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Sunday | November 8, 2020

BIDEN ELECTED 46TH PRESIDENT

Harris becomes
first Black
Biden defeats Trump for White House, says ‘time to heal’
woman, South
Asian elected VP
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Kamala Harris made

history Saturday as the
first Black woman elect-
ed as vice president of
the United States, shat-
tering barriers that have
kept men — almost all
of them white — en-
trenched at the highest Harris
levels of American poli-
tics for more than two centuries.
The 56-year-old California senator,
also the first person of South Asian
descent elected to the vice presidency,
represents the multiculturalism that
defines America but is largely absent
from Washington’s power centers.
Her Black identity has allowed her to
speak in personal terms in a year of
reckoning over police brutality and
systemic racism. As the highest-rank-
ing woman ever elected in American
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool
government, her victory gives hope to President-elect Joe Biden, right, on stage with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, left, Saturday in Wilmington, Delaware.
women who were devastated by Hil- Biden and Harris both made victory speeches after vote counts in key battle ground states gave the Democratic ticket
lary Clinton’s defeat four years ago. enough Electoral College votes to claim the presidential race.
Harris has been a rising star in
Democratic politics for much of the THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Biden, 77, staked his candidacy less
last two decades, serving as San Fran- ONLINE on any distinctive political ideology
cisco’s district attorney and Califor- WASHINGTON — Democrat Joe
n EXPLAINER: Why AP called the 2020
election for Joe Biden, www.cdispatch.com than on galvanizing a broad coalition
nia’s attorney general before becom- Biden defeated President Donald of voters around the notion that Trump
ing a U.S. senator. After Harris ended Trump to become the 46th president posed an existential threat to Ameri-
her own 2020 Democratic presidential of the United States on Saturday, again and to unite us here at home.” can democracy. The strategy proved
campaign, Joe Biden tapped her as his positioning himself to be a leader who His victory came after more than effective, resulting in pivotal victories
running mate. They will be sworn in “seeks not to divide, but to unify” a three days of uncertainty as election in Michigan and Wisconsin as well as
as president and vice president on Jan. nation gripped by a historic pandemic officials sorted through a surge of Pennsylvania, onetime Democratic
20. and a confluence of economic and mail-in votes that delayed processing. bastions that had flipped to Trump in
Biden’s running mate selection car- social turmoil. Biden crossed the winning threshold 2016.
ried added significance because he “I sought this office to restore of 270 Electoral College votes with a Biden’s victory was a repudiation
will be the oldest president ever inau- the soul of America,” said Biden in win in Pennsylvania. of Trump’s divisive leadership and
gurated, at 78, and hasn’t committed a prime-time victory speech not far Trump refused to concede, threat- the president-elect now inherits a
to seeking a second term in 2024. from his Delaware home, “and to make ening further legal action on ballot deeply polarized nation grappling with
See HARRIS, 5A America respected around the world counting.
See BIDEN, 5A

‘WE USED TO CALL IT SHAWSHANK’

Former MUW employees, student-athletes claim
Trufant’s leadership of Owls athletics is ‘run on fear’
BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com
Walking toward the
doorway to the athletic
offices at Mississippi
University for Women
in July 2019, a pair of
now-former employees
ran into Athletic Direc-
tor Jason Trufant speak-
ing with a third-party White
vendor.
Offering a “hello” to
Trufant and the vendor,
the first employee was
greeted with a head
nod. The second was
not.
“Shut the hell up and
keep walking,” Trufant Miller
said, according to mul-
tiple sources who witnessed the inci-
Dispatch file photo
dent.
Jason Trufant was hired in 2016 to lead the restart of Mississippi University for Women In a five-month investigation,
athletics. Former and current employees, as well as former student-athletes, told The The Dispatch spoke with one cur-
Dispatch recently he cultivates a toxic and bullying atmosphere — claims Trufant denies. rent MUW employee, two former
student-athletes and six former ath-
letic department employees who de-
scribed a toxic and bullying culture
cultivated by Trufant within the Owls’
athletic department that has been
largely ignored by higher-ranking ad-
ministration.
“It’s like a prison mentality and
you have a warden,” former women’s
basketball coach Howard White Jr.
told The Dispatch. “We used to call it
‘Shawshank.’”
Said another former MUW em-
ployee who spoke on the condition of
anonymity for fear of retaliation from
Trufant: “On the outside, it looks
beautiful. We have beautiful facilities
— brand-new volleyball courts, build-
ing a new soccer and baseball field,
redid the entire softball field — put a
lot of money into it.
“But on the inside, it was in sham-
bles,” the former employee continued.
“It’s run on fear. It’s run on a dictator-
ship. It’s his way.”
See TRUFANT, 3A

WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR INSIDE TODAY PUBLIC

Maggie Durst
Kindergarten; Annunciation
1 What veggie did McDonald’s promise Now through Nov. 21 MEETINGS
would never appear on a burger in 2015, Nov. 10:
■ United We Feed food drive:
only to go back on its word in 2017? Starkville-Oktib-
2 What color are Spanish mailboxes, usu- United Way of North Central Mis-
beha Consoli-
ally? sissippi requests donations of
dated School
3 What 2017 Broadway musical, based on non-perishable food items. Drop-
District Board of
the 1993 movie of the same name, takes off locations in multiple counties
Trustees meet-
place on the same day over and over and are available at unitedwayncms.
over? ing, 6 p.m., 401
com/unitd-we-feed-1.
4 Released in 2016, what kind of sneakers Greensboro St.

High 79 Low 60
A few clouds
were Nike’s HyperAdapt shoes, making
“Back to the Future” more of a reality?
5 What author wrote one-word title novels
Monday, Nov. 9
■ Ladies Night Out at the
Nov. 13:
Starkville Board
of Aldermen
Full forecast on
including “Atonement,” “Saturday,” “Solar” Blues Museum: Enjoy food, work session,
and “Nutshell”?
page 3A. Answers, 4B drinks and live music at the Black 10 a.m., City
Prairie Blues Museum 6-9 p.m., Hall
640 Commerce St., West Point. Nov. 16: Ok-
INSIDE Preview live auction items slated tibbeha County
Classifieds 4B Lifestyles 7A for a Nov. 12 Virtual Blues Mu- Board of Super-
Comics 7,8B Obituaries 4A seum Fundraiser on Facebook. Don’t miss The Dispatch’s special section visors meeting,
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2A SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

ASK RUFUS
The Double Fire of 1854
I
n Septem- Columbus on composed, as also its con- Messrs. Gaston & Miller,
ber 1854 the 9th inst. tents, the fire spread al- deposited there as a place
much of It commenced most with the rapidity of of safety a few hours
downtown in John gunpowder, and the blaze before! The flames from
Columbus was Stringer’s soon rose to the height of the City Hall soon set fire
destroyed by the look-out and flag- to the roof of the splendid
livery stable
two absolutely staff upon the City Hall, Masonic and Odd Fel-
on the corner
devastating adjoining on the east low’s Hall, a three story
fires that oc- of Main and
side, and which instantly brick building, situated
curred within St. Genevieve
took fire, consuming the near the City Hall on
a period of streets (now
building together with Main Street, and with
a little more Sixth Street)
the Post Office furniture, the destruction of which
than 24 hours. and is be- U.S. mail bags, letters with all its contents, and
Rufus Ward
It was a fire lieved to have and all which had been the burning of Dr. Love’s
unequaled in been the work temporarily placed there, office, and some wood
the history of Columbus. of an incendiary. also a large amount of and shingles, the ravages
By the time the flames “The Standard says: valuable furniture, all of of the fire ceased in that
were extinguished, at From the combustible which had been saved direction.
least 22 commercial
nature of the materials of from the fire the day “In the meantime,
buildings, the city
hall, the Masonic/Odd which the building was previous, belonging to See RUFUS, 4A
Fellows building, the
telegraphic office and
several private residenc-
es had been destroyed.
The fire attracted
national news coverage,
which with the lawsuit
I wrote about last week
comprises our only
record of the fire. There
are no surviving Colum-
bus newspapers from
the month of the fire.
Fortunately, the accounts
in the Columbus papers
were picked up by other
newspapers, some of the
best articles appearing in
Vicksburg, New Orleans
and Nashville papers.
The Vicksburg Whig
had one of the best
accounts of the first fire,
which occurred on Fri-
day, Sept. 8, 1854:
“It commenced in
Mrs. Tuft’s millinery
store, on Main Street,
and spread in a western
direction, destroying the
furniture store of Gaston
and Miller — then the
house of S.T. Sappington,
occupied by the Post
Office, then J.S. Spears’
tin shop, and here the
fire was arrested on Main
Street, by the fireproof
buildings of Columbus
Insurance Company.
But the fire caught back
of the burned buildings
and extended to Mar-
ket Street, destroying
Mr. Green’s buildings
occupied by Parham &
Mason, and then con-
tinued on that street,
destroying the music
store of S. Markstein
and the grocery store
of E.C. Eggleston; the
houses owned by Rev.
Mr. Schooler and Mrs.
Newlon. On the north it
destroyed the confection-
ery store of J.P. Krecker,
and the guns shop at the
rear -- then J.K. Pierce’s
law office, owned by W.B.
Weaver — then Delaney
& Harper’s tin shop, also
owned by Weaver, and
was finally arrested at
the brick house occupied
as a barber shop and
owned by Mr. McLauran.
But in another direction
it destroyed the brick
house owned by M.
Lloyd, and occupied by
W.N. Evans as a family
grocery — then dry
goods stores of W. Smylie
and J. Jones, Jr. & Co.,
the houses owned by
Mrs. Craven, and finally
the brick house at the
Corner of Main and Mar-
ket occupied by Franklin
& Brother, and owned by
O. T. Keeler — being 15
buildings in all.”
With the spread of
the fire being imminent,
many businesses were
able to remove much of
their contents to safety.
The Post Office moved
its furniture, records and
the mail there to the city
hall. Also, many of the
buildings and contents
were insured by the
Protection Insurance
Company of Hartford,

The Dispatch
Connecticut.
Cleanup and the

99.49%
assessment of damages
commenced the follow-
ing morning. Disaster
struck again that night
when around 10 anoth-
er fire broke. The New
Orleans Times Picayune
carried the account that of our customers receive their paper on time. (Believe us. We track these things.)
had been published by
the Columbus Southern
Standard:
If you are unhappy with your delivery please let us know. Our goal is 100%
“… another destruc- customer satisfaction. Call customer support at: 662-328-2424
tive fire occurred in

Trufant
Continued from Page 1A
Trufant, in multiple
interviews with The Dis-
patch, outright denied
those allegations and
characterizations. He
also fended off a univer-
sity probe of his behavior
after a formal complaint
was filed in August 2019.
University President
Nora Miller reduced the
allegations made to The
Dispatch to grumblings
of disgruntled former em-
ployees.
“There are disgrun-
tled former employees
who see things through
one lens and we can talk
things out and try to ex-
plain things,” Miller said
when The Dispatch spoke
Monday with her and Tru-
fant about the allegations.
“But if they’re hell-bent
on that, of seeing things
in that light, that’s the
way they’re going to see
them.”
Allegations of
insensitive remarks
Athletics returned
to MUW for the 2017-18
school year after a nearly
14-year hiatus.
The school initially
canceled its athletic pro-
grams in 2003 due to a
tornado that ravaged the
campus. MUW is now in
its second year of provi-
sional membership in the
NCAA’s Division III and is
in the process of applying
for membership in a con-
ference.
Hired as the athletic
director in the spring of
2016, Trufant has over-
seen the hiring of all
MUW coaches since
sports returned to the
school. In that span, the
university has seen at
least nine head coaches
leave for various reasons
among its 15 athletic pro-
grams since the 2017-18
school year.
Similar-sized Millsaps
and Mississippi College
saw less turnover, and
even Division I Mississip-
pi State saw only eight re-
placed over that span.
“We have a vision, and
it takes a lot of hard wor,k
and it takes a lot of com-
mitment,” Trufant said
when asked why MUW
has experienced so much
head coaching turnover.
“And I’m not saying any-
body had a lack of, or
whatnot. What I am say-
ing is that we have a vi-
sion, and sometimes peo-
ple want to go in different
directions.”
During Trufant’s ten-
ure the MUW women’s
basketball team won the
United States Collegiate
Athletic Association na-
tional title in 2019, while
the baseball and softball
teams reached the US-
CAA Small College World
Series in 2018 and 2019.
The Commercial Dispatch (USPS 142-320)
Published daily except Saturday.
Entered at the post office at Columbus, Mississippi.
Periodicals postage paid at Columbus, MS
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The Commercial Dispatch, P.O. Box 511, Columbus, MS 39703
Published by Commercial Dispatch Publishing Company Inc.,
516 Main St., Columbus, MS 39703
But in interviews with
The Dispatch, multiple
former MUW employees
and student-athletes —
some who spoke anony-
mously for fear of retal-
iation and others who
agreed to be identified
— allege Trufant made
insensitive comments
toward coaches and play-
ers beginning as early as
2017.
The first alleged in-
stance came in the fall of
that year. While attending
a softball practice, Tru-
fant noticed a crying play-
er being comforted by a
coach. Informed the tears
were over a love interest
just wanting to be friends,
Trufant allegedly retort-
ed, “Well, she’s giving it
up for free. Why do they
want to pay for it when
they can get it for free?”
according to a source with
direct knowledge of the
exchange.
Months later, during
the hiring process that
brought White onboard
as the head women’s bas-
ketball coach ahead of the
Owls’ inaugural 2018-19
season, a candidate who
disclosed they were in a
same-sex relationship was
passed up for the position
despite receiving a glow-
ing review from the hiring
committee, a source with
knowledge of the situation
told The Dispatch.
When asked why that
candidate was not select-
ed, Trufant allegedly told
a member of the MUW
athletic department he
had to select a “minority”
candidate and noted, “You
and I both know you can
change your sexuality but
you can’t change the color
of your skin.”
Trufant characterized
both of those claims as
“completely false.”
To the allegation re-
garding the women’s bas-
ketball hiring, he added,
“I would never say any-
thing like that, and I’m
very upset that someone
would insinuate that com-
ment.”
Bullying within the
coaching ranks
Throughout Trufant’s
four-year tenure, multi-
ple sources allege head
coaches were mistreat-
ed during their time at
MUW.
“It was gradual. But
once it hit, it hit,” a for-
mer MUW employee said
of Trufant’s alleged bul-
lying. “And for the differ-
ent members of the staff,
I think it hit at different
times.”
In one volatile display,
Trufant allegedly berat-
ed a sitting head coach
in front of a slew of other
staffers.
Congregating at the
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Lowndes County Soccer
Complex in July 2019, a
group of coaches were
putting up a net when Tr-
ufant arrived on site.
Standing atop a ladder,
one of the coaches aiding
the effort was fidgeting
with the net to connect
it to the goalpost. Irritat-
ed at the situation, Tru-
fant reportedly shouted,
“(Get off) the ladder, you
dumbass. Someone with
half a brain get up there
and do it,” according to
two sources who were
there.
“That definitely hasn’t
happened,” Trufant said
when asked whether he
had bullied or direct-
ed derogatory remarks
toward his staff or stu-
dent-athletes. “I can tell
you that I am a direct
person, so when there is
an inconsistency in our
vision, I will let people
know that. But as far as
student-athletes or staff,
that’s something I can’t
comment on to begin
with.”
Within the offices,
multiple sources also al-
lege Trufant harbored a
work environment pred-
icated on fear, including
threatening to fire any
coach who looked for
jobs outside of MUW — a
claim Trufant denied.
Two former MUW em-
ployees also disclosed to
The Dispatch they had to
undergo counseling and
took leaves of absence
from their respective
programs due to, at least
in part, bullying they at-
tributed to Trufant.
“He doesn’t go after
people he sees as an
equal, but he’s going to
go after the people that
he sees he can,” a former
MUW employee told The
Dispatch. “It’s almost like
a high school bully trying
to look cool in front of his
new friend — that is the
best descriptor I know
how to give.”
Said a current MUW
employee: “There’s a fine
line of if you’re going to
be a mature athletic di-
rector or you’re going to
come in here and you’re
going to ruin this univer-
sity with athletics again.
And that’s just not OK,
because (Trufant) wants
to be big man in the
house and have all the
power.”
In White’s case, he
only stayed a year, de-
spite leading his team to a
national title in 2019. Part
of the reason, he said,
was Trufant’s language
also allegedly crossed
racial lines — something
the athletic director also
denies.
“He’s not going to
come out and call you the
N-word,” White told The
Dispatch. “But it’s just
SOLUNAR TABLE
The solunar period indicates
peak-feeding times for fish and game.
Sun.
Major 7:15a
Minor 12:30a
Major — 8:08a
Minor 2:50p
Courtesy of Mississippi Department
of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
certain things that he
does and you knew why
he was doing it because
he doesn’t do it with oth-
er players.”
“We felt like we
couldn’t sneeze without
being in trouble with Ja-
son (Trufant),” former
MUW women’s bas-
ketball player Keyahna
Jones added of her pre-
dominantly Black team
— one of just two on cam-
pus at the time.
Speaking with a mem-
ber of the athletic de-
partment staff regarding
basketball game day op-
erations in the spring of
2018, Trufant noted he
would need an extra staff-
er in order to take money
for tickets at the gate for
men’s and women’s bas-
ketball games despite no
other sporting events on
campus requiring pay-
ment to attend. He was
then reportedly asked as
to why basketball would
require paid admission.
“He said he wanted to
keep, ‘those people,’ the
street people, the peo-
ple who live around The
W out of his nice, clean
gym, and the only way
to keep those people out
would be to charge for
their games,” a source
who witnessed the ex-
change claimed.
White also alleged
Trufant used similar ra-
tionalization in a staff
meeting later that year
regarding basketball
ticket sales.
Trufant refuted the
claim, saying, “That is
100 percent inaccurate.
Absolutely not. That was
never said.” He also ex-
plained basketball games
were subjected to paid
admission due to limited
capacity and that “when
you anticipate larger
crowds you have to have
a method of controlling
larger crowds.”
Mon.
7:41p
1:36a
3:30p
MUW investigates,
leaves Trufant in place
Following allegations
of mistreatment toward
a coach in August 2019,
Trufant was investigated
by MUW administration,
according to multiple
sources and emails ob-
tained by The Dispatch.
White and at least one
other head coach were
brought in for meetings
with Miller to discuss Tr-
ufant’s behavior.
In an email obtained
by the Dispatch from
Aug. 21, 2019, Miller told
the athletic department
Trufant would be placed
on a leave of absence fol-
lowing the inquiry. How-
ever, in a separate email
sent at 8:13 p.m. on Aug.
26, 2019, obtained by
The Dispatch, Miller an-
nounced Trufant would
return to his post as ath-
letic director.
“I’m aware that some
of you may be uncomfort-
able with this decision,
but I ask that you help us
to strike a ‘reset’ button,”
Miller wrote. “There will
be no tolerance of retal-
iation and that will be a
part of our discussion
tomorrow. I am thankful
for the candor that you
shared in your discus-
sions with me, and I hope
that you will always feel
comfortable in address-
ing issues with your
Athletic Director or with
others on campus as ap-
propriate.”
After the internal re-
view did not result in
Trufant’s termination,
White left MUW to take
an assistant coaching job
with the men’s basketball
program at Edward Wa-
ters College in Jackson-
ville, Florida, in October
2019.
Following White’s de-
parture, 12 of MUW’s 14
women’s basketball play-
ers still had college eli-
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020 3A
gibility from the 2019 na-
tional title team left the
program. Of those doz-
en, White said 10 left as
a direct result of his leav-
ing Columbus. He also
contends he lost between
seven and eight recruits
due to rumblings of Tru-
fant’s alleged behavior.
“Coach White didn’t
feel welcome there, that’s
how I’d put it,” former
MUW women’s basket-
ball graduate assistant
Rayshell Harris told The
Dispatch of the toxic cul-
ture. “Nobody wants to
stay ... where they don’t
feel comfortable or wel-
come.”
Trufant simply noted
those players were not
forced out.
“Were those students
asked to leave?” he said
in reference to the wom-
en’s basketball team’s
mass exodus. “Absolute-
ly not.”
Multiple sources also
told The Dispatch they
felt betrayed by Miller
for allowing Trufant’s re-
turn, and they believed
her inaction condoned
his alleged behavior.
“When I would walk
to work, I would be fine
when I would start,” a
former MUW employee
said. “Every step I got
closer to that school, that
institution, I was sick to
my stomach.”
Miller told The Dis-
patch there were “some
issues” brought up in the
investigation, but “there
was nothing there.” She
also said unequivocally
that Trufant is still the
person to lead the MUW
athletic department.
“We listened to them;
we talked about it,” Mill-
er said of the investiga-
tion. “I can’t really say
any more. I took what I
considered to be the ap-
propriate action.”
4A SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020
Rufus
Continued from Page 2A
it had extended along
Main street in a westerly
direction, first consum-
ing the wooden building
front and a new brick
blacksmith’s shop in
the rear, belonging to S.
Kline, and also two other
buildings farther on, one
of which was used as a
telegraph office, thence
spreading through
the center of the burnt
square, bounded by St.
Genevieve street on the
east, Washington (Col-
lege Street) on the south,
Market on the west, and
Main on the north; de-
stroying all the buildings
situated thereon, namely:
the adjoining residenc-
es of John Stringer
and George Curtis, on
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Gloria Patman
COLUMBUS — Glo-
ria Patman, 62, died
Nov. 1, 2020,, at Bap-
tist Memorial Hospi-
tal-Golden Triangle.
Graveside services
will be at 11 a.m.
Monday, in Sandfield
Cemetery.
Visitation
is from1-5
p.m. today,
at Carter’s
Funeral
Services.
Carter’s
Funeral Patman
Services of
Columbus is in charge
of arrangements.
Mrs. Patman was
born Aug. 28, 1958, in
Chicago, Illinois, to
Orvella Smith and the
late Leroy Davis.
In addition to her
father, he was preceded
in death by his chil-
dren, Timothy Davis
and Clifton Davis; and
siblings, Jarett Lee Da-
vis and Maurice Davis.
In addition to her
mother, she is survived
by her husband, Jesse
Patman; siblings, Mel-
vin Davis, James Davis,
TODAY IN HISTORY
Today is Sunday, Nov.
8, the 313th day of 2020.
There are 53 days left in
the year.
Today’s Highlight
in History:
On Nov. 8, 2016,
Republican Donald Trump
was elected America’s
45th president, defeating
Democrat Hillary Clinton
in an astonishing victory
for a celebrity business-
man and political novice.
Republicans kept their
majorities in the Senate
and House.
cdispatch.com
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
Washington street; the However, what was a almost half of downtown
two large livery stables horrible disaster became Columbus in 1854.
belonging to William even worse. The Times This disaster resulted
Cady, the carriage depot Picayune also reported in Columbus imposing a
building belonging to the following: “Most, if restrictive building code
George Curtis, and the not all the insurances on the downtown area.
hotel building occupied upon the property de- That action resulted in
by M.J. Howard, on stroyed were effected in the 1857 lawsuit I wrote
Market Street, together the Protection Insurance about last week. The ac-
with all the back houses Company of Hartford, count of the 1854 fire and
and other structures at- Conn, which recently
the downtown descrip-
tached to these different failed.”
tion provided in 1857
establishments.” What were the
provide a fascinating
The only local ac- downtown blocks that
count of the fire was re- Courtesy photo burned? They were the window not only as to the
corded by Nathan Fox in Shown is a drawing of downtown Columbus in 1871. block where First United downtown buildings of
In 1854 two fires in two days burned over 25 buildings the 1850s but also what
his diary. He described devastating almost half of downtown. Methodist Church is now
how 12 good buildings located, the block where businesses were located
and some other smaller of dishes, knives, forks, sonic and Odd Fellow’s the Post Office now is there.
ones were reduced to of friend Howard where hall, sublime even in and possibly the west Thanks to Carolyn
ruins. He wrote: “There I last night enjoyed my ruins.” half of the block where Kaye for helping with
are the remains of the good supper. But yonder Most of the building the Rosenzweig Art research.
Telegraph office, and stands the stately ruins that were lost were cov- Center is located. The Rufus Ward is a local
here are the fragments of the city hall and Ma- ered by fire insurance. destruction amounted to historian.
AREA OBITUARIES
Donnell Smith, Dwayne She was formerly em- wick Marine, and at
Smith, Geraldine Evans ployed as a child care Southern Ionics.
and Lordine King; and worker. In addition to her
four grandchildren. In addition to her mother, she is survived
parents, she was pre- by her husband, Larry
Fannie Cantrell ceded in death by her Smith of Siloam; son,
FAYET TE, Ala. — brothers, James Kil- Curtis Smith of Olive
gore, William Kilgore,
Fannie Lou Cantrell, Branch; stepsons,
100, died Nov. 4, 2020, George Kilgore and
Jason Smith of New
at Fayette Medical Cen- Dallas Ray Kilgore; sis-
Hope and Todd Smith
ter Long Term Care. ters, Eloise Kilgore and
Julia Kilgore-Fuller. of Louisville; brothers,
A private family ser-
vice will be held at Otts She is survived by Jasper Lummus Jr. of
Funeral Home Chapel, her sons, Joel Kilgo- Vicksburg and Robert
with Donald Myers re of Garland, Texas Lummus of West Point;
officiating. Burial will and Harold Kilgore of and five grandchildren.
follow in Lockhart Wylie, Texas; daughter, Memorials may be
Cemetery. Otts Funeral Camille Kilgore-Lenoir made to Shriners Hos-
Home of Sulligent is of West Point; sister, pital for Children, 2900
in charge of arrange- Elaine Kilgore-Neely Rocky Point Dr. Tampa,
ments. of Tupelo; eight FL 33607.
Mrs. Cantrell was grandchildren and 12
born Dec. 4, 1919, in great-grandchildren.
Walker County, Ala-
bama, to the late Wil- Paula Smith
liam T. Morris and Sar- STARKVILLE ­—
ah J. Colburn. She was
Paula Sue Smith, 52,
formerly employed with died Nov. 6, 2020, at
Vernon Manufacturing Starkville Manor.
and was a member of Services are 11 a.m.
Mt. Vernon United Tuesday at Siloam
Methodist Church. Baptist Church with the
In addition to her Rev. Bill Duncan offici-
parents, she was pre- ating. Burial will follow
ceded in death by her at Double Springs
husband, Lois “Wink” Cemetery. Visitation
P. Cantrell; children, is Tuesday from 10-11
Thomas Ronald a.m. at the church. Rob-
Cantrell and James
inson Funeral Home in
D. Cantrell; and three
West Point is entrusted
grandchildren.
with arrangements
She is survived by
June Palmer
Mrs. Smith was
her children, Richard
born Nov. 10, 1967, to
Cantrell, Helen Barham
Nettie Sue Pearson
and Glenda Adams;
and the late Jasper June Teresa Camp Palmer,
12 grandchildren;
great-grandchildren; Eugene Lummus. She 86, passed away on November 1,
was a member and very
and great-great-grand- 2020, at her residence in Amory,
active in the music
children. MS.
programs at Siloam She was born on March
Baptist Church. She 25, 1934, at the Amory
Gladys Kilgore was formerly employed Gilmore Sanatorium to Norton
WEST POINT — ­ at Fisher Marine, which Christopher Camp and Etha
Gladys Vivian Kilgore, later became Bruns- Mae Trotter Camp. Her funeral
86, died Nov. 1, 2020, in
service was held at First Baptist
West Point.
Church, Amory, on Thursday, November 5th at
Memorial services
1:00 PM.
are 11 a.m. Monday.
June graduated from Amory High School in
Graveside services will
1952. She married her high school sweetheart,
be held at Greenwood
Lawrence Richard “Dickie” Palmer on August 25,
Cemetery in West
1954. She was a member of First Baptist Church
Point. The Rev. Dennis
where she taught Sunday School and sang in the
Hannah will officiate.
choir. During her lifetime, June enjoyed attending
No visitation will be
Mississippi State football and basketball games,
held. Carter’s Mortu-
playing bridge with her special friends, traveling,
ary Services of West
gardening, eating sweets, playing tennis at
Point is entrusted with
Magnolia Tennis Club in Columbus and she was
arrangements.
a lifetime member of the Fidelia Club. In 1984,
Ms. Kilgore was
June and her best friend Jessie Wilson organized
born Nov. 26, 1933,
the Amory Humane Society, where she served
in Mantee to the late
for 24 years.
Alton Kilgore and Julia
She is remembered by those that knew her as
Buckingham-Kilgore.
a beautiful lady inside and out, gracious, kind,
giving, and genuine. June is survived by her
son, Larry Palmer (Debbie); daughter, Teresa
Palmer Miley (Bill); grandson, Brian Palmer
(Elizabeth); granddaughter, Lynn Palmer; two
bonus grandchildren and their spouses; four
bonus great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Glenda
On this date: Pearson; nephew, Michael Pearson; niece, Marla
In 1793, the Louvre Smith; cousins, Gail Miller, Earl Green, Johnny
began admitting the Beal, Patricia Pazdral and Tom Trotter. People
public, even though the who enriched her life in a special way: Melinda
French museum had Petty, Ramona Harmon, Sandra Tindoll, Ruth
been officially open since
Wax and Mamie Spratt.
August.
She was preceded in death by her husband
SOURCE: AP
and her parents.
Pallbearers were Jerry Maxcy, Tommy Tapp,
Bob Wilson, Jerry Lantrip, Bobby Stockton,
Butch Palmer, Norris Thomas, Joe Brennan and
Curtis Lewellen. Honorary Pallbearers were the
Palmer Machine Works employees both past
and present. Honorary Heavenly pallbearers are
Sonny Cadden and Dick Millender.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made
to Amory Humane Society, 1317 Old Highway
6, Amory, MS 38821 or First Baptist Church
Library Fund, P.O. Box 540, Amory, MS 38821.
Paid Obituary - E. E. Pickle Funeral Home

Biden
Continued from Page 1A
foundational questions of racial
justice and economic fairness
while in the grips of a virus that
has killed more than 236,000
Americans and reshaped the
norms of everyday life.
Kamala Harris made history
as the first Black woman to
become vice president, an
achievement that comes as the
U.S. faces a reckoning on racial
justice. The California senator,
who is also the first person of
South Asian descent elected
to the vice presidency, will
become the highest-ranking
woman ever to serve in govern-
ment, four years after Trump
defeated Hillary Clinton.
Harris introduced Biden “as
a president for all Americans”
who would look to bridge a
nation riven with partisanship
and nodded to the historic
nature of her ascension to the
vice presidency.
“Dream with ambition,
lead with conviction and see
yourselves in a way that others
Harris
Continued from Page 1A
Harris often framed her can-
didacy as part of the legacy — of-
ten undervalued — of pioneering
Black women who came before
her, including educator Mary
McLeod Bethune, civil rights
activist Fannie Lou Hamer and
Rep. Shirley Chisholm, the first
Black candidate to seek a major
party’s presidential nomination,
in 1972.
“We’re not often taught their
stories,” Harris said in August
as she accepted her party’s vice
presidential nomination. “But as
Americans, we all stand on their
shoulders.”
That history was on Sara
Twyman’s mind recently as she
watched Harris campaign in Las
Vegas and wore a sweatshirt fea-
turing the senator’s name along-
side Chisholm.
“It’s high time that a woman
gets to the highest levels of our
government,” said Twyman, who
is 35 and Black.
Despite the excitement sur-
rounding Harris, she and Biden
face steep challenges, including
may not simply because they’ve
never seen it before,” Harris
said. “You chose hope and uni-
ty, decency, science and, yes,
truth ... you ushered in a new
day for America.”
Biden was on track to win
the national popular vote by
more than 4 million, a margin
that could grow as ballots con-
tinue to be counted.
Nonetheless, Trump was not
giving up.
Departing from longstand-
ing democratic tradition and
signaling a potentially tur-
bulent transfer of power, he
issued a combative statement
saying his campaign would
take unspecified legal actions.
And he followed up with a
bombastic, all-caps tweet in
which he falsely declared, “I
WON THE ELECTION, GOT
71,000,000 LEGAL VOTES.”
Twitter immediately flagged it
as misleading.
Trump has pointed to delays
in processing the vote in
deepening racial tensions in the
U.S. in the wake of a pandemic
that has taken a disproportion-
ate toll on people of color and a
series of police killings of Black
Americans. Harris’ past work as
a prosecutor has prompted skep-
ticism among progressives and
young voters who are looking
to her to back sweeping institu-
tional change over incremental
reforms in policing, drug policy
and more.
Jessica Byrd, who leads the
Movement for Black Lives’ Elec-
toral Justice Project and The
Frontline, a multiracial coalition
effort to galvanize voters, said
she plans to engage in the rigor-
ous organizing work needed to
push Harris and Biden toward
more progressive policies.
“I deeply believe in the pow-
er of Black women’s leadership,
even when all of our politics don’t
align,” Byrd said. “I want us to be
committed to the idea that repre-
sentation is exciting and it’s wor-
thy of celebration and also that
we have millions of Black women
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
some states to allege with no
evidence that there was fraud
and to argue that his rival was
trying to seize power — an ex-
traordinary charge by a sitting
president trying to sow doubt
about a bedrock democratic
process.
Trump is the first incumbent
president to lose reelection
since Republican George H.W.
Bush in 1992.
He was golfing at his
Virginia country club when he
lost the race. He stayed out for
hours, stopping to congratu-
late a bride as he left, and his
motorcade returned to the
White House to a cacophony of
shouts, taunts and unfriendly
hand gestures.
In Wilmington, Delaware,
near the stage that, until Sat-
urday night, had stood empty
since it was erected to cele-
brate on Election Night, people
cheered and pumped their fists
as the news that the presiden-
tial race had been called for the
who deserve a fair shot.”
Harris is the second Black
woman elected to the Senate.
Her colleague, Sen. Cory Book-
er, who is also Black, said her
very presence makes the insti-
tution “more accessible to more
people” and suggested she
would accomplish the same with
the vice presidency.
Harris was born in 1964 to
two parents active in the civ-
il rights movement. Shyamala
Gopalan, from India, and Don-
ald Harris, from Jamaica, met
at the University of California,
Berkeley, then a hotbed of 1960s
activism. They divorced when
Harris and her sister were girls,
and Harris was raised by her late
mother, whom she considers the
most important influence in her
life.
Kamala is Sanskrit for “lotus
flower,” and Harris gave nods to
her Indian heritage throughout
the campaign, including with a
callout to her “chitthis,” a Tamil
word for a maternal aunt, in her
first speech as Biden’s running
state’s former senator arrived
on their cellphones.
On the nearby water, two
men in a kayak yelled to a
couple paddling by in the oppo-
site direction, “Joe won! They
called it!” as people on the
shore whooped and hollered.
Harris, in workout gear, was
shown on video speaking to
Biden on the phone, exuber-
antly telling the president-elect
“We did it!” Biden was expect-
ed to take the stage for a drive-
in rally after dark.
Across the country, there
were parties and prayer. In
New York City, spontaneous
block parties broke out. People
ran out of their buildings,
banging on pots. They danced
and high-fived with strangers
amid honking horns. Among
the loudest cheers were those
for passing U.S. Postal Service
trucks.
People streamed into Black
Lives Matter Plaza near the
White House, near where
mate. When Georgia Sen. David
Perdue mocked her name in an
October rally, the hashtag #My-
NameIs took off on Twitter, with
South Asians sharing the mean-
ings behind their names.
The mocking of her name by
Republicans, including Trump,
was just one of the attacks Har-
ris faced. Trump and his allies
sought to brand her as radical
and a socialist despite her more
centrist record, an effort aimed
at making people uncomfortable
about the prospect of a Black
woman in leadership. She was
the target of online disinforma-
tion laced with racism and sex-
ism about her qualifications to
serve as president.
Congresswoman Pramila Jay-
apal of Washington said Harris’
power comes not just from her
life experience but also from the
people she already represents.
California is the nation’s most
populous and one of its most di-
verse states; nearly 40% of peo-
ple are Latino and 15% are Asian.
In Congress, Harris and Jayapal
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020 5A
Trump had ordered the clear-
ing of protesters in June, wav-
ing signs and taking cellphone
pictures. In Lansing, Michigan,
Trump supporters and Black
Lives Matter demonstrators
filled the Capitol steps. The lyr-
ics to “Amazing Grace” began
to echo through the crowd, and
Trump supporters laid their
hands on a counter protester,
and prayed.
Americans showed deep
interest in the presidential
race. A record 103 million voted
early this year, opting to avoid
waiting in long lines at polling
locations during a pandemic.
With counting continuing in
some states, Biden had already
received more than 74 million
votes, more than any presiden-
tial candidate before him.
Trump’s refusal to concede
has no legal implications. But
it could add to the incoming
administration’s challenge of
bringing the country together
after a bitter election.
have teamed up on bills to ensure
legal representation for Muslims
targeted by Trump’s 2017 travel
ban and to extend rights to do-
mestic workers.
“That’s the kind of policy that
also happens when you have
voices like ours at the table,” said
Jayapal, who in 2016 was the first
South Asian woman elected to
the U.S. House. Harris won elec-
tion to the Senate that same year.
Harris’ mother raised her
daughters with the understand-
ing the world would see them as
Black women, Harris has said,
and that is how she describes
herself today.
She attended Howard Univer-
sity, one of the nation’s histori-
cally Black colleges and univer-
sities, and pledged Alpha Kappa
Alpha, the nation’s first sorority
created by and for Black wom-
en. She campaigned regularly at
HBCUs and tried to address the
concerns of young Black men
and women eager for strong ef-
forts to dismantle systemic rac-
ism.
Opinion
6A SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020
PARTIAL TO HOME
Idle remark opens floodgates of memory
N
ot too long
ago, some-
one said to
me, “You always
were a little off-cen-
ter.” Later that day
I was going to be
driving a tractor
and was dressed for
the part in patched
work pants and a
rumpled cotton
shirt. Though attire Birney Imes
is what evoked the
comment and his
tone friendly, I suspect the fel- small town in mid-century, the
low’s assessment wasn’t limited Columbus of my childhood was
to my sartorial choices. awash in distinctive charac-
I took it as a compliment, ters.
and, had I been quicker on The oldest of six kids, I
my feet, would have thanked spent much of my early child-
him. Truth is, we’re all “a little hood in the care of my father’s
off-center.” Each in our own mother, Eunice, on College
way. Street (on the corner across
Several days later, while the street from the Catholic
pulling weeds in the garden, Church, where Clay and Shan-
the comment came back to me. non Bowen now live).
For some reason the thought Long a widow and herself
evoked the memory of my a distinct personality, Eunice
OUR VIEW
Roses and thorns
A rose to all the
veterans as we approach
Veterans Day on Wednes-
day, which marks the
101st Veterans Day in
our nation’s history. First
celebrated as Armistice Day, coinciding
with the treaty that ended World War I
on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the
11th month of 1919, this day has been
set aside to honor all of our citizens who
have served the nation through military
services. There are an estimated 17.4
million veterans nation-wide. Mississippi,
whose citizens have a proud record of
military service, is home to 191,000 vet-
erans. If all of our veterans lived in one
city, it would easily be the largest city in
our state. We always urge readers to take
a monument to thank a veteran on Vet-
eran’s Day. They aren’t difficult to find
­­­— in your neighborhood, your workplace
and perhaps in your own household. To
further celebrate the day, we honor area
veterans in our annual Salute to Veterans
special section, found in today’s paper.
We salute you all!
A rose to Golden
Triangle Regional Air-
port Executive Director
Mike Hainsey for using
airport resources to help
students who have no
reliable access to broadband internet
service. GTRA created what is now
called the SkyFi learning laboratory on
the second floor of its terminal building
to provide free internet access to K-12
students in the Golden Triangle from 9
a.m. to 4 p.m. every weekday. Monday
was the laboratory’s first day in opera-
tion, and it is expected to run through
the spring. GTRA had additional space
after it expanded with a second terminal
in February, but after enduring months
of the COVID-19 pandemic, traffic at the
airport is now down 65 percent, Hainsey
said. With students across the Golden
Triangle utilizing virtual learning options
during the pandemic, Hainsey wanted to
put the extra space to effective use. We
applaud him for looking beyond his own
challenges as airport director to find a
way to serve the broader community.
A rose to the voters of
the Golden Triangle, who
fulfilled one of a citizen’s
most important obliga-
tions by going to the polls
to vote in Tuesday’s election. Absentee
voting for those who feared to vote in
person because COVID-19 was roughly
double what it was in 2016 in Lowndes,
Oktibbeha and Clay counties. In-per-
son voting was historically high, too,
with turnout ranging from 65 percent
in Lowndes County to 68 percent in
Oktibbeha County to 72 percent in Clay
County. Thousands of new voters regis-
tered to vote in the weeks leading up to
the election. Much has been written and
said about the outcome of Tuesday’s elec-
tion, but in another sense there was one
aspect of the election that produced no
losers, only winners: all of you who cared
enough about our community, state and
nation to go to the polls. Give yourself a
hand. You’ve earned it.
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
deceased father, a had for years taken in board- accompanying me on that jour- stunned, I took the bird back
man who was more ers. Enough of them to popu- ney of three blocks ended up to the scene of the crime. He
than a little off-cen- late a Eudora Welty short story toting the metal helmet most of quacked a thank you and flew
ter, a condition collection. At various times her the way home. off. Later, not knowing I’d
obscured by his household included spinsters, Dad had a glassed-in office released the duck, Dad asked,
taciturn person- widows, even a couple who in the front area of The Dis- “Do you think we need to call
ality and flawless spent their entire married life patch. He and his visitors were a vet?”
manners. under her roof. in plain sight. Some called it He called his old friends by
My father had In some instances, the “the aquarium.” He might as their high school nicknames,
an abiding appre- effects of deceased boarders likely be talking to someone long after everyone else had
ciation for eccen- had gone unclaimed, which is who wandered in off the street forgotten them. A tightly
tric people, and I to say Grandma Eunice had an seeking (and usually getting) a wound stockbroker he’d known
think he instilled interesting attic. small loan as John C. Stennis. since childhood was “Ghoul.”
the same in me. I was particularly enthralled There is a fireplug in front of He and J.C. Shelton, own-
Like any Southern with the trunks of military newspaper office and it wasn’t er of the Ritz Café, had an
uniforms and letters with uncommon to see him sitting ongoing debate about who was
ancient postage stamps buried on it in his bespoke suit talking older. My dad called J.C. “Gar-
in that dim, dusty place. Once to anyone who happened by. field,” because, as my father
I insisted on wearing a heavy He could eat butter pecan claimed, the restaurant owner
WWI-vintage steel helmet I ice cream every night and most was old enough to have voted
had exhumed from the attic nights did. After his mother’s for James A. Garfield (who was
on a foray to the Woolworth’s death, he drove her black elected president in 1880).
10-cent store uptown, then at Buick Electra 225 long after Off-center? Yeah, I suppose
the corner of Fifth Street and the ceiling upholstery began to so. It runs in the family. But
College. deteriorate and sag. then, can you show me anyone
I don’t remember Eunice He once brought home who isn’t?
having regular domestic help, a duck he’d wounded while Birney Imes (birney@
but on this day she did, and the hunting and charged me with cdispatch.com) is the former
unlucky woman charged with its care. Seeing it was only publisher of The Dispatch.
Does this election tell us something about men?
Editor’s note: The fol- four years, it was possi- others, including his opponent who is
lowing column was written ble to believe that most a few years older than he, at risk of a
before Joe Biden was named Trump supporters weren’t deadly pathogen.
winner of the 2020 Presi- seeing the same president There was a dip in the polls after
dential election. we were seeing. They the first debate (if we can believe the
were getting a steady diet polls!), but the sticky loyalty of Trump
A
s I write, the out- of agitprop from Rush fans bounced back. So, even with the
come of the 2020 Limbaugh, Fox News, most generous interpretations about
presidential race social media, and the rest how people are getting their informa-
remains in doubt, though of Conservative Inc. Their tion, we must this morning grapple
it seems very likely that propaganda diet presented with the fact that about 70 million
Joe Biden will squeeze out a successful president. Americans know that Trump is a
a victory. This is a stun- Mona Charen Brash? Sure, but isn’t that malignant fool and wanted to give him
ning departure from the refreshing after the blow- four more years.
resounding repudiation dried phonies? Impolitic? 3) There is a problem with mascu-
of Donald Trump that we had been All the better. Not a politician. He tells linity in this country.
hoping for. Here are a few groggy, it like it is. He took on China, boosted The gender gap is now a chasm,
morning after reflections. the economy, and kept out criminal and speaking as someone who, until
1) There is something wrong with aliens swamping our borders. Trump, was more politically in line
polling in this country. But when the crisis came, every- with men than women, this difference
The errors of 2016, underweighting one, no matter how cocooned, saw the is becoming one of the defining facts
white, non-college educated whites in president unvarnished and unedited. of political affiliation. This is a big
the likely voter category, were fixed They watched those daily coronavi- subject, one I’ve begun exploring in
by 2018 — or so we thought. And yet, rus press conferences and saw him a recent book about feminism, but
here we are. No blue wave. No gain of both claim total power and disclaim we need to think more deeply about
10 seats for Democrats in the house. A all responsibility. They watched him how we are raising men. A significant
loss of about five seats instead. No flip accuse doctors and nurses of stealing number of American children, higher
of Senate control. And no lope to victo- equipment he was generous enough than almost every other nation in
ry for Biden. A scratch and claw fight to provide, while insulting governors the world, is growing up without the
for the last few swing states instead. who were pleading for help. And they steady presence of two parents. And
Seeing this result throws past polls saw him boast of his amazing medical there is lots of research suggesting
into doubt as well. How many times aptitude and then ask, straight-faced, that fractured families are more
have we consulted polls and noted whether injecting disinfectant and damaging to boys than girls. Boys are
that Trump has never cracked a 50% inserting ultraviolet light into body coming of age without good male role
approval rating? Perhaps that was cavities might be effective against the models to teach them that masculinity
wrong, too. How about polling show- virus. means being strong, not whiny, lead-
ing the popularity of the Affordable The debates were another op- ing by example, being responsible for
Care Act or the Trump tax cuts? Who portunity for voters to see Trump in others, truthful, loyal to spouses and
knows? the raw. They watched him in the children, protective of the weak and
There are lots of theories — people first debate make a mockery of the vulnerable, reliable and competitive in
don’t answer their phones, people word debate, using his mouth not to an honorable way.
distrust callers even when they do express ideas but as a machine gun to One weird twist of history giving
answer, people don’t tell pollsters prevent ideas from raising their heads Trump tens of millions of votes could
their true views. Whatever is happen- above the parapet. They knew that he have been considered a quirk — Hil-
ing, we need to figure out a system for refused to take a COVID-19 test (as lary Clinton’s unpopularity, TV star-
gauging public opinion that is more had been prearranged) and that he dom, Jim Comey’s misplaced interfer-
accurate because you can’t rely on gut was, in fact, infectious with the virus ence. But two elections that give such
feelings or lawn signs. whose virulence he has so consistent- a person scores of millions of votes
2) Trump voters are not unaware of ly downplayed. Americans knew that suggest a deeper disorder.
who he is. contrary to the most elemental rules Mona Charen is a Senior Fellow at
Throughout these soul-crushing of decent behavior, he purposely put the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
Lifestyles
In their honor
As Veterans Day nears, one hospice
organization shares how it pays tribute
The late Richard Lutz and his daughter, Kathryn Tucker, are pictured on Veterans Day 2019 at the Sanctuary Hos-
pice House inpatient facility in Tupelo. Like all military veterans in Sanctuary’s care, Lutz was presented with a pin
and certificate on Veterans Day in appreciation for his service.
BY JAN SWOOPE
jswoope@cdispatch.com
V
eterans Day 2019 provid-
ed Kathryn Tucker with a
comforting memory she
can look back on today. As she
watched then, her father, U.S.
Navy veteran Richard Lutz, was
honored for his military service by
his Sanctuary Hospice caregivers.
Although age and illness had taken
their toll, Lutz was gratified by the
recognition. It consisted, in part, of
presentation of a patriotic pin and
certificate of thanks.
“The staff gathered around, and
he was given notes and cards from
local children as well as a framed
declaration,” Tucker recounted.
“It’s really nice for seniors to be ac-
knowledged for accomplishments,
whether present or past.”
This tribute is just one way Sanc-
tuary reaches out to veterans it
cares for, whether they are in-home
patients or have been transferred
to the hospice facility in Tupelo.
Many patients are from the Golden
Triangle.
“We participate in ‘We Honor
Veterans,’ which is a national-
ly-recognized hospice initiative,”
said Heather Palmer, director of
Outreach and Fundraising for
Sanctuary. “We Honor Veterans” is
a program of the National Hospice
and Palliative Care Organization
in collaboration with the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs. It invites
hospices, state hospice organiza-
IN THE GARDEN WITH FELDER
Proudly waving the magnolia
T
his is a shameless
celebration. It’s
mostly about a par-
ticular tree, but after two
decades of pushing hard
for it, even lobbying two
special commissions, I’m
over the moon to finally
salute the magnolia flow-
er on my beloved state’s
new flag.
I get that not everyone
Felder Rushing
likes the flag; don’t want
to alienate those with
strong other preferences. But after ed this effort, as well as the two
all, what is a flag but colorful strings Mississippians who had the most
Courtesy photo
The Columbus family of the late Jim
Kimbrell shared this image from a
procession after Kimbrell passed
away in February at Sanctuary
Hospice House. Staff and family
respectfully lined the hallway as
“Taps” played.
tions, hospice-veteran partnerships
and VA facilities to recognize the
unique needs of America’s veterans
and their families.
Palliative social worker Laura
Hellums oversees the program for
Sanctuary. She provides resources
to help veterans receive any assis-
tance needed in exploring benefits
or programs available to them. Her
young son even does his part
“My son’s daycare always colors
pictures (for veterans) or writes
them a note,” Hellums said.
When Richard Lutz passed away
only a few weeks after Veterans
Day last year at the hospice house,
representing some cause
or another on a stick?
Could just as easily be
Granny’s knickers.
But we are the
Magnolia State and now
sport the international-
ly-recognizable symbol
that rivals Texans’ Lone
Star and South Carolin-
ians’ palmetto.
I am grateful to the
hundreds of thousands
of folks who support-
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020 n 7A
Courtesy photo
Tucker was deeply touched when
his service to country was recog-
nized yet again.
“Our protocol, with family per-
mission, is that we cover the body
of the deceased when they leave
us with a flag,” explained Palmer.
“Our staff and the family members
gather in the hallway and we play
‘Taps,’ with our hands over our
hearts, as the funeral homes leave.
We felt this was an important step
to not only honor the deceased but
also to honor and pay respect to the
families.”
Tucker recalls the day well.
“It was very moving. You’re just
in the midst of your own whirlwind
of emotion ... and to be recognized
and appreciated like that in that
moment was an important and
M
meaningful piece of his passing. ...
At the end of a long journey of his
dementia and cancer care, to have
a closing piece that was filled with
honor and respect, I’ll never forget
it.”
Tim and Barbara Kimbrell of
Columbus also value the empathy
expressed when Tim’s father, Jim,
passed away at the inpatient facility
in February this year. Jim Kimbrell
was an Army veteran, serving from
1958 to 1964.
“It’s something I have never
seen before. It was beautiful, the
way they did it,” said Barbara
Kimbrell of the procession as her
father-in-law left the hospice house
for the last time.
See HONORING VETERANS, 8A
impact on the final design — Rocky
Vaughan, from Ackerman, and Sue
Anna Joe, a Greenwood native now
living in San Francisco.
“The New Magnolia Flag rep-
resents the warmth and strength of
the good people of Mississippi,” said
Vaughan, “and shows the world that
we’re proud to be from the Magnolia
State.”
The flower design was from
Sue Anna Joe, a Greenwood native
whose parents immigrated from
China. “I very much love my home
See MAGNOLIA, 8A
LIFESTYLES EDITOR
Jan Swoope: 328-2471
Columbus
library’s virtual
Hattiesburg
program is
Thursday
SPECIAL TO THE DISPATCH
T
he Columbus-Lowndes Pub-
lic Library System (CLPL) is
hosting the online presenta-
tion “Getting to know Hattiesburg
through Historical Documents” on
Thursday, Nov. 12 at noon.
This seminar will focus on the
history of Hattiesburg, Mississippi,
as seen through photographs and
documents found in Special Collec-
tions located in McCain Library at
the University of Southern Missis-
sippi (USM). Some materials high-
lighted include correspondence
between Hattiesburg founder
William H. Hardy and his wife Hat-
tie (the namesake of the city), early
publications about Hattiesburg,
civil rights materials from activists
and the mayor’s office, and photo-
graphs from Robert Waller, a local
photographer who documented
family, business and organizational
activities from the 1940s-1970s.
The talk will be presented by
Jennifer Brannock, curator of
Mississippiana and Rare Books at
USM.
“Getting to know Hattiesburg
through Historical Documents”
will be presented over Zoom and
will only be accessible via a link.
The link will be available on the
CLPL’s Facebook page or receive
it by contacting Mona Vance-Ali at
662-329-5304 or mvance@lowndes.
lib.ms.us.
This program is made possible
through the Society of Mississippi
Archivists program of speakers
and consultants. To learn more
visit mississippiarchivists.org.
Freshmen,
graduate
students
increase
at The W
MUW UNIVERSITY RELATIONS
ississippi University for
Women enrolled 2,704
students for fall 2020,
increasing the number of freshmen
and graduate students enrolled at
university.
Announced by Mississippi
Institutions of Higher Learning
(IHL), The W’s fall 2020 enrollment
reflects a 3.8 percent decrease com-
pared to fall 2019. The university
experienced a 9 percent increase of
freshmen from fall 2019. Addition-
ally, Graduate Studies increased by
32 percent compared to fall 2019
equating to the highest enrollment
in more than 10 years.
“Considering all the uncertainty
this summer over the pandemic, I
am pleased with our enrollment for
this fall. Most of the decrease was
in areas that were expected — dual
See STUDENTS, 8A
Felder
Rushing’s
daughter
Zoe takes
in the scent
of a magno-
lia blossom.
The aroma
will always
say “home”
to a child of
Mississippi.
Felder Rushing/Courtesy photo
8A SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Honoring veterans
Continued from Page 7A
“We all lined the hall.
They were playing ‘Taps.’
It’s emotional talking
about it,” she said.
Tim Kimbrell added,
“Everybody showed real
good respect for him
being in the military.”
■■■
As Veterans Day 2020
— Nov. 11 — approaches,
Sanctuary Hospice staff
are readying for this
year’s pinning ceremo-
nies, preparing to again
recognize those who
served. It also sends out
an appeal for volunteers
who are veterans willing
to spend time with pa-
tients who are veterans.
Some may be able to visit
at the inpatient facility.
Other volunteers may
know a veteran under
hospice in-home care in
their county.
“Sometimes it’s for
social interaction; some
don’t get a lot of company
... it’s somebody that they
can relate to specifically,”
noted Hellums.
Barbara Kimbrell
said, “It would mean the
world to those patients.”
She recalled how her
late father-in-law, while
staying at an assisted
living facility, enjoyed
chatting with some fellow
residents, also veterans.
“They would get
together and talk about
their days in the service
and what they did, so I
can imagine being in hos-
pice and having someone
come by where they can
talk about their past,
about their service, about
what they did for their
country and the impact it
had on their lives.”
It could lead, she add-
ed, to families learning
more about a part of their
loved ones’ lives.
“What a great way to
get to know a grandfa-
ther or great-grandpa for
a child — and those are
memories that child is
going to remember for
the rest of his life.”
Editor’s note: If you are
a veteran interested in
volunteering, contact Lau-
ra Hellums at Sanctuary
Hospice, 662-844-2111.

Magnolia
Continued from Page 7A
state,” she said. “I grew
up with a magnolia tree in
my back yard, so when I
see it, I think home.”
That’s important.
When my children were
young I had them smell
things to imprint things
deeply. Now, no matter
who or where they end
up, every time they
encounter a magnolia
flower its sweetness will
evoke memories of their
childhood home.
This sense of place
is important: it’s part of
who we are, individually
and collectively. As I
travel across the world,
I’m often asked where
I’m from and, when I say
“Mississippi,” I get looks,
comments. Many are
favorable; some are not. I
just hold my head up and
go on, because I under-
stand and treasure my
ancestral home’s diverse
people and cultures, and
how we celebrate our
good while working on
the rest. And this flag will
help.
I’ve photographed the
tree across five conti-
nents; Europe’s oldest
botanic garden features
an oversized magnolia
flower sculpture. By the
way, magnolia is named
after Pierre Magnol, a
French botany professor
who died in 1715. It was
he who first invented the
concept of classifying
plant families based on
combinations of physical
characteristics.
The huge prehistoric
native tree survived the
Cretaceous Period, out-
living whatever killed the
dinosaurs. Its flower, the
largest on our continent,
evolved before bees and
is naturally pollinated
by beetles and flies;
when fermenting on the
ground, the seedpod’s
protruding red beans
have a wonderful funky
aroma.
But of course, in spite
of the Garden Clubs of
Mississippi lining eight
of the major entrances
to the state with their
Avenue of Magnolias,
it isn’t everyone’s land-
scaping cup of tea. It’s Mississippi author, colum-
a monster that gobbles nist, and host of the Gestalt
up garage-size areas, Gardener on MPB Think
with tangled, shallow Radio. Email gardening
roots so dense that few questions to rushing-
other plants can eke felder@yahoo.com.
out a living beneath its
massive limbs, especially
when buried under its
large, thick, waxy fallen
leaves. However, tidi-
er, more compact, and
longer-blooming culti-
vars such as Little Gem
are available for smaller
landscapes.
Main thing is, little
this side of roses brings
more smiles than our
magnolia flower, which,
like the ancient tree,
doesn’t care who our
Mamas ’n them are, but
watches over us equally,
regally, nonplussed about
our shortcomings.
Want to kindle sweet
forever memories? Get a
child to smell a magnolia
flower; for the rest of his
or her life, both you and
home will be conjured ev-
ery time they see Missis-
sippi’s Magnolia Flag.
Felder Rushing is a

CALENDAR
Now through Nov. 21
United We Feed food drive — United
Way of North Central Mississippi requests do-
nations of non-perishable food items. Drop-off
locations in multiple counties are available at
unitedwayncms.com/unitd-we-feed-1.
Monday, Nov. 9
Ladies Night Out at the Blues Mu-
seum — Enjoy food, drinks and live music at
the Black Prairie Blues Museum 6-9 p.m., 640
Commerce St., West Point. Preview live auction
items slated for a Nov. 12 Virtual Blues Muse-
um Fundraiser on Facebook. Night Out tickets
$50; Deborah Mansfield, 662-275-7819.
Wednesday, Nov. 11
Veterans Day observance — The
Bernard Romans DAR Chapter in Columbus will
honor veterans with readings and bell ringing in
an 11 a.m. program at the Municipal Com-
plex, 1501 Main St. Guests welcome; masks
required. Frances Hairston, 662-272-5770.

Students
Continued from Page 7A
credit-dual enrolled high
school students and in
our RN to BSN program.
High school students
were faced with enough
challenges, and the RNs
have been on the front
lines caring for those
affected by the pandemic.”
said MUW President Nora
Miller.
The university main-
tains the ability to offer an
affordable and personal
higher education with
a 14 to 1 faculty-student
ratio. The W continues
to lead the state’s public
university system with the
highest degree comple-
tion at 33.4 percent degree
completion ratio per 100
undergraduate full-time
equivalent students, com-
pared to the IHL System’s
overall average of 22.4.
For the second year
in a row and The W was
ranked No. 5 as a best val-
ue among public Southern
regional universities 18th
among best public region-
al universities in the South
according to the U.S.
News & World Report.
Other student charac-
teristics:
n 86 percent of stu-
dents are from Mississip-
pi, representing 80 of 82
counties.
n 37 percent are Afri-
can-American students.
n Average student age
is 24.5 years.

■ For more Lifestyles content, including pictures from the 4-H Pumpkin Growing
contest and Southern Gardening, go to cdispatch.com.
Sports
COMMENTARY
SPORTS LINE
662-241-5000
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020
B
SECTION

Hodge: MSU left the field with a win, but it sure felt like a loss
BY GARRICK HODGE The Bulldogs nearly blew a 17-point
ghodge@cdispatch.com lead after amassing 42 offensive yards
in the second half. MSU’s offense failed
STARKVILLE — At long last, the los- to reach 300 total yards for the fourth
ing streak from hell is over. straight week. Seven straight punts fol-
After four lowed a 17-0 advantage. If the defense
long, grueling, didn’t force five turnovers, a loss to a
miserable con- team with the worst roster in the South-
tests, Mississippi eastern Conference would have been
State found a vac- possible. Two of MSU’s three offensive
cine to cure the touchdowns came when gifted with
spread of losing short fields.
football games on Look, if you want to celebrate this
Saturday: playing win, I won’t stop you. But it’s important
Vanderbilt. to note all of this happened against the
The year 2020 Commodores, who are every bit as bad
will be remem- as their winless record indicates. They
bered for plenty Garrick Hodge weren’t even at full strength, as only 58
of unfortunate scholarship players suited up, according
c i rc u mst a nc es , to a report from Adam Sparks of The
but at least “Mississippi State lost to Van- Tennessean. That’s five more than the
derbilt” T-shirts won’t be printed. SEC requires to compete in a game. Mansel Guerry/Mississippi State Athletics
And yet, a 24-17 win at Davis Wade You would have thought MSU lost Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers didn’t throw deep much but was fairly
Stadium left so much to be desired. See HODGE, 6B effective in Saturday’s 24-17 victory over Vanderbilt at Davis Wade Stadium.

New state MISSISSIPPI STATE 24, VANDERBILT 17

flag makes
its debut at
Davis Wade
Sunken ship: Bulldogs find brief offensive
BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com groove, struggle to close out Commodores
STARKVILLE — As
the speakers at Davis
Wade Stadium blared,
the smattering of cow-
bells clanged and the
garage door separating
the player entrance from
Scott Field was opened, it
revealed Starkville native
Kobe Jones holding an
unfamiliar banner.
Gone were the Con-
federate stars and bars
from the old state flag.
Instead, Jones held in
his hand the “The New
Magnolia Flag” designed
by Starkville graphic de-
signer Rocky Vaughan
as MSU took the field for
Saturday’s 24-17 win over
Vanderbilt.
“That moment meant
a lot for me,” Jones said.
“First off, it was a huge
honor to be asked to car-
ry the flag and I was just
very proud to finally get
to wave a flag that unites
all Mississippians.”
See FLAG, 6B

Caledonia Mansel Guerry/Mississippi State Athletics

downed by Mississippi State defensive end Kobe Jones carries “The New Magnolia Flag” onto Scott Field at Davis Wade Stadium before Saturday’s
game against Vanderbilt. The flag was approved on Tuesday in an Election Day referendum, replacing a flag that bore the Confederate em-
Louisville in blem in the corner. “That moment meant a lot for me,” said Jones, a Starkville native. “First off, it was a huge honor to be asked to carry
the flag, and I was just very proud to finally get to wave a flag that unites all Mississippians.”

first round
of Class 4A
playoffs
BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com
LOUISVILLE — Cale-
donia head coach Mi-
chael Kelly looked over
his gathered squad with
a solemn grimace and be-
gan to speak.
“Three and six does
not define you,” Kelly
said following Caledo-
nia’s 26-13 loss to Louis-
ville Friday night.
“If you can get on that
bus and say that you have
no regrets, then you’re
going to sleep well to-
night,” he continued.
In a year marred by
inconsistencies, ups and
downs and whatever else
a COVID-19 affected fall
could throw at Kelly’s
team, Caledonia came
just a few plays short
of upsetting the No.
1-ranked Louisville in the
first round of the Class
4A playoffs.
Three weeks ago, Kel-
ly maligned his defense
following a 37-12 beat-
down against Pontotoc
See CALEDONIA, 6B
Bulldogs get back in the win column after four straight losses
BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com
STARKVILLE — On a day
in which Mississippi State (2-4)
honored its history associated
with space travel by way of “Fly-
ing M” decals and field paint,
the previously grounded Bull-
dog offense briefly took flight
before crashing to a new low in a
24-17 win over Vanderbilt (0-5).
Struggling to a meager 42
second-half yards and 204
overall, despite forcing five
turnovers, the Bulldogs barely
survived a stiff challenge from
the Southeastern Conference
bottom-feeding Commodores,
who were left with just 58 schol-
arship players due to COVID-19
contact tracing, according to
a report from Adam Sparks of
The Tennessean.
“They didn’t really do any-
thing,” MSU head coach Mike
Leach said of Vanderbilt’s de-
fense on postgame radio. “They
just saw us lined up, and they
pressured us some, and basical-
ly watched us take turns screw-
ing up, playing timid and sitting
on the sideline with blank, wide-
eyed faces. And I’m getting sick
and tired of that.”
Entering Saturday’s win,
MSU hadn’t notched an offen-
sive touchdown since just over
11 minutes remained in its loss
to No. 7 Texas A&M.
Freshman Will Rogers, who
earned his first career start with
senior signal-caller K.J. Costel-
lo sidelined for undisclosed rea-
sons, promptly ended the streak
that stretched across 71:11 of
game time on MSU’s first drive.
Taking over at the Vanderbilt
27-yard line after a one-hand-
ed interception by sophomore
Collin Duncan, whose brother
CJ played for the Commodores
between 2013 and 2017, Rog-
ers completed three of his first
four passes. On the fifth toss of
the game, the Brandon native
connected with senior Osirus
Mitchell for a 6-yard passing
touchdown.
Helping the MSU lead bal-
loon to 17 in the first half against
a Vanderbilt team that was down
to 58 players, Rogers completed
24 of 30 passes for 162 yards and
a touchdown in the opening 30
minutes alone.
A four-yard rushing touch-
down by freshman Dillon John-
son — who split duties in the
backfield with classmate Jo’qua-
vious Marks and sophomore
Lee Witherspoon after senior
Kylin Hill announced Tuesday
he’d opted out of the season to
prepare for the 2021 NFL draft
— and a 25-yard field goal by
junior kicker Brandon Ruiz tied
the Bulldogs’ their highest first-
half scoring output of the year.
Then the Bulldogs offense
of weeks past returned to Davis
Wade Stadium.
From Ruiz’s field goal on,
MSU punted on seven straight
possessions, as Vanderbilt
freshman quarterback Ken
Seals guided the Commodores
to back-to-back scoring drives
of 71 and 85 yards in just 8:56 to
cut the gap to three points.
“We have to get a lot tougher
at offensive line,” Leach said of a
unit that dressed just eight play-
ers Saturday for undisclosed
reasons. “‘Cause right now we’re
a cross between spectators and
participants instead of players.
We need to become players.”
Taking over at his own eight-
yard-line after MSU failed
to make good on a Marquiss
Spencer interception, Seals was
sacked and stripped by junior
linebacker Tyrus Wheat to give
the Bulldogs their third short
field of the night.
Four plays later, Marks
plunged into the end zone from
a yard out for his first career
touchdown and the insurance
score MSU so desperately
sought.
“We came into this game and
we knew we had to get a lot of
takeaways to get momentum for
the offense to keep it going on
the defensive side,” junior safety
Marcus Murphy said.
A 41-yard field goal by Van-
derbilt kicker Pierson Cooke
pulled the Commodores within
a score with 38 seconds remain-
ing before Austin Williams fell
on the ensuing onside kick to
assure MSU of its first victory
since September.
Postgame, Leach was que-
ried on what his message was
for doubters who felt his offense,
ideology and program are head-
ed in the wrong direction amid
a 2-4 start.
“But I get a kick out of fans
feel like they’re upset about
something,” he said, frustrated
at the sentiment of the question.
“They ought to try it from the
players’ and coaches’ stand-
point. I talked about it on the
radio show. It’s like breakfast:
the chicken is involved but the
pig is committed. Coaches and
players, we’re like the pigs.”
2B SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020
PREP FOOTBALL
West Point clinches playoff berth with win over Center Hill
Green Wave win third straight to keep chance at five-peat alive
BY GARRICK HODGE
ghodge@cdispatch.com
WEST POINT — ­West
Point knew what was at
stake.
After suffering three
losses in a season for the
first time since 2015, the
Green Wave had to win
their regular season fina-
le against Center Hill to
finish in the top four of
Class 5A, Region 1 and
earn a playoff berth to de-
fend their four-peat.
Although Center Hill
scored on its first play
from scrimmage, West
Point weathered the
storm, controlled the line
of scrimmage offensive-
ly and scored more than
enough to walk away with
a 40-21 victory Friday in
West Point.
“We treated this game
like a playoff game all
week,” West Point coach
Chris Chambless said.
“Our guys locked in and
focused. We’ve been prac-
ticing really well, and
when we do that, it trans-
lates to the field.”
With the win, West
Point finishes as the third
seed in the region and will
travel to Holmes County
Central for its first-round
matchup next week. Con-
sidering the Green Wave
haven’t lost more than one
game in each of the previ-
ous four seasons, opening
the playoffs on the road
will be new territory for
them.
“We know it’s playoff
time,” Chambless said.
“We know what’s at stake;
we’re going to play hard
no matter where we go.
The guys are up for it and
excited, we’re ready to get
rolling Monday.”
Center Hill running
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
“They’re really coming
along,” Chambless said of
his offensive line.
Chris Ivy added a rush-
ing touchdown late for
West Point, then quar-
terback Corbin Kelley
connected with wideout
Shawn Melton for an 18-
yard touchdown pass for
the last Green Wave score
of the night.
Garrick Hodge/Dispatch Staff West Point 40, Center Hill 21
CH 7 7 0 7 — 21
West Point running back Cameron Young (2) runs with WP 14 12 7 7 — 40
the ball downfield at a high school football game Friday First quarter
CH — Darryen Hobbs 1 run (Xzavier Paylor kick)
in West Point. The Green Wave clinched a playoff berth
with a 41-20 victory over Center Hill. “We treated this
WP — Montavious Edwards 3 run (Alex Harper kick)
WP — Cameron Young 1 run (Harper kick)
game like a playoff game all week,” West Point coach Second quarter
WP — JaKobe Pate 12 run (kick failed)
Chris Chambless said. “Our guys locked in and fo- CH — Hobbs 31 run (Paylor kick)
cused. We’ve been practicing really well, and when we WP — Young 1 run (run failed)
Third quarter
do that, it translates to the field.” WP — Chris Ivy 4 run (Harper kick)
Fourth quarter
back Darryen Hobbs gave young guys come in here WP — Shawn Melton 18 pass from Corbin Kelley
his team a lift by taking and helping our guys get (Harper kick)
CH — Hobbs 12 pass from Preston Newson (Paylor
the opening kickoff to the healthy, it means a lot to kick)
West Point 1-yard line, us,” Chambless said. “I
then plunging into the feel like we have the best
end zone on a halfback running backs in the state
dive on the team’s first of Mississippi, hands
play from scrimmage for down.”
an early 7-0 lead. The Green Wave went
“We just don’t ever up by two possessions af-
quit,” Chambless said. ter running back JaKobe
“We put them in situa- Pate delivered a 12-yard
tions like that in practice touchdown scamper, but
and the way we practice, Center Hill stayed in the
we do a lot of goal line contest following a 31-
every day. To play from yard touchdown run from
behind, we do well any- Hobbs to make the con-
way, but with it being that test 20-14.
early, we just knew a few “My hat’s off to them,”
plays and turnovers going Chambless said. “That
our way we’d be fine.” offense, I haven’t slept all
West Point answered week trying to come up
on its opening drive, with ways to defend that
capped off by a 3-yard offense. It’s a tough one to
touchdown from Monta- have to defend, especially
vious Edwards to knot when their season is on
the game at 7-7. Then the the line too. They gave us
Green Wave capitalized a good fight.”
on a fumble recovery But West Point’s offen-
after Cameron Young sive line was too physical
punched in the first of his up front, creating running
two touchdowns of the lanes all night as Young
night. finished off the next
“Our backs are a little Green Wave drive with a
beat up, so to have some touchdown.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020 3B

Pats knock Vols out of MAIS playoffs

BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
All Braden Davidson
needed was a glimpse.
Busy pass blocking, the
Heritage Academy junior
running back only caught
snapshots of the play that
came to seal his team’s
21-19 win over Starkville
Academy in Friday’s
MAIS Class 5A quarterfi-
nal: Patriots quarterback
Mack Howard releasing
the football; wide receiv-
er Harris Gunter working
open downfield.
It was all Davidson
needed to see to be sure
what would happen next.
“I knew he was going
Heritage Academy’s Braden Davidson (44) shakes a
defender for a first down during the third quarter of
Friday’s game against Starkville Academy in Columbus.
happened to be the one
we didn’t.”
It was one of the few
20 yards away, wide open.
The wideout made the
easy catch and took off
across the field, eventual-
ly hauled down in the red
zone.
“You practice scram-
ble drill all you want, but
when you get in that sit-
uation, you never know
what’s going to happen,”
Harrison said.
Instead of a three-
and-out to give the Vols
a final chance, it just
Mike Brown/Special to The Dispatch
took one more first down
Sudoku
YESTERDAY’S ANSWER
to put Heritage Acade-
my in victory formation.
second quarter, and Da-
For the second time in
three weeks, the Pats
Sudoku
Sudoku is a number-
placing puzzle based on
Yesterday’s answer
vidson capped it off by go- Sudoku
a 9x9 gridis witha several
num- 7 6 9 8 3 2 4 5 1
had fought off the Vols in
ing untouched up the mid- ber-placing
given numbers.puzzleThe object 5 4 3 1 6 7 2 9 8

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

a close game. This time,
to catch it,” Davidson plays Friday on which dle for a 10-yard score. based onthe
is to place a 9x9
numbers 8 2 1 5 9 4 3 7 6
they ended Starkville
said, “and I knew that was Jackson didn’t get what Nine minutes later, grid
1 to 9with
in theseveral
empty spaces 2 1 7 9 4 6 5 8 3
Academy’s season, too.
the game when that hap- he came for. The senior Davidson took an option given
so that numbers.
each row, eachThe 4 8 5 7 1 3 9 6 2
“It was a pretty good
pened.” back had 1-yard touch- pitch left for a 20-yard object
column and each 3x3 the
is to place box
football game to go out
numbers 9 3 6 2 5 8 7 1 4
Gunter’s catch and run down runs for Starkville touchdown. He credited
on,” Nicholson said. “Hate contains the1same to 9 number
in
1 7 4 6 2 9 8 3 5
of 67 yards with a minute Academy in the first and Heritage Academy’s of- the empty spaces so
to lose, and we’ll always only once. The difficulty 6 9 2 3 8 5 1 4 7
and 44 seconds to go took third quarters. His first fensive line for its role in that each row, each
hate to lose, but that’s a level increases from
the Patriots from their tally capped an opening both scores. column and each 3 5 8 4 7 1 6 2 9
pretty good football game Monday
3x3 boxtocontains
Sunday.
own 14-yard line to the drive that lasted nearly “The holes, you could Difficulty Level 11/06

Volunteers’ 19, sent Heri-
tage Academy into victory
formation a few plays later
and helped the Pats (8-2)
escape with a 21-19 win
over their rivals.
“It feels great to sur-
vive that one,” Heritage
Academy coach Sean
Harrison said.
It was an understand-
able sentiment after
Starkville Academy (6-
5) came roughly five
feet from erasing a 21-6
deficit entirely. The Vols
marched down the field
and scored late in the
third quarter and blocked
a punt to set up first and
goal at the Pats’ 3-yard
line with just a few min-
utes to go, trailing by
eight.
Harrison, knowing
Starkville Academy’s
rushing attack like-
ly meant a touchdown,
called timeout after the
blocked punt. He had a
message to convey.
“Look, they’re proba-
bly going to score,” Har-
rison told his team. “The
two-point conversion is
the play.”
Colby Allen punched
in a 1-yard score, and on
the ensuing two-point
try, the Pats stuffed dy-
namic running back CJ
Jackson near the 2-yard
line. Instead of a tie game,
Starkville Academy still
trailed by two points.
“We didn’t execute
properly,” Vols coach
Chase Nicholson said.
“You run it a hundred
times, and hopefully you
score 99 of them. That
eight minutes — which,
compared to the Vols’ first
possession when the two
teams met Oct. 16, Harri-
son was willing to endure.
“Making them drive
that long, that’s what I
was pleased with — a lot
better than a 65-yard run
with seven broken tackles
on the first play,” Harri-
son said.
Harrison noted that his
defense once again bent
but didn’t break against
the Vols’ potent offense.
The Patriots are the only
team this season to have
held Starkville Acade-
my under 20 points, and
they’ve done it twice.
“They come to work
every day, and they just
do what they’re supposed
to do,” Howard said of his
defense. “I’m really proud
of them.”
Of course, the soph-
omore signal caller had
plenty of his own impact
on Friday’s game. He
jump-started Heritage
Academy’s offense with
two big connections to
sophomore wide receiver
Trey Naugher early in the
drive a truck through,”
Davidson said. “It’s really
on them, to be honest.”
The O-line helped
again midway through
the third quarter as Jaylan
Stewart hugged the right
sideline for a 39-yard
score to increase the Pats’
lead to 21-16.
But the Vols weren’t
done.
They marched right
down the field for Jack-
son’s second touchdown
of the game and soon
cracked down on defense
to get the ball back. With
4:33 to go in the game, a
Heritage Academy punt
in the shadow of the
Pats’ own end zone was
blocked, and Starkville
Academy took over at the
3.
Allen finished the drive
with his 1-yard score, but
with Jackson turned away,
the Patriots just had to
run the clock out.
On third down, How-
ard scrambled for his
life to avoid pressure, his
heart beating fast. Keep-
ing his eyes downfield,
he noticed Gunter some
to go out on. They battled the same number only once. The difficulty level
hard from start to finish, increases from Monday to Sunday.
the way it’s supposed to
be. I’m proud of every one
of them, I’m proud I got to
coach every one of them,
and that’s that.”
While the Vols head
home for the winter, the
Patriots’ stellar season
continues when they host
Adams County Christian
in the Class 5A semifinals
next week at C.L. Mitchell
Field.
Heritage Academy
beat Pillow Academy 47-14
last year to clinch a berth
in the state title game, but
Harrison knows he can’t
necessarily expect the
same when the Rebels
come to town.
“It’s a semifinal game,”
Harrison said. “It ain’t
supposed to be easy.”
Heritage Academy 21,
Starkville Academy 19
SA 6 0 7 6 — 19
HA 0 14 7 0 — 21
First quarter
SA — CJ Jackson 1 run (kick failed), clock 4:18
Second quarter
HA — Braden Davidson 10 run (Luke Fisher kick),
clock 10:33
HA — Davidson 20 run (Fisher kick), clock 1:25
Third quarter
HA — Jaylan Stewart 39 run (Fisher kick), clock 5:09
SA — Jackson 1 run (John Dylan Miller kick), clock
1:54
Fourth quarter
SA — Colby Allen 1 run (run failed), clock 2:58
ACROSS
1 Gown parts
7 Muscle quality
11 Turkish peak
12 Traveling
13 Launch site
sight
14 Flying toy

Prep football 15 Lab liquids

16 Mercenary
17 “Auld Lang
roundup: —”
18 Excited
Friday’s scores feeling
19 Early farmer
Clinton 35, Starkville 7 21 — for tat
Columbus 21, Saltillo 7 22 Beefy sand-
Tupelo Christian Prep wich like a smoke material
35, West Lowndes 6 25 Cattle call detector 18 Easy basket
Noxubee County 54, 26 Rural sight DOWN 20 Church parts
Byhalia 6, MHSAA Class 27 Annual tennis 1 Heroic tales 22 Flippant
3A playoffs, first round tourney 2 “Boys Town” alternative to “I’m
Crenshaw Christian 29 Casual star sorry”
Academy (Ala.) 64, Pick- assent 3 Arrested 23 Checks
ens Academy (Ala.) 14, 33 Wilson and 4 Chrysler Build- 24 Reckless
AISA Class A playoffs, Evans ing’s style jaunt
first round 34 Madrid 5 Course num- 25 1980s hair-
Aliceville (Ala.) 27, museum bers style
Hatton (Ala.) 14, AHSAA 35 Reduced 6 Pig’s place 28 Nuisances
Class 2A playoffs, first amount 7 Reserved 30 “Dig in!”
round 36 Serve 8 Because of 31 Dote on
37 Give off 9 Merchant of 32 Sharpened
Other scores 38 Last music 34 Glass section
Prep Girls Basketball 39 Wallet bills 10 Lace’s place 36 Fly catcher
Columbus 58, Center 40 Went off 16 Record
Hill 51, OT
Oak Hill Academy 43,
Kirk Academy 37, Friday

Prep Boys Basketball

Center Hill 67, Colum-
bus 51
Oak Hill Academy 52,
Kirk Academy 24, Friday

Prep Girls Soccer

Cleveland Central 7,
Columbus 0

Prep Boys Soccer

Columbus 2, Cleveland
Central 2

Editor’s note: For

more information, visit
cdispatch.com/sports. For
full coverage of Saturday’s
Caledonia soccer match-
es, please see Monday’s
sports section.
Classifieds
Employment
Call us: 662-328-2424
General Help Wanted
EMPLOYEE COACH
Columbus Light and Water for the following: Exterior
Columbus, MS
Columbus Light & Water
Department (CL&W) is a
public utility system serving metal parapet cap, alum−
over 13,000 customers,
providing electric, and wa-
ter and wastewater ser-
vices in Columbus, Ms.
CL&W seeks to contract a framing, Interior walls 3 5/
consultant Coach to coun- 8 metal stud framing per
sel CL&W employees on
both personal and employ-
ment issues. The Coach
will counsel employees on
practices to improve per-
sonal and employment rela-
tionships. The Coach must Whether you want to design
identify and implement em-
ployee action plans,
provide on-going feedback
and follow up with each
employee. A Coach must
be able to maintain confid-
ential records, be access-
ible at odd hours, be able
to communicate effectively
both written and orally and
be able to work with all
levels of CL&W’s organiza-
tion. This position will re-
port directly to CL&W’s
Board of Directors.
Minimum Qualifications in-
clude: Must have a Bachel-
or’s of Science Degree pre-
ferred Psychology, pre-
ferred Master’s Degree in
Counseling. Licensed Pro-
fessional Counselor in the
State of Mississippi or Na-
tionally Certified Counselor
and must have (8-10) years
of field counseling experi-
ence.
Qualified applicants must
submit a resume to Linda
Triplett, Columbus Light &
Water Department, and
P.O. Box 949, Columbus,
MS 39703-0949.
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.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES:
SECRETARY will provide
general clerical & office
support. Clerical duties will
include but not limited to
answering the phone, re-
cord keeping, file mainten-
ance, editing employee
time, Accounts Payable &
Receivable, basic com-
puter skills including Mi-
crosoft Word, Excel, etc.
Must be able to function in
high volume setting & pos-
sess great communication
and interpersonal skills.
SITE LEAD SUPERVISOR
will be responsible for su-
pervision of employees on
the job site. Interested
candidates should mail
resume to: Blind Box 678
c/o Commercial Dispatch
PO Box 511
Columbus, MS 39703
Manufacturing
STEEL DYNAMICS Colum-
bus, LLC located at 1945
Airport Road, Columbus,
MS seeks Electrical Engin-
eer to maintain, imple-
ment and design automa-
tion and computer equip-
ment, components and
software critical to the op-
eration of Galvanizing Pro-
cessing Lines; maintain
automation hardware and
programming interfaces;
monitor electrical system
operations; perform dia-
gnostic testing on mill
equipment; troubleshoot
and maintain electrical
equipment, network sys-
tems and collaborate with
engineers to design and ex-
ecute upgrades; monitor
mill performance relating to
volume, quality, delay rate
and yield and make im-
provements in these areas;
maintain backups of all
software related to mill op-
eration and support sys-
tems. Supervision duties
include technical oversight
and evaluation of one sub-
ordinate Lab Technician.
Position requires Master of
Science Degree in Engin-
eering with a specialization
in Electrical Engineering or
its equivalent (Bachelor’s
degree in Engineering plus
5 years progressive experi-
ence in the field of Electric-
al Engineering).
Please send resume to
Jason King, 1945 Airport
Road, Columbus, MS
39701
Good help isn’t
hard to find if you
know where
to look.
Start your
search here.
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 SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020 n 4B
Apts For Rent: Other Sporting Goods Five Questions: Medical / Dental
Business COLEMAN
Crawford Army Surplus
on Main in Crawford.
Now for sale: Metal Ammo
1 Kale
Ads starting at $25 RENTALS
TOWNHOUSES & APARTMENTS cans 30&50 cal, $10;
.155mm Howitzer treated
Business Opportunity 1 BEDROOM wood ammo boxes,
$5&10; Army steel
FIRST PENTECOSTAL
2 BEDROOMS bunkbeds, $125; Field
3 BEDROOMS
2 Yellow
CHURCH is accepting BIDS Artillery camo nets with
spreader poles, $225;
LEASE, Unissued camo (BDU/
© The Dispatch
walls w/ 8" metal stud
ACU/ABU) military 6−
framing, EIFS on east &
south walls & Porte−
DEPOSIT pocket fatigues, $35 & M−
AND
3 “Ground-
cochere, wood blocking & 65 field coats & fire−
retardant coveralls, $50;
CREDIT CHECK polypro col weather under
inum framed windows &
hog Day”
garment, $18;
662-329-2323
doors, install stone veneer
on 7 columns, exterior OCP T−shirts, $5.
metal door & frame 1 door, Call 662.769.1889
Porte−cochere metal stud
2411 HWY 45 N
COLUMBUS, MS ED SANDERS GUNSMITH
4 Self-typing
plans. 662−245−1098. Open for season!
Mobile Homes for Rent Tue−Fri: 9−5 & Sat: 9−12
Stocks & Bonds Over 50 years experience!
Repairs, cleaning, refin−
3BR/2BA MH in New Hope. ishing, scopes mounted &
5 Ian
DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURS $650 dep + $650/mo. No zeroed, handmade knives.
NEEDED!! pets, quiet area. Leave full Located: Hwy 45 Alt, North
name & message,
of West Point, turn right on
McEwan
a life or make EXTRA 205−712−6697. Yokahama Blvd, 8mi & turn
MONEY!!
left on Darracott Rd, will
*Profit in first 48−72 hours see sign, 2.5mi ahead
Real Estate
*All from your shop on left. Houses For Sale: Other
SMARTPHONE or
662−494−6218.
COMPUTER
*Work whenever you want
*More time freedom Ads starting at $25
Vehicles
For more information, text
the word "Freedom" to Houses For Sale: Southside
601.850.1528.
All 50 states
1512 WASHINGTON AVE Ads starting at $12
3BR/1.5BA, living room w/
gas log−heat, dining room,
Rentals front/back porch, natural Autos For Sale
gas heat, window units−
cooling, storage bldg & 2006 FORD Ranger FX4
ext. cab, 4.0 L Eng. with
carport. 1,230 sq ft.
Ads starting at $25 Call 662−425−9451. only 208K miles. Has
camper shell, bed rug,
Apts For Rent: South brush guard with light bar,
Lots & Acreage
new tires in Sept, cold air
intake, new water pump in
Downtown Loft: Very nice 1 1.75 ACRE LOTS Good/
bdrm loft, wood floors, tall Bad Credit Options. Good Oct, and new A/C in 2019.
ceilings, above a downtown credit as low as 20% down, Has 3 coats of ceramic
business. Great location. $499/mo. Eaton Land, coating. Looks & runs
good. Only $8500.
Call before 9:00 p.m. 662−361−7711.
$650. 662−364−1610 501−545−7750 in
Columbus.
Approx. 7 acres located
Large 2−bedrm apartment. between Dale Road and
Recently renovated, very Buck Egger Road at end of
nice, includes washer / Renon Lane. $30,000
dryer, lots of closets, great Call; leave message.
location. Must see inside. 662−549−0696
Community
$850. 662−364−1610
For Sale: 17+/− acres,
Ads starting at $12
Apts For Rent: West
3442 Nashville Ferry Rd.
Has 2 trailer spots on Good Things To Eat
VIP
property. Partially wooded.
$25,500. 662−327−8712.
Rentals
Apartments & Houses Merchandise
1 Bedrooms Ads starting at $12
2 Bedroooms
3 Bedrooms Antiques
Furnished & Unfurnished CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE
Houses For Sale: Other
Magnolia Antique Mall
1, 2, & 3 Baths Sat., Nov. 21, 2020
Lease, Deposit 10AM−5PM
302 Alabama St.
& Credit Check Columbus
viceinvestments.com Bargain Column
327-8555 Baby items: Pack n play
$30. Exersaucer $20.
Apts For Rent: Other Infant to toddler rocker $20
or all three for $50. Call
after 3pm. 662−435−6722
Firewood / Fuel
FIREWOOD FOR SALE.
Various lengths.
662−295−2274.
Furniture
Moving Sale, West Point:
All good cond. BR suite, 2
Queen mattresses, washer
($500) & dryer, DR set,
lamps, TV stand, desk,
bookshelf, pictures, area
rugs, dressers, night stand,
end tables. Call anytime,
662−275−7679.
General Merchandise
Mobile Home Frames
The Military Square 2 Mobile Home Frames for
Apartments are now $500 Each. 30 Free
Concrete Blocks w/ Each
accepting applicants!
We have 1, 2, and 3 Frame
bedroom units available.
All apartments are newly 2 Electric Tongue Jacks
$150 Each
remodeled, and include:
New Washer/Dryer, New For More Info. Contact
Jessie Brooks @
Refrigerator, New A/C Unit!
662−272−8711
We also offer rent
Shop
discounts for:
−Active Military
−Veterans
One call will bring you results. 662-328-2424
−Seniors
Call us at: 662−205−0005 Classifieds
Service Directory
Promote your small business starting at only $25
Building & Remodeling General Services General Services Painting & Papering
Place an ad safely
SUGGS CONSTRUCTION A & T TREE SERVICES QUALITY PAINTING.
CO. Building, roofing, Bucket truck & stump Ext/Int Painting.
remodeling, & home repair. removal. Free est. Sheet Rock Hang, Finish &
from home with
Licensed & Bonded. Serving Columbus Repair. Pressure Washing.
662−242−3471. since 1987. Senior Free Estimates. Ask for
citizen disc. Call Alvin @ specials! Larry Webber,
the Classifieds.
Carpet & Flooring 242−0324/241−4447 662−242−4932.
"We’ll go out on a limb for
you!"
SULLIVAN’S PAINT
SERVICE
DUMP TRUCK HAULING. Special Prices.
Slag − $400 Interior & Exterior Painting.
Clay Gravel − $250 662−435−6528
Available for hauling any
materials. Filling in Plumbing
swimming pools.
Columbus. Call Walter,
Fall Special: 4 Rms $99 662−251−8664. ACME, INC.
Stan McCown
1 Room − $50 Lawn Care / Landscaping
2 Room − $70
WORK WANTED: Licensed
"We fix leaks."
Natural gas & water.
3 Rooms − $90
Carpet−Rugs−Tile−Cars & Bonded. Carpentry, minor JESSE & BEVERLY’S
LAWN SERVICE
662−386−2915
electrical, minor plumbing,
DAVID’S CARPET &
UPHOLSTERY insulation, painting, demo− Mowing, cleanup, tree
ads.cdispatch.com
lition, gutters cleaned, cutting, landscaping,
CLEANING
Call for more info! pressure washing, land− sodding & bush hogging. Are you a painter?
scaping, cleanup work. 662−356−6525
662−722−1758 Advertise here!
662−242−3608.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020 5B

Religion
God’s got your back
A
lot of times
we depend
on our family
and friends to have
our back when we
get in trouble, only
to find out, when
we need them the
most, they will turn
their backs on us.
God will always
have our back, and Sherry Ivy
He’s right there to
help us in our time of trou-
ble. “God is our refuge and
strength, a very present help in shield and buckler.” (Psalm
trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) KJV
The devil will do every
thing he can to hinder us
from doing the work of God.
He will attack our
health, our minds
or our families. As
a result, nothing he
tries to do will work
because God’s got
our backs. He will
protect us from the
attacks of the devil
and he will not be
able to harm us.
“He shall cover thee
with his feathers,
and under his wings shalt thou
trust: his truth shall be thou
91:4) KJV
Are you afraid to stand up
for what’s right and tell people
what they’re doing is wrong?
If so, God said, you don’t have
to be afraid, He’s with you and
He’s got your back. So stand
strong in your courage and tell
people what’s right. “Be strong
and of good courage, do not
fear nor be afraid of them; for
the Lord your God, He is the
One who goes with you. He will
not leave you nor forsake you.”
(Deuteronomy 31:6) NKJV
There are some evil people
in the world today. They are
constantly thinking about the
evil things they’re going to do
to other people. However, we
don’t have to get angry and
repay people back for the evil
they do to us. All we have to do
is give them to God. He’s got
our back, and He will deal with
them for us. “Dearly beloved,
avenge not yourselves, but
rather give place unto wrath:
for it is written, vengeance
is mine; I will repay says the
Lord.” (Romans 12:19) KJV
When our enemies come
up against us, we don’t have to
be intimated by them because
God’s got our back. “The Lord
will cause your enemies who
rise against you to be defeated
before your face; they shall
come out against you one
way and flee before you seven
ways.” (Deuteronomy 28:7)
NKJV
So be encouraged today
and always remember: No
matter what we go through
in life we can rest assure that
God’s got our back. “When
you go through deep waters, I
will be with you. When you go
through rivers of difficulty, you
will not drown. When you walk
through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up; the
flames will not consume you.”
(Isaiah 43:2) NLT
Minister Sherry Ivy is a
Minister of The New Providence
M. B. Church (Healing & Yoke
Destroying Ministry) in Macon
Mississippi, under the lead-
ership of her husband, Pastor
Willie J. Ivy Sr. You can contact
her via email at minsivy@
yahoo.com

For our complete church directory listing, visit us online at www.cdispatch.com/religion

Due to local restrictions, churches likely have modified service types and hours. Please contact a church before attending a service.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is F eatured C hurch

“There is Liberty”
Ke nne th Mo ntg o m ery www.memorialgunterpeel.com
Proudly serving our community 716 Second Ave. N. • Columbus, MS • 662-328-4432
for over 30 years 903 College St. • Columbus, MS • 662-328-2354

2500 Military Road Suite 1

Columbus, MS
662-328-7500 WEST REALTY COMPANY
westrealtycompany.com
Don West, Broker/Owner

NEW SALEM BAPTIST CHURCH — 7086 Wolfe Rd., 3 miles south of Caledonia. Sunday
Worship 8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m., Sunday School 9:15 a.m., Sunday Evening - AWANA 4 p.m.,
Discipleship Training, Youth & Adult 5 p.m., Evening Worship 6 p.m., Wednesday - Adults, Youth &
Children 6:30 p.m. 662-356-4940 www.newsalembaptistcaledonia.com Bro. Mel Howton, Pastor.

If you would like your church to be the featured church of the week,
submit a photo by emailing it to community@cdispatch.com.
Photos should be horizontal and high quality.
• RECYCLING SINCE 1956 •
Specializing in industrial accounts The Dispatch will publish photos at no charge as space permits.
662-328-8176 973 Island Rd. 1-800-759-8570

R Free Estimates
LER OO 1721 Hwy 45 N
EE FIN Licensed
& Insured Columbus, MS
W H INC. G ®

COMMERCIAL 662.848.0919
“A Family Business Since 1946” RESIDENTIAL Monday-Saturday 10am-8pm
662-328-3625 • 662-328-7612 In Style. In Reach. Sunday 1pm-5pm

Support Our Community Churches When Caring Counts... SHELTON’S TOWING, INC. TRINITY PLACE
by advertising here.
Call Beth, Mary Jane,
Since 1960 RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
or Luther to
24 Hour Towing Offering independent living apartments, personal
care/assisted living suites, and a skilled nursing home
schedule your ad. FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY 1024 Gardner Blvd. 300 Airline Road • Columbus, MS • 327-6716
328-2424 1131 Lehmberg Rd., Columbus • 662-328-1808 328-8277 “Our Bottom Line Is People”

Hunting • Fishing
Northeast Exterminating Working Or Stepping Out — We Have A Complete
Line Of Clothing For You And Your Family
If it Jimmy Linley • Richard Linley
LLC
Oktibbeha County Co-Op
crawls, Columbus
Check Out Our Boot & Cap Section
662-323-1742
call... 662-329-9992 201 Pollard Rd., Starkville

BRISLIN, INC. Insurance Services:

Young
Sales • Service • Installation Shelton Cleaners Personal
Auto Insurance Agency
Residential • Commercial • Industrial Home GEORGE F. YOUNG
Since 1956 3189 Hwy 45 N. • 328-5421 Commercial Office-662.570.1688
www.brislininc.com Final Expense Cell-662.251.3563
1702 6th St. N. • 328-5361 gfyoung08@gmail.com
4051 Military Road • 662-328-5814 1205 Gardner Blvd.,Columbus, MS

APAC-MISSISSIPPI, INC.
Michael Bogue & Employees
Lake Norris Rd. 328-6555

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, INC The McBryde Family

www.hydrovaconline.com 1120 Gardner Blvd. • 328-5776

Jarrett’s Towing This ad space can be yours

Wrecker Service for only $10 per week.
5209 N. Hwy 182 E. • Columbus, MS 39702
329-2447 We unlock Telephone: 662-327-1467 Call today 328-2424
If no answer 251-2448 cars P.O. Box 1278 • 1616 7th Ave. S., Columbus, MS 39703 to schedule your ad.

If you need to change your church’s online listing or would like to add
your church information, call 328-2424 or email changes to tinap@cdispatch.com
6B SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Caledonia
Continued from Page 1B

that wasn’t as close as the
score might indicate. Tak-
ing credit for his team’s
ill-preparedness that
night, it was his defense
that held tough through-
out Friday’s contest.
After Caledonia gave
up a 12-yard touchdown
pass from quarterback
Jace Hudspeth to receiv-
er Dantavius Triplett sec-
onds into the contest, the
Wildcats were twice twice
stopped on fourth down
inside the Caledonia 25-
yard line.
“Anytime you can get
a stop against the No. 1
team in the state, it’s big,”
Kelly said. “Our defense
came in here preparing
to play well. We haven’t
played up to par all year,
but we knew that we were
better on that side of the
ball.”
With the defense hold-
ing firm, running back
Darrius Triplett received
an option pitch from quar-
terback Daniel Wilburn
and raced past the Lou-
isville bench, a gaggle of
defenders and into the
end zone for a 46-yard
score to take an early 7-6
lead.
Louisville returned the
favor on the ensuing drive.
Converting a fourth-and-2
near the Caledonia 35-
yard line, Hudspeth found
Jarvis Rush 30 yards
downfield on a jump ball
in the front right corner of
the end zone for his sec-
ond passing touchdown of
the night.
“Only thing I can say
is Caledonia came in here
to play,” Louisville head
coach Tyrone Shorter
said. “Hats off to those
guys: They gave us a
game.”
Coming out of the
break, Caledonia nar-
rowly missed a chance
to take a brief lead after
Triplett ripped off his sec-
ond long touchdown run
Louisville’s offense lines up for a play in Friday’s Class
4A first-round playoff game against Caledonia.
of the night, scampering
65 yards on a counter
handoff to pay dirt. Fol-
lowing the score, kicker
Reed Frady had his kick
blocked to keep the score
knotted at 13-all.
Louisville finally
opened the lid on Friday’s
nail-biting contest as
Hudspeth connected with
Triplett again for a 58-
yard gain. One play later,
Hudspeth called his own
number, plunging into the
end zone from a yard out.
Taking over with 5:46
Ben Portnoy/Dispatch Staff
remaining in the contest
after Hudspeth shanked a
punt to the Caledonia 36-
yard line, Wilburn burst
through the Louisville
defense for a 29-yard gain
and set up his team in
Wildcats territory.
Three plays later, Cale-
donia converted a fourth-
and-3 on a pop pass from
Wilburn, but it was called
back for an illegal for-
mation. Lining up again
after a slew of confusion
from the officiating crew
in which the chains were
moved unnecessarily,
Wilburn was picked off by
Shontez Thames to end
the possession.
“(The referees) told
me we had five guys in
the backfield,” Kelly said.
“I just find it hard to be-
lieve we lined up in that
formation about 30 times
and we had yet to have
five in the backfield. But
you know the one time we
do … Hey, they control
the game.”
The Wildcats put the
final touches on Friday’s
win when running back
Jacorey Coleman beat
the Caledonia defense on
fourth-and-2 for a 15-yard
rushing touchdown with
16 seconds left.
Speaking with his col-
lection of seniors, Kelly
reflected on their tenure
in his program. He men-
tioned the team meeting
three years ago when they
were introduced to their
new head coach follow-
ing an 0-10 season. Kelly
alluded to the group’s 11-
19 record since, ensuring
this year’s 3-6 mark didn’t
reflect the progress that’s
been made as eyes ran
wet with tears near mid-
field.
“These young men are
going to be very success-
ful,” Kelly said. “They’re
going to be remembered
in our program for years
to come because they’re
basically what put our
program on the map and
because of their commit-
ment and their discipline
to what we’re trying to do.
They’ll always be remem-
bered.”
Louisville 26, Caledonia 13
C 7 0 6 0 — 13
L 13 0 6 7 — 26
First quarter
L — Dantavius Triplett 12 pass from Jace Hudspeth
(Brayam Munoz kick)
C — Darrius Triplett 46 run (Reed Frady kick)
Second quarter
L — Jarvis Rush 30 pass from Hudspeth (kick failed)
Third quarter
C — Darrius Triplett 65 run (kick failed)
L — Hudspeth 1 run (kick failed)
Fourth quarter
LHS — Jacorey Coleman 15 run (Munoz kick)

Flag
Continued from Page 1B
Added junior safe-
ty and West Point na-
tive Marcus Murphy on
why Jones was selected
to carry the flag: “I felt
like he’s the voice. Like
they say, he’s the mayor
of Starkville. This is his
hometown. I feel like we
put it in great hands of a
great leader.”
On a day in which
MSU honored its history
with “Flying ‘M’” decals
and midfield paint in ref-
erence to the school’s im-
pact on the space program
during the mid-1900s,
Saturday marked the lat-
est monumental moment
in a state whose past is as
checkered as any.
After the Mississippi
legislature passed House
Bill 1796 in June, an-
nouncing it would remove
the former state flag that
contained Confederate
iconography in its top left
corner, Vaughan’s design
was chosen in a contest
that saw over 3,000 ad-
missions to be taken to a
vote on Election Day.
“It’s just an ugly topic.
... I don’t want to seem
like an advocate for each
side,” Vaughan told The
Dispatch in August. “But
I am a designer. So I can
let everybody see, you
can have a pretty flag, you
don’t have to be so upset
about (it).”
Tuesday, the new state
flag was approved over-
whelmingly via referen-
dum. Four days later, it
was carried by Jones onto
Scott Field, while another
copy was perched proud-
ly beneath the American
Flag in the Southwest
corner of Davis Wade Sta-
dium.
“I feel like it felt good
as a whole,” Murphy said.
“Being from the state of
Mississippi, we always
come with a chip on our
shoulder and I felt like, as
a whole, it meant a lot to
the team to do that.”
Noticeably absent
from Tuesday’s festivities
was former MSU run-
ning back and Columbus
native Kylin Hill, who an-
nounced on Tuesday that
he would opt out of the
rest of the season in order
to prepare for the 2021
NFL draft.
Over the summer, it
was Hill’s 98 character
tweet at 1:09 p.m. on
June 22, reading, “Either
change the flag or I won’t
be representing this State
anymore & I meant that
.. I’m tired.” that began a
national conversation re-
garding the fate of Missis-
sippi’s controversial state
flag.
Three days after the
viral proclamation, repre-
sentatives from all eight
of Mississippi’s public uni-
versities, including MSU
athletic director John
Cohen, football coach
Mike Leach, women’s
basketball coach Nikki
McCray-Penson and base-
ball coach Chris Lemonis,
among others, made the
trek to the State Capitol
in Jackson to lobby leg-
islators on changing the
long-maligned banner.
“I know firsthand what
it feels like to see a Con-
federate flag and pretend
that it doesn’t have a rac-
ist, biased, violent or op-
pressive overtone,” Mc-
Cray-Penson, a native of
Collierville, Tennessee,
said in a press conference
held on the central steps
of the Capitol building. “It
screams hate and it hurts
me to my core.”
After Hill’s activism
helped net Mississippi
a new state flag, he was
awarded a key to the city
of Columbus on July 21.
“They’d always tell me,
‘One day, you’re going to
get it, bro,’” he said at the
time. “I said, ‘I want to
make a change one day.
And it’s not going to be in
football.’”
Saturday, four days
after the referendum on
the flag passed and just
hours after most major
networks declared former
Vice President Joe Biden
the winner of a tightly
contested 2020 presiden-
tial election over incum-
bent President Donald
Trump, it was the sign
of statewide unity on the
field Saturday that offered
a glimpse of hope in an
otherwise divisive pres-
ent.
“I just felt like that was
just one moment every-
body in Mississippi could
come together on and em-
brace and enjoy,” Jones
said.

Hodge
Continued from Page 1B
41-0 if you listened to
Mike Leach’s postgame
press conference, though.
He sounded like he was
seconds away from blow-
ing a gasket.
“They just saw us
lined up, and they pres-
sured us some, and ba-
sically watched us take
turns screwing up, play-
ing timid and sitting on
the sideline with blank,
wide-eyed faces,” Leach
said, obviously frustrated
by his offense mustering
next to nothing in the sec-
ond half. “And I’m getting
sick and tired of that.”
The first-year MSU
head coach’s frustration
even extended to the fan-
base. While Leach went
out of his way to compli-
ment the fans in atten-
dance Saturday for their
support, he grew irritated
when asked about fans
that may not yet be on
board with his system af-
ter a 2-4 start. He said he
“got a kick out of fans that
felt like they’re upset by
something” and recom-
mended they try it from
the players’ and coaches’
standpoint.
“But you know those
that aren’t on board are
impatient,” Leach said.
“Maybe they can select
another team, or maybe
they can go coach their
own team, and I think
that you can evaluate how
their team does and see
how it all shakes out.”
A skeptic would say at
least Joe Moorhead had
a better record with the
Bulldogs than Leach did
when he told fans that
were skeptical to “kick
rocks and pound sand.”
An optimist would say
Leach’s teams always im-
prove after his first year
at a program and the Bull-
dogs will see a huge jump
once the proper person-
nel is recruited.
Only time will reveal
what reality MSU fans are
in for.
All that can be eval-
uated at the moment is
the current on the field
product. Leach said the
offense is still in its “train-
ing wheels stage,” but
also made abundantly
clear his coaching style is
about to be no more Mr.
Nice Guy.
If you ignore the count-
less red flags week after
week from the offense,
you could take pride in
the fact defensive coor-
dinator Zach Arnett’s
defense continues to
be downright stifling at
times. Linebacker Aar-
on Brule is playing like
a man possessed. Tyrus
Wheat made multiple
game-changing plays, in-
cluding a strip sack that
set up the game-sealing
score. Erroll Thompson
finally put MSU on the
other end of a scoreless
red zone possession for
once with an interception.
But Leach made a
name for himself utiliz-
ing his air raid, so that’s
where the topic of conver-
sation will always shift,
for better or worse.
Making his first col-
legiate start, freshman
quarterback Will Rogers
earned faint praise from
his coach after complet-
ing 35 of 46 passes for 226
yards and a touchdown.
Leach’s “training wheels”
comment wasn’t direct-
ed at Rogers specifically,
but watching Saturday’s
game certainly seemed
like it, as you could prob-
ably count the number of
times a pass thrown by
Rogers went further than
10 yards on two hands.
Leach wouldn’t com-
mit to Rogers the starter
going forward and said he
may not have a full-time
starter before the year is
out, so it may be wise to
get used to the rotating
door.
Lost in victory was
the fact MSU refused to
run the ball in the second
half until there were less
than four minutes remain-
ing, and Bulldog running
backs only attempted a
combined seven carries.
In short, taking any-
thing concrete from this
game other than Vander-
bilt will be lucky to win a
game in the SEC this year
is a tall task, so this is a
good time to mention two
things that happened that
were really special.
How cool was it to see
Kobe Jones, a Starkville
High graduate, lead the
team out of the tunnel
holding the new state flag
held high, the loudest
cheers the socially dis-
tanced crowd produced
all day? It was a surreal
sight.
Let us also not forget
the nice aesthetic of the
return of the throwback
flying M helmets, an ode
to the late 1960s Missis-
sippi State teams.
It’s better than re-
membering this offense
has the task of trying to
score against Auburn and
Georgia in back-to-back
weeks.

Dear Abby

D
EAR ABBY: I’ve been dating
“Karl” for five years. We live
separately. I thought our
relationship was pretty solid until
a recent health scare. A few days
ago, I had a severe allergic reac-
tion to something I ate at dinner.
When I realized how serious it was,
I immediately rushed to the ER. (I
had taken an antihistamine instead
of calling the paramedics.)
I quickly messaged Karl that I
was having a medical emergency.
The doctor said these reactions
can be fatal and will become Dear Abby
increasingly worse after each
reaction. Karl was working and said
he couldn’t leave work. He didn’t make sure I got upon should the need arise. Karl definitely isn’t
home safely or even come to the house later to
check on me. When I asked him for help picking
up the many meds I needed the
next morning, he again said he was
working. I was furious, and did it my-
self although I shouldn’t have been
driving. I know I’m emotional due to
meds and trauma. Am I overreact-
ing? — DISAPPOINTED IN OREGON
DEAR DISAPPOINTED: You are
NOT overreacting. You were fortu-
nate to have made it to the emer-
gency room because you could have
died on the way. Karl’s reaction to
your crisis was incredibly callous.
Please think very carefully about a
future with this person because he
isn’t going to change. Start compil-
ing a list of people you CAN depend
one. If you were counting on him to be your life
partner, change your mind now because, if you
don’t, it could cost you your life.
DEAR ABBY: When I was a kid, I was called a
“chatterbox,” and it continued until my mid-30s.
Somewhere I came across the saying that it’s
better to be silent and be thought a fool than to
open your mouth and remove all doubt. It made
sense to me, so I shut up.
Now I’m close to retirement, and people
complain that I don’t talk enough! I detest social
gatherings where I must make polite conversa-
tion with people I don’t know. And with people
I do know, I’m afraid of saying too much. Any
recommendations? — FORMER CHATTERBOX IN
PENNSYLVANIA
DEAR FORMER CHATTERBOX: Conversation
isn’t supposed to be a monologue; it is supposed
to be a dialogue — an exchange of information.
If you find yourself dominating a conversation,
pause, ask questions and listen to the answers.
For those who say you don’t hold up your end,
consider making a list in advance of topics you
consider safe (excluding sex, politics and religion)
and refer to it if you feel stuck. And, if you don’t
know how to begin, lead off with a compliment.
DEAR ABBY: I am engaged to a wonderful
man I’ll call Jesse who loves my daughter and
me. However, one of my brothers seems not to
be happy for me. Because of this, Jesse doesn’t
want to invite him to our wedding, but I’m worried
about how excluding him will affect my family. Any
advice you could give would be greatly appreciat-
ed. — MELANCHOLY IN MONTANA
DEAR MELANCHOLY: You and Jesse need
to discuss this further. I don’t know what your
brother’s reservations are concerning your fiance,
but unless his presence would be disruptive, he
should not be excluded. If you do what Jesse
has in mind, it will cause a rift that could last for
decades. Invite your brother, and it will then be up
to him whether he attends.

Horoscopes
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Nov. 8). This
solar return brings a buoyancy of spirit
that makes projects more doable, peo-
ple more likable and life more enjoy-
able! Finding those most qualified and
willing to help with your specific wants
will be a game changer. You’ll cross a
milestone in February and soon after
have full funding for the next leg of the
journey. Leo and Capricorn adore you.
Your lucky numbers are: 9, 12, 4, 40
and 1.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Some
of the best visits can be incorporeal.
Memory and emotion bridge gaps that
seem physically impossible to cross.
You’ll feel a person’s essence while
that person inhabits a distant place.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). The
one who wants to discuss money
up front may not be as focused on
your needs as you would like. The
financial aspects are important, but
there are more important things being
exchanged.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). It
is natural to pay more attention to
negative things that need fixing.
However, when one thing goes wrong,
try and see it as an isolated event, not
a harbinger of doom or the first in a
disastrous sequence.
CANCER (June 22-July 22).
Philosopher Immanuel Kant defined
beauty as “that which pleases without
interest.” You’ll witness a pure and
truthful moment that asks and needs
nothing of you and sense the special
loveliness there.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). When it’s
hard to make sense of the world you’re
looking at, consider doing what the
abstract artists do: Find peace in cre-
ation that gives your mind an escape
from the dominance of reality.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The
situation changes because you do
something to take it to a new place —
a different environment, unique task,
unusual motivations... the slightest
shift will produce a radically different
result.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The
great vaudevillian and cinematic legend
Mae West suggested, “Between two
evils, I always pick the one I never
tried before.” Such a choice will be the
delight of your day.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You
are making assumptions without
realizing it. Once you back up and
understand what those assumptions
are, then you can come at the problem
from a truly fresh and novel approach.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21).
There are people keeping score of
metrics that are actually meaningless,
and you don’t want to be one of them.
If you’re going to compete, you want to
know that it matters — how and why.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19).
You’ll be taken care of in ways you
weren’t expecting. You may even be
skeptical about this. If you aren’t ac-
customed to this type of tending, it can
feel strange, new and uncomfortable.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). In
a sense, arguments are hopeful, as
they imply “If we’re going to be in an
arrangement, this territory right here
needs to be worked out.” People who
want nothing to do with one another
don’t bother arguing.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’ll
be giving something that gets a very
positive response, and you cannot help
but start to think that you should take
it to a bigger stage. There is something
wonderful and charming about the
current scale. Don’t lose sight of it.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020 7B

SSunday
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omics
8B SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

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