is open only to Mississippi students. Go to www.williamfaulknerliterarycompetition.com to enter and for details.
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"I have worked with the science teachers of Green Hill Elementary, North Panola Middle School and North Panola High School to implement more engineering into the current curriculum," said Shunderla Wilson, of Sardis, who earned bachelor's and master's degrees in secondary education from Ole Miss in 2018 and 2020, respectively.
"The most fulfilling portion of my placement was returning to my community to deliver my acquired scientific knowledge to students to eliminate the fear of having careers in the STEM field."
"Through my service with the North Mississippi VISTA Project, I have grown as a steward of my community and as a professional," she said.
"The North Mississippi VISTA Project is a key initiative of the Grisham-McLean Institute's mission to fight poverty through education in Mississippi," said Emily Echols, the institute's project manager. "The effects of the pandemic are still being felt by many people in our communities, and it is critical that we support our communities and community organizations that are working to alleviate poverty, hunger and education gaps.
"Our work is needed now more than ever, and serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA provides a meaningful opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of Mississippians."
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Wanda was a firm believer in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and a faithful prayer warrior for all of her family, her friends and her country. She could be found in the mornings with her bible, studying God's Word and praying over scripture. Even in her illness, on her worst of days, she continually prayed over the sufferings of others and reminded her girls to do the same. She was a patriot to the end, fighting for her nation through prayer, the internet, and countless emails.
Wanda loved to cook and shared the gift of happiness through her baking talents. She loved eating cakes and pies, as much as she loved baking them, though her tiny frame did not even hint at the enormity of her sweet tooth. Her eldest grandson, Earle shared this love of sweets in his childhood, and carries her sense of humor with him into adulthood. The tradition continues on through her youngest grandson, Coleson, who possesses an amazing physical resemblance to "Mama Lu" and has her beautiful blue eyes that sparkle with delight, even at the thought of a sweet treat. Wanda's talent for baking cakes grew into a small business, creating beautiful, delectable wedding cakes, several of which were featured in issues of Mississippi Magazine. When a debilitating diagnosis of degenerative scoliosis, ended her baking career much too soon, she continued to bake for family, friends and those in need up until the last weeks of her life. She was no stranger to pain, being told in 2001 she would be paralyzed from the degenerative spinal disease, never to walk again. While a neurosurgeon in Memphis, TN insisted she was not a surgical candidate, she battled through insurance regulations, seemingly impossible location and travel issues and found Dr. LaGrone in Amarillo, TX who would perform 2 surgeries in 2002 and 2006 to completely rebuild her spine. Her family is eternally grateful for her stubborn will and to Dr. LaGrone, for the productive, quality life she was able to live for many more years. This battle, no doubt, helped to prepare her and her family for the road ahead, facing the most frightening diagnosis of all, cancer.
Wanda possessed a quick wit, the gift of humor and a level of sarcasm, rivaled by few, that not only sustained her in the worst of times, but was also a source of much entertainment and laughter to those who knew and loved her. While she took little time for herself, when she did, if she wasn't enjoying baking a lemon pie, you might find her watching back-to-back episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger. This led to an appreciation of Chuck Norris and most especially Chuck Norris jokes. Chuck Norris and Superman once agreed to a fight. The loser had to wear their underwear on the outside of their pants.... hysterical laughter follows. Wanda's infectious laugh and big smile would spread all over her face to big, beautiful, blue eyes that danced as she threw her head back, which she so often did over funny little insignificant things, especially those that her grandchildren would do and say. Well known are the funny looks and faces shared between Mama Lu and each of her 2 granddaughters, though, perhaps known only to those closest to her, Wanda at heart, was a free spirit, at times quite mischievous. These, she passed on to her eldest granddaughter, Emery, while the stubbornness that gave her perseverance through many battles, is a trait readily seen in youngest Granddaughter, Izzy, along with a joyful laugh. Her only Great grandson, Waylon, she has loved dearly from a distance, and it seems he possesses a bit of her fighting spirit, which he carries into a 4th generation. What an impact, Mama Lu has made on all her grandchildren's lives.
The family would like to acknowledge the special ladies of Wanda's Sunday School class for their love and support throughout her illness, Sanctuary Hospice for the excellent care and support provided during her final time, and Baptist Cancer Center, not only as her resource of treatment, but for the encouragement extended by all staff, Dr. Clyde Jones and Kim Hardin, NP during her brave battle.
Jessica Dawn Ledbetter, 37, resident of Myrtle, died from injuries sustained in a vehicle accident near Cairo, MS on Thursday, July 21, 2022.
Funeral Services remembering the life of Jessica will be at 4 PM Sunday, July 24 in The Memory Chapel of New Albany Funeral & Cremation Care with Bro. Dustin Long officiating. Burial will follow in Ecru Cemetery.
Jessica was born July 29, 1984 in Union County and is the daughter of Rhonda Richardson Owens (Jack) of Ecru. She received her education from W.P. Daniel High School and was employed in the furniture industry for most of her life.
A Christian, Jessica can be characterized by many words, honest, loving, stubborn, thoughtful, caring and trusting. She will be remembered for her good cooking, her servant's heart, love of hugging and her "go get her" attitude.
A loving daughter, mother, sister and friend, Jessica will be greatly missed by all that knew and loved her.
Visitation will be from 1 PM to 4 PM Sunday, July 24 at New Albany Funeral & Cremation Care.
In addition to her mother, memories will continue to be shared by her daughter, Hailey Wicker, one son, Peyton Wicker, two bonus sons, Brayden and Carson Lewis, two brothers, Robert Richardson (Allison) of Ecru and Joshua Decanter (Haley) of Ingomar, grandparents, Shirley Huffstickler, Calvin Huffstickler and Walter Ford, two nephews, Jase and Rivers Richardson and a special companion, Steven Lewis.
She was also preceded in death by a brother, Christopher Decanter.
The Staff of New Albany Funeral & Cremation Care invites you to share memories with Jessica's family at nafuneralsandcremations.com.
A true Southern gentleman whose memory will be lovingly treasured by family and many friends, Michael David "Mike" Carroll, 66, resident of Ashland, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Thursday afternoon, July 21, 2022 at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Union County following a brief illness.
A Celebration of Life Service will be at 4 PM Sunday, July 24 in The Heritage Chapel of Ripley Funeral Home. A Graveside Service will follow in the Ashland City Cemetery with Bro. Joe McIntyre officiating.
Mike was born June 29, 1956 in New Albany and is the son of Betty Ruth Sharp Carroll of Ashland and the late Lee Fred Carroll. He was a graduate of Gray Academy in Ashland and continued his education at Northwest Mississippi Community College and The University of Mississippi. Mike was a valued employee with Delta Airlines from 1986 to 2020, retiring after 34 years of service. Committed to his career, his travels took him all over the world which included China, Italy, Paris, Germany and India to name a few. Mike began collecting pearls while traveling and, encouraged by his mother, would eventually open Mike's Family Jewels in Ashland.
Based with Delta Airlines in Michigan, Mike would meet Tim Satterfield in 1999 and the two would marry February 9, 2015. With a lot of convincing, Mike and Tim would open Ciao Chow in Ashland 11 years ago and eventually move the restaurant to their current location in New Albany.
A 3rd Degree Mason and Ashland Town Alderman from 2013 to 2017, Mike was always looking out for the best interest of not just the people that he served, but for the community in general.
To know Mike is to have laughed with or to have shared a kind word, whether a close friend or stranger. Being humbly social was a special gift upon which Mike was bestowed; those around him were drawn to his infectious and ebullient personality.
Mike's sense of humor was second to none and he was compassionate as he was funny. He represented the good that we all need in our everyday lives and was one of a select few who could actually rise to meet challenges with a smile.
A loving son, husband, brother, uncle and friend, Mike leaves behind many memories to be cherished by his family and they find comfort in knowing they will meet again.
"Do not be anxious, for I am your God...I will really hold on to you with my right hand of righteousness" - Isaiah 41:10
Visitation will be from 2 PM to 4 PM Sunday, July 24 at The Ripley Funeral Home.
In addition to his mother, memories will continue to be shared by his husband, Tim Satterfield of Ashland, one brother, Mitch Carroll (Carolyn) of Ashland, four nieces, Dealana, Leah, Angela and Melinda, two nephews, Adrain and Mitch, Jr. and two loyal canine companions, "Corky" and "Max".
He was also preceded in death by a brother, Ronnie L. Carroll.
The Ripley Funeral Home invites you to share memories with Mike's family at ripleyfuneralhome.com.
Lola Olivia Robinson Malone, 57, resident of New Albany, passed away unexpectedly of natural causes Wednesday morning, July 20, 2022 at her residence.
Services celebrating the life of Lola will be at 12 noon Saturday, July 23 in The Memory Chapel of New Albany Funeral & Cremation Care.
Lola was born August 2, 1964, the daughter of the late Finices and Loma Jean Robinson and received her education in the Wheeler Public School System. She was a valued employee as a quality inspector in the furniture industry for 25 years.
A Christian, Lola will be remembered for her positivity, her outgoing and fun spirit, the love of her much adored grandchildren and her "pickiness" for eating out. Collecting rocks, tending to flowers, decorating for Halloween, frequenting yard sales and helping to raise squirrels, birds and other animals were favorite pastimes.
Visitation will be from 10 AM to 12 Noon at New Albany Funeral & Cremation Care.
Memories will continue to be shared by her husband, Sidney Mitch Malone, one daughter, Nicole Robinson of Houston, two sons, Jason Malone (Brandy) of Ingomar and Lee Robinson of Knoxville, TN, a sister, Linda Johnson of New Albany, four grandchildren, Matthew Lewis, Eli and Serenity Sky Robinson and Lyric Malone, a special "sister" and caregiver, Brenda Waldon and her canine companion, "Teddy".
She was also preceded in death by a sister, Brenda Harpe and a brother, Lynn Robinson.
The staff of New Albany Funeral & Cremation Care invites you to share memories with the Malone family at nafuneralsandcremations.com
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Open registration continues at NEMCC
Open registration continues at one of the top community colleges in the country for the Fall 2022 semester.
Northeast Mississippi Community College officials are committed to offering a traditional schedule for the fall for those wanting to further their education.
"We are looking forward to the beginning of the fall semester at Northeast," said Northeast president Dr. Ricky G. Ford, "and we want our students to be excited about it as well. So, we looked for ways to alleviate some of the stress associated with college enrollment. While paying tuition and fees is part of the process, we felt like simplifying it would be one of the best things we could do for our students and their families."
To eliminate entry barriers for those seeking a college education, Northeast did not increase tuition for the Fall 2022 semester or the Spring 2023 semester. Instead, Northeast made it simpler for potential students to know exactly how much college would cost by combining required fees into one fee that included course material fees such as textbooks, digital textbooks and class supplies so that students would know up-front exactly what their actual cost of attendance would be.
"Additionally, primarily through Open Educational Resources (OER), we've reduced textbook costs and other fees so that the total cost of attending is often less expensive at Northeast," said Ford.
However, if face-to-face classes do not suit a potential student's schedule, do not fret. Northeast is the top school in the state of Mississippi - in both the four-year and two-year college ranks - and is the second-best community college in the nation for online education.
"We truly believe our students are the most important part of Northeast Mississippi Community College," Ford continued. "We believe these strategies are ways of putting that belief into action."
Office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. and from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. (noon) on Fridays. Northeast is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
Ricky G. Ford
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Supervisors wrestling with new law that requires building permits in county
Earlier this year, legislators passed House Bill 1163, which, as of July 1, requires anyone who wants to do substantial residential construction or remodeling in Union and other counties to obtain a permit from the county.
It appears that no one is quite sure how to handle it.
This past week, Joe Hawkins, investigator with the State Board of Contractors, was invited by city officials to explain the bill as well as he could. Building officials from around North Mississippi as well as Union County Board of Supervisors members attended but still were left with questions.
“It’s confusing to everybody. It’s confusing to us,” Hawkins said. “We didn’t expect the bill to pass.”
Apparently, the bill somehow got tied up with a department of revenue bill and slipped through.
“We got caught with our pants down,” Hawkins said.
Basically, the bill says that for new residential construction projects exceeding $50,000 or residential improvement project exceeding $10,000, there must a be permit, issued to a licensed builder or remodeler. A property owner can do the work without a permit, but not if any of the work is subcontracted, apparently. “You can hire your brother to build you a house you are going to live in, but not one for somebody else to live in,” he said. The homeowner who wants to build his own dwelling is also limited to no more than one a year.
The bill allows counties to establish building codes but does not require them to do so. It also requites no adherence to any codes in order to obtain a permit.
Perhaps more surprising, although permits are required, the bill provides for no enforcement of penalties if it is not.
“There’s a lot of things missing in the law,” Hawkins said.
For now, Union County residents don’t need to be immediately concerned because the supervisors are in no hurry to jump in, especially since there is no enforcement.
“There are a lot of things to work out,” board president C. J. Bright said.
It is not even clear who would issue permits. In some cases, it could be the chancery clerk, but it could be the E-911 administrator or even someone in a newly-created position.
One thing Union County supervisors made clear is that they are not interested in establishing a bunch of building codes. Hawkins said many counties in the state are without codes that exist in cities.
Hawkins also said it is not up to his department to enforce the permit law. “It would be up to the counties, or maybe the attorney general would,” he said.
New licensing requirements and testing could prove to be obstacles for contractors who have been in business for 30 years or other long periods.
There is a period in which established contractors can be grandfathered in until the end of the year, but Hawkins said there are probably plenty of smaller, rural contractors who still are not even aware of the law.
“We’re going to be very lenient and welcoming to these contractors,” he said. “We don’t want to put anybody out of business.”
While much is not clear, the law does list classifications that require a state-issued license. That includes residential builder, residential remodeler, residential roofer, residential construction manager and residential solar. Subcontractors who work in so-called life safety areas must be licensed as well, including plumbing, electrical, HVAC and mechanical.
There also appeared to be some confusion over how this licensing affects commercial work.
The bottom line for Union County residents is to not worry about the law for now. Supervisors said they want to move slowly and carefully in determining what they need to do in relation to the law, and with no enforcement there is no reason for them to hurry anyway.
Officials said they hope the legislature will clean up the bill and fix the problems, but that won’t happen until the next legislative session, if then.
Local contractors who have questions can call the New Albany building inspector, Eric Thomas, at City Hall, 662-534-1010, or the Mississippi State Board of Contractors at 601-354-6161, ext. 112.
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"The goal of the MELP program was to introduce students from around the state to the entrepreneurial spirit of community and economic development," said Molly Archer, a CEED scholar who led the week's events.
"This leadership program was initiated to stimulate an entrepreneurial mindset that can be utilized to solve community and state problems through community engagement," said Albert Nylander, Grisham-McLean Institute director and professor of sociology.
"The impact from this weeklong program is being felt in communities across Mississippi," said J.R. Love, CEED project manager. "Business and community leaders are seeing their local high school students develop action-oriented solutions for their own community."
"Before this, I wasn't even thinking about being an entrepreneur," said Jalin Lewis, of Tallahatchie County. "Now I have something to fall back on should I not achieve my original goal of playing in the NFL or the NBA."
Ma'Kayla Moore, of Lexington, said MELP improved her communication skills.
"This program made me realize how shy I could be at times," she said. "I now realize that I must have strong communications skills if I want to become a lawyer one day."
The goal of MELP and M Partner is to bring about this type of inspired and innovative thinking, said Laura Martin, the institute's associate director and director of M Partner.
"Thanks to our CEED students, program partners and the talented students who join us for MELP, we are able to learn from one another and join forces to address pressing social and economic problems in Mississippi," Martin said. "I am optimistic that we can expand this program in the future and develop a network of partnerships across the state that will impact quality of life in Mississippi."
Besides support from the Office of Pre-College Programs, other MELP partners include the university's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, School of Law, Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, and Lobaki Inc. The Robert M. Hearin Foundation and Ole Miss alumnus Bill Fry also provided financial support to fund the CEED initiative and youth leadership and technology programs.
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Republican Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney speaks about his concerns over the current issues with some insurers and their customers while addressing the crowd at the pavilion in Founders Square at the Neshoba County Fair in Philadelphia, Miss., Wednesday, July 27, 2022. The fair, also known as Mississippi's Giant House Party, is an annual event of agricultural, political, and social entertainment at what might be the country's largest campground fair. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Insurance commissioner: UMMC, Blue Cross negotiations continue to move slowly
PHILADELPHIA • An attempt to resolve a dispute between Mississippi’s largest insurance provider and its largest hospital is apparently making little progress.
Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney at the Neshoba County Fair told reporters that there is largely no update on the negotiations between Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi and the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
“Somebody’s got to say, 'OK, we’re willing to negotiate,'” Chaney, a Republican, said. “But we’ve got two stubborn goliaths that just do not want to sit down and talk. And you know who gets hurt? Everybody in the state of Mississippi.”
UMMC went out of network with Blue Cross Blue Shield on April 1 because of disagreements over reimbursement rates and the insurance company’s quality care plan.
The two parties agreed to enter mediation proceedings toward the end of April, but Chaney, a former state lawmaker, told reporters that both parties are being uncooperative with one another.
While the two sizeable organizations are continuing to feud during the remediation process, people all around the state — including some in Northeast Mississippi — are getting caught in the crosshairs.
The Daily Journal previously reported that Ryleigh Wright of Tupelo regularly went to Children's of Mississippi, a Tupelo-based clinic associated with the UMMC’s pediatric hospital, to receive treatment for central precocious puberty, a condition that causes the body to mature sooner than expected.
Besides that condition, Wright also has an underdeveloped optic nerve for which she sees a pediatric ophthalmologist four times per year.
For years, the Wrights have been making regular visits to the Tupelo clinic, along with trips to the Jackson location every three months for costly injections.
Every three months, she receives an intramuscular puberty blocker injection called Lupron. The average retail price for a Lupron injection is more than $2,000, according to GoodRx. But Without insurance, the out-of-pocket costs for the family just to cover these injections would be in the thousands.
Ryleigh’s mother, Charlotte Wright, previously said that the hospital has been willing to work with their family on healthcare treatment.
But she worried about other families around the state whose parents who work minimum wage jobs, don't have Medicaid or Medicare, are trying their best but will choose not to get treatment because they can't afford it.
"Those are the ones my heart is breaking for," she previously said.
Chaney has no statutory authority to make the two parties reach an agreement, but he can force the two entities to come to the table for discussions. The Vicksburg native said he’s encouraging the two groups to meet and find common ground.
“The university has not had a rate increase except 1% since 2018,” Chaney said. “Blue Cross certainly has a lot of money. They have the money to pay an increase without increasing anybody’s policy fees. There’s a happy medium somewhere, but somebody’s got to give.”
Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Mississippi
Ryleigh Wright
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Mrs. Leigh Anne Sanderson, a seasoned former Marshall County school administrator with over 30 years' of experience in education, is Ripley Elementary School's new principal.
Ripley Elementary School welcomes new principal, Leigh Anne Sanderson
RIPLEY • Mrs. Leigh Anne Sanderson is the new principal for Ripley Elementary for the 2022-2023 school year.
Mrs. Sanderson comes to the South Tippah School District with over 30 years of experience in the field of education.
Originally from Henderson, Tennessee, she received her bachelor's degree from Freed-Hardeman University and her Master's in Educational Leadership from the University of Mississippi. She has served as a teacher, principal, and, for the past 4 years, a district administrator for the Marshall County School District, working with new employees, professional development, and public relations.
Sanderson is the proud mother of three daughters and grandmother of four. Her husband, Todd, is the technology director for Marshall County School District and preaches part-time for Holly Springs Church of Christ.
Regarding her appointment as principal of RES, Sanderson said, "We, the faculty, staff, and administration at Ripley Elementary School, will continue to build on the solid foundation created by such a strong group of current and past educators. Celebrating our successes, continually working with a clear vision, and keeping our core values in the forefront of all decisions will help us grow our students to be ready for the next step in their educational journey. As a school builder, I am committed to creating an environment where students and staff are supported which helps all to reach their full potential. Working with the community, I know, as a team, we will work together to accomplish new goals and overcome any challenges."
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Allgood, Jimmy
James C. Allgood, Jr., 60, passed away Friday, July 22, 2022, in Oxford, MS. A visitation will be held Thursday, July 28, 2022, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at First Baptist Church of Oxford. A funeral service will be held Friday, July 29, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., also at First Baptist Church of Oxford. Interment will be at Cambridge Cemetery. Coleman Funeral Home of Oxford is in charge of arrangements. Jimmy is described by his family as being loving, caring, considerate, and loyal. He enjoyed fishing and tinkering in his shop, but his passion was cooking. Many people would testify to that. Christmas was Jimmy's favorite holiday. He spent countless hours planning and putting together one of the best decorated homes in Lafayette County. Everyone from the community would drive out each year just to watch the light show he designed and to admire his talented, hard work. Above all things, his family and the Lafayette County community was most important to him. His legacy is absolutely all the lives he touched. Jimmy was the epitome of Lafayette County citizenship. He served his community faithfully, proudly, and confidently for over 30 years, most recently being the Emergency Management Director for the city of Oxford. Jimmy's guidance, counsel, and competence was so reassuring in the wake of many crises, including the Covid Pandemic of 2020. Jimmy stated in April of 2020, "This is a team effort, and we will not win this as individuals but as a community that is not only a team, but a family. We all pull together, or we all fall apart. The city, county, and university are all part of one big family, and working together as a team, we keep that family together and safe." His actions during the pandemic resulted in him being named an "Oxford Hero" by the Ole Miss Pix. Oxford Mayor, Robyn Tannehill stated after the announcement of Jimmy's passing, "I simply cannot put into words at this moment what Jimmy meant to his family, friends, and entire community. He guided Oxford through a pandemic with wisdom and a steady hand. Jimmy never met a problem he couldn't solve. He loved, protected, and served Oxford, his family and friends with a loyalty that is unmatched. There was no friend who knew how to love his city and his coworkers more. Everyone should be so blessed to have a friend like Jimmy." There is no truer statement than what Mayor Tannehill stated about Jimmy and his life. His life left an impact on the city of Oxford and Lafayette County which will be "unmatched" like no other. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and the Oxford/Lafayette community. Jimmy is survived by his wife, Linda Musick Allgood, of Oxford; his daughter, Angie (Jesse) Crouse, of Oxford; his sisters, Patti Reedy, of Gore Springs, MS, Penny (Keith) Henley, of Banner, MS, and Pamela Barnett, of Sanford, FL; a host of nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews; his dog, Bailey; and his grand dog, Avery Crouse. He was preceded in death by his parents, James C., Sr., and Gloria Ann Allgood. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Lafayette County Fire Department. Pallbearers will be: Jesse Crouse, Matt Davis, Bill Whitten, Brion Whitten, Wayne Barnett, and Stephen Barnett. Honorary pallbearers will be the City of Oxford Fire Department. Please leave online condolences on his Tribute Wall at www.colemanfuneralhome.com.
James C. Allgood Jr.
Oxford And Lafayette County
Jesse Crouse
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Glover, Randy
Randall Wayne Glover as born on May 21, 1952 in Terril, Iowa to parents Wayne Darwin Glover and Peggy Lou Houser Glover and passed away on July 10, 2022 in Memphis, TN after an extended hospital stay. Randy was confirmed in the Christian faith in 1964 at Terril United Methodist Church and graduated from Terril High School in 1970. In 1972 Randy enlisted in the United States Navy and was honorably discharged due to a severe knee injury. He graduated from Iowa Lakes Community College and in 1975 he began his career with Ag Chem Equipment Company (now AGCO) in Jackson, MN which lasted for 25 years, progressing upward from a Certified Diesel Mechanic to a Regional Operations Manager. In 2000 Randy started his own business Handy Randy Home Care, who with his real estate wife Patricia, created the Handy Randy Home Team, selling and remodeling homes throughout the Memphis area. He was such a success he still received calls even ten years after the close of his business. In that same year Randy was baptized into the Baptist faith at Collierville First Baptist Church in Collierville, TN. In 2005 he teamed up with Spraying Systems/TeeJet Technologies in Wheaton and Springfield, IL as Southeast Regional Sales Manager and finally as an Agricultural Electronics Applications Engineer. Randy retired in 2018 after developing worsening heart trouble to spend more time with his wife, his children, and his grandchildren. Randy had an extremely strict work ethic. Even after retirement he maintained the same schedule. He went each day to his man cave/office and began working on hobbies and his "honey-do" lists. Randy never met a stranger. Everyone he met became a friend. When you were with him you felt that you were the most important person in the world, because for that instance and in his eyes, you were. He was a presence—larger than life. His motto was PMA-positive mental attitude and he exhibited that throughout his life. Randy leaves behind his loving wife Patricia; children Brad, Tonya, Tera, Joseph, and Greg and 9 grandchildren, especially Noah Wayne, Blake and Brooklyn Jackson; one sister Marcia Glover Applen (Tom), a special aunt Marjorie Beard, as well as many nephews, nieces, and cousins and his special doggy friends Bella and Oreo. He was preceded in death by his parents and his oldest sister Cynthia Glover Koehlmoos and her husband Curt. A memorial service honoring the life of Randy Glover will be held at 10 am on Friday, July 29, 2022 at Hillcrest Baptist Church in New Albany, MS. In lieu of flowers the family asked that donations in his memory be made to his favorite charities Ru to the Rescue, 7440 CR 825, Blue Mountain, MS 38610 which is an animal rescue group in Tippah County, MS or the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN.
Randy Glover
Cynthia Glover Koehlmoos
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Grisham, Jackie
Jackie Lynell Meador-Grisham, 88, of Hot Springs, Arkansas, went home to be with the Lord on July 24, 2022. "Nell", daughter of E.L. and Lovie Rasberry of Mississippi is predeceased by her four older brothers and sisters, Lowry Rasberry, James Rasberry, Marjorie Swindol, and Martha Laster; as well as her husband of 10 years, William "Bill" Grisham. She is also predeceased by her husband of 30 years, Claude Whitten "CW" Meador, and her first husband A.M. "Butch" Parish. Nell is survived by her son Greg Parish (Lisa); grandson Dylan Parish and great-grandsons Ezra & Jude Parish. She adored her family and was a devoted mother and grandmother. She is also survived by her dear sisters-in-law, Jean Sims and Ruth Rasberry; and beloved nieces and nephews. Born in Pontotoc, Mississippi, she received Christ at an early age and used her gifts by playing church piano (a talent she nurtured throughout her life) and later attending Business College in Memphis, TN. Nell met and married CW Meador in Memphis, but they enjoyed Hot Springs so much that soon it became their home. A life-long collector and antiques lover, Nell opened Central Avenue Antiques, fulfilling a long-time dream of owing her own shop. She ran the store for ten years, making many friends from all over. Nell was a charter member of Hot Springs Baptist Church, where she attended (previously at Second Baptist Church) for more than 50 years. Her faithful church family continued to be a blessing to her even after it was difficult for her to attend. She loved to entertain and was a true hostess to all. Nell's friends and family treasured her bubbly humor and many stories from travels around the world, or from her growing-up years in rural Mississippi. Nell had a special way of sharing beauty and goodness in life through a lovely object, a story, a piece of music, or a sweet note. An enduring friend, she loved to give of herself by keeping up with family and classmates; also by volunteering at the Caring Place or in one of the many ministries of her church. She will be deeply missed. Visitation will be 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Sunday at Gross Funeral Home Chapel. A celebration of her life will be held 10:00 am Monday, at the funeral home, with Bro. Mike Smith officiating. Graveside services will be held 2:00 pm Tuesday at Zion Presbyterian Church, Tupelo, Mississippi. Guests may register at www.grossfuneralhome.com
William Grisham
Jackie Lynell Meador
Claude Whitten Meador
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Shumpert, David Ray
David Ray Shumpert, 66, passed away on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 at the NMMC in Tupelo. He was born in Lee County on February 20, 1956 to parents James Wiley Shumpert and Lena (Richardson) Shumpert. He lived most of his life in the Nettleton area but had resided in Selmer, TN for the last four years. He retired as the Director of Supply Logistics at NMMC in Tupelo. He was of the Christian faith. David enjoyed fishing, riding motorcycles, wood working and spending time with family. Funeral services will be at Tisdale-Lann Memorial Funeral of Nettleton on Friday, July 29, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. with Bro. Benny Taylor and Bro. Roger Reece officiating. Burial will be at Gray's Cemetery. He is survived by his wife Wanda (Bullard) Shumpert, one daughter, Kim Smith (Justin), one son, Jim Shumpert (Miranda), two step-daughters, Chessy Turner (Brad), Mindy Houston (Jeff), two grandchildren, Waverly Smith, Alena Smith, four step grandchildren, Jake Turner, Reagan Houston, Ali Houston, Samuel Houston, one sister, Shirley McFadden and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, first wife Sherry Shumpert and one brother Michael Shumpert. Pallbearers will be Wayne Housley, William Forrester, Justin Smith, Brad Turner, Jake Turner and Earl Smith. Visitation will be one hour prior to service from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at the funeral home. Expressions of sympathy can be sent to the family at www.tisdalelannmemorialfh.com.
Sherry Shumpert
David Ray Shumpert
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Watson, Jr., James "Jim"
James "Jim" Murphy Watson, Jr., 58, passed away surrounded by his loving family on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, at his residence in the Morgantown Community of Sturgis, Mississippi. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 30, at Morgan Chapel Baptist Church of Sturgis with Bro. Luke Gardner and Bro. Charles Smith officiating. Visitation will be the day of the service at the church from 9 a.m. until service time. Interment will immediately follow the service in Morgan Chapel Cemetery in Oktibbeha County. Jim was born on May 19, 1964, to James Murphy Watson, Sr. and Bennie Coggin Watson. He is a member of Morgan Chapel Baptist Church where he served as the music director. Jim was a graduate of Itawamba Community College where he earned an Associate of Science degree. As an avid outdoorsman, he found joy in his work as the owner of Clear Creek Land and Timber Company. Jim achieved his lifelong dream to become a pilot and enjoyed flying his plane. He also loved horses and enjoyed coaching t-ball. Jim is survived by his wife of 35 years Brenda Beasley Watson; two sons Taylor Watson and wife Sissy and Reid Watson and wife Mary all of the Morgantown Community. He is also survived by his mother Bennie Watson of Griffin, Georgia; and by his two sisters Susan Watson (Jeff) Marlin and Stacy Watson Hopper. One of his greatest joys was being "Papaw" to his five grandchildren: Nathan, Aubrey, Spencer, Cullen, and Penelope. Jim is preceded in death by his father, two children Sydney Elaine Watson and William Grayson Watson, and his grandchild Elijah Tuck Watson. Memorials in honor of Jim may be given to Ronald McDonald House Charities at rmhc.org/donate or to Morgan Chapel Cemetery Fund, c/o Jackie Makamson, P. O. Box 157, Sturgis, MS 39769. Services are under the direction of Nowell-Massey Funeral Home, 724 North Columbus Avenue, Louisville, MS. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family by signing the guest register at www.nowellmasseyfuneralhome.com.
Sydney Elaine Watson
James Murphy Watson
Brenda Beasley Watson
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Workers with Lee County install new guard railing on the bridge that connects a new road from County Road 1310 to the back of Mooreville Elementary School that will handle the carpool traffic once school starts on Aug. 4.
Workers with Lee County pave a new road at the back of Mooreville Elementary School that connects with from County Road 1310. The new road will handle the carpool traffic once school starts on Aug. 4.
TUPELO • With the start of the new school year fast approaching, Lee County School District and elected officials expect a new car rider lane into Mooreville Elementary to be complete just days before students pile in for the first day of school.
The School District and Lee County officials partnered over the summer to build the new car rider lane in a bid to reduce heavy traffic congestion on County Road 1409, where both Mooreville Elementary and High School are located.
County Road Manager Tim Allred said the street should be complete within a week. The district will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 2 before the first day of school on Aug. 4.
“In my 19 years here, this is the first time anything like this was done,” Allred said, noting he was proud of the work his crews performed over the summer.
The new road will be one-way and two lanes, with an entry on County Road 1310. The road connects to the campus at the southwest corner of the elementary school's parking lot. The line will end on County Road 1409.
The school, which has around 650 students, has around 262 cars registered for the car rider lane. Cates said she expects an influx of car riders for the first week of school, along with parents wanting to “test” the new road.
Mooreville Elementary Principal Meghan Cates said she was proud to see the car rider road on track for the upcoming school year. She thanked Superintendent Coke Magee, the Lee County School Board, the Lee County Board of Supervisors and the “individuals and companies” that helped contribute to the construction.
“I am just very excited,” she said. “Mooreville Elementary is very appreciative, and I can't wait to see what it brings in the future."
The district built Mooreville Elementary about 18 years ago, and Cates said traffic has been a growing concern since. She noted it has been a major topic brought up by students, parents and staff during the school's yearly need assessments.
“Parents want to be prompt. … That creates the long line, which became a safety hazard because both sides of (County Road 1409) were blocked, so safety personnel couldn’t make it to the campus,” she said.
Though the county footed the bill for the materials and costs, Allred said the district plans to reimburse the county for the cost of construction and labor. He also noted that the county was able to get a handful of local businesses to offer discounts on their materials or work, including Hodges Construction, Apak, Tupelo Lumber, B&B Concrete, Poe Brothers Trucking and Tupelo Hardware.
Allred said the project came in under budget; the projected final cost is around $450,000.
Mooreville Elementary School
Car Rider Lane
Tim Allred
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Courtesy of allevents.in
Courtesy of NEWMS
Courtesy of bandsintown.com
The Punch List
The Lee Williams Legacy Festival will kick off with a banquet this Friday, July 29, at the Tupelo Furniture Market. Saturday, July 30 will see the festival begin in proper at Tupelo's Ballard Park. Williams was a well-known and beloved gospel singer from Tupelo who passed away in August 2021. A multitude of gospel singers and performers will make their way to Tupelo to pay tribute to the late Williams this weekend. Festivities will conclude Sunday, July 31.
New Expectations for Women in Mississippi will host their annual Lip Sync Battle on Tuesday, September 26 at Steele's Dive in Tupelo beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25, and event proceeds will benefit NEWMS, a special project of the CREATE Foundation. NEWMS aims to promote economic self-sufficiency, leadership development and educational opportunities for women in Mississippi.
Country music stars Brantley Gilbert and Jelly Roll will perform live at the BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo on Friday, August 26 starting at 7 p.m. Gilbert has previously released country music chart-topping hits like "One Hell of an Amen" and "What Happens in a Small Town." Jelly Roll has recently risen to the top of the charts with his newfound success as a rapper and singer. Tickets for the show start at $59 and can be purchased online.
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Is the fair in town? Beware of Medicaid shell games!
By ROY MITCHELL Guest columnist
Jameson Taylor’s recent opinion editorial titled “Biden Medicaid expansion is not a good idea for Mississippi” provides unique insight into the Medicaid policy shell game being played by our state leaders.
In a typical shell game, shells are placed face-down. A small ball is placed beneath one of the shells so that it cannot be seen, and they are then shuffled in plain view. The game is notorious for its use by those who employ shills and sleight of hand.
Taylor’s editorial poses the question: “Why expand coverage to a group that doesn’t really need it?” His question is policy sleight of hand, and his shell game audacity is reinforced by shills in our state government that, according to Taylor, “have steadfastly refused to expand Medicaid” because “coverage is already available on the Obamacare exchange” and “Mississippi Medicaid already covers a lot of people.”
On this side of the shell game table, Medicaid is only available to Mississippians with disabilities, low-income children and pregnant women, and extremely low-income parents. Also, regardless of how low their income is, Medicaid is not available to childless adults. A “coverage gap” exists in Mississippi because the Affordable Care Act premium subsidies are only available for people with a household income of at least 100% of federal poverty level; for a family of three, that’s an annual income of $23,030.
FPL is an abbreviation for federal poverty level, which is a measure of income used to determine eligibility for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, as well as premium subsidies and cost-sharing subsidies in the ACA exchange. In Medicaid expansion states, people qualify for Medicaid if they earn up to 138% of the FPL and for premium subsidies if their income is above that level but does not exceed 400% of the FPL.
In Mississippi, because we have not expanded Medicaid, eligibility for premium subsidy eligibility starts at 100% of the federal poverty level, leaving a gap of thousands of working families unable to afford health coverage.
Taylor continues his Medicaid policy sleight of hand by asserting “adults earning between 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL) are currently eligible for a zero premium silver benchmark plan on the Obamacare exchange.” His shell game strategy would have Mississippians completely ignore the fiscal and human distress caused by the existing health “coverage gap” in Mississippi.
Because Mississippi has not expanded Medicaid, virtually all non-disabled childless adults with incomes below 100% of FPL, as well as many parents with incomes below 100% of FPL, are not eligible for Medicaid or any financial assistance to help them afford health insurance for their families.
If you should happen to run into Jameson Taylor and his shills at the Neshoba County Fair, keep walking. Better yet, tell them ACA premium subsidies are not available to a substantial number of working Mississippi families, and they don’t qualify for Medicaid unless they meet the existing stringent guidelines.
ROY MITCHELL is executive director of the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program.
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Casey Rogers of Innovative Construction Management of Oxford presents an overview of the company’s services during last week's Amory School Board meeting. The school board deferred action until the next meeting on further steps to prepare plans for a new projected $10.9 million athletic facility at Amory High School.
Amory School Board considers feasibility of new athletic training facility
AMORY – Members of the Amory School Board engaged in early discussion July 18 to consider the feasibility of a new athletic training facility at Amory High School. Consideration of the project is in the preliminary phases.
Casey Rogers of Innovative Construction Management of Oxford projected the cost of the project to be approximately $10.9 million, or $333 per square foot, based on design information to this point.
After the meeting, Amory School District Superintendent Brian Jones said the funding would come from district money, along with a loan to the school district, rather than going through a bond issue.
He explained the scope of the project as a gymnasium for football and basketball practice. The proposed facility would also include locker rooms for both home and visiting teams and cheerleaders and a film room.
If it moves forward, the proposed new facility would replace the existing field house and would be served by the existing parking lot.
During last week’s meeting, Rogers described the advantages of construction management for the new facility.
“We bring cost data to the decision-making process during the design phase. We did a complete take-off of the design to this point, which is still limited information,” he said.
Rogers said the role of a construction management consultant includes managing the bidding process from all construction specialties involved with input from the owner rather than relying on a single bid from a general contractor.
“It’s a better process that evaluates cost at every step of the design phase. We ensure that a project is completed on time and on budget. Our change order rate is one percent or less,” he said.
Jones endorsed the consultant’s services.
“We don’t want to spend $600,000 on architectural fees and not be able to build,” he said.
School board member Leslie Wise expressed her surprise about the cost of the project.
“It’s amazing that one gym can cost $10 million. How does that even happen?,” she asked.
Rogers said the current cost of construction is increasing by approximately two percent per month.
“We have almost a million dollars figured in for contingency because of all of the unknowns at this point. I don’t think inflation is going to be solved in the near term,” he said.
Jones proposed ways that costs can be curtailed, such as using volunteer labor for building lockers, for example, and soliciting fundraisers from booster clubs.
“There are things that we can do,” he said.
The school board did not take action on Rogers’ proposal pending future discussions with school board members Robert Pickle and Chris Erikson, who were not able to attend the meeting.
Jones said the next steps in the project include approval for the project architect to prepare construction documents and retaining the services of the construction management consultant.
“We’ll talk about it as a group and get the money situation figured out,” Jones said.
In other business, the school board did not declare a shortfall following Amory School District Business Manager Leslie Maranto’s recommendation during her financial update.
“Ad valorem collections for the year fell about $54,000 short of anticipated income, but the gap is not enough for the district to declare a shortfall that would result in a tax increase,” she said.
Jones provided clarity on the matter.
“If the shortfall would be over $100,000, it would justify the costs involved for legal work and advertising. With this small an amount of money, we wouldn’t get that much at the end,” he said.
In a related matter, Maranto passed along notification received from Amory City Clerk Jamie Morgan that the district’s assessed valuation on mills increased to $93,000 per mill, compared to $80,000 per mill a year ago.
“This means that the mills that we would require are going down even though the dollar amount we’re asking for is still the same. It doesn’t take as many mills to get to that since the value of a mill went up,” she said.
The school board approved a request for a levy of ad valorem taxes for the 2022-2023 school year estimated to be $4,217,412.16.
Overall, Maranto said the school district remains on a sound financial footing.
The school board also approved the purchase of two school buses with funds provided by the Gilmore Foundation.
Casey Rogers
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Aberdeen's Gabrielle Holliday, who was named to the Defensive MVP in Division 4-3A last season, will be a returning defensive specialist for the Lady Bulldogs.
Aberdeen's Sammiyah Burroughs plans to take over the starting point guard role in the upcoming season.
Aberdeen's Sereniti McMillian will be a returning starter for the Lady Bulldogs.
Lady Dogs’ senior core blossoming in summer hoops play
The Aberdeen Lady Bulldogs worked hard to stay in shape over the summer, and now their next step as a team is to build chemistry around their senior group.
“We’ve been working on conditioning and trying to stay in shape. We played a few summer league games, and I liked what I saw from them, but we’ve got a lot more to work on before next season,” Aberdeen coach Sanqueeta Meardith said. “I lost three seniors and have eight players coming back, so we’re focusing on gaining some chemistry and playing together. That’s what we need to build more on, but as far as the team playing hard and working hard, I’ve seen a lot of improvement there.”
Meardith believes that her team will see a lot of success once her returning group builds chemistry with the other girls and gains confidence.
“Having those eight returning players back will be great because once they lock in and are able to stay on the same page, we’re going to be a really good team,” Meardith said. “I feel like we’re going to have a good season because the girls want it and have been working hard. I’ve been pushing them to not give up, and I’m working on building up their confidence and telling them that they can do it. They know that they can be better because they see the improvements from last year.”
Meardith said that seniors Sereniti McMillian and Sammiyah Burroughs had good showings during their scrimmages at Itawamba Community College.
“Sereniti McMillian gave it her all in the four games that we played at ICC. She’s going to be a key factor for us this year as well as Sammiyah Burroughs,” Meardith said. “Sammiyah will be our starting point guard because she handles the ball really well and can handle the pressure of getting others involved.”
Gabrielle Holliday, Taliyah Cunningham and Karenea Hayes are three seniors that showed improvement over the summer and provided the Lady Bulldogs with some leadership.
“We’ll have Gabrielle Holliday back, and she was a really good defensive player for us,” she said. “We’re struggling in the guard area at the moment, so she’ll be one of our main guards. I feel like she is due for a big senior year, and Taliyah Cunningham played more physical in the post when we went to ICC. She’s way more physical and stronger than she was when I first got here, so that’s a plus for me, seeing her able to bang down low. Karenea Hayes showed some potential to be a great player, and I think she’ll give me great minutes as a sixth-man off the bench.”
Now that summer practices are over, Meardith expects her group to continue to work hard once they come back from break.
“I expect them to go out each game and give it their all, and I feel like we’ll have a great season if they do that,” she said. “As long as they play tough defense, rebound and don’t give up no matter what every game, I’ll be pleased with the outcome of the season. I just want the girls to keep fighting through whatever adversity they face during the season and in games.”
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Hamilton's Kyzer Verner showcased his ability to drive to the goal and shoot the ball in summer play.
Hamilton's Qyatavius Blunt proved to be a vital post player for the Lions over the summer.
Hamilton's Willie Green will step back into the starting point guard role for the Lions next season.
Lions’ hoops light up the summer with their shooting
The Hamilton Lions got off to a slow start to their summer play, but an improvement in their shooting lifted them to multiple summer wins.
“We started out kind of slow because we hadn’t been in the gym very much since school let out, but we got much better as the summer went along,” Hamilton coach Drew Garvin said. “We played 23 games over the break, and we won the majority of them. We played in a tournament at Ingomar and finished pretty well there, and that’s where I saw our shooting improve a lot.”
With their offense beginning to flow, Garvin challenged his team to step up more defensively.
“Our defense has been a big focus because we’re quick but not very big,” Garvin said. “We’re going to have to apply a lot of pressure on defense from baseline to baseline to keep the other team off their game, and I think that’s going to be our biggest issue. I feel very good about our offense because our shooting helped us win most of our games this summer. We grew a lot with all the games that we played, and you could see it from the first game to the last.”
Two players that Garvin believes have shown a lot of improvement over the summer are junior Willie Green and sophomore Kyzer Verner.
“Willie is starting to be more of a leader at the point guard spot, and he shoots the ball and drives with a lot of confidence now,” Garvin said. “He’s one of those guys that are not going to back down to anyone on defense either. Kyzer is probably the guy that has shown the most improvement over the summer. He gets up and down the floor so quickly, and he’s one of our best defensive players. People are going to have a tough time containing him just because of his speed.”
Tae Rice and Qyatavius Blunt showed the potential to be post players for the Lions with the ability to also be knockdown shooters.
“Tae will probably be in the post more than anyone else even though he’s not a traditional player,” he said. “He can shoot the ball pretty well, and we’re trying to get him to work on his dribbling because he’s really quick and can get to the goal. With Qyatavius moving in, he’s going to fill that spot that Rye (Howard) left because he’s strong, athletic and can move through the post.”
Garvin sees a ton of potential in this younger group full of juniors and sophomores, and he believes that they have a bright future ahead of them.
“Those guys that I mentioned have been playing together all through junior high, with the exception of Qyatavius (Blunt),” he said. “They’re all going to be juniors and sophomores, so whatever we can get done this year, we should be able to repeat it next year.”
Gaining strength has been another main focal point for the Lions over the summer. To achieve that, the team has spent a lot of time in the weight room, working out with the football team.
“Since we’re not very big and don’t have a true post player, we’re going to have to develop a motion-type offense to create mismatches and get guys open,” he said. “Our main focus has been to get stronger, so we’ve been in the weight room, working out with football. We want to be a team that intimidates our opponent and doesn’t get pushed around.”
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Greetings from the Town Square Post Office and Museum.
Recent visitors include Karmen, Lane and Kaylee McNutt of Pontotoc; Lily Suchomel of Pontotoc; and Mallory Pennington.
William L. Bramlett donated a framed copy of a newspaper article on the Reunion of the Liberty School in Union County on Wednesday, June 8, 2005, in which the Keynotes presented a musical program. A photograph of the Keynotes included Ellouise Dallas, Roy Caldwell, and Gerald Waldrop was included in the article. Two basketball photographs circa 1930s or 40s also was included.
Brenda Gail Dillard donated a framed photograph of her dad's ship, the USN Putnam DD 757 on which her dad, Curtis B. Dillard served. Places listed include Islands in the Pacific, the Mediterranean area and Atlantic Ocean. The photograph will be housed in the Veterans Room of the museum. Mr. Dillard grew up in the Thaxton Community and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Dillard.
A large group attended the program by Carl Rollyson on the Life of William Faulkner, hosted by the Pontotoc County Historical Society and the Mississippi Humanities Council on Monday, July 18, 2022, at the Pontotoc Community House. Mr. Rollyson, Professor Emeritus at Baruch College, The City University of New York, has published numerous Biographies of literary figures, and his writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New Criterion, and the Washington Post.
Society president, Bob McGee, welcomed members and visitors to the program, recognizing Dr. Stuart Rockoff, executive director of the Mississippi Humanities Council and Jack Elliott, retiree of Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
Dr. Rollyson used his two volume biography, The Life of William Faulkner Volume 1(The Past Is Never Dead 1897-1934) and The Life of William Faulkner Volume 2(This Alarming Paradox 1935-1962) to give some insight to his very complicated and sometimes misunderstood literary genius. The first book deals with his childhood, growing up in Oxford to his introduction to Hollywood. He and his three brothers lived an adventurous life in and around Oxford. Dr. Rollyson did research around the country which has extensive Faulkner archives.
In Vol. 2, the first part of the book deals with his love of flying, especially with his brother Dean, who died tragically on Nov. 10,1935 in a plane crash is the Sand Springs Community of Pontotoc County in which three local men in the plane were killed also.
Much of the books discuss his writing and time spent in Hollywood working on movie scripts of his writing a well as other writers, Howard Hawks being one.
The audience was informed as well as entertained.
Many thanks for all that participated and enjoyed the Faulkner Tour and the Lecture. Special thanks to Dr. Rollyson, Jack Elliott, Bob McGee, and photographers Dr. Terry Wood and Galen Holley of the Pontotoc Progress.
Everyone have a blessed week.
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TUPELO • Two local colleges reported receiving bomb threats on Thursday.
Employees may report back to ICC Tupelo at 2:30 p.m.
A similar threat was made at Mississippi State University in Starkville. The college said at 12:32 p.m. that a bomb threat had been reported near Cullis Wade/Barnes & Noble bookstore.
Sid Salter, MSU's Director of Public Affairs, said other universities have recently received similar threats that were false alarms, but MSU was evacuating and searching specific buildings mentioned in the threat out of an abundance of caution.
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Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., talks with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., before an event in the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Campus in Washington, Tuesday, March 15, 2022.
Patrick Semansky I AP
Manchin makes tax and spend deal with Schumer, denies reversal
Sen. Joe Manchin III on Wednesday announced that he had reached a deal with Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer on a party-line bill to raise taxes and spend on climate change and health care programs.
The talks between the two Democrats were believed to have died weeks ago when Manchin, from the coal- and natural gas-producing state of West Virginia, said he would not support climate and energy provisions after months of negotiations because of inflation concerns.
The deal announced Wednesday mirrors what Manchin said he would not support, including increased taxes on large corporations and wealthy individuals.
His office rejected the characterization that the deal marked a reversal.
“Last week @Sen_JoeManchin repeatedly said he wasn’t walking away from the table and he understood the importance of these negotiations,” Manchin spokesperson Sam Runyon tweeted. “Today’s announcement is not a reversal of anything.”
The legislation, which Senate Democrats plan to pass in a party-line vote next week, would be a long-sought win for Biden. Most of his agenda went down in flames because of Manchin’s opposition to tax-and-spend bills, including Biden’s roughly $2 trillion social welfare and climate bill known as Build Back Better.
Solid Republican opposition to the bill is guaranteed, and Republican lawmakers scoffed at Manchin’s change of heart.
“Senate Democrats can change the name of Build Back Broke as many times as they want. It won’t be any less devastating to American families and small businesses,” said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. “Raising taxes on job creators, crushing energy producers with new regulations and stifling innovators looking for new cures will only make this recession worse, not better.”
In a joint statement, Manchin and Schumer said the deal would include $300 billion in deficit reduction and nearly $370 billion for energy and climate programs over the next decade. Specifics about the programs were limited, but clean energy tax credits and funding for energy projects are expected to be included. They estimated that the clean energy provisions would reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to climate change, by 40% by 2030.
Subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, would be expanded through 2025. The legislation also would allow Medicare to negotiate for prescription drugs in a bid to lower medical costs.
The spending would be fully funded by closing tax loopholes on wealthy individuals and corporations, Schumer and Manchin said.
As a condition of approval, Manchin, President Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Schumer reached an agreement to pass “comprehensive permitting reform legislation” for energy projects before the end of September.
That would mark a major concession from Democrats, who want to move away from fossil fuels that permitting reform would largely benefit. The energy industry, particularly oil and natural gas companies, has long called for cutting bureaucratic red tape.
“This bill will cut the inflation taxes Americans are paying, lower the cost of health insurance and prescription drugs, and ensure our country invests in the energy security and climate change solutions we need,” Manchin said.
The White House endorsed the agreement, touted its provisions and urged Congress to swiftly pass it.
“This is the action the American people have been waiting for,” Biden said in a statement. “This addresses the problems of today — high health care costs and overall inflation — as well as investments in our energy security for the future.”
The senators announced the breakthrough 10 days before their August vacation. Assuming the chamber’s parliamentarian determines that all of the provisions adhere to a strict rule governing the budget reconciliation process, Senate Democrats will pass it next week before jetting out of town.
Democratic climate hawks were surprised by the agreement but expressed cautious optimism that the legislation might finally cross the finish line. They still want more information about the provisions.
“I have to see the details, but I’m optimistic about it. I’m optimistic that climate is in there,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, California Democrat.
The bill, dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, would reduce greenhouse gas emissions while including money for “all fuel types,” including hydrogen, nuclear, renewables, fossil fuels and energy storage.
“This legislation ensures that the market will take the lead, rather than aspirational political agendas or unrealistic goals, in the energy transition that has been ongoing in our country,” Manchin said. “It is truly all of the above, which means this bill does not arbitrarily shut off our abundant fossil fuels.”
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Mississippi athletic director Keith Carter, left, and head baseball coach Mike Bianco hold the trophy as the Mississippi baseball team is honored for its NCAA College World Series baseball title with a parade in Oxford, Miss., Wednesday, June 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Bruce Newman)
Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter wants 'to make sure that Coach B is our coach for a long, long time.'
OXFORD — Ole Miss baseball coach Mike Bianco is likely to receive a new contract in the near future, Rebels athletics director Keith Carter told the Daily Journal.
Bianco recently finished his 22nd year at the helm of the program and just led the team to its first ever College World Series championship.
Inside the Rebels initially reported news of a potential new contract.
Ole Miss baseball wins first national title in program history
Because Bianco was the head coach for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team and was gone for much of the last month, Carter has largely been in contact with Bianco’s representation, he said. Bianco is the winningest coach in program history with 854 career victories.
“When you win a World Series, you get a new contract. And so, we’re excited about all of that,” Carter said. “We’ve made some good strides. And our hope is to hopefully get something done here in short order and get something released here in the next few weeks.”
According to The Tennessean, Bianco’s base salary was $1.2 million in 2022, which is tied for sixth in the SEC. Carter didn’t offer specifics on what the new contract might entail but said the intent is for Bianco, “to be the Ole Miss baseball coach as long as he wants to be.”
The maximum length for a contract by Mississippi state law is four years, with the ability to offer extensions and new contracts all together.
“Our goal is to make sure that Mike is compensated at a level that he deserves, for winning a national championship and the consistency he’s had over the years in his program,” Carter said. “Does things the right way, obviously wins a lot of baseball games, but brings in great young men, and he does a good job with them.
“Our job here is to make sure that we do something that’s fair for them and something that makes sense for them. But we want to make sure that Coach B is our coach for a long, long time and is here as long as he wants to be.”
It’s been quite the emotional swing for the baseball program since late April and early May, when the Rebels — at one point earlier in the season the top-ranked team in the country — appeared unlikely to make the NCAA Tournament after falling to 7-14 in SEC play. At that point, there was legitimate chatter around the program as to Bianco’s future
But the Rebels caught fire late, winning eight of 10 to close the regular season and put themselves in position to be on the right side of the bubble. Ole Miss fell to Vanderbilt in the first round of the SEC Tournament, leaving Ole Miss’ postseason fate largely unknown.
On Memorial Day, the Rebels learned they were one of the last four teams to make it into the NCAA Tournament field and went on a tear from there. Ole Miss won its first seven postseason games and finished 10-1 overall in the tournament, taking down Oklahoma in two games in the College World Series finals. The Rebels outscored their opponents 82-25 in the postseason.
“There were times in that April stretch where things didn’t look good for our team. And, just give a lot of credit to (Bianco), for being able to keep the team focused and finding a way to get hot at the right time,” Carter said. “I mean obviously, you’re going to have a different conversation if you don’t make the tournament vs. winning the World Series. What that conversation would have been, I’m not sure.”
Ncaa Baseball Tournament
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FOR RELEASE SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2022
TITLE: Dealing with inflation
Vinegar is such an indispensable and safe household product, which can be used for cleaning, deodorizing and cooking, as you have discovered. I've put together a six-page pamphlet full of vinegar uses that you can have by visiting www.heloise.com or by sending $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (78 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. FYI: If you want to fluff up your meringue, add 1/4 teaspoon of white vinegar to three egg whites. -- Heloise
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TUPELO • Two local colleges reported receiving bomb threats on Thursday, although law enforcement's searches of both campuses turned up no evidence of explosives.
Around 2 p.m., employees were cleared to return to campus and normal operations resume at 2:30 p.m.
ICC thanked the Tupelo Police Department, Tupelo Fire Department, ICC Campus Police, Tupelo Bomb Squad, Tupelo K9 Bomb Dog and TPD assistant chief Anthony Hill for their assistance in addressing the situation.
A similar threat was made at Mississippi State University in Starkville. The college said at 12:32 p.m. that a bomb threat had been reported near the Cullis Wade Depot and Barnes & Noble bookstore.
Sid Salter, MSU's Director of Public Affairs, said other universities had recently received similar threats that were false alarms, but MSU was evacuating and searching specific buildings mentioned in the threat out of an abundance of caution.
After a diligent search by the MSU police department, including canine assets, the university declared "all clear" around 1:30 p.m. and returned to normal operations.
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Jackie Sherrill coached many greats, but says Eric Moulds was his best
Jackie Sherrill recruited and coached many, many splendidly gifted athletes in his stints at Pittsburgh, Texas A&M and Mississippi State.
Lucedale’s Eric Moulds, soon to be inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, Sherrill says, was the best of all.
“Size, speed, maturity and football knowledge, Eric Moulds had it all,” Sherrill said. “I was fortunate to have some great ones who had many years in the NFL, but Eric was the best overall. He won so many games for his teams, first at State and then at Buffalo in the NFL.”
As a player, Moulds stood 6 feet, 2 inches and packed 225 pounds of muscle. He ran with the speed of a world class sprinter. Playing on predominantly running teams at State from 1993 until 1995, he caught 117 passes for 2,022 yards (just over 17 yards per catch).
He also excelled as a kick returner, leading the nation in kickoff returns in 1994 with 33 yards per return. We can only imagine what it was like to speed down the field, covering kickoffs, and see a muscular 225-pounder coming at you, carrying the football, at world class speed.
That speed/size quotient, along with sure hands, made him a first round draft choice of the Buffalo Bills, for whom he played 10 of his 12 NFL seasons. For his pro football career, he caught 764 passes for 9,995 yards and 49 touchdowns. He was a much-feared deep threat, once averaging more than 20 yards per catch for an entire season. Another remarkable statistic: 475 of his 764 NFL catches resulted in a first down.
He made the All-Rookie team in 1996 and played in three Pro Bowls later in his career. Twice, he was named All-Pro. None of those awards, Moulds says, compares to his being voted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.
“When you look at all the great athletes who are from Mississippi, it just makes you so proud, man,” Moulds said. “There are about 300 people in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and now I am going to be part of that.”
Moulds said he is well aware that Mississippi leads the nation per capita in producing both NFL players and Pro Football Hall of Famers. “And it’s not just the guys who were born in Mississippi either,” Moulds said. “I’ve run into so many guys around the league whose roots are in Mississippi, guys like Charles Woodson and Larry Fitzgerald. Woodson’s people were from Picayune, Fitzgerald’s from Natchez. It’s amazing. I’m proud to be part of that.”
These days, the 49-year-old Moulds lives in Charlotte where he has a training facility and works with athletes from high school to the NFL. Among the players he trains now is another Lucedale native, Ty Tryfogle, who played his college football at Indiana and who Moulds believes is about to make a splash for the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent.
Moulds says he enjoys working with younger players because it keeps him close to the game he loves.
“There’s a lot about football I don’t miss, but I miss the camaraderie of the locker room and the relationships you have with your teammates,” Moulds says. “My business still connects me to that. I enjoy it.”
Moulds says he and many of his former Mississippi State teammates stay in touch, and he remains close to Sherrill. “Coach Sherrill was a players' coach,” Moulds says. “He had a couple of simple rules – be on time and never wear a cap or hat inside – and other than that, he expected you to take care of your business.”
Clearly, Moulds took care of his.
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In this file photo from August 2021, NaKeysha Shannon, a teacher at Parkway Elementary School, helps second grader Caysei Vigres locate his class as he arrives for the first day of school in Tupelo.
Tupelo Public School District shares proposed 2022-23 school year budget
TUPELO • The Tupelo Public School District is proposing a $146 million budget for the 2022-23 school year.
The proposed budget was presented by TPSD's Chief Financial Officer Rachel Murphree during a public hearing in the Church Street Elementary School auditorium Thursday evening.
The TPSD Board of Trustees will vote on whether to adopt the budget at its Aug. 9 meeting.
The district's projected expenditures for 2022-23 total $146.35 million. That includes instructional, non-instructional, support services, facilities construction, debt and other financing expenditures.
TPSD's projected revenue for 2022-23 totals $115.691 million. The district's revenue is split between four sources: state (36.9%), local (33.4%), federal (23.5%) and other (6.1%).
Tupelo Schools will receive $38,157,176 million from local sources, 94% of which comes from ad valorem taxes.
State sources will provide $42.722 million while federal sources provide $27.232 million.
The federal amount is higher than typical because of COVID-19 relief funds.
A total of $16.095 million in funding from Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief and the American Rescue Plan accounts for 59% of the district's federal revenue.
Tupelo Schools will receive an estimated $35.6 million in Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) funding.
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A health care worker prepares a monkeypox vaccine in Montreal, Saturday, July 23, 2022. Nearly 800,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine will soon be available for U.S. distribution, U.S. health regulators said Wednesday, July 27, 2022.
Graham Hughes I The Canadian Press via AP
WASHINGTON • The country's monkeypox outbreak can still be stopped, U.S. health officials said Thursday, despite rising case numbers and so far limited vaccine supplies.
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This file photo from May 2018 shows the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Miss.
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi sues UMMC employees for defamation
FLOWOOD, Miss. • Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi on Thursday said it was suing three employees of the University of Mississippi Medical Center for allegedly spreading false information.
At the time the insurer said it had been working with the medical center to renew the contract with the network's hospitals since early 2021 but that UMMC was requiring significant payment increases. The medical center said it asked to be funded at the level of comparable academic medical centers in other regional cities.
The complaint contends the public statements have harmed the insurer's reputation and were made to "coerce Blue Cross & Blue Shield into entering into new contracts to benefit UMMC and the defendants' personal positions with UMMC." The provider said the defendants' actions also have caused "unnecessary anxiety, confusion and fear" to its members regarding their health care, according to the statement.
"When UMMC chose to no longer be a network provider, Blue Cross & Blue Shield made it clear it would continue to pay network level benefits for covered medical services," the company said.
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LYNN JONES: The attendance contest
If absence makes the heart grow fonder, some people must really be fond of the church because they have been absent so often. Getting people to attend church services has always been a problem.
A church near home got concerned about that, and, in attempting to spur attendance and involvement, they promoted an attendance contest.
A member of the church whom I will call “John” was an occasional attender. But when they announced the attendance contest and hinted that a special prize would be awarded to the winner, he became much more earnest in his attendance. In fact, during the two-month period of the contest, the folks of the church were amazed to see John at church almost every time they looked up.
As the weeks went by, John’s hopes of winning the contest soared, and he even told some that he expected to win. Finally, the big day arrived. They say you could have heard a pin drop when the pastor got up to announce the name of the winner. He paused a moment and then called the name of one of the saintliest little ladies in the church.
Everyone thought that she was a worthy winner. Everyone, that is, except John. Reports were that after the name of the winner was announced, John did not even stay for the rest of the service. Instead, he got up and “stormed out of church.” As he passed a couple of the ushers at the front door, he said, and I quote, “I’ve been to church more than anybody.” Now, that is not a direct quote. The reason that it is not a direct quote is that reportedly John punctuated the sentence with several rather unchurchly words that cannot be repeated verbatim in this column.
Unfortunately, John’s attendance at church abruptly ended that day.
I’ve often thought about the attendance contest and John’s storming out of the church. The question that it has most frequently brought to mind is this: How much good does it do most of us to attend church?
Well, I must be honest and say that for many of us it does not do nearly as much good as it ought to do. The proof of how much good it has done us will be seen in our lives. It will be seen in how we handle our jealousy and anger. How we handle our losing as well as our winning.
James put it this way: “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22) We deceive ourselves if we think we have fulfilled our obligation to the Lord just by going to church and hearing His Word. That is only the beginning of our obligation. Now we must do what we have heard. We must practice what was preached!
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MEDITATION: The odd way
You may recall the ominous declaration in "Revenge of the Sith" spoken by Anakin Skywalker after he has morphed into Darth Vader: "If you're not with me, then you're my enemy. " And the response from a brokenhearted Obi Wan Kenobi: "Only a Sith speaks in absolutes." New Testament students will spot a huge yellow flag at once.
Jesus spoke in absolutes all the time, and not just the "I am" statements of John's gospel. "All authority has been given to me," the end of Matthew quotes him as saying, and the Greek for "all" is straightforward enough. Luke 14:26 has just about the toughest epigram of them all: “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple."
No doubt he was using exaggeration to make a point, like parents and preachers and politicians do all the time, but his inescapable point was that only one may sit on the throne. What makes such gospel sayings any different than those of some abusive spouse, playground bully or wannabe dictator?
One of the first things to say is that, in terms of political science, "the kingdom of God" has a sovereign, not an elected representative. A monarchy, not a democracy. At Jackie Robinson's funeral, the Rev. Jesse Jackson described heaven as a place "where referees are out of place and only the Supreme Judge of the Universe speaks." Like it or not, there that is.
But when you pay attention to how Jesus related to the weak, afflicted and vulnerable, as well as the powerful and influential and manipulative, you find all popular ideas about power flipped 100% upside down. How many rulers do you know who rule from the absolute bottom? How many believers believe that God operates like this forever and always? "The way up is down."
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Willie Thornton, 78, has been preaching at Victory Temple in Tupelo for years. The church has a history that far predates its three decades. Years ago, and under a different name, a previous church on the same spot counted a young Elvis Presley among its congregation.
'We get loud': Tupelo pastor talks playing, preaching and Elvis
TUPELO • Victory Temple, on Adams Street in East Tupelo, is hallowed ground.
That’s, at least in part, because of the location’s association with Elvis. A bronze marker out front reads: “In 1947, Elvis and his family attended church at this location, previously known as the Assembly of God.”
For the last 33 years, Victory Temple has occupied the spot where the little clapboard Assembly of God church once stood. Like its predecessor, Victory Temple is a charismatic congregation, and its members make no effort to “quench the Spirit.”
“We get loud; real loud,” said pastor Willie Thornton. “All of us get loud sometimes. Sometimes we shout, sometimes we speak in tongues — whatever the Spirit leads us to do.”
78-year-old Thornton is the founding pastor of Victory Temple. After decades in the pulpit, he’s still going strong, and he is looking to the future.
“We usually run between 50 and 90, depending on how many visitors we have,” he said. “Now, it’s mostly older people. My focus is getting some young people in the church. If you don’t have anything but old people, the church will die out.”
As a child, Thornton said he remembers the church made famous by Elvis and the poor and mostly Black community nearby that would leave such a mark on the King of Rock and Roll.
“Elvis came to church here some, way on back there,” he said. “It was a white church back then. And he’d go on out from there to Shakerag. My auntie used to carry us over there to play around on Sundays.”
The music that had such an impact on Elvis left its mark on Thornton as well. Starting when he was 9 years old, he and his brothers sang and played in a gospel group called the Gospel Stars Juniors. Later, they formed the Spiritual QCs and toured for decades, before his brother Lee’s death in 2021.
“I played lead guitar with them for 30 years,” Thornton said. “We traveled around everywhere. A lot of times we’d get back home at daylight.”
Thornton, who still picks up a guitar at church on occasion, said he’s had a few favorite “axes” over the years.
“I had a Fender Telecaster, top-of-the-line,” he said. “It would really jump out there. And I had a hollow-body ES-35 Gibson that had a good, fat sound. I shouldn’t have gotten rid of that guitar.”
Thornton was always drawn to music, but he said a call to ministry took precedent.
“I always loved to play; still do,” he said. “But when I got a call to preach, I had to slow down.”
Now Thornton pours himself into preaching the way he once did into playing. He said sermon preparation is not only about studying carefully: it’s about listening carefully as well.
“I study different messages that come to my mind,” he said. “Sometimes, I’ll get a revelation on Sunday morning after I’ve already stood up to preach! That’s happened so many times I don’t even worry about it any more.”
Early on, Thornton said there were times when he wondered if he’d made the right decision.
“A few years into it, I thought I’d changed my mind about preaching,” he said with a chuckle. “I tell you, it’s a job dealing with hard-headed people. I quit in my mind a bunch of times, but I never really did quit.”
Thornton said things are different now than 30-plus years ago when Victory Temple first started.
“Church isn’t like it used to be,” he said. “So many things have happened that have put people on edge. I’ve seen the time when no one would shoot a preacher. Now they’d just as soon shoot a preacher as shoot a rabbit.”
While times have changed, Thornton said evil’s origins are always the same.
“It’s Satan,” he said. “Satan has to have a body to operate in, and he possesses people. When bad things happen, sometimes that’s the enemy using that person. Satan’s got a devil in them.”
When it’s time for church, Thornton said he doesn’t let such things enter his mind.
“Once I get to church, I forget about it,” he said. “I pray against Satan dispatching his spirit there. Then I just go on and have church and don’t worry about it.”
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Jay McDaniel is executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission.
Casinos see huge revenues for 2021
Numbers don't lie, and the latest year's figures reported by the state's gaming industry are big with all regions making gains.
For 2021, total state gaming revenue was $3,117,415,506, with gross revenue of $2,669,247,245 — the most since 2008.
“The gaming industry is an extremely important part of our state's economy,” says State Gaming Commission Executive Director Jay McDaniel. “In addition to the over $2.6 billion in gaming revenue generated by the casinos last year, there was another $660,000 in non-gaming revenue."
McDaniel said the casinos and hotels employ more than 15,000 people, the majority of whom live in Mississippi.
"We estimate that more than 20 million visitors came to the state's casinos last year, with more than 50% of those from outside the state,” McDaniel said.
Broken down by region, total revenue for the seven casinos of the central region was $398,285,483. Also with seven casinos, the northern region reported $813,763,764. The Gulf Coast region's 12 casinos had a record-breaking year with $2,117,415,506.
Scott Waller, president and CEO of the Mississippi Economic Council, said, “Mississippi's gaming industry continues to serve as a catalyst for driving the state's economy and creating avenues for boosting tourism. While COVID-19 presented unforeseen challenges, it was an opportunity to double down and demonstrate the industry's value in providing meaningful careers, growing tax revenue and in being a desirable destination for tourists.”
The Mississippi Gaming and Hospitality Association's Chair Anthony Del Vescovo of the Beau Rivage Casino says he is filled with tremendous pride and hope looking at the past year.
“I recognize everyone for rising above adversity and making 2021 in some ways our best year. With Gulf Coast casinos smashing records and other regions reporting huge gross gaming revenue increases compared to 2019, Mississippi has a strong market,” he said.
According to McDaniel, the largest casino by square footage and number of hotel rooms in the lower river or central region (Natchez/Vicksburg/Greenville) is Ameristar Vicksburg with 330,000 square feet and 148 hotel rooms.
The largest in the northern region is Gold Strike with more than 1.3 million square feet and 1,100 hotel rooms.
For the coastal region, the largest is Beau Rivage with more than 2 million square feet and 1,700 hotel rooms. IP casino is close behind with 1 million square feet and just over 1,000 hotel rooms, followed by Island View in Gulfport with approximately 1 million square feet and almost 1,000 rooms combined in two hotels.
“These are the top casinos based on sheer size, but each of the 26 commercial casinos bring their own amenities and activities that help drive visitors to their properties,” he said.
McDaniel explains that the Gaming Commission monitors the spending of each casino on capital investment and reinvestment in their properties, but does not have a mandate that any particular amount be spent on any one area.
“We do require that the gaming devices on the floor and the gaming tables and kiosks be in good working order and staffing be adequate to meet internal control standards,” he said. “Keeping the properties in good condition overall in both gaming and non-gaming areas is something the properties must do on their own in order to compete in a highly competitive environment.
"We do have conversations regularly with the general managers of each property and work to address any areas where we are seeing quality issues that can be improved.”
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Sun Country is one of the charter airline companies that is helping Mississippi casinos attract visitors from all over the country.
Charter airline services changing Mississippi casinos' customer-base
Gaming customers are coming from all over to frequent Mississippi's 26 casinos. The State Gaming Commission estimates the more than 20 million visitors came to the state's casinos last year. Of those, more than 50% came from outside the state.
Residents from Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Tennessee make up the majority of gaming visitors as Mississippi is primarily a drive-in market. However, that is changing as charter airline service grows and brings visitors from all over the country.
Clay Williams, CEO of the Gulfport-Biloxi Airport, says the coastal area casinos have a very robust charter program.
“It's incredible how the program has grown. It now accounts for approximately 25% of passengers traveling to our airport,” he said. “Sun Country Airlines, headquartered in Minneapolis, is bringing visitors from 90 cities. It's a significant program and we feel it generates more travel as visitors return.”
The Sun Country charter flights were initiated in 2008 by Beau Rivage Casino Resort. Vice President of Marketing Sean Farrell says that's when the casino dipped its toes into charter flights but really focused on it in 2009. Since then it's been a continuous program which was taken to the next level in 2014.
“Every single day we have two flights arriving and two departing,” he said. “The airport has been a fantastic partner.”
Farrell points out that passengers do not have to be gamblers to use the service.
“We target the company's database, but we have packages for everyone,” he said. “It can be hard to get here; that's why we built this program. It's an amazing destination and once people are introduced to it, they want to come back. We don't have large metropolitan populations to draw from like some casinos do and we want to be more than just a drive-in market.”
Williams points out how the number of visitors flying to the area is growing as other Coast casinos begin to participate.
“We're pleased that Harrah's Gulf Coast is growing their charter program with 15 to 20 flights a month. Island View Casino and IP Casino are also participating in scheduled service such as Allegiant Air. These ultra-low carriers have made it possible by the gaming industry's participation to bring visitors here who might not otherwise come here,” he said. “Gaming is vitally important to the air service here. It makes a difference in the services we provide, retail and concession offerings, and the number of jobs created.”
But the drive-in market still makes up the majority of gaming visitors to Mississippi.
“The growth of Tunica as a regional gaming destination is due to our central location within the United States,” says Tunica Convention & Visitors Bureau CEO Webster Franklin. “Located just 30 miles from the intersection of Interstates 55 and 40, two-thirds of the U.S. population is within an easy day's drive of Tunica. The average overnight visitor to the market comes from our neighboring states of Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Alabama within a three-to-five-hour drive from their home.”
Franklin says the five-month period of March 2020 to July 2020 saw a steep decline in visitation to Tunica that was not seen since the casinos were closed during the Mississippi River flood of 2011.
“As many Americans were confined to their homes during this time, it created a high demand for travel to destinations closer to home when consumers decided it was safe,” he said. “The Tunica market and our casino industry began to see increased visitation in the fourth quarter of 2020 that carried over into the calendar year 2021 where both visitation and gaming revenue surpassed 2019 levels.
“This trend continued into the first quarter of 2022. Unfortunately, the rise in gas prices and the current state of the economy have seen visitation and gaming revenue decline over the past two months as American consumers' discretionary spending budgets have decreased.”
The Beau Rivage's Farrell says the property reserves 500 rooms each night for fly-in visitors.
“Any night you drive by here there are visitors from up to seven different cities,” he said. “We're very excited that we've had more than 8,000 round trips and filled l.6 million rooms with the charter program. Beyond that, we're excited to show coastal Mississippi.”
The Sun Belt Airlines charter flight program and the Beau Rivage will celebrate a milestone in late August when the one millionth passenger arrives in Gulfport and welcomed in a grand way.
Clay Williams points out that visitors who fly stay a longer period of time and have a higher level of discretionary income compared to those who drive.
Drive-in and fly-in casino visitors are looking for things to do other than gambling.
“Our core customer is the gamer but it’s very important that we offer non gaming amenities that compliment their visit,” says Webster Franklin. “The showrooms within our casino resorts offer a wide range of big name entertainment and the culinary options range from all-you-can-eat buffets to the best in fine dining. Outside of the resorts, our two golf courses and museums dedicated to our rich history serve to enhance our visitors' experiences and extend their stay in Tunica.”
Larry Gregory with the Mississippi Gaming & Hospitality Association said, “One just needs to look at the Las Vegas model to understand that entertainment attracts visitors. We have accomplished this through golf, live entertainment, conferences, local tourist attractions and restaurants. We knew early on that we needed economic development and entertainment to drive visitors to our state in addition to casinos.”
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Nathan Smith, director of Workforce Development and Partnership Management for the Mississippi Department of Human Services.
DHS ramping up job training, employment efforts for SNAP recipients
By Lisa Monti
The Mississippi Department of Human Services is ramping up efforts to partner with state agencies and community-based organizations to help more SNAP recipients train for and find good paying jobs or advance to the next level of work.
MDHS’s Division of Workforce Development is seeking partnerships with nonprofits and community colleges for its expanded SNAP Employment and Training program that now includes the federally funded Skills2Work model, which subsidizes workforce training. The goal is to make career and technical education programs and workforce skills training more accessible to low-income families.
The E&T program was rolled out in 2016 but has lost momentum the last few years because of the pandemic.
“Pre-COVID in 2019, over 4,000 people were in the program but the numbers dropped during the pandemic. In 2020 there were less than 1,000. What we are trying to do is not just get back to where we were but exceed that amount,” said Nathan Smith, director of Workforce Development and Partnership Management.
Smith said the department wants to recruit Skills2Work partners to increase the geographic reach of the program all across the state.
“Since we have around 350,000-400,000 SNAP recipients across the state, there is a large pool of potential participants,” said Smith.
The DWD has two Skills2Work partners: Hinds Community College, which offers virtual training for those outside the area, and Refill Jackson.
“We need non-profits and community colleges to partner with us. Their connections to businesses then help move people to training and employment,” Smith said.
SNAP E&T reimburses Skills2Work partners 50% of their costs to run an E&T program. They have to match the federal funds with non-federal dollars such as private grants.
“The 50% reimbursement model doesn't make sense to a lot of people up front. However, most non-profits and community colleges are already serving SNAP recipients and receiving 0% reimbursement from SNAP E&T. For them, why not take advantage of the additional funding?” Smith said.
E&T will only pay for technical training up to a two-year associate's degree. The training is geared to jobs that are in demand and pay well.
“This includes most or all of the skilled trades such as welding, LPN, diesel mechanics and electricians. They can all be obtained through a SNAP E&T program,” Smith said.
Career navigators are available “to help with those unexpected twists and turns that block the road to success.”
To qualify for Skills2Work, a participant must be a SNAP recipient between the ages of 18-59 and enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a career/technical program of study or workforce skills training program at a participating Skills2Work provider. Participants also are required to register for work as a condition of SNAP eligibility or a recipient of Unemployment Insurance.
According to MDHS, Mississippi is working to increase labor force participation rates. Over the next decade, two-thirds of all jobs created will require some form of postsecondary education and technical proficiency, and only 30% of the state’s workforce has the necessary skills to fill these in-demand jobs. The SNAP E&T program, along with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Work Program, will be valuable resources in helping Mississippi address its workforce needs, said MDHS.
“The ultimate goal of SNAP E&T is to provide the opportunity to obtain job training that will lead to full-time employment with a sustainable wage,” Smith said. “Ultimately, this will allow them to transition off of SNAP benefits and government assistance.”
More information is available at https://www.mdhs.ms.gov/workforce
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David Fernandes was named the fifth president of Toyota Mississippi in January 2021. He has been with the automaker since 1998.
Employers finding ways to recruit, retain employees
By Dennis Seid
U.S. employers have more than 11 million job openings, but with an unemployment rate near a five-decade low, only about 6 million are actually unemployed. Even if all the unemployed people found jobs, more than 5 million unfilled jobs would remain.
That's the stark reality employers in virtually every industry face — finding enough workers.
Companies have ramped up their recruiting efforts to help fill the gaps but the results vary.
At the Winchester Ammunition plant in Oxford where some 1,450 people work, veterans are actively recruited.
"We constantly strive to bring new people with new points of view into the company through enhanced advertisement of our open positions and our employee referral program which offers monetary bonuses to employees who recommend talented additions to our team," said Christin O'Callaghan, global communications director for Olin, the parent company of Winchester.
Additionally, Winchester offers employees a Total Rewards program, a competitive compensation package with short- and long-term incentive opportunities, company sponsored healthcare and other features.
"Our recognition platform also offers ways for employees to earn more, such as safety recognition and monetary awards for team performance and engagement," O'Callaghan said.
Why so many openings?
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, citing data from the U.S. Labor Department, more than 120,000 businesses temporarily closed during the height of the pandemic, leaving more than 30 million U.S. workers unemployed. While job openings have steadily increased since January 2020, unemployment has slowly declined. Last year, employers added a 3.8 million jobs.
However, the labor force participation rate is lower now than it was in January 2020 — 62.2% compared 63.3% in January 2020.
Extended unemployment benefits and stimulus checks during the pandemic allowed more workers to stay at home, and some 68% earned more from jobless benefits than from their jobs. Additionally, retirements carved out another 3 million adults from thew workforce. Just over 50% of adults 55 and older left the workforce the third quarter of last year.
Lack of childcare and low pay were other significant factors in people staying out of the workforce.
One of the hardest hit industries was manufacturing which lost some 1.4 million jobs at the start of the pandemic. Since then, hiring entry level and skilled workers has been a struggle.
The Toyota way
At the Toyota Mississippi assembly plant in Northeast Mississippi, an optional flexible schedule is available to the approximately 2,400 employees.
"As a company, we have a great package in total — great pay, great benefits, as well as career opportunities," said David Fernandes, Toyota Mississippi president. "Even with all those great things we are definitely seeing challenges. I like to remind our team here, that our team members are telling us that we have to create more flexibility that what we've been able to create in manufacturing."
From the start of production in late 2011, Toyota has has two eight-hour production shifts — starting at 6:30 a.m. and then at 6:30 p.m. Team members rotate every two weeks between the schedules.
With 10 manufacturing plants across the United States, the automaker is looking at different ways to attract workers as well as keeping them.
"For almost six months now, we've had a 4-10 shift in the evening," Fernandes said. "One of the voices we heard was that rotation for then was difficult as far as resting."
The 4-10 schedule has team members work 10 hours a day Monday-Thursday, thus giving them a three-day-weekend.
"That's been pretty amazing," Fernandes said. "We've had about a 75% reception that they really like that schedule."
The openings that need filling the most company wide are the skilled maintenance positions. Toyota's highly regarded AMT (Advanced Manufacturing Technician) program blends traditional classroom instruction with on-site work experience offering a unique opportunity for students to earn a wage while attending college.
The program provides graduates to enter the workforce with less educational debt and more real-world work experience in subjects including electricity, fluid power, mechanics, fabrication and robotics.
"We've had to grow our own, and partnering with local community colleges, the kids within three years who enter the program in most cases are making $39 an hour," Fernandes said.
Toyota has also been innovative in keeping its workers employed. During the pandemic, the plant had production stops, but no one was laid off. The company had the policy in place even before the pandemic: Team members can take unpaid leave without penalty; they can come to work, and work will be provided; or they can take paid time off.
Shipbuilder: 'No limits' to opportunities
One of Mississippi's largest employers, HII Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula is looking to add 2,000 more workers. The shipyard employs some 11,300 workers which include union-represented craftsmen and women, in addition to engineers, planners, supply chain specialists, business management and program management professionals.
The company wants to add 2,000 full-time shipbuilders to its 800-acre facility that builds U.S. Navy destroyers, amphibious warships and national security cutters.
The company said its competitive starting wages, benefits, 12 paid holidays annually, and opportunities for advancement make Ingalls a great place to work.
The company recently completed building covered workspaces for its shipbuilders to keep them out of the elements, as well as hydration stations.
Becky Gillette contributed to this story.
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ASSET Engineering
Established in 2000, ASSET Engineering began as a consulting firm specializing in power system design and analysis. The company has grown into an engineer, procure and construct (EPC) firm for substations and other electric infrastructure projects. ASSET provides their clients with decades of experience in specialized electrical engineering design, protection and control systems, and project management services.
ASSET Engineering values each contribution made for the betterment and success of the company. ASSET offers employees competitive compensation packages and rewarding career paths in an environment that encourage both professional and personal growth. Career opportunities are created for those individuals who are aspiring to grow and develop both technical, business, and project management skills in the power industry.
ASSET employs 30 employees, and is anticipating to grow capabilities by 20% at the start of 2023.
ASSET awards include ACEC Award, 2018 & 2021 MBJ Best Places to Work Award, 2008 Nancy T. Grogan Award, and 2005 & 2008 Community Improvement Award.
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BCI was founded in 1993 by Tony Bailey, and for the nearly 30 years since, BCI has been known for their outstanding IT engineering talent and dedicated customer service. BCI has strong cultural values, and recruit employees that fit into the culture to allow the company to continue to evolve as the industry constantly changes. BCI offers IT solutions across the country with over 500 customers in Mississippi.
BCI has a strong, family culture and focus on being flexible for employees and customers. BCI leaders and managers make employees feel valued by recognizing, encouraging, promoting, and rewarding team members for their success. Some rewards include, free breakfast on Fridays, monthly birthday parties and free lunch, quarterly family events, holiday customer contests, and employees of the year award with cash prizes just to name a few.
BCI has nearly 100 employees spread across six states, with 80 of those employees in Mississippi. BCI awards include first place Best Places to Work 2021, voted No. 1 IT Company in Mississippi, Top CEO, TOP Tech award for CEO Jonathan Hollingshead, Partner of Year by Fortinet, Top 150 MSPs in the U.S., and was selected as a Top 100 Security Firm in U.S.
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Blackburn Construction, Inc. (formerly known as R.J. Allen & Associates) is a general construction and construction management company that has been serving clients since 1984.
In 2006, David Blackburn joined RJAA adding residential and commercial construction in the Texas and Mississippi markets. Since 2006, Blackburn has added dozens of convenience stores, restaurants, multi-family communities, retail space, apartment living and office space projects to this company’s repertoire.
Blackburn Construction is a team-oriented company and strives to provide a work environment that is both challenging and rewarding. Blackburn recognizes that their success lies in the commitment, passion, and integrity of its construction professionals. Employees enjoy great benefits, inspiring leadership, and a company culture that promotes success.
Blackburn currently has 110 employees and is owned by The Blackburn Group.
Blackburn awards include 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 INC. 500/5000 Fastest growing private companies in America, ranked No. 1 for all companies in the state of Mississippi in 2014, 2015 and six-time finalist of Best Place to Work in Mississippi.
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Brasfield & Gorrie was founded in 1994. Brasfield & Gorrie is one the nation's leading privately held construction firms. The company is the successor to the Thos. C. Brasfield company, a general contractor operating as a sole proprietor from 1921. Miller Gorrie purchased the company's construction assets in 1964 and changed the name to Brasfield & Gorrie in 1967.
Brasfield & Gorrie has completed 85 projects totaling approximately $1 billion in value across the state of Mississippi. The company expanded their footprint in 2015 when they established a local office in Jackson, Brasfield & Gorrie's 12th office overall.
Brasfield & Gorrie's awards include, 2021 Contractor of the Year by ENR Southeast, No. 24 Top Contractor by ENR National, No. 1 Contractor by ENR, ABC National STEP Platinum Award for Safety, Excellence in Construction First-Place Eagle Award (Blue Health Primary Care Clinic- Madison) and Excellence in Construction Second-Place Merit Award (Jackson Preparatory School Junior High Renovations- Flowood), just to name a few.
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East Mississippi Community College was organized in 1927 following its beginning in 1912 as Kemper County Agricultural High School. There are two physical locations: the Scooba Campus and the the Golden Triangle campus, both with academic and career-technical centers.
EMCC understands that students and employees are being impacted by rising cost of basic necessities. To offset, EMCC has moved to a four-day work week during the summer to ease the cost of work commute. For students, the college offers flexible learning options through online and hybrid courses. EMCC President Scott Alsobrooks, Ph.D., is committed to investing in employees through multi-year pay raises without increasing student tuition.
EMCC employs approximately 275 full-time employees. The employees represent over 44 communities across north and east central Mississippi.
EMMC awards include 2021 Aspen Institute College Excellence Program’s list of Top 150 community colleges in the nation, 2021 Mississippi Business Journal Top CEO (Dr. Scott Alsobrooks), and named 2021 Five Star Chapters by Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society.
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FBBInsurance
FBBInsurance was founded in 1936 and is an independent insurance agency and is ranked as one of the top 100 retail insurance agencies in the United States. As one of the oldest and most well-respected full-service agencies in the Southeast, the company offers innovative client services and products in commercial lines, group benefits, personal lines and bonding. FBBI also offers an array of risk management products and services designed to meet business and individual insurance needs.
Serving their communities isn't just something FBBI does, it defines who they are. The company promotes and supports associates participating in community-oriented organizations and events. FBBI has a family oriented culture that has holiday and social celebrations, agency outings and more. Management takes a hands-on approach that provides the resources needed to get the job done as well as opportunities to grow with their career. FBBI lives and shares its core values of the their parent company, integrity, service, accountability, relationships and solutions.
FBBI has 196 employees with 12 offices located throughout the southeast, with 103 of those associates in Mississippi.
Some of FBBI awards include Insurance Journal (6 years in a row), one of the top 100 Independent Retail Insurance Agencies in the U.S., Best Practices Agency by IIABA and Reagan Consulting (6 years in a row), Top 100 Insurance Brokers in the U.S. (3 years in a row), and a 2020 Silver winner by the Insurance Journal.
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First Federal
Founded in 1955, First Federal recently celebrated its 67th year in business in Jackson County and has grown to over $320 million in assets with six branches serving south Mississippi. Their legacy is their service to their customers and that service shines throughout the company.
First Federal is a family of employees with an average tenure of over 17 years. Having been in business for 67 years, the company had the privilege of building a strong work family that values its employees, customers and communities. Creating a good work environment is the first step in providing excellent customer service. First Federal believes in fostering long-term relationships and making decisions with employees and customers in mind.
First Federal currently has 56 employees.
First Federal awards include 2013 Best Bank to Work For by American Banker, 2016-2021 Best Places to Work and recently named Best Community Bank to Work For in the country by Independent Banker Magazine.
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Founded in 2013, InfusionPlus has quickly amassed a team of clinicians and staff with over 300 years accumulated infusion pharmacy experience. InfusionPlus has enjoyed rapid growth exceeding expectations over the last four years and enjoys a 100% rating scored by its patients.
InfusionPlus provides for its employees a teamwork structure that shares a common goal of patient/customer prioritization. Employee input and perspectives are respected and encouraged in making decisions for the organization. Management also places a high priority on the employees’ personal goals and needs and moves quickly to meet these needs when possible. Shared values of faith and family provides a strong foundation for InfusionPlus and its employees to grow. A local ownership and local management team allows agility and flexibility in decision making for meeting the needs for patients with ever changing circumstances.
InfusionPlus has 31 employees.
InfusionPlus awards includes, ACHC Accreditation (June 2013), 2016 Finalist Best Places to Work, placed first in the small business category in 2017 and achieved a 100% patient score when asked if they would utilize the company again if needed.
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Mutual Credit Union
Mutual Credit Union was established in 1931, and this year marks 91 years of serving its members and communities. Over the last 91 years, Mutual Credit Union has grown from a credit union with 56 members and assets of $542 to a credit union with over 23,000 members and over $300 million in assets. Mutual Credit Union was the first credit union charter granted in Mississippi.
A great work culture starts from the top, and Mutual Credit Union has a unified purpose and mission driving the company everyday: “People helping people.” Mutual fosters a fun, collaborative work environment that supports career growth and values feedback from the staff. Mutual offers great benefits, including time off to volunteer and casual dress. Mutual's moto is “Mutual isn't just where you bank (or work!) — it is where you belong!"
Mutual currently employs a combined 75 full-time and part-time staff at their six branch locations. Mutual's awards include: Best of the Best Vicksburg Reader's Choice for financial institutions and tellers every year since 2012, Reader's Choice top financial institution Yazoo City every year since 2015, and SPRF Lantern Award for “Alexander” Financial Literacy Program.”
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Parish Tractor
Parish Tractor was founded in 2012 by Lee Parish. The company has grown to four locations, with three of those locations in Mississippi. Parish is a family business that serves others and equips farmers with the tools they need to provide for their families and communities.
Parish offers many benefits to their employees including dental, vision, life, disability, cancer, accident and critical illness, great PTO, 401K, holidays and profit sharing. Parish puts their people first and this is reflected throughout the culture, amazing benefits and great work environment.
Parish has 150 employees between its four locations.
Parish's awards include Kubota's Elite Dealer, 2022 Annual Small Business Leadership award, Mississippi's Top 100 Privately Owned Businesses, and voted “Best Outdoor Equipment” in the Pine Belt.
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Riverwalk Casino Hotel
Riverwalk Casino Hotel opened in 2008 under the ownership of Rush Street Gaming, LLC. Riverwalk was acquired by Churchill Downs, Inc., in 2012. Churchill is a publicly traded company that has evolved from one world-famous venue in Central Kentucky to the United State's premier racing, gaming and entertainment company with a myriad of holdings.
Riverwalk promotes teamwork and communication through their open-door policy and their Ambassador Round Table Program. The diversity and talent of their workforce is one of their greatest strengths. The company offers a work setting where everyone is treated fairly with respect and dignity. Riverwalk offers an excellent benefits package which includes: medical, dental and vision insurance, and a 401K plan in which team members are fully vested from day one.
Riverwalk employs more than 275 employees, many of whom have been employed since the doors open in 2008. Riverwalk has been a recipient of many awards including People's Choice Award at the International Gumbo Festival in Jackson, 3rd place People's Choice Award for their seafood gumbo. They have received numerous marketing awards over the years including Communicator Awards, Telly Awards and Summit Awards.
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Ross & Yerger
Founded in 1860, Ross & Yerger is the oldest independent insurance agency in Mississippi. Its 162-year history is made possible because of its dedication to client needs and an exceptionally talented and caring staff. It is a 100% employee-owned company, which allows all employees to participate in the profits of the agency and creates a family environment where everyone has one unified goal. This family environment is fueled by a strong leadership and a company culture that promotes a collaborative team approach and an “open door” policy.
Caring for its employees is just as important as caring for its clients, which is why Ross & Yerger offers employees great health benefits, a 401(k) matching program, generous vacation and sick leave, plus personal time off, and one “Summer Friday” off during June, July and August. It also provides an on-site exercise room and offers employees cash bonuses annually for participation in its Wellness Program.
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Southern Pipe & Supply
Southern Pipe was founded in 1938. Meyer and Sammie Davidson place an emphasis on customer relationships and on creating opportunities for their employees. Southern Pipe continues to be a Mississippi-based company with its corporate office and distribution center based in Meridian. Today Southern Pipe operates 130 locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Southern Pipe hires for attitude first, then trains for skill. It looks for work ethic and drive, and considers character to be every bit as important as an educational background or a long resume. The corporate culture is rooted in relationships and in doing not only what is best for the bottom line but also what is best for our family members, customers and vendors.
Southern Pipe is home to more than 1,100 dedicated family members. Approximately 375 are employed in Mississippi, and approximately 175 of those are based in Meridian at the local branch, distribution center and corporate office.
In general, Southern Pipe has a low-key philosophy regarding awards and recognition. The company does not enter industry contests or award programs or make efforts to promote the company publicly. Their participation in Best Places to Work programs is to receive feedback from their family members on how they are doing as a Best Place to Work. The company was selected as a Fortune “Top 100” medium size Best Place in America since 2016, and recognized by the Great Place to Work Institute as as Certified Great Place to Work since 2017.
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Tempstaff
TempStaff was founded in 1981 and has always called Mississippi home. Since its inception, Carolyn Boteler has been a vital part of our success. Having worked in many aspects of the company, Boteler became president and CEO in 1991. Her goal is not to be the biggest, but rather the best staffing service in Mississippi. Boteler is still actively involved in leading TempStaff into the future.
Tempstaff provides an opportunity to work with a variety of people each day. From individuals who are just starting their work careers to those who are looking to transition to a new opportunity. Tempstaff plays an integral part in helping job seekers find meaningful work within the state. Tempstaff offers competitive salaries, a full benefit package including 100% paid employee health and dental coverage. By far it is Tempstaff's social responsibility to give back to the communities that has helped the company grow.
Tempstaff currently employs 20 staff members. Tempstaff awards include, Best of Staffing lists in client, talent and employee categories since 2015, presented by Clearly Rated and CareerBuilder, by providing remarkable service to their clients, talent and employees, and honored by Forbes Magazine as one of America's Best Staffing Firms in 2020, 2021 and 2022 as the #21 firm in the country.
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Viking Range introduced professional performance to the home kitchen with their flagship ranges in 1987, and a culinary revolution was born. In 2013, Viking became apart of the Middleby Corporation, the largest commercial kitchen equipment manufacturer in the world. Tapping the resources and technological expertise of Middleby with Viking's own heritage in the residential market, the company has transformed their products and reached new heights in customer satisfaction.
Viking is a community within a community. Even though Viking products ship around the world, the company has always stayed true to its roots in Mississippi. Viking employees believe in their products and what the company stands for. Their hard-work, determination and elbow grease have helped push Viking to where it is today.
Viking currently employees more than 1,000 employees, most of whom are located in Greenwood. Viking awards include 2021 Design Journal (Best of 2021 Nominee for Viking French Door Wall Oven), 2021 Design Journal (Best of 2021 Nominee for Viking Drop Down Door), 2021 Architectural Digest (Top 5 Dishwashers by Ad Designers).
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Aerial view of HII Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula.
A grinder works at HII Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula. The plant employees 11,300 people and plans to add 2,000 more full-time positions.
HII Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson
AHII Ingalls Shipbuilding spokesperson Kimberly Aguillard
Susan Jacobs, vice president of human resources and administration of HII Ingalls Shipbuilding
Steve Blount
Ingalls Shipbuilding planning to add 2,000 more workers to current 11,300-member workforce
HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi, currently has more than 11,300 people on staff, including union-represented craftsmen and women, engineers, planners, supply chain specialists, business management and program management professionals.
The company’s weekly payroll of $14 million has a tremendous economic benefit to the region.
HII announced July 6 that the Ingalls Shipbuilding division plans to hire more than 2,000 full-time shipbuilders as part of its future workforce plans.
“The new shipbuilders will join a skilled workforce that delivers critical capabilities to HII’s national security customers, including amphibious warships, destroyers, and national security cutters,” the company said in a press release. “Ingalls Shipbuilding is located on an 800-acre facility, having recently completed a state-of-the-art upgrade that includes covered workspaces to keep shipbuilders dry and cool.”
Ingalls President Kari Wilkinson said with a shipbuilding legacy of nearly 84 years, Ingalls offers careers dedicated to a service mission — building ships that protect and defend our freedoms.
“We are excited to be adding new members to our team and to be providing a variety of stable career opportunities to our community,” Wilkinson said.
Ingalls’ talent acquisition team hosted a hiring event July 9 at the Ingalls Maritime Training Academy located on Jerry St. Pé Highway. Ingalls will be hiring pipefitters, pipe welders, structural welders and ship fitters. It is seeking applicants for entry-level opportunities. The company said their competitive starting wages, benefits, 12 paid holidays annually and opportunities for advancement make Ingalls a great place to work.
Aguillard said as the composition and expectations of their employees change, so do their investments needed in workforce development.
“Ingalls is investing in teaching and developing our people,” she said. “Since 2011, approximately $800 million has been invested in physical plant and infrastructure. "These investments maintain key capabilities, improve efficiency and reduce cost for our customers. We provide hydration stations, an employee bus system to make getting to and from the jobsite a little easier and we have expanded meal choices in the shipyard, including a Chick-Fil-A.”
Ingalls Shipbuilding is considered a part of the critical infrastructure for the nation and was able to continue operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aguillard said throughout the pandemic, they made decisions that focused on the safety and well-being of their employees, as well as fulfilling commitments to their customers.
“The health and safety of our employees remained top priority during the COVID-19 pandemic, even as we continued our important work to support the nation’s defense industry,” she said. “To manage our response, Ingalls put in place a number of policies and procedures to mitigate the exposure to and spread of COVID-19 in accordance with guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other state and local government health agencies. We provided our shipbuilders with the resources they needed to stay safe and healthy while also continuing to support our customers, suppliers and communities.”
Ingalls believes that workforce development programs are critical to the future of shipbuilding and has several no-cost training initiatives underway. Aguillard said they want their workforce to have long, rewarding careers building ships.
“Our partnerships with high schools and community colleges across the region also provide training to local students, and expose them to exciting career opportunities,” she said. “We are constantly evaluating and enhancing the employee experience so that we are able to attract the talent we need to build ships that protect and defend our nation. In 2020, Ingalls opened its new human resources building which has allowed for process improvements, increased efficiencies and greater resource utilization.”
Aguillard said they are committed to providing their employees with the training, tools and skills needed to start a career and build a successful life. Ingalls actively recruits from all over the Mississippi Gulf Coast and surrounding areas including Louisiana and parts of Florida. A high percentage of their workforce travels over 40 miles one-way to be a part of the Ingalls Shipbuilding team.
Aguillard said they are committed to maintaining and strengthening a diverse and inclusive workforce, and there are many career opportunities within the shipyard for women. She said understanding diversity, equity and inclusion is at the core of what makes Ingalls Shipbuilding great.
“We gain a key competitive advantage by building a community that values contributions and perspectives from a variety of backgrounds, skills, and experiences,” she said. “We work closely with community partners such as Women in Construction, to ensure all women have access to our jobs and the opportunity to gain skills that are valuable within the shipyard.”
For more information about jobs at the shipyard, visit buildyourcareer.com.
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Fitzgeralds Casino in Tunica was among the first casinos in Mississippi.
Tunica Times
Hollywood Casino in Tunica is shown under construction in this file photo. Mississippi's gaming business has exploded over the past 30 years.
Lady Luck Sam's Town in Tunica is shown during its opening in 1992. Mississippi's gaming industry is celebrating 30 years in operation.
Marking 30 years of gaming in Mississippi
Aug. 1 marks the 30th anniversary of legalized gaming in Mississippi, when the Isle of Capri opened with two riverboat-style casinos in Biloxi.
It was followed in October with the opening of Splash Casino in Tunica.
From a simple beginning, gaming has grown to a multi-billion-dollar industry that provides more than 15,200 direct jobs with wages and benefits totaling $612.5 million.
Before gaming came to Mississippi, Nevada and New Jersey were the only states with legalized gaming. Jay McDaniel, executive director of the State Gaming Commission, points to the importance of having the right legislation in place.
“It's crucial to any state that is creating a legalized gaming environment. Most know the history of early Las Vegas and that gaming 80 years ago had some elements of criminal activity attached to it, so Nevada (and later New Jersey) created strict standards as to who could own and operate gaming companies to keep the criminal elements out,” he said.
“Most states in operation today have the same type of legislation that requires comprehensive investigations of companies both before they come into a market and continuing during their operation.”
Mississippi Gaming & Hospitality Association President Anthony Del Vescovo praises the Legislature.
“I believe they saw the potential to attract customers and investment by eliminating the cruising requirement and building land-type casinos on barges. They had foresight,” he said.
Mississippi's legislation was patterned after Nevada’s laws.
“At the time the Gaming Control Act was being drafted, the starting point was to take Nevada's statutes and regulations and adjust as needed,” McDaniel said. “While we did have some differences such as the geographic limitations to the river and coastal counties, most of the regulatory requirements were the same.
"And this was a great idea because it had been working in Nevada for many years and their industry was growing. No reason to change what was already working, and many of the people that were going to invest in Mississippi had operated in the Nevada market and were familiar with it.”
When gaming came to Tunica County, the overall impact was staggering, according to Webster Franklin, executive director of the Tunica Visitors and Convention Bureau.
“Before gaming there was not one stretch of paved road and only one stop light. There were 20 hotel rooms and an unemployment rate of 26.2%,” he said. “The pre-gaming county budget was $3 million. The casinos ran on generators for several years before the infrastructure was in place.”
Franklin says the growth has been tremendous with the paving and four laning of Highway 61 and the casino roads. The county budget is now $45 million; there are more than 5,000 rooms and six casinos with 3,000 employees who come from several counties.
“Gaming has allowed us to diversify,” Franklin said. “Two German manufacturing plants are here now, and our future looks good.
“We're excited with the announcement that the Cherokee Nation is buying the Gold Strike Casino. We're just 75 miles from the highway intersection where a Ford plant is locating and the I-69 corridor will lead to all types of growth.”
McDaniel says the early vision of making sure gaming companies were operating legally and honestly was important in drawing in large businesses willing to invest in more than just the gaming floor.
“But you have to have the right balance of strong regulatory standards mixed with flexibility to let gaming companies operate and adapt,” he added. “Despite the regulatory requirements, we still want to make the experience business friendly to encourage new investment, and customer friendly to drive visitors. In Mississippi we have always tried to regulate in a manner that is strict but fair.”
Marlin Torgelson, founder and former CEO of Casino Magic, is credited with developing the floating barge casinos that were the state's first gaming facilities which evolved into today's impressive on-land facilities. Del Vescovo, who is vice president and legal counsel for Beau Rivage Casino & Resort in Biloxi, says the industry has changed when needed, such as allowing land-based casinos to get them off the water to safer locations.
“The state has maintained the model with some tweaking but it didn't change the tax rate and the business friendly rules,” he said.
McDaniel, too, applauds the statutory and regulatory scheme that is not overly restrictive and allows adaptation to let the gaming companies grow.
“The gaming commissioners through the years put in infrastructure requirements to encourage permanent development—the move after Katrina to allow companies to put structures on shore, these are the kinds of things that you want to be able to implement and adjust to quickly to help the industry grow,” he said. “Also, the fact that we have an open market that allows competition to dictate how the properties perform encourages our operators to stay ahead of the curve and continually enhance their product offerings.”
The casino properties continue to re-invest and refresh their facilities and amenities along with exploring new customer bases. Franklin doesn't foresee any additional casinos in Tunica County now that many states have gaming, but he does see more investing in existing properties and continuing the business-friendly climate.
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Lesia Hollingshead and William Walter Daniel Jr.
Candace Chambers
Nelson Haskin
SBA Mississippi 2022 Award Winners create jobs, vital services, economic development
In May, the SBA held an awards ceremony for the 2022 SBA Mississippi Small Business Award winners honoring business owners across the state who exemplify creating innovative small businesses that fulfill vital needs in the community while providing jobs and economic development.
Small Business Persons of the Year were Lesia Daniel Hollingshead and William Walter Daniel Jr., co-owners of Funtime Afterschool of Clinton, Inc.
“Our granddaddy, Herbert Jenkins, built and opened Funtime Skateland Clinton in 1971,” Daniel said. “In 2000, we opened the afterschool program in the skateland building at 931 Highway 80 East in Clinton. As we realized the need for quality childcare, we expanded operations to include infants and preschoolers. In 2007, we built and opened Funtime Preschool at 400 Clinton Pkwy, Clinton.”
Following the pandemic, there was a huge need for additional care for infants, so they leased a facility at 457 E Northside Dr. My First Funtime specializes in infant care for children from birth to 12 months and they have 66 babies enrolled. At the preschool and afterschool locations, they have about 200 children at each site.
“As you can imagine, a program this size requires a very large staff,” Daniel said. “We have 163 active staff members at this time. However, some are seasonal and only here for the summer. We have state-of-the-art playground facilities at all locations, as well as secured entrances for safety. We have a fleet of vehicles like no other in the state for transporting our children.”
Because one of their sites has a skating rink, their preschool and afterschool children get to skate for a couple of hours one day each week. Their summer campers are busy with daily field trips and opportunities for cheer, dance, sport and other specialty mini camps. Academic achievement is at the forefront of their planning and curriculum.
“I love knowing the daily work we do changes the trajectory of children's lives,” Daniel said. “We know that high-quality care has a huge impact on children's social/emotional development, as well as academic success. I actually spoke at a conference recently on this very topic.”
During the pandemic challenges in 2020, Funtime Afterschool credits SBA’s COVID-19 programs for keeping the doors open. They were able to maintain the operation of the childcare facilities in the midst of increased overhead and day-to-day operational costs.
Minority Small Business Champion
2022 SBA Minority Small Business Champion Nelson Haskin Jr. owns an impressive string of restaurants on Front Street in Hattiesburg, the heart of the city’s downtown entertainment district. Haskin owns the Blu Jazz Café, Southbound Bagel and Coffee Shop, Nellie’s Chicken and Daiquiris, and Hattiesburgers and Blues.
Blu Jazz opened April 2017. Nellie's opened in September 2018. Southbound began operating in 2004, and was purchased by Haskin in December 2018. Hattiesburgers and Blues started up in August 2021.
“Two things we love in the South are fried chicken and frozen drinks,” Haskin said of Nellie’s. “We bring them to you in one location. Our key to success is being prepared to serve our customers at a high level, use the best products available, keep our restaurants clean, and be nice to everyone. Downtown is becoming a weekend destination. Therefore, our customer base is in the range of William Carey and Southern Miss students, people who live in the downtown area, travelers, and people from West Hattiesburg and Petal.”
Rita Mitchell, a certified counselor with the USM Small Business Development Center, said Haskin is a veteran and a dynamic entrepreneur who is also a great community leader.
“Nelson is an incredible, hardworking, humble, phenomenal man,” Mitchell said. “He is a family guy. The whole family helps with the businesses. Nelson has literally soared through his tireless efforts and community heart, from his 2015 vision for ‘Hattiesburg's Best First Date Restaurant’ to his warm, wonderful, and welcoming Front Street array of restaurants and bars. He and his best friend, Nicholas Fairly, who also owns businesses downtown, are constantly donating food for community events and mentoring others."
Women Business Champion
Women will tell their hairdressers things they might not tell anyone else. That can include experiencing domestic violence or having addiction problems. Lisa Cochran, owner of The Studio, LLC, Hattiesburg and Laurel, has worked at The Studio for about 40 years and was owner for 27 of those years. She recently sold her business in Hattiesburg to concentrate more on a non-profit she founded four years ago for women in recovery called Dwell.
Cochran, the 2022 SBA Women Business Champion of the Year, loves serving women.
“I have heart for women who are in recovery or who have been abused,” Cochran said. “I think we view abused women as being poor, maybe in a different economic category than middle and upper class. But women of all economic levels can experience these problems. As I have seen in my business as a stylist, we know people’s stories. People will confide in a stylist before family. I just leaned into that. I had family members in recovery. That was the reason for selling one salon so I could focus more on Dwell.”
To help the transitional housing community, she opened a thrift store called Remnant that recently won a Best of Mississippi award from Mississippi Magazine.
“Our women work there, and they have created something really special,” Cochran said. “The thrift store is called The Remnant. I took some of the same practices in my salon business, and I implemented them at The Remnant. It is so fun. I feel like if as owners who have done well in our businesses, we need to teach others and steward them. We have financial stewardship classes teaching about budget, credit restoration, savings, paying bills on time, house grocery budgets, and we work with a church that teaches anger management and parenting. We make sure participants are going to the recovery meetings like AA or another meeting called Triage. We work with the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation to help find some of the best paths for some of the women without education. We work on getting GEDs, and on finding the right path for job placement.”
All women in the transitional program get their hair done in the salon for free.
It is a way they train their younger staff about philanthropy and serving.
“Advice I could give to any owners is you need to have philanthropy as part of your business,” Cochran said. “This generation works for money, but also works for time off and a purpose. Our employees know we are about serving women, lifting people up. They want to be involved in the bigger purpose.”
Cochran started in the industry at a time when there were no benefits for stylists. Her company now offers six weeks of maternity leave, a 401k program, up to three weeks paid vacation, and health and life insurance for our employees.
“It has led to longevity with our staff,” she said.
Candace Chambers, PhD, CEO of Educational Writing Services, LLC, in Pearl, was named 2022 SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Chambers, 29, works with professionals helping write resumes, cover letters, human resources proposals, and business plans and even provides assistance with publishing children’s books. She also helps high school students to develop their college admissions and scholarship essays.
“For both populations of professionals and students, it is important for them to communicate effectively,” Chambers said. “I think a person's writing has to be developed to convey their message to their intended audience clearly."
When she was in graduate school pursuing a MA in English, she worked at the writing center at the University of Alabama helping people develop their writing skills. She decided to adopt the model and bring that kind of writing instruction into the community.
“After grad school, I saw there was a need for more community-based literacy and writing instruction,” Chambers said. “I like that I am able to work with a wide range of professionals and can also help high school students go to the next level in college. Therefore, I am able to use this avenue of writing to help people move forward in life.”
In addition to being helpful in winning a scholarship or being admitted to college, Chambers feels her writing assistance helps students build confidence.
“The most important part is for them to realize they have a voice and help them articulate their thoughts,” she said. “I am working with their ideas, helping them to brainstorm, and helping them to tell their stories in a creative way. It provides confidence not just in an academic sense, but also in their sense of personal self.”
Her business, founded in 2017, also provides community-based workshops for non-profit organizations, including high schools, colleges, and universities.
“Our goal is for all writers to learn writing techniques so that they can improve their writing,” she said. “It is our hope that writers benefit from our services as we work to meet the needs of the holistic writer.”
Chambers earned a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in secondary education from Jackson State University, and a master’s degree in English from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., with a concentration in composition, rhetoric, and English studies. She earned her PhD in curriculum and instruction with a focus in urban literacy-English from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Chambers has worked in the field of writing for over 10 years in various capacities. For five years, she served as a public affairs writer/editor for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Jackson, where she composed feature stories and video showcases on farmers and landowners across the state. She has been awarded over $1.3 million in scholarships, assistantships, and grants from writing essays and written compositions.
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A 4-hour trip never takes 4 hours
For most families, a four-hour trip lasts four hours.
Maybe five if you stop and eat once. Maybe six if you aren't in a hurry and stop to go shopping. Perhaps seven if you pull over at every roadside joint selling fireworks or peaches or boiled peanuts or ice cold wine. And it could even take eight hours if you are riding bicycles.
Our family is different. It takes us four hours just to get out of the driveway.
I'm being facetious, of course. It doesn't actually take us four hours to get out of the driveway. It only takes one hour.
A while back, our family took a four-hour journey by most ordinary measure. But we have to consider other factors when determining how long a trip with the Robbins family will take. The chief one being: How long it will take us to make it out of the city limits of Homerville, Georgia.
We'll have everyone loaded up, every seatbelt buckled, every door locked in the house and the alarm on. Then it starts.
A phone call.
"Oh, I have to go down to the office and sign some checks before I leave," I'll say. "It'll only be 10 minutes."
On our latest attempt to leave town, it was my wife's turn. Nothing you can really do about that. Sometimes, things come up suddenly and you have to take are of them.
Other times, well, not so much.
Just as I'm about to turn right out of our driveway, within spitting distance of the city limits, my wife will say, "Oh, we need to go by Margaret's house. I have to drop off a casserole for her."
Or, "Oh, we have to go by Walgreens first to pick up a prescription." Or, "We have to stop by the bank and make a deposit before we leave." Or, "Aunt Lucy is in the hospital and I promised her we'd visit before we left town." Or, "There's a three- act musical performance I bought tickets for that we have to attend before we go to the beach."
I'm being facetious, of course. It was only a one-act play.
It's hard enough for me to drive and practice Christian patience with everyone in the car critiquing my driving and engaging in distracting conversation. Not getting there in a hurry only rattles my nerves further.
Maybe I'm the only human being like this, but I like to get there. I don't want to stop. I don't want to eat. Don't really have any interest in bathroom breaks. I just want to get there as fast as I can without getting arrested.
Then, I can relax. Then, I can enjoy myself. It's the same if I'm going on vacation, going to work, going to a Georgia football game. I want to get there, and I'm tense until I do.
Going home, not so much.
"Can we stop at Cracker Barrel and meander around their gift shop for a couple of hours?" Sure, honey.
"Would you like to spend another night?" Okay by me, if you're paying.
"Can we take a detour and see that Grand Canyon I've heard so much about?" Not a problem, dear.
I'm being facetious, of course. I would never stop to shop at Cracker Barrel.
The official time toll for our latest vacation trip: Six and a half hours for a four-hour trip. An hour to get out of Homerville, a half-hour to eat, four hours to drive, and an extra hour because our driver attempted a short cut – unsuccessfully.
To protect his guilt, I won't reveal his identity.
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Former editor took the lead in Oxford when James Meredith enrolled at Ole Miss
Last week, this column promised you a bit more about Gene Gratz, who wrote the Tupelo Daily Journal story about our railroad man.
It turns out that Gratz, a native of Dubuque, Iowa, moved to Tupelo in 1947 after earning his degree in journalism on the GI Bill from the University of Missouri. He became an announcer for WELO upon arriving. Several years later, he moved from broadcast journalism to the print side and became managing editor of the Daily Journal.
In 1948, he joined the Army Reserve in Tupelo. Later, he transferred to the 108th Calvary of the National Guard. In 1959, Gratz and his family moved to Oxford. By 1962, he had earned the rank of major.
We center on the events of Saturday, Sept. 29, 1962, in Oxford, days before James Meredith, an African-American student, enrolled in the University of Mississippi over the protests of then-Gov. Ross Barnett.
That day, Gratz, his wife and another couple traveled to Jackson to watch Ole Miss play Kentucky in Memorial Stadium, there on Woodrow Wilson Avenue. In an interview filmed in Oxford on Oct. 1, 2002, near the 40th anniversary of the campus melee, Gratz told his story.
He said he sat in the stands with his wife and friends, who were surrounded by a group from Tupelo and some folk from Oxford; all were cognizant of the “tense situation going on between Gov. Barnett and the president about James Meredith.”
At halftime, Barnett urged resistance.
At 5 a.m. Sunday, Gratz’s executive officer told the major to get in his uniform and come to Tupelo. Gratz and others spent most of Sunday waiting. Gratz returned home on Park Drive, north of campus that evening. About 8 p.m., Gratz said he heard the pop of what he believed were gas grenades. His daughter, who lived on campus at the time, called home and asked what to do. He told her to stay put. Shortly after he hung up the telephone, the executive officer called and instructed Gratz to go the the armory in Oxford.
Close to 10 p.m., another squadron arrived from Senatobia. Two others were on campus already. The commander sent those 200-300 soldiers to campus under the direction of Gratz, who knew the campus and could show them where to go — Sorority Row.
Gratz’s soldiers and their commander parked their trucks on what is Jackson Avenue at a roadside park. They unloaded and formed up to march down Sorority Row. About halfway up, someone yelled about gas, and everyone put on their gas masks. Soon, they arrived in front of the coliseum where the U.S. Marshals were located.
“… We were getting things tossed at us. I never did hear any rifle fire,” Gratz told the interviewer. “I never did. But there was rifle fire that night. Maybe by the time we got there, it was gone.”
About 1 a.m., someone yelled "charge," and the squadron took off through the circles, chasing the rioters past the Grove. Gratz and about 40 men wound up at the railroad bridge. The rioters stood on the other side and chunked garbage can lids, rocks, bricks and other objects at the soldiers under orders to remain on campus. In return, soldiers rolled gas grenades across the bridge toward the rioters.
Gratz said the wind was blowing from south to north, and the gas did nothing to the rioters; instead, the gas permeated the neighborhood adjacent to the campus. About 6 a.m., the commanding officer told Gratz and his men to go get the rioters.
The soldiers chased them all over nearby neighborhoods. They rounded up about 70 of them and marched them through the circle to turn the people over to the marshals. But Gratz took the name of every person his squadron arrested.
“Not a single one of them was an Ole Miss student,” he said. All of those arrested by his group were from South Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas.
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Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter.
Bruce Newman | Oxford Eagle via AP
Ole Miss AD Keith Carter discusses Vaught-Hemingway renovation delays
OXFORD —In an interview with the Daily Journal, Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter discussed delayed renovations to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium — specifically to the west side of the stadium — that have been postponed due to increased construction rates, interest rates and inflation.
The project is part of the school’s Champions Now campaign and was itself budgeted to cost about $300 million, Carter said. The west side renovations were set to begin after the 2023 season.
Ole Miss announced the delay in June.
The Manning Center is set to finish its renovations next summer, while Swayze Field might be getting added capacity and an indoor turf infield in a potentially multi-phase project, according to Carter.
“We just felt like we needed to press pause on that project. We want to revisit it, we still think it’s a great project. We want to come back to it at some point. But we just felt like, we’ll take that one off the table right now. It will kind of take a burden off of us from a monetary standpoint,” Carter said. “We can focus on some of the other projects, which is the new softball stadium, soccer renovation, Phase Two of our golf renovation, and obviously our baseball stadium project. It’ll allow us to focus more on those. But yeah, we have to revisit the west side of the stadium here in the future.”
Manning Center
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Kazim Muhammad, 16, of Dallas, Texas, claimed his second U.S. Helice National Championship in competition at Prairie Wildlife, near West Point, last weekend. He is the current world overall title holder, having won the 2021 Helice World Championship Beretta Cup in Cairo last falll.
Teenager shoots 86 of 90, wins second helice national title
WEST POINT — Perfect concentration, excellent form and a consistent, clean follow through led Kazim Muhammad, 16, of Dallas, to his second U.S. Helice Association National Championship this past weekend.
In three rounds competed Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Muhammad shot 29, 29 and 28 to outpace Mac Douglass, of Lafayette, Calif., by a single target. The two led a field of a hundred shooters who had come to Black Prairie Helice at Prairie Wildlife in pursuit of the 2022 national title.
The Muhammad family immigrated to the United States from Pakistan six years ago.
“We came here to escape the law and order situation in Pakistan,” said Ahsan Muhammad, Kazim’s father. “We moved here to have a better home for my family and a better future for our children.”
Kazim’s father had hunted in his native country and soon found plenty of opportunity to do the same in Texas. When he took Kazim pheasant hunting, he sparked a passion in the young man that quickly became a key part of his life. Kazim soon found the helice game, the only shotgun game he now plays.
“I really enjoy helice, not only for the competition, but for the people I get to compete alongside,” he said. “Prairie Wildlife is a really special place, they’re great hosts and I’m looking forward to coming back.”
Kazim claimed the Helice Junior National Championship at age 12. He won the U.S. Helice Association National Championship in 2020, then the Helice World Championship, the Beretta Cup, in 2021 in Cairo, Egypt. Sunday’s win qualifies him to compete in the 2022 Helice World Championship in Sicily this September.
“I’m very proud of him, not only as a shooter, but for the young man he is becoming,” Ahsan Muhammad said. “He really enjoys shooting helice with fellow shooters who are mostly older than he is. He really loves the sport. My main goal is not to make him a good shooter, but make him a good person.”
“This event represents everything my dad wanted the helice program here to become,” said Stephan Gordon, daughter of Stephen Imes, co-founder of the helice program at Prairie Wildlife. Imes and Jimmy Bryan developed the helice rings and introduced the game to Northeast Mississippi just a few years ago. Imes passed away unexpectedly at the end of July last year.
“He loved the community and the people it brought together,” Gordon said. “He had a vision for this and, to see it come to fruition, to see the project he and Mr. Jimmy started come to be, is really amazing. Being able to unite people from different cultures and different communities is one of the most wonderful parts of the shooting sports, and especially helice. My dad was a world traveler and loved that aspect of this game the most. Everyone is here to compete, but not so much that it impact friendships.”
“This is a world competition and people have worked for years to get to the levels they’ve reached but, at the same time, they’re so nice,” said. Bentley Imes Ferguson, 15. He is the grandson of Stephen Imes and was also a competitor in the national championship, finishing in the upper third of the field.
“In the first round, the gun I was shooting broke down and at least 10 people, who were in the rotation to shoot for scores of their own, stopped what they were doing and rushed to help.”
For Jimmy Bryan and the team at Prairie Wildlife, the end of the championship Sunday marked the fulfillment of many months’ effort and hard work.
“It’s been perfect,” Bryan said. “It couldn’t have been better. That’s a tribute to the staff and volunteers who made everything run smoothly. The staff bought in from top to bottom, and that’s made it a really nice event. Stephen would be on Cloud 9. That’s really the only disappointment from the whole week — that he couldn’t be here to enjoy it.”
This was the second time Prairie Wildlife has hosted the U.S. Helice National Championship. Bryan and his team have their sights set on hosting more, as well as attracting a world championship event in years to come.
Jimmy Bryan
Kazim Muhammad
Stephan Gordon
Ahsan Muhammad
Stephen Imes
Bentley Imes Ferguson
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Trel Parker of Klipper Kings gives Aberdeen student Tyler Johnson a haircut as part of last year's back to school haircut drive at the Aberdeen Park and Recreation building.
Back to school event featuring free haircuts, school supplies
ABERDEEN – Students in grades kindergarten through 12 can benefit with back to school needs during an Aug. 1 event at the Aberdeen Park and Recreation Building. It will be held from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.
“We’ll be doing free haircuts and braids and giving away free clothes and school supplies. Park and rec., M.O.V. Junior Women’s League and the Home Depot Foundation are partnering for it,” said Aberdeen Park and Recreation Department Director Michelle Stewart.
A similar event was held last year ahead of the beginning of school. Ten people doing hair served more than 120 students.
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Cruisin’ Amory VII revives long lost teenage tradition
AMORY – Between classic cars, bumper-to-bumper traffic, a cornhole tournament, live music and opportunities to relive a little bit of lost youth, downtown and parts of Highway 278 will come alive July 30 through Cruisin’ Amory.
The annual event gives people the opportunity to ride around through Amory’s loop and socialize with old friends and new ones. Cruisin’ Amory transforms Glendale Shopping Center’s parking lot, in particular, into one huge hangout.
“It’s like a class reunion for this town because so many people come from out of town, and they know they’ll see old friends. That’s what it’s all about anyway – catching up with old friends and reliving the old days.
“The town’s going to be lit. It’s going to be the place to be Saturday night for sure. You see grandparents with their kids and grandkids all piled up in the back of a Jeep. You’ve got multi-generations riding around. Everybody’s shined up their cars. You’ve got cool cars, and some people cruise around in their Tahoes. That’s the best part about it – it’s not about what you drive, it’s about coming out to see what’s going on. Come out and cruise,” said organizer Chad Houston.
Since 2016, the event has grown significantly as people from neighboring counties and states come to revive the pastime of riding around in Amory.
“Every year’s a little different because it develops organically. The whole event has developed organically. At this point, it’s got a life of its own. I feel like like I wouldn’t have to promote this one bit. People just know the last Saturday in July is Cruisin’ Amory,” Houston said.
It will compliment the Junior Auxiliary of Amory Back to School Bash earlier in the day and tax-free shopping weekend.
As far as the night’s festivities, Jumping the Gun will perform an ‘80s cover show beginning at 7 p.m. at Frisco Park. The Indulge food truck and a cotton candy vendor will be set up at the park.
There will also be a cornhole tournament at the park throughout the night. The blind draw begins at 4 p.m., with registration beginning at 3 p.m. Bring Your Own Partner (BYOP) doubles will begin after the blind draw.
Entry is $20 per player for blind draw with 60 payout. Team entry is $50 for BYOP with 70 percent payout. Proceeds from the cornhole tournament will benefit the Amory Food Pantry.
To sponsor a court, contact Baggers Cornhole on Facebook or call (903) 231-3453.
Additionally, the Music, Beer, Cigars and Tacos event will be held at the Vinegar Bend Blues Alley pocket park. It includes live music by Johnny Frank Turman from 6 until 8 p.m., followed by Colors That End in Urple.
This year’s grand marshal is Jay Weaver, who will lead the official first loop at 7 p.m.
“He’s been my collaborator since year one. He’s the one I go to to bounce ideas off of every year. He’s responsible for bringing this year’s cornhole tournament back,” Houston said.
Weaver also designed this year’s “The Big Lebowski”-inspired T-shirt design, ‘Cruisin’ Amory VII – The Cruise Abides.’ The blue comfort color shirts will be available at Piggly Wiggly for $20 beginning this week. Proceeds from T-shirt sales benefit the Amory Food Pantry.
Cruisin’ Amory’s sponsors this year are McDonald’s, Walton’s Greenhouse, Brown & Son Heat and Air, The Gemstone, Walmart, Piggly Wiggly and 1817 Brewery.
Chad Houston
Cruisin' Amory Vii
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Throw it back this weekend and let those wheels spin
There are more time capsules buried throughout Amory than in any other city I know. Here at the Monroe Journal, we’ve contributed magazines and newspapers to the one buried in commemoration of the city’s 150th anniversary, knowing we’ll probably never see it dug up and reopened for the 200th anniversary.
It’s hard to imagine where any of us will be or what we’ll be driving or listening to in 25 years, but the memories of riding on chrome saw blade rims and listening to the thump of ‘90s songs through 10-inch subwoofers 25 years ago will always be hard to forget.
That one Saturday night out of the year to dig out old CDs or cassettes is coming quick. Those few hours of unearthing teenage memories is almost here. Cruisin’ Amory is this weekend, so break out the fuzzy dice.
Since 2016’s first cruise, the number of shiny classic and current cars, trucks and Jeeps lining Main Street and Highway 278 has steadily grown from a splendid idea into an institution. Since 2016, the word has gotten out and friends are telling their friends, who tell their friends that there’s something happening in Amory they can’t find anywhere else.
To me, that something is a piece of years long gone. It may just be one day, but that day is a re-creation of how things used to be. There’s no Point A to rush to from a Point B, and we drive aimlessly through town for no real point other than to enjoy being out with friends and strangers – just like it used to be.
Most likely, my truck is going to be squeaky clean, which doesn’t happen like it used to happen. There’s going to be a case full of CDs that don’t get played as much as they used to be played.
Most importantly, there’s a feeling that doesn’t come along as much as it used to – knowing you can feel young again for that one night.
You don’t have to start a watergun war like it was Railroad Festival ‘95. You don’t have to see who has the fastest muscle car like it was the summer of ‘73 either. As sure as there are things better left in the past, there are plenty of new experiences to have while you relive the past this weekend.
I’m sure there will be grandparents reaching the point of taking their grandkids for their first ride through bumper-to-bumper traffic in town. I’m sure there will be grandkids to have reached that stage of being mortified that their grandparents are riding around blasting Bon Jovi with their own friends.
We’re only actually young once but we get to live with those moments for the rest of our lives. Relive some of those little moments and let the people think what they think because you’ll be smiling a nd laughing about it for years to come.
Make those horns that go ‘Ah-ooga’ honk. Make those cloud lights under squatted Z71s shine. Every generation has its thing, so let it all show out Saturday.
We may not like our music as loud as we once did and we may not like to stay out as late as we once did either. No matter how much we change, there’s always a little piece of the past that’s sometimes fun to have back, at least for a little while.
Even though it may be five, 10 or 30 years before it’s time to dig up another time capsule to see how people once lived, this weekend is your chance to revisit a little piece of how you used to live.
Even though the stretch of time between now and your youth may be yet another year longer, objects in the mirror are closer than they appear. This weekend, you’ve got a Saturday night to get a little bit back so rolling those windows down, turn that radio up and picture yourself rolling the night away.
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In this photo provided by North Mississippi Medical Center, Booneville's Jimmy Hughes poses with NMMC registered nurse Courtney Barnes, who recently saved him from drowning. The two are now close friends.
Booneville angler grateful to RN who saved him
TUPELO • Jimmy Hughes recently stopped by North Mississippi Medical Center Women’s Hospital in Tupelo to show his appreciation to Courtney Barnes, a registered nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
On the evening of July 9, the 73-year-old Booneville resident was fishing by himself at Lake Mohawk, located between Ripley and Booneville in Tippah County, when his bait got hooked on his boat's trolling motor.
“When I tried to get it loose, my little john boat flipped over," he said.
He was in water over his head about 15 yards from the bank.
“At first I didn’t call for help because I didn’t want to make a scene,” he said.
He tried treading water and holding on to the boat’s handles, but couldn't make any progress.
“My clothes got heavy, and my feet felt like concrete blocks. I could feel myself tiring,” he said.
Finally, Hughes called out for help.
Barnes, who lives on Lake Mohawk, was sitting with friends on some nearby park benches. Her friend, Kristi George, thought she heard something, but they couldn’t quite make it out. “
Then we realized he was saying, ‘help!’” Barnes said.
Without hesitation, Barnes sprang into action.
“She jumped in, swam to me and pulled me to the bank,” Hughes said. “She saved me.”
“By the time I laid eyes on him, he had started sinking. I’m not going to lie, I was terrified,” Barnes said. “But you don’t even think, you just go. I’m just thankful we got to him in time.”
Hughes sat by a fire with Barnes and her friends while he dried off, called his family and regained his composure.
“I tried to give her a reward for what she did for me, but she wouldn’t hear of it,” Hughes said.
Barnes wouldn't take it.
“She said, ‘just come by and see us every now and then,'" Hughes said.
And that’s just what Hughes has done. He now visits Barnes regularly.
“I tell my wife, ‘I’m going to see my little friend,’” he said.
“We have new friends,” Barnes said. “They are the sweetest people.”
Hughes has been fishing several times since that day, but now he puts his life jacket on as soon as he gets out of his truck.
“I thank the Good Lord every day that He had Courtney on that bank,” Hughes said. “If I had been there earlier in the day, she wouldn’t have been there and I don’t know if I would be here.”
Courtney Barnes
Jimmy Hughes
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Captain Chad Moore will be promoted to Major with the Mississippi Highway Patrol.
Chad Moore promoted to MHP major over northern region
Mississippi Highway Patrol Captain Chad Moore has been promoted to the rank of major in charge of operations in the MHP Northern Region which includes the New Albany, Greenwood and Batesville Districts.
A native of Pontotoc, Major Moore, 46, completed MHP Cadet Patrol School in 1999 and was assigned to District 4 where he worked Pontotoc, Tishomingo and Union Counties.
Major Moore has served as an officer in the Mississippi Highway Patrol for 23 years.
Moore officially assumed his new duties August 1.
“I’m excited about this new opportunity,” Moore said. "Ive been at New Albany District for 10 years as captain and now I’ll have two more districts. This will give me an opportunity to help and meet more people.”
“With 10 years as captain, that’s more years than anyone else currently holding that position-, and hopefully I can share this experience I’ve gained with these other captains and officers and help get them going.”
“I’ll be working out of offices in all three northern districts and Jackson with my new responsibilities,” Moore said. "In the three districts, with patrol officers and dispatching officers, there will probably be 150 personnel I’ll be supervising.”
Moore is a 1994 graduate of Pontotoc High School. He attended Itawamba Community College for two years and began his law enforcement career at Pontotoc Police Department.
During his time on the road he was selected as MHP Trooper of the Year and was a multiple year member of the 100 Club (making over 100 DUI arrests in one year). Moore was a member of the MHP motorcycle unit for seven years, working throughout the state.
In 2010 he was promoted to the rank of Master Sergeant with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations and served as an investigator for District 4 for three and a half years. He was promoted to captain of the New Albany District in 2013.
In 2016 Moore attended and graduated from the 10 week FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginial.
Highway Patrol officers have more responsibilities these days than ever before.
Major Moore stressed that Mississippi Highway Patrol officers today face more enforcement challenges than ever before.
“We don’t just patrol the roads and write tickets and work wrecks,” Moore stressed. “We work national disasters, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, and we assist local agencies who have needs such as protests or riots with anything they need. If anything is happening we’re there. And patrol officers are always looking for illegal drug and human trafficking activity.”
Moore is married to the former Kristi Pannell of Tishomingo and they have two daughters, Mollie and Ava Kathryn.
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Ole Miss left fielder Kevin Graham, a 14th-round pick of Arizona, has yet to sign a pro contract and has a year of college eligibility remaining.
Former Ole Miss first baseman Tim Elko was taken by the Chicago White Sox in the tenth round of the 2022 MLB Draft.
Here's which Ole Miss players and high school signees have inked deals with MLB Teams
OXFORD — The college baseball season never stops, even if you just won a College World Series.
Fresh off the first national championship in program history, the Ole Miss baseball team is undergoing a slight makeover. The 2022 MLB Draft has come and gone, and several players have already signed their professional contracts, thus ending the college eligibility.
Below is a list of drafted Ole Miss players and signees, who they were drafted by and whether they have signed. If a player has an additional year of collegiate eligibility remaining and does not sign with a team — even if he was drafted — he can come back to Ole Miss. All signing bonus figures are from the MLB unless otherwise signified.
The highest-drafted player to sign thus far is prep outfielder Roman Anthony, selected 79th overall. He signed with the Boston Red Sox for a $2.5 million bonus.
Ole Miss players
Junior pitcher Derek Diamond, sixth-round pick (170th) by the Pittsburgh Pirates — Signed for $311,600 bonus
Junior catcher Hayden Dunhurst, sixth-round pick (175th) by the Kansas City Royals — Signed for $300,000 bonus
Junior pitcher Dylan DeLucia, sixth-round pick (181st) by the Cleveland Guardians — Signed for $275,000 bonus
Senior pitcher Brandon Johnson (year of eligibility remaining due to COVID), ninth-round pick (265th) by the Kansas City Royals — Signed for $47,500 bonus
Senior first baseman Tim Elko, 10th-round pick (311th) by Chicago White Sox — Signed (terms unknown)
Senior left fielder Kevin Graham (year of eligibility remaining due to COVID), 14th-round pick (408th) by Arizona Diamondbacks — Unsigned
Senior third baseman/centerfielder Justin Bench (year of eligibility remaining due to COVID), 17th-round pick (526th) by San Francisco Giants — Signed (terms unknown)
Junior pitcher Drew McDaniel, undrafted free agent — Signed with Chicago White Sox (terms unknown)
Pitcher Jackson Ferris (IMG Academy), second-round pick (47th) by the Chicago Cubs — Unsigned
Outfielder Roman Anthony (Stoneman Douglas High School), free-agent compensation pick (79th) by the Boston Red Sox — Signed for $2.5 million bonus.
Pitcher Grayson Saunier (Collierville High), 19th-round pick (559th) by the Texas Rangers — Will not sign (according to Memphis Commercial Appeal)
Justin Bench
Hayden Dunhurst
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BOONEVILLE • A Prentiss County man has been arrested, accused of holding a juvenile against her will.
The Prentiss County Sheriff’s Office was contacted Monday, July 25 about a missing female, who was believed to have left a residence on foot in the Wheeler area. She was later discovered at a residence in Booneville and returned home.
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Courtesy: NEMCC athletics
NEMCC/MICHAEL H MILLER
NEMCC All-American Colby Holcombe commits to Mississippi State baseball
BOONEVILLE, Miss. - Colby Holcombe will join Mississippi State’s tradition-rich baseball program after a record-breaking true freshman campaign at Northeast Mississippi Community College.
“I’m very excited,” Holcombe said. “Playing in the SEC has always been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. All the competition is going to be there. I’m ready to get after it.”
Holcombe, who caught the attention of scouts over the past year with a fastball that approaches triple digits on the radar gun, was not selected in the 2022 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft despite being the No. 134 ranked prospect in the entire nation.
His next opportunity to enter the MLB Draft will come after his second season with the Bulldogs. That should give Holcombe plenty of time to add to his already sparkling resume.
“Colby is very, very directional in where he wants to go. He felt college was his best route,” said Tigers head coach Richy Harrelson. “His goal is to be a professional baseball player. If he does what he is capable of doing (at MSU), that 2024 draft is going to be a huge day for him.”
Holcombe was well decorated during his lone season at Northeast. He became the first Tiger to earn Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) Pitcher of the Year recognition.
The Florence, Ala., native was the recipient of first-team All-American honors from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Holcombe was also a NJCAA All-Region 23 and All-MACCC first-team performer.
He was a three-time MACCC Pitcher of the Week winner. Holcombe secured this award twice in a row after setting new career-highs in consecutive outings with 14 and 15 strikeouts, respectively, during victories over East Central Community College and Copiah-Lincoln Community College.
His first such distinction came after throwing the first five frames of a combined no-hit shutout against Kaskaskia (Ill.) College in the nightcap of a doubleheader sweep. It was the first no-hitter by a Northeast hurler in 14 seasons.
Holcombe allowed only three total hits in his initial three starts. He tossed a complete game one-hitter with 12 punch outs in his inaugural collegiate win, which was a 1-0 thriller by the Tigers over Jefferson (Mo.) College.
He holds the program record for most strikeouts in a single season with 115, which easily led the MACCC and was fourth best in the country. Holcombe had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.71 with only 31 bases on balls issued all year.
The 6-7, 225-pound right-hander topped Northeast with a 2.60 earned run average (ERA) in a team-best 65.2 innings of work. Holcombe compiled a 7-3 overall record with an unblemished 6-0 mark during the regular season inside The Plex.
Holcombe was superb for the Tigers during the month of April. He won each of his five appearances, including decisions over nationally ranked opponents Pearl River Community College and East Central, with 52 strikeouts compared to 11 walks in 30 innings.
“I wouldn’t change (coming to Northeast) for nothing,” Holcombe said. “The thing I’m going to remember most is playing with all the guys. We had a lot of good chemistry. We were all so close.”
Nemcc All-american Colby Holcombe
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djr-2022-07-31-biz-bookends-twp1
Books line shelves in Bookends in Pontotoc.
Game rest on the shelves at Bookends in Pontotoc.
Games are set up at a table inside of Bookends in Pontotoc.
A collection of sci-fi and fantasy books are stocked at Bookends in Pontotoc.
Bookends is located at 7 South Main in downtown Pontotoc.
PONTOTOC • Four friends have opened an eclectic and whimsical coffee shop in downtown Pontotoc that also features new and used books, games and locally made items.
"It all just came up one day and fell together," said Alissa Harris, who along with Jenna Nolley, Dana Biffle and Arlissa Whisenant went into business together to open Bookends.
Whisenant also owns Image Awards and Gift nearby and also is Nolley's cousin. Biffle is Harris' mother. So it goes without saying they're more than partners – they're friends and family with a common vision.
"We just thought it would be fun to do something like this," Harris said. "We all like to read, and we wanted to also focus on the artists and makers as well and create a space where people could hang out see something cool and just hang out if they want."
Bookends opened earlier this month and had its grand opening ceremony last weekend. Once things settle down a bit, the business partners plan to host game nights, trivia nights, book clubs and more.
"Our whole goal is creativity and fun," Harris said.
Each of the partners bring something to the store. Nolley has her own T-shirt business as well.
"I can do screen-prints and pretty much anything you can put something on I can do," Nolley said. "I also do vinyl. I've been wanting to do my own thing, and then this idea got brought up and it was perfect timing."
Biffle owns T-shirt brand Sippi Hippie. Harris creates reverse paintings, makes beaded necklaces from flower petals and works with vinyl as well.
"Anything we feel like doing, we just bring it," Harris said.
Added Nolley, "This gives us another outlet to be us, and it also gives space to other people looking for it. Everybody is welcome here. We know in hard times not everybody feels welcome and want to give encouragement to everybody."
Coffee is self-serve in Bookends, and the store's major focus is obviously new and used books. There's a little bit of everything, and Harris is trying to see what genre her customers prefer. Right now, Collen Hoover, a young adult fiction and romance novelist, is quite popular. Emily Henry is another popular author.
"We focus a little more on the fiction side, but we're also trying to get more local authors as well," Harris said.
An upper floor has shelves of books as well as seating.
"We are constantly taking recommendations from people on authors they like," Nolley said. "We want to have something for everybody. We started out pretty much with our own book lists and ordering from there, but we can't have just our stuff."
Customers don't need to come and go; they're encouraged to stay, get coffee, grab a book and take a seat.
"We just want everyone to feel comfortable and safe when they come here, no matter what walk of life," Harris said. "We want you to feel like you're amongst friends and family."
Bookends is open Tuesday-Saturday from 9:30 a.m to 6 p.m., and extended hours will be added during football season on Fridays and Saturdays. Follow the store on Facebook.
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• Interventional pain management specialist Jimmy Windham, M.D., has joined North Mississippi Medical Center’s Neuroscience Institute and North Mississippi Regional Pain Consultants.
A 2009 graduate of Mantachie High School, Dr. Windham completed an associate degree in biology from Itawamba Community College in 2011. He graduated summa cum laude from Mississippi College in Clinton with a bachelor’s degree in biology/medical sciences in 2013.
Windham earned his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in 2017. He completed residency training in anesthesiology at the University of Alabama-Birmingham in 2021 and a fellowship in pain medicine there in June. He is board certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology and is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
At North Mississippi Regional Pain Consultants, Dr. Windham joins Drs. Drew Blackstock, Brent Boyett, Kevin Silver and Fulton Thompson; nurse practitioners Angela Britton, Lisa Hodge, Kayla Moore, Kathyrn Smith, Nicole Taylor and Sabrina Vance.
NMMC’s Neuroscience Institute, located in Longtown Medical Park at 4381 S. Eason Blvd., is a regional destination for comprehensive, innovative care for a wide range of brain, spine, pain and neurological disorders.
• Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery Clinic welcomes cardiothoracic surgeon Evan F. Garner, M.D.
Dr. Garner recently completed a cardiothoracic surgery residency at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He also completed a general surgery residency and a surgical research fellowship at UAB.
Garner earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia in 2013. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Mississippi in Oxford.
During his training, Dr. Garner served as administrative chief resident for general surgery and was honored with the Excellence in Research Award from the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress in 2017, ACS Alabama Chapter Resident Research Award in 2016 and several awards and scholarships from UAB. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons, Association for Academic Surgery and Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
Dr. Garner joins Drs. Robert Derveloy, Jack Neill, Vishal Sachdev, Joseph Stinson and David Talton; physician assistants Christopher McCarley, Christopher Newell and Steven Savoy; and nurse practitioners Carl Andrew Ballard, Katie Gann, Mary Leigh Horn, Starla Horton, Robin Jackson, Candyce Little and Paige Nabors.
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Tavarus Teon Boone, 41, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, possession of methamphetamine.
Bradley Jenkins, 52, no address listed, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, possession of methamphetamine.
Karen Lake, 45, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, possession of a Schedule II drug.
Brandon Tollison, 39, of Blue Springs, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, failure to register as a sex offender.
The following reports were filed Friday by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
A Presley Drive woman said her ex-boyfriend has been calling, cursing at her and harassing her. He has abused her in the past but she is not scared on him and will protect herself and her kids at all costs.
A County Road 1205 Nettleton man came home and found a "for sale" sign in his yard. He is not sure is someone was playing a joke or not, but said the house is not for sale.
A Southern Motion employee said the plant manager was mad at him because he “stayed in the bathroom too long.” He said the manager told him to let someone known the next time he needed to go to the restroom. He said the manager then “belly bumped” him, but claimed he was reaching for a chair behind the man.
A Calvert Drive man said a male acquaintance, who has been told not to return, showed up at his house uninvited and unwanted. When he told the suspect to leave, the suspect said he had a gun and would shoot the man. He never saw a gun and the suspect left before deputies arrived.
The Mooreville Short Stop on Highway 178 said a man was on the property acting strange and talking to customers. The suspect was arrested last week for hitting a customer and the business wanted him removed. The man departed when deputies told him he needed to leave.
A Drive 1322 Tupelo man said someone cut the lock off his shop door and stole a Bostich radio/battery charger. A neighbor saw a white Chevy truck leaving the property around 6 p.m. the day before.
A Tall Oaks Avenue Verona woman continues to have issues with the property manager. She has filed harassment reports with the city and has been to court with her. She said the female manager has emailed her and showed up at her apartment, even though there is not supposed to be any contact between the women.
A Tulip Trail woman said a man walked up and accused her of having his dog. When she said she didn’t, he got louder and started using profanity. When she called 911, he walked away.
A State Park Road man said an acquaintance was going to buy his 2002 Chevy Blazer for $300 and take it to the scrap yard. The friend has only paid $90 and the man wants the remaining $210.
A man said a female acquaintance told him he could use her County Road 1438 Tupelo shop to work on his vehicle. She then quit communicating with him for an extended period. She has a gate on the property, and he was not able to get to his vehicle. When she finally contacted him, she said he owed her money for storage. He said they never discussed anything about storage.
A County Road 600 Shannon man said a male acquaintance came to his property and borrowed the man’s Stihl chain saw to cut down trees on the man’s property. When the suspect was finished, he took the chain saw with him and has not returned it. Days later, the suspect’s girlfriend called the man and said the chain saw has now been stolen. He said he doesn’t believe her. He thinks the suspect still has it or sold it.
A Tupelo man said he left his 16-foot utility trailer at a friend’s County Road 54 Okolona residence. The trailer went missing in mid-July. They waited to report it stolen, thinking someone might have borrowed it and would return the trailer.
A County Road 821 Saltillo man left the keys in his 1989 Chevy pickup. When he walked outside, the truck had been stolen. He later learned the truck had been involved in a pursuit with Saltillo police and it had been towed.
A Birmingham Ridge Road woman said her ex-husband texted a mutual friend he was going to burn down the woman’s home. The ex then showed up at her house around 10 p.m. and caused a disturbance. She added that she has a restraining order against him at this time.
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In a recent press conference, you seemed fed up with carping about the perceived timidity and inertia of your department and you. "A central tenet of the rule of law," you said, "is that we do not do our investigations in public." You added that, "We have to hold accountable every person who is criminally responsible for trying to overturn a legitimate election . . . in a way filled with integrity and professionalism."
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Dave says: Help parents, and help them get help
Q. I finished college a couple of years ago, and I have a good job making $65,000 a year. The only debt I have is about $5,000 remaining on a car loan, and I am paying that off as quickly as possible. At the same time, my mom and dad need repairs on their small house, and I am not sure they can afford to fix things. They both work hard, but they don’t make a lot of money. Plus, they have some debt. I have enough saved to pay for fixing their roof, with plenty left over. What do you think about the idea of pausing paying off my car to help them?
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Facts of life and climate change
The Washington Times Guest editorial
The Associated Press ran a headline a few days ago: “U.S. to plant a billion trees as climate change kills forests.” The AP, of course, meant that increased forest fires resulting from climate change were killing forests.
There is so much wrong with that that it is difficult to know where to start. In all fairness, the AP has been joined by other elements of the legacy media in their derangement over climate change.
Let’s start with a few facts.
Forest fires in the U.S. are becoming rarer and less damaging. Last year, there were about 7 million acres burned in forest fires in the United States. In 1930, more than 50 million acres of forests were burned in the United States. Was 1930 an outlier? Not really. In each year between 1926 and 1950, more than 10 million acres burned.
Some sense of scale is important as well. The United States has almost 2 billion acres; seven million acres is about one-third of 1% of the landmass of the U.S.
In 2000, there were more than 92,000 wildfires in the United States. Last year, there were about 58,000.
This is, of course, despite the unabated rise in carbon dioxide, which grew from about 300 parts per million in the atmosphere in 1930 to more than 415 parts per million now.
So, the trend lines of greenhouse gases and forest fires appear to be completely unrelated.
How about disasters more generally? Again, the incidence of disasters and the cost associated with those disasters have been trending down for some time.
Over the last 30 years, alarmists have routinely claimed that climate change is making natural disasters including hurricanes, floods and heatwaves more frequent. The data, however, show that the number of climate-related disasters worldwide has actually declined slightly over the last 20 years.
The impressive Roger Pielke Jr., a professor at the University of Colorado, routinely argues that the societal cost of those disasters has declined as a percentage of the economy between 1990 and 2020. In his 2020 review, Pielke found “little evidence to support claims that any part of the overall increase in global economic losses documented on climate time scales is attributable to human-caused changes in climate ...”
How about accelerated mortality? Well, in its 2020 mid-year review, the insurance giant MunichRe noted that: “A total of 2,900 people lost their lives in natural disasters in the first half of the year, much lower than the average figures for both the last 30 years and the last 10 years.” Michael Shellenberger, an environmentalist who recently ran for governor of California as a Democrat, notes the trend lines in deaths due to natural disasters, especially in the developing world, continue to decline sharply. Cyclones and other natural disasters that routinely killed hundreds of thousands of people in the developing world as recently as 50 years ago, now routinely kill fewer than 100 people.
It is commonly understood among academics that deaths from cold weather outweigh deaths from heat — by a sizable number. A recent study in The Lancet determined that each year cold kills about 4.5 million people, while about 600,000 die from the heat.
Moreover, when the researchers of The Lancet study assessed increased mortality from increased heat (about a half a degree per decade), there were about 116,000 more heat deaths each year and about 283,000 fewer cold deaths each year. As a practical matter, that means the temperature increase experienced since 2000 has resulted in 166,000 fewer weather-related deaths each year worldwide.
Given all of this, it is probably no surprise that few people prioritize climate change as a political issue. In a recent survey, just 1% of voters identified climate change as the most pressing issue facing the U.S.. Clearly, the other 99% are not buying the endless rhetoric about the “existential threat” posed by climate change. We share their skepticism.
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Chance doesn't determine whether kids easy, difficult
Naturally, people have asked where I stand concerning said debate. With some hesitance, I throw my lot in with the School of No Such Luck. The hesitance has to do with the fact that I know some children are initially easy and some are initially difficult. Some, as infants, are calm and cheerful. Others come into the world bristling for a fight. Then again, I've seen "easy" become "difficult" by early childhood, and vice versa.
I've also noticed that by the time a child is of school age, if he is well-behaved he has parents who obviously know how to discipline. They give instructions properly, don’t explain themselves, and are consistent when it comes to misbehavior. Conversely, those children who are generally ill-behaved always have parents who do not seem to grasp the basics of effective discipline. They plead, nag, and scream at their children, feel obliged to explain themselves, and threaten far more than they punish. This is hardly coincidence; therefore, it is anything but evidence of "luck."
JOHN ROSEMOND is a family psychologist. Find him at parentguru.com.
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Who needs the white sandy beaches of the Florida Panhandle when there are restaurants nearby to explore?
Restaurateur's vacation looks different from others'
Last week I spent seven days in the Florida Panhandle on “vacation.” I used the word “vacation” because that is the easy, go-to, and common nomenclature one uses when describing time off from work. The problem with using that term is that I never really take time off from work.
I'm not complaining. I like it that way. I love what I do. I don't fish, hunt, play golf or gamble. I love restaurants, food, and the restaurant business. If I have any hobbies I would have to state — other than the restaurant business, which is also my hobby — that movies, music, and football are what I enjoy in my free time. But I am a spectator in all those activities. I am an active player in the restaurant business.
My vacations are a little different than most. I don't vacation well. I take the family to the beach once a year. My son and daughter each bring a few friends and they all spend most days on the beach. My wife typically reads a book and does the things that one needs to do to take care of a lot of people crammed into a vacation home.
I never go to the Florida Panhandle without thinking about the two times I lived down there in my youth. The first time was in the spring of 1983 when I worked at a pizza/barbecue restaurant for several months. Those were during my wilder days, and I had yet to stop partying and settle down. My second stint in Destin was in 1987. I was four years sober and on the verge of opening my first restaurant. I was very serious about the restaurant business, though life had a different pace.
My kids are sick of hearing all the stories about my early days in the Panhandle. As soon as I start to spout out a remembrance, it's quickly interrupted, “We know, Dad. You lived at Sandpiper Cove. You got up every day and went to the beach. You went to work. You went out at night. We know. We know. We've heard it all before.” This time I didn't bore them with war stories from my glory days in the restaurant business in Destin. But I did do a lot of thinking about those days and how formative they were in my current situation.
In those days I could sleep late. These days if I'm still asleep at 7 a.m., something’s wrong. I typically wake up at 5 a.m. But back then, I could sleep until 10 or 11 even. I would wake up in my apartment — which was a two-bedroom, two-bath, fully furnished spot on the beach for $500 — walk down to the beach and head to my favorite little breakfast joint, June’s Dunes (even in those days I never missed breakfast). Then I would lie on the beach until mid-afternoon, shower, dress, go to work as a server at Harbor Docks, make good money, go home, shower, go back out to hear music or visit with friends, then sleep, rinse, wash, repeat. In those days I had the stress level of a piece of driftwood.
Last week I thought about my beach schedule in 1987 versus my vacation schedule of 2022. These days I get up between 5 and 6 a.m., shower, dress, find a breakfast joint that's open at 7 a.m., eat breakfast, attend a 12-step recovery meeting at 8 a.m., followed by a 9 a.m. breakfast if I couldn’t find a 7 a.m. place open. Then I head back to the house where my wife is typically awake (but everyone else is asleep), visit with her as she makes breakfast for the kids (who end up waking up around 11). Once they've gone to the beach, I either hop on a bike or back in my truck to drive around and check out other restaurants.
Again, restaurants are my hobby. After a few hours of R&D, I pick my wife up and we go to lunch at a restaurant I have scouted out, preferably with a beach view as neither of us are into lying in the hot sand. After lunch we'll shop or I'll take her back to read a book or nap. I'll drive around and check out even more restaurants. I know it sounds monotonous but it's relaxing to me. R&D is my R&R.
If we go to the beach, it's typically after 6 p.m. We are the vampire family. Everyone else is coming in off the beach, sunburned and inebriated, and we are stone-cold sober and fish-belly white heading down to sit in a chair to watch the sun set. We have plenty of food to eat in the vacation house we rent because my wife always overbuys groceries for the trip, and we typically go out to dinner (because — once again— I'm in the restaurant business and I love restaurants). We get home around 10 p.m. and the kids typically go back out. I'm in bed and asleep by 11 p.m., only to get up rinse, wash, repeat, and do it all over again the next day.
That may not sound relaxing to most people, but it's the only way I can do it. I'm extremely hyperactive and don't do well sitting in one place. I just don't do well lounging in someone else’s home while there are undiscovered restaurants in the area.
While on vacation, we usually bring a lot of groceries from home. Actually, we bring way too many groceries from home. Our intentions are good. We plan to have dinners and lunches in the rental home, but we rarely follow through on that plan. We go out to restaurants because that is what we do. Though we still find ourselves at the grocery store a few times during the week to buy more food. We always come home with more groceries than we brought down. It's baffling. But it’s also the nature of our family dynamic. We are a restaurant family. Always have been. Always will be.
ROBERT ST. JOHN is a restaurateur, chef and author. Find his recipe for Cilantro, Spiked Corn, Crab and Avocado Dip at robertstjohn.com.
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Mary-Morgan Burks, a Tupelo native, will likely break the fundraising record of $61,195 for Dance Like the Stars set by Rhonda Hanby in 2012. The annual event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Tupelo's BancorpSouth Arena on Saturday, July 30.
Mary-Morgan Burks rehearses her routine with Benjamin Pryor for the Dance Like the Stars fundraising event that will be held on Saturday, July 30 starting at 6:30 p.m. at Tupelo's BancorpSouth Arena. The annual fundraiser will benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of North Mississippi.
TUPELO • Tupelo's own Mary-Morgan Burks will chassé across the stage tonight as a celebrity dancer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Mississippi's annual Dance Like the Stars fundraising event. But she's likely achieved a record-breaking victory before the spotlight even falls upon her.
Burks spent the summer raising money for local Boys & Girls Clubs in Tupelo, New Albany, Ripley and Oxford. Her fundraising efforts began on May 1; since then, she has tirelessly worked to meet and exceed the minimum $20,000 asked of each dancer.
As of last Friday, she’d hit that minimum three times over.
Now in its 17th year, annual Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Mississippi fundraiser Dance Like the Stars has goal to raise $225,000 before Saturday night is over.
In addition to the fundraising winner being named, Dance Like the Stars will also award the remaining top two fundraisers and the top three judges' choice dancers.
The other celebrity dancers taking the stage with Burks are Tommy Green, Jessica Hollinger, Councilwoman Rosie Jones, Meagan Cherry and Judge Anthony Rogers of Tupelo. Keith Storey of Ripley will also be dancing along with Shaletha Knox of New Albany and returning dancers Nancy Maria Balach and Brady Bramlett of Oxford.
"My last total was $60,507, but I’ve had a couple big donations come in since then," she said.
Rhonda Hanby set the previous fundraising record a decade ago when she raised $61,195, making her the overall fundraising winner and record breaker for Dance Like the Stars in 2012.
Following behind Burks is Ripley's Keith Storey, who as of July 22 had raised $28,311, and Tupelo's Tommy Green, who had raised $26,683 by that same date. Jessica Hollinger of Tupelo has also collected $26,367 in support of Boys & Girls Clubs of North Mississippi.
A lifelong native of the All-America City, Burks will also achieve another first for the long-running fundraiser: She’ll be the programs first-ever third generation celebrity dancer, following in the footsteps of her grandfather Jimmy Long and mother Susan Long Pierce before her.
The yearly fundraiser brings sparkle and shine to the BancorpSouth Arena stage as celebrity dancers light up the night with their ballroom dance routines. Each routine has taken months to polish with the help of professionals from The Dance Studio in downtown Tupelo.
The Dance Studio annually partners with Boys & Girls Clubs of North Mississippi to provide the local celebrity dancers with training and choreography, preparing them to take the stage with their professional partners.
However, Burks is no stranger to the stage. Her grandmother, Sharon Long, is the owner and director of Tupelo Academy of Dance Arts and Tupelo Ballet. A performer since age 2, Burks has mastered the art of dance, specifically ballet, under her grandmother's tutelage.
Burkes never meant to break record
The more than $60,000 that Burks has raised along with the funds other celebrity dancers have collected will financially assist Boys & Girls Clubs across North Mississippi as they finish out the summer months, when operation costs for the clubs historically increase, and go toward preparing them to accept more attendees as school starts back in August.
Burks candidly said she didn’t enter this year’s fundraiser with the goal of raising the most money. In fact, she initially found the minimum goal to be intimidating.
"My goal was not to break the record at first,” she said. “You're given a minimum of $20,000 in the beginning, and you're thinking 'Oh my gosh, how am I going to get there.'"
But when Burks hit her minimum fundraising goal, she challenged herself to keep going.
"I set a new goal after that to hit $34,000, and I hit $34,000. After that, I said let's go to $54,000 and thought there was no way I'd make it there," Burks said. "The day I hit $54,000 was kind of surreal, and at that point, I said to my husband, 'We're going to do it.'"
Burks and her husband, Taylor, are both from Tupelo, so they combined their contacts to reach as many people as possible.
The former ballerina said she bought a computer to create spreadsheets after the first meeting with the other dancers.
"I stayed up all night teaching myself how to use spreadsheets again," said the Ole Miss business degree graduate.
When asking sponsors to donate, Burks made it a priority to highlight the real reason for a donor's financial generosity.
"I separated myself from the question,” she said. “You're not giving money to me, you're giving it to the Boys & Girls Club.”
When she steps on stage tonight, Burks will perform a West Coast Swing routine to a high-energy song. The dance is dedicated to her grandfather, who she described as "a crowd pleaser," inspiring her to select a dance that would do the same for everyone in attendance.
"I hope by the end of the song everyone is singing along and clapping and wanting to dance," she said.
When describing her many years as a dancer prior to Dance Like the Stars, Burks said her attitude was the same then as it is now, especially throughout the last few months of fundraising.
"If I'm going to do anything,” Burks said, “I'm going to be able to do it extra.”
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Fred Everitt is all smiles days after his cat, Bandit, alerted him in the middle of the night that two men were trying to break into his home in Tupelo.
Feline defender: Belden guard cat helps prevent would-be robbery
BELDEN • When Fred Everitt adopted a cat from the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society four years ago, he thought he was saving her life. But earlier this week, she may have saved his.
Bandit, a 20-lb. calico cat, lives with Everitt, a 68-year-old retired former oral and maxillofacial surgeon, near the Tupelo Country Club in Belden. When a couple of would-be robbers attempted to break into their shared home, the cat did everything she could to alert her owner of the danger.
"You hear of guard dogs," Everitt said. "This is a guard cat.”
Bandit, the feline defender
Cats tend to be active at night, and Bandit is no exception. She's content to roam the living room or explore the kitchen cabinets in the wee hours of the morning while Everitt sleeps.
As he often does, Everitt had gone to bed at around midnight on Sunday, July 24. Between 2:30 and 3 a.m. on Monday morning, Everitt heard Bandit letting out loud guttural meows in the kitchen.
At first, he didn't think much of it. He assumed she'd seen another cat out back.
Suddenly, she raced into the bedroom, jumped onto the bed and began pulling the comforter off of him and clawing at his arms. Everitt, surprised by the unusual behavior, knew something was wrong.
"She had never done that before," Everitt said. "I went, 'What in the world is wrong with you?'"
Still unsure of what Bandit wanted, he got out of bed, put his robe on and walked down the hallway to the kitchen. When he flipped on the light switch, he saw two young men outside his back door. One was holding a handgun while the other used a crowbar to try and pry the door open.
Everitt ran back to his bedroom, picked up a 9mm pistol and returned to the kitchen. Luckily, the would-be intruders had already fled on foot.
Had Bandit not been there and the men gotten into the house, the situation could've been very different.
"It did not turn into a confrontational situation, thank goodness," Everitt said. "But I think it's only because of the cat."
He credits Bandit with possibly saving his life that night.
Loyal pet turned hero
Everitt has always supported the local humane society, he said, and knows there's a constant funding gap.
He was writing a donation check when he asked to see the kittens they had.
When they brought out Bandit, she was all over the place. Everitt could tell she was tired of being cooped up in a cage and decided at that moment to adopt her.
Since being adopted, Bandit has proven to be a loving, loyal pet. And now she's a hero.
"I want to let people know that you not only save a life when you adopt a pet or rescue one," Everitt said. "The tides could be turned. You never know when you save an animal if they're going to save you."
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In this April 4, 2017, file photograph, then-State Auditor Stacey Pickering addresses a Stennis Institute luncheon in Jackson. Pickering became head of the Veterans Affairs Board on July 15, 2018. He resigned from that position under a cloud of controversy on July 11, 2022.
watchdog top story
Infighting among executives, attorneys detailed in private memos
JACKSON • Months before Stacey Pickering resigned as director of the state Veterans Affairs Board, internal agency documents show at least two department executives had raised a litany of concerns about how the organization was operating and if it was complying with state law.
The Daily Journal obtained dozens of pages of internal memos that a high-ranking employee filed away for nearly a year, sounding the alarm about the department’s leases, contracts and romantic relationships between a leader and a subordinate.
The concerns about the agency, which manages four veterans homes throughout the state, grew so acute at one point that its chief financial officer refused to sign off on routine forms.
Joseph Hemleben, the former deputy director at the agency, filed around a dozen memos outlining various problems he had with the organization between February 2020 and December 2021.
The concerns Hemleben, an attorney, voiced ranged from small issues such as uncollected payments from tenants to extreme allegations that Pickering was skirting around the department’s own employee handbook by having an inappropriate personal relationship with a subordinate.
After Hemleben raised repeated concerns to the director of the agency, Pickering gave him a written reprimand, claiming that multiple employees complained that Hemleben fostered a hostile work environment.
Pickering in December placed him on administrative leave, but Hemleben eventually opted to leave the agency altogether.
Still, the internal documents raise significant questions about how the agency operated under Pickering, a former state auditor and legislator, and the workplace culture he cultivated.
Pickering, who resigned from the agency in May for undisclosed reasons, did not respond to a request for comment. Neither did Hemleben.
Nearly all of the appointed members of the VA board, through a spokesperson, declined to comment. The leaders of the agency, through a spokesperson, also declined to comment.
David McElreath, the north Mississippi representative on the VA board, did not want to comment specifically on the documents because of personnel issues and potential ligation. But he told the Daily Journal that any time a concern was brought before the board, they reviewed it seriously and thoroughly.
Hemleben wondered if VA violated bidding laws
One of the more alarming allegations Hemleben raised was whether the agency was violating the law because it used quotes to obtain medical waste services instead of soliciting bids.
How an agency obtains resources and what types of goods it requests often speaks to how a public body intends to use tax dollars to deliver services to people.
To ensure public bodies use tax dollars efficiently, state law requires all “solid waste collection or disposal contracts” over $50,000 to be obtained through a competitive bid process. If the contracts are under $50,000, agencies can simply obtain them by getting two separate quotes.
Hemleben filed a memo on Oct. 21 saying that the company’s chief financial officer informed him that the agency had entered into a contract with a medical waste company for around $122,675 without going through the bid process.
When Hemleben approached Kathy Caldwell, the agency’s general counsel, about the bidding issue, she said she did not handle decisions about contracts.
Caldwell also said that the length of the contract can be a factor in determining if waste services are obtained through bids or quotes, even though the statute regarding waste contracts does not mention contract length.
If the VA board skirted the state’s bidding law, then the public agency potentially overpaid for the medical waste services with tax dollars.
Hemleben wrote that he intended to speak with Pickering about the issue, but it’s unclear if he ever did.
Chief accountant refused to approve standard forms
Hemleben wasn’t the only high-ranking official to sound alarm bells.
Another one of Hemleben’s concerns stemmed from questions that Greg Higginbotham, the department’s chief financial officer, raised about the accuracy of the department’s leases.
Employees with the state Department of Finance and Administration emailed Higginbotham that new accounting and reporting practices require public bodies to have a list of all its active leases.
Higginbotham emailed Caldwell for a list of the current leases; she informed him that the agency only had two active leases, which he doubted.
“We only have 2 leases?” Higginbotham wrote in an email. “We have VSOs (veterans service officers) with office space all over the state. We have copiers in every nursing home and VSO's office. We have to have more than 2 leases, but if you are willing to put in writing we only have 2 leases, I am cool with it. I just need written confirmation that we only have 2 things that belong to someone else that we use.”
Caldwell justified her answer by saying that the Veterans Affairs Board is not charged for the veterans service offices around the state, so the agreements are not technically a lease.
Still, Higginbotham, who did not respond to an interview request, wrote to Hemleben after his exchange with Caldwell telling him that he could not sign off on the forms because he believed it to be incorrect. Approving the forms could violate his ethical duties as a certified public accountant, the CFO argued.
“The negligence on behalf of MSVA’s legal counsel to provide the requested information will lead to material misstatements within MSVA’s portion of the financial statements and could lead to material misstatements within the State of Mississippi's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,” Higginbotham wrote to Hemleben.
Hemleben wrote that he met with Pickering to explain the situation. That’s when Pickering advised Hemleben to meet with Melissa Wade, the chief of staff.
But Wade, too, was a point of concern for Hemleben.
Closed-door meetings between Pickering, Wade caused concerns
The documents allege that Pickering was involved in a personal and potentially romantic relationship with Wade, who resigned at the same time as Pickering.
Hemleben wrote in a memo dated Nov. 29 that he met with Pickering to inform him that rumors were circulating at the office about the supposed relationship.
“I further advised the Executive Director that he needed to ‘build a wall,’ to protect himself such as not holding closed-door meetings alone with Ms. Wade in his office, especially meetings that ran for hours at a time, which has become common,” the memo reads.
Hemleben said he did not believe he had an explicit duty to report the allegations to the State Personnel Board because there was no clear evidence that such a relationship was occurring.
But a more recent memo reveals the relationship between Pickering and Wade may have gone further.
Hemleben wrote on Dec. 15 that he met with an unnamed employee who informed him that a cleaning person witnessed Pickering and Wade engaging in sexual behavior.
A person who cleans the building allegedly knocked on Pickering’s door, and no one responded. The worker then got a spare key and entered to clean the office. But when the person opened the door, she witnessed Wade and Pickering engaging in “sexual conduct.”
Wade also did not respond to a request for comment.
After hearing of the incident, Hemleben felt like action wasn’t warranted because of a lack of evidence corroborating the event, he said in the memos.
If the sexual or romantic relationship, which WLBT first reported, did actually occur, it could violate state law, which forbids state employees from engaging in romantic or sexual relationships between supervisors and and subordinates.
Retired Army colonel replaces Pickering at VA Board
It’s unclear the extent to which the appointed board members were aware of the memos, or how much of the memos’ content is what led to Pickering’s abrupt resignation.
Pickering resigned as director of the state agency on May 13. Neither Pickering nor the board has given a public reason why the former state auditor resigned.
Mark Smith, the former deputy director of the agency, was named its new director on June 23.
Smith served in the U.S. Army and Mississippi National Guard from 1976 to 2006, retiring with the rank of colonel. He has served in state government at multiple agencies, including the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and the Mississippi Department of Human Services
Smith previously said he is honored to lead the agency and help serve the state’s 186,000 veterans.
"With a great team already in place, we will continue to provide superior service, care and assistance to America's heroes,” Smith said in a statement when he was appointed as director.
Both appointed board members and state lawmakers have publicly said they support Smith as the leader of the embattled agency.
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Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch in the first half during an NCAA college football game against Arizona State, Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021, in Tempe, Ariz.
Rick Scuteri | AP
Breaking down Mississippi State football's 2022 nonconference schedule
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State was 3-1 in nonconference play in 2021, highlighted by a 24-10 win over N.C. State and low-pointed by a disappointing loss to Memphis.
The Bulldogs will face a similar mix of nonconference opponents this season, including power five foe Arizona and those pesky Memphis Tigers.
Theo Derosa takes a look at the complete 2022 non-SEC slate:
Sept. 3 vs. Memphis
Mississippi State’s first opponent of 2022 is the team that dealt the Bulldogs their most perplexing loss of the 2021 season.
Mississippi State had won 12 straight games against Memphis, dating back to 1994. But the 2021 contest at the Liberty Bowl snapped that impressive streak.
MSU, though, hasn’t lost back-to-back games to Memphis since 1983 and 1984.
Thanks to the magic of home-and-home scheduling, Mike Leach's program has a chance to make up for last season's disheartening defeat.
The Bulldogs host Memphis at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 3 at Davis Wade Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
Sept. 10 at Arizona
On paper, Mississippi State’s only nonconference matchup against a Power Five team doesn’t seem too bad.
Arizona went just 1-11 last season and appears slated to be one of the weaker teams in FBS football yet again.
But a lot can happen in the desert, particularly in a night game set to mess with the Bulldogs’ circadian rhythms.
MSU will be expected to take care of business in Tucson, but Mike Leach teams are known to lose games they shouldn’t. Add in the setting and the start time, and the recipe is there for a potential ugly upset; it’ll be up to the Bulldogs to prove they’re better than that.
Mississippi State will face Arizona at 10 p.m. Central on Sept. 10 at Arizona Stadium. The game will be televised on FS1.
It will be the first ever football meeting between the two athletic programs.
Sept. 24 vs. Bowling Green
After back-to-back road games at Arizona and LSU, Mississippi State will get about as much of a break as the Bulldogs can get.
No, MSU won’t have a bye week, but facing Bowling Green at home is just about the next-best thing.
The Bulldogs will take on one of the worst teams in FBS with a prime chance to relax in the first of three home games. And Bowling Green is neither Texas A&M nor Arkansas: The Falcons’ four wins last season were their most since 2016.
Mississippi State will certainly hope for a more comfortable win than its one-point margin of victory against Bowling Green back in 2013. But that was a 10-win Falcons team. This one isn’t.
Mississippi State will face Bowling Green on Sept. 24 at Davis Wade Stadium.
Nov. 19 vs. East Tennessee State
Bulldogs, beware: Just last year, East Tennessee State took down a Southeastern Conference program.
Yes, Vanderbilt counts in that category. Technically.
The Buccaneers opened the 2021 campaign with a somewhat surprising 23-3 takedown of the Commodores in Nashville, and it wasn’t really a fluke. ETSU went on to an 11-win season, going 7-1 in league play and reaching the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs.
Of course, the Southern Conference and the Southeastern Conference are separated by a lot more than those four letters.
And Mississippi State isn’t Vanderbilt.
The Bulldogs will be hard pressed not to at least think about the following week’s rivalry game at Ole Miss, but they should handle the season’s lone FCS foe.
Mississippi State hosts East Tennessee State on Nov. 19.
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FILE - Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins reacts during an NCAA college football game against North Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Atlanta. Fourth-year coach Geoff Collins is coming off his third consecutive three-win season as Georgia Tech opens spring practice on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
Breaking down Ole Miss football's 2022 nonconference schedule
OXFORD — Somehow, the 2022 college football season is nearly upon us.
Coming off the first 10-win regular season in program history and a Sugar Bowl berth, Ole Miss will have a lot of new faces on its roster this fall. Quarterback Matt Corral, the team’s top three running backs and receivers, elite pass rusher Sam Williams and both starting linebackers are all gone. The Rebels raided the transfer portal to load up at all crucial positions.
The Daily Journal will take a look at Ole Miss’ schedule, with a game-by-game breakdown starting with the Rebels’ nonconference slate.
Sept. 3 vs. Troy
Who ultimately lines up under center for the Rebels has yet to be determined, but come the first week of September, we’re going to start learning what the Rebels have. Troy will take the field under first-year head coach Jon Sumrall, formerly the defensive coordinator at Kentucky and a defensive assistant at Ole Miss before that. The Trojans went 5-7 last season and fired head coach Chip Lindsey — Troy did not make a bowl game in any of Lindsey’s three seasons. The Trojans’ recent slide came on the heels of a successful run from now-West Virginia head coach Neal Brown, who won 31 games in his last three seasons.
Troy averaged just under 23 points per game last season while giving up just over 26. The Trojans return junior quarterback Gunnar Watson, who has thrown 24 touchdown passes over the last two years. Defensive end/linebacker Javon Solomon was tied for second in the Sun Belt with 11 sacks in 2021.
Sept. 10 vs. Central Arkansas
The Bears went 5-6 in 2021 but had a pair of dynamic offensive playmakers in running back Darius Hale and wide receiver Tyler Hudson. Hale ran for 1,015 yards and 17 touchdowns as a freshman last season while Hudson, who had 1,242 yards and eight touchdowns, has since transferred to Louisville. Central Arkansas was picked to finish second in the Atlantic Sun (tie).
The Bears will be breaking in a new quarterback following the departure of Breylin Smith, who threw 26 touchdowns a season ago. Central Arkansas averaged 34.5 points per game last season and gave up just under 29. The former ranked 11th in the FCS. Ole Miss and Central Arkansas have met once previously, a 49-27 Rebels win in 2012.
Sept. 17 at Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech has had a tough go of it under head coach Geoff Collins, winning three games in each of his three years. The Yellow Jackets lost star running back Jahmyr Gibbs to Alabama via the transfer portal and had one of the worst defenses in college football last season, surrendering 33.5 points per game (tied for 110th).
Quarterback Jeff Sims has thrown 25 touchdowns and 20 interceptions over the last two campaigns but is a running threat, having totaled 864 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in that span. The Yellow Jackets last made a bowl game in 2018. Ole Miss and Georgia Tech have played four times, splitting the meetings. The teams last met in 2013.
Sept. 24 vs. Tulsa
Tulsa is the first team Ole Miss will face that made it to the postseason in 2021. The Golden Hurricane went 7-6 last season, taking down Old Dominion in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Head coach Philip Montgomery has led Tulsa to four bowls in seven seasons. The Golden Hurricane lost tight games to Oklahoma State and Cincinnati by a combined 13 points. Tulsa won its last four games of the season.
Quarterback Davis Brin returns after throwing for 3,269 yards, 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions last season. Ole Miss and Tulsa have played three times, the last coming in 1964. Tulsa won all three games.
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Littlejohn, Richard
Richard Randle Littlejohn, 86, died Friday at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County in New Albany. Mr. Littlejohn was born March 4, 1936, in Union County, the son of Luther Clark Littlejohn and Nannie Louise Reid Littlejohn. He was a veteran of the U. S. Army; a member of Mt. Gilead Baptist Church, and was retired from many years of employment at Futorian. Mr. Littlejohn's hobbies included hunting, fishing, vegetable gardening, and enjoying the outdoors. He is survived by his wife of sixty-four and a half years, Emily Littlejohn of New Albany; a sister, Lily Smith of Brunswick, Georgia; and many extended family members and many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Scott Littlejohn; two brothers; and two sisters. Funeral Services are scheduled for Tuesday, August 2, 2022, at 2:00 P. M. at Glenfield Funeral Home, with Brother Josh Westmoreland, officiating, and burial will follow in Glenfield Memorial Park. A visitation will be held Tuesday from 12:00 P. M. until service time. Condolence messages may be made online at Glenfieldfuneralhome.com.
Richard Randle Littlejohn
Clark Littlejohn
Glenfield Memorial Park
Josh Westmoreland
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In Mississippi, forgiveness does not equate to felony voting reforms
Most Mississippi politicians wear their Christianity on their sleeves. The primary tenet of the Christian faith is forgiveness and redemption. Yet, they do not see as part of that forgiveness and redemption the restoration of voting rights for people convicted of felonies.
Dennis Hopkins, a 46-year-old Potts Camp resident who lost his right to vote as a teenager when he was convicted of grand larceny but is now a productive member of the community in the north Mississippi hamlet, explained to lawmakers the importance of voting.
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UK author Madeline Wilson writes book about Elvis' gospel career
By ABRIELLE CARNATHAN Daily Journal
Abrielle Carnathan
TUPELO • Nearly 45 years after his death, Elvis Presley’s career continues to inspire people across the globe.
Madeline Wilson, an author based in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, England, is a longtime fan of the King of Rock and Roll as well as president of the UK Elvis Gospel Fan Club.
After 25 years of research, she recently published a book on his career, focusing on his gospel songs, titled “Elvis Presley Gospel Singer - An Inspirational Life.”
When asked why she chose to focus on such a specific element of Elvis’ career, Wilson said the subject matter just captured her interest.
"I didn’t have a word from God or anything like that. I just felt to do it,” Wilson said.
Wilson said the book takes readers through Elvis’ entire life, from his birth in Tupelo, to his death and beyond. It focuses on his spiritual life and practices, and how they intertwined with his incredible fame.
In the epilogue to her book, Wilson poses a question of “why?” Why was Elvis so famous?
The longtime fan said she believes that success was a direct result of the Tupelo native’s faith.
“I think it’s because he was full of the Holy Spirit,” Wilson said.
Compared to many of the musician’s fans, Wilsons fascination with Elvis is relatively recent. It began in 1995, when she saw some of his 60th anniversary programs, specifically the recording of when Elvis visited President Richard Nixon in the White House.
“He had such a childlike sort of curiosity,” Wilson said.
Coincidentally, the very same year she became a fan of Elvis, Wilson’s husband received a large book detailing the history of Elvis’ home in Memphis, Graceland. She began her years of research from there, and has yet to stop.
Although a distinctly American Icon, the King of Rock and Roll’s popularity is still prolific in the UK. His films are still shown on TV, and programs about him air regularly. Many famous people in the UK, including some of the Royal Family, are big fans.
Wilson said there are lots of Elvis events hosted in the UK, as well, many of which feature his gospel aspects and gospel services to go along with them.
Wilson herself has visited Tupelo, Graceland, and Memphis many times.
“We love the South,” she said. “You’re all so friendly.”
She remarked about the kindness she experienced from people in Elvis’ hometown, mentioning that she had been invited to many homes and been served many meals.
Abrielle Carnathan is a Daily Journal intern, focusing on general interest stories. Send story tips to digital@djournal.com.
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Bradley, Doug
William Douglas "Doug" Bradley, 84, died Saturday, July 30, 2022, at the North MS Medical Center Hospice Unit after a lengthy illness. He was born April 7, 1938, in Jackson to Vernon and Elvis Lewis Bradley. He was a 1956 Graduate of Tupelo High School where he was an outstanding athlete. He was a lifelong Ole Miss Rebel fan and played football as a freshman. He served in the Mississippi National Guard. He was an avid outdoorsman and hunter. He enjoyed playing golf and was proud when he made a hole in one at the University of Alabama Golf Course and enjoyed traveling post retirement. Being a lifelong aviation enthusiast, he soloed at the age of 14 and he enjoyed soaring, setting a 1952 world record. He worked for Wicke's Lumber Co. for over 37 years. He was a member of Richmond Baptist Church and served as an active deacon. He had a lifelong interest in technology and was an early adopter of Facebook which became his favorite neighborhood in his later years when he wasn't able to enjoy his outdoor activities as much. He loved to tinker with technology in his later years. He was a lover of animals, especially dogs and cats. He enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren and was affectionately known as "Daddy Doug". He was a very proud husband, parent, grandparent and great-grandparent. A Memorial Service was held at 1 PM Monday, August 1, 2022, at Unity Presbyterian Church with Bro. Andy Dozier officiating. Burial, at a later date, will be in Unity Cemetery. Lee Memorial Funeral Home is entrusted with the arrangements. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Nancy Westmoreland Bradley; his children, Butch Bradley (Betty) of Saltillo, Kelley Lawson (Roger) of Oxford, Ken Bradley of Nashville and Pollyanna Brown of Tupelo; one sister, Midge Earnest (Robert) of tupelo; two brothers, Vernon Bradley (Ashley) of Louisiana and David Bradley (Karen) of Shannon; six grandchildren, Jaye Montgomery, Kasey Bryan (Locke), William Archibald, John Ballard, Betsy Ivy (Tony) and Meg Ragon (Austin); six great-grandchildren, South, Cricket, Gus, Macy, Garrett and Max. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Milton Bradley (Sandra), a sister Mary Ann Bradley Lann, a grandson Drew Montgomery and a son-in-law Ike Brown. Memorials may be made to Richmond Baptist Church Youth Fund. Visitation will follow the service. For online condolences and guest registry, visit www.leememorialonlie.com.
William Douglas Bradley
Ole Miss Rebel
Bradley Lann
Drew Montgomery
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Mississippi athletic director Keith Carter speaks as the 2022 baseball team celebrates its College World Series national championship in Oxford, Miss. on Wednesday, June 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Bruce Newman)
Bruce Newman
Ole Miss AD Keith Carter offers thoughts on conference realignment in college athletics
OXFORD — As if the environment in college athletics wasn’t crazy enough with NIL coming more and more into focus, USC and UCLA shocked the world in late June.
On June 30, it was announced that both programs were moving from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten, a monumental move that may just be the beginning of more things to come.
The topic of realignment was prevalent at SEC Media Days in July, especially given the conference will be adding Texas an Oklahoma in the coming years. That move came last summer and has generally been seen as a precursor to the USC/UCLA moves.
Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter offered his thoughts on conference realignment. Carter said the SEC “has positioned itself so well” as things in college athletics continue to change.
“I don’t think we’re finished (with realignment moves), obviously,” Carter said. “I think what happened with the SEC and Oklahoma and Texas, it obviously got everybody stirred up and talking what next moves could be, and I think it has made for some really interesting moves.”
Carter noted that, while there are obvious positives to conferences that span from coast-to-coast, there are some things to be thought about — travel for midweek basketball games for matchups between USC and Rutgers, for instance, could prove detrimental to student-athletes. The same can be said of Olympic sports.
“You do it for the TV contracts, you do it for the exposure, you do it for all those things — ultimately the money, I guess. But I just worry, at some point, it does start to diminish the student athlete experience,” Carter said. “Again, I’m not trying to judge anybody for decisions or whatever, but I think that’s why we’re all here, to give (student-athletes) opportunities and to give them the experiences that they want and love. So, I hope that we don’t take it so far that we forget about that.”
It's an interesting time to be in college athletics on multiple fronts, and “the jury’s still out a little bit” on whether all these changes are ultimately going to be a good thing, Carter said.
“I think when it's all said and done, college athletics is still going to be a great thing. People love it, people want to want to follow, they want to support, we're still going to give student-athletes a great opportunity to do what they want to do and compete at the highest level and get a great degree and all those things. But it’s going to look a lot different.
“These rosters are going to change every single year … I think that’s going to change the dynamic some. But I still think we're going to be able to put great products on the field, on the court, and still be able to change the lives of young people.”
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Amory School District targeting in on five-year strategic plan
AMORY – Beginning with School Year 2022-2023, the Amory School District will kick off its five-year strategic plan.
Goals of the plan include providing a safe and secure learning environment; increasing student achievement throughout the district; ensuring financially stability; and recruiting and retaining a highly qualified workforce to ensure student achievement.
“We will be asking some local businesses to place paper copies [of the plan] in their front office for our community to see,” said district superintendent Brian Jones.
Jones is beginning his first full year as Amory School District superintendent after assuming duties in January.
He capped off a busy summer of capital and online improvements for both safety and convenience of students and parents alike.
With security being an important concern, a new fencing was installed around East Amory Elementary School’s campus. Additionally, www.amoryschools.com underwent an upgrade.
“Amory School District has developed a new website for easier navigation. With the new website, an app was also developed. This app is available for both iPhone and Android phones,” he said. “The website is more user-friendly, and the app can push out notifications to parents about upcoming events."
The free app can be downloaded from the Apple App and Google Play stores by searching Amory School District.
Jones also mentioned an initiative to streamline the district’s hiring process.
“We updated our process to take applications from prospective employees. We are now online, which will make it easier for us to download and view potential employees,” he said.
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Outgoing Amory High School assistant principal Coty Cox begins the '22-'23 school year as the new director of the Amory Career and Technical Center.
Former assistant principal moves into Amory CTC director role
AMORY – With the new school year, former Amory High School assistant principal Coty Cox is moving into the director’s position at the Amory Career and Technical Center (CTC).
He served three years as assistant principal following roles such as being a social studies teacher and football and baseball coach.
“I’m the new kid on the block,” he said while giving credit to the current Amory CTC staff. “We are extremely blessed with top-notch educators. I want to support them and let them spread their wings. My job is to give them everything they need.”
He was groomed for the Amory CTC director position after leading the college- and career-readiness pilot program at AHS. The class is a partnership with Itawamba Community College to prepare students for careers in technical fields and academic pursuits.
“It opened up a whole new world for me to learn what kids need going forward. We’re promoting the benefits of two-year certification since not everyone has plans to go on to college after high school,” he said.
The CTC tailors its students’ educational paths through the use of various aptitude assessments, including personality tests and taking inventory of professional interests.
“We’re addressing a tangible issue in training the next generation of the workforce,” Cox said.
He applied for the CTC position after hearing of former director David Millender’s announcement of his retirement.
Cox reflected on challenges of the last couple of years brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve been proactive in dealing with COVID rather than reactive. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities and the challenges ahead.”
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New Aberdeen superintendent aims for success through team approach
ABERDEEN – Aberdeen School District Superintendent Dr. Andrea Pastchal-Smith’s career successes during the past few years include increasing an F-rated school to an A, first-place accolades in statewide third-grade math proficiency scores and a 100 percent proficiency rate in Mississippi’s science test.
Last week, she began publicly sharing her 90-day plan for advancing student success and raising expectations for the ASD. Thus far, the response rate has illustrated an increased enthusiasm from the community for the upcoming school year.
“We’re taking the team leadership approach and we welcome our parents to come in. We have an open door policy, and parents will be recognized for their support within our schools,” said Smith, who most recently served as principal of Eiland Middle School in Louisville. “We welcome our stakeholders to be a part of our plan of action and strategies we’ll continue to use to make sure we are excelling and striving for excellence. If we have any retired teachers, stakeholders, vendors or businesses who would like to assist with us contributing to our goals, we welcome them to contact us at the central office.”
Her ultimate goal is for Aberdeen to be an A-rated district but said it takes a collective team approach to meet goals and expectations.
She plans to meet with various other district stakeholders, particularly parents.
“We’ll be having the Parent University sessions each month where we’ll provide various topics parents need to be aware of and provide assistance to give parent support. We want to make sure we’re providing that guidance for parents to make sure we offer the support needed to make sure they’re successful and our students are successful within the district,” Smith said.
Additionally, there will be math and English language arts nights held at the schools for families, parent of the month recognitions, listening sessions throughout the district and scheduled meetings for members of the public to tour the schools.
“We’re encouraging our parents to be more active in our Parent Teacher Organizations at the school level. We have great parents here and we welcome and invite all parents to be involved,” Smith said. “We know when parents, students and the school all work together as a team that our district will be successful.”
Fifth- through 12th-graders will be eligible to apply for the Superintendent Student Advisory Council, which will give them monthly opportunities to offer input from their campuses.
Monthly celebrations of student achievement will continue to be held during Aberdeen School Board meetings, which are generally held the third Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at the Aberdeen Resource Center.
Last week, approximately 25 new teachers participated in an orientation, which included a tour of the city, expectations for the school year, open dialogue with the school’s leadership team and meetings with principals.
“It’s been a great week for faculty and staff of the school district,” Smith said.
An ASD administrative retreat was scheduled this week for principals, assistant principals, counselors and secretaries to review and collaborate for goals and expectations for the new school year.
Events planned for next week include a districtwide convocation Aug. 2, districtwide professional development Aug. 3, open houses at the schools from 3 until 6 p.m. Aug. 4, and the first day for students is Aug. 5.
Throughout the school year, district leadership teams will analyze student data to drive daily instruction. Students will also be aware of growth targets for Mississippi Academic Assessment Program goals.
“We’re looking forward to a great year and anticipating a phenomenal year here at the Aberdeen School District,” Smith said.
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New Belle-Shivers Middle School principals take diverse team approach
ABERDEEN – With the new school year, Belle-Shivers Middle School has a new slate of administrators through principal Kennetra Smith and assistant principals James Rush and Alexis Bush-Logan. While all three educators have years of experience in the field, they have diverse backgrounds.
“I think it’s a melting pot. Because of our backgrounds, it allows us to be sensitive to the different areas and needs,” Smith said. “I don’t like giving up on kids. I think that’s something we all share – wanting to have the passion to build relationships.”
Smith graduated from a high school in Nebraska before enrolling at Mississippi State University. Her father, who is from Lowndes County, served in the military so she moved around growing up.
“I started as an assistant teacher in 2003 and became school secretary. While I was secretary, they deemed me as super secretary. I was in classrooms and facilitated a reading program,” she said.
She enrolled in the Teach Mississippi Institute and earned her certification, which led to inclusion teacher and basketball and softball coach roles at Noxubee County. From there, she took a job in the Columbus Municipal School District and ultimately became principal at Franklin Academy.
Logan is a Starkville High School graduate who pursued her education at Mississippi State University and Delta State. She has taught in Louisville and Starkville.
Rush is a 1984 Hamilton High School graduate who played football at Jackson State University before being an activities director with the Boys and Girls Club and ultimately finding his niche in education. He has served roles in Alabama, the Delta and Oktibbeha, Monroe and Lowndes counties.
“It’s good to have diversity. I wouldn’t want anyone just like me working with me. You’ve got to have diversity in the places you’ve been and the people you’ve had contact with,” he said.
Belle-Shivers Middle School needs continued community support to help for a successful year.
“Our community is our stakeholders and I don’t think, a lot of times, the community appreciates or understands their role as being a member of the stakeholders here. First, we need a relationship and your partnership to help the kids. If the kids grow, the community grows. If the kids are successful, the community is successful,” Smith said.
Logan added it’s helpful for community members to understand that role, saying supporting fundraisers
and encouraging students and teachers is helpful. Rush said visits from pastors, elected officials and other community leaders is also helpful in order for students to see positive role models.
All three principals are looking forward to a new year, working with the community and being a part of it.
“Change is hard but if we work together, it can be great,”Smith said.
Belle-shivers Middle School
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Pontotoc County Sheriff Leo Mask said Monday (August 1) morning that five juveniles have been arrested on malicious mischief charges in connection with the alleged destruction of an estimated 30 mailboxes in the Belden/Endville Communities of eastern Pontotoc County.
Sheriff Mask said the five juveniles are fourteen to seventeen years old and will face multiple charges in youth court.
The mailbox destruction, along with damage to one home owner’s SUV, occurred on three separate nights in the same neighborhoods, Sheriff Mask reported.
“The first mailboxes were damaged on Monday night, July 25, then they did it again on Wednesday night and the third time on Friday night,” Mask said. “It was the neighborhoods along Ranchland Road and Lake Road off of Dozier Hill Road. Both of those roads dead end.”
“We were able to obtain some video evidence which helped us make the arrests,” he said. “They were using a baseball bat or something and just hitting the boxes and breaking the posts. There was no motive other than being up to no good. This all happened between two and five o’clock in the morning every time."
“They knocked some of the mailboxes down two and three times,” Mask said. “We’re getting up with the homeowners and getting the restitution amounts of the damage done. It’s possible that some charges may be felonies because some of the boxes were really nice.”
Mail in that section of Pontotoc County is delivered out of the Belden Post Office.
Belden Postmaster Emily Gray confirmed that several mailboxes had been torn down multiple times after homeowners had repaired or replaced the boxes.
In addition to local charges, intentionally vandalizing a USPS mail box is also a federal offense and adults may be punished by fines up to $250,000 and up to three years in prison.
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Contested races expected to drive Corinth voters to polls Tuesday
CORINTH • Every person who goes to vote in the Corinth municipal elections Tuesday will have the chance to vote in at least one contested race.
Only one of the eight city elections is unopposed. Incumbent Chip Wood is the lone candidate for the Ward 3 alderman seat.
With so many contested races on the ballot, Corinth City Clerk Brandy Smith is expecting a lot of people to head to the polls.
Ralph Dance (R)
Tommy Irwin (R)(i)
David A. Curry (R)
Mike Hopkins (R)(i)
Johnny Butler Jr. (R)
Chris Wilson (R)(i)
Ben Albarracin (R)(i)
Mark Coombs (R)
Danny Lynn Smith (R)
A.L. “Chip” Wood (R)(i)
“We expect a big turnout," Smith said. "We haven’t had a real election with this many opposed races since 2010. Since it has been 12 years, there has been a lot of interest in this election. We had more than 400 people vote absentee.”
The three citywide races – mayor, police chief and alderman at-large – have two candidates each and will be resolved Tuesday night. But three alderman races could take another three weeks to name a winner. Wards 2 and 4 each have three candidates, and four people are in the running for the open Ward 5 position.
“From the way people have been talking, I feel they will be close races,” Smith said. “I’m pretty sure we will have a runoff, especially in Ward 5.”
In the event no candidate gets a simple majority of the votes in Tuesday primary, a runoff election will be held in three weeks, on Aug. 23.
Most of the 19 politicians vying for the eight slots are Republicans. Most voters will get a chance to select not only their local alderman, but also the at-large member, police chief and mayor.
That's not the case in Ward 4, where the three candidates for alderman are running as Democrats. Since voters have to declare whether they are voting Democrat or Republican, citizens in that ward will have to decide whether they want to vote just for their ward’s alderman or if they want to vote for mayor and police chief as well.
The mayoral race pits three-term incumbent Tommy Irwin against two-term Police Chief Ralph Dance. Irwin has been mayor since 2010 and is running on his record. Dance has worked for the city for 27 years, the last eight as chief. He feels it is a time for change.
Two veteran officers, Ben Gann and Landon Tucker, are running for police chief.
The bulk of Election Day activities will take place inside the large bay at the Corinth Fire Department. The polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Once the polls are closed, the results will be tabulated there as well. The resolution board will begin at noon working through the absentee ballots to see which one they can accept and which ones they will have to reject. The resolution board will meet in the old police department offices. Their deliberations are open to the public.
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TUPELO • U.S. Marshals have captured two of the three suspects wanted in connection with a July 14 Lee County fatal shooting in Florida.
“They were taken into custody without incident,” Johnson said. “We are still waiting on an extradition hearing (on Tuesday). If they waive extradition, we will arrange to transport them back to Lee County.”
The three are accused of the fatal shooting of Jeremiah Flakes, 21, who was found dead in the back seat of a his mother’s car. The car was discovered crashed into a ditch County Road 1438, just west of County Road 1147. Both the four-door sedan and Jeremiah Flakes had been shot multiple times.
Authorities believe sometime earlier that Thursday morning, Jeremiah Flakes drove to the location in his mother’s car. At some point, the suspects shot at him with multiple guns, most likely handguns, Johnson said. The sheriff would not speculate on how Jeremiah Flakes ended up in the back seat of a wrecked car down the road from the crime scene.
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Arnold, Valerie
Valerie Annette Arnold was born on April 7, 1971, to parents Joyce Ann Holley and Joseph Vernon Johnson in Booneville, Mississippi. She went home to be with the Lord, on July 30, 2022, after her long battle with Lupus. She graduated from New Site High School in 1989. Valerie worked at Northeast MS Community Services where she was the Transit Coordinator and Drug and Alcohol Program Manager. Valerie's compassion for others was boundless and she believed that everyone was deserving of safe transportation. She had a warm presence, unconditional positive regard, and was a strong advocate for others. She helped develop a new program during her tenure with Tupelo Transit that increased community access. This is only one of the many accomplishments in her career. Valerie was a loving daughter, sister, mother, aunt, and grandmother. Her love for her family and her strength to show up in such meaningful ways at every opportunity were just two of the many qualities that were cherished by those who love her dearly. Valerie had a strong love for fashion, statement jewelry, interior design, and creative expression. She was regarded for her natural musical talent, sense of humor, creativity, and her giant heart. She enjoyed making memories with her grandson, who was her pride and joy. A Celebration of Life for Valerie Annette Arnold will be at McMillan Funeral Home on Tuesday, August 2nd, 2022 at 2 P.M. officiated by Bro. Russell Clouse with Burial at Siloam Cemetery. Visitation will be at McMillian Funeral Home on Monday, August 1st, from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. She is survived by her Mother Joyce Holley Johnson; daughter, Amber Riddle; Grandson, Brayden Riddle; sister, Melanie Kabban (Emil); two nieces, Dara Wotherspoon (Zach) and Kaitlyn Wingold (Zach); nephew, Emile Kabban; two great nieces, Sofia and Amelia Wotherspoon. She is preceded in death by her father Joe Vernon Johnson. Pallbearers are Brayden Riddle, Emil Kabban, Emile Kabban, John Johnson, Jason Johnson, and Jeremiah Johnson.
Valerie Annette Arnold
Emile Kabban
Brayden Riddle
Amelia Wotherspoon
Emil Kabban
Joyce Holley Johnson
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