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Thursday | December 10, 2020

City: Planned Hindu invocation a show of inclusion

Tuesday’s meeting may include first non-
Judeo-Christian prayer offered before council
BY ISABELLE ALTMAN
ialtman@cdispatch.com
Columbus Public Informa-
tion Officer Joe Dillon has been
arranging for religious leaders
— mostly local — to give the
invocation at the beginning of
the twice-monthly city council
meetings since he began in his
position in 2016.
Typically he arranges for lo-
cal pastors who have reached
out to city officials or been
recommended by council mem-
bers to attend the meetings in
person or over Zoom and say
a prayer after Mayor Robert
Smith has opened the meeting
but before the council has be-
gun discussing business.
“I think it’s a good valuable
part of the meeting,” Dillon
said. “... These men and ladies
have to make some difficult
decisions. … It is a time of en-
couragement, almost like when
a team goes out and takes the
field in a time of battle. This is
a time to say that we’re behind
you, we believe in you.”
So he was excited to learn
that Rajan Zed, president of the
Nevada-based Universal Soci-
ety of Hinduism, had reached
out to city officials request-
ing to say a traditional Hindu
prayer at the start of Tuesday’s
city council meeting — the
first time a religious leader not
from a Judeo-Christian denom-
ination will have given the in-
vocation as far as either Dillon
or Chief Administrative Officer
David Armstrong know.
“I think it’s significant be-
cause it shows that Columbus
wants to be all-inclusive and
wants to encourage everyone of
Dillon Zed
all beliefs,” Dillon said. “... He
contacted us and (asked if he
could) lead the invocation. We
didn’t hesitate. We said, ‘Sure,
we’d be glad for you to.’
“I’m glad he’s coming,” he
added. “I’m glad he’s able to do
this.”
Zed, who established the
Universal Society of Hindu-
ism in 2011, has said opening
prayers at state legislative ses-
sions and meetings of local gov-
ernments all over the country.
Tuesday will be the first time
he has done so in Mississip-
pi, he told The Dispatch in an
email.
“Although I have never been
to Columbus, … it seemed fas-
cinating to me,” he said in the
email. “I shall try to visit Co-
lumbus in the future.”
Zed and USH work to pro-
mote Hinduism and Hindu
values while also fostering di-
alogue and understanding with
See COUNCIL, 6A

City PACCAR plant recognized

reimbursed for 10 years in Golden Triangle
$242,951 from
Auditor’s Office
in ex-CFO
investigation
Rawle charged in June
for embezzling funds
between 2016 and 2018
BY ISABELLE ALTMAN
ialtman@cdispatch.com

The State Au-

ditor’s Office has
recovered almost
$243,000 for the city
of Columbus follow-
ing the arrest of for-
mer Chief Financial
Officer Milton Raw-
le earlier this year, Rawle
according to a SAO
press release.
Rawle, who worked for the
city between 2013 and 2019, was
indicted in June for alleged em-
bezzlement of almost $290,000 in
city funds between 2016 and 2018.
The Auditor’s Office returned
$242,951.13 to the city earlier this
month.
City Public Information Officer
Joe Dillon and an SAO spokesper-
son said the city contracts with
a bonding company that paid the
money to the Auditor’s Office,
which then returned the funds
to the city. The bonding compa-
ny then has the opportunity to
sue Rawle in civil court to get the
money back on their end.
The spokesperson said the city
may recover more money later
through other means, including
fines and court orders if Rawle is
convicted.
Rawle’s case is pending in
Lowndes County Circuit Court.
He has been released from custo-
dy on $65,000 bond.
Conf lict disclosure: Managing
Editor Zack Plair took part in ed-
iting this article. He is currently
involved in legal proceedings with
the city of Columbus.
Two associates assemble a MX-13 Engine at the PACCAR Engine Plant in Columbus. The plant employs about 550 people
and was drawn to the workforce in the Golden Triangle region when it opened 10 years ago, plant communications manager
Mike Arzamendi said. Students at the three colleges in the area regularly work as interns at PACCAR.
LINK COO: ‘To say that it’s become a part
of who we are would be an understatement’
BY TESS VRBIN
tvrbin@cdispatch.com
Femi Johnson initially INSIDE
wasn’t sure if PACCAR n OUR VIEW:
would hire an internation- PACCAR
established
al student as an intern.
The Nigeria native had aindustry
pattern of
in
heard from a classmate at the Golden
Mississippi State Univer- Triangle.
sity about the internship Page 4A
and decided to apply de-
spite her doubts. After interning at the
Lowndes County engine manufacturing
plant in fall 2018 and summer 2019, PAC-
CAR hired Johnson as a maintenance
reliability engineer in January, a month
after she graduated from MSU with an
engineering degree.
The Fortune 500 company that de-
signs and manufactures heavy-duty
trucks is recognizing its first North
American engine plant after 10 years of
“manufacturing excellence and a strong
commitment to its community,” accord-
ing to a PACCAR press release.
Johnson described a constructive
work environment in which the initial
anxiety about interning for such a large
company wore off quickly.
“If you have questions, everyone’s
available to help you,” she said. “You
don’t feel like you’re a little mouse. Ev-
eryone’s a big cat, basically.”
The $400 million plant took three
years to build and had about 75 employ-
ees when it opened in 2010 at the Lown-
des County Industrial Park on Highway
82 west of Columbus, plant manager
Andy Appel said. Now it has about 550
employees.
Courtesy photo
The factory has pro-
duced more than 250,000
PACCAR MX-11 and MX-
13 engines to date, accord-
ing to the press release,
and produced 12 engines
per day when it opened but
now produces more than Arzamendi
100 per day, plant commu-
nications manager Mike Arzamendi said.
PACCAR is a global company with
about 28,000 employees worldwide
and serving roughly 100 countries, he
said. Its truck companies, Peterbilt and
Kenworth, have manufacturing plants
throughout the United States, including
Kenworth plants in California and Ohio
and a Peterbilt plant in Texas.
PACCAR chose to locate the engine
plant in Columbus over anywhere else
in the country due to what it saw as a
promising workforce that was “ready and
willing to step up to the plate,” Arzamen-
di said. Proximity to three institutions of
See PACCAR, 6A

WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC

Waverly Glenn
Fourth grade, Annunciation
1 What buzz-worthy TV show did buzz-worthy Saturday MEETINGS
singer Ed Sheeran make a buzz-worthy cameo on Dec. 11: Lowndes
■ Whoville Cruisin’: Cars, trucks, golf
in the summer of 2017? County School Dis-
2 In 2017, what restaurant chain announced the carts and gators are invited to deco-
trict board, 12:30
gradual disbanding of its longtime house band, rate “Grinch-style” and join this cruise
p.m., Central Of-
the Pizza Time Players? through downtown Columbus at 3:30
fice, 1053 Hwy. 45
3 What kids’ book-turned-streaming-TV series p.m. Meet at the Hitching Lot Farmers’
South, Columbus
includes volumes called “The Reptile Room” and Market, Second Avenue and Second
“The Wide Window”? Dec. 15: Lowndes
Street North, between 2-3 p.m. (No ve-
4 What current events online newsletter and app County Board of Su-
hicle to be driven outside parade route

69 Low 41
shares its name with fat-free milk? pervisors meeting,
5 Flipping what kind of common object and that is not street legal.) Main Street
High landing it upright became a playground — and Columbus, 662-328-6305.
9 a.m., Lowndes
Sunny County Courthouse,
Internet — sensation in 2016? facebook.com/
Full forecast on
page 3A.
Answers, 6B
Tuesdays in December LowndesCounty-
■ Holiday Fun at 501: Bring your Mississippi/
INSIDE lunch and enjoy sounds of the season
11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Columbus Arts
Dec. 15: Colum-
bus City Council,
Business 5B Dear Abby 4B Council, 501 Main St. Drinks, live 5 p.m., Municipal
Classifieds 6B Obituaries 5A music and holiday fun provided. Free. April Walker lives in West Complex, facebook.
Comics 4B Opinions 4A Music by: Dec. 15-Jace Ferraez; Dec. Point. She enjoys spending com/CityofColum-
141st Year, No. 233 Crossword 6B 22-Suzuki Strings. 662-328-2787. time with family. busMS/

DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471

2A THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Lawmakers act to avert shutdown,

buying time for COVID talks
One-week government-wide funding bill expected
to easily pass before a deadline of midnight Friday
to avert a partial government shutdown
BY ANDREW TAYLOR
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Still spinning
their wheels on COVID-19 relief,
lawmakers grabbed a one-week
government funding extension
on Wednesday that buys time for
more talks — though there is con-
siderable disagreement over who is
supposed to be taking the lead from
there.
Amid the uncertainty, the House
easily passed a one-week govern-
ment-wide funding bill that sets a
new Dec. 18 deadline for Congress
to wrap up both the COVID-19 relief
measure and a $1.4 trillion catchall
spending bill that is also overdue.
The 343-67 vote sent the one-week
bill to the Senate, where it’s expect-
ed to easily pass before a deadline
of midnight Friday to avert a partial
government shutdown.
The measure would give law-
makers more time to sort through
the hot mess they have created for
themselves after months of futile
negotiations and posturing and re-
cent rounds of flip-flopping.
Top GOP leaders said the right
people to handle endgame nego-
tiations are the top four leaders of
Congress and the Trump adminis-
tration, focused on a proposal by
Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mc-
Connell to eliminate a Democratic
demand for a $160 billion or so aid
package for state and local govern-
ments.
Top Democrats. meanwhile, are
placing their bets on a bipartisan
group of senators who are trying to
iron out a $908 billion package. The
bipartisan group is getting no en-
couragement from McConnell, but
members are claiming progress on
perhaps the most contentious item,
a demand by the Kentucky Republi-
can to award businesses and other
organizations protections against
COVID-related lawsuits.
“We’re trying to get a bipartisan
compromise along the lines of the
Gang of Eight framework,” said
Senate Minority Leader Chuck
Schumer, D-N.Y. “We need Leader
McConnell to stop sabotaging the
talks and work with this gang of
eight, which is the most hopeful and
the only bipartisan group together.”
Senate Minority Whip John
Thune, R-S.D., however, said the
only way to resolve the negotiations
is for McConnell, Pelosi and the
White House to take charge.
“The bipartisan group provided
a good foundation kind of a place to
start from. And hopefully, the ne-
gotiations are real negotiations on
what can ultimately pass the House,
the Senate, and get signed,” Thune
said. “We need to get under way.”

Trump looks past Supreme Court loss to new election lawsuit

Texas AG’s suit demands that the
62 total Electoral College votes in
Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania,
and Wisconsin be invalidated
BY MARK SHERMAN
AND MARC LEVY
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Associated Press tally.
President Donald Trump
on Wednesday asked the
Supreme Court to let him
join an improbable lawsuit
challenging election re-
sults in Pennsylvania and
other states that he lost,
a day after the justices
rejected a last-gasp bid
to reverse Pennsylvania’s
certification of Democrat
Joe Biden’s victory.
The high court has
asked for responses by
Thursday. Out of the
roughly 50 lawsuits filed
around the country con-
testing the Nov. 3 vote,
Trump has lost more than
35 and the others are
pending, according to an
The suit from the Texas
attorney general, Republi-
can Ken Paxton, demands
that the 62 total Electoral
College votes in Georgia,
Michigan, Pennsylvania,
and Wisconsin be inval-
idated. That’s enough,
if set aside, to swing the
election to Trump. Pax-
ton’s suit repeats a litany
of false, disproven and
unsupported allegations
about mail-in ballots and
voting in the four battle-
grounds.
Repeating many of
those claims, Trump law-
yer John Eastman wrote,
“The fact that nearly half
of the country believes
the election was stolen
should come as no sur-
prise.” Biden won by more
than 7 million votes and
has a 306-232 electoral
vote edge.
“We will be INTER-
VENING in the Texas
(plus many other states)
case,” Trump said hours
before the high court fil-
ing. “This is the big one.
Our Country needs a vic-
tory!”
Legal experts dis-
missed Paxton’s filing
as the latest and perhaps
longest legal shot since
Election Day, and officials
in the four states sharp-
ly criticized Paxton. “I
feel sorry for Texans that
their tax dollars are being
wasted on such a genuine-
ly embarrassing lawsuit,”
Wisconsin’s attorney gen-
eral, Josh Kaul, said.
Seventeen states
Trump won last month
joined Texas in urging the
court to take on the law-
suit less than a week be-
fore presidential electors
gather in state capitals to
formally choose Biden as
the next president.
They are: Alabama, Ar-
kansas, Florida, Indiana,
Kansas, Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi, Missouri, Mon-
tana, Nebraska, North
Dakota, Oklahoma, South
Carolina, South Dako-
ta, Tennessee, Utah and
West Virginia.

Hunter Biden tax

probe examining
Chinese business
dealings
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — The
Justice Department is in-
vestigating the finances of
President-elect Joe Biden’s
son, including scrutiniz-
ing some of his Chinese
business dealings and oth-
er transactions, a person
familiar with the matter
told The Associated Press.
The revelations put
a renewed spotlight on
questions about Hunter
Biden’s financial history,
which dogged his father’s
successful White House
campaign and were a fre-
quent target of President
Donald Trump and his al-
lies. They also come at a
politically delicate time for
the president-elect, who
is weighing his choice to
lead an agency that is ac-
tively investigating his
son.
The tax investigation
was launched in 2018,
the year before the elder
Biden announced his can-
didacy for president. Hunt-
er Biden confirmed the
existence of the investiga-
tion on Wednesday, saying
he learned about it for the
first time the previous day.
“I take this matter very
seriously but I am confi-
dent that a professional
and objective review of
these matters will demon-
strate that I handled my
affairs legally and appro-
priately, including with
the benefit of professional
tax advisors,” he said in a
statement.

cdispatch.com
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020 3A

A THOUSAND WORDS MDOC: Chicken wings,

pot thrown into
prison in footballs
Contraband included 38
cellphones, 20 pounds of
tobacco, 4 pounds of marijuana
and 7 pounds of chicken wings
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LEAKESVILLE — Corrections officials at a

South Mississippi prison say they confiscated doz-
ens of illegal cellphones and pounds of marijuana
and barbecued chicken wings, some of which were
concealed inside footballs and thrown over a prison
fence.
The footballs and other packages cleared South
Mississippi Correctional Institution’s double
18-foot-high fences around 1:30 a.m. Monday and
were detected by the prison’s sensing technology,
officials said in a press release.
The contraband was split into 25 packages,
which included 38 cellphones, cigars, 20 pounds of
Yue Stella Yu/Dispatch Staff tobacco and rolling papers, 4 pounds of marijuana
Kelly Cheatham, right, shops for Christmas gifts with her two daughters, Kate, left, 4, and Annabelle, 3, recently. and 7 pounds of barbecued chicken wings.
The gifts are for her daughters’ teachers and family members, Cheatham said. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Superintendent Andrew Mills said Security
her family will not have big gatherings this year, she said. Chief Michael McLendon spotted the vehicle car-
rying the items. A search is underway by state and
local law enforcement.
The inmates found connected with the smug-
gling attempt will lose eligibility for early release

Mississippi governor defends

and accumulated earned time, officials said.
Deputy Commissioner of Institutions Jeworski
Mallett said trespassing on prison grounds is illegal.
He said the Department of Corrections is cracking

hosting parties amid virus

down on contraband using new technology and are
developing plans to re-open perimeter guard towers
with marksmen armed with high-powered rifles.
Mississippi Department of Corrections Commis-
State reported more than 2,700 new confirmed and a maximum of 250
spectators.
sioner Burl Cain said gang leaders use contraband
“as a way to control other inmates.”
coronavirus cases Wednesday, the most ever in a single day Mississippi report-
ed more than 2,700 new
“We’re choking off their operations they’ve used
for decades to control prisons,” he said. “Now we’re
BY LEAH WILLINGHAM the parties to tours that were invited to a gover- confirmed cases of coro- installing and using the latest security systems,
The Associated Press/Report have been happening nor’s Christmas party navirus Wednesday, the drones overhead, and cameras and scanners every-
for America during the pandemic. No happening Wednesday. most ever in a single day. where.”
more than 10 people are The governor also invit- Before that, the record
JACKSON — Missis-

sippi Gov. Tate Reeves
on Wednesday defend-
ed his decision to hold
Christmas parties at the
Governor’s Mansion, de-
spite repeatedly warning
residents to avoid social
gatherings as coronavi-
rus cases surge.
allowed on each tour of
the historic home, and
masks are required.
“What I think we are
doing by offering the
public the opportunity
to, for instance, tour the
Governor’s Mansion, is
to offer a sense of normal-
cy,” Reeves said during a
Log on.
ed lawmakers to separate was 2,480, reported Dec.
parties next week. 4. Mississippi has also
Reeves has often told exceeded past records
people not to host gather- for the number of patients
ings as the virus spreads. hospitalized with corona-
He issued a new executive virus in recent days.
order Wednesday that re- Reeves said he did not
stricts social gatherings know how many people
statewide to 10 people were invited to the Gov-
indoors and 50 outdoors

The Republican gover-
nor said he invited family,
friends and state officials
to the multiple parties,
but he expects many will
choose not to attend.
The front part of the
Governor’s Mansion is a
museum that is open by
appointment only, and
the Reeves family lives
in a private portion in the
back. Reeves compared
news conference.
Reeves, who became
governor in January, said
he canceled many social
events for the year, includ-
ing a 16th birthday party
for his oldest daughter
and an open house tradi-
tionally held the first Fri-
day of December.
In a story first report-
ed by Mississippi Today,
elected officials said they
www.cdispatch.com
ernor’s Mansion parties,
when social distancing and he did not specify
is not possible and has how many he plans to
issued a mask mandate host.
for all Mississippi schools
and in 61 out of 82 coun-
ties in the state with the
highest number of new
coronavirus cases.
The new executive
order additionally limits
schools’ indoor sporting
events to four spectators
per student participant

BUILDING PERMITS
Lowndes County
Dec. 9, 2020
■ Shelton Properties; 4869
Hwy 12 E; remodel s/f resi-
dence; owner
■ Gary and Wendi Franks; 327
Pritchard Ln; addition to s/f
residence; owner
■ Darrell Bradley; 1691 Kidd
Road; complete shop; owner
■ Thomas Morris; 19 Buck
Egger Road; construct storm
shelter; owner
■ Heather Griffiths; 10153
Hwy 12 E.; addition to s/f resi-
dence; McNees Construction
■ Welch; Windy Ridge Circle;
construct a/f residence; Clardy
Home Development
■ Cuthberston; 840 Timber-
creek Dr.; remodel s/f resi-
dence; Rhett Construction
■ Donald Blackmon; Fire
Tower Road; construct s/f
residence; owner
■ Joyce and Worrell Aitches-
on; Maddie Cove; construct
s/f residence; Andrew Hill
Construction

SOLUNAR TABLE
The solunar period indicates
peak-feeding times for fish and game.
Thurs. Fri.
Major 8:56p 9:48a
Minor 3:48a 4:56a
Major 9:22a 10:14a
Minor 3:46p 4:23p
Courtesy of Mississippi Department
of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks

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Published daily except Saturday. Answers to common questions:
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Periodicals postage paid at Columbus, MS Phone: 662-328-2424
POSTMASTER, Send address changes to:
The Commercial Dispatch, P.O. Box 511, Columbus, MS 39703 Website: cdispatch.com/help
Published by Commercial Dispatch Publishing Company Inc.,
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Report a news tip: news@cdispatch.com
Opinion
4A THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 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

PACCAR established a pattern of industry in the Golden Triangle

A
widely accepted variation of
something novelist Ian Flem-
ing once wrote goes, “Once is
chance, twice is coincidence, three
times is a pattern.”
On Wednesday, PACCAR celebrat-
ed a milestone not just for its Colum-
bus facility but for the entire company.
Ten years ago in Columbus, the truck
manufacturing giant first began pro-
ducing engines to equip its well-estab-
lished line of heavy-duty trucks.
Starting with just 75 employees
with operations beginning a year later
than planned because of the Great
Recession of 2008, Columbus PAC-
CAR has since become one of the key
pillars of Lowndes County’s economic
powerhouse, which now includes a
wide range of manufacturing — every-
thing from wood products to steel to
aerospace, pumping millions of dollars
into the local economy through taxes
and, of course job. With about 550 em-
ployees, PACCAR is one of our largest
industries.
It’s easy enough to consider PAC-
CAR on its merits alone until we
consider what the arrival PACCAR
would ultimately mean to our larger
industrial base.
American Eurocopter (now Airbus)
was the “one” in the equation, opening
in 2003, and could have been seen as
something of an outlier in the largely
undeveloped area of west Lowndes
County. When the late John Correnti
opened steel manufacturer Severstal
(now Steel Dynamics) in 2005, it was
the “twice,” and could have been dis-
missed as a coincidence.
But then, in 2007, PACCAR an-
nounced its plans to build a $400-mil-
lion facility in Lowndes County. That’s
the “three” in the equation, establish-
ing a pattern that could be used to
recruit other industries to what was
suddenly perceived as a booming area
for industry. That’s three major indus-
tries in four years. The boom was on.
Other industries soon followed and
the industrial footprint has expanded
to West Point (Yokohama Tire) and
Oktibbeha County and its new indus-
trial park.
In many respects, the arrival of
PACCAR established the pattern that
would be used to promote the industri-
al growth we see today.
It’s significance is certainly not lost
on those who work in economic devel-
opment in the area.
“The plant is an ‘anchor facility’
that means more to the region than
just an economic driver, said Macau-
lay Whitaker, chief operating officer
for the Golden Triangle Development
LINK.
“I think we’d have a really hard time
thinking of the Golden Triangle with-
out PACCAR in the future,” she said.
“To say that it’s become a part of who
we are would be an understatement.”
Technically, for the last 10 years,
PACCAR has been building engines in
Lowndes County.
Historically, it has helped build far
more than that.
It has become an icon for industrial
development in our region.

LETTERS FROM DETROIT CARTOONIST VIEW

Letter from home

C
oming home for
the holidays and
working from my
old home — the only
one I knew until college
— for the rest of the
year, I’ve been recon-
necting with my home-
town and my memories
of it. The haze of my
early childhood often
takes shape in the form
of a castle. Demonstra- Andrew Colom
tion Elementary school
felt like that to me as a kid. Besides the downtown
YMCA, my twin brother and I spent more time
growing up on 11th street south, opened in 1929,
the first department to integrate on MUW’s cam-
pus, and a place of magic, than any other place
outside our house.
The Magnolia Bowl, now overgrown with
grass, once felt like a great coliseum. My middle
school years, I went to see my older cousin run
through tackles from the stands of that bowl,
smoked my first cigarette to impress an older
girl, saw my brother stalked by a very angry
classmate determined to fight him, and ate the
trifecta of concessions: popcorn, hamburgers, na-
chos. The best concessions were at Propst Park. I
played terrible baseball there, mostly striking out
and waiting for fly balls in the outfield that rarely
came. I dropped the few that soared my way. In
those years, there were no soccer fields near the
MISSISSIPPI VOICES
We’re a republic, not a democracy
Farmer’s Market welcoming visitors into town, so
baseball and soccer were shared at the Propst lo-
cation. I remember spraining my ankle, wearing

a long sleeved neon t-shirt as a very aggressive
goalie.
Teenage Driving: I spent the free time of high
school driving and listening to music. The sense
that you could go anywhere listening to your
music, a national rite of masculine passage, held
power over the Columbus of my youth differently.
There was more restlessness to the driving. We
drove out to empty farm fields late at night and
had long conversations about where we wanted
to go and what we wanted to do. We all placed
excitement outside our home. We were searching
for something we assumed we could never find
here, or maybe we were posturing. Those opin-
ions are so certain for such uncertain years.
Columbus had soul night Sundays at Skate
Zone, the best party in town. Too often, that joy
dissolved into fights in the parking lot. That same
joy, breaking the monotony of a small town life,
by a concert or birthday party at the Columbus
Fairgrounds, seemed to follow the rule that de-
layed pleasure becomes negative quickly. Those
fairground parties often genuflected between
pleasure and trouble, pleasure and trouble.
People living in houses in every neighborhood
in this town raised me. I walked around East
Columbus with crews of guys, drove out to New
Hope to make out with a girlfriend every other
night, hit a home run right after my brother play-
ing baseball on the southside, but lost a couple of
fights in front of Charlie Brown gym. My brother
and I threw one house party, for our senior year
of high school. The whole house and lawn was
filled with students from Heritage and CHS,
laughing and drinking from red cups together.
I remember talking to an older kid from the
neighborhood who had graduated and gone off to
college, walking from his house on the south side
to mine to join the party.
Thoughts of the past are not my forte. Nos-
talgia feels melancholic because of the inherent
sadness of time lost. There’s also innocence to
nostalgia. The tragedies of memory can be dulled
with time and the small moments of happiness
amplified. Maybe I recall my home to understand
the importance of community labor. This atmo-
spheric energy of relations that builds or destroys
us as individuals; however, we as individuals
choose to react to it. I was given a blessed com-
munity.
I walk around town now and see children
growing up, creating memories to reflect on in
their futures while I reflect on their future and
my past.
Andrew Colom is a Columbus native now living
in Detroit, Michigan.
B
arring some a Presidential election: Why? For one thing, Congress-
bombshell, expect state judges, federal men and state legislators are
Joe Biden to be judges, state represen- elected themselves. It would be bad
elected President of the tatives, state senators, politics to infuriate millions of vot-
United States on Mon- governors, secretaries ers. This is true of both Democrats
day, December 14, when of state and Congress- and Republicans.
the Electoral College men. Trump just didn’t have the po-
meets. The United States is litical capital to make this happen
We all know that one of the oldest sur- on run-of-the-mill election fraud
President Trump is viving republics in the evidence.
crying fraud and trying world. There is a reason Most losers in Presidential elec-
to get the powers that be for that. Our Consti- tions understand this and concede,
to overturn the popular Wyatt Emmerich tution is rock solid. saving the country time, effort,
vote. Indeed, a popular Our founding fathers money and angst. But not Trump.
vote can be overturned anticipated Presidential He has every right to sing “My
in many ways, per our Constitution. election disputes. There is an elabo- Way” on his birthday, but that’s
But Trump has failed to muster the rate process to ensure stability and not going to change the rock solid
firepower necessary to make that accountability. stability of our nation’s election
happen. No doubt there is fraud in every process.
Remember that we live in a election just as every man is full of So what are we to make of all the
republic, not a democracy. In a sin. Who hasn’t heard of “get out wild accusations of fraud posted
democracy, the people vote on laws. the vote money”? Indeed, ballot to the Internet? As a journalist for
In a republic, people elect represen- harvesting is legal in 26 states. decades, I am used to wild accusa-
tatives who vote on laws. There’s a (This needs to change.) tions. The main thing journalists do
difference. Over the years, our elections, is vet wild rumors from real news.
We should all be glad we live in a like everything else, have improved In the days of traditional mass
republic, not a democracy. Trying to and advanced. Still, a low level of media, such rumors were vetted
use mass votes to run a country is fraud remains. This fraud surely early by professional journalists
a recipe for disaster. For one thing, increased in this election because and never gained mass media trac-
voting is often ripe with fraud. of the expanded mail in voting due tion. The Internet changed all that.
That’s why our founding fathers to COVID. Any blogger with a smartphone can
set up the Electoral College. It cre- Trump would have us believe post whatever.
ates a check and balance to direct this fraud cost him the election. This is fine if the reader has the
elections. Maybe so. And you can bet if the necessary skills to be a skeptic
To be sure, as confidence in Democrats out “ballot harvested’ editor. Unfortunately, most peo-
mass elections has increased over the Republicans this election, the ple don’t but think they do. Mass
the years, our Electoral College Republicans will be trying to turn distribution of outlandish rumors is
now relies on the popular vote that around in four years. Such is a direct result of the fact our nation
to make their decision. But the the nature of politics. now has half the number of profes-
ultimate call is still made by the There are two reasons Trump sional journalists compared to 20
Electoral College. has failed in overturning the years ago. That’s a tragedy.
The Electoral College itself popular result: First, the evidence In addition, the targeted nature
has checks and balances. State of massive fraud was too weak. of ad tracking promotes “splinter
legislatures ultimately control Second, he didn’t have the support media” instead of “mass media,”
the electors. Current law allows of the powers that be to make it further amplifying the crazy ru-
the electors to vote based on the happen. mors in the echo chambers.
popular election results, but the Judges, governors, Congress- Wyatt Emmerich is the editor and
state legislators have the ability to men and state legislators have the publisher of The Northside Sun, a
rescind that power. power to overturn the popular vote, weekly newspaper in Jackson. He
Many other institutions are in- but they are not willing to go down can be reached by e-mail at wyatt@
volved in certifying and validating that road for Trump. northsidesun.com.
Make Your Voice Heard
Write The Dispatch: voice@cdispatch.com
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 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
all obituaries on the form
provided by The Commercial
Dispatch. Free notices must
be submitted to the newspa-
per no later than 3 p.m. the
day prior for publication Tues-
day through Friday; no later
than 4 p.m. Saturday for the
Sunday edition; and no later
than 7:30 a.m. for the Monday
edition. Incomplete notices
must be received no later
Zion Gate M.B. Church.
Carter’s Funeral
Services of Columbus
is in charge of arrange-
ments.
Mrs. Griffin was
born Dec. 2, 1926, in
Artesia, to the late Ezell
and Lucy Fulton. She
was formerly employed
with Motley Elementa-
ry School and Palmer
Home for Children. She
was a member of Zion
Gate M.B. Church.
In addition to her
parents, she was pre-
ceded in death by her
husband, Echols Griffin
Sr.; children, Echols
Griffin Jr. and Lucy
Griffin; and 11 siblings.
She is survived by
her children, Eunistine
Parsi of Las Vegas, Ne-
vada and Worthy Good-
en of St. Louis, Missou-
AREA OBITUARIES
6-8 p.m. Wednesday, She is survived by Aberdeen is in charge In addition to her
at the funeral home. her husband, Elisha of arrangements. parents, she was pre-
Otts Funeral Home of Jethrow; daughter, Mr. Taylor was born ceded in death by her
Sulligent, Alabama, is Tiffany Hayes; step- May 7, 1943, in Monroe husband, James Robert
in charge of arrange- children, Ronnie D. County, to the late Bar- Taylor; and son, James
ments. Jethrow, Reginald M. ton Ray and Tommie Robert Taylor Jr.
Mr. O’Mary was Cunningham, Sherman Reeves Ray. She was She is survived by
born July 13, 1958, in Jennings, Cassandra formerly employed as her children, Steven
Lamar County, Ala- a homemaker and was Michael Taylor of Aber-
Jethrow-Brown, Marlan
bama, to the late Roy M. Jethrow and Tere- a member of Hamilton deen and Anthony Tay-
O’Mary and Willie Mae sa Hughes; and three Open Door Worship lor of Columbus; and
Barnes. He attended grandchildren. Center. eight grandchildren.
Sulligent Schools and
was previously em-
ployed as a truck driver
Shelby Taylor
ABERDEEN — Shel-
and a mechanic.
by Jean Taylor, 77, died
In addition to his
parents, he was pre- Dec. 8, 2020, at The
ceded in death by his Care Center of Vernon.
wife, Linda Lee Otts Services will be at 1
O’Mary; and siblings, p.m. Friday, at Hamil-
Charles O’Mary, ton Open Door Worship
Michael O’Mary and Center, with Shane
Roger O‘Mary. Ray officiating. Burial
He is survived by will follow in Pleas-
his daughter, Diane ant Grove Cemetery.
O’Mary; and siblings, Visitation will be one

than 7:30 a.m. for the Monday
through Friday editions. Paid
notices must be finalized by 3
p.m. for inclusion the next day
Monday through Thursday; and
on Friday by 3 p.m. for Sunday
and Monday publication. For
more information, call 662-
328-2471.
Joyce Gardner
COLUMBUS —
Joyce Ann Gardner, 69,
died Nov. 30, 2020, at
Baptist Memorial Hos-
pital-Golden Triangle.
Graveside services
will be at 11 a.m. Fri-
day, in Union Cemetery,
with the Rev. Joe L.
Peoples officiating. Vis-
itation is from 2-6 p.m.
today, at Carter’s Fu-
neral Services. Carter’s
Funeral Services of
Columbus is in charge
of arrangements.
Mrs. Gardner was
born Feb. 10, 1951, in
Detroit, Michigan, to
the late Carine Perkins
and John Henry Hub-
bard. She was a mem-
ber of Stephen Chapel
M.B. Church.
In addition to her
parents, she was
preceded in death by
her step-father, Eddie
ri; five grandchildren;
and 12 grandchildren.
Timothy Leech
JACKSON — Tim-
othy Leech, 49, died
Dec. 2,
2020, at his
residence.
Grave-
side
services
will be at
11 a.m.
Leech
Friday, in
Sandfield
Cemetery. 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.
Mr. Leech was born
July 29, 1971, in Colum-
bus, to J.W. Leech and
Lucy M. Leech.
He was preceded in
death by two sisters.
In addition to his
parents, he is survived
by his children, Timea
Leech, Brandon Leech
both of Warren, Ohio,
John Frost of Arling-
ton, Texas and Tiniqua
Williams of Kenton,
Kenneth O’Mary, hour prior to services
Wanda Allen, Barbara at the Worship Center.
Goode and Yvonne Tisdale-Lann Memo-
Shirey. rial Funeral Home of
Pallbearers will
be Justin O’Mary,
Josh O’Mary, Jason
Barnes, Heath Mosley,
Kevin O’Mary, Jim-
my O’Mary, Harold
Cantrell and Mark
O’Mary.
Alesia Hayes-Jethrow
COLUMBUS — Ale-
sia “Lisa” Hayes-Je-
throw, died Dec. 5,
2020.
Memorial services
will be at 2 p.m. Thurs-
day, at Lee-Sykes
Funeral Services.
Lee-Sykes Funeral
Services of Columbus
is in charge of arrange-
ments.
Mrs. Hayes-Jethrow
was born Feb. 14, 1963,
in Columbus, to the late
Sarah Lou Hayes and
Ollie Jennings.
In addition to her
parents, she was pre-
memorialgunterpeel.com
ceded in death by her
son, Erick Hayes; and
one grandchild.
Charlie Upton
Incomplete
2nd Ave. N. Location
Billy Swedenburg
Private Family Services:
Friday, Dec. 11 • 11 AM
Main Street Presbyterian Church
Burial
Mayhew Cemetery
Friday, Dec. 11 • 12 PM
Friends are welcome.
2nd Ave. N. Location
James Ables
James Whit “Slick” Ables,
92, of Mayhew, Mississippi,
died November 30, 2020, at
Vanderbilt University Medical
Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
He was born March 5, 1928,
in Vicksburg, Mississippi,
where he attended public
schools. After graduating from
Carr Central High School, he
joined the Mississippi Army National Guard
in 1947 and began his long association with
the military. He was a sergeant when called to
active duty in January 1951 for the Korean War
during which he served in the 14th Infantry
Regiment. He attained rank of master sergeant
and earned the Army Combat Infantry Badge,
Korean Service Medal with two bronze stars,
and the U.N. Service Medal. After active duty,
he continued with the guard and was battalion
commander with the 114th Artillery unit at
Greenwood then served in the Army Reserve,
retiring with rank of major. He was proud to
have served in the infantry and artillery. He
was reassigned in 1989 as lieutenant colonel
in the Mississippi State Guard. In 1997, having
attained rank of colonel, he was honored by the
State Guard’s second brigade for his many years
of military service. He was a life member of the
VFW and American Legion.
Slick had a lifelong passion for motorcycling
and began his law enforcement career in
Vicksburg as one of the city’s first two motorcycle
policemen (with Paul Barrett) and later as a

Perkins.
She is survived by
her siblings, Eddie Mae
Lee of Columbus and
Transella Hill.
Ada Valentine
COLUMBUS — Ada
Valentine died Dec. 9,
2020, at Baptist Memo-
rial Hospital.
Arrangements are
incomplete and will be
announced by Carter’s
Funeral Services of
Columbus.
E.J. Turner
STEENS — E.J.
Turner, 75, died Dec.
10, 2020, at her resi-
dence.
Arrangements are
incomplete and will be
announced by Lown-
des Funeral Home of
Columbus.
Beulah Griffin
COLUMBUS — Beu-
lah Mae Griffin, 93,
died Nov.
30, 2020, at
her resi-
dence.
A private
graveside
service will
be held Griffin
Friday,
with James
A. Boyd officiating. Vis-
itation will be from 11
a.m - 1 p.m. Friday, at
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine faces
last hurdle before US decision
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Pfiz-
er’s COVID-19 vaccine fac-
es one final hurdle as it rac-
es to become the first shot
greenlighted in the U.S.: a
panel of experts who will
scrutinize the company’s
data for any red flags.
Thursday’s meeting of
the Food and Drug Admin-
istration’s vaccine advisory
panel is likely the last step
Ohio; siblings, Gloria
Fite of Elizabethtown,
Kentucky, Tanyu Leech
Stephenson of Titus-
ville, Florida and Kellen
Leech of Washington,
DC; and seven grand-
children.
Shareka Lanier
CARROLLTON,
Ala. — Shareka Renaye
Lanier, 31, died Dec. 4,
2020, at DCH Regional
Medical Center of Tus-
caloosa.
A home going cel-
ebration will be at 11
a.m. Saturday, in the
James and Lola Laven-
der Memorial Chapel of
Lavender’s Funeral Ser-
vices. Burial will follow
in Mount Olive Baptist
Church Cemetery.
Visitation will be from
2-5 p.m. Friday, at the
funeral home. Laven-
der’s Funeral Service of
Aliceville is in charge
of arrangements.
Tommy O’Mary
BEAVERTON,
Ala. — Tommy “Gary”
O’Mary, 62, died Dec.
6, 2020, at North Mis-
sissippi Medical Center
in Florence, Alabama.
Funeral services
are at 3:30 p.m. today,
at Otts Funeral Home.
Burial will follow in
Mt. Hebron Cemetery.
Visitation was from
before a U.S. decision to
begin shipping millions of
doses of the shot, which
has shown strong protec-
tion against the coronavi-
rus.
The FDA panel func-
tions like a science court
that will pick apart the data
and debate — in public and
live-streamed — whether
the shot is safe and effec-
tive enough to be cleared
for emergency use.
Billy Swedenburg
Billy Max Swedenburg, the youngest son of
Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Pennington Swedenburg,
was born in Millport, AL on May 6, 1941. His
family moved to Columbus four years later. He
attended the public schools in Columbus and
graduated from S.D. Lee High School in 1959. He
enjoyed his school days and developed lifelong
relationships with many of his classmates. Billy
was an active member of Main Street Presbyterian
Church for over 50 years. He believed his
greatest accomplishment was his three precious
daughters of whom he was very proud. He was
gifted in many areas and was an experienced
craftsman. He grew up working at his father’s
sawmill and later became a successful farmer,
a beekeeper, a builder, and owned and operated
Swedenburg Trucking, LLC. After retiring, he
spent most of his time traveling and building
furniture as gifts for his family and friends. He
especially enjoyed entertaining and cooking for
guests in his home and Honey House. Billy was
known to be a fair, honest, humble, and loyal
man. He was also known for his sense of humor
and quick wit.
Mr. Swedenburg passed away on December 8,
2020. He was preceded in death by his parents
and by his older brother, Wallace Swedenburg.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Bess
Yelverton Swedenburg; his daughters, Margaret
Ellen (Joey) Jackson, Julie (Bo) Kennedy and
Janie Mills; seven grandchildren, Brittany
Jackson (Brad) Mallette, Boyd Jackson, Stanley
(Mary Ellen) Kennedy, Penn Kennedy, Whit
(Bailey) Mills, Bess Mills and Maggie Mills.
Memorial Gunter & Peel Funeral Home
& Crematory is in charge of arrangements. A
private family funeral service will be Friday,
December 11, 2020, at 11:00 AM at Main Street
Presbyterian Church with Rev. Todd Matocha
officiating. The interment will immediately
follow at 12:00 PM in Mayhew Cemetery where
friends are welcome.
Pallbearers will be Allan Brewer, Willie
Brown, Billy Ray Cummings, Trip Hairston,
Justin Harris, Ray Kilpatrick, Bo Richardson,
Clay Richardson and Danny Williams.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Rudy Caldwell,
Ben Chilcutt, Leonard Diachirra, Frank
Ferguson, Howard Fisackerly, Nick Hairston,
Clayton Richardson, Buford Sharp, Charles
Walker and Jack’s Coffee Club.
In Lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to
Mayhew Cemetery Fund, PO Box 13, Mayhew,
MS 39753 or Main Street Presbyterian Church,
PO Box 26, Columbus, MS 39703.
Sign the online guest book at
www.memorialgunterpeel.com
716 Second Avenue North • Columbus, MS
detective. He then served the police department
at Rolling Fork before joining the Mississippi
Highway Patrol, stationed at Greenwood. He
was nearly killed in the line of duty in 1959 when
struck at night by a hit-and-run vehicle while
writing a citation for a speeding trucker. He
spent months recovering from a broken pelvis
and the head and internal injuries sustained. He
retired in 1986 after 32 years, having served as a
public relations and safety education officer and
as director, motor vehicle inspection/implied
consent division. He was a member of the board
of the Mississippi Retired Public Employees’
Association.
He was a proud mason and a member of St.
David’s Anglican Catholic Church in Mayhew,
where he was a member of the vestry.
He married the light of his life, Idabelle Fox
Wilkerson, on August 3, 1974, in Starkville. They
shared 46 wonderful years enjoying outdoor
activities, good food, travel across the U.S. and
Europe, concerts, gatherings of veterans’ groups
and other associations, Mississippi State men’s
and women’s athletics, church, friends, family,
and each other. He retired from riding his Harley
when he reached 80. He and Belle were with
family and friends in Nashville for Thanksgiving
when he became suddenly ill.
He is survived by his wife; son, Robert
William Ables; daughter, Betty Ann (Al) Young;
grandchildren, Kris, Keri, Bobby, Blake, Amelia
and Billy; seven great-grandchildren; nephews,
Jack and Tim and niece, Susan; his former wife,
Vera Ann Miles; and his companion, driver and
friend Curtis Jones.
He was preceded in death by a son, James
Whit Ables, Jr.; his parents, Jackson Henderson
Ables, Sr. and Vera Margaret Dove Ables; and a
brother, Jackson Henderson Ables, Jr.
Slick was a unique, gregarious individual who
never met a stranger, knew and was respected
by leaders from all walks of life, and could
remember and relate fascinating and humorous
experiences, from his childhood to the very
end. His signature greeting, both to long-time
intimates and new acquaintances, was “Have you
met me?” He undoubtedly met St. Peter with that
line.
Funeral services will be graveside Saturday,
December 12, 2020, at Memorial Garden Park,
9036 Oktoc Rd., Starkville. Time of the service
will be announced later. The Rev. Michael Traylor
and the Rt. Rev. Presley Hutchens will officiate,
and the Mississippi Highway Patrol Honor Guard
will assist.
Pallbearers will be Frank Wilkerson, Bill
Wilkerson, Bob Ables, Kris Matthews, David
Smith, Curtis Jones, Robert Benoit, and Al Young.
Memorial donations may be made to St.
David’s Anglican Catholic Church, P.O. Box 33,
Mayhew, MS 39753; or Itawamba Crossroads
Ranch, 716 Airport Rd., Fulton, MS 38843.
You can leave the family a condolence at: www.
welchfuneralhomes.com.
Paid Obituary - Welch Funeral Home
6A THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Tess Vrbin/Dispatch Staff

Models of the PACCAR MX-11 and MX-13 truck engines are on display at the Communiversity on East Mississippi
Community College’s Mayhew campus. Proximity to three institutions of higher education was one reason PAC-
CAR chose to open its first North American engine plant in Lowndes County 10 years ago, according to a press
release recognizing the plant for “manufacturing excellence and a strong commitment to its community.”

PACCAR
Continued from Page 1A
higher education was also
a draw.
The plant has about
40 interns per year from
MSU, mostly engineer-
ing students like Johnson,
while accounting interns
come from Mississippi
University for Women
and maintenance interns
come from East Mississip-
pi Community College’s
Mayhew campus.
“It’s worked very well,
and we’ve continued our
investment in those rela-
tionships long past the ini-
tial search (for a location),”
said Tim Olson, the public
relations manager for Pe-
terbilt.
In addition to its contri-
butions to the local work-
force and economy, PAC-
CAR has an established
presence in the Golden
Triangle community, in- ly hard time
vesting in organizations thinking of
like United Way and the the Golden
Columbus Arts Council. Tr ia ngle
The plant is an “anchor without
facility” that means more
PACCAR in
to the region than just
the future,”
an economic driver, said
Macaulay Whitaker, chief she said. Whitaker
operating officer for the “To say that
Golden Triangle Develop- it’s become a part of who
ment LINK. we are would be an under-
“I think we’d have a real- statement.”

Council
Continued from Page 1A
other faiths, according to tian, Jew, non-Christian, I’m not sure Pierre Beard told The Dis-
Zed’s website. whatever, Hinduism, Bud- it’s a good patch he is aware Zed will
In a press release is- dhism.” thing to be giving the invocation
sued Wednesday, he said “This is a free country do,” Ward but declined to comment
he will recite an ancient and all re- 6 Council- further. Ward 1 Council-
Sanskrit prayer from ligions are man Bill woman Ethel Stewart did
Hindu texts containing a c c e p t e d ,” Gavin said. not return messages from
the oldest religious scrip- said Ward “... Usually Gavin The Dispatch by press
tures in the world still in 3 Council- the invoca- time.
use. Following the San- man Charlie tion is related to Southern Conflict disclosure:
skrit prayer, he’ll trans- Box, who traditional values and so Managing Editor Zack
late them into English, said he sup- Plair took part in editing
forth, Christianity, and
all over Zoom, since the ports Zed Box Hinduism is a different this article. He is currently
meeting will be virtual to saying the religion. So I don’t know involved in legal proceed-
help curb the spread of prayer. “We have no right how it’s going to be re- ings with the city of Colum-
COVID-19. to refuse anybody that re-
“Reciting from Bhaga- ceived by the public.” bus.
quests. I’m a Protestant
vad-Gita, he proposes to Ward 2 Councilman Jo-
(Christian), you know,
urge council members seph Mick-
but he would be welcome
and others present to ens said
just like we have Hindus
keep the welfare of others he would
and Muslims … in our
always in mind,” the re- own legislature nation- like to have
lease said. ally. … He’s just like any more in-
Ward 5 City Council- other preacher that would formation
man Stephen Jones said come.” on Zed and
it will be a good oppor- Still, at least one coun- his beliefs
tunity for the people in cil member is worried before of- Mickens
Columbus to be exposed about how the public may fering any
to a faith and a culture view a public meeting opinion on the prayer, but
they may not know much invocation from a belief stressed that it’s up to the
about. system so different from mayor and his administra-
“I think it says a lot the professed faith of the tion, not the city council,
about Co- majority of citizens. who gives the invocation
lumbus and at meetings.
“I don’t think we can
I think it’s Ward 4 Councilman
legally deny him, … but
very inter-
esting, and
it may even
make peo-
ple go out
and learn Jones
a little bit
more about different cul-
tures,” he said. “Whether
they believe in it or not, it
might make people want
to Google it or learn a lit-
tle bit more about it.”
Both Jones and Dil-
lon said there are likely
members of the Colum-
bus community who fol-
low the Hindu faith, and
this prayer just shows the
council represents every-
one.
“They represent ev-
eryone of all colors, all
beliefs, no matter what
our differences are, and I
think this is a great exam-
ple to show that they real-
ly mean it and they follow
through,” Dillon said.
All city officials and
c ou nc i l
members
The Dis-
patch talked
to pointed
out the city
can’t legally
bar a reli-
gious leader Armstrong
from giving
the opening invocation
based just on their faith.
“Anybody’s welcome to
come speak to us. All reli-
gions are welcome,” Arm-
strong said. “We don’t
distinguish Judeo-Chris-

cdispatch.com
Sports
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
SPORTS LINE
662-241-5000
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020
B
SECTION

Former Alabama, NY Giants coach Ray Perkins dies at 79

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.
— Ray Perkins, the for-
mer Alabama receiver
who replaced Bear Bry-
ant as Crimson Tide’s
coach and started the
transition with the New
York Giants that led to
two Super Bowl titles,
died Wednesday in Tus-
caloosa. He was 79.
The school an-
nounced the death
Wednesday, and daugh-
ter Rachael Perkins
posted the news on her
Facebook page. No oth-
er details were immedi-
ately available.
“He served the Uni-
versity of Alabama with
great class and integri- mer Crimson Tide star
ty,” Crimson Tide coach receiver.
Nick Saban said on the Perkins won three
Southeastern Confer- bowl games at Alabama
ence coaches teleconfer- and was 32-15-1, but he
ence. “He also went 5-6 in 1984.
was a great It was the program’s
coach and first losing season since
had a tre- 1957, the year before the
mendous school hired Bryant. He
impact on also served as athletic
the game, director during that pe-
and he was riod.
a really, re- Perkins “I think he probably
ally good handled the circum-
person and stance of the situation
a really good friend.” he was in taking over
Perkins left a head for coach Bryant as well
coaching job with the as anybody in the world
NFL’s Giants to replace could,” Saban said after
Bryant following the practice Wednesday.
1982 season. It was a “And I think it takes
dream job for the for- strong leadership and
great conviction in said. “Just a year ago we
terms of what you be- were celebrating him as
lieve in and what you our SEC Football Leg-
want to do to make a end in Atlanta, an honor
situation like that work he was truly deserving
very favorable. He had of.”
lots of success where While he had only a
ever he was. 23-34 regular-season
“He was always one mark with the Giants,
of the most well respect- he started a turnaround
ed people in our profes- for the organization be-
sion.” fore leaving. In 1981,
An All-America re- Perkins led the team
ceiver at Alabama in to its first postseason
1966, Perkins played berth since 1963. New
professionally for the York upset the defend-
Baltimore Colts from ing NFC champion Ea-
1967-71. gles in the NFC wild-
“We are deeply sad- card game before losing
dened to hear of the in the divisional round
passing of coach Per- to a San Francisco 49ers
kins,” Alabama athletic team that went on to win
director Greg Byrne the Super Bowl.
Perkins had been of-
fensive coordinator with
the San Diego Chargers
before joining the Gi-
ants. He was then-gen-
eral manager George
Young’s first major hire
and the two upgraded
the roster and installed
discipline.
“I remember George
saying, ‘He will make
it very uncomfortable
for our players to lose,”
Giants co-owner John
Mara said Wednesday.
“Ray did a good job for
us and got us into the
playoffs in 1981 for the
first time in many years.
During the 1982 season,
which was shortened
See PERKINS, 3B

Reeves limits MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL

indoor event
capacity
DISPATCH STAFF
How MSU’s fifth-year seniors represent a
Because of rising
numbers of COVID-19
cases in the state,
Mississippi Gov. Tate
shift from the Bulldogs’ past to present
Reeves announced on
Wednesday a limit on
attendance at indoor
K-12 extracurricular
events, including sport-
ing events.
Attendance will now
be limited to the lesser
of 250 ticketed spec-
tators or four ticketed
attendees per student
participant. The previ-
ous cap was 25 percent
capacity.
“All of these mea-
sures are important,
and I hope that the peo-
ple of Mississippi will
make an honest effort
to participate in slowing
the spread of the virus,”
Reeves said in a press
release Wednesday.

‘Dangerous’
Starkville
Academy
boys soccer
team backs
up top-10 Mississippi State athletics
Mississippi State linebacker Erroll Thompson (left) will be one of 10 members of the 2016 recruiting class to be honored on senior day
ranking Saturday against Auburn at Davis Wade Stadium.

BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
STARK VILLE —
The Starkville Acade-
my boys soccer team
missed out on the play-
offs last season.
But the Volunteers
closed the year by beat-
ing the two teams in
their division that did
qualify for the MAIS
Division II postseason
— Lamar School and
Heritage Academy — in
their final two matches.
“We ended on a really
strong note,” Starkville
Academy coach John
Morgan said.
So far, this year’s ver-
sion of the Vols is pick-
ing up right where last
season’s team left off.
Starkville Academy
is 4-0 and No. 10 among
Mississippi schools, per
MaxPreps.com. That’s
not just MAIS schools,
either — seven of the
nine teams ahead of the
Vols are members of
MHSA A Class 6A, the
largest public school di-
vision in the state.
Morgan’s team sits
directly behind No. 8
See VOLS, 3B
BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com
STARK VILLE — College
football is in a state of flux.
In 2020 alone, 24 schools
hired new head coaches at
the FBS level. This doesn’t
include the swaths of assis-
tants, graduate assistants and
other varying positions that
shift with any regime change.
At Mississippi State, just 10
members of the 2016 recruit-
ing class — Dan Mullen’s final
full group in Starkville — re-
main. Of those, players like
Erroll Thompson and Kobe
Jones have been elevated to
captains. Defensive end Mar-
quiss Spencer and receiver
Osirus Mitchell have become
integral parts on defense and
offense, respectively.
Saturday, those left from
the 2016 class will take the
field against Auburn for one of
two final games in the maroon
and white before leaving with
the memories and remnants
of the Mullen and Joe Moor-
head eras coupled with the
recent developments of Mike
Leach’s tenure.
“We make a lot of jokes
about (being the older guys)
day to day — just how old
it feels and how when we
were younger guys we never
thought this day would come,”
Jones said through an ear-to-
ear grin. “And now it’s here.”
For Jones, the 2020 cam-
paign has served as a com-
ing-out party of sorts. A four-
star recruit, the Starkville
native arrived at MSU with
high hopes. But slated behind
Jeffery Simmons, Montez
Sweat and even Spencer on
the depth chart, he was used
in a more rotational role until
this fall.
Voted a captain by his
teammates ahead of this sea-
son, Jones has proven a vocal
leader in and around the lock-
er room. In August, he was
among the organizers of the
team’s walk out of practice
and gathering at Unity Park
just off Main Street in pro-
test of racial injustice in the
United States. Standing at the
center of Bulldogs in a huddle
at the park, he raised his fist
and bellowed, ““Black, brown,
blue, whatever, it doesn’t mat-
ter. We love you all.”
But having committed to
Mullen — who left after the
2017 season for the Florida
job — and then subsequently
playing for Moorhead — who
was fired in January after just
two years at the helm and de-
spite a 14-12 record — he and
his fellow 2016 classmates
have endured as much head
coaching turnover as any
group in the country.
“The first couple of chang-
es, it was more of a shock,”
Jones said in reference to Mul-
len’s leaving and Moorhead’s
firing. “But as it goes on, we
just kind of get used to certain
things and certain schemes,
so we don’t really see too
many surprises nowadays.”
Then there’s Thompson.
Leach and defensive coordina-
tor Zach Arnett have quipped
there may not be anyone in
the Southeastern Conference
who’s seen as many snaps as
the linebacker, a two-year cap-
tain.
Upon his arrival at MSU,
Moorhead noted Thompson
was among those players
whose leadership qualities
shone through despite play-
ing on a defense that boasted
three future first-round picks
in Simmons, Sweat and Johna-
than Abram. Ahead of the cap-
tains vote in 2019, Moorhead
said he stressed to players
it shouldn’t be a popularity
contest, or who one enjoyed
playing video games with in
their free time. He assumed
Thompson would be toward
the top of the list, but he wait-
ed anxiously at the result. The
team followed suit.
“It’s the kind of guy who by
his actions and by his words,
on and off the field, are going
to be the type to represent
this team and this university,”
Moorhead told The Dispatch
of what he hoped for in a cap-
tain. “That was Erroll Thomp-
son from Day 1.”
Of the 10 remaining players
from the 2016 class, six have
proved vital in Mike Leach’s
first season in Starkville.
Thompson currently leads the
team with 73 tackles on the
year, while Spencer and Jones
rank No. 1 and tied for No. 2
of defensive linemen in tack-
les for a loss. Mitchell, the last
addition to MSU’s 2016 class,
ranks second on the team in
receiving yards and is tied for
second with three touchdown
receptions this fall.
On the offensive line, Da-
reuan Parker and Greg Eiland
have served as stalwarts for a
unit that has been a revolving
door throughout this season
due to injury, COVID-19 pos-
itive tests and contact tracing.
Parker’s Pro Football Focus
pass blocking grade also cur-
rently sits tied for seventh of
SEC offensive linemen who’ve
played at least 50 percent of
their team’s snaps this year,
while Eiland has played the
See MSU, 3B
2B THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Surging NFC East might offer

solid playoff threat after all
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The NFC East suddenly doesn’t
look so bad, with the New York Gi-
ants and Washington tied for the di-
vision lead coming off road victories
against teams that qualify for the
conversation about the Super Bowl.
The Giants, who beat Seattle on
Sunday, control their fate because
they swept Washington, and they
could become the first team to
make the playoffs after starting 1-7.
Washington is also 5-7 after hand-
ing Pittsburgh its first loss Monday
night.
Those were the first two victo-
ries over opponents with winning
records this season for the only di-
vision in the NFL without a winning
team. But the NFC East winner will
get a home game in the first round of
the playoffs, expanded by one team
in each conference. The altered for-
mat also means just one first-round
bye, currently held by New Orleans
(10-2), the only NFC team to clinch
a postseason berth so far.
“I had a lot of questions obviously
early in the year about things like
confidence on the team and where
were we going, and really our mind-
set here is just go back to work every
week, and that’s what we’re going to
do this week as well,” first-year Gi-
ants coach Joe Judge said.
A division-by-division look at the
NFC playoff race going into the fi-
nal quarter of the season:
NFC East
Hopes are fading for Dallas and
Philadelphia after entering the sea-
son as the teams that figured to bat-
tle for the NFC East title. They have
one win between them since the
Eagles beat the Cowboys on Nov. 1.
Philadelphia (3-8-1) doesn’t have
it easy trying to end a four-game
losing streak and is making a bold
move in that effort by benching
quarterback Carson Wentz in favor
of rookie Jalen Hurts.
The Eagles play the Saints at
home Sunday, then visit Arizona
to finish what could be a five-game
stretch against teams with winning
records if the Cardinals beat the Gi-
ants on Sunday.
New York’s four-game winning
streak is its longest since 2016,
the last time the Giants made the
playoffs. With quarterback Daniel
Jones expected to rest his injured
hamstring another week, Colt Mc-
Coy should get the nod again after
beating Seattle for just his second
win in his eighth start since 2014.
Washington is on its third quar-
terback in former starter Alex
Smith, playing for the first time in
two years after a career-threatening
leg injury. Smith has Washington
on a three-game winning streak,
capped by a drive to a tiebreaking
field goal late against the Steelers.
Dallas (3-9) was all but removed
from the conversation with its sixth
loss in seven games, 34-17 at Balti-
more on Tuesday night. The Cow-
boys have the worst record in the
NFC, and the most realistic path to
the playoffs would be tying the Gi-
ants at the top with a season sweep
of New York, their opponent in the
finale.
NFC North
Green Bay (9-3) has a three-
game lead over Minnesota with
four to go and is currently the No. 2
seed in the NFC. Three of the Pack-
ers’ upcoming opponents currently
have losing records.
The Vikings (6-6) hold the last of
the seven playoff spots in the NFC
right now with a big opportunity to
put a tighter grip on that spot if they
can beat Tom Brady at Tampa Bay
on Sunday.
New Orleans is also on the sched-
ule, so Minnesota could be looking
at must wins against division rivals
Chicago and Detroit, the two NFC
North teams with losing records at
the moment.
The Bears (5-7) have lost six in
a row since a 5-1 start, putting Matt
Nagy on the coaching hot seat after
the Lions (5-7) already fired Matt
Patricia.
NFC South
What looked like a duel between
the Brady-led Buccaneers and Drew
Brees’ Saints for the division title —
and possibly that lone first-round
bye — has faded with three losses
in four games by Tampa Bay (7-5).
Meanwhile, the division lead
for the Saints (10-2) has grown to
three games because they’re doing
the same thing they did last year:
win without Brees.
Teddy Bridgewater went 5-0 a
year ago, and Taysom Hill has won
his first three starts since Brees
left a 27-13 victory over San Fran-
cisco on Nov. 15 with broken ribs
and a collapsed lung. New Orleans
has won nine straight games since
a 1-2 start.
Atlanta (4-8) has been better
since getting buried by a 0-5 start
that included the firing of coach
Dan Quinn. Carolina (4-8) has
been without star running back
Christian McCaffrey for nine
games because of ankle and shoul-
der injuries in coach Matt Rhule’s
first season.
NFC West
It’s still the NFC’s best division,
but the struggles of the Seahawks
and Cardinals have changed things
some.
The Los Angeles Rams have won
three out of four to get even atop the
NFC West with Seattle, which is 3-4
since the first 5-0 start in franchise
history.
The Rams have the tiebreaker at
the moment by virtue of their 23-16
victory over the Seahawks, so their
rematch in the second-to-last week
of the season looms large. If Seat-
tle wins on Dec. 27, the subsequent
tiebreakers of division records and
records with other common oppo-
nents are a tossup right now.
With three consecutive losses
and four in the past five games, Ky-
ler Murray and the Cardinals (6-6)
suddenly find themselves as the
first team out of the playoff picture,
losing at the moment to the Vikings
on the common opponent tiebreak-
er.
San Francisco, the defending
NFC champion, hasn’t been able to
dig out of last place in the difficult
division the past two months. An up-
lifting win over the Rams two weeks
ago was followed by a decisive loss
to Buffalo on Monday night. The
game was moved to Arizona be-
cause of coronavirus restrictions in
the 49ers’ home county.

Jenkins returns ‘home’

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS —
Saints safety Malcolm
Jenkins doesn’t hide what
an emotional and nostal-
gic week this is for him.
Now trying to win his
third career Super Bowl
and second with surging
New Orleans, Jenkins
is preparing to return
on Sunday to Philadel-
phia, where he also won
a championship with the
Eagles and spent the pre-
vious six seasons.
“I gave everything I
had to that city, the team,
did everything the coach-
es asked me to do, did
everything to make the
players around me better,
try to put my best football
out there and it just wasn’t
valued that much by those
who make the decisions,”
Jenkins said Wednesday
when asked about leaving
the Eagles.
“So, for me, it was just
more of a principle about
respect. I really didn’t
care what the money
was, but I wanted to see
what that respect factor
was and it wasn’t valued
at what I thought, and so
decisions are made and I
end up at a place that val-
ues what I bring that has
really had a history with
me and obviously has
worked out.”
Emphasis on “obvious-
ly.”
Jenkins was brought in
as much for his leadership
as his ability to play, con-
sidering the mileage with
which he returned to New
Orleans in his 12th NFL
season.
Coach Sean Payton
continues to rave about
Jenkins’ intangibles,
while New Orleans’ de-
fense is ranked atop the
NFL. And Jenkins has
been no small contributor
statistically. He is second
on the club in tackles with
62 (solo or assisted), has
two interceptions, two
sacks and four tackles for
loss.
The Saints gave Jen-
kins a four-year contract
worth about $32 million,
with a little more than half
guaranteed. The Saints
saw little risk in that deal,
considering their expe-
rience with Jenkins. He
was their first-round draft
choice in 2009 and spent
his first five seasons in
New Orleans before the
Saints lost him in free
agency.
“Look, I trust the play-
er. I know the player. I’ve
got a clear vision for him
and had always regret-
ted letting him out of the
building. That was a mis-
take,” Payton said. “And
so, when the time came, I
think I just sent him a di-
rect message and I think
his response was, ‘Great.’
“There’s a football el-
ement. There’s an intel-
ligence element. Every
ounce of him, I like,” Pay-
ton continued. “And I say
that not because he was
part of our Super Bowl
team, but man, he is good
in the locker room, he is
someone I think that’s
got great experience now.
But he was a smart play-
er when he arrived and
played very well as a nick-
el in Year 1.”
Now, it’s certain mem-
bers of the Eagles who
express regret, particu-
larly the coaches who’ve
missed his presence
during a difficult season
— one in which a few more
victories could have made
a considerable difference
in an NFC East Division
that has seen every team
struggle.
“Malcolm meant a lot.
He brought a ton — a ton
— of leadership,” Eagles
coach Doug Pederson
said. “Obviously, his play
speaks for itself on the
football field. (He) helped
us win a championship
here. But, his leadership,
both on and off the foot-
ball field, I haven’t really
seen that from a player in
a long time.
“He cares about the
community that he’s liv-
ing in or where he’s from
and he always represents
that well,” Pederson add-
ed.
Jenkins continues to
speak highly of Philadel-
phia. He grew up not far
away in New Jersey and
now lives in the Philadel-
phia area in the offseason.
Early last June he was the
keynote speaker for the
Philadelphia school dis-
trict’s high school grad-
uation, which was held
virtually because of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
“I love that city,” Jen-
kins said. “Given myself,
everything I’ve got into
that community, invested
a lot into that community.
And it’s given the same
love back to me. So, that
city holds a special place
in my heart.
“Philly was me. It was
synonymous at one point
in time,” Jenkins added.
“So, it’s going to be very
nostalgic. I’ve definitely
been looking forward to
this game kind of all year.”
Now Jenkins returns
with a club that has se-
cured a fourth straight
playoff berth after win-
ning nine straight games
and comes in with the
best record in the NFC.
He recognized the Saints’
potential to win again this
season, but also had other
reasons for going back to
the Big Easy.
“There really wasn’t
many places I wanted
to go at this point in my
career,” Jenkins said. “I
wanted to play for a team
that I could contend with,
that has a good locker
room and good culture.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020 3B

Big Ten audible: Ohio State will play for title vs Wildcats
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The
Big Ten Conference dropped
its six-game minimum re-
quirement for the league
championship game Wednes-
day, clearing the way for No.
3 Ohio State to take on No.
15 Northwestern in another
chance for the Buckeyes to
burnish their playoff creden-
tials.
The Buckeyes (5-0) will try
for their fifth straight confer-
ence title when they face the
Wildcats (5-1) on Dec. 19 in
Indianapolis. Ohio State fin-
ished the regular season with
only five games after Michi-
gan had to pull out of Satur-
day’s showdown because of
COVID-19 issues.
The rule change had to be
approved by the Big Ten Con-
ference Administrators Coun-
cil, which includes athletic
directors, senior women’s ad-
ministrators and presidents
from all 14 schools.
“The decision was based on
a competitive analysis which
determined that Ohio State
would have advanced to the
Big Ten football championship
game based on its undefeated
record and head-to-head victo-
ry over Indiana, regardless of a
win or loss against Michigan,”
the Big Ten said in a statement.
The conference determined
before the season that teams
would have to play six of their
eight scheduled games to qual-
ify for the championship game.
Ohio State — No. 4 in the Col-
lege Football Playoff rankings
and the conference’s only un-
defeated team — has missed
three games because of issues
with the pandemic.
The latest was the annual
grudge match against Michi-
gan, which canceled its trip to
Columbus because of rising
COVID-19 cases and players
in quarantine. Falling a game
short of the threshold set by
the league, the Buckeyes would
have been outside looking in.
Ohio State Coach Ryan Day
said he was “appreciative” that
other conference schools voted
for the revision.
“A lot of changes have hap-
pened since that (six-game) rec-
ommendation was put in place,”
Day said in a statement. “I know
making this decision was not
easy, and I am thankful for the
opportunity our players will
now have to play in Indianapolis
as an undefeated East Division
champion.”
Though Ohio State is al-
ready in the top four of the CFP
rankings, a win against North-
western could be important in
seeding. The CFP selection
committee said it ranks teams
based on on-field performace,
“using conference champion-
ships won, strength of sched-
ule, head-to-head results and
comparison of results against
common opponents to decide
among teams that are compa-
rable.”
The ACC made a similar de-
cision recently, guaranteeing
a league title game between
Clemson and Notre Dame with
both teams also hoping for a
CFP berth along with a confer-
ence champinoship.
The Big Ten change was
made at the expense of sur-
prising Indiana (6-1), which
would have gone to the title
game if the six-game rule had
remained intact. The No. 9
Hoosiers, who lost 42-35 at
Ohio State this season, had
Saturday’s game against rival
Purdue called off because of
COVID-19 issues.

Perkins
Continued from Page 1B

due to a players strike, he announced
he was leaving at the end of the year
to go to Alabama, which he described
as his dream job.”
Bill Parcells replaced Perkins and
inherited a team that had Lawrence
Taylor, Phil Simms and Harry Carson.
It went on to win Super Bowls after
the 1986 and ‘90 seasons.
“I always wondered whether he lat-
er regretted that decision,” Mara said
about Perkins’ return to Alabama.
“But he certainly left our team in
much better shape than he found it in,
including having Bill Parcells and Bill
Belichick on his staff.”
Parcells, the defensive coordinator
Perkins had hired, led the Giants to
five postseason berths, two NFC East
titles and two Super Bowl victories in
his eight seasons as coach.
“I loved Ray and he was a very
close friend of mine,” Parcells said
Wednesday. “I was very saddened by
the news. He’s the only reason I was in
pro football; he’s the one who brought
me into the league. He was my friend.
I worked for him at the Giants and
then he worked for me at the Patriots.
He was a great guy.”
Perkins also was the head coach
of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from
1987-90. He later spent one season
leading the Arkansas State program
before working as an assistant for sev-
eral NFL teams.

Vols
Continued from Page 1B

Tupelo and No. 9 D’Iber- and it’s coming together
ville, and the only other fast. Cox and the Vols’
private school to make defense have combined
the top 10 was fifth- for clean sheets in three
ranked Hartfield Acade- of the team’s four match-
my. The Vols even crack es; Pierce had three
the top 100 schools na- goals in a 5-0 win over
tionally at No. 74. Byhalia on Monday;
“To me, I think we’re Lepard had two in Tues-
pretty deserving of day’s 4-0 shutout of East
it,” Morgan said of his Rankin Academy.
team’s ranking. “We’ve “It’s what we expect-
looked really, really ed,” said Pierce, a se-
strong. We’ve got a pret- nior. “We have a good
ty complete team.” group of guys, we’re
The second-year close together, and we
know how to play.”
coach said the Vols
are “pretty danger- Pierce’s knowledge
isn’t limited to soccer,
ous everywhere” and
either. The kicker for
called them one of the
Starkville Academy’s
strongest teams he has
football team, he went
coached. Morgan previ-
ously spent three years 3 for 3 on extra points
in Texas, leading Bob in Saturday’s MAIS all-
Hope School in Port Ar- star game — a harder
thur for one year and task than his hat trick
Brenham High School Monday because of tim-
for two. ing and the full pads he
had to don.
But Starkville Acad-
For Pierce — used
emy looks good enough
to leave those Lone Star to shuttling between
soccer (he played for
State teams behind in
the Texas dust. Solid the Oxford Rush club
team, part of Mississip-
all around the field, the
pi Flood FC) and middle
Vols don’t have a dis-
and high school football
cernible weakness, and
— playing both sports is
that’s a rarity.
nothing new.
“It’s really hard to
“I’ve been doing it all
find a team that doesn’t
my life,” he said.
lack something some-
Now, he’s doubled his
where on the field — is
scoring output from this
not missing something
time last year, accord-
somewhere on the
ing to Morgan. Defens-
field,” Morgan said. es have to make tough
“But it seems like our choices with Pierce up
guys really have every- top, the coach said.
thing together.” “Either you’re going
to give him space short,
Pick your poison or you’re going to give
From Charlie Cox him space behind you,”
in goal to Isaac Lepard Morgan said. “You’ve
and Andrew Pollan in got to pick which one.”
the midfield to Wilkes The coach said
Stubbs and Brody Pierce Pierce is being used as
up top, Starkville Acade- more of a “builder” than
my has plenty of talent, a pure scorer this sea-
son, result being that with the big club. Morgan’s mental calen- So far, the Vols have
teams who surround the “I’m hoping to win it dar. done just that: They’ve
senior with defensemen all,” he said. “We’ve got some passed their prelimi-
run the risk of a pass to So is Pierce, who said tough tests that are com- nary exams, including a
a willing Volunteer. Wednesday he’s hoping ing up, and I’m really 4-2 battle over Bayou on
“If you want to get to be asked his “ring looking forward to it,” he Nov. 20 in Cleveland. Pil-
real crowded around size” for a championship said. low is next up, so that’s
him and make sure he band. But he and Mor- Morgan said he thinks Starkville Academy’s
can’t do anything, I’ve gan both said the Vols when division play be- singular focus at the mo-
got other guys,” Morgan can’t afford to get a “big gins Jan. 4 against Heri- ment; but when the post-
said. head” too early with so tage Academy, Starkville season nears, the Vols
Lepard, Stubbs and much in front of them, Academy will be able to will be ready to prove
several Starkville Acad- including back-to-back compete with the Patri- themselves.
emy players have been games against Pillow ots, Lamar and anyone “We’ve competed
those guys for the Vols Academy and Nettleton else on the schedule. pretty well against the
this year. A couple de-
on Monday and Tuesday. “I think we have or opponents we have, so
fenders have found the The contest with the two more athletes than I’m confident that we
net, as have young play-
Mustangs and a match- most of the teams that have what it takes to get
ers: Seventh-grader Na-
up with St. Aloysius af- we go up against,” he where we want to be as
than Miller had a goal
ter winter break are long said. “It’s just a matter a team and get into the
against Bayou Academy.
since circled in red on of, ‘Do we execute?’” playoffs,” Morgan said.
“You want to have
multiple weapons,”
Morgan said. “We’ve
got guys who will score
on you wherever, so it’s
nice to have that.”
Championship hopes
Though the Vols have
three seniors — Pierce,
Stubbs and Jacob Crit-
tenden — and a sizable
nine-man junior class,
younger players like
Miller have played a role,
too. Freshman Micah
King, starting at central
defensive midfielder, is a
prime example.
“It means a lot,” said
King, playing his first
year of varsity soccer.
“Everyone’s way older
than me — two years
older than me. It’s wild.”
Still, King has man-
aged to learn from Lep-
ard, Pollan and other
players as well as Mor-
gan and does a little bit
of everything — passing,
shooting and defend-
ing — for the Vols. And
already, he’s got lofty
goals for his first season

MSU
Continued from Page 1B

fourth most snaps of anyone on MSU’s grabs, there’s a chance Thompson

offensive line this season despite be-
ing injured for a brief period early this
season.
A one-time Alabama lean, it was a
tight finish for Thompson’s services
during the 2016 recruiting cycle for
Mullen’s staff. Last season, the Flor-
ence, Alabama, native explained how
he chose MSU given his hope of carv-
ing his own path away from the watch-
ful — and at times overbearing — eyes
of his home state.
With two games remaining and a
potential slot in a bowl game up for
finishes in the top 10 in career tackles
at MSU, where he’d become the first
player since 2002 to join that list. But
perhaps more pressing is the legacy
that he and his fellow classmates have
left in the slew of two head coaching
changes, three staffs and the 31 wins
and counting MSU has accrued in
their time in Starkville.
“Mississippi State means every-
thing,” Thompson said Tuesday.
“Changed my life as a young man and
as a football player. It’s meant, really,
everything.”

New Hope, Columbus volleyball name
10 to all-division teams
The New Hope and Columbus high
school volleyball teams had a com-
bined 10 players named to the MHSA A
Class 5A, Region 1 all-division teams.
The Trojans, who made the Class
5A semifinals, had six players select-
ed; the Falcons had four.
New Hope’s Micaela Hudgins, Day-
lyn Nettles, Kensley Woolbright and
Annie Woolbright earned first-team
billing, while Madyson McBrayer and
Zoe Goodman made the second team.
Columbus’ Makayla Rieves and
Ayanna Hargrove made the Region
1-5A first team, and Laila Sparks
and Measia Holmes made the second
team.
SOURCE: Dispatch Staff
4B THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Smith, Pitts, Moore head SEC receiving talent still playing

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Southeastern
Conference, once known
more for churning out
1,000-yard rushers, has
become a hotbed for elite
receivers and tight ends
flourishing in more wide-
open passing games.
DeVonta Smith is
piling up yards, touch-
downs and highlight-reel
catches at Alabama. Dit-
to for Florida’s Kyle Pitts
and Mississippi’s Elijah
Moore.
And that’s even minus
the huge amount of tal-
ent lost to opt-outs and
injuries, from Alabama’s
Jaylen Waddle to LSU’s
JaMarr Chase and Ter-
race Marshall Jr.
No matter. Smith & Co.
have picked up the slack.
The Alabama senior has
even joined his quarter-
back, Mac Jones, and
Florida QB Kyle Trask in
the Heisman Trophy con-
versation.
“If you watch the
games, I’d assume you
could see that DeVonta is
one of the best players in
the country,” Jones said.
Pitts, the Gators’ mis-
match-in-waiting tight
end, and Mississippi re-
ceiver Moore have been
awfully good too.
The SEC boasts sev-
eral of the nation’s top
targets, even if the pool
of elite pass catchers has
thinned considerably.
Chase, who won the
Biletnikoff Award after a
record-setting 2019 sea-
son, opted out before the
season. Marshall followed
suit last week.
Waddle was lost for the
season with an ankle inju-
ry on the opening kickoff
against Tennessee. A dan-
gerous punt returner, he
was good enough to even
overshadow Smith.
No receiver is over-
shadowing Smith now,
especially after a monster
four-game stretch when
he has 35 catches for 749
yards and 11 touchdowns.
He had 219 yards and
three touchdowns by half-
time against LSU.
But as top-heavy as
the league’s group of re-
ceivers is, the collection
of talent that could be
catching balls this sea-
son shows how many top-
flight targets have signed
with SEC teams in recent
seasons.
Three SEC receivers
— Alabama’s Henry Rug-
gs III and Jerry Jeudy and
LSU’s Justin Jefferson —
were among the top 22
players in the latest NFL
draft after leaving early.
No. 5 Texas A&M has
somehow remained in
playoff contention despite
losing or moving its top
six receivers. Quartney
Davis and Kendrick Rog-
ers left early for the NFL
draft after last season.
Last year’s top receiver
Jhamon Ausbon opted out
and two others had sea-
son-ending injuries while
Ainias Smith moved to
tailback.
The talent that re-
mains in the SEC has been
impressive:
— Smith is threaten-
ing to outshine a number
of Alabama receivers who
went on to become first-
round picks. He has 80
catches for 1,305 yards
and 15 touchdowns, in-
cluding a highlight reel,
leaping one-handed
touchdown grab against
LSU when the ball ap-
peared likely to sail out
of bounds.
“From a great catch
standpoint, there’s a
highlight reel that goes
on forever with Smitty,”
Jones said.
Smith returned for his
senior year and even in a
shortened season is one
receiving touchdown shy
of Amari Cooper’s sin-
gle-season school mark
set in 2014. He is making
a case for Heisman con-
sideration.
“Ultimately, I’m here
to win a championship,”
Smith, who already owns
the SEC career mark for
receiving touchdowns,
said after the LSU game.
“If I’m in the Heisman race
I’m in it. I’m not too much
really focused on it, but I’m
ultimately here just to win
a championship. That’s the
reason I came back.”
—The 6-foot-6,
246-pound Pitts has been
so productive that the Ga-
tors’ tight end is a semi-
finalist for the Biletnikoff
Award given to the nation’s
top wide receiver.
“I would say the Bilet-
nikoff really surprised me
because I always knew it as
a wide receiver award and
when I did see that I was
a semi-finalist, I was like,
‘oh, ok. Kind of interest-
ing,’” Pitts said.

Comics & Puzzles

DILBERT
Dear Abby
D
EAR ABBY:
My fiancee,
“Diane,”
and her two sons
live in a nice
home. I also have
a nice home, new-
ly constructed.
It’s located 1,200
miles away, near
my parents, my
son and my job.
ZITS Diane currently
has no job nor
family within
500 miles of her
town. Her boys’
father (whom she
shares custody
with) lives within 50 miles of
me. My job and the custo-
dy arrangement for my son
preclude me from living where
Diane does.
Together, she and I would
have three sons. The spacious
GARFIELD five-bedroom house I own is
more than adequate. Diane
has made clear that if I sell my
home and buy my neighbor’s,
which is a larger seven-bed-
room manor, she will be on the
next flight. If not, she won’t
leave. We could buy the manor
with cash if I sell my home
and she sold hers and put her
savings into the purchase, but
she doesn’t want to use her
savings.
Diane is my everything, but
it feels like I may
just be chasing
a dream. I worry
that if I’m not
enough, will I be
enough when I
own a manor?
— IT’S COMPLI-
CATED
DEAR IT’S
COMPLICATED:
I’m proud of you.
You are seeing
things clearly,
which is unusual
when emotions
are involved. It
Dear Abby appears your
dream girl, the
fair Diane, is
attempting to blackmail you. If
she can’t be the “lady of the
manor,” she’s not interested
in uprooting her life. If you
give in to her now, do not do it
without an ironclad prenuptial
agreement. Please stay strong,
because if you don’t, you may
regret it for a long time.
DEAR ABBY: My sisters and
I are beside ourselves trying
to deal with our 90-year-old
mother. She doesn’t live in the
same state as any relatives.
She needs help paying bills,
managing money, personal
hygiene, taking medication
and understanding things she
reads. She refuses to give any-
one power of attorney over her
finances or to create a health
care directive. She claims she’s
not going to die.
At the very least, she likely
has some form of dementia.
We want nothing more than to
protect her interests, but our
hands are tied. We have all
spoken to her about the situ-
ation, but she insists that no
one is going to tell her what to
do. Any advice would be greatly
appreciated. — JUST TRYING
TO HELP HER
DEAR JUST TRYING: Believe
me, you have my sympathy.
Instead of telling your mother
what to do, perhaps it’s time to
reframe the conversation.
Ask her what she would
like done in the event of an
emergency. Does she want “ex-
traordinary measures” taken,
such as CPR, and exactly what
that means — a defibrillator,
dialysis, treatment in an inten-
sive care unit. Explain what all
of them entail in detail. You
should also ask, in a separate
conversation, if she wants “the
state” to take a chunk of her
assets and decide FOR her to
whom they should be distribut-
ed, or whether she would prefer
to make her wishes clear while
she’s still able. Point out that
NO ONE lives forever.
If your mother is really as
demented as you fear she is,
you may need the help of a so-
cial worker to ensure that she’s
getting proper care. Failure to
do that could be considered
elder abuse.

CANDORVILLE Horoscopes
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Dec.
10). The resources you felt
were inaccessible to you before
will become available in 2021.
Clubs and alliances will figure
into the action. It will feel mean-
ingful to be a part of something
bigger. You’ll pass the tests
of gatekeepers. Invigorating
challenges await on the inside.
Your work opens doors. Scorpio
and Capricorn adore you. Your
lucky numbers are: 49, 3, 31,
BABY BLUES 26 and 9.
ARIES (March 21-April 19).
If you were a comedian today,
then you’d be the kind that
chides the audience with, “Is
that all you got?” Actually, it’s
quite effective. People some-
times need to be startled and
led to appropriate reactions.
BEETLE BAILEY
MALLARD FILLMORE
FAMILY CIRCUS
TAURUS (April 20-May 20).
People need people. Therefore,
peer pressure is a very real and
powerful natural force that, un-
fortunately, people never really
grow out of. The theme comes
up, and, depending on the
situation, it may just be easier
to succumb.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21).
Lessons can be read, and that’s
an introduction. But for the
education to really take place,
a lesson must be lived. People
are changed not by information
but by doing.
CANCER (June 22-July 22).
When you look back at paths
not taken, you only see how
they worked out for other peo-
ple. There’s no way of knowing
what kind of fit they would have
been for you. Therefore, the
exercise is useless. Keep going
forward.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). A
fact that just sits there being
knowledge is not intelligence. In-
telligence animates. It applies.
It is better to revel in the intelli-
gence of trees than to succumb
to the coma of dead dogma.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).
Don’t waste your time doing
what someone else can (and is
perfectly willing to) do for you.
Once you realize where your
efforts and minutes can make a
difference, you won’t want to be
anywhere else.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).
Your unpredictability comes nat-
urally today. Did you know that
some people work to conjure
this? Because being hard to an-
ticipate keeps the competition
off-balance, it’s is an effective
strategy for business, sports
or love.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).
Other times, it was easy to fit
your talent to what the group
needed and wanted. Now, not
so much, perhaps because
the group doesn’t know what it
needs and wants. You’ll have to
poke around some to find it.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec.
21). No one falls in love with
a game that they can win on
the first go-around. Pursuing
anything valuable means being
willing to fail. The more possible
it is to fail, the more exciting the
pursuit.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.
19). When someone pays
excellent attention to your
expressions, preferences and
needs, it may actually make you
uncomfortable, as you’re not
used to be so well-attended.
Soak it in anyway.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.
18). For the most part, you’ll
love what develops organically
and be nonplussed by what is
manufactured or manipulated
into being. You admire the
effort, but the real deal is so
much more impressive.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March
20). You have a fan club of
sorts. You came by it honestly,
by showing up consistently
where you were needed and
wanted and honoring their
requests. Now, you’ll take
pleasure in the appreciation
generously bestowed on you.

Under attack
SOLUTION:
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020 5B

Business
BUSINESS MOVES WITH MARY

McConnell Brothers Moving and Storage changes ownership

PLUS: New production company
opens in Starkville; HORNE firm
moves to former Glo building
BY MARY POLLITZ
biz@cdispatch.com
on-site for cus-
tomers and is
didn’t know
before.
cupant of the former
Glo building on East
office allows the cyber
security solutions team
open 24/7.
Lights,
“They do a
lot of outreach
Lampkin Street. HORNE
Cyber moved from the
to collaborate in an open
environment.
camera, in the com- Research Park in Octo- HORNE Cyber
action. munity,” Allen ber due to its gradual
office hours are Monday
job is too small. Starkville, get said. “What growth in Starkville.
“We look forward to through Friday from 8
ready. I’m going to The cyber security
a.m.-5 p.m.

W
e have some new
owners of a tran-
sit and storage
business in Columbus.
McConnell Brothers
Transfer and Storage has
a couple new owners but
the transit company is
staying in the family.
The previous owner,
Kyle McConnell, retired
and sold his business to
his daughter, Suzy Mc-
Connell Robertson, and
son-in-law, Chad Thom-
as. The sale was finalized
Oct. 1.
Thomas said, for the
most part, business will
remain as usual. The
Mayflower agent mov-
ing company provides
full-service moves for
household goods, storage
and even local jobs.
According to Thomas, no
continuing to provide
excellent service in
North Mississippi, West
Alabama, our local com-
munities and our military
members worldwide,” he
said.
Though not much will
change, Thomas said he
does look to expanding
McConnell’s freight
hauling and warehousing
capacity.
Let’s keep on trucking.
Speaking of logistics,
Double S Diesel Service
opened in October.
Owners Spence Wall-
ingford and Blake Moore
provide on-site services
for diesel semis, farm
equipment, forklifts and
more.
The business is locat-
ed in New Hope but most
services are provided
Launching
in February,
companies
can seek ad-
Mary Pollitz
vertising and
coverage from
Lee’s Creative Studio.
Lee Allen, the owner
of the production compa-
ny, is currently working
remotely while searching When you see that, it just
for a location, but said he
hopes to find one in the
next few months.
The Mississippi State
University graduate said
he wants to simply tell
people’s stories with
visual concepts. In fact,
though the production
company has yet to
launch, Allen started a
commercial for the local
Mom and Pop food truck. to reach people and to tell
While filming, he discov-
ered someone’s story he
do is show business first opened
Disclosure notice:
what they in Starkville about five
Mary Pollitz, the business
already do. years ago. The Starkville
column writer, is employed
Learning that office partner, Mike
myself is very Skinner, said the new with McConnell Brothers.
important. …
There are people that
are genuinely good that
are doing their best to
serve their community.
makes Starkville look a
lot better.”
That’s the goal for
Allen. He wants to create
commercials for com-
panies to air on social
media, in the store or
even on television. Es-
pecially during times of
COVID-19, people are so
separated and it’s getting
more and more difficult
those stories, he added.
There’s a new oc-

US government, states sue Facebook for ‘predatory’ conduct

NY AG: Company ‘used its monopoly
power to crush smaller rivals and
snuff out competition, all at the
expense of everyday users’
BY MARCY GORDON
AND MICHAEL R. SISAK
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The
U.S. government and 48
states and districts sued
Facebook Wednesday,
accusing it of abusing its
market power in social net-
working to crush smaller
competitors and seeking
remedies that could in-
clude a forced spinoff of
the social network’s Insta-
gram and WhatsApp mes-
saging services.
The landmark antitrust
lawsuits, announced by
the Federal Trade Com-
mission and New York
Attorney General Letitia
James, mark the second
major government of-
abusing its dominance in
online search and adver-
tising — the government’s
most significant attempt to
buttress competition since
its historic case against
Microsoft two decades
ago. Amazon and Apple
also have been under in-
vestigation in Congress
and by federal authorities
for alleged anticompetitive
conduct.
James noted at a press
conference that “it’s really
critically important that
we block this predatory ac-
quisition of companies and
that we restore confidence
to the market.”
The FTC said Face-
book has engaged in “a
systematic strategy” to
eliminate its competition,
press conference, saying
Facebook “used its monop-
acquisitions years ago.
“The government now
oly power to crush smaller
rivals and snuff out compe-
wants a do-over, send-
ing a chilling warning
tition, all at the expense of to American business
that no sale is ever final,”
everyday users.”
The FTC fined Face- Facebook general counsel
book $5 billion in 2019 Jennifer Newstead said in
for privacy violations and a statement that echoed
the company’s response
instituted new oversight
to a recent congressional
and restrictions on its
business. The fine was antitrust probe.
the largest the agency
has ever levied on a tech
company, although it had
no visible impact on Face-
book’s business.
Facebook called the
government actions “re-
visionist history” that
punishes successful busi-
nesses and noted that
the FTC cleared the In-
stagram and WhatsApp
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and WhatsApp in 2014.
James echoed that in her
1.93 SPIRIT
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Send us your business brief.

news@cdispatch.com 1.69 WALMART
105 Market St.

subject: Business brief 1.77 RACKLEY OIL

225 Industrial Park Rd.
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18 Colorado
A & T TREE SERVICES resort
Apartments & Houses Bucket truck & stump
22 Strike setting
removal. Free est.
1 Bedrooms Serving Columbus 24 Put away
since 1987. Senior 25 Young fellow 2 Metal sources 21 Call for
2 Bedroooms citizen disc. Call Alvin @
26 Draw 3 Had a tem- 22 Guinness of
3 Bedrooms
242−0324/241−4447
"We’ll go out on a limb for 27 News item perature drop film
Furnished & Unfurnished
you!" 30 Was sore 4 Marked down 23 Hot flow
32 Gives a hoot 5 Regarding 28 Force unit
1, 2, & 3 Baths 33 Pi follower 6 Some strings 29 Casual top
Lease, Deposit ads.cdispatch.com 34 “Am I forget- 7 Writer Hem- 30 Museum
& Credit Check ting anything?” ingway focus
viceinvestments.com 38 Music’s 8 Not pos. 31 Fondue stuff
327-8555 Bieber
41 Unspoiled
9 Bearded beast
10 Jargon suffix
35 Hill makers
36 Visionary
Apts For Rent: Other

The Military Square

LIST YOUR spot
42 Chaperone
43 Canary snack
16 “The Rise
of Skywalker”
heroine
37 Cuts off
38 O’Hare sight
39 Much of N.

BUSINESS
Apartments are now 44 Sullies
accepting applicants! 19 Cook’s Amer.
We have 1, 2, and 3 45 Goes astray protector 40 Biol. or geol.
bedroom units available. DOWN 20 Huron

HERE!
All apartments are newly 1 Citrus flavor
remodeled, and include: neighbor
New Washer/Dryer, New
Refrigerator, New A/C Unit!

Ads starting at $25

We also offer rent
discounts for:
−Active Military
−Veterans

ads.cdispatch.com
−Seniors
Call us at: 662−205−0005

Read local.
cdispatch.com

Buy. Sell. Discover. In the Classifieds section.

On the web: ads.cdispatch.com • Or call: 662-328-2424