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Wednesday | October 14, 2020

Williams beats Yates in District 15 Senate race

Wright wins House District 37 seat by large margin Bart Williams
takes a congratu-
latory phone call
BY TESS VRBIN AND BY YUE STELLA YU sition into this role,” he said. “I want to from a member of
tvrbin@cdispatch.com, syu@cdispatch.com go to Jackson and do what the people of Gov. Tate Reeves’
District 15 want me to. It’s what they’re staff Tuesday
The congratulatory calls and texts hiring me to do.” after winning the
started blowing up Bart Williams’ Williams, owner of Security Solu- state Senate
phone just minutes after the results of tions, will replace Gary Jackson, of District 15 runoff
the state Senate District 15 runoff elec- French Camp, who retired from the election. Williams
tion were finalized Tuesday night. owns Security
Senate earlier this year due to health
Williams, of Starkville, garnered Solutions Inc.
reasons. The term will end in 2023. in Starkville and
4,067 votes (53.6 percent) to defeat The Senate district includes parts waited for the
Joyce Meek Yates, of Eupora, and her of Oktibbeha, Webster, Choctaw and results at the
3,520 votes (46.4 percent), according to Montgomery counties. It is unclear office with his
unofficial totals. exactly how many affidavits for the dis- friends and fami-
He described three months of cam- trict are still to be processed Wednes- ly. He will replace
paigning as “intense, but it’s been fun” day, but it will not be enough to change Gary Jackson,
of French Camp,
and said he looks forward to taking his the outcome. who retired from
seat in the state Legislature. Williams received more than twice the Senate in
“I want to get a good night’s sleep, the number of votes for Yates in Ok- June.
maybe two, and then sit down and tran- See ELECTION, 8A Tess Vrbin/Dispatch Staff

Effort to CASTING BALLOTS

partially
open West
Point parks
fails Tuesday
Citywide curfew
implemented from
midnight-5 a.m. to curb
violent crime
BY ZACK PLAIR
zplair@cdispatch.com

WEST POINT —
Following Tuesday
evening’s board of
selectmen meeting,
Ward 4’s Keith Mc-
Brayer approached
Parks and Recreation
Director Jarrod Mc- McDaniel
Daniel as others filed
out of the boardroom.
“Well, I tried,” he
told McDaniel, flatly. Tess Vrbin/Dispatch Staff
“I’ll try again next Lauren Lang, center, casts her vote in Tuesday’s state Senate District 15 runoff election in Starkville. She brought her daugh-
month.” ters, Anna Hudson Lang, left, and Josie Lang, ages 6 and 3 respectively, to the polling place at the National Guard Armory.
Voters in southwest Starkville and Oktibbeha County, as well as Choctaw and Webster counties and part of Montgomery
McBrayer’s fellow County, chose the successor to former State Sen. Gary Jackson, who retired in June.
selectmen thwarted
his motion to partial- McBrayer
ly reopen city parks
after seven months of shutdown
due to the ongoing COVID-19 pan-
demic. Instead, with a 3-1 vote, the
board opted to table the matter un-
til it meets again, which will most
Hyde-Smith touts Trump’s economic, ‘America First’ agenda
U.S. Senator Cin-
likely be in November. dy Hyde-Smith ad- Senator speaks to Lowndes Republican
“This was just a way to give dresses a group
some opportunities back to the of about 50 peo- Women as general election looms
community,” McBrayer told The ple during Tues-
Dispatch after the meeting. “With day’s Lowndes
BY SLIM SMITH ven, will meet Mike Espy,
ssmith@cdispatch.,com a Democrat from Yazoo
a controlled environment, we can County Republican
give them the chance to get out and Women luncheon City, in a race for the U.S.
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith
enjoy the parks.” at Lion Hills Cen- Senate. Libertarian Jimmy
allowed no political space
McBrayer’s proposed partial ter in Columbus.
between her and President Edwards of Grenada also is
parks reopening would have re- Hyde-Smith, a on the ballot.
Republican, faces Donald Trump during her
stored access to the tennis courts at speech at Tuesday’s Lown- Hyde-Smith claimed a
Democrat Mike 7-point win over Espy in
Marshall Park and allowed — under Espy and Libertar- des County Republican
McDaniel’s supervision — coaches ian Candidate Jim- Women luncheon. 2018 to become the state’s
to reserve use of the baseball and my Edwards in the For the second time in first elected woman Sen-
softball fields at the Sportsplex for Nov. 3 election. two years, Hyde-Smith, a ator. But in the rematch,
See WEST POINT, 3A Slim Smith/Dispatch Staff Republican from Brookha- See HYDE-SMITH, 8A

WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC

Kyle Huang
Fourth grade, Heritage
1 “We Never Sleep” was the slogan Saturday MEETINGS
of which famous 19th-century Ameri- ■ Makin’ Hay Day: Visit West
Oct. 16:
can detective agency? Starkville Board
Point’s Commerce Street downtown
2 Who does the garden belong to that of Aldermen
Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit wanders for a fall farmers’ market, crafts, art,
9 a.m.-1 p.m. The Growth Alliance, work session,
into?
3 What uninvited household pest 662-494-5121. 10 a.m., City
also goes by the Latin name “Mus ■ Sweet potatoes: The Harriet Hall
musculus”? Gaskin Sweet Potato Giveaway is Oct. 19:
4 Name two of the four events in 8-11 a.m. in the side parking lot of Starkville Hous-

81 Low 54
women artistic gymnastics. West Point’s First Christian Church, ing Authority
High 5 The Cathedral of St. Basil the Bless-
599 E. Broad Street. board meeting,
Mostly sunny
ed sits on which city’s central square?
3 p.m., 101 W.
Full forecast on
page 3A.
Answers, 8B Thursday through Saturday, Wood St.
Oct. 22-24 Oct. 19:
Oktibbeha
■ Welty Writers’ Symposium:
INSIDE Former U.S. poet laureate Natasha County Board
Trethewey and many more writers are of Supervisors
Classifieds 7,8B Food 5B
Comics 4B Obituaries 4A featured in The W’s virtual sympo- meeting, 5:30
Crossword 8B Opinions 6A sium. visit muw.edu/welty for details Dachona Thomas is from Chicago p.m., Chancery
Dear Abby 4B and link for live-streamed events. and now lives in Starkville. Courthouse

DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471

2A WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Barrett back on Capitol Hill

for senators’ final questions
‘Judges can’t just wake up one day and say I
have an agenda — I like guns, I hate guns, I like
abortion, I hate abortion — and walk in like a royal
queen and impose their will on the world’
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett
BY LISA MASCARO, MARK
SHERMAN AND LAURIE KELLMAN
The Associated Press
WA S H I N G T O N
— Supreme Court
nominee Amy Coney
Barrett returns to
Capitol Hill for a third
day of confirmation
hearings as senators
dig deeper into the
conservative judge’s Barrett
outlook on abortion, health care
and a potentially disputed presiden-
tial election — the Democrats run-
ning out of time to stop Republicans
pushing her quick confirmation.
Wednesday’s session is set to
be Barrett’s last before the Senate
Judiciary Committee. She has been
batting away questions in long
and lively exchanges, insisting she
would bring no personal agenda to
the court but decide cases “as they
come.”
Her nomination by President
Donald Trump to replace the late
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has
ground other legislative business
to a halt as Republicans excited
by the prospect of locking in a 6-3
conservative court majority race to
confirm her over Democratic objec-
tions before Election Day.
“We’re going to fill this vacan-
cy,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.,
the committee chairman, said late
Tuesday after a nearly 12-hour ses-
sion.
Graham said he appreciated
that Trump had nominated a judge
“who’s unabashedly pro-life, some-
body who embraces their faith, but
somebody who understands the
difference between their personal
views and judging.”
Barrett’s nomination has been
the focus at a Capitol mostly shut
down by COVID-19 protocols, frus-
trating Democrats who are virtual-
ly powerless to stop a judge from
confirmation. They warn she will
be seated on the court in time to
cast a vote to undo the Affordable
Care Act next month, causing mil-
lions of Americans to lose coverage
during a pandemic.
“People are fed up,” said Sen.
Dick Durbin, D-Ill., criticizing GOP
priorities in forcing the Senate ac-
tion as the country suffers from the
pandemic and Congress squabbles
over approving additional economic
aid.
The 48-year-old appellate court
judge declared her conservative
views in often colloquial language,
but she refused many specifics
Tuesday. She aligns with the late
Justice Antonin Scalia, a conser-
vative mentor, and declined to say
whether she would recuse herself
from any election-related cases
involving Trump and Democratic
nominee Joe Biden.
“Judges can’t just wake up one
day and say I have an agenda — I
like guns, I hate guns, I like abor-
tion, I hate abortion — and walk in
like a royal queen and impose their
will on the world,” Barrett told the
committee during its second day of
hearings.
“It’s not the law of Amy,” she
said. “It’s the law of the American
people.”
Trump seemed pleased with her
performance. “I think Amy’s do-
ing incredibly well,” he said at the
White House departing for a cam-
paign rally.
Trump has said he wants a jus-
tice seated for any disputes arising
from his heated campaign against
Biden, but Barrett testified she has
not spoken to Trump or his team
about election cases. Pressed by
Democrats, she skipped past ques-
tions about ensuring the date of the
election or preventing voter intimi-
dation, both set in federal law, and
the peaceful transfer of presidential
power. She declined to commit to
recusing herself from any post-elec-
tion cases without first consulting
the other justices.
“I can’t offer an opinion on re-
cusal without short-circuiting that
entire process,” she said.

Biden on high court packing: ‘I’m not a fan’

Idea of adding seats to the nine-
person high court has gained
renewed traction among Democrats
after death of Justice Ginsburg
BY ALEX ANDR A JAFFE
The Associated Press
WA S H -
INGTON —
Joe Biden
says he is
“not a fan”
of adding
seats to the
Supreme
Biden
Court, after
weeks of avoiding ques-
tions about the idea that’s
been pushed by progres-
sives and used by Repub-
licans to attack him.
“I’ve already spoken
on — I’m not a fan of
court packing, but I don’t
want to get off on that
whole issue. I want to
keep focused,” the Dem-
ocratic presidential nom-
inee said in an interview
Monday with Cincinnati’s
WKRC.
Biden argued that the
focus should remain on
President Donald Trump
and Republicans’ efforts
to push through Amy Co-
ney Barrett as a replace-
ment for Justice Ruth
Bader Ginsburg before
the Nov. 3 election.
“That’s the court-pack-
ing the public should be
focused on,” he said.
Biden has expressed
opposition to the idea
of expanding the Su-
preme Court before, but
in recent weeks notably
dodged multiple ques-
tions from the media
about the proposal, insist-
ing he would answer the
question after the elec-
tion. Pressure on Biden
to respond intensified af-
ter his running mate, Cal-
ifornia Sen. Kamala Har-
ris, refused to answer the
question during her de-
bate with Vice President
Mike Pence last week.
Harris, however, ex-
pressed support for
court-packing during
her primary bid for pres-
ident, along with a num-
ber of other progressive
candidates. Faced with
the prospect of a de-
cades-long conservative
majority on the court fol-
lowing Ginsburg’s death,
the idea of adding seats
to the nine-person court
has gained renewed trac-
tion among Democrats.
That has Biden caught
between the conflicting
pressures of appeasing
his progressive base and
appealing to more mod-
erate and conservative
voters that may be open
to voting for Biden but
reluctant to support such
sweeping structural re-
forms to the court. Biden,
who spent years as chair-
man of the Senate Judicia-
ry Committee, expressed
opposition to court-pack-
ing throughout the Dem-
ocratic primary.
“No, I’m not prepared
to go on and try to pack
the court, because we’ll
live to rue that day,” he
warned in an interview
with a local Iowa political
blogger last summer.

Supreme Court halts census in latest twist of 2020 count

Census Bureau said field operations would end Thursday
BY MIKE SCHNEIDER
The Associated Press
The Supreme Court
on Tuesday ruled that the
Trump administration
can end census field op-
erations early, in a blow to
efforts to make sure mi-
norities and hard-to-enu-
merate communities are
properly counted in the
crucial once-a-decade tal-
ly.
The decision was not a
total loss for plaintiffs in a
lawsuit challenging the ad-
ministration’s decision to
end the count early. They
managed to get nearly two
extra weeks of counting
people as the case made
its way through the courts.
However, the ruling
increased the chances of
the Trump administration
retaining control of the
process that decides how
many congressional seats
each state gets — and by
extension how much vot-
ing power each state has.
The Supreme Court
justices’ ruling came as
the nation’s largest asso-
ciation of statisticians, and
even the U.S. Census Bu-
reau’s own census takers
and partners, have been
raising questions about
the quality of the data be-
ing gathered — numbers
that are used to determine
how much federal funding
and how many congres-
sional seats are allotted to
states.
After the Supreme
Court’s decision, the
Census Bureau said field
operations would end on
Thursday.
At issue was a request
by the Trump adminis-
tration that the Supreme
Court suspend a lower
court’s order extending
the 2020 census through
the end of October follow-
ing delays caused by the
pandemic. The Trump ad-
ministration argued that
the head count needed to
end immediately to give
the bureau time to meet
a year-end deadline. Con-
gress requires the bureau
to turn in by Dec. 31 the
figures used to decide the
states’ congressional seats
— a process known as ap-
portionment.

Agent: Michigan, Virginia governors mentioned in kidnap plot

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
GRAND RAPIDS,
Mich. — Members of an-
ti-government paramil-
itary groups implicated
in an alleged plot to kid-
nap Michigan’s governor
ahead of the November
election because of her
measures to slow the coro-
navirus also discussed ab-
ducting Virginia’s gover-
nor, an FBI agent testified
Tuesday.
The disclosure came
during a federal court
hearing in Grand Rap-
ids, where agent Richard
Trask revealed new de-
tails about investigators’
use of confidential infor-
mants, undercover agents
and encrypted communi-
cation to thwart the pur-
ported scheme to abduct
Democratic Gov. Gretch-
en Whitmer.
A judge ordered three
of six men charged in the
case held without bond
until trial, delaying rul-
ings on two defendants.
Another was ordered re-
turned to Michigan from
Delaware.
“They discussed pos-
sible targets, taking a sit-
ting governor, specifically
issues with the governor
of Michigan and Virginia
based on the lockdown
orders” they had issued
to deal with the pandem-
ic, Trask said, referring
to a June 6 meeting in
Dublin, Ohio, attended
by roughly 15 members of
anti-government groups
from “four or five states.”
A criminal complaint said
at least two of the defen-
dants were among them.
It wasn’t immediately
clear if talk of targeting
Virginia’s Democratic
governor, Ralph Northam,
continued beyond the
meeting. Nothing from
the complaint or Trask’s
testimony indicated that
anyone had been charged
with plotting against
Northam.

SHS principal proposes changing grade configuration,
other restructures to curb low graduation rate
Increasing numbers of students
opting to return to classrooms;
SOCSD receives 4,200 Chromebooks
for distance learning
BY ISABELLE ALTMAN
ialtman@cdispatch.com
The prin-
cipals for
Starkville
High and
A r mst rong
Junior High
schools
presented
p r o p o s e d Savage
restructuring plans at
the Starkville-Oktibbe-
ha Consolidated School
District board meeting
Tuesday night, after SHS
Principal Howard Savage
reported the district’s
graduation rate fell below
85 percent in 2019.
“Starkville High
School for the first time
had under 85 percent
graduation rate,” Savage
said. “Based on the state
requirement, we had to
come up with a restruc-
turing plan on how (we
are) going to rectify this.”
His proposal included
looking at four areas to
reform: behavior, course
performance, attendance
and the school’s pro-
grams for students with
disabilities.
For the latter two, he
said administrators plan
to enforce correct docu-
mentation on attendance
records and individu-
alized education plans
(I.E.P.s) for students with
disabilities. Savage also
outlined a plan to correct
poor student behavior,
which included identify-
ing 65 students with mul-
tiple behavior infractions
and having them work
with counselors and ad-
ministrators to address
what’s causing those be-
havioral problems.
But the “biggie” was a
West Point
Continued from Page 1A
their teams.
It also would have
offered access to play-
ground equipment at Kid
Town Park, where Lisa
Klutts, director for the
West Point-Clay Coun-
ty Growth Alliance, had
agreed to monitor how
many people were allowed
in at any given time.
“If things are going
well, we can add to it,” Mc-
Brayer said of the reopen-
ing plan during the meet-
ing. “If it’s not going well,
we can take away from it.”
Ward 2 Selectman Wil-
liam Binder disagreed,
citing a rising number of
COVID-19 cases in Clay
County. As of 6 p.m. Tues-
day, the Mississippi State
Department of Health
website reports 642 total
confirmed cases in the
county since March and
20 deaths.
“I think on the side of
safety ... we should leave
them closed,” Binder said.
His view coincides with
the continuing recom-
mendation of the two-per-
son Parks and Recreation
committee, made up of
Ward 1 Selectman Leta
Turner and Ward 3 Select-
man Ken Poole.
Poole did not attend
AROUND THE STATE
Southern Miss unveils statue
honoring Oseola McCarty
HAT TIESBURG — The University of
Southern Mississippi on Friday unveiled
a new statue honoring Oseola McCarty.
McCarty worked for 75 years as a
washerwoman and donated the majority
of her life savings to the university after
her death in 1999 at the age of 91.
The unveiling of the statue on the
Hattiesburg campus coincided with the
25th anniversary of McCarty designat-
ing Southern Miss as the beneficiary of
the $150,000 planned gift, WDAM-TV
suggestion to complete-
ly restructure the school
grading system in a plan
to improve course perfor-
mance, Savage said.
Currently, 50 percent
of SHS students’ grades
are based on tests, while
30 percent is based on dai-
ly grades and 20 percent
is based on nine-week
exam grades — a system
which Savage said is “be-
hind the times” and which
other school districts are
moving away from.
He proposed making
daily grades worth 50 per-
cent of a student’s overall
grade, while tests and
nine-week exams would
each be worth 25 percent.
“What’s going on in
the daily operation of the
school, students must un-
derstand that what they do
each day in the classroom
is vital and is important,”
he said. “... Nine-weeks
exam is going to be indic-
ative of how well that stu-
dent pretty much did as it
relates to that nine weeks,
but letting students know
that you have to come to
school every day — work
in the classrooms — is
the most important thing
that is going to help us, in
my opinion, curb some of
our course performance
issues.”
Armstrong Princi-
pal Ra’Mon Forbes, who
presented his own sim-
ilar restructuring plan
since he said the junior
high school “feeds into”
the high school, said his
school would follow what-
ever the high school did
in terms of grading con-
figurations.
Both Savage and
Forbes said changing
Tuesday’s board meet-
ing, but Turner — while
opposing McBrayer’s
motion — said voting
for even a partial parks
reopening would “disre-
gard” committee input.
To that, Binder offered
a substitute motion to ta-
ble the matter until Poole
could be part of the pub-
lic discussion. Though
Ward 5’s Jasper Pittman
had seconded McBrayer’s
original motion, he ulti-
mately cast the deciding
vote to table it.
McDaniel told The
Dispatch he understands
both sides of the argu-
ment and would continue
to respect the commit-
tee’s and full board’s de-
cisions.
Since closing in
March, McDaniel said, all
gated access to the parks
has been shut, and his
staff even has removed
the rims and nets from
basketball goals.
Citizens are calling his
office asking when the
parks will reopen, he said.
And while he personally
wants to see the parks
buzzing again, McDaniel
has also been personally
impacted by COVID-19.
His father-in-law died
reported. The life-size bronze sculpture
is located on Weathersby Lawn in the
heart of campus and was created by art-
ist Ben Watts of Columbia, Mississippi.
It was commissioned by the USM Foun-
dation Board of Directors as a gift to the
university and installed on Tuesday.
More than 100 students have bene-
fited from the Oseola McCarty Scholar-
ship Endowment. I n conjunction with
the statue dedication and celebration,
a fundraising initiative is underway to
bring the endowment to $1 million, the
university said.
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
the grades to put more
focus on daily work in the
classroom will motivate
students to put in continu-
ous effort. Right now, be-
cause the district allows
students the opportunity
to retake tests when they
perform poorly, some of
them rely on those re-
takes.
“That’s one challenge
we’re having with stu-
de nt s ,”
Forbes said.
“They know
they have
the retest.
They know
they have
the second
chance. … Forbes
We want the
students to understand,
‘OK, the first time we
need to be prepared.’”
He pointed out motivat-
ing students to put in that
work in the classroom dai-
ly will also help teachers
identify students who are
actually struggling to un-
derstand material.
“Students are smart,”
Savage said. “Very smart.
Smarter than us, to be
honest. So if I’m a student
and I know that my test
grade is worth 50 percent,
and I know I can reteach
and retest, why would I
put forth maximum ef-
fort? I won’t have to.”
At the same time, he
said, the new grading
configuration would help
alleviate the pressure on
students who have testing
anxiety.
“I really feel like that
would be a game-chang-
er for our students and
teachers,” he said.
COVID-19 updates
During Tuesday’s
meeting, Superintendent
Eddie Peasant also ad-
dressed ongoing issues
raised by the COVID-19
pandemic.
At the beginning of the
semester, district admin-
from the virus, he said.
“Sports are my job, but
I also realize we are in un-
charted waters,” McDan-
iel said. “There’s no play-
book for this. The parks
committee has taken a
‘safety first’ approach,
and it’s hard to argue with
that. At the same time any
parks director wants to
see people be able to en-
joy the parks.
“I would just urge the
public to be patient and
hang in there,” he add-
ed. “We’re going to get
through this.”
Other Golden Triangle
cities, including Colum-
bus and Starkville, have
reopened their parks but
require citizens to follow
certain safety protocols,
such as social distancing
and wearing masks while
indoors.
Citywide curfew
In other business, the
board approved a mid-
night-5 a.m. citywide cur-
few for at least the next 30
days.
Police Chief Avery
Cook recommended the
curfew due to a recent
rash of violent crimes,
many of which he said
istrators offered parents
the option of having their
students learn virtually,
sending their students
to school for tradition-
al in-person learning
or, in the case of middle
school students and older,
having a hybrid system
where the students could
attend school a certain
number of days and do
virtual learning the rest
of the week.
However, difficulties
with everything from
student participation to
internet connectivity and
device issues resulted in
the district ditching the
hybrid structure by Oct.
5, and Peasant said “every
Monday” more and more
students are coming back
to classrooms for in-per-
son traditional learning.
Currently, Peasant told
The Dispatch, about 70
percent of the district’s
elementary school stu-
dents and 55 to 60 per-
cent of older students are
commuting to and from
campus for traditional
learning.
“They’ve both in-
creased probably by about
10 percent
(since the
b e g i n -
ning of
the year),”
Peasant
said.
Peasa nt
and board Peasant
members
agreed district admin-
istrators are being “ex-
tremely accommodating”
to parents who found vir-
tual learning more diffi-
cult than they anticipated,
since initially the district
had said elementary stu-
dents could not switch
learning options until af-
ter the first nine weeks
and older students not un-
til the second semester.
The increasing number of
in-person students is also
causing faculty and staff
involve minors and fire-
arms.
Over the weekend,
West Point police report-
ed four shootings into
dwellings, including one
where someone was in-
jured.
Cook indicated essen-
tial travel would be ex-
empt from the curfew, for
which the timeframe is
identical to a countywide
curfew already in place as
part of COVID-19 restric-
tions.
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 3A
to have to restructure
classrooms to enforce so-
but some people have
unrealistic expectations
cial distancing.
Peasant said admin-
due to the fact that either
they teach online at the
istrators will continue to university or they’ve tak-
monitor the situation and en an online class,” he
make sure students are said. “We’ve thrust these
all staying safe. teachers into a situation
He and his staff also that they didn’t sign up
hope virtual learning will for. I do my best and try
become easier for stu- to be as kind to these
dents and teachers in the parents as I can, but I’m
coming weeks because catching one side.”
on Tuesday, the district Peasant said he has
received a shipment of already asked teachers
4,200 Chromebooks paid to submit their feedback
for by part of the district’s to him, which he will pro-
CARES (Coronavirus vide the board at a future
Aid, Relief, and Economic meeting, and he will also
Security) Act money. invite some teachers to
Leanne Long, the speak to the board.
district’s director of in- “Everything that
structional technology you’ve said was correct,”
and distance learning, he said. “Teachers are not
said the district will cre- sitting back and trying to
ate and distribute an in- figure out what they can
structional video to help do for kids to fail. They’re
parents and students set
working their tails off. ...
up and use the Chrome-
They’re having to learn a
books next week, though
whole new skill set in or-
she did not give a timeline der to do this and contin-
for distributing the actual ue to do what they already
Chromebooks.
have been trained to do.”
She also said the
district will use about
$450,000 in CARES Act
funds to expand Wi-Fi
access throughout the
district to allow internet
access in parking lots,
at sporting facilities and
even maintenance facili-
ties.
Board member Wes-
ley Gordon requested the
board hear from teachers
who are having to teach
virtually at a future board
meeting, since currently
the board has heard most-
ly from parents about how
virtual learning is going.
“It seems to me we’re
doing the best we can,
SOLUNAR TABLE
The solunar period indicates
peak-feeding times for fish and game.
Wed. Thurs.
Major
Minor
10:43p
4:59a
—
6:06a
Major 11:08a 11:59a
6:41p
Minor 6:07p
Courtesy of Mississippi Department
of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
The Dispatch
Answers to common questions:
Phone: 662-328-2424
Website: cdispatch.com/help
Report a news tip: news@cdispatch.com
4A WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Retiree checks to rise 1.3 percent in 2021 amid virus fallout

Social Security Administration: Cost-of-living
increase amounts to an estimated $20 a
month for the average retired worker
BY RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
AND ANDREW TAYLOR
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Social Se-
curity recipients will get a mod-
est 1.3 percent cost-of living-in-
crease in 2021, but that might
be small comfort amid worries
about the coronavirus and its
consequences for older people.
The increase amounts to $20
a month for the average retired
worker, according to estimates
released Tuesday by the Social
Security Administration. That’s
a little less than this year’s 1.6
percent cost-of-living adjust-
ment, or COLA.
The COLA affects the person-
al finances of about 1 in 5 Amer-
icans, including Social Security
recipients, disabled veterans and
federal retirees, some 70 million
people in all.
The economic fallout from the
virus has reduced tax collections
for Social Security and Medi-
care, likely worsening their long-
term financial condition. But
there’s been no real discussion
of either program in the person-
ally charged election contest be-
tween President Donald Trump
and Democrat Joe Biden.
“It’s very difficult to talk
about anything policy-wise,” said
Mary Johnson, an analyst with
the nonpartisan Senior Citizens
League. “We are looking at a
period where there are growing
inadequacies in Social Security
benefits, particularly for people
with lower-to-middle benefits.”
With the just-announced
COLA, the estimated average
Social Security payment for a
retired worker will be $1,543 a
month next year. A typical cou-
ple’s benefits would increase $33
to $2,596 per month.
“The guaranteed benefits
provided by Social Security and
the COLA increase are more
crucial than ever as millions of
Americans continue to face the
one-two punch of the coronavi-
rus’s health and economic con-
sequences,” said AARP CEO Jo
Ann Jenkins.
But Diana LaCroix, of Oma-
ha, Nebraska, says her COLA
doesn’t cushion rising health
care costs most years. And she
has new responsibilities. Her
youngest daughter and two
grandsons moved in with her
this summer after the daugh-
ter’s landlord decided to sell the
house they were renting.
LaCroix, retired from cus-
tomer service jobs, is now buy-
ing diapers some days as she
scrounges for good deals on
hand sanitizer. “Something’s got
to give,” she said. “Something’s
got to change.”
People 65 and older went for
Trump in 2016, but this election
some polls show Biden even with
Trump among older voters, or
ahead.
Trump has kept his promise
not to cut Social Security ben-
efits, but this summer he sent
confusing signals with a plan to
temporarily suspend collection
of certain taxes that fund the pro-
gram. While the White House
staff said it was a limited measure
that would have no lasting impact,
Trump kept hinting to reporters
that he had much bigger tax cuts
in mind. Early in the year, he told
an interviewer he wanted to tack-
le “entitlements,” or benefit pro-
grams, in a second term.
Biden has a Social Securi-
ty plan that would revamp the
COLA and peg it to an inflation
index that more closely reflects
changes in costs for older people,
particularly health care.

COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
OBITUARY POLICY
Obituaries with basic informa-
tion including visitation and
service times, are provided
free of charge. Extended obit-
uaries with a photograph, de-
tailed biographical information
and other details families may
wish to include, are available
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,
the family must provide official
proof of death. Please submit
all obituaries on the form
provided by The Commercial
Dispatch. Free notices must
be submitted to the newspa-
per no later than 3 p.m. the
day prior for publication Tues-
day 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 received 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 information, call 662-
328-2471.
Rosie Bryant
ALICEVILLE, Ala.
— Rosie Bryant, 65,
died Oct. 10, 2020, at
her residence.
A home going
celebration will be at
11 a.m. Friday, at Mt.
Tabor Baptist Church
in Panola, Alabama.
Burial will follow in the
church cemetery. Visi-
tation will be from 2-5
p.m. Thursday, in the
James and Lola Laven-
der Memorial Chapel
of Lavender’s Funeral
Service. Lavender’s
AREA OBITUARIES
Funeral of Aliceville is
in charge of arrange-
ments.
Shaquita Franks
WEST POINT —
Shaquita Guido Franks,
32, died Oct. 6, 2020, at
Amory Gilmore Hos-
pital.
Graveside services
will be at 11 a.m. Thurs-
day, in Sykes Cemetery,
with Norman Jamison
officiating. Visitation
will be from 10:30-11
a.m. prior to services
Thursday, at Carter’s
Mortuary Services.
Carter’s Mortuary
Services of West Point
is in charge of arrange-
ments.
Mrs. Franks was
born Feb. 17, 1988, in
Tupelo, to Larry Gath-
ings and Sylvia Koonce.
She was formerly em-
ployed as a homemaker.
In addition to her
parents, she is survived
by her husband, Jus-
tin Franks; daughter,
Tresure K. Shelton;
siblings, Larry Antiuan
Guido, Darius Gard-
ner, Deionta Ivory,
DeWayne Koonce and
Hilda Bell Koonce.
Michelle McDaniel
FULTON — Mi-
chelle Hyland McDan-
iel, 55, died Oct. 8,
2020, in Tupelo.
A family graveside
service is at 10 a.m.
today, in Center Hill
Baptist Church Cem-
etery of Hamilton.
Tisdale-Lann Memo-
rial Funeral Home of
Aberdeen is in charge
of arrangements.
Mrs. McDaniel was
born July 20, 1965,
in Chicago, Illinois,
to Richard and Joyce
Hyland.
In addition to her
mother, she is survived
by her children, Justin
Imel of Tuscaloosa, Al-
abama, Chelsea Pickle
of Hamilton and Adam
McDaniel of Fulton; sib-
lings, Michael Hyland Eleanor King
Graveside Services:
of Hamilton and Steven Sunday, Oct. 18 • 2 PM
Neilsen of Tupelo; and Mt. Zion Cemetery
five grandchildren. 2nd Ave N. Location
She was preceded in
death by her husband,
Steven McDaniel.
After-school fun:
Boys and Girls Club memorialgunterpeel.com
244-7090

First lady unseen as Trump

restarts campaign after COVID-19
Mrs. Trump was last seen Sept. 29
accompanying the president to his
debate with Democratic presidential
candidate Joe Biden in Cleveland
BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — barks on a schedule of
President Donald Trump
and his wife received
their positive COVID-19
tests on the same day.
He’s already returned to
campaigning, but there’s
been no public sighting
yet of the first lady.
Melania Trump last
provided a health update
over a week ago after
in the campaign’s final
weeks remains an open
question as Trump em-
daily rallies through the
Nov. 3 election.
“My family is grate-
ful for all of the prayers
& support! I am feeling
good & will continue to
rest at home,” the first
lady tweeted Oct. 5, three
days after the president
announced they both had
the disease caused by the
ill or have a family mem-
ber impacted by the vi-
rus,” she said.
Mrs. Trump was last
seen Sept. 29 accompa-
nying the president to
Cleveland for his nation-
ally televised debate with
Democratic presidential
candidate Joe Biden.
Before that trip, she
attended a Sept. 26 gath-
ering in the White House
Rose Garden that is now
believed to have been a
“super spreader” event
for the virus. The presi-
dent introduced Supreme
Court nominee Judge
Amy Coney Barrett to
scores of guests who sat
close together, many with-
out face coverings. Sever-
ferred questions to the
White House.
A possible upside for
the White House in the
positive test results is that
they overshadowed the
release of audio record-
ings by Stephanie Win-
ston Wolkoff, a former
confidante and adviser
to the first lady, in which
Mrs. Trump was heard
complaining about having
to decorate the mansion
for Christmas. She also
was heard downplaying
the conditions in which
migrant children were
housed in U.S. detention
centers after the admin-
istration separated them
from their families at the
Mexico border.

saying her symptoms
were mild, and the White
House has not indicated
when she will make her
next public appearance.
What role she will play
AP-NORC poll: New angst for caregivers in time of COVID-19
1 in 20 caregivers has provided care
to someone infected with COVID-19
BY EMILY SWANSON
AND RICARDO ALONSO-
ZALDIVAR
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — to stay in the car. That’s
The coronavirus pan-
demic has thrust many
Americans into the role
of caring for an older or
disabled loved one for the
first time, a new poll finds.
And caregivers on the
whole say they’re encoun-
tering unexpected risks
and demands as a result of
the virus, requiring great-
er time and effort. Still,
they’re more worried
about the relatives and
friends they are helping
than about themselves.
The Associated Press-
NORC Center for Public
coronavirus and that they
would quarantine.
“Thank you to medical
staff & caretakers every-
where, & my continued
prayers for those who are
Affairs Research poll
finds that 17 percent of
Americans say they are
providing ongoing care-
giving, part of an informal
volunteer corps. About
1 in 10 caregivers has
begun since the virus
outbreak, and about half
of those say they are pro-
viding care specifically
because of the pandemic.
For Chad Reese, of
Canton, Ohio, caregiving
has coincided with the
pandemic. His mother-
in-law moved in with his
family shortly before the
outbreak as she was be-
ing treated for advanced
breast cancer. “It was a
natural thing for us to do,”
said Reese, technology di-
al guests later tested posi-
tive for COVID-19.
The first lady’s office
provided no update Tues-
day on her condition. The
president’s campaign re-
rector for a museum.
What didn’t feel quite
right is that they couldn’t
accompany his mother-in-
law to cancer treatments
because of coronavirus
protocols. “A lot of things
were lost in translation,”
said Reese. “One of us has
still going on to this day.”
Among those who
already were providing
care, 36 percent say their
responsibilities have in-
creased. Added responsi-
bilities are more keenly
felt by caregivers who’ve
lost jobs or income in
the pandemic. Forty-two
percent of those under
financial strain said their
caregiving responsibili-
ties increased, compared
with 25 percent of those
who are holding their own
economically.
The poll finds that 1
Wolkoff detailed her
falling out with Mrs.
Trump in a new book
the White House has
dismissed as full of “mis-
truths and paranoia.”
in 20 caregivers has pro-
vided care to someone
infected with COVID-19.
When unpacked, that
number reveals some so-
cial disparities. While 11
percent of nonwhite care-
givers say they’ve cared
for someone who got in-
fected, just 2 percent of
white caregivers have.
Part of an ongoing series,
the survey was funded by
The SCAN Foundation,
a nonprofit focused on
quality-of-life issues for
elders.
The fear of unwittingly
passing on the virus has
become a major preoccu-
pation for caregivers. In
the poll, 44 percent were
extremely or very con-
cerned about risks to the
person they care for, ver-
sus 28 percent who said
the same about their own
risks.
Norma Jordan
Norma Jean Jordan, 73, of
Columbus, MS passed away
on Sunday, October 11, 2020,
at Baptist Memorial Hospital -
Golden Triangle.
Mrs. Jordan was born on
December 9, 1946, in Moss
Point, MS to the late Lily Hurley
and Willie B. Hightower Jr. Mrs.
Jordan enjoyed spending time
with her family, decorating her
home, cooking, and gardening. She was baptized
as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses on April 15, 1969,
and she remained steadfast in her faith. In
addition to her parents, she is preceded in death
by her granddaughter, Tiffany Young.
Mrs. Jordan will forever remain in the hearts
of her family. She is survived by her husband of
57 years, Robert Wesley Jordan of Columbus,
MS. She is also survived by her three daughters,
Penny Johnson (Ellis) of Gilbert, AZ, Paula Young
(Steve) of Tupelo, MS and Julie Schmidli (Joe)
of Columbus, MS; grandchildren, Ashley Young,
Kelsie Perry, Derek Young, Kori Hale, Keaton
Johnson, Lexi Schmidli and Logan Schmidli;
great-grandchildren, Hudson Hale and Lennon
Perry. She is also survived by her brothers and
sisters, Jimmy, Edward, Dennis, Nolan, Melanie
and Jo Dawn; as well as many other extended
family members.
Mrs. Jordan was deeply loved by her family
and friends and will be greatly missed.
Compliments of
Lowndes Funeral Home
www.lowndesfuneralhome.net
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 5A

When school is home and home

is school, which rules prevail?
On social media, parents and teachers have mocked
rules about wearing shoes, keeping pets out of view
or banning food and drink during virtual lessons
BY K ATHLEEN FOODY
The Associated Press
CHICAGO — Toys that look like
weapons. Barefoot students. Dis-
ruptive imagery in the background.
Pets roaming the room. All a clear
violation of rules inside most Amer-
ican classrooms. But that was when
most American students were actu-
ally inside schools.
How do standards like these
translate when everyone is logging
on from home? Schools are strug-
gling to figure it out this fall — yet
another adaptation demanded of
educators during the coronavirus
pandemic.
In the learn-from-home world,
teachers and experts can easily
imagine the friction of extending
regular classroom discipline into
young people’s previously private
spaces.
Can students have posters vis-
ible in the background backing
social or political movements that
others disagree with or find racist?
Can they wear clothes at home that
are banned from classrooms? How
can a teacher respond when a stu-
dent says or does something that
the instructor deems rude, offen-
sive or threatening?
Weeks into the fall semester, a
growing number of school officials
are navigating those grey areas.
In Colorado, Maryland and Penn-
sylvania, school administrators
asked police to investigate separate
incidents of toy guns, BB guns and
a suspected rifle visible on video
feeds from students’ homes. The
actions raised complaints that they
had overreacted to something that
didn’t threaten either those stu-
dents or their classmates.
There’s more. A Florida school
district promised an investigation
of an apparent high school student
shouting racial slurs over a virtual
class session. A Texas teacher was
put on leave after parents noticed
her virtual classroom is decorat-
ed with (virtual) posters backing
LGBTQ rights and the Black Lives
Matter movement.
“So many of our legal standards
for speech at school are based on
the notion that there’s a limited
expectation of privacy when you’re
at school, and certainly the expec-
tation of privacy in your own home
is much more expansive,” says Mi-
randa Johnson, director of the Ed-
ucation Law and Policy Institute at
Loyola University.
“I think, under the circumstanc-
es, we have to be really mindful
of the ways in which discipline is
extending into the home environ-
ment,” she says.
She recommends that school
leaders evaluate whether a stu-
dent’s action disrupts learning —
and if it does, look for a way to ad-
dress it one on one.
“The ultimate goal should be to
avoid punitive or exclusionary con-
sequences, because students have
already had their education disrupt-
ed in so many different ways,” John-
son says.
It’s not easy when the lines are so
blurred. Standards that were never
in doubt inside school classrooms
have prompted pushback in some
communities. On social media, par-
ents and teachers have mocked lists
of rules about wearing shoes, keep-
ing pets out of view or banning food
and drink during virtual lessons. It
is, they say, school going too far and
reaching into private spaces.

Landlords getting squeezed between tenants, lenders

BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO ments. They can’t expect Property Group, is in talks lenders and tenants.
AP Retail Writer landlords to provide subsi- to buy J.C. Penney, a move Residential landlords
dized housing.” that would prevent the de- are also fighting back
NEW YORK — When The stakes are partic- partment store chain from against a Trump adminis-
it comes to sympathetic ularly high for small land- going under and causing tration eviction moratori-
figures, landlords aren’t lords, whether they own Simon to lose one of its um that protects certain
exactly at the top of the tenants through the end
commercial properties, biggest tenants. At the
list. But they, too, have fall- of 2020. At least 26 law-
such as storefronts, or res- same time, Simon is suing
en on hard times, demon- suits have been filed by
idential properties such as the Gap for $107 million in
strating how the coro- property owners around
apartments. Many are bor- back rent.
navirus outbreak spares
rowing money from rela- Michael Hamilton, a the country in places such
almost no one.
tives or dipping into their Los Angeles-based real es- as Tennessee, Georgia
Take Shad Elia, who
personal savings to meet tate partner at the law firm and Ohio, many of them
owns 24 single-family
their mortgage payments. O’Melveny & Myers, said claiming the moratorium
apartment units in the
The big residential and he expects to see more re- unfairly strains landlords’
Boston area. He says gov-
commercial landlords tail and other commercial finances and violates their
ernment stimulus bene-
have more options. For landlords going to court to rights.
fits allowed his hard-hit
tenants to continue to pay instance, the nation’s big- collect back rent as they
the rent. But now that the gest mall owner, Simon get squeezed between
aid has expired, with Con-
gress unlikely to pass a
new package before Elec-
tion Day, they are falling
behind.
Heading into a New En-
gland winter, Elia is wor-
ried about such expenses
as heat and snowplowing
in addition to the regular
year-round costs, like fix-
ing appliances and leaky
faucets.
Elia wonders how much
longer his lenders will cut
him slack.
“We still have a mort-
gage. We still have expens-
es on these properties,” he
said. “But there comes a
point where we will ex-
haust whatever reserves
we have. At some point, we
will fall behind on our pay-

NASA moon-landing
tech hitches ride to
space on Bezos rocket
BY MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL,
Fla. — Jeff Bezos’ Blue
Origin space company
launched a New Shepard
rocket for a seventh time
from a remote corner of
Texas on Tuesday, test-
ing new lunar-landing
technology for NASA that
could help put astronauts
back on the moon.
The entire flight —
barely skimming space
with a peak altitude of
66 miles — lasted just
10 minutes. The booster
landed vertically back at
the launch complex after
liftoff, and the capsule fol-
lowed, parachuting onto
the desert floor.
The capsule carried
science experiments, in-
cluding 1.2 million tomato
seeds that will be distrib-
uted to schoolchildren
around the U.S. and Can-
ada, and tens of thousands
of children’s postcards
with space-themed draw-
ings that will be returned
to the young senders.
Opinion
6A WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 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
Compared to national elections, local elections are refreshing
I
n an era where state and national
elections seem more toxic with ev-
ery passing cycle, the election cycle
that ended Tuesday was indeed a breath
of fresh air.
Starkville businessman Bart Wil-
liams and Lynn Wright, a retired educa-
tor from Lowndes County were chosen
to join the Mississippi Legislature
during special election runoffs Tuesday
evening.
Williams will represent District
15 in the Senate, filing the unexpired
term of Gary Jackson, who retired at
the end of the 2020 legislative session
while Wright will serve as the District
37 House of Representatives, replacing
Gary Chism, who also retired earlier
this year.
Williams defeated Joyce Yates of Eu-
pora in the runoff while Wright turned
back fellow Lowndes County resident
David Chism.
Those four candidates emerged from
the Sept. 22 election to earn their spots
in the runoff.
Throughout the long campaign, there
was little trace of the acrimony that so
often accompanies state and national
elections. All of the original seven can-
didates in the two races focused on what
they have to offer rather than any per-
ceived flaws of their competitors. That
seems to us a far more healthy approach
to what is, after all, a job interview.
In private business, an employer
would be horrified if a job candidate
were to spend his time during a job in-
terview running down other candidates.
The employer would expect the candi-
date to make his or her case for the job
and focus on what they could do to make
the company better.
We are happy the candidates in these
races took the latter approach.
We were also pleased with another
aspect of Tuesday’s election. Three of
the four runoff candidates were seeking
office for the first time. Only Wright,
who was twice elected as school super-
intendent, had ever held elected office.
While Williams proved to be the
only “newcomer” elected Tuesday, we
applaud the other five candidates who
ran for these offices. With municipal
elections approaching next year, we look
forward to seeing a diverse, energetic
slate of candidates for those elections as
well.
We congratulate Williams and
Wright on their success and thank all
of the other candidates, who may have
fallen short of their goal, but added their
voices and ideas to the process.

THE NATION CARTOONIST VIEW

Whitmer plot
and cultural
entitlement
W
hite people
often do not
understand
white people.
Granted, that’s a
counterintuitive claim.
But it is regularly
reinforced whenever
one hears decent white
Americans attempt to
rationalize the mis-
behavior of their less
decent kin. Leonard Pitts
One such effort
turned up on social me-
dia a few days ago. Walker Bragman, a freelance
journalist for, among others, The Huffington Post,
sought to explain why “far right and white nation-
alist groups” turn to violence. He tweeted what he
said were images of the home of Joseph Morrison,
one of the men recently arrested for plotting to
kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
The photos show a ramshackle yard strewn
with junk. There are two trucks, both of which
appear driveable, though one has damage to a
side panel. Two flags droop from poles. One is the
Stars and Bars.
“Can we acknowledge that maybe economic
circumstances play a role in radicalizing people?”
asks Bragman. In the face of skyrocketing job
loss, he argues, “of course we’re going to see
violence.” Bragman notes that, when asked about
“violence in inner cities,” people “correctly point
to economic conditions as a driving factor. But
when it comes to militancy in rural America, they
refuse to entertain a similar explanation.”
Interestingly, he never mentions the Con-
federate flag. Not that that’s the only flaw in his
argument. Bragman is correct when he says that
violence in the inner city — code for violence
among people of color — is usually linked to pov-
erty. Folks with secure financial prospects — for
that matter, folks with college educations — are
not usually found in street corner shootouts.
But here is where Bragman’s logic turns
as ramshackle as Morrison’s yard: Inner-city
violence — the violence of having too little, living
too close, enduring too much — almost always
stems from arguments, drug-trade disputes and
small-time street crime. But when have you ever
seen an inner-city gang conspire to overthrow
a government? Would news media dignify that
terror cell as it has dignified this one, by calling it
a “militia”?
Would anyone tie the crime to economic anxi-
ety?
The answers, in order: Never, no and no.
Urban violence is often a violence of survival,
often a violence of tragic idiocy. But what Morri-
son is accused of is a violence of cultural entitle-
ment, of the perceived loss of power and rank. It
is a violence of, Who is she to tell me to wear a
mask? A violence of, It’s getting so a white man
has no rights at all anymore. A violence of, Make
America great again.
One of the things white people tend not to un-
derstand about white people is how deep that re-
sentment, that fear of demotion, go. Granted, the
white poor have always been the ground troops of
that bitterness, the ones who threw the punches
and planted the bombs. But poverty did not cause
the bitterness or the violence. Rather, they stem
from a conviction that, by dint of color or culture,
one deserves the final and decisive word.
Bragman’s willingness to advance a flimsy
rationalization that steers away from that conclu-
sion is unfortunate but not surprising. In Ameri-
ca, we are taught to reflexively conflate whiteness
with innocence, primed to believe that if a Joseph
Morrison did what is alleged, there must be a
sympathetic reason.
That conflation embodies a luxury people of
color have never enjoyed — and white people of
conscience must learn to reject. Those pictures
make the case for a clean-up crew. They make the
case for a body shop. But the idea that Morrison
deserves pity because his yard’s a mess?
Sorry, but that case cannot be made.
Leonard Pitts Jr., winner of the 2004 Pulitzer
Prize for commentary, is a columnist for the Miami
Herald. Email him at lpitts@miamiherald.com.
THE PRESIDENT
The world’s brokest billionaire
S
eated at the
breakfast table,
scanning The
New York Times story
on Trump’s taxes, I
said to my husband,
“We have a greater
net worth than Donald
Trump.” He knitted his
brow.
I was thinking of
a story that Ivanka
Trump shared a while Mona Charen
back:
“I remember once
my father and I were walking
down Fifth Avenue and there was
a homeless person sitting right
outside of Trump Tower and I
remember my father pointing to
him and saying, ‘You know, that
guy has $8 billion more than me,’
because he was in such extreme
debt at that point, you know?”
In 2020, despite the dazzling
success of “The Apprentice,” in
which NBC was able to portray the that most of his assets are golf
failing and flailing trust fund boy
as a business genius, Trump again hammered by the coronavirus.
seems to be worth less than the
homeless guy on the street.
The New York Times report-
ing suggests that Donald Trump
owes something like $400 million
to creditors. Much of that debt
is coming due in the next four
years. Pause on the irony: Only
by pretending to be a successful
business tycoon on TV did Trump
actually achieve business suc-
cess — to the tune of $427 million
(including licensing deals). Yet,
even with a windfall like that, he
managed to lose it and is facing a
serious financial crisis in the near
future. And pause for a minute on
this coincidence: $400 million (in
today’s dollars) is almost exactly
the amount he is said to have in-
herited from his father. Trump al-
ways characterized this as a “small they didn’t collect on their side of
loan of a million dollars.” Had he
merely invested that fortune in
a stock index fund, he would be
worth upward of $30 billion today.
Instead, he invested in a series
of flamboyant flops: Trump steaks, vince themselves that Joe Biden is
Trump vodka, Trump
airlines, the Trump
Taj Mahal, Trump
magazine, Trump the
board game, Trump
mortgage, Trump
University, and on
and on. Did he have
successes? Sure, his
books hawking his
pretend business skills
were bestsellers. The
Miss Universe pageant
in Moscow earned him
a couple million. Some
of his real estate investments
continue to throw off income. But
it’s significant that his most sound
investments are in properties
owned and managed by others.
But surely a titan with his
assets shouldn’t have any trouble
paying off those loans, right? The
Times stories haven’t shed light on
his net worth. He may have prop-
erties he can sell. But it appears
courses and resorts that are being
Mar-a-Lago, Doral, Turnberry, the
Trump International Hotel in D.C.,
and others have lost vastly more
money than they have generat-
ed over the past decade — even
before the virus struck. That’s
why he has paid no income taxes
in forever.
Will it matter? Hard to say. I
venture to say that this is not like
the Stormy Daniels payoff. With a
few exceptions, the Christians who
supported Trump weren’t misled
into thinking he was a good or
even a minimally decent man. He
delivered the judges and policies
they liked, and no revelation about
his character will alter the con-
tours of that bargain.
Build-the-wall fanatics will not
be swayed either — even though
the deal.
People whose driving motive
is fear and loathing of the left
will not stumble over this news
either, even if they have to con-
secretly taking orders from Raul
Castro.
But there are other voters for
whom the image of Trump as
successful was key to his appeal.
A 2019 survey found that 54%
of Americans believed Donald
Trump had been a business
success. Other polls conducted
between 2016 and 2018 found that
many Americans were unaware
that Trump was not self-made.
Beyond admiration for what
they mistakenly thought was busi-
ness acumen, many were taken
with the idea that because Trump
was so rich, he was incorrupt-
ible. “He has so much money but
he’s waking up every morning to
campaign. He deeply cares about
America,” one voter told the BBC.
Now what? If Trump is reelect-
ed, he will face a reckoning on a
mountain of debt. Not only is he
not too rich to be bought, he may
well be too poor to turn anyone
away. Doubtless, there would be
sovereign wealth funds from plac-
es like Qatar and oligarchs from
precincts like Russia and China
who would be ready, in exchange
for favorable U.S. policies, to help
Trump retire that debt. Because
Trump has been so dishonest and
so opaque about his business deal-
ings, the American people might
never know what was exchanged.
Trump speaks to Putin frequently
and permits no notes.
No person with even a fraction
of Trump’s indebtedness would be
granted a security clearance in the
U.S. government.
There are voters out there who
voted for Trump once but are not
now and never were part of the
Trump cult. Because they gave
their support provisionally, they
have no emotional investment in
proving that they were right and
the Trump critics were wrong.
How many are there? We are about
to find out. Even a small percent-
age could make all the difference.
Mona Charen is a Senior Fellow
at the Ethics and Public Policy
Center.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 7A

Fighting in swing states, Trump

also forced to play defense
President visited Pennsylvania Tuesday, arguably
the most important state on the electoral map,
unleashing attacks on Biden’s fitness for office
BY JONATHAN LEMIRE, WILL
WEISSERT, KEVIN FREKING
AND BILL BARROW
The Associated Press
WA S H I N G T O N
— President Don-
ald Trump is being
forced to play Elec-
toral College defense
with a trip to Iowa, a
state he won handi-
ly in 2016 but where
Trump
Democrat Joe Biden
is making a late push.
Trump’s heavy travel this week,
including his rally Wednesday in
Des Moines, reflects his uphill
climb three weeks before the elec-
tion. He has already visited Penn-
sylvania and Florida and will head
to another battleground state he
likely can’t win without — North
Carolina — as well as those he once
thought were in his grasp but where
recent polling shows Biden improv-
ing — Iowa and Georgia.
Both candidates tailored their
campaigning Tuesday to best mo-
tivate voters who could cast poten-
tially decisive ballots.
Biden went to Florida to court
older voters, looking to deliver a
knockout blow in a state Trump
needs to win while trying to woo a
group whose support for the presi-
dent has slipped. And Trump visit-
ed Pennsylvania, arguably the most
important state on the electoral
map, unleashing fierce attacks on
Biden’s fitness for office in his op-
ponent’s backyard.
“He’s shot, folks. I hate to tell
you, he’s shot,” Trump told a big ral-
ly crowd in Johnstown, saying there
was extra pressure on him to win
because Biden was the worst pres-
idential candidate of all time. “Can
you imagine if you lose to a guy like
this? It’s unbelievable.”
In his second rally since con-
tracting the novel coronavirus,
Trump spoke for more than an hour
to thousands packed in tightly and
mostly maskless. Like the night
before in Florida, Trump seemed
healthy, and his rhetoric on the
pandemic — including the dubious
claim that it was mostly a thing of
the past — changed little despite
his own illness, except for his threat
to kiss audience members to prove
his immunity.
Trump made a local pitch, ham-
mering home the false claim that
a Biden administration would limit
fracking in areas where the econo-
my is heavily dependent on energy.
Biden’s proposal would only bar
new leases on federal land, a frac-
tion of U.S. fracking operations.
Touting his elimination of a federal
rule that would have brought more
low-income housing to the suburbs,
Trump zeroed in on groups whose
support he has struggled to retain,
including female voters turned off
by his rhetoric.
“So I ask you to do me a favor.
Suburban women: Will you please
like me? Please. Please. I saved
your damn neighborhood, OK?”
Trump said. “The other thing: I
don’t have that much time to be that
nice. You know, I can do it, but I got-
ta go quickly.”
Biden spent the day in Flori-
da, his third visit to the state in a
month, looking to expand his in-
roads with older voters. To Trump,
“you’re expendable, you’re forgetta-
ble, you’re virtually nobody,” Biden
said at a senior center in Pembroke
Pines, about 20 miles from Fort
Lauderdale.
The “only senior Donald Trump
seems to care about” is himself,
Biden added.

Report: Social media influencers push voting misinformation

‘What’s happening right now is
these incidents are being framed
in misleading ways that exaggerate
their impact on the election’
Election Integrity Partnership researcher Kate Starbird
BY AMANDA SEITZ
The Associated Press
CHICAGO — Social
media influencers, par-
tisan news outlets and
even President Donald
Trump’s son are driv-
ing the spread of online
misinformation swirling
around the U.S. vote,
casting doubt on this
social media accounts
are using isolated or old
stories and photos about
voting mishaps to cre-
ate widespread concern
about the election sys-
tem, said Kate Starbird,
an associate professor of
Human-Centered Design
and Engineering at the
University of Washing-
“SHOCKING: 1,000+
mail-in ballots found in a
dumpster in California,”
the post said.
That tweet was wrong
and later deleted. A
spokesperson for Trump
Jr. did not immediately
provide on-the-record
comment about the inac-
curate tweet.
Ballots in Sonoma
County hadn’t even been
mailed out yet, and the
photo was taken in 2018
of ballots that were prop-
erly disposed of after the
election, county officials
wrote in a Facebook post
last month. Still, the claim
continues to circulate in
is working to curb elec-
tion-related misinfor-
mation by including a
label on posts about vot-
ing that directs users to
state board of election
websites, for example.
The platform also enlists
the help of fact-checking
organizations to investi-
gate false or misleading
claims around voting and
covers those posts if they
are found to be untrue.
The Associated Press is
part of that fact-checking
initiative.

Have you checked the

year’s election and pre-
maturely raising suspi-
cions about the accuracy
ton who is part of the re-
some form online. The
search group.
photo was also shared
“What’s happening
widely by conservative

of its results.
Legitimate U.S. social
media accounts are shar-
ing false claims of voter
fraud, misleading photos
of ballots being dumped
in the trash and stoking
fears of violence at the
polls on Election Day, ac-
cording to new research
right now is these inci-
dents are being framed
in misleading ways that
exaggerate their impact
on the election,” Starbird
said.
In one example, a pho-
to purporting to show
stacks of ballots sitting in
a dumpster made its way
Classifieds?
social media influencers,
some of whom have thou-
sands of followers.
Another image of mail
bins and envelopes sitting
on the side of the road
was used in a viral meme
shared by Facebook, Ins-
tagram and Twitter users
that claimed, “They are

from the Election Integ-
rity Partnership, a group
of some of the world’s top
misinformation research-
ers.
to social media from con-
servative news outlets
before being retweeted
on the Twitter account
of Donald Trump Jr., the
EmploymEnt
finding Trump ballots
thrown away all over the
place.” The photo, in fact,
was taken of abandoned
mail bins in 2018.

BUSInESS
In some cases, those president’s eldest son. Facebook has said it

Cut cable shuts down Virginia voter portal; lawsuit filed

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RICHMOND, Va. —
An accidentally severed
fiber optic cable that shut
department’s citizen por-
tal and registrar’s offices.
The cable was inadver-
tently cut during a Ches-
terfield County roadside
lambasted state officials
REntalS
REal EStatE
for the technological fail-
ure. The day of the dead-
line is when many Virgin-
ians decide to register,

down Virginia’s online
voter registration system
for several hours Tues-
day, the last day to reg-
ister before the Novem-
utilities project, accord-
ing to the state’s informa-
tion technology agency.
Six hours later, the
Department of Elections
GaRaGE SalES
particularly after being
reminded on social media
and in the news.
The Lawyers’ Com-

ber general election, has
prompted a lawsuit from a
civil rights organization.
The Virginia Depart-
issued a statement saying
the portal was back on-
line. But the fallout led to
concerns that voters were
mERchandISE
mittee for Civil Rights
Under Law filed a lawsuit
Tuesday night saying
voter registration must

ment of Elections said in
a statement on Twitter
that a “fiber cut” affected
connectivity for multiple
agencies, including the
being disenfranchised at
a crucial moment.
Voting advocates said
the accident couldn’t have
come at a worse time and
VEhIclES
be extended for 48 hours
and that the state should
make “a significant ef-
fort” to tell the public
about the change.

commUnIty
Despite virus fears, Texas sends most voters to the polls
BY ACACIA CORONADO
Report for America/Associated
Texas is one of just five as’ high stakes in Novem-
SERVIcES
states that did not dramat- ber were front-of-mind in

Press
HOUSTON — Early
voting began Tuesday
with long lines in Tex-
as, one of the few places
ically expand mail-in vot-
ing this year because of
COVID-19. And hours be-
fore polls opened, Repub-
lican Gov. Greg Abbott’s
order limiting counties to
lEGalS
Jill Biden’s first stop, the
border city of El Paso,
where Abbott has de-
ployed more nurses and
medical equipment as
cases and hospitalizations

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widespread mail balloting box was upheld by a fed- her husband, former Vice
during the pandemic, and eral appeals court, stop- President Joe Biden, she

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ers across the red state
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reopening.
Both the virus and Tex-
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was due to end her 800-
mile swing across Texas
in Houston, with a stop in
Dallas in between.
8A WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020
Election
Continued from Page 1A
tibbeha County: 2,092
to 1,037. This majority
withstood Yates outper-
forming him in her native
Webster County, 1,529 to
1,046, and in Montgom-
ery County, where Yates
received 232 votes and
Williams received 131.
Waiting for the Choc-
taw County results “was
an eternity,” since it took
more than an hour after
the other three counties
reported their results,
Williams said. He nar-
rowly outpaced Yates
with 798 votes to her 722
there.
The initial four-per-
son contest for the open
Senate seat on Sept. 22
did not produce a major-
ity vote winner, but Wil-
liams and Yates qualified
for the runoff with 33.6
percent and 27.9 percent
of the vote, respectively.
They defeated Oktibbeha
County Supervisor Brick-
lee Miller and Ackerman
business owner Levon
Murphy Jr.
Yates is the former
director of the Health
Promotion and Wellness
Program for students at
Mississippi State Univer-
sity. She told The Dis-
patch she was “at peace”
and fully supports Wil-
liams now that the elec-
tion is over.
“We ran a good race,
we enjoyed meeting peo-
ple and reacquainting
with people and I’m at
total peace,” Yates said.
“We wouldn’t have done
anything different than
we did, and I look forward
to tomorrow.”
House District 37
Outside Lowndes
County Circuit Clerk’s
Office, David Chism fist-
bumped his opponent,
Lynn Wright, to concede
in the House District 37
special election runoff
Tuesday night.
“I will be supporting
you. I will be praying for
you,” Chism told Wright.
“When I call, I hope you’ll
answer the phone.”
Wright, former super-
intendent of Lowndes
County School District,
Hyde-Smith
Continued from Page 1A
polling suggests a much
closer race.
Even so, Hyde-Smith
spent much of her
20-minute speech prais-
ing the record of Trump
and her support for it.
The website FiveThir-
tyEight calculated Hyde-
Smith’s voting support of
Trump’s positions at 94.5
percent.
Even as Trump’s poll-
ing numbers decline na-
tionally, Hyde-Smith’s
support remained enthu-
siastic in a state where
the president remains
popular.
Hyde-Smith touted
Trump’s handling of the
economy, his leadership
in speeding up progress
on a COVID-19 vaccine
and his appointments
of conservative judges,
including Amy Coney
Barrett, who is currently
facing confirmation hear-
ings in the Senate Judi-
ciary Committee.
“President Trump
came in with an America
First, pro-growth agen-
da,” Hyde-Smith told her
audience. “I have sup-
ported President Trump’s
economic agenda, which
in 2019 pushed median in-
comes to an all-time high
and led poverty rates to
an all-time low before
the pandemic. This man
knows how to lead us
through economic uncer-
tainty. He’s proven that
over and over again.”
According to the Eco-
nomic Policy Institute,
household income in
1999 was higher than in
2018.
Despite the pandem-
ic, Hyde-Smith said the
nation is well on the way
David Chism, left, concedes to Lynn Wright in the House District 37 race outside the
Lowndes County Circuit Clerk’s Office Tuesday night. “I will be supporting you, I will
be praying for you,” Chism told Wright. “When I call, I hope you’ll answer the phone.”
had just prevailed in the
race in both Lowndes and
Clay counties. Although
Chism carried Oktibbeha
County, Wright still won
the state House race by a
landslide, according to in-
complete totals obtained
by The Dispatch.
Wright defeated
Chism 1,544-875, accord-
ing to unofficial totals.
The margin does not in-
clude at least 66 absentee
votes from Clay County
or affidavits from Clay
and Lowndes, the total of
which will not change the
outcome. Those ballots
will be counted today.
In Lowndes County,
Wright received 1,171
(69.9 percent) of the to-
tal votes, whereas Chism
only received 501 (29.9
percent). Chism led
Wright by a narrow mar-
gin in Oktibbeha Coun-
ty, receiving 185 (55.4
percent) of the votes and
leaving Wright trailing at
149 votes (44.6 percent).
Wright also won the
in-person votes in Clay
County 224-189.
Upon learning of his
victory in Lowndes and
Clay, Wright said he ap-
preciates the blessing
from God and support
from his family, friends
to economic recovery,
thanks to Trump’s lead-
ership.
“We have a lot of evi-
dence that we are going
in the right direction,”
Hyde-Smith said. “Over
the past four months,
more than 10 million jobs
were added back to our
economy. The 7.9 percent
jobless rate is just not ac-
ceptable, but it’s half of
the predictions that we
thought it would be.”
In April, the Congres-
sional Budget Office pro-
jected the unemployment
rate for the second quar-
ter to be 14 percent.
For her part, Hyde-
Smith said she is proud of
her achievements since
being appointed to the
Senate to fill Thad Co-
chran’s unexpired term
in March 2018. She won
a special election to the
post later that year.
“There’s a lot of dra-
ma in Washington these
days,” Hyde-Smith said.
“But here’s the deal: I
just don’t get caught up in
the everyday Capitol Hill
drama. … I’m focused
completely on my work
for you. As a result we’ve
achieved some very big
things for Mississippi. A
lot of folks will tell you
that getting a bill through
Congress won’t happen
right away. They’ll say,
‘You senators have to
bide their time,’ but that’s
just not how I operate.’”
According to Gov-
track.us, Hyde-Smith has
been the primary spon-
sor of two bills that have
been enacted into law
since her arrival.
Hyde-Smith said she’s
supported efforts to pro-
cdispatch.com
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
Yue Stella Yu/Dispatch Staff
and campaign workers. But after learning of
He said he will strive to the results in Clay, he
listen to voters’ concerns said it might be clear
and meet with communi- Wright would be the win-
ty leaders when he begins ner. Although he lost the
his job as a House repre- election, he said he en-
sentative beginning in joyed the journey.
January 2021. “I’ve had fun with
He will fill the unex- this,” David said. “It’s
pired term of Gary Chism, been an enjoyable expe-
who retired in June. The rience, but it’s also been
term will end in 2023. exhausting.”
When he arrives in He said he supports
Jackson, Wright said he Wright “100 percent.”
will focus on securing “Lynn Wright is a rock
more funding for K-12 ed- star,” he said. “He’s ex-
ucation and workforce de- tremely energetic and
velopment programs. He he’s a good man and he’s
will also work on raising sincere. … And that res-
teacher salaries, he said, onates with people. They
and advocating for roads want someone who is
and bridges repairs. real.”
“We’ve got to continue District 37 includes
to get our students to get parts of Lowndes, Oktib-
prepared for college, but beha and Clay counties.
also we’ve got to teach Wright nearly earned a
them workforce skills,” majority in the three-per-
Wright said of the im- son race on Sept. 22,
portance of education. which included Vicky
“Career technology is so Rose of West Point, who
important today.” finished third. But Wright
Having just learned of finishing with just less
his loss in Lowndes Coun- than 50 percent forced
ty, David Chism, who said the runoff.
he had been campaigning
all day “under the sun,”
told The Dispatch he was
not going to give up yet.
“It’s a steep hill to
climb,” he said. “But I’m
not going home.”
vide more funding for
military shipbuilding in
Mississippi as well as
funding for rural health
care and agriculture.
She said she is continu-
ing to push for a balanced
budget amendment.
Since her arrival in
the Senate, the federal
deficit has grown by $5.7
trillion.
“I will continue to push
for my balanced budget
amendment because we
need to live within our
means,” she said. “But
it’s not easy.”
Hyde-Smith didn’t
mention her opponent by
name, but painted Espy,
a former Clinton cabinet
member, as “the most lib-
eral candidate the state
has ever seen.”
Espy is seeking to
become the state’s first
Black U.S. Senator since
the end of Reconstruc-
tion.
Hyde-Smith said she
pays little attention to
criticism she’s attracted.
She has been criti-
cized for rarely taking
questions from the me-
dia, refusing to debate
Espy as the Nov. 3 elec-
tion approaches and fail-
ing to hold a town hall
meeting with her constit-
uents since becoming a
senator.
“People say, ‘How do
you take this?’ It’s just
noise, that’s all it is,” she
said. “I’ve been at this a
while. I don’t put a whole
lot of stock in it.”
Hyde-Smith left the
luncheon before its con-
clusion and was not
available for questions
from the media after her
speech.
Sports HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
SPORTS LINE
662-241-5000
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020
B
SECTION

NEW HOPE POWERS UP FOR SWEEP OF CLEVELAND

CENTRAL IN FIRST-ROUND PLAYOFF MATCH
BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
NEW HOPE — Micae-
la Hudgins finished the
block, turned to face her
teammates and flashed a
look that conveyed a sim-
ple message.
Bring it on.
The New Hope senior
middle blocker has al-
ways found being able to
meet an opponent at the
net and rebut a shot “elec-
tric,” and the play she
made to capture the final
point of the first set of
Tuesday’s MHSAA Class
5A first-round playoff
match against Cleveland
Central was no different.
“It’s really like an en-
ergy-builder on a team,”
Hudgins said. “If you
come off and celebrate
really loud, it can really
build some momentum.”
After the point,
Hudgins and the Trojans
let out an exhilarated
scream that reverberated
through the New Hope
gym. Then they got to
work.
New Hope (18-6-1) lost
just two points in the sec-
ond set, swept the third
set and sealed off an em-
phatic first-round win
over Cleveland Central on
Tuesday. Set scores were
25-13, 25-2 and 25-0 as
the Trojans advanced to
Saturday’s second-round
match against Center
Hill.
“I think we played
great tonight,” New Hope
coach Allison Woolbright
said.
She admitted her team
came out a little slow in
the first set, at least partly
because it hadn’t played a
match since being swept
at Starkville eight days
prior. The Trojans weren’t
their usual selves in the
opening minutes, leading
just 11-8 roughly halfway
through. But Hudgins
and senior outside hitter
Daylyn Nettles fired up
the team and the home
crowd, delivering big kills
en route to the set victory.
Woolbright said the
effort and energy she saw
from the Trojans from
there on out was some-
thing she hoped for pri-
or to the match. Earlier
Tuesday, the team held a
devotional in which Mt.
Vernon Church student
pastor Brandon Allen
talked about turning on
the “juice” when New
Hope needed to.
“That was really moti-
vating, and I think that he
helped kind of tie into it
all,” Woolbright said.
The Trojans were ful-
ly juiced up by the time
Hudgins’ block at the end
of the first set hit the hard-
wood, and they showed it
in remarkably quick sec-
ond and third sets.
Freshman setter An-
nie Woolbright served
and won the first 17 points
for the Trojans in the sec-
ond, fooling the Wolves’
returners so badly that
they shied away from
multiple serves and let
them touch the floor for
mystifying aces. Hudgins
hit a ball long to end the
New Hope run, but she
came right back with a
well-placed kill on the Theo DeRosa/Dispatch Staff
very next point — one of New Hope senior middle blocker Micaela Hudgins delivers a kill for the Trojans in the
her team-leading 12 kills first set of Tuesday’s first-round playoff match against Cleveland Central. The Trojans
swept the Wolves and will face Center Hill on Saturday.
on the night.
“I owe it to my team- on McBrayer held serve enough to do what New ative ease with which
mates to be able to shake for New Hope in the third Hope did in the third. the Trojans dispatched
that kind of thing off and set, never once having to “Once we can see that the Wolves, Woolbright
not worry about it for relinquish the ball to a we can beat a team that remained concerned.
too long and just get my teammate as she and the much, it’s kind of our goal She knew with a win,
head back in the game,” Trojans won every single to do it again,” she said. New Hope’s home sec-
Hudgins said. point. McBrayer finished “We don’t want to let them
ond-round match at 6 p.m.
The Trojans won sev- with nine aces, while An- get too far ahead and kind
Saturday would likely be
en of the following eight nie Woolbright had eight. of slow down our game,
points to take the set at Hudgins said her because then we have to against Center Hill, the
25-2, and they didn’t slow team’s decisive win in the pick it back up.” defending Class 5A cham-
down. Sophomore Madys- second set was motivation But despite the rel- See VOLLEYBALL, 2B

MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL Braves

MSU chasing defensive ‘identity’ as its production ranks among nation’s best hang on
for 2-0
NLCS lead
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ARLINGTON, Texas
— Freddie Freeman and
Ozzie Albies homered
again, rookie Ian Ander-
son extended his postsea-
son scoreless streak in an
abbreviated start and the
Atlanta Braves just held
on for an 8-7 win over the
Los Angeles Dodgers
on Tuesday night and a
2-0 lead in the National
League Championship
Series.
See BRAVES, 3B

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Feleipe Franks (13) makes a pass as he is hit by Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive end Marquiss Spencer
(42) during the fourth quarter on Oct. 3 at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field.
BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com
STARKVILLE — the opening-week depth
Zach Arnett isn’t one to
mince words. There’s
a brutal honesty to Ar-
nett’s verbiage day to day.
In press conferences,
he’s gruff but poignant.
He tells it how it is. He’s
unafraid to call out his
group for a lack of effort
or that a performance
wasn’t up to snuff.
“(We) did some good
things, did a nice job
there during the fourth
quarter getting off the
field, getting third down
stops and forcing punts
— got a turnover in
there,” Arnett said fol-
lowing MSU’s Week 2
loss to Arkansas. “But
obviously there were
some mistakes that cost
us points.”
While Arnett’s con-
cerns over said mistakes
— coverage breakdowns
and missed tackles —
were valid, his defense,
on paper, has been close
to perfect compared to
expectations heading
into the fall.
Just two years re-
moved from a unit that
boasted three first-round
NFL draft picks, this
year’s group under Ar-
nett’s guidance is per-
haps more impressive.
The Bulldogs had to re-
place seven starters from
last season but have im-
proved in their absence.
After leading the na-
tion in total defense in
2018, the Bulldogs re-
gressed to No. 73 nation-
ally in 2019, allowing just
a tick under 400 yards per
game. With linebacker
Willie Gay Jr. and corner-
back Cameron Dantzler,
among others, now off
to the NFL, MSU sits as
the nation’s No. 6-ranked
team against the run and
Matt Bush/USA TODAY Sports
No. 23 against the pass
despite a roster that saw
12 underclassmen on
chart.
“Everybody is just
coaching us up real well
and guys are not play-
ing scared or anything
like that,” sophomore
linebacker Aaron Brule
said following a Week 1
win over LSU. “Every-
body feels like they be-
See MSU, 3B
West Point
suffers big
drop in new
MS HS
football poll
BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
The West Point High
School football team’s
first home loss since 2015
cost it in the state and
MHSAA Class 5A rank-
ings this week when the
new Associated Press
Mississippi high school
football poll was released
Tuesday afternoon.
Nine Mississippi me-
dia outlets, including The
Commercial Dispatch,
were polled on the top five
teams in each class and
the top 10 overall.
See POLL, 3B
2B WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Issues pile up with Dodgers in 0-2 NLCS hole against Braves

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARLINGTON, Tex-
as — Former ace Clay-
ton Kershaw is having
more back issues, Kenley
Jansen hasn’t seen the
mound yet with his clos-
ing role unclear and base-
ball’s highest-scoring of-
fense stayed silent until it
was too late.
It’s no wonder the Los
Angeles Dodgers are
down 2-0 in the NL Cham-
pionship Series to the At-
lanta Braves, a deficit the
previous 14 NL teams to
face in the best-of-seven
format couldn’t overcome.
The Dodgers, who
won their first five playoff
games before dropping
their second straight 8-7
on Tuesday night, can’t
get in gear in the first neu-
tral-site NLCS and could
be headed to 32 years and
counting since their last
championship.
Los Angeles trails 2-0
in an NLCS for the first
time since 2013, when it
lost in six games to St.
Louis. The Dodgers have
returned to the postsea-
son every year since, fin-
ishing short of a title each
time.
At least LA showed
some life late after trail-
ing 7-0 on Tuesday.
Corey Seager drove in
four runs in the final three
innings with a homer and
a double, while Mookie
Betts, Max Muncy and
Cody Bellinger each had
his first hit of the series
in a four-run ninth-inning
rally that fell short.
“I thought that just
late, us showing some life
offensively was very good
to see,” manager Dave
Roberts said. “To see us
fighting, that was a good
thing.”
Kershaw was
scratched because of
back spasms not long be-
fore the left-hander was to
make his second appear-
ance — both in the play-
offs the past week — a few
miles from the three-time
Cy Young Award winner’s
hometown of Dallas. Tony
Gonsolin filled in, pitch-
ing three perfect innings
in his postseason debut
before allowing five runs
while getting just four
more outs.
Roberts said right-
hander Julio Urías would
start Game 3 and was non-
commital on Kershaw for
Game 4.
“If Clayton continues
to feel better, then we’ll
see,” Roberts said.
For six innings, not
even periodic chants of
“Let’s go, Dodgers” from
the pandemic-reduced,
mostly masked crowd of
10,624 could help in the
second game with fans
this season. The first was
the series opener in the
new 40,518-seat home of
the Texas Rangers.
With the bases loaded
and two outs in a score-
less game in the third,
Smith bounced into a
force out at third base.
The Dodgers, who led the
majors in runs during the
regular season, didn’t put
more than one runner on
base in an inning again
until they trailed 7-0 in
the seventh.
Then LA finally gave
Dodgers fans a reason to
get loud.
“I think all night we
took better ABs,” Seager
said. “We go through the
middle parts of the in-
nings last night and kind
of the ABs got away from
us, had some quick in-
nings. All tonight, we had
really good ABs and just
continue that tomorrow.”
Seager’s three-run ho-
mer in the seventh inning
provided LA’s first runs,
and his double in the
ninth drove home Betts,
whose first hit of the se-
ries was a single.
Muncy’s two-run ho-
mer pulled the Dodgers
within two and forced At-
lanta to use closer Mark
Melancon. Bellinger’s
triple scored Will Smith
before AJ Pollock hit a
game-ending groundout
to third.
“For us to be able to get
Melancon in the game, in
a game like this when we
were down 7-0, I thought
was big,” Roberts said.
“To see some other arms
that we hadn’t seen yet in
the series I thought was
important.”
The NL’s best bullpen
faltered for the second
straight night, this time
early instead of late after
the Dodgers gave up four
runs in the ninth inning
of a 5-1 loss in the opener.
LA tied an LCS record by
allowing four walks in an
inning, two by Gonsolin
and two from lefty reliev-
er Pedro Báez in Atlanta’s
four-run fifth.
There was still no
sign of Jansen, the cut-
ter-throwing right-hander
who was bypassed with
the score tied in the ninth
inning of the opener.
The club’s career leader
in saves has been strug-
gling with velocity and
command, and he hasn’t
pitched since he couldn’t
finish LA’s Game 2 win
in the Division Series
against San Diego.
Alex Wood gave up
a run on two hits while
walking two and hitting a
batter in the left-hander’s
first postseason appear-
ance since 2018, when he
came out of the bullpen
nine times. Lefty Adam
Kolarek surrendered
Ozzie Albies’ second
ninth-inning homer of the
series.
“I think we did a good
job of getting other guys
in there to get their feet
wet as far as in this se-
ries, to not stress them,
for them to be available
in the coming days,” Rob-
erts said of what will be
the first NLCS without
days off in 42 years. “You
just can’t play every game
regardless of score like
it’s life or death in a sev-
en-game series.”
Despite the late rally,
it’s getting close to that
for the Dodgers.
Altuve’s throwing yips
hurt Astros again in
Game 3 of ALCS
SAN DIEGO — José
Altuve has an undeni-
able case of the yips, and
it’s hurting the Houston
Astros badly in the play-
offs.
The second baseman
committed his fourth
throwing error of the
postseason and third of
the AL Championship
Series on Tuesday night
in the sixth inning of
Game 3 against the Tam-
pa Bay Rays.
Altuve also made two
throwing errors in Game
2 of the series, contrib-
uting significantly to
the Astros’ 5-2 loss. The
six-time All-Star’s three
errors in the last two
games led directly to
five runs while prolong-
ing rallies that would
have been largely shut
down by solid defensive
play.
In Game 3, Altuve
fielded Brandon Lowe’s
grounder at second and
then botched a routine
toss to second base on
an attempted forceout
of Randy Arozarena,
bouncing his throw past
shortstop Carlos Cor-
rea into left field with
a noticeably unnatural
throwing motion.
With two runners
on base, the Astros re-
moved starter José Ur-
quidy, who had been
pitching well before Al-
tuve’s mistake.
Tampa Bay promptly
capitalized with back-to-
back singles to take the
lead. Joey Wendle’s two-
run single with the bases
loaded put the Rays up
2-1, and it was 5-1 by the
time the inning finally
ended.
Altuve bounced two
throws to first from
shallow right field while
playing in a defensive
shift in Game 2. After
his second error, Cor-
rea took Altuve’s normal
spot in the Astros’ shift,
and he retained the spot
in Game 3.
“You just hope he isn’t
getting the yips, because
invariably they come in
bunches,” said Houston
manager Dusty Baker,
who gave Altuve a hug
in the dugout after the
third inning Monday.
“Everything comes in
bunches. I just told him
to flush it. This guy has
been awesome for us.
You’ve got to flush it and
move on, or else it mul-
tiplies. I’m sure he’ll do
that.”
Altuve also made a
throwing error in Game
2 of the first-round se-
ries against Minnesota.
He committed only four
errors during the regu-
lar season for Houston,
which led the majors
with a .991 fielding per-
centage.

Tannehill scores 4 TDs as depleted Titans beat Bills 42-16

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The
Tennessee Titans just put to-
gether their most gratifying
victory of coach Mike Vrabel’s
short tenure.
They spent the past two
weeks dealing with the NFL’s
first COVID-19 outbreak with
each morning bringing news of
yet another positive test. A game
postponed and rescheduled with
a second pushed back. Only one
practice with two walk-throughs
and unrelenting criticism.
The Titans remain depleted.
They’re also still undefeated.
Ryan Tannehill threw for
three touchdowns and ran for
another as the Titans routed
the Buffalo Bills 42-16 on a rare
Tuesday night in a showdown
between two of the NFL’s five
remaining undefeated teams
pushed back two days after a
couple more positive tests for
Tennessee last week.
“What this organization has
been through over the past cou-
ple weeks to really fight through
all of that, shake it all off, real-
ly limited practice, limited reps
and go out and put this kind of
win together, I think makes a
statement and I’m happy we
were able to do that today,” Tan-
nehill said.
The Titans (4-0) continued
their best start since winning
their first 10 games in 2008 de-
spite not playing their last game
Sept. 27 in Minnesota. Coach
Mike Vrabel said everyone in the
organization would get a game
ball after this performance.
“I learned a long time ago
is the definition of a pro is they
make the hard look easy, so what-
ever situation we’re presented
with we got to all come together
and make the best decisions for
the team each and every time,”
Vrabel said.
Malcolm Butler intercepted
two passes, the second he re-
turned 68 yards, and both set up
short touchdowns for Tennes-
see. Kareem Orr’s recovery of
a fumbled kickoff set up Tanne-
hill’s fourth TD for 21 points off
Buffalo’s three turnovers. Kalif
Raymond’s 40-yard punt return
also set up a 1-yard TD run by
Derrick Henry.
“We expected to win,” Butler
said.
The Bills (4-1) had not won
five straight games since 2004,
and they came in looking for
the franchise’s best start since
1991 when Buffalo reached the
Super Bowl. They also played
without starting cornerbacks
with Tre’Davious White inactive
because of a back injury and Levi
Wallace on injured reserve.
Starting wide receiver John
Brown also was out for Buffa-
lo, which had scored at least 30
points in the past three games.
“They were ready to go and
at the same time we beat our-
selves,” Bills coach Sean McDer-
mott said.
Buffalo center Mitch Morse
called this a gut-punch.
“It’s tough, they came out
and beat us like a drum,”
Morse said.
Josh Allen came in second
in the NFL in yards passing.
He threw for 263 yards and two
TDs. Stephon Diggs had 10
catches for 106 yards.
The Titans needed the turn-
overs with seven key players
on the reserve/COVID-19 list
led by wide receivers Corey
Davis and Adam Humphries
and defensive lineman Jeffery
Simmons. They also were miss-
ing a couple assistant coaches
and two players activated off that
reserve list earlier Tuesday were
scratched.
The Titans got a big boost on
the Bills’ opening drive.
Allen’s pass went off Andre
Roberts’ hands right to Butler,
and he returned the interception
29 yards to the Bills 16. Two plays
later, Tannehill hit A.J. Brown,
who missed the last two games
with an injured knee, for a 16-
yard TD for the quick lead.
The Bills tied it up with a me-
thodical 15-play drive converting
four third downs, taking advan-
tage of a Titans’ defense playing
a pair of rookies in end Larrell
Murchison and cornerback Chris
Jackson. Allen tossed the ball to
Isaiah McKenzie for a 3-yard TD
tying it up, the ninth different Bill
to catch a TD pass from Allen.
The Titans scored 21 of the
next 24 points.
Tennessee led 21-10 at half-
time after Tannehill ran in from
10 yards seconds before the half.
Butler refused to go down after
picking off an Allen throw to Ga-
briel Davis late in the third, and
Tannehill found Jonnu Smith for a
4-yard TD and a 28-10 lead three
plays later.
Rare Tuesday night
This was the 21st time the
NFL has played on a Tuesday and
the league’s first on a Tuesday
night since Dec. 28, 2010, when
the Eagles hosted Minnesota
on a Tuesday because of a snow-
storm. That game was the first
since the Boston Yanks played
at the New York Giants on Oct.
1, 1946.
Hey you
The Titans had roughly
8,600 fans on hand for this
game. Tennessee originally
was going to have fans Oct. 4
for the first time this season,
but the outbreak pushed that
game with Pittsburgh to Oct.
25. Zip ties were used to keep
fans from switching seats, and
neck gaiters were given out.
Injuries
Titans left tackle Taylor Le-
wan had been questionable
with a shoulder injury, and he
went to the sideline late in the
second quarter after Bills tack-
le Harrison Phillips landed on
him. Lewan went immediate-
ly to the sideline and was re-
placed by Ty Sambrailo, but he
returned in the third. ... Rookie
RB Darrynton Evans aggravat-
ed a hamstring in the second
quarter. He did not return.
Bills tight end Dawson Knox
hurt a calf.
Up next
Bills will host Kansas City
on Monday night. Safety Mi-
cah Hyde denied the Bills got
caught looking ahead to the de-
fending Super Bowl champs.
“No, no, no, no. We were
100% focused on the Titans,”
Hyde said. We knew this game
was going to be played one way
or another. It was not looking
forward to the Chiefs or any-
thing.”
Titans host Texans on Sun-
day.
NFL will test for COVID-19 on
game days, has no bubble
plans
The NFL has no plans to
move into a bubble as it takes
several new steps to combat the
spread of the coronavirus.
The league will begin PCR
testing for COVID-19 on game
days starting this week, use of
masks in walkthroughs are now
mandatory and only play-callers
will be permitted to wear face
shields in lieu of masks or gai-
ters on the sideline.
“We cannot grow compla-
cent, not the players, not the
coaches, not the rest of our
personnel,” NFL Commission-
er Roger Goodell said Tuesday
following virtual meetings with
team owners. “Ninety percent is
not good enough in this environ-
ment. We have to be incredibly
diligent and disciplined.”
The updated protocols sent
to teams Monday night also
require anyone identified as a
“high risk” close contact to be
isolated and not permitted to re-
turn to the team’s facility for at
least five days.
“We expected positive
COVID cases as long as the pan-
demic is prevalent in our soci-
ety,” Goodell said, citing rising
numbers in communities. “Our
protocols are designed to iden-
tify through testing, isolate and
then prevent the spread of the
virus in our team environments,
and our medical experts are en-
couraged by the fact that with
few exceptions, we have not
seen transmission of the virus.”
Goodell spoke a few hours
before the Tennessee Titans
were scheduled to host Buffalo
in their first game since an out-
break shut down team facilities
and forced the schedule to be
rearranged.
The Titans had eight people
test positive Sept. 29 and the
total reached 24 players and
personnel. It doesn’t appear the
league will discipline the Titans
for any violation of protocols
following a review of the team’s
actions.
“We are really working close-
ly and identifying and speaking
to clubs and players in open dia-
logue,” Goodell said. “This is not
about discipline. This is about
making sure we’re keeping our
personnel safe. And that’s been
our entire focus today.”
Goodell said the league will
maintain flexibility in order to
complete the season with the
Super Bowl. However, it doesn’t
appear one of those options will
be moving the playoffs into a
bubble like Major League Base-
ball did. The NBA and NHL fin-
ished their regular season and
postseason in bubbles.
Troy Vincent, the NFL’s ex-
ecutive vice president of football
operations, said the league is
“proceeding as is” and deferred
to Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s
chief medical officer.
Sills said all options are on
the table but warned there are
several risks to moving into a
bubble. He pointed out that oth-
er individuals such as service
workers still have to go in and
out of the bubble. He empha-
sized the infection can spread
more rapidly if it gets inside.
And, he stressed the human ele-
ment, saying that being seques-
tered can cause an “emotional”
and “behavioral health toll” that
becomes a “really significant
stress point,” especially around
the holidays.

Volleyball
Continued from Page 1B
pion. (The prediction
proved correct, as the
Mustangs handled Vicks-
burg nearly as quickly as
New Hope beat Cleveland
Central.)
So when the Wolves
called timeout trailing
21-0 in the third set, Wool-
bright instilled a remind-
er in her players.
“Saturday is not going
to be like this,” she told
them. “We’ve got to stay
pumped, and we’ve got to
stay focused. … It is not
going to be like tonight.”
Still, the Trojans think
they’re ready. After all,
they made the state final
four last year, the first
time in school history
they ever did that. Get-
ting back there — or fur-
ther — necessitates a win
Saturday, and New Hope
feels it can deliver.
“We used to dream
about playoffs against
Center Hill and playing
teams like that — being
able to play with the big
dogs — and now we (will)
actually have that oppor-
tunity,” Hudgins said. “I
think we’re all really ex-
cited about it.” round of the MHSAA High School was ousted
Class 4A playoffs. from the MHSAA Class
Other scores Set scores were 25-3, 6A playoffs with a loss to
25-7 and 25-4. Oxford in straight sets on
MHSA A Class 4A
Caledonia will take on Tuesday.
playoffs: Caledonia 3,
Corinth at 6 p.m. Satur- Set scores were 25-21,
Clarksdale 0 day on the road. 25-16 and 25-16 in favor of
CLARKSDALE — the Chargers.
Caledonia defeated MHSA A Class 6A Karlie Brooks had 15
Clarksdale handily in playoffs: Oxford 3, digs for the Yellow Jack-
Tuesday’s road match to Starkville 0 ets (14-5), and Abbigail
advance to the second OXFORD — Starkville Upchurch had six kills.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 3B

Braves
Continued from Page 1B

Freeman put the
Braves ahead to stay
with a two-run homer
in the fourth off rook-
ie Tony Gonsolin, who
filled in after three-time
NL Cy Young Award
winner Clayton Kershaw
was scratched because
of back spasms. Free-
man added an RBI sin-
gle as part of a four-run
outburst an inning later.
Albies homered in
the ninth for the sec-
ond night in a row, and
for the second time in a
row the ball was caught
in the bullpen by closer
Mark Melancon. That
solo shot proved huge
for the Braves, who led
7-0 but near squandered
the lead as the Dodgers
scored four runs in the
bottom of the ninth.
“I didn’t feel good
with a big lead because
these guys are too pow-
erful, and that’s a good
ballgame to win. They
all are now,” manager
Brian Snitker said. “We
kind of shot ourselves in
the foot there at the end.
Melancon did a great job
coming in.”
Melancon took over
with two outs after Co-
rey Seager’s RBI dou-
ble and Max Muncy’s
two-run homer. Albies
made a fielding error on
Will Smith’s grounder to
second, and reigning NL
MVP Cody Bellinger hit
an RBI triple. A J Pollock
then had a groundout to
end a 4-hour, 12-minute
game.
Atlanta became just
the fourth team in major
league history to begin
a postseason 7-0. The
Braves have outscored
opponents 37-12.
Game 3 is Wednes-
day night, with 24-year-
old playoff veteran Julio
Urías pitching for the
Dodgers against Kyle
Wright, another rook-
ie right-hander for the
Braves. There have
been 14 teams take a 2-0
lead in the best-of-seven
NLCS, and all have gone
on to win the pennant.
“This team’s got a
lot of fight. We’ve done
it all year” Seager said.
“We were one swing,
one anything away from
tying that ballgame and
going into extras. This
is a long series. We’re
looking up to the chal-
lenge.”
Freeman was hit on
his right elbow by Alex
Wood in the eighth
and was shaken up but
stayed in the game.
“Stung him pretty
good and he lost feel-
ing,” Snitker said. “But
I think after he got
through that inning and
came back in, he got all
of his strength back. He
should be OK.”
Anderson allowed
one hit and struck out
five, but walked five
while throwing 85 pitch-
es in four innings. The
22-year-old right-hander
didn’t come out for the
fifth after Braves batted
around in the top of the
frame, building a 6 -0
lead while tying a LCS
record with four walks
in the inning.
“We had a good game
plan and in the playoffs
you just have to keep
guys from scoring and
we were able to do that,”
Anderson said. “As long
as we keep winning ball-
games here. ... It’s good
to be up 2-0, and we get
back to work tomorrow.”
The Dodgers, who
had the best record in
the pandemic-shortened
season, trailed 7-0 until
Seager’s three-run ho-
mer to greet A.J. Minter
in the seventh.
Only seven weeks af-
ter his big league debut
with the Braves, Ander-
son has pitched 15 2/3 out seven and allowed
scoreless innings and is only three hits, but gave
only the second pitcher up five runs and walked
in major league history three in 4 1/3 innings.
to start his postseason Freeman hit a ball
career not allowing a more than 400 feet into
run in three consecu- the right-field seats,
tive starts of at least similar to his solo shot
four innings. The other in Game 1, after Ronald
was Hall of Fame right- Acuna Jr. walked leading
hander Christy Mathew- off the fourth. Gonsolin
son, who threw three was done when Acu-
shutouts in the 1905 na walked again in the
World Series for the fifth, right after an RBI
New York Giants. double by rookie Cris-
Tyler Matzek, the tian Pache, in the lineup
second of seven Atlan- after Adam Duvall was
ta pitchers, worked two removed from Atlanta’s
scoreless innings for the NLCS roster because
win. of a left oblique injury
When Kershaw was sustained in the series
scratched in favor of a opener.
likely start later in the Pedro Baez then
series, it set up the sec- walked two of his four
ond matchup of rookie batters, including Travis
starting pitchers in a d’Arnaud with the bas-
LCS. es loaded before Albies’
Gonsolin’s postsea- sacrifice fly on which
son debut came 17 days Bellinger made an im-
after his prior game. pressive leaping catch
The right-hander struck on the run in center.

Polls
Continued from Page 1B
Teams earned 10 points
for a first-place vote, nine
for a second-place vote,
and so on.
West Point (4-2) fell
from third to ninth over-
all and from first to third
in Class 5A after its 35-26
loss to Lake Cormorant
last Thursday. It snapped
a streak of 36 straight
Region 1-5A wins for the
Green Wave, who have
won four straight state
championships.
The Green Wave still
received three first-place
votes in Class 5A, includ-
ing The Dispatch’s se-
lection. Last week, West
Point earned seven of 10
first-place votes in the
class. West Jones (six first-
place votes) was ranked
first in Class 5A on Tues-
day, with Neshoba Central
in second. Picayune and
Lake Cormorant rounded
out the top five.
West Point will play at
Grenada (3-2) on Friday.
In other polls
— Starkville (6-0)
maintained its hold on
the top spot overall and
in Class 6A. The Yellow
Jackets received eight of
nine first-place votes in
both categories, with Oak
Grove earning the other.
Oxford, Warren Central
and D’Iberville round-
ed out the top five in the
class. Starkville received
a win by forfeit against
Greenville last week and
will play at Madison Cen-
tral on Friday.
— Heritage Academy
(5-2) lost its top-five rank-
ing among private schools
after Thursday’s 31-14 loss
at Lamar School in Meridi-
an. The Patriots, who were
ranked fourth prior to the
loss, were replaced in the
No. 4 spot by Presbyterian
Christian, while Green-
ville Christian remained
fifth. Madison-Ridgeland
Academy (all nine first-
place votes) was first,
Jackson Prep was second,
and Leake Academy was
third. Heritage Academy
trailed only Jackson Acad-
emy among teams not in
the top five. The Pats will
host rival Starkville Acad-
emy, which garnered one
fifth-place vote, on Friday
in Columbus.
— Noxubee County (3-
1) remained third in the
Class 3A rankings after an
off week. The Tigers were
scheduled to host Class
4A No. 2 Corinth, but
the game was canceled
due to COVID-19 con-
cerns within the Noxubee
County program. Colum-
bia earned all nine first-
place votes and the No.
1 ranking, while Magee
remained second. West
Marion and North Panola
rounded out the top five.
Noxubee County is slated
to play at Hatley on Friday.
Here’s the ballot Theo
DeRosa submitted for The
Dispatch: Class 5A
Overall top 10 1. West Point (4-2)
1. Starkville (5-0) 2. Neshoba Central (6-
2. Oak Grove (5-0) 0)
3. Madison-Ridgeland 3. West Jones (4-0)
Academy (7-0) 4. Lafayette (4-2)
4. West Point (4-2) 5. Picayune (6-0)
5. Oxford (6-0)
6. Neshoba Central (6- Class 6A
0) 1. Starkville (6-0)
7. Warren Central (6-0) 2. Oak Grove (6-0)
8. West Jones (5-0) 3. Oxford (6-0)
9. Leake Academy (8-0) 4. Warren Central (6-0)
10. D’Iberville (5-0)
5. D’Iberville (5-0)
Class 1A
Private schools
1. Nanih Waiya (5-0)
2. Lumberton (4-1) 1. Madison-Ridgeland
3. Biggersville (6-0) Academy (7-0)
2. Leake Academy (8-
4. TCPS (3-2)
5. Resurrection Catho- 0)
3. Jackson Prep (6-1)
lic (5-1)
4. Presbyterian Chris-
tian (7-1)
Class 2A
1. Taylorsville (4-1) 5. Greenville Christian
(6-1)
2. North Side (2-0)
3. Enterprise Clarke
(4-0)
4. Scott Central (5-1)
5. Puckett (6-0)
Class 3A
1. Columbia (6-0)
2. Noxubee County (3-
1)
3. Magee (4-0)
4. West Marion (4-2)
5. Jefferson Davis
County (3-3)
Class 4A
1. Louisville (5-1)
2. Corinth (3-2)
3. Newton County (6-0)
4. Pontotoc (5-1)
5. Poplarville (3-3)

MSU
Continued from Page 1B
long right here.”
Transitioning out of
Bob Shoop’s 4-2-5 de-
fense into a 3-3-5, MSU’s
defenders have felt more
freedom in the way they
attack offenses, particu-
larly in the trenches. In
Shoop’s scheme, the Bull-
dog defensive line was
tasked with man respon-
sibilities, compared to
the gap assignments seen
in Arnett’s approach.
While Arnett’s sys-
tem hasn’t completely
abandoned what worked
under the Shoop regime,
the Bulldogs have em-
braced more stunts on
the interior coupled with
more twists than the av-
erage team. Not totally
unlike the reactionary
nature of route running
in Mike Leach’s air raid,
what the offense shows
directs how defensive
linemen are to proceed in
their rush.
“We’re not believers
here in what’s typically
referred to as ‘gap con-
trol’ — You’re responsible
for one gap, and you play
it,” Arnett said last week.
“We’re a little bit more,
‘We send you a direction,
you’ve got specific reac-
tions based on what the
offense might do, and we
want to cause disruption,
and it’s the guys behind
you’s job to fill where
needed and make you
right.’”
The best example of
Arnett’s interior philoso-
phy came in the Week 1
upset of then-No. 6 LSU.
Hammering a Tiger of-
fensive line that had to
replace four starters from
last season’s national title
team, the Bulldogs pass
rush totaled seven sacks
and four quarterback
hurries.
The Bulldogs defense
then backed up its play by
limiting a generally solid
Arkansas running game
to just 63 yards on 37 at-
tempts. One week later,
MSU held a Kentucky
team that exploded for
408 yards on the ground
against Ole Miss to a
meager 84 yards on the
ground.
“I feel like coach Ar-
nett is calling some great
plays,” sophomore defen-
sive tackle Jaden Crum-
edy said Monday. “And
we’re able to be exactly
whoever we play runs it.
If they run to the A-gap
or something, then that’s
where we’re slanting to. If
they’re trying to get out-
side, we’ve got somebody
coming from the outside
to get them.”
This isn’t to say MSU’s
defense has been perfect.
Coverage breakdowns
against Arkansas cost the
Bulldogs 14 points and,
ultimately, a chance at
victory. LSU also narrow-
ly missed a wide-open
Racey McMath for what
would’ve been a go-ahead
touchdown in the third
quarter if not for junior
linebacker Jordan Davis
hitting quarterback Myl-
es Brennan’s arm at the
last possible second and
causing the pass to fall
into the hands of corner-
back Esaias Furdge.
Speaking postgame
Saturday, senior line-
backer Erroll Thompson
was queried on what the
identity of the 2020 Bull-
dogs defense is at pres-
ent. Thompson shied
away from the question
through a laugh, noting
he’d leave that up to the
writers listening in over
Zoom.
In a sense, he an-
swered the question in
his silence: This year’s
unit is still evolving. But
for a group that was ma-
ligned throughout the off-
season for its youth and
inexperience, Arnett has
maintained the defensive
legacy of Bulldogs de-
fenses before him.
4B WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020
Pac-12 football may be back, but not all the revenue will be
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The return of football
isn’t likely to make a dra-
matic dent in the losses
athletic departments
across the Pac-12 will
ultimately incur because
of the coronavirus pan-
demic.
Faced with large
budget shortfalls, most
schools in the league
have already resorted to
layoffs, furloughs, and
cutting some sports en-
tirely.
At Utah, football
coach Kyle Whittingham
and basketball coach
Larry Krystkowiak took
salary cuts to help offset
up to $60 million in pro-
jected losses. Athletic di-
Comics & Puzzles
DILBERT
ZITS
GARFIELD
CANDORVILLE
BABY BLUES
BEETLE BAILEY
MALLARD FILLMORE
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
rector Mark Harlan said we’ll have more revenue
the Utes are still dealing that we weren’t neces-
with “significant finan- sarily counting on,” Har-
cial challenges.” lan said.
One reason: as of now, The pandemic shut
none of the Pac-12 foot- down sports in March,
ball games will have fans including the NCA A
in attendance. That said, basketball tournaments.
any help — like televi- With no March Mad-
sion revenue — is wel- ness, the NCA A was
comed. short $375 million in the
“Obviously, we have money scheduled to be
a chance to have more distributed to its mem-
revenue than maybe we ber schools, which were
would have thought of a already facing questions
few weeks ago. So we’re about enrollment levels
going to continue to ad- and tuition shortfalls.
here to our budget and Following the can-
into all the policies that cellation of all spring
we put in place to man- sports, the league de-
age our way through cided on Aug. 11 to post-
this, knowing that there pone all fall and winter
could be a light here at sports until after the first
the end of the tunnel that of next year.
FAMILY CIRCUS
But a deal with Quidel,
a California-based diag-
nostic healthcare manu-
facturer, for a daily rap-
id-results coronavirus
testing program helped
put the football season
— by far the biggest rev-
enue generator in college
sports — back on track.
The league will open
a seven-game, confer-
ence-only football sea-
son on Nov. 7.
Arizona athletic direc-
tor David Heeke insisted
that discussions to re-
start athletics centered
around athletes, and not
budgets.
“Without fans, there
is a tremendous chal-
lenge. We’re glad to be
playing, glad to have the
Dear Abby
D
EAR ABBY:
I have been
with “Dylan”
for three years,
engaged for two. I
have a lot of inse-
curities about it.
We met right
after my husband’s
death. Dylan was
the perfect guy
in the beginning.
Looking back, I
realize there were
a lot of red flags.
He spends
most of his time
on Facebook or Dear Abby
talking about his
high school years. He is also se-
cretive. He acts like the world’s
nicest guy around others, but
when we’re alone, he calls me
stupid and insecure. I never
knew what a narcissist was
before, but I believe he is one.
I built a business, which
has done very well. I’m liked by
everyone but him. People have
told me to run. Why do I torture
myself? Last week he broke my
windshield because I asked him
about his phone, which he is
always using to text someone. I
want to be happy, and I feel like
a loser right now. My kids don’t
like him at all. Help me, please.
— UNHAPPY IN THE MIDWEST
DEAR UNHAPPY: I am
concerned about you. Because
you now feel that your verbally
abusive fiance could become
violent (Exhibit A: your broken
Horoscopes
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Oct.
14). You have a relentless
drive, best applied to your own
projects as most teams and
people would be hard-pressed
to match your intensity. So
you’ll be gentle with the others
while you turn this focus to
milestones you’ll reach in
January and April. Blossoming
relationships will seem to add
breadth to your soul. Gemini
and Aquarius adore you. Your
lucky numbers are: 6, 13, 20,
21 and 4.
ARIES (March 21-April 19).
People try to show one another
the best parts of themselves.
Just remember that others, no
matter how polished they may
opportunity, but we are
still significantly short
on revenue and that’s
going to be a challenge
for us going forward as
an organization,” Heeke
said.
Arizona has estimat-
ed $60 million to $65
million in revenue loss-
es. The Wildcats are
looking at a 10% budget
cut for their sports pro-
grams and a 15% cut for
all administrative pro-
grams. The university
also has implemented
school-wide salary cuts
and furloughs.
Oregon President Mi-
chael Schill, chairman of
the Pac-12 CEO group,
echoed that the return
of football is by no means
windshield),
place a call to the
National Domestic
Violence Hotline
(800-799-7233)
and ask someone
to help you craft
an escape plan.
Your next call
should be to the
police to file a
report about that
broken wind-
shield. Your third
should be to your
family to find out if
you and your kids
can stay with one
of your relatives.
It is important you get safely
out of there, so do NOT disclose
to this man any of the prepara-
tions you are making. It goes
without saying that this engage-
ment should be broken.
DEAR ABBY: I have an issue
that I can’t be the only one
with, especially as our parents
age. My mother has never been
the cleanest or most sanitary
of housekeepers. Everything
“looks” neat and straight, but
look closer and you’ll realize her
place is unsanitary and filthy.
When I visit, I am near tears
the entire time. My husband tells
me to stay in a hotel, but I don’t
know how to tell my mother I
don’t feel comfortable staying
with her. I bring along my own
towels and washcloths. I take us
out for meals so we don’t have
to use her dishes.
seem, have ridiculous, embar-
rassing and insecure sides that
they hide, just like you do.
TAURUS (April 20-May
20). At the heart of innovation
is a desire to understand what
others need and align with what
they want. For problem-solvers,
seeing a problem in action is an
opportunity and a gift.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21).
There you go again, striving to
exceed any expectations that
others may have of you. Stop
and consider what’s being
asked. Also, what’s the least
you could do to fulfill this? Less
is more today.
CANCER (June 22-July
22). It is impossible to be kind
going to make up the
shortfall.
“The losses that our
schools are encounter-
ing — particularly in our
athletic department ——
are huge. The amount of
money that will be paid
as a result of going back
to play is tiny in compar-
ison to the losses,” Schill
said.
At California, the ath-
letic department forecast
as much as a $55 million
deficit this fiscal year and
had mapped out steps to
mitigate the losses while
still supporting athletes
— including hiring and
merit-pay freezes; volun-
tary pay cuts for coaches
and administrators, and
other budget cuts.
I’m not a clean freak, and
this is not my imagination. A
friend of hers contacted me
to tell me she was concerned
about Mom because she doesn’t
seem to notice how dirty her
house is or that her food is
spoiled. I’m embarrassed for
her.
I’ve tried to talk to my mother
about this many times in the
past, but she just doesn’t get
it. I have had her carpets sham-
pooed and brought in profes-
sionals to do deep cleaning. How
can I tell her I can’t stay with her
any longer? — GROSSED-OUT
DAUGHTER IN MARYLAND
DEAR DAUGHTER: Tell your
mother that you love her, and
you have been concerned for
years about her living condi-
tions, which is why you hired
professional cleaners periodi-
cally to help her. Delivering the
message that you will be staying
in a hotel when you visit is the
least of your problems. Clearly,
she needs more help than you
can give her.
I, too, am concerned about
the fact she doesn’t know the
food in her refrigerator has
spoiled, and for that reason,
I’m suggesting you discuss this
with a social worker in the town
where your mother resides. She
may need someone to check on
her regularly, ensure that her
kitchen and fridge are kept clean
and grocery shop for her. Believe
me, you and your mother both
have my sympathy.
without knowing what the other
person needs in the moment.
Sometimes, kindness is hands-
on help; other times, it’s looking
away, giving others a chance to
save face.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). No
one is good at everything. You,
like the others, win in certain
areas and lose in other areas.
Value the ways in which you are
winning, especially if they do not
fall into a highly visible category
that is celebrated by the world.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept.
22). For many, articulating an
argument is easier than trying
to understand the other side’s
point of view. But without some
degree of willingness to under-
stand, formulating arguments is
pointless.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).
Relationship building is about
trust and creating an environ-
ment that tolerates failure.
There’s more fun and innovation
happening where people feel
safe enough to relax, be cre-
ative and offer out-there ideas.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov.
21). Perhaps this fear of com-
mitment you’re experiencing is
wisdom. You don’t want to chain
yourself to a schedule or goal
without first considering what
you really need to flourish.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec.
21). You’ll find it hard to like
things that lack glamour. You’re
conscious of a need to either
find a glamorous light in order
to view the scene or to create
glamour where there was none.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.
19). People may not share your
vision, or may not share it with
the same amount of passion
that is coming so readily to you.
It’s not something to get hung
up about. They’ll catch up later.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.
18). People you love don’t have
to do anything in particular to
inspire you. You’ve been known
to make beautiful things for
loved ones for no reason at all.
The creative mood will strike.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March
20). Before you agree to plans,
self-questioning to discover
what’s in it for you might keep
you from wasting your efforts on
endeavors that are not worth-
while and will not tie into what
fuels or fulfills you.
Sunshine State
SOLUTION:
Food LIFESTYLES EDITOR
Jan Swoope: 328-2471
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 n 5B

Sweeten up fall
with pumpkins

culinary.net
This spiced apple crumble brings
together so many flavors of fall.

Not one
crumb left
FAMILY FEATURES

A
pple orchards, apple pick-
ing and apple desserts all
scream fall. Glowing with
bright yellows and reds, apples are
juicy and more than ready to be
used in your favorite fall recipes. If
you’re looking for something sweet
and full of texture that can turn
your taste buds upside down, look
no further.
This scrumptious Spiced
Apple Crumble is not only a family
favorite but a holiday must-have.
It’s the perfect dish to pack up and
deliver to your next gathering of
loved ones. Kids and adults love
the deliciously sweet apple chunks
filling the bottom of the pan along
with the crumble topping. Top this
killer sweet treat with vanilla ice
cream for a sensational, melty,
oozing-with-goodness dessert no
one can forget.
tasteofhome.com
It’s one of those recipes your
Cream cheese frosting tops these pumpkin cookies suited to any autumn occasion.
friends will call you about after the
gathering wondering “where did
you get that recipe?” The best part: BY JAN SWOOPE
It’s perfect for crowds of any size. jswoope@cdispatch.com
The bite-size chunks of apple and

oats are appetizing for any sweet
tooth.
The fall season leading up to
the holidays is one of the times of
year family and friends tradition-
ally come together most. Nearly
everyone loves a satisfying apple,
especially when it is baked to
perfection, covered with a crum-
ble and topped with creamy, cool
vanilla ice cream. Not to mention
the splash of lemon added to this
mixture brings out a unique tart
twist.
Make your next fall festivity
or holiday gathering just a little
sweeter for all. Spice things up
then cool things down. This des-
S
ure signs of fall are the pump-
kins we’re seeing at roadside
stands, in grocery stores and
in the remaining farmers’ market
days we have left to enjoy. We
may sometimes forget how many
varieties there really are. Some are
best suited for front porch jack-o-
lanterns. Others shine as tabletop
decor. But today we’re thinking
about cooking with pumpkins, and
for that we’ll want to make good
selections. Yes, all pumpkins are
edible, but the best for baking are
sweet varieties with smooth-tex-
tured flesh.
Look for those labeled sugar
pumpkins or pie pumpkins, advises choosemyplate.gov

sert does it all in just one bite. thekitchn.com. Some include These cranberry pumpkin muffins also include cinnamon and allspice.
Find more recipes for the fall Autumn Gold, Lumina and Bab
more nutrients. We’re entering pantry this fall for when the mood
season and holiday fun at Culinary. Pam. Other sweet choices include
the time of year where we begin strikes to try out one of today’s
net. Cinderella pumpkins and peanut
to picture holiday tables topped by recipes or the host of others you’ll
pumpkins, especially for baking
pies, quick bread and other des- pumpkin pies. We’ve come a long quickly find in any internet search.
SPICED APPLE CRUMBLE serts, Keri Collins Lewis wrote for way from the earliest “pies,” when
Servings: 6-8 colonists cut the tops off pumpkins
the Mississippi State Extension
Filling: Service. and filled the insides with milk, PUMPKIN COOKIES WITH CREAM
6 medium Honeycrisp apples, peeled and Cheese pumpkins, Lumina and honey and spices then cooked it all CHEESE FROSTING
cubed Jarrahdale pumpkins are also good in hot ashes. Prep: 30 minutes
1 tablespoon white flour choices, says gardeningknowhow. There’s plenty of advice online Bake: 10 minutes+cooling
1/2 cup white sugar Makes 4 dozen
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon com. about prepping the pumpkin you
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves Pumpkins intended for food lean intend to cook with. Or, if you’re 1 cup butter, softened
2 lemons, juice only toward vibrant flavor, color and like me, you’ll head to the canned 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
nutrition and contain dietary fiber, pumpkin aisle on the next grocery 1/3 cup sugar
Topping:
1 cup quick oats vitamins A, C and E and many trip. Keep a couple of cans in the See PUMPKINS, 6B
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
See CRUMBLE, 6B

A chilly day dish with a kick

FAMILY FEATURES searching for more to slurp spoon a second helping into
up with every spoonful. your bowl for round two.

P
icture in your mind a
warm bowl cupped in
your hands, defrosting
your fingertips after you
just walked inside from a
chilly afternoon. The bowl
is heavy, full of hearty veg-
etables and spicy peppers
that in just a few short
moments will overwhelm
your palate.
You dive in with a spoon,
savoring every flavorful
culinary.net bite as you dip down to
Chipotle veggie chili contains a citrusy surprise. the bottom of the bowl
Onion, red bell pepper and
even corn all blended into
not only a vegetarian meal
but a chili-lover’s paradise.
It’s got the spices to make
you say, “wow” but the
smoothness that reminds
you of something your mom
once made when you were
young.
You throw your sweater
to the side of the couch as
your body temperature be-
gins to rise. You start to feel
your energy return as you
Not only does this recipe
for Chipotle Veggie Chili
hit you with a wide array of
balanced flavors, but there
is a surprise hint of citrus
added toward the end —
lime juice.
Just to add a little more
texture and vibrance to this
dish, it can be topped with
your favorite garnishes like
guacamole, sour cream,
jalapeno slices and cilantro.
This chili is simple
See CHILI, 6B
6B WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Pumpkins
Continued from Page 5B
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts
Frosting:
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
n In a large bowl, cream butter and sug-
ars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and
vanilla. Add pumpkin; mix well. Combine
the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and
baking powder; gradually add to creamed
mixture and mix well. Stir in walnuts.
n Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2
inches apart onto greased baking sheets.
Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes or until
edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire
racks to cool completely.
In a small bowl, beat the frosting ingredi-
ents until light and fluffy. Frost cookies.
Store in an airtight container in the
refrigerator.
Tips: To soften cream cheese, let it rest
at room temperature for 30 minutes. Dark
brown sugar contains more molasses
than light or golden brown sugar. The
types are generally interchangeable in
recipes, but if you prefer a bolder flavor,
choose dark brown sugar.
(Source: tasteofhome.com)
CRANBERRY PUMPKIN MUFFINS
Servings: 12
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon allspice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs (large)
3/4 cup pumpkin (canned)
2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen
chopped)
n Preheat oven to 400 F.
n Sift together dry ingredients (flour
through allspice) and set aside.
n Beat oil, eggs, and pumpkin together
until well blended.
n Add wet ingredients (pumpkin mixture)
to the dry ingredients all at once. Stir
until moistened. Fold in chopped cranber-
ries. Spoon into paper lined muffin cups.
n Bake at 400 degrees for 15-30 min-
utes.
(Source: choosemyplate.gov)
PUMPKIN-AMARETTO
CHEESECAKE
Servings: 10
11 whole graham crackers, crushed
(about 1-1/2 cups crumbs)
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter or margarine,
melted
2 eight-ounce packages reduced fat or
fat-free cream cheese, at room tempera-
ture
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 cups fresh pumpkin puree or 16 ounce
can solid pack pumpkin
2 egg yolks and 4 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons: whipping cream and
Amaretto
Whipped cream, optional
n Preheat oven to 325 F.
n In a 9-inch springform pan, mix graham
cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter.
n Using your clean fingers, press the
mixture evenly onto the bottom and sides
of the pan.
n Bake 8 minutes. Remove from oven
and cool.
n In a large bowl using electric mixer (or
place directly in a food processor) whip
cream cheese until smooth. Stir in brown
sugar; blend until thoroughly mixed.
n Add pumpkin and add egg yolks one at
a time, blending after each addition until
smooth.
n Add 1/2 the egg whites at a time,
blending well after each addition.
n Add cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, Amaretto
and whipping cream, stir to blend.
n Pour mixture into prepared crust. Set
springform pan in a large roasting pan
and fill with 1/2 inch tap water. Bake
1 hour, or until knife inserted in center
comes out clean.
n Remove from oven, chill 6 to 8 hours
(or overnight) in the refrigerator. To serve,
top with whipped cream if desired.
(Source: web.extension.illinois.edu)
APPLE WEDGES WITH
PUMPKIN ALMOND BUTTER
Prep time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Dip:
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned or from
scratch)
1/3 cup almond butter (or crunchy peanut
butter)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Apple slices:
24 slices golden delicious apple slices
24 slices granny smith apple slices
n Mix together dip ingredients. Serve
with apple slices.
(Source: Produce for Better Health,
choosemyplate.gov)
• Firestarter

Crumble
Continued from Page 5B
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter,
melted
1/8 teaspoon salt
Vanilla ice cream (optional)
• Packing
Materials
Extra • Shipping
n Preheat oven to 350 F.
n To make filling: In medium
bowl, add apples, flour, sugar,
baking dish.
n To make topping: In
medium bowl, add oats, flour,
ping over apple mixture.
n Bake 30-40 minutes, or
until golden brown. Let stand
Newsprint Materials
• Art Projects
brown sugars, baking powder, is a great, • Window
cinnamon, cloves and lemon cinnamon, melted butter and 10 minutes before serving.
juice. Toss to evenly coat. salt. Fork mixture to create Serve warm with vanilla ice inexpensive solution for.... Cleaning
Spread evenly in 8-by-8-inch crumbles. Pour crumble top- cream.

Chili
Visit
Office at
516 Main Street
Continued from Page 5B Columbus, MS

Cost: 80¢/lb.
to make, needing just one pot 2 garlic cloves, minced Jalapeno slices
throughout the entire cooking 1 red bell pepper, chopped Cilantro

process. It simmers for about 25
minutes while you unwind from a
long day.
Find more recipes perfect for
cooler weather at Culinary.net.
CHIPOTLE VEGGIE CHILI
Servings: 6-8
Log on.
1 can (14 ounces) diced fire-roasted
tomatoes n In large Dutch oven, heat oil over
1 can (14 ounces) red beans, drained and medium heat. Add onion, 1/2 teaspoon
rinsed salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Stir and
1 can (14 ounces) pinto beans, drained cook 5 minutes until onion is translucent.
and rinsed Add garlic and red pepper. Stir and cook 8
1 cup vegetable broth minutes until soft.
1 can (7 ounces) chipotles in adobo n Add tomatoes, red beans, pinto beans,
sauce
2 cans (15 ounces each) sweet corn with
broth, chipotles in adobo sauce, corn,
remaining salt and remaining pepper.
liquid Simmer 25 minutes, stirring occasionally,

www.cdispatch.com
3 tablespoons olive oil 2 limes, juiced until chili has thickened.
1 medium yellow onion, chopped Optional: n Squeeze lime juice into pot; stir. Serve
5/8 teaspoon sea salt, divided Guacamole with guacamole, sour cream, jalapeno
1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided Sour cream slices and cilantro, if desired.

Reliable
information
when we
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Classifieds
LEGALS
Call us: 662-328-2424
Legal Notices
Pursuant to Miss. Code Ann.
Section 7-3-39, we, The Missis-
sippi Secretary of State’s Of-
fice, supply to you the full text
for House Concurrent Resolu-
tion No. 47 (Statewide Ballot
Measure 2).
House Concurrent Resolution
No. 47 Proposed Constitution-
al Amendment:
Amend Section 140, Missis-
sippi Constitution of 1890, to
read as follows:
Section 140. The Governor of
the state and all statewide
elected officials shall be elec-
ted by the people in a general
election to be held on the first
Tuesday after the first Monday
of November 2023, and on the
first Tuesday after the first
Monday of November in every
fourth year thereafter. The per-
son receiving a majority of the
number of votes cast in the
election for these offices shall
be declared elected. If no per-
son receives a majority of the
votes, then a runoff election
shall be held under proced-
ures prescribed by the Legis-
lature in general law.
Amend the Mississippi Consti-
tution of 1890 by repealing
Section 141, which reads as
follows:
Section 141. If no person shall
receive such majorities, then
the House of Representatives
shall proceed to choose a Gov-
ernor from the two persons
who shall have received the
highest number of popular
votes. The election shall be by
viva voce vote, which shall be
recorded in the journal, in such
manner as to show for whom
each member voted.
III.
Amend the Mississippi Consti-
tution of 1890 by repealing
Section 142, which reads as
follows:
Section 142. In case of an
election of Governor or any
state officer by the House of
Representatives, no member of
that house shall be eligible to
receive any appointment from
the Governor or other state of-
ficer so elected, during the
term for which he shall be elec-
ted.
IV.
Amend the Mississippi Consti-
tution of 1890 by repealing
Section 143, which reads as
follows:
Section 143. All other state of-
ficers shall be elected at the
same time, and in the same
manner as provided for elec-
tion of Governor.
SUBSTITUTED TRUSTEE’S NO-
TICE OF SALE
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
COUNTY OF Lowndes
WHEREAS, on the 25th day of
September, 2015, Amy Denise
Hendricks Unmarried, ex-
ecuted and delivered a certain
Deed of Trust unto W Stewart
Robison, Trustee for Ditech Fin-
ancial LLC, Beneficiary, to se-
cure an indebtedness therein
described, which Deed of Trust
is recorded in the office of the
Chancery Clerk of Lowndes
County, Mississippi in MORT
Book 2015 at Page 22123;
and
WHEREAS, on the 11th day of
September, 2020, Ditech Fin-
ancial LLC, assigned said Deed
of Trust unto U.S. Bank, N.A.,
as Trustee, successor in in-
terest to Wachovia Bank, Na-
tional Association, as Trustee,
for Mid-State Trust XI, by instru-
ment recorded in the office of
the aforesaid Chancery Clerk in
Book 2020 at Page 23468;
and
WHEREAS, on the 24th day of
September, 2020 the Holder of
said Deed of Trust substituted
and appointed Dean Morris,
LLC as Substitute Trustee by
instrument recorded in the of-
fice of the aforesaid Chancery
Clerk in Mort Book 2020 at
Page 24403; and
WHEREAS, default having been
made in the payments of the
indebtedness secured by the
said Deed of Trust, and the
holder of said Deed of Trust,
having requested the under-
signed so to do, on the 28th
day of October, 2020, I will dur-
ing the lawful hours of between
11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., at
public outcry, offer for sale and
will sell, at the south east front
door of Lowndes County Court-
house, 505 2nd Ave. North at
Columbus, Mississippi, for
cash to the highest bidder, the
following described land and
property situated in Lowndes
County, Mississippi, to-wit:
Beginning at the Southwest
Corner of the West Half of the
Southwest Quarter of Section
27, Township 17 North, Range
18 East, thence North 210
feet; thence East 210 feet;
thence South 210 feet; thence
West 210 feet back to the
Point of Beginning, containing
1 acre more or less and being
located in the Southwest
Quarter of said Section. All in
Lowndes County, State of Mis-
sissippi.
I will only convey such title as
is vested in me as Substitute
Trustee.
WITNESS MY SIGNATURE, this
28th day of September, 2020.
Dean Morris, LLC
Substitute Trustee
855 S Pear Orchard Rd., Ste.
404, Bldg. 400
Ridgeland, MS 39157
(318) 330-9020
adp/F20-0448
PUBLISH: 10/7, 10/14 &
10/21/20
Read local.
cdispatch.com
Legal Notices
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
COUNTY OF OKTIBBEHA
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BID PRO-
POSALS
PARCEL MAPPING AND MAIN-
TENANCE SERVICES
BE IT ORDERED by the Oktib-
beha County Board of Super-
visors that the Clerk advertise
for sealed bids as provided by
Section 31-7-13 of the Miss.
Code 1972, as amended, to be
received by the Board of Super-
visors in the office of the Clerk
up to 9:00 A.M. November 16,
2020, or mailed to the Office
of County Administrator, P. O.
Box 80285, Starkville, MS
39759.
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
Sealed bids will be received by
the Board of Supervisors of
Oktibbeha County, Mississippi
in the office of the Clerk or by
mail, up to 9:00 a.m. on
November 16, 2020, at which
time and place said bids shall
be publicly opened and read.
ALL WORK MUST MEET OR EX-
CEED THE REQUIREMENTS OF
THE MISSISSIPPI DEPART-
MENT OF REVENUE
Oktibbeha County, Mississippi,
is requesting bid proposals
from companies experienced in
tax parcel mapping and annual
maintenance services for years
2021, 2022 and 2023. De-
tailed proposal specifications
can be obtain from the Tax Col-
lector/Assessor’s Office
(662)323-1273 or the County
Administrator’s Office
(662)323-1520. All respond-
ents shall complete Addendum
"A" and the Proposal Cost
Summary form included in the
specification packet. Failure to
complete these items will be
considered as a non-respons-
ive submittal and the bid pro-
posal will not be considered.
All work will be performed un-
der the direction of Allen Mor-
gan, Oktibbeha County Tax As-
sessor. All questions concern-
ing the specifications shall be
emailed to
amorgan@gtpdd.com or faxed
to (662)338-1066. No ques-
tions will be answered verbally.
Oktibbeha County utilizes Auto-
CAD to maintain digital and
hard copy mapping for tax par-
cels. Applications software is
used for a variety of purposes
based on the AutoCAD plat-
form. The use of these applica-
tions will continue so data
structuring including layers, ex-
tended entity data, and fonts
shall be maintained in pre-
cisely the same manner as the
existing data.
All costs associated with Delta
Computer Systems shall be in-
cluded in the bid.
Respondents are encouraged
to provide letters of reference
from past or current Missis-
sippi County mapping mainten-
ance projects that are similar
in nature to the requirements
of this project in Oktibbeha
County. Bidders shall be re-
quired to comply with the provi-
sions of Title 31 of the Missis-
sippi Code of 1972, as
amended and revised.
The Board of Supervisors re-
serves the right to reject any
and all bids for the service be-
ing sought.
John Montgomery, President
Board of Supervisors
Publish: October 14 and Octo-
ber 21, 2020
The following vehicles have
been abandoned at Bob's Tow-
ing, LLC, at 123 East Ply-
mouth Road Columbus, MS
39705.
1) 1998 Honda Accord Tan
VIN# 1HGCG5659WA264279
Tag# LTB-0691 Ms.
2) 2006 Nissan Altima Grey
VIN# 1N4AL11D46C242418
Tag# LTB-6288 Ms.
3) 2005 Ford Sport Trac Silver
VIN# 1FMDU67KX5UB93804
Tag# LTQ-965 Ms.
4) 2002 Ford Ranger (Black)
VIN# 1FTYR14V62PB42092
Tag# 2L99V Ms.
5) 2014 Ford Mustang (Red)
VIN# 1ZVBP8CF9E5218772
Tag# LTD-0578 or SMUVE Ms.
6) 2010 Honda Civic (Black)
VIN# 2HGFG1B80AH520907
Tag# LTB-9783 Ms.
7) 1998 Mercury Grand Mar-
quis (White)
VIN# 2MEFM75W7WX669198 1993 Chevy
Tag# LTD-2703 Ms.
8) 1995 Ford F-150 4x4 (Red)
VIN#1FTEF14H6SNA56573
Tag#LT3-541 Ms.
9)2006 Ford Expedition (Black) A.M. AT JARRETT'S TOWING,
VIN# 1FMPU17506LA95396
Tag# LTE-7943 Ms.
10) 2004 Chevy 1500 Z-71
(Tan)
VIN# 2GCEK19T441208086
Tag# LU5-744 Ms.
11) 2000 ford Ranger (Bronze) Section 23-17-45(1), we, The
VIN# 1FTYR14V9YPA43923
Tag# LT1-6537 (Ms.)
12) 2001 Toyota Camry (Black arguments or explanations for
& Silver)
VIN# 4T1BF28K61U120920
Tag# LTD-649 Ms.
IF THESE VEHICLES ARE NOT
CLAIMED THEY WILL BECOME
THE PROPERTY OF BOB'S TOW- Measure 1).
ING, LLC AND WILL BE SOLD
ON OCTOBER 30TH, 2020 AT
11:30AM AT THE ABOVE AD-
DRESS. WE ALSO RESERVE
THE RIGHT TO RETAIN THE
VEHICLE. THESE VEHICLES
SHOULD BE CONSIDERED SAL- physicians, to use medical
VAGE AND ARE NOT DRIVABLE. marijuana?
THEY MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE
KEYS.
PUBLISH: 10/14, 10/21, &
10/28/2019
All notices must be physicians,
emailed to
classifieds@
cdispatch.com.
Ballot Title:
Should Mississippi allow quali-
Ads appear in The Commercial Dispatch,
fied patients with debilitating
medical conditions, as certi-
fied by Mississippi licensed
physicians, to use medical
marijuana?
Ballot Summary:
Initiative Measure No. 65 pro-
poses to amend the Missis-
sippi Constitution to allow qual-
ified patients with debilitating
medical conditions, as certi-
fied by Mississippi licensed
physicians, to use medical
marijuana. This amendment
would allow medical marijuana
to be provided only by licenses
treatment centers. The Missis-
Legal Notices Legal Notices
sippi State Department of
Health would regulate and en-
IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF force the provisions of this
LOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS- amendment.
SIPPI
VERONICA HILL, INDIVIDUALLY,
Sponsor:
Ms. Ashley Ann Durval
AND ON BEHALF OF THE
HEIRS-AT-LAW OF RICKIE HILL, Legislative Budget Office Fisc-
SR., DECEASED al Analysis:
The overall cost to Mississippi
CAUSE NO.:20-pr-00193RPF for the first year is estimated
to be $11,068,150. The anti-
VERONICA HILL PETITIONER cipated expenses for the first
year to implement a medical
RULE 81 SUMMONS BY PUB- marijuana program is
LICATION $24,068,150 (Plants – seeds
to Sale: $5,000,000; Licens-
THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI ing, Monitoring, Inspection:
COUNTY OF LOWNDES $16,220,150; and Cost to Col-
lect Revenue: $2,848,000).
TO: UNKNOWN HEIRS AT LAW The anticipated revenue is
OF RICKIE HILL, SR., DE- $13,000,000 (User ID Cards:
CEASED $2,500,000; Commercial Li-
censes: $500,000 and sales
You have been made a re- fee at 7 percent:
spondent in the Petition to De- $10,000,000).
termine Heirs filed with the The anticipated expenses for
Court by Veronica Hill seeking years following the first for a
a judicial determination of the medical marijuana program is
heirs at law of Rickie Hill, Sr., $15,338,000 (Plants – seeds
deceased. to Sale: $5,000,000; Licens-
ing, Monitoring, Inspection:
You are summoned to appear $8,756,000; and Cost to Col-
and defend against said peti- lect Revenue: $1,582,000).
tion filed against you in this ac- The anticipated revenue is
tion at 9:00 a.m. on the 12TH $26,000,000 (User ID Cards:
day of November, 2020, at the $5,000,000; Commercial Li-
Oktibbeha County Courthouse, censes: $1,000,000 and sales
Starkville, Mississippi, and in fee at 7 percent:
case of your failure to appear $20,000,000). The overall an-
and defend a judgment will be nual revenue is anticipated to
entered against you for the be $10,662.000, all of which
things demanded in the peti- must be used to support the
tion. state marijuana program.
You are not required to file an Initiative 65 Full Text:
answer or other pleading but
you may do so if you desire. Section 1.
The purpose of this article is to
ISSUED UNDER MY HAND AND ensure the availability of and
SEAL OF THIS COURT, this the safe access to medical
5th day of October, 2020. marijuana for qualified per-
sons with debilitating medical
/s/Cindy E. Goode conditions.
Cindy Goode, Chancery Clerk of
Lowndes County, Mississippi Section 2.
(Seal) (1) Except as otherwise
provided for in this article, a
By: Tina Fisher, D.C. qualified patient or caregiver
shall not be subject to criminal
CHYNEE A. BAILEY or civil sanctions for the use of
BAILEY LAW, PLLC medical marijuana, obtained
POST OFFICE BOX 8121 from a medical marijuana treat-
COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI ment center, for a debilitating
39705 medical condition.
TELEPHONE 601.857.8100 (2) Except as otherwise
FACSIMILE 601.857.8010 provided for in this article, a
physician shall not be subject
PUBLISH: 10/7, 10/14 & to criminal or civil sanctions
10/21/2020 solely for issuing a physician
certification to a person dia-
IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF gnosed with a debilitating med-
LOWNDES COUNTY, ical condition.
MISSISSIPPI, (3) Except as otherwise
provided for in this article, a
IN RE: PEACH FLOWERS SMITH medical marijuana treatment
DECEASED center and its officers, owners,
operators, employees, contract-
CASE NO: 20- 072 ors, and agents shall not be
subject to criminal or civil sanc-
NOTICE TO CREDITORS tions for processing medical
marijuana in compliance with
LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION regulations prescribed by the
having been granted on the department.
17th day of June 2020 to Tom-
mie Flowers by the Chancery Section 3.
Court of Lowndes County, Mis- (1) Except as otherwise
sissippi, upon the Estate of provided for in this article,
Peach flower Smith, Deceased, nothing in this article shall:
notice is hereby given to any (a) Affect or repeal laws relat-
and all persons having claims ing to the use of marijuana that
against said Peach Flowers is not intended for use for a de-
Smith, Deceased to present bilitating medical condition.
the same to the Clerk of said (b) Authorize the use of medic-
Court for probate and registra- al marijuana for anyone other
tion according to law within than a qualified patient, and,
ninety (90) days from the first where authorized by this
publication of this notice, oth- chapter, for caregivers and of-
erwise, said claim will be ficers, owners, operators, em-
forever barred. ployees, contractors, and
agents of treatment centers.
THIS the 10th day of October (c) Permit a person to operate
2020. any motor vehicle, aircraft,
train, or boat while consuming
s/ Tommie Smith or impaired by medical
TOMMIE SMITH marijuana.
Executor of the Estate of Peach (d) Require accommodation for
Flowers Smith the use of medical marijuana
or require any on-site use of
OF COUNSEL: medical marijuana in any pub-
Gerald Gaggini, MSB 99905 lic or private correctional insti-
2500 Hickory Wood Dr. tution, detention facility, or
Tupelo, MS 38801 place of education, or employ-
ment.
Telephone: 662-350-0549
(e) Require any health insur-
PUBLISH: 10/14, 10/21 & ance provider or any govern-
10/28/2020 ment agency or authority to re-
imburse any person for ex-
penses related to the use of
The following vehicle has been medical marijuana. (f) Override
abandoned at Shelton's Tow- any public laws, ordinances,
ing, Inc., 1024 Gardner Blvd., regulations, or rules or any
Columbus, MS 39702. private rules, regulations, or
provisions related to smoking
2004 Chevrolet Impala in or on public or private
Vin: 2G1WF52E349165916 places. (g) Affect any existing
drug testing laws, regulations,
1993 Cadillac Seville or rules.
VIN: 1G6KY5299PU812056 (2) It is unlawful for any per-
son to smoke medical
This vehicle will be put up for marijuana in a public place.
sale on the 4th day of Novem-
Any person who violates this
ber, 2020 at 10am at subsection may, upon convic-
Shelton's Towing, Inc., 1024 tion, be punished by a fine of
Gardner Blvd., Columbus, MS not more than One Hundred
39702. Dollars ($100.00).
PUBLISH: 10/7, 10/14 & Section 4.
10/21/2020 For purposes of this article, the
following terms shall have the
The following vehicle has been following meanings:
abandoned at Jarrett's Towing, (1) "Caregiver" shall mean a
Inc. 5209 Hwy 182 East, person who is at least twenty
Columbus, MS. one (21) years of age, who
complies with the regulations
prescribed by the department,
VIN# 1GCDC14Z6PZ219784 and who assists with a quali-
fied patient's use of medical
IF THIS VEHICLE IS NOT marijuana. The department
CLAIMED IT WILL BE PUT UP may limit the number of quali-
FOR SALE ON THE 23RD DAY fied patients a caregiver may
assist at any one time. A quali-
OF OCTOBER, 2020 AT 10:00
fied patient may have more
INC. 5209 HWY 182 EAST, than one caregiver. A caregiver
COLUMBUS, MS. is prohibited from consuming
medical marijuana provided for
PUBLISH: 10/7, 10/14, & use by a qualified patient.
10/21/2020 (2) "Criminal or civil sanctions"
shall mean arrest; incarcera-
Pursuant to Miss. Code Ann. tion; prosecution; penalty; fine;
sanction; the denial of any
right, privilege, license, certific-
Mississippi Secretary of
ation; and/or to be subject to
State’s Office, supply to you
the ballot title and summary, disciplinary action by a licens-
ing board or commission;
and against each measure and and/or to be subject to seizure
alternative, Legislative Budget and/or forfeiture of assets pur-
suant to any Mississippi law,
Office fiscal analysis and full
text for Initiative Measure No. local ordinance, or board, com-
65 and Alternative Measure mission, or agency regulation
or rule.
No. 65 A (Statewide Ballot
(3) "Debilitating medical condi-
tion" shall mean cancer, epi-
lepsy or other seizures, Parkin-
Ballot Title:
Should Mississippi allow quali- son's disease, Huntington's
disease, muscular dystrophy,
fied patients with debilitating
medical conditions, as certi- multiple sclerosis, cachexia,
post-traumatic stress disorder,
fied by Mississippi licensed
positive status for human im-
munodeficiency virus, acquired
immune deficiency syndrome,
chronic or debilitating pain,
Ballot Summary:
Initiative Measure No. 65 pro- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,
poses to amend the Missis- glaucoma, agitation of demen-
sippi Constitution to allow qual- tias, Crohn's disease, ulcerat-
ified patients with debilitating ive colitis, sickle-cell anemia,
autism with aggressive or self-
medical conditions, as certi-
fied by Mississippi licensed injurious behaviors, pain re-
fractory to appropriate opioid
to use medical
marijuana. This amendment management, spinal cord dis-
would allow medical marijuana ease or severe injury, intract-
to be provided only by licenses able nausea, severe muscle
treatment centers. The Missis- spasticity, or another medical
condition of the same kind or
sippi State Department of
Health would regulate and en- class to those herein enumer-
force the provisions of this ated and for which a physician
amendment. believes the benefits of using
medical marijuana would reas-
lepsy or other seizures, Parkin- shall be renewed, as applic-
son's disease, Huntington's able, upon presentation of a (3) All contracts under this art-
disease, muscular dystrophy, new physician certification, but icle and related to the opera-
multiple sclerosis, cachexia, in no case shall a card have an tion of medical marijuana treat-
post-traumatic stress disorder, expiration term longer than
positive status for human im- twelve (12) months. A quali-
ment centers shall be enforce-
able and rules applicable to
The Starkville Dispatch and Online
munodeficiency virus, acquired fied patient is authorized to re- other similar businesses by the
immune deficiency syndrome,
chronic or debilitating pain,
ceive medical marijuana from a Department of Revenue shall
treatment center upon present- apply to medical marijuana
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ation of his or her identifica- treatment centers created pur-
To place ads starting at only $12,
glaucoma, agitation of demen- tion card. suant to this article, except
tias, Crohn's disease, ulcerat- (7) The department and medic- that the processing and use of
call 662-328-2424 or visit ads.cdispatch.com
ive colitis, sickle-cell anemia, al marijuana treatment centers medical marijuana shall be ex-
autism with aggressive or self- shall protect the confidentiality empt from the application of
injurious behaviors, pain re- of all qualified patients. All re- any state and/or local sales
fractory to appropriate opioid
THE DISPATCH identity of tax
cords containingntheWEDNESDAY,
CDISPATCH.COM or other fee, other than that
OCTOBER
management, spinal cord dis-n qualified patients, caregivers, authorized by 14,
this 2020
article. n 7B
ease or severe injury, intract- and physicians shall be confid- (4) No medical marijuana treat-
able nausea, severe muscle ential and exempt from disclos- ment center shall be located
spasticity, or another medical ure under the Mississippi Pub- within five hundred (500) feet
condition of the same kind or lic Records Act or any related of a pre-existing school,
Legal Notices
class to those herein enumer- Legal Notices
statute, Legal Notices
regulation, or rule per- church, or licensed child care
ated and for which a physician taining to the public disclosure center.
believes the benefits of using of records. (5) Except as otherwise
medical marijuana would reas- (8) The department may estab- provided in this article, any zon-
onably outweigh potential lish an advisory committee to ing ordinances, regulations
health risks.
(4) "Department" shall mean
assist the department in the and/or provisions of a municip-
promulgation of rules and regu- ality or county shall be consist-
the Mississippi State Depart- lations and the regulation and ent with Section 1 of this art-
ment of Health or its suc- enforcement of the provisions icle and shall not impair the
cessor agency. of this article. availability of and reasonable
(5) "Medical marijuana" shall (9) The department shall ad- access to medical marijuana.
have the meanings given as of opt final rules and regulations Zoning provisions applicable to
July 1, 2018 in Section 41- pursuant to this article no later retail dispensaries shall be no
29105(r) and/or Section 41- than July 1, 2021. The depart- more restrictive than those for
29-105(0), of the Mississippi ment shall begin issuing identi- a licensed retail pharmacy and
Code of 1972, and which is fication cards and treatment zoning provisions applicable to
used to treat the symptoms center licenses no later than other businesses that fall with-
and/or effects of a debilitating August 15, 2021. in the definition of medical
medical condition as provided (10) To ensure timely imple- marijuana treatment centers
for in this article. mentation of this chapter for shall be no more restrictive
(6) "Medical marijuana identi- qualified patients, and only for than other comparably sized
fication card" shall mean a activities associated with im- and staffed lawful commercial
document, prescribed by and plementation and operation, or industrial businesses.
issued by the department, the department is exempt from
which identifies a person as a the Mississippi Department of Section 9.
qualified patient or caregiver or Information Technology Ser- No later than two years from
officer, owner, operator, em- vices laws, rules, and regula- the implementation of this art-
ployee, contractor, or agent of tions for any information tech- icle, and every two years there-
a medical marijuana treatment nology procurements made up after, the department shall
center. to Two Hundred Fifty Thousand provide to the Legislature a
(7) "Medical marijuana treat- Dollars ($250,000) for two comprehensive public report of
ment center" shall mean an en- years from the effective date of the operation of this article.
tity that is registered with and this chapter. This exemption
licensed and regulated by the shall not apply to any reporting Section 10.
department and that pro- requirements. The provisions of this article
cesses medical marijuana, re- (11) The department is author- are declared to be severable,
lated supplies, and/or educa- ized to adopt and levy adminis- and if any provision, word,
tional materials. A treatment trative fines to enforce the pro- phrase, or clause of this art-
center may engage in one or visions of this article. Payment icle or the application thereof
more of the activities involved of any fines shall be deposited shall be held invalid, such in-
in the processing of medical in the special fund created by validity shall not affect the
marijuana. Section 6 of this article. validity of the remaining por-
(8) "Physician" shall mean a (12) The department is author- tions of this article.
person with a valid Doctor of ized to adopt and levy the fol-
Medicine or Doctor of Osteo- lowing sanctions, singly or in Ballot Title (65A):
pathic Medicine degree and combination, when it finds an Shall Mississippi establish a
who holds an unrestricted li- applicant or licensee has com- program to allow the medical
cense to practice medicine in mitted any violation of this art- use of marijuana products by
the state of Mississippi by the icle or department rules or reg- qualified persons with debilitat-
Mississippi Board of Medical ulations: revoke or suspend a ing conditions?
Licensure, or its successor license, censure a licensee, im-
agency. pose a fine in an amount not to Ballot Summary (65A):
(9) "Physician certification" exceed Five Thousand Dollars This constitutional amendment
shall mean a form approved by ($5,000) for the first violation is proposed as a legislative al-
the department, signed and and an amount not to exceed ternative measure to Initiative
dated by a physician, certifying Twenty Five Thousand Dollars No. 65 and would establish a
that a person suffers from a ($25,000) for each sub- program to allow the medical
debilitating medical condition sequent violation, place a li- use of marijuana products by
for which the use of medical censee on a probationary qualified person with debilitat-
marijuana may mitigate the status, require the licensee to ing medical conditions.
symptoms and/or effects. The file regular reports and submit
certification shall remain cur- to reasonable requirements Introduced by:
rent for twelve months, unless and restrictions, revoke proba- Representative John Thomas
the physician specifies a short- tionary status of a licensee and “Trey” Lamar and Representat-
er period of time, and shall be impose other authorized sanc- ive Brent Powell
issued only after an in-person tions, and refuse to issue or re-
examination of the patient in new a license, restrict a li- Legislative Budget Office Fisc-
Mississippi. A certification cense, or accept a voluntary al Analysis:
shall only be issued on behalf surrendering of a license. The The cost or revenue impact as-
of a minor when the minor's department is authorized to sociated with this initiative is
parent or guardian is present deny, suspend or revoke a li- undeterminable.
and provides signed consent. cense in any case in which it
Nothing herein shall require a finds that there has been a Initiative 65A Full Text:
physician to issue a certifica- substantial failure to comply
tion. with the requirements of a li- NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RE-
(10) "Process" shall mean to censee. The notice and hear- SOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE
acquire, administer, com- ing requirements and judicial OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI,
pound, convert, cultivate, deliv- review provisions contained in That the following amendment
er, develop, disburse, dis- Section 43-11-11 of the Missis- to the Mississippi Constitution
pense, distribute, grow, har- sippi Code of 1972, as of July of 1890 is proposed to the
vest, manufacture, package, 1, 2018, shall apply to the qualified electors of the state
possess, prepare, process, denial, suspension, or revoca- at the November 2020 elec-
produce, propagate, research, tion of a license. tion, as an alternative to the
sell, test, transport, or trans- amendment proposed by Initiat-
fer medical marijuana or any re- Section 6. ive Measure No. 65:
lated products such as foods, In addition to the fees applied
tinctures, aerosols, oils, or to issuing identification cards Article 16, Section 290, Mis-
ointments. and licensing medical sissippi Constitution of 1890,
(11) "Qualified patient" shall marijuana treatment centers, is created to read as follows:
mean a person who has been the department may assess up
diagnosed with a debilitating to the equivalent of the state's Section 290. There is estab-
medical condition and who has sales tax rate to the final sale lished a program in the State
been issued a physician certi- of medical marijuana. Revenue of Mississippi to allow the
fication. generated under this section or medical use of marijuana
(12) "Use" shall mean the ac- through the issuance of identi- products by qualified persons.
quisition, possession, prepara- fication cards or the licensing The program shall be struc-
tion, use or use with an ac- of medical marijuana treat- tured to include, at a minimum,
cessory, delivery, transfer, or ment centers shall pay for the the following conditions and re-
administration of medical costs incurred by the depart- quirements:
marijuana by a qualified pa- ment in implementing and en- (a) The program shall be based
tient or caregiver. For pur- forcing the provisions of this on sound medical principles;
poses of this chapter, "access- article and shall be deposited (b) The program shall be ad-
ory" shall have the meaning into a special fund in the state ministered by an appropriate
given in Section 41-29-105(v) treasury to be expended by the state agency;
of the Mississippi Code of department without prior appro- (c) The administering state
1972, as of July 1, 2018. priation or authorization. The agency shall seek the input of
department shall administer health professionals to help
Section 5. the fund and make expendit- design the program;
(1) The department shall imple- ures from the fund for costs or (d) The program shall be lim-
ment, administer, and enforce other services or programs as- ited to qualified persons with
the provisions of this article sociated with this article. Fund debilitating medical conditions
and shall issue reasonable balances shall not revert to the as certified by health practition-
rules and regulations, pursu- General Fund. The department ers who are licensed under
ant to the Mississippi Adminis- shall have the authority to util- state law;
trative Procedures Act, in the (e) Marijuana products that are
ize these special funds to es-
discharge of its responsibilit- calate personnel positions in used by qualified persons in
ies. the department where needed, the program shall be of suit-
(2) The department shall pre- as non-state-service, to admin- able pharmaceutical quality
scribe reasonable rules and and prepared by state-licensed
ister and enforce the provi-
regulations pursuant to this sions of this article. Upon re- manufacturers;
section that shall include, but (f) Treatment of qualified per-
quest of the department, the
not be limited to, tracking and State Treasurer shall provide a sons in the program shall be
labelling of medical marijuana; line of credit from the Working carried out by physicians,
qualifications for and safe and Cash Stabilization Fund or any nurses and pharmacists who
secure processing of medical are licensed under state law;
other available special source
marijuana by medical funds maintained in the state (g) The program shall provide
marijuana treatment centers; for limited categories of
treasury in an amount not to
restrictions on advertising and exceed Two Million Five Hun- marijuana preparation of suit-
marketing; issuance of medic- able and verified quality stand-
dred Thousand Dollars
al marijuana identification ($2,500,000), for deposit to ards for oral administration;
cards; standards for testing fa- this special fund to provide suf- (h) The smoking of marijuana
cilities; use of medical ficient working cash to imple- products shall be restricted to
marijuana in nursing homes, ment the provisions of this art- the treatment of qualified per-
hospices, and assisted living icle. Any such loans shall be re- sons who have terminal medic-
facilities; reciprocal agree- al conditions as certified by
paid from the available funds
ments with other states for pa- received by the department un- health practitioners who are li-
tients registered in medical censed under state law;
der this article.
marijuana programs; qualifica- (i) The program shall provide
tions of and limitations on for a limited number of state-li-
Section 7.
caregivers and officers, own- A medical marijuana identifica- censed manufacturers of
ers, operators, employees, con- tion card issued pursuant to marijuana products;
tractors, and agents of treat- this article shall serve to identi- (j) The program shall have a pa-
ment centers; implementation fy a person as a qualified pa- tient registry for program enroll-
and operation of a statewide tient or caregiver or officer, ment, patient tracking, and
data base system to support treatment outcomes assess-
owner, operator, employee,
the utilization of identification contractor, or agent of a medic- ment; and
cards; and penalties for viola- (k) The program shall provide
al marijuana treatment center
tions of this article. and thus exempt such person for reporting requirements that
(3) The rules and regulations from criminal or civil sanctions include research, analysis, and
may include a reasonable fee outcomes assessment.
for the conduct authorized by
of up to Fifty Dollars ($50.00) this article.
for issuing an identification
card and reasonable fees for li- Section 8.
Did you
censing treatment centers,
?
(1) Medical marijuana treat-
which shall be fixed by and ment centers shall not provide
know
paid to the department, pursu- to a qualified patient, during
ant to Section 6. any one fourteen-day period, an
(4) The rules and regulations
amount of medical marijuana
shall not limit the number of li- that exceeds 2.5 ounces by
censed medical marijuana
weight. At no one time shall a
treatment centers nor set the qualified patient possess more
price of medical marijuana. than 2.5 ounces of medical
(5) The rules and regulations
marijuana. The weight limita-
shall require the department to tion herein shall not include
In 2014, The
issue an identification card or a any ingredients combined with
license for a treatment center medical marijuana to prepare
within a reasonable time follow- edible products, topical
ing an application for a card or products, ointments, oils, tinc- Dispatch
started
license.
tures, or other products.
(6) The department shall issue (2) Medical marijuana shall
Lowndes
a qualified patient a medical only be dispensed to a quali-
marijuana identification card
fied patient or caregiver with a
County
upon presentation of a physi- current medical marijuana iden-
cian certification. Such card
tification card by a medical
shall be renewed, as applic-
Imagination
marijuana treatment center.
able, upon presentation of a (3) All contracts under this art-
new physician certification, but icle and related to the opera-
Library, a
in no case shall a card have an tion of medical marijuana treat-
expiration term longer than
ment centers shall be enforce-
non-profit
twelve (12) months. A quali-
able and rules applicable to
fied patient is authorized to re- other similar businesses by the
that promotes
ceive medical marijuana from a Department of Revenue shall
treatment center upon present- apply to medical marijuana
early
ation of his or her identifica- treatment centers created pur-
tion card. suant to this article, except
(7) The department and medic- that the processing and use of
al marijuana treatment centers medical marijuana shall be ex-
shall protect the confidentiality empt from the application of
childhood
literacy.
of all qualified patients. All re- any state and/or local sales
cords containing the identity of tax or other fee, other than that
qualified patients, caregivers, authorized by this article.
The
Dispatch
and physicians shall be confid- (4) No medical marijuana treat-
ential and exempt from disclos- ment center shall be located
ure under the Mississippi Pub- within five hundred (500) feet
lic Records Act or any related
of a pre-existing school,
statute, regulation, or rule per- church, or licensed child care
taining to the public disclosure center.
of records. (5) Except as otherwise
(8) The department may estab- provided in this article, any zon-
8B WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
General Help Wanted General Help Wanted Apts For Rent: Other

Employment THE COMMERCIAL

DISPATCH seeks a motiv-
ated, contracted carrier for
Call us: 662-328-2424 the Caledonia area. Excel-
lent opportunity to earn
Customer Service money for college. Must
have good transportation,
valid driver's license & in-
surance. Delivers on
Sunday morning and Mon-
Fri afternoons. Apply at The
Commercial Dispatch, 516
Main Street in Columbus.
No phone calls please.
Rentals
Ads starting at $25
The Military Square
Apartments are now
Merchandise ON THE WEB
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bedroom units available.
All apartments are newly Firewood / Fuel for a printable copy of
remodeled, and include:
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Refrigerator, New A/C Unit! Various lengths.
662−295−2274.
We also offer rent
discounts for:
General Merchandise
−Active Military
−Veterans
FOR SALE: Bistro style
−Seniors
Call us at: 662−205−0005 table w/ chairs, in/out
door. Indoor game table,
seats 8. 2 upholstered
COLEMAN
chairs. Oriental table.
Washer & Dryer.
662−251−8499.
RENTALS
TOWNHOUSES & APARTMENTS

Apts For Rent: North 1 BEDROOM Mobile Home Frames

2 Mobile Home Frames for
2 BEDROOMS $500 Each. 30 Free
FOX RUN APARTMENTS
1 & 2 BR near hospital. 3 BEDROOMS Concrete Blocks w/ Each
Frame
$595−$645 monthly.
LEASE,

© The Dispatch
Military discount, pet area, 2 Electric Tongue Jacks
pet friendly, and furnished DEPOSIT $150 Each
corporate apts.
24−HOUR PROFESSIONAL
AND For More Info. Contact
Jessie Brooks @
GYM. ON SITE SECURITY. CREDIT CHECK 662−272−8711
SMALL BUSINESS LOOK- ON SITE MAINTENANCE.
ING FOR PART TIME MA- ON SITE MANAGEMENT.
662-329-2323
Sudoku
TURE EMPLOYEE. FLEX- 24−HOUR CAMERA ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIDES YESTERDAY’S ANSWER
IBLE HOURS. VARIED SURVEILLANCE. Benji & Genuine cow hide leather
SKILLS SUCH AS OFFICE, 2411 HWY 45 N jacket w/quilted lining, L,
Sudoku
Ashleigh, 662−386−4446.
CUSTOMER SERVICE,
SALES, STOCKING AND COLUMBUS, MS new. $50. Leather jacket Sudoku is a number- Yesterday’s answer
w/quilted lining, XL, worn placing puzzle based on
MANAGING SOCIAL MEDIA. Apts For Rent: West very little. $50. Leather Sudoku
a 9x9 gridis witha several
num- 4 5 7 2 8 1 6 3 9
PAY BASED ON EXPERI- chaps, genuine buffalo, XL,
ber-placing
given numbers.puzzleThe object 8 6 3 4 9 5 7 1 2
VIP
General Help Wanted
Real Estate
ENCE. EMAIL RESUME TO

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

new. $40. Leather vest,
job113@cdispatch.com genuine buffalo, L, new. based onthe
is to place a 9x9
numbers 9 1 2 7 6 3 5 4 8
OFFICE MANAGER needed grid
1 to 9with
in theseveral
Rentals
for local Construction com-
$20. Motorcycle riding empty spaces 6 3 8 5 1 9 4 2 7
pany. Job includes man- NEW, SMALL, fast growing Ads starting at $25
boots, waterproof/ given
so thatnumbers.
each row, eachThe 1 4 9 6 7 2 8 5 3
insulated, worn very little,
aging Pay Roll, QuickBooks, business looking for skilled object
column and each 3x3 the
is to place box
Apartments & Houses size 10. $70. One piece
numbers 7 2 5 8 3 4 1 9 6
contains the1same to 9 number
in
Spreadsheets, Accounts carpenter or laborer. Must Farms & Timberland rain suit by Gear, L, new.
the empty spaces so 5 9 6 1 2 8 3 7 4
1 Bedrooms
Payable & Receivable, Pur- be knowledgeable or will- $35. For sale locally.
chasing & Social Media. ing to learn in all aspects only once. The difficulty 2 8 4 3 5 7 9 6 1
501−545−7750. that each row, each
2 Bedroooms
LAMAR CO. AL, 197 Acres.
Single position in small of carpentry and mainten- level increases from
business with nice atmo- ance. Email resume to
Good timber. Good hunting. column and each 3 7 1 9 4 6 2 8 5
sphere. Mail resume to job112@cdispatch.com 3 Bedrooms Road frontage. South of
Millport. $1,325/ac. 205−
Sporting Goods Monday
3x3 boxtocontains
Sunday. Difficulty Level 10/13

Blind Box 677 c/o The
Commercial Dispatch
PO Box 511
Columbus MS 39703.
General Help Wanted
the same number only once. The difficulty level
Furnished & Unfurnished 799−9846 or 205−695− ED SANDERS GUNSMITH
2248. Open for season! increases from Monday to Sunday.
Shop Classifieds 1, 2, & 3 Baths Tue−Fri: 9−5 & Sat: 9−12
Houses For Sale: Southside Over 50 years experience!
Lease, Deposit Repairs, cleaning, refin−
& Credit Check 1512 WASHINGTON AVE ishing, scopes mounted &
3BR/1.5BA, living room w/ zeroed, handmade knives.
viceinvestments.com gas log−heat, dining room, Located: Hwy 45 Alt, North
327-8555 front/back porch, natural
gas heat, window units−
of West Point, turn right on
Yokahama Blvd, 8mi & turn
cooling, storage bldg & left on Darracott Rd, will
carport. 1,230 sq ft. see sign, 2.5mi ahead
Apts For Rent: Other Call 662−425−9451. shop on left.
662−494−6218.
Houses For Sale: Other

FSBO: 4BR/4.5BA situated

on 13 acres in South
Lowndes County @ 627
Canfield Rd. New Hope
school district. 50x100
shop, in ground pool w/
pool house & 1.5 acre
stock pond. Ideal place for
mini farm! $675,000.
662−327−3477.
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Lots & Acreage
when you advertise
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Good/Bad Credit Options.
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down, $499/mo. Eaton
Land, 662−361−7711.

PICKENS COUNTY, AL
180 acres in Liberty
Community. Good hunting
Community
BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN & road systems. $850/ac.
1BR features tall ceilings, Other tracts available. Call Ads starting at $12
exposed brick walls, hard− 205−799−9846 or 205−
wood floors, central heat 695−2248. Travel & Entertainment
and air, walk−in closet and
Houses For Sale: Other washer/dryer in the unit.
This apartment is located PUBLIC CATFISH POND
right in the heart of 130 Hillcrest Dr
Columbus, within easy Catfish contest Oct. 1−
walking distance of 31. $200 for most
restaurants, bars, shops weight. $100 for Big
and the Riverwalk. Fish. 2 drawings for
$675/month with deposit. $50 valued prizes. Call
No pets. Call Peter Looking for a new home? 662−386−8591 for
662−574−1561. Let us help, shop here. details.

Pets ACROSS
1 Hindu hero
PYRIDOODLE PUPPIES 5 Stellar radio
FOR SALE:. 10 weeks old.
2M & 2F. Wormed & shots.
source
$250 ea. 626−590−2584. 11 Not at home
12 Polished
13 One-liner, e.g.
14 To-do list
Need a new
Place an ad safely
15 Hoppy brew
16 Revue seg-
companion? ment

from home with 17 Visitor from

afar
19 Toe count
the Classifieds. 22 Happen again
24 Eat from the
pasture
26 Egg outline
27 Gumbo base 2 Illegally off 21 Tidy
28 Nanny’s mate base 22 Spa wear
30 Traction aid 3 Phone some- 23 Wicked
31 Building wing one 25 Part to play
32 Bewildered 4 Supporter’s 29 Boring event
When looking 34 Number
between eins
vote 30 CBS series
5 Tremble with spinoffs
for a new pet, and drei 6 Exhortation 33 Phone mes-
ads.cdispatch.com 35 Nourished 7 Aid illegally sages
adoption is 38 Egyptian
landmark
8 — Salvador
9 Linking word
34 Fan publica-
tion
41 Green stone

Service Directory
10 Stephen of 36 Writer Ferber
always a 42 Early news-
group system
“The Crying
Game”
37 Out of play
38 Total
good option. 43 Arm bone
44 Informal
16 Knight’s title
18 Temporary
39 Letter before
omega
dances calm 40 Spell
Promote your small business starting at only $25 45 Pleased 19 Pretend to be 41 Moonshine
DOWN knocked out holder
Carpet & Flooring General Services General Services Painting & Papering Five Questions: 1 Indian prince 20 Poet Pound
A & T TREE SERVICES QUALITY PAINTING.

Bucket truck & stump
removal. Free est.
Serving Columbus
since 1987. Senior
citizen disc. Call Alvin @
242−0324/241−4447
"We’ll go out on a limb for
you!"
DAVID’S CARPET &
UPHOLSTERY ADD−2 YOUR Party with
CLEANING J−LOW, your Karaoke DJ
Fall Special: 4 Rms $99 Holidays are around the
1 Room − $50 corner! Book today to sing,
2 Room − $70
3 Rooms − $90
dance & laugh the night
away. Party planners call
Carpet−Rugs−Tile−Cars for pricing & available
Call for more info! dates. Call J−LOW @ King’s
662−722−1758 Karaoke 662−386−1836
General Services WORK WANTED: Licensed
& Bonded. Carpentry, minor
RN NURSE seeking to sit electrical, minor plumbing,
w/ elderly person in home, insulation, painting, demo−
lition, gutters cleaned,
hospital or nursing home.
Light housekeeping & yard pressure washing, land−
scaping, cleanup work.
work offered. Ask for Mary,
662−356−6578. 662−242−3608.
1 Pinkerton’s
Ext/Int Painting.
Sheet Rock Hang, Finish &
National
Repair. Pressure Washing.
Free Estimates. Ask for
Detective
specials! Larry Webber,
662−242−4932.
SULLIVAN’S PAINT Agency
SERVICE
Special Prices.
2 Mr. McGregor
Interior & Exterior Painting.
662−435−6528
Sitting With The Sick / Elderly
3 House mouse
CNA WITH 26 YRS EXP
wanting a PT/FT daytime
4 Vault, floor
position. Refs & back−
Lawn Care / Landscaping ground avail. Errands &
exercise,
light house work incl.
JESSE & BEVERLY’S 662−327−0964.
uneven bars,
LAWN SERVICE
Mowing, cleanup, tree
balance beam
cutting, landscaping,
sodding & bush hogging. Got leaky pipes?
662−356−6525 Find a plumber
in the classifieds.
5 Moscow
ads.cdispatch.com