Established 1879 | Columbus, Mississippi

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Thursday | February 4, 2021

CMSD to consider year-round school calendar vote Monday

Proposed calendar would start 2021-22 year on July 15, Earlier
year, CMSD held
this Under the option that will
be recommended for board
end June 8, with extended breaks between virtual informa-
tion meetings
approval (Calendar B), the
school year will start July 15.
and surveyed Students will be on fall break
BY SLIM SMITH Trustees devoted most of with the superintendent’s rec- parents, suggest- Sept. 20-Oct. 8, Thanksgiv-
ssmith@cdispatch.com Wednesday’s board review ommendation to adopt a mod- ing two modified ing-Christmas break Nov. 22-
meeting discussing the school ified calendar or hold some calendar options Jan. 5, and spring break March
The Columbus Municipal calendar. more public meetings to drill Spears
that would both 14-April 1. Classes would end
School District Board of Trust- “I think when we have our down on some of the questions create a fall break, extend the on June 8. The following school
ees is set to vote on adopting a regular meeting Monday, the parents might have about the Christmas and spring breaks year would begin mid-July.
modified school calendar, per- board will make the decision calendar,” Board President Ja- and shorten the summer Spears said if the board
haps as soon as Monday. about whether to go forward son Spears said. break. See CMSD, 3A

CMSD alumni at TVA upgrade lights at Franklin Academy New parks plan
aims for cleaner
facilities, more
programming
Reorganization to add
$500K to payroll
BY ZACK PLAIR
zplair@cdispatch.com

STARKVILLE —
Brandon Doherty
started his job as
Starkville Parks and
Recreation execu-
tive director in Au-
gust amid a slate of
already underway Doherty
capital improvement
projects in his department, the
largest being a $20 million tourna-
ment-ready baseball/softball com-
plex at Cornerstone Park.
Tess Vrbin/Dispatch Staff To run the expanding parks sys-
Lloyd Perrigin, a Columbus High School graduate and a Tennessee Valley Authority transmission service manager, observes tem at peak efficiency, he noticed
the change in lighting at the Franklin Academy library Wednesday after he and 16 other TVA representatives converted 25 more systemic issues with staffing
light fixtures from fluorescent to LED bulbs. Perrigin spearheaded the project as a day of service from TVA to the Columbus and management he needed to ad-
Municipal School District, which did not have to pay for the 60 upgraded light fixtures in the building, just in time for Frank- dress.
lin’s 200th anniversary on Feb. 12.
“We had so many instances
where we had one person wearing
Service project comes in time for Franklin’s bicentennial next week seven hats,” Doherty said. “It’s not
that we had bad employees or a
BY TESS VRBIN tatives who upgraded 60 light fixtures Jonathan Desmidt, Jason Honnoll, lack of support. We had people do-
tvrbin@cdispatch.com at Franklin Academy on Wednesday Brad Stapp and Larry Tate — attended ing the best they could with limit-
at no cost to the Columbus Municipal CMSD schools in their youth. Perrigin, ed direction and structure.”
Standing outside Franklin Academy
School District. The project was one Britton and Tate visited Franklin in Jan- On Tuesday, at Doherty’s re-
on Wednesday, almost 50 years after at-
tending, Vince Britton felt like he had of TVA’s regular “days of service,” said uary to determine the scope of the light- quest, aldermen unanimously
come full circle. Lloyd Perrigin, a TVA transmission ser- ing upgrade project. approved a staff restructuring
“Coming back to a place like this and vice manager and the lead organizer for Perrigin and Britton attended Frank- plan that would add $500,000 to
being able to provide this service … the project. lin in the 1970s and later played high the department’s payroll over the
it’s kind of hard to put words to it,” said “We’re just trying to let everyone school football under Robert Smith — next three years. It includes add-
Britton, a Tennessee Valley Authority know that TVA is engaged and we want now the mayor of Columbus, but the two ing eight new full-time positions,
foreman. to give back to the community,” he said. former students still call him “Coach.” a handful of seasonal or part-
Britton was one of 17 TVA represen- Six of them — Britton, Perrigin, See SERVICE PROJECT, 6A See PAKRS, 6A

Darrell and
Annie Johnson
stand outside
After 20+ years, some Starkville
their home on
Babylon Road in
residents to finally get sewer service
west Starkville
on Wednesday. Grant funding $308K to extend School District. Her hus-
band, also retired, is a for-
This week,
they learned service to 12 homes on Babylon Road mer emergency medical
technician and city fire-
a Community
Development BY ZACK PLAIR Road, should be no more. fighter.
Block Grant will zplair@cdispatch.com The Johnsons have “Sometimes it will
fund a project been looking forward to back up in the house,” An-
to extend sewer STARKVILLE — By that news for 23 years. nie added. “It’s not good
service to their sometime early next year, “This septic tank has at all.”
neighborhood, the often stinky, muddy, Babylon Road and its
23 years after been a hassle, I’m telling
water-filled hole where you,” said Annie Johnson, 12 homes, located off
it was annexed Garrard Road west of
into the city the septic tank drains in who retired after working
Darrell and Annie John- at both Mississippi State Highway 25, were an-
limits.
Zack Plair/Dispatch Staff son’s yard on Babylon University and Starkville See SEWER SERVICE, 3A

INSIDE FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC

Business 5B 1 What country known for its film
Today MEETINGS
Classifieds 6B production gives annual awards Feb. 8: Colum-
Comics 4B called Golden Lotuses? ■ Lecture series: Mississippi
bus Municipal
Crossword 6B 2 What 2014 music video from State’s Institute for the Humanities
Dear Abby 4B Sia features dancer Maddie opens its spring lecture series with School Board
Obituaries 5A Ziegler and has over 1.5 billion a virtual event, “What are the Sports Trustees, 8:30
Opinions 4A views on YouTube? Humanities Anyway?” Featuring MSU’s a.m., Brandon
3 What style of jeans descended Central Services
Greggory Twietmeyer and Scott Kretch-
from naval attire? Feb. 12:
4 In the novel and HBO series mar at Pennsylvania State University,
WEATHER “Big Little Lies” what is Jane’s the talk is 3:30 p.m. at the institute’s Lowndes County
son’s name, which he shares Facebook page. Free to the public. School District

High 60 Low 33
P.m. rain likely
with a David Bowie character?
5 In the Chinese zodiac calen-
dar, 2014 was the year of the Friday
Board, 12:30
p.m., District
Full forecast on ■ Early James in concert: Early Office
horse — in what year will the
page 3A. next one occur? James and The Latest perform at 7 Feb. 16:
p.m. at the Columbus Arts Council’s Columbus City
Answers, 6B Council, 5 p.m.,
Omnova Theater, 501 Main St. Tick-
ets: $15 members/$20 non-members Makye Butler, 16, works at virtual meeting,
($20 day of show). Doors open 6:30 Food Giant. He enjoys playing facebook.com/
p.m. Get tickets at columbus-arts.org basketball for Columbus High and CityofColum-
141st Year, No. 279 or 662-328-2787. making money. busMS/

DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471

2A THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Biden flexible on who gets aid,

tells lawmakers to ‘go big’
President willing to lower the income threshold to
qualify for the proposed $1,400 direct payments
BY LISA MASCARO AND JOSH BOAK
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President
Joe Biden encouraged Democratic
lawmakers to “act fast” on his $1.9
trillion COVID rescue plan but also
signaled he’s open to changes, in-
cluding limiting the proposed $1,400
direct payments to Americans with
lower income levels, which could
draw Republican support.
Biden told lawmakers in private
comments Wednesday that he’s “not
married” to an absolute number for
the overall package but wants them
to “go big” on pandemic relief and
“restore the soul of the country.”
“Look, we got a lot of people hurt-
ing in our country today,” Biden said
on a private call with House Demo-
crats. “We need to act. We need to
act fast.”
On the direct payments, Biden
said he doesn’t want to budge from
the $1,400 promised to Americans.
But he said he is willing to “target”
the aid, which would mean lowering
the income threshold to qualify.
“I’m not going to start my admin-
istration by breaking a promise to
the American people,” he said.
Biden spoke with House Dem-
ocrats and followed with a meet-
ing of top Senate Democrats at the
White House, deepening his public
engagement with lawmakers on his
American Rescue Plan. Together
the virus and economic aid is his
first legislative priority and a test of
the administration’s ability to work
with Congress to deliver.
Biden’s remarks to the Demo-
cratic House caucus were relayed
by two people who requested ano-
nymity to discuss the private con-
ference call.
While Biden is trying to build bi-
partisan support from Republicans,
he is also prepared to rely on the
Democratic majority in Congress
to push the package into law. Demo-
crats moved ahead with preliminary
steps, including a House budget
vote Wednesday largely along par-
ty lines, to approve it on their own,
over Republicans objections.

GOP states weigh limits on how race and slavery are taught
Proposals in Arkansas, Iowa and “The idea of simply say-
ing you’re not going to use
which examined slavery
and its consequences as the
Mississippi would prohibit schools certain materials because
you don’t like what they’re
central thread of U.S. his-
tory. The project was pub-
from using a New York Times project going to say without input lished in 2019, the 400th
from professionals makes anniversary of the first ar-
that focused on slavery’s legacy no sense,” said James rival of African slaves. The
Grossman, executive direc- project was also turned into
BY ANDREW DEMILLO legacy. Georgia colleges tor of the American Histori- a popular podcast and ma-
The Associated Press and universities have been cal Association. terials were developed for
quizzed about whether Statehouse fights over schools to use.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — they’re teaching about
Complaining about what what’s taught in public A measure pending
white privilege or oppres- schools are nothing new. in Arkansas’ Legislature
he called indoctrination in
sion. And GOP governors Arkansas lost a court bat- criticizes the project as a
schools, former President
are backing overhauls of tle over a 1981 law that re- “racially divisive and revi-
Donald Trump created a
civic education that mirror quired the teaching of cre- sionist account of history
commission that promoted
“patriotic” education and Trump’s abandoned initia- ationism in its classrooms, that threatens the integrity
played down America’s role tives. and in recent years conser- of the Union by denying the
in slavery. But though he’s Republicans behind the vatives have waged battles true principles on which it
out of the White House and latest moves say they’re over how evolution, climate was founded.”
the commission has dis- countering left-wing at- change and other topics Republican Rep. Mark
banded, the cause hasn’t tempts in K-12 schools and are taught. But the latest Lowery, who sponsored
died. Lawmakers in Repub- higher education to indoc- efforts show just how much the measure, called slav-
lican states are now press- trinate rather than teach Trump’s rhetoric on race ery a “dark stain,” but said
ing for similar action. students. Teachers, civil continues to resonate in the project minimizes the
Proposals in Arkansas, rights leaders and policy- the mostly rural and white Founding Fathers and cit-
Iowa and Mississippi would makers are fighting back, states he won. ed criticism from some his-
prohibit schools from using saying students will suffer The proposals primar- torians about parts of it.
a New York Times project if states brush over crucial ily target The New York “It should not be taught
that focused on slavery’s parts of the nation’s history. Times’ “1619 Project,” as history,” he said.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 3A

Mississippi governor extends

mask mandate for most of state
New order is in place
through March 3
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
JACKSON — Mississippi Gov.
Tate Reeves is extending an order
that requires people to wear masks
in public places in most parts of the
state, to guard against spread of the
coronavirus.
The Republican governor said
Wednesday that the new order is in
place through March 3. It is for 75
of Mississippi’s 82 counties.
“We as Mississippians have to
continue to take this virus serious-
ly,” Reeves said in a statement. “We
are continuing to work to get shots
in arms and provide vaccines to
those who meet the requirements.
Please continue to social distance,
wear your mask and keep your
gatherings small.”
COVID-19 vaccinations in Mis-
sissippi are being done at hospitals,
community health centers, private
clinics and at 21 state-run drive-th-
ru sites. For now, they are available
to health care workers, residents of
long-term care facilities, anyone 65
or older or anyone who is at least
16 and has a health condition that
could make them more vulnerable
to the highly contagious virus.
Mississippi has about 3 million
residents. The state Health Depart-
ment reported Wednesday that the
state had 791 new confirmed cases
of the virus as of Tuesday evening.
The department also reported 26
deaths Wednesday, 22 of which hap-
pened between Jan. 20 and Tues-
day. The others occurred earlier
and were identified through death
certificates. Mississippi has report-
ed about 277,322 cases of the virus
and 6,158 related deaths since the
start of the pandemic.

Mississippi board sets timeline to start medical marijuana

Aug. 15 is the deadline for the
state to begin issuing licenses for
dispensaries and cards for patients
BY EMILY
WAGSTER PETTUS
The Associated Press
JACKSON — Regula-
tions for a medical marijua-
na program in Mississippi
will be in place by a July
1 deadline, members of
the state Board of Health
said Wednesday. But they
cautioned that it’s unclear
how soon marijuana might
be available to patients.
Aug. 15 is the deadline
for the state to begin issu-
ing licenses for dispensa-
ries and cards for patients.
“I worry that there’s a
little bit of a misconception
among some in the public
about what that means,”
board member Jim Per-
ry said during a meeting
Wednesday. “They may
be expecting that on Aug.
15, that you can walk into
a dispensary or treatment
center, whatever the no-
menclature may be, and
say, ‘I got my card this
morning. I’m here for my
marijuana.’”
Perry said growing
marijuana plants for
the program could take
months. He said people
cannot grow plants be-
fore they get a license,
and then regulators will
need to test the medicinal
strength of the plants.
“It could be months af-
ter Aug. 15 before there’s
actually product at a treat-
ment center for a card-
holder to purchase,” Perry
said.
The state health offi-
cer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs,
said it could take six to
nine weeks for growers to
get viable plants for use in
the program. He said the
Health Department could
try to “get a little ahead”
of the July 1 and Aug. 15
deadlines.
Mississippi residents
voted by a wide margin
in November to adopt a
medical marijuana initia-
tive. The constitutional
amendment requires the
Health Department to
create a program so mar-
ijuana can be available to
people with “debilitating”
medical conditions. The
long list includes cancer,
epilepsy and sickle cell
anemia.
During the Board of
Health meeting Wednes-
day, Dr. Luke Lampton
said that based on conver-
sations he has had with
Mississippi residents, he
would like the board to
limit involvement by out-
of-state corporations in
growing or dispensing
medical marijuana.
The Mississippi Su-
preme Court is set to
hear arguments April 14
in Madison Mayor Mary
Hawkins Butler’s lawsuit
that is seeking to block
the medical marijuana
program. She argues that
the initiative was improp-
erly on the ballot because
petitioners gathered sig-
natures from outdated
congressional districts.
State attorneys argue that
the petitioners were using
guidance from a former
attorney general.
Separately, Mississippi
legislators are starting to
consider bills that would
regulate a medical mari-
juana program — a route
that might be needed if
the Supreme Court sides
with Butler.

Sewer service
Continued from Page 1A
nexed into Starkville city
limits in 1998. On Tues-
day, they learned sew-
er service would finally
come to their neighbor-
hood through a $308,000
Community Development
Block Grant.
Mayor Lynn Spruill
said the city has part-
nered for 15
years with
the Golden
Tr ia ngle
Planning
and Devel-
opment Dis-
trict to se-
cure block Spruill
grants to
bring sewer service to ar-
eas from the 1998 annex-
ation that didn’t have it.
Babylon Road marks the
third such grant-funded
project.
“We’re hoping to get
the project started this
year and have it complet-
ed by next year,” Spruill
said.
Once complete, it will
leave only a handful of cit-
izens in the 1998 annex-
ation area without sewer
service.
“We’re so happy to
get it, and we’re very ap-
preciative to the city of-
ficials and everyone who
helped get it to us,” Annie
Johnson said. “But I don’t
know why it took so long.
We pay city taxes, so we
should get the same bene-
fits as everyone else.”
Spruill said it’s not
quite that simple.
When the city annexed
areas north and west of
the city limits in 1998, its
resolution sought to bring
sewer service to areas
where it was “economi-
cally feasible” within five
years.
“That’s the term we
continue to use,” Spruill
said. “We did not guaran-
tee it.”
Some areas, particular-
ly Babylon Road and parts
of Rockhill Road, were
isolated and required “ex-
orbitant” infrastructure
costs for a small number
of customers, leading the
city to pursue grant ave-
nues.
Vice Mayor Roy A.
Perkins, who as Ward
6 alderman represents
Babylon Road residents,
announced at Tuesday’s
board meeting he was
“as excited as a child on
C h r is t m a s Highway 82 and High-
m o r n i n g ,” way 182 corridors out to
when he Clayton Village and in
heard the the University Hills area.
proje c t It would bring in roughly
would re- 1,100 residents, Spruill
ceive grant said. The trial will con-
funds.
clude this month.
S p e a k - Perkins
This time, though,
ing to The Dispatch
on Wednesday, he pro- aldermen approved a
claimed, “I’m still excit- separate facilities and
ed.” services plan beyond the
Perkins said he has annexation ordinance
long advocated for get- guaranteeing all city ser-
ting sewer service to the vices, sewer included,
annexed residents of his will be extended within
ward, and it is “very cru- five years to the annexed
cial” for it to be finished as area.
quickly as possible. “We’ve obligated our-
“This is an excellent selves to do it,” Spruill
quality of life service
that promotes the health,
said. “We may not have If you don’t read The Dispatch,
safety and welfare of our
it all completed in five
years, but we’ll at least
how are you gonna know?
citizens. … It’s good for
have to have begun.”
the city’s representation
as an entity of good faith.
But this issue had to be
kept before the governing
body or else it would have
disappeared.”
The city is currently
undergoing a legal chal-
lenge in chancery court of
its attempt to annex about
27.9 square miles from ar-
eas of Oktibbeha County
east of the city, along the

CMSD
Continued from Page 1A
votes to approve the mod-
ified calendar, students
won’t be immediately af-
fected.
“We won’t see much
change this summer be-
cause students will still
get out of classes May
21,” he said. “They’ll still
have a pretty long sum-
mer break this summer.”
Spears said the board
still has plenty of time
board makes its decision,
the better.
“The department of
education doesn’t require
us to submit the calendar
until May,” Spears said.
“So if we don’t decide
to move forward on the
recommendation Mon-
day, we still have plen-
ty of time to have more
discussions. We want to
get as much buy-in from
little longer, we’re in a po-
sition to do that. But the
sooner we can make that
decision, the more time
we’ll have to dive into our
plans and parents will
have more time to think
about how they’ll need to
adjust to the new calen-
dar.”
Monday’s regular
board meeting is sched-
SOLUNAR TABLE
The solunar period indicates
peak-feeding times for fish and game.

to consider the issue, al- parents as possible. So uled for 8:30 a.m. at Bran- Major
Thurs.
6:47a
Fri.
7:14p

The Dispatch
though the sooner the if that means waiting a don Central Services. Minor
Major
1:32a
—
2:41a
7:41a
Minor 12:53p 1:35p

99.49%
Courtesy of Mississippi Department
of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks

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Opinion
4A THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021
PETER BIRNEY IMES Editor/Publisher
BIRNEY IMES III Editor/Publisher 1998-2018
BIRNEY IMES JR. Editor/Publisher 1947-2003

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

ZACK PLAIR, Managing Editor

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

OUR VIEW

Now is the time to step up

F
or most Americans,
much of what govern-
ment does is in the
abstract in the sense that it
often has no direct bearing on
their daily lives, and even the
indirect effects are sometimes
hard to distinguish.
That’s very true of national
government and generally
true of state government.
For that reason, you could
argue local government plays
a far more important role in
our lives. The decisions made
by our mayors, councilmen,
aldermen or selectmen are
those that we encounter every
day. There’s nothing abstract
about potholes or neighbor-
hood crime or our children’s
public school education.
That is why it seems
counter-intuitive that our
local elections produce small
In Columbus, Starkville and West Point, 11 of 19 races are
uncontested as of Thursday morning, including Starkville Mayor.
turnouts and limited fields of
candidates when compared to
state or national elections.
It is not uncommon for
voter turnout in our municipal
elections to be well below 50
percent, sometimes as low as
25 percent.
Every four years this paper
urges citizens to vote in these
important elections. This year
will be no different.
But for now that’s another
argument for another time.
Explaining why interest
among voters is so low is
difficult to grasp, but one
legitimate factor is that the
voting public doesn’t really
have much of a choice to make
in many of these races..
Friday is the deadline for
candidates to qualify for may-
or and aldermen/councilman/
selectman races in the Golden
Triangle, yet on the eve of this
deadline, we are disappointed
that so few public-minded
citizens have stepped forward
to serve in these important
positions.
For four years, those who
are serving in office have not
lacked for criticism among the
electorate. Nor have citizens
been shy in sharing their view
on how our local governments
should — or should not —
operate.
But when qualifying time
rolls around, that criticism
does not translate into candi-
dates who are willing to act
on their convictions instead of
just talk about them.
In Columbus, Starkville
and West Point, 11 of 19
races are uncontested as of
Thursday morning, including
Starkville Mayor. Only two of
Starkville’s seven alderman
positions have more than a
single candidate. That’s true
of three of six council seats
in Columbus and two of five
selectman seats in West Point.
In Caledonia, where all of
its aldermen are selected at-
large, there are six candidates
running for five seats.
Taken as a whole, 19 of 27
available positions in these
four local governments are
occupied by incumbents.
These numbers appear
to reflect a citizenry that is
pleased with the way their
communities are being gov-
erned.
If that’s not the case, there
remains time for candidates to
step forward.
The deadline for qualifying
for office is Friday.
Competitive races are
indicative of an engaged
citizenry and make for better
government. Iron sharpens
iron, as the saying goes.
We are certain there are
people in our community who
are fit for office, whose contri-
butions as office-holders will
improve our communities.
Now is the time to step up.

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE CARTOONIST VIEW

Views proposed voter roll
legislation as punishment
I remember the year my
mother died. Her neighbor called
me in late October and said my
mother was very ill, and that she
was taking her to the hospital. She
called my sister, too, and said that
we should both come up to Ohio
at once. I never asked my sister
what arrangements she made in
Arkansas (I called Starkville High
and arranged for a long-term sub)
and we both arrived at the local
airport, about half an hour apart.
We spent the next two weeks to-
gether; at first, traveling from the
house we grew up in to the hospi-
tal and back, and then taking care
of the estate once she had passed.
In the pressure and hurry of the
crisis, I made no arrangements for
an absentee ballot before I headed
out of town. The election was
over by the time I arrived back in
Mississippi. Needless to say, I did
not manage to vote in that Presi-
dential election.
There are all kinds of reasons
to be called out of town at the last
moment. Even if that happens
several years in a row, I see no rea-
son for you to attempt to remove
me from the voter rolls. Yes, all I
would have to do is respond to a
certified letter, but, have you been
paying any attention to how long
mail has been taking to get plac-
es? I just got a nice email thank
you for a Christmas card I mailed
to a cousin. We’re in February. THE NATION
Striking me from the rolls feels
like punishment for life’s emer-
gencies. I just don’t see the point
of this legislation.
Impeaching Trump is petty and useless
T
Bonnie Oppenheimer he election is over; impeaching Trump after he’s was ever elected, and if the Democrats
Columbus Joe Biden is in the left office, but attempting to want to continue their success in elec-
White House; and do so doesn’t signal wanting tions, they must course-correct!
A letter to the editor is an Donald Trump has returned to heal the country, nor does Going after Trump is fruitless and
excellent way to participate in your to his home in Florida. While it help move us forward. In- yields nothing for Democrats or Amer-
community. We request the tone vocally unhappy with the out- stead, it’s a divisive political ica. However, if Democrats decide to
of your letters be constructive and come, Trump didn’t refuse stunt by Democrats that will keep this up, it will cause the House to
respectful and the length be limited to leave Washington, which do nothing but enrage Re- swing back to Republicans, and it will
to 450 words. We reserve the right was suggested as a remote publicans and Trump’s base, diminish Biden’s ability to govern, as
to edit letters for clarity, grammar possibility by Forbes senior who are finally beginning to he’ll likely lose the trust of those who
and length. Letters may be emailed contributor Jack Kelly. In the accept the reality that Trump supported him. Americans forgive, and
to voice@cdispatch.com or mailed wake of the election, Trump is now a former president. while it may take a while for many Re-
to The Dispatch, Attn: Letters to the has been banned from every Armstrong Williams This impeachment is publicans to adjust to this new reality,
Editor, PO Box 511, Columbus, MS major social media site and, nothing more than politi- they will. Despite differences, they’ll
39703-0511. as of now, has remained cal pettiness, and it makes give Biden the benefit of the doubt to
remarkably quiet. It goes without saying the Democrats look childish. Despite do what’s in the best interest of the
that losing isn’t what he wanted, and I’m winning, despite the political winds country. However, continuing down this
sure he’s still dealing with his new real- blowing against their sail, it’s still not path will destroy the chance of that ever
TODAY IN HISTORY ity of being a former president. But just enough; that is how some Americans happening.
as it’s his reality, it is also ours, which will interpret their obsessive focus I want to see this nation united just
Today is Thursday, Feb. 4, the begs the question: Why are Democrats on impeaching a former president. It as much as the next person, but I also
35th day of 2021. There are 330 and some journalists and pundits still certainly won’t sit well with independent understand our current predicament
days left in the year. obsessing over Trump? voters come the 2022 midterms and the and just how volatile things still are.
Today’s Highlight in History: For some inexplicable reason, Dem- 2024 presidential election. It will appear Democrats and the media should leave
On Feb. 4, 1945, President ocrats in the House of Representatives that Democrats are going after Trump Trump alone and allow him to move on
Franklin D. Roosevelt, British and the Senate can’t seem to move despite winning; it will come off as pure- and decide what his next venture will
Prime Minister Winston Churchill beyond Trump, despite maintaining the ly political and not in sync with Biden’s be. There’s no need to keep living in the
and Soviet leader Josef Stalin be- House and winning the Senate and the goal of bringing the country together. past; now is the time to let go and let by-
gan a wartime conference at Yalta. presidency. They assured the American From the moment Trump was sworn gones be bygones. This is what will help
people that if they were to win, their in, Democrats and the media talked bring America together, Republicans
primary focus would be governing, but about how divisive Trump would be and Democrats. Reach across the aisle
On this date: clearly, that isn’t the case at all. Instead, for America, and this was repeated and tell those Americans still angry
In 1783, Britain’s King George just a few weeks into the new term, their throughout his term. Despite no longer and upset that it’s going to be OK and
III proclaimed a formal cessation of primary focus appears to be embarrass- being president, that message contin- that we have to move forward for the
hostilities in the American Revolu- ing former President Trump and playing ues. A recent CNN piece stated that sake of our nation. However, a big part
tionary War. partisan politics. Trump left the nation at its most divided of that is leaving the former president
In 1789, electors chose George President Biden campaigned on the since the Civil War. The Civil War — alone. If Biden, the Democrats and the
Washington to be the first presi- promise of restoring America’s soul. If the one that nearly destroyed our young mainstream media are able to do that,
dent of the United States. his purported goal is to be believed by nation and left 620,000 dead — that we can genuinely trust that they want
In 1861, delegates from six all Americans of every stripe, then he divided? We’re nowhere near as divided to unite Americans; but doing anything
southern states that had recently must ask his party to move on and to as that moment, and to make such a differently will only pour fuel on the
seceded from the Union met in focus on healing the country from the comparison is precisely why so many fire.
Montgomery, Alabama, to form the wounds of the recent election, arguably Americans have, frankly, lost faith in Armstrong Williams is an American
Confederate States of America. the most contentious in modern history. our media and political system as a political commentator, entrepreneur,
SOURCE: AP Not only is there no legal precedent for whole. It is for this reason that Trump author, and talk show host.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 5A

AREA OBITUARIES
his wife, Karen; son, her brother, Robert Charles Woods offi-
Graydon Elliott
John Paulk Joseph of Brooksville; Bates of Columbus. ciating. Burial will Graydon Edward Elliott was born May 3, 1942,
STARKVILLE —
John I. Paulk, 92, died daughters, Suzanne of Pallbearers will be follow at Memorial in Purvis, MS, and went to be with his Lord on
Feb. 2, 2021, in Deca- Crawford and Lydia of the deacons of Steens Gardens in West Point. February 1, 2021, at OCH Regional Medical
tur, Georgia. Brooksville; brothers, Baptist Church. Visitation is one hour Center, after a battle with sepsis combined with
A graveside service Dwayne Peaster and Memorials may be prior to services at COVID pneumonia. Ed will be remembered
will be held at 2 p.m. Dwight Peaster, both made to LeBonheur the funeral home. for his love of God, his family and friends, his
Friday, at Memorial of Brooksville; sisters, Children’s Hospital, Tisdale-Lann Memo- enjoyment of motorhome travels, and all things
Garden Park. A private Kathleen Koehn of P.O. Box 41817, Mem- rial Funeral Home of Mississippi State.
visitation will be from Mize and Diane Koehn phis, TN 38174. Aberdeen is in charge A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM
12:30-1:30 p.m. prior of Brooksville; and five of arrangements. Friday, February 5, 2021, at First Baptist Church.
to services, at Welch grandchildren. He is survived by A private burial service will be held at a later date.
Funeral Home. Welch
Dylan Rayman his parents, Joshua Ed was a graduate of Purvis High School. He
OKOLONA — Dylan Devin Rayman and received a BS in animal science from Mississippi
Funeral Home of Max Avant Lucas Rayman, 4 State University, where he was a member of the
Starkville is in charge STARKVILLE — Haley Woodall; sib-
months, died Jan. 26, lings, Braxton Ray- Scabbard and Blade. He was commissioned into
of arrangements. Max Timothy “Tim”
2021, at his residence. man, Ethan Rayman, the US Army in 1965. After Ed’s military service,
Mr. Paulk was born Avant, 61, died Feb. 2,
July 27, 1928, in Buford Services are at 1 Andrew Rayman, Jacob he began a 25 year career with the Mississippi
2021.
p.m. today, at Tis- Dubilak, Gabby Gutter- Cooperative Extension Service (MCES), where
Station, Tennessee, Graveside services
dale-Lann Memorial iez, Kallie Rayman and he served as an assistant county agent, an area
to the late Frederick will be at 2 p.m. Mon-
Funeral Home, with Bella Collins. livestock specialist, and leader of the computer
Domont Paulk and day, at Odd Fellows
services department. He received a MS degree
Lucy Mae Paulk. He Cemetery. Calvert
from Louisiana State University in 1973 and
was a 1952 graduate Funeral Home of West
an EdD from Mississippi State in 1985. Upon
of the United States Point is in charge of retirement from MCES, Ed joined National Bank
Naval Academy in arrangements. of Commerce as Assistant VP in charge of their
Annapolis, Maryland, Mr. Avant was born computer services, and later retired for good in
and a graduate of April 30, 1959, to the 2004.
North Carolina State. late Max and Peggy Ed was an active member of the Lions Club
He was a United States Avant. He was a gradu- in Laurel, MS. He was later an active in the
Air Force veteran and ate of West Point High Starkville Kiwanis Club, serving in various
was formerly employed School and Mississippi positions including president. Ed served as a
as an engineer with State University. He deacon of his church in Laurel and in Starkville.
DuPont De Nemours was formerly employed He also served as a Sunday School teacher for 48
Inc. and as Associate in the Mississippi years.
Dean of Engineering Public School Systems Ed was preceded in death by his parents,
with Mississippi State and a band director

Edward E. Holden
Omer Lee and Vida Mae Fowler Elliott of Purvis.
University. with Louisville School He is survived by his loving wife of 53 years,
In addition to his District. He is survived Joann Johnson Elliott; one daughter, Karilynn
parents, he was preced- by his siblings, Clint Elliott Horner (Kevin) of Maryville, TN; one
ed in death by his wife,
Mary Alice Thomas
Avant, Tina Avant both 10/25/1952-2/1/2021 brother, Harlan O. Elliott of Tonganoxie, KS; and
of West Point and Lynn several nieces and nephews. He is also survived
Paulk; brother, Fred Nance of Caledonia. by two “fur-companions”, BooRadley and Titus.
Eddy Holden of Amory, Mississippi, passed
Paulk; and sister, June In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial
away February 1, 2021, at his home, after a
Paulk Adair.
He is survived by
Sharon Beatty lengthy illness. gifts may be made to the Children’s Building
COLUMBUS — He is a graduate of Amory High School, Fund, First Baptist Church, Starkville, MS.
his son, John I. Paulk Please wear facemask and observe social
Sharron Kay Beatty, attended Itawamba Community College and
Jr.; sister, Mary Anne distancing.
59, died Feb. 1, 2021, at Mississippi State, and received a Bachelor
Paulk Weems; four You can leave the family a condolence at: www.
her residence. of Science Degree from the University of
grandchildren; and six welchfuneralhomes.com.
Graveside ser- Mississippi. Eddy spent his lifetime in sales
great-grandchildren. Paid Obituary - Welch Funeral Home
vices will be at 2 p.m. in several different industries and enjoyed
Sunday, at Memorial supporting his school’s athletic programs.
Annie Williams Gardens, with the Rev. Eddy is survived by his wife, Linda Puckett

Dianne Daniel Holmes

COLUMBUS — An- Greg Renfrow officiat- Holden.
nie G. “Sis” McCoy ing. Memorial Gunter He was preceded in death by his parents, Ed
Williams, Peel Funeral Home and Frances Holden.
75, died Dianne Daniel Holmes, 72, of
and Crematory, Second Due to COVID, there will be an immediate Columbus, Mississippi, passed
Jan. 27, Avenue North location family service, in memory of Eddy, at a later date.
2021, at away at home on February 1,
is in charge of arrange- In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to 2021.
Vineyard ments. Amory High School Athletics, P.O. Box 338,
Court She was born in Jackson,
Mrs. Beatty was Amory, MS 38821 or to a charity of choice. Mississippi on September 15,
Nursing born Dec. 15, 1961,
Home. Paid Obituary - E. E. Pickle Funeral Home 1948.
Williams in Jackson, to the late Dianne was preceded in
A Joe A. Bates and Mary death by her husband, Charles
graveside

Jimmy Simmons Sr.

Ann Priest Bates.
service will be held
at 11 a.m. Friday, at
Tabernacle Church
Cemetery, in Millport,
Alabama, with the
Rev. Charles Fisher
officiating. Burial will
follow. 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.
Mrs. Williams was
born April 1, 1945, in
Alabama, to the late
Willie McCoy and Su-
sanna McCoy. She was
a member of Charity
Full Gospel Church.
In addition to her
parents, she was pre-
ceded in death by her
husband, Willie J. Wil-
liams; siblings, Annie
M. McCoy, Bennie W.
Sherrod, Robert Sher-
rod, Freddie Sherrod,
and Willie M. McCoy;
and three grandchil-
dren.
She is survived
by her children, Gail
Ann McCoy, Donna
McCoy, Dale McCoy,
and Mark McCoy, all
of Columbus; eight
grandchildren; and 10
great-grandchildren.
Waldean Peaster
BROOKSVILLE —
Walden Keith Peaster,
68, died Feb. 1, 2021, at
his residence.
Services will be at
10:30 a.m. today, at
Brooksville Mennonite
Church, with Kend-
all Jost and Brandon
Koehn officiating.
Cockrell Funeral
Home of Macon is in
charge of arrange-
ments.
Mr. Peaster was
born Dec. 22, 1952, in
Turlock, California, to
the late Marvin and
Elda Voth Peaster. He
was formerly employed
in the farming and
catfish industries.
He is survived by
She is survived by
Guy Richards
Graveside Services:
Saturday, Feb. 6 • 2 PM
Friendship Cemetery
Burial
Friendship Cemetery
2nd Ave. N. Location
Kevin Parker
Graveside Services:
Thursday, Feb. 4 • 2 PM
Andrews Chapel Cemetery
2nd Ave. N. Location
William Langford
Visitation:
Thursday, Feb. 4 • 12-2 PM
College St. Location
Services:
Thursday, Feb. 4 • 2 PM
College St. Location
Burial
Memorial Gardens
College St. Location
Clarence LeBlanc
A family graveside service
will be held at a later date.
Burial
Memorial Gardens
College St. Location
Jimmy Simmons
Graveside Services:
Saturday, Feb. 6 • 1 PM
Friendship Cemetery
Burial
Friendship Cemetery
2nd Ave. N. Location
Sharon Beatty
Graveside Services:
Sunday, Feb. 7 • 2 PM
Memorial Gardens
Burial
Memorial Gardens
2nd Ave. N. Location
Dianne Holmes
Visitation:
Thursday, Feb. 4 • 5-7 PM
College St. Location
Graveside Services:
Friday, Feb. 5 • 2 PM
Canton City Cemetery
Burial
Canton City Cemetery
College St. Location
memorialgunterpeel.com
Jimmy Rand Simmons Sr., known to many as
“JR” or “Simmons,” age 72, passed away on Feb.
1, 2021. Jimmy was born in Kennett, MO on May
30, 1948. He moved to Columbus, MS when he
was young and laid his roots here.
Jimmy graduated from S.D. Lee High School
in 1966. While there, he enjoyed playing basket-
ball and football. He was known to all his class-
mates as a great wit. Jimmy worked for Ceco and
later Gulf States as a draftsman and salesman.
He also sold Union National Insurance, where he
was known as the man with the orange shoes. He
received many awards for his sales performance
at the company. In the latter part of his life, he
had a job that he very much enjoyed at Trotter
Convention Center. His favorite part of it was con-
necting with the many citizens of Columbus.
Jimmy loved Columbus and the history of this
town. He loved taking people on detailed tours
of the town and discussing its rich history. His
favorite column was Rufus Ward’s “Ask Rufus.”
He never met a stranger and loved people for who
they were. As the late Uncle Bunky once lovingly
said, “That man will say anything to anyone at
any time.”
Jimmy loved travel and adventure, including
extended time in San Francisco and Colorado.
The former served as fodder for the many sto-
ries he liked to tell people. He also loved to cook,
which is a great thing because everyone loved
to eat it, which is an even better thing because
he loved having his friends and family around.
He had the most loyal and loving friends a man
could ask for in this world. He loved his family,
especially his grandkids who called him “Papa
Mustache.”
He is survived by his wife, Deborah Sim-
mons of Maylene, AL; son and daughter-in-law,
Shawn and Christie Forrester of New Hope, MS;
daughter and son-in-law, Chris and Mary Lucas
of Helena, AL; son and daughter-in-law, Jimmy Jr.
and Becky Simmons of Marietta, GA; grandchil-
dren, Gavin and Brantley Forrester of New Hope,
MS; grandchildren, Elizabeth, Molly and Jonah
Lucas of Helena, AL; grandchildren, Jimmy III,
Charles, and James Simmons of Marietta, GA;
and sister, Linda Gates of West Point, MS.
A graveside service will be held at Friendship
Cemetery at 1:00 PM on February 6, 2021. Me-
morial Gunter Peel Funeral Home & Crematory,
716 2nd Avenue North location, has been entrust-
ed with the arrangements.
In lieu of flowers please make a donation in his
memory to Palmer Home For Children, https://
palmerhome.org.
Sign the online guest book at
www.memorialgunterpeel.com
716 Second Avenue North • Columbus, MS
“Charlie” David Holmes Sr. of
Columbus, Mississippi; her parents, Alfred Dan-
iel and Madge Rosalyn “Dinah” Brown Daniel of
Jackson, Mississippi; and her grandparents, Al-
bert Fredrick Daniel and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Mar-
shall Daniel of Jackson, Mississippi. Her grand-
father and father opened and acquired Daniel
Studios and Standard Photo in the Jackson area.
This is where Dianne’s love of photography be-
gan.
She was a graduate of the Class of 1966 at Mur-
rah High School and the University of Mississip-
pi with a Bachelors of Arts degree. After college,
she taught high school art in Memphis, Tennes-
see prior to returning to Jackson, Mississippi,
where she worked at WLBT Television Station in
the Art Department. She subsequently was set-
up on a blind date with “Charlie”, and they were
happily married for forty-seven years.
Dianne grew up as an active member of St. An-
drews Episcopal Church in Jackson, Mississippi.
She currently was a faithful member of the First
Presbyterian Church. She always drew strength
from her loyal and loving church family. Dianne
felt loved, blessed, and supported by them.
Dianne’s passion for photography, art, family,
and friends gave her much joy throughout her
life. Charlie and Dianne volunteered with the
church often and annually with the “Loaves and
Fishes” soup kitchen. This always brought them
both great joys.
Survivors include her son, Charles David
Holmes Jr. of Memphis, Tennessee; daughter,
Whitney Dianne Holmes of Columbus, Missis-
sippi; sister, Sandra Daniel Farra (John) of Al-
pharetta, Georgia; sister-in-law, Harriet Porter
(Dick) of Brandon, Mississippi; and sister-in-law,
Sally Ann Holmes of Houston, Texas.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 PM at
Memorial Gunter Peel Funeral Home & Crema-
tory located at 903 College Street, Columbus,
Mississippi, on Thursday, February 4, 2021.
Graveside services will be held at 2:00 PM at the
Canton City Cemetery, Canton, Mississippi, on
Friday, February 5, 2021.
In lieu of flowers, the family request memori-
als to be made to the First Presbyterian Church,
P.O. Box 9681, Columbus, MS 39705.
Sign the online guest book at
www.memorialgunterpeel.com
716 Second Avenue North • Columbus, MS
Send in your church event!
Email editorialassistant@cdispatch.com
Subject: Religious brief
6A THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021
Service project
Continued from Page 1A
A project for CMSD
was Perrigin’s first
thought when he was
tasked with a community
engagement project, he
said, so he went directly
to Smith with the request.
“The connections to
the district
made the
exper ience
p e r s o n a l ,”
CMSD Su-
perinten-
dent Cherie
Labat told
The Dis- Labat
patch. “Lis-
tening to the nostalgia of
stories about the Magno-
lia Bowl was priceless.”
The lighting upgrade
came right in time for the
school’s 200th anniversa-
ry on Feb. 12: Franklin
Parks
Continued from Page 1A
time positions and bet-
ter aligning job titles/
descriptions for existing
employees with the de-
partment’s needs.
As a result, he said,
residents should soon
see increased recreation
programming and “safer,
cleaner” park facilities.
The plan retains all of
the department’s existing
employees (13 full- and 12
part-time), which he said
have been placed in slots
in the new structure that
are most consistent with
the duties they already
have. It also allows for up
to 30 seasonal workers.
“Now we’ll have, may-
be, three people wearing
seven hats among them,”
Doherty said. “That also
means we’ll have higher
accountability and higher
expectations for things
to be better maintained
than they were in the
past.”
Key components of the
new staff structure are
a facilities manager to
BUILDING PERMITS
City of Columbus
Jan. 25-29, 2021
■ Michael and Christy Hudson;
1205 Southdown Parkway;
repair interior water damage;
Rector’s Construction Inc.
■ Judon Phillips; 1104 9th Av-
enue North; reroof residence;
Excellent Roofing
■ U-Stor Inside LLC; 304 5th
Street South; demolish interi-
or-Phase 1, Jim Mauldin
■ Timothy Lang; 156 Maple
Street; electrical; Twins States
Maintenance
■ Ben and Sonja Ferrell; 410
6th avenue South; electrical;
Twin River Maintenance
■ Larry Ellefson; 2310
Northaven Drive, #3; electri-
cal; Twin River Maintenance
■ Tayburg LLC; 611 Warpath
Road; electrical; Twin River
Maintenance
■ Bill Nelson; 508 5th Street
South, Apts 1-10; electrical;
Elliott’s AC/Heat and Refrig-
eration
■ Housing Inc.; 927 Ruffin
Road; electrical; Ables Electric
MARRIAGES AND DIVORCES
Lowndes County ■ Julius Baptist and Chantan-
Marriages
■ Terrell Brantley and Tristen
Beith; Jan. 1
■ Xavier Bennett and Amaiya
Vance; Jan. 4
■ Adam Wohlsen and Mary Jo
Wright; Jan. 4
■ Teraze Nunn and America
Ray; Jan. 7
■ Kevin Keogh and Jennifer
Hill; Jan. 8
■ Todd Nickoles and Sharon
Jernigan; Jan. 12
■ Kyautae Jones and Sabrina
Neal; Jan. 14
■ Anthony Young and Kimberly
Blunt; Jan. 15
■ Wade Duke and Hannah
Imes; Jan. 16
■ Larry Shelton and Phyllis
Bennett; Jan. 17
■ Cameron Newhouse and
Marcella Trantham; Jan. 20
■ Ipin Patel and Shital Wyers;
When was the last time you
picked up a piece of litter?
is Mississippi’s first and
oldest institution of public
education.
Almost half of the new
lights were in the Franklin
library, with 25 there and
the rest in classrooms,
Perrigin said. The conver-
sion from fluorescent to
LED bulbs not only saves
power and provides more
visibility, he said, but they
also last eight to 10 years
while fluorescent lights
only last a year at a time.
Librarian Dena Brad-
ford said the difference
between the old and new
lights was “amazing.”
“Some days I have to
keep the blinds closed
while the children are
in here because the sun
comes right through (and
gets in their eyes),” she
oversee rental and clean-
ing operations, as well as
separating groundskeep-
ing duties for athletic
fields and city parks un-
der separate supervisors
with their own team of
subordinates. With one
grounds crew for all facil-
ities, Doherty said, work
was “so tactical every
day, and things would
be missed because they
would be so inundated.”
“We want our parks
to look presentable and
professional, where peo-
ple leave there wanting to
come back,” he added.
Doherty wants to in-
crease both youth and
adult programming, in-
cluding tournaments in
multiple sports, fitness
programs and youth
sports like soccer, la-
crosse, volleyball and ar-
chery.
“You’ll see some gain
there over the next six
months, but we’re using
the ‘drip method’ to bring
those gradually to max
■ George Rush; 1504 7th Av-
enue North; electrical; Jimmie
Chism
■ Eddie Jolene Shoemaker;
2619 McArthur Drive; electri-
cal; same
■ Magnolia Enterprises; 3500
Bluecutt Road; mechanical;
Stella Air
■ Housing Inc.; 927 Ruffin
Road; mechanical’ Weathers
Air Conditioning Inc.
■ Military Lee LLC; 1815
Military Road; mechanical;
Patterson HVAC
■ Fred W Ensz; 312-B Firrest
Boulevard; plumbing; P & H
Plumbing
■ Frank Loftis; 1607 6th
Avenue South; plumbing; P &
H Plumbing
■ Mac Davis Properties; 406
Tuscaloosa Road; plumbing; P
& H Plumbing
■ Joseph N Studdard; 325
College Street; plumbing; John
Caddis
■ 713 Spruce Street Colum-
bus MS Trust; 713 Spruce
Street; plumbing; P & H
Plumbing
Jan. 22
na Brooks; Jan. 22
■ Johnathan Bryant Paula
Laster; Jan. 23
■ Allen Trimuel and Audrey
Jones; Jan. 28
■ Shuntez Clay and Ayanna
Berry; Jan. 28
■ Michael Barnes and Mary
Hall; Jan. 28
■ Travis Vayda and Barbara
Wagner; Jan. 29
■ Douglas Glenn and Kaitlyn
Oswalt; Jan. 30
Divorces
■ Abdallah Ahmad Amro and
Evelyn Rosa Estrada; Jan. 7
■ Wilie T. Dunlap and Eunice
S. Dunlap; Jan. 12
■ Theodoric S. James and
Joanna J. James; Jan. 13
■ Lucy Curry Akbar and Talat
Abdul Akbar; Jan. 13
■ Desmond Hubbard and Kim-
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
said. “It’s really bright, es- Spears said.
pecially in the spring and Labat and Spears both
early summer months, so said they hope to continue
this is going to be a tre- the district’s engagement
mendous help.” with TVA, such as con-
CMSD Board Presi- sulting for future electri-
dent Jason Spears said cal projects and having
more energy-efficient TVA employees speak to
lighting benefits the en- Columbus High School
tire district long-term. seniors about their career
“If there’s less dollars options.
that go toward keeping Tate, a TVA communi-
the lights on and chang- ty representative, said he
ing the equipment, there’s looks forward to talking
more dollars that go to- to students.
ward the children sitting “(We’ll be) telling
in the seats,” Spears said. them where we came
CMSD is currently from and where we’ve
working on a capital im- been,” he said. “We didn’t
provement program for have much growing up,
the Franklin building and now look at every-
with the goal of “mod- one working at TVA be-
ernizing it and providing ing successful, and TVA
a more conducive envi- doing a lot for the school
ronment for learning,” system.”
capacity in two years,” Cornerstone construc-
he said. “We haven’t done tion and park operations,
some of these things will cover the new payroll
before, so there may be expenses, Doherty said.
some areas where we This year, the total bud-
have to take a timeout to get for Parks and Recre-
step back and adjust as ation is $1.6 million.
we go.” Mayor Lynn Spruill
Parks and Recreation said she appreciates
immediately is seeking a the fresh eyes Doherty
Cornerstone Park super- brought to how Parks
visor, grounds manager and Recreation is man-
and marketing manager, aged, and she supports
all of whom will support his plan.
the complex under con-
“The proposal he’s
struction. Turf, conces-
made makes sense to
sion stands and other
me,” Spruill said. “Parks
structures will begin go-
spark tourism, and es-
ing up there in March,
Doherty said, with the pecially when we come
entire project set for com- out of this pandemic, we
pletion in March 2022. want to be ready to roll.”
Meanwhile, work contin- Staff buy-in for the
ues at the Sportsplex to new plan, Doherty said,
convert baseball and soft- has been crucial.
ball fields to “multi-pur- “They understand it,
pose” recreation fields, and they are behind it,”
he said. he said. “Without that,
The department’s gen- we wouldn’t have gotten
eral revenue allotment as far as we have. … It’s
from the city and revenue going to take us some
from the 1-percent tour- time, but we’re going to
ism sales tax used to fund get there.”
■ MCD Properties LLC; 34
Glenwood Drive; plumbing;
Pollard’s Plumbing
■ David Rowery; 111 East-
wood Drive; Plumbing; Tabor
Plumbing
■ Gretta Gardner; 1214 4th
Street South; plumbing; Tabor
Plumbing
Lowndes County
Feb. 3, 2021
■ Executive Real Estates; 60
Mike Parra Road; Install sign;
Knight Sign Industries Inc.
■ Sonny Sanders; 303 W.
Artesia Road; Set up mobile
home; Jessie James
■ Sonny Sanders; 303 W.
Artesia Road; Move mobile
home; Alan’s Mobile Home
■ Rick McGill; 90 Coulter
Street; Remodel s/f residence;
Ray Livingston
■ Anderika Murphy; 436 S.
Frontage Road; Demolish s/f
residence; Owner
■ Spec; Thorton Drive; Con-
struct s/f residence; Next Gen
Contracting LLC
berly Hubbard; Jan. 14
■ Justin Frye and Chesney
Frye; Jan. 15
LOCAL GAS PRICES
Source: gasbuddy.com
COLUMBUS
2.09 SPIRIT
97 Alabama St.
2.09 MURPHY USA
1913-A US-45 N
2.11 SHELL
166 W Plymouth Bluff Access
STARKVILLE
2.07 MURPHY USA
1012 MS-12
2.07 WALMART
105 Market St.
2.09 SHELL
101 Academy Rd.
Sports
NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
SPORTS LINE
662-241-5000
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021
B
SECTION

Six Columbus High football players announce next steps

BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
At Columbus High
School’s 2020 National
Signing Day ceremony,
four Falcons football
players signed their let-
ters of intent to continue
their careers.
On Wednesday, in the
school’s 2021 edition of
the event, that number
was up to six.
For coach Joshua Pul-
phus, who just complet-
ed his second season in
charge of the Falcons,
that’s just the progress
he was hoping to see.
“It’s amazing,” Pul-
phus said. “For us to use
our athletic ability to
gain an education, that’s
what it’s all about.”
Wednesday morning,
Columbus sent off six
players who play a vari-
ety of positions to four
different junior colleges
across the state of Mis-
sissippi.
“Just to see the major-
ity of them around and
on Thursday nights to
run up there and check
them out, it’s going to be
great,” Pulphus said.
To see three of the
2020 Falcons, the coach
won’t have to travel very
far. Linebacker Steven
Cattledge Jr., quarter-
back Ethan Conner and
running back/defensive
back Karon Hawk Jr. all
signed to play for East
Mississippi Community
College.
“It was a dream,”
Hawk said. “I used to
play Pee Wee football
with them, and going to
the next level with them
is cool.”
Hawk was a first-year
starter in the secondary
for the Falcons, posting
four interceptions as he
adjusted to his new posi-
tion.
“I like the ball being
in my hands a lot, and
when I transitioned to
Theo DeRosa/Dispatch Staff
defense, I had to get the Six Columbus High School senior football players signed their national letters of
hang of it,” he said. intent at Wednesday morning’s National Signing Day ceremony. Front row, from
Conner is another left: Karon Hawk Jr. (East Mississippi CC), Steven Turner (East Central CC) and
Falcon accustomed to Ethan Conner (EMCC). Back row: head coach Joshua Pulphus, Johnathon Dickerson
See COLUMBUS, 3B (Mississippi Delta CC), Steven Cattledge (EMCC) and Jaylen Harrison (Itawamba CC).

MSU’s game MISSISSIPPI STATE BASEBALL

against
Tennessee
postponed
How MSU’s Hatcher, Jordan and Allen turned
BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com
draft night disappointment into fuel for 2021
STARKVILLE —
Mississippi State’s
Thursday contest
against No. 18 Tennes-
see has been postponed
due to COVID-19 issues
within the Volunteers’
program a source with
knowledge of the situa-
tion told The Dispatch.
MSU officially an-
nounced the cancellation
Wednesday afternoon.
No makeup date be-
tween the two schools
has been announced of
yet. It’s expected MSU
will look to fill its hole in
the calendar with a game
on Sunday, though an op-
ponent for that potential
contest has not been de-
termined as the Bulldog
staff works through its
options.
If a game is not added,
MSU would next be in ac-
tion Feb. 11 against No. 16
Arkansas.
With the cancellation
of Thursday’s game, MSU
will have had more than
a week off between SEC
games for the second time
this season. The Bulldogs
previously had a 10-day
layoff between losses to
No. 7 Texas A&M and
No. 2 South Carolina after
Vanderbilt decided to opt
out of the rest of the sea-
Mississippi State athletics
son.
Tanner Allen is one of three juniors, along with Josh Hatcher and Rowdey Jordan, who likely would’ve been drafted into the MLB in a
MSU currently sits at normal year, but returned to Mississippi State due to draft shrinking from 40 rounds to just five.
8-5 and 3-4 in the SEC
after falling to South Car- BY BEN PORTNOY just five, all three return to an Alabama native has been a fix- and I just think I really started
olina last week. The Bull- bportnoy@cdispatch.com MSU roster poised for a legiti- ture in the lineup since arriv- to work on what I needed to
dogs sit under.500 in SEC
mate run at the program’s first ing on campus as a freshman. work on and what was com-
play for the first time STARKVILLE — Missis- national championship. Not the largest guy at 5-foot- fortable for me. Then during
since the 2014-15 sea- sippi State outfielder Tanner “You come to school and 11, 190 pounds, Allen still the fall I came here and put it
son and have fallen to Allen’s post-practice routine is you play and you expect to swings with plenty of pop and all together, and right now I
No. 24 in the Associat- simple. get drafted after your junior has serious gap-to-gap power. just feel really, really good.”
ed Press Top 25. Should After helping shag balls year, and then it kind of gets Missing the bulk of last sea- With a stifling arsenal of
the Bulldogs fall out of and running through his nec- taken away from you,” Jordan son due to a broken bone in his arms on the mound, MSU,
the poll, it would break essary batting practice, he explained. “Plans change, but hand, he’s a career .315 hitter for the first time in recent
a 125-week streak. heads for the batting cages at the end of the day it is what with 43 doubles and 12 home memory, will be tasked with
tucked in the underbelly of it is. There ain’t no changing runs in parts of three years in finding ways to manufacture
Dudy Noble Field to get in ex- it. It can be tough at times, but Starkville. more offense in 2021 given the
tra work. Swing after swing, everything happens for a rea- And then there’s Hatcher. losses of Westburg and Fos-
Heritage he cracks baseballs. Some fly son.” Last we saw the lefty, his dou- cue to the professional ranks.
seniors Jackson, high; some are low; some are In each of Allen, Hatcher ble off the wall in Biloxi helped The returning trio of Allen,
on a rope.
Flowers finalize But after a recent practice,
and Jordan, there’s something
a touch different about their
MSU to a two-game sweep of
then No. 4 Texas Tech before
Jordan and Hatcher should
steady what will be an other-
college choices as Allen wove beneath MSU’s games. Jordan is the most pre- COVID-19 canceled the rest of wise youthful starting lineup,
cathedral to college baseball, cocious of the bunch. A fast- the season days later. Hatcher as all three have played a full
BY THEO DEROSA he heard the cracking of bats
tderosa@cdispatch.com talking, speedy center fielder has spent less time in the line- SEC slate.
in the cages before he had ar- out of Auburn, Alabama, he up than most third-year guys And while Westburg, Fos-
rived. It was a trio of freshmen was given the unenviable task who were expected to be draft- cue and a handful of others
LaDarius Flowers
taking extra reps. of replacing Southeastern ed, but he seemed poised for associated with MSU are off
found a fun, close-knit
“Practice is a big part of our Conference all-time hits lead- a breakout year in 2020. Now playing minor league ball,
atmosphere when he
program,” Allen said. “You’ve er Jake Mangum in the top back in the fold this spring, there’s a feeling among MSU’s
came to Heritage Acad-
just got to come out and attack of the Bulldogs’ lineup a year the Georgia product won’t hit three returning juniors that,
emy and joined the foot-
every day.” ago. Not one to hit for power, for the most pop in the world, for whatever reason it is they
ball team.
In a normal year, neither Al- Jordan showed an ability to get but he’s deadly in the gaps and were passed up on draft night,
John Jackson found
len nor classmates Rowdey Jor- on base at the top of the MSU is a likely candidate to lead sticking in Starkville for one
the state championship
dan and Josh Hatcher would order that proved invaluable MSU in extra-base hits. more season feels right.
he’d long been seeking
be playing in Starkville this through the Bulldogs’ pan- “At the end of last year I was “I think, when it’s all said
when he transferred in.
spring. But with COVID-19 demic-shortened campaign really hitting my stride; I was and done,” Jordan said, “I’m
And on Wednesday,
cutting the 2020 season short last season. really starting to pick up and going to look back and I’m go-
both players found a
after just 16 games and the Allen is the most known play how I know I can play, and ing to think this is going to be
chance at a new oppor-
MLB draft being shortened commodity of the group. A then it gets cut short,” Hatch- the best thing that’s ever hap-
See HERITAGE, 3B from its usual 40 rounds to one-time LSU commit, the er said. “So we’re back home, pened for me.”
2B THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021
Alabama, SEC powers rake in highly rated recruiting hauls
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Alabama dominated
the recruiting landscape,
but the other Southeast-
ern Conference powers
also fared well.
The Crimson Tide
pulled in the nation’s No.
1 class for the ninth time
in 11 years and the stron-
gest class yet, at least ac-
cording to the 247Sports
composite rankings.
The SEC had three of
the top four classes. Geor-
gia, last year’s recruiting
champion, finished third,
and LSU fourth.
The rich got richer on
signing day.
Defending national
champion Alabama got
a pledge from four-star
safety Terrion Stanford
on Wednesday.
Running back Camar
Wheaton of Garland,
Texas, became the Tide’s
seventh five-star signee
earlier in the day. He’ll
join Brian Robinson Jr.,
former five-star recruit
Trey Sanders and others
in the mix to replace all-
Super Bowl could be farewell for several pending free agents
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
It’s unlikely Patrick
Mahomes and Tom Brady
will have their same re-
ceiving corps next sea-
son.
Kansas City and Tam-
pa Bay have several
starters, including some
notable pass catchers,
scheduled to become
free agents next month.
With the NFL salary cap
going down for the first
time since 2011 — it’s
projected to decrease by
more than $20 million
because of COVID-19 re-
percussions — teams will
have difficult decisions
to make in the coming
weeks.
So the Super Bowl
between the Chiefs and
Buccaneers will serve
as a farewell for several
players with their current
team. Here’s a look at
some of the game’s most
prominent names slated
to hit the open market (in
alphabetical order):
—Bucs pass rusher
Shaq Barrett, who led
the NFL with 19½ sacks
in 2019, played under a
Championship pedigree: Chiefs rarely falter in tense moments
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KANSAS CITY,
Mo. — The Kansas City
Chiefs would be the first
to tell you that the final
score is all that matters.
All but twice this sea-
son, they’ve been on the
right end of it.
But the defending
champions also would be
the first to tell you the fi-
nal score doesn’t always
tell the whole story. That
much is evident in gazing
at the results of this sea-
son.
The Chiefs won seven
straight games by one
possession, two clear of
the previous NFL record,
including one against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
— their Super Bowl oppo-
nent Sunday.
Yet not all of them were
as close as critics want to
believe. Four were two-
score games with five
minutes to go, and in
most cases, the Chiefs
offense was able to close
things out without break-
ing much of a sweat.
“We won a lot of games
this year off different
guys making plays, of-
fense, defense or special
teams,” Chiefs linebacker
Anthony Hitchens said. “I
keep saying that. We find
a way to win and that’s
what good teams do.”
Perhaps their close-
game success is a direct
result of the champion-
ship pedigree that came
out of last season.
The Chiefs were com-
ing off a loss to Tom Brady
and the Patriots in the
time leading rusher Najee
Harris.
The Tide also signed
four wide receivers who
can compete to fill a void
with the loss of Heisman
Trophy winner DeVonta
Smith and Jaylen Waddle.
Not to mention first-round
draft picks Henry Ruggs
III and Jerry Jeudy a year
earlier.
“I think there’s a lot of
balance in this class,” Al-
abama coach Nick Saban
said. “But as I always talk
about, we’re not really in-
terested in rankings or
ratings or anything like
that because I think that
how guys develop in your
program is really what
is the most important
thing.”
The SEC wasn’t quite
as collectively strong as
last year, when the league
had six of the top eight
classes.
The SEC has seven of
the top 20 classes, with
Texas A&M coming in at
No. 7 and Florida at No.
13, followed by Tennessee
(16) and Mississippi (18).
one-year, $15.9 million
franchise tag in 2020. He
has 11 sacks this season,
including three in the
NFC championship game
against Green Bay. Tam-
pa is close to $30 million
under the estimated sal-
ary cap and might spend
a good chunk of it on the
28-year-old linebacker.
“I’m not expecting that
I would be going any-
where else,” said Barrett,
who rented a home the
last two years and wants
to “start laying roots” in
Tampa.
n Chiefs running back
LeVeon Bell made nearly
$14 million in 2020, with
most of that being paid
by the New York Jets. He
considered signing with
Buffalo and Miami before
landing in Kansas City,
which is unlikely to bring
him back. The Chiefs are
an estimated $20 million
over the projected cap.
n Bucs receiver An-
tonio Brown might be
out of the league if not
for Brady. Brown signed
a one-year, $1.6 million
contract with Tampa in
late October and has been
AFC championship game,
when they famously failed
to stop New England
in overtime and never
gave Patrick Mahomes
and their own offense a
chance with the ball. It
was the latest in a series
of late-game meltdowns
that left critics wondering
whether they would ever
get to the big one.
Well, the Chiefs did.
And they did it while still
struggling in one-score
games. The Chiefs rolled
to a 12-4 record in the
regular season, but they
were just 5-4 in games de-
cided by one possession,
and none of their games
on their playoff march —
except their rally past San
Francisco in the Super
Bowl — wound up being
that close.
This season has been a
different story entirely.
The Chiefs beat the
Chargers 23-20 in Week
2. Then, starting with a
game against the Pan-
thers in early Novem-
ber, the Chiefs rattled
off seven close wins in a
row. Carolina missed a
field goal that would have
beaten the Chiefs. They
pieced together a winning
drive against Las Vegas,
then held onto enough of
a big early lead to beat
Tampa Bay.
They followed with
wins over the Broncos,
Dolphins and Saints. And
by the time they watched
the Falcons miss a 39-
yard field goal to escape
with a 17-14 win in Week
16, they had locked up the
No. 1 seed in the AFC and
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
Most players signed in
December with many al-
ready on campus.
“I don’t look at this as
a signing day Zoom be-
cause our class was pret-
ty much done in Decem-
ber,” Georgia coach Kirby
Smart told reporters.
Texas A&M’s top sign-
ee was defensive tackle
Shemar Turner, rated as
the nation’s No. 21 pros-
pect and third best at his
position. Texas A&M also
nabbed a pledge from
running back LJ Johnson.
It was the Aggies’ third
straight class ranked in
the Top 7 for a program
that was a College Foot-
ball Playoff contender last
season.
It’s another step toward
coach Jimbo Fisher’s goal
of stacking top classes
together “to create the
competition, to create the
depth and create what you
want to do.”
Blue-chip blockers
SEC teams have loaded
up on some of the nation’s
top offensive linemen,
a model citizen since. Al-
though he might want to
test free agency, it’s un-
clear if anyone would take
a chance on him.
n Bucs linebacker
Lavonte David has been
a mainstay in Tampa’s
lineup for nine years. He’s
wrapping up a five-year,
$50.25 million deal, but no
one would be surprised to
see the 31-year-old defen-
sive leader remain in his
home state (maybe even
at a discounted rate) for
the rest of his pro career.
n Tampa Bay running
back Leonard Fournette
was cut by Jacksonville
days before the regu-
lar season and landed
in Tampa on a one-year,
$2.5 million deal. He has
provided a nice 1-2 punch
with Ronald Jones, but
likely will head elsewhere
in hopes of becoming a
featured back again.
“When I’m healthy, the
sky’s the limit,” Fournette
said.
n Bucs receiver Chris
Godwin missed several
games early this season,
but the 2017 third-round
draft pick from Penn State
a first-round playoff bye.
“This team is definite-
ly resilient,” said backup
quarterback Chad Henne,
who took over when Ma-
homes sustained a con-
cussion in the divisional
round against Cleveland,
then threw an audacious
pass in the final minutes
to convert on fourth down
that allowed Kansas City
to run out the clock on a
22-17 victory.
“Down in some games
in the fourth quarter, we
come back to win,” Henne
said, “or the defense gets
a big stop for us and we
get the ball back with a
chance to win as well.
Definitely resilient. Those
tough games and the best
shot we got from every
team is definitely going to
help push us through.”
Therein lies the upshot
of all those close games:
The Chiefs are never
nervous when things get
tense.
“We might not have
been able to handle that
with our 2018 team,” Ma-
homes said of that playoff
win over the Browns, “but
we’ve been through that
adversity. We’ve been
through those battles.”
To put in perspective
the dominance Kan-
sas City has shown in
one-possession games,
the Buccaneers were 3-3
in those situations during
the regular season, in-
cluding back-to-back loss-
es to the Rams and Chiefs
by a field goal.
“In this league, you’ve
just got to stay aggres-
sive all the time. Teams
especially Alabama. The
Tide signed the top two
tackles — JC Latham and
Tommy Brockermeyer —
while the Bulldogs landed
No. 3 Amarius Mims and
No. 9 Micah Morris. The
second-rated guard, Ter-
rence Ferguson, and No.
1 center James Brocker-
meyer also signed with
Alabama. Two Top 20
tackles and No. 5-rated
guard Bryce Foster opted
for Texas A&M.
LSU’s bonanza
The Tigers’ slip to a
.500 record following
their national title didn’t
appear to slow Ed Org-
eron & Co. down on the
recruiting trail. Orgeron
landed a pair of five-star
recruits, defensive tackle
Maason Smith and safety
Sage Ryan. Both are rated
No. 2 at their position in
the composite rankings.
The Tigers also signed
two of the nation’s top-rat-
ed running backs, Armo-
ni Goodwin and Corey
Kiner.
has proven his worth with
five touchdown catches in
the last six games. Gen-
eral manager Jason Licht
insists Godwin is in the
team’s long-term plans.
“I’m very much aware
off all those different pos-
sibilities, but what I’ve
done this whole season
is to not focus on it,” God-
win said. “At this point, all
of those things are out of
my control.”
n Veteran tight end
Rob Gronkowski came
out of retirement to join
Brady in Tampa and be
close to his mom in Fort
Myers. He started every
game for the first time
since 2011. He has 45
receptions for 623 yards
and seven touchdowns af-
ter signing a one-year, $9
million deal. If he wants
to play another season,
the Bucs will find a way to
make it work.
n Bucs running back
LeSean McCoy has a
chance to become the
ninth player in NFL histo-
ry to collect consecutive
Super Bowl rings with
different teams, joining
an exclusive club that
are just too good,” Chiefs
coach Andy Reid said.
“You have to do the best
you can to score points
and stop them.
“That’s really what it
comes down to. There’s
so much parity in this
league, such a small mar-
gin between winning and
— even during the reg-
ular season. You’re not
going to be using many
four-corner stalls. That’s
not how you’re going to
roll.”
No longer old ‘Shady,’
Bucs’ McCoy has shot
at Super repeat
LeSean McCoy knows
the end is near.
Maybe after the Super
Bowl. Maybe after next
season.
The 32-year-old Tam-
pa Bay Buccaneers run-
ning back isn’t quite sure
when he’ll take the final
snap of a terrific career
during which he has gone
from rising star to All-Pro
do-it-all dynamo to veter-
an backup. But McCoy
certainly won’t complain
about where the journey
has ended up.
Back-to-back Super
Bowls. With two franchis-
es.
“First of all, I’ve got to
let you know that I’m the
rabbit’s foot,” McCoy said
with a big grin. “When
I go to a team, I make it
happen.”
All joking aside, if the
Buccaneers can beat his
former squad — the Kan-
sas City Chiefs — on Sun-
day, that difficult decision
New coaches
The league’s four new
head coaches tried to
strengthen the recruiting
hands they were dealt,
with mixed results. Ten-
nessee lost some commit-
ments — and had a few
current players transfer
— following the abrupt fir-
ing of coach Jeremy Pruitt
and nine others on Jan. 18
for cause after an internal
investigation found what
the university chancellor
called “serious violations
of NCAA rules.”
New coach Josh Heu-
pel salvaged a Top 20
class, the best among the
new SEC coaches. Au-
burn climbed to 30th with
some spots left to fill for
Bryan Harsin. Vanderbilt
coach Clark Rea’s class
was at No. 49.
South Carolina’s Shane
Beamer’s initial class
stands at No. 76 without a
player rated higher than a
three-star.
Passers
Georgia was the
includes Deion Sanders
and LeGarrette Blount.
He’s already weighing his
future: whether to stick
around a little longer as a
backup or retire at age 32.
“If I get a second cham-
pionship, with everything
I’ve accomplished, it
might be over,” he said.
“You never know. I’ll re-
visit that later.”
n Chiefs receiver De-
marcus Robinson is third
on the team with a ca-
reer-high 45 catches after
signing a one-year deal
to remain in Kansas City.
He hasn’t missed a game
in five seasons, but the
Chiefs wouldn’t miss him
much if he walked.
n Chiefs safety Daniel
Sorensen is having a ca-
reer year. He led the team
with 91 tackles in the reg-
ular season to go along
with three interceptions.
He’s on the wrong side of
30, but he would be a bar-
gain at $4 million a year.
n Bucs defensive line-
man Ndamukong Suh
made six sacks while
starting every game for
the ninth consecutive
season. He turned 34
about his future might be
made for him. Sealed with
another ring.
“If I get two champion-
ships, I mean, with all my
resume, it might be over,”
McCoy said. “But you nev-
er know. So, I’ll just take it
every day and I’ll kind of
revisit that when the time
presents itself.”
McCoy is simply enjoy-
ing the moment, cherish-
ing an opportunity that
was more elusive than
any of the moves he rou-
tinely flashed as one of
the NFL’s top playmakers
in his prime.
“They always give me
the stories about how
they would play me in the
video games while they
were in high school,” Mc-
Coy said of his Bucs team-
mates.
He spent his first six
seasons in Philadelphia
before four in Buffalo.
And never sniffed a Super
Bowl.
There were some off-
field issues, too, includ-
ing being accused by an
ex-girlfriend of physical
abuse — allegations Mc-
Coy vehemently denied.
The lawsuit was later set-
tled.
The Bills cut him after
training camp in 2019,
and McCoy signed with
Kansas City and his for-
mer Eagles coach Andy
Reid. That came after a
bit of soul searching.
“I had so many teams
reaching out to me,” Mc-
Coy recalled. “I was like,
man, do I chase the mon-
ey or do I chase winning?
I want to win.”
league’s big winner in the
hunt for a quarterback,
signing five-star pros-
pect Brock Vandagriff.
The rest of the QB group
includes LSU signee Gar-
rett Nussmeier, the son of
Dallas Cowboys quarter-
backs coach Doug Nuss-
meier, a former Alabama
and Florida offensive co-
ordinator.
Kiffin’s class
Lane Kiffin had suc-
cess on the recruiting
trail after his debut sea-
son at Mississippi. The
Rebels scored their high-
est rated class since Hugh
Freeze’s Top-5 group in
2016. Defensive tackle Ty-
wone Malone joined the
ranks on signing day. The
No. 62 overall prospect
and sixth-rated tackle
also wants to play base-
ball.
The latest class, after
Kiffin’s first full recruit-
ing cycle in Oxford, in-
cludes four-star quarter-
back Luke Altmyer out of
Mississippi State’s back
yard in Starkville.
last month and might be
willing to sign another
one-year deal to stay in
Tampa.
n Chiefs receiver Sam-
my Watkins has missed
14 games in three years
with Kansas City, raising
questions about his dura-
bility. He took a pay cut
to remain with the Chiefs
in 2020, but at $9 million,
he was far from a bargain.
Would be take less to fit
around Mahomes’ bal-
looning contract?
“I want to win,” Wat-
kins said. “Early in my
career, I was not like that.
I always wanted the ball.
I still want the ball, but I
understand now it is team
goals. The three years I
have been here, we have
had the opportunities to
play in the Super Bowl,
and that is what it is about.
“I could have been
on any other team and
getting 1,000 yards and
losing. Here, I am on a
great team and winning.
I might not have the stats
and 10,000 yards and Hall
of Fame, but, man, I could
have two rings or three
rings or four rings.”
And he finally got to
the big game. McCoy
went from being a starter
early in the season to be-
ing inactive for the Chiefs’
win over San Francisco
a year ago, but he was
thrilled to be a champion.
Here he is again, a vic-
tory away from a repeat
— even if he’s far from a
focal point on offense.
“The role has changed
for me, but the goal
hasn’t,” he said. “The
goal is to win the champi-
onship. I want to be part
of that.”
McCoy is buried on the
depth chart behind Ron-
ald Jones and Leonard
Fournette. That explains
the lack of production in
the regular season: 10
carries for 31 yards, and
15 catches for 101 yards.
McCoy has played just
three snaps in the play-
offs.
Not exactly shades of
“Shady” from his earlier
days.
“His legacy is set in
stone,” Bucs running
backs coach Todd Mc-
Nair said. “He’s been a
phenomenal player. And
the thing about it is these
younger guys, they re-
member watching Shady.
They’ve seen him play
throughout his career. I
know all of them, they’ve
got a healthy level of re-
spect for him. And I lean
on him to offer his expe-
rience.”
McCoy insists he’s OK
where he’s at after gradu-
ally coming to grips with
his role last year while
with the Chiefs.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 3B

Mahomes the rare quarterback with no weakness

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
When it comes to judging
the best quarterbacks, they
all seem to have at least one
deficiency.
Whether it’s pocket pass-
ers like Tom Brady and Pey-
ton Manning who may not be
adept at scrambling, or dead-
eye accurate ones like Drew
Brees and Joe Montana who
might lack elite arm strength,
or strong-armed throwers
like John Elway or Brett Fa-
vre who weren’t always the
most accurate.
For others, the missing in-
gredient might have been de-
cision-making, poise, leader-
ship or any of the more than a
dozen traits that make the top
quarterbacks as successful as
they are.
That’s what makes Patrick
Mahomes so special. There’s
just about nothing he isn’t
elite at.
“Mahomes checks so many
boxes. It’s really hard to de-
scribe to people how special
this guy is,” CBS game ana-
lyst Tony Romo said. “I can’t
think of somebody in history
that you just go through and
keep going because everyone
has a weakness and you’re
trying to find everyone’s
weakness as an analyst or ev-
ery team’s scheme weakness
and figure it out. I really feel
like he’s just the rare guy.”
Mahomes combines arm
strength that rivals almost
any peer, with the ability to
scramble or make plays on
the run, with the accuracy
and decision making that
limit crippling mistakes, with
the poise under pressure and
leadership that have helped
lead the Kansas City Chiefs
to their second straight Super
Bowl appearance.
In his short time as a start-
ing quarterback, Mahomes
has put together perhaps the
best three-year stretch of
play the game has ever seen.
Including the playoffs, he
has thrown for 15,922 yards
since the start of 2018 with
131 TD passes, while winning
the 2018 AP MVP award, the
Super Bowl MVP last season
and is in position for another
title on Sunday against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
That would make the
25-year-old Mahomes the
youngest quarterback ever
with two Super Bowl wins,
reaching the mark a year be-
fore Brady and Ben Roethlis-
berger both did.
“I don’t think there’s a
play that he doesn’t think he
can make,” Brady said. “He
thinks he can make every
play, which tells you the kind
of confidence he has in his
own game.”
Mahomes has gotten to
this stage by thriving at al-
most every aspect of the
game whether it be under
pressure, against the blitz,
from a clean pocket, on the
run or on almost any pattern
thrown nearly any distance.
But there are a few areas
where Mahomes stands out
more than others, according
to data tracked in the regular
season and playoffs this sea-
son by SportRadar.
The first question for de-
fenses when facing the Chiefs
is whether to send extra rush-
ers to try to disrupt Mahomes
or sit back in coverage and
hope to get pressure with four
rushes.
The Bucs are one of the
most blitz-happy teams, send-
ing extra rushers on more
than 40% of pass plays for
the fifth highest rate in the
league. That’s a strategy that
doesn’t typically work well
against Mahomes, who has a
league-best 126.7 passer rat-
ing with 14 TD passes and no
interceptions against the blitz
in the regular season and
playoffs.
Tampa Bay cut its blitz by
more than half in the first
meeting when Mahomes
gashed the Bucs for 462 yards
and three TDs. Two of those
TDs came on the nine pass
attempts against the blitz but
Mahomes also went 31 for
40 for 373 yards and a score
against conventional rushes.
Mahomes threw all six of
his interceptions this sea-
son when he wasn’t rushed
by more than four defenders
but still posted an impressive
104.3 rating in those situa-
tions.
Mahomes was the only
qualifying QB in the league
who didn’t throw an intercep-
tion this season when he was
under pressure as he handles
that better than most of his
peers. He’s particularly dan-
gerous when he’s able to es-
cape the pocket to his right,
throwing 11 TDs on 89 passes
with a 120 rating.
He also makes plays with
his legs, leading the league
with seven first-down runs
when needing at least seven
yards to go on third down.
“They’re the best at what
they do as far as that goes,”
Bucs cornerbacks coach Kev-
in Ross said. “The only com-
parison I would have with that
with Mahomes is probably
John Elway. John Elway could
sprint to his right or sprint
to his left and throw the ball
back across the field, 70 yards
on a rope. Patrick has that
ability. You can’t go to sleep
on it. You really don’t know
what it feels like until you ac-
tually go against it.”
Mahomes and the Chiefs
can pick apart defenses with
any pass route. SportRadar
tracks 12 different routes in
its database, and Mahomes
has a rating higher than 100
on 10 of those routes, led by
his 141.8 rating on crossing
routes that allow his speedy
receivers to get loose in the
secondary.
Mahomes also thrives on
corner and go routes as his
strong arm helps him make
some of the more difficult
throws. The only ones where
he struggled at all this season
came on comebackers and in-
routes, where his rating was
in the 70s.
Tom Brady has denied 27
QBs in unparalleled playoff
success
When a baby-faced Tom
Brady made his first trip to the
Super Bowl 19 years ago, Kurt
Warner served up the main
headline at media day by re-
vealing he wanted to be remem-
bered as the first quarterback
to win five Super Bowls.
That was one more than Ter-
ry Bradshaw and Joe Montana.
It was also four more than
Warner had, but the St. Louis
Rams’ QB and engineer of the
“Greatest Show on Turf” insist-
ed at the time that it wasn’t a
pipe dream.
“Is it realistic? I believe it is,”
he mused that day inside the
Superdome in New Orleans. “I
believe every time I step on the
field I can win and we can go to
the Super Bowl.”
As it turned out, there was
indeed a swashbuckling quar-
terback in Super Bowl 36 that
would go on to amass an unpar-
alleled playoff resume and an
unmatched collection of rings.
Brady began his run as the
most successful QB in NFL his-
tory by leading the two-touch-
down underdog Patriots to a 20-
17 win over Rams that weekend.
Warner went into broadcast-
ing and entered the Pro Football
Hall of Fame having never hoist-
ed a second Lombardi Trophy.
Brady is shooting for his
seventh ring when he leads the
Buccaneers (14-5) against the
reigning champion Chiefs (16-
2) in Super Bowl 55 on Sunday.
Brady’s postseason record in-
cludes a 33-11 mark, 14 confer-
ence championship appearances
and 10 trips to the Super Bowl.
He’s beaten 27 quarterbacks in
the playoffs, including Byron
Leftwich, his current offensive
coordinator and former Jaguars
QB whom he got the better of in
the 2006 wild-card round.
The long list also includes
Patrick Mahomes, whom Brady
edged 37-31 in overtime of the
AFC championship two years
ago on his way to his sixth and
final Super Bowl parade with
the Patriots. After that game,
Brady visited Mahomes in the
Chiefs locker room to console
the young quarterback and as-
sure him he’d have many more
chances to get to the Super
Bowl.
Mahomes made it last year
and led KC to its first champi-
onship in half a century. He’s
guided the Chiefs to the cusp
of the NFL’s first back-to-back
championships since Brady did
it following the 2003 and ‘04
seasons.

Columbus
Continued from Page 1B
having plenty of touch- he put in — the blood, sooner for Cattledge ed,” Pulphus said. his first year starting, knew where he wanted
es. As Columbus’ start- sweat and tears he put and Conner than for Dickerson will con- slotting among the top to go.”
ing quarterback the past in.” most. Both Falcons are tinue his ninth-grade 10 players in MHSA A Turner said ECCC is
two seasons, the 6 -foot- Conner said he hopes academic qualifiers, connection with former Class 5A in that catego- a good school that will
4 senior showcased his to excel at EMCC and meaning they can only Falcons assistant coach ry. get him prepared for
arm and physical frame, earn a chance to play for play one season at the Tobias Smith, now the “It means every- the real world — exactly
excelling at running the a bigger D-I program in junior college level be- Trojans’ O-line coach, thing,” he said of join-
what Pulphus is hoping
ball. the future. So did Cat- fore seeking a new op- and he’ll major in busi- ing the Indians. “It’s a
for when it comes to his
Listed as simply “ath- tledge, a star linebacker portunity. ness when he gets to dream come true.”
lete” by the Lions, Con- who totaled 300 tack- Offensive lineman Moorhead. He said he’s Wide receiver Ste- graduating seniors.
ner also had offers from les over the past two Johnathon Dickerson, glad his football schol- ven Turner, too, said “That’s one thing
eight other junior col- seasons and picked the who is headed to Missis- arship will help his par- he’d been waiting for that we’re doing here
leges as well as NCA A Lions over scholarship sippi Delta Community ents handle the “expen- Wednesday’s signing at Columbus: We don’t
Division I schools South offers from Louisiana, College, is in the same sive” cost of college. day for a long time. He want to make them just
Alabama (FBS) and South Alabama and boat. “It’s a really good was already sure of his football ready,” Pulphus
Austin Peay (FCS). Pul- Central Arkansas and As the only senior program,” Dickerson destination: East Cen- said. “We want to make
phus said he was glad a preferred walk-on op- starter on the Falcons’ said. tral Community Col- them college ready, ca-
to see that Conner had portunity at Mississippi O-line this season, Safety Jaylen Harri- lege, where his brother reer ready and also ser-
plenty of choices when State. Dickerson started out son will also major in Chris Deloach played vice ready.”
it came time to select a “He’s the best line- at tackle and moved to business, something he before heading to UCF.
All of the Falcons
college. backer in the state of guard, able to fill what- said was an important “Steve wanted to fol-
moving on Wednesday,
“To see him get those Mississippi, and he’s go- ever position his team factor in his college de- low in his brother’s foot-
opportunities, you can’t ing to continue to go be needed. cision. Harrison, who steps, but he also wants Pulphus said, already fit
be anything but proud better,” Pulphus said of “He wanted to make chose Itawamba Com- to be better than his that description.
and pleased,” Pulphus Cattledge. “He’s going sure the younger guys munity College over Co- brother,” Pulphus said. “They’re going to
said. “I’m grinning ear to be playing on Sun- understood what was ahoma Community Col- “East Central sold him make the school they
to ear for him because days one day.” going on because he lege and EMCC, racked when his brother went signed with proud,” he
I know the hard work That day could come knew his time was limit- up five interceptions in to school, so he already said.

Heritage
Continued from Page 1B
tunity. chology at Sterling, — East Mississippi CC
Flowers signed his which he described as a DL Ahmir Taylor —
letter of intent to play “really good school.” East Mississippi CC
football at Sterling Col- “I think I can make it
lege in Kansas, while to the next level playing
Jackson will continue for that program,” he West Point High
his career at Northeast said. School
Mississippi Community Jackson, who picked LB Kylen Armstead
College. the Tigers over North-
— Mississippi Gulf
“Such a special day west Mississippi CC,
for John and his family has similar aspirations. Coast Community Col-
and LaDarius and his After Wednesday’s sign- lege
family,” Heritage Acad- ing, he said he was hap- OL Frank Bean —
emy football coach and py to take another step Itawamba Community
athletic director Sean toward them.
College
Harrison said. “It feels good,” Jack-
Jackson transferred son said. “Just happy.” OL Jamarr Davis —
from Columbus High Northwest Mississippi
School before the 2019 Here’s a list of Wednes- CC
season, making up part day’s other signings from DL Jaylin Rush —
of the 14-0 Patriots team Theo DeRosa/Dispatch Staff around the area:
Heritage Academy senior LaDarius Flowers signs his letter of intent to play football Itawamba CC
that powered its way Starkville High
to the MAIS Class 5A at Sterling College on Wednesday. Flowers came in last fall and helped the Patriots School WR Shavontre Ryland
to the MAIS Class 5A semifinals. — Itawamba CC
championship. Flowers DL Dewaylon Brooks
came in last fall and dream of mine since I “I’d never won a ring and his family visited — Southwest Mississip- DL Jaquarius Thomas
helped the Pats to the pi Community College — Copiah-Lincoln CC
was a little boy,” Flow- before, so it was excit- Sterling for a few days
2020 Class 5A semifi- DL Ja’Carius Hen-
ers said. ing to me,” he said. last week, talking with
nals. dricks — East Missis-
Jackson, meanwhile, Harrison called Jack- coaches and meeting Noxubee County
“It really was fun,” sippi Community Col-
Flowers said. “I was said he realized it was son a “huge part of our the players. A friend of lege High School
glad to be there.” possible to play col- team the last two years” his from Tennessee will WR Leroy Holling- DL Travorus Hatcher
Now, he’ll be 12 hours lege football when he as well as a great team- be joining him with the shed — Coahoma Com-
was in ninth grade. He mate and a hard worker. Warriors, a member of — Copiah-Lincoln CC
away in Sterling, Kan- munity College
furthered that with his “So proud to see him the National Associa- DB DaJuwuan Mum-
sas, following through RB Amariyon How-
on what he wanted to play for the Patriots, continue his education tion of Intercollegiate ard — East Mississippi phard — Copiah-Lin-
do since watching col- being named all-state at Northeast,” Harrison Athletics. CC coln CC
lege football games on at defensive line twice, said. “It’ll be good to have LB Keyshawn Law- RB Bobby Shanklin
national TV — Auburn playing in the MAIS All- And while Flowers somebody to talk to that rence — East Mississip- — Copiah-Lincoln CC
and Oregon have always Star Game this season will be headed quite I know so I don’t get pi CC
been his favorite teams and earning the coveted a ways farther, he’ll as homesick,” Flowers LB Ronnie Randle — DB Mushune Walker
— when he was young. championship memora- be prepared. The out- said. East Mississippi CC Jr. — Hinds Community
“It’s always been a bilia. side linebacker said he He will major in psy- WR Stacy Robinson College
4B THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021
DeChambeau flattered by role in golf’s rule-change proposals
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bryson DeChambeau
has been pushing the lim-
its of golf with his quest for
increased distance off the
tee.
So the game’s “mad
scientist” is flattered that
rule-makers are propos-
ing changes to regulations
in an effort to control how
far big hitters like him can
launch a golf ball.
“I think I might be
pushing them a little bit,”
a smiling DeChambeau
said Wednesday. “I don’t
know if anybody’s pushed
them like — and I’m not
really trying to push. ... I
think that I’m willing to
try things that people are
not OK with trying.
“When you go to the
fringe limits of the rules,”
Comics & Puzzles
DILBERT
ZITS
GARFIELD
CANDORVILLE
BABY BLUES
BEETLE BAILEY
MALLARD FILLMORE
he added, “there will be
conversations about it, for
sure.”
The USGA and the
R&A on Tuesday an-
nounced three proposals
and six areas of interest in-
volving the modern game.
This comes one year after
their “Distance Insights
Project” revealed a steady
increase in distance for
more than 100 years —
with average gains of
about 30 yards by PGA
Tour players in the last 25
years — and golf courses
that keep expanding.
Rory McIlroy, speaking
from the Phoenix Open,
said the governing bodies
were looking at the game
through a “tiny lens.”
“What they’re trying to
do is change something
that pertains to 0.1% of
FAMILY CIRCUS
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
the golfing community;
99.9% of the people play
this game play for enjoy-
ment, for entertainment.
They don’t need to be told
what ball or clubs to use,”
McIlroy said. “We have to
make the game as easy
and approachable as pos-
sible for the majority of
golfers.”
McIlroy said he
thought the distance proj-
ect has been “a huge waste
of time and money.”
“Because that money
that it’s cost to do this re-
port could have been way
better distributed to get-
ting people into the game,
introducing young kids to
the game, introducing mi-
norities to the game,” he
said.
Intent on not targeting
player-related factors such
as improved athleticism,
the governing bodies are
instead looking closer at
golf equipment as they
seek solutions to limiting
distances.
Among the possibil-
ities is a local rule that
could limit the length of
the shaft to no more than
46 inches, down from 48
inches. DeChambeau had
been testing a 48-inch
driver, though he has yet
to use it in competition.
“It’s funny, I’m sure
there’s a lot of excite-
ment about me having a
potentially controversial
thought on it, but I don’t,”
said DeChambeau,
speaking on a video call
from Saudi Arabia, where
he is competing in the
Saudi International on
the European Tour start-
Dear Abby
D
EAR ABBY:
I have been
dating this
guy seriously for a
year. We have talk-
ed about marriage
and we were even
looking at rings.
Due to certain
recent events, I
have come to re-
alize that my hope
for his Christianity
to grow stronger
is probably never
going to happen.
I love this man Dear Abby
with all my heart,
but I also need
a husband who will pray with
me, have a heart for God, who
will want to go to church and
make decisions by praying and
leaning on God.
We have talked about this
and what my needs are, but
he’s not sure if he will get
there. Do I hold on and hope
through my actions and life, he
will learn how to walk with God
fully, or should I let him go and
try to find someone else? —
BROKENHEARTED BELIEVER
DEAR BELIEVER: If you can’t
accept this man just the way
he is, let him go. You shouldn’t
marry anyone hoping to change
him because it wouldn’t be fair
to either of you. If faith is your
No. 1 priority, it would be better
Horoscopes
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Feb.
4). Your good luck vehicle
doesn’t have actual wheels. It
comes in the form of a problem
and the guts to figure it out.
Soon this develops into an
adventurous project. You’ll have
the love and teamwork that
makes effort a pleasure. Spring
brings professional rank and/or
publicity that turns into financial
gain. Libra and Capricorn adore
you. Your lucky numbers are: 6,
13, 28, 44 and 8.
ARIES (March 21-April 19).
Part of you is focused on enjoy-
ing the current situation with ap-
preciation, and a considerably
larger part of you has an eye out
for possibility, opportunity and
change.
ing Thursday. “I think it’s
a really cool thought pro-
cess. It’s a little flatter-
ing, in a sense, because
I did talk about that 48-
inch driver for so long,
and it just didn’t work for
me the way I wanted it to.
“As it’s played out, I
think it’s really cool to
see that there’s some
change off of the conver-
sations that I’ve had.”
The American has
added more than 40
pounds of muscle and
mass in the last year —
through changes to his
diet and hard work in the
gym — to enable him to
overpower golf courses,
like he did when he won
his first major, a six-shot
victory in the U.S. Open
at Winged Foot in Sep-
tember.
for both of you if
you look further
for a life partner.
DEAR ABBY:
My friend “Gina”
and I have known
each other for
many years. The
other day she
got into a heated
discussion on
Facebook with
several other
people we’ve
known for years.
It was about
politics. When
I read her post,
I was shocked.
She belittled and bullied those
who didn’t share her opinion.
I have since deleted my FB
account because I don’t want
to see such hatred. What do I
tell her when she asks why I’m
no longer on social media? —
SOCIAL MEDIA DISTANCED
DEAR SOCIAL: Tell Gina
the truth. Say you deleted your
account because you were
shocked when you saw people
with differing political opinions
being bullied and demeaned,
which you found shocking
and offensive. If she’s foolish
enough to push you for more
detail, tell her how her post
affected you. It’s shameful
that adults in this day and age
cannot calmly discuss their
TAURUS (April 20-May
20). Today will bring plenty of
evidence that the novelty-seek-
ing portion of your brain is well
connected with the septal nuclei
sector, important to pleasure.
You’ll find learning to be its own
reward.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21).
What’s coming up for you is un-
comfortable at first, but that’s
only a signal for you to adjust.
Once you put it all in alignment,
you’ll be able to breathe easy.
Use the mirror of another per-
son, especially an expert.
CANCER (June 22-July 22).
You’re willing to roll up your
sleeves and get your hands dirty
as long as you know the work is
necessary and will pay off. But
For him, the most im-
portant thing is that the
rule-change proposals do
not remove the “human
element.”
“It’s about making
sure that you’re playing
with the relative integri-
ty of back in the day,” he
said. “People weren’t us-
ing 48-inch shafts a long
time ago, and so they are
really trying to make it
similar to back in the day
in a sense while having
a modern flair to it obvi-
ously with the graphite
shafts and all that.”
McIlroy said he would
not object to a local rule
that would apply at the
elite level in limiting
technology, or what he
said would be “some sort
of bifurcation.”
differences without resorting to
those tactics.
DEAR ABBY: I am torn be-
tween two guys. I have known
the first guy for a year, and we
had some ups and downs. Six
months ago he had a heart
attack, but he pulled through,
thank God. But since then,
things have been very hard. Our
relationship went sour and we
broke up.
I met the second guy online
a month ago. He seems very
sweet and down to earth and
treats me like a princess.
The first guy and I ended up
talking again, and the problem
is, I’m still in love with him. I
think both of them are won-
derful and I don’t know what
decision to make. Please help
me. — CHOICES, CHOICES IN
DELAWARE
DEAR CHOICES: Before
making any decision, it’s
important you fully understand
why your relationship with Guy
No. 1 went sour after his heart
attack. Could it be related to
his near-death experience?
You need to have all the facts
before jumping back into a
romance with him.
You haven’t known Guy No.
2 long enough to really know
who he is yet. Do not pull the
plug on this one until you have
more answers than you were
able to put in your letter to me.
how far are you willing to go with
no such assurances? That’s the
big question of the day.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Your
heart seems to have its own
strategy, and one it prefers to
keep on a need-to-know basis.
It will be revealed to the rest of
you in the form of a series of
surprises.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).
There are many ways to deal
with an enemy. You can conquer
or befriend — bribe, manip-
ulate, sneak up on, seduce.
Matters are made trickier when
you realize the enemy is within.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).
There is no aspect of life that
matters of attraction won’t play
a part in. For instance, there’s
a present need to shine a more
flattering light on an issue, oth-
erwise no one will be interested
enough to get involved.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).
No need to see the difficulties
of the day as a hindrance. This
is what builds your strength. It’s
all in how you move the thing.
Lift it with precision as you
would a barbell.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec.
21). Being enough is like having
a certain color of hair. It’s a
fact, and therefore would be a
ridiculous thing to go around
proving. You are enough. The
burden of proof is not on you.
Let observers figure it out on
their own.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.
19). Your choice of vocabulary
will speak volumes about you.
It will tip strangers off to your
background and indicate to all
how much effort you’re willing
to put into your interactions in
general.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-
Feb. 18). There’s a time for
experiments, wandering and
playful tangents and this isn’t
it. Be like the mother duck get
your ducklings in a row for the
single-file march forward.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March
20). Unlike the ancient Toltecs
who practiced transcending
their bodily senses to get a
spiritual view of the world, you
will become even more in tune
with what those five senses
are telling you and touch on the
extrasensory.
More haste, less speed
SOLUTION:

Business
BUSINESS MOVES WITH MARY
Diabetic-friendly restaurant
opening at Research Park
PLUS: Wing
Express opening
in Starkville;
Balloon Cartel
opening in
Columbus
BY MARY POLLITZ
biz@cdispatch.com
F
or Kirk Hutchinson,
there’s a lot of power
in one’s passion.
In less than six
months, Hutchinson has
transformed his hobby
to a full-scale restaurant
and bakery. Starkvillians
prepare for our newest cu-
linary addition: Power of
the Almond. The restau-
rant and bakery will open
at 60 Technology Blvd. in
Research Park, replacing
the outgoing Park Cafe
that opened in 2019.
Power of the Almond will
offer customers diabet-
ic-friendly “sweets” and
keto-friendly meals.
“Struggling with
diabetes myself, I always
found it cumbersome to
find quality products in
stores that were diabetic
friendly,” Hutchinson
said. “Many don’t know it,
but most diet companies
market their products as
sugar free but use these
cheap sugar substitutes
that actually cause an
insulin response for dia-
betics and keto dieters. …
I said, ‘Why not just make
your own desserts and
meals at home and see
if people will buy them?’
And boy did they!”
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Starkville receives
Mississippi Hometown
Retirement Certification
The Mississippi
Development Authority
has officially designated
Starkville as a Certified
Hometown Retirement
City. With this designa-
tion, Starkville becomes
one of only 12 commu-
nities within our state to
hold this certification.
The Mississippi Home-
town Retirement certifi-
cation allows Starkville to
promote and market the
city’s assets to retirees
across the country whom
are looking to relocate.
The program will be
administered by the
Starkville Convention and
Power of
the Almond
launched
online, and
Hutchinson
sold nearly
$3,000 of
baked goods
catering to
residents with
diabetes and
celiac disease.
Mary Pollitz
He plans to
open the bak-
ery on March 1 and the
restaurant, located in the
same building, on April 1. the first one in Tupelo.
Power of the Almond will
be open Monday through
Friday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. subs, gyros, burgers and
Power of the Almond
will offer gluten-free flat-
breads made with almond p.m., Friday and Saturday
flour, chicken, bacon and
ranch flatbreads, salads,
rotating soups and blue
plate specials.
The restaurant will
refrain from using any
sugar or gluten.
“We take allergies and Karmen Tucker hopes to
dietary needs seriously
and want people to know
they can come out to eat
without worrying, and
have dessert that tastes
like the real thing but
with no real sugar added.
Keep up to date with
Power of the Almond on
its Facebook page and be
sure to try Starkville’s
new spot once it’s open.
Hutchinson said he
can’t wait to share these
healthy alternative lunch
plates and baked goods,
so be sure to stop by.
Starkville’s restaurant
gains continue with Wing personalized balloons,
Express Cafe preparing
for its opening at 809
Hwy. 12.
Visitors Bureau.
The Starkville Conven-
tion and Visitors Bureau
is a branch of the Greater
Starkville Development
Partnership. The Partner-
ship is also comprised of
the Starkville Area Cham-
ber of Commerce, Oktib-
beha County Economic
Development Authority,
and the Starkville Main
Street Association.
IP named to Fortune’s
List of World’s Most
Admired Companies
International Paper has
been named to FOR-
TUNE magazine’s list of
World’s Most Admired
Companies for the eigh-
teenth time and ranked
first among its peers.
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 5B
The new
wing joint will
serving our community
in a positive way and what
open by next
month at the
better way than balloons,”
Tucker said. “There’s
former Huddle something special in the
House prop- air.”
erty, which If you’re interested
has been on in checking out balloon
the market for arrangements or for more
the last couple
years.
upcoming events, reach
out to Tucker at 662-
Li Chen,
386-3305 or check out
Wing Express
ballooncartel.com
Deli owner,
said this is the second
location in Mississippi,
Once open, you can
enjoy wings, salads,
seafood Monday through
Thursday 10:30 a.m.-9:30
10:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.-10
p.m., and Sundays 11
a.m.-8 p.m.
Moving to Columbus,
a new store is popping up.
Literally.
Columbus native
open the Balloon Cartel
by late spring at 515 Main
St., directly across the
street from The Dispatch.
Tucker first started
her event design business
Kreating with Karmen in
2018. However, as we’ve
all learned in 2020, we
have to adapt. Through-
out COVID-19, Tucker’s
event business struggled.
Thus, the Balloon Cartel
was born. Tucker said
she delivers balloons in a
“special way.” Customers
can choose from balloon
design, helium balloons,
balloon bouquets, balloon
delivery and more.
“We are committed to
FORTUNE’s World’s
Most Admired Compa-
nies list is the definitive
report card on corporate
reputations. Korn Ferry
has collaborated with
FORTUNE annually since
1997 to identify, select
and rank the World’s Most
Admired Companies.
To compile the rank-
ings, corporate reputation
and performance are
measured against nine
key attributes: innovation,
people management, use
of corporate assets, social
responsibility, quality of
management, financial
soundness, long-term
investment, quality of
products and services,
and global competitive-
ness.
Classifieds
Employment
Call us: 662-328-2424
General Help Wanted
THE COMMERCIAL
DISPATCH seeks a motiv-
ated, contracted carrier for
the Caledonia area. Excel-
lent opportunity to earn
money for college. Must
have good transportation,
valid driver's license & in-
surance. Delivers on
Sunday morning and Mon-
Fri afternoons. Apply at The
Commercial Dispatch, 516
Main Street in Columbus.
No phone calls please.
Rentals
Ads starting at $25
Apts For Rent: North
2−3BR/1BA DUPLEX,
Apt B, newly renovated with
bonus room. HUD
accepted. 662−425−6954.
FOX RUN APARTMENTS
1 & 2 BR near hospital.
$595−$645 monthly.
Military discount, pet area,
pet friendly, and furnished
corporate apts.
24−HOUR PROFESSIONAL
GYM. ON SITE SECURITY.
ON SITE MAINTENANCE.
ON SITE MANAGEMENT.
24−HOUR CAMERA
SURVEILLANCE. Benji &
Ashleigh, 662−386−4446.
You’ll find the best deals
when you advertise
and shop here!
ads.cdispatch.com
Service Directory
Promote your small business starting at only $25
General Services
A & T TREE SERVICES
Bucket truck & stump
removal. Free est.
Serving Columbus
since 1987. Senior
citizen disc. Call Alvin @
242−0324/241−4447
"We’ll go out on a limb for
you!"
GRAVEL, $360 PER LOAD.
Local delivery, 14 yd truck.
Backhoe & Dozer work.
Mobile Home Pads &
Driveways. Concrete work.
662−497−1388
HANDYMAN−CERTIFIED IN
MAINTENANCE
Electrical, woodwork,
plumbing, decks, roofing,
drywall, painting, concrete,
yard work, hauling, moving.
All credit cards accepted.
Payment plans. Will trade
for almost anything.
662−386−3658.
One call will bring you results.
Ads appear in The Commercial Dispatch,
The Starkville Dispatch and Online
To place ads starting at only $12,
call 662-328-2424 or visit ads.cdispatch.com
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 n 6B
Apts For Rent: West Houses For Rent: North
Merchandise
VIP
COLONIAL TOWNHOUSES.
2 & 3 bedroom w/ 2−3
Rentals
bath townhouses. $650 to
$750. 662−549−9555. Ads starting at $12
Ask for Glenn or text.
Apartments & Houses Sporting Goods
3BR/1.5BA, clean, modern
1 Bedrooms appliances, dishwasher,
central AC&heat; carport,
ED SANDERS GUNSMITH
2 Bedroooms
Open for season!
wash/dry hookup, fenced Tue−Fri: 9−5 & Sat: 9−12
3 Bedrooms back yard, 3216 Military Rd
$800+dep. 574−8559
Over 50 years experience!
Repairs, cleaning, refin−
Furnished & Unfurnished Mobile Homes for Rent
ishing, scopes mounted &
zeroed, handmade knives.
1, 2, & 3 Baths Located: Hwy 45 Alt, North
3BR/2BA MH in New Hope. of West Point, turn right on
Lease, Deposit $650 dep + $650/mo. Yokahama Blvd, 8mi & turn
& Credit Check
No pets, quiet area. Leave left on Darracott Rd, will
voicemail with full name & see sign, 2.5mi ahead
viceinvestments.com message, 205−712−6697. shop on left.
327-8555 RENT A CAMPER!
CHEAPER THAN A MOTEL!
662−494−6218.
Sudoku YESTERDAY’S ANSWER
Community Sudoku
Apts For Rent: Other Sudoku is a number- Yesterday’s answer
Utilities & cable included,
from $145/wk − $535/mo
Columbus & County School
locations. 662−242−3803
placing puzzle based on
Sudoku
a 9x9 gridis a several
with num- 1 2 6 5 7 8 4 9 3
or 601−940−1397. Ads starting at $12 ber-placing
given numbers.puzzle
The object 8 7 9 3 4 2 1 6 5
2021 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Mobile Home Spaces based onthe
is to place a 9x9
numbers 5 3 4 6 1 9 7 2 8
Pets grid with several
1 to 9 in the empty spaces 9 5 2 4 8 6 3 7 1
For Rent: given
so thatnumbers. The 6 8 3 7 2 1 5 4 9
each row, each
Offices 4−Private + Boxer/Lab Puppies
2 males and 2 females object
column and each 3x3 the
is to place box 4 1 7 9 3 5 6 8 2
Reception Area with
5,700sqft warehouse, $400. 662−361−4081 numbers
contains the1same
to 9 number
in
the empty spaces so 2 6 1 8 5 7 9 3 4
paved parking. Please text only once. The difficulty
Your Name & Email for that each row, each 3 9 8 1 6 4 2 5 7
level increases from
more details. $1,800/mo column and each 7 4 5 2 9 3 8 1 6
to rent. 720−635−5696. Monday to Sunday.
3x3 box contains Difficulty Level 2/03
the same number only once. The difficulty level
increases from Monday to Sunday.
Real Estate
Let us help you. Advertise here!
Ads starting at $25
Farms & Timberland Five Questions:
COLEMAN 203 ACRES
1 India
RENTALS PRIME TIMBERLAND
TOWNHOUSES & APARTMENTS $270,000
Exc deer, turkey hunting
1 BEDROOM Good Investment
2 BEDROOMS
2 “Chandelier”
(615)719−8329
3 BEDROOMS
Lots & Acreage
LEASE,
© The Dispatch
3 Bail-bottom
1.75 ACRE LOTS: Good/
DEPOSIT Bad Credit Options. Good
AND credit as low as 20% down,
CREDIT CHECK $499/mo. Eaton Land,
662−361−7711.
662-329-2323 NEW HOPE AREA: 4 Ziggy
+/− 1 acre. Open land with
2411 HWY 45 N water & electricity nearby.
5 2026
$17,900. Call or text,
COLUMBUS, MS 662−435−0401.
ACROSS
1 Swiss peaks
5 Theater drops
11 Steak choice
12 Spring sign
13 Grace finish
14 Geriatrics
topic
15 No-goodnik
17 Stopped
fasting
18 First letter
22 Fall flower
24 Waffle topper
25 17th letter
26 Hydrocarbon
suffix
27 Flashlight, in 3 Prone to 28 Ninth-inning
Britain stalking pitcher
30 Barn areas 4 Capitol group 29 Confines
32 Panache 5 Cease 30 Rap’s — Nas
33 — nutshell 6 Soprano Maria X
34 Eggy dish 7 In a boorish 31 Like some
38 Black Sea way garages
port 8 Radio’s Glass 35 Puts away
41 Eccentric 9 Cocoa holder 36 Forum wear
fellow 10 Compass dir. 37 Harrow rival
42 “Outta my 16 For each 38 Chanting
way!” 19 Like introduc- sounds
43 Jason’s ship tions 39 Morse bit
44 Boat backs 20 Search 40 Eden evictee
45 Pitcher Nolan 21 Some pri-
DOWN mates
General Services General Services Painting & Papering 1 Saudi native 22 Liberal study
NEWELL’S PLUMBING & WORK WANTED: Licensed SULLIVAN’S PAINT
2 Eastern monk 23 Bar order
HANDYMAN SERVICE & Bonded. Carpentry, minor SERVICE
Licensed with over 20 yrs electrical, minor plumbing, Special Prices.
experience. Lowest rates in insulation, painting, demo− Interior & Exterior Painting.
the area, Guaranteed. lition, gutters cleaned, 662−435−6528
662−242−5005. pressure washing, land−
scaping, cleanup work. Sitting With The Sick / Elderly
BANKRUPTCY 662−242−3608.
I am a Caregiver for the
CHAPTER 7 Lawn Care / Landscaping elderly seeking a daytime
BANKRUPTCY position. Very loving &
$545 plus Filing Fee JESSE & BEVERLY’S caring, light housekeeping
LAWN SERVICE offered. Call or leave msg,
CHAPTER 13 Fall Cleanup, Tree Cutting, 662−570−8175.
BANKRUPTCY Landscaping, Sodding &
All Attorney Fees Through The Plan Bush Hogging
Jim Arnold, Attorney 662−356−6525
662-324-1666 Painting & Papering
104 South Lafayette Street, Starkville
Please visit our website: QUALITY PAINTING
jimharnold.com Ext/Int Painting
Saturday morning appointments Sheet Rock Hang, Finish &
available for Starkville Office. Repair. Pressure Washing.
Free Estimates. Ask for Are you a painter?
specials! Larry Webber,
ads.cdispatch.com 662−242−4932. Advertise here!
662-328-2424