Established 1879 | Columbus, Mississippi
CDISPATCH.COM
CMSD bus drivers walk off job over pay, hours
More than 20 Columbus Municipal School District bus drivers gathered Monday afternoon at the
Columbus High School Sports Complex. Some of the drivers opted to strike, advocating for more
compensation, and were later asked to move off school property.
70 MSU
students
test positive
for COVID-19
Students quarantined
in hotels monitored,
asked to stay on hotel
property
BY TESS VRBIN
tvrbin@cdispatch.com
Only a week into
the fall semester, 70
students at Missis-
sippi State University
have tested positive
for the COVID-19
coronavirus, accord-
ing to data published
Salter
Monday on the MSU
website.
The university administered
451 tests to students from Aug. 17
to Aug. 22, according to data that
will be updated weekly on the site,
as well as 87 to employees and 18 to
private patients. One employee and
two private patients tested positive.
MSU Chief Communications
Officer Sid Salter said new cases
were to be expected with campus
opening to in-person instruction.
Campus closed and classes moved
online in March when the spread
of COVID-19 became a global pan-
demic.
“Obviously when our students re-
turn from varying situations, where
they were before they came to cam-
pus, and then that’s exacerbated
by whatever decisions they make
about their social life, then I think
anyone would have an expectation
that there would be an increase in
the numbers,” Salter said.
About 80 students moved out
of the Phi Gamma Delta fraterni-
See MSU, 3A
WEATHER
Reese Atkind
Fourth grade, Heritage
84 Low 74
High
Mostly cloudy and humid
Full forecast on
page 3A.
141st Year, No. 142
75 ¢ Newsstand | 40 ¢ Home Delivery
Tuesday | August 25, 2020
Remaining drivers running double routes
as district scrambles to transport students
BY SLIM SMITH a Monday morning meeting
ssmith@cdispatch.com with CMSD transportation di-
rector Willie Stewart, arrived at
A decision by Columbus High School around
about half of Co- 1 p.m. The high school is the
lumbus Munic- staging area for the district’s
ipal School Dis- buses, but instead of prepar-
trict bus drivers ing for the afternoon’s route, a
to walk off the job group of 21 drivers met outside
over pay issues the school property, refusing to
Monday after- Labat run their routes.
noon had district By 2, only 10 of the sched-
officials scram- INSIDE uled 46 buses had left to begin
bling to return n OUR VIEW: their routes, although Assistant
schoolch i ld ren A communica- Superintendent Glen Dedeaux
to their homes tion break- said a few other drivers arrived
down — not
and arrange for a mechanical later and ran their routes.
them to be re- one — kept Parents were notified by
turned to school CMSD buses text message to pick up their
from running.
Garrick Hodge/Dispatch Staff
this morning. Page 4A children while many of the re-
Bus drivers, maining bus drivers ran double
notified of chang- routes.
es to their pay and hours during See CMSD, 3A
SOCSD’s first day of ‘new normal’
comes with trials, triumphs
Virtual learning poses
technological challenges
for some students
BY YUE STELLA YU AND TESS VRBIN
syu@cdispatch.com, tvrbin@cdispatch.com
Erin Dawson was nervous. On her
first day at the brand new Partnership
Middle School, the seventh-grader
stalled in the hallway and wondered
which classroom she would go to.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused
some things to look different from what
she was accustomed to. Students wore
masks all the time and dined in their
own classrooms. Everyone followed one
direction on each side of the hallway.
Only three people were allowed in the
bathroom at one time.
But differences like this made her
feel safe and comfortable, Dawson
said. Teachers guided her to her room
and walked her through classroom
rules, she said, and she soon made new
friends.
“Even though you are away (from
your classmates), they just wanted to
make sure you are safe,” she said. “The
whole day was good.”
Dawson was among the more than
4,600 students across 10 schools at the
Starkville-Oktibbeha County School
District who began their first school day
Monday amid the pandemic — a new ex-
perience for their parents, teachers and
principals alike.
The district offers in-person, virtual
and, for grades 8-12, “hybrid” learning
Courtesy photo/SOCSD
Michaela Pitts, kindergarten teacher at Sudduth Elementary School, helps student
models — a combination of in-person Justice Young hang her backpack after she arrived Monday for her first day of school.
and virtual learning. Dawson is among
the almost 300 students who chose a cessing coursework online. Some par- platforms all day.
hybrid model, meaning she will go to ents, although understanding, feared Their mother, Tishawna Dawson,
school two days a week and learn online technological difficulties could hinder said she had to put off work until 12:30
three days. More than 2,600 students their children’s learning process. p.m. to help her three children through
have chosen to attend school in person their trouble Monday. She visited three
during the fall semester, and more than campuses Monday morning waiting to
1,700 students opted for all-virtual learn-
Virtual learning brings efficiency, receive her kids’ virtual learning pack-
ing, The Dispatch previously reported. challenges ets, she said, only to find out that Can-
While many students and teachers Erin’s first-day experience went dice and Jayden were misregistered as
soon adjusted to the new norm on their smoothly, but her siblings, 11-year-old in-person “traditional” students.
first day, others shared challenges of Candice and 6-year-old Jayden,— both “(Jayden) said, ‘Where’s my stuff?’”
in-person learning, as well as confusion of whom opted for virtual learning — Tishawna said.
and frustration about the hardship ac- could not access the online learning See SOCSD, 6A
FIVE QUESTIONS LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC
1 What part of a flower produces pollen? MEETINGS
2 The home team is responsible for doing Aug. 31: Lowndes
what to a hockey puck — freezing it, paint- County Board of Su-
ing it or covering it with chalk? pervisors meeting, 9
3 Which South American desert is one of a.m., Lowndes County
the driest places on Earth, never having
recorded a single drop of rain? Courthouse, facebook.
4 Which long-running paranormal TV series com/LowndesCounty-
sparked fans’ interest in and desire to own Mississippi/
a black 1967 Chevy Impala hardtop? Sept. 1: Columbus
5 The United States does not have a central
City Council, 5 p.m.,
bank. True of false?
Municipal Complex,
Answers, 6B facebook.com/Cityof-
ColumbusMS/
Sept. 8: Lowndes
County Board of Su-
pervisors meeting, 9
INSIDE Bridgett C. Alexander has worked at Baptist a.m., Lowndes County
Classifieds 6B Dear Abby 3B Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle since 2001 Courthouse, facebook.
Comics 3B Obituaries 4B and recently got her Doctorate of Nursing com/LowndesCounty-
Crossword 5B Opinions 4A Practice and received the highest honors. Mississippi/
DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471
2A TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION

GOP convention showcases

rising stars, dark warnings
The opening night of
the four-day convention
reflected the rising
urgency fueling Trump’s
push to reshape the
presidential contest
BY STEVE PEOPLES, MICHELLE L.
PRICE AND ZEKE MILLER
The Associated Press
WA S H I N G T O N
— A rising generation
of Republican stars
offered an optimis-
tic view of President
Donald Trump’s lead-
ership but was under-
mined on the opening
Trump
night of the GOP’s
scaled-back convention by speakers
issuing dark warnings about the
country’s future and distorting the
president’s record, particularly on
the coronavirus pandemic.
As Trump faces pressure to ex-
pand his appeal beyond his loyal
supporters, Sen. Tim Scott of South
Carolina, the Senate’s sole Black
Republican, and former U.N. Am-
bassador Nikki Haley, the daugh-
ter of Indian immigrants, sought
to cast the GOP as welcoming to
Americans of color, despite the par-
ty’s overwhelmingly white leader-
ship and voting base.
“I was a brown girl in a black and
white world,” Haley said Monday
night, noting that she faced dis-
crimination but rejecting the idea
that “America is a racist country.”
She also gave a nod to the Black
Lives Matter movement, saying “of
course we know that every single
Black life is valuable.”
Dire talk
But the prime-time convention
proceedings, which featured a
blend of taped and live speeches,
focused largely on dire talk about
Joe Biden, Trump’s Democratic
challenger in the November elec-
tion. Speakers ominously warned
that electing Biden would lead to
violence in American cities spilling
into the suburbs, a frequent Trump
AP-NORC poll: Trump faces pessimism
as Republican convention opens
BY JULIE PACE AND HANNAH FINGERHUT
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is promising to outline
an optimistic vision for America at this week’s Republican convention.
But he’ll be speaking to a public deeply pessimistic about the direction
of the country and overwhelmingly dissatisfied with his and the federal
government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Most Americans think there isn’t enough being done to help indi-
vidual Americans, small businesses or public schools as the pandemic
stretches on, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC
Center for Public Affairs Research. Overall, just 31 percent of Ameri-
cans approve of Trump’s leadership on the pandemic, a significant drop
from 44 percent approval in March, when the virus began sweeping
through the United States.
The public’s negative assessment of how Trump is handling the crisis
puts him on the defensive as his November face-off against Democrat
Joe Biden nears. One of Trump’s challenges as his convention opens
on Monday night is to convince Americans that anything about his re-
sponse to the pandemic will change or improve if voters give him four
more years in office.
campaign message with racist Election Day just 10 weeks away. It
undertones. One speaker called will continue Tuesday, when first
Trump the “bodyguard of Western lady Melania Trump will deliver re-
civilization.” marks from the White House.
Scrambling to find a message Biden and his running mate,
that sticks, Trump’s team tried out California Sen. Kamala Harris, are
multiple themes and tactics over keeping a relatively low profile this
the course of the night. They fea- week. In a tweet Monday night,
tured optimism from those who Biden told supporters to “stay fo-
could represent the GOP’s future, cused.”
attempts to characterize Biden as
a vessel for socialists and far-left Emphasis on diversity
Democrats despite his moderate re- The emphasis on diversity at
cord and humanizing stories about Trump’s convention was an acknowl-
the 74-year-old man who sits in the edgment he must expand his coali-
Oval Office. tion beyond his largely white base.
Trump and a parade of fellow Re- Polling shows that Black Ameri-
publicans misrepresented Biden’s cans continue to be overwhelming-
agenda through the evening, falsely ly negative in their assessments of
accusing him of proposing to de- the president’s performance, with
fund police, ban oil fracking, take his approval hovering around 1 in
over health care, open borders and 10 over the course of his presidency,
raise taxes on most Americans. according to Gallup polling.
They tried to assign positions of One of several African Ameri-
the Democratic left to a middle-of- cans on Monday night’s schedule,
the-road candidate who explicitly former football star Herschel Walk-
rejected many of the party’s most er, defended the president against
liberal positions through the prima- those who call him a racist.
ries. “It hurts my soul to hear the terri-
The opening night of the four- ble names that people call Donald,”
day convention reflected the rising Walker said. “The worst one is ‘rac-
urgency fueling Trump’s push to ist.’ I take it as a personal insult that
reshape a presidential contest that people would think I would have a
he’s losing, at least for now, with 37-year friendship with a racist.”

Civil rights group pushes back at GOP condemnation

Resolution: SPLC ‘a far-left
organization with an obvious bias’
BY JONATHAN LEMIRE
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Re-
publican National Com-
mittee delegates approved
a resolution condemning
the Southern Poverty Law
Center, calling the legal
advocacy group dedicated
to fighting extremism “a
far-left organization with
an obvious bias.”
The resolution was
approved over the week-
end ahead of the start of
the Republican National
Convention on Monday in
resolution claimed that it
“puts conservative groups
or voices at risk of attack.”
The SPLC, which con-
Charlotte and escalates a ducts investigations and
long-held battle between engages in civil rights liti-
conservative groups and gation, said in a statement
the SPLC. Monday that the resolu-
“The SPLC is a radi- tion gave “comfort to hate
cal organization, and that groups” and accused the
the federal government RNC of being selective in
should not view this or- its condemnation.
ganization as a legitimate Margaret Huang, the
foundation equipped to president and chief execu-
provide actionable infor- tive of the group, said the
mation to DHS or any oth- resolution was designed
er government agency,” to “excuse the Trump ad-
said the resolution, which ministration’s history of
challenged the legitima- working with individuals
cy of the organization to and organizations that
identify hate groups. The malign entire groups of
people — including Black
Lives Matter advocates,
immigrants, Muslims and
the L.G.B.T.Q. communi-
ty — with dehumanizing
rhetoric.”
The resolution was
the latest clash between
the SPLC and conser-
vative groups over the
Alabama-based organi-
zation’s Hatewatch list,
which tracks radical and
extremist groups. Con-
servatives accuse the
SPLC of pursuing a parti-
san agenda and sweeping
up groups with a conser-
vative agenda with explic-
itly racist organizations
such as the Ku Klux Klan.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2020 3A

CMSD Driving at ‘excessive

Continued from Page 1A
Reached Monday evening,
CMSD Superintendent Cherie La-
bat said all students had reached
their homes safely and preparations
to ensure students were picked up
for today’s classes had been made.
She referred all other questions —
including the status of the drivers
who refused to drive their routes
and current bus staffing — to Stew-
art and Dedeaux.
Stewart did not return phone
calls or text messages by press
time.
Reached Tuesday morning, De-
deaux said the district had 25 driv-
ers to report for work Tuesday and
that all routes were completed.
Diana Prince, one of the drivers
who walked off the job Monday,
said she is open to negotiating a re-
turn to work.
“I would be willing to work with
them to find a solution, but it’s all
about the pay,” said Prince, who has
driven city school buses since 2015.
Spears: ‘We can’t just pay them
for hours they don’t work’
Prior to this year, most of the
CMSD drivers were
employees of Ec-
coRide, which con-
tracted with the dis-
trict to provide bus
service. CMSD opted
out of the EccoRide
contract in May af-
ter the school year Spears
was abruptly ended
on April 14 by order of Gov. Tate
Reeves because of the COVID-19
pandemic.
As CMSD assembled its own
transportation system in July, it
offered jobs to most of the drivers
who had previously worked with
EccoRide.
Drivers are paid on a monthly
basis. The first pay period ends Fri-
day.
At Monday morning’s meeting,
drivers were told they would be
paid for 4 1/2 hours per day and
would not be paid for Wednesdays.
Under the CMSD’s school plan, all
students take classes virtually on
Wednesday and no bus routes are
driven.
Previously, bus drivers were
paid for 30 hours per week. Under
the new school plan, the hours have
been reduced to 18 hours per week.
CMSD’s bus driver pay schedule
shows that drivers with up to five
years experience receive an annual
pay of $9,720, which is $12 per hour
based on a four-day, 4 1/2 -hour
schedule. Calculated on a 6-hour
work day, the starting pay amounts
to $9 per hour.
The schedule provides addition-
al pay for each five-year increment
of service — a $1 per hour increase
for each of those five years of ser-
vice, capping at $15 per hour for a
Columbus resident Matthew Shelton, who has been a bus driver in Colum-
bus for 11 years, holds a sign that says “Listen!! Bus drivers are important”
as cars drive by outside the Columbus High School Sports Complex Monday.
driver with 16 years or more ser-
vice. Calculated at the six-hour
work day drivers expected, the cap
would be $11.25 per hour.
“There’s no way we can do this,”
Prince said.
CMSD Board of Trustees Pres-
ident Jason Spears said he didn’t
learn of the strike until after the
drivers walked off the job.
“From what I gather, somehow
there was some misunderstanding
by the drivers that they would be
paid for Wednesdays,” Spears said
Monday evening after conferring
with Labat. “They also thought they
would be paid for six hours. But by
state law, we cannot pay for work
that isn’t performed.”
Spears said the district’s new
school plan factored into the confu-
sion.
“When we were putting together
our reopening plan, we were trying
to determine how many students we
would have and what routes would
be running,” he said. “When school
started (on Aug. 6) it was an estima-
tion. But when we started running
routes we realized the drivers were
only working 4 1/2 hours, not six.
Again, we can’t just pay them for
hours they don’t work.”
More than just driving
CMSD schools operate with a
combination of virtual and hybrid
classes. About 60 percent of the
students — roughly 2,000 — partic-
ipate in the hybrid schedule, with
one group of students attending
classes in person on Mondays and
Tuesdays and another group on
Thursdays and Fridays. The other
40 percent of students are enrolled
in virtual classes only. All students
participate virtually on Wednes-
days or on the days they are not
physically attending classes on
campus.
The new schedule means there
are fewer students on buses, which
translates to faster routes, but
drivers said they are being asked
to perform other work that they
weren’t required to perform prior to
speeds’ believed
to have contributed
to fatal wreck Sunday
Two drivers who collided with
victim’s car may face charges
DISPATCH STAFF REPORT
Columbus police say two cousins driving at
Garrick Hodge/Dispatch Staff
“excessive speeds” contributed to the three-
car collision that killed a Starkville man Sunday
night.
Authorities identified Dustin Gwathney, 20, as
COVID-19. the driver of one of two cars that collided head-
“We spend a lot of time with san- on with a 2020 Honda Accord in a blind curve on
itation,” Prince said. “A lot of us are Wilkins Wise Road at about 6:40 p.m., according
also providing snacks for the chil- to a Columbus Police Department press release
dren out of our own pocket. We are Monday. The driver of the Honda, Sheldon Camp-
essential workers. We’re not asking bell, 45, was killed, and his passenger flown to a
for anything extra, just what we hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.
were told we were going to get.” The driver of the other speeding car was
Spears said he had discussed Gwathney’s 17-year-old cousin, who police did not
identify because he is a minor. Neither he nor a
calling a special meeting to address
the situation, but after talking with 14-year-old passenger in the vehicle Gwathney
Labat, he said the superintendent was driving were injured.
has the authority to address most of The two drivers who were speeding may face
the issues without board approval. charges once CPD completes its investigation,
“The only thing, really, that the press release said. Police Chief Fred Shelton
would require board action is pay told The Dispatch police are still investigating ex-
adjustment,” he said. “That hasn’t actly how fast the cousins were driving.
been proposed.” “This is a tragedy. We expect people to drive
safely with respect to others,” Shelton said in the
release. “Our investigation is continuing, but at
‘We could manage with the this time, we believe the two cousins pulled out
drivers we have’ of the Belk parking lot driving toward the Lock
While some drivers ran double and Dam. At about the same time, the victim left
routes and some parents picked up the Lock and Dam heading toward Highway 45
their children Monday, the impact North. This is so senseless.”
of the walk-out was obvious.
Brittany Tuner, director for the
Columbus branches of the Boys and
Girls Club of the Golden Triangle,
said only two students — one from
Joe Cook Elementary and anoth-
er from Stokes-Beard Elementary
— were dropped off for the club’s
after-school program as of 3 p.m.
Monday.
“Normally, we have about 20 kids
dropped off by the buses,” she said.
Under state law, school bus driv-
ers are required to hold a Class B
Commercial Drivers License.
Dedeaux said no decision has
been made on the status of the driv-
ers who did not run their routes
Monday.
“I’m not sure what’s going to
happen there,” said Dedeaux, who
said he believed the district could
manage with the 25 drivers who re-
ported Tuesday morning.
“We may have to consolidate
some routes and adjust pick-up
schedules,” he said. “That’s one of
the things we are working on. But,
in my opinion, we could manage
with the drivers we have as long as
we don’t lose any more.”

MSU
Continued from Page 1A
ty, known as Fiji, and the
Phi Mu sorority houses
on Friday after both chap-
ters saw positive cases.
Students had the options
of going home or mov-
ing into one of the two
Starkville hotels MSU
rented for the semester
to use as quarantine facili-
ties for two weeks.
MSU Vice President
of Student
Affairs Re-
gina Hy-
att said all
quarantined
students
are pro-
vided with
r e s o u r c e s Hyatt
like snacks,
beverages and informa-
tion about quarantine
procedures and how to re-
motely access university
library services.
Students receive all
their meals in their rooms
from MSU Dining, but
they are allowed to order
food from outside, and
usually the food is deliv-
ered to the lobby for the
desk staff to deliver to the
students’ rooms, Hyatt
said.
“In some cases, the
student might come to the
desk to pick up that deliv-
ery,” she said.
All students must wear
protective face coverings
outside their rooms. They
are allowed to leave the
building on occasion, but
the hotel’s only entrance
and exit is monitored
24/7, and students must
check in and out and pro-
vide a reason for going,
Hyatt said.
They are not allowed
to leave the hotel proper-
ty, but Hyatt said she is
not aware of any outdoor
cameras or anything else
that would monitor stu-
dents’ behavior outside
the buildings.
“We’ve very clearly ar- to protect people from
ticulated in our policy that COVID-19. The letter ac-
students can’t be coming companied a petition that Send in your church event!
and going, so if that’s ob-
served, the student is pro-
gained more than 300 Email editorialassistant@cdispatch.com
signatures from MSU fac-
vided with one warning, ulty, staff and students to Subject: Religious brief
and if it happens again, members of the Starkville
the student is unable to community even else-
remain in the isolation fa- where.
cility and will have to go
to their home to complete
the isolation,” Hyatt said.
MSU has staffed the
hotels with employees
from the departments of
Housing and Residence
Life and custodial ser-
vices, and employees
of the Longest Student
Health Center are mon-
itoring quarantined stu-
dents’ health on-site.
MSU’s decision to rent
the hotels sparked an
open letter earlier this
month from some con-
cerned faculty asking ad-
ministration not to reopen
campus, claiming reopen
plans were insufficient

Lowndes man arrested for allegedly

shooting at neighbor’s house SOLUNAR TABLE
The solunar period indicates
peak-feeding times for fish and game.
Tue. Wed.
DISPATCH STAFF REPORT Highway Authorities say Alex- Major
Minor
6:30a
2:02p
7:26a
3:10p
69. The vic- ander intentionally shot at Major 6:58p 7:26a
A Lowndes County tim called the building while it was Minor 12:03a 12:48a
Courtesy of Mississippi Department

man has been arrested

of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
deputies occupied after getting

for allegedly shooting at
his neighbor’s home on
Sunday.
Cecil Alexander III,
48, has been charged with
shooting into a dwelling
after investigators con-
nected him to a shooting
on Christian Circle off
The Dispatch
just after into an argument with the
10:30 p.m. victim, the release said.
claiming No on appears to have
The Commercial Dispatch (USPS 142-320)
someone been injured in the shoot- Published daily except Saturday. Answers to common questions:
was shoot- Alexander ing. Entered at the post office at Columbus, Mississippi.
ing at their home, accord- Alexander is current- Periodicals postage paid at Columbus, MS Phone: 662-328-2424
POSTMASTER, Send address changes to:
ing to a Lowndes County ly in custody at Lowndes The Commercial Dispatch, P.O. Box 511, Columbus, MS 39703 Website: cdispatch.com/help
Sheriff’s Office press re- County Adult Detention Published by Commercial Dispatch Publishing Company Inc., Report a news tip: news@cdispatch.com
516 Main St., Columbus, MS 39703
lease. Center on $7,500 bond.
Opinion
4A TUESDAY AUGUST 25, 2020
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
A communication breakdown ­— not a mechanical one
— kept CMSD buses from running
F
or many reasons, most
of them beyond our
control, this school year
promises to be a stressful
one. The COVID-19 pandemic
casts a frightful shadow of
leaning. That’s true from top
to bottom - students, parents,
teachers, staff and adminis-
tration.
Good faith efforts are
being made to minimize the
impact of the virus on both
education and health, but
even the best plans cannot
account for all of the possible
disruptions.
Yet for students and par-
ents in the Columbus Mu-
nicipal School Districts who
rely on the district’s transpor-
tation system, a new stress
emerged Monday, one that
better communication would
likely have resolved.
Monday afternoon, the ma-
jority of the district’s bus driv-
ers walked off the job, leaving
school administrators and
parents scrambling to make
sure children reached home
safely Monday afternoon.
Drivers are expected to be
at their designated schools
for pick-up by 1:45 p.m. Yet on
Monday, only 10 of 46 drivers
had left for their routes as of
2 p.m.
Parents were notified of
the walk-out by text and were
forced to make immediate
plans for returning their chil-
dren home Monday.
CMSD superintendent
Cheri Labat said arrange-
ments for Tuesday pick-ups
had been made.
The dispute emerged when
drivers were notified they
would not be paid for a five-
day, six-hour-per day work
week. Because the schools
are not open on Wednesday,
no bus routes are needed that
day. Likewise, the work day
was shortened to 4 ½ hours
from 6 hours, again due to
changes in the schools’ sched-
ules, the district says. With
40 percent of the students
attending virtual classes
only and the other 60 percent
attending classes on campus
just two days a week, fewer
students are riding the buses.
As a result, routes are shorter,
which accounts for the short-
er work day, the district says.
Bus drivers who thought
they would be paid for 30
hours a week are now being
paid for 18 hours. That’s a 40
percent cut in pay; we can un-
derstand why drivers object.
The district maintains that,
by law, it cannot pay hourly
employees for hours not
worked. That’s a valid point.
Where we fault the district
is that it apparently failed to
communicate that clearly to
the bus drivers before the
school year started. It wasn’t
until a Monday morning
meeting that bus drivers were
told of the reduced hours, just
days before the first monthly
pay period is to end.
How the bus drivers would
be paid should have been
communicated before the
first route was driven on Aug.
6.
While we understand the
drivers’ frustration, we do not
agree with their tactics. The
decision to abruptly walk off
the job put children and par-
ents in a stressful situation.
It would have been far
better to continue their routes
Monday and Tuesday and use
Wednesday, when no routes
are being driven, to make
their cases to the district. The
bus drivers would have lost
no leverage in doing that and
no students or parents would
have been left scrambling
to make their own arrange-
ments.
Because state law requires
bus drivers to hold a Class B
Commercial Driver’s License,
there is no quick fix. Drivers
are in short supply. If the dis-
trict’s transportation system
is to work, the best available
option is to talk with drivers
to see if the situation can be
amicably resolved.
It seems to us a breakdown
in communication created the
problem. Better communica-
tion may solve it.

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

DeJoy should resign
Monday, during an appearance
before the House Committee on
Oversight, new Postmaster Gener-
al, Louis DeJoy, while being neatly
eviscerated by rising star, Rep.
Katie Porter (D—CA), made the
preposterous claim that he was not
the person who initially approved
the changes (mail sorter removal,
etc.) in locations across the country.
You know, the sorts of changes that
have led to days and sometimes
weeks-long delays in the delivery of
prescription medications to veterans
and seniors, etc.
He also admitted under Porter’s
intense questioning that he knew
surprisingly little about: 1) the
price of postage for various basic
items commonly sent by mail; 2) the
likely effects of the policy changes
he claimed he didn’t make on the
efficiency of mail delivery; and
3) perhaps of greatest immediate
importance, the extent to which
Americans use the postal service to
vote — even before the pandemic.
Answer to #3: all overseas military
and members of foreign service and
all residents of at least 5 states - 25
million votes and expected to double
this year.
Postmaster DeJoy, if I may, I’d like
to summarize some of the lessons I
hope you took away from yesterday’s
hearing:
Lesson #1: Do not deny under
oath statements already well-doc-
umented. Specifically, I refer to
the internal USPS documents that
show that the unacceptable delivery
delays I described above began in
mid-July, not long after your first
days on that job. More importantly,
you admitted that these delays were
an express result of the policies that
you took responsibility for in that
same memo. Yes, the delays that you
personally referred to as “unintend-
ed consequences;”
Lesson #2: it is unwise to be the
subject of a Congressional hearing
when unprepared;
Lesson #3: it is especially unwise
to appear as subject of a hearing un-
prepared when Representative Katie
Porter is among the questioners.
Louis DeJoy, you flatly refused
under direct questioning by Rep.
Porter to reverse the disastrous
changes you have already put in
place. How can we possibly trust you
with the mail system going forward?!
Personally, I would not trust you
to watch my dog.
Postmaster General DeJoy must
resign. He should resign today. He
is a disgrace to the USPS and to the
country.
Paul Mack
Columbus
A letter to the editor is an excellent
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ty. We request the tone of your letters
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We welcome all letters emailed to
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Dispatch, Attn: Letters to the Editor,
PO Box 511, Columbus, MS 39703-
0511.
THE NATION
A most consequential presidency
A
s Donald Trump is the U.S. embassy there. He persuade Kim to surrender his nuclear
about to be nomi- effected the recognition of arsenal in return for recognition, trade
nated for a second Israel by the UAE in return and aid, even some of Trump’s enemies
term, how his presidency for Bibi Netanyahu’s post- applauded his effort.
has already altered the ponement of the annexation If Trump loses in November, how-
orientation of his party is on of the 30% of the West Bank ever, much of what he has done will be
display. envisioned in Trump’s own undone.
Under Trump, the GOP “Deal of the Century.” The U.S. will agree anew to abide by
ceased to be a party of While Trump has not the Paris climate accords and the Iran
small government whose extracted this country from nuclear deal of John Kerry and Barack
yardstick of success was the forever wars of the Mid- Obama will be revived.
how close it came to a bal- dle East — Afghanistan, Joe Biden says that only those
anced budget. Patrick Buchanan Iraq, Syria — he routed ISIS making above $400,000 will pay higher
Trump signed on this and kept us out of Libya’s taxes. Yet, the Democrats’ economic
spring to $3 trillion in deficit spending civil war. plan envisions higher payroll and per-
to rescue the economy from a depres- Unlike his predecessors, Trump has sonal income tax rates, higher capital
sion into which the government had tabled the issue of immigration, espe- gains and corporate tax rates, and even
shoved it to control the spread of the cially mass illegal migration across the higher death taxes on estates.
coronavirus. He is prepared to spend a Southern border, and made progress Trump has also changed the char-
trillion dollars more. on the border wall he made a feature of acter and composition of the GOP,
By opening new lands and seas to his 2016 campaign. making it more of a working- and
exploration, building pipelines, per- A discredited NAFTA has been re- middle-class party.
mitting fracking and slashing regula- placed by a new trade deal, and a leftist Where George H.W. Bush sought to
tions, Trump has brought the U.S. to government in Mexico City is helping build a “New World Order” with Amer-
an energy independence which other prevent migrants from entering south- ica as global hegemon and George W.
presidents only promised. ern Mexico on their way to the United Bush peached a global crusade for de-
The Trump GOP has abandoned an States. mocracy “to end tyranny in our world,”
ideological commitment to free trade Trump has done as much as Reagan Trump is all-in on “America first.” Bush
that dates back to the Kennedy admin- to deregulate the U.S. economy and re- transnationalism belongs to yesterday.
istration and reembraced the economic duce taxes on workers, producers, and Even in confronting Xi Jinping’s
nationalism of the 19th-century Repub- investors. Before COVID-19 hit in force China, Trump’s primary concern is not
licans who built the world’s greatest in March, stock markets were hitting on how Beijing treats its people but on
industrial and manufacturing power. all-time highs and unemployment rates how it treats us.
Globalism has been relegated to all-time lows. America has a history of such cold
the ash heap of history as our populist He has nominated and elevated two realism.
president trashed the Trans-Pacific Supreme Court justices and hundreds FDR recognized Stalin’s regime in
Partnership, the Iran nuclear deal and of federal judges. the USSR in 1933, when Hitler rose to
the Paris climate accords, and began The horizon, however, does not power in Germany. Ike invited Nikita
to impose tariffs on countries that have appear to be without perils. Khrushchev to tour the U.S. after the
looted America’s manufacturing base. Bellicosity toward Beijing is being “Butcher of Budapest” had drowned
While Trump has been prevented by reciprocated, and China appears ready the Hungarian Revolution in blood.
the Russophobia of our Beltway elites for confrontation to validate its claims During the Cold War, we partnered
from seeking a detente with Vladimir in the South and East China seas and with Somoza, the Shah, Gen. Pinochet
Putin, he has managed to avoid a mili- Taiwan Strait. and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek.
tary collision. What Beijing is doing to America — Trump, too, sees himself not as a
Trump has also ended the de- espionage, intellectual property theft, moral crusader for human rights but as
cades-long freeriding of NATO allies forced technology transfers, running a defender of American interests in the
on the U.S. defense budget, convincing up $600 billion trade surpluses at our world.
many of them to contribute more. expense — is Trump’s concern, not Patrick J. Buchanan, a nationally
He has made the Republican Party what Beijing is doing to restrict democ- syndicated columnist, was a senior advi-
the pro-Israel Party, recognizing Isra- racy in Hong Kong. sor to presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald
el’s annexation of the occupied Golan While his outreach to North Ko- Ford and Ronald Reagan. His website is
Heights and East Jerusalem by moving rean dictator Kim Jong Un failed to http://buchanan.org/blog.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2020 5A

Suffrage anniversary commemorations highlight racial divide

Amendment to the U.S. Constitution First lady opens student art exhibit on women’s suffrage
was ratified on Aug. 18, 1920, but
many women of color were prevented
from casting ballots for decades after Trump
BY SUSAN HAIGH AND
SUMAN NAISHADHAM
The Associated Press
HARTFORD, Conn.
— As the U.S. marks
the 100th anniversary of
women’s suffrage, many
event organizers, mindful
that the 19th Amendment
originally benefited most-
ly white women, have
been careful to present it
as a commemoration, not
a celebration.
The amendment to
the U.S. Constitution was
ratified on Aug. 18, 1920,
but many women of color
were prevented from cast-
ing ballots for decades
afterward because of poll
taxes, literacy tests, overt
racism, intimidation, and
laws that prevented the
grandchildren of slaves
from voting. Much of that
didn’t change until the
Voting Rights Act of 1965.
From exhibits inside
the Arizona Capitol Mu-
seum to a gathering on
the North Carolina State-
house lawn, many com-
memorations, including
those that moved online
because of the coronavi-
BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Melania Pennsylvania Avenue outside the Donald Trump facing a yawning
on Monday marked the White House and said it would en- deficit with female voters.
rus pandemic, have high-
lighted a more nuanced
history of the American
women’s suffrage move-
ment alongside the tra-
ditional tributes to well-
known suffragists such
as Susan B. Anthony and
Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
The 100th anniversary
has arrived during a year
of nationwide protests
against racial inequality
that have forced the Unit-
ed States to once again
reckon with its uncom-
fortable history.
‘The stories
are complicated’
“Like many move-
ments, the stories are
complicated and I think
it’s important, as we have
an opportunity to reflect
and to celebrate, that we
also are honest about
how we didn’t meet all
of our aspirations,” said
Rhode Island Secretary
of State Nellie Gorbea,
a Democrat born and
raised in Puerto Rico who
has helped to organize
her state’s suffrage com-
memoration efforts. “It’s
ing rights a “turning point” in the tion — to promote certain aspects
women’s rights movement. of her husband’s record on wom-
She unveiled the exhibit on en’s issues. Polls show President
100th anniversary of women gain- courage to talk to their children The first lady said that, under
ing the right to vote with an art ex- about the “important conversa- “our administration,” the child tax
hibit based on works by children tions taking place around equali- credit was doubled, women experi-
from all 50 states and the District ty” and help them understand the enced some of the lowest rates of
of Columbia. history behind women’s suffrage. unemployment on record and the
The first lady called adoption of Mrs. Trump also used her ap- Republican president put women
the 19th Amendment to the Con- pearance — on the opening day of in many senior administration po-
stitution that granted women vot- the Republican National Conven- sitions.
important to have these community groups across women played both prom- tions and suffrage events,
conversations so we can the state, many of which inent and smaller roles in including at the Akron,
do a better job of going were “very focused on not the movement. Sojourner Ohio, women’s conven-
forward.” calling it a celebration, Truth, an emancipated tion in 1851 where she
The Connecticut His- but ... a commemoration.” slave, who died in 1883, is was credited with giving
torical Society last month The complicated na- considered one of the first a powerful speech that’s
unveiled an online exhibit ture of the suffrage move- known Black suffragists. been remembered as
titled “The Work Must Be ment came full circle last She traveled through- “Ain’t I a Woman?” Some
Done: Women of Color week when Democratic out the U.S. speaking at historians, however, have
and the Right to Vote.” It presidential nominee Joe women’s rights conven- questioned the wording.
highlights Black women Biden chose California
from Connecticut who U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris
fought for suffrage rights as his running mate, mak-
as well as other issues, ing her the first Black
such as anti-discrimina- woman on a major party
tion, anti-lynching, labor ticket.
reforms and access to ed- In an appearance with
ucation. Biden last week, Harris
“We have really been said she was “mindful of
wanting to make sure all the heroic and ambi-
we talk about the com- tious women before me
plicated history of these whose sacrifice, deter-
issues in our country,” mination and resilience
said Arizona Assistant makes my presence here
Secretary of State Allie today even possible.”
Bones, whose office came While their names are
up with a program after not as well-known as the
working with about 60 white suffragists, Black

Postal leader defends changes, denies ‘sabotaging’ election

DeJoy told lawmakers he has warned
allies of Trump that the president’s
repeated attacks on the legitimacy
of mail-in ballots are ‘not helpful’
BY MAT THEW DALY AND
ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON —
Postmaster General Lou-
is DeJoy told lawmak-
ers Monday that he has
warned allies of Presi-
dent Donald Trump that
the president’s repeated
attacks on the legitima-
cy of mail-in ballots are
“not helpful,” but denied
that recent changes at the
Postal Service are linked
to the November elec-
tions.
DeJoy, who has come
under intense scrutiny
over sweeping policy
changes at the U.S. Post-
al Service, faced new
questions on mounting
problems at the agency
as it prepares to deliver
record numbers of ballots
this fall as a result of the
coronavirus pandemic.
During an exchange
with Rep. Gerald Con-
nolly, D-Va., DeJoy first
denied having contacted
the president’s campaign
team, but later back-
tracked, saying he has
“spoken to people that
are friends of mine that
are associated with the
campaign” over Trump’s
baseless claims that mail
voting will lead to fraud.
“I have put word
around to different peo-
ple that this is not help-
ful,” DeJoy said during a
the prospect of a “rigged
election” Monday as he
DeJoy, a former sup-
ply-chain CEO and a ma-
spoke about mail-in vot- jor donor to Trump and
ing at the Republican the GOP, set in motion
National Convention. a series of operational
Experts say mail voting changes this summer
has proven remarkably that delayed mail across
secure. the country.
six-hour House Oversight
Committee hearing.
DeJoy faced tense
questions from lawmak-
ers over mail delivery
delays seen since he took
the helm in mid-June. It
was his second appear-
ance before Congress in
four days.
“I am not engaged in
sabotaging the election,”
DeJoy said, adding that,
like Trump, he personally
plans to vote by mail.
The hearing quickly
became a debate over
the delivery disruptions
being reported nation-
wide. Democrats said
the changes under De-
Joy’s watch are causing
widespread delays, but
Republicans dismissed
the worries as unfounded
and part of a Democrat-
ic “conspiracy” against
Trump.
The pandemic has
pushed the Postal Ser-
vice into a central role in
the 2020 elections, with
tens of millions of people
expected to vote by mail
rather than in-person. At
the same time, Trump
has acknowledged he is
withholding emergency
aid from the service to
make it harder to process
mail-in ballots, as his
election campaign legal-
ly challenges mail voting
procedures in key states.
Trump again raised
6A TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Health
HEALTH TIP
n Try at least one new healthy recipe per week: Deciding what to have for dinner can be a constant cause of
frustration, which is why many people tend to use the same recipes again and again. Chances are you’ve been cooking the
same recipes on autopilot for years. Whether these are healthy or unhealthy recipes, it’s always healthy to try something
new. Aim to try making a new healthy recipe at least once per week. This can change up your food and nutrient intakes and
hopefully add new and healthy recipes to your routine. Alternatively, try to make a healthier version of a favorite recipe.
Source: www.healthline.com

Health tips from Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen

Protecting your kid’s skin
today — and for decades
to come
In 1953, Coppertone suntan
lotion debuted one of the most
iconic product images ever:
the Coppertone girl, who
sported a surprised look as a
puppy pulled down her swim-
suit bottoms, revealing some
serious tan lines. Decades
later, thankfully, Coppertone’s
slogan transitioned from “don’t
be a paleface” to “advanced sun
protection.” They caught up
with research about sun percent report their kids don’t Steer clear of all other ingre-
that showed a protection. use any sunscreen. The conse- dients. Apply it on cloudy days
tan isn’t good According to a quences are farther reaching too. And give kids a hat and
for your skin — recent national than a painful burn and a poor UV-protective clothing.
or your surviv- poll conducted night’s sleep. Even one sun- ■ Apply sunscreen every
al. by C. S. Mott burn in childhood raises the two hours; more frequently if a
Despite Children’s Hos- risk of cancer later in life. child is swimming or sweating.
widespread pital at Michi- So starting today, protect No sunscreen is waterproof.
conversations gan Medicine, your child from the sun’s harm- Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of
about the risks 11 percent of ful rays: “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike
of sun damage, parents of kids ■ Keep newborns out of Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness
many parents age 5 to 12 say the sun. For other kids, limit Officer and Chair of Wellness
are still un- Drs. Oz and Roizen they don’t have sun exposure while the sun is Institute at Cleveland Clinic.
aware of the a specific mini- strongest — 10am-4pm. To live your healthiest, tune
dangers of mum SPF they ■ Use a micronized zinc into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit
sun exposure and uninformed use on their children, and 3 oxide with an SPF of 30 to 50. www.sharecare.com.

SOCSD
Continued from Page 1A
“They were having
technical issues within
the school,” she added.
“The phone lines weren’t
ringing, their fax wasn’t
working. … The door
to lock the office wasn’t
working. It was just a lot.”
Tishawna wanted her
children to hang out with
friends in person. But
Candice has a history of
epilepsy and Type I dia-
betes, she said, and she
wouldn’t risk exposing
her to the deadly virus.
While she understands
first schooldays can be
chaotic, she said it frus-
trated her that her two
younger kids could not
learn.
“I just reach out to one
of my friends — she’s a
teacher,” she said. “I will
just get her to send me
(materials) so I can still
be on track with Jayden.
… I just don’t want him to
be any further behind.”
Makeetha Crain ex-
perienced similar prob-
lems with her 11-year-
old son, Tylan Paty, and
her 5-year-old nephew,
Kameron Atkinson. Al-
though she wants Kamer-
on to have a normal first
experience with school,
Crain said his epilepsy
makes it too risky for
in-person contact. The
school did not have
Kameron’s information
quite ready Monday, she
said, but she was told it
will be ready Tuesday.
“I know it’s the begin-
ning of a new program
that the school is trying
to start off on,” she said.
“I know it’s going to have
some up-and-downs with
it.”
Tech outages, glitches
Three virtual learning
tools — Canvas, Zoom
and Clever — experi-
enced nationwide outag-
es Monday, said Leanne
Long, SOCSD’s director
of instructional technolo-
gy and distance learning.
In July, SOCSD de-
layed its start date from
Aug. 6 to Monday in order
to prepare for more virtu-
al learning students than
originally expected. The
extra time gave teachers
Makeetha Crain waits outside Sudduth Elementary
School for the virtual learning packet for her nephew,
Kameron Atkinson. Kameron started kindergarten
Monday but had to learn online because of his epilepsy,
Crain said. Due to technology hiccups, Kameron could
not access his online platform Monday morning, she
said, but she was told the problem will be fixed today.
the opportunity to “prac-
tice and develop materi-
als” for virtual learning
and help train each other,
Long said.
She believes the dis-
trict was “prepared local-
ly,” but no one could have
expected the nationwide
glitches, she said.
“Some of the outages
gave us a lot of errors that
we had to go back and
fix,” Long said. “That has
caused some delay with
students seeing courses,
especially in Canvas.”
She said the glitches
should be repaired over-
night and the second
day of school should run
more smoothly. The dis-
trict receives its internet
service from Mississippi
State University.
Monday was not an
accurate gauge of the
district’s capacity for in-
ternet service, and Long
said there is “room to
grow” but expects the
process, which allows her screens, rolling chairs Turman said she un-
the autonomy to finish and big windows, she derstands some of her
her school work faster. said, which allowed am- students’ concerns as
“When she is done ple sunlight in. they stepped into a brand
with her work for that Rogers said she opted new environment amid
class, she doesn’t have to for the in-person learn- the pandemic, but that
wait for ending bells so ing model because that’s encouraged her to “think
she can start on her other the best way she learns. outside the box” as she
courses right away,” said But all the precautionary held outdoor picnics for
Jane’s mother, Lesley measures at school amid her students while prac-
Strawderman. the pandemic made her a ticing social distancing.
little anxious. Despite the fear of fall-
In-person learning “I feel like it would be ing sick, Turman said she
Most students at Sud- really scary to know that
is taking all the precau-
duth Elementary were someone had COVID-19
tions she can to teach the
glad to be back in school, in school,” she said. “I
children in person.
said Principal Morgan think if we keep our
masks on and stay safe, “I don’t think it hit me
Abraham.
we can prevent that from till this morning. I was
“One student this
happening.” getting ready and I real-
morning, I heard he ex-
claimed, ‘This is the best Stella Turman, third- ized, ‘This is kind of risky,
day ever,’” she said. “We grade teacher at Hender- what we are doing here,’”
did not have a single stu- son Ward Stewart Ele- she said. “But I think
dent that was crying as mentary School, said she it’s just been so long. …
they came in.” opted to be an in-person We are all, at a teacher’s
Amelia Rogers, a sev- teacher this semester to heart, longing to be back
enth-grader at the Part- leave virtual teaching with their kids and back
nership School, was also for her colleagues with in the classroom teach-
thrilled to return. Her underlying health condi- ing. I think that’s what we
classroom featured TV tions. were made to do.”
Yue Stella Yu/Dispatch Staff
district to be able to han-
dle the expected amount
of internet usage.
“We’re just going to
monitor the network over
the next week and see
what the usage is,” Long
said.
For some others, the
hiccup did not affect their
experience Monday.
As a virtual fourth-
grade teacher at Hen-
derson Ward Stewart
Elementary School, Rose-
mary Napier sat in an
empty classroom all day
Monday and taught 13 fa-
miliar faces remotely.
Napier said her
tech-savviness makes vir-
tual teaching easy to nav-
igate. She used Canvas
while she was in graduate
school, she said, so she is
already familiar with the
system.
Jane Strawderman, a
10th-grader at Starkville
High School, said she en-
joys the virtual learning

Fierce storm surge feared as

Laura bears down on Gulf Coast
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS — Tropical Storm
Laura entered the warm and deep wa-
ters of the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday,
gathering strength on a path to hit the
U.S. coastline early Thursday as a major
hurricane that could unleash a surge of
seawater higher than a basketball hoop
and swamp entire towns.
The National Hurricane Center pro-
jected Tuesday morning that Laura will
become a Category 3 hurricane before
landfall, with winds of around 115 mph,
capable of devastating damage.
“This storm is going to be intensify-
ing all the way up until landfall ... We
want you to prepare as if it’s going to be a
Category 3,” said Donald Jones, a meteo-
rologist at the National Weather Service
office in Lake Charles, Louisiana — in
the bullseye of Laura’s projected path.
University of Miami hurricane re-
searcher Brian McNoldy also said that
he would “give it a pretty decent chance
of a Category 3 or 4, not necessarily at
landfall, at least during its lifetime in the
Gulf.”
Still a tropical storm for now, Laura
passed Cuba after killing at least 11 peo-
ple in the Dominican Republic and Haiti,
where it knocked out power and caused
flooding in the two nations that share the
island of Hispaniola. The deaths report-
edly included a 10-year-old girl whose
home was hit by a tree and a mother and
young son who were crushed by a col-
lapsing wall.
Sports
NEW HOPE VOLLEYBALL DOMINANT IN SWEEP OF CALEDONIA
New Hope senior Daylyn Nettles spikes the ball against Caledonia on Monday at Caledonia High School. Nettles tied for the team lead in kills
with nine.
BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
CALEDONIA — An-
nie Woolbright and her
New Hope teammates
were able to laugh it off
when the freshman setter
briefly caught the volley-
ball late in the third set of
Monday’s season-open-
ing match at rival Caledo-
nia.
Woolbright returned
to the huddle smiling
and mimicking the ille-
gal motion she had just
made, which prompted a
referee to blow the whis-
tle and award Caledonia
the point. The Trojans
laughed together, emu-
lating Woolbright’s move-
Brownlee hoping for standout season with Southern Miss
BY GARRICK HODGE
ghodge@cdispatch.com
Jason Brownlee has al-
ready played at Southern
Mississippi’s M.M. Rob-
erts Stadium.
In high school, Brown-
lee lived out a life dream
as he led the West Point
Green Wave to a state
championship on the
Golden Eagles’ home
field. Just by playing in
that atmosphere, the
wide receiver remembers
Southern Miss standing
out to him in his collegiate
recruitment.
“It felt good because
the lights were on and all
the fans were there, you
could just feel the atmo-
sphere,” Brownlee said
in a media availability last
week. “You just knew this
was a place you wanted to
be at … “It’s been great
since I’ve been here. It’s
HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
ments, before lining up
at their positions once
again.
Of course, that might
have had something to do
with the score.
“If we’d been losing,
her reaction probably
would have been a little
different,” New Hope
coach Allison Woolbright
said.
Instead, it was all
smiles — and no hard
feelings — for a play as
harmless as the young-
er Woolbright’s as New
Hope won the next two
points to claim a 3-0
sweep of its rival. Set
scores were 25-11, 25-14
and 25-13 in favor of the
Trojans, who have grown
like a family here and I
love it.”
As a prospect, hype
surrounding Brownlee
has always been there,
even going back to his
sophomore season at East
Mississippi Community
College. A three-star re-
cruit, 247 Sports ranked
Brownlee as the 26th-
best receiving prospect
in the nation for the class
of 2020. Brownlee has
often been lauded for his
speed, with his previous
head coach estimating
the wideout would have
played at the Power Five
level.
“With Brownlee, he un-
derstands the game more
this year and yes, he’s an
SEC guy without a doubt,”
EMCC coach Buddy Ste-
phens said before the
start of the 2019 season.
“It’s just going to depend West Point native Jason Brownlee hopes to have a standout first season with the
See BROWNLEE, 2B Southern Miss Golden Eagles this fall.
so close — and so good —
that the occasional mis-
play hardly matters.
“We’re kind of able to
just shake things off and
make that a funny thing,”
Annie Woolbright said.
“We’ll probably talk about
that and joke about it at
practice tomorrow.”
New Hope will cer-
tainly have plenty to talk
about ahead of tonight’s
district match at Colum-
bus, including the ease
which they dispatched a
Caledonia team that beat
them twice last season.
“They have always
been a rival, and they
have always been the
better team,” coach Wool-
bright said. “Tonight, we
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2020
just happened to be the
better team.”
It wasn’t particular-
ly close Monday, either.
After Caledonia won the
first two points of the
match, New Hope ripped
off an astounding streak
of 20 consecutive points
as sophomore Madyson
McBrayer held serve for
the Trojans.
“That was pretty
awesome for Madyson,”
coach Woolbright said.
“Madyson has just great-
ly improved, and we’re
really excited to see our
younger girls really im-
proving and moving into
larger roles.”
Woolbright’s team
didn’t have a single senior
Photo courtesy of Southern Miss athletics
Antranik Tavitian/Dispatch Staff
in last year’s historic run
to the MHSAA Class 5A
final four, and the Trojans
used their returning ex-
perience to their advan-
tage Monday night.
The team’s two se-
niors this year, Micaela
Hudgins and Daylyn Net-
tles, made their presence
known with nine kills
apiece.
Annie Woolbright
and her sister Kensley,
a sophomore libero, pro-
vided plenty of support
as black and gold jerseys
moved seamlessly in con-
cert across the court. An-
nie led the team with 23
assists; Kensley did the
same with 21 digs.
See NEW HOPE, 2B
SPORTS LINE
662-241-5000
BEN’S BURNING
B
SECTION
QUESTIONS
What to make of
the cornerback
room; how Will
Rogers factors in
BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com
STARKVILLE — Mis-
sissippi State football has,
for better or
worse, ar-
rived.
The Bull-
dogs are
entering
their sec-
ond week of
camp under Portnoy
first year
head coach
Mike Leach and things
have begun to fall in place.
With that, let’s get to some
questions:
With Tyler Williams opting
out of the 2020 season,
where does MSU stand at
cornerback?
This one hurts, big
time. Williams was far
and away the most expe-
rienced piece in MSU’s
cornerback room en-
tering the 2020 season.
Behind him? Sophomore
Martin Emerson, who
played all 13 games last
season, career special
teamer Korey Charles
and a slew of unproven,
albeit talented, under-
classmen.
Emerson has long
been billed as a starter
for this upcoming season
in the wake of Cameron
Dantzler’s early entry
into the NFL draft fol-
lowing last season, but
that process has been
expedited with Wil-
liams’ decision. Named
an honorable mention
All-American last year
by Pro Football Focus,
the Pensacola, Florida,
native recorded 32 tack-
les, forced one fumble
and corralled one inter-
ception in his first col-
lege season.
“There’s a reason he
played a whole bunch
last year, right?” MSU
defensive coordinator
Zach Arnett said Thurs-
day night. “He’s talented.
He was good enough to
play. It’s only a benefit
that he played as much
as he did as a freshman
because he’s got SEC
games under his belt. He
knows what it’s like.”
Behind Emerson,
things get murky.
Charles was rated a four-
star recruit by ESPN
coming out of high
school but has yet to play
a meaningful snap in four
seasons in Starkville.
Emmanuel Forbes is
a likely candidate to be
thrust into the rotation
as a true freshman, as
he’s earned rave reviews
thus far. Rated the No.
187 player in the 2020
class according to 247
Sports’ composite rank-
ings, Forbes was MSU’s
second highest-rated in-
coming recruit, though
his size — 6 -foot, 160
pounds — leaves room to
be desired if he’s called
upon.
Other names to watch
include third-year soph-
omore Esaias Furdge
and four-star freshman
Decamerion Richardson.
One-time UMass trans-
fer Malik Sanders could
also factor into the rota-
tion.
MSU doesn’t have a
more unproven position
than its cornerbacks
entering 2020, and it’s
expected Arnett and co.
will have to lean heavily
on their front seven to
keep opposing offenses
at bay.
See PORTNOY, 2B
2B TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Column: Indy 500 protects tradition over a better finish

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
INDIANAPOLIS —
IndyCar is not NASCAR
and the Indianapolis
500 is not 500-plus some
extra miles. Accepting
those truths helps un-
derstand the unsatisfy-
ing finish to “The Great-
est Spectacle in Racing.”
The 104th running of
the showcase race was
an odd and lonely event
even before Takuma
Sato took the checkered
flag under caution for his
second Indy 500 win in
four years. The pandem-
ic meant the largest ven-
ue in the world sat emp-
ty, attendance reduced
to a socially distanced
group of 2,500 at a place
that can welcome more
than 300,000.
Who knows how those
sun-soaked spectators
would have reacted to
the late yellow flag that
sealed Sato’s win and
slammed the brakes on
Scott Dixon’s attempt to
catch the Japanese star
in the closing laps? The
caution for a Spencer
Pigot crash was called
with four laps remain-
ing, just 10 miles from
the scheduled finish —
too short a distance to
set up a shootout.
But that’s not a prob-
lem for NASCAR, as
noted by fans angered
and confused by the ho-
hum ending. The stock
car series uses overtime
— multiple attempts, in
fact – in an effort to end
races under the green
flag. The two lap green-
white-checkered rule
has evolved since NA-
SCAR began regularly
using it in 2004 but it is
an accepted norm for
that series.
IndyCar, however, has
resisted gimmicks and
remained true to racing
purity. That is particular-
ly important for the Indy
500, an event celebrat-
ed for its rich traditions
with no real clamoring
for artificial enhance-
ments. There were plen-
ty who were content with
the anti-climactic finish.
“This isn’t the first
500 that’s been flagged
under yellow,” noted
winning car owner Bob-
by Rahal.
Sato is at least the
11th winner to take the
checkered flag under
yellow at Indianapolis,
but first since Tony Ka-
naan in 2013. There were
some who grumbled af-
ter Kanaan’s win at be-
ing denied a proper fin-
ish and IndyCar changed
it up the very next year.
The series red-flagged
the race with seven laps
remaining in 2014 to
clean an accident scene
in what was thought to
be an unprecedented
call for the Indy 500.
A red flag brings the
race to a complete halt,
instead of cars ticking
off the remaining laps
behind the pace car. By
throwing the red in 2014
and taking roughly 10
minutes to clean the de-
bris, Ryan Hunter-Reay
beat Helio Castroneves
by 0.06 of a second in
one of the closest finish-
es in Indy history.
Hunter-Reay only
needed the scheduled
500 miles to collect the
checkered flag. The sce-
nario on Sunday wasn’t
even remotely similar.
Pigot’s crash de-
stroyed the attenuator
at the front of pit lane,
a repair that would take
at least an hour to com-
plete. Pigot needed med-
ical attention and was
laying prone on the track
before he was treated
and released from an
Indianapolis hospital. In-
dyCar broadcast partner
NBC Sports was sched-
uled to shift from the
race into an NHL playoff
game.
Even if IndyCar could
have somehow juggled
all the factors, there
weren’t enough laps re-
maining for a proper fi-
nal restart.
“IndyCar makes ev-
ery effort to end races
under green, but in this
case following the as-
sessment of the incident,
there were too few laps
remaining to gather the
field behind the pace car,
issue a red flag and then
restart for a green-flag
finish,” the series said in
a statement.
There should never
have been an expecta-
tion for procedures to
be changed on this one
afternoon, and when In-
dyCar did it in 2014 it was
under a different series
director.
Forget about overtime.
Just because it works for
NASCAR does not mean
it would be accepted in
this series, and definite-
ly not for the Indy 500.
New track owner Roger
Penske holds the 500 in
the highest regard and
is determined to make
the speedway as pristine
and polished as Augusta
National and the event as
revered as The Masters.
Using a ruse to guar-
antee a better show
would tarnish the lure of
the 500 and Penske’s ulti-
mate vision.
It’s understandable to
feel disappointed the race
didn’t end with a thrilling
finish. It is just as import-
ant to understand the
Indy 500 will never be a
NASCAR event.

AP Top 25: Clemson No. 1, followed by Ohio State, Alabama

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Clemson is the presea-
son No. 1 in The Associated
Press Top 25, a poll featur-
ing nine Big Ten and Pac-12
teams that gives a glimpse
at what has already been
taken by the pandemic
from an uncertain college
football season.
Ohio State (1,504
points) was a close No. 2 be-
hind Trevor Lawrence and
Clemson (1,520), which
starts atop the rankings for
the second straight season.
The Tigers beat the Buck-
eyes in a thrilling College
Football Playoff semifinal
last season.
Alabama is No. 3, South-
eastern Conference rival
Georgia is No. 4 and de-
fending Big 12 champion
Oklahoma is No. 5. Defend-
ing national champion LSU
is No. 6.
The 85th edition of the
AP rankings will be like
none before.
When the season starts
— if the season starts —
the Buckeyes and 53 other
Bowl Subdivision teams
will no longer be eligible for
inclusion in the Top 25 be-
cause they have postponed
their seasons to the spring.
The Big Ten, where
Ohio State and No. 7 Penn
State play, and the Pac-12,
home to No. 9 Oregon, can-
celed their fall sports sea-
sosn because of concerns
about the coronavirus. The
Mid-American and Moun-
tain West conferences have
also said they will try to
play spring football.
The SEC, Atlantic Coast
Conference, Big 12, Amer-
ican Athletic, Conference
USA and Sun Belt are forg-
ing ahead with fall sports,
with changes: The three
remaining Power Five con-
ferences, the SEC, ACC,
and Big 12, have eliminated
all or most nonconference
games and delayed the
start of their seasons from
one to three weeks.
Erased from the college
football schedule this year
were a host of tantalizing
nonconference matchups:
Ohio State at No. 9 Oregon;
No. 10 Notre Dame vs. No.
12 Wisconsin at Lambeau
field in Green Bay; No. 14
Texas at LSU; No. 17 South-
ern California vs Alabama
in Arlington, Texas; No. 11
Auburn vs. No. 18 North
Carolina in Atlanta.
For now, big confer-
ence games such as Ohio
State-Michigan and Wash-
ington-Washington State
could still be made up in
the spring.
All Division I teams
were eligible for the presea-
son AP Top 25, but after the
season starts, only teams
scheduled to play in the fall
are eligible. That leaves 76
FBS teams from which to
choose.
If a spring season is
played, the AP will consid-
er doing rankings for those
teams, too.
BACK-TO-BACK
Clemson had never
been preseason No. 1 until
last season, and now starts
there again. It’s the eighth
time since the preseason
poll started in 1950 that a
team has been preseason
No. 1 two straight seasons.
Alabama had been presea-
son No. 1 from 2016-18, a
three-year run.
The Tigers finished last
season No. 2 after losing
the championship game to
LSU, snapping a remark-
able run of nine seasons
in which Clemson has fin-
ished with the same or bet-
ter ranking than it started.
That included the last five
seasons in which Clemson
outperformed its preseason
ranking, twice finishing
No. 1 after starting No. 2.
The ACC’s Tigers, who
also welcome back star
running back Travis Eti-
enne, standout offensive
tackle Jackson Carman
and sturdy defensive
tackle Tyler Davis, will
try to become the 12th
preseason No. 1 to finish
No. 1. Only two teams
have gone wire-to-wire
as No. 1: Florida State in
1999 and USC in 2004.
DEFENDING CHAMPS
LSU is the first de-
fending national champi-
on to start the following
season outisde the top
five since Auburn in 2011
(post-Cam Newton, the
Tigers were ranked No.
23 in the preseason poll).
LSU lost a Heisman Tro-
phy-winning quarter-
back and No. 1 overall
NFL draft pick, too, in
Joe Burrow.

New Hope
Continued from Page 1B
“Our connection has
gotten so strong over
these past two seasons,
and we’re just continuing
to work on that,” Annie
said. “I feel like tonight,
our chemistry together
was just so good. It was
really electric and fun.”
That same chemistry
was lacking on the Cale-
donia side of the floor —
and perhaps understand-
ably so, according to
coach Samantha Brooks.
The team lost seven se-
niors, including all six
starters, leaving players
without experience at
the highest level of high
school competition.
“Really, all of our main
positions graduated,”
Brooks said.
Caledonia often
looked out of sorts Mon-
day, uncharacteristic for
a team that also made its
first ever final four last
season, falling to Van-
cleave in the MHSA A
Class 4A semifinals.
Its main shortcoming
against the Trojans was
receiving serves, which
the team also struggled
with during weekend
scrimmages against Tu-
pelo and Starkville high
schools.
McBrayer’s 20-point
service streak in the first
set was proof enough that
Caledonia could use im-
provement in that area.
“Until we get that
fixed, it’s going to be dif-
ficult to be a dominant
team and be able to run
an offense,” Brooks said.
New Hope had none
of the same problems
Monday, as the Trojans
certainly appeared more
dominant than perhaps
they ever have.
“It is honestly amaz-
ing,” Annie Woolbright
said. “This is history.
We’re not going to go
around and gloat about
this, but it’s just really
amazing to be able to
come out here and do a
sweep and win against
Caledonia, one of the big-
gest rivalries New Hope’s
ever had.”
Coach Woolbright said
her team has been “fired
up” since their season
was postponed two weeks
by the MHSA A, ready to
finally hit the court Mon-
day after a lot of worry-
ing about whether or not
they’d be able to at all.
And even though this
season is clearly dif-
ferent than the last one
— masks were worn on
the benches and in the
stands; tame waves re-
placed postgame hand-
shakes — the Trojans
were ecstatic to return to
the floor.
“I’ve missed it so
much,” Annie Woolbright
said. “It just feels so good
to get back out here, and
I’m so thankful that ev-
eryone’s letting us keep
on playing the sport we
all love.”
Other scores
Prep Softball
Carroll Academy 21,
Oak Hill Academy 4
Prep Girls Soccer
Heritage Academy 6,
Magnolia Heights 0
Caroline Peal had a hat
trick to help the Heritage
Academy girls soccer
team shut out Magnolia
Heights on Monday in Co-
lumbus.
Sarah Curtis scored
twice and Chloe Boyd
added a goal for the Patri-
ots (3-3), who improved
their district record to 1-2
on the season.
Haven Tuggle had a
shutout in goal with defen-
sive help from Kelly Bell,
Destinee Flowers, Hanna
Hardy, Reagan Merchant
and Abby Black.
The Patriots will play
at Kirk Academy at 5 p.m.
today.

Brownlee
Continued from Page 1B

on if he has a good year,
where he’ll land and how
many SEC offers he’s go-
ing to have.”
Brownlee didn’t trans-
fer to an SEC school, but
still could have a big im-
pact on Southern Miss
with two years of eligibili-
ty remaining.
In 2019, Brownlee was
one of 12 West Point play-
ers on EMCC’s roster and
delivered a breakthrough
season. The 6-foot-3 re-
ceiver led the Lions in
all receiving categories
with 75 catches for 1,055
yards while catching 12
touchdowns as a sopho-
more.
After spending two
years at a JUCO, Brown-
lee said he knows he
needs to take his game
to the next level.
“It’s a big difference,”
Brownlee said of going
from EMCC to USM.
“Everything is just dif-
ferent. You have to work
harder and bring your
A-game. It’s a different
level because here, ev-
eryone wants your spot.
You’re fighting for a spot
every day. You don’t
know if you’re going to
be a starter or not so you
have to go hard every
day. There’s a lot of com-
petition here.”
USM head coach Jay
Hopson called Brown-
lee a fall camp standout
earlier this month, and
plans to utilize the for-
mer Green Wave stand-
out as an outside receiv-
er.
“They have me play-
ing H and W, that’s the
two outside receiver po-
sitions,” Brownlee said.
“They have me playing
both sides so I can know
both of them. I think it’s
good that I can play ei-
ther one of them.
“As far as the offense
goes, I like what they
have planned. They’re
going to throw it, but
we’re going to pound
the ball some this year
too. We’re going to run
through defenses.”
Brownlee said he’s
started developing a re-
lationship with starting
quarterback Jack Abra-
ham, who threw for near-
ly 3,500 yards a season
ago.
“After practice, we
constantly get reps in
and get that chemistry
down pact,” Brownlee
said.
Southern Miss is
scheduled to open its
season against South Al-
abama on Sept. 3 in Hat-
tiesburg.

Portnoy
Continued from Page 1B

Will Rogers has received a ton of
praise in the early going. How does
that affect Garrett Shrader and the
two quarterback recruits coming in
next year?
No player has received more positive
feedback in the media than freshman
quarterback Will Rogers. A three-star
recruit out of Brandon High School,
Rogers arrived on campus as a mid-year
enrollee and worked out with the Bull-
dogs during their preparations for the
Music City Bowl last year.
And while it’s long been expected
Stanford graduate transfer K.J. Costel-
lo will be handed the reins to the MSU
offense this fall, the battle between Rog-
ers and incumbent sophomore Garrett
Shrader is intriguing.
Shrader enters the year after split-
ting time with former Penn State import
Tommy Stevens a season ago. Appear-
ing in 10 games and starting four, he
concluded his freshman campaign com-
pleting 88 of 153 passes for 1,170 yards
and eight touchdowns.
And though Shrader adds a major el-
ement to the offense with his ability to
run, Rogers’ poise as a passer could lead
to a shakeup in the MSU quarterback
room. Having been recruited by Leach’s
staff while still at Washington State,
Rogers possesses a familiarity with the
coaches others at MSU don’t have. He’s
also more of a true passer than Shrader,
something that should give him a leg up
in the new air raid offense.
“I’ve been really impressed with (his
mindset),” Leach said of Rogers on Sat-
urday. “A freshman comes in, one thing
is the reps and the plays but one of the
biggest hurdles that those guys some-
times have is the confidence to feel like
they belong there... He hasn’t done that.
He goes out there and competes like he
should be there.”
Where things could get interesting
with Rogers’ progression is next season.
Obviously there are ample unknowns
between now and then, but MSU is slat-
ed to bring in four-star passer Sawyer
Robertson — the highest-rated Bulldog
quarterback commit in 15 years — and
three-star recruit Daniel Greek. Robert-
son is expected to be the future of the
program, but if Rogers shines as a fresh-
man and Shrader sticks in a new system,
the Bulldogs are in for some quarter-
back battle come next fall.
Ben’s best:
This week I drew some ire from
a slew of Starkvillians regarding my
choice of Starbucks over local en-
tity Strange Brew Coffeehouse. I’ll
concede I haven’t been aboard the
Strange Brew train for some time, as
I’m a fairly simplistic coffee drinker.
However, I felt as though this col-
umn was the perfect place to voice
my favorite coffee-based concoctions
around Starkville. (And clearly I need
to expand my coffee-drinking endeav-
ors).
1. Dark roast, splash of milk —
Nine-Twentynine Coffee Bar (An old-
ie but a goodie. Told y’all I like plain
coffee. The milk is simply to cool it
down a touch.)
2. Hot Caramel Macchiato — Star-
bucks
3. Brown Eyed Squirrel — Strange
Brew
4. White Chocolate Mocha — Star-
bucks
5. Press box coffee — Davis Wade
Stadium (OK, this is kind of a joke,
but I just really want to cover football
this fall.)

Bubble fatigue cited as mental challenge during NHL playoffs
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The hotels might be
posh, their amenities and
service first rate, and yet
life inside the NHL’s two
playoff bubbles isn’t ex-
actly glamorous.
Having spent nearly
a month cooped up at
the tunnel-connected
hotel-arena complex in
Edmonton, Alberta, Rick
Bowness acknowledged
there’s times he’s had
to coax himself to step
outside to bask in the
sun and breathe in some
fresh, nonfiltered air.
“If people think liv-
ing in a bubble is great,
it’s tough. It’s mentally
tough. And everyone’s
making the best of it,” the
Stars interim coach said
after Dallas advanced to
Comics & Puzzles
DILBERT
ZITS
GARFIELD
CANDORVILLE
BABY BLUES
BEETLE BAILEY
MALLARD FILLMORE
the second round with
Game 6 victory over Cal-
gary last week.
“It’s not your typical
playoffs. It’s not, where,
OK, you play, you jump in
your car and you go home
or whatever. It’s none of
that. It’s play, go back
to your room,” Bowness
said, beginning to laugh.
“This isn’t as easy as you
think it is.”
Bowness emphasized
he wasn’t complaining,
but simply noting the
challenges that come with
the NHL’s most unusual
playoffs, which haven’t
yet reached the halfway
mark in a bid to award the
Stanley Cup by early Oc-
tober — or sooner.
“Listen,” he said. “Un-
til you live in this, you
have no idea what we’re
FAMILY CIRCUS
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
doing, what we’re going
through.”
The potential for NHL
bubble fatigue is real.
The close confines,
daily COVID-19 testing,
lack of freedom to venture
beyond the security fenc-
es surrounding hotels and
arenas in Edmonton and
Toronto, and the separa-
tion from loved ones can
weigh heavily on every-
one. Teams have access to
outdoor stadiums in both
cities, and the NHL has
arranged golf outings on
off days, in which players
are bused to and from the
facilities with no access to
those outside the bubble.
“It’s hard when you’re
in that type of environ-
ment because it’s almost
like you’re in prison,”
Blackhawks general man-
ager Stan Bowman said
after Chicago was elimi-
nated by Colorado in five
games in the first round.
“When the pandemic
hit, you could still leave
your house, you could
walk outside and get some
fresh air,” Bowman add-
ed. “But here, I think it’s
the mental toll that you’re
kind of trapped. You can’t
go anywhere. And over
time, it does start to get
to you.”
Arizona Coyotes coach
Rick Tocchet noted the
bubble-related challenges
during his team’s three-
week stay, which ended
with back-to-back 7-1 loss-
es to Colorado.
“It’s basically monot-
onous every day. We had
2 1/2 blocks with nothing
to really do other than
Dear Abby
D
EAR ABBY:
My father,
who is in his
60s, has always
been a story-
teller, but since
retirement his
tales have gotten
longer, and so has
his nose.
I suspect he’s
concerned about
his waning influ-
ence in the world
and that’s why he
puffs himself up.
He tells people
he has academic
Dear Abby
degrees he hasn’t
earned, takes credit for coining
phrases that predated him and
claims the hero role in events
he couldn’t possibly have par-
ticipated in.
Most of the time I let it
go. But sometimes he starts
spouting “facts” that are not
only untrue but also potentially
harmful, or he takes credit
for work done by others who
deserve the recognition.
Is there a way to call him
on it that lets him save face?
Speaking to him privately does
nothing. When prodded in a
more truthful direction, he
becomes immediately hostile.
Suggesting other ways for
him to contribute to the world
(volunteering, etc.) have been
non-starters. Before you ask,
he has been to the doctor and
this behavior isn’t the result
of a medical issue. — EM-
Horoscopes
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Aug.
25). There has been and will
continue to be much that was
out of your control, and yet your
deft handling of circumstances
will put you in power. You will
lead a group and do so in the
spirit of hope and justice. Make
a play for unlikely prizes in the
new year because you’ll be
exceptionally lucky. February
brings a financial boon. Libra
and Cancer adore you. Your
lucky numbers are: 7, 40, 39, 3
and 22.
ARIES (March 21-April 19).
Just when you think you know
what you care about, you discov-
er feelings you didn’t even know
were there for people, places
hockey. This is where
mental will comes in,”
Tocchet said. “The teams
that go far, obviously you
got to have the talent. But
you also have to have the
strong mental fortitude to
get through that for sure.”
NHL Deputy Commis-
sioner Bill Daly wrote in
an email to The Associat-
ed Press that the league
is “actively trying to min-
imize the length” of the
playoffs “in part due to the
dynamics and constraints
of ‘bubble life.’”
That was evident Fri-
day, when the NHL sched-
uled the second round of
the playoffs to open be-
fore the first round was
complete. And with the
conference and Cup finals
set for Edmonton, the two
East finalists will likely
BARRASSED IN
TEXAS
DEAR EM-
BARRASSED:
It should be
apparent to you
by now that you
can’t change
your father. His
bids for respect
and attention are
sad, because the
individuals being
lied to usually
learn the truth
eventually.
Because we
can’t change the
behavior of oth-
ers, it’s important to remember
that we can change the way we
react to them. Because correct-
ing your father in public hasn’t
worked, if you catch him telling
someone something you know
is untrue — and which could
be harmful healthwise or finan-
cially — contact the person
privately and advise him or her
to verify it with a doctor, lawyer
or trusted financial adviser.
DEAR ABBY: I am divorced.
Three years ago, I met a wom-
an and had a brief relationship
with her. She was estranged
from her husband at the time.
I fell deeply in love with her,
but she decided to go back to
him. It has been several years,
and we have been “talking”
again. She’s now divorced, and
she told me she has feelings
for me. She’s dating someone
else, but she texts and calls
or things. In short, you’ll be
amazed at your own passion.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20).
How do you care for a person
who doesn’t need your care?
That’s easy: You do what’s fun.
As you follow your own curiosity
and joy, it sparks the same in
others.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21).
Many will be attracted to your
kindness, including orphans,
strays, wounded souls and
kindred spirits. You’ll be open
to all types and learn a little
something from each person
you interact with.
CANCER (June 22-July 22).
You are inspired by encourage-
ment and support. You’re also
TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2020 3B
have only two days to ac-
climate to their new sur-
roundings upon traveling
from Toronto.
“We will continue to
pursue all ‘move up’ op-
portunities aggressively
as we go forward,” Daly
wrote.
He added the NHL is
still checking with health
authorities on whether
family members will be
allowed to enter the bub-
ble before or during the
conference finals.
In noting the bubble
challenges, Boston Bru-
ins forward Brad March-
and said players can also
use them as motivation.
“We’re all sacrificing
to be here, so I think the
drive is there to want
to make it all worth it,”
Marchand said.
me at least once a day.
I have sent her flowers and
gifts for which she has thanked
me, but despite all that she
won’t “date” me. I’m beside my-
self because I’m still very much
in love with this woman. I know
she loves me too, because
she has said so. What do I do?
I feel like pulling my hair out.
Can you offer any advice? —
WON’T DATE ME
DEAR WON’T: You feel like
pulling your hair out because
you have been getting mixed
messages from your love
object. Women who love men
rarely refuse to date them.
Women who are honest and
ethical do not date one man
and text and call ex-boyfriends
at the same time. My advice is
to do a 180, “detoxify” and find
a lady who is emotionally and
physically available.
Dear Abby is written by
Abigail Van Buren, also known
as Jeanne Phillips, and was
founded by her mother, Pauline
Phillips. Contact Dear Abby
at www.DearAbby.com or P.O.
Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA
90069.
Good advice for everyone —
teens to seniors -- is in “The An-
ger in All of Us and How to Deal
With It.” To order, send your
name and mailing address,
plus check or money order for
$8 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby,
Anger Booklet, P.O. Box 447,
Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.
(Shipping and handling are
included in the price.)
inspired by criticism and com-
petition. Neither way is better
than the other. Take motivation
wherever you can get it, no
judgment.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22).
Some of your resources are not
readily apparent. They are like
underwater springs. Like the an-
cients who used a sacred stick
to find water underground, apply
your intuition to divine your way
to the good stuff.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).
The flow of energy through a lo-
cation matters even more than
the location itself today. Bad
organization leads to unneces-
sary stress. Arrange things so
you can easily move through.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).
Love isn’t always wise, but it
is unwise indeed to shun love.
Open yourself to love from wher-
ever it may come, and accept as
much of it as you are given.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov.
21). Don’t hold out for magic.
Make it happen. Align yourself
with powerful forces to bring
about a certain result, or learn
the smoke-and-mirrors tricks
that create an effect. Magic is
within your ability.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec.
21). The last word goes to the
one who is the most stubborn,
not the most correct. Either
way, it is a childish prize to fight
for unless you are a parent
teaching respect and manners
to a child.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.
19). In dedicating yourself to
being more effective, you will
have the bonus of being more
powerful. With power comes re-
sponsibility. You’ll be deciding,
realistically, if you really want it.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.
18). The new person entering
your life is neither entirely famil-
iar nor entirely strange. There
is some old Karma to work out
here. No need to ask too may
questions, though... feel your
way through it.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March
20). Much will be sorted out in
15 silent, thoughtful minutes.
Those breaks during which you
retreat to the sanctuary of your
own mind will recharge you and
open you to wonderful ideas.
Train of thought
SOLUTION:
4B TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Entire fourth grade class in Mississippi sent to quarantine

‘We don’t have enough staff to cover
our entire fourth grade class in-
person, so we had to send everybody
home, to do virtual lessons’
Lafayette County School District
Superintendent Adam Pugh
BY LEAH WILLINGHAM
Associated Press/ Report for
America
OXFORD — An entire
fourth grade class in Mis-
sissippi is in quarantine
after a student and more
grade students at Lafay-
ette Upper Elementary
School to quarantine for
two weeks over the week-
end. One student and six
out of 10 or 11 total fourth
grade teachers have test-
sissippi return to school,
the state is reporting the
most new cases per capi-
ta in the past 14 days, ac-
cording to Johns Hopkins
University data analyzed
by The Associated Press.
The seven-day rolling av-
erage of the positivity rate
in Mississippi has risen
over the past two weeks
from 20.71 percent on
Aug. 9 to 40.83 percent on
Aug. 23.
The rising positivity
rate is forcing some dis-
tricts to adjust their plans
Lafayette County
School District teach-
ers returned to campus
on Aug. 3, and students
returned to school on
Aug. 5. They have re-
ported nine total cases
among staff members
district-wide and only one
case in a student — the
one at Lafayette Upper El-
ementary School.
Pugh said the school
is in the midst of contact
tracing investigations to
figure out whether those
who have tested positive
safe as we can,” he said.
“By teaching them vir-
which releases numbers
by county. The state does
tually for two weeks, we not make the number of
are trying to separate positive cases in individu-
our teachers and our stu- al school districts public.
dents.” The Mississippi State
Pugh said the district Department of Health
has posted new cases reported last week that
as they are reported on about 2,000 students and
Facebook in an effort to 600 teachers are in quar-
be transparent. School antine; the state has had
districts in Mississippi 245 cases of coronavirus
are required to report in teachers and about 200
new cases of coronavirus in students since districts
to the Mississippi State began returning to school
Department of Health, in late July.

than half of a school’s
fourth grade teachers
tested positive for corona-
virus.
Lafayette County
School District Superin-
tendent Adam Pugh told
The Associated Press
on Monday that the dis-
trict notified the families
of more than 200 fourth
ed positive for the virus,
and most of the rest of
the fourth grade teachers
were exposed, he said.
“We don’t have enough
staff to cover our entire
fourth grade class in-per-
son, so we had to send
everybody home, to do
virtual lessons,” he said.
As students in Mis-
for the school year. After
15 students tested posi-
tive for coronavirus and
324 were sent home to
quarantine, Biloxi High
School is switching to re-
mote learning until Sept.
8, Principal Teresa Mar-
tin told parents in a letter
Monday, the Sun Herald
reported.
for the virus were ex-
posed at school or outside
of school.
“I don’t know why it’s
just our fourth grade
teachers, I can’t answer
that question at this point,
but we are doing every-
thing we can to mitigate
the spread and keep our
students and faculty as
Stephen Cochran
William Stephen Cochran, 67, of Columbus,
died Friday, August 21, 2020, after a long battle
with Parkinson’s at Sanctuary Hospice House in
Tupelo, MS.
Visitation will be from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Tuesday, August 25, 2020, at Memorial Gunter
Peel Funeral Home & Crematory, College Street
location. A graveside service with Father Jeffrey
Waldrep, Celebrant, will immediately follow at
Friendship Cemetery. Funeral arrangements
have been entrusted to Memorial Gunter Peel
Funeral Home & Crematory, College Street
location.

WHO: Children aged 6-to-11 should The son of the late Billy Joe and Betty Jean
Dean Cochran, Mr. Cochran was born February
15,1953, in Newport, AR. He worked as a master

wear masks at times, too plumber and journeyman pipefitter in Houston,

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
GENEVA — Just as
millions of children are
heading back to school,
the World Health Organi-
zation says those aged 6
to 11 should wear masks
in some cases to help fight
the spread of coronavirus.
The recommendations
presented Monday follow
the widespread belief that
children under 12 are not
considered as likely to
COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
OBITUARY POLICY
Obituaries with basic informa-
tion including visitation and
service times, are provided
free of charge. Extended
obituaries with a photograph,
detailed biographical informa-
tion and other details families
may wish to include, are avail-
able for a fee. Obituaries must
be submitted through funeral
homes unless the deceased’s
body has been donated to
science. If the deceased’s
body was donated to science,
propagate the virus as
much as adults. Children
in general face less severe
virus symptoms than do
adults, with the elderly
the most vulnerable to se-
vere infection and death.
Now WHO says deci-
sions about whether chil-
dren aged 6 to 11 should
wear masks should con-
sider factors like whether
COVID-19 transmission
is widespread in the area
AREA OBITUARIES
Private graveside
services are at 11 a.m.
today, in Pleasant Ridge
Cemetery, with the Rev.
Dickie Bryan officiat-
ing. Coleman Funeral
Home of Ackerman is
in charge of arrange-
ments.
Mrs. Betts was born
Sept. 7, 1935, in Oktib-
beha County, to the late
Charles S. and Edna E.
(Tomlinson) Whitt. She
where the child lives; the
child’s ability to safely use
a mask; and adult super-
vision when taking the
masks on or off.
“Luckily, the vast ma-
jority of children who
are infected with the vi-
rus appear to have mild
disease or asymptomat-
ic infection, and that’s
good news,” said Maria
Van Kerkhove, technical
chief of the U.N. health
Memorial Chapel of
Lavender’s Funeral Ser-
vice. Burial will follow
in Fleming Cemetery.
Visitation will be from
4-5 p.m. Friday, at the
funeral home. Laven-
der’s Funeral Service of
Aliceville is in charge of
arrangements.
Doris McCollum
COLUMBUS — Do-
ris McCollum, 88, died
TX for twenty years. He moved to Columbus
in 1992 and earned a degree in Industrial
agency’s emergencies Technology from Mississippi State University. He
program. worked at American Glass Company in Columbus
She still cautioned that as a Project Manager. He loved to run and ride
some children can devel- his bicycle and competed in numerous triathlons.
op severe cases of corona- He loved making things with his hands , which is
virus and even die. evident by the wooden gazebo and archway in his
backyard and a large BBQ pit, which he welded
from scratch from an old iron boiler. He was a
loving husband, father and grandfather.
He is survived by his wife, Mimi Myers
Cochran; his daughter and son-in-law, Kelley and
Jon Comer of Perry, GA; and his granddaughter,
Charlotte Elizabeth Comer; his brother and
sister-in-law, Sean and Petra Cochran of Houston,
TX ; and his sister and brother-in-law, Anna and
Mike Melton of Canutillo, TX.
His family would like to thank the staff of
Philwood Suites, Windsor Place, Sanctuary
Hospice House, his personal trainer Joy Garrison
Stephen Cochran and his caregiver Jamie Lott for all of the love and
Visitation: compassion shown to Stephen during his illness.
Tuesday, Aug. 25 • 11 AM-12 PM Memorials may be made to Parkinson’s
College St. Location
Services: Foundation, 200 SE 1st Street, Suite 800, Miami,
Tuesday, Aug. 25 • 12 PM FL 33131.
Friendship Cemetery
College St. Location
Betty Grissom
A private service
will be held.
2nd Ave. N Locaiton
Sign the online guest book at
www.memorialgunterpeel.com
Joe Garrison
College Street • Columbus, MS
Incomplete
College St. Location

the family must provide official
proof of death. Please submit
all obituaries on the form pro-
vided by The Commercial Dis-
patch. Free notices must be
submitted to the newspaper
no later than 3 p.m. the day
prior for publication Tuesday
through Friday; no later than 4
p.m. Saturday for the Sunday
edition; and no later than 7:30
a.m. for the Monday edition.
Incomplete notices must be re-
ceived no later than 7:30 a.m.
for the Monday through Friday
editions. Paid notices must be
finalized by 3 p.m. for inclusion
the next day Monday through
Thursday; and on Friday by 3
p.m. for Sunday and Monday
publication. For more informa-
tion, call 662-328-2471.
Denise Betts
STARKVILLE —
Denise W. Betts, 84,
died Aug. 21, 2020,
was formerly employed
with Walmart.
In addition to her
parents, she was pre-
ceded in death by her
husband, Robert Betts.
She is survived by
her children, Jimmy
Betts, Bobby Betts,
Donna Lott all of
Starkville and Patricia
McManus of Carriere.
Memorials may be
made to Fellowship
Baptist Church, 545
Frye Road, Starkville,
MS, 39759.
Star Taylor
ADAMSVILLE, Ala.
— Star L. Taylor, 65,
died Aug. 21, 2020, at
St. Vincent’s Hospital of
Birmingham, Alabama.
A home going cele-
Aug. 23, 2020, at Sanc-
tuary Hospice House of
Tupelo.
Graveside ser-
vices will be at 2 p.m.
Wednesday, in Memo-
rial Gardens. Lown-
memorialgunterpeel.com
des Funeral Home of
Columbus is in charge
of arrangements.
Betty Grissom
Otis Richardson
Incomplete
2nd Ave. N Location
Betty Jane Ash Grissom,
age 81 died Saturday August
22, 2020, at Baptist Memorial
Hospital, Columbus.
A private family service will
be held. Memorial Gunter Peel
Funeral Home & Crematory
2nd Ave N is in charge of
arrangements.
Mrs. Grissom was born on
October 6, 1938, in Caruthersville, MO, to the
late Fred Ernest and Rachel Modine Tillmon
Ash. She was a longtime member of First Baptist
Church, Columbus.
Mrs. Betty was an amazing homemaker
who loved the Lord and her church. She was
a true southern lady. She loved to cook for her
family and friends, and had the sweetest heart.
She was very passionate about her children,
grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded
in death by her husband, Glenwood Grissom;

at North Mississippi
Medical Center of West
Point.
Can mosquitoes spread
the coronavirus?
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Can mosquitoes spread
the coronavirus?
No. While mosquitoes
can spread some diseases,
most notably malaria, ex-
perts say COVID-19 is not
among them.
The U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Pre-
vention says it has no data
to suggest the coronavirus
is spread by either mosqui-
toes or ticks. COVID-19 is
mainly spread from person
to person through droplets
people spray when they
cdispatch.com
bration will be at 2 p.m.
Saturday, at the James
and Lola Lavender
talk, cough or sneeze. And
the World Health Organi-
zation says a mosquito bite
won’t give you the virus.
But why not, if mosqui-
toes can transmit other
diseases? A recent study
offers an explanation. Re-
searchers say the virus
would have to infect the
mosquito and multiply
inside of it in order for
the mosquito to pass it on
to people. That failed to
happen when researchers
injected three species of
mosquitoes with the virus.
Troy Edwards
her grandson, Hunter Grissom; and her great
grandson, Sawyer Glen Prisock.
Survivors include her children, Danny
Grissom, Joan (Walter) Lann, Gina (Buddy)
Troy Lee Edwards, 68, of
Caledonia, MS passed away Prisock, Beth Ann (Jerry Wayne) Beard; brothers
Saturday, August 22, 2020, at and sisters, Jimmy Ash, Johnny Ash, Tina
Baptist Memorial Hospital-GT. Mayhew, Freddy Ash, Mary Ann Lee and Ronnie
Ash; grandchildren: D.J. Grissom, Kirby (Brock)
Mr. Edwards was born
September 7, 1951, in Caledonia, Allen, Leslie (Nick) Dimino, Carson (Claire)
Beard, Abby (John Ross) McCartney, Presly
MS to the late Leva Blackstone
Turner. He loved being outside
and working on the land. Mr.
(Laura) Prisock, Bethany (Tyler) Williamson,
Parker (Cheyenne) Prisock and Chloe Grissom;
Edwards was the Union Stewart great-grandchildren, Anna Grace Grissom,
of the Teamster Local #705 in Chicago, IL, never Luke Allen, Hogan Allen, Jack Dimino, Cambell
Dimino, Sam Beard, Charlie Mae Beard, John
met a stranger, and loved helping others. He was
a loving husband, father, and grandfather that Walter McCartney, Kane Williamson and Sage
Prisock.
will be dearly missed.
In addition to his parents, Mr. Edwards is Serving as pallbearers will be D.J. Grissom,
Carson Beard, Presly Prisock, Parker Prisock,
preceded in death by his sisters, Jackie Brown
Dennis Grissom and Chuck Reed.
and Shirley Gabriel.
Mr. Edwards is survived by his wife of 42 years, Memorial may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s
Kathy Buchanan Edwards of Caledonia, MS; Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis,
sons, Anthony Troy Edwards, Eric Lee Edwards TN 38101 or First Baptist Church, Columbus,
and Jeremiah Daniel Edwards; daughter, P.O. Box 829 Columbus, MS 39703.
Theresa Marie Anderson; grandchildren,
Crystal, Joseph, Bethany, Bailey and Landon;
great-grandchildren, Kayden and Jaylynn.
Memorials may be made to jdrf.org
Sign the online guest book at
Compliments of
www.memorialgunterpeel.com
Lowndes Funeral Home
www.lowndesfuneralhome.net 716 Second Avenue North • Columbus, MS
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2020 5B

Zoom glitches briefly

grind US schools to a halt
Video-conferencing service did not disclose the during the pandemic. Schools be-
gan opening over the past month
cause of the problem, which appeared to hit both with a wide array of in-person, hy-
brid and online schooling plans. In
coasts of the U.S. especially hard Monday 2019, during a normal school year,
about 80 percent of elementary and
BY MAE ANDERSON Jacqueline Donovan, a professor secondary schools had opened by
AP Technology Writer at Broward College in Broward the last week of August, according
County, Florida. Her 12-year-old to Pew Research.
NEW YORK — Teachers and daughter Michaela and 14-year-old Internet services from Facebook
parents got a brief glimpse of a
new kind of pandemic-era night-
son Jayden were trying to log onto
Zoom classes, but unable to.
to Amazon go down all the time, but
few have become so crucial to com-
Sudoku YESTERDAY’S ANSWER

mare Monday when Zoom — the

video-conferencing service that
powers everything from distance
learning to business meetings to
“They were both panic stricken
and anxious,” she said. Meanwhile,
panies, government and schools
that their absence can spur brief
Sudoku
Sudoku is a number-
placing puzzle based on
Yesterday’s answer
Sudoku
a 9x9 gridis a several
with num- 2 5 9 7 6 3 8 4 1
Donovan herself was trying to hold moments of panic. These days,
her first class, an introduction to when Zoom goes down, it’s more ber-placing puzzle
given numbers. The object 3 7 4 1 2 8 5 9 6

2020 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

casual, socially distant get-togeth- business, and getting frantic emails like a power outage or phones go- based onthe
is to place a 9x9
numbers 8 1 6 5 9 4 3 7 2
ers — abruptly went dead. from her own students. Her class ing dead, making it a modern sort grid with several
1 to 9 in the empty spaces 9 4 7 8 5 1 2 6 3
For roughly two-and-a-half given
so that numbers. The
each row, each 6 2 5 3 7 9 4 1 8
was eventually canceled. of utility for a nation still enduring
hours Monday morning, many us- object
column isandtoeach
place
3x3 the
box 1 8 3 6 4 2 7 5 9
“You become so accustomed to the ravages of COVID-19.
ers were unable to load the Zoom numbers
contains the1same
to 9 number
in
the software working, then (when it Zoom and similar services “have
website; others could neither host the empty spaces so 4 6 1 2 8 5 9 3 7
doesn’t) you realize how dependent been elevated to what we call ‘mis- only once. The difficulty 5 3 2 9 1 7 6 8 4
nor join scheduled meetings. Zoom that each row, each
you are on the software and it’s a lit- sion critical applications,’” said level increases from
fixed the problem by 11:30 a.m. ET, column and each 7 9 8 4 3 6 1 2 5
tle scary,” she said. technology analyst Tim Bajarin, Monday
3x3 boxtocontains
Sunday. Difficulty Level 8/24

the company reported on its status
page.
The timing was less than ideal,
since many schools across the U.S.
were just starting online instruc-
tion after a summer surge in the
coronavirus pandemic scotched
many plans to reopen classes with
students present in the flesh.
“Today was horrible,” said
Zoom did not disclose the cause
of the problem, which appeared to
hit both coasts of the U.S. especial-
ly hard. Its shares fell less than 3
percent during regular trading.
Grade schools, high schools and
universities are relying on Zoom
and competing technologies like
Microsoft Teams to teach remotely
and reduce the chance of infection
president of consultancy Creative the same number only once. The difficulty level
Strategies. “They’re no longer nice increases from Monday to Sunday.
to have, they’re now must have.”
While Zoom has built up server
farms and spent millions investing
in its software, it was still a rela-
tively nascent company when the
coronavirus hit in March, Bajarin
said. “The bottom line is, software
glitches happen.”

Liberty: Falwell agreed to resign, then reversed course

Falwell had already been on indefinite
leave of absence since Aug. 7
BY SARAH RANKIN
AND ELANA SCHOR
The Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. —
Jerry Falwell Jr.’s future at
evangelical Liberty Uni-
versity amid a sex scan-
dal was uncertain Mon-
day, after the school said
he had offered his resig-
nation but then reversed
course.
Falwell agreed to
“resign immediately as
President of Liberty Uni-
versity today but then in-
structed his attorneys to
not tender the letter for
immediate resignation,”
according to a university
news release distributed
late Monday night.
The news of Falwell’s
possible departure fol-
lowed the publication of
news stories about his
wife’s sexual encounters
with a much younger
business partner. They
marked the latest in a se-
ries of controversies re-
lated to the couple to roil
the school founded by Fal-
well’s late father, the Rev.
Jerry Falwell Sr.
“I call upon the Univer-
sity community and sup-
porters to be in prayer for
the University and for all
its leadership, past, pres-
ent and future, as we walk
with the Lord through
this stormy time of tran-
sition,” Acting Liberty
President Jerry Prevo
said in the news release.
Falwell had already
been on an indefinite leave
of absence since Aug. 7,
following an uproar over a
photo he posted on social
media, and then deleted,
showing him with his
pants unzipped, stomach
exposed and arm high
around the waist of his
wife’s pregnant assistant.
“Since that time, ad-
ditional matters came to
light that made it clear
that it would not be in the
best interest of the Uni-
versity for him to return
from leave and serve as
President,” according to
the news release, which
said the school’s board
was meeting Tuesday.

ACROSS
Jim Bakker gets 1 Circle and
square, e.g.
PPP loans during 7 Job for a
gumshoe
legal fight on 11 Writer Welty
12 Like some
fraud claims radios
13 Four Seasons
BY SALLY STAPLETON hit
The Associated Press 15 Skilled
16 Volcano
When the U.S. govern- shape
ment extended pandemic 18 Spheres
hardship loans to thou- 21 Dictionary
sands of religious insti- entry
tutions, Jim Bakker and 22 Reporting
Morningside USA, his min- coups
istry in Blue Eye, Missou- 24 In the style of say?” 20 Ill will
ri, were among the most 25 Derisive cry 3 Fuss 21 Funny fellow
high-profile recipients. 26 Humor 4 Warsaw’s 22 Frodo’s friend
On April 28, the pastor 27 Cheering call nation 23 Pig’s place
received approval for an 29 Feel sorry for 5 Eat away 25 Spa features
amount between $650,000 30 Bird abode 6 Rescue 28 Emerson
and $1.7 million in Pay- 31 Merriment 7 Big name in works
check Protection Program 32 Beach setting Havana 29 Take an oath
funds. 34 Response 8 Writer Tan 31 Terrific
Weeks before, the Mis- to unwelcome 9 Bay Area 33 Gumbo
souri attorney general filed advice airport code veggie
a complaint, the New York 40 Overly suave 10 Outback bird 34 Court
attorney general sent a 41 Wild parties 14 Historic 35 Stashed
cease-and-desist warning 42 Betting info period 36 Outdated
and the Federal Drug Ad- 43 Relaxed 16 Two-dot 37 Backer’s vote
ministration and Federal DOWN character 38 Hosp. parts
1 Put in stitches 17 Make a 39 Try out
Trade Commission sent
2 “What’d you speech
warning letters alleging
19 Rocker David
Bakker engaged in decep-
tive practices by touting
purported health benefits
of a silver product on The
Jim Bakker Show — includ-
ing a suggestion it could
be used to treat or prevent
COVID-19 infection, some-
thing the FDA says is false.
In June, the Arkansas at-
torney general’s office fol-
lowed with its own lawsuit.
Applicants seeking PPP
loans were asked to cer-
tify they weren’t engaged
in any activity that is ille-
gal under federal, state or
local law. The question is
whether Bakker’s involve-
ment in ongoing litigation
and fraud allegations will
rise to the level of a Small
Business Administration
review.

Classifieds
LEGALS
CALL US: 662-328-2424
Legal Notices
IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF
LOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-
SIPPI
IN THE MATTER OF THE ES-
TATE OF BARBARA FAY ELY,
DECEASED
CAUSE NO. 2020-0153-RPF
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
COUNTY OF LOWNDES
Letters Testamentary have
been granted and issued to the
undersigned upon the Estate of THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
Barbara Fay Ely, deceased, by
the Chancery Court of Lowndes TO: AMANDA INEZ ABSHIRE
County, Mississippi, on the
11th day of August 2020. This 13623 Hamshire Road
is to give notice to all persons Hamshire, TX 77622
having claims against said es-
tate to Probate and Register
same with the Chancery Clerk
of Lowndes County, Missis-
sippi, within ninety (90) days
from the first publication date
of this Notice to Creditors. A
failure to so Probate and Re-
gister said claim will forever
bar the same.
This the 12th day of August
2020.
/s/ Wortley H. Cole, Executrix
PUBLISH: 8/18, 8/25 &
9/1/2020
IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF
LOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-
SIPPI
CHYNA MARCHBANKS
PLAINTIFF
VS.
CAMERON COLEMAN DEFEND- in this matter will not be con-
ANT
CAUSE NO. 2020-0273
SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION
THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
TO: CAMERON COLEMAN who
is not to be found in the State
of Mississippi on diligent in-
quiry and whose post office ad- CLERK
dress is unknown.
You have been made a Defend-
ant in the suit filed in this
Court by Chyna Marchbanks
seeking custody of the minor
child, Camilla Coleman.
YOU ARE SUMMONED TO AP-
PEAR AND DEFEND AGAINST
THE PETITION FILED AGAINST
YOU IN THIS ACTION AT 9:30
O’CLOCK, A.M., ON THE 15TH
DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2020 IN
THE COURTROOM OF THE WEB-
STER COUNTY COURTHOUSE
IN OKOLONA, MISSISSIPPI,
AND IN CASE OF YOUR FAIL-
URE TO APPEAR AND DEFEND,
A JUDGMENT WILL BE
ENTERED AGAINST YOU FOR
THE RELIEF DEMANDED IN THE SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION
COMPLAINT.
You are not required to file an
answer or other pleading, but
you may do so if you desire.
Issued under my hand and the
seal of said Court, this 29TH
day of July, A.D., 2020.
CINDY E. GOODE
Chancery Clerk of Lowndes
County, Mississippi
BY: TINA FISHER
PUBLISH: 8/4, 8/11 &
8/18/2020
IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF
LOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-
SIPPI
IN THE MATTER OF THE ES-
TATE OF WILLIAM DAVID
PLYLER, DECEASED
CAUSE NO.: 2020-0136-JNS
MARY ANN PLYLER, ADMINIS-
TRATRIX
SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION
THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
TO: All Unknown Heirs-at-Law of you may do so if you desire.
William David Plyler, deceased,
and Any Unknown Parties In In- Issued under my hand and the hibited against you should not
terest
All Unknown Heirs-at-Law of Jef-
frey Mark Plyler, deceased, and CINDY EGGER GOODE, CHAN-
Any Unknown Parties In In-
terest
You have been made a defend-
ant in the Petition for Adjudica- (SEAL)
tion of Heirs-at-Law [Doc. No.
13] filed by the Administratrix, son, D.C.
Mary Ann Plyler, on August 3,
2020, seeking to determine
the heirs-at-law of William Dav- 9/8/2020
id Plyler, deceased, and Jef-
frey Mark Plyler, deceased.
Other than you, the only other
interested parties in this ac-
tion are Mary Ann Plyler, Willi-
am Lester Plyler, Philip D.
Plyler and William Alexander
Neely.
You are summoned to appear
and represent your interests
against said Petition before the CASUE NO.: 2020-0299-PDE
Honorable Joseph N. Studdard,
Chancellor of the 14th Chan-
cery District at 9:00 a.m. on
the 16th day of September
2020, at the Lowndes County
Courthouse in Columbus, Mis-
sissippi, and in case of your
failure to appear your interest
in this matter will not be con-
sidered.
You are not required to file an
answer or other pleading, but
you may do so if you desire.
Issued under my hand and the sissippi, within ninety (90) days Letters of Administration have
seal of said Court, this the 7th from this date. A failure to so
day of August 2020.
CINDY EGGER GOODE, CHAN-
CERY CLERK
LOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-
SIPPI
(SEAL)
BY: /s/ Shantrell W. Grander-
son, D.C.
PUBLISH: 8/11, 8/18 &
8/25/2020
One call will bring you results. 662-328-2424
Legal Notices
IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF
LOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-
SIPPI
IN THE MATTER OF THE
GUARDIANSHIP OF A.I.S., A
MINOR
CAUSE NO.: 2020-0162-JNS
BY PETITIONERS: LONNIE
DWAYNE SHEPPEARD and
KARINA DORENE SHEPPEARD
THE RELIEF SOUGHT HEREIN
MAY AFFECT YOUR LEGAL
RIGHTS. YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO the Estate of Nellie J. Caldwell,
NOTICE OF ANY HEARING ON
THIS PETITION, TO ATTEND
ANY SUCH HEARING, AND TO
BE REPRESENTED BY AN AT-
TORNEY.
SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION
Last known address:
You have been made a re-
spondent in the Petition for Ap- Lynn C. Saucer, Executrix
pointment of Guardians of a
Minor under Section 202 [Doc. OF COUNSEL:
No. 2] filed August 11, 2020,
by Petitioners, Lonnie Dwayne
Sheppeard, also known as
Dwayne Sheppeard, and Karina Columbus, MS 39703-1081
Dorene Sheppeard, also known (662) 243-7312
as Dori Sheppeard, seeking
guardianship of A.I.S., a minor
child born xx/xx/2011. Other
than you and the Petitioners,
the only other interested party
in this action is Toby Wayne
Stanford.
You are summoned to appear
and represent your interests
against said Petition before the ANE WARD GATEWOOD, DE-
Honorable Joseph N. Studdard, CEASED
Chancellor of the 14th Chan-
cery District at 9:00 a.m. on
the 18th day of September
2020, at the Oktibbeha County
Courthouse in Starkville, Mis-
sissippi, and in case of your
failure to appear your interest
sidered.
You are not required to file an
answer or other pleading, but
you may do so if you desire.
Issued under my hand and the OLIVIA DIANE WARD GATE-
seal of said Court, this the
14th day of August 2020.
CINDY E. GOODE, CHANCERY
LOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-
SIPPI
(SEAL)
BY:/s/ Shantrell W. Grander-
son, D.C.
PUBLISH: 8/18, 8/25 &
9/1/2020
IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF
LOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-
SIPPI
IN THE MATTER OF THE ES-
TATE OF JAMES J. BROWN, DE- PUBLISH: 8/11, 8/18 &
CEASED
CAUSE NO.: 2020-0169-RPF
THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
TO: All Unknown Heirs-at-Law of
James J. Brown, and Any Un-
known Parties In Interest
You have been made a defend- NO. 2018-0106-B
ant in the Petition for Adjudica-
tion of Heirs [Doc. No. 2] filed
on August 18, 2020, by An-
nette Glover, seeking to de-
termine the heirs-at-law of
James J. Brown, deceased.
Other than you, the only other
interested parties in this ac-
tion are Ranong M. Brown, An- WRONGFUL DEATH BENEFI-
nette Glover and Brinda Black
formerly known as Brinda Mi-
chaels.
You are summoned to appear
and represent your interests
against said Petition before the Court by Lynette Shanklin, Peti-
Honorable Rodney P. Faver,
Chancellor of the 14th Chan-
cery District at 9:00 a.m. on
the 24th day of September
2020, at the Lowndes County
Courthouse in Columbus, Mis-
sissippi, and in case of your
failure to appear your interest
in this matter will not be con-
sidered.
You are not required to file an
answer or other pleading, but
seal of said Court, this the
19th day of August 2020.
CERY CLERK
LOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-
SIPPI
BY: /s/ Shantrell W. Grander-
PUBLISH: 8/25, 9/1 &
THE CHANCERY COURT OF
LOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-
SIPPI
IN RE: THE ESTATE OF MILTON PUBLISH: 8/18, 8/25 &
LEWIS, DECEASED
CASTELLA HENDERSON, AD-
MINISTRATRIX
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Letters of Administration have
been granted and issued to the
undersigned upon the estate of CAUSE NO.: 2020-0055-JNS
MILTON LEWIS, deceased, by
the Chancery Court of Lowndes JAMIE MICHELLE CARAG, PETI-
County, Mississippi, on the
12th day of August A.D., 2020.
This is to give notice to all per- NOTICE TO CREDITORS
sons having claims against
said estate to Probate and Re- STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
gister same with the Chancery COUNTY OF LOWNDES
Clerk of Lowndes County, Mis-
Probate and Register said
claim will forever bar the same. Steve Erwin Curry, deceased,
This the 14th day of August,
2020.
s/ Castella Henderson
CASTELLA HENDERSON
Administratrix of the Estate of
Milton Lewis, Deceased
Published: 8/18, 8/25 &
9/1/2020
Legal Notices
IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF
LOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-
SIPPI
IN RE: ESTATE OF NELLIE J.
CALDWELL, DECEASED
LYNN C. SAUCER, EXECUTRIX
NO. 2020-0165-PDE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Letters Testamentary have
been granted and issued to
Lynn C. Saucer, Executrix of
deceased, by the Chancery
Court of Lowndes County, Mis-
sissippi, on the 13th day of Au-
gust, 2020. This is to give no-
tice to all persons having
claims against said estate to
Probate and Register same
with the Chancery Clerk of
Lowndes County, Mississippi,
within ninety (90) days after
the first publication of this No-
tice to Creditors. A failure to so
Probate and Register said
claim will forever bar the same.
/s/ Lynn C. Saucer
Aubrey E. Nichols, MB # 3842
The Nichols Firm, PLLC
Post Office Box 1081
anichols@thenicholsfirm.net
PUBLISH: 8/18, 8/25 &
9/1/2020
IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF
LOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-
SIPPI
IN RE: ESTATE OF OLIVIA DI-
DAVID WARD GATEWOOD, AD-
MINISTRATOR
CAUSE NO.: 2020-00150-JNS
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
COUNTY OF LOWNDES
Letters Testamentary have
been granted and issued to the
undersigned upon the Estate of
WOOD, Deceased, by the Chan-
cery Court of Lowndes County,
Mississippi, on the 6th day of
August, A.D., 2020. This is to
give notice to all persons hav-
ing claims against said estate
to Probate and Register same
with the Chancery Clerk of
Lowndes County, Mississippi,
within ninety (90) days from
this date. A failure to so Pro-
bate and Register said claim
will forever bar the same.
This the 6th day of August
2020.
/s/ /S/ David Ward Gatewood
DAVID WARD GATEWOOD
8/25/2020
IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF
LOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-
SIPPI
IN THE MATTER OF ORANJULA
SHANKLIN, DECEASED
LYNETTE SHANKLIN, PETITION-
ER
SUMMONS
(Publication)
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
COUNTY OF LOWNDES
TO: HEIRS-AT-LAW AND
CIARIES OF ORANJULA SHANK-
LIN, DECEASED, not known to
Petitioner
You have been made a Defend-
ant in the suit filed in this
tioner, to determine Heirs-at-
Law and Wrongful Death Bene-
ficiaries. Defendants other
than you in this action are
none.
You are summoned to appear
then and there at 9:00 a.m. on
the 23rd day of September,
2020, at the Lowndes County
Chancery Courthouse in Colum-
bus, Mississippi, to show
cause, if you can, why the Peti-
tion filed in this civil action by
said Lynette Shanklin, and ex-
be allowed and approved and
relief demanded therein gran-
ted.
You are not required to file an
answer or other pleading but
may do so if desired. Issued
under my hand and the seal of
said Court this the 12th day of
August, 2020.
CINDY GOODE, CHANCERY
CLERK
BY: Cindy E. Goode, Clerk
BY: Shantrell W. Granderson,
D.C.
9/1/2020
IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF
LOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-
SIPPI
IN THE MATTER OF THE ES-
TATE OF STEVE ERWIN CURRY,
DECEASED
TIONER
been granted and issued to the
undersigned upon the Estate of
by the Chancery Court of
Lowndes County, Mississippi,
on the 29th day of June 2020.
This is to give notice to all per-
sons having claims against
said estate to Probate and Re-
gister same with the Chancery
Clerk of Lowndes County, Mis-
sissippi, within ninety (90) days
from the first publication date
of this Notice to Creditors. A
failure to so Probate and Re-
gister said claim will forever
bar the same.
This the 27th day of July 2020.
JAMIE MICHELLE CARAG, PETI-
TIONER
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
ADS APPEAR IN THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH,
COUNTY OF LOWNDES
THE STARKVILLE DISPATCH AND ONLINE
Letters of Administration have
been granted and issued to the
undersigned upon the Estate of
Steve Erwin Curry, deceased,
by the Chancery Court of
Lowndes County, Mississippi,
on the 29th day of June 2020.
This is to give notice to all per-
sons having claims against
said estate to Probate and Re-
gister same with the Chancery
Clerk of Lowndes County, Mis-
sissippi, within ninety (90) days
Legal the
from Notices
first publication date
of this Notice to Creditors. A
failure to so Probate and Re-
gister said claim will forever
bar the same.
This the 27th day of July 2020.
/s/ Jamie Michelle Carag
PUBLISH: 8/11, 8/18, &
8/25/2020
IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF
LOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-
SIPPI
IN THE MATTER OF THE ES-
TATE OF STEVE ERWIN CURRY,
DECEASED
CAUSE NO.: 2020-0055-JNS
JAMIE MICHELLE CARAG, PETI- $595−$645 monthly.
TIONER
SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION
THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
TO: All Unknown Heirs-at-Law of ON SITE MAINTENANCE.
Steve Erwin Curry, deceased,
and Any Unknown Parties In In- 24−HOUR CAMERA
terest
You have been made a defend-
ant in the Petition for Adjudica-
tion of Heirs-at-Law filed by the
Administratrix, Jamie Michelle
Carag, on August 11, 2020,
seeking to determine the heirs-
at-law of Steve Erwin Curry, de-
ceased. Other than you, the
only other interested parties in
this action are Jamie Michelle
Carag and Stephanie Dickey.
You are summoned to appear
and represent your interests
against said Petition before the
Honorable Joseph N. Studdard,
Chancellor of the 14th Chan-
cery District at 9:00 a.m. on
the 18th day of September
2020, at the Oktibbeha County
Courthouse in Starkville, Mis-
sissippi, and in case of your
failure to appear your interest
in this matter will not be con-
sidered.
You are not required to file an
answer or other pleading, but
you may do so if you desire.
Issued under my hand and the
seal of said Court, this the
13th day of August 2020.
CINDY EGGER GOODE, CHAN-
CERY CLERK
LOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-
SIPPI
(SEAL)
BY: TINA FISHER, D.C.
PUBLISH: 8/18, 8/25 &
9/1/2020
EMPLOYMENT
CALL US: 662-328-2424
General Help Wanted
NOWETA'S Flower Shop is
accepting applications for
an experienced Floral
Designer. EXPERIENCE
REQUIRED. Apply Mon-Fri,
2-4pm or Sat 9am-12pm
at 1325 Main Street.
No phone calls please.
Restaurant / Hotel
CAFE UNIQUE: Part-time
Prep cook and dish washer
wanted. 15-20 hours per
week. Apply in person @ 94
Airline Rd. or call 662-327-
0840 or 662-386-1554 for
more information. Leave
message if no answer.
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Apts For Rent: West
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General Services
A & T TREE SERVICES
Bucket truck & stump
removal. Free est.
Serving Columbus
since 1987. Senior
citizen disc. Call Alvin @
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DUMP TRUCK HAULING.
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To place ads starting at only $12,
Apts For Rent: Other Furniture
COLEMAN
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old sectional sofa brown/
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TOWNHOUSES & APARTMENTS Good condition. Has two
holes on the side that need
1 BEDROOM repairing. $300.00 662−
574−9397
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General Merchandise
3 BEDROOMS
LEASE, FOR SALE: Side by side
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white whirlpool refrigerator
DEPOSIT with icemaker, 25 cuft,
AND great cond, $300.
Lazyboy Queen Sofa
CREDIT CHECK Hidabed, exc cond, $250.
Recliner, good cond, $50.
662-329-2323 662−386−4707 or
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!
is another person’s
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Houses For Rent: Other
3BR/2.5BA, CUSTOM−
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negotiable. No HUD.
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Mobile Homes for Rent
VEHICLES
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Hope school dist. $650/
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no drugs, no partying. Call
b/w 10a−9p. 662−386− ADS STARTING AT $12
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Autos For Sale
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65k hwy mi only, new tires,
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ADS STARTING AT $25 maintained. $32,000.
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Motorcycles & ATVs
MILITARY QUICK STOP for
lease or sale. High traffic 2005 HONDA 250 REBEL
count. Busy location. MOTORCYCLE.
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Possibly some owner
financing. B.F. at 662−329 1,428 miles. $1500.
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Trucks, Vans & Buses
Lots & Acreage
1.75 ACRE LOTS. Good/
Bad Credit Options. Good
credit as low as 20% down,
$499/mo. Eaton Land,
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Excellent timber & building
sites. $72,000. For more
Exceptional one−owner
info, call 205−799−9846 maintained Ram 3500
or 205−695−2248.
w/5.9L Cummins
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transmission & spray−
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203,000+ miles, but
runs like new and looks
great! $12,000.
TWO FREE SIGNS 662−574−4640
Garage Sales: Other
HOUSE MOVING SALE!
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kid/adult toys & more.
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Come find a treasure!
Sat, 8/29, 8am−6pm.
52 Oakmont Dr, Macon
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Burial Plots
4 BUIAL PLOTS 4 “Supernatu-
ral”
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General Services Lawn Care / Landscaping
WORK WANTED: Licensed JESSE & BEVERLY’S
& Bonded. Carpentry, minor LAWN SERVICE
electrical, minor plumbing, Mowing, cleanup,
insulation, painting, demo− landscaping, sodding,
lition, gutters cleaned, & tree cutting.
pressure washing, land− 662−356−6525
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662−242−3608. SAM’S LAWN SERVICE
No lawn too large or too
small. Mowing, trimming &
HILL’S PRESSURE weedeating.
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Residential. House,
Painting & Papering
concrete, sidewalks &
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662−386−8925. QUALITY PAINTING.
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Free Estimates. Ask for
specials! Larry Webber,
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Special Prices.
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Tree Services
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Work from a bucket truck.
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Call Jimmy Prescott for free
estimate, 662−386−6286.
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