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Sunday | January 24, 2021

CMSD considering year-round school

District is looking at two schedules that would begin school year in July; is no fall break ONLINE
in the current n CALENDARS: View CMSD’s two
Spears said possible move has seen ‘overwhelming support’ from parents school calendar.
Spears said
proposed plans at cdispatch.com.

BY SLIM SMITH
ssmith@cdispatch.com
The Columbus Municipal
School District is considering
two plans to adjust the school
calendar, both of which would
shorten the summer break
and distribute those days off
throughout the school year.
CMSD board president Ja-
son Spears said the district
has held virtual meetings with
stakeholders to discuss the pros
and cons of going from the tra-
ditional school calendar, which
includes a 10-week summer
break, to a modified schedule
where students are in class at
least a portion of all 12 months.
“(The idea) has had over-
whelming support, really,”
Spears said. “Most people seem
to be really behind it.”
CMSD is considering two
modified calendar plans, both
of which would start the upcom-
ing school year in July and end
in early June. Both plans would
create an extended spring
break, from one to three weeks,
while one plan calls for a two-
week fall break and the other a
three-week fall break. The cur-
rent school year began on Aug.
5 and will end May 21. There
the primary ben-
“Reconfiguring the schedule
efit of moving to
seemed like a really good op-
a modified sched-
portunity to address that, and
ule is students’
from what we’ve heard from
learning reten- Spears
stakeholders, there’s been a
tion. According to the district’s
welcomed response,” Spears
research, students who attend
said.
the traditional school calen-
Plan A calls for classes to be-
dar lose the equivalent of 2.6
gin July 22. Under Plan B, class-
months of math skills and two
es would begin July 15.
months of reading skills over
the summer. See CMSD, 6A

Coalition FRESH WINTER VEGETABLES

of businesses
set rigorous
precautions to
promote travel
Mississippi’s Trusted
Triangle aimed at
informing travelers
which area businesses
‘meet or exceed’ CDC
guidelines
BY ISABELLE ALTMAN
ialtman@cdispatch.com

Golden Trian-
gle Regional Air-
port and a handful
of area businesses
have formed a coa-
lition aimed at reas-
suring travelers to
the Golden Triangle
area that the airport, Hainsey
rental cars, hotels and restaurants
they’re using are taking rigor-
ous safety precautions during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
GTR A announced the formation
of Mississippi’s Trusted Triangle in
a press release Friday. Each busi-
ness in the coalition has written
safety procedures that “meet or ex-
ceed” guidelines from the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
and Mississippi State Department
of Health.
“The message is that you can
come to the Golden Triangle, and
from the airlines through the
airport through the rental cars
through hotels through the restau-
rants and back, every one of those
places you stay will have written
and enforced COVID procedures,”
said Mike Hainsey, GTR A’s execu-
tive director and CEO.
The businesses who have joined
the group are the airport; Delta
Airlines; Enterprise Rent-a-Car;
National Car Rental; Eat With Us
Restaurant Group, which includes
Harveys, Sweet Peppers Deli, The
Grill, Bulldog Burger and Smack-
ers; and six area hotels owned
and managed by Atlanta-based
Peachtree Hotel Group, including
See COALITION, 6A
Tess Vrbin/Dispatch Staff
Jordan Brightwell, center, supervises his 2-year-old daughter June, right, and their neighbor Leo Espino, 11, left, picking veg-
etables from the Brightwell family’s garden in their yard Saturday afternoon in Starkville. The garden includes carrots, garlic,
onions and lettuce this time of year, and they grow tomatoes, squash and cucumbers over the summer, said Charis Bright-
well, Jordan’s wife and June’s mother. Leo is the son of Leticia and Mauricio Espino.
SMART ridership down 40-plus percent in 2020
Dumas: Safety protocols
are working; ridership will
bounce back after capacity
restrictions are lifted
BY ZACK PLAIR
zplair@cdispatch.com
In Sam Pitts’ 2 1/2 years driving the
central campus route for the Starkville-
MSU Area Rapid Transit (SMART) sys-
tem, 2020 stands out. He’s unlikely to
ever forget it.
The system abruptly shut down its
campus routes in mid-March, when the
COVID-19 pandemic drove Mississippi
State University’s courses to an all-vir-
Zack Plair/Dispatch Staff
tual format. By the time a limited num-
Sam Pitts sits in a Starkville-MSU Area Rapid Transit bus after his shift ends
ber of students returned to campus in
Friday afternoon. He drives on the central campus route at Mississippi State Uni-
versity and has adjusted, along with his riders, with the strict protocols in place — August, SMART was requiring masks
such as mask wearing and buses reduced to half capacity — due to the COVID-19 for riders and only allowing buses to
pandemic. Ridership on city and campus SMART routes combined to decrease by carry half of their passenger capacity
more than 40 percent in 2020. See SMART, 3A

INSIDE FIVE QUESTIONS LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC

Church 6B Obituaries 5A 1 What’s the name for edible MEETINGS
Classifieds 5B Opinions 4A greens that are sold when Feb. 1: Lowndes
Comics 7,8B they’re about three weeks old? County Board of
Crossword 3B 2 What NBA All-Star led the NBA
Supervisors, 9
Dear Abby 4B in assists for the third time in
Lifestyles 7A 2014-2015? a.m. Courthouse,
3 Which Asian country owns the facebook.com/
Eden-like Koh Phi Phi Lee island LowndesCounty-
featured in Leonardo DiCarprio’s Mississippi/
2000 film “The Beach”?
WEATHER 4 What 1991 film starring Keanu
Feb. 3: Colum-
bus Municipal
Reeves, Gary Busey and Patrick
High 62 Low 59
Cloudy with p.m. showers
Swayze was remade in 2015?
5 What English legal document
considered a foundation of mod-
School District
review meeting
(virtual), 11:30
Full forecast on ern democracy celebrated its a.m., columbusci-
page 3A. 800th anniversary in 2015? tyschools.org.
Feb. 12:
Answers, 5B
Lowndes County
School District
Board, 12:30
Chasety Butler is a barber. She likes to cut p.m., District
141st Year, No. 269 hair and help people. Office

DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471

2A SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021
ASK RUFUS
Rooting Hogs and Courting Frogs
I
recently gave
an 1882 book,
“Minstrel Songs
Old and New,” to
the Black Prairie
Blues Museum in
West Point. The
book contains a fas-
cinating collection
of popular music
from the mid-1800s.
There I found songs
such as “Tom-Big-
Bee River or Gum Rufus Ward
Tree Canoe,” which
was first published in 1847, and hood memories is of Minerva
“Root Hog or Die” first pub-
lished in 1856. I was familiar
with the “Gum Tree Canoe,”
which had been made popular
by John Hartford in the 1980s
folk music scene. I’ve heard the her sitting in an old Victorian
expression “Root Hog or Die”
as long as I can remember but
never knew it was a song.
Though it was first pub-
lished in 1856, there are ver-
sions of the song going back,
at least, to the early 1850s. The was just an old song she had
expression itself goes back to
the earliest days of the United
States when hogs might be
turned out to forage in the
woods on a farm. My favorite
explanation of the phrase is by
David Crockett.
Crockett actually wrote
an autobiography and many
shorter pieces often to promote singing “Frog Went A-Court-
his political career. In one of
his publications, he said, “We
know’d that nothing more
could happen to us if we went
than if we staid, for it looked
like it was to be starvation any
way; we therefore determined
to go on the old saying, root,
hog or die.”
The song’s first verse
sounds as though Crockett
himself could have written it:
“I’m right from old Virginny
wid my pocket full of news,
worth twenty
shillings right square
in my shoes, it
doesn’t make a dif of
bitterance to
neider you nor I,
Big pig or little pig,
Root hog or die.”
Any mention of
old songs can not
help but bring to my
mind “Frog Went
A-Courtin.” One of
my earliest child-
Sykes, an elderly Black lady
who was family cook, maid,
babysitter and basically helped
raise me, singing “Frog Went
A-Courtin’” to me. I remember
chair singing the song while I
sat on the floor mesmerized. I
recall always asking what kind
of sword and what kind of pistol
did a frog have, and she would
respond she couldn’t say as it
known all her life.
When she would have first
sung the song to me, it would
have been at the old family
home at 905 Main St. in Co-
lumbus where her mother had
worked for my great-grand-
mother almost 100 years ear-
lier. I can picture her mother
ing” to my grandfather when
he was a child in the 1890s.
Numerous versions of
the song, some with slightly
different titles, show up in the
song’s almost 475-year history.
Among those who have record-
ed it since it first appeared on
a record in 1919 are artists
ranging from Tex Ritter, Burl
Ives and Elvis Presley to Bruce
Springsteen, Bob Dylan and
Paul McCartney. The version I
remember Minerva singing to
me began:
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A mid-1600s woodcut of frogs in a pond is shown. In the late 1500s, English Queen Elizabeth I was
being courted by a Frenchman, Francois, Duke of Anjou. The Duke’s nickname was “the Frog” and a
1580 version of the children’s song “Frog Went A-Courtin” may have been a parody of a frog courting
a queen.
“Frog went a-courtin’ and he
did ride
uh hum uh hum
sword and a pistol by his side
uh hum uh hum
Rode on up to Miss Moussie’s
door
uh hum uh hum
sword and a pistol by his side
uh hum uh hum
knelt right down upon the
floor
uh hum uh hum
He took Miss Moussie on his
knee
uh hum uh hum
and said Miss Moussie will
you marry me
uh hum uh hum”
The song itself has a fasci-
nating history. Though “Frog
Went a-Courtin” was a popu-
lar rhyme or children’s song
among African Americans in
the South, its roots go back
to Scotland. The first known
reference to a version of the
rhyme was “The frog came to
the myl dur” and appeared in
Scotland in 1548 in Wedder-
burn’s Complaynt.
The most interesting tra-
dition comes out of England
where there is a reference to
the rhyme “a Most Strange
Wedding of the Frogge and the
Mouse” in 1580, when it was
recorded in the register of the
London Company of Stationer.
In the late 1500s, English
Queen Elizabeth I was being
courted by a Frenchman,
Francois, Duke of Anjou. The
Duke was said to be widely
unpopular in England. Queen
Elizabeth often gave courtiers
animal nicknames, and the
Duke became “The Frog.” It
is not clear, though, whether
he received the name from the
queen or a satirical member of
the public. Whichever it was,
Courtesy image
the name stuck. Thus, he was
the “Frog” who “went a-cour-
tin.”
The song as a satire of the
Duke fits time-wise with its
1580 registration. However, it
had first appeared in Scotland
some 10 years before Eliza-
beth became queen in 1558.
It may well be that the 1548
version was slightly altered
in 1580 to fit the times and
become a parody Francois,
“the Frog.”
The first account of the
rhyme being put to music
was in 1611 in Thomas Raven-
scroft’s Melismata. The rhyme
made its way to America in
colonial times and has been
popular with children ever
since. It’s amazing how when
we look at the stories behind
songs just how much history is
often revealed.
Rufus Ward is a local histo-
rian.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 3A

Mississippi eases some education mandates amid pandemic

Third graders and high school students will sessments will provide valuable
information about the impact of
promoted to the fourth grade.
Passing grades also are usu-
through the end of the 2019-
20 academic year. The abrupt
still take state-mandated exams this semester COVID-19 on learning and will
help identify where accelerated
ally required on end-of-course
exams in algebra I, English II,
switch to online classes was
challenging because some stu-
but will not be penalized for poor performance learning opportunities for stu-
dents are most needed,” state
biology and U.S. history so stu-
dents can graduate. Students
dents lacked laptops or tablets
and did not have internet access
BY EMILY And, although schools will Superintendent of Education must still fulfill other state and at home.
WAGSTER PET TUS be assessed based on their Carey Wright said in a news re- local requirements to earn a
The Associated Press
For the 2020-21 school year,
performance, they will not be lease. “The policy suspensions high school diploma, the state each school district has set its
assigned new A through F “re- are intended to support schools Department of Education said
JACKSON — own policy of having in-person
port card” grades this academic through this intensely challeng- in the news release.
Because of dis- or online classes, or a mix of the
year. ing year for educators and stu- An executive order signed
ruptions caused two. The state used some of its
dents.” by Gov. Tate Reeves months
by the coronavi- The state Board of Education federal coronavirus relief mon-
Schools will keep the report ago allows the state Board of
rus pandemic, decided Thursday to set aside ey to make a bulk purchase of
card grades they earned in the Education to suspend rules and
Mississippi third the new report card grades for 2018-19 school year. The school regulations to cope with the laptops and tablets, and those
graders and high schools and the requirement for assessments were not done for pandemic. devices were distributed to stu-
school students students to earn passing grades 2019-20 because of the pandem- Reeves closed schools dents during the fall semester.
Wright on the third grade reading as-
will still take ic. for in-person instruction in Some students, though, are still
state-mandated exams this se- sessment and high school end- Mississippi usually requires March, after the first virus cas- struggling with internet access,
mester but will not be penalized of-course exams. third graders to show they can es were found in Mississippi, particularly in poor or rural ar-
for poor performance. “This year’s statewide as- read proficiently before they are and schools remained closed eas.

Challenger qualifies in Starkville Ward 7 alderman race

Lowery ran unsuccessfully for a Columbus seat before moving to Starkville sissippi University for
Women and works as an
our kids now because
they are the future lead-
BY ZACK PLAIR qualified Friday to chal- Columbus, after Council- urday. “It needs a visible independent marketing ers of our community,”
zplair@cdispatch.com lenge three-term incum- man Gene Taylor passed leader, and I don’t want consultant, she said. Lowery said. “We need
bent Henry Vaughn in away. At that time, she to be somebody people If elected aldermen, to give them a running
Ward 7’s the Democratic primary, said, she split time liv- only see when I’m run- she hopes to prioritize chance.”
alderman according to information ing in a family home in ning. Constituents (in building better relations So far only one candi-
seat has the city clerk’s office re- Columbus and a rental Ward 7) seem to be ready between law enforce- date each has qualified
produced leased. house in Starkville. After for change, and I want to ment and citizens based for the mayor’s race and
the first Lowery, a Columbus losing that election, she be the type of leader that on mutual trust. She the six other alderman
competi- native, is no stranger to said, she began living in people say, ‘When I need also wants to partner seats. Deadline to qualify
tive race for politics. She ran unsuc- Starkville full-time. something, I can call Ne- with area nonprofits to is Feb. 5.
this year’s cessfully in a crowded “Ward 7 (in Starkville) dra.’” strengthen after-school Party primary elec-
Lowery
St ark v ille field in a 2019 special reminds me a lot of Ward Lowery earned a mass program offerings for tions are set for April 6.
municipal elections. election to fill the vacant 1 (in Columbus),” Lowery media degree in broad- children. The general election will
Nedra Lowery, 36, Ward 1 council seat in told The Dispatch on Sat- casting from the Mis- “We have to invest in be June 8.

SMART
Continued from Page 1A
— with riders directed to
sit in every other seat.
“It was a lot more
solemn at first because
people didn’t want to get
sick,” Pitts recalled. “Peo-
ple, understandably, were
scared of the unknown.
As time has moved, peo-
ple have gotten more
comfortable with wearing
masks and the other pro-
tocols.”
The anxiety wasn’t
constrained to the riders,
either. Pitts has dealt with
his own fears while driv-
ing throughout the ongo-
ing pandemic, though he
said he has “felt pretty
safe.”
“I wear my mask and
the riders are slightly
behind you as they enter
the bus,” he said. “I don’t
know if they are six feet
away when they come in,
but they are at least four
or five feet. … We (the
drivers) know we’re very
vital in getting those stu-
dents to and from class.
That’s what keeps us go-
ing.”
“Vital” and “essen-
tial” are words SMART
director Jeremiah Du-
mas leaned into Tuesday,
even as he
reported to
Starkville
aldermen a
4 2 - p e rc e nt
systemwide
decrease in
f i xed-route
ridership
in 2020 as Dumas
part of his
annual report to the city.
SMART has fixed routes
on campus and through-
out the city, all of which
are free to ride.
There also has been
a 32-percent decrease
in paratransit, a door-
to-door transportation
option for citizens with
disabilities or medical
needs, Dumas said.
“There’s no doubt,
when you look at these
numbers, what the impact
(of COVID-19) has been,”
Dumas told the aldermen.
SMART is funded pri-
marily through a Federal
Transportation Commis-
sion grant, with contribu-
tions from MSU and the
city, as well as market-
ing/advertising revenue,
accounting for most of the
rest. In 2021, the system
is applying for more than
$4.7 million in FTC grant
funds, with $1.8 million
to come from MSU and
$50,000 coming from the
city.
Tuesday’s public hear-
ing and report was one of
the requirements for re-
newing the annual federal
grant.
SMART reported a
banner year in 2019, with
systemwide ridership up
20.5-percent from the
year before. January 2020
showed promise for even
more growth, with 21,475
more riders that month
than in January 2019.
But then, “we all know
what happened in March,”
Dumas said.
Ridership tanked in the
spring and summer, as
campus routes closed and
capacity on city routes
was restricted. Still, Du-
mas said, SMART only
shut down the city routes
for one day in March be-
fore resuming them with
protocols in place ever
since. Besides mask re-
quirements and capacity
restrictions, the buses
also are frequently elec-
trostatically cleaned (us-
ing a surface spray), he
said. Hand sanitizer also
is stationed on the buses.
Dumas believes those
protocols worked, report-
ing Tuesday that despite
unintentionally carrying
COVID-positive riders
at times, there is no evi-
dence to suggest the vi-
rus was ever transmitted
on the buses.
October was the worst
month for ridership com-
pared to the previous
year, Dumas said, with ership numbers,” Dumas The main thing we have service and safety. That’s
nearly 100,000 fewer rid- said. “How long will that to focus on is maintain- the only way it’s going to
ers compared to October take? We don’t know. … ing a high standard for bounce back.”
2019.
“A lot of that was
gameday,” Dumas told
The Dispatch, referring
to the routes SMART
runs for football fans
attending MSU home
football games, where ca-
pacity was limited to 25
percent in 2020, “But Oc-
tober is traditionally one
of largest student months
(for on-campus routes),
too.”
Despite SMART’s rid-
ership loss, Dumas said
other mass transit sys-
tems he’s consulted have
seen use reductions of
up to 80 percent during
the pandemic. SMART’s
fare-free model, he said,
helps with future stability
because it isn’t losing rev-
enue for lack of riders.
City officials on Tues-
day seemed satisfied with
SMART’s performance
during COVID-19.
“It’s definitely benefi-
cial to our community,”
Mayor Lynn Spruill said.
“... It’s an extraordinary
thing, and I’m glad that
we partner with them.”
Dumas said SMART
will maintain its current
number of routes for 2021,
and construction will
soon begin for a new, $4.5
million headquarters for
the system on Buckner
Boulevard on the south
side of MSU’s campus. A
Mississippi Department
of Transportation grant
funded 80 percent of that
project.
SMART will use sur-
veys online and on the
buses to inform market-
ing efforts that will hope-
fully recruit riders back
as the pandemic wanes,
Dumas said. In the mean-
time, the goal is to keep
offering the best, safest
service possible.
“I believe things will
eventually level out and
return to pre-COVID rid-

AROUND THE STATE SOLUNAR TABLE

The solunar period indicates

Former Mississippi police officer Sutphin with the Federal Bureau of Inves-
peak-feeding times for fish and game.
Sun. Mon.
Major 9:17p 10:06p
tigation in Mississippi.
pleads to obstruction Upon learning that a 16 year old fe-
Minor
Major
3:16p
9:41a
4:02p
10:32a
JACKSON — A former police officer in male with whom Coleman had a relation-
Minor 5:01a 5:59a
Courtesy of Mississippi Department

Mississippi has pleaded guilty to obstruc-

of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks

ship had been reported as a runaway,

tion of a federal investigation by destroy-
ing and hiding text messages and images
of a juvenile girl, federal prosecutors said.
Mark Coleman, 57, who served with
the Jackson Police Department for more
than 20 years, entered the plea Thursday
before U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee,
said Acting U.S. Attorney Darren LaMar-
ca and Special Agent in Charge Michelle
Coleman attempted to delete text mes-
sages and images of the female from his
phone to try to prevent federal investiga-
tors from connecting him to the runaway.
His attempt at concealing his relationship
failed, and Coleman was arrested.
Coleman’s sentencing hearing is set
for April 29. He faces up to 20 years in
federal prison.
The Dispatch
The Commercial Dispatch (USPS 142-320)
Published daily except Saturday. Answers to common questions:
Entered at the post office at Columbus, Mississippi.
Periodicals postage paid at Columbus, MS Phone: 662-328-2424
POSTMASTER, Send address changes to:
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516 Main St., Columbus, MS 39703
Report a news tip: news@cdispatch.com
Opinion
4A SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021
PETER BIRNEY IMES Editor/Publisher
BIRNEY IMES III Editor/Publisher 1998-2018
BIRNEY IMES JR. Editor/Publisher 1947-2003

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

ZACK PLAIR, Managing Editor

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

OUR VIEW

Roses and thorns

A rose to Co-
lumbus-Lowndes
Public Library
and its Autism
Resource Center
for Saturday’s
Family Fair, a virtual event
which brought together a
wide range of organizations
that serve those with special
cognitive/behavioral needs for
whom the pandemic has prov-
en to be a unique challenge.
With many of the in-person
programs geared toward chil-
dren and adults suffering from
learning/behavioral disabili-
ties having been canceled be-
cause of the pandemic, Satur-
day’s fair helped families find
virtual connections for those
services. Without the in-per-
son programs that are often
the most effective therapies, or-
ganizations have adapted their
programs to deliver virtual
services. Saturday’s fair was
an effort to inform families of
what these programs have to
offer. We applaud the library
for being a great facilitator be-
tween these organizations and
those in need of their services.
A rose to all
those who partic-
ipated in Mon-
day’s Martin Lu-
ther King Jr. Day
of Service events. While many
of the MLK Day events were
either canceled or converted to
virtual offerings, the tradition
of honoring Dr. King’s memory
through community service
continued in the Golden Tri-
angle. In Starkville and West
Point, volunteers collected and
distributed food packages and
hot meals, restocked food pan-
tries that serve the poor and
distributed PPEs and cleaning
supplies to child care centers.
We are pleased to note that
while the pandemic may have
altered many of the MLK Day
traditions, it did not stop the
good works that are a tribute to
King’s memory. We thank all
those who donated their time
and money to make sure the
work continued.
A rose to Mis-
sissippi School
for Math and Sci-
ence for its plans
for a four-week
Zoom series,
along with a virtual math tour-
nament beginning in February.
With many math competitions
and math fairs being canceled
because of the pandemic,
MSMS has developed a way
to provide these opportunities
virtually to students in Grades
9-12 throughout the state. This
year, MSMS students and fac-
ulty are hosting the free, math-
themed Zoom series, Math
AllStars, at 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
on Feb. 3, 10, 17 and 24. Stu-
dents can register individually,
or teachers can register their
entire class for this enrichment
experience. To learn more,
visit www.themsms.org/pro-
gramscamps/math-superstars.
The MSMS Chapter of Mu
Alpha is hosting its first virtual
math tournament in lieu of the
annual Math Tournament at
the Trotter Convention Cen-
ter from Feb. 22-26. Students
can participate individually
or as a team. To learn more,
visit www.themsms.org/pro-
grams-camps/mu-alphathe-
ta-tournament.

IMMIGRATION

Without discipline,
humane border
policy fails
On his first day as president,
Joe Biden is unfurling big
ideas for fixing the immigra-
tion program. Any smart plan
will loosen howls by extreme
opinions, be they for shutting
the borders tight or opening
them wide, so he might as well
do the right thing. Rebuilding
the system to be more humane
would be welcome. But protect-
ing American labor from unfair
Froma Harrop
competition is also essential.
That means controlling who
enters and how many enter the country.
And so, what does Biden have in mind? Start with
his two no-brainers. One is rapidly legalizing the status
of the “Dreamers,” immigrants brought to this country
illegally as children. The other is raising prosecutions
for drug traffickers and human smugglers.
His plan to put the estimated 11 million immigrants
in the U.S. illegally on a path to citizenship makes
sense — but only if paired with a requirement that em-
ployers use a database, such as E-Verify, to certify that
all new hires have a right to work in the United States.
This enforcement piece was part of the unsuccessful
2013 immigration reform bill that most Democrats
supported.
Biden’s initial plans don’t mention this means to re-
assure Americans that the laws will be respected going PARTIAL TO HOME
forward. The vast majority of immigrants who enter
illegally come here for a job. A wall 10 miles high won’t
stop them, but being unable to secure a job could.
E-Verify is already mandatory for the federal govern-
Reconnecting with old friends
ment and federal contractors. And a handful of states “Thousands of When my parents our mad rush to control nature
require that all or most employers use it. The program tired, nerve-shaken, built their first house have lost our connection with it.
is otherwise voluntary, although over 750,000 employ- over-civilized people on Chickasaw Drive, “We have to escape the life of
ers have joined up. are beginning to find grandma Eunice, commodity and replace it with
Former President Donald Trump’s talk on immi- out … that wildness is with characteristic the life of community,” he said in
gration was nasty but mainly talk. He’d say vile things a necessity … (that) prescience, plant- an interview with “Emergence”
about foreigners of color but then refuse to take the going to the woods is ed a double row of magazine. “We have to give up
one step that could have come close to stopping illegal going home fast-growing pine this notion that human destiny
immigration. He would not support E-Verify. — John Muir, natu- seedlings along is to manage and control and to
Asked about that on Fox News, Trump said, “E-Ver- ralist, writer the road to act as a dominate, and replace it with the
ify is so tough that in some cases, like farmers, they’re screen. idea that human destiny depends
not — they’re not equipped for E-Verify.” Like farmers On long ago sum- I doubt — though … on making ourselves better
don’t have laptops. mer evenings when Birney Imes maybe not — Eunice at adapting to the environment,
The dirty secret was that Trump and other Republi- the kids were small, could have anticipated because the environment is 99
cans were happy to harass undocumented immigrants, I would take them and their that the limbs of the pines would percent living things.”
but they would not prevent businesses from exploiting friends to the front campus of become one of our favorite play That is to say there are other
their labor. Like the Republicans who sunk the 2013 The W to play freeze tag. spaces and a refuge for us from and no less vital passengers on
reform bill, they would give sermons on the evils of What is now the College the neighborhood bully, who was Spaceship Earth with us homo
rewarding lawbreakers while keeping the easily break- Street entrance to the campus afraid of heights. sapiens. The sooner we realize
able laws in place. was then a lush expanse of green Some among us, namely Andy and embrace this reality, the
Some opponents of curbing illegal immigration — grass. Brislin, could move through healthier we and our planet will
be they on the cheap-labor right or the diversity left The vast lawn and mature these rows of loblolly pines as be.
— complain that the E-Verify system has suffered from shrubs made for a perfect play- though he were on terra firma. In the meantime, as a start,
technical glitches. It’s been much strengthened in re- ing field where we would run and We grow up and forget these here’s a suggestion: Walk outside
cent years, and any future problems can be addressed. hide and run some more. things. We lose interest in climb- and find a tree in your yard, on
Biden faces a prospect he shouldn’t want: a surge of When we had played out, ing trees. Gone is our intimate your street or in a nearby woods.
Central Americans rushing the border in the expec- when everyone was hot and relationship, our endless fascina- Learn what you can about this
tation he’ll make it easier for them. Setting the cutoff sweaty and out of breath, we tion, with the natural world. organism, its genus and species,
date for legalization at this past Jan. 1 would, some pre- would make for Third Avenue We focus our gaze and ener- its distinguishing qualities.
sume, discourage new caravans. The reality, however, and home. gies on the demands of civiliza- Make it your friend, for it is
is that the masses come for jobs, not the right to vote Occasionally we would stop tion and we forget. your friend whether you realize
for county commissioner. to pay our respects to the large Richard Powers in the star- it or not.
Biden’s choice of Alejandro Mayorkas to run the De- magnolia grandiflora at the tlingly original and eminently Trees provide shade and thus
partment of Homeland Security is cause for optimism. northwest corner of the campus readable “The Overstory” exam- cooling, convert carbon dioxide
An immigrant from Cuba, Mayorkas is an ex-prosecu- at College and 11th streets. And, ines this issue in the stories of to oxygen, reduce noise pollu-
tor whom former heads of DHS, Republicans and Dem- to our minds, it was grand. nine lives, all intimately connect- tion, provide habitat to wildlife
ocrats alike, praise as uniquely qualified to combine a The lot of us would shimmy up ed with trees. Literally, the trees and increase property values.
humane approach with serious enforcement. through her broad, stout limbs are characters in the book. “The And, if that is not enough, they
Biden must apply muscle as well as heart at the and in doing so become invisible Overstory” won the Pulitzer are uniquely beautiful.
border or his best plans will fall apart. It might seem to all passers-by — no, to all of Prize for fiction in 2019. Depending on its size and
cruel to stop desperate migrants — most of them fine humankind. The term for Powers’ trees is species, there is a good chance
people — from entering the U.S. without papers. But Years later I’d heard the tree, — and I am not going to pretend — just like those pine trees on
either you establish law and order at the border or your with the obscurity it afforded, I know this word — is anthropo- Chickasaw Drive planted by
immigration program loses public support and callous became a favorite hangout for morphic, which is to say having Grandma Eunice — it was here
populists like Trump take over. MSMS students, even after human qualities. when you arrived on the planet
Canada and Australia run large immigration pro- MUW groundskeepers removed Powers believes — as science and, left to its own devices, a
grams that combine strict enforcement with generosi- her lower branches. has shown — that trees are a good chance it will be here long
ty. We can, too. As a kid, even now as an aging community unto themselves, that after you’re gone.
Froma Harrop, a syndicated columnist, writes for the adult, there is something nurtur- they communicate and nurture Birney Imes (birney@cdis-
Providence (Rhode Island) Journal. Her e-mail address is ing and fundamental about being each other. He also posits we are patch.com) is the former publisher
fharrop@gmail.com. in a tree. of the same community and in of The Dispatch.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 5A

COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
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328-2471.
Nelson Koehn
WEST POINT —
Nelson Dale Koehn, 64,
died Jan. 19, 2021.
Graveside services
were held Saturday at
West Point Memorial
Gardens. Robinson
Funeral Home of West
Point was in charge of
arrangements.
Mr. Koehn was
born Feb. 20, 1956,
in Moundridge, Kan-
sas, to Phyllis Becker
Koehn and the late
Clayton Koehn. He at-
tended Burns Elemen-
tary School. He was
formerly employed with
his family dairy farm
and soybean farm. He
attended Eden Menno-
nite Church.
In addition to his
mother, he is survived
by wife, Pamela; sib-
lings, Bill, Ben both
of West Point, Regina
of Burns, Kansas, and
Mary Ellen Stewart of
Scottsdale, Arizona.
Memorials may
be made to Oakwood
Retirement Commu-
nity, 55 Oakwood
Dr., Brooksville, MS,
39739.
Jacob Pongetti
COLUMBUS — Ja-
cob Charles Pongetti,
92, died Jan. 22, 2021,
at Waverly Care Home
in West Point.
A Rosary will be at
10:30 a.m. Saturday, at
Annunciation Catholic
Church. A Mass of Res-
urrection will follow at
11a.m. at the church.
Memorial Gunter Peel
Funeral Home and
Crematory, Second
Avenue North location,
is in charge of arrange-
ments.
Thomas Davis Jr.
STARKVILLE —
Thomas Artho Davis
Jr., 75, died Jan. 21,
2021, at North Alabama
Specialty Hospital in
Athens, Alabama.
Funeral services will
be at 1 p.m. Monday,
AREA OBITUARIES
at Pine Bluff Baptist
Church. Burial will be
in Wake Forest Ceme-
tery in Dancy. Visita-
tion will be two hours
prior to services at the
church. Welch Funeral
Home of Starkville is
in charge of arrange-
ments.
He was preceded in
death by his parents,
Thomas Artho Davis
Sr. and Annie Weed
Davis.
He is survived by
his children, Eliza-
beth Davis Dorning of
Harvest, Alabama, and
Thomas Artho Davis
III of Athens, Alabama;
siblings, Loretta Norris
of Maben and Annie
Betts of Mantee; and
four grandchildren.
Willie Scott
COLUMBUS — Wil-
lie Scott, 71, died Jan.
21, 2021, at Vineyard
Court Nursing Home.
Arrangements are
incomplete and will be
announced by Carter’s
Funeral Services of
Columbus.
Langford Hughes
ALICEVILLE, Ala.
—Langford Hughes,
77, died Jan. 22, 2021,
at his residence.
A private funeral
service will be held.
Visitation will be from
3-5 p.m. Friday, at
Lavender’s Funeral
Service. Lavender’s
Funeral Service of
Aliceville is in charge
of arrangements.
Chapple Johnson
VERNON, Ala. —
Chapple Geraldine
Johnson, 94, died Jan.
21, 2021, at Fayette
Long Term Care.
Funeral services are
at 2 p.m. today, in the
chapel of Chandler Fu-
neral Home, with Kieth
Howell officiating. Buri-
al will follow at Chris-
tian Chapel Cemetery.
Visitation is one hour
prior to services at the
funeral Home. Chan-
dler Funeral Home of
Vernon is in charge of
arrangements.
Mrs. Johnson was
born Nov. 8, 1926, in
Lamar County, Ala-
bama, to the late Gold-
en and Ruby Curry. She
was formerly employed
as a homemaker.
In addition to her
parents, she was pre-
ceded in death by her
children, Jeffery Jake
Johnson and Becky
Caraletta Johnson;
one brother; and three
sisters.
She is survived by
her children, Jimmy
Johnson and Melissa
Herron both of Vernon;
siblings, Foy Curry,
Lavola Rector, Elaine
McDaniel and Sharon
Davis; three grand-
children; and seven
great-grandchildren.
Henry Summerville Jr.
COLUMBUS — Hen-
ry Summerville Jr. 81,
died Jan. 22, 2021, at
Baptist Memorial Hos-
pital-Golden Triangle.
Arrangements are father, he was preceded
incomplete and will be in death by his siblings,
announced by Carter’s Donald Mechant and
Funeral Services of Roger Merchant.
Columbus. In addition to his
mother, he is survived
Carolyn Elkin by his daughter, Bran-
COLUMBUS — dy Merchant; siblings,
Carolyn Sissell Elkin, Tommy Merchant and
93, died Jan. 22, 2021, Becky Godsey; and two
at Sanctuary Hospice grandchildren.
House in Tupelo.
Graveside services
are at 2 p.m. today, at
Friendship Cemetery,
with Jimmy Criddle
officiating. Lowndes
Funeral Home of Co-
lumbus is in charge of
arrangements.
Dennis Merchant
SULLIGENT, Ala.
— Dennis E. Merchant,
58, died Jan. 21, 2021,
at Northwest Medical
Center in Winfield, Ray Vassar
Alabama.
Incomplete
Funeral services are College St. Location
at 3 p.m. today at Otts
Funeral Home, with Jacob Pongetti
Incomplete
James Godsey officiat- 2nd Ave. N. Location
ing. Burial will follow
in the Gilmer Addition
of Sulligent City Cem-
etery. Visitation is one
hour prior to services
at the funeral home.
Otts Funeral Home of
Sulligent is in charge of memorialgunterpeel.com
arrangements.
Mr. Merchant was
born Feb. 18, 1962, in
Hamilton, Alabama,
to Faye Easter and the
late Bobby Merchant.
He was a graduate of
Sulligent High School cdispatch.com
and was formerly em-
ployed with NACCO.
In addition to his

Lucky few hit COVID-19 vaccine

jackpot for rare extra doses
Once a vial’s seal is punctured
and the first dose is drawn, those
administering the vaccine are in a
race to use it up before it spoils
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Fortune struck one
man in the bakery aisle
at the supermarket. Two
others were working the
night shift at a Subway
sandwich shop. Yet anoth-
er was plucked from a list
of 15,000 hopefuls.
With millions of Amer-
icans waiting for their
chance to get the corona-
virus vaccine, a lucky few
are getting bumped to the
front of the line as clinics
scramble to get rid of ex-
tra, perishable doses at
the end of the day.
It is often a matter of be-
ing in the right place at the
right time.
Sometimes people who
just happen to be near
a clinic at closing time
are offered leftover shots
that would otherwise be
thrown away. Sometimes
health workers go out
looking for recipients.
Some places keep waiting
lists and draw names at
random. Such opportu-
nities may be becoming
more prized as shortages
around the U.S. lead some
places to cancel vaccina-
tions.
“One of the nurses said
I should go buy a lottery
ticket right now,” said
Jesse Robinson, outside
a Nashville, Tennessee,
clinic this week where the
22-year-old was picked
from a 15,000-name list for
a shot. “I’m not going to
question it too much. Just
glad it was me.”
David MacMillan was
grabbing ingredients for
a coconut chickpea dish
at a Giant grocery store in
Washington when a wom-
an in a lab coat from the
in-store pharmacy came
up to him and his friend.
“I got two doses of the
Moderna vaccine. The
pharmacy is closing in
10 minutes. Do you want
them?” MacMillan, 31, re-
called the woman saying.
“I thought, ‘Let’s go for it.’”
After MacMillan post-
ed a video of his expe-
rience on TikTok, the
supermarket chain was
inundated for days with
calls and people hanging
around, hoping to score a
shot.
It has become one of the
most unusual quirks in the
often uneven, monthlong
rollout of the COVID-19
vaccines.
Once a vial is thawed
from the deep freeze and,
even more so, once its
seal is punctured and the
first dose is drawn, those
administering the vaccine
are in a race to use it up
before it spoils — even if
it means giving shots to
those who don’t fit into the
priority list.
While it may be unset-
tling to see a 20-some-
thing getting a shot while
an 90-year-old woman in a
nursing home is still wait-
ing, public health experts
say getting a dose into
someone’s arm, anyone’s
arm, is better than throw-
ing it away.
“As far as I’m con-
cerned, vaccinate anyone
but the dog,” said Dr. Wil-
liam Schaffner, an infec-
tious-disease expert at
Vanderbilt University.
Hair colorist Hanna
Widger was tipped off by
a client about Los Angeles
clinics where she might be
able to get a leftover dose
at the end of the day.
“It almost felt very se-
cretive and undercover,”
she said. “Almost like this
shady drug deal.”
She said she started
crying when she received
her shot: “It was almost
like you’ve been run-
ning this marathon since
March and you just fin-
ished the race. It was pret-
ty emotional.”

Larry King, broadcasting giant for half-century, dies at 87

BY ANDREW DALTON A longtime nationally the curiosity he brought gave the show an air of
AP Entertainment Writer syndicated radio host, to every interview, wheth- gravitas. Likewise King.
from 1985 through 2010 er questioning the assault He was the plainspoken
LOS ANGELES —
he was a nightly fixture victim known as the Cen- go-between through
Larry King, the suspend-
on CNN, where he won tral Park jogger or bil- whom Beltway bigwigs
ers-sporting everyman
whose broadcast inter- many honors, including lionaire industrialist Ross could reach their public,
views with world leaders, two Peabody awards. Perot, who in 1992 rocked and they did, earning the
movie stars and ordinary With his celebrity in- the presidential contest show prestige as a place
Joes helped define Amer- terviews, political debates by announcing his candi- where things happened,
ican conversation for a and topical discussions, dacy on King’s show. where news was made.
half-century, died Satur- King wasn’t just an endur- In its early years, “Lar- King conducted an es-
day. He was 87. ing on-air personality. He ry King Live” was based timated 50,000 on-air in-
King died at Ce- also set himself apart with in Washington, which terviews.
dars-Sinai Medical Cen-
ter in Los Angeles, his
production company,
Ora Media, tweeted. No
cause of death was giv-
en, but a spokesperson
said Jan. 4 that King had
COVID-19, had received
supplemental oxygen
and had been moved out
of intensive care. His son
Chance Armstrong also
confirmed King’s death,
CNN reported.
6A SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021
CMSD
Continued from Page 1A
“One of the things that came
up most often was if this would
change how many days stu-
dents were in school,” Spears
said. “But neither of the options
change that. Students will still
be in class for 180, which is
what the Department of Educa-
tion requires.”
An example of how it works;
mixed reviews from parents
The Mississippi Department
of Education gives school dis-
tricts wide latitude in setting
school calendars, although
school calendars must be sub-
mitted to the MDE for approval.
Spears said while about 10 per-
cent of schools nationwide oper-
ate on what is broadly referred
to as “year-round school,” ex-
amples in Mississippi are few.
The best example is the
Corinth School District, whose
2,700 students are now in their
fifth year of a modified calendar
similar to the proposals CMSD
is considering.
CMSD officials have consult-
ed with Corinth Superintendent
Lee Childress as part of those
considerations.
Childress said there’s little
doubt the change
to a modified
calendar has im-
proved student
performance. In
Corinth, gradua-
tion rates and stu-
dent achievement
have improved. Childress
That’s especially
true for students who struggle
to keep up, he said.
“It’s definitely been a benefit
to a lot of our students,” Chil-
dress said.
Unlike traditional school
calendars, students who have
fallen behind often have to wait
until summer break to receive
remedial instruction. Childress
Coalition
Continued from Page 1A
Courtyard by Marriott
Columbus, Courtyard by
Marriott Starkville MSU,
Fairfield Inn and Suites
Columbus, Hampton Inn
and Suites Columbus,
Hampton Inn and Suites
Starkville and Hilton Gar-
den Inn Tupelo.
The businesses that
have joined the coalition
and links to their safety
standards can all be found
on the coalition’s website
at https://mstrustedtri-
angle.com. Hainsey said
it is up to businesses how
they plan to advertise
their involvement in the
coalition, though the air-
port will have digital sig-
nage in the terminal.
Hainsey said while
business travel is down
about 80 percent since
the pandemic began,
there are still plenty of
leisure travelers coming
to the area. Those trav-
elers want to know what
businesses in the area
are practicing COVID-19
safety standards.
Hainsey said he got
the idea for the coalition
in November, when he
traveled to Cincinnati,
Ohio, for a conference.
During the conference,
one of Delta’s vice pres-
idents spoke about the
airline’s safety standards,
such as how the airline
still keeps one open seat
between passengers and
other standards the air-
line has set for itself to
keep passengers safe.
“He was talking about
how their concern isn’t
just the airplane, … and
not even the airport,”
Hainsey said. “He said
when someone trav-
els, they want to know
through their entire ex-
perience that they’re go-
ing to feel comfortable
and feel safe that people
are dealing with COVID
the way they should.
“It struck home be-
cause here I was in Cin-
cinnati at a conference,
and I was feeling the ex-
act same thing,” he add-
ed. “I was staying at the
Hyatt, so I knew they had
good, specific, written
policies. I found a restau-
rant nearby that I knew
that enforced all the
rules, so I went to it three
nights in a row. The only
time I felt concern was on
Columbus Municipal School District posted this graphic on its web-
site that it says shows how learning skills are affected by tradition-
al summer breaks.
said the modified schedule,
where remedial classes can
be held during the extended
spring and fall breaks, allows
teachers to address students’
needs in a more timely manner.
“That’s really the whole
point,” Childress said. “It gives
the … ride to the airport,
… a rideshare company,
because that person had
a mask down around his
neck.”
Peyton Scrivner, direc-
tor of sales and market-
ing for Eat With Us, said
their organization’s exec-
utives had been looking
for a way to get the word
out about their rigorous
safety standards as well.
“(For) people who are
traveling to this area, we
just wanted them to be
able to go to one place
and provide a way for
them to see, ‘Hey, you see
we’re following the cor-
rect safety measures. You
know you can trust to go
to these places,’” Scriv-
ner said.
She said Eat With Us
restaurants, in addition to
following CDC guidelines
for restaurants, is taking
the “extra mile” of tak-
ing employees’ tempera-
tures when they come
into work, setting timers
to ensure the restaurant
is being sanitized every
30 minutes, while still
enforcing mask- and
glove-wearing.
Likewise, Hainsey
said the airport is cleaned
between every flight, and
hotels in the Peachtree
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
fied schedule, some parents are enough funding to continue the
still uncertain. calendar, according to previous
“I’m kind of up in the air Dispatch coverage
about it,” said Omar Jones, who According to Liddell, the pi-
has one daughter in pre-K and lot program at the two schools
another in fourth grade. “The cost nearly $375,000, funds that
biggest concern is, with two came from a grant from the
working parents like us, what American Recovery and Rein-
are we going to do about child vestment Act.
care? It can be very complicat- “At this point, the funding
ed when you have to have that has dried up,” Liddell said when
it was discontinued.
covered several times a year in-
stead of just the summer.” Childress said that while it is
true there might be some addi-
Shelenia Henry, whose twins
tional costs in transitioning to
are sophomores at Columbus
a modified calendar, it wasn’t a
High, said she hates the idea of
deal-breaker in Corinth.
her kids missing out on the long
“A lot depends on what you
summer break.
do with the spring and fall inter-
“I’m still not sure about it, to
cessions, but the dollars spent
be honest,” she said. “I know
for that can be diverted from the
my kids aren’t happy about it
summer school dollars,” Chil-
at all. They enjoy their summer
break. It’s the time we have to dress said. “You can also find
dollars through Title I or Title
do things as a family. I guess
I’m one of those parents who V. The key issue is, what do you
need to do as a school district to
says, ‘let children be children.’
The time passes so fast. Let make this work? Then you allo-
cate your resources to make it
them enjoy their summers.”
Angela Jones, whose son is work.
“You probably will see some
a ninth-grader at CHS, is far
more enthusiastic. cost increases in the first year,
but for us, it’s budget-neutral
“Honestly, I’m kind of loving
it,” Jones said. “Anything that now,” he added.
Spears said the board could
keeps kids on a consistent rou-
decide by April on whether to
tine is a good thing. I like the
modify the calendar for 2021-
idea of spreading the breaks
22.
throughout the year. I also like
“There are a lot of moving
the idea of having breaks where
parts that would go into it,” he
kids can get caught up if they
said. “We need to see how it
need to.”
would affect the budget, for ex-
ample.”
Courtesy image
Budgetary concerns Childress said he has no re-
This is not the first time the grets about the decision his dis-
district has implemented what trict made five years ago.
is commonly called a year- “You have to have the sup-
round school calendar. port of parents and teachers
you the opportunity for re- In 2009, CMSD began a pilot and the community, but you
al-time intervention. That’s so program featuring an extend- have to realize that not every-
important because in some sit- ed school calendar at Stokes- one is going to like it, especially
uations students fall farther and Beard and Sale Elementary at first,” Childress said. “What I
farther behind.” schools, but dropped the effort can tell you is that here, nobody
Although Spears said stake- after two years when interim even thinks about the calendar
holders have been generally re- superintendent Martha Lid- anymore. It’s a normal calendar
ceptive to the idea of the modi- dell determined there was not for us.”
Group put up a seal on the
hotel room doorways af-
ter they’ve been cleaned,
so staff always know
which rooms have and
haven’t been sanitized in
preparation for guests.
He said the initial
rollout of the coalition
was limited to large or-
ganizations that manage
many area businesses,
but he wants other local
businesses and tourism
bureaus to join as well —
provided they practice the
same strict standards. He
said he has already talk-
ed to Nancy Carpenter,
CEO and executive di-
rector for the Columbus
Convention and Visitors
Bureau, who indicated
her organization would
be willing to participate
in the coalition as well.
Hainsey said the coali-
tion is just trying to pro-
mote safety.
“It’s all about safety,”
Hainsey said. “People
are afraid to fly. They’re
afraid to travel, whether
it be driving or flying or
whatever, with good rea-
son in the early stages
(of the pandemic). ... Now
that we know what steps
to take to keep people
safe on their travel, we’re
taking it.”
Send in your church event!
Email editorialassistant@cdispatch.com
Subject: Religious brief
Lifestyles
February
LIFESTYLES EDITOR
Jan Swoope: 328-2471
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 n 7A

Quick Bites
help usher
in new year
BY JAN SWOOPE
Creative
partnerships
jswoope@cdispatch.com

A
s winter’s grip slackens
and visions of spring stir,
February Quick Bites video
programs help begin the transi-
tion with topics including flowers,
good soil and the digital footprint
we’ll leave behind in 2021. The
free one-hour programs offered
through the Mississippi State Uni-
versity Extension Service provide
information on a wide variety of
topics via Zoom video conferenc-
ing, thanks to the pandemic, as
well as to a limited number of
socially-distanced participants
at area county Extension offices
on designated Thursdays from
noon-1 p.m. Although there is no
cost, participants must sign up
in advance. Sessions will also be
available in Bost Room 409 on the
MSU campus.
February Quick Bites are:
n Feb. 4 — “I Love Flowers”
with Lynette McDougald of MSU
Plant & Soil Sciences celebrates
bright, colorful flowers and foliag-
es used in quick, easy designs.
Register in advance for this
meeting at http://msuext.ms/
qb2021-02-04. After registering,
you will receive a confirmation
email containing information
about joining the meeting.
n Feb. 11 — “What’s in Your Tess Vribin/Dispatch Staff
Soil?” with Diagnostic Lab Man- Starkville Area Arts Council Executive Director John Bateman looks over plans Thursday in his office for a free
ager Clarissa Balbalian (Biochem- Feb. 2 virtual Business Skills Workshop for the creative community. It’s part of the ongoing $kills for the Creative
istry, Molecular Biology, Ento- Economy Partnership series. During the one-hour noon session, Kathy Jacobs of Kathy Jacobs Design & Market-
mology & Plant Pathology), digs ing will talk about Facebook Marketing Basics for Creatives. Participants must register in advance.
deep into prepping soil from the
ground up. Balbalian will address
common disease problems in the
Building skills and success for the creative economy sales taxes. After offering four
workshops the first year, SA AC
landscape and garden and how BY JAN SWOOPE tor John Bateman. “It is possible realized it needed more band-
to avoid them, as well as what we jswoope@cdispatch.com to make a living doing this. It’s width to support the project to the
might expect this spring. extent desired. The workshops

Register in advance for this
meeting at http://msuext.ms/
qb2021-02-11. After registering,
you will receive a confirmation
email containing information
about joining the meeting.
n Feb. 25 — Extension In-
structor Andy Collins, Center for
Technology Outreach, presents
“What is Your Digital Footprint?”
What are we putting out there?
Who is monitoring and following?
How to we change our status
or no longer participate? How
will our accounts be managed
after we die? What happens to
our information we provide to
online accounts? Join in to learn
W
hether a painter complet-
ing an ethereal land-
scape, or a writer craft-
ing a page-turning plot, creatives
among us add substance and beau-
ty to the world at large. No matter
how intense the talent, however,
the painters, writers, sculptors,
the weavers, potters, playwrights
and poets unaware of how best to
connect with the buying public
often languish professionally.
“Just because you make it
doesn’t mean people are going to
buy it,” said Starkville Area Arts
Council (SA AC) Executive Direc-
just learning how to make it work.
It does require people to put them-
selves out there.”
To support the creative com-
munity — and the area’s creative
economy as well — Bateman and
the SA AC board began looking at
how they could assist. About two
years ago, they began a series
called Business Skills Workshops.
“We realized there are a lot of
things no one’s teaching artists,”
the director said. Those topics
might range from how to write a
strong grant, fellowship or festival
application, how to best utilize
social media, or better understand
paused.
“But now we have paired up
with the Oxford arts council
because they are doing the same
thing,” explained Bateman. “The
idea is we’re trying to do 10
workshops a year between the two
arts councils. The goal is to help
artists get the skills they need to
market themselves. We want to
build our artists up so that they
stay here, that they understand
how to sell their work, instead of
them leaving here for (places like)
Nashville or New Orleans.”
See SAAC, 8A

See QUICK BITES, 8A

IN THE GARDEN WITH FELDER MSU’s Lang receives

Passing it on Library Journal’s
starred review for
L
ast week I stepped in entropy, while I cavort
off the never-ending
Möbius strip I call
garden seasons to give a
in perpetually pristine new
growth of botanic gardens
always kept in their prime.
new Civil War book
gaggle of neighborhood Anyway, one of my fa- MSU OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

kids a little Nature per-
spective.
You know what a Möbi-
us strip is, pop artist M.C.
Escher’s twisted drawing
of large ants crawling for-
ever around what at first
glance looks like a simple Felder Rushing
figure eight. It’s also used
to reduce the wear on belts in car
engines.
Anyway, I see my garden like
that, as it advances from its current
paperwhites and camellias through
forsythia, dogwoods and azaleas, to
summer roses and gardenias, and
then mums, fiery maple leaves and
sasanquas, back to paperwhites.
Throw in weather extremes and it’s a
rollicking ride I can’t seem to fall off,
in spite of it going around and around
seemingly nonstop.
Truth is, gardens can be more like
Oscar Wilde’s sinister “The Picture
of Dorian Gray,” in which a portrait
ages while its hedonistic subject does
not. My garden drifts and matures
through the seasons, growing ev-
er-weedier and tumultuous, wallowing Stick bare branches here and there
vorite ways to break out of
the routine, both to enjoy
the here and now while
moving things forward, is
by sharing little observa-
tions and activities with
kids. I have a ton of easy
garden-related activities
for kids ranging from bare-
ly-able-to-focus to sullen teenagers,
and have put together a free illustrat-
ed PDF for anyone who emails for it.
This time of year, easiest way to
pry kids for a minute or two from their
handheld devices is to get them into
feeding and identifying wild birds and
making them stick with it responsibly
as a daily chore.
My go-to bird feeder for young
children is disposable, a shoebox top
lined with aluminum foil and filled
with sunflower seed. Just put it on
the ground and watch the wild birds
come flocking. We’ve also made flat
platform feeders with raised edges to
keep seed from blowing off, and have
nailed big plastic pot saucers on posts,
with drilled rainwater drainage holes.
Felder Rushing/Courtesy photo
Showing kids simple ways to enjoy the
outdoors, like setting up an easy bird
feeder, helps next generations discov-
er the wonders of Nature.
for perches, and the birds will come
flocking, especially with a shallow
sky-reflective bird bath nearby.
That’s about all it takes to attract
and enjoy the color, motion and drama
of wild birds. That, and a big window,
and some way to keep the neigh-
borhood cats from turning a serene
scene into a feeding frenzy. Oh, and
an appreciation of squirrels, which are
See FELDER, 8A
A
Mississippi
State Univer-
sity Civil War
expert and associate
professor of history
received a starred
review in Library
Journal for his
newest publication, Lang
described by the
periodical as a “brilliant book” that
depicts how “the Civil War-era gen-
eration struggled to give form and
force” to American ideas of liberty.
Andrew F. Lang’s book, “A Con-
test of Civilizations: Exposing the
Crisis of American Exceptionalism
in the Civil War Era” (2021), is the
final installment of UNC Press’s
landmark series, the “Littlefield
History of the Civil War Era.”
“The book explores a contro-
versial yet long-standing dogma
of national identity — American
exceptionalism — which holds
that the U.S. was founded as the
exception to monarchical tyranny
See LANG, 8A
8A SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

SAAC Felder
Continued from Page 7A Continued from Page 7A

Adapting in pandemic
Early workshops
were all in person, but
COVID-19 has moved
them now online.
“Zoom has opened up
a lot of opportunities,”
Bateman noted. “Even
when we go back to
in-person, there will be
Zoom options.”
In a year when arts
organizations every-
where have been unable
to maintain many regular
events or programming,
focus has sometimes
turned to collaboration.
That has encompassed
not only Starkville and
Oxford, but also Colum-
bus.
“Several of us have
started to talk regularly
and looking at ways we
can help our artists,”
Bateman remarked. “And
if we join forces we can
share the resources; our
ultimate goal is to do joint
block grant writing.”
The workshops them-
selves can be a tool for
weathering the pandem-
ic.
“Because it’s been
such a hard year, through
having these, artists can
share their
struggles
with each
other and
maybe
share ways
they have
adapted
Switzer
to make it
better,” said
SAAC board president
and artist Mary Switzer.
“A lot of times, artists
tend to be kind of soli-
tary, so I think it’s nice to
offer opportunities where
they can get together and
communicate with each
other, throw ideas out
there that maybe others
could benefit from.”
Bob Brzuszek of
Starkville markets his
acrylic paintings online.
The year 2020 made it
more important than ever
to maximize his virtual
presence.
“With all the art shows
and different types of
fairs that have closed,
online sources are about
the only way to be able
to market any type of
art products,” he said.
He attended a Business
Skills Workshop to learn
as much as he could
about resources and sites
available to him.
“It was extremely help-
ful to have
artists who
are already
doing this
and have
experience
and helpful
tips and
techniques Brzuszek
for different
stages of your business,”
Brzuszek said.
The painter welcomed
the socially-distanced
virtual format from a per-
sonal health perspective.
He also appreciated the
reduced time required vs.
attending an in-person
event.
“Sometimes when
you have your own small
business you sort of feel
all alone,” he remarked.
“To talk to others and get
helpful tips is comforting,
talking to other people
who are in the same
shoes.”
The next workshop
The next free virtual
Business Skills Work-
shop is at noon on Feb.
2. The title is “Facebook
Marketing Basics for Cre-
atives” with Kathy Jacobs
of Kathy Jacobs Design &
Marketing. Participants
will learn about Facebook
campaigns to promote
their arts business and
more. Register online at
starkvillearts.net. Spaces
are limited. A Zoom link
will be sent with your
ticket confirmation email.
Although this session
will be recorded, you
must register in order to
access the recording.
The workshop is pre-
sented by SAAC, Yokna-
patawpha Arts Council
in Oxford and the MS
Presenter’s Network as
part of the $kills for the
Creative Economy series.
“The (sessions) are
free and fun and super
casual,” Switzer said.
Bateman added, “They
are designed to help our
artists put their best foot
forward.”
wildlife, too, especially to kids who don’t have to
shoulder the cost of feeding expensive bird seed
to “tree rats.”
I’ve heard and read all about this and that kind
of bird feed, from interesting mixes and specialty
blends, to kinds that squirrels reportedly won’t
touch (FYI, red pepper powder only deters them
for a minute or two). But for a couple of decades
now I’ve just used “black oil” sunflower seed
bought by the 50-pound sack.
The cheap stuff may have a few broken pieces,
sometimes even a few grain weevils, but it’s OK.
It works for big birds, from bluejays to redbirds
and lumbering doves, and there’s also plenty of
action from smaller sparrows, titmouses, finch-
es and chickadees. I’ve even seen towhees and
woodpeckers, which normally don’t come to
feeders, come calling.
My now-grown children were raised out in
the yard, which got me out there, too; my new
granddaughter will undoubtedly grow up there
as well. Meanwhile, with parental permission,
I’m snagging neighborhood kids to bring into the
Nature fold.
That’s what old guys in the neighborhood are
for.
Felder Rushing is a Mississippi author, colum-
nist, and host of the “Gestalt Gardener” on MPB
Think Radio. Email gardening questions to rush-
ingfelder@yahoo.com.

Lang
Continued from Page 7A
and aristocratic privilege,” Lang said.
The book explains how 19th-century
Americans “questioned whether the
Union could chart a distinct course
in human affairs when slaveholders,
abolitionists, free people of color and
enslaved African Americans” had dif-
fering definitions of nationhood.
“The powerful institution of slavery
severed the way 19th-century Ameri-
cans understood the U.S. as the world’s
‘last, best hope’ of political liberty and
economic mobility,” Lang said. “This
book is relevant to 2021 because it is not
merely about American history. Gener-
ations of Americans have imagined the
U.S. as a unique nation in the world, a
republic whose origins rest on indi-
vidual liberty. But as the book demon-
strates, the American experience is not
so clear cut, often riddled with paradox,
contradictions, triumphs and shortcom-
ings.”
Library Journal, founded in 1876 to
review library-related materials, said in
its starred review, “Lang’s tour de force
is a compelling and essential read. He
shows how Americans’ self-anointed
claim of exceptionalism was, and is,
premised on a supposed consensus on
liberty’s meaning that never was and
perhaps will never be. Vital reading for
all.”
Lang said the book serves as a
reminder that “the enduring ideals of
equality and liberty establish standards
for all generations to strive for a more
perfect Union.”
“The nation’s fate depends on an
energetic, committed citizenry to up-
hold and preserve the enduring ethics
of American life, lest those principles
wither from our own neglect,” Lang
said.
For more information, visit https://
bit.ly/3o4yDE9.
About Lang
Lang is the recipient of the 2020 Bev-
erly B. and Gordon W. Gulmon Deans
Eminent Scholar in the Humanities
honor and the 2018 William E. Parrish
Faculty Teaching Award at MSU.
Lang also is a 2018 recipient of
the Tom Watson Brown Book Award,
presented annually by the Society of
Civil War Historians to an author whose
work provides original contributions to
the understanding of the Civil War time
period, for his 2017 LSU Press publi-
cation, “In the Wake of War: Military
Occupation, Emancipation, and Civil
War America.”
Lang’s research at MSU focuses on
how 19th-century Americans under-
stood and created warfare, particularly
during the Civil War Era.
A 2013 Rice doctoral graduate in his-
tory, Lang received a master’s degree
in 2008 and bachelor’s degree in 2005,
both in history from the University of
North Texas.

Quick Bites
Continued from Page 7A
more about your online
presence and how to best
manage your space.
Register in advance
for this meeting at
http://msuext.ms/
qb2021-02-25. After
registering, you will
receive a confirmation
email containing infor-
mation about joining the
meeting.
Interested individu-
als should contact their
county Extension office
for more information.
(In Lowndes County,
662-328-2111; Oktibbeha
County, 662-323-5916;
Clay County, 662-494-
5371.)

■ For more Lifestyles content, including MUW’s Ghanshyam Heda receiving

the IHL’s Diversity and Inclusion Award and Southern Gardening, go to
cdispatch.com.
Sports
PREP SOCCER
SPORTS LINE
662-241-5000
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021
B
SECTION

MSMS picks up pair of senior day wins over Yazoo County

BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
Karlene Deng had
been there before.
A year ago, Deng was a
junior taking the field as
the Mississippi School for
Mathematics and Science
girls soccer team played
its senior day match
against Yazoo County. On
Saturday — though it felt
to Deng like so little time
had passed — she found
herself in the same posi-
tion. This time, though,
she was one of the players
honored after the game
for her time with the Blue
Waves.
“It felt pretty surreal
because I saw my seniors
just a year ago play, and so
it’s crazy I’m a senior and
my juniors are watching
me finish my last game,”
Deng said.
But just like last year,
the MSMS senior class
got to go out on top with
a win over the Panthers.
The Blue Waves beat Ya-
zoo County 7-0 on Satur-
day at the Lowndes Coun-
ty Soccer Complex on the
final day of an unorthodox
2020-21 season.
“We got the seniors to
go out with success on
their senior day,” MSMS
coach Chuck Yarborough
said.
MSMS played a sec-
ond match later Saturday,
losing 8-0 to Madison St.
Joseph in a rescheduled
game, but the school de-
cided to keep its boys and
girls contests against Ya-
zoo County designated as
senior day. Interestingly,
though, seniors didn’t fig-
ure into any of the Blue
Waves’ scoring plans in
Saturday’s girls match:
junior Lauren Rutherford
had a hat trick, junior
Madison Johnson had two
goals, and juniors Karee-
na Patel and Weslyn Mc-
Murrin had a goal apiece.
“It was telling that all
of the scoring was by ju-
niors, which is something
to build on for next year,
which is nice,” Yarbor-
ough said.
The coach said MSMS
players were coming into
their own after build-
ing chemistry over the
course of the season. Theo DeRosa/Dispatch Staff
That wasn’t easy, though, Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science senior Trevor Allen (3) and Yazoo
County sophomore Sterling Johnson (7) go after the ball during the first half of
See MSMS, 4B Saturday’s game in Columbus. The Blue Waves won 4-0.

MSU adds NO. 18 ALABAMA 81, MISSISSIPPI STATE 73

former
5-star Green
Texas transfer
Stewart’s 27 points not enough for Bulldogs
CB signs with
Bulldogs
against Tide’s balanced scoring effort
BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com

STARKVILLE — Mis-
sissippi State added a
major missing piece to its
2021 secondary puzzle
Saturday.
MSU announced the
addition of former Texas
cornerback and top-50
recruit Jalen Green as a
transfer. Green, the No.
47 player and No. 6 cor-
nerback in the 2018 class
according to the 247
Sports composite rank-
ings, will enroll in school
this month and be avail-
able for spring practices.
A Houston, Texas, na-
tive, the former fringe
five-star recruit was re-
cruited heavily by cur-
rent MSU safeties coach
Jason Washington when
he served as the Long-

See GREEN, 4B

Hank Aaron
dies at 86
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTA — His
name is all over the base-
ball record book and, in-
deed, Hank Aaron could
do it all.
Sure, he’s remem-
bered mostly for dethron-
ing the Babe to become
baseball’s home run
king on the way to 755,
but don’t forget about
the .300 average, or the
graceful way he fielded
his position, or the de-
ceiving speed he showed
on the basepaths.
Yet, when talking
about the true measure
of the man, there was
far more to “Hammerin’
Hank” than his brilliance
between the lines.
Exuding grace and
dignity, Aaron spoke
bluntly but never bitterly
on the many hardships
thrown his way — from
the poverty and segrega-
tion of his Alabama youth
to the ugly, racist threats
he faced during his pur-
suit of one of America’s
most hallowed records.
He wasn’t hesitant
about speaking out on the
issues of the day, wheth-
er it was bemoaning the
lack of Blacks in man-
agement positions, or
lobbying against putting
See AARON, 4B
Mississippi State guard D.J. Stewart (left) drives on Alabama forward Alex Reese (center) and guard John Petty Jr. (right) during Saturday’s
game at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Crimson Tide beat the Bulldogs 81-73 despite Stewart’s 27-point night.
BY GARRICK HODGE
ghodge@cdispatch.com
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Prior
to Saturday night, Alabama had
been blowing by every South-
eastern Conference opponent
standing in its way. And yes,
we’re talking about basketball,
mind you.
The Crimson Tide had won
each of their last three games
by at least 20 points and had
vaulted to a 7-0 start in SEC play
en route to earning the No. 18
spot in the AP Top 25.
Mississippi State coach Ben
Howland knew the scoring ca-
pacity Alabama’s potent lineup
had, calling the Crimson Tide
the “best team in our league” in
his media session Friday.
Nevertheless, after coming
off an embarrassing 18-point de-
feat to in-state rival Ole Miss on
Tuesday, the Bulldogs pushed
the Crimson Tide for 40 minutes
Saturday at Coleman Coliseum,
staying within three points
with just more than 30 sec-
onds remaining in the contest.
A hot shooting start, a second
straight strong outing from D.J.
Stewart and a return to respect
on the boards a game after How-
land called his team’s blockouts
against Ole Miss “despicable”
gave the visitors life.
But in the end, it didn’t mat-
ter.
Alabama (13-3, 8-0 SEC)
used a bevy of 3-pointers and
forced 16 MSU turnovers to stay
undefeated in SEC play, knock-
ing off the Bulldogs (9-7, 4-4) on
Saturday 81-73.
“I thought our guys really
played hard and really played
tough,” Howland said. “We bat-
tled and went after every 50-50
ball with all our might. I think
there were a lot of positives to-
day even though we lost the
game.”
The Crimson Tide are roll-
ing, reaching an eight-game
SEC win streak for the first time
since the 1986-87 season. Ala-
bama’s win notched the eighth
straight win for whoever the
home team is in the series and
stretched a MSU road losing
streak against AP Top 25 teams
to 12 in a row.
MSU only had a chance to tie
the game late because of a steal
from freshman defensive stand-
out Cameron Matthews, who
picked off an inbounds pass and
later cleaned up an offensive
board to cut his team’s deficit to
three points with about 45 sec-
onds left. But MSU forward Tolu
Smith found himself out of posi-
tion defensively, leading to an
easy look from beyond the arc
from Alabama standout John
Petty Jr., who drilled a dagger to
MSU’s upset hopes as the clock
reached 30 seconds.
Matthews played 32 minutes
despite not being in the starting
lineup, replacing Jalen Johnson,
who only played four minutes
Saturday. Johnson’s absence
from the lineup was a coach’s
decision, Howland said.
“They way they play, where
they really put you out on an is-
land because they have so much
spacing because everyone is
such a good shooter,” Howland
said. “It’s really hard for him to
stay in front of those athletes
and not break down. The No.
1 thing you try to do is stay in
front of the basketball. Cameron
defensively gave us a much bet-
ter chance of staying in front of
the basketball.”
The Bulldogs partly only
hung around in the first place
because of the efforts of Stew-
art, who was one of two MSU
players in double figures. The
redshirt sophomore scored a
game-high 27 points, which is
his career-high in SEC play, on
a 9-of-21 shooting effort.
“We came out with a lot of en-
ergy and a lot of fight until the
end,” Stewart said. “We were
playing with toughness; every-
one was trying to win.”
The other MSU player reach-
ing double digits was Iverson
Molinar with 19 points, but the
Crimson Tide Photo
sophomore point guard was 5 of
19 from the field.
“Iverson had a tough shoot-
ing night, but a lot of the shots he
missed were good shots,” How-
land said. “I thought only one or
two of them were rushed.”
Alabama was much more
balanced, with five players
reaching double-digit point to-
tals: Herbert Jones (17 points,
seven assists), Joshua Primo
(16 points), Petty (12 points),
Jaden Shackleford (12 points)
and Alex Reese (11 points). The
Crimson Tide converted 14 of 34
3-pointers.
“I said today I thought Her-
bert Jones was the player of
the year in our league, and he
showed it today,” Howland said.
Alabama led Mississippi
State 40-35 at halftime, which
miraculously was the first time
the Crimson Tide haven’t had a
double-digit halftime lead since
Jan. 9 against Auburn.
MSU shot 53.3 percent in the
first half but only converted 35.5
percent of its baskets after half-
time.
Alabama started the second
half red hot, making 6 of its first
8 shots in the half, and led MSU
by as many as 11 points.
MSU is back in action at 6
p.m. Tuesday in a road matchup
with Tennessee.
2B SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
SEC roundup: Ole Miss capitalizes on Texas A&M dry spells
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
OXFORD — Jarkel
Joiner scored 21 points
with seven rebounds,
Devontae Shuler scored
17 points, and Ole Miss
beat Texas A&M 61-50 on
Saturday.
Kevin Marfo’s layup
with 1:55 left before the
halftime gave Texas A&M
a 28-23 lead. From there,
Ole Miss (8-6, 3-4 South-
eastern Conference) pro-
ceeded to go on a 20-2 run
from which the Aggies (7-
6, 2-5) never regrouped.
Texas A&M didn’t score
again until Emanuel Mill-
er’s jump shot with almost
five minutes gone after in-
termission.
Following a Miller
layup with 12:20 remain-
ing, Joiner made a layup
and a jumper, Shuler
a jumper and Romel-
lo White a pair of free
throws and the 8-0 run in
a four-minute span gave
the Rebels a double-digit
lead the rest of the way.
Miller scored 18 points
and grabbed 11 rebounds
for the Aggies.
Ole Miss finished 19-
for-43 (44%) shooting
while Texas A&M went
20 for 51 (39%); including
just five 3-pointers made
for each team. The differ-
ence occurred at the foul
line where Ole Miss went
18 for 29 and the Aggies
were just 5 for 8.
Ole Miss now has won
back-to-back contests
following a three-game
losing streak. The Rebels
travel to Fayetteville, Ar-
kansas, to face the Razor-
backs on Wednesday.
No. 19 Missouri 73,
No. 6 Tennessee 64
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
— Xavier Pinson scored
27 points to lead No. 19
Missouri to a 73-64 victo-
ry over No. 6 Tennessee
on Saturday night.
Pinson became the
first opponent to score
more than 20 points
against the Volunteers
this season. Dru Smith
added 18 for the Tigers
(10-2, 4-2 Southeastern
Conference).
Yves Pons paced Ten-
nessee (10-3, 4-3) with 20
points. Victor Bailey and
Josiah-Jordan James each
scored 12 for the Vols,
who have lost their last
two games.
Tennessee played
without freshman stand-
out Jaden Springer, who
missed the game with an
ankle injury.
Bailey’s 3-pointer
shortly after halftime cut
Missouri’s lead to 44-40.
That’s when the Tigers
went on a 9-2 run, keyed
by a 3-pointer from Kobe
Brown.
Pinson, who strug-
gled in the previous two
games, scored 19 points
in the first half — includ-
ing three 3-pointers — to
lead Missouri to a 40-34
advantage. Smith had 13
Ole Miss guards Devontae Shuler (2) and Jarkel Joiner (24) celebrate during the Rebels’ 61-50 win over Texas
A&M on Saturday at The Pavilion at Oxford.
before the break.
The opening period
was an uphill battle from
the start for the Vols.
They committed three
turnovers before scoring
a point and trailed 17-5 by
the midway point. Pons
was the only effective
scorer for Tennessee with
15.
Tennessee narrowed
the gap to 32-29 but
couldn’t get any closer be-
fore halftime.
Back-to-back road
games for Missouri will
be a challenge. A night
game in Knoxville will be
followed by a trip to Au-
burn on Tuesday.
For Tennessee, lessons
learned from a blowout
loss at Florida last week
and Saturday’s tough
game with Missouri
should be put to use Tues-
day at home against Mis-
sissippi State.
Auburn 109,
South Carolina 86
COLUMBIA, S.C. —
Allen Flanigan scored
a career-high 24 points
with four 3-pointers,
Sharife Cooper had a dou-
ble-double by halftime
and Auburn resoundingly
thwacked South Carolina
109-86 on Saturday for
its first win on the Game-
cocks’ home floor since
2014.
Auburn put up its most
points in a Southeastern
Conference road win in
program history.
Cooper, a freshman
who was granted eligibil-
ity by the NCAA on Jan. 9,
scored 16 points and had
12 assists for his second
career double-double. He
already had 10 points and
11 assists in the books in
the first 20 minutes.
Jaylin Williams scored
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
Photo by Petre Thomas/Ole Miss Athletics
18 points with seven re- ATHENS, Ga. — 2000s behind Kentucky’s
bounds, JT Thor added Tre Mann scored a ca-
14 points and seven re- reer-high 24 points, lead-
bounds and Devan Cam- ing five into double-digit
bridge scored 10 as the scoring, and Florida
Tigers (9-7, 3-5) made 40 broke away from Georgia
of 77 field goals (52%), 92-84 on Saturday.
including 14 of 27 from Noah Locke added
beyond the 3-point arc. 16 points, making four
The Tigers made 15 of 16 3-pointers, Colin Castle-
free throws to round out ton scored 14, Tyree Ap-
the dominating scoring pleby 14 and Omar Payne
effort. 10 for the Gators (8-4,
Cooper’s impact was 5-3 Southeastern Confer-
felt in Auburn’s break- ence) who have now won
away 11-1 run taking a two in a row after upend-
little over two minutes of ing No. 6 Tennessee earli-
the first half. Though he er in the week.
took only one shot, and
missed, he had four as-
Florida has won five
of six in Georgia under
sists and a blocked shot coach Mike White and
during the run. Saturday scored the
The Auburn outburst most points in regulation
included back-to-back at Georgia since 1994.
dunks from Javon Frank- The hot-shooting Gators
lin and Williams bracket- finished at 57% from the
ed around Cooper’s block floor (37 of 65) with seven
of South Carolina’s Trae 3-pointers and making 11
Hannibal. The dunks of 17 at the line.
pushed Auburn’s lead Andrew Garcia scored
into double digits, 25-14, 17 points on 8-for-9 shoot-
where it stayed most of ing and K.D. Johnson
the way to halftime and added 16 to pace Geor-
all of the second half. gia (9-5, 2-5), which saw
The Tigers opened a modest two-game win
the second half with six streak end. Justin Kier
straight points. scored 14 points, Touma-
Keyshawn Bryant ni Camara 11 and Sahvir
scored 24 points for South Wheeler 10 for the Bull-
Carolina (3-5, 1-3), with dogs.
AJ Lawson adding 23 and Mann scored 17 points
Jermaine Couisnard 16. after halftime as Florida
Couisnard had six assists. broke open a 42-39 lead.
The Gamecocks were The Gators opened the
outrebounded 46-34, out- second on a 13-3 burst
scored on second-chance while Georgia missed
points 21-9 and 46-30 in six of its first seven shots
the paint. and had four turnovers.
Auburn next plays Florida extended its lead
back-to-back games to 58-42 after an Appleby
against teams in the Top 3-pointer. Appleby scored
25: hosting No. 19 Mis- 12 of his 14 after halftime.
souri on Tuesday before Wheeler, with his 10
traveling to No. 2 Baylor points and 10 assists for
on Jan. 30. South Carolina the Bulldogs, earned his
plays host to Georgia on fifth points-assists dou-
Wednesday. ble-double of the season.
He has the second-most
Florida 92, Georgia 84 by any SEC player in the
Tyler Ulis (2015-16).
Florida not only
stunned the sixth-ranked
Vols 75-49 on Tuesday,
but did it short-handed.
On Saturday, Castleton
returned after missing
the Tennessee game (an-
kle) but Scottie Lewis
missed his fourth straight
game (health and safety
protocols).
Georgia entered the
game ranked 18th nation-
ally in steals, at nine per
game, with three play-
ers — Kier, Wheeler and
Camrara — ranked in the
SEC’s top 10. Saturday,
Florida doubled Georgia
in the steals category, 10-
5. Kier had three, Camara
one and Wheeler none.
Appleby led with four
steals.
The Gators are at Van-
derbilt on Wednesday.
Georgia visits South Car-
olina on Wednesday.
Kentucky 82, LSU 69
Keion Brooks Jr. had
13 of his season-high 15
points in the first half,
Brandon Boston Jr. add-
ed 13 of his 18 points in
the second half, and Ken-
tucky trailed for just 15
seconds in its 82-69 win
over LSU 82-69 on Satur-
day night to snap a three-
game skid.
Kentucky (5-9, 4-3
Southeastern Confer-
ence), which had a six-
game losing streak ear-
lier this season, got a
much-needed win in the
first of a five-game stretch
against Top-40 teams.
The Wildcats avoided
their third four-game
slide under coach John
Calipari.
Olivier Sarr made a
layup and Brooks made
two free throws to give
Kentucky the lead for
good before Davion Mintz
and Boston hit back-to-
back 3-pointers to make
it 12-4. The Wildcats
set season highs for a
half with 13 assists, six
3-pointers, and 49 points
while taking a 13-point
lead into the break.
Trendon Watford tied
his career best with 26
points and added a sea-
son-high tying 10 re-
bounds, and freshman
Cameron Thomas scored
18 for LSU (10-4, 5-3).
Thomas, who went into
the game averaging 22.0
points (No. 8 nationally),
made 1 of 8 from 3-point
range as the Tigers made
just 4 of 23.
Watford made a layup
to trim LSU’s deficit to
56-51 with 15:29 left to
play but the Tigers got no
closer. Boston answered
with a 3 and then convert-
ed a three-point play be-
fore his tip-in of a miss by
Brooks gave the Wildcats
a 13-point lead with 10
minutes remaining.
Sarr finished with
13 points and Mintz 11.
Freshman Isaiah Jackson
grabbed a season-high 15
rebounds for Kentucky.
Arkansas 92,
Vanderbilt 71
NASHVILLE — Mo-
ses Moody scored 26
points with eight re-
bounds Jalen Tate scored
25 and Arkansas led all
the way in a 92-71 win
over Vanderbilt on Satur-
day.
D.J. Harvey scored
16 points and Scotty Pip-
pen Jr. scored 15 for Van-
derbilt. Vanderbilt was
without the services of
sophomore Dylan Disu
due to contact tracing for
COVID-19.
Moody scored four
points as Arkansas built a
9-0 lead in the first three
minutes. The Razorbacks
extended the lead to 18-8
before the Commodores
scored seven straight to
close within three. Ejike
Obinna sank a pair of foul
shots and threw down a
dunk to narrow the deficit
to 18-15 with 11:29 before
halftime.
Vance Jackson’s
3-pointer capped a 9-3
Arkansas run that put
the Razorbacks up 40-30.
Tate’s 3 with a minute be-
fore the break made it 43-
31, and Arkansas finished
the half up 45-35. Justin
Smith’s layup with 14:54
remaining made it a 57-46
advantage and the Razor-
backs led by double fig-
ures the rest of the way.
Arkansas had a 39-29
rebounding edge, in part
a function of Disu’s ab-
sence — the SEC’s sec-
ond-leading rebounder at
8.4 per game.
Disu and Pippen had
been the only two Com-
modores to start every
game this season while
starting the last 24 games
together. Disu had start-
ed 41 straight games.

PREP BASKETBALL
West Lowndes boys drop home contest to McAdams
BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
The West Lowndes
boys basketball team isn’t
used to getting outre-
bounded.
In fact, coach Michael
Huffman said, Friday’s
home game against
McAdams was the first
time the Panthers were
bested in that category all
year.
So maybe it’s no sur-
prise that West Lowndes
suffered its first MHSAA
Class 1A, Region 5 loss of
the season Friday: a 63-59
defeat at the hands of the
Bulldogs.
“We got beat on the
boards,” Huffman said.
“That right there can hurt
you.”
It cost the Panthers all
evening Friday as they
fell to 5-1 in district play,
matching McAdams’
mark. By beating the
Bulldogs by nine points
on the road Jan. 5, though,
West Lowndes still has a
hold on the district’s No.
1 spot.
That could change,
though, Huffman warned.
The Panthers have four
more games to play — a
home date with Nanih
Waiya and road contests
against French Camp
Academy, Ethel and Nox-
apater — and need to fin-
ish strong.
“We’ve got to be able to
get back because the sea-
son’s not over,” Huffman
said. “This is just Round
2. There’s a Round 3 com-
ing up.”
Keeping with that met-
aphor, the Bulldogs’ win
Friday was decided just
before the bell. McAdams
scored six straight points
to break a 55-all tie with
two minutes to go, giving
itself enough of a cushion
to win. Darrell Brooks’
PREP BASKETBALL ROUNDUP
New Hope senior Anna Prince nets
game-winning 3 against West Point
BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
WEST POINT — The
New Hope High School
girls basketball team
beat West Point 44-43 in
Friday’s game in West
Point.
Anna Prince hit the
game-winning 3-pointer
with 1.5 seconds to go.
She had 21 points to lead
the Trojans.
Mikeirria Moore had
15 points for West Point,
and Mekayla Williams
and Taylor Fair each had
10.
New Hope will play at
Grenada on Tuesday.
Other scores
Prep Girls Basket-
ball
Mooreville 71, Caledo-
nia 48, Friday
MOOREVILLE —
The Caledonia girls lost
Friday’s road game at
Mooreville, 71-48.
Allison Pennington
led the Cavaliers with 21
points. Tenyzia Lathan
had 11, and Madalyn
Dvorak had eight.
Mooreville scored 34
points in the first quarter,
making seven 3-pointers.
Caledonia will host
Hamilton on Monday.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Jackson scores 24 to lead UTSA over Southern Miss
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN ANTONIO — Jhivvan Jackson scored 24
points, including six 3-pointers, as UTSA topped
Southern Miss 78-72 on Saturday.
Jordan Ivy-Curry had 14 points for UTSA (7-8, 3-5
Conference USA). Jacob Germany added 13 points.
Keaton Wallace had 12 points. Jackson, UTSA’s all-
time leading scorer, marked his 71st career game of 20
points or more.
LaDavius Draine had 19 points and seven rebounds
for the Golden Eagles (7-8, 3-5). New Hope product Ty-
ler Stevenson added 15 points and 10 rebounds. DeAn-
dre Pinckney had 12 points and seven rebounds. Jaron
Pierre Jr. scored 12.
West Lowndes sophomore Darrell Brooks (left) con-
tests a 3-pointer by McAdams freshman Tyrick Davis
during the first quarter of Friday’s game in Columbus.
The Bulldogs beat the Panthers 63-59.
layup got West Lowndes
within two points with
15 seconds to go, but the
Bulldogs got out on the
break for a crucial basket
to make the lead four as
the clock wound down.
The Panthers’ Decamby
Willis barely got off a shot
that wouldn’t have made a
difference anyway.
McAdams coach Ken-
yon Ross said his team’s
win will go a long way
in trying to reestablish
a tradition of success at
the school. With a young
squad that starts just
one senior, the Bulldogs
hadn’t fared well in previ-
ous games against bigger
programs, but Ross said
Friday’s victory will help
their confidence.
“The key is to under-
stand they can be good,”
Ross said.
Converting West
Lowndes turnovers into
points at the rate McAd-
ams did Friday night
was a big reason why the
Bulldogs headed back to
Attala County victorious.
The visitors consistent-
ly pushed the ball up the
court for quick-hitting
Noxubee County 52,
West Point 42
MACON — The Nox-
ubee County girls beat
West Point 52-42 on Sat-
urday in Macon.
Na’Kaiyla “Tootie”
Lockett led the Tigers
with 22 points and added
four rebounds, two as-
sists and two steals.
Jakeia Walker had
12 points, six rebounds
and two steals, Aaliyah
Brandy had five points
and nine rebounds, and
Kirsten Barnett had
two points and eight re-
bounds.
Noxubee County will
play Tuesday at Choctaw
County.
Columbus Christian
Academy 50, Newton
County Academy 35, Fri-
day
DECATUR — The Co-
lumbus Christian Acad-
emy girls beat Newton
County Academy 50-35
in Friday’s road district
game.
Audrey Foreman had
15 points, CC DeVos had
nine, and Taylor Tipton
had eight.
Columbus Christian
will travel to face Kemper
Academy on Tuesday in
De Kalb.
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 3B
baskets. Suddenly, the
Bulldogs had a one-point
lead.
“We started thinking
instead of playing,” said
Huffman, who again cit-
ed his team’s rebound-
ing troubles. “That right
there hurt us a little bit.”
After McAdams’ lead
grew as large as four
points, West Lowndes
fought back as Jataquist
Brown tied the game on
an and-one layup with Sudoku YESTERDAY’S ANSWER
Sudoku
2:07 to go. But the Bull-
dogs bookended a missed
Sudoku is a number- Yesterday’s answer
placing puzzle based on
3 by Jamarveion Seals Sudoku
a 9x9 gridis witha several
num- 5 6 8 7 4 1 3 2 9
Theo DeRosa/Dispatch Staff
with a jumper and a layup ber-placing
given numbers.puzzleThe object 2 9 7 6 5 3 8 1 4
2021 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
to go back up four, then based onthe
is to place a 9x9
numbers 4 1 3 2 9 8 7 5 6
took advantage of an of- grid
1 to 9with
in theseveral
empty spaces 9 7 5 1 8 6 2 4 3
fensive rebound to add given
so that numbers.
each row, eachThe 3 2 1 4 7 9 5 6 8
layups after forcing the two more points. object
column and each 3x3 the
is to place box
numbers 8 4 6 5 3 2 1 9 7
contains the1same to 9 number
in
Panthers into miscues. Huffman called time-
6 5 4 3 2 7 9 8 1
“Anytime you can get out with West Lowndes the empty spaces so
only once. The difficulty 1 3 9 8 6 5 4 7 2
any points off a turnover, down 61-55 and 1:10 to go, that each row, each
level increases from
that helps out a lot be- but the Panthers could column and each 7 8 2 9 1 4 6 3 5
Monday
3x3 boxtocontains
Sunday.
cause those are what we only get within two points Difficulty Level 1/22
consider easy baskets,” as McAdams sealed the the same number only once. The difficulty level
Ross said. “Anytime you road win. increases from Monday to Sunday.
can get easy baskets, it “We played hard,”
makes the game much Huffman said. “We just
better for you.” didn’t play smart, and that
Where Ross said got us beat.”
McAdams struggled Huffman said the
Friday was in the same Panthers “got lucky” to
area in which Huffman win their previous game
lamented the Panthers’ against Noxapater, a 70-
difficulties — on the of- 62 West Lowndes home
fensive glass. Both teams win Tuesday, after trail-
got themselves multiple ing. On Friday, they
second-, third- or even wouldn’t get lucky again.
fourth-chance buck- “Sometimes when
ets, and Ross said those you don’t play well in one
self-inflicted wounds were game, it’s hard to come
the reason West Lowndes back and play well the
held onto a narrow lead. next game,” Huffman
The Panthers led by five said. “It just happens.”
points almost constantly But with the No. 1 seed
— after the first quarter, still within reach for the
at halftime and after the Panthers, all is not lost.
third quarter. West Lowndes hosts
But McAdams came Nanih Waiya on Tuesday
out firing with six straight with a chance to make
points to start the fourth amends.
quarter, sending players “We’ve got to just get
far downcourt on the Pan- back to work and just
thers’ shots and hurling keep playing,” Huffman
the ball to them for easy said.
Noxubee County 66, Ab- Jarvis Leigh led the
erdeen 61, Friday Cavs with 24 points.
ABERDEEN — The Ja’Von Hopkins had 10, ACROSS
Noxubee County girls Jeremiah Dumas had 1 Sow’s mate
beat Aberdeen 66-61 on nine, Issac Grady had 5 Demonic
the road Friday.
five, and Jeremy Emerson 9 Film category
Lockett led the Tigers had four.
10 Power pro-
with 22 points, Walker
vider
had 19, and Brandy had
Newton County Acad- 12 Indian, for
five.
emy 54, Columbus Chris- one
Barnett and Caren-
tian Academy 30, Friday 13 Silly
ciuna Owens added five
points each for Noxubee DECATUR — The Co- 14 Lifter’s burden
County, and Shadiamin lumbus Christian boys 16 “Life of Pi”
Wilkerson had three. lost to Newton County director
Academy 54-30 on Friday 17 — Darya
Prep Boys Basket- in Decatur. (Asian river)
ball Joe Michael Edwards 18 List of carried
Columbus 44, Grenada led the Rams with 13 goods
42, Friday points. 20 Refuses
The Columbus High 22 Tampa team DOWN 24 Quinine’s
School boys beat Grena- Pickens Academy (Ala.) 23 “Battlestar 1 Turned into target
da 44-42 in Friday’s home 48, Southern Academy Galactica” role 2 Minimal base- 25 Andorra
game. (Ala.) 31, Friday 25 Racket ball lead neighbor
Tre Dismuke had 22 CARROLLTON, Ala. 28 Some beers 3 Saudi native 26 Fireplace bit
points to lead the Falcons, — The Pickens Acade- 32 Compact dog 4 Made fresh 27 Duds
and Willie Young had my (Alabama) boys beat 34 Old auto
5 Polite Post 29 Made blank
nine. Southern Academy (Al- 35 Tiny worker
Friday’s girls game was
6 Part of many 30 Depends
abama) 48-31 in Friday’s 36 Steeping German names 31 Did shoe
canceled with one of the
home game. gadget 7 Milano’s land work
two teams in COVID-19
Rafe Brown led the Pi- 38 Knucklehead 8 Feeling friend- 33 Say
protocol.
Columbus will play at rates (6-4) with 23 points, 40 Patriotic less 37 Role for Craig
West Point on Tuesday. and William Parker had riveter 9 Turn 39 Eggs, to
10. 41 Audacity 11 Film units Caesar
Mooreville 60, Caledo- Pickens will travel to 42 “Baby, — 15 Louisiana
nia 52, OT, Friday face Tuscaloosa Academy Your Loving” explorer
MOOREVILLE — (Alabama) on Monday. 43 Bring up 19 Be boastful
The Caledonia boys lost 44 Says further 21 Poetic foot
in overtime on Friday at Noxubee County 55, Ab-
Mooreville, 60-52. erdeen 50, Friday
A Draine 3-pointer pulled Southern Miss as close
as 74-70 with 16 seconds remaining, but UTSA closed
with four straight free throws.
UTSA 70, Southern Miss 64, Friday
Jackson had 25 points as UTSA beat Southern Miss
70-64 on Friday night.
Jackson shot 11 for 13 from the line.
Wallace had 18 points and eight rebounds for UTSA
(6-8, 2-5 Conference USA). Germany added 11 points,
11 rebounds and five blocks.
Stevenson had 23 points and 10 rebounds for the
Golden Eagles (7-7, 3-4). Pierre Jr. added 10 points. De-
Pinckney had seven rebounds.
4B SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

MSMS
Continued from Page 1B
in a campaign heavily af-
fected by COVID-19; the
Blue Waves had countless
matches postponed and
didn’t get on the field for
nearly two months.
Still, Yarborough said,
the team’s seniors helped
MSMS keep it together
through an unusual year
— including Saturday,
even though none of them
managed to score.
“This has been a dis-
jointed season for obvious
reasons, and our senior
leadership has really been
outstanding even though
it wasn’t in the back of the
net today,” Yarborough
said.
Saving its strength in
order to play well in both
matches Saturday, the
Blue Waves got just two
goals in the first half as
Johnson put the ball in
the net in the 10th minute
and again in the 13th “We
definitely could have per-
formed better, but a win is
a win,” Deng said.
MSMS certainly
played up to its poten-
tial in the second half as
Rutherford opened things
up with a goal two min-
utes in. Six minutes later,
Patel knocked a deflected
shot from Johnson across
the goal line.
Rutherford then
scored two straight to fin-
ish a hat trick, and MSMS
won via the mercy rule
when a shot by McMur-
rin deflected forward off
the hands of the Yazoo
County goalkeeper and
then back off a nearby
Panthers defender into
the goal.
Yarborough pointed
out that not only did ju-
niors score all of the Blue
Waves’ goals but that they
assisted on several as
well, a sign the team will
be well prepared for next
season. Deng agreed with
the assessment.
“I feel really grateful
that we have some juniors
who really want to pull
through and lead next
year,” Deng said.
A Starkville native
who is leaning toward at-
tending Mississippi State,
Deng said she’ll be ready
12 short months from now
when a day like Saturday
comes for the Blue Waves’
next senior class.
“If I go to MSU, I can
always come back and
see my juniors when they
have their senior day,”
Deng said. “ … I’m really
glad I have a lot of support
from my juniors and my
past seniors. I’m just real-
ly glad that the communi-
ty at MSMS is so helpful
and really supportive of
each other.”
MSMS boys 4,
Yazoo County 0
Cameron Wright
knows the importance of
a good ending.
Wright scored two
first-half goals Saturday
as the MSMS boys beat
Yazoo County 4-0 on his
final day in a Blue Waves
uniform.
“It’s always good to
finish off strong,” Wright
said.
The senior made sure
MSMS did just that with
goals in the 12th and
23rd minutes. On his first
score, he drove a rebound
past the Panthers’ goal-
keeper; on the second, his
shot squirted through the
keeper’s hands.
Five minutes later,
junior Nicholas Djedjos
scored from long range to
put MSMS up 3-0 before
halftime.
“That was a big thing
we were trying to do: get
some goals on the board
so we could get the start-
ers a break for the second
game,” Wright said.
That strategy ultimate-
ly paid off. On Saturday
night, the Blue Waves
beat Madison St. Joseph
7-5 in penalty kicks to
qualify for the MHSAA
Class I playoffs. Both
teams were tied 2-2 head-
ed into penalties, but Na-
than Lechner saved four
PKs for MSMS.
Djedjos and Wright
scored goals in regulation
for the Blue Waves, who
will take on Amory on the
road in the first round.
Lechner also saved a pen-
alty in regulation.
“The Blue Waves start-
ed very strong in the mid-
field, keeping good pos-
session and pressing on,
getting (ahead) early in
the game,” Leyva said. “...
The second half, our team
began to show the wear of
a two-match day, and we
had some fatigue issues.”
Still, MSMS managed
to play well enough to win
both matches. The Blue
Waves secured their vic-
tory against Yazoo Coun-
ty when Djedjos drove
another laser into the
goal just over a minute
into the second half, and
the Blue Waves’ defense
— comprising largely
substitutes — stopped a
number of Yazoo County
chances.
“It was a really good
game for us,” MSMS
coach Armando Leyva
said.
Leyva lamented the
schedule changes in-
duced by weather and the
COVID-19 pandemic that
plagued the Blue Waves
all winter.
“I would like for them
to have more games —
to have more soccer and
more experience on the
field,” Leyva said. “I think
they are making the best
out of the situation that
we have.”
Wright agreed, saying
the Blue Waves’ perfor-
mance Saturday was as
good as the team could
have expected.
“To have a win where
everyone was doing good,
that’s pretty much all you
could ask for,” he said.
The Hernando native
said it’s never easy for
the Blue Waves to jell af-
ter coming together from
all over the state and that
getting together for not
only games but for prac-
tices presented some
challenges.
But in their time in
Columbus, Wright said,
the players have formed
a connection that extends
throughout the school.
On Saturday, they dis-
played that camaraderie
at home one final time.
“I’m definitely going to
miss them,” Wright said.
Other scores
Prep Girls Soccer
New Hope 2, Corinth 0,
Friday
CORINTH — The
New Hope High School
girls soccer team earned
a 2-0 road win Friday at
Corinth.
Angel Vaughn Harri-
son and Chelsea Teague
had goals for the Trojans.
New Hope has earned
a berth in the second
round of the MHSAA
Class 5A playoffs because
of COVID-19 issues with
its slated first-round op-
ponent. The Trojans will
play in the second round
Friday.
Prep Boys Soccer
Hartfield Academy 2,
Starkville Academy 0
Jackson Prep 3,
Starkville Academy 0
FLOWOOD — The
Starkville Academy boys
soccer team is undefeated
no longer.
The Volunteers lost
a pair of matches at the
Jackson Prep Tournament
on Saturday in Flowood.
Starkville Academy
(10-2) lost to the host
Patriots 3-0 in the first
match, with all three
goals coming in the sec-
ond half. In the second
match, the Hawks beat
the Vols 2-0.
Starkville Academy
will host Lamar School on
Tuesday.
New Hope 3, Corinth 0,
Friday
CORINTH — The New
Hope boys picked up a 3-0
win in Friday’s road game
at Corinth.
Christian Juarez, Trey
Parnell and Jose Castillo
all had goals for the Tro-
jans.
New Hope will host
Vicksburg at 6 p.m. Tues-
day in the first round of
the playoffs.

Green
Continued from Page 1B
horns’ cornerbacks coach
and recruiting coordina-
tor. Washington again
was heavily involved in
Green’s recruitment the
second go-round, helping
the Bulldogs secure his
pledge.
After redshirting his
first year in Austin, Green
played in 21 games for the
Longhorns and record-
ed 22 tackles, 10 assists
and five passes defensed.
Should he have commit-
ted to MSU out of high
school, he would have
been rated the tenth-
highest-ranked recruit to
sign with the Bulldogs in
school history.
Given the departure
of Marcus Murphy to the
NFL draft and no immedi-
ate resolution on whether
junior cornerback Tyler
Williams will return to
the program after he opt-
ed out last fall, the Bull-
dogs were again going
to be razor thin in the
secondary heading into
2021. With Green aboard,
the Bulldogs bring back
a strong top three on the
outside along with soph-
omore Martin Emerson
and freshman all-Amer-
ican Emmanuel Forbes.
Freshman Decamerion
Richardson, a late rising
prospect in the class of
2020, should also be in
the mix for time this fall.
MSU could also be
in the market for anoth-
er defensive back ahead
of the February signing
period whether that be a
high school prospect or
in the transfer portal. The
Bulldogs are firmly in the
running for three-star
French Camp Academy
athlete Calvin Johnson
II, who has seen his re-
cruiting profile skyrocket
in recent months. A for-
mer Navy commit, John-
son has received offers
from Duke, Vanderbilt,
Ole Miss, UNLV, Florida
State, Penn State, Iowa,
Northwestern and Mem-
phis since mid-November.
MSU also figures to
be an option for Villanova
graduate transfer defen-
sive back Jaquan Amos,
who the Bulldogs offered
on Friday and has indi-
cated hopes to come to
a conclusion on his final
landing spot soon.
It’s unclear on when
MSU might start spring
practices and how those
might be adjusted due to
the COVID-19 pandem-
ic, but there’s a general
optimism the schedule
can return to a sem-
blance of semi-normal-
cy.

Aaron
Continued from Page 1B
Pete Rose in the Hall of
Fame, or calling on those
involved in the Houston
Astros sign-stealing scan-
dal to be tossed from the
game for good.
“He never missed an
opportunity to lead,” for-
mer President Barack
Obama said, describing
Aaron as an “unassuming
man” who set a “towering
example.”
Right up to his final
days, the Hammer was
making a difference.
Just 2 1/2 weeks be-
fore his death Friday at
age 86, Aaron joined civil
rights icons to receive the
COVID-19 vaccine. He
wanted to spread the word
to the Black community
that the shots were safe in
the midst of a devastating
pandemic.
“I feel quite proud of
myself for doing some-
thing like this,” Aaron
said. “It’s just a small thing
that can help zillions of
people in this country.”
The Atlanta Braves,
Aaron’s longtime team,
said he died in his sleep.
No cause was given.
The Hammer set a
wide array of career hit-
ting records during a 23-
year career spent mostly
with the Milwaukee and
Atlanta Braves, including
RBIs, extra-base hits and
total bases.
But the Hall of Famer
will be remembered for
one swing above all oth-
ers, the one that made him
baseball’s home-run king
on April 8, 1974.
It was a title he would
hold for more than 33
years, a period in which
Aaron slowly but surely
claimed his rightful place
as one of America’s most
iconic sporting figures, a
true national treasure wor-
thy of mention in the same
breath with Ruth or Ali or
Jordan.
“With courage and
dignity, he eclipsed the
most hallowed record in
sports while absorbing
vengeance that would
have broken most people,”
President Joe Biden said.
“But he was unbreakable.”
Former President Jim-
my Carter described Aar-
on as “a personal hero.”
“A breaker of records
and racial barriers, his re-
markable legacy will con-
tinue to inspire countless
athletes and admirers for
generations to come,” said
Carter, who often attend-
ed Braves games with his
wife, Rosalynn.
George W. Bush, a one-
time owner of the Texas
Rangers, presented Aaron
in 2002 with the Presiden-
tial Medal of Freedom —
the nation’s highest civil-
ian honor.
“The former Home
Run King wasn’t handed
his throne,“ Bush said in
a statement Friday. “He
grew up poor and faced
racism as he worked to
become one of the great-
est baseball players of all
time. Hank never let the
hatred he faced consume
him.”
Aaron’s death follows
that of seven other base-
ball Hall of Famers in 2020
and two more — Tommy
Lasorda and Don Sutton
— already this year.
“He was a very humble
and quiet man and just
simply a good guy,” said
89-year-old Willie Mays,
who finished with 660
homers. “I have so many
fond memories of Hank
and will miss him very
much.”
Before a sellout crowd
at Atlanta Stadium and a
national television audi-
ence, Aaron broke Ruth’s
home run record with No.
715 off Al Downing of the
Los Angeles Dodgers.
Aaron’s career total
was surpassed by Barry
Bonds in 2007 — though
many continued to call the
Hammer the true home
run king because of alle-
gations that Bonds used
performance-enhancing
drugs.
Bonds finished his ca-
reer with 762. Aaron never
begrudged someone —
not even a tarnished star
— eclipsing his mark.
His common refrain:
More than three decades
as the king was long
enough. It was time for
someone else to hold the
crown.

Dear Abby

D
EAR ABBY: Our 21-year-old
daughter has been home
since March when the
pandemic began. She has always
been a homebody. Our house is
small, and my wife and I no longer
can be alone or be physically
intimate because our daughter
prevents it.
If we hug for an extended
period of time, she will make a
comment. If we want to watch a
movie, she wants to hang out, and
we can’t watch it without her. My
wife and I need privacy, and we
need our adult daughter to cut the
cord.
Dear Abby
Our marriage really evolved and
we grew even closer when “the kid” moved out
for college. Now we can’t escape her. I miss my
wife and our alone time. What should we do? —
FRUSTRATED IN THE EAST
DEAR FRUSTRATED: This is
your home, and your daughter
needs to accommodate you,
rather than the other way around.
What you must do is have an
adult conversation with your
homebody daughter and explain
that you and her mother need
time alone. Establish a date night
so she knows when to disappear.
I’m assuming that she has a
job and friends. If that’s the case,
she should be accumulating
enough money to live apart from
you. If you are not only sheltering
her but also supporting her, you
will need to create a plan so your
daughter can become indepen-
dent. It may mean contributing to her rent for
an agreed-upon period of time, if necessary,
so be prepared.
DEAR ABBY: I was wondering if you could
give me some advice on tipping. I frequent
coffee shops in my area as well as when I trav-
el. The baristas usually are younger women.
Usually, there will be a tip jar located next to
the cash register.
A typical latte costs $4 to $5, and I leave a
dollar in the tip jar. I realize that many servers
may be distracted if they’re waiting on other
customers, but is it normal for them to never
acknowledge someone who is giving them a
tip? Is the tip just expected?
Again, I realize there could be distractions,
and maybe the baristas don’t notice me
tipping them, but it seems like the rule rather
than the exception. I think it comes across as
lousy customer service. How hard is it to say
“thank you”? Is this another example of a gen-
eration of poorly raised people? — SIPPING &
TIPPING IN CONNECTICUT
DEAR S & T: It’s not only good manners
but also GOOD BUSINESS to thank clients/
patrons — just as it’s considered proper
etiquette to thank the person who served you.
I hesitate to paint an entire generation with
the same brush, but the individuals you are
dealing with could benefit from a refresher
course in courtesy.
DEAR ABBY: I’m 56, disabled and live
with my mom, who is 86. I’m really scared of
what’s going to happen to me when she pass-
es. — SCARED IN NEVADA
DEAR SCARED: You should not be in limbo
regarding this question because your concern
is valid. It’s important that you talk to your
mother about your fears and ask her that
question. The answer may involve her estate
and whether she has a will that provides for
you in the event of her death. I am hoping that
her answer will put your mind at ease.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren,
also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was found-
ed by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear
Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440,
Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Horoscopes
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 24). You are
needed and important. That much is made
clear in the next 10 weeks, but don’t worry,
you’ll also get your carefree break times this
year. One thing that never lets up is your
creativity. You’ll apply it to make money and
friends. Relationships sparkle with all the
magic you bring to them. Aries and Capricorn
adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 1, 33, 28,
4 and 16.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Parents
famously tell children to “do as I say, not as a
do” when, of course, it almost never works. The
big messages are wordless, and the wordless
messages are big.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Your confidence
and social style are on point. It won’t take long
to cast your charisma spell over a new person.
In just a few minutes of concentrated attention,
you’ve netted yourself a new fan.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). When you think
someone’s heart is beautiful, speak up about
it. The others probably won’t, and these things
could conceivably go a lifetime without being
said. Why not now, and why not by you?
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Hope is in your
nature, but it’s not always your first response
to life’s twists and turns. Sometimes, it takes
you a beat to figure out what’s good about the
scene.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Just because some-
thing looks wonderfully sweet doesn’t mean it’s
bad for you. In fact, this is one of those days
when the eye candy might also be the soul
food.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Before you go
doubting your powers, think about how you
now embody what you once only envied and
fantasized about. You did this, and you can do
the next thing, too.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’ve landed
in the sort of scenes that would play well in a
movie. These remarkable circumstances were
usually a byproduct of your ambition — a quali-
ty that heightens the highs and the lows.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You don’t have
to perform kind acts because kindness is in
your nature. It’s not a performance at all; it’s
just the sort of thing you do when you’re doing
you.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Could you
embrace a practice that offered no guarantees?
You’ll be willing to do this when the activity is
inherently loveable, and there is no particular
outcome necessary to make it so.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). When the
work is new and the job is big, there’s a high
probability of feeling like an imposter. Take it
as a good sign. People who never strive won’t
be troubled by that particular signal of success
called “imposter syndrome.”
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). In the reli-
gious vernacular, a saint is a person who has
died but still remains accessible to the mortal
in need of a miracle. In the common vernacular,
a saint is selfless and very much alive to help
you out today.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Though there
is an economic aspect to many of today’s trans-
actions, they are not strictly financial. You’ll
ponder what is actually being exchanged, not to
keep score but to stay in the know.
 der the trade name of

Classifieds
Military Wine and Li-
LEGAL NOTICE quor located at 2329
Dr. Martin Luther King
Ads appear in The Commercial Dispatch,
I the member of A to
Z 14 LLC intend to
Jr, Drive, City of
Columbus, County of
The Starkville Dispatch and Online
make application for Lowndes.
a Package Retailer
To place ads starting at only $12,
Permit as provided for The name, title and call 662-328-2424 or visit ads.cdispatch.com
by the Local Option address of the mem-
Alcoholic Beverage ber for he above THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 n 5B
Control Laws, Sec- named business are:
tion 67-1-1, et seq.,
of the Mississippi
Booze Legal Notices
Mayur Patel
Booze Legal Notices Apts For Rent: Other Mobile Homes for Rent Appliances
Code of 1972, Annot- Member
LEGALS ated. If granted such
permit, I propose to
185 Acorn Drive
Columbus, MS
RENT A CAMPER!
CHEAPER THAN A MOTEL!
Appliances: New in box
Electrolux front load washer
Community
Utilities & cable included, $500. Kenmore gas range/
Call us: 662-328-2424 operate as a limited 39705 from $145/wk − $535/mo oven two years old $300. Ads starting at $12
liability company un- Columbus & County School Two year old front load
Booze Legal Notices der the trade name of If any person wishes locations. 662−242−3803 Electrolux washer $250. Pets
or 601−940−1397. 662−435−7232
LEGAL NOTICE Military Wine and Li- to request a hearing a Boxer/Lab Puppies
Mobile Home Spaces
quor located at 2329 hearing to object to Bargain Column 2 males and 2 females
I the member of A to Dr. Martin Luther King the issuance of this For Rent: WEATHERTECH FLOOR &
$400. 662−361−4081

Z 14 LLC intend to Jr, Drive, City of permit a request for a Offices 4−Private + Trunk mats for Ford Fusion,
Reception Area with
make application for Columbus, County of hearing must be 5,700sqft warehouse,
$75. 662−368−6779.

Buy. Sell. Discover.

a Package Retailer Lowndes. made in writing and paved parking. Please text Farm Equipment & Supplies
Permit as provided for received by the De- Your Name & Email for
more details. $1,800/mo
by the Local Option The name, title and partment of Revenue to rent. 720−635−5696. TRAILER 6’X10’ w/ loading
ramp, 2’ sides, like new.
Alcoholic Beverage address of the mem- within (15) fifteen Bought in 2020, used
Control Laws, Sec- ber for he above days from the first locally, $1,100.
tion 67-1-1, et seq.,
of the Mississippi
named business are: date this notice was
published. Real Estate John Deere D110 Lawn
Tractor: 42" cut, 161 hrs,
$600. 662−368−6779.
Code of 1972, Annot- Mayur Patel Ads starting at $25
Member Requests shall be General Merchandise
ated. If granted such
permit, I propose to
Medical / Dental
185 Acorn Drive
Columbus, MS
sent to:
Chief Counsel, Legal COLEMAN Farms & Timberland CRAFTSMAN POWER
TOOLS: Sander, router,
operate as a limited RENTALS
liability company un- 39705 Division TOWNHOUSES & APARTMENTS 203 ACRES
bench press, saber saw.
662−368−6779.
der the trade name of Department of Reven- PRIME TIMBERLAND
If any person wishes ue 1 BEDROOM $270,000
Military Wine and Li- 2 BEDROOMS Exc deer, turkey hunting ELECTRIC WHEELCHAIR
quor located at 2329 to request a hearing a P.O. Box 22828 Good Investment and carrier for car/truck,
hearing to object to Jackson, MS 39225 3 BEDROOMS (615)719−8329 $350. 662−368−6779.
Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr, Drive, City of the issuance of this LEASE,
© The Dispatch

Houses For Sale: East Sporting Goods

Columbus, County of permit a request for a Date of first publica- DEPOSIT
Lowndes. hearing must be tion: 1/22/2021 AND
ED SANDERS GUNSMITH
FSBO: 4BR/2BA. New roof,
Open for season!
made in writing and CREDIT CHECK
new paint, fenced
Tue−Fri: 9−5 & Sat: 9−12
backyard, driveway leads
The name, title and received by the De- This the 19th day of Over 50 years experience!
behind house. $128,000.
address of the mem- partment of Revenue January, 2021.
within (15) fifteen
662-329-2323 662−889−1443.Repairs, cleaning, refin−
ishing, scopes mounted &
ber for he above Lots & Acreage zeroed, handmade knives.
named business are: days from the first PUBLISH: 1/22 & 2411 HWY 45 N Located: Hwy 45 Alt, North
of West Point, turn right on
date this notice was 1/24/2021 COLUMBUS, MS 1.75 ACRE LOTS: Good/
Yokahama Blvd, 8mi & turn
Bad Credit Options. Good
Mayur Patel published. credit as low as 20% down, left on Darracott Rd, will
$499/mo. Eaton Land, see sign, 2.5mi ahead
Member Houses For Rent: North shop on left.
185 Acorn Drive Requests shall be 662−361−7711.
662−494−6218.
Columbus, MS
39705
sent to:
Chief Counsel, Legal Rentals 3BR/1.5BA, clean, modern LOTS FOR SALE. Over 3
appliances, dishwasher, acre lot in prestigious

If any person wishes Department of Reven-
to request a hearing a ue
hearing to object to
the issuance of this
permit
General HelpaWanted
request for a
Division
Ads starting at $25
Apts For Rent: North
P.O. Box 22828
Jackson, MS 39225 FOX RUN APARTMENTS
1 & 2 BR near hospital.
$595−$645 monthly.
Vehicles
central AC&heat; carport,
Callaway Estates. Only 2
wash/dry hookup, fenced lots available. Restrictive
back yard, 3216 Military Rd covenants apply. $35,000.
$800+dep. 574−8559 Call Long & Long Real
Ads starting at $12
Estate, 662−328−0770
for plat and restrictions.
Houses For Rent: Caledonia Campers & RVs

hearing must be
made in writing and
received by the De-
partment of Revenue This the 19th day of
within (15) fifteen
days from the first
date this notice was PUBLISH: 1/22 &
published.
Date of first publica- Military discount, pet area,
pet friendly, and furnished
tion: 1/22/2021 corporate apts.
24−HOUR PROFESSIONAL
GYM. ON SITE SECURITY.
ON SITE MAINTENANCE.
January, 2021. ON SITE MANAGEMENT.
24−HOUR CAMERA
SURVEILLANCE. Benji &
Ashleigh, 662−386−4446.
1/24/2021
Merchandise
3BR/1.5BA, small house
for small family. NO DOGS.
NO HUD. Caledonia School
Dist. 8155 Hwy 12 near
Old Country Store. Ads starting at $12
Available 1/5/21. $775/
mo + $775 dep. 662−245
Antiques
−1191 or 662−549−9298.
Antique Organ: 2003 Coachman 31ft 5th
Mobile Homes for Rent Beautiful organ not in Wheel RV. Great shape,
working order. Great for ready to hit the road or for
In the Classifieds section.
On the web: ads.cdispatch.com

3BR/2BA MH in New Hope. DIY project. Would tiny home life. Lots of
Requests shall be Apts For Rent: West $650 dep + $650/mo. make beautiful desk. room, 2 pullouts, awning
No pets, quiet area. Leave Free if you pick it up. for patio. Will consider all
sent to:
VIP
voicemail with full name & serious offers, no financing
Or call: 662-328-2424

662−630−0774
Chief Counsel, Legal message, 205−712−6697. $10,000. 601−310−3528

Rentals
Division Houses For Sale: Other
Department of Reven-
ue Apartments & Houses
P.O. Box 22828
Jackson, MS 39225 1 Bedrooms
2 Bedroooms
Date of first publica- 3 Bedrooms
tion: 1/22/2021
Furnished & Unfurnished
This the 19th day of 1, 2, & 3 Baths
January, 2021. Lease, Deposit
& Credit Check
PUBLISH: 1/22 & viceinvestments.com
327-8555
1/24/2021

Medical / Dental Five Questions:

1 Microgreen

2 Chris Paul

3 Thailand

4 “Point Break”

5 Magna Carta

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

RAPID TEMP
Heating & cooling.
A & T TREE SERVICES
Bucket truck & stump BANKRUPTCY SULLIVAN’S PAINT
SERVICE
Home & RV. removal. Free est. CHAPTER 7 Special Prices.
Service & install. Serving Columbus BANKRUPTCY Interior & Exterior Painting.
Free estimates. since 1987. Senior $545 plus Filing Fee 662−435−6528
Call 602−736−4880. citizen disc. Call Alvin @
242−0324/241−4447 CHAPTER 13 Sitting With The Sick / Elderly
Carpet & Flooring "We’ll go out on a limb for BANKRUPTCY
you!" All Attorney Fees Through The Plan I am a Caregiver for the
Jim Arnold, Attorney elderly seeking a daytime
position. Very loving &
GRAVEL, $360 PER LOAD.
Local delivery, 14 yd truck. 662-324-1666 caring, light housekeeping
Backhoe & Dozer work. 104 South Lafayette Street, Starkville offered. Call or leave msg,
Mobile Home Pads & Please visit our website: 662−570−8175.
Driveways. Concrete work. jimharnold.com
662−497−1388 Saturday morning appointments
available for Starkville Office. Are you a
Clean in the New Year!
NEWELL’S PLUMBING &
HANDYMAN SERVICE Lawn Care / Landscaping
painter?
1 Room − $50 Licensed with over 20 yrs
2 Room − $80 experience. Lowest rates in JESSE & BEVERLY’S
3 Rooms − $110 the area, Guaranteed. LAWN SERVICE
Carpet − Rugs − Cars 662−242−5005. Fall Cleanup, Tree Cutting,
DAVID’S CARPET & Landscaping, Sodding &
UPHOLSTERY WORK WANTED: Licensed Bush Hogging
CLEANING
Call for more info!
& Bonded. Carpentry, minor 662−356−6525 Advertise
electrical, minor plumbing,
662−722−1758 insulation, painting, demo− here to
lition, gutters cleaned, Don’t have time grow your
pressure washing, land− to cut your lawn?
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Find help here! business.
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6B SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Religion
How can we keep from worrying?
I
f we look around him for all he has When we focus on our circum- about tomorrow, for tomorrow whatsoever things are of good
in life, we can done.” (Philippians stances, it’s easy for our mind will bring it’s own worries. report; if there be any virtue,
find many things 4:6) NLT  to wander off into worrying. Today’s trouble is enough for and if there be any praise,
to worry about, but n Give all our That’s why we have to keep our today.” (Matthew 6:34) NLT think on these things.” (Philip-
how can we keep worries to God. focus on God because He’s in n Change our way of think- pians 4:8) KJV
from worrying? A lot of times we control of our circumstances, ing. The more we try not to So be encouraged today and
We can keep from overload ourselves and He can give us peace in the think about something that always remember: When we
worrying by doing with worries that midst of them. “Peace I leave worries us, the more preoccu- start worrying, we should stop
these things: are out of our con- with you; my peace I give you. I pied our mind becomes with and ask ourselves this ques-
n Pray and give trol. During times do not give to you as the world that thought, which makes tion, “Can any one of you by
God thanks. The like these we have gives. Do not let your hearts be us think about it even more. worrying add a single hour to
minute we start Sherry Ivy to give our worries troubled and do not be afraid.” When this happens to us, we your life?” (Matthew 6:27) NIV
worrying about and concerns to (John 14:27) have to shift our thoughts from Minister Sherry Ivy is a
anything, we should God. He is ready to n Don’t worry about tomor- thinking on negative things Minister of The New Providence
immediately start praying and take our worries because he row, live for today. One of the and start thinking on godly M. B. Church (Healing & Yoke
giving thanks to God. Once we cares about us. “Give all your best ways to stop worrying and things. “Finally, brethren, Destroying Ministry) in Macon
get in the presence of God, our worries and cares to God, for start living is to take things whatsoever things are true, Mississippi, under the lead-
worries will go away. “Don’t he cares about you.” (1 Peter one day at a time. We have whatsoever things are honest, ership of her husband, Pastor
worry about anything; instead, 5:7) NLT enough daily concerns than to whatsoever things are just, Willie J. Ivy Sr. You can contact
pray about everything. Tell n Take our focus off our cir- waste our time worrying about whatsoever things are pure, her via email at minsivy@
God what you need, and thank cumstances and put it on God. tomorrow. “So don’t worry whatsoever things are lovely, yahoo.com

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

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

Where the Spirit of the Lord is F eatured C hurch

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

2500 Military Road Suite 1

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

ST. PAUL INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH — Freeman Rd. Sunday School 10 a.m.,
Sunday Services 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Youth activities 5 p.m. John Powell, Pastor.

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

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

COMMERCIAL 662.848.0919
“A Family Business Since 1946” RESIDENTIAL Monday-Saturday 10am-8pm
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24 Hour Towing Offering independent living apartments, personal
care/assisted living suites, and a skilled nursing home
schedule your ad. FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY 1024 Gardner Blvd. 300 Airline Road • Columbus, MS • 327-6716
328-2424 1131 Lehmberg Rd., Columbus • 662-328-1808 328-8277 “Our Bottom Line Is People”

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

BRISLIN, INC. Insurance Services:

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

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

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, INC The McBryde Family

Hwy. 45 Alt. N., West Point n 662-494-4344
www.hydrovaconline.com Hwy. 182, Starkville n 662-546-4201 1120 Gardner Blvd. • 328-5776

Jarrett’s Towing This ad space can be yours

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

If you need to change your church’s online listing or would like to add
your church information, call 328-2424 or email changes to tinap@cdispatch.com
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 7B

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8B SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

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