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‘Billing error’ from AT&T leaves Clay County sheriff
without national crime database access for a month
Brandon Presley calls for investigation; claims AT&T should
have worked with county rather than cut off service
BY ISABELLE ALTMAN
ialtman@cdispatch.com
Clay County Sheriff’s Office
and E911 Office were without
access to a national database of
crime information for a month
after AT&T cut off the offices’
Supervisors to
consider changes
to garbage
billing, vicious
dog ordinance
Election resolution
committee will receive
extra pay for processing
record numbers of
absentee ballots
BY TESS VRBIN
tvrbin@cdispatch.com
Oktibbeha Coun-
ty supervisors will
consider a proposed
policy for collecting
unpaid garbage bills
at Monday’s meeting
after discussing it at
length during a work
session on Wednes- Howard
day.
Supervisors voted
unanimously in De-
cember to bill prop-
erty owners instead
of renters for garbage
collection services.
The property owner
is ultimately respon- Montgomery
sible for paying a garbage bill even
if the previous owner or renter did
not pay it.
Board attorney Rob Roberson’s
proposed policy would allow anyone
with a delinquent garbage bill to pay
25 percent up front and make regu-
lar payments to finish off the rest of
the debt. They can still purchase a
car tag as long as their payments
are on schedule, Roberson said.
District 3 Supervisor Marvell
See SUPERVISORS, 6A
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High
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Thursday | October 29, 2020
to the National Crime Informa-
tion Center, Clay County Sheriff
Eddie Scott told The Dispatch.
Law enforcement officers and
services due to what a company Service Commissioner for E911 operators connect to
spokesperson said was a “bill- Mississippi’s Northern District NCIC to run drivers licenses
ing error.” Brandon Presley. Daly said as of and vehicle tag numbers, check
AT&T technicians were 9:30 a.m. today connection had for arrest warrants, receive
working to restore the connec- been restored. safety alerts and complete oth-
tion on Wednesday, said both Presley on Tuesday called for Presley Scott er day-to-day operations.
AT&T Public Relations Man- the PSC Public Utilities Staff to The service AT&T provides Clay County first lost access
ager Megan Daly and Public investigate AT&T for the error. CCSO and E911 connects E911 See BILLING ERROR, 3A
EMERGENCY DRILL AT GTRA
Courtesy photo
Golden Triangle Regional Airport firefighters Matt Schober and Chief Kris McCarter practice how they would respond to a
plane crash during an emergency response drill at the airport Wednesday morning. Thirteen agencies participated in the drill,
which the airport holds once every three years. “This simulation provides not only very practical hands-on experience, but just
as importantly, it is about communication,” GTRA Director Mike Hainsey said in a press release about the event. “It’s essen-
tial that we get the right people and equipment at the right place on time to save lives.”
BUSINESS MOVES WITH MARY
Boardtown Pizza and Pints opens in Starkville
PLUS: Cobalt’s Boutique and Little Magnolia end and opened officially on
Monday.
Co. find new location in Columbus You can try the new pizza,
hummus, falafel, pita moz, dog
BY MARY POLLITZ “All during a pandemic and bowl nachos (yes, they are
biz@cdispatch.com a hurricane,” he laughed. served in an actual dog bowl)
After more than a year and more every day from 11
F
or Tyler Klaas it’s been of planning and setbacks, a.m.-11 p.m.
busy lately. Boardtown Pizza and Pints is “It feels great,” Klaas said.
He tied the knot with officially open at 705 Universi- “The nerves are still up there
his wife and opened a restau- ty Drive, Suite C. because we don’t know what’s
rant in Starkville, all in two The new pizza restaurant going to happen. … We’re real-
Mary Pollitz
weeks. had a soft opening last week- See BUSINESS, 6A
Bulldog Football Weekend Guide
Mississippi State at No. 2 Alabama, Oct. 31 at 6 p.m.
THINGS TO DO IN THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE HOW TO WATCH
n Watch on ESPN
DISPATCH STAFF REPORT Development Partnership office n Stream on the ESPN app
on Main Street in Starkville. Be-
On Thursday, Mississippi State cause of safety protocols due to
head football coach Mike Leach the pandemic, fans cannot attend tators can listen while outside or
will participate in an hour-long in- in person, but the interview will be while eating outdoors at downtown
terview with host Neil Price from broadcast through the downtown dining options.
7-8 p.m. at the Greater Starkville speaker system, meaning spec- See WEEKEND GUIDE, 6A
FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC
1 The iPod name was inspired by Today MEETINGS
which Stanley Kubrick sci-fi classic? Oct. 30: Starkville
■ Loaves & Fishes: This Com-
2 What was the name of President Board of Aldermen
munity Soup Kitchen fundraiser
Roosevelt’s cure for the U.S. economy work session, 10
after the Great Depression? features pork loin take-out meals,
a.m., City Hall
3 Which author who suffered from $15 or two for $25, from First
United Methodist Church Family Nov. 2: Oktibbeha
chronic insomnia created one of the
least sleep-deprived literary charac- Life Center, 602 College St. City County Board of Su-
pervisors meeting,
ters, “Rip Van Winkle”? limits delivery available. Tickets
9 a.m., Chancery
4 What is the massive explosion at at Columbus Arts Council, FUMC,
the end of a star’s life cycle called? other churches. 662-425-6408. Courthouse
5 What is the name of the stadium in ■ National Day of Prayer ob- Nov. 3: Starkville
which the French Open tennis tourna- Board of Aldermen
servance: This Columbus virtual
ment takes place? meeting, 5:30
Answers, 6B community prayer service at 6
p.m. on Facebook and YouTube p.m., City Hall
is presented by the nondemon- Nov. 10:
Starkville-Oktibbe-
INSIDE inational Christian Community in
Prayer Committee. Praise and Wor- ha Consolidated
Business 5B Dear Abby 4B ship features Bobby Sanderson, School District
Classifieds 6B Obituaries 5A Keashun Hendrix, Jessica Horton Julie Thompson is a sophomore Board of Trustees
Comics 4B Opinions 4A and Josh Tilly. Info: christiancom- studying political science at meeting, 6 p.m.,
Crossword 6B munityinprayer@gmail.com. Mississippi State University. 401 Greensboro St.
DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471
2A THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Pandemic politics: Biden shuns

‘false promises’ of fast fix
The pandemic’s consequences are escalating,
with deaths climbing in 39 states and an average
of 805 people dying daily nationwide
BY WILL WEISSERT, A AMER
MADHANI AND ALEX ANDRA JAFFE
The Associated Press
BU L L HE A D
CITY, Ariz. — Fo-
cused firmly on
COVID-19, Joe Biden
vowed Wednesday
not to campaign in
the election home-
stretch “on the false
promises of being Biden
able to end this pandemic by flip-
ping a switch.” President Donald
Trump, under attack for his han-
dling of the worst health crisis
in more than a century, breezily
pledged on his final-week swing to
“vanquish the virus.”
The Democratic presidential
nominee also argued that a Su-
preme Court conservative majority
stretched to 6-3 by newly confirmed
Justice Amy Coney Barrett could
dismantle the Obama adminis-
tration’s signature health law and
leave millions without insurance
coverage during the pandemic.
He called Trump’s handling of the
coronavirus an “insult” to its vic-
tims, especially as cases spike dra-
matically around the country.
“Even if I win, it’s going to take
a lot of hard work to end this pan-
demic,” Biden said during a speech
in Wilmington, Delaware. “I do
promise this: We will start on day
one doing the right things.”
His comments reflected an un-
wavering attempt to keep the politi-
cal spotlight on the pandemic. That
was a departure from the president,
who downplayed the threat and
spent his day in Arizona, where
relaxed rules on social distancing
made staging big rallies easier.
The pandemic’s consequences
were escalating, with deaths climb-
ing in 39 states and an average of
805 people dying daily nationwide
— up from 714 two weeks ago. Over-
all, about 227,000 Americans have
died. The sharp rise sent shock-
waves through financial markets,
causing the Dow Jones Industrial
Average to drop 900-plus points.
Trump, who frequently lauds
rising markets, failed to mention
the decline. But he promised that
economic growth figures for the
summer quarter, due Thursday,
would be strong, declaring during
a rally in Bullhead City, Arizona,
“This election is a choice between a
Trump super-recovery and a Biden
depression.”

Trump paints apocalyptic portrait of life under Biden

‘It’s pure fear and fear based on a Biden in the campaign’s
final weeks. Trump typi-
have that particular kind
of ignorance,” Robin La-
particular kind of ignorance that cally makes his warning
about the fate of suburbia
koff, professor emerita of
linguistics at the Universi-
only works if your hearers have that as he showcases his own ty of California, Berkeley,
decision to end federal said of Trump’s claims
particular kind of ignorance’ regulations that govern about Biden.
Robin Lakoff, professor emerita of linguistics at the the placement of low-in- Trump made fear —
University of California, Berkeley coming housing in the particularly the fear of im-
suburbs. migrants — a major theme
BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE tioning or electricity. Campaign rhetoric can of his 2016 campaign.
The Associated Press This is the apocalyptic often become heated and Now, he is giving voters a
version of American life hyperbolic as candidates laundry list of mostly im-
WA S H - that President Donald scrap for every last advan- plausible reasons to fear a
INGTON — Trump argues would be tage before the votes are Biden presidency.
The suburbs the dire consequence of counted. “This election is a
wouldn’t be turning over the White Experts say instilling choice between a TRUMP
the suburbs House to Democrat Joe fear in one’s opponent is RECOVERY or a BIDEN
anymore, Biden. usually the primary moti- DEPRESSION,” the pres-
the econo- “He’ll bury you in regu- vating factor behind such ident tweeted, echoing
my would lations, dismantle your po- talk as candidates seek to what he tells supporters
Trump
sink into its lice departments, dissolve give voters a reason to put at rallies. “It’s a choice be-
worst depression ever and our borders, confiscate a checkmark next to their tween a TRUMP BOOM
police departments would your guns, terminate reli- name on the ballot. or a BIDEN LOCK-
cease to exist. Even Amer- gious liberty, destroy your “It’s pure fear and fear DOWN. It’s a choice be-
ica’s older adults would be suburbs,” Trump said in based on a particular kind tween our plan to Kill the
left to figure out how to get one of many over-the-top of ignorance that only virus — or Biden’s plan to
by without heat, air condi- pronouncements about works if your hearers kill the American Dream!”

Media election planners prepare for a night of mystery

Poll: Nearly half of respondents intend and perhaps beyond. NBC
News has mapped out a DAYS UNTIL
to follow election night returns closely schedule to stay on the air
THE ELECTION

BY DAVID BAUDER
AP Media Writer
NEW YORK — This
coming weekend, CNN’s
Sam Feist will distribute
to his staff copies of the
testimony news executives
gave to Congress when
they tried to explain how
television networks got
2000’s disputed election so
spectacularly wrong.
It’s required reading —
perhaps never more than
this year. Media planners
are preaching caution in
the face of a surge in early
voting, high anxiety levels
overall and a president who
raises the specter of anoth-
er disputed election.
“We need to prepare
ourselves for a different
kind of election night,” said
Feist, CNN’s Washington
bureau chief, “and the word
I keep using is ‘patience.’”
Nearly half of people
polled recently by the
Pew Research Center said
they intend to follow elec-
tion night returns closely.
It’s easy to see this year
eclipsing 2008’s record of
71.5 million people who
watched for results, and
many will have laptops,
tablets or smartphones
ready for a multi-screen
experience.
CBS News built a new
studio where pop stars
once visited MTV’s “To-
tal Request Live,” and Fox
News hired the makers of
the “Fortnite” video game
to design whiz-bang
graphics, an illustration
of the money and plan-
ning that goes in to the
quadrennial event.
Live television cover-
age will extend into the
early morning of Nov. 4
for days if necessary, said
Noah Oppenheim, NBC
News president.
Besides the traditional
broadcast and cable news
networks, there will be
live-stream options from
the likes of The Wash-
ington Post and others,
including websites filled
with graphics and raw
numbers.
“There is an odd com-
bination of anticipation
and uncertainty about
this election night, more
than any other election
night I can remember,”
said David Bohrman, a
television veteran who
this year is producing the
CBS News coverage.
Election nights always
have surprises, but the
worry this year is being
driven by the large num-
ber of people voting early
or by mail, in part driven
by the coronavirus. By
5
many estimates, the early
vote will eclipse the num-
ber of people going to
polling places on Election
Day for the first time.
That’s an extraordi-
nary change: In 1972,
only 5 percent of votes
were cast prior to Elec-
tion Day, and by 2016 it
was 42.5 percent. That
profoundly affects how
the results are reported.
Some states begin
counting early votes as
they come in. Some wait
until Election Day or even
after polls close. Some
key states count absen-
tee ballots only if they are
postmarked by Election
Day. Elsewhere, ballots
can arrive as late as Nov.
13, as is the case in Ohio.

Philly shooting brings policing, racism back into campaign

Victim shot this week in the throes of this year as they negotiate
the end game for a race in
dals,” Trump said of the
former vice president and
a mental health crisis after he ignored which Pennsylvania is a his running mate, Sen.
critical battleground. Kamala Harris, during a
officers’ orders to drop a knife In Philadelphia and campaign rally. “I stand
its suburbs, voters are with the heroes of law.”
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS in the throes of a mental weighing how to factor In a separate exchange
health crisis after he ig- the issue into their elec- with reporters earlier in
PHILADELPHIA — nored officers’ repeated tion calculations. the day, Trump spoke
The fatal shooting of orders to drop a knife. Trump, while cam- about the shooting in
another Black man on The encounter, caught
America’s streets by po- paigning Wednesday purely partisan tones,
on video, spurred violent in Arizona, expressed noting that the unrest
lice — with subsequent
unrest in Philadelphia, outrage over the violent had happened again in a
unrest — has brought the
fraught issues of policing and now has both Presi- protests in Philadelphia “Democrat-run city.”
and racism in the nation dent Donald Trump and and attempted to use it “They should be able
back to the fore of the Democrat Joe Biden cal- to court suburban voters to handle it themselves,”
presidential election in its ibrating how to address outside Philadelphia and Trump said, even as he
closing days. some of the same ques- elsewhere. suggested that he stood
Philadelphia police tions that roiled American “I can tell you, Biden ready to deploy federal
say Walter Wallace Jr., 27, cities — and the presiden- and Harris stand with troops to Philadelphia if
was shot earlier this week tial campaign — earlier the rioters and the van- asked.

Local officials claim ‘potential for problems’ if Initiative 65 passes
Advocate: MSDH will regulate
medical marijuana if amendment
passes; impaired driving, non-
prescribed use still illegal
BY ISABELLE ALTMAN
ialtman@cdispatch.com
Local of-
ficials voiced
their oppo-
sition to the
proposed
Initiative 65,
a state con-
st it ut iona l
amendment Hawkins
that would
legalize
medical
m a r ij ua n a ,
in a meeting
at Lown-
des County
Sher i f f ’s
Office on Grantham
Wednesday.
Sheriff Eddie Hawkins,
Columbus-Lowndes Coun-
ty joint narcotics task force
commander Capt. Brian
Turner and District 39
Rep. Dana McLean (R-Co-
lumbus) raised multiple
concerns, including that
medical marijuana would
not be regulated and lead
to increased crime rates
and addiction problems
throughout the state. Beth
Hamilton, a representative
for Mississippi State Board
of Health member Jim
Perry of Jackson, was also
present.
“There’s nobody that
can convince me, with 25
years of experience work-
ing narcotics, that marijua-
na is not a gateway drug,”
Zeta barrels across Southeast after battering weary coast
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS —
Zeta sped across the
Southeast on Thursday,
leaving a trail of damage
and more than 2 million
homes and businesses in
the dark in Atlanta and
Billing error
Continued from Page 1A
to NCIC on Sept. 28 af-
ter a storm damaged the
CCSO and E911 terminals
that connect their offices
to the database, Scott and
Presley told The Dispatch
on Wednesday. While in
the process of repairing
the terminals, AT&T em-
ployees discovered there
was $67,000 owed on the
equipment and services.
The company cut off the
service without notifying
the county.
Scott said he had been
under the impression
AT&T simply hadn’t yet
fixed the equipment until
earlier this week when
county Emergency Man-
agement Agency and
E911 Director Torrey Wil-
liams learned about the
bill. Scott and Williams
then contacted Presley
about the issue.
“We paid what we’ve
been billed on the 10th
every month,” Scott said.
“Then all of a sudden,
without any discussion
at all, without even con-
tacting the courthouse,
myself, anybody, they
apparently took it upon
themselves to just cut our
service off, which thor-
oughly ticked me off.”
Daly apologized for
the company’s error in
an email to The Dispatch
Wednesday night.
“We are working
quickly to fully restore
service to the Clay Coun-
ty Sheriff’s Department
after some data lines were
disconnected due to a bill-
ing error,” the email said.
“We apologize for the in-
convenience.”
Presley said that while
the Public Service Com-
mission is still trying
to determine what hap-
pened, the bill may have
been sent to the Depart-
Hawkins said. “I see the
potential for problems, just
like they’re seeing in other
states … that have legal-
ized medical use marijua-
na and/or recreational use
marijuana.”
But Jamie Grantham,
communications director
for the Medical Marijua-
na 2020 Campaign that
advocates for 65, told The
Dispatch medical marijua-
na would be regulated like
any other medication un-
der the proposed amend-
ment and that in states
with similar medical mari-
juana laws there had been
no significant impact on
crime.
“Crime rates do not in-
crease,” she said. “This is
a medical program for pa-
tients to have an alternative
treatment option under the
care of their doctors in a
regulated program.”
The proposed amend-
ment would allow the Mis-
sissippi State Department
of Health to issue licenses
for treatment centers to
dispense medical mari-
juana to patients with a
state-issued medical mar-
ijuana identification card.
Under the conditions of the
amendment, patients must
receive a physician certifi-
cation and have one of 22
debilitating medical condi-
tions to receive an ID.
The state board of
beyond after pounding
New Orleans with winds
and water that splintered
homes and were blamed
for at least three deaths.
Leslie Richardson,
58, drowned after being
trapped in rising seawater
in Biloxi, Mississippi, after
ment of Public Safety,
which used to pay for the
service on behalf of the
county. Presley said he is
still investigating whether
DPS was supposed to pay
the bill or whether AT&T
was supposed to bill Clay
County for the $67,000.
Presley said that does
not excuse AT&T for tak-
ing so long to repair the
equipment and cutting off
the county’s connection to
NCIC.
“There’s been an equip-
ment issue there that they
could not get AT&T to
come in and repair,” Pres-
ley said. “Secondly for
the sheriff’s office, AT&T
claims that they owe bills
that they’ve never ren-
dered to the county. … So
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
health has opposed Ini-
tiative 65. Hamilton said
board members do not
want to regulate it and
pointed out the amend-
ment allows doctors to
hand out certifications
if they think the patient
needs one for an illness
similar to the 22 listed.
“If you’re in Mississippi
and you want marijuana,
and you don’t really qual-
ify on any of those, you’re
going to be able to get your
hands on it,” Hamilton
said.
More than 30 states
throughout the country
have already legalized
medical marijuana, includ-
ing Arkansas, Louisiana,
Florida and Oklahoma.
Reports from the Nation-
al Institute of Health have
said that while there has
not been much research
on medical marijuana,
what data there is does not
indicate that legalization
causes higher crime rates.
When voicing his oppo-
sition to the amendment,
Hawkins said he’s specif-
ically studied Colorado,
the first state to legalize
recreational marijuana
use, saying it has seen
higher crime rates, more
traffic accidents and other
problems. He said he does
not see any difference be-
tween that and Initiative
65.
“What’s to keep that
person that’s got medical
marijuana from going to
work and driving a fork-
lift?” he said.
He raised issues rang-
ing from whether law en-
forcement would be able to
taking video of the raging
storm, Harrison County
Brian Switzer said. Rich-
ardson and another man
exited a floating car and
desperately clung to a tree
before his strength “just
gave out,” Switzer said.
In Louisiana, a 55-year-
AT&T, rather than find-
ing that discrepancy and
trying to get to the bottom
of it, cut them off. Clay
County doesn’t appear to
be at fault because Clay
County never received a
bill for this. They’ve been
paying the bills that were
sent them the whole time,
and then AT&T shuts
them off.”
Scott said access to
NCIC is critical for law en-
forcement, even compar-
ing it at one point to cut-
ting off water at a hospital.
He said his officers
had been calling other
agencies, such as sheriff’s
offices in nearby counties
and Mississippi Highway
Patrol, when they needed
access to NCIC informa-
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020 3A
tell whether a suspect had
received marijuana legally
would driving impaired.
Moreover, she argued,
option. This should not be
political. This puts it into
from a dispensary to how
patients would keep their
the issue of medical mari- the doctor’s office and not
juana should be a decision into politicians’ offices.”
medical marijuana away between doctors and pa- To read the proposed
from children and care- tients, without the interfer- amendment, go to the
givers. He also questioned ence of politicians. Secretary of State website
whether patients would “These are patients at this link: https://www.
know what was in the mar-
with cancer and ALS and sos.ms.gov/content/Ini-
ijuana, pointing out specif- kids with seizures,” she tiativesPDF/Proposed%20
ically that in recent years,
said. “They need another Initiative%20Measure.pdf
narcotics officers have
seized increasing amounts
of marijuana and canna-
binoids laced with other
more potent substances
such as fentanyl.
Grantham argued Col-
orado could not be com-
pared to Mississippi, and
that Medical Marijuana
2020 had looked to other
states with medical mar-
ijuana bills to craft the
amendment.
“Colorado, that’s a rec-
reational state,” she said.
“Nobody wants that here,
and that is not a model pro-
gram, clearly, because it’s
recreational.”
Further, she argued,
MSDH regulation of med-
ical marijuana would reas-
sure users of what ingredi-
ents are in the product and
keep them from turning
to those illegal products
on the street that are po-
tentially laced with other
illicit substances. The
medication would come
in packaging designed by
MSDH, and both patients
and their caregivers would
be issued special medical
identification cards by the
state and be entered into a
state database. Abuse by
caregivers, children and
other non-patients would
still be illegal, she said, as
old man was electrocuted
by a downed power line in
New Orleans, a coroner
said. In Georgia, authori-
ties said a man was killed
when high winds caused
a tree to fall onto a mobile
home in Cherokee Coun-
ty.
tion.
“We’re constantly run-
ning tags, drivers licens-
es. It’s just ... 100 times
a day probably easily,”
he said. “That ain’t even
including all the other
stuff we do, background
checks. We do back-
ground checks for Navis-
tar ... for the hospital,
for the nursing homes. I
mean, it’s just all kinds of
stuff that we do.”
SOLUNAR TABLE
The solunar period indicates
peak-feeding times for fish and game.
Thurs. Fri.
Major
Minor
—
6:04p
—
6:30p
Major 11:34a 12:14p
Minor 5:55a 6:48a
Courtesy of Mississippi Department
of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
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Opinion
4A THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 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

Closing the barn door after the cows have gotten out
F
ool me once shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on
me.
As we head into November,
a surge in Coronavirus cases
throughout the U.S. once again
points to a bitter harvest of seri-
ously ill patients and deaths.
As of Wednesday, 3,302 Mis-
sissippians have died during the
pandemic and the state ranks
seventh in the nation in COVID
deaths per 100,000.
The number of deaths per
day in our state is ticking up,
and our efforts to slow the virus’
spread is hampered by our state
leadership.
Faced with the indisputable
increases in cases, Gov. Tate
Reeves is making the same
mistake now he made during
the early summer - employing a
piece-meal strategy that is com-
parable to closing the barn door
after the cows have gotten out.
On Oct. 9, Reeves issued a
mask mandate for nine counties.
Tuesday, he added seven more
counties to the list. His strate-
gy is to enact mandates where
cases are highest, i.e., the barn
door approach.
What he has not done is take
proactive measures. Remem-
ber, Reeves was among the last
governors to enact a statewide
mask mandate (Aug. 7) and the
first to end it (Sept. 30).
So here we go again.
Now as then, cities and towns
are left to their own devices in
requiring people to wear masks
in public places, something
the overwhelming majority of
medical experts tell us is one of
the best ways to fight the spread
of the virus.
Reeves explains his reluc-
tance to be as proactive as possi-
ble as an act of restraint against
employing “the heavy hand of
government,” as he puts it.
But there is no government
overreach and no infringement
on our rights to impose mea-
sures that protect the safety of
Mississippians. That’s not being
“heavy-handed.” Protecting the
people is one of the most solemn
duties entrusted to our leaders.
While many cities and
counties — including those in
the Golden Triangle — have
maintained mask mandates,
enduring whatever misguided
criticism that goes with it, the
Governor’s actions have sent a
mixed message, one that serves
to dilute the strength of local
requirements.
We are hearing one thing
from our local officials and quite
another from our Governor. Is
it any wonder, then, that we still
see many people in our com-
munities who refuse to wear
masks in defiance of local mask
mandates?
Mississippi daily deaths went
down when the Governor’s posi-
tion on mask-wearing began to
align with local mandates. Since
the statewide mandate expired,
cases have spiked.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,
as the saying goes. It should
be obvious the statewide mask
mandate was working.
Reeves should have learned
that lesson months ago.
It’s obvious he hasn’t.
Fool us once, we’ll accept.
But fool us twice?
Shame on Tate Reeves.

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Response to Emmerich column
Wyatt Emmerich’s column in
the Wednesday Dispatch was in
some ways a welcome explanation
of the positions many Republicans
may hold about Trump’s supposed
strengths. He said that letters
like mine would be “hate mail.” I
assume that he takes the position
that those who disagree with him
have hate in their hearts; or he
didn’t really mean HATE? Several
opinions in his column stand out:
1. “His openness and honesty
can be refreshing.” The obvious
truth to anyone is that Trump is
a pathological liar through and
through. Truth to him is whatever
he says it is, regardless of any-
thing else. Thousands of exam-
ples.
2. “Conservative judges”. The
Senate rejected considering a mid-
dle-of-the-road justice in 2016, yet
reversed their “rules” to nominate
and approve a candidate with a
clear social agenda and limited
judicial experience this month
after many millions of people had
already voted in the upcoming
election. Judges should be as
impartial as possible. I do not see
this happening with Barrett or
Trump’s other nominees. Will we
go back to the days of back-alley
abortions and loss of health insur-
ELECTION 2020
ance for millions, among other
things?
3. “Learn to live with COVID”
Weak excuses to vote for Trump
would be better expressed as “Man is not a rational his illusory border wall, share of sand kicked in their faces, but
“learn to die with COVID” (over animal; he is a rationalizing illegally withheld aid to an for now, they feel like they’re winners.
200,000 and counting), with the animal.” ally in an attempt to extort And it’s because of Trump.”
worst yet to come largely because — Robert Heinlein a damaging story about his This is the technique we’ve grown
of incompetence and inaction at opponent, treated Con- accustomed to in the Trump era —

the federal level. Trump continues
to mouth myths about COVID,
such as calling mask wearing
unnecessary. In Kansas, counties
with mask mandates have had half
the COVID cases as those with no
mandates.
4. “Global Warming” is
dismissed in one sentence as
apparently nothing to worry about.
Contrast this with the consensus
opinions of scientific experts who
argue that this is the largest and
most dangerous problem facing
the world over the rest of this
century.
5. “Biden’s son”. First, his
son is not running for president.
Why even mention him? Even if
this one unproven “scandal” pans
out, it pales in comparison to the
dozens of scandals in the Trump
administration leading to prison
sentences and in Trump’s personal
life, many of which are transgres-
sions punishable with prison time
for other, less sheltered people.
In deciding to vote I think the
highest priorities for our entire
country are those that have po-
tentially the largest effects on the
most people. These are climate
change and covid-19. Trump is
failing miserably in both cases.
Most everyone will suffer from
these failures one way or another.
Bill Parker
Columbus
Correction: A letter to the editor
in Wednesday’s Dispatch was
incorrectly attributed to Bill Parker.
Wednesday’s letter was written by
Bill Gillmore.
Make Your Voice Heard
Write The Dispatch:
voice@cdispatch.com
A
mong many lessons gressional subpoenas with that if you aren’t pro-Trump you are
learned over the last contempt, and abused his disrespecting working class people or
excruciating four authority as commander in gun-owners or farmers. You represent
years is this: Partisanship chief to use military force the snobbish “elites” who kicked sand
is a more potent drug than against peaceful demon- in their faces, and who can blame
heroin. I consider myself strators across from the them for giving you the finger in the
to be in recovery but by no White House, among innu- form of the Bad Orange Man?
means cured. After decades Mona Charen merable other violations. Who exactly is really disrespecting
of Republican loyalty, I now I’m old enough to working-class people? Do you need
devoutly desire a Republi- remember when conser- a college degree to find mocking the
can loss. vatives excoriated Barack Obama for handicapped disgusting? Must you be
Many on my former side cannot un- rewriting the ACA by fiat and chang- a professional to despise selfishness
derstand my anti-Trump vehemence, ing immigration policy with a wave and cruelty? Do working-class people
so perhaps the best way to make a of his hand. Without rule of law, this not have a stake in the rule of law and
closing argument is to examine some country becomes indistinguishable protection of minority rights?
of the rationalizations I see coming from unstable and dangerous places If someone lies to you flagrantly, is
from people who seemed, in 2016, to around the globe. that a sign of respect or contempt?
be as adamantly opposed to Donald Conservatives also used to say that Any number of Republicans justify
Trump as any, but have since accom- character mattered, and some still their heretofore unimaginable sup-
modated themselves to the party’s struggle with this. Shapiro’s solution is port for Trump by reference to the
drift. to suggest that, while Trump’s moral “radicalism” of the Democrats. The
Ben Shapiro has changed his mind. example is terrible, all of the damage Democrats are going to destroy your
In 2016, he made a cogent case against that can be done on that front is al- suburban idyll, confiscate your guns,
Trump. He said he was committed to a ready done and will not be augmented upend the economy with the “Green
conservatism that was “not racist, not by another four years. New Deal” and invite either MS-13 or
sexist, not bigoted... not vulgar and Not so. Millions of children are Cory Booker (perhaps both!) to move
vile to women and the disabled.” Ac- maturing in a nation whose chief exec- in next door. Does this obvious clap-
cordingly, he would never vote for him. utive models the sort of behavior it has trap really require refutation?
Until 2020. He explains that he was required centuries to anathematize. There will be no gun confiscations,
wrong about where Trump would land They watch and learn. Every decent no open borders, and no destruction
on policy, and that he has governed parent, teacher, coach, priest, rabbi of the suburbs. Those are the shrill
in a more conservative fashion than and minister must attempt to counter- bleats of a dying campaign.
Shapiro expected. He cites judges, tax mand the message that deceit, enmity, In fact, Joe Biden, institutionalist to
cuts, leaving the Paris climate accord cruelty and recklessness pay off. his core, is about the best Democrat
and a few other things. Contra Shapiro, it can and will get we could have gotten in 2020.
The appointment of conservative worse. Being a part of Team Trump, Despite opportunities to respond in
judges (leaving aside the norm-shred- aka a Republican, requires dulling kind to Trump’s savagery, Biden has
ding manner in which two Supreme one’s conscience and rationalizing the stuck to his essential decency.
Court vacancies were handled) is a indefensible. Trump’s closing message is a raised
hollow victory. It comes at the hands of There’s another theme that sur- middle finger. Here is Biden’s, spoken
an administration that has treated the faces in Trump-friendly precincts: at Warm Springs, Georgia, on Oct. 27:
law like birdcage liner. Trump fans are simply resorting to the “I’m running as a proud Democrat,
You cannot proclaim the adminis- only available option to express their but I will govern as an American
tration’s commitment to law when the defiance of the “woke” elites. Rich president. I’ll work with Democrats
chief executive repeatedly instructed Lowry writes, “If Trump manages to and Republicans. I’ll work as hard
officials to break the law in exchange pull off an upset in 2020, it will be as for those who don’t support me as for
for pardons, engaged in witness a gigantic rude gesture directed at those who do.”
tampering, encouraged vigilantism, the commanding heights of American Biden is a fine politician of the old
stoked domestic terrorism by wink- culture.” And Tim Carney describes school. After the last four years, that
ing at the attempted kidnappings of a Trump rally in central Pennsylvania feels like Pericles.
governors, paid hush money to a porn this way: “The farmers, coal miners, Mona Charen is a Senior Fellow at
actress, unlawfully diverted funds to gun-owners, and bikers have had their the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020 5A

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
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per no later than 3 p.m. the
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Monday through Thursday; and
on Friday by 3 p.m. for Sunday
and Monday publication. For
more information, call 662-
328-2471.
John Sykes
WEST POINT —
John Sykes, 97, died
Oct. 19, 2020, in Atlan-
ta, Georgia.
Graveside services
will be at noon, Fri-
day, in London Chapel
A.M.E. Church Ceme-
in Sandfield Ceme-
tery, with Leroy Jones
officiating. Visitation is
from 2-6 p.m. today, at
Carter’s Funeral Ser-
vices. Carter’s Funeral
Services of Columbus
is in charge of arrange-
ments.
Ms. Jenkins was
born Sept. 12, 1976, in
Columbus, to the late
Flozelle and Linda Jen-
kins. She was a mem-
ber of El Bethel M.B.
Church.
She is survived by
her children, Jakobi
Colvin and Jordan Fox
both of Columbus; and
siblings, Timothy Jen-
kins and Vonda Jenkins
both of Columbus.
Peggy Kyles
SULLIGENT, Ala.
—Peggy Harris Kyles,
79, died Oct. 27, 2020,
at DCH of Tuscaloosa,
Alabama.
Funeral services will
be at 11 a.m. Friday,
at Otts Funeral Home
Chapel, with Edward
Puckett and Jeremy
Kell officiating. Burial
will follow in Sulligent
City Cemetery. Visita-
tion will be one hour
prior to services at the
funeral home. Otts Fu-
neral Home of Sulligent
is in charge of arrange-
ments.
Mrs. Kyles was
AREA OBITUARIES
and Tracie Rogers both Eva Roberts way; sisters, Exie Lee and Desond DeMann
of Vernon, Alabama; Motes, Joyce Simmons, Rice of Georgia; and
HAMILTON — Eva
and sister, Ruthy Moore Nell Roberts, 85, died and Kathy Smith; four sisters, Karolyn Maria
of Millport, Alabama. Oct. 28, 2020, at Baptist grandchildren; and sev- Ewing and Annie Dean-
Pallbearers will Memorial Hospi- en great-grandchildren. es, both of Georgia.
be Eric McAdams, tal-Golden Triangle. Pallbearers will be
Kade McAdams, Jerry Services will be at 3 B. J. Holloway, Danny
Harris, Pud Merchant, p.m. Saturday, at Cen- Holloway, Don Hollo-
Butch Thomas, Tony ter Hill Baptist Church, way, Eugene Holloway,
Harris and Brooks with Terry Edwards James Holloway, and
Thomas. officiating. Burial will Mike Holloway.
follow at the church
Sheila Morgan cemetery. Visitation Gaberielle Davis
STARKVILLE — will be two hours COLUMBUS —
Sheila Vaughn Clark prior to services at the Gaberielle DeSiree
Morgan, 53, died Oct. church. Tisdale-Lann
Renee Rice Davis, 26,
20, 2020, at Baptist Me- Memorial Funeral died Oct. 23, 2020, in
morial Hospital-Golden Home of Aberdeen is
Pooler, Georgia.
Triangle. in charge of arrange- Services will be at 1
Graveside services ments. Lisa Heath
p.m. Friday, at Hairston Memorial Services:
will be at 1 p.m. Sat- Mrs. Roberts was and Hairston Funeral Friday, Oct. 30 • 11 AM
urday, in Ebenezer born Jan. 24, 1935, in Calvary Baptist Church
Home, with Joe Lew- Burial
Cemetery, with the Rev. Monroe County. She is officiating. Burail Houston City Cemetery
Michael Taylor offici- attended Hamilton will follow at Concord College St. Location
ating. Visitation will be High School and was a
Katherine Norris
Cemetery. Visitation
from 1-5 p.m. Friday, graduate of Aberdeen will be two hours Incomplete
at Hairston and Hair- High School. She was College St. Location
prior to services, at the
ston Funeral Home. formerly employed with funeral home. Hairston
Betty Fancher
Hairston and Hair- Best Western and was a
and Hairston Funeral
ston Funeral Home of member of Center Hill Visitation:
Home of Columbus is Friday, Oct. 30 • 6-8 PM
Starkville is in charge Baptist Church.
of arrangements. in charge of arrange- 2nd Ave. N. Location
She was preceded in Services:
Mrs. Morgan was ments.
death by her parents; Saturday, Oct. 31 • 11 AM
born March 12, 1962, and her brother, J. P. Mrs. Davis was born 2nd Ave. N. Chapel
Aug. 13, 1994, to Betty Burial
to Winnie Ruth Mor- Holloway. Friendship Cemetery
ris and the late Elbert She is survived by Rice Deanes. She was 2nd Ave. N. Location
Vaughn. She was for- her husband, John T. formerly employed with
FedEx.
merly employed in the Roberts of Hamilton;
She is survived by
school system. sons, Johnnie Roberts
her husband, Andre Da-
In addition to her of Hamilton and Da-
vis; son, Mason Camillo
mother, she is survived vid Deason of Slidell, memorialgunterpeel.com
Rice Brooks; brothers,
by her husband, Walter Louisiana; daughter,
Devante Rashon Ben-
Morgan Jr.; stepdaugh- Theresa Pickle of Ham-
ning Rice of West Point
ter, Christiana Grant ilton; brothers, Billie
of Quinton, Alabama; Joe “B.J.” Holloway,

tery. Visitation will be
from 11:30-noon prior
to services at the ceme-
tery. Carter’s Mortuary
Services of West Point
is in charge of arrange-
ments.
Mr. Sykes was
born Jan. 19, 1941, in
Sulligent, Alabama,
to the late Audie and
Maggie Mae Harris.
She attended Sulli-
gent Schools and was
formerly employed with
McCoy Manufactur-
Betty Fancher
and siblings, James James Edward “Gabo”
Kennard Purnell of Holloway, Eugene
Dyersburg, Tennessee, “Pookie” Holloway, Betty Alexander Fancher,
Nathaniel Norris Jr. of Danny “Nunu” Hol-
age 87, graduated to be with our
Starkville and Barron loway, Donald Gene
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
Morris of Collierville, “Duck” Holloway, and
on Monday, October 26, 2020,
Tennessee. Mike “Gizzard” Hollo-
at Caydance Assisted Living in
Katy, Texas.

born June 21, 1925,
in Monroe County, to
the late Frank Sykes
Sr. and Queenie Bell
Townsend-Sykes.
Teresa Jenkins
COLUMBUS — Te-
resa Ann
Jenkins,
44, died
Oct. 16,
2020, at
her resi-
dence.
Grave-
Jenkins
side
services
will be at 2 p.m. Friday,
What are the treatment
options for COVID-19?
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
What are the treatment
options for COVID-19?
There are several, and
which one is best depends
on how sick someone is.
For example, steroids
such as dexamethasone
can lower the risk of dying
for severely ill patients.
But they may do the oppo-
site for those who are only
mildly ill.
In the United States, no
treatments are specifical-
ly approved for COVID-19,
but a few have been au-
thorized for emergency
use and several more are
being considered. A panel
of experts convened by
the National Institutes of
Health updates guidelines
as new studies come out.
Here’s what’s advised
for various patients:
■ Not hospitalized or
hospitalized but not need-
ing extra oxygen: No spe-
cific drugs recommend-
ed, and a warning against
using steroids.
■ Hospitalized and
cdispatch.com
ing and Ray’s Store.
She was a member of
Sulligent First Freewill
Baptist Church.
In addition to her
parents, she was
preceded in death by
her husband, Thom-
as Kyles; son, Bruce
Callard; and siblings,
Wallace Harris, Jimmy
Harris, Danny “Doo-
dle” Harris and Betty
Ann Mordecai.
She is survive by her
children, Kenny Bal-
lard, Steve Ballard both
of Smithville, Gene
Flynn, Gracie Carter
needing extra oxygen but
not a breathing machine:
The antiviral drug remde-
sivir, given through an IV,
and in some cases also a
steroid.
■ Hospitalized and
on a breathing machine:
Remdesivir and a steroid.
What about convales-
cent plasma, an infusion
of blood from a COVID-19
survivor that contains an-
tibodies that fight the vi-
rus? Not enough is known
to recommend for or
against it, the guidelines
say.
However, enough is
known to advise against
hydroxychloroquine and
certain drugs that affect
the immune system —
multiple studies have
found them ineffective
against the coronavirus.
Aside from drugs, doc-
tors have learned more
about ways to treat hospi-
talized patients, such as
putting them on their bel-
lies and other measures
that may prevent the need
for breathing machines.
James Woodard
James Mason Woodard, 39 of Columbus, MS
passed away Monday, October 26, 2020, at his
residence.
Visitation will be Friday, October 30, 2020,
from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM at First United
Methodist Church Columbus, MS. A memorial
service will follow at 12:00 PM with Pastor Jimmy
Criddle officiating and Lowndes Funeral Home,
Columbus, MS directing.
Mr. Woodard was born June 23, 1981, to James
Woodard and Mabel Mason in Flowood, MS. He
was employed with New Home Building Store
as the store manager for the past 14 years. Mr.
Woodard was an avid LSU and New Orleans Saint
football fan. He loved his family and his work.
Mr. Woodard is survived by his wife, Kayleigh
Barksdale Woodard, Columbus, MS; mother,
Mabel (Michael) George; father, James (Phyllis)
Woodard; children, Mason Trigg Woodard,
Colton Vass Woodard and James Mason
Woodard, Jr.; brothers, Jacob Woodard and M.G.
George; mother-in-law, Teresa Barksdale.
Honorary pallbearers will be employees of
New Home Building Store, M.G. George, James
Barksdale, Brett Barksdale, Blake Chandler and
all contractors of Columbus, MS.
Memorials may be made to Blair E. Batson
Children’s Hospital, 2500 N. State Street,
Jackson, MS 39216.
Compliments of
Lowndes Funeral Home
www.lowndesfuneralhome.net
Joe Danner
Joe Robert Danner, 89, of
Ethelsville, AL passed away
Tuesday, October 27, 2020, at
Baptist Memorial Hospital-GT,
Columbus, MS
Graveside service will be
Friday, October 30, 2020,
at 10:00 AM at Ethelsville
Cemetery, Ethelsville, AL with
Bro. Kenny Gardner officiating
and Lowndes Funeral Home Columbus, MS
directing.
Mr. Danner was born April 20, 1931, in Kemper
County, MS to the late Christine Watt Danner and
Joe Getzen Danner. In addition to his parents,
Mr. Danner is preceded in death by his wife,
Helen Ruth Jaynes Danner. He retired from the
United States Air Force as a TSGT after 20 years.
Mr. Danner worked for propane gas companies
for many years following his retirement from the
Air Force.
Mr. Danner is survived by his daughters,
Linda (William) Brooke of Birmingham, AL
and Margaret Ponds of Ethelsville, AL; son, Lee
(Donna) Danner of Coker, AL; grandchildren,
Jacob Danner, Ryann Danner, Jennie (Dewayne)
Miller, David (Kelly) Lowery, Joseph Carr and
Patrick Carr; great-grandchildren, Gloria Carr,
David Miller, Brookann Miller, Hunter Lowery,
Houston Lowery and Heidi Lowery.
Honorary pallbearers will be David Lowery,
Dewayne Miller, Joseph Carr, Patrick Carr,
Jacob Danner, David Miller, Hunter Lowery and
Houston Lowery.
Memorials may be made to the donors choice.
Compliments of
Lowndes Funeral Home
www.lowndesfuneralhome.net
Visitation will be held Friday,
October 30, 2020, from 6:00 PM
to 8:00 PM at Memorial Gunter
Peel Funeral Home, 716 2nd
Avenue North, Columbus, Mississippi. Service
will be held at the funeral home Saturday,
October 31, 2020, at 11:00 AM, with Reverend
Derek Youngblood officiating. Burial will follow
at Friendship Cemetery, also in Columbus.
Betty was born on January 9, 1933, to the
late Osborne Wingate “Sam” Alexander and
Bessie Aileen Ennis Alexander. In addition to
her parents, she was preceded in death by her
husband, Vivian Louis Fancher; son Norman
Louis Fancher; and brothers O.W. Alexander Jr,
Cecil Alexander and Larry Alexander.
Betty is survived by her sons, Lawson Fancher
and wife Janice of Houston, Texas, Donald
Fancher and wife Mylinda of Conroe, Texas;
sister, Sharon Waas; brother, Tommy Alexander
and wife Patsy; sister-in-laws, Ruby Alexander
and Brenda Alexander; grandson, James Fancher
and wife Wendi; granddaughters, Aimee Groves
and husband Tommy, Amy Waddle and husband
Thomas, Elizabeth Burns and husband Erin, and
Hannah Browning and husband Nick. Betty had
twelve great and four great-great grandchildren
ensuring an enduring legacy. Betty was Aunt
Betty to eleven nieces and nephews and their
children.
She was a retired public-school teacher having
taught seventh grade math at New Hope Junior
High. Her hobbies included many through the
years such as sewing, cooking, gardening, bingo
with her assisted living friends, games of all
sorts, couponing, etc., all of which she used to
pursue her true passion, loving people. She was
“that” person at church that made sure the first-
time visitor didn’t feel like the first-time visitor
on the second trip to church! Betty was a true
lover of the “children of Israel” and so many other
things in her true passion of loving Jesus!
The family has received testimonies from
hundreds of people as they have come forward
to express deep appreciation for her school
teaching, Bible studies (LOTS OF THEM),
Sunday School class teaching, mentoring and
friendship. Sons Lawson and Donald are grateful
for the significant outpouring given their mother
during her final hours. They are most grateful
to their Auntie Sharon Waas for being by their
mother’s side for so many years, taking care of
her, and looking after her - you are the best!
Pallbearers will be Mike Alexander, Stan
Alexander, Matt Alexander, Ben Alexander,
James Fancher and Mitchell McElhenney.
The family would like to thank the hospice
workers from Accredited Hospice and sitters
who were with Mom in this time. We know she
appreciated it more than even the family did.
Finally, thank you for the care givers at Caydence
Assisted Living in Katy, Texas, especially the
executive director Keli Childs, for all they did
for mom over the years she has been there, and
the love they had for her, which was evident and
appreciated.
For those who can’t attend for health reasons
or inability to travel, a special Facebook feed will
live stream the service.
Sign the online guest book at
www.memorialgunterpeel.com
716 Second Avenue North • Columbus, MS
6A THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Supervisors
Continued from Page 1A
Howard said the proposed
policy “sort of addresses
all the issues we face” and
only needs a few changes
before the board can vote
on it Monday.
Golden Triangle Waste
Services charges Oktib-
beha County more than
$76,000 per month at $8.12
per residence. The agency
increased its billing from
$64,000 per month in Jan-
uary to account for resi-
dences that had not been
billed previously.
The Golden Triangle
Planning and Develop-
ment District is responsi-
ble for counting the hous-
es, billing the residents
and collecting the money,
which the county then
pays to GTWS.
GTPDD currently bills
8,841 of the 9,533 rural
residences in Oktibbeha
County. This does not in-
clude apartment complex-
es, which have their own
dumpsters, and some of
the remaining residences
are not occupied, GTPDD
representatives told the
board in August.
The board will also
consider strengthening
the county’s ordinance
pertaining to vicious dogs
in light of recent dog at-
tacks on both humans
and animals in the Maben
area.
The ordinance defines
a “vicious dog” as one
“with a known propensity,
tendency or disposition to
attack, when unprovoked,
to cause injury or other-
wise endanger the safety
of human beings, domes-
tic dogs, livestock or poul-
try.” A vicious dog that
kills or severely injures
a human “shall be imme-
diately confiscated and
thereafter destroyed in an
expeditious and humane
manner.”
Capt. Brett Watson
of the Oktibbeha Coun-
ty Sheriff’s Office will
present a proposed ordi-
nance to the supervisors
on Monday, and he said
he could not comment on
the proposal until then.
OCSO is responsible for
enforcing the ordinance,
and vicious dog cases are
adjudicated in Oktibbeha
County Justice Court.
Additionally, the board
discussed formalizing its
policy for hauling heavy
loads like dirt and logs
across county roads. The
current policy is not a for-
mal ordinance, and haul-
ers typically contact the
county supervisors and
ask them for the route
to their destination that
would do the least damage
to county roads, but not all
drivers follow the supervi-
sors’ directions, Howard
said.
The board hopes to ac-
commodate large develop-
ment projects that require
hauling several heavy
loads across the same
roads to one area, he said.
“We would have our
county engineer (Clyde
Pritchard) go out and do a
pre-inspection of that road
before the work actually
begins, and once it’s com-
pleted, have him go back
and do an inspection and
come up with the amount
of damage (that) possibly
could have happened do-
ing that project,” Howard
said.
Finally, the board
agreed Wednesday to pro-
vide overtime pay for the
resolution committee that
will process the county’s
absentee ballots for next
week’s general election.
As of Monday, Oktibbeha
County Circuit Clerk Tony
Rook estimated 2,500 vot-
ers had turned in absen-
tee ballots this year, an in-
crease of 56 percent over
the 1,600 absentee ballots
cast in 2016.
District 1 Supervisor
and Board President John
Montgomery said the
committee will probably
have to work three times
as long on Tuesday as they
would have in previous
years, and they will come
back on Nov. 8 and Nov.
13 to finish processing ab-
sentee ballots that come
in after Nov. 3.
“We’re going to adjust
their pay accordingly to
reflect their workload,”
Montgomery said.
Overtime pay for the
committee usually totals
an extra $175 per person,
but the board agreed to
pay them an extra $300,
with $200 for Election Day
and $50 for each of the two
additional days.

Business
Continued from Page 1A
ly hoping that the people
that live here will come
out and support us.”
Boardtown Pizza and
Pints will have its grand
opening celebration
Nov. 13, which will be a
Friday.
“Grand opening on
Friday the 13th in 2020 in
the middle of a pandem-
ic,” Klaas laughed. “That
sounds like a perfect
grand opening date. It
will be true to course.
We just like testing the
waters I guess.”
Be sure to check out
the new pizza joint that
has more than 30 beers
on tap.
Staying in Starkville,
City Planner Daniel
Havelin confirmed there
are changes coming on
Highway 12. Captain D’s,
which burned in April,
will be moving to the for-
mer Payless Shoesource
at 812 Hwy. 12.
He added Sonic, locat-
ed next to the Captain D’s
lot at 302 Hwy. 12, also
has plans to build a new
facility, using its current
lot as well as the current
Captain D’s lot.
Neither Captain D’s
nor Sonic has filed per-
mits with the city as of
yet, Havelin added.
“They are still in the
preliminary site design
stage,” he texted The
Dispatch. “Nothing has
been sent in for review.”
Neither Captain D’s
nor Sonic’s corporate
offices responded to mes-
sages from The Dispatch
by press time.
Moving to Columbus,
we have two new bou-
tiques coming to down-
town.
Jordyn Gill, owner of
Cobalt’s Boutique, and
Chaney Fair, owner of
Little Magnolia Co., will
be moving in across from
Huck’s Restaurant at 124
Fifth St. S.
If those names and
stores sound familiar,
it’s because Gill and Fair
opened up The Pop Up
Shop on Main Street
earlier this year.
The Pop Up Shop,
which was one store
offering items from both
Fair and Gill’s individual
boutiques, will remain
open through the end of
2020.
Hopefully, by mid
January, Fair said the
new boutiques’ stores
will open at their new
location.
The former Steel
Forest Furniture building
on Fifth Street will be March,” Pounders said.
divided into two store- “Now, it’s kind of picking
fronts, Cobalt’s Boutique up a little bit.”
and Little Magnolia Co. Pounders said the new
“We just both grew space is more than triple
exponentially, which is the size of its former
great, but we were both location offering 15,000
doing well in store and square feet. It also has a
online,” Gill said. “As boardroom for potential
far as inventory went, clients to meet with their
we were kind of in each event planners to create
other’s space. … We are the perfect wedding,
wanting to split up and reunion, party and more.
have our own spaces to If you’re in need of
buy as much or as little rental equipment in-
inventory as we want.” cluding lighting, tents,
Gill first started tables, chairs, arches,
Cobalt’s Boutique, a generators and more, you
women’s online retailer, can see Prestige Event
in September 2019, while Rentals’ new space Mon-
Fair opened Little Mag- day through Friday from
nolia Co., a children’s 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
boutique, in February.
“We’re super excited
and we can’t wait to serve
Columbus and dress
all the women and little
(kids),” Gill said.
Prestige Event Rentals
moved locations from
Second Street to 530
Hwy. 45 S. about a month
ago.
Owner Ashley Pound-
ers said business was go-
ing well and the company
needed more warehouse
space to meet its custom-
ers’ demands.
“We were seeing good
growth until February or

Weekend guide
Continued from Page 1A
On Friday in Columbus, America’s
CAR-MART Inc. at 2325 Hwy 45 N. will
hold a trunk-or-treat from 2:30-6 p.m.
There will be designated areas for chil-
dren to walk and receive pre-packaged
candy from car trunks.
In Starkville, Dunkington Art & Jew-
elry will host a Glow Crazy Paint Party
from 6-8 p.m.
On Saturday, the opportunity to shop
at local produce and cottage food ven-
dors will be available at the Starkville
Community Market with social dis-
tancing guidelines enforced at Fire Sta-
Dispatch file photo
tion Park from 8-11 a.m. It will include
special Halloween activities, including The Starkville Community Market is pic-
tured in May in this Dispatch file photo.
a costume contest for children 10 and The market will be open at Fire Station
younger at 10 a.m. and a pet costume pa- Park from 8-11 a.m. on Saturday.
rade at 10:30.
Masks are required. If a customer Starkville will offer a drive-through
does not own a face covering, one will trick-or-treating event from 4-6 p.m. Sat-
be provided. No customer is allowed to urday.
touch produce and place it back on a ven- Several organizations in Columbus
dor’s table for any reason. The market will host drive-through trick-or-treating
will only be allowed to accommodate 20 events, including Wesley United Meth-
customers at a time and lines will be so- odist Church at 511 Airline Road from
cially distanced. 5-7 p.m., and the city of Columbus at
Boo at the Zoo will make its way to Propst Park from 6-8 p.m., according to
Pheba’s Heaven’s Jubilee Farm Petting Mayor Robert Smith’s official Facebook
Zoo from 1-3 p.m. Saturday. Admission is page. Participants will remain in their
$5, except for children 3 and under ($3). cars and sponsors will give out candy
Access to the petting zoo, face painting, and goodies to children.
hay rides and games are included. Pony Lion Hills Center and Golf Club in
rides are an additional $5, while matted Columbus will be hosting a hang-out on
photos with an animal of your choice the patio every Saturday during football
cost $10. season from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Call 662-329-
Twigs Nursery and Landscaping in 6747 to reserve a tee time.

Send in your church event!

Email editorialassistant@cdispatch.com
Subject: Religious brief
Sports
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
SPORTS LINE
662-241-5000
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020
B
SECTION

Former Starkville assistant Westerfield finding success at Kemper Co.

BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
DE K ALB — Ray
Westerfield taught Di-
cenzo Miller II how to
play quarterback.
As the eighth-grade
football coach at Louis-
ville, Westerfield taught
Miller the important
things about the posi-
tion. How to throw. How
to move his feet. How to
lead a team.
Westerfield brought
a “positive vibe” to the
process, Miller said; the
Courtesy of Ray Westerfield
coach was just fun to be
A former assistant under Chris Jones at Kemper County and Starkville high schools, around.
Ray Westerfield has gotten his first chance to lead a football program. The first-year “He’s a good man on
head coach at Kemper County, his alma mater, is making the most of it so far. The and off the field,” Miller
Wildcats are 6-2 and play Forest for the Region 5-3A title on Friday. said.
Even then, Miller
knew Westerfield could
be a head coach some-
day.
Now, Westerfield is
making the most of that
chance.
In March, Westerfield
took his first-ever head
coaching job at his alma
mater, Kemper Coun-
ty, where he’d been an
assistant twice — from
2009 to 2012 and under
current Starkville coach
Chris Jones in 2016,
when the team went 15-1
and rolled to a state title.
So far, Westerfield,
who went on to be an
assistant under Jones
again at Starkville, looks
like he could be poised
to deliver the same for
the Wildcats. Kemper
County — featuring
Miller at running back
— is 6 -2 and will play for
a district championship
Friday at Forest.
“I’m happy Kemper
took a chance on Coach
Westerfield,” said Co-
lumbus High coach
Joshua Pulphus, who
coached Kemper Coun-
ty in 2017. “It was his
time.”
A special season
A graduate of Kemper
County in the class of
2006, Westerfield grew
up in Preston, just out-
side of De Kalb.
See WESTERFIELD, 3B

Starkville MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL

Academy
faces first Leach threatens more departures, confirms
postseason
test Shavers, two others have left program
BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com

STARK VILLE —
Outside the Starkville
Academy field house on
Wednesday afternoon,
the hurdles sit in a row,
soaking slowly in the
steady rain.
They form an unin-
tentional — yet potent
— metaphor for what
the Volunteers’ football
team is about to face.
Starkville Acade-
my’s first playoff hurdle
of the 2020 season is
Friday against Simp-
son County Academy,
and unlike last season,
when the Vols rode the
road all the way to the
MAIS Class 5A cham-
pionship game, they’ll
open at home.
And while three
comebacks led to ex-
citing road wins over
Magnolia Heights, La-
mar School and Adams
See SA, 3B

Catching
up with the
Alabama
Crimson
Tide
BY GARRICK HODGE
ghodge@cdispatch.com
STARK VILLE — defensive end Tre Lawson and freshman defensive end Jamari Stewart are no longer part of the program.
Michael Casagrande
covers Alabama for
AL.com. He took some
time to speak with The
Dispatch ahead of Mis-
sissippi State’s matchup
against Alabama on Sat-
urday.
In a conversation
with The Dispatch that
also will appear on the
newspaper’s podcast,
Bully Banter, Casa-
grande discussed the
Alabama offense, quar-
terback Mac Jones and
more.
This interview has
been edited for length
and clarity.
Q: Alabama’s offense
has been pretty high
flying this season. This
team, guided by quar-
terback Mac Jones, is
near the top of the coun-
try in passing yardage.
What’s been the differ-
ence with this system
and what’s the differ-
ence from when it was
See ALABAMA, 3B
Head coach Mike Leach confirmed on Wednesday’s Southeastern Conference coaches teleconference that junior receiver Tyrell Shavers, junior
BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com
STARKVILLE — The re-
cent Mississippi State football
exodus in Starkville continued
Wednesday.
Head coach Mike Leach
confirmed on Wednesday’s
Southeastern Conference
coaches teleconference that
junior receiver Tyrell Shavers,
junior defensive end Tre Law-
son and freshman defensive
end Jamari Stewart are no lon-
ger part of the program. Rob-
bie Falk of 247Sports.com first
reported the news.
Shavers has been the lone
contributor of the trio this year.
A former Alabama transfer,
the one-time top-100 recruit
caught nine passes for 109
yards and one touchdown in
four appearances this season.
His highest output of the year
came Week 1 against LSU,
when he notched two catches
for 68 yards and his lone score.
Lawson and Stewart ar-
rived at MSU in the class of
2020. Lawson spent his fresh-
man season at Florida State
before spending the 2018 and
2019 seasons at Mississippi
Gulf Coast Community Col-
lege, while Stewart is a former
three-star recruit out of Ft.
Pierce, Florida.
With Wednesday’s news,
MSU has now had a total of
six players leave the program
in the past 48 hours. Tuesday,
quarterback Jalen Mayden, re-
serve offensive Nick Pendley
and former Michigan running
back Kareem Walker all re-
portedly left the team.
Sophomore quarterback/
wide receiver Garrett Shrader
also previously announced his
intention to transfer on Oct.
20.
“It’s positive from the stand-
point we have certain rules and
expectations that we expect to
be followed and if they’re not,
you’re not going to be a part of
the program, because we have
to think about the whole team,”
Leach said Wednesday, “....We
want to be a program that has
certain expectations and rules
that are best for everybody.
Those that don’t follow them
won’t be part of the program
and that’s a service we’ll gladly
continue to provide.”
Multiple reports surfaced
Tuesday that star running
back and Columbus native
Kylin Hill is expected to opt
out of the 2020 season as well.
According to a report from
Sports Illustrated’s Ross Del-
lenger, Hill was involved in an
outburst following MSU’s loss
to Kentucky on Oct. 10.
A source with direct knowl-
edge of the situation previous-
ly told The Dispatch that Hill
was suspended for the Texas
A&M game but it was unclear
how long his shelving would
last.
“I haven’t talked to him,”
Leach said of Hill. “Heard he
opted out and we wish him the
best. We’ll just try and focus
on the guys that are on the
team.”
Following the Kentucky
game, Leach made reference
Kentucky Athletics
to cleaning house within the
program, saying, “”We’re go-
ing to have to check some of
our group and see who really
wants to play here, because
any malcontents, we’re going
to have to purge a couple of
those.”
With MSU sitting at 1-3 on
the season ahead of a Satur-
day contest at No. 2 Alabama,
the first year head coach has
seemingly begun the “purge”
and he warned Wednesday
that more departures may fol-
low.
“Every time I’ve been in-
volved with a program there’s
been a certain amount of turn-
over,” Leach said. “I mean,
you need guys to buy into
what you’re doing and you
need guys to want to work re-
ally hard and play really hard
and do it the right way.”
“I’d be surprised if we don’t
lose more,” he continued. “If
you’re stunned or nervous, I
mean, you better brace your-
self because we might lose
more.”
2B THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

MLB says Turner violated protocols

when he returned to field
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARLINGTON, Texas
— Justin Turner violat-
ed coronavirus proto-
cols when he celebrated
on the Globe Life field
with his Los Angeles
Dodgers teammates and
he refused instructions
from security to leave
the field, behavior that
Major League Baseball
said risked the safety of
others.
The commissioner’s
office said Wednes-
day that it is starting a
full investigation of the
35-year-old third base-
man.
The Dodgers won
their first World Series
championship since 1988
with a 3-1 victory over
Tampa Bay in Game 6 on
Tuesday night.
Turner was pulled
from the game following
the seventh inning after
MLB was notified that
he had tested positive
for COVID-19. He was
quarantined in a doc-
tor’s office off to the side,
Dodgers president of
baseball operations An-
drew Friedman said.
Turner later returned
to the field with a mask
to celebrate the Dodgers’
title. He then took down
his mask and posed for a
team photo on the field.
“Immediately upon
receiving notice from
the laboratory of a posi-
tive test, protocols were
triggered, leading to the
removal of Justin Turner
from last night’s game,”
MLB said in a statement
Wednesday. “Turner
was placed into isolation
for the safety of those
around him. However, fol-
lowing the Dodgers’ vic-
tory, it is clear that Turn-
er chose to disregard the
agreed-upon joint proto-
cols and the instructions
he was given regarding
the safety and protection
of others. While a desire
to celebrate is under-
standable, Turner’s de-
cision to leave isolation
and enter the field was
wrong and put everyone
he came in contact with
at risk. When MLB Se-
curity raised the matter
of being on the field with
Turner, he emphatically
refused to comply.”
Turner became a free
agent when his $64 mil-
lion, four-year contract
expired following the vic-
tory.
Turner’s agent, Greg
Genske, did not imme-
diately respond to a text
from The Associated
Press seeking comment.
On Wednesday, both
teams were still at the
Dallas area hotel where
they had spent the World
Series.
“Last night, nasal
swabs were conducted on
the Dodgers’ traveling
party,” MLB said. “Both
the Rays and Dodgers
were tested again today
and their travel back to
their home cities will be
determined after being
approved by the appro-
priate authorities.”
The commissioner’s
office said it will consult
with the players’ associa-
tion as part of its investi-
gation. The union was in
the process of gathering
facts on the events.
Turner hit .307 with
four homers and 23 RBIs
in the pandemic-short-
ened season and .293 (17
for 58) with three homers
and six RBIs in the post-
season, including .320
with a pair of solo hom-
ers in the World Series.
“Having a mask on
and staying socially dis-
tanced, he want to come
out and take a picture
with the trophy, which
can’t state strongly
enough how big of a role
he’s played in the success
of this organization,”
Friedman said.
“But I think for him,
just being a free agent,
not knowing exactly how
the future is going to play
out. I don’t think there
was anyone that was go-
ing to stop him from go-
ing out,” he said. “I think
from at least my perspec-
tive and not watching it
super closely with ev-
erything going on, but
I think he was mindful
of other people, espe-
cially other people that
he hadn’t already been
in contact with. This is
something that we’re
going to wrap our arms
around tonight and in the
morning and figure out
where we’re going from
here.”
Turner, however, was
visible on the field with-
out a mask during the
celebration. And Dodg-
ers manager Dave Rob-
erts was nearby, also not
wearing a mask.
“I haven’t seen the pic-
tures,” Friedman said. “If
there are people around
them without masks,
that’s not good optics at
all. I haven’t seen them,
so it’s hard for me to
speak to it specifically.”
“But I think from our
standpoint, I think the
people who were around
him were people that
would be in the contact
tracing web, anyway,
with just how closely a lot
of us have been around
each other,” he said.
“And so now I think the
subsequent tests we’re
going to take are really
important to figure out
what we do and to make
sure that any of us that
are potentially positive
do not spread it to other
people.”
Turner has served as
a player representative
on the union executive
board and spoke about
the protocols on Sept. 29,
a day ahead of the Dodg-
ers’ postseason opener.
“Obviously there’s
a lot of protocols and
things that we’re allowed
to do and not allowed to
do in getting tested every
day, and I would say it’s
been a pretty successful
season getting to this
point and getting to the
playoffs,” he said then.
“I was probably in that
category where I was op-
timistic that we were go-
ing to have a season, but
there was definitely some
doubt whether or not it
was going to happen. So
to be sitting here today
watching playoff baseball
as the American League
kind of kicks off their
wild-card round, I would
say that we did a good job
and I commend everyone
for taking it serious and
being responsible and
making good choices and
allowing us to get to this
point.”
He addressed the
success of reaching the
World Series despite the
pandemic on Oct. 19, a
day before Game 1.
“I think it’s ultimately
a testament to the players
for being responsible and
making good choices and
doing everything that we
had to do to ensure that
the season was able to
go on,” he said. “So I tip
my cap to every player
who put the uniform on
and took that risk of play-
ing and was responsible
about it and did it the
right way and enabled us
to have a full season and
now be able to participate
in a World Series.”

Hendrick hires banished Kyle

Larson to drive flagship No. 5
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLOT TE, N.C.
— Kyle Larson will be
back in NASCAR next
season driving the flag-
ship No. 5 Chevrolet for
Hendrick Motorsports.
Larson signed a multi-
year contract Wednes-
day with Hendrick that
ended his seven-month
banishment from NA-
SCAR for using a racial
slur while playing an
online racing game last
spring. He’d been con-
sidered the top pending
free agent in the sport
but was promptly fired
by Chip Ganassi Racing
and lost all his sponsors.
Since using the
n-word on April 12,
Larson has completed
NASCAR’s sensitivity
training, hired an inclu-
sion training coach, vol-
unteered with the Tony
Sanneh Foundation, vis-
ited Jackie Joyner-Ker-
see and her St. Louis
community center, and
the site of the 2014 pro-
tests in Ferguson, Mis-
souri, that followed a
fatal police shooting of a
Black man.
Larson has volun-
teered at food banks,
went with Sanneh to the
George Floyd Memori-
al site in Minneapolis,
spent extensive time at
the Urban Youth Racing
School in Philadelphia
and made numerous oth-
er visits to both educate
himself on racial justice
issues and speak of his
own experiences.
Larson, who is
half-Japanese, also kept
racing under the radar:
He has won 42 sprint car
races in 2020 while sus-
pended from NASCAR.
“Kyle is unquestion-
ably one of the most
talented race car driv-
ers in the world,” team
owner Rick Hendrick
said in a statement. “He
has championship-lev-
el ability and will be a
significant addition to
our on-track program.
More importantly, I have
full confidence that he
understands our ex-
pectations and will be a
tremendous ambassador
for our team, our part-
ners and NASCAR.”
Hendrick said he’s
had “many, many con-
versations” with Larson
and is “confident about
what’s in his heart and
his desire to be a cham-
pion in all aspects of
his life and career. Kyle
has done important
work over the past six
months, and Hendrick
Motorsports is going to
support those continued
efforts.”
Hendrick was ex-
pected to bid for Lar-
son when his contract
expired with Ganassi,
who also wanted to keep
the driver he’d groomed
from sprint cars to NA-
SCAR’s top Cup level.
Instead, the 28-year-
old’s future in NASCAR
was jeopardized by his
use of the slur during an
iRacing event late Easter
Sunday. He was finally
reinstated by NASCAR
last week.
“Mr. Hendrick is one
of the people who extend-
ed a hand to me over the
past six months,” Larson
said in a statement. “Our
initial conversations
were not about racing.
He cares about me as a
person and wants to see
me succeed beyond driv-
ing. I can’t put into words
how grateful I am for the
commitment, the faith
and the confidence from
him and everyone at
Hendrick Motorsports.”
Larson will be teamed
with crew chief Cliff
Daniels, who spent the
last two years working
with seven-time NA-
SCAR champion Jimmie
Johnson.
Hendrick will return
the No. 5 — the first
car campaigned when
Hendrick Motorsports
launched in 1984 —
and discontinue use of
the No. 88 it acquired
for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
in 2008. Geoff Bodine
drove the No. 5 to three
victories in the 1984 sea-
son that was almost Hen-
drick’s first and last in
NASCAR.
The No. 5 has made
a Hendrick-record 1,129
Cup Series starts and
Larson will be the 10th
driver in the car but the
first since Kasey Kahne
in 2017. Hall of Famer
Terry Labonte won 12
races and the 1996 Cup
title in the No. 5.
“The ‘5’ is special to
me. It’s the original,”
Hendrick said. “I view
it as Hendrick Motor-
sports’ flagship team in
a lot of ways. To bring
the car back to the race-
track is meaningful for
my family and for many
of our team members
and fans.”
Larson will be part of
a Hendrick lineup that
includes Chase Elliott,
William Byron and Alex
Bowman. The average
age of the lineup will be
26 years old at the open-
ing of next season.
The four drivers com-
bined have already won
18 Cup Series races and
earned 14 playoff berths.
“I’m excited about our
roster of young talent,”
Hendrick said. “We have
a team that is built to win
races and compete for
championships for years
to come.”
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020 3B

Column: Turner’s selfish celebration mars Dodger triumph

BY TIM DAHLBERG
The Associated press
Well, at least the contact
tracing should be easy.
The Dodger postseason
roster would be a good place
to start. So would the team
picture on the field after win-
ning the World Series.
You know, the one with Jus-
tin Turner sitting front and
center among all his team-
mates, unmasked in his full
red-bearded glory.
Turner’s quarantine after
testing positive for COVID-19
during the clinching win over
Tampa Bay ended up lasting
just two innings. The reper-
cussions from his ill-advised
decision to celebrate the
World Series with his team-
mates figure to last a whole
lot longer.
No, it’s not Turner’s fault
he contracted the virus like
millions of others. But it is his
fault that his appearance on
the field afterward overshad-
owed the feel-good story of
the last three decades in Los
Angeles.
This should have been
about a team that persevered
through a season like no other
to win for the first time since
Ronald Reagan was president.
The players on the Dodgers
deserved that, manager Dave
Roberts deserved that, and
the long-suffering fans surely
deserved that.
Instead, it became a cau-
tionary tale about what not to
do to others when you’re in-
fected with the coronavirus.
Turner paraded around on
national television with the
World Series trophy in his
hand. The star third baseman
hugged his teammates, and
he kissed his wife.
Then, in an incredibly
tone-deaf — and incredibly
selfish — grand finale, he
took off his mask and plopped
himself in the middle of all
his happy teammates for an
official team victory photo.
Congratulations, Dodgers,
you’re the World Series cham-
pions. Now everyone please
go into quarantine and don’t
forget to keep checking your
temperature.
A privileged player thought
it was his privilege to decide
whether he could celebrate or
not. By doing so, Turner not
only put a lot of people at risk
but suggested to everyone
watching that the virus that
has killed nearly a quarter
million people around the na-
tion isn’t such a big deal after
all.
It’s not just that Turner
went on the field. It’s that he
decided his right to celebrate
outweighed the rights of ev-
eryone else on the field to re-
main safe.
``When MLB security
raised the issue of being on
the field with Turner he em-
phatically refused to com-
ply,’’ Major League Baseball
said in a scathing statement
Wednesday that called Turn-
er’s actions wrong and said he
put everyone in danger.
What could Turner possi-
bly be thinking? How could he
possibly be so selfish that he
would risk infecting an entire
organization just so he could
parade on the field afterward?
Luckily, we live in an age
where we can turn to Twitter
and find out.
“Thanks to everyone reach-
ing out!” Turner tweeted after
the game. “I feel great, no
symptoms at all. Just experi-
enced every emotion you can
possibly imagine. Can’t be-
lieve I couldn’t be out there
to celebrate with my guys! So
proud of this team & unbeliev-
ably happy for the City of LA
#WorldSeriesChamps.”
The fact Turner felt great
isn’t, of course, the point. It’s
well-known by now that as-
ymptomatic people can pass
the virus on.
Yes, Turner was probably
already a superspreader be-
fore he even took the field
postgame. Just being in the
dugout with teammates when
the Dodgers came to bat for
the first seven innings before
he was pulled from the game
gave the virus plenty of time
to do its thing.
But why would he insist on
taking it a step further? Why
would he bring on the terrible
optics on national television of
being nonchalant about a vi-
rus that can kill even healthy
ballplayers?
Why, indeed?
Instead of talking about
Mookie Betts, Corey Seager,
and the satisfaction of final-
ly getting their first World
Series title since 1988 fans
were talking about the virus.
Instead of simply packing up
and heading home on Wednes-
day, the Dodgers and Rays had
to figure out who was healthy,
who was not, and whether it was
safe to travel.
That includes Roberts, a
cancer survivor who is sitting
next to a maskless Turner in
the team picture. Just as he was
enjoying the weight of the world
being lifted by finally winning
the World Series in his third try,
Roberts now has a bigger worry
— that he could be infected, too.
Before Turner ignored MLB
security to take the field his
reputation was pristine. He’s the
heart and soul of the Dodger
team, and it wasn’t October un-
til you saw Turner with his un-
kempt beard and flowing locks
hacking away at home plate.
Off the field he’s known for
his charitable efforts and en-
gagement with the community.
Everyone loves Turner, from his
teammates to Andrew Freid-
man, the Dodgers director of
baseball operations who was
seen talking to a maskless Turn-
er afterward.
Friedman said he didn’t
think anything was going to
stop Turner from taking the
field. He noted Turner became a
free agent when the last out was
made, suggesting the Dodg-
ers were powerless to control
him, too.

Westerfield
Continued from Page 1B

But when he played
football for coach Rob-
ert Wilson, the Wildcats
just weren’t very good.
The school placed a
much bigger emphasis
on its standout basket-
ball program than it
ever did on football.
“The pedigree was
there as far as athletes
and having a winning
mindset,” Jones said.
“Football wasn’t as im-
portant.”
After graduation,
Westerfield worked to
change that. He served
as an assistant under
current Shannon head
coach Darryl Carter
from 2009-11 — includ-
ing two winning sea-
sons — and under a new
Wildcats coach in 2012,
a 1-10 campaign.
Jones — passed over
for the head coaching
job at Kemper County in
2012 — got it on his sec-
ond try in 2013. By then,
though, Westerfield was
nearly 900 miles away.
With a psychology
degree from the Univer-
sity of West Alabama,
Westerfield took a job
as a behavioral counsel-
or at a K-12 school for
students with autism in
Newport News, Virgin-
ia. But the distance from
his family back home
was hard to take. The
flights were long. The
12.5-hour drives were
even longer.
So he came back to
Kemper County in 2016
to be the wide receivers
coach and co-offensive
coordinator, along with
Jones, as the two coach-
es formed a big broth-
er/little brother rela-
tionship The Wildcats
lost their first game to
Columbus and star run-
ning back Kylin Hill, 26 -
12. Then they won the
next 15 contests and the
Class 3A title.
“Looking back, it was
special,” Westerfield
said. “It was special to
do it here in my home-
town. It was special to
do it with Chris.”
An ‘easy hire’
When Jones took over
at Starkville High in
January 2017, he want-
ed to bring Westerfield
with him. But the only
jobs available required
a teaching certification.
Westerfield didn’t have
one.
Instead, Jones rec-
ommended his former
assistant to longtime
Louisville coach M.C.
Miller, on whose staff
Jones had previously
served. Miller listened,
hiring Westerfield to
be the Wildcats’ wide
receivers coach and re-
cruiting coordinator.
The position left
Westerfield in charge of
plenty of head coaching
responsibilities: mak-
ing sure players’ grades
were in good shape, set-
ting up travel, arrang-
ing meals and more. He
felt like he was being
groomed to take over
the program.
But when Miller re-
tired after the 2018 sea-
son, Noxubee County’s
Tyrone Shorter took the
head job. So Wester-
field joined Jones’ staff
at Starkville in a simi-
lar role to the one he’d
had at Kemper County:
passing game coordina-
tor and wide receivers
coach. For Jones, it was
an “easy hire.”
At first, Westerfield
was quiet around the
Yellow Jackets, accord-
ing to Joshua Aka, a
2020 Starkville gradu-
ate now playing wide-
out for East Mississippi
Community College.
But after spending just
a few days observing
Starkville’s pass catch-
ers, Westerfield began
to make them feel like
the sky was the limit.
He stressed attention
to detail, both in practice
and games. He showed
the Jackets’ receivers
how to catch, how to
keep their pad level low.
He encouraged staying
after practice for extra
catches. He advised any-
one on the team — not
just the receivers — on
football and life.
Soon, Aka could tell:
Westerfield was going
to be a head coach.
But he didn’t realize
quite how quickly that
would happen.
“I knew he had the
smarts and the knowl-
edge to, but I didn’t
know it was going to be
so soon,” Aka said.
A good choice
Westerfield wasn’t
sure, either. He knew he
was prepared. But was
his alma mater?
“I knew how to build
it and how to do it, but
I wasn’t sure if Kemper
was ready for that or
not,” Westerfield said.
Kemper was. The
school decided to hire
him in February, and the
move was announced in
early March.
Senior middle line-
backer Ishmael Naylor
was glad to hear it. He’d
been coached by West-
erfield in eighth grade
in 2016, and he knew
Westerfield was from
Kemper County, unlike
previous coach John
McKenzie.
“I was happy about
it, because I knew he
was from around here,”
Naylor said. “He pret-
ty much knows every-
body.”
Right away, there
were challenges. Less
than a week after his
hiring was announced,
the COVID-19 pandem-
ic delayed Westerfield’s
introduction to his pro-
gram until summer, and
he had to communicate
via group texts and
Zoom meetings with a
team that went 3-8 in
2019 and then graduat-
ed 15 seniors.
But Westerfield got
started right away,
trying to get athletes
who played basketball
and other sports at the
school to join the foot-
ball team — something
Jones had done to great
success — and building
relationships with his
new players.
His efforts paid div-
idends. Kemper Coun-
ty won its first three
games against West
Lowndes, Raymond and
Eupora — all teams the
Wildcats were project-
ed to lose to. They won
three of their next five,
too, and now face Forest
for the Region 5-3A title.
“We have some pretty
good talent here,” Nay-
lor said. “I feel like as
long as he stays, we’re
going to have a pretty
good team.”
Though Pulphus
said college coaches
could be beating down
Westerfield’s door soon
enough, Westerfield —
always “in the moment”
— plans to stay in De
Kalb for a while. There’s
work to be done.
“If and when we get
all of our kids out who
should be playing, I
think we can roll the
same exact way as we
rolled in 2016,” Wester-
field said.

SA
Continued from Page 1B

County Christian last season,
Starkville Academy coach
Chase Nicholson said his
team can’t afford to bank on
the same thing happening to
make a run this year.
“The end of the road is
the same, but the path to get
there will be different,” Nich-
olson said. “That’s our goal:
to find the right path. It’s not
going to be last year’s path.
We have to find our own path,
and sometimes we can’t see it
in front of us, but if we contin-
ue to work hard, the path will
reveal itself.”
So far, the path to victo-
ry for the Vols this year has
been a heavy dose of senior
running back CJ Jackson,
who has gone over 200 yards
in nearly every game and
owns a majority of Starkville
Academy’s touchdowns to
boot. But Nicholson said the
Cougars (4-6) employ a simi-
lar scheme and will deploy it
against the Vols on Friday.
“They know what they like
to do, and they’re going to do
it,” the coach said. “They just
want to try to do it better than
anybody else.”
Senior outside linebacker
Colby Allen, Starkville Acad-
emy’s leading tackler, said
that puts a premium on rush
defense come Friday night.
Jackson isn’t likely to be bot-
tled up, but the Vols hope to
curtail Cougars quarterback
Brentley Berry and running
back Carter Cockrell.
“If we stop the run, I think
we’ll be OK,” Allen said.
Starkville Academy has
had an extra week to pre-
pare for the game after last
week’s home regular-sea-
son finale against Jackson
Academy was called off due
to COVID-19 concerns with
the home school. With a cou-
ple of students waiting on
test results, Nicholson said
Starkville Academy sent its
football players home and
worked with the Raiders to
cancel the game. Ultimate-
ly, there was no outbreak of
the virus, but the Vols would
rather be safe than sorry,
Nicholson said.
“We wouldn’t have made
the decision if we didn’t think
it was in the best interest of
the kids at our school,” he
said.
Instead, the break gave
Starkville Academy a chance
to rest, heal bumps and bruis-
es and renew its focus for its
first-round game. Nicholson
said the Vols weren’t sure
until Saturday morning who
they’d be playing, but they’ve
homed in on the Cougars
with renewed fervor.
“I think it gives us more
time and makes us hungrier
to play football — kind of like
the summer did,” Allen said,
referencing the delayed start
to offseason workouts be-
cause of the virus.
Both he and Nicholson ac-
knowledged the Vols would
face rival Heritage Acad-
emy for the fourth time in
two seasons should they win
this week, but neither is con-
cerned about the potential
matchup yet.
“We know it’s down the
road, but you can’t worry
about that today,” Nicholson
said. “You can only worry
about Simpson.”
The Volunteers have been
doing just that, and with Fri-
day night’s matchup lurking
just ahead, they’re prepared
to clear the first hurdle
they’ll face.
“We’re ready to go,” Allen
said. “We’ve been working
hard all year. This is what we
worked for.”

Alabama
Continued from Page 1B
used for Tua Tagovailoa?
A: It’s not terribly different. I guess
there are fewer run/pass options. Mac
Jones isn’t as mobile as Tua was, but he’s
not afraid to take off if the opportunity
presents itself. There’s a lot of quick
slants, that’s a big part of his game. He’s
been accustomed to downfield pass-
ing more often, he’s pretty proficient
throwing 30 to 40 yards downfield to
a variety of targets. They’re throwing
the ball deep more often, and that could
be a factor of what defense’s are giving
up. They’re still running the ball pretty
well, they’re not hitting the home run or
the big running plays, but they’re pro-
ficient with 4 or 5 yards a carry. There
are elements that are similar but there’s
some different ways they’re going about
it.
Q: I wanted to ask about Mac Jones
specifically, how have you seen his pro-
gression from last year to this year and
how has he looked to you?
A: He’s been very accurate. He had
one of the highest QB ratings in the
country on pop passes that were easy
and pretty much handoffs, but he’s just
been very calm. When he came in last
year, he was a replacement, and now
he’s the guy. He was interim coach in a
sense last year, and now he’s the head
coach. He came in the same signing
class as Tua, and there were questions if
he’d ever play here because he commit-
ted to Kentucky as a three-star prospect
and was very much an afterthought in
the grand scheme of things in the shad-
ow of Tua. Then five-star true freshman
Bryce Young came in this year and that
was the talk, he’d be passed over again.
But Mac pretty calmly and confidently
won the job. His passing has been pretty
impressive to watch.
Q: How has running back Najee Har-
ris complemented Mac with what he
gives this offense in the backfield?
A: He kind of brings a little bit of a lot.
I think the biggest asset he brings is his
ability to catch the ball out of the back-
field. Not just a swing pass or a screen,
he can get downfield and catch the ball
in space. It really forces the defenses to
respect him and it really changes the
math of the defense when you have to
account for that.
To listen to the rest of the interview
with Michael Casagrande, listen to Bully
Banter, which can be found wherever pod-
casts are available.
4B THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Pac-12 embarks on short season with lots of new faces at QB

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS downs and nine intercep-
tions. He was named Pac-
The so-called Con- 12 Freshman of the Year.
ference of Quarterbacks “I felt as Kedon pro-
has had some consider- gressed through that sec-
able turnover at the po- ond half of the season and
sition heading into the we progressed as a team,
season. we started playing our
Gone are some of the best ball towards the end
Pac-12’s big names: Or- of the season last year,”
egon’s Justin Herbert, Trojans coach Clay Helton
Washington State’s An- said. “Now, to be able to
thony Gordon, Arizona’s watch Kedon work with
Khalil Tate and Utah’s
those skill players and
Tyler Huntley. Just five
see the timing the ball is
quarterbacks who started coming out (with), the ac-
regularly for conference curacy the ball is coming
teams last season are out with, the chemistry
back. of those skill players with
Arguably the top re- him, it’s evident that be-
turnee is USC’s Kedon ing in the second year of
Slovis, who took over last the system and his com-
season when starter JT fort level with the kids
Daniels was injured in the he’s been working with is
opener. Slovis threw for clear on the field. It makes
3,502 yards with 30 touch- you excited as a coach.”
Slovis is considered
one of the top QBs in the
conference, if not the
nation, heading into the
pa ndem ic - abbrev iated
season. The Trojans, who
finished 8–5 overall and
7–2 in the Pac-12 last year,
are currently ranked No.
21 in the AP Top 25 de-
spite the fact they haven’t
played yet.
“From my perspec-
tive, or from the of-
fense’s, we’re just really
throwing in a lot of stuff,
more nuances from what
we did last year and more
variations from what we
did last year. We can run
so many different things
from so many different
looks,” Slovis said about
USC’s progression head-
ing into his second sea-
son.
Other returning
starters at QB include
Arizona State’s Jayden
Daniels, who threw
for 2,943 yards with 17
touchdowns and two in-
terceptions as a fresh-
man. He had five 300-
yard games. Cal’s Chase
Garbers threw for 1,772
yards and 14 touchdowns
with three interceptions
in nine games last year.
And UCLA junior Dorian
T hompson -Robinson
threw for 2,701 yards and
21 TDs with 12 intercep-
tions.
At Stanford, quarter-
back K.J. Costello went
to Mississippi State un-
der Mike Leach, who left
Washington State in the
offseason. But the Cardi-
nal still have junior Davis
Mills, who started in six
games last season when
Costello was injured and
set a school record with
504 passing yards against
Washington State.
At Arizona, Grant
Gunnell will take the
reins at QB after starting
in three games last sea-
son when Tate struggled
with injury.
Oregon’s backup last
season, Tyler Shough, is
the presumed starter for
the Ducks, while Tristan
Gebbia is expected to top
the depth chart at Ore-
gon State. To the north
in Washington, Jacob
Sirmon appeared to be
the frontrunner to replace
Jacob Eason, and Wash-
ington State had a three-
way competition in camp
between Jayden de Laura,
Gunner Cruz and Cam-
mon Cooper.
Utah also had three
players vying for the start-
ing nod, Jake Bentley,
Drew Lisk and Cameron
Rising, while Colorado’s
battle was primarily be-
tween Tyler Lytle and Sam
Noyer.
As COVID-19 cases
surge nationwide and
more games get canceled,
the Pac-12 is proceeding
with caution. Oregon re-
ported that five players
had positive tests and
called off a scrimmage
last Saturday. The players
were asymptomatic and
isolated pending more ac-
curate tests. Turned out,
the initial tests were false
positives and the play-
ers returned to practice
Tuesday.

Comics & Puzzles

DILBERT
Dear Abby
D
EAR ABBY:
My brother
“Brian” and
his wife, “Laurel,”
have an adult son,
“Dick,” who dated
a girl I’ll call “Crys-
tal” for 10 years
before they got
married. Everyone
got along fine, until
Crystal gave birth.
ZITS After their first
child was born,
Crystal started
withholding visits
from my brother
and his wife. Crys- Dear Abby
tal and Dick had
two more children. The oldest is
now 6. The only way Brian and
Laurel see their grandchildren
is if there’s a family reunion,
wedding, etc. Crystal allows
her parents to see the kids and
spend time with them whenever.
Brian and Laurel are flabber-
GARFIELD gasted by what has happened.
They have no idea why all of a
sudden after giving birth, their
DIL has not allowed them to visit
the grandkids, babysit or any-
thing. My brother and his wife are
great people. They don’t drink to
excess or use drugs and would
be wonderful grandparents
for these children. Would it be
appropriate as a family member
(aunt) to write a letter to Crystal
and, in a kind, nonaccusatory
way, explain the hurt this has
caused and how
much their chil-
dren are missing
out from not being
around these two
great individuals?
— MISSING OUT IN
OREGON
DEAR MISSING
OUT: While it
isn’t unheard
of for the wife’s
parents to take
precedence over
the husband’s,
Crystal’s behavior
does appear to
be extreme. It
also appears the
way she’s acting is retaliatory,
but the people who must get to
the bottom of it are your brother
and his wife. I don’t think there
is anything to be gained by
involving yourself in this sad
mess, because if you do, Crystal
and her husband will resent it.
Sympathize, but stay out of it.
DEAR ABBY: Five years ago,
my daughter, “Angie,” and her
two children moved in with me
after she and her husband sepa-
rated. I hoped she would get her
finances and life together and be
able to get a place of her own.
What I didn’t realize at the
time was that Angie had started
a relationship and had fallen in
love with a man she met online.
Her daughter was very upset
about it. Angie was in a custody
dispute over her youngest child,
and we disagreed more than
once about issues concerning
the children.
After a couple of years, she
moved into her own place. She’s
still involved with this individual.
I haven’t met him and have no
desire to. She’s upset with me
because of it. I don’t want to see
him with her because he has
been married several times and
is involved with drugs. I realize
who Angie is involved with is
her business and not mine, but
I want nothing to do with him.
How can I avoid a rift with her
over this? — SOURED IN SOUTH
CAROLINA
DEAR SOURED: No law says
you HAVE to meet this person,
and it is your privilege to avoid
him if you wish. I’m not sure
what your daughter expects
from you. Does she want you to
entertain him? Common sense
would dictate that you do not
want anyone who is involved with
illegal substances in your home.
However, I do think you should
agree to meet him once.
If Angie’s relationship with
you is predicated on the idea
that you will welcome this
individual into your life with open
arms because she has, you will
then have to figure out how to
navigate this. That she would al-
low someone like him to interact
with her children shows very poor
judgment.

CANDORVILLE Horoscopes
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Oct.
29). When you were younger
you sought the shiny prize,
though you’ve long since
realized that the real riches are
good relationships, cultivated
with care. Now, in addition to
the shiny prize, you’ll reap the
benefit of your habitual pattern
of thoughtfulness, attentive-
ness and tenderness. Great joy
flows through your days. Virgo
and Sagittarius adore you. Your
BABY BLUES lucky numbers are: 7, 10, 33,
21 and 36.
ARIES (March 21-April 19).
Because you listen and try to
understand the other person’s
point of view, arguments can
bring you closer together. The
relationship gets better because
you know each other better.
BEETLE BAILEY
MALLARD FILLMORE
FAMILY CIRCUS
TAURUS (April 20-May
20). You love security as much
as anyone, and yet, today,
you’re feeling restless and bold
enough to give some of that up
for a thrill, some solid enter-
tainment or a chance at the big
prize.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21).
You’ve been slowly getting to
know someone for a while now.
Yet, when you think about this
person, there are still more
questions than answers. It’s
a good place to be. Curiosity
is just what the relationship
needs.
CANCER (June 22-July
22). While you may be having a
deeply moving experience of joy,
there is part of you that cannot
fully accept and revel in this
unless you know that another
person is in it with you. Is it too
early to reveal your feelings?
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22).
You’ve been known to be over-
come by fits of fatalism, though
you’re stronger now. You may
still have that thought, every
once in a while, that things
won’t go your way again. But
you’ll battle the idea and win.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).
The proverb suggests, “Pride
goeth before a fall.” You can
avoid the fall by checking the
pride. Carefully estimate the
elements and humbly assess
your ability to navigate them.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct.
23). Caring too much, doing
too much and giving too much
knocks you off your game.
Balance is always a stronger
position. Whatever you can do
to move toward balance will be
a move toward strength.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov.
21). A loving person is attuned
to your feelings and responsive
to your needs. That’s the base-
line for what to expect from your
inner circle. If that line is not
being toed, then it’s something
to either address or move on
from.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec.
21). There is no such thing
as a “casual invitation” today.
Oh, the opportunity may be
delivered with nonchalance, but
you can be certain that it’s as
significant as anything altering
the course of destiny.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.
19). This pile of work in front
of you isn’t pretty right now and
won’t be later either. Its best
look is “gone.” Start with what
interests you, and you’ll gain the
energy necessary to tackle what
doesn’t.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.
18). Most traps are invisible
and yet they hold as powerfully
as physical constraints. No one
likes to feel like they are being
held against their will. But is
this really the case? Test it.
What happens when you break
free?
PISCES (Feb. 19-March
20). You don’t give yourself
enough credit. If you’re not go-
ing to do it for you, do it for the
ones who need you. Because,
believe it or not, you’re the
model that someone else is
following closely.

Painting by numbers
SOLUTION:

Business
BUILDING PERMITS
City of Columbus
Oct. 19-23, 2020
■ Columbus Redevelopment
Authority; 512 4th Street
North; demolish residence,
Johnathan S Burns Enterprises
LLC
■ BH Properties LLC; 907
Shady Street; demolish resi-
dence; JMorgan Company LLC
■ BH Properties LLC; 1019
Shady Street; demolish resi-
dence; JMorgan Company LLC
■ BH Properties LLC; 1021
Shady Street; demolish resi-
dence; JMorgan Company LLC
■ CRM Inc; 618 Alabama
Street; signs for The Bridge
Church; Mid-South Signs
■ Swoope Investments LLC;
2203 Highway 45 North; Signs
for Title Mx; Mid-South Signs
■ Lehmberg Crossing Partners
LLC; 909 Alabama Street;
erect interior wall; Southern
Custom Renovations
■ The Innovation Group LLC;
410 Main Street; signs and
holder on wall; same
■ Earnestine Davis; 808 21st
Street North; replace insula-
tion/drywall/pipes; same
■ Jackson Square LLC; 2003
Highway 45 North, Suite 3;
install twenty-three storage
units; Lex Jordan
■ Linda and Joseph Howard;
99 Stokes Road; reroof house;
Doug Wheeler Roofing Inc
■ Roger D Porter; 113 Kermit
Street; reroof house; Doug
Wheeler Roofing Inc
■ Dean F Shaw Life Estate;
118 Stewart Avenue; reroof
house; Doug Wheeler Roofing
Inc
■ Ratliff Family Trust; 201
Jones Circle; reroof house;
Doug Wheeler Roofing Inc
■ Dorothy M Berglund; 425
9th Street South; reroof
house; Doug Wheeler Roofing
Inc
■ George Cook; 502 Sylvan
road; reroof house; Doug
Wheeler Roofing Inc
■ Maxine and Monroe Hysaw;
504 Sylvan Road; reroof
house; Doug Wheeler Roofing
Inc
Tupperware profits soar as
pandemic shut-ins store leftovers
BY MATT OTT
AP Business Writer
SILVER SPRING, Md.
— Tupperware relied
on social gatherings for
explosive growth in the
mid 20th century. In the
21st century, it is social
distancing that is fueling
sales.
Restaurant pain has
turned into Tupperware’s
gain with millions of peo-
ple in a pandemic open-
ing cookbooks again and
looking for solutions to
leftovers. They’ve found it
again in Tupperware, sud-
denly an “it brand” five de-
cades after what seemed
to be its glory days.
The company had ap-
peared to be on life sup-
port, posting negative
sales growth in five of the
last six years, a trend that
■ Ora and Louis Gray Jr.; 509
Cypress Street; reroof house;
Doug Wheeler Roofing Inc
■ Miriam and Charles Hutchi-
son; 912 Tuckaho Drive; reroof
house; Doug Wheeler Roofing
Inc
■ Virginia and Wade Leonard;
1010 9th Street North; reroof
house; Doug Wheeler Roofing
Inc
■ Katherine and Kelly Van Gun-
dy; 1107 Southdown Parkway;
reroof house; Doug Wheeler
Roofing Inc
■ Debra and Terry Guin Sr.;
1302 20th Street North; reroof
house; Doug Wheeler Roofing
Inc
■ Joan T Myers; 1504 Hickory
Lane; reroof house; Doug
Wheeler Roofing Inc
■ Emily and Robert Jones;
1718 Bramblewood Drive;
reroof house; Doug Wheeler
Roofing Inc
■ Alice and Gerald Scallions;
2208 Bluecutt Road; reroof
house; Doug Wheeler Roofing
Inc
■ Idlewild LLC; 323 Idlewild
Road; 25’x40’ concrete slab
only; Karan Patel
■ Columbus Redevelopment
Authority; 319 5th Avenue
North; demolish residence;
Jonathan S Burns Enterprises
LLC
■ Annette and Johnny Moore;
507 Beech Street; electrical;
Joseph Harris
■ Lakeithric James; 2112 14th
Avenue North, Apt C; electrical;
Nell’s Electrical Contractor
■ Lillie Vaughn; 2004 14th
Avenue North; electrical; Vetis
Lee
■ 7th Day Adventists; 301
Brooks Drive; electrical; Nick-
oles Electric of Columbus
■ 7th Day Adventists; 406
North Lehmberg Road;
electrical; Nickoles Electric of
Columbus
■ Jackson Square LLC; 2003
Highway 45 North, Suite 3;
electrical; Wofford electric
■ BH Properties LLC; 2414
College Street; electrical,
Nell’s Electrical Contractor
■ BH Properties LLC; 2418
seemed to be accelerating
this year.
Long gone was the
heyday of the Tupperware
Party, first held in 1948,
which provided women
with a chance to run their
own business. That sys-
tem worked so well, Tup-
perware took its products
out of stores three years
later. But it has struggled
as more families gave
up making dinner from
scratch and also dining
out more.
Then the pandemic
struck.
Profit during the most
recent quarter quadrupled
to $34.4 million, Tupper-
ware reported Wednesday.
The explosion of sales
caught almost everyone
off guard and shares
of Tupperware Brands
Corp., which had been
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020 5B
College Street; electrical, mobile home; Mark Thompson
Nell’s Electrical Contractor electrical
■ BH Properties LLC; 2422 ■ Janice Gore; 4758 Cale-
College Street; electrical, donia-Kolola Road; move up
Nell’s Electrical Contractor mobile home; McNairy Mobile
■ Nathaniel Blevins; 2012 Homes
14th Avenue North; electrical; ■ Delmo Payne; 76 Magowah
Vertis Lee Ranch Road; set up mobile
■ Mayurkumar and Dipika home; Welford Electric
Patel; 2329 Martin Luther King ■ Delmo Payne; 76 Magowah
Jr Drive; mechanical; Advanced Ranch Road; move up mobile
Air Systems home; T & B Mobile Homes
■ Katherine and Mack Murray; ■ David Oglesby; 310 Mill
406 Winterset Drive; mechan- Road; addition to s/f resi-
ical; Progressive Heating and dence; McNees Construction
Cooling ■ Autery; 152 Hunnington
■ Jennifer and Tyrone Porter; Drive; addition to s/f resi-
74 Stokes Road; mechanical; dence; Econ Construction
Triangle Air ■ Willie M. Bowling; 102 Lee
■ BH Properties LLC; 2414
Street; construct s/f resi-
College Street; mechanical;
dence; owner
BDM Industrial Services
■ Ricky Hicks; Caledo-
■ BH Properties LLC; 2418
nia-Steens Road; construct s/f
College Street; mechanical;
residence; Gale Construction
BDM Industrial Services
■ BH Properties LLC; 2422
College Street; mechanical;
BDM Industrial Services
■ Blake Martin; 607; Syca-
more Street; plumbing; P&H
Plumbing
■ Ken Kidder; 2016 College
Street; plumbing; W R Kidder
and Son
■ Betty Holliman; 2601 5th
Avenue North; Plumbing; P&H
Plumbing
■ GH&M LLC; 321 Hospi-
tal Drive; plumbing; Klutts
Plumbing
■ Columbus Housing Author-
ity; 1703 12th Avenue North;
plumbing; Browning Plumbing
Lowndes County
Oct. 28. 2020
■ Frances Oaks; 2400 N.
Wolfe Road; set up mobile
home, owner
■ Frances Oaks; 2400 N.
Wolfe Road; move up mobile
home, McNairy Mobile Homes
■ Mike and Holly McElroy; 123
Freeman Drive; construct pool,
Sunrise pools
■ Robert J. Letourneau; 564
Plantation Drive; remodel s/f
residence; West Remodeling,
LLC
■ Janice Gore; 4758 Cale-
donia-Kolola Road; set up
rising since April, jumped
35 percent to a new high
for the year. Shares that
could be had for around $1
in March, closed at $28.80
on Wednesday.
LOCAL GAS PRICES
Source: gasbuddy.com
COLUMBUS
1.79 CHEVRON
1402 Main St.
1.82 MURPHY USA
1913-A US-45 N
1.85 SPIRIT1604 Gardner Blvd.
STARKVILLE
1.68 WALMART
105 Market St.
1.69 MURPHY USA
1012 MS-12
1.72 STRANGE BREW
605 MS-12 W
Classifieds
EMPLOYMENT
CALL US: 662-328-2424
General Help Wanted
OFFICE MANAGER needed
for local Construction com-
pany. Job includes man-
aging Pay Roll, QuickBooks,
Spreadsheets, Accounts
Payable & Receivable, Pur-
chasing & Social Media.
Single position in small
business with nice atmo-
sphere. Mail resume to
Blind Box 677 c/o The
Commercial Dispatch
PO Box 511
Columbus MS 39703.
THE COMMERCIAL
DISPATCH seeks a motiv-
ated, contracted carrier for
the Caledonia area. Excel-
lent opportunity to earn
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
Apts For Rent: North
FOX RUN APARTMENTS
1 & 2 BR near hospital.
$595−$645 monthly.
Military discount, pet area,
pet friendly, and furnished
corporate apts.
24−HOUR PROFESSIONAL
GYM. ON SITE SECURITY.
ON SITE MAINTENANCE.
ON SITE MANAGEMENT.
24−HOUR CAMERA
SURVEILLANCE. Benji &
Ashleigh, 662−386−4446.
Apts For Rent: South
13 ac in South Lowndes Co
Downtown Loft: Very nice 1
bdrm loft, wood floors, tall
ceilings, above a downtown 100 shop, in ground pool
business. Great location.
stock pond. Ideal place for
Call before 9:00 p.m.
$650. 662−364−1610
Large 2−bedrm apartment.
Recently renovated, very
nice, includes washer /
dryer, lots of closets, great
location. Must see inside.
$850. 662−364−1610
Apts For Rent: West
VIP
Rentals
Apartments & Houses
1 Bedrooms
2 Bedroooms
3 Bedrooms
Furnished & Unfurnished
1, 2, & 3 Baths
Lease, Deposit
& Credit Check
viceinvestments.com
327-8555
Apts For Rent: Other
Read local.
cdispatch.com
ADS APPEAR IN THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH,
THE STARKVILLE DISPATCH AND ONLINE
To place ads starting at only $12,
call 662-328-2424 or visit ads.cdispatch.com
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020 n 6B
Apts For Rent: Other Firewood / Fuel Autos For Sale
The Military Square
Apartments are now
GARAGE SALES FIREWOOD FOR SALE.
Various lengths.
2006 FORD Ranger FX4
ext. cab, 4.0 L Eng. with
accepting applicants! 662−295−2274. only 208K miles. Has
We have 1, 2, and 3 TWO FREE SIGNS camper shell, bed rug,
bedroom units available. General Merchandise brush guard with light bar,
All apartments are newly Estate Sales new tires in Sept, cold air
remodeled, and include: Mobile Home Frames intake, new water pump in
New Washer/Dryer, New BIG SALE: Oct 30−31. 2 Mobile Home Frames for Oct, and new A/C in 2019.
Refrigerator, New A/C Unit! Fri 9−6, Sat 8−4. Oil paint $500 Each. 30 Free Has 3 coats of ceramic
−ings, glassware, chalk Concrete Blocks w/ Each coating. Looks & runs
We also offer rent ware, furn, h/h items, Frame good. Only $8500.
discounts for: clothing, many quilts & 501−545−7750 in
−Active Military collectibles. 10469 Hwy 12 2 Electric Tongue Jacks Columbus.
−Veterans E, across from Cedar Hill. $150 Each
−Seniors For More Info. Contact
COMMUNITY
Call us at: 662−205−0005 Jessie Brooks @
Orr Estate Sale 662−272−8711
810 1st St. North
COLEMAN Reform, AL 35481
Fri. Oct. 30, 9am−5pm ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIDES ADS STARTING AT $12
RENTALS Sat. Oct. 31, 9am−5pm
Sudoku
Leather chaps, genuine
TOWNHOUSES & APARTMENTS Sun. Nov. 1, 1pm−5pm YESTERDAY’S ANSWER
Mon. Nov.2, 9am−1pm
buffalo, XL, new. $40. Travel & Entertainment
Motorcycle riding boots,
1 BEDROOM
Sudoku
Selling the estate of
2 BEDROOMS Leon & Shirley Orr,
waterproof/insulated, worn
very little, size 10. $70. PUBLIC CATFISH POND
Sudoku is a number- Yesterday’s answer
See photos placing puzzle based on
3 BEDROOMS @www.estatesales.net
One piece rain suit by
Gear, L, new. $35.
130 Hillcrest Dr
Catfish contest Oct. 1− Sudoku
a 9x9 gridis witha several
num- 3 4 8 6 2 9 1 7 5
Stewart’s Antiques & For sale locally. 31. $200 for most ber-placing
given numbers.puzzleThe object 2 7 5 8 1 3 4 6 9
2020 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
LEASE,
© The Dispatch
Estate Sales
Benny Shelton
501−545−7750. weight. $100 for Big based onthe
is to place a 9x9
numbers 6 1 9 7 5 4 2 8 3
DEPOSIT Columbus, MS
Fish. 2 drawings for
grid
1 to 9with
in theseveral
empty spaces 5 2 6 4 3 7 9 1 8
$50 valued prizes. Call
AND 662−251−1515 Sporting Goods
662−386−8591 for given
so thatnumbers.
each row, eachThe 1 9 3 2 8 6 7 5 4
CREDIT CHECK details. object
column and each 3x3 the
is to place box
Crawford Army Surplus
numbers 7 8 4 5 9 1 6 3 2
on Main in Crawford. contains the1same to 9 number
in
662-329-2323 Vardaman Estate Sale.
Selling all contents inc−
Now for sale: Metal Ammo
cans 30&50 cal, $10; Pets
the empty spaces so
only once. The difficulty
that each row, each
4
9
3
6
2
7
1
3
6
4
5
8
8
5
9
2
7
1
luding furniture, books, level increases from
2411 HWY 45 N household items,
.155mm Howitzer treated
Big Puppies For Sale: column and each 8 5 1 9 7 2 3 4 6
wood ammo boxes, Monday
3x3 boxtocontains
Sunday.
COLUMBUS, MS Two large breed Standard Difficulty Level 10/28
appliances, flat screen $5&10; Army steel
TVs, and like new John bunkbeds, $125; Field Poodle cross, 12 wk old the same number only once. The difficulty level
Deere mower. puppies for sale. Wormed,
Houses For Rent: East View at estatesales.net
Artillery camo nets with
vaccinated, vet checked increases from Monday to Sunday.
spreader poles, $225;
662−418−6830 Unissued camo (BDU/ and very healthy. They have
3BR/1BA, stove, refrig− ACU/ABU) military 6− long white curly hair with
erator, fresh paint & hard− pocket fatigues, $35 & M− tan and gray spots around
wood floors. Available Garage Sales: North the face and ears. 1 male,
65 field coats & fire−
11/1. $600/mo + $500 retardant coveralls, $50; 1 female, very smart with
dep. No HUD, no pets. 1426 6TH St N. Oct 31 @ polypro col weather under gentle temperament and
662−295−3022. 7am. Please wear mask. garment, $18; lots of energy. Located in
OCP T−shirts, $5. Crawford, MS. $350.
Mobile Homes for Rent 216 4TH St. N. Fri., Sat. & Call 662.769.1889 626−590−2584
Sun., 10/30−11/1. 9a−
3p. H/h furn. & appliances.
3BR/2BA MH in New Hope.
$650 dep + $650/mo. No
pets, quiet area. Leave full
Garage Sales: New Hope ED SANDERS GUNSMITH
Open for season!
Five Questions:
name & message, Tue−Fri: 9−5 & Sat: 9−12
HUGE SALE SAT & SUN! @
Over 50 years experience!
1 “2001:
205−712−6697. 8598 NASHVILLE FERRY
RD E. 7am. 662−251−
Repairs, cleaning, refin−
ishing, scopes mounted &
A Space
6580 zeroed, handmade knives.
REAL ESTATE
Garage Sales: Caledonia Located: Hwy 45 Alt, North
Odyssey”
of West Point, turn right on
Yokahama Blvd, 8mi & turn
678 MAIN ST. Fri., 10/30
ADS STARTING AT $25 & Sat., 10/31 7a−5p. left on Darracott Rd, will
see sign, 2.5mi ahead
Tools, towing equip.,
2 New Deal
shop on left.
Farms & Timberland pressure washer, camping
662−494−6218.
equip. & misc. items.
LAMAR CO. AL, 197 Acres.
3 Washington
Good timber. Good hunting.
Road frontage. South of
MERCHANDISE VEHICLES
Irving
Millport. $1,325/ac. 205−
799−9846 or 205−695−
2248. ADS STARTING AT $12 ADS STARTING AT $12
Houses For Sale: East
Bargain Column Autos For Sale
4 Supernova
3BR/2BA in 55+
community of Plantation 4 Covid face shields Wear 2004 CHEVY IMPALA LS,
Pointe. For more info call to polls or Church. Clear 3.8 liter engine, 4 door,
5 Roland-
after 5pm, 662−251− plastic. Can be worn over automatic, leather interior,
7664. glasses. $13.00 for all. sunroof, & AM/FM/
Garros
662−497−4626 or 662− cassette. $2,000.
244−5861 662−251−3001.
Houses For Sale: Southside
Auctions
1512 WASHINGTON AVE
3BR/1.5BA, living room w/
gas log−heat, dining room,
front/back porch, natural
gas heat, window units−
cooling, storage bldg &
carport. 1,230 sq ft.
Call 662−425−9451.
Houses For Sale: Other ACROSS
FSBO: 4BR/4.5BA 1 Hawk
10,000+sqft, situated on 5 Cartoon pig
10 River catch
@ 627 Canfield Rd. New
Hope school district. 50x 12 Game setting
13 Fab Four
w/pool house & 1.5 acre drummer
mini farm! $675,000. 14 Singer Neville
662−327−3477 15 Star pitcher
16 Spell caster
Lots & Acreage 18 Prison head
1.75 ACRE LOTS Good/ 20 Luau strings
Bad Credit Options. Good 21 Liberal study
credit as low as 20% down, 23 Course need
$499/mo. Eaton Land,
662−361−7711. 24 Matching
26 Listen to
28 Frodo’s friend
Approx. 7 acres located
between Dale Road and 29 Woodland 2 Writer Jong 25 “West Side
Buck Egger Road at end of grazer 3 Antisocial one Story” song
Renon Lane. $30,000 31 Cyclops
Call; leave message. 4 Galoot 27 Mess up
662−549−0696 feature 5 Talk show 28 Homes to
32 Pop’s Andy legend Jack urban gators
PICKENS COUNTY, AL 36 Small song- 6 Test type 30 Ram’s mate
180 acres in Liberty bird 7 Send another 33 Port-au-
39 King Kong,
way Prince’s nation
Community. Good hunting
& road systems. $850/ac.
Other tracts available. Call e.g. 8 Rapped 34 Made a
205−799−9846 or 205− 40 Writer Brontë 9 Big Apple choice
695−2248. 41 Musical set in player 35 Main roles
Argentina 11 Stood tall 37 Photo prob-
SERVICE DIRECTORY
43 Happen again 17 Worker in a lem
44 Out of style colony 38 Orpheus
45 Catch 19 River stopper played one
46 Toppers 22 Clipped 42 Kilmer of
DOWN 24 Exhortation “Batman For-
PROMOTE YOUR SMALL BUSINESS STARTING AT ONLY $25 1 Scarecrow fill from the pulpit ever”
Carpet & Flooring General Services General Services Painting & Papering
A & T TREE SERVICES WORK WANTED: Licensed SULLIVAN’S PAINT
Bucket truck & stump & Bonded. Carpentry, minor SERVICE
removal. Free est. electrical, minor plumbing, Special Prices.
Serving Columbus insulation, painting, demo− Interior & Exterior Painting.
since 1987. Senior lition, gutters cleaned, 662−435−6528
citizen disc. Call Alvin @ pressure washing, land−
242−0324/241−4447 scaping, cleanup work. Plumbing
"We’ll go out on a limb for 662−242−3608.
you!"
Lawn Care / Landscaping ACME, INC.
Fall Special: 4 Rms $99 Stan McCown
1 Room − $50 "We fix leaks."
2 Room − $70 JESSE & BEVERLY’S Natural gas & water.
3 Rooms − $90 LAWN SERVICE 662−386−2915
Carpet−Rugs−Tile−Cars Mowing, cleanup, tree
DAVID’S CARPET & cutting, landscaping,
UPHOLSTERY sodding & bush hogging.
CLEANING 662−356−6525
Call for more info!
662−722−1758 Painting & Papering
QUALITY PAINTING.
Ext/Int Painting.
Don’t have time
to cut your lawn?
Sheet Rock Hang, Finish &
Repair. Pressure Washing.
Free Estimates. Ask for Are you a painter?
Find help here! specials! Larry Webber, Advertise here!
662−242−4932.