Established 1879 | Columbus, Mississippi
CDISPATCH.COM
Mayor plans community task force on crime
Downtown roundabout should be open to traffic by Friday
BY ISABELLE ALTMAN
ialtman@cdispatch.com
Mayor Robert Smith an-
nounced his intention at Tues-
day’s city council meeting to
create a task force of a “cross
section” of Columbus residents
to help police address crime
and related issues.
Smith said he has talked
Atticus Vernon, 7, left, zips the hood of his jacket so that he looks like a monster on Tuesday as he chases Marquincy Stall-
ings, 6, at the playground at the Lowndes County Soccer Complex. When asked what game the boys are playing, Stallings
shouts, “Monsters!” Vernon is the son of Laura Vernon of Caledonia, and Stallings is the son of Lisa Pounds in Columbus.
Miller recounts challenges of MUW
fall semester affected by COVID
‘All in all, I think
we’re doing pretty
well with this’
BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
It started with a phone
call.
On the first day of the fall
2020 semester, a student in
a 70-person nursing class at
Mississippi University for
Women received a call from a
roommate who had just test-
ed positive for COVID-19.
It marked the third like-
ly coronavirus case in the
class, and despite MUW’s
social distancing efforts —
students wore masks and sat
eight to nine feet apart in an
auditorium that could seat
400 people — that met the
definition of an “outbreak”
INSIDE
Classifieds 7B
Comics 4B
Crossword 6B
Dear Abby 4B
Obituaries 5A
Opinions 4A
WEATHER
55 Low 39
High
Mostly sunny
Full forecast on
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141st Year, No. 254
with several residents and plans
to call on volunteers to form a
Concerned Citizens Crime Pre-
vention Task Force to work with
Columbus Police Department
to find ways to address crime.
“We could sit down and strat-
egize and come up with some
plans (to where) we could get
input from the community, to
where we can get some buy-in,”
PLAYING ‘MONSTER!’
Mississippi University for Women President Nora Miller ad-
dresses Columbus Rotary Club at Tuesday’s meeting at the
Lion Hills Center. Miller discussed how the university is navi-
gating the COVID-19 pandemic, describing its virus protocols,
athletics, financial and enrollment situations.
of the virus. Every student in
the class had to be quaran-
tined.
“We had a little bit of a
panic there on Day 1,” MUW
FIVE QUESTIONS
1 Which game show host broke
the world record for most
episodes by the same presenter
in 2014 — Alex Trebeck or Pat
Sajak?
2 What 2015 film tells the leg-
end of real-life fur trapper Hugh
Glass and a nasty bear attack in
the 1930s?
3 What ‘90s Michelle Pfeiffer
movie was based on the book
“My Posse Don’t Do Home-
work”?
4 What atmospheric layer did
2015 NASA technology show has
been recovering since 1997?
5 In official baseball scoring,
what does K represent in a
scorebook?
Answers, 7B
DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471
Wednesday | January 6, 2021
Smith said during the meeting.
Smith pointed out there have
been three shootings in Co-
lumbus in the last few weeks,
one of them fatal. The homi-
cide occurred on 11th Avenue
South the night of Dec. 30 when
suspects in a vehicle got into
an argument with someone
standing in the front yard of a
residence and shot at multiple
Theo DeRosa/Dispatch Staff
President Nora Miller told
Columbus Rotary Club mem-
bers at Tuesday’s meeting at
the Lion Hills Center.
Ultimately, no one else in
CALENDAR
Thursday
■ Exhibit
reception: The
Columbus Arts
Council hosts a
free reception,
5:30-7 p.m.,
opening “South-
ern Expressions,”
a show by Leslie
Peebles in the
main gallery.
Work by Kelsey
Cockrell will be
displayed in Artist
Alley. Stop by the
Rosenzweig Arts
Center, 501 Main
St., Columbus.
662-328-2787 or
columbus-arts.
org.
people, sending
one man to Bap-
tist Memorial
Hospital-Golden
Triangle and kill-
ing 20-year-old
Frank Edwards.
Though investi-
gators have lo- Smith
cated the vehicle the suspects
were in, they have not arrested
anyone in the incident.
The week before, early in the
morning of Dec. 25, suspects
Isabelle Altman/Dispatch Staff
the class ended up testing
positive, and the semester
went on. The W’s safeguards
had held.
Still, the early scare was
one of the challenges the
school faced during an un-
conventional fall semester,
and it was still on Miller’s
mind as she gave updates
Tuesday on The W’s virus
protocols, enrollment, fi-
nances, athletics and more
as the school prepares for its
second majority-online se-
mester.
“We have learned there’s
a lot of stuff that we can do
virtually and that we can do
very well and that we’ll be
able to do going forward,
even without a pandemic,”
she said.
Chief among those is
holding virtual classes,
See MILLER, 6A
LOCAL FOLKS
Gary Davis, 4, of Columbus likes
playing in the park. He is the son of
Danielle Davis.
75 ¢ Newsstand | 40 ¢ Home Delivery
shot at the side of the McDon-
ald’s located on Alabama Street
after becoming involved in an
argument over payment with
restaurant employees. One em-
ployee was injured by broken
glass when a shot hit the restau-
rant window. Police later arrest-
ed Antwan Roland, 18, and are
seeking two other suspects in
the shooting.
The final shooting Smith
referenced occurred Saturday
See TASK FORCE, 6A
Wiggins will not
seek re-election
as Caledonia
mayor; will instead
try to return to
aldermen board
Two aldermen calling it
quits; Parham decides
to run for mayor
BY SLIM SMITH
ssmith@cdispatch.com
Voters in Caledo-
nia will elect a new
mayor and at least
three new aldermen
this year, based on a
poll of incumbents.
Mayor Mitch
Wiggins, who will
Wiggins
be completing his
first term as mayor INSIDE
in July, said he will n SLIMAN-
not run for re-elec- TICS: Politics
in its purest
tion but will instead form.
seek a spot on the Page 4A
town’s Board of Al-
dermen. Wiggins served one term
as alderman before his successful
campaign for mayor in 2017.
Meanwhile, three aldermen
— including three-term board
member Quinn Parker, who has
announced he will run for mayor —
will not return to the board.
Bill Darnell, who has served
42 years as alderman, said he will
not seek another term, while Ty-
See CALEDONIA, 6A
Public forums could
help cigar lounge
add brewpub
BY TESS VRBIN
tvrbin@cdispatch.com
Starkville aldermen will consid-
er allowing businesses in certain
parts of the city to serve alcohol
without food, the second change
that would allow a Tupelo-based ci-
gar shop and lounge to open a loca-
tion downtown.
The change would allow John
Higgins, the owner of Spring Street
Cigars, to include a brewpub in the
See ALDERMEN, 6A
PUBLIC MEETINGS
Jan. 11: Lowndes Board of
Supervisors work session, 9
a.m., Courthouse, facebook.
com/LowndesCountyMissis-
sippi/
Jan. 11: Columbus Munici-
pal School District Board of
Trustees, 6 p.m. Brandon
Central Services
Jan. 15: Lowndes County
Board of Supervisors, 9 a.m.,
Courthouse, facebook.com/
LowndesCountyMississippi/
Jan. 19: Columbus City
Council, 5 p.m., Municipal
Complex, facebook.com/
CityofColumbusMS/
Feb. 1: Lowndes County
Board of Supervisors, 9 a.m.
Courthouse, facebook.com/
LowndesCountyMississippi/
2A WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Congress set to confirm Biden’s

electoral win over Trump
The president’s Republican allies in the House
and Senate plan to object to the election results,
heeding supporters’ plea to ‘fight for Trump’
BY LISA MASCARO
AND MARY CLARE JALONICK
The Associated Press
WA S H I N G T O N
— President Donald
Trump’s extraordi-
nary effort to over-
turn the presidential
election is going
before Congress as
lawmakers convene
for a joint session to Trump
confirm the Electoral
College vote won by
Joe Biden.
The typically
routine proceeding
Wednesday will be
anything but, a po-
litical confrontation
unseen since the af- Biden
termath of the Civil War as Trump
mounts a desperate effort stay in
office. The president’s Republican
allies in the House and Senate plan
to object to the election results,
heeding supporters’ plea to “fight
for Trump” as he stages a rally out-
side the White House. It’s tearing
the party apart.
The longshot effort is all but cer-
tain to fail, defeated by bipartisan
majorities in Congress prepared to
accept the results. Biden, who won
the Electoral College 306-232, is set
to be inaugurated Jan. 20.
“The most important part is that,
in the end, democracy will prevail
here,” Democratic Sen. Amy Klo-
buchar of Minnesota, among those
managing the proceedings, said in
an interview.
The joint session of Congress,
required by law, will convene at 1
p.m. EST under a watchful, restless
nation — months after the Nov. 3
election, two weeks before the in-
auguration’s traditional peaceful
transfer of power and against the
backdrop of a surging COVID-19
pandemic.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch
McConnell, who warned his par-
ty off this challenge, is expected
to deliver early remarks. House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, set to gav-
el proceedings on her side of the
Capitol, called it a day of “enormous
historic significance.” It is about
“guaranteeing trust in our demo-
cratic system,” she said in a letter
to colleagues.
But it is Vice President Mike
Pence who will be closely watched
as he presides over the session.
Despite Trump’s repeated claims
of voter fraud, election officials and
his own former attorney general
have said there were no problems
on a scale that would change the
outcome. All the states have certi-
fied their results as fair and accu-
rate, by Republican and Democratic
officials alike.
Pence has a largely ceremonial
role, opening the sealed envelopes
from the states after they are car-
ried in mahogany boxes used for
the occasion, and reading the re-
sults aloud. But he is under grow-
ing pressure from Trump to tip it to
the president’s favor, despite having
no power to affect the outcome.
While other vice presidents, in-
cluding Al Gore and Richard Nix-
on, also presided over their own
defeats, Pence supports those Re-
publican lawmakers mounting chal-
lenges to the 2020 outcome.
“I hope that our great vice presi-
dent comes through for us,” Trump
said at a rally in Georgia this week.
“He’s a great guy. Of course, if he
doesn’t come through, I won’t like
him quite as much.”
It’s not the first time lawmakers
have challenged results. Democrats
did in 2017 and 2005. But the inten-
sity of Trump’s challenge is like
nothing in modern times, and an
outpouring of current and elected
GOP officials warn the showdown
is sowing distrust in government
and eroding Americans’ faith in de-
mocracy.
“There is no constitutionally
viable means for the Congress to
overturn an election,” said Sen. Tim
Scott, R-S.C., announcing his refus-
al to join the effort on the eve of the
session.

Protesters backing Trump roll into capital to cheer him on

Supporter: ‘I’m not sure what he can
do at this point, but I want to hear
what he has to say’
BY ASHRAF KHALIL College. As temperatures
AND MICHAEL BALSAMO dropped to the low 40s
The Associated Press
and a steady rain swept
onto the streets, hun-
WASHINGTON —
dreds remained in the pla-
President Donald Trump’s
za into nightfall.
supporters have descend-
ed on the nation’s capi- “I’m just here to sup-
tal to cheer his baseless port the president,”
claims of election fraud said David Wideman, a
ahead of a congressional 45-year-old firefighter
vote to affirm Joe Biden’s who traveled from Mem-
election victory. phis, Tennessee.
The president is ex- Wideman acknowl-
pected to personally edged he was “confused”
address his supporters by a string of losses from
during a Wednesday the president’s legal team
morning rally on the El- in their attempt to over-
lipse, just south of the turn the results of the
White House. election and didn’t know
Just blocks from the what options Trump had
White House, protesters left.
— many without masks “I’m not sure what he
— gathered in Freedom can do at this point, but I
Plaza on Tuesday to decry want to hear what he has
the vote in the Electoral to say,” Wideman said.
Trump tweeted his
support for the protest-
ers: “Washington is being
inundated with people
who don’t want to see an
election victory stolen by
emboldened Radical Left
Democrats. Our Coun-
try has had enough, they
won’t take it anymore!
We hear you (and love
you) from the Oval Of-
fice. MAKE AMERICA
GREAT AGAIN!”
The speakers included
former Trump national
security adviser Michael
Flynn, whom the presi-
dent pardoned after he
was twice convicted of
lying to the FBI in special
counsel Robert Mueller’s
Russia investigation.
“We stand at a crucible
moment in United States
history,” Flynn told the
mostly maskless crowd.
“This country is awake
now.”
The protests coincide
with Wednesday’s con-
gressional vote expected
to certify the Electoral
College results, which
Trump continues to dis-
pute.
In a Tuesday evening
tweet, Trump called on
Democrats and fellow
Republicans to look at
the “thousands of people
pouring into D.C.” In an-
other tweet, he warned
that Antifa, the umbrella
term for leftist militant
groups that Trump has
said he wants to declare
a terrorist organization,
should stay out of Wash-
ington.
The rallies had local
officials and law enforce-
ment bracing for poten-
tial violent street clash-
es. Many businesses in
downtown Washington
boarded up their win-
dows, fearful that the pro-
test could devolve into the
unrest seen in May and
June when dozens of busi-
nesses were vandalized.

Judge bans Proud Boys leader from Washington after arrest

BY MICHAEL BALSAMO
AND COLLEEN LONG
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — A
judge has banned the lead-
er of the Proud Boys, a
far-right extremist group,
from the nation’s capital
after he was accused of
vandalizing a Black Lives
Matter banner at a histor-
ic Black church and found
with high-capacity fire-
arm magazines when he
was arrested.
The order bans Hen-
ry “Enrique” Tarrio, 36,
from entering the Dis-
trict of Columbia, with
very limited exceptions to
meet with his attorney or
appear in court. It comes
a day after he was ar-
rested arriving in Wash-
ington ahead of protests
planned by supporters of
President Donald Trump
to coincide with the con-
gressional vote expected
Wednesday to affirm Joe
Biden’s election victory.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 3A

Warnock makes history with Senate win as Dems near majority

Focus now shifts to race between Republican The focus now shifts to the
second race between Perdue
gia’s politics as the swelling
number of diverse, college-ed-
this is America, the 82-year-old
hands that used to pick some-
David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff and Democrat Jon Ossoff. The
candidates were locked in a
ucated voters flex their power
in the heart of the Deep South.
body else’s cotton picked her
youngest son to be a United
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A pastor who spent the past tight race and it was too early It follows Biden’s victory in No- States senator,” he said. “To-
15 years leading the Atlanta to call a winner. Under Georgia vember, when he became the night, we proved with hope,
ATLANTA — church where Martin Luther law, a trailing candidate may re- first Democratic presidential hard work and the people by
Democrat Rapha- King Jr. preached, Warnock quest a recount when the mar- candidate to carry the state our side, anything is possible.”
el Warnock won defeated Republican incumbent gin of an election is less than or since 1992.
The Associated Press de-
one of Georgia’s equal to 0.5 percentage points. Warnock, 51, acknowledged
Kelly Loeffler. It was a stinging clared Warnock the winner af-
two Senate run- If Ossoff wins, Democrats his improbable victory in a
offs Wednesday, rebuke of outgoing President ter an analysis of outstanding
will have complete control of message to supporters early
becoming the Donald Trump, who made one Congress, strengthening Pres- Wednesday, citing his family’s votes showed there was no way
first Black sena- of his final trips in office to ident-elect Joe Biden’s standing experience with poverty. His for Loeffler to catch up to his
tor in his state’s Warnock Georgia to rally his loyal base as he prepares to take office on mother, he said, used to pick lead. Warnock’s edge is like-
history and putting the Sen- behind Loeffler and the Repub- Jan. 20. “somebody else’s cotton” as a ly to grow as more ballots are
ate majority within the party’s lican running for the other seat, Warnock’s victory is a sym- teenager. counted, many of which were in
reach. David Perdue. bol of a striking shift in Geor- “The other day, because Democratic-leaning areas.

VACCINATIONS BEGIN FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS

Isabelle Altman/Dispatch Staff

Cars line up in the parking lot of the Lowndes County Health Department on Lehmberg Road Tuesday as nurses
with Mississippi State Department of Health vaccinate area health care workers at risk of coming into contact
with COVID-19. MSDH is offering the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at drive-through vaccination sites at health de-
partments in Columbus and Starkville this week as part of a statewide program to vaccinate health care workers.

Mississippi works to formalize

new state flag without rebel icon
Senators scheduled to finish passing for the new flag Wednes-
day, and Republican Gov.
a red field with a blue X
topped by 13 white stars.
the bill for the new flag today Tate Reeves is expected to
sign it into law.
Mississippi had used the
same flag since 1894, and
BY EMILY Legislators must put a de- “This new flag boldly critics have said for gener-
WAGSTER PETTUS scription of the new flag declares our trust in God, ations that the banner was
The Associated Press a racist symbol that failed
into state law. as a state,” Republican
House members voted House Speaker Philip to represent a state with
JACKSON — Missis-
119-1 to do that Tuesday, Gunn said Tuesday. “As the largest percentage of
sippi is a short step from
moments after the 2021 we enter into a new year, Black residents in the na-
formally adopting a new
state flag with a magnolia legislative session started. a new session, may God tion.
and the phrase “In God The only “no” vote came bless our efforts and may Democratic Rep. Rob-
We Trust” to replace a from Republican Rep. God bless the state of Mis- ert Johnson of Natchez,
Confederate-themed flag Steve Horne of Meridi- sissippi as we set sail un- who is Black, was among
legislators mothballed six an. He was among the 23 der this new flag.” the leaders who worked
months ago. House members who vot- Mississippi legislators to retire the Confeder-
Voters approved the ed against retiring the old voted in late June to get rid ate-themed flag. He said
new flag in November flag last year. of the last state flag in the Tuesday that the new flag
after a commission rec- Senators are scheduled U.S. that included the Con- represents a better future.
ommended the design. to finish passing the bill federate battle emblem —

Two arrested in New Year’s hit-and-run

DISPATCH STAFF REPORT lice station at about 5 a.m.
Friday. The victim was
Columbus police have taken to Baptist Memorial
arrested two people in Hospital-Golden Triangle
connection with a hit-and- with non life-threatening
run early New Year’s Day. injuries.
Jacqueline Noel Mc- Palmer was arrested
Alexander, of Columbus, later that day, and Mc-
and Zachary Charles McAlexander Palmer
Alexander was arrested
Palmer, of Caledonia, both Sunday.
26, have been charged Columbus Police Chief McAlexander is still
with leaving the scene of Fred Shelton said McAl- in custody at Lowndes
an accident with injuries, exander and Palmer were County Adult Detention
according to Lowndes in a vehicle that struck a Center on $7,500 bond.
County Adult Detention male pedestrian on Main Palmer has been released
Center records. Street in front of the po- on $12,500 bond.

SOLUNAR TABLE
LCSO arrests one in connection with November armed robbery The solunar period indicates
peak-feeding times for fish and game.
Wed. Thurs.
9:13a
DISPATCH STAFF REPORT felon in possession of the items and left. Major
Minor
7:13a
1:32a 2:32a
a weapon, according to Deputies arrested Major NA NA
2:43p
Deputies an LCSO press release. Handley during a traffic
Minor 1:43p
Courtesy of Mississippi Department
of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
with Lown- Authorities had issued a stop on Monday, during

The Dispatch
des County warrant for his arrest af- which they discovered he
Sher i f f ’s ter he allegedly stole sev- had a bowie knife, lead-
Office have eral items from a Dallas ing to the possession of a
arrested The Commercial Dispatch (USPS 142-320)
Drive home on Nov. 29. weapon charge. Accord- Published daily except Saturday. Answers to common questions:
a suspect The homeowner ar- ing to court records, he Entered at the post office at Columbus, Mississippi.
accused of rived at his residence to was previously convicted Periodicals postage paid at Columbus, MS Phone: 662-328-2424
POSTMASTER, Send address changes to:
robbing a Handley see Handley loading the of two counts of burglary The Commercial Dispatch, P.O. Box 511, Columbus, MS 39703 Website: cdispatch.com/help
home on stolen goods into his ve- of an automobile in Lown- Published by Commercial Dispatch Publishing Company Inc., Report a news tip: news@cdispatch.com
516 Main St., Columbus, MS 39703
Dallas Drive at gunpoint hicle, according to the des County in 2011.
in November. press release. When the Handley is currently
Anthony Gaige Hand- owner confronted Han- in custody at Lowndes
ley, 28, has been charged dley, Handley allegedly County Adult Detention If you don’t read The Dispatch, how are you gonna know?
with armed robbery and pulled a gun on him, took Center with no bond.
Opinion
4A WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021
PETER BIRNEY IMES Editor/Publisher
BIRNEY IMES III Editor/Publisher 1998-2018
BIRNEY IMES JR. Editor/Publisher 1947-2003

Dispatch
The
BIRNEY IMES SR. Editor/Publisher 1922-1947
ZACK PLAIR, Managing Editor
BETH PROFFITT Advertising Director
MICHAEL FLOYD Circulation/Production Manager
MARY ANN HARDY Controller

SLIMANTICS

Politics in its purest form

W
hen good argument cal politics on this level, as it constituents. There’s an awful invested in the community in
voters in that most towns/ should be. lot to be said for that. a deep, personal way. When
the town cities in Mississip- So, in an important way, In a town the size of Cale- alderman Tammy McCool’s
of Caledonia got to pi would do well to Caledonia is an example of donia, the issues/challenges/ mom died this summer, she
the polls to elect a follow Caledonia’s politics in its purest, most opportunities may be fewer had almost made up her mind
mayor and board process. Political simple form. and less complex, but they are not to run for a second term
of aldermen this party affiliations That is not to say they are by no means less important. this year. But then she saw the
summer, no one — more specifical- without drama, especially in When a business closes way the community reached
will be thinking ly political party the mayor’s races of late. In in a larger town or city, it’s out to her in the days follow-
of George Wash- ideologies — are 2017, Mitch Wiggins defeated regrettable. When a business ing her mom’s death. She
ington, although a largely irrelevant to incumbent mayor Bill Law- closes in Caledonia, it’s a said that played a role in her
connection can be most local govern- rence by a single vote and threat to the town’s budget, decision to run again.
made between the Slim Smith ments. Abortion previous mayor’s races have which relies heavily on sale It’s hard to say how long
nation’s first presi- and climate change been decided by just a handful tax receipts to run it’s opera- the dynamics that surround
dent and the small aren’t on the agen- of votes. tions. elections in Caledonia will
Mississippi town. da. You aren’t likely to hear There is another quality For years, Caledonia persist. The town is growing.
The manner in which any candidate for municipal found in small-town elections elections have been, quite New people are moving in,
Caledonia voters select their office talking about how a vote that sets them apart. They are literally, family affairs. In bringing with them new ideas
leaders is the closest thing we for them is a vote against the intimate affairs. Caledonia, the family tree of and approaches, which is a
have to the way Washington “coastal elites” or “creeping Quinn Parham, who has town government still traces healthy thing.
was elevated to the presidency socialism.” served three terms as a Cale- its lineage to a handful of But for now, Caledonia elec-
in 1789. But in Caledonia you likely donia alderman and will run families, including the Eggers tions are as they have always
Of our nation’s soon-to-be will hear the candidates talk for mayor this year, under- (the town was once known as been - straight-forward and
46 presidents, Washington about street conditions, what’s stands that as well as anyone. Eggersville, after all). intimate, neighbors choosing
was the only president to run going on at the park or plans “You can’t go get a biscuit Those candidates who among neighbors.
without political affiliation. to add a new patrol car, etc. in this town without some- don’t have ties to the founding There’s a lot to be said for
That’s how it has always The absence of political body telling what they think families almost always are that where it does and where
been in Caledonia. Candidates party affiliation removes the of something you did in the Caledonia born and raised. it can exist.
do not run by political affilia- nonsense that obscures and board meeting,” Parham said. Most have never lived any- Slim Smith is a columnist
tion, so there are no primary confuses the electorate on Accountability is never an where else. and feature writer for The
elections nor primary runoffs. the national scale. It’s pretty issue in Caledonia. You live, The good part of that is Dispatch. His email address is
You could make a pretty much a competition of practi- work and play surrounded by that Caledonia candidates are ssmith@cdispatch.com.

THE MEDIA
The Wall Street journal epitomizes
the failure of elite conservatism
T
he Wall Street Journal editorial page
is probably the most influential elite
conservative outlet in the country. Fox
News, talk radio and the rest may hold more
sway with the grassroots, but the Journal has
always been the gold standard for educated
opinion shapers. Millions of busy people who
may not follow politics closely rely on the Jour-
nal to provide a sober voice of informed conser-
vatism to balance or rebut the editorial page of
The New York Times.
In the Trump era, the Journal’s editorial
board has betrayed its readers. It has trimmed Mona Charen
and hemmed and to-be-sured its way through
the most sustained assault on truth and the American political order of
our lifetime. Every now and then — usually on textbook economic matters
like tariffs — the board has issued stern rebukes of the president’s poli-
cies. But rarely. For the most part, it has retreated into anti-anti-Trump- MISSISSIPPI VOICES
ism, averting its gaze from the president and focusing disproportionately
on his opponents. Some columnists have become outright cheerleaders
for the Russia hoax narrative.
Their Jan. 3 editorial is a classic of the genre. They began with both
Mississippi’s moment
A
sidesism: mericans But tax policy isn’t the only path to ex-
“As Americans like to tell the world, a hallmark of democracy is the have been panding opportunity. Sec. of State Michael
willingness to accept defeat and the peaceful transfer of power. The trag- drowning in Watson has launched an effort to “Tackle
edy of the last two presidential elections has been the refusal of partisans a sea of COVID-19, the Tape,” a reference to looking at how reg-
to accept defeat, and public trust in American self-government is eroding social unrest, and ulations impact the ability of Mississippians
as a result.” election turmoil. to earn a good living.
No. The Democrats did not decline to accept defeat in 2016. Hillary The waves have Economists have estimated that if
Clinton conceded, albeit with insinuations that the Russians had helped not yet calmed, but regulation had been frozen at 1980s levels,
Trump. But grumbling about your loss is a far cry from contesting it. A shore is in sight. A the U.S. economy would be over $4 tril-
few Democrats lodged complaints about the vote in January 2017 when the day is approaching lion larger than it currently is. That’s over
Electoral College results were read out. (Search YouTube for “Multiple ob- when vaccines will $13,000 for every man, woman, and child in
jections raised over electoral votes for Trump”) for the way the then-presi- be distributed, America. And regulatory accumulation has
dent of the Senate and sitting vice president handled those matters. election contests Russ Latino a disproportionate impact on disadvantaged
Today, the Journal concedes, “Too many Republicans refuse to accept cease, and we populations, who can neither navigate the
Mr. Trump’s defeat.” They note that the Senators who have agreed to can take stock of complexity nor afford the price of entry.
contest the Electoral College count this week cite no evidence of fraud, frayed lines across the country. It’s not just federal regulations. There
“Instead they cite ‘allegations of fraud and irregularities’ that feed ‘deep Leadership can come from unlikely plac- are 9.3 million words worth of regulations
distrust’ of the results — distrust they and the President are feeding.” So es. Mississippi has a moment to prove it. in Mississippi created by unelected govern-
far, so good. But then, in a typical misfire, the editors caution that “this is The state’s problems are well documented. ment officials. They make up nearly 118,000
a ... lousy political strategy for returning to power.” Ah. So that’s the main But in recent months, Mississippi leaders regulatory requirements.
issue then? It gets worse: have also shown flashes of vision. “Red Tape” reduction efforts like the
“The GOP electoral focus now should be on minimizing the damage Mississippi’s streets held protests in the one proposed by Watson have been demon-
of the Biden-Nancy Pelosi agenda, and that includes making the case for wake of George Floyd’s death, but didn’t see strated effective in other places. In the
reforms to restore trust in elections. This is mainly a state duty, but the the violence and destruction experienced last decade, lawmakers in British Colum-
national party can do better at exploiting the rules as they exist. That elsewhere. Lawmakers responded in cour- bia worked with public sector workers to
includes more consistent rules for securing the integrity of mail-in ballots, age by retiring the state flag. In November, streamline, reducing regulations by over 40
and a better litigation strategy before elections to block Democratic over 70 percent of Mississippians voted in percent. In Idaho last year, Gov. Brad Little
support of a new flag design. led an effort to repeal the entire regulatory
attempts to change rules at the last minute.”
But the state’s opportunity is more than code and replace it with a smaller package.
Thus, the WSJ editorial page gives its imprimatur to the lies that are
symbolic. For generations, Mississippi has One particularly impactful area of
the basis for the current crisis — a crisis they do not recognize.
been last in the things you would want to regulation relates to occupational licensing
Those Republicans — the ones whose electoral fate the Journal is so
be first in, and first in the things you would — essentially a set of government permis-
tender about — are joining a putsch attempt. They are helping an un-
want to be last in. Take, for instance, our sion slips to work. In 2017, I worked with
hinged president to spread dangerous lies about the election and lending
labor force participation rate, which at 56.4 then-Gov. Phil Bryant to design a system of
their weight to an effort to overcome the will of the voters. And the Wall percent is one of the worst in the nation, or review for new occupational regulations to
Street Journal thinks this is the time to talk about the danger of the Demo- our lowest in the nation per capita income. ensure that the state was not discouraging
crats “changing rules at the last minute?” They cannot see — or refuse to Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann has made entrepreneurship. It was the first law of
see — what is in front of their faces. The president of the United States is clear that raising the labor force participa- its kind in the country. Last year, the law
attempting to subvert the democratic process. He is calling on his follow- tion rate is one of his top priorities. Both was expanded to allow additional review.
ers to swarm Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6. For what conceivable purpose? Gov. Tate Reeves and Speaker Gunn have Commission members, including Attorney
Last week, dismissing concerns about this scenario, the Journal noted voiced support for elimination of the income General Lynn Fitch, Watson and Reeves
equably that “Mr. Pence is too much of a patriot to go along.” That held up tax. There is evidence to suggest that these have all shown support for using the tool to
well. The editorial concluded this way: goals could be intertwined. help Mississippi’s workers.
“But the scramble to overturn the will of the voters tarnishes Mr. The nine states without income taxes There will be time to delve into and de-
Trump’s legacy and undermines any designs he has on running in 2024. have experienced both population and eco- bate each idea. Each necessitates thought-
Republicans who humor him will be giving Democrats license to do the nomic growth that has resulted in dramatic ful planning, good data, and a willingness
same in the future, and then it might matter.” personal and household income increases to listen and compromise. At a minimum,
No, it matters now. Never more than now. It isn’t about the precedent over the last decade, particularly in compar- Mississippi leaders have signaled aware-
that this might set for some imagined Democratic abuse of the future. The ison to Mississippi. Each of the nine states ness that it is not enough to nibble around
abuse is here. The abuse of power is now. This is a constitutional crisis also has a substantially higher labor force the edges when you’re in last place. You
because one party has decided that it cares more for power than for the participation rate. have to set audacious targets that inspire
American system. Giving one iota of support for Trump’s unconstitutional The idea is simple. The more money people to action.
coup attempt is discrediting for every politician and commentator who Mississippi workers can keep in their pock- This is Mississippi’s moment.
fails to call it out loudly and unequivocally. A decent few, like Sens. Ben ets, the more they can invest in their fami- Russ Latino is president at Empower
Sasse and Mitt Romney have done so. Find your voice, or don’t insult us lies, their communities and their business- Mississippi, where he oversees the organiza-
by calling yourself a patriot. es. Increased consumption in the economy tion’s public policy work. He can be reached
Mona Charen is a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. drives new jobs and higher wages. at russ@empowerms.org.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 5A

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OBITUARY POLICY
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more information, call 662-
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Tenesa Clemmons
COLUMBUS — Te-
nesa Clemmons, 42,
died Dec. 24, 2020.
Arrangements are
incomplete and will be
announced by Lee-
Sykes Funeral Home of
Columbus.
William Gray
COLUMBUS — Wil-
liam Gray, 80, died Jan.
No services will
be held at this time.
Dowdle Funeral Home
of Vernon is in charge of
arrangements.
Mr. McAdams was
born Nov. 9, 1950, in
Fayette, to the late
James S. and Marian
McAdams. He attended
Kennedy High School
and was a graduate of
the University of Ala-
bama and Samford Uni-
versity. He was formerly
employed with several
Fortune 500 companies
and was a founding
partner of Team Air
Distributing Inc. He
was a member of St.
Luke United Methodist
Church.
He is survived by his
wife, Roxie Trull McAd-
ams; daughter, Jamie;
son, Kyle; and brothers,
Steve of Newnan, Geor-
gia and Terry of Vernon.
Memorials may be
made to St. Luke United
Methodist Church,
2605 Skyland Blvd. E.,
Tuscaloosa, AL 35405 or
to Hospice of West Ala-
bama, 3851 Loop Road,
Tuscaloosa, AL 35404.
George Steel
COLUMBUS —
George Young Steel,
89, died Jan. 4, 2021, at
Trinity Personal Care.
Graveside services
will be at 11 a.m. today,
at Memorial Gardens,
with Charley Whitney
officiating. Burial will
AREA OBITUARIES
In addition to her par- Brame. He was formerly West Memorial Chap- ben, Myrtle Mitchell of
ents, she was preceded employed with Modern el. Burial will follow at Starkville, Walter Logan
in death by her brother, Pool and Spa. New Bethel Cemetery of Maben and Donell
Alvin Williams. of Starkville. Visitation Logan of Starkville;
She is survived by Clifford Glenn is from 2-6 p.m. today, step-mother, Earline
her children, Chris MACON — Clifford at the funeral home. Logan of Maben; and
Lackey and Brad Lack- Earl Glenn, 61, died West Memorial Funeral eight grandchildren.
ey; siblings, Debbie Dec. 31, 2020, at Noxu- Home of Starkville is
Thaggard, Wayne bee General Hospital of in charge of arrange- Mary Jordan
Williams and Tommy Macon. ments.
COLUMBUS —
Williams; and four Arrangements are She is survived by
Mary Jordan, 77, died
grandchildren. incomplete and will be her children, Terry Jan. 5, 2021.
Memorials may be announced by Lee- Lynn Potts and Lindsey Arrangements are
made to Operation Sykes Funeral Home of Washington, both of incomplete and will be
Christmas Child,℅Calva- Macon.
Maben; siblings, Fannie announced by Carter’s
ry Baptist Church, 105 Logan, Leather Logan, Funeral Services of
Dent St., Macon, MS, Newessa Hill Joyce Logan all of Ma- Columbus.
39341. MACON — Newessa
Hill, 92, died Dec. 28,
Nelia Taylor 2020.
MACON — Nelia Graveside services
Mae Taylor, 79, died are at 1 p.m. today, at
Dec. 31, 2020, at her St. Paul U.M. Church
residence. Cemetery. Lee-Sykes
Arrangements are Funeral Home of Macon
incomplete and will be is in charge of arrange-
announced by Lee- ments.
Sykes Funeral Home of
Macon. Brenda Banks-Rice
BROOKSVILLE —
Thomas Brame Brenda Banks-Rice, 63,
died Jan. 5, 2021, at her
Steven Lee Van Asselt
STEENS — Thomas
Clay Brame, 53, died residence.
Jan. 5, 2021, at Bap- Arrangements are
tist Memorial Hospi- incomplete and will be
Steven Lee “Steve” Van
tal-Golden Triangle. announced by Carter’s Asselt, 68, died December 30,
No services are Funeral Services of 2020, at Baptist Memorial Hos-
planned at this time. Columbus. pital in Columbus, Mississip-
Lowndes Funeral pi. Steve was born on Septem-
Home of Columbus is Ella Washington ber 23, 1952, in Grand Rapids,
in charge of arrange- MABEN — Ella Michigan, to Harold Van Asselt
ments. Sara Washington, 61, and Shirley Jean Vander Werf.
Mr. Brame was born died Dec. 23, 2020, in He graduated with a Bach-
April 18, 1967, in Geor- Starkville. elor of Science in Economics
gia, to Mary Featherson Services will be at from Grand Valley State University in Allen-
dale, Michigan and earned a Masters Degree
Brame and the late E.J. 11 a.m. Thursday, at
in Business from Michigan State University in

5, 2021, at the Windsor
Place.
Arrangements are
incomplete and will be
announced by Hairston
and Hairston Funeral
Home of Columbus.
McCray Spann
SHUQUALAK —
McCray Spann, 61,
died Jan. 1, 2021, at his
residence.
Arrangements are
incomplete and will be
announced by Lee-
Sykes Funeral Home of
Macon.
Bertha Ballard
COLUMBUS — Ber-
tha Ballard, 64, died
Jan. 5, 2021, at Baptist
Memorial Hospi-
tal-Golden Triangle.
Arrangements are
incomplete and will be
announced by Hairston
and Hairston Funeral
Home of Columbus.
David McAdams
FAYETTE, Ala. —
David McAdams, 70,
died Jan. 4, 2021, at Hos-
pice of West Alabama,
in Tuscaloosa.
If I’ve already had
the coronavirus,
can I get it again?
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
If I’ve already had the
coronavirus, can I get it
again?
It’s possible, but such
cases seem to be rare.
It’s not unusual to de-
velop some immunity to
a virus after an infection,
since our bodies are gen-
erally better at recogniz-
ing and fighting off bugs
they’ve encountered be-
fore. And that seems to
be the case with the coro-
navirus as well, though
scientists are still trying
to figure out how long any
protection might last.
Some reinfections have
been confirmed, but two
new studies suggest that’s
very unusual.
In one, only two out of
1,265 health workers in the
United Kingdom who were
previously infected ended
up testing positive again
for the coronavirus in the
following six months. In
another study of people in
the U.S., only 0.3 percent
of people who had been
infected tested positive for
the virus over the next sev-
eral months.
follow. Memorial Gunter
Peel Funeral Home
and Crematory, Second
Avenue North location,
is in charge of arrange-
ments.
He is survived by his
sons, Carey Steel and
Jason Steel; and three
grandchildren.
Wanda Lackey
MACON — Wanda
Williams Lackey, 59,
died Jan. 1, 2021, at
Merit Health Rankin of
Brandon.
Graveside services
were held Tuesday, at
Soule Chapel Cemetery,
with Bill Ross officiat-
ing. Cockrell Funeral
Home of Macon was
in charge of arrange-
ments.
Mrs. Lackey was
born April 8, 1961, in
Macon, to the late Er-
nest Luther and Minnie
Bell Patterson Williams.
She was a graduate of
Central Academy and
was formerly employed
at Louisville Health
Care. She was a mem-
ber of Calvary Baptist
Church.
George Steel
Graveside Services:
Wednesday, Jan. 6 • 11 AM
Memorial Gardens
Burial
Memorial Gardens
2nd Ave. N. Location
Nancy Campassi
Funeral Mass:
Friday, Jan. 8 • 11 AM
Annunciation Catholic Church
Burial
Friendship Cemetery
College St. Location
Steve Van Asselt
Held At A Later Date
College St. Location
James Anderson III
Incomplete
College St. Location
memorialgunterpeel.com
Share the road
Watch for cyclists
Nancy Campassi
Nancy McConnell Campassi, born November
9, 1930, passed away on January 4, 2021, at the
age of 90, surrounded by her family that loved
her. She left behind her two children, Kyle Mc-
Connell (Neva) and Leanne Hardin (Chris), both
being her pride and joy. She also left behind six
grandchildren, Suzy Robertson, Mallory Bau-
com, Casey Thomas, Morgan Henry, Emily Har-
rison, and Jayce Hardin, and her ten great-grand-
children. Nothing brought her more joy than
seeing her grandchildren become parents and
her great-grandchildren growing, learning, and
thriving.
Nancy was born in the small town of New Ma-
drid, Missouri, to her parents Henry “Buddy”
and Mary Coon. From a young age, Nancy was a
devout Catholic and a force to be reckoned with,
never stopping until her ambitions were achieved.
She converted to Catholicism at the age of nine,
and fiercely loved the Catholic Church the entire-
ty of her life.
She believed in a strong education and loved
to continually educate herself while pursuing the
hobbies she loved such as flowers, cooking, and
letter writing. Nancy loved floral design, and she
owned and operated the Gazebo Garden Center
in Columbus, Mississippi for many years.
She taught herself how to cook and bake, and
her family loved when they were able to pick
their annual birthday dessert from “Nan” - she
could bake them all from scratch with a whole
lot of love. She had a passion for writing letters
and was still writing to many up until the weeks
before she passed away. She had a great talent for
written expression, and her words will be cher-
ished by many.
Nancy had a strong passion for both fashion
and candy. She was always dressed beautifully to
the nines, and her granddaughters were always
borrowing her clothes and jewelry. Others were
shocked when they learned they had borrowed
the items from their grandmother - she always
had the best sense of style and loved to go on a
shopping spree!
It was no secret that she had a large sweet
tooth and that she undoubtedly passed this trait
on to all of her great-grandchildren. She always
had a box of Russell Stover chocolates for her-
self and a large stash of all types of candies for
her great-grandchildren. They knew that Nan
always had their favorites when they visited her,
and she would always send them home with a
bag of candy for later. She would be proud that
they think candy counts as a meal!
A Funeral Mass will be held at Annunciation
Catholic Church on Friday, January 8, 2021, at
11:00 AM. Immediately following will be a grave-
side service at Friendship Cemetery. Memorial
Gunter Peel Funeral Home & Crematory, 903
College Street location, has been entrusted with
the arrangements.
All pallbearers will be members of the family.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to
Annunciation Catholic School Capital Campaign
at 223 North Browder Street, Columbus, Missis-
sippi 39702 or the T.K. Martin Center for Tech-
nology and Disability at 326 Hardy Road, P.O.
Box 9736, Mississippi State University, Missis-
sippi 39762.
We will always carry her memory in our
hearts. “Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and
let perpetual light shine upon her.”
Sign the online guest book at
www.memorialgunterpeel.com
903 College Street • Columbus, MS
East Lansing, Michigan. After graduation, Steve
was hired by Whirlpool Corporation in Benton
Harbor, Michigan as a Transportation Manager.
He married Catherine Anne Murphy, and they
moved to Seattle, Washington, where he worked
5 years for Weyerhaeuser Paper Company as a
Transportation Manager at the company head-
quarters. He transferred to the Weyerhaeuser
paper mill in Valliant, Oklahoma as a Transpor-
tation Manager also for 5 years. He then moved
to work at the the Weyerhaeuser Columbus Pulp
and Paper Complex in Mississippi. There he was
Process Manager in Transportation and Vice
President and General Manager of the Golden
Triangle Railroad. Steve’s interest and ability in
computers through the years led him to a new
career path within the same company as an In-
formation Technology Server Administrator. He
was a Microsoft Certified Professional Systems
Engineer and a Cisco Certified Network Associ-
ate. When Weyerhaeuser outsourced their Co-
lumbus computer operations, Steve became an
employee of Hewlett-Packard Company EDS.
After retirement, Steve studied business con-
tinuity planning and started his own computer
consulting company: Logistics Data Protection
Services.
Steve was kind, hard-working, practical, and
some would even say, thrifty. He played tennis
and his men’s doubles team went to USTA Na-
tionals in Arizona. He enjoyed family trips to the
Gulf Coast and a riverboat cruise on the Mis-
sissippi River out of New Orleans for their 40th
Wedding Anniversary. He handled the computer
needs at Annunciation Catholic Church for many
years. He was stoic in times of adversity, never
complaining about his circumstances or health
challenges. Steve’s love for technology carried
on into retirement. He was determined to auto-
mate his household. Whether it was setting up
wi-fi lighting, motion sensors, security cameras
and alarms, or automatic dog feeders, he enjoyed
the challenge and success that came as a result.
A great guy; faithful, stalwart, dedicated to fami-
ly and church. Steve and his brother, Dave, often
reflected on one of their more embarrassing mo-
ments. The two were blessed to be able to wear
each other’s clothes. However, this wasn’t always
a good thing. One Sunday morning, they each
arrived at church to discover Dave wearing the
pants and Steve wearing the matching jacket of
a ridiculously loud plaid suit, thus evoking laugh-
ter from a typically somber crowd.
Steven Lee Van Asselt was preceded in death
by his parents; and his sister, Linda Jo Van Asselt.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 41 years,
Catherine; sons, Lee John, (Angela) Birming-
ham, AL, Brad Steven, Starkville, MS, and Scott
David, Southaven, MS; brother, David Jon Van
Asselt, (Carol) South Lyons, MI; and aunt, Mary
Ellen Staff, Salem, OR; grandsons, Ethan Lee
Van Asselt and Davis Edward Van Asselt, Bir-
mingham, AL; nephews, Trevor Jon Van Asselt
and Bryce David Van Asselt, South Lyons, MI;
and mother-in-law, Rosemarie Murphy, Colum-
bus, MS.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Memorial Gunter Peel Funeral Home & Crema-
tory, College Street location, has been entrusted
with the arrangements.
Memorials may be made to Annunciation
Catholic Church: 823 College Street, Columbus,
MS 39701.
“So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the
old things have passed away; behold, new things
have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
Sign the online guest book at
www.memorialgunterpeel.com
903 College Street • Columbus, MS
6A WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Task force
Continued from Page 1A
night on Shannon Street
in East Columbus. Police
Chief Fred Shelton told
The Dispatch a stray bul-
let entered a home on the
street and struck a res-
ident, who was taken to
Baptist Memorial Hospi-
tal-Golden Triangle with
non life-threatening in-
juries and later released.
No suspects have been
arrested in that case.
Smith said he wants to
form the task force partly
in response to those inci-
dents, as well as other old-
er or more minor crimes
around the city. He said
he hopes to form a group
of about 15 residents from
all over Columbus to work
with Shelton and officials
in the Criminal Investiga-
tion Division.
“You’ll have a diverse
group of people across
the city,” Smith told The
Dispatch after Tuesday’s
council meeting. “... The
purpose of it is to get in-
put from people in the
community, see what we
need to do to talk to our
youth and come up with
some type of … game
plan as to what we can do
to help decrease crime.”
Smith said it will be
different from previous-
ly formed neighborhood
watch groups because it
will focus on all of Colum-
bus rather than one par-
ticular area. He added he
hopes the task force will
focus on more issues than
just solving crimes.
“A lot of the causes of
the crime have to do with
unemployment, pover-
ty, parental neglect, low
self-esteem, domestic vio-
lence, alcohol and drugs,”
Smith said.
He said he hopes to
have volunteers reach
out to him on the City of
Columbus Facebook page
or call his office so he can
come up with a plan for
who will be on the task
force and when members
will meet “hopefully by
next Monday.”
While council mem-
bers said they hadn’t
known about Smith’s plan
prior to his announce-
ment, they thought it was
a good idea.
“Ain’t nothing wrong
with trying to develop a
relationship
inside the
communi-
ty, because
(cit i zens
can’t) help
you when
cases arise
and things Mickens
h a p p e n
within the city,” Ward
2 Councilman Joseph
Mickens said. “People are
more (apt) to talk to you if
they see you in the com-
munity a lot, and you talk
to the community. I can
see that as a plus.”
Ward 3 Councilman
Charlie Box, in whose
ward the Saturday night
shooting and McDon-
ald’s shooting occurred,
agreed.
“I know (city adminis-
tration is) just concerned
about the or grandchild that will (Mississippi Department
violence hear of it,” Stewart said. of Transportation) is OK
and stuff “You just don’t publicize with it, the contractor is
that’s go- things that you’re going OK with it,” Smith said.
ing on, not to do in front of law en- The roundabout was
just in Co- forcement, so if you get planned as a traffic calm-
lumbus but the citizen(s) and you get ing measure to slow
throughout law enforcement, you get down drivers traveling in
the coun- Box together, you work, you and out of town at high
try,” Box put the word out there ...
said. “I think we need to speeds, since roughly 60
I think it will hopefully,
kind of get together and percent of the accidents
not catch someone, but
talk about some things. along the corridor happen
discourage people from
Maybe we can slow this committing crimes with- at the intersection, Staf-
stuff down a little bit.” in neighborhoods.” ford said in July.
Ward 1 Councilwom- Construction began in
an Ethel Stewart said July after the city council
she hopes
Downtown roundabout approved the $761,000
the task near completion project in April. The
force deters In other business, Mississippi Department
crime by Smith said City Engi-
of Transportation is re-
giving citi- neer Kevin Stafford told
sponsible for 80 percent
zens an out- him earlier this week the
of the cost, or $668,000,
let to com- roundabout being built at
the intersection of Main while the city covers the
municate
and Second streets down- remaining $172,000.
with law en- Stewart
forcement. town is nearly completed, Phillips Contracting
“Usually if people who and that the intersection of Columbus is working
are to be mischievous should be open to traffic on the roundabout, and
and commit a crime, it’s again by Friday. Neel-Schaffer Engineer-
(more likely to be a) cit- “There’ll be some ing is in charge of con-
izen or resident that will signage that’ll probably ducting inspections and
hear of it or have a child need to be added, but testing at the site.

Miller
Continued from Page 1A
which The W already did
well prior to COVID-19.
Last fall, 53 percent of the
university’s credit-hours
were produced via on-
line delivery. This fall,
that number increased to
80 percent, and the few
in-person classes avail-
able have hybrid flex op-
tions that allow students
to miss class if they can’t
come to campus.
As of Dec. 18, the end
of the fall semester, 73
students and 26 faculty
and staff members have
tested positive for the vi-
rus. The university has
reserved a residence hall
that can hold 24 people
for those needing to iso-
late or quarantine; the
capacity limit was only
strained for one night this
fall, Miller said.
“All in all, I think we’re
doing pretty well with this
— very proud of how our
faculty have been accom-
modating our students
through this,” she said.
Owls ‘on the hunt
for a conference’
MUW suspended all
athletic competition this
fall, and the Owls’ sports
teams will play a limit-
ed schedule this spring,
Miller said.
But the school’s admin-
istration has been plenty
active in its search for a
conference to join.
The W is in its second
school year as a provi-
sional member of NCAA
Division III after moving
up from the United States
Collegiate Athletic Asso-
ciation, and Miller said
the Owls are currently
“on the hunt for a confer-
ence.”
One option, the Amer-
ican Southwest Confer-
ence, would require a lot
of travel to West Texas;
another, the St. Louis
Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference, would make
travel easier.
Miller said The W
applied to the SLIAC,
which includes schools
like Webster Universi-
ty (Missouri) and Iowa
Wesleyan, but the league
deferred the decision in
December to wait and
see how the pandemic
affects other schools.
Miller mentioned that it’s
possible that Division II
schools drop to D-III or
that some private D-III
institutions do away with
sports entirely.
The lack of other pub-
lic D-III institutions in the
area is a hindrance for
The W, Miller said, and
the school hopes to part-
ner with another such
university in Arkansas or
Tennessee to join a con-
ference together.
MUW relieved Athlet-
ic Director Jason Trufant
of his duties on Dec. 16 af-
ter a five-month Dispatch
investigation into his con-
duct in the position and
installed softball coach
Charles “Buddy” Foster
as interim AD.
Changes in enrollment
According to a survey
by the National Student
Clearinghouse Research
Center, 21.7 percent fewer
graduates went immedi-
ately from high school to
college this fall compared
to 2019.
MUW was no excep-
tion to the nationwide
trend.
The school’s overall
enrollment this fall was
down 3.84 percent from
fall 2019, according to
data Miller shared Tues-
day. The W lost 42 dual
credit/dual enrollment
students, 62 students
from its RN to BSN pro-
gram and 19 international
students.
New freshman enroll-
ment was up 8.57 per-
cent over the past year,
however. Miller pointed
to MUW’s smaller en-
vironment, single occu-
pancy only dorm rooms
and smaller class sizes as
possible reasons for the
increase.
“There’s some good
news in all of that,” she
said.
What’s next for The W
Miller said MUW re-
ceived roughly $1.5 mil-
lion in funding from the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief,
and Economic Securi-
ty (CARES) Act in the
spring.
The university,
though, could only jus-
tify spending about $1
million under the law’s
guidelines. That money
went toward recouping
lost room and board rev-
enue, purchasing laptops
and other equipment for
remote working, updating
the WiFi system on cam-
pus and more.
The W, which also re-
ceived about $350,000
from the Woodward
Hines Education Founda-
tion to help with recruit-
ment and retention of stu-
dents, has other plans as
it looks toward the future,
Miller said.
A new culinary arts
building — a $13 million
investment — is among
those plans. The new facil-
ity would have four kitch-
ens (the current building
has just one) as well as
an event space that would
create opportunities for
celebrity chefs to come in
for demonstrations.
“It’s a great need,”
Miller said.

Aldermen
Continued from Page 1A
cigar shop’s Starkville
location, planned for the
former Mugshots build-
ing at the intersection of
Main and Washington
streets.
Higgins opened the
original Spring Street
Cigars location in Tupe-
lo in 2014 and also has
locations in Oxford and
Booneville, as well as one
set to open in Southav-
en this year. He told The
Dispatch he hopes the
Starkville location will be
open by summer.
“The building has so
much unique space in it
that we need some addi-
tional things in it to be
able to utilize it fully, so
(what) we thought we
would do is bring in a
brewpub,” Higgins said.
The aldermen voted
6-1, with Ward 1 Alder-
man Ben Carver dissent-
ing, to call for the first of
two public hearings on
the proposed ordinance
change. The board can
vote on the change after
the second hearing.
The state Department
of Revenue requires es-
tablishments that sell
alcoholic beverages to
garner 25 percent of their
total annual sales from
preparing and serving
food. However, state law
does not define beer as an
“alcoholic beverage” and
instead classifies it as “an
alcoholic content of not
more than eight percent
(8 percent) by weight.”
The 25-percent rule
does not apply to brew-
pubs, so changing the
city’s ordinance would
comply with state law, ly would not
City Attorney Chris La- patronize
timer said. the shop
The aldermen voted but sup-
unanimously in Decem- ports bring-
ber to amend Starkville’s ing it to
anti-smoking ordinance S t a rk v i l le,
to allow smoking loung- calling it a
es in the city’s leisure “way cool Spruill
and entertainment dis- vibe.”
trict, which allows open Ward 5 Alderman
containers of alcohol Hamp Beatty told The
throughout most of down- Dispatch
town and the Cotton Dis- he likes the
trict. The proposed allow- new con-
ance of brewpubs would cepts of a
also only apply to the lei- cigar shop
sure district. and brew-
Mayor Lynn Spruill pub for
discouraged Higgins Starkville.
from eventually turning “I see Beatty
Spring Street Cigars into (brewpubs)
a restaurant because in Memphis and I see
“smoking and eating are those in Nashville,” he
not supposed to go togeth- said. “Mississippi is be-
er.” She said she personal- hind, so to finally get one
here is kind of neat.”
Ward 4 Alderman Ja-
son Walker said he sup-
ports considering the
change but sees some po-
tential challenges for the
city if it passes.
“I think first and fore-
most, we’ll be monitoring
to make
sure that
the micro-
brewery
falls in the
state law
thresh-
old and to
make sure Walker
the other
restaurants understand
what the ramifications
are if they’d like to change
their business model
and become a brewpub,”
Walker said.
Carver had a list of rea-
sons for op-
posing the
potential
ordina nce
change,
including
“the prece-
dent it sets Carver
in the com-
munity from a policing
standpoint” if an estab-
lishment offers alcohol
without food.
“I would be very inter-
ested in a culinary option
being provided for pa-
trons here (at the Mug-
shots building),” Carver
said. “This is obviously
a statement place down-
town, and I can’t imagine
somebody going into a
place downtown and hav-
ing a beverage option but
not having a food option.”

Caledonia
Continued from Page 1A
ler Brock said he will not
seek a second term.
The two other alder-
men — Matt Furnari and
Tammy McCool — said
they intend to seek anoth-
er term, the second for
each.
Monday night, former
Caledonia Parks Commis-
sion member Jason Chrest
turned in his qualifying
paperwork and will run
for alderman. Chrest is
the only non-incumbent to
have submitted qualifying
documents to date.
Wiggins said his de-
cision to leave the may-
or’s office and return to
the board of aldermen
was based on another job
change.
“I’ve recently taken a
job as an EMS provider
(at OCH Regional Medical
Center) in Starkville, and
I’ll have more responsi-
bilities and opportunities
with that job,” said Wig-
gins, who had been a para-
medic at Baptist Memorial
Hospital-Golden Triangle
in Columbus. “The new
job will pull me away from
Caledonia more than I
would be comfortable
with, so I thought it would
be best to step down and
serve as an aldermen, be-
cause I do want to stay in-
volved.”
Parham, who served as
alderman from 1997-2001
and again from 2017 until
now, said he believes his
familiarity with the town enough,” McCool, ally ought to run again,’
and experience as an al- Darnell like Furnari so I changed my mind,”
derman has prepared him said. “That, in her first McCool said. “I love this
for the mayor’s office. along with term, said town and the people of
“I know everything the knee she was this town, and I still want
going on problems inclined
to serve.”
a r o u n d I’ve had … not to run
town, what I’ve had five again after Candidates in Caledo-
the town s u r g e r i e s Darnell the death of Furnari nia do not run by political
has been on my knees … I just felt it her mother party designation and
working on was time to step down and in July. all five members of the
and has to let someone else have an “I just board of alderman are at-
face,” he opportunity.”’ felt like it large. That means there
said. “None Parham Furnari said when was better are no political primaries
of the issues he first decided to run for me to and the aldermen’s seats
are going to sneak up on for alderman in 2016, step away go to the top five vote-get-
me.” he planned to seek two and spend
ters in the general elec-
Darnell said health is- terms. more time McCool
sues were part of his de- “I just feel like you need with my dad,” she said. tion.
cision not to seek another eight years to really make But a conversation The qualifying dead-
term. an impact,” he said. “So, with her father changed line is Feb. 5. The general
“The bottom line is if the voters approve it, her thinking. election is scheduled for
I just feel 42 years is that’s what I intend to do.” “He told me, ‘You re- June 8.

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

news@cdispatch.com
subject: Business brief
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 7A

Fauci: US could soon give

1 million vaccinations a day
Disease expert estimated that between 70 facing states and counties as they
struggle to administer rationed
percent and 85 percent of the U.S. population will vaccine supplies amid rising
COVID-19 hospitalizations. Fauci
need to be vaccinated to achieve ‘herd immunity’ pointed to California’s swamped
hospitals and exhausted workers
BY LAUR AN NEERGA ARD “Any time you start a big pro- even before holiday travel and fam-
AP Medical Writer gram, there’s always glitches. ily gatherings added fuel to the out-
I think the glitches have been break.
The U.S. could worked out,” the nation’s top infec- Fauci estimated that between
soon be giving at least tious disease expert told The Asso- 70 percent and 85 percent of the
a million COVID-19 ciated Press. U.S. population will need to be
vaccinations a day Vaccinations have already be- vaccinated to achieve “herd immu-
despite the sluggish gun speeding up, reaching roughly nity,” meaning enough people are
start, Dr. Anthony half a million injections a day, he protected that it’s difficult for the
Fauci said Tuesday, pointed out. virus to continue spreading. That
even as he warned of Now, with the holidays over, translates to as many as 280 million
Fauci
a dangerous next few “once you get rolling and get some people.
weeks as the coronavirus surges. momentum, I think we can achieve He said he is hoping to achieve
The slow pace is frustrating 1 million a day or even more,” Fauci that by the start of next fall.
health officials and a desperate said. He called President-elect Joe The coronavirus has killed more
public alike, with only about a third Biden’s goal of 100 million vaccina- than 356,000 Americans, and the
of the first supplies shipped to tions in his first 100 days “a very re- next few weeks could bring anoth-
states used as of Tuesday morning, alistic, important, achievable goal.” er jump in infections nationally that
just over three weeks into the vacci- It’s an optimistic prediction “could make matters even worse,”
nation campaign. considering the logistical hurdles Fauci said.

US: Hack of federal agencies ‘likely Russian in origin’

The evidence so far pointed to a ligence gathering,” sug-
gesting the evidence so
National Intelligence and
the Cybersecurity and
Russian spying effort rather than an far pointed to a Russian
spying effort rather than
Infrastructure Security
Agency.
attempt to damage or disrupt U.S. an attempt to damage or It was not clear why
disrupt U.S. government the statement was is-
government operations operations. sued Tuesday, especially
The agencies made since government offi-
BY ERIC TUCKER ald Trump’s claim that clear the Russian opera- cials and cybersecurity
AND FRANK BA JAK China might be to blame. tion was “ongoing” and experts have for weeks
The Associated Press The rare joint state- indicated the hunt for believed that Russia was
ment represented the U.S. threats was not over. responsible. Even so, the
WASHINGTON — Top government’s first formal “This is a serious com- announcement puts the
national security agencies attempt to assign respon- promise that will require imprimatur of national
confirmed Tuesday that sibility for the breaches a sustained and dedicated security agencies, albeit
Russia was likely respon- at multiple agencies and effort to remediate,” said belatedly, on information
sible for a massive hack of to assign a possible mo- the statement, distributed that members of Con-
U.S. government depart- tive for the operation. It by the FBI, the Nation- gress had clamored for
ments and corporations, said the hacks appeared al Security Agency, the the White House to make
rejecting President Don- to be intended for “intel- Office of the Director of public.

No charges against Wisconsin officer who shot Jacob Blake

The decision was met with swift
criticism from civil rights advocates
BY TODD RICHMOND
AND MICHAEL TARM
The Associated Press
KENOSHA, Wis. —
A Wisconsin prosecutor
declined Tuesday to file
charges against a white
police officer who shot a
Black man in the back in
Kenosha, concluding he
couldn’t disprove the of-
ficer’s contention that he
acted in self-defense be-
cause he feared the man
would stab him.
The decision, met with
swift criticism from civ-
il rights advocates and
some public officials,
threatened to reignite pro-
tests that rocked the city
after the Aug. 23 shooting
that left Jacob Blake para-
lyzed. Gov. Tony Evers, a
Democrat, called the de-
cision “further evidence
that our work is not done”
and called for people to
work together for equity.
Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes,
who is Black, was more
pointed on Twitter: “I
wish I could say that I’m
shocked. It’s another in-
stance in a string of mis-
applications of justice.”
Kenosha County Dis-
trict Attorney Michael
Graveley said investiga-
tors concluded Blake was
carrying a knife when po-
lice responded to a report
he was trying to steal a
car. Officer Rusten Shes-
key said he “feared Jacob
Blake was going to stab
him with the knife” as he
tried to stop Blake from
fleeing the scene.
“I do not believe the
state ... would be able to
prove that the privilege of
self-defense is not avail-
able,” Graveley said.

Attorney: Congressional seat data not ready until February

BY MIKE SCHNEIDER
The Associated Press
A Trump administra-
tion attorney said Monday
that the numbers used
for deciding how many
congressional seats each
state gets won’t be ready
until February, putting
in jeopardy an effort by
President Donald Trump
to exclude people in the
country illegally from
those figures.
The U.S. Census Bu-
reau has found new irreg-
ularities in the head count
data that determines
congressional seat alloca-
tions and the distribution
of $1.5 trillion in federal
spending each year, John
Coghlan, a deputy assis-
tant Attorney General,
said during a court hear-
ing.
Not having the ap-
portionment numbers
finished before Presi-
dent-elect Joe Biden is
sworn in on Jan. 20 will
jeopardize an effort by
Trump to exclude people
in the country illegally
from the apportionment
count since the numbers
will be delivered under
the administration of
Biden, who opposes the
effort.
The numbers could be
pushed back even later
in February from the ex-
pected Feb. 9 date, Cogh-
lan said.
“It’s a continuously
moving target,” he said.
8A WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
Sports
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
SPORTS LINE
662-241-5000 B
SECTION

THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021

Heritage Academy picks up a pair of wins at Starkville Academy

BY THEO DEROSA in Starkville.
tderosa@cdispatch.com Then Heritage Acade-
my came out of the visi-
STARK VILLE — The tors’ locker room with a
Heritage Academy boys renewed purpose. Soon,
basketball team was the roles were reversed.
tired of being pushed Sophomore Mack
around. Howard and Altmyer
Sure, the Patriots each hit 3-pointers to
knew being outmatched tie the game, Jonathan
on the offensive glass Peal hit a layup for the
was somewhat expect- lead, and those cru-
ed against a bigger cial rebounds that fell
Starkville Academy Starkville Academy’s
team in Tuesday’s con- way early in the contest
test. For one half, that seemed to suddenly re-
was exactly what hap- verse direction. Sixteen
pened as the Volunteers minutes of basketball
“bullied” — as Heritage after going into halftime
Academy freshman down in every sense of
Whit Altmyer put it — the word, the Pats (7-3,
the Pats inside to take a 1-0 district) left the floor
24-18 lead into halftime with a hard-earned 46 -
42 victory over the Vols
(8-3, 0 -1).
“We’re glad to get out
of here with a win any
way we can get it,” Her-
itage Academy coach
Russ Whiteside said.
Tuesday, that triumph
stemmed from a number
of areas, including sev-
eral quick scoring runs
and poise under pres-
sure late. Heritage Acad-
emy jumped out to an
early 11-2 lead, had the
aforementioned 8-0 run
to open the third quar-
ter and scored seven
straight to grab a 40 -34
lead with four minutes,
Theo DeRosa/Dispatch Staff
52 seconds remaining in Heritage Academy junior Drew Huskison (2) knocks the basketball loose from
the game. Starkville Academy junior Randall Futral (10) during the second quarter of Tuesday’s
See PREP, 3B game in Starkville. The Patriots beat the Volunteers 46-42.

Alabama’s MISSISSIPPI STATE 78, NO. 13 MISSOURI 63

Smith
becomes Stewart, Molinar help Bulldogs declaw
1st WR
to win No. 13 Tigers for upset victory
Heisman
in 29 years
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — On an
Alabama team stacked
with stars, DeVonta
Smith emerged as the
best player in college
football while playing a
position that rarely gets
that kind of recognition.
Smith became the
first wide receiver to
win the Heisman Tro-
phy in 29 seasons Tues-
day night, breaking the
monopoly quarterbacks
have had on the award
by beating out three of
them.
“Just to be one of the
very few that played
receiver to win the
Heisman, it means a lot
See SMITH, 2B

MSU’s
Thompson
to enter Matt Bush/USA TODAY

NFL draft Mississippi State Bulldogs guard D.J. Stewart Jr. (3) handles the ball against Missouri Tigers forward Jeremiah Tilmon (23) during the
second half Tuesday at Humphrey Coliseum.

BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com
STARK VILLE — STARK VILLE — The final
Mississippi State line-
backer Erroll Thomp-
son is headed to the
professional ranks.
A two-time captain
and one of the more pro-
lific tacklers in school
history, Thompson an-
nounced Tuesday after-
noon that he will forgo
the extra year of eligi-
bility the NCA A is of-
fering student athletes
this season amid the
COVID-19 pandemic to
enter the NFL draft.
“To my teammates
and coaches — espe-
cially Zach Arnett, Todd
Grantham and Bob
Shoop — I was blessed
to be surrounded by
many great people that
helped me reach this
See THOMPSON, 3B
BY GARRICK HODGE
ghodge@cdispatch.com
seconds ticked down Tuesday.
Giddy with anticipation,
Mississippi State point guard
Iverson Molinar didn’t even
bother waiting for the final
horn to sound before shooting
his backcourt mate, D.J. Stew-
art, an ear-to-ear grin.
The sophomores, the two
catalysts of a 14-point sec-
ond-half comeback Tuesday
at Humphrey Coliseum, leapt
off the ground for a celebra-
tory bump as Deivion Smith
dribbled out the final Bulldog
possession.
“I knew we needed a person
to step up and fight back to get
the (win),” said Stewart, who
finished with a game-high 24
points on a 10 of 14 shooting
effort. “I just had to lock in
and put the team on my shoul-
der.”
Saturday night, the Bull-
dogs were deflated, frustrat-
ed, and searching for an-
swers after blowing their best
chance at beating Kentucky
in 15 years. But on Tuesday,
the backcourt duo that MSU
coach Ben Howland called the
one of the best in the South-
eastern Conference bolstered
MSU (7-4, 2-1 SEC) to a NCA A
tournament-worthy victory,
taking down No. 13 Missouri
78-63.
“This was a total shot in the
arm for us,” Howland said.
If the victory was a shot in
the arm for MSU, it was, well
... the opposite for Missouri
(7-2, 1-2).
“What happened,” Missou-
ri coach Cuonzo Martin asked
after watching his team im-
plode defensively after half-
time. “... They set a different
tone in the second half, and
we paid for it.”
It was MSU’s fourth
straight victory against the Ti-
gers. The Bulldogs have also
won nine of the last 10 games
in the series.
A comeback seemed impos-
sible after the first half, where
the Bulldogs looked out of gas
and confused en route to dig-
ging themselves a 39-27 hole.
Missouri took the Bulldogs
to the woodshed, scoring 15
points off turnovers and con-
verting uncontested looks in
the post with ease. Perhaps
the perfect summary of MSU’s
start was Tolu Smith giving
the Tigers a free two points in
what could be described as a
frustration foul with 1 second
left in the half on the opposite
end of the court.
Missouri forward Jeremiah
Tilmon made his presence felt
in the first half, converting
4 of 5 shots for eight points,
leaving MSU center Abdul
Ado befuddled about what was
happening defensively.
“We made a couple of mis-
takes in the first half,” Ado
said. “We came back in the
locker room, and we all talk-
ed to each other. We had a
conversation about who was
supposed to help, where is
everybody supposed to be at.
We have to communicate, and
there was no communication
in the first half.”
In the second, Stewart and
Molinar, who finished with 20
points despite starting 0 -for-5
from the floor, couldn’t miss.
Literally, in the case of Stew-
art. He didn’t miss a shot the
entire second half.
“It’s almost as if you’d have
to pour water on them to cool
them off,” MSU center Abdul
Ado said.
Trailing by as many as 14 in
the second half, Stewart and
Molinar spearheaded a 17-0
run by themselves and lifted
MSU to its first lead since the
game’s opening minutes.
See MSU, 3B
2B WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021
Browns lose coach for playoffs due to COVID-19
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEVELAND — land’s plans this week
Amid a masked, muted
celebration in the locker
room after the Browns
ended the NFL’s longest
playoff drought, coach
Kevin Stefanski asked
for a game ball and then
told Pro Bowl guard Joel
Bitonio to step forward.
Stefanski flipped the
ball to Bitonio, who had
survived seven long sea-
sons, 0-16 in 2017, the
Johnny Manziel mess
and numerous coaching
changes.
“You’re going to the
playoffs, 75,” Stefanki
told Bitonio.
Two days later, noth-
ing is certain with the
Browns.
Positive COVID-19
tests have knocked Ste-
fanski, Bitonio, wide re-
ceiver KhaDarel Hodge
and at least two assistant
coaches out of Cleve-
land’s wild-card game
at Pittsburgh on Sunday
night — the Browns’
first playoff appearance
since the 2002 season.
The Browns an-
nounced Tuesday — 18
years to the day since
their last playoff game
— that Stefanski tested
positive for the corona-
virus, which has plagued
No place like home? Host advantage vanished in year of virus
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
For the eight NFL
teams guaranteed to
host at least one game in
the playoffs this month,
the comfort of familiar
surroundings sure can’t
hurt their quest to reach
the Super Bowl.
Staying in the same
time zone and avoiding
airplanes and hotels
ought to help players
stay fresh. For the far-
north teams, namely
Green Bay and Buffalo,
the cold, wind and poten-
tial snow could provide a
timely boost against an
opponent from a warm-
er-weather city.
Make no mistake,
though: The home-field
advantage that has long
been part of the story
of professional football
all but vanished during
the year of the virus.
Largely empty stadiums
cut off crowd noise as an
energy source and stra-
tegic asset.
“It doesn’t feel any dif-
Smith
Continued from Page 1B
to me,” Smith said.
Smith finished with
447 first-place votes and
1,856 points to easily
outdistance Clemson’s
Trevor Lawrence (222,
1,187), Alabama team-
mate Mac Jones (138,
1,130) and Florida’s
Kyle Trask (61, 737).
Crimson Tide run-
ning back Najee Har-
ris finished fifth in the
voting, making No. 1
Alabama the second
team in the 85-year
history of the Heisman
to have three of the
top five vote-getters.
Army did it in 1946 with
Glenn Davis (first), Doc
Blanchard (fourth) and
Arnold Tucker (fifth).
“I want to thank my
teammates,” Smith said
during his acceptance
speech. “With team suc-
cess comes individual
success so without you
all, I wouldn’t be where
I’m at today, winning
this award.”
Smith is just the
fourth receiver to win
the Heisman, joining
Michigan’s Desmond
Howard in 1991, Notre
Dame’s Tim Brown in
1987 and Nebraska’s
the team in recent weeks
and has thrown Cleve-
into disarray for the
wild-card game.
In less than 48 hours,
joy for the Browns and
their fans long-suffering
fans was all but extin-
guished.
“Very sad,” Browns
center and NFLPA Presi-
dent JC Tretter said. “It’s
really unfortunate.”
Now, after beating the
Steelers last Sunday to
make the playoff field,
the Browns are imple-
menting contingency
plans drawn up when the
pandemic began.
Stefanski, who in his
first year returned the
Browns to respectabil-
ity, can only coach vir-
tually from home this
week. He’ll be replaced
by special teams coordi-
nator Mike Priefer, and
the Browns will have
to make other staff ad-
justments as tight ends
coach Drew Petzing and
defensive backs coach
Jeff Howard are also out.
Despite the Browns’
issues — they now have
eight rotational players
and five coaches on the
COVID-19 list — league
spokesman Brian McCa-
rthy said the game is on
schedule.
ferent playing at home or
playing away right now,:
said Seattle coach Pete
Carroll, whose team
normally has a leg up as
much as any host with
the partial roof cantile-
vered over the seats that
helps amplify the noise
at what is now called
Lumen Field. “It’s just
evened everything out.”
With the win on Sun-
day night over a Phila-
delphia team offering
little resistance, Wash-
ington took the NFC
East title. The victory
was dually decisive, giv-
ing visitors a collective
128-127-1 record for the
2020 regular season —
the first winning mark
since the AFL -NFL
merger in 1970. Road
teams were narrowly
outscored 6,353-6,339,
a mere two-touchdown
gap.
In 2019, though the
visitors managed an
anomaly of a plus-36
scoring margin, home
teams still went 132-
Johnny Rodgers in 1972.
Quarterbacks had
won 17 of the previous
20 Heisman trophies, in-
cluding the last four.
Smith was presented
the award in a virtual
ceremony orchestrat-
ed by ESPN. The usual
trip to New York for the
finalists was called off
because of the pandem-
ic and the winner was
announced later than it
had ever been before.
Smith accepted the
trophy in Tuscaloosa,
Alabama, decked out in
a deep crimson jacket
and shiny black bow tie.
He got a big hug
from his quarterback,
who told Smith that he
loved and was proud of
him. Then Smith held
back tears during his
speech, recalling how
many thought he was
too small to become a
football star.
“To all the young kids
out there that’s not the
biggest, not the stron-
gest, just keep push-
ing. Because I’m not
the biggest. I’ve been
doubted a lot because of
my size and, really, it’s
just comes down to you
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
McCarthy added the Tretter said he had
league is continuing to been in touch with Bito-
conduct contact tracing nio.
to identify any possible “I feel for him,” Tret-
high-risk close contacts. ter said. “Obviously with
NFL rules state that any- what he’s gone through,
one testing positive must what he’s endured over
be away from the team at his career and finally
least 10 days. finding that success for
“If any players or per- the first time and then it
sonnel are identified as being taken away at the
such, they would remain last second, it’s hard. I
apart from the team and feel for all the guys that
facilities for five days won’t be able to play for
from the last exposure the first playoff game.
to a positive individu- “Extremely tough.
al,” McCarthy wrote in This is just a terrible
an email. “They would scenario for him and for
be eligible to return to everybody involved.”
the team and play in the Because Bitonio and
game.” Hodge played in the 24-
It’s still possible the 22 win over the Steelers
Browns will lose oth- last Sunday, there would
er players after contact seem to be concern that
tracing is completed. some Pittsburgh players
The genomic se- could be infected.
quencing conducted by However, McCar-
the league and its med- thy said the league has
ical partner last week “found no evidence of
showed Cleveland’s cas- player-to-player trans-
es were unconnected, mission from practices
meaning the cases came or games throughout
from outside and weren’t this season.”
spread within the team’s With Stefanski out,
headquarters. coordinator Alex Van
Tretter said on a union Pelt will assume Cleve-
conference call that he land’s play-calling du-
expects the building to ties.
remain closed Wednes- Steelers coach Mike
day, when the Browns Tomlin, who spent a few
were scheduled to have minutes speaking with
their first practice this Stefanski on the field
week. Sunday, said he’s not
123-1 for a .518 winning The no-risk throw by
percentage. In 2018, Rodgers after the yellow
according to Spor- f lag f lew went for a 39 -
tradar, the advantage yard completion to Mar-
for the hosts was far quez Valdes-Scantling
more clear: a .602 win- to set up a score and put
ning percentage and a the game away. The Vi-
564-point edge. kings, after matching
Over the previous 10 the best home record in
years, home teams col- the NFC over their first
lected 342 more wins four years at U.S. Bank
than the visitors and Stadium, went 3-5 there
scored an average of an in 2020. Their young
additional 2.19 points and struggling defense
per game. Over the 50 had no help from a
seasons prior to this un- crowd on those critical
precedented 2020 scene third downs, making
of largely empty sta- Sunday afternoons that
diums, the home team much easier for the op-
winning percentage was posing offense.
.575. Even in road games,
The difference was the defense was more
immediately noticeable. exposed in the high-
Packers quarterback est-scoring regular sea-
Aaron Rodgers was able son in NFL history. In
to lure Vikings line- Pittsburgh on Dec. 27,
backer Anthony Barr Steelers quarterback
offside on third-and-5 Ben Roethlisberger
late in the third quarter heard the Indianapolis
of the opener at Minne- Colts shouting, “Slant,
sota, which had enjoyed slant, slant!” before a
one of the NFL’s most first-down snap in the
daunting environments third quarter to warn
for visiting teams. the defensive backs of
just put your mind to it, gree and win a national
no job’s too big,” said title.
the 6 -foot-1, 175-pound “I checked one of
Smith. those boxes. Just trying
Meanwhile, his par- to check the other one
ents watched from a now,” Smith said during
community center in his Zoom news confer-
his hometown of Amite, ence.
Louisiana, where a so- The Heisman voting
cially distanced watch was complete on Dec. 21,
party was held. so playoff performances
“We love him. Ev- were not a factor. But
erybody here is sup- Smith made those who
porting him, we’re so supported him feel good
proud of him. Continue about it with a brilliant
being humble. Let God three-touchdown game
lead him. And we are against Notre Dame in
here to support him the CFP semifinals last
every step of the way,” weekend.
Smith’s mother, Chris- Smith has 105 catch-
tina Smith-Sylve, said to es for 1,641 yards and 22
ESPN. total touchdowns going
Smith is the third Al- into the final game of his
abama player to win the college career — which
Heisman, all since 2009. will also be his third
Like Tide running backs national championship
Mark Ingram (‘09) and game.
Derrick Henry (2015), Smith carved out a
Smith will play for the place in Alabama’s sto-
national championship ried history as a fresh-
as a Heisman winner. man, catching the win-
Alabama faces No. ning touchdown pass
3 Ohio State on Jan. 11 from Tua Tagovailoa on
in the College Football second-and-26 in over-
Playoff title game in Mi- time against Georgia to
ami Gardens, Florida. give the Tide the 2017
Smith said he re- national championship.
turned for his senior The story of the game
season to earn his de- was the guy who threw
concerned about play-
ing the Browns twice in
eight days.
“I have complete con-
fidence in the protocol
outlined by the NFL,”
Tomlin said. “We work
hard to adhere to it; if we
do that, we will minimize
risk. That’s my mentali-
ty regarding it, so I won’t
spend a lot of time wor-
rying about those com-
ponents.”
The Steelers have
their own COVID-19
issues. Starting corner-
back Joe Haden and tight
end Eric Ebron missed
Sunday’s loss after being
placed on the COVID-19
list a day earlier. Haden
tested positive; his sta-
tus for the playoff game
remains uncertain.
Cleveland has been
one of the teams hit
hardest by the virus.
The Browns were with-
out six players, includ-
ing star cornerback
Denzel Ward, and three
assistants last weekend
for their biggest game in
years after a rash of pos-
itive tests.
Also, star defen-
sive end Myles Garrett
missed two games after
contracting COVID-19.
Garrett has had a dif-
ficult time shaking the
disease and recently said
the route he might deliv-
er the ball to.
“We should’ve run a
slant. I almost changed
the play, but I didn’t be-
cause they were yelling
it,” Roethlisberger said.
Instead, he threw
deep to Diontae Johnson
for a 39 -yard touchdown
that cut the lead to 10
points and ignited the
comeback for a 28 -24
victory.
“There are absolutely
times in games where
you hear a defender say,
‘Hey, watch this,’ and
you’re like, ‘Man, that’s
what we called.’ Some of
that is dumb luck. Some
of that is maybe tenden-
cies. We can hear stuff
that they talk about,”
Roethlisberger said. “It
is one of the most unique
years when it comes to
strategy, when it comes
to trying to trick people.
Sometimes you even
are trying to do dum-
my signals and saying
dummy things just to
make things happen or
the walk-off TD pass.
Tagovailoa became Al-
abama’s Heisman con-
tender and most beloved
player for the next two
years.
Smith was the over-
looked star in the Tide’s
talented 2017 class of
receivers that includ-
ed All-American Jerry
Jeudy and the blazingly
fast Henry Ruggs. Both
of those players decided
to skip their senior sea-
sons and enter the draft
last year. Both were se-
lected in the first round.
“I kind of like being
out of the way and not
in the mix,” Smith said.
“I’m not the most vo-
cal person. I don’t like
talking that much. It
was enjoyable while it
lasted.”
He returned to school
to form an explosive
combination for the Tide
with junior Jaylen Wad-
dle. Then Waddle went
down with a season-end-
ing leg injury on Oct. 24.
As the Tide’s undis-
puted No. 1 receiver,
Smith shined. The week
after Waddle went out,
Smith had 11 catches
for 204 yards and four
he was still undergoing
breathing treatments.
On Monday, Stefans-
ki said he didn’t want to
get into “hypotheticals”
regarding Ward or any
of the other infected
players. Now, he won’t
be able to be around
his players or assistants
while getting ready to
play at Pittsburgh, where
the Browns have lost 17
straight games.
The Browns are the
second team to be with-
out its coach during the
pandemic. Detroit inter-
im coach Darrell Bevell
sat out the Lions’ Dec.
26 game at Tampa Bay
because of COVID-19
protocols.
The Baltimore Ravens
played a game against
Pittsburgh without quar-
terback and reigning
league MVP Lamar Jack-
son after an outbreak,
and the Denver Broncos
didn’t have any quarter-
backs active for a game
at New Orleans due to
contact tracing.
Priefer, who is from
Cleveland and spent sev-
eral years on Minneso-
ta’s staff with Stefanski,
was an interim coach for
one game in 2016 when
Mike Zimmer had eye
surgery.
to trick other teams.”
The Vikings lost 33-
27 at home to Chica-
go on Dec. 20, a defeat
that ultimately gave the
final wild card spot in
the NFC to the Bears.
Minnesota had played
the week before at Tam-
pa Bay, one of the few
stadiums where state
COVID-19 rules allowed
crowds of up to 25% ca-
pacity.
Hundreds of Vikings
fans made the trip south
to attend that game,
and though the support
didn’t lead to a victory,
their presence in purple
jerseys was a welcome
sight to the team near
the end of this draining
and frustrating season.
“You don’t realize
how much the fans are
important to you until
they’re gone,” running
back Dalvin Cook said.
“I think that’s with a lot
of stuff in life, but us
on the field, we notice
it. We miss the fans so
much.”
touchdowns against
Mississippi State.
Smith’s soaring
one-handed TD grab
against LSU was not just
his signature play, but
one of the 2020 season’s
best.
A former four-star
recruit, Smith came to
Tuscaloosa from LSU’s
backyard, disappointing
many Tigers’ fans in his
hometown.
The understated
Smith quietly led the
Tide in receptions and
yards last year as a ju-
nior and became a sec-
ond-team All-American.
Smitty — as team-
mates and coaches call
him — didn’t emerge
as a Heisman contender
this season until Waddle
went down.
And then he took off.
Starting with that
Mississippi State game,
Smith went on a four-
game tear with 35 catch-
es for 749 yards and 11
touchdowns that earned
him another nickname:
Slim Reaper.
Whatever you want
to call Smith, he’s been
quite a catch for Ala-
bama.

Mr. Smith goes to Washington, takes another team to playoffs
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
If the Alex Smith sto-
ry becomes a movie, Alex
Smith doesn’t want to see it.
“Heck no,” he said, “I
wouldn’t watch it.”
Smith is living it and al-
ready documented the long
journey back from break-
ing his right leg and need-
ing 17 surgeries to rehab.
As inspiring as it is to team-
mates and coaches, his
story on the field this sea-
son has little to do with the
2018 injury that looked ca-
reer-threatening at the time
Thompson
Continued from Page 1B
point and am grateful for
each of you,” he wrote on
Twitter. “Finally, to my
Mississippi State fami-
ly, thank you for always
showing up, being loud
and ringing those cow-
bells. Keep being the
driving force behind this
program, because big
things are coming.”
Thompson, who spent
the bulk of his career as
MSU
Continued from Page 1B
“I wish I could take credit for it, but I thought we
had great leadership tonight,” Howland said. “All of
our guys stepped up and played with great passion
and fire.”
Tilmon, who had a team-high 16 points for Mis-
souri, had an all-too common Achilles Heel of his
collegiate career haunt him after picking up his
fourth foul with 8:17 remaining. MSU took advan-
tage of his absence, completing the comeback by
outscoring the Tigers 51-24 after halftime and
shooting 67.9 percent in the second half.
Prep
Continued from Page 1B
“We need to be more
consistent so that those
kinds of situations don’t
happen,” Starkville
Academy coach Bill Ball
said. “... When you know
you’re not going to score
in periods of time, you
can’t let that inefficien-
cy on the offense carry
over to the defensive
end.”
Ball credited his
team’s effort but admit-
ted that when the Vols
weren’t connecting from
the field, there wasn’t
much they could do.
“If a shot or two falls,
maybe we’re having a
different conversation,”
Ball said.
Instead, the talk will
be about Heritage Acad-
emy’s second-half re-
surgence after a second
quarter in which the
Pats managed just five
points and allowed 11.
“In the second quar-
ter, we kind of hit a dry
spell and made some un-
forced turnovers,” Wh-
iteside said. “To come
back out in the third
quarter and respond, I
was proud of our young
guys.”
Altmyer said the Pats
were motivated to beat
a Starkville Academy
team their coach re-
ferred to as among the
top three in the state.
He led the way with 15
points and Howard had
13 as Heritage Academy
achieved its goal Tues-
day.
“I thought it felt re-
ally good for us to beat
that team, so it was a big
game,” Altmyer said.
“We needed a win.”
To secure it, the Pats
needed one more pos-
session. With a six-point
lead cut to just two and
just six seconds on the
clock, Heritage Acade-
my broke the Vols’ press
as Howard inbounded
and Sam Hannon found
Trey Naugher for an
open layup to stretch
the lead to four as the
final horn sounded.
Heritage Academy
celebrated like Naugh-
er’s score had just deliv-
ered them a game-win-
ner, but of course, the
moment was perhaps
and is more about Smith
leading Washington from
2-7 to NFC East champion
as a veteran quarterback
who has been there before.
“Once you are out there
and the whistle blows, this
is a result-oriented game
and you really have to be
accountable to your team-
mates, to the coaches, to
everybody in this building
that’s depending on you,”
Smith said. “At the end of
the day once you step on
that field, you better be able
to hold up your end.”
Smith has done that and
a stalwart in the middle
of the MSU defense, con-
cludes his career with
312 tackles, 9.5 sacks and
22 tackles for a loss over
50 games. The Florence,
Alabama, native was also
named a third team all-
SEC performer by Phil
Steele on Tuesday and
previously earned sec-
ond team all-SEC recog-
nition from the Associat-
just as important for the
Patriots.
“Coming in here, it’s
hard to win,” Altmyer
said. “Getting the win
really means a lot to us.”
Ball, too, acknowl-
edged the importance
of a win in Tuesday’s
district opener after
three straight losses.
But he said more victo-
ries are set to come soon
enough.
“We’re going to make
shots at some point
when it matters, and our
best basketball is some-
where down the road,”
he said.
Heritage Academy girls
27, Starkville Academy
23
Before the Heritage
Academy girls faced
Starkville Academy on
Tuesday, Patriots coach
Moe Reed reminded her
team how the rivalry
contest would likely play
out.
“This is going to be a
close game,” Reed told
her players. “It always
is.”
Reed proved to be
right, and she made
sure the Patriots came
out on the winning side.
The Heritage Acad-
emy coach made the
necessary defensive ad-
justments to limit Volun-
teers stars Lillee Alpe
and Caroline Wood,
and her players took
the message to heart en
route to a 27-23 win over
the Volunteers (6 -5, 0 -1
district).
“Any time we can
come in and execute a
defensive plan like this
is huge for us, and it
shows that my kids are
really listening and buy-
ing into what I’m telling
them,” Reed said.
Heritage Academy
(5-7, 1-0) went into half-
time trailing 17-14 but
kept Starkville Academy
off the board entirely in
the third quarter, tak-
ing a 21-17 lead into the
fourth.
The Vols fought
back to tie the contest
23-23, but four free
throws in the final min-
ute sealed the win for
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
more, proving coach Ron
Rivera right that the offense
worked better with an expe-
rienced hand at the wheel.
Five touchdowns and five
interceptions in six starts
don’t stand out as glim-
mering numbers, but the
5-1 record has everything
to do with the 36-year-old
managing the offense in a
way 2019 first-round pick
Dwayne Haskins never
could.
Haskins lost five of his
six starts and has since
been released, Kyle Allen
won one of his before get-
ed Press in 2018 and SEC
all-Freshman honors in
2017.
“It’s the kind of guy
who by his actions and
by his words, on and off
the field, are going to
be the type to represent
this team and this uni-
versity,”former coach
Joe Moorhead told The
Dispatch in December
of what he looked for in a
“(Tilmon) is really hard to guard,” Howland said.
“He’s having his best year, he’s really done a good
job of staying out of foul trouble, this really was one
of the few he was in it this year. We talked about
trying to go at him and put him in that position be-
cause he’s so good offensively.”
In a dramatic turn of events, free throws turned
out to be a key reason MSU completed the come-
back, instead of leaving fans wishing for more. Poor
foul-line shooting has cost MSU probably at least
two games this season, but Tuesday, it converted 19
Heritage Academy and
left Starkville Academy
wondering where its of-
fensive rhythm went.
“Defense, we were
there,” Vols coach Mar-
ianne Ward said. “Of-
fense, it was like we
were just kind of out of
it.”
Alpe led Starkville
Academy with 11 points,
and Wood had eight.
For the Patriots, a pair
of freshmen made a big
impact: Reagan Mer-
chant had eight points,
and Chloe Boyd had 10
plus a steal as the Vols
looked to tie it late, a
play Reed called “the ic-
ing on the cake.”
“It just kind of came
down to defensive stops,
and we got lucky here
and there to have one
or two more stops than
they did,” Reed said.
Heritage Academy’s
next game is Thursday
at home against power-
house Leake Academy,
while Starkville Acade-
my travels to face East
Rankin Academy on Fri-
day in Pelahatchie.
Other scores
Girls Basketball
New Hope 69,
Houston 31
NEW HOPE — The
New Hope girls basket-
ball team handled Hous-
ton 69-31 in Tuesday’s
home game.
Taylor Brownlee and
Anna Prince each had
16 points for the Tro-
jans. Madyson McBray-
er added 15.
New Hope will host
West Point on Friday.
West Lowndes 53,
McAdams 25
McADAMS — The
West Lowndes girls beat
McAdams 53-25 in Tues-
day’s road game.
Tydajasha Hood led
the Panthers with 15
points. Nenah Young
scored 12, and Averi
Sanders had nine.
West Lowndes’ next
game is Thursday
against Caledonia.
Columbus Christian
Academy 59, Newton
County Academy 40
STEENS — The Co-
ting hurt and now this is
Smith’s team — even if the
limitations from a strained
right calf in his surgically
repaired leg force Rivera
to rotate backup Taylor
Heinicke in at times Satur-
day night against the Tam-
pa Bay Buccaneers. Rivera
said, “It’s something we
most certainly have to look
at,” but the Buccaneers are
zeroing in on Smith.
“When Alex Smith plays
quarterback, they’re a heck
of a football team,” Tampa
Bay coach Bruce Arians
said. “They’re an extreme-
captain. “That was Erroll
Thompson from Day 1.”
With Thompson off
to the NFL, it remains to
be seen who will fill his
role at middle linebacker
come 2021. Sophomore
Nathaniel Watson saw
time at every single line-
backer spot in 2020 and
is a presumed favorite to
see heavy playing time
next fall. The Bulldogs
lumbus Christian Acad-
emy girls stayed hot
with a 59-40 home win
over Newton County
Academy on Tuesday.
Audrey Foreman had
15 points for the Rams.
CC DeVos had 14, and
Morgan Whitten and
Faith Yeates each had
10.
Columbus Chris-
tian will play at Winona
Christian on Thursday.
Carroll Academy 44,
Oak Hill Academy 35
CARROLLTON — Caledonia
The Oak Hill Academy
girls lost Tuesday’s road
game at Carroll Acade-
my, 44-35.
Mary Beth Briggs
led the Raiders with 11
points. Carley Wooten
added 10 for Oak Hill.
The Raiders’ next
game is Friday at Wino-
na Christian.
Hebron Christian 36,
Kemper Academy 34
DE K ALB — The
Hebron Christian girls
held off Kemper Acad-
emy with a 36 -34 road
win Tuesday.
Lindsey Daniels
led the Eagles with 11
points. Elisha Carter
scored nine for Hebron,
and Amber Wedel had
eight.
Hebron’s next game is
Friday at home against
Carroll Academy.
Pickens Academy
(Ala.) 59, North Riv-
er Christian Academy
(Ala.) 6
CARROLLTON, Ala.
— The Pickens Acad-
emy (Alabama) girls
routed North River
Christian Academy (Al-
abama) 59-6 in Tues-
day’s home game.
Kate Wilkins had 22
points for the Pirates.
Baylee Jaynes had 12,
Lizzie Noland had nine,
and Lily Lowery and
Lily Dee had six apiece.
The Pirates held
North River Christian
scoreless in the first
half.
Pickens will host Rus-
sell Academy (Alabama)
on Monday.
Mooreville 46,
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021
ly well-coached team, a ton
of talent on that defensive
front, but Alex Smith is re-
ally the key to everything.”
How is that possible?
Arians gives Smith cred-
it for throwing the ball so
quickly he avoids sacks.
Philadelphia coach Doug
Pederson, who was Kansas
City’s offensive coordinator
for three years with Smith,
points to decision-making.
Cincinnati’s Zac Taylor
praises Smith’s efficiency.
Smith isn’t immune to
mistakes. He just knows
when he can afford to
also signed former East
Mississippi Community
College inside linebacker
DeShawn Page in their
2021 recruiting class.
“He’s played every sin-
gle linebacker position
for us throughout the
course of the season,”
MSU defensive coordi-
nator Zach Arnett said of
Watson in December. “To
have a guy like that ... just
of 21 shots from the charity stripe.
“In our shootaround today, we had our best day
for free throw shooting,” Howland said. “We made
81 out of 100. It directly correlates what you do in
practice.”
Mississippi State is back in action against Van-
derbilt at noon Saturday in Nashville.
DAWG NOTES: Javian Davis, one of MSU’s top
frontcourt bench options, did not play for undis-
closed reasons that aren’t disciplinary or academic,
but Howland said he will miss the next 10 days.
Caledonia 42, OT
Starkville 41, South
Panola 23
Boys Basketball
New Hope 70,
Houston 55
NEW HOPE — The
New Hope boys earned a
70 -55 win over Houston
at home Tuesday.
LJ Hackman led the
Trojans with 21 points.
Eric Caldwell added 16,
Caleb Parr had 14, and
Jorden Edwards had 12.
66,
Mooreville 57
CALEDONIA — Jar-
vis Leigh had 18 points
as the Caledonia boys
beat Mooreville 66 -57 in
Tuesday’s home game.
Freshmen Issac
Grady and Tylen Simp-
son had 16 and 11 points,
respectively. Jeremy
Emerson had 12 points
and 12 rebounds.
Caledonia’s next
game is Thursday at
West Lowndes.
Newton County Acade-
my 56, Columbus Chris-
tian Academy 36
STEENS — The Co-
lumbus Christian boys
suffered a 56 -36 home
loss to Newton County
Academy in Tuesday’s
district opener.
Joe Michael Edwards
scored 16 points to lead
the Rams. Drake Shaw
had seven, and Jackson
Howard had six.
Oak Hill Academy 33,
Carroll Academy 32
CARROLLTON — lumbus with a 3-2 road
Oak Hill’s boys team
pulled out a 33-32 win
at Carroll Academy on
Tuesday.
Manning Huffman
had 11 points to lead the
Raiders.
Pickens Academy
(Ala.) 38, North Riv-
er Christian Academy
(Ala.) 33
CARROLLTON, Ala.
— The Pickens boys
beat North River Chris-
tian in Tuesday’s home
game, 38-33.
Rafe Brown had 15
points and 10 rebounds
for the Pirates. William
Parker had seven points,
3B
take a risk.
“He finds a way to
move the team down the
field,” Taylor said. “He’s
always been a quarter-
back that has a really high
football IQ.”
It’s night and day for
Washington’s offense
from Haskins to Smith.
Rookie running back An-
tonio Gibson said, “Hav-
ing a vet at the quarter-
back position changes
dramatically” because
Smith’s presence relaxes
everyone else in the hud-
dle.
him alone makes you two
deep at each position.”
MSU closed its 2020
season with a win over
No. 24 Tulsa in the Armed
Forces Bowl. Given the
ongoing COVID-19 pan-
demic, it’s unclear when
the Bulldogs will return
to the field, whether that
be in starting the 2021
season or during this
coming spring.
and Drake Lowery and
Aidan Johnson each had
six.
Hayden Dyer had 10
rebounds for Pickens.
Starkville 78, South
Panola 56
Kemper Academy 53,
Hebron Christian 46
Girls Soccer
Columbus 5, West
Point 2
Johnasia O’Neal had
four goals for Colum-
bus High School as the
Falcons girls beat West
Point 5-2 in Tuesday’s
home match.
Josephine Facella had
both goals for the Green
Wave.
Columbus will host
Grenada on Friday.
Caledonia 4, Pontotoc
1
PONTOTOC — The
Caledonia girls team
beat Pontotoc 4-1 in
Tuesday’s road match.
Jane Claire Newman,
Lauren Brown, Chloe
Brewer and Brooke Hall
all scored goals for the
Cavaliers.
Caledonia’s next
match is Friday at
Itawamba Agricultural
in Fulton.
Tupelo 2, Starkville 0
Boys Soccer
West Point 3, Colum-
bus 2
The West Point boys
soccer team held off Co-
win on Tuesday.
Antonio Facella had
two goals for the Green
Wave, and Ben Harrell
had one.
West Point is set to
host Winona on Thurs-
day.
Pontotoc 4, Caledonia
1
PONTOTOC — The
Caledonia boys lost 4-1
in Tuesday’s match at
Pontotoc.
Logan Burges had
the lone goal for the
Cavaliers.
Tupelo 3, Starkville 0
4B WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021
Ravens rookie Dobbins belatedly achieves star status
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
J.K. Dobbins knew his
spectacular career at Ohio
State provided no guaran-
tee that he would immedi-
ately become an NFL star.
Dobbins was the first
Buckeyes running back to
rush for 1,000 yards as a
freshman, sophomore and
junior. He finished with
4,459 yards on the ground
— second most in school
history — and scored 43
touchdowns for the Big
Ten powerhouse before
leaving with one year of eli-
gibility remaining.
Drafted in the second
round last April by the Bal-
timore Ravens, Dobbins
arrived at training camp
fourth on the depth chart
behind Mark Ingram, Gus
Comics & Puzzles
DILBERT
ZITS
GARFIELD
CANDORVILLE
BABY BLUES
BEETLE BAILEY
MALLARD FILLMORE
Edwards and Justice Hill.
“My expectation was to
come in and play,” Dobbins
said. “I’m not going to pull
the rookie card and say,
‘Oh, I’m a rookie. I’m just
going to wait this out and
be patient.’ That’s not me.’”
So, he worked hard and
did his best whenever he
got the chance to carry the
football — which wasn’t
often during the first six
weeks of the season. At that
point, he had 25 attempts
for 154 yards, which pretty
much amounted to a typi-
cal Saturday afternoon for
Dobbins at Ohio State.
Dobbins never got down
on himself, even when he
had just one carry (for 34
yards) in an October game
against Cincinnati.
“That was one of the
FAMILY CIRCUS
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
growing points of my ca-
reer, because I’ve always
been able to work so hard
and be able to play right
away,” Dobbins said.
“So, that was such a pro-
cess for me. But I always
saw it as just keep learning,
keep watching film, keep
learning things to do to
get better, even though I
was only getting one car-
ry. That carry that I got, I
made my mind up that I’m
going to go hard.”
The rookie stayed the
course, and his diligence
and patience have paid
off. Dobbins has scored in
each of his past six games,
and on Sunday he ram-
bled for 160 yards and two
touchdowns in Cincinnati.
He is now the featured
running back for the play-
off-bound Ravens, who
open on the road Sunday
against AFC South cham-
pion Tennessee. For Dob-
bins, everything turned
out exactly as planned.
“As soon as they drafted
me, my thought process
was, ‘Let’s go in here, let’s
get better, and I’m going
to find a way to get on this
field and help this team win
as many games as possible
— get us to a Super Bowl,
if that’s possible,’” Dobbins
said. “And that’s just what
I’ve been doing.”
At 5-foot-10 and 212
pounds, Dobbins has
the ability to squeeze
through a tiny hole and the
strength to bust a tackle
or two if met at the line.
He also has the speed to
whisk past pursuers in
Dear Abby
D
EAR ABBY:
When my
husband
and I were first
married, I had
no idea why
his mother and
sisters were so
hostile. When
they started treat-
ing our children
the same way, my
husband finally
addressed the
issue. We moved
out of town, and
he finally told me Dear Abby
that when he was
in his teens and
early 20s, he had had sex with
all of them, which was why
they didn’t like me.
After an estrangement of
many years, he has now started
talking to his mother and sis-
ters again. His mother is now
in her 70s. It breaks my heart
that he is talking to people he
had sex with, but he says it is
OK because they are “family.”
In my opinion, he should have
nothing to do with them. Please
tell me how I need to handle
things. — “ALL IN THE FAMILY”
DEAR “ALL IN”: You cannot
control what another adult
does. I sympathize with your
feelings, and I agree your
husband’s family situation was
beyond unhealthy. However,
Horoscopes
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan.
6). You’ll ace the test, comply
with instructions and move on
to the next level. It’s impressive
but not nearly as soul-satis-
fying as when you, time and
again this year, contribute the
inventiveness that only you can
give. You’ll double down on your
vision, approaching work and
love with unparalleled creativity.
Gemini and Virgo adore you.
Your lucky numbers are: 7, 10,
3, 33 and 42.
ARIES (March 21-April 19).
You’ve seen yourself in a certain
role, tried it on, played around,
and now things are getting real.
The role is no longer something
you put on when you’re feeling
it; it’s now part of who you are.
the open field, a feature he
put on full display during
a 72-yard touchdown run
against the Bengals.
“I’m not 6-3, 250, so
people kind of want to
label me as a scatback or
something like that, but
no, that’s not me,” Dob-
bins said. “I can get in
there and mix it up with
the big guys a little bit. I
can be a little powerful. I
take pride in not just be-
ing a running back, but
an offensive weapon.”
Dobbins is so slick that
he’s even impressed Ra-
vens quarterback Lamar
Jackson, an elusive run-
ner with his own impres-
sive set of moves.
“Being honest, he’s
just explosive,” Jackson
said. “I’ll be on the field
from what you
wrote, I get the
impression that
you would be
equally upset if
he were talking
with ex-girlfriends.
If your husband
wants to talk
to his relatives,
he’s going to
do it regardless
of whether or
not you find it
threatening. My
question to you
would be, are you
willing to tolerate
it?
DEAR ABBY: My girlfriend
suffers from depression. She
says she loves me, but there
are times she won’t contact
me for days because of it.
During this most recent bout of
depression, she hasn’t talked
to me for a month.
I finally got fed up. I told her
the next time she talks to me it
should either be a breakup call
or to give me an apology. Was
I right to say that? I don’t know
what to do. — UNSURE IN THE
EAST
DEAR UNSURE: You say your
girlfriend suffers from depres-
sion. Is she under the care of a
doctor and receiving treatment
for it? Is her family aware of
the fact that when she cycles
TAURUS (April 20-May
20). You now suspect that you
sacrificed your time and passion
for prizes that aren’t coming.
Still, you gained something in
working up the fervor that will
never leave you. Pack up and
apply your energy elsewhere.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21).
Anyone can have intentions, and
lots of people do. But it’s action
that matters and even more
than that, repetitive action.
Keep at it regardless if it is
currently working. These slight
shifts for the better are starting
to add up.
CANCER (June 22-July 22).
Unlike a cellphone, you cannot
plug into the wall and get
charged up. However, the time
(watching him) and I’m
like, ‘Bro, you are unbe-
lievable with the ball.’
Then I’m like, ‘He might
get hit right there,’ and
then he’ll just do some-
thing crazy. That’s why
he’s out there. He’s just
doing amazing things.”
Despite the slow start
and missing a game in
December while on the
reserve/COVID-19 list,
Dobbins finished his first
NFL season with 805
yards rushing, averaging
a robust 6 yards per carry.
He set a Ravens rookie re-
cord for touchdowns with
nine, and his six straight
games with at least 50
yards on the ground and a
rushing TD is tied for the
longest streak by a rookie
since the 1970 merger.
down she is incommunicado? If
she’s so incapacitated that she
can’t communicate, they should
be notified so she can get the
professional help she needs,
including an adjustment in her
medications if necessary.
I agree she owes you an
apology, and I can’t fault you for
telling her. But I would not rec-
ommend mentioning breaking
up while she’s in a vulnerable
mental state.
DEAR ABBY: I am a 55-year-
old successful businesswoman
who has fallen in love with a
man who has nothing. I would
have to support him completely
in retirement, but he is so lov-
able, so kind and so much fun.
He does bring me great joy and
happiness. What should I do —
stay with him and take on the
burden of his finances or just
keep moving? — EYE TO THE
FUTURE IN PENNSYLVANIA
DEAR EYE: You are a
55-year-old successful busi-
nesswoman. I assume you are
asking me whether you should
marry this man or not, even
though you find him lovable,
kind and fun to be with. People
have valuable assets to offer
besides money. However, be-
fore you make any trips to the
altar, I suggest you have a chat
with your attorney, just in case
your assessment of him should
change after the wedding.
you spend in, near or drinking
water will be rejuvenating on
many levels.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22).
Financial jackpots often solve
problems only to create more
expensive ones. The real lottery
win is always internal. It’s the
sweepstakes of the soul that
pay out continuously and keep
adding more joy.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).
People who follow recipes well
like to say that anyone can
follow a recipe, but that’s not
really true. Some are better
at duplicating and others are
almost pathologically inclined to
stray. Deliciousness can come
from either approach.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).
Your path differs from your
friend’s path, but the way
you walk it is so similar. You
participate in the same kinds of
practices, rituals and manners
of delivery. You can help one
another through supportive
sharing.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov.
21). It’s an unsettling sensa-
tion you get from searching
for something you’re not even
sure exists. If you were a blind
follower, you wouldn’t have
to feel it. You’re not, so you’ll
bear discomfort in the name of
discovery.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec.
21). Usually, you like to take a
stance, though what’s the rush?
Right now, it’s a good time to
hedge your bets. Relatedly,
make your words sweet and
tender just in case you have to
eat them later.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.
19). Go with your altruistic lean-
ings. You’re filled with purpose
and will soon be surrounded
by grateful people. The more
you help people, the more you
want to.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.
18). You meet the challenge,
and then the next one and the
next. This is how you become
mighty. When the stakes are
high and the time is limited,
you’ll do your best work.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March
20). Planning, prevention and
proactive moves will serve you
well. This time next month you’ll
be thanking yourself. This time
next year, you’ll call the person
reading this right now an “abso-
lute genius”!
Underwater camera
SOLUTION:
Food
Nutritional inspiration for the new year
Boost the
new year
with steps
toward
better health
with a dish
like this
quinoa salad
with orange
cilantro sal-
ad dressing.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images, via familyfeatures.com
A main dish for busy weeknights
Chicken, ham and Gruyere cheese come together in this recipe to make a filling and easy dinner.
FAMILY FEATURES
M
ain dishes can sometimes
be a challenge for the av-
erage home chef. Wheth-
er you’re looking for something
healthy and filling for a family
of five or just cooking up some-
thing mouthwatering for a couple
to share, it can seem difficult to
manage.
With a million ingredients and a
laundry list of directions, making
a weeknight dinner can feel like a
daunting task. However, this meal
can reassure you that sometimes
cooking is easy, fun and totally
and completely worth it. This is a
recipe you can make at a moment’s
notice with a handful of ingredi-
5 tips to save at
the grocery store
FAMILY FEATURES
A
mong the many monthly
expenses that are simply
unavoidable, buying grocer-
ies is one of the few that’s squarely
in your own control. While it’s a
necessity you can’t eliminate from
your budget completely, there are
some simple ways to save a few
bucks during future grocery runs.
Plan ahead
One of the easiest ways to
spend more money (and time)
than you intend to at the store is
to go in without a list of items you
need. Spend a few moments con-
See TIPS, 6B
ents, which you may already have
in your pantry.
This Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
is perfect for families, couples
and even individuals looking for
a scrumptious main course. It’s
wholesome, appetizing and covered
in cheese and cracker crumbs for a
gooey yet crunchy finish. The best
part is it’s easy to make.
It features a simple seasoning,
lightly seared chicken breast and
three toppings. It bakes for just 20-
25 minutes and it’s done. It doesn’t
get much easier than that.
Fresh out of the oven, the first
bite is steaming with hearty chick-
en cooked to perfection and melty
cheese dripping onto the pan.
A fast, filling breakfast
Pack more protein into your morning breakfast with this Spanish Potato
and Onion Omelet.
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 n 5B
FAMILY FEATURES
A
new year brings new opportunities
for personal changes and improve-
ment, from taking steps forward
in a career to bettering personal relation-
ships and — perhaps most common —
starting on a path toward better health.
For many, the worthwhile challenge of
enhancing physical health begins with
the foods and beverages you eat and
drink.
Step one is to leave behind the habit of
turning to unhealthy meals and instead
focus on dishes that call for fresh fruits
and veggies like this Quinoa Salad with
Orange Cilantro Salad Dressing. Sim-
ply start with cooked quinoa and mix
familyfeatures.com
This recipe may quickly become
a family favorite as kids can fall in
love with the mixture of different
textures and a main ingredient
almost every child likes: chicken.
It’s also fun to make together. Kids
can even help sprinkle the cheese
and cracker crumbs. Or, if you’re in
a rush, an adult can make it in just
a few moments.
On busy nights, it’s a perfect
meal to bring the family together
around the table between soccer
practice and getting homework
done.
For more easy recipes and main
dishes that make cooking fun, visit
Culinary.net.
See CORDON BLEU, 6B
familyfeatures.com
LIFESTYLES EDITOR
Jan Swoope: 328-2471
together with your preferred produce
like orange slices, grapefruit and diced
avocado. Add feta cheese, lime juice and
diced red onion to bring the flavor to life
and drizzle with the light, zesty dressing.
Making nutritious choices goes be-
yond just your meals, however. Take your
commitment to the next level with bev-
erages that don’t cancel out your effort
to eat healthy. This Spiced Citrus Ginger
Mocktail combines a concentrate made
of orange juice, orange peel, lime juice
and lime peel with zero-sugar, zero-calo-
rie ginger ale.
These health-conscious recipes are
made possible with the flavor enhance-
ment of Zevia beverages, which are
See NEW YEAR, 6B
familyfeatures.com
This Easy Crab Rangoon recipe
takes less than 10 minutes to
prepare.
An appetizer
worth the
(short) wait
FAMILY FEATURES
A
ppetizers are many peo-
ple’s favorite part of a meal.
From dips and finger foods
to little treats and fried pieces of
perfection, there is a wide array
of considerations for a pre-meal
snack.
Some appetizers are much more
appropriate at certain events. For
example, buffalo chicken wings
are best enjoyed on game days
and salads are normally served at
showers.
However, there are recipes
that are too easy to make and too
satisfying not to serve at almost
every festivity you and your family
attend. This Easy Crab Rangoon
shines above the rest for many
reasons, but the main point of this
heavenly sample is it’s easy to
make and bake.
This appetizer is placed in
the oven until it’s golden brown,
topped with little green scallions
with a creamy filling all packaged
in a crispy outer layer.
Plus, the cream cheese is mixed
with luscious amounts of crab
meat. This is a seafood lover’s
dream. Actually, it’s any appetizer
lover’s dream.
To make this mouthwatering
recipe, you only need a handful
of ingredients and a few kitchen
tools.
The little bites of perfection
come out of the oven steaming hot,
waiting to be topped with more
crunchy, fresh scallions. Once
See RANGOON, 6B
FAMILY FEATURES
A
filling yet nutritious breakfast is a
productive way to start any day, es-
pecially one loaded with flavor. Span-
ish Potato and Onion Omelets are simple
to make and pack plenty of protein with
diced ham and eggs paired with the com-
plementary tastes of onion and potatoes.
Find more recipes at Culinary.net.
SPANISH POTATO AND ONION OMELET
Recipe courtesy of the National Onion Association
1 cup olive oil, divided
4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-
inch slices (about 4 cups)
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
2 medium onions, thinly sliced (2-2 1/2 cups)
6 eggs
4 ounces cured, cooked ham or prosciutto, diced
See OMELET, 6B
6B WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Spice up the menu with a creamy sauce

FAMILY FEATURES Find more meal inspi-
ration at culinary.net

I
f your family spends
endless amounts of
time arguing over
dinner plans before
eventually settling on the
same meals week after
week, keep in mind easy
ways to change up the
menu without completely
restocking your pantry.
Trying something new
doesn’t have to mean
leaving your comfort
zone with complicated
recipes or long ingredi-
ents lists.
For example, rather
than skipping traditional
grilled or baked chick-
CILANTRO
CREAM SAUCE
Servings: 6-8
2 cups fresh cilantro
1 can (12 fluid ounces) evapo-
rated milk
1 cup water
2 teaspoons granulated chick-
en bouillon
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Sudoku YESTERDAY’S ANSWER
familyfeatures.com
This Cilantro Cream Sauce can bring new flavor to your
regular meals. ■ In blender, blend cilantro,
Cilantro Cream Sauce veggie mix. While your
evaporated milk, water and
bouillon until smooth. Sudoku
Sudoku is a number-
placing puzzle based on
Yesterday’s answer
■ In saucepan, melt butter Sudoku 3 5 1 8 9 2 6 4 7
can bring a new flavor main protein and sides over medium heat. Whisk a 9x9 gridis witha several
num-
to your favorite dishes are cooking, use the ber-placing
given numbers.puzzleThe object 7 4 6 5 1 3 9 2 8

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

in flour until smooth. Stir in
en because it’s feeling without entirely ditching blender and stovetop to cilantro mixture. Simmer over based onthe
is to place a 9x9
numbers 9 8 2 7 6 4 5 1 3
bland or boring, consider tried-and-true tactics. create this sauce that medium-low heat, whisking un- grid
1 to 9with
in theseveral
empty spaces 2 3 7 6 4 5 8 9 1
adding a new element to Try a simple strate- adds taste to your plate
til mixture thickens to desired given
so that numbers.
each row, eachThe 8 9 5 2 7 1 4 3 6
consistency. object
the mix. A simple dip, gy like baking chicken without increasing time ■ Season with pepper; mix column and each 3x3 the
is to place box 1 6 4 9 3 8 2 7 5
topping or sauce like this breasts and steaming a spent in the kitchen. until combined. numbers
contains the1same to 9 number
in
the empty spaces so 4 7 9 1 8 6 3 5 2
only once. The difficulty 6 2 3 4 5 7 1 8 9
that each row, each
level increases from
column and each 5 1 8 3 2 9 7 6 4
Monday
3x3 boxtocontains
Sunday. Difficulty Level 1/05

New year
the same number only once. The difficulty level
increases from Monday to Sunday.

Continued from Page 5B

naturally sweetened with
stevia and include no ar-
tificial ingredients, colors
or preservatives. Rang-
ing from sodas to organic
teas, energy drinks,
sparkling water and
mixers for cocktails and
mocktails, the zero-sugar
beverages fit nearly any
lifestyle including eating
patterns like paleo, keto,
intermittent fasting and
gluten-free.
Visit zevia.com/
recipes to find more
nutritious food and drink
solutions.
QUINOA SALAD WITH
ORANGE CILANTRO
SALAD DRESSING
Yield: 2 cups
Dressing:
1/2 cup Zevia Orange Soda
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 avocado
1 teaspoon garlic
Quinoa salad:
1 cup quinoa
Leafy greens (optional)
1 orange, cut into pieces
(optional)
1 grapefruit, cut into pieces
(optional)
1 lime, juice only
1/2 avocado, diced (optional)
1/4 cup feta cheese (optional)
1/4 cup diced red onion
(optional)
n To make dressing: In food
processor, pulse orange soda,
lime juice, olive oil, cilantro,
avocado and garlic until con-
sistency is smooth.
n To make quinoa salad:
Cook quinoa according to Photo courtesy of Getty Images, via familyfeatures.com
package directions and let A spiced citrus ginger mocktail combines a concen-
cool. trate made of orange juice, orange peel, lime juice and
n Once quinoa is cool, add lime peel.
to bowl with orange pieces, if
desired; grapefruit pieces, if 1orange peel n To make concentrate: In
desired; lime juice; avocado,
if desired; feta cheese, if
1lime peel small saucepan, combine
1/2 teaspoon black pepper-
desired; and diced onion, if corns, lightly crushed
orange juice, lime juice,
orange peel, lime peel, black
desired. Top with orange cilan-
tro salad dressing.
5 cardamom pods, lightly
crushed
peppercorns, cardamom pods
and cinnamon sticks. Bring to
2 cinnamon sticks, lightly boil over high heat then turn
SPICED CITRUS crushed to low; simmer until liquid has
reduced by half, 3-4 minutes.
GINGER MOCKTAIL Mocktail:
1/3 cup concentrate
Let cool and strain out solids.
Transfer to glass jar and store
Yield: 1 mocktail
1 can Zevia Ginger Ale until ready to use.
Concentrate: Ice n To make mocktail: Combine
1 cup fresh-squeezed orange Lime wedge, for garnish concentrate with ginger ale
juice (optional) over ice. Garnish with lime
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lime Orange wedge, for garnish wedge or orange wedge, if
juice (optional) desired.

Tips
Continued from Page 5B
sidering the meals you’d
like to make in the near
future then write down
exactly which ingredi-
ents you need.
Evaluate shopping
frequency
Overbuying perish-
ables like fruits and veg-
gies is one of the many
ways food is wasted, but
going to the store every
day is an inefficiency
all its own. Try making
a grocery trip once per
week on a day you have
ample time to think
through what you need,
how much you need and
how long it will last.
Say ‘no’ to snacks
It might be difficult
to avoid the temptation,
but skipping the snack
aisles can improve your
finances and your diet.
While it’s unnecessary
to completely eliminate
your favorite snacks,
limiting your consump-
tion of foods like potato
chips, candy and more
can save you money and
lead to more nutritious
eating habits down the Store food properly ACROSS
line. While it may not 1 Letter after
directly pertain to epsilon
Avoid unnecessary shopping, learning how 5 High-protein
purchases to store the foods you do grain
Similar to walking purchase can help them 11 Spoken
past the snack section, stay fresh longer, which 12 Zombies
pay careful attention to can help cut down on 13 Storybook
how often you load your trips to buy more. Freez- monster
cart with items from ing meat in freezer-safe 14 Edmonton team
special stands and end- bags, keeping potatoes 15 Heir, at times
of-aisle displays. For one, in a cool area and other 16 Maze runners
these foods are unlikely appropriate food storage 17 Furious
to be part of your “must- methods can lead to 19 Horse healer
have” list, and second, more efficient use. 22 Stopwatch
there’s a decent chance Find more food tips button
these are specialty items and tricks at Culinary. 24 Emergency
with marked up prices. net. light
26 Dull pain DOWN 21 Pekoe and
27 Diva’s piece 1 Menageries oolong

Rangoon
28 Burglar’s crime 2 Therefore 22 “Doggone!”
30 Discards 3 Sullied 23 Cave sound
31 Lawn material 4 Pub brew 25 Praise
Continued from Page 5B 32 Alpine girl of 5 Ring tossed at 29 Insect section
they have cooled for a few are asking for seconds. 4 ounces cream cheese, cups. Lightly spray wrappers story a peg 30 Lively dance
moments, they are ready Find more appetizer softened with nonstick cooking spray 34 Chinese secret
4 ounces lump crabmeat and bake until lightly browned, 6 Children’s 33 Contest form
to be devoured. recipes that are simple 1 scallion, sliced thin, green 6-9 minutes. Let cool slightly. society welfare org. 34 “Toodle-oo!”
This bite-size, savory and made to impress at and white parts separated ■ In medium bowl, beat cream 35 Relaxing 7 Not active 36 Heap
snack will be all the rage culinary.net 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, cheese until smooth. Combine retreat 8 Originally called 37 Phone down-
at family dinners and par- grated with crabmeat, scallion 38 “Casablanca” 9 Galley item loads
ties with the kids alike. 1 teaspoon soy sauce whites, ginger and soy sauce. star 10 Spots 38 Do a checkout
They fit perfectly in the EASY CRAB RANGOON Fill each wonton wrapper with 41 Lash 16 Yoga need job
Servings: 12 ■ Heat oven to 350 F. filling. Bake until filling is heat-
palms of hands and with- ■ Spray muffin pan with ed through, 6-8 minutes. 42 Online icon 18 Sailing hazard 39 Future embryos
in a few bites, they are Nonstick cooking spray nonstick cooking spray. Press ■ Sprinkle with scallion 43 Lend a hand 19 Like some 40 Lass
gone and your loved ones 12 wonton wrappers wonton wrappers into muffin greens. Serve warm. 44 The Milky Way, floors 41 Question of
e.g. 20 Composer identity
45 Lofty poems

Cordon Bleu
Satie

Continued from Page 5B

breasts 20 butter crackers, fine el and season with pepper.
EASY CHICKEN 1 teaspoon pepper crumbs ■ Brush mustard over chick-
CORDON BLEU 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
4 slices deli ham, folded in ■ Heat oven to 475 degrees.
en. Top with ham and cheese.
Sprinkle cracker crumbs over
Servings: 4
half ■ Brush baking sheet with oil. cheese.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil 6 ounces Gruyere cheese, ■ Place chicken on baking ■ Bake 20 to 25 minutes.
4 boneless, skinless chicken shredded sheet. Pat dry with paper tow- ■ Serve.

Omelet
Continued from Page 5B
■ In large saute pan, heat 3/4
cup olive oil. Cook half pota-
toes until tender and golden,
turning often. Drain. Season
with salt and pepper, to
taste. Repeat with remaining
potatoes.
■ Add 4 tablespoons olive
oil to pan. Cook onions until
soft, about 15 minutes. Add
potatoes to onions.
■ In large bowl, beat eggs.
Add eggs to potato and onion
mixture. Stir in diced ham or
prosciutto. Reduce heat to
low and cook 8-10 minutes
until golden brown on bottom.
Invert platter on pan and flip
omelet onto plate. Add re-
maining olive oil to pan; slide
omelet back into pan.
■ Cook until golden brown on
bottom.
■ Slide omelet onto serving
plate. Let cool. Cut into
wedges.

If you don’t read The Dispatch, how are you gonna know?
Classifieds
LEGALS
CALL US: 662-328-2424
Legal Notices
Advertisement for Bid
Audiological Equipment
Sealed Bids may be mailed to
the Office of Purchasing. The
bid opening will be held in the
Office of Purchasing, Whitfield
Hall, Columbus, MS at 2:00
p.m. Monday, January 27,
2021 at which time they will be
publicly opened and read. Spe-
cifications may be obtained
from:
Office of Purchasing
Whitfield Hall
1100 College Street, MUW
1628
Columbus, MS 39701
Telephone (662) 329-7126
Mississippi University for Wo-
men reserves the right to re-
ject any or all bids.
PUBLISH: 1/6 & 1/13/2021
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
CAUSE NO.: 20-247-F
THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
LOWNDES COUNTY
Letters Testamentary have
been granted and issued to the
undersigned upon the estate of
TEZZIE REED, deceased, by the
Chancery Court of Lowndes
County, Mississippi, on the
29th day of December, A.D.,
2020. This is to give notice to
all persons having claims
against said estate to Probate
and Register same with the
Chancery Clerk of Lowndes
County, Mississippi, within
ninety (90) days from this date.
A failure to so Probate and Re-
gister said claim will forever
bar the same.
This the 4th day of January,
2021.
/s/ DONALD WAYNE REED
DONALD WAYNE REED
PUBLISH: 1/6, 1/13 &
1/20/2021
All notices must be
emailed to
classifieds@
cdispatch.com.
Medical / Dental
Buy. Sell. Discover.
Legal Notices
STATE OF NEW MEXICO
COUNTY OF BERNALILLO
SECOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT
COURT
NO. D-202-CV-2019-08840
KIRTLAND FEDERAL CREDIT
UNION,
Plaintiff,
v.
GREGORY WEBB,
Defendant.
NOTICE OF PENDENCY OF AC-
TION
THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO TO tions of said Land Deed of
THE FOLLOWING NAMED OR
DESIGNATED DEFENDANT:
Gregory Webb
GREETINGS DEFENDANT:
You are hereby notified that
Kirtland Federal Credit Union,
as Plaintiff, has filed an action cordance with the terms of said
in the Second Judicial District
Court of Bernalillo County, New pose of raising the sums due
Mexico, and wherein the said
Plaintiff seeks to obtain con-
structive service of process
upon you.
The general object of said ac-
tion is: Civil Complaint for Debt said Deed of Trust will on Janu-
Due
You are further notified that un- legal hours (between the hours
less you serve a pleading or
motion in response to the com- At the Main Front Door of the
plaint in said cause on or be-
fore thirty (30) days after the
last publication date, judgment highest and best bidder for
will be entered against you.
The name and post office ad-
dress of the Attorneys for the
Plaintiff is as follows: Aldridge, Beginning at a point on the
Hammar & Wexler, P.A.., 1212 East line of Highway No. 12 at
Pennsylvania, NE, Albuquerque, a point of intersection of said
New Mexico 87110.
WITNESS the Honorable Erin
O’Connell, District Judge of the al Section 6, in Township 16,
Second Judicial District Court
of the State of New Mexico,
and the seal of the District
Court of Bernalillo County on
10/6/2020, 2020.
SECOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT
COURT
CLERK OF THE COURT
(SEAL)
By: Luke Tessman
Deputy Clerk
PUBLISH: 12/30/20, 1/6/21, of the Southwest Quarter of
1/13/21
One call will bring
you results.
662-328-2424
or place your ad
online at
ads.cdispatch.com
On the web: ads.cdispatch.com • Or call: 662-328-2424
Legal Notices
TRUSTEE’S NOTICE OF SALE
WHEREAS on September 2,
2019, AELISHIA HORN RYAN,
BILLIE SPEARS, JR., EMMITT
JONES, JR., AND SANDRA
JONES executed a land Deed
of Trust to J. Douglas
Dalrymple, Trustee, for the be-
nefit of PATSY MIMS WALLACE
AND JEANNE FERGUSON, which
Deed of Trust is recorded in
Trust Deed Book 2019 at Page
21173 in the office of the
Chancery Clerk of Lowndes
County, Mississippi.
WHEREAS, default having been
made in the terms and condi-
Trust and the entire debt se-
cured thereby having been de-
clared to be due and payable in
accordance with the terms
thereof and the legal holder of
said indebtedness having re-
quested the undersigned Trust-
ee to execute the trust and sell
said land and property in ac-
Land Deed of Trust for the pur-
thereunder, together with attor-
ney’s fees, trustee’s fees, and
expense of sale;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, J.
Douglas Dalrymple, Trustee in
ary 27, 2021, offer for sale at
public outcry, and well within
of 11:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M.)
County Courthouse of Lowndes
County, Mississippi, to the
cash, the following described
property situated in Lowndes
County, Mississippi, to wit:
East line and the North line of
the South half (S½) of the
Southwest Quarter of fraction-
Range 16 West; thence South
along the East line of said
Highway No. 12, a distance of
100 yards; thence East 110
yards; thence North parallel to
the East line of said Highway
No.12 a distance of 100 yards;
thence West along the South
line of said Highway No.12 a
distance of 110 yards to the
POINT OF BEGINNING; being
two acres, more or less, and ly-
ing and being in the South Half
fractional Section 6, Township
16, Range 16 West, Lowndes
County, Mississippi.
Being the same property con-
veyed to the Grantor herein by
L. H. Atkins, Jr., by that certain
Warranty Deed dated October
24, 1961, on file and of re-
cord in the office of the Chan-
cery Clerk of Lowndes County,
Mississippi, in Land Deed Book Apts For Rent: North
327, at Page 13, of the land
records of Lowndes County,
Mississippi.
1 & 2 BR near hospital.
is vested in me as Trustee.
$595−$645 monthly.
I will convey only such title as
Military discount, pet area,
pet friendly, and furnished
WITNESS MY SIGNATURE on
corporate apts.
this the 30th day of December, 24−HOUR PROFESSIONAL
2020.
GYM. ON SITE SECURITY.
J. DOUGLAS DALRYMPLE, ON SITE MAINTENANCE.
Trustee ON SITE MANAGEMENT.
24−HOUR CAMERA
Publication Dates: January 6, SURVEILLANCE. Benji &
2021, January 13, 2021, and
Ashleigh, 662−386−4446.
January 20, 2021
In the Classifieds section.
line of said Highway No.12 a
distance of 110 yards to the
ADS APPEAR IN THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH,
POINT OF BEGINNING; being
two acres, more or less, and ly-
ing and being in the South Half
THE STARKVILLE DISPATCH AND ONLINE
of the Southwest Quarter of
fractional Section 6, Township
16, Range 16 West, Lowndes
County, Mississippi.
Being the same property con-
veyed to the Grantor herein by
L. H. Atkins, Jr., by that certain
Warranty Deed dated October
24, 1961, on file and of re-
cord in the office of the Chan-
cery Clerk of Lowndes County,
Mississippi, in Land Deed Book
327, at Page 13, of the land
records of Lowndes County,
Legal Notices
Mississippi.
I will convey only such title as
is vested in me as Trustee.
WITNESS MY SIGNATURE on
this the 30th day of December,
2020.
J. DOUGLAS DALRYMPLE,
Trustee
Publication Dates: January 6,
2021, January 13, 2021, and
January 20, 2021
EMPLOYMENT
CALL US: 662-328-2424
Customer Service
LOCAL LAW FIRM is seek-
ing Receptionist/Secretary.
Previous experience
helpful but not necessary.
Computer skills a must.
Email resume to:
job116@cdispatch.com
Please re-submit your re-
sume if sent before 12/31
General Help Wanted
OFFICE ASSISTANT,
part-time. QuickBooks
experience preferred.
Mail resume to
Wheeler Roofing,
P.O. Box 9586,
Columbus, MS 39705
or email to wheelerroofing
@bellsouth.net
Government
Town of Millport
Police Officer
The Town of Millport has
an opening for a police
officer. Applications and
job requirements may be
picked up at the office of
the Town Clerk located
within Millport Town Hall,
920 Black Street, Millport
AL 35576. All completed
applications must be
returned to Town Hall.
Applications are due no
later than January 22,
2021. Call 205-662-4228
if you have any questions.
RENTALS
ADS STARTING AT $25
FOX RUN APARTMENTS
Apts For Rent: West
VIP
Rentals
Apartments & Houses
1 Bedrooms
2 Bedroooms
3 Bedrooms
Furnished & Unfurnished
1, 2, & 3 Baths
Lease, Deposit
& Credit Check
viceinvestments.com
327-8555
SERVICE DIRECTORY
PROMOTE YOUR SMALL BUSINESS STARTING AT ONLY $25
Air Cond & Heating
RAPID TEMP
Heating & cooling.
Home & RV.
Service & install.
Free estimates.
Call 602−736−4880.
General Services
A & T TREE SERVICES
Bucket truck & stump
removal. Free est.
Serving Columbus
since 1987. Senior
citizen disc. Call Alvin @
242−0324/241−4447
"We’ll go out on a limb for
you!"
LIST YOUR BUSINESS HERE!
Ads starting at $25 • ads.cdispatch.com.
To place ads starting at only $12,
call 662-328-2424 or visit ads.cdispatch.com
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 n 7B
Apts For Rent: Other Houses For Sale: Other
COLEMAN
RENTALS
TOWNHOUSES & APARTMENTS
1 BEDROOM
2 BEDROOMS
3 BEDROOMS
LEASE,
© The Dispatch
DEPOSIT
AND
CREDIT CHECK
662-329-2323
2411 HWY 45 N
COLUMBUS, MS
Houses For Rent: North
REAL ESTATE Need a new
COLONIAL TOWNHOUSES.
ADS STARTING AT $25
companion?
2 & 3 bedroom w/ 2−3
bath townhouses. $650 to
$750. 662−549−9555. Farms & Timberland
Ask for Glenn or text.
Houses For Rent: Caledonia 203 ACRES
PRIME TIMBERLAND
$270,000
3BR/1.5BA, small house Exc deer, turkey hunting
for small family. NO DOGS. Good Investment
NO HUD. Caledonia School
(615)719−8329
Dist. 8155 Hwy 12 near
Old Country Store.
Available 1/5/21. $775/
mo + $775 dep. 662−245 Houses For Sale: East
−1191 or 662−549−9298.
When looking
FSBO: 4BR/2BA. New roof,
for a new pet,
Mobile Homes for Rent new paint, fenced
backyard, driveway leads
3BR/2BA MH in New Hope. behind house. $128,000.
$650 dep + $650/mo. No 662−889−1443.
pets, quiet area. Leave full
name & message,
adoption is
always a
205−712−6697. Lots & Acreage
1.75 ACRE LOTS: Good/
RENT A CAMPER!
CHEAPER THAN A MOTEL!
Bad Credit Options. Good
credit as low as 20% down,
$499/mo. Eaton Land,
good option.
Utilities & cable included,
from $145/wk − $535/mo 662−361−7711.
Columbus & County School
locations. 662−242−3803
Five Questions:
or 601−940−1397.
MERCHANDISE
1 Alex
ADS STARTING AT $12
General Merchandise Trebeck
Roper Dryer, standard size,
good condition, $200.
662−312−6617.
2 “The
Take down that “for Sporting Goods Revenant”
rent” sign and get
ED SANDERS GUNSMITH
fast results with an
3 “Dangerous
Open for season!
easy classified ad.
Tue−Fri: 9−5 & Sat: 9−12
Minds”
Over 50 years experience!
Repairs, cleaning, refin−
ishing, scopes mounted &
Place your zeroed, handmade knives.
Located: Hwy 45 Alt, North
ad today at
of West Point, turn right on
Yokahama Blvd, 8mi & turn 4 Ozone
ads.cdispatch.com left on Darracott Rd, will
see sign, 2.5mi ahead
or call 328-2424 shop on left.
662−494−6218. 5 Strikeout
General Services General Services Lawn Care / Landscaping
WORK WANTED: Licensed TERRA CARE
& Bonded. Carpentry, minor LANDSCAPING L.L.C.
electrical, minor plumbing, Phone: 662−549−1878
insulation, painting, demo− Landscaping, Property
lition, gutters cleaned, Clean Up, Plant Care,
pressure washing, land− Bush Hogging,
scaping, cleanup work. Herbicide Spraying
662−242−3608.
Painting & Papering
Lawn Care / Landscaping QUALITY PAINTING.
Ext/Int Painting.
JESSE & BEVERLY’S Sheet Rock Hang, Finish &
LAWN SERVICE Repair. Pressure Washing.
Fall Cleanup, Tree Cutting, Free Estimates. Ask for
Landscaping, Sodding & specials! Larry Webber,
Bush Hogging 662−242−4932.
662−356−6525
SULLIVAN’S PAINT
SERVICE
Special Prices.
Interior & Exterior Painting.
662−435−6528
8B WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com