Happy Thanksgiving!

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Thursday | November 26, 2020

What are you thankful for?

I
t’s been a difficult year for millions of Americans — a pandemic that has infected 12 million Americans and
killed a quarter-million, ugly incidents of racial injustice, and a bitterly contested presidential election. Yet today,
Americans pause for a moment to recognize our blessings and good fortune and express our hopes for the future
on this Thanksgiving Day. We asked Golden Triangle residents what they are thankful for this Thanksgiving.

“I’m thankful that we’re still here. Thank-
ful that, in spite of the COVID, my family
is still good. Just want to send out a
blessing to everyone hoping that they will
stay safe and definitely watch out for each
other and have a happy Thanksgiving.”
— Dee Mayfield, Columbus
“I’m thankful for family and health, just
God protecting all of us. I’ve always been
mindful of that, but (COVID) brings you
closer to your family and friends and your
community.”
— Patty Arledge, Starkville
“I’m thankful for being able to help
people this year. I had a heart attack
four weeks ago, so I’m thankful to live
another day.”
— Fredricka Durrah, Columbus
“I’m thankful to be home and back with
my family. I just moved back home after
16 years in Texas, and I’m thankful that
my 6-year-old daughter can be with her
cousins and her grandparents and aunt
and uncle. It’s very much a family thing for
us this year.”
— Amber Horn, Caledonia

“I’m thankful for friends and family. They
come first. Thankful for the beautiful days
when we can wake up on the river. It’s
beautiful and we can look at the water. It’s
very peaceful. That’s a treasure for us.”
— Muffie Ellis, Lowndes County
“I’m thankful for my family and that God
has blessed so many people, despite the
COVID. I’m thankful that all of my kids
still have their jobs through all of this. It’s
been a blessing.”
— Stephanie Erby, Columbus
“I’m thankful that I’m still here. Our
daughter had a stroke this year and she’s
doing good now, so we’re thankful and
happy for that.”
— Ken Aldridge, Caledonia
“I thank God for him just being God. I
thank God I made 80 years old this year!”
— Ella Fox, Starkville
See more responses on Page 8A

BUSINESS MOVES WITH MARY

Golden Triangle buzzing with Black Friday deals

PLUS: Ruben’s under new ownership; Friendly City Bookstore opens this weekend Dispatch’s Shopping
Guide can point you in the
BY MARY POLLITZ as we’re on the cusp of the pods, PlayStation 5, Xbox open Friday 7 a.m.-11 p.m. right direction for gifts
biz@cdispatch.com Christmas season. Series X and more deals. with $20 cat trees for your of all sizes, ranging from
Your big-box retailers Get your craft on at favorite fur babies, $20 stocking stuffers to gifts

I
t’s that time of the year
again.
Time to shop till you
drop and make sure your
wallet doesn’t pop.
Black Friday deals and
specials abound in the
Mary Pollitz
Golden Triangle this year
are opening Friday, leav-
ing Thanksgiving Day for
those to spend with their
families.
Walmart already has a
slew of discounts online,
while the store will open
at 5 a.m. Friday with Air-
Michaels with up to 70
percent off some classic
favorites. Online sales will
begin Thanksgiving Day
while in-store sales will
start Friday from 7 a.m. to
10 p.m.
Burke’s Outlet will
suitcases and Rachael
Ray pots and pans sets for
under $70.
When you’re browsing
around for Christmas
gifts for family and
friends, keep in mind
shopping locally. The
under the tree.
You can flip through
the shopping guide to
find the perfect bicycle
for your wife at Military
Hardware, the handgun
your friend has been
See BUSINESS, 8A

WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC

1 What late-night TV segment, which has featured Monday, Nov. 30 MEETINGS
celebs including Adele, Will Smith and Selena Gomez, Dec. 1: Starkville
■ Virtual Christmas Tree Light-
was purchased by Apple Music in 2016? Board of Alder-
2 Who said in 2017 that he joined the British army ing: Columbus lights its city tree
men meeting,
years earlier to avoid the pressures of his princely via Facebook Live and WCBI at 6
p.m., with carolers and special 5:30 p.m., City
role?
3 In “Lord of the Rings,” how many rings were forged guests including Santa and Miz Hall
for Mortal Men? Claus. Virtually chat with Santa Dec. 7: Oktibbe-
Bailey Stafford
4 Which historic items that belonged to Marie Curie following the lighting. Main Street ha County Board
Third grade, Heritage
still emit so much radiation that they’re kept in lead- Columbus, 662-328-6305. of Supervisors

67 Low 47
lined boxes — notebooks, eyeglasses or jewelry? meeting, 9 a.m.,
High 5 What fan-favorite grocery chain had to ration pur-
Clouds and sun
chases of its riced cauliflower due to overwhelming
demand in 2017?
Tuesday, Dec. 1 Chancery Court-
house
Full forecast on Answers, 8B ■ “Deck the Halls”: Lowndes
County Master Gardeners host a Dec. 8:
page 3A.
Christmas decorating seminar at Starkville-Ok-
tibbeha Consol-
INSIDE 10 a.m. via Zoom. (Members may
sign up to attend in person at the idated School
Lowndes Extension office, if de- Lt. Tara Sloan works District Board of
Business 6B Dear Abby 5B
Classifieds 6B Obituaries 4A sired.) Register for the video con- for the West Point Police Trustees meet-
Comics 5b Opinions 6A ference at https://bit.ly/3o1ia43 Department. She mentors ing, 6 p.m., 401
Crossword 8B to receive a link. 662-328-2111. youth and enjoys DIY crafts. Greensboro St.

DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471

2A THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Biden to deliver Thanksgiving address seeking unity

President-elect will ‘discuss the shared virus cases per day as of Tues-
day, up more than 70 percent in
cans to embrace mask-wearing
and social distancing guide-
trasts with President Donald
Trump throughout the event,
sacrifices Americans are making this holiday two weeks, according to figures lines to combat the spread. The Biden said that the team “re-
compiled by Johns Hopkins Democratic president-elect flects the fact that America is
season and say that we can and will get University. formed a coronavirus advisory back, ready to lead the world,
Hospitalizations, deaths board of scientists, doctors and not retreat from it.” He’s also
through the current crisis together’ and the testing positivity rate public health experts, and he expected to name Janet Yellen
are also up sharply as the na- plans to establish a COVID-19 as treasury secretary in the
BY ALEX ANDRA JAFFE pandemic as experts warn of a
The Associated Press tion approaches Thanksgiving, coordinator in the White House coming weeks.
possible spike in cases result-
and public health experts have to lead his administration’s re- The president-elect’s team
ing from the holiday.
W ILMING - Biden’s transition team said warned that the large family sponse. has also begun the next phase
TON, Del. — the president-elect will “discuss gatherings expected for the This week, however, Biden of its transition preparations af-
P resident- ele c t the shared sacrifices Ameri- holiday are likely to extend and focused beyond the crisis state- ter the Trump-appointed head
Joe Biden is slat- cans are making this holiday exacerbate the surge. side and unveiled his nation- of the General Services Admin-
ed to deliver a season and say that we can and Biden has said turning the al security team on Tuesday, istration declared Biden the “ap-
Thanksgiving will get through the current tide of the pandemic will be including his nominees for parent winner” of the election,
address to the crisis together.” His remarks the top priority of his adminis- secretary of state, director of removing a major roadblock to
nation seeking to Biden come as COVID-19 cases are tration once he takes office in national intelligence and U.S. cooperation between Biden’s
unify Americans surging nationwide, with the January, and he’s made multiple ambassador to the United Na- staff and their counterparts in
in the face of the coronavirus nation averaging 165,000 new public remarks urging Ameri- tions. Drawing implicit con- the Trump administration.

Keep the mask: A vaccine won’t end the US crisis right away
Most people will
probably have to
wait months for
shots to become
widely available
BY CANDICE CHOI
The Associated Press
Moncef Slaoui, head of
the U.S. vaccine develop-
percent of the population
would need to be vacci-
But along the way, ex-
perts say the logistical
could hinder the effort
and kick the end of the
be a process with ups and
downs, like we’ve seen al-
ment effort, said on CNN
on Sunday that early data
nated to achieve herd im-
munity — a milestone he
challenges of the biggest
vaccination campaign in
pandemic further down
the road.
ready,” said Dr. Bill Moss,
an infectious-disease
on the Pfizer and Moder- said is likely to happen in U.S. history and public “It’s going to be a slow expert at Johns Hopkins
na shots suggest about 70 May. fear and misinformation process and it’s going to University.

NEW YORK — Don’t

even think of putting the
mask away anytime soon.
Despite the expect-
ed arrival of COVID-19
vaccines in just a few
weeks, it could take sev-
eral months — probably
well into 2021 — before
things get back to some-
thing close to normal in
the U.S. and Americans
can once again go to the
movies, cheer at an NBA
game or give Grandma a
hug.
The first, limited ship-
ments of the vaccine
would mark just the be-
ginning of what could be
a long and messy road
toward the end of the pan-
demic that has upended
life and killed more than
a quarter-million people
in the U.S. In the mean-
time, Americans are be-
ing warned not to let their
guard down.
“If you’re fighting a
battle and the cavalry is
on the way, you don’t stop
shooting; you keep go-
ing until the cavalry gets
here, and then you might
even want to continue
fighting,” Dr. Anthony
Fauci, the nation’s top in-
fectious-disease expert,
said last week.
This week, AstraZene-
ca became the third vac-
cine maker to say early
data indicates its shots
are highly effective. Pfiz-
er last week asked the
U.S. Food and Drug Ad-
ministration for emergen-
cy authorization to begin
distributing its vaccine,
and Moderna is expected
to do the same any day.
Federal officials say the
first doses will ship with-
in a day of authorization.
But most people will
probably have to wait
months for shots to be-
come widely available.
The Pfizer and Moderna
vaccines also each re-
quire two doses, mean-
ing people will have to go
back for a second shot af-
ter three and four weeks,
respectively, to get the
full protection.

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church event!

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editorialassistant@
cdispatch.com

Subject:
Religious brief
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020 3A

Mother of Jamel Banks urges justice on son’s death anniversary

West Point police
ask for community
assistance in murder,
missing person
investigations
BY YUE STELLA YU
syu@cdispatch.com
WEST POINT — At the
mention of her son Wednesday
morning, Willie Mae Sprag-
gins broke into tears, her voice
shaky.
On Nov. 25, 2019, Sprag-
gins came out of her West
Point home into the front yard
and found her 40-year-old son,
Jamel Banks Sr., lying on the
ground with multiple gunshot
wounds to his body. He was pro-
nounced dead on scene by Clay
County Coroner Alvin Carter.
On Wednesday — the one-
year anniversary of Banks’
death — Spraggins is still seek-
ing justice for her son as his
murder remains at large.
“That’s my only baby, my
only child,” Spraggins said,
choking up during a Wednes-
day morning press conference
blocks with false or insufficient
information, said Det. Ramirez
Ivy, who is in charge of the case.
“There have been rumors
that we wanted to give up, we
wanted to squash (the case).
… We have not closed the case.
We are not going to close the
case,” he said.
While the investigation con-
tinues, the murder has taken a
great toll on the family, Ivy said.
“Every day that she walks
outside of her house, she has
to look outside in her front yard
and think about what happened
on this day — something that
would never leave her life,” he
said.
Moving forward, Ivy said he
Courtesy image/West Point Police Department
hopes the community can think
West Point Police Department Det. Ramirez Ivy (middle) and the on behalf of the family and pro-
family of Jamel Banks Sr. held a press conference Wednesday
vide the police with truthful,
morning, calling upon the community to submit truthful, useful
tips to help the police solve Banks’ murder. Banks, 40, took useful tips.
multiple gunshots on Nov. 25, 2019, at his mother’s house and “We need more. We need fac-
was pronounced dead on scene. “That’s my only baby, my only tual information,” he said. “We
child. They just took him away from me,” said Banks’ mother, owe the Jamel Banks family the
Willie Mae Spraggins (second to the left), who teared up during truth about what happened to
the press conference. him on this day a year ago.”
held by the West Point Police murder as well as an unrelated
Department. “They just took missing person case, both of Two-year-old missing person
him away from me.” which remain unresolved. The case still ongoing
The department held the police launched an investiga- The police also called for
press conference to renew calls tion immediately following the help on the missing person case
for public assistance into the murder, but hit several road- of Rahman Hernandez, who
was reported missing by his
mother, Kim Brown, on Nov.
30, 2018.
Hernandez, then 30, lost
touch with his mother on Nov.
21 that year, and was seen by
a neighbor five days later, Det.
Raven Ross said during the
press conference. He was last
seen wearing a gray hoodie and
blue jeans, Ross said.
There have been no new
developments since the inves-
tigation began, Ross said, de-
spite the collaborative ground
searches and further investiga-
tion efforts from police at the
local, state and federal levels.
Ross urges the community
to come forward with helpful
tips.
“In the beginning, we were
given several tips on this case
that led us to dead ends,” she
said. “Police are asking now
that anyone with factual infor-
mation regarding the disap-
pearance of Mr. Hernandez to
please come forward.”
Community members with
tips can contact the Golden
Triangle Crime Stoppers anon-
ymously at 1-800-530-7151 or
reach the police department at
662-494-1244.

CPD looking for Malco burglary suspect

DISPATCH STAFF REPORT

Columbus police are asking for

the public’s help in identifying and lo-
cating a man who allegedly burglar-
ized the Malco Theatre on Highway
45 North on Oct. 30.
The suspect, shown in a surveil-
lance still shot CPD released, entered
the building after hours and burglar-
ized it, Police Chief Fred Shelton said
in a press release released Wednes-
day. The building was unoccupied at
the time and no one was hurt.
Shelton said police believe some-
one gave the man access to the build-
ing since there was no sign of forced
entry.
Anyone with information on the Courtesy image
incident or suspect can leave an Columbus Police Department is seeking public assistance in identifying
anonymous tip with Golden Triangle the suspect, pictured here in surveillance footage, in a burglary of the
Crime Stoppers at 800-530-7151. Malco Theatre on Highway 45 North in Columbus.

17 inmates positive for coronavirus at Mississippi prison

BY LEAH WILLINGHAM
The Associated Press/Report
for America
JACKSON — The Mis-
sissippi Department of
Corrections is testing 500
inmates at a south Missis-
sippi prison after a coro-
navirus outbreak, officials
said.
Seventeen inmates at
South Mississippi Cor-
rectional Institution in
Leakesville tested positive
for the coronavirus in the
last two weeks, a correc-
tions department spokes-
person said Wednesday.
One inmate, who has a
heart condition, is now
hospitalized. Most are
showing no symptoms.
The 17 inmates who
tested positive are typical-
ly housed in three separate
units. All 500 inmates in
those units will be tested
twice - once this week, and
once next week “to ensure
containment of the virus,”
corrections officials wrote
in a news release. The first
rapid tests will be conduct-
ed Wednesday.
Those who test positive ers every day in every
will be moved to a separate unit; industrial Ultra-violet
sterilization lights; porta-
quarantine unit.
Corrections Commis- ble UV sterilizers; hand When was the last time you
sioner Burl Cain said offi- wand UV sterilizers; air picked up a piece of litter?
purifiers and sanitization
cials are doing “everything
humanly possible” to en- stations that mist as staff
and inmates walk through
sure the safety of inmates
and corrections officers. the unit.
“The fact that the virus
still gets through all these
stringent measures shows
how contagious COVID-19
is,” he said.
The Department of
Corrections is using elec-
trostatic sanitizing spray-

SOLUNAR TABLE
The solunar period indicates
peak-feeding times for fish and game.
Thurs. Fri.
Major 9:51p 10:31p
Minor 4:33p 5:01p
Major 10:11a 10:52a
Minor 4:41a 5:35a
Courtesy of Mississippi Department
of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks

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Report a news tip: news@cdispatch.com
4A THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

Money promised to combat US overdose crisis sits unused

Purdue filed for bankruptcy as part of an
effort to settle lawsuits seeking to hold the
company accountable for the crisis that has
been linked to 470K U.S. deaths since 2000
BY GEOFF MULVIHILL
The Associated Press
When it filed for bankrupt-
cy last year, Purdue Pharma
agreed to an innovative plan: It
would make $200 million avail-
able immediately to help those
harmed by its signature pain-
killer, OxyContin, and ease the
effects of the opioid crisis.
More than a year later, with
the crisis worsening, not a pen-
ny has been spent.
“The money is just sitting
in Purdue’s bank account col-
lecting dust,” said Ed Neiger,
a lawyer representing opioid
victims. “It’s a travesty of epic
proportions.”
It’s not Purdue that is hold-
ing up the money. Instead, it’s
lawyers representing the wide
range of entities suing the com-
pany who cannot agree how
best to use it. The main dis-
agreement is between nearly
3,000 local governments and
advocates for those hurt by opi-
oids.
Advocates want the money
funneled mostly to local non-
profits that provide emergency
services to people with addic-
tions. State attorneys general
say doing so would dilute the
money so much it would not
be effective. Because Purdue
is undergoing the long process
of distributing its assets, the
states also see the prospect of
distributing billions of dollars
over time as more important
than the $200 million.
“You see the state AGs come
in and block the money, and
you’re not understanding why,”
said Jill Cichowicz, who lost her
twin brother to an overdose and
sits on a committee advocating
for victims in Purdue’s bank-
ruptcy case. “We’re all baffled.”
Purdue filed for bankrupt-
cy last year as part of an effort
to settle thousands of lawsuits
seeking to hold the company
accountable for the crisis that
has been linked to 470,000
deaths in the U.S. since 2000.
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma pleads guilty in criminal case
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Purdue acknowledged that it had not main-
Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty Tuesday to
tained an effective program to prevent prescrip-
tion drugs from being diverted to the black mar-
three criminal charges, formally taking respon- ket, even though it had told the DEA it did have
sibility for its part in an opioid epidemic that has such a program, and that it provided misleading
contributed to hundreds of thousands of deaths
information to the agency as a way to boost com-
but also angering critics who want to see indi-
pany manufacturing quotas.
viduals held accountable, in addition to the com-
pany. It also admitted paying doctors through a
In a virtual hearing with a federal judge in speakers program to induce them to write more
Newark, New Jersey, the OxyContin maker ad- prescriptions for its painkillers. And it admitted
mitted impeding the U.S. Drug Enforcement paying an electronic medical records company
Administration’s efforts to combat the addiction to send doctors information on patients that en-
crisis. couraged them to prescribe opioids.
In a separate case, it plead- could be more than $10 billion. that landed in bankruptcy be-
ed guilty Tuesday as part of a State attorneys general, all cause of lawsuits blaming it for
broader settlement with the De- of whom have sued Purdue, dis- California wildfires.
partment of Justice. agree over whether that’s the Neiger, who represents a
The proposal being consid- right approach. committee of victims in the
ered in bankruptcy court calls They are not the only ones complicated legal battle, says
for members of the Sackler who will need to be persuaded. the relief fund idea is so novel
family, which owns Purdue, to A committee of creditors that that it’s not even recognized by
pay at least $3 billion and give includes people in recovery bankruptcy law but was accept-
up ownership of the company. or who have lost loved ones to ed by federal bankruptcy Judge
Purdue would then become a overdoses must also agree. It Robert Drain.
public benefit corporation, with was that group that proposed The plan called for distribut-
its profits going to ease the the $200 million relief fund af- ing money to groups trying to
overdose crisis, including by ter Purdue filed for bankruptcy help people with addictions by
increasing treatment capacity in September 2019. providing shelter, connecting
and providing other addiction The fund was inspired by them to services and supply-
services. one adopted last year in the ing overdose antidote drugs. It
The company says the to- case of Pacific Gas and Electric was left to parties in the case to
tal value of the deal over time Co., the giant California utility work out the details.

Virus outbreak delays production at world’s top glove maker

Company: Two-to-four-week delay
expected in deliveries after more
than 2,000 workers at its factories
were infected by the coronavirus
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KUALA LUMPUR,
Malaysia — Malaysia’s
Top Glove Corp., the
duction at 16 factories
in Klang, a town outside
Kuala Lumpur, since Nov.
17 to screen workers, with
its remaining 12 facilities
reported 1,511 more cas-
es in the area on Tuesday,
but didn’t say how many
were factory workers.
The cluster contributed
to a record daily high of
2,188 cases nationwide,
bringing Malaysia’s total
cases to 58,847. The clus-
ter in the Klang area is
currently the most active
in the country with 4,036
cases.
one quarter of the world’s
supply, and exports to
195 countries. It has seen
profits soar amid rising
demand for its products
due to the pandemic.
“We expect delays in
some deliveries by about
two to four weeks, as well
as a longer lead time for
orders, and estimate a
possible 3 percent impact
on projected annual sales
“To minimize the im-
pact on our customers,
we are allocating sales
orders to unaffected fac-
tories and rescheduling
deliveries where possi-
ble,” it said, without elab-
orating.
It said it is working
closely with the author-
ities and implementing
stringent health mea-
sures, including daily
disinfection of the work-
ers’ dormitories and its
factories. Top Glove re-
portedly has about 13,000
workers at its 28 factories
in Klang.
It employs a total of
21,000 workers in its 41
factories in Malaysia and
six others in Thailand,
Vietnam and China.

John Sims Jr.

world’s largest maker Top Glove says it pro- for financial year 2021,”
in the area operating at
of rubber gloves, said duces about 90 billion rub- Top Glove said in a state-
much reduced capacities.
Tuesday it expects a ber gloves a year, about ment.
two-to-four-week delay The government on
Monday ordered 28 Top John Franklin Shields Sims

in deliveries after more
than 2,000 workers at its
factories were infected by
the coronavirus, raising
the possibility of supply
disruptions during the
pandemic.
Top Glove said it has
temporarily stopped pro-
AREA OBITUARIES
COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
OBITUARY POLICY
Obituaries with basic informa-
tion including visitation and
service times, are provided
free of charge. Extended
obituaries with a photograph,
detailed biographical informa-
tion and other details families
Glove factories in Klang
to shut down in stages to
allow workers to undergo
screening and mandato-
ry quarantine after 2,453
factory workers tested
positive for COVID-19.
The health ministry
morial Hospital-Golden
Triangle.
Arrangements are
incomplete and will be
announced by Carter’s
Funeral Services of
Columbus.
Jason Bishop
Jason Edward Bishop, age 46, died Sunday,
November 22, 2020, at DCH Regional Medical
Center-Northport, in Northport AL.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Jason was born on Sunday, July 07, 1974, in
Columbus, MS, to the late Gene Bishop and
Cynthia Wright Bishop.
Survivors include his sons, Brandon Bishop,
Drew Bishop; mother, Cynthia Bishop; brothers,
George Bishop (Laura), Victor Gibson; and
grandmother, Peggy Vaughn.
Sign the online guest book at
www.memorialgunterpeel.com
716 Second Avenue North • Columbus, MS
Jr., 62, passed away at Inova
Fairfax Hospital in Virginia on
November 13, 2020, after a short
battle with acute leukemia.
“John Frank” was born April
2, 1958, in Columbus, MS,
the fourth child and only son
of the late Shields Sims and
Elizabeth (Beth) Carley Sims,
of Columbus. He attended S.D. Lee High School
and earned a B.A. in Political Science from
Mississippi State University.
Throughout his life he was a passionate duck
and quail hunter in the ponds, sloughs, and
cornfields of the Great State of Mississippi (as
he called it). It was a proud moment when he
became an Eagle Scout, and over the years, he
often reminisced about his trip to the Philmont
Scout Ranch in New Mexico. True to his sense
of adventure, his endeavors took him around the
country and abroad. When he moved to Maine
after graduating from college, he worked for a
local law firm and as an escrow administrator for

may wish to include, are avail-
able for a fee. Obituaries must
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homes unless the deceased’s
body has been donated to
science. If the deceased’s
body was donated to science,
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proof of death. Please submit
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tion, call 662-328-2471.
Jerry Harris
COLUMBUS — Jer-
ry Harris, 82, died Nov.
24, 2020, at Baptist Me-
cdispatch.com
James Dyer
James Ray Dyer, 82, died Nov.
23, 2020, at Baptist Memorial
Hospital-Golden Triangle.
Services were at 11 a.m.
Wednesday, November 25, at
New Salem Baptist Church,
with the Rev. Mel Howton
officiating. Burial followed in
Egger cemetery. Visitation was
one hour prior to services at the
church. Memorial Gunter Peel Funeral Home
Jason Bishop and Crematory, Second Avenue North location
Services:
A memorial service will be was in charge of arrangements.
held at a later date.
Mr. Dyer was born April 30, 1938, in Hamilton,
2nd Ave. N. Location
Alabama, to the late Eston Sullivan and Mildred
Farr Dyer. He was formerly employed as a
James Bolin
Graveside Services: supervisor with Ceco Building Systems and the
Friday, Nov. 27 • 11 AM YMCA. He was a member of New Salem Baptist
Beersheba Cemetery
Church.
College St. Location
In addition to his parents, he was preceded
in death by his siblings, Jane Jones and Mary
Ann Atkins. He is survived by his wife, Martha
Burke Dyer; son, Jason Dyer and daughter-
in-law, Tiffany Dyer; sister, Sue Wood; and
memorialgunterpeel.com
grandchildren, Karah and Peyton Dyer.
Pallbearers were Jess Stewart, Jeff McKee,
Jake Stewart, Eddie Rushing, Tommy Vaughn,
Wayne Robingson and Peyton Dyer.
Honorary pallbearers were David Getty,
Jimmy Hughes, Terry Fields, Lynn Johnson,
Andy Wood, David Atkins and the Senior Sunday
School Class of New Salem Baptist Church.
The family extends a special thanks to his
caretakers Anita Mckee and Cheryl Stewart.
Memorials may be made to New Salem Baptist
Church, 7086 Wolfe Road, Columbus, MS, 39705.
Sign the online guest book at
www.memorialgunterpeel.com
716 Second Avenue North • Columbus, MS
Casco Northern Bank. There he met and married
the former Tanya L. Kendrick on February 10,
1990. They lived in Virginia where he worked
as a Network Administrator for Perspecta, Inc.
proudly raising three sons, John Franklin Shields
Sims III, Ethan Spencer Kendrick Sims and Evan
Nelson Chisholm Sims.
John Frank was a quiet, unassuming man, a
gentle spirit, and a scholar of WWII and Civil War
history. He spent countless hours in the fields
and woods of the Manassas National Battlefield
Park. Always a Bulldog, he was an avid fan of
MSU football, never missing a televised game,
and dared to cheer for the Washington Redskins.
Watching the rocket launches from Cape
Canaveral spurred his love of space and space
exploration. John Frank was a great supporter of
NASA and thrilled with the accomplishments of
SPACEX, bringing us into a new age. He never
missed the International Space Station flyovers
as it flew in near orbit. He was a deep thinker,
amazing inventor, voracious reader, and gifted
wordsmith with an uncanny sense of humor and
unique style for details unnoticed by most. The
poem he loved and included as a parting college
gift to each of his sons, “The Man in the Glass”
says it all about how John Frank lived his life.
He is survived by his mother and three adoring
sisters, LaBet Sims Pritchard, Carley Sims Page
and DeMaris Sims as well as several nieces and
nephews. He is also remembered fondly by his
extended family and looked up to by his three
boys for his strength of character and gentle,
loving demeanor.
Due to the public health emergency, a
celebration of John Frank’s life will be held at a
later date. Memorial contributions can be made
to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (https://
donate.lls.org/lls/donate) or to Ravi Zacharias
International Ministries (https://www.rzim.org/
give). You may access the funeral home website
at www.moneyandking.com in order to sign the
Guest Book and leave a note for the family if you
wish.
Paid Obituary - Money & King Funeral Home
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020 5A

Retail trade group sees solid

holiday sales despite pandemic
National Retail Federation: Any further shutdowns
of stores as virus cases surge could derail sales
BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
AP Retail Writer
NEW YORK — The National
Retail Federation, the nation’s larg-
est retail trade group, expects that
holiday sales could actually exceed
growth seen in prior seasons, de-
spite all the uncertainty surround-
ing the pandemic.
The reason? Shoppers are look-
ing for opportunities to spend and
celebrate the holidays during tough
times.
The trade group said Monday
that it predicts that sales for the
November and December period
will increase between 3.6 percent
and 5.2 percent over 2019 to a total
ranging between $755.3 billion and
$766.7 billion.
The numbers, which exclude au-
tomobile dealers, gasoline stations
and restaurants, compare with a
gain of 4 percent to $729.1 billion
last year. Holiday sales have aver-
aged gains of 3.5 percent over the
past five years.
“After all they’ve been through,
we think there’s going to be a psy-
chological factor that they owe it
to themselves and their families to
have a better-than-normal holiday,”
said NRF Chief Economist Jack
Kleinhenz in a statement. “There
are risks to the economy if the virus
continues to spread, but as long as
consumers remain confident and
upbeat, they will spend for the holi-
day season.”
Kleinhenz cited that households
have strong balance sheets buoyed
by a strong stock market, rising
home values and record savings
boosted by government stimulus
payments issued earlier this year.
Jobs and wages are increasing,
energy costs are low and reduced
spending on personal services,
travel and entertainment because
of the virus has freed up money for
retail spending, he added.
NRF expects that online and
other non-store sales, which are in-
cluded in the total, will increase be-
tween 20 percent and 30 percent to
between $202.5 billion and $218.4
billion, up from $168.7 billion last
year. Not included in total sales fig-
ure are sales from restaurants, gas
stations and auto dealers.
The National Retail Federation
delayed the release of its forecast
by about a month, citing the uncer-
tainty around the pandemic.
Still, the group warns any fur-
ther shutdowns of stores as virus
cases surge could derail sales. And
it emphasized that any renewal of
a government stimulus package
would help the holidays.
When the pandemic was de-
clared in mid-March, essential
retailers like Target and Walmart
were able to stay open while non-es-
sential stores like department
stores were forced to close. That
further increased the dominance
of big box stores, while malls based
clothing stores faced further peril.
The temporary closures accelerat-
ed bankruptcy filings of a slew of
chains like J.C. Penney and Neiman
Marcus that were already strug-
gling.
Many mall-based stores and oth-
er small and mid-sized businesses
are still struggling to recover head-
ing into the heart of the holiday sea-
son.

Awaiting Yellen at Treasury: Yet another daunting crisis

If confirmed, Yellen would become
the first woman to lead the Treasury
Department in its nearly 232 years
BY CHRISTOPHER
RUGABER AND
MICHAEL BALSAMO
The Associated Press
WA S H -
INGTON —
Janet Yellen
is in line for
another top
economic
policy job —
just in time
to confront Yellen
yet another crisis.
Yellen, President-elect
Joe Biden’s apparent
choice for treasury sec-
retary, served on the Fed-
eral Reserve’s policymak-
ing committee during the
2008-2009 financial crisis
that nearly toppled the
banking system.
She became Fed chair
in 2014 when the economy
was still recovering from
the devastating Great Re-
cession. In the late 1990s,
she was President Bill
Clinton’s top economic
adviser during the Asian
financial crisis.
And now, according
to a person familiar with
Biden’s transition plans,
she has been chosen to
lead Treasury with the
economy in the grip of a
surging viral epidemic.
The spike in virus cases
is intensifying pressure
on companies and indi-
viduals, with fear growing
that the economy could
suffer a “double-dip” re-
cession as states and cit-
ies reimpose restrictions
on businesses.
Yet many longtime ob-
servers of the U.S. econ-
omy see Yellen as ideally
suited for the role.
“She is extraordinari-
ly talented,” said Diane
Swonk, chief economist
at auditing firm Grant
Thornton. “She is the
right person at this chal-
lenging time. She has
worked every crisis.”
If confirmed, Yellen
would become the first
woman to lead the Trea-
sury Department in its
nearly 232 years. She
would inherit an economy
with still-high unemploy-
ment, escalating threats
to small businesses and
signs that consumers are
retrenching as the wors-
ening pandemic restricts
or discourages spending.
Most economists say
that the distribution of an
effective vaccine will like-
ly reinvigorate growth
next year. Yet they warn
that any sustained re-
covery will also hinge on
whether Congress can
agree soon on a sizable
aid package to carry the
economy through what
Biden has said will be a
“dark winter” with the
pandemic still out of con-
trol.
Negotiations on addi-
tional government spend-
ing, though, have been
stuck in Congress for
months.
Yellen has favored fur-
ther stimulus, including
more money for state and
local governments, which
she has said need “sub-
stantial support” to avoid
further job cuts. Rescue
aid for states has been a
major sticking point in
congressional negotia-
tions.

US jobless claims up for second straight week as virus worsens

BY PAUL WISEMAN
AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON — The
number of Americans ap-
plying for unemployment
benefits rose last week for
a second straight week to
778,000, evidence that the
U.S. economy and job mar-
ket remain under strain as
coronavirus cases surge
and colder weather height-
en the risks.
The Labor Depart-
ment’s report Wednesday
said that jobless claims
climbed from 748,000 the
week before. Before the
virus struck hard in mid-
March, weekly claims
typically amounted to only
about 225,000. They shot
up to 6.9 million during
March before dropping,
yet they remain histori-
cally high more than eight
months later, with many
businesses unable to fully
reopen.
The spike in virus cases
is intensifying pressure on
companies and individu-
als, with fear growing that
the economy could suffer
a “double-dip” recession as
states and cities reimpose
restrictions on businesses.
“With infections con-
tinuing to rise at an elevat-
ed pace and curbs on busi-
ness operations widening,
layoffs are likely to pick up
over coming weeks,” said
Rubeela Farooqi, chief
U.S. economist at High
Frequency Economics.
“Even as job growth is con-
tinuing, the labor market
remains under stress and
far from complete recov-
ery.”
The total number of
people who are continu-
ing to receive traditional
state unemployment bene-
fits dropped to 6.1 million
from 6.4 million the previ-
ous week. That figure has
been declining for months.
It shows that more Amer-
icans are finding jobs and
no longer receiving unem-
ployment aid. But it also in-
dicates that many jobless
people have used up their
state unemployment aid
— which typically expires
after six months.
Opinion
6A THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020
PETER BIRNEY IMES Editor/Publisher
BIRNEY IMES III Editor/Publisher 1998-2018
BIRNEY IMES JR. Editor/Publisher 1947-2003

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

ZACK PLAIR, Managing Editor

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

OUR VIEW
The fire of gratitude on Thanksgiving Day
Editor’s note: This editorial first latter emotional state, that time will
appeared in The Dispatch on Thanks- come. As the poet A.E. Housman not-
giving Day, Nov. 24, 2016. ed, “While the sun and moon endure,
luck’s a chance, but trouble’s sure.”
bring a better perspective. illness in the family, death, separa-
We believe that gratitude is a part tion or the loss of a job or a severe
of the human make-up, an emotion financial setback,— and you are
every bit as real and natural as fear almost ashamed at how trivial those

T
oday is Thanksgiving and, if
we are entirely honest with
ourselves, we will admit that
aligning our attitude with the spirit of
the holiday sometimes requires some
real effort.
There are years when the fourth
Thursday of November finds our
hearts full of gratitude and our
thanksgiving is spontaneous, natural.
There are also other Thanks-
givings, when our circumstances
make a grateful spirit elusive and
our thanks seems contrived, even
wearisome. In these times, we know
we should be thankful and will admit
that there is much to be grateful for,
which only adds an element of guilt.
If you have never experienced the
For those who find themselves in
the former camp, whose spirits are
in harmony with the holiday, we offer
nothing because nothing more is
needed.
It is for the others, from whom
gratitude is in short supply, that we
offer our encouragement.
For many, the circumstances
may be grave, even fearful, on this
Thanksgiving Day. You have our
sympathy and understanding. Our
wish today is that soon those burdens
will be lifted and empty hearts will
again be filled with gratitude.
For others, whose conditions are
not so severe yet remain strangely
disconnected from a thankful spirit,
we offer an observation that may
or joy or anger.
On this Thanksgiving Day, that
sense of gratitude may be little more
than an ember and there are few
things as seemingly useless as an
ember. It provides neither warmth
nor light. It is little more than a puff
of smoke.
Yet an ember, as 19th Century
theologian Charles Spurgeon noted,
can set a world on fire if carefully
tended and nourished.
So if you find that your spirit is
more ember than blaze, take stock
and you may find that the things you
worry, argue and obsess over most
are meaningless when you face a true
test.
Let that test emerge — a serious
other cares truly are.
And if those cares are trivial in
those circumstances, it is equally
true they are trivial in all others.
Seeing those things which burden
our minds as small and temporary
allow us expand our view of those
things we can appreciate and, slowly,
we find the embers kindled and the
glow of gratitude soon follows.
Some fires will burn brightly
today. For others, it may only be a
small flame. For others still, it may
exist only as an ember. That’s OK,
too.
Whatever your state of your fire —
be it a roaring inferno, a tiny ember
or something in between, we wish
you a Happy Thanksgiving.

POETRY CARTOONIST VIEW

Thanksgiving Turkey
Valleys lay in sunny vapor,
And a radiance mild was shed
From each tree that like a taper
At a feast stood. Then we said,
“Our feast, too, shall soon be spread,
Of good Thanksgiving turkey.”

And already still November

Drapes her snowy table here.
Fetch a log, then; coax the ember;
Fill your hearts with old-time cheer;
Heaven be thanked for one more year,
And our Thanksgiving turkey!

Welcome, brothers—all our party

Gathered in the homestead old!
Shake the snow off and with hearty
Hand-shakes drive away the cold;
Else your plate you’ll hardly hold
Of good Thanksgiving turkey.

When the skies are sad and murky,

‘Tis a cheerful thing to meet
Round this homely roast of turkey—
Pilgrims, pausing just to greet,
Then, with earnest grace, to eat
A new Thanksgiving turkey.

And the merry feast is freighted

With its meanings true and deep.
Those we’ve loved and those we’ve hated,
All, to-day, the rite will keep,
All, to-day, their dishes heap
With plump Thanksgiving turkey.
But how many hearts must tingle
Now with mournful memories!
In the festal wine shall mingle
Unseen tears, perhaps from eyes
That look beyond the board where lies
Our plain Thanksgiving turkey.
See around us, drawing nearer,
Those faint yearning shapes of air—
Friends than whom earth holds none dearer
No—alas! they are not there:
Have they, then, forgot to share
Our good Thanksgiving turkey?
Some have gone away and tarried
Strangely long by some strange wave;
Some have turned to foes; we carried
Some unto the pine-girt grave:
They’ll come no more so joyous-brave
To take Thanksgiving turkey.
Nay, repine not. Let our laughter
Leap like firelight up again.
Soon we touch the wide Hereafter,
Snow-field yet untrod of men:
Shall we meet once more—and when?—
To eat Thanksgiving turkey.
­— George Parsons Lathrop, 1851-1898
TODAY IN HISTORY
Today is Thursday, Nov. 26, the 331st day of
2020. There are 35 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Nov. 26, 2000, Florida Secretary of
State Katherine Harris certified George W.
Bush the winner over Al Gore in the state’s
presidential balloting by a 537-vote margin.
On this date:
In 1789, Americans observed a day of
thanksgiving set aside by President George
Washington to mark the adoption of the Consti-
tution of the United States.
In 1883, former slave and abolitionist So-
journer Truth died in Battle Creek, Mich.
SOURCE: The Associated Press
SLIMANTICS
Don’t let Hallmark ruin your Christmas
T
he subject for today is
the Christmas movie
or, more specifical-
ly, the Hallmark Channel
Christmas movie.
The latter has a reverse
Scrooge effect on me. The
more I see of them, the less
I like Christmas.
Christmas movies have
been around since the be-
ginning of film. Most have
been forgotten, such as the Slim Smith
1907 film “A Little Girl Who
Did Not Believe in Santa
Claus.”
Of all the Christmas movies since, this may be
the most interesting one ever, based on the plot de-
scription from the film website “Reel Rundown:”
This is a family film about the friendship between
a wealthy boy and a poor girl. It starts off with the
boy playing outside in the snow and noticing the girl
shivering because she doesn’t have a coat. So he
gives her his coat.
While the children are playing together, the boy
discovers that the girl doesn’t believe in Santa Claus
because he’s never visited her. So later that night,
the boy waits up for Santa, armed with a pistol and
some rope. When Santa comes down the chimney,
the boy ties him up, holds him at gunpoint, and forc-
es him to visit the little girl’s house. These extreme
measures are successful, as the girl wakes up to a
beautiful Christmas tree and several presents. Santa
forgives the boy.
Interesting, right?
But Christmas movies took a turn for the worse
in 2009, when the Hallmark Channel launched its
“Christmas Countdown” movie series, even though
Americans had done nothing at all to provoke the
channel to do such a thing.
Every day, from Halloween to Thanksgiving to
Christmas and right on through to New Year’s Day,
we are bombarded with “Hallmark Original” movies.
As you might expect by the sheer volume, the plots
become formulaic.
You would think, out of sheer boredom if nothing
else, the Hallmark movie producers would spin a
tale about a kid who extorts presents from Santa at
gunpoint every once in a while. But no. It’s always
a story about a young professional woman who has
moved from her idyllic small town to follow her
dreams in a cut-throat occupation in some soul-less
metropolis. She returns home for Christmas holidays
to either take care of an ailing parent or to save the
family business from going down the tubes, usually
because of the big box store that opened in town.
By happenstance, there is a young veterinarian in
town who is so handsome, so charming and so kind
that no one in the little town wants to date him. Or
he may be a widow who hasn’t been able to move on
even though it’s been, like, three whole weeks since
the funeral.
Our young heroine meets the vet because she
has a dog, usually a Golden Retriever. Soon they
get together and, boy, does the girl feel left out! Just
kidding. Hallmark movies aren‘t even close to being
that interesting.
The backdrop of the budding love affair is the
little town, which is always so beautifully adorned for
Christmas it would put Currier & Ives to shame, you
know, like Buckatunna or Biggersville.
At some point the couple has a falling out over
some misunderstanding that would be quickly and
easily resolved between normal people. At the last
moment, perhaps as she’s about to get in her car and
drive back to the city, he shows up and they talk it
out. They kiss. Perhaps the dog jumps between them
to provide some comic relief. Almost-failed business-
man/successful voyeur Papa peers creepily out the
window in approval. The end.
For two months-plus, it’s a derivation of the same
plot.
And people apparently love it because, well, peo-
ple are dull.
If you are not dull, but still like Christmas stories,
I recommend something almost as good as “A Little
Girl Who Did Not Believe in Santa Claus” (Can
you imagine what Quentin Tarratino could do with
THAT plot, by the way?) It’s the Emmy-winning
1966 production of Truman Capote’s beautiful short
story, “A Christmas Memory.” You can find the book
on Amazon and the film on YouTube.
The last paragraph of the story - the last lines of
the 55-minute film - are among the most achingly
tender lines in American literature.
Be forewarned: There is no veterinarian, but there
is a dog named Queenie.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for
The Dispatch. His email address is ssmith@cdispatch.
com.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020 7A

Can you repeat that? Hearing

trouble more obvious with masks
Audiologists: Most of the
time, hearing loss is gradual
and people will often wait
around seven years to get
their hearing tested
BY JAMIE STENGLE
The Associated Press
DALLAS — As nurse Teri Wheat
made her rounds at a Texas maternity
ward, she began to realize she was hav-
ing a hard time understanding the new
mothers who were wearing masks due to
the coronavirus pandemic.
So she got her hearing tested and now
wears hearing aids.
Her hearing loss “became more no-
ticeable the more barriers that we had to
have,” said Wheat, 52, who wears a mask
and a face shield at work to protect her-
self and others against the virus.
Hearing specialists across the U.S.
say they have seen an uptick in visits
from people like Wheat, who only real-
ized how much they relied on lip read-
ing and facial expressions when people
started wearing masks that cover the
nose and mouth.
“More than likely, these are people
that had some kind of hearing loss prior
to all this starting but they were adapt-
ing,” said Andrea Gohmert, director of
the hearing clinic at the University of
Texas at Dallas’ Callier Center for Com-
munication Disorders.
Most of the time, hearing loss hap-
pens gradually and people will often wait
around seven years to get their hearing
tested, according to audiologists, the
professionals who assess hearing.
“We would have seen these people
eventually but it could have been quite
a few years from now,” said Catherine
Palmer, audiology director for the west-
ern Pennsylvania health care system
UPMC.
Wheat, who had her hearing tested
at the Callier Center in August, said that
even before the pandemic, she frequent-
ly asked her kids to repeat what they
said, and people pointed out how loud
she listened to programs on her comput-
er or television. But, she said, her hear-
ing loss hadn’t been obvious to her.
Audiologists say it’s not just the lack
of visual clues that’s making hearing
difficult: masks and plastic barriers also
reduce the sound level. And standing
closer to the person you are talking to
— another coping mechanism — has
also been eliminated in most settings
because of recommendations to socially
distance during the pandemic.
Palmer, who just finished a stint as
president of the American Academy
of Audiology, said people with normal
hearing can manage if voices are muf-
fled a bit, but those with some hearing
loss have a much harder time.
Nancy Tye-Murray, a professor at
Washington University in St. Louis, said
the visual is a “powerful supplement” to
hearing.
“Most people with hearing loss don’t
realize they rely on it so much, and even
people with normal hearing rely on it,
say, when you are in a noisy restaurant,”
Tye-Murray said.
Palmer said adults can usually fill in
the blanks and find words they aren’t
hearing, but it’s exhausting.

Left for dead, twice, RadioShack

gets another shot online
‘It’s a very thin line between being iconic and being dead’
Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys Inc.,
BY MATT OTT
AP Business Writer
SILVER SPRING, Md.
— RadioShack, a fixture at
the mall for decades, has
been pulled from brink of
death, again.
It’s the most prized
name in the basket of
brands that entrepreneur
investors Alex Mehr and
Tai Lopez have scooped
up since the coronavirus
pandemic bowled over
the U.S. retail sector and
sent a number of chains
into bankruptcy protec-
tion. Those brands so far
include Pier1, Dressbarn
and Modell’s.
Mehr and Lopez plan to
make RadioShack compet-
itive again, this time on-
line, rather than on street
corners or in malls. How-
ever, unlike RadioShack’s
glory years, it’s Amazon’s
world now.
The big question is:
How much value does the
RadioShack brand have
when the prized target
audience of millennials or
Gen Z have likely never
owned a radio, let alone
stepped inside a store?
“It’s a very thin line
a marketing and research consultancy
between being iconic and
being dead,” said Robert
Passikoff, founder and
president of Brand Keys
Inc., a marketing and re-
search consultancy. “Be-
ing iconic a lot of the time
just means people have a
memory of it. I’m not sure
that just remembering
something is leverageable
enough to be able to con-
vert something into suc-
cess.”
Success is something
that’s been in RadioShack’s
rear-view mirror for quite
some time. The company,
which would celebrate its
100th birthday in 2021, ap-
peared to be on top of the
tech world in the pre-per-
sonal computer days of the
late 1970s and early 1980s,
the place kids and hobby-
ist would go to buy radios,
walkie-talkies and all the
parts to fix them, or even
build them themselves.
Somewhere along the
way, “The Shack” got lost.
Unable to capitalize on the
PC boom that began in the
mid-eighties, it also found
itself largely on the outside
of the portable device rev-
olution of the aughts and
drifting toward irrelevan-
cy. It booked its last profit
in 2011. After store rede-
signs and other changes
failed to draw customers,
the Fort-Worth, Texas
company filed for Chapter
11 bankruptcy protection
in 2015 and then again two
years later.
Mehr and Lopez have
no designs on rebuilding
the brick-and-mortar Ra-
dioShack empire. But they
say there is a path back
to profitability, and it all
starts with the name.
“We bought the raw
material to build a big
business,” Mehr said.
“Brand means trust. And
the brand is very, very
strong. I have quantifiable
data that the brand is very
strong.”
Mehr said REV’s for-
mula for measuring public
opinion of a brand differs
significantly from the way
other experts value such
things, including their
own polling and analysis
of how the company might
work in a specific “ecosys-
tem.”
The plan, in short, is
to build a vast online mar-
ketplace on top of the Ra-
dioShack brand.
8A THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

What are you thankful for?

Continued from Page 1A

“2020 has really made me take a step
back, especially during quarantine. I’m
really thankful to have this opportunity
to do some self-care. I had always been
busy — go, go, go — and not making time
for the things that really are important in
life. So I’ve really taken time to improve
my health, my fitness, the way I eat and
really prioritize those relationships that
are important to me.”
— Arma Delacruz, Starkville
“I’m thankful for everything the Lord has
provided us. We’ve got a roof over our
heads. We’ve got shoes on our feet and
we’ve got food on our table.”
— Rollin Miller, Macon
“I am thankful for all the support of
friends, family, neighbors. Everyone has
come together, which is such a good
thing to see. I think of all the lessons we
have learned through this year, society in
general, and I’m thankful for that.”
— Hannah Martin, Columbus (CAFB)
“I’m thankful for my health, my family and
friends, just to be alive and be a part of
this beautiful world God has made. I’m
more aware of that this year. (COVID)
really brings it home, what you should be
thankful for.
— Jan Fulgham, Columbus

Business
Continued from Page 1A
asking for at GunCo
in Starkville, some
sweet Mississippi State
clothes at The Lodge
in Starkville, succulent
planters at Busy Bee
in Macon and so much
more.
We do have a shop in
town opening Thanks-
giving night for those
wanting to tick items off
their Christmas list early.
Park Place downtown
is having Black Friday
specials, including a
free t-shirt with a $25
purchase for the first 20
shoppers. The boutique
will open 10 p.m. on
Thanksgiving Day and
offer “buy one, get one
half off” deals 10 p.m.-2
a.m. On Friday the bou-
tique will have 25 percent
off storewide purchases
2-10 a.m. and 20 percent
off from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Speaking of gifts and
wanting to give back,
Main Street Director Bar-
bara Bigelow is asking
those shopping around to
remember the small town
businesses this Satur-
day for Small Business
Saturday.
In Columbus from
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. local
retailers will open their
doors and offer plenty of
specials.
At Leadership Plaza,
located next to Holly-
hocks, Columbus Main
Street is also offering
gift-wrapping 11 a.m. to the steakhouse at 171 and Muddy Waters).” We finally have a book- tial shoppers to make an
2:30 p.m. Moores Creek Road on Boltwood added the store back in Columbus. appointment to browse
“We just encourage Dec. 1. changes will not hap- Emily Liner will official- her store. You don’t have
people as always to shop “First, we will assess pen until the next year. ly open Friendly City to make an appointment
small with our locally and see what chang- For now, Boltwood and Books, 118 Fifth St., on to shop; however, cus-
owned businesses,” Bige- es need to happen,” Bishop are leasing the Saturday. tomers that do make an
low said. “An average of Boltwood said “We’re Ruben’s building but Friendly City Books appointment online will
68 cents for every dollar working on opening the Boltwood said he hopes will be open Tuesday receive 5 percent off their
spent stays in our com- stairwell up, I’m also to take ownership of through Saturday from purchase. You can make
munity when you shop turning the oyster bar the building in the near noon to 6 p.m. appointments at https://
locally. …This has been into an actual bar. It’ll future. Liner added with calendly.com/friend-
a rough year for all small basically be one unit, just The Christmas gifts COVID-19 cases increas- ly-city.../shopping-ap-
businesses throughout two businesses (Ruben’s keep on coming, guys. ing, she is asking poten- pointment.
the community, and I
just encourage people to
remember that and shop
with them this year.”
In Starkville, The
Greater Starkville De-
velopment Partnership
is hosting Black Friday
Bonanza with deals all
throughout the city.
With too many deals to
list, shoppers can find
discounts on clothes,
restaurant gift cards and
more throughout the city.
Check out those stores
and restaurants partici-
pating at www.starkville.
org/black-friday.
Moving into the
Christmas season, local
Muddy Waters Bar own-
ers Ray Boltwood and Ed-
ward Bishop unwrapped
a huge Christmas gift:
Columbus local restau-
rant Ruben’s Fish and
Steakhouse.
Boltwood and Bish-
op, who opened Muddy
Waters three years ago
upstairs from Ruben’s,
will officially take over
Sports
PREP FOOTBALL
SPORTS LINE
662-241-5000
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020
B
SECTION

In 43rd year, Bowen has become a West Point treasure

BY THEO DEROSA
tderosa@cdispatch.com
GRENADA — The
championship rings were
on their way.
The Wayne County
High School football team
was 14-0, and the War Ea-
gles were a cinch to win
the 2005 MHSAA Class
4A title, after all. School
administrators ordered
the rings ahead of time.
Why not get a head start
on the celebration, right?
But instead of a Wayne
County coronation, clutch
play on defense carried
underdog West Point to a
17-15 upset win at Missis-
sippi Veterans Memorial
Stadium in Jackson.
Behind the micro-
phone, West Point radio
play-by-play commentator
Bud Bowen swelled with
pride and emotion.
“That was a big, big
call right there,” Bowen
said. “That one put tears
in my eyes.”
It was one of Bowen’s
most special moments
in a 43-year career call-
ing West Point football.
Bowen, who current-
ly calls play-by-play for
West Point games for Su-
perTalk Mississippi, has
watched the Green Wave
win all 11 of their state ti-
tles and hopes for a 12th
next week.
And over the course
of his long career, Bow-
en has become a fixture
of West Point and a well-
known name around the
state of Mississippi.
“I think he’s one of
those local treasures,”
Mississippi State Athlet-
ic Director John Cohen,
a longtime listener, said.
“The whole world might
not know about him, but
he’s really good at what
he does.”
‘The best seat in the
house’
In 1977, Bowen and
West Point radio person-
ality Jack King did im-
pressions of sports com-
Theo DeRosa/Dispatch Staff
mentators over drinks West Point play-by-play radio announcer Bud Bowen was on hand for Friday’s MHSAA
Class 5A quarterfinal against Grenada. Bowen has called games for the Green Wave
See BOWEN, 4B for 43 years.

Triplett named MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL

Region 2-4A
offensive MVP
FROM SPECIAL REPORTS Three matchups to watch in Saturday’s
Caledonia High School
running back Darrius
Triplett was named offen-
sive most valuable player
in MHSAA Class 4A, Re-
Egg Bowl between MSU, Ole Miss
gion 2 on Friday.
Triplett ran for 1,100
yards on 66 carries for
the Cavaliers and caught
six passes for 200 yards.
He finished with 16
touchdowns and 18.1
yards per touch.
Offensive lineman
Tyshawn Graham was
named to the all-region
first team, as were line-
backers Brandon Chrest
and Will Donald and de-
fensive lineman Antwuan
Adkins.
O-lineman Alex
Mathews and fullback
Curtavis Johnson made
the second team on of-
fense. Linebacker/safety
Loren Cox and defensive
backs Kewon Wyatt and
Karsten Gullette made
the second team on de-
fense.
Caledonia finished the
season 4-6 with a loss
to Louisville in the first
round of the Class 4A
playoffs.

Stan Beall/Dispatch file photo

Swim team
gets back
in action at
Tupelo meet
Swim Columbus
returns to the pool
FROM SPECIAL REPORTS
The Swim Columbus
swim team returned to
competitive action at the
2020 John Servati Memo-
rial Short Course invita-
tion meet last weekend in
Tupelo.
It was the first compet-
itive meet since the start
of the COVID-19 pan-
demic. Swim Columbus
competed in a dual meet
in September.
The meet took place
with precautions like six
feet of social distance,
limited spectators and
required mask-wearing
for nonswimmers and for
athletes not in the pool or
on the pool deck.
Each swimmer im-
proved their time from
last year, and several
qualified for the state
swim meet in 2021.
Swim Columbus will
compete in the Santa’s
Best invitational Dec. 4
in Biloxi and will partici-
pate in the Sunkist Sprint
to Christmas on Dec. 11
in Jackson.
Mississippi State offensive lineman Michael Story (75) holds up the Golden Egg trophy after the Bulldogs beat Ole Miss 21-20 in last
year’s Egg Bowl in Davis Wade Stadium. Saturday’s edition of the rivalry will prove a critical test for both schools once again.
BY BEN PORTNOY
bportnoy@cdispatch.com
STARKVILLE — And so
Egg Bowl week is upon us.
In a rivalry that thrives on ab-
surdity, the 93rd edition of the
Battle for the Golden Egg is set
for 3 p.m. Saturday as Mississip-
pi State heads to Oxford for a
date with in-state rival Ole Miss.
For first-year head coaches
Mike Leach and Lane Kiffin,
it’s the first meeting in a long
friendship that dates back to
their days in the Pac-12.
With that, here are three
matchups to watch Saturday:
Ole Miss quarterback Matt
Corral vs. Mississippi State
secondary
Whatever Ole Miss redshirt
sophomore quarterback Matt
Corral is drinking, I’ll take two.
After an up-and-down redshirt
freshman campaign, Corral has
enjoyed a career renaissance
under Kiffin this fall.
In seven games this year, the
Californian ranks No. 6 nation-
ally in passing yards per game,
sits No. 4 in yards per attempt
and is tied for No. 6 in passing
touchdowns. In all, Ole Miss
heads into the annual rivalry
contest with the seventh-best
passing offense in America and
the second-best in the South-
eastern Conference.
Saturday, Corral stands to
have a field day against an MSU
defense that is beaten, battered
and thin in the secondary. Soph-
omore Martin Emerson has
been a stud in the No. 1 corner
spot this year, tied for ninth na-
tionally among all cornerbacks
with a pass coverage grade of
84.2 according to Pro Football
Focus.
Opposite Emerson, things
are a little more complicated.
Freshman Emmanuel Forbes
has had spurts of brilliance, but
in a year in which he wasn’t ex-
pected to be relied on as heavily
as he has been, there have been
a handful of blown coverages
and general freshman mistakes.
Behind them, it gets even thin-
ner. Only four cornerbacks this
year, including sophomore Es-
aias Furdge and freshman De-
camerion Richardson have ap-
peared in four or more games.
The Bulldogs also have
depth issues at safety between
COVID-19, opt-outs and inju-
ries. Junior Londyn Craft and
sophomores Shawn Preston and
Collin Duncan have performed
admirably in relief of starters
Fred Peters and Marcus Mur-
phy, but all three are inexperi-
enced at best.
The Ole Miss offense has
begun rolling under Lane Kif-
fin and a reinvigorated Corral,
while MSU allowed 401 yards
passing to a previously anemic
Georgia aerial attack last week.
If the Bulldogs hope to hang
in this one, the secondary will
have to do its part.
Will Rogers vs. consistency
In a flip of the previous sec-
tion, it’s fair to assume fresh-
man quarterback Will Rogers
has found a groove after last
week’s showing at Georgia. In
his second career start, Rogers
completed 41 of 52 passes for
336 yards and one touchdown
against a Georgia defense that’s
been among the nation’s best in
recent years.
Rogers has had his struggles
as a freshman given he’s been
thrust into difficult situations
in relief of Stanford transfer
K.J. Costello and his first ca-
reer start against Vanderbilt
wasn’t pretty. But now facing an
Ole Miss defense that has been
among the worst in the coun-
try, it’s another chance for the
Brandon native to continue his
upward trajectory.
Rated the No. 116 passing de-
fense in the country, Ole Miss
is allowing nearly 300 yards
per game through the air. Even
more dismal, the Rebels are al-
lowing a shade over 40 points
per game — good for No. 124
nationally.
MSU hasn’t scored more
than 24 points in a game since
its season-opening win over
LSU, but last week’s game at
Georgia offered a look at what
this offense is capable of when
Rogers is clicking and afforded
enough protection. It’s likely
the winner of this game will
need to score in the 30s or 40s,
and the Bulldogs should be ca-
pable of doing so if the offense
and Rogers mimic their trip to
Athens.
Ole Miss vs. history
In a COVID-19-affected year,
things have gotten wacky. Take,
for example, the Egg Bowl not
being played as the final game
of the season. In a series that
spans 117 meetings, this has
only happened eight times. Of
those, MSU is 7-1 in such con-
tests.
In the past 10 meetings be-
tween the Bulldogs and Rebels,
MSU has won six, including
three of the last four. The Bull-
dogs have also won three of the
past five Egg Bowls played in
Oxford.
Sitting at 2-5 with three
games remaining, MSU has
winnable games against Ole
Miss, Missouri and No. 22 Au-
burn remaining on its ledger in
a season that looked to have fall-
en off a 10,000-foot cliff after an
awe-inspiring victory over then-
No. 6 LSU. For Ole Miss, it’s a
chance to draw closer to its first
winning season Hugh Freeze’s
second-to-last year at the helm.
Neither team has been a
world-beater thus far, and MSU
has struggled to muster much
of anything offensively for most
of the season, but the loser of
Saturday’s contest is a good bet
to finish in or near the basement
of the SEC West.
2B THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com

SWIMMING THEIR WAY TO STATE

Photo courtesy of Swim Columbus

Swim Columbus had several swimmers qualify for the state championship meet, which will be held in 2021, at
last weekend’s John Servati Memorial Short Course invitation meet in Tupelo. Back row, from left to right: Coach
Stephanie Gonzalez, Colin Knox Wright (11), Hayden Wallace (10), Charlie Harrell (12), William Shivers (9) and
Daniel Snyder (12). Front row, from left to right: Kameron Wright (9), Olivia Shivers (7), Izzy Clark (10), Mariia Tsv-
etkova (9), Axel Phillips (8) and Cade O’Brien (11).

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Huskers’ Walker to sit 16 games for violation at Tennessee
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LINCOLN, Neb. — The NCAA
has suspended Nebraska’s Derrick
Walker for the first 16 games of the
season for a rules violation while he
was at Tennessee in 2018-19.
The Nebraska athletic depart-
ment made the announcement
Wednesday shortly before the
Cornhuskers’ opener against Mc-
Neese State.
The 6-foot-8, 232-pound junior
forward played limited minutes for
the Volunteers team that reached
the NCAA regional semifinals in
2018-19. Walker sat out last season
at Nebraska under transfer rules.
“Since arriving at Nebraska,
Derrick Walker has been phenom-
enal at owning up to a mistake he
made prior to coming here,” coach
Fred Hoiberg said. “He was trans-
parent throughout the recruiting
process and acknowledged his
mistake. In turn, we told him con-
fidently we would support and fight
for him.”
The 16-game suspension is
based on a normal 31-game regular
season. Hoiberg said he had hoped
the suspension would reflect half
of an abbreviated 2020-21 season,
which is scheduled to be 27 games.
No. 15 WVU replaces No. 12
Tennessee in Jimmy V Classic
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — No.
15 West Virginia will replace No. 12
Tennessee in the Jimmy V Classic
on Dec. 2 against top-ranked Gon-
zaga.
West Virginia announced the
scheduling addition Wednesday,
saying it will play the Bulldogs in
the opening game of the men’s bas-
ketball doubleheader in Indianapo-
lis.
The Mountaineers had been
scheduled to host Youngstown
State in their home opener on Dec.
2. That game was postponed after
the Penguins paused all team activ-
ities due to the coronavirus. West
Virginia said the schools hoped to
find a mutually agreeable date later
in December.
Tennessee also has paused ac-
tivities in the men’s basketball pro-
gram with head coach Rick Barnes
among staff, players and other per-
sonnel who have tested positive for
COVID-19.
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020 3B

Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona dies at 60

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BUENOS AIRES,
Argentina — Diego Ma-
radona, the Argentine
soccer great who scored
the “Hand of God” goal in
1986 and led his country
to that year’s World Cup
title before later strug-
gling with cocaine use
and obesity, has died. He
was 60.
Maradona’s spokes-
man, Sebastián Sanchi,
said he died Wednesday of
a heart attack, two weeks
after being released from
a hospital in Buenos Aires
following brain surgery.
The office of Argenti-
na’s president said it will
decree three days of na-
tional mourning, and the
Argentine soccer associa-
tion expressed its sorrow
on Twitter.
One of the most fa-
mous moments in the
history of the sport, the
“Hand of God” goal, came
when the diminutive Ma-
radona punched the ball
into England’s net during
the 1986 World Cup quar-
terfinals. England said
the ball went in off of
Maradona’s hand, not his
head. Maradona himself
gave conflicting accounts
of what had happened
over the years, at one
point attributing the goal
to divine intervention, to
“the hand of God.”
Ahead of his 60th
birthday in October, Ma-
radona told France Foot-
ball magazine that it was
his dream to “score an-
other goal against the En-
glish, this time with the
right hand.”
Maradona also cap-
tivated fans around the
world over a two-decade
career with a bewitching
style of play that was all
his own.
Although his reputa-
tion was tarnished by his
addictions and an ill-fated
spell in charge of the na-
tional team, he remained
idolized in soccer-mad
Argentina as the “Pibe de
Oro” or “Golden Boy.”
“You took us to the
top of the world,” Argen-
tine President Alfredo
Fernández said on social
media. “You made us in-
credibly happy. You were
the greatest of all.”
The No. 10 he wore on
his jersey became synon-
ymous with him, as it also
had with Pelé, the Bra-
zilian great with whom
Maradona was regularly
paired as the best of all
time.
The Brazilian said in a
statement he had lost “a
dear friend.”
“There is much more to
say, but for now may God
give his family strength,”
Pelé said. “One day, I
hope, we will play soccer
together in the sky.”
Bold, fast and utterly
unpredictable, Maradona
was a master of attack,
juggling the ball easily
from one foot to the other
as he raced upfield. Dodg-
ing and weaving with his
low center of gravity, he
shrugged off countless ri-
vals and often scored with
a devastating left foot, his
most powerful weapon.
“Everything he was
thinking in his head,
he made it happen with
his feet,” said Salvatore
Bagni, who played with
Maradona at Italian club
Napoli.
A ballooning waistline
slowed Maradona’s ex-
plosive speed later in his
career and by 1991 he was
snared in his first doping
scandal when he admit-
ted to a cocaine habit that
haunted him until he re-
tired in 1997, at 37.
Hospitalized near
death in 2000 and again
in ’04 for heart problems
blamed on cocaine, he lat-
er said he overcame the
drug problem. Cocaine,
he once said famous-
ly, had proven to be his
“toughest rival.”
But more health prob-
lems followed, despite
a 2005 gastric bypass
that greatly trimmed his
weight. Maradona was
hospitalized in early 2007
for acute hepatitis that his
doctor blamed on exces-
sive drinking and eating.
He made an unlike-
ly return to the national
team in 2008 when he
was appointed Argentina
coach, but after a quar-
terfinal exit at the 2010
World Cup in South Afri-
ca, he was ousted — ulti-
mately picking up anoth-
er coaching job with the
United Arab Emirates
club Al Wasl.
Maradona was the
fifth of eight children who
grew up in a poor, gritty
barrio on the Buenos Ai-
res outskirts where he
played a kind of dirt-patch
soccer that launched
many Argentines to inter-
national stardom.
None of them ap-
proached Maradona’s
fame. In 2001, FIFA
named Maradona one of
the two greatest in the
sport’s history, alongside
Pelé.
“Maradona inspires
us,” said then-Argentina
striker Carlos Tevez, ex-
plaining his country’s ev-
eryman fascination with
Maradona at the 2006
World Cup in Germany.
“He’s our idol, and an idol
for the people.”
Maradona reaped titles
at home and abroad, play-
ing in the early 1980s for
Argentinos Juniors and
Boca Juniors before mov-
ing on to Spanish and Ital-
ian clubs. His crowning
achievement came at the
1986 World Cup, captain-
ing Argentina in its 3-2
win over West Germany
in the final and decisive in
a 2-1 victory against En-
gland in a feisty quarter-
final match.
Over the protests of
England goalkeeper Pe-
ter Shilton, the referee let
stand a goal by Maradona
in which, as he admitted
years later, he intention-
ally hit the ball with his
hand in “a bit of mischief.”
But Maradona’s impact
wouldn’t be confined to
cheating. Four minutes
later, he spectacularly
weaved past four oppo-
nents from midfield to
beat Shilton for what
FIFA later declared the
greatest goal in World
Cup history.
Many Argentines saw
the match as revenge for
their country’s loss to
Britain in the 1982 war
over the Falkland Islands,
which Argentines still
claim as “Las Malvinas.”
“It was our way of re-
covering ‘Las Malvinas,’”
Maradona wrote in his
2000 autobiography “I am
Diego.”
“It was more than try-
ing to win a game. We
said the game had noth-
ing to do with the war.
But we knew that Argen-
tines had died there, that
they had killed them like
birds. And this was our re-
venge. It was something
bigger than us: We were
defending our flag.”
It also was vindication
for Maradona, who in
what he later called “the
greatest tragedy” of his
career was cut from the
squad of the 1978 World
Cup — which Argentina
won at home — because
he was only 17.
Maradona said he was
given a soccer ball soon
after he could run.
“I was 3 years old and I
slept hugging that ball all
night,” he said.
At 10, Maradona
gained fame by perform-
ing at halftime of profes-
sional matches, wowing
crowds by keeping the
ball airborne for minutes
with his feet, chest and
head. He also made his
playing debut with the
Argentinos Juniors youth
team, leading a squad
of mostly 14-year-olds
through 136 unbeaten
matches.
“To see him play was
pure bliss, true stardom,”
teammate Carlos Beltran
said.
Maradona played from
1976-81 for first division
club Argentinos Juniors,
then went to Boca Ju-
niors for a year before
heading to Barcelona for
a world-record $8 million.
In 1984, Barcelona
sold him to Napoli, in Ita-
ly. He remade its fortunes
almost single-handedly,
taking it to the 1987 Ital-
ian league championship
for its first title in 60
years.
A year after losing the
1990 World Cup final to
West Germany, Mara-
dona moved to Spanish
club Sevilla, but his ca-
reer was on the decline.
He played five matches at
Argentine club Newell’s
Old Boys in 1994 before
returning to Boca from
1995-97 — his final club
and closest to his heart.
Drug problems over-
shadowed his final play-
ing years.
Maradona failed a dop-
ing test in 1991 and was
banned for 15 months,
acknowledging his long-
time cocaine addiction.
He failed another doping
test for stimulants and
was thrown out of the
1994 World Cup in the
United States.
In retirement, Mara-
dona frequented Boca
matches as a raucous one-
man cheering section and
took part in worldwide
charity, sporting and ex-
hibition events. But the
already stocky forward
quickly gained weight
and was clearly short
of breath as he huffed
through friendly match-
es.
In 2000, in what doc-
tors said was a brush with
death, he was hospital-
ized in the Uruguayan re-
sort of Punta del Este with
a heart that doctors said
was pumping at less than
half its capacity. Blood
and urine samples turned
up traces of cocaine.
After another emer-
gency hospitalization
in 2004, Maradona was
counseled for drug abuse
and in September of that
year traveled to Cuba for
treatment at Havana’s
Center for Mental Health.
There he was visited by
his friend, Cuban Presi-
dent Fidel Castro.
In Cuba, Maradona
took to playing golf and
smoking cigars. He fre-
quently praised Castro
and Argentine-born revo-
lutionary “Che” Guevara,
who fought with Castro in
the Cuban revolution —
even sporting a tattoo of
Guevara on his right arm.
Maradona said he got
clean from drugs there
and started a new chapter.
In 2005, he underwent
gastric bypass in Colom-
bia, shedding nearly 50
kilograms (more than 100
pounds) before appearing
as host of a wildly popular
Argentine television talk
show. On “10’s Night,”
Maradona headed around
a ball with Pelé, inter-
viewed boxer Mike Tyson
and Hollywood celebri-
ties, and taped a lengthy
conversation with Castro
in Cuba.
In retirement, Mara-
dona also became more
outspoken. He sniped fre-
quently at former coach-
es, players — including
Pelé — and the pope. He
joined a left-wing protest
train outside the Summit
of the Americas in 2005,
standing alongside Ven-
ezuelan President Hugo
Chavez to denounce the
presence of then-Presi-
dent George W. Bush.
His outsider status
made it all the more sur-
prising when he was cho-
sen as Argentina coach
following Alfio Basile’s
resignation.
He won his first three
matches, but his tactics,
selection and attention to
detail were all questioned
after a 6-1 loss to Bolivia
in World Cup qualify-
ing equaled Argentina’s
worst-ever margin of de-
feat.
4B THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020
Tide’s Saban tests positive for virus, will miss Iron Bowl
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Iron Bowl will be
without its biggest star.
Nick Saban, the coach
at No. 1 Alabama, tested
positive for COVID-19
Wednesday as the Crim-
son Tide prepares for its
annual showdown with
No. 22 Auburn. Since he
was experiencing mild
symptoms, it appears
there won’t be a false pos-
itive reprieve for Saban
like there was last month
before another huge
game against Georgia.
“He has very mild
symptoms, so this test
will not be categorized as
a potential false positive,”
team physician Dr. Jimmy
Robinson and head train-
er Jeff Allen said in a joint
statement. “He will follow
all appropriate guidelines
and isolate at home.”
The Crimson Tide is
set to face its biggest rival
Saturday at Bryant-Den-
ny Stadium without the
69-year-old, six-time na-
tional champion coach.
Offensive coordinator
Steve Sarkisian, a former
head coach at USC and
Washington, will oversee
preparations and lead the
Bowen
Continued from Page 1B
at a local establishment.
King liked what he heard,
but neither man thought
much about it at the time.
A year later, during
West Point’s 21-6 win
at Aberdeen on Sept. 1,
1978, King ran into Bow-
en and hired him on the
spot. Bowen called play-
by-play and King did color
on WROB 1450 AM.
And though the fre-
quency has changed — 15
or 20 years in, the station
switched to 100.9 FM,
which brought a larger lis-
tener base and made Bow-
en’s name known — the
man wearing the headset
hasn’t.
Bowen was there for
West Point’s first title in
1982, when the Green
Wave capped off an unde-
feated season with a Class
AA title in 1982.
He was there for the
next three, which came in
three consecutive years
— 1987 to 1989 — under
coach Bubba Davis.
There for the “tumble”
West Point took in the
1990s before Dennis Al-
len returned to build the
program back up to a title
in 2002.
For the six champi-
onships — and, Bowen
hopes, a seventh — under
coach Chris Chambless,
who took over for Allen in
June 2006.
“I’ve had the best seat
in the house,” Bowen
said. “I’ve been blessed
to be with a great school
and a great program — a
winning program — and I
wouldn’t swap this gig for
any other gig I know.”
To that seat, Bowen
brings a mix of jovial com-
mentary and thoughtful
analysis. He develops
nicknames for every play-
er — running back Ae-
ris Williams earned the
moniker “A-Train,” which
stuck when Williams went
on to star at Mississippi
State; another player was
dubbed “the Whammer.”
“When you’re listening
to a game, you want infor-
mation, but you want to be
entertained at the same
time,” Cohen said.
Bowen has even popu-
larized a catchphrase that
doubles as his own sobri-
quet: the “Woohoo Mer-
cy” man. The two words
adorn the black mask he
wore to last week’s sec-
ond-round playoff game at
Grenada.
Around 30 years ago,
Bowen borrowed the
phrase from Mississip-
pi Sports Hall of Fame
broadcaster Bill Go-
odrich, who coined it
calling Jackson Senators
baseball. Unfamiliar with
the expression, a new
generation took it and ran
with it, Bowen said.
And upon hearing his
father’s words on the air-
waves again, Goodrich’s
team on game day.
Saban said he has had
a runny nose, but no ma-
jor symptoms. When he
tested positive ahead of
the game with Georgia,
he didn’t have any symp-
toms. Saban ended up
being cleared to coach
in that game after subse-
quent tests leading up to
the game came back neg-
ative.
This time appears dif-
ferent.
“It was a PCR test
which was different than
the false positive that I
had before,” Saban said
on the Southeastern Con-
ference coaches’ telecon-
ference. “I don’t really
have any cardinal signs
of the virus right now.
I don’t have a fever, no
loss of taste or smell, no
fatigue, no muscle aches.
... I’m the only person in
the whole organization
who tested positive this
round.”
Saban will still run
meetings and monitor
practice via Zoom at
home like he did ahead
of the Georgia game.
Sarkisian will still call of-
fensive plays during the
game, but Saban said oth-
son called Bowen and
gave him permission to
utter them.
“He said his dad would
be so proud for me to use
that expression,” Bowen
said.
‘He’s here for us’
Since moving from Ab-
erdeen at age 11 in 1959,
West Point has been Bow-
en’s home.
He graduated from the
same high school he still
represents in 1965, at-
tended Mississippi State
and even served in the
U.S. Air Force for four
years. Before retiring, he
ran the city’s parks and
recreation department for
decades.
And though he’s taken
a few years off — watch-
ing his daughter, a cheer-
leader, during her senior
year in 1997; caring for
his dying mother in 2011
— Bowen hasn’t quite had
a year as strange as 2020.
Normally, he’s around
the coaches and players
a lot, learning about them
so he can incorporate
that information into his
broadcasts. This season,
though, Bowen is keep-
ing his distance to protect
his health because of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Chambless said the
fact that Bowen is still
calling games — home
and away — despite the
virus is a reminder of
what Bowen provides to
the community.
“He doesn’t have to
do this,” Chambless said.
“He’s here for us, any-
way.”
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
er details were still to be
ironed out.
“Last time I did this
for three days, I absolute-
ly did everything from
home that I did in the of-
fice,” Saban said. “I just
did it on Zoom.”
Saban said he has no
idea how he got the virus,
and it wasn’t immediately
clear if anybody else with-
in the program will be
affected because of close
contact. Saban believes
that’s unlikely “based on
how we manage things in-
ternally in the building.”
“I’m around nobody.
I mean, I go home and I
go to the office,” Saban
said. “I have no idea. Now,
there are some people in
and out of our house on
occasion, but I have no
idea how this happened.
We really practice social
tracing, social distanc-
ing, all the things that we
need to do to be safe.
“We’re always six feet
apart in meetings,” he
said. “We have staff meet-
ings in large rooms. Ev-
eryone is required and we
all wear masks. Players
all wear masks in meet-
ings.”
Auburn coach Gus
The Green Wave coach
met Bowen in 1999 when
Chambless started as an
assistant in Allen’s first
year. Initially, Bowen
made cassette tapes of his
broadcasts; Chambless
donned headphones, pow-
ered up his Walkman and
listened to them while
cutting the grass.
Since then, the two
have been good friends
and occasional neighbors.
Bowen’s daughter has
even babysat Chambless’
kids.
“He keeps me ground-
ed,” Chambless said
of Bowen. “I can’t say
enough about him. He’s
just a historical tradition
here at West Point.”
Cohen, hired as head
baseball coach at Missis-
sippi State in the summer
of 2008, was soon intro-
duced to that tradition.
Before or after dinners
with recruits on Friday
nights in the fall, he’d turn
on the radio and listen to
Bowen on SuperTalk.
It wasn’t just Cohen,
either. When he and his
assistants convened at a
restaurant or back in the
office, they’d debrief the
game that each had lis-
tened to.
“Hey, did you hear
what Bud Bowen said?”
they’d ask each other.
“Did you hear what he
called that kid?”
Cohen, who got to
meet Bowen a few teams
during speaking engage-
ments in West Point, re-
ferred to the Green Wave
commentator as a “high
school version” of Jack
Malzahn figures facing tests and contact tracing. games this week have
Alabama without Saban That game is now sched- been postponed or can-
on the opposite sideline uled for Dec. 12. celed across major col-
will be the latest bizarre The American Athlet- lege football. That raises
aspect to “a really weird ic Conference said the the total for this month
year.” Cincinnati-Temple game alone to 56 games direct-
“I hope his symptoms could not be made up on ly impacted by COVID-19
are not severe or any- Dec. 5, even though both issues for at least one of
thing. Hope he makes a teams have an open date, the teams.
speedy recovery,” Malz- because league protocols
ahn said. “It’s going to be
a really weird deal play-
“would not allow for a suf-
ficient number of players
Minnesota WR Bateman
ing the Iron Bowl without to be available for compe- ends season early out
Nick being there. Just tition on that day.” of virus concerns
another sign of a very un- The unbeaten and con- MINNEAPOLIS —
usual season.” ference-leading Bearcats’ Minnesota star wide re-
Saban is one SEC reg- ceiver Rashod Bateman
next game is scheduled
ular-season victory away decided Wednesday to
for Dec. 12 at No. 24 Tul-
from tying ex-Florida end his season early out of
sa, which had its Saturday
and South Carolina coach concern over COVID-19,
game against Houston
Steve Spurrier for second
postponed because the the day after the Gophers
in the history of the con-
Cougars have been hit canceled their game
ference. Spurrier’s 131
by the virus. Tulsa is also against Wisconsin due to
SEC wins trail only Ala-
unbeaten in conference a rise in cases within the
bama legend Bear Bryant
play and with a victory program.
(159).
next week against Navy Bateman, a widely pro-
While Alabama was
hopeful the Tide will still it would clinch a spot in jected first-round pick in
be able to play on Sat- the AAC championship — the 2021 NFL draft who
urday, two more Top 25 against Cincinnati. was the Big Ten Receiver
teams called off games With Thursday’s Col- of the Year award winner
this weekend: No. 7 orado State game at Air in 2019, made his an-
Cincinnati won’t play at Force also called off, 13 nouncement on Twitter.
Temple because both
teams are dealing with
COVID-19 issues and No.
14 Oklahoma postponed
its game at West Virgin-
ia due to recent positive
Cristil, who called Mis-
sissippi State football and
men’s basketball games
on the radio for 58 years.
“It’s somebody who
has their own style, who’s
been doing it a long time
and has become an insti-
tution in our state,” Co-
hen said.
As long as his health
is good, Bowen said, he
has no plans to stop any-
time soon. Whenever the
Green Wave are playing,
he’ll be there to enjoy it
in person and keep those
who can’t informed and
entertained.
“It’s been a great ride,”
Bowen said. “It’s been a
very enjoyable ride.”
 The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
Ravens-Steelers game moved from Thursday night to Sunday
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS team work virtually. another. They are sched- the holiday — and then
“We appreciate the uled to play Dallas on getting the weekend off
The Thanksgiving NFL for its diligence in Thursday, Dec. 3. before starting the home
night game between the working closely with us to There will be no fans stretch.
Ravens and Steelers has ensure the well-being of allowed for the Ravens Instead, they find
been switched to Sun- players, coaches and staff game. themselves adjusting on
day afternoon because of from both the Baltimore This isn’t the first the fly once again.
coronavirus issues with Ravens and Pittsburgh time the Steelers have Steelers wide receiv-
Baltimore. Steelers organizations,” been forced to adjust er JuJu Smith-Schuster
The NFL announced the Ravens said in a state- their schedule because wasn’t exactly thrilled
the move Wednesday, ment. of COVID-19 issues with with the development.
placing the game at 12:15 “Protecting the health opponents. Their trip to “First the NFL takes
p.m. Central on NBC. Pre- and safety of each team, Nashville on Oct. 4 to face away our bye week be-
viously, it was scheduled in addition to our com- the Titans turned into cause another team can’t
for NBC’s prime-time munities at large, is of ut- an unexpected bye week get their Covid situation
telecast on Thanksgiving most importance. We will when Tennessee was hit together, now they take
Day. continue to follow guid- with an outbreak. away our Thanksgiving
Baltimore placed out- ance from the NFL and The tweak forced primetime game for the
side linebacker Pernell its medical experts, as we the Steelers to play 13 same reason. Smh,” he
McPhee on the reserve/ focus on safely resuming straight weeks to end posted on social media.
COVID-19, joining run- preparations for Sunday’s the regular season. They The silver lining for
ning backs Mark Ingram game.” had hoped for at least a Smith-Schuster is that
and J.K. Dobbins and de- The game — assum- mini-break by playing on it gives him a few extra
fensive tackle Brandon ing it is played on Sunday Thanksgiving — the fran- days for the right leg he
Williams. The Ravens — means the Ravens will chise’s first-ever home tweaked during a freak
also have been doing trade one short week for game in Pittsburgh on play in Jacksonville —
Comics & Puzzles
DILBERT
Dear Abby
D
EAR ABBY:
I could use
some ad-
vice on the best
response to my
89-year-old fa-
ther’s letters. He
cleverly inserts
insults into them
without writing
anything for
which he could
ZITS be criticized.
For example,
he has always
talked about
how he hates Dear Abby
fat people. I am
very overweight.
My father sends me letters
talking about how fit and trim
another relative is who had
just visited. That’s all he says
about them, and it’s all he
writes to me about. I can cer-
tainly read between the lines.
GARFIELD This isn’t a one-time thing,
just one example. I know
my father will never change.
He was abusive to me, my
siblings and my mother. I
see these letters as another
way for him to continue his
abuse, so I ignore them. Not
engaging is my way of taking
the high road. Extended fam-
ily and friends bug me to talk
with him about it, but I have
never had a good experience
with talking to my father.
CANDORVILLE
Horoscopes
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Nov.
26). You’re a person who will
knock yourself out for others.
You’ll do everything in your pow-
er to make sure that the team
is winning. This quality will take
you far this year. Even though
your personal satisfaction often
matters less to you, you’ll have
at least 10 chances to glorious-
ly inhabit it. Virgo and Cancer
BABY BLUES adore you. Your lucky numbers
are: 9, 2, 22, 12 and 14.
ARIES (March 21-April 19).
Remembering how it used to be
will bring gladness, wistfulness,
unity and the beginnings of
a plan for future days. You’re
especially compatible with Leo
now.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20).
BEETLE BAILEY
MALLARD FILLMORE
FAMILY CIRCUS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020
when he twisted his leg
after stepping on a penal-
ty flag — to get ready for
the Ravens.
Coach Mike Tomlin
has praised his team’s
ability to stay light on its
feet in adapting to the
COVID-19 pandemic as
part of their success.
The Steelers were hit
with their own COVID-19
scare earlier this month
when tight end Vance Mc-
Donald tested positive fol-
lowing a victory over Dal-
las, forcing quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger and
a handful of teammates
to self-quarantine before
facing the Bengals. Ro-
ethlisberger ended up
playing and throwing four
touchdowns in an easy
victory.
Also, the Cleveland
I would have
hoped that being
closer to death
would cause him
to reconsider his
interactions with
his children, but
he just isn’t able
to do so. Could
you recommend
a response other
than silence? —
READING INTO IT
IN ILLINOIS
DEAR READ-
ING INTO IT: As
a matter of fact,
I can. Write him
back and say
something like this:
“Dear Dad, you may have
been wondering why I don’t
respond to your letters.
They contain nothing more
than comparisons to other
relatives who are skinnier
and more fit than I am, and
frankly, I find them painful to
read. I am not writing this as
a criticism of you, but only
so you will understand my
silence.
“Sincerely,
“Your Daughter ‘Judy”’
You do not have to talk
to him. This should get your
message across.
DEAR ABBY: I have a friend
who is divorced and struggling
financially, but doesn’t work
You have a kind word for the
contributions of others. This
comes easily to you because
you are genuinely excited and
impressed with the surprises of
the day.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21).
There are those around who
have a harder time with social-
izing than you do. Some will
use you as a model and others
will submit to your coaxing and
charms.
CANCER (June 22-July 22).
You find a way to bridge the gap
between you and the people you
want to be near but can’t. You
don’t even have to think about
adding the personal touches
that make this happen; they’ll
come with your intention.
5B
Browns practiced in
shifts and held players
out as a precaution while
dealing with a new round
of COVID-19 issues.
The team temporar-
ily closed its headquar-
ters in Berea, Ohio, after
starting linebacker Sione
Takitaki tested positive
Wednesday. Before re-
vealing Takitaki’s identi-
ty, the Browns conducted
contact tracing to see if
others players were ex-
posed to the second-year
linebacker.
As an additional safety
measure, Browns coach
Kevin Stefanski had his
offense and defense work
out separately inside the
team’s indoor field house,
which is also being used
as a weight room due to
COVID protocols.
other than sporadic pet-sitting
jobs. I enjoy her company and
we have a lot in common,
but when we go on outings
together, she expects me to
drive and pay for her drinks
and food if she doesn’t have
enough money. She doesn’t
own a credit card.
I’m starting to feel
resentful and like I’m being
taken advantage of. She
thanks me sometimes, but I
think she feels that because
I am financially comfortable
and she isn’t, I should be a
good friend and help her out.
I really want to discuss the
situation with her, but I am
afraid of coming across as
stingy and uncaring. What are
your thoughts? — USED IN
ALABAMA
DEAR USED: I have to take
issue with your signature. You
are not being used; you have
been ALLOWING yourself to
be used. It would be neither
stingy nor uncaring to ask
before making a date to go
out together whether she has
the money to pay her way.
If the answer is no, suggest
doing something that doesn’t
involve money or that’s within
her budget — unless you
want to treat her. But treating
her should not be expected,
any more than any other gift
would be.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The
feelings of warmth coming at
you are undeniable. It will be
wonderful to find out that you
are part of people’s fondest
memories. If you don’t get ver-
bal affirmation of this, assume
it’s true and keep building your
legacy.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).
It’s a little quirky, the things
you most appreciate about your
current life. Thinking about what
makes you happy, your senses
light up and your creativity
whirrs like a magical engine of
fantastical production.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). A
kindness you gave long ago (and
may not even remember giving)
is now coming back to you in
a new form. You’ll get a prime
opportunity to slow down so you
can notice and acknowledge
the gift.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).
While you appreciate the tastes
and comforts of the season,
it’s the small ones who win your
heart. Their eyes and smiles are
a gift that sends your spirit in
somersaults.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec.
21). Don’t worry about how
you’re going to pull it all off. You
will. You can count on yourself
and others can count on you,
too. Just make sure there’s
someone around who can take
pictures of this because it will
go down in history.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.
19). Though you firmly believe in
content over style, as you focus
on bringing something of value
to the table, you won’t be able
to help yourself but to bring on
the accidental, incredible flair.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.
18). You give people something
to smile about. You’re playful,
and many will be highly recep-
tive to your kind of fun. If they
aren’t, then it’s only because
they are not in a position to let
levity in. You’re still better for
trying.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March
20). You use empathy to nav-
igate the ins and outs of your
social life and this proves to
be a navigational system that
will not go wrong. Neither cloud
cover nor electrical outage nor
signal shortage can stop it.
Negative attitude
SOLUTION:
6B THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020
Business
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Director Tumlinson
retires; Sanders
fills term
Bud Tumlinson of
West Point, a longtime
board member of 4-Coun-
ty Electric Power Asso-
ciation, has retired from
his duties as a director
for the cooperative. Bruff
Sanders will fill Tumlin-
son’s unexpired term.
Tumlinson repre-
sented District 3 (Clay
and Monroe counties)
for 27 years. He and his
wife, Bobbie, live in West
Point. The longtime di-
rector said he will always
hold fond memories of
the cooperative. “For the
past 27 years, I have been
honored to serve 4-Coun-
ty Electric Power Asso-
ciation, its membership,
its employees and its
management. Through
the years, the coopera-
tive has done much to
BUILDING PERMITS
City of Columbus
Nov. 16-20-2020
■ William A. Strauss; 101 5th
Street South, Suite 4; sign for
Justin’s Watch Repair; Mid-
South Signs
■ Barnett and Jennifer; 805
Fallwood Drive; storm shelter;
same
■ Swoope Investments LLC;
2203 Highway 45 North;
remodel for TitleMax; Turner
Building Development LLC
■ George O Rush; 1504 7th
Avenue North; repaid roof and
install tin; same
■ Jennifer Child, Agent; Airline
Road; Fiber build for Fairview
Baptist Church; TelepakNet-
works Inc dba CSpire
■ Jamie Nettles; 208 9th
Street North; electrical; Bea-
vers Electric
■ City of Columbus; Harvey’s
Roundabout on Main St.; elec-
trical; Webster Electric
■ Aaron Byrd; 614 22nd
Street South; electrical; Jim-
mie Chism
■ Robert Colby Upton; 1107
Southdown Parkway; electri-
cal; Nickoles Electric
LOCAL GAS PRICES
Source: gasbuddy.com
COLUMBUS
1.82 MURPHY USA
1913-A US-45 N
1.85 SPIRIT
1450 Jess Lyons
1.85 KROGER
1829 US-45 N
STARKVILLE
1.66 TEXACO
416 MS-182 E
1.67 MURPHY USA
1012-MS 12
1.67 WALMART
105 Market St.
Tumlinson Sanders
improve the quality of life
for its members. That will
continue with the strong
leadership we have here
at 4-County. I’m just glad
to have played a part in
that,” Tumlinson said.
Brian Clark, 4-County
chief executive officer,
said Tumlinson has been
a valuable advocate for
the cooperative. “Mr. Bud
will be missed by all of us
who worked with him. He
believed in the coopera-
tive business model. He
was passionate in his sup-
port of this organization
in its efforts to achieve
system reliability, the low-
■ Christopher Morgan; 1911
14th Avenue North, Apt. A;
electrical; Jimmie Chism
■ Logan V. Nguyen; 2006
Highway 45 North; mechani-
cal; Stella Air LLC
■ James Dowdle; 3409 Mili-
tary Road; plumbing; Browning
Plumbing
■ Irene Sanders; 204 East
Manor Drive, Apt 1; plumbing;
Tabor Plumbing
■ Marcus Tate; 621 12th
Street North; plumbing; Tabor
Plumbing
■ Jennifer and Tyrone Porter;
74 Strokes Road; plumbing;
same
Lowndes County
Nov. 25, 2020
■ Alicia Gilliam; 98 Brownlee
Dr.; set up mobile home;
Williamson Electric.
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com
est electric rates feasible,
and member satisfaction,”
Clark said. “We appreci-
ate the time and effort he
invested over many years,
to help 4-County grow
as a service organiza-
tion. During his years of
service on the board, the
co-op has had to navigate
its way through the many
challenges and changes
the electric industry has
encountered. He has
always represented the
membership well, while
striving to balance the
business needs of the
cooperative,” she added.
4-County’s Board
of Directors presented
Tumlinson with a framed
resolution of appreciation.
Sanders, a longtime bank-
ing professional in the
Golden Triangle, is the
executive vice president
for Bank of Commerce in
Columbus. Sanders and
his wife, Melanie, live in
■ Alicia Gilliam; 98 Brownlee
Dr.; move mobile home; Mills
Home Center.
■ Larry and Andrea Pegg;
434 Grant Road; construct
storage/shop; owner
■ Randall Beatty; 974 Pleas-
ant Hill Road; set up mobile
home; Livingston and Sons
Elec.
■ Randall Beatty; 974 Pleas-
ant Hill Road; move mobile
home; McNairy Mobile Homes
■ Craig Barham; 291 Sonia
Drive; set up mobile home;
owner
■ Craig Barham; 291 Sonia
Drive; move mobile home;
Alan’s Mobile Home
■ Ben Gill; Honnoll Mill Road;
set up mobile home; owner
■ Ben Gill; Honnoll Mill Road;
move mobile home; Pontotoc
Mobile Home
West Point. Sanders is a
graduate of Mississippi
State University, with
a bachelor’s degree in
physics and chemistry
and a master’s degree in
physics. He is active in
his community, serving
as a GTR Link Execu-
tive Board member, as a
Growth Alliance Board
member, as an East
Mississippi Communi-
ty College Foundation
Board member and is a
director of the West Point
Rotary Club.
“We’re excited to have
Bruff join the 4-County
Board of Directors. He
is an excellent servant
within his community
and he will bring the
same commitment to the
Association,” Clark said.
In 2021, 4-County
Board Districts 2, 3 and 6
are up for election.
■ Rafeal White; 154 Felix
Lane; set up mobile home;
Dought Brothers Elec.
■ Rafeal White; 154 Felix
Lane; move mobile home;
Pontotoc Mobile Home
■ Alfohnco and Barbara
Thomoas; 592 Chat and Chew
Road; construct garage; owner
■ Joseph Hamiter; 533
Hildreth Road; set up mobile
home; Jessie James
■ Joseph Hamiter; 533
Hildreth Road; move mobile
home; Southern Housing
■ Baily; Stirling Drive; con-
struct s/f residence; Clardy
Home Development
Get promoted? Win an award?
■ Brooks Jones; 182 Sobley Send us your business brief.
Road; construct s/f residence; news@cdispatch.com
G&G Remodleing
■ Oren Cantrell; Carolina
subject: Business brief
Drive; construct storage/shop;
owner
The Dispatch • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020 7B
Classifieds
Ads appear in The Commercial Dispatch,
The Starkville Dispatch and Online
To place ads starting at only $12,
call 662-328-2424 or visit ads.cdispatch.com
THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020 n 8B

Building Materials Sporting Goods

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Top rails, caps, band, etc.
on Main in Crawford.
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662−295−2274. Unissued camo (BDU/
care home in Columbus, $499/mo. Eaton Land,
MS. Must pass back- 662−361−7711. Lawn & Garden ACU/ABU) military 6−
ground check. Call pocket fatigues, $35 & M−
Collegeview Personal Care 65 field coats & fire−
STIHL EQUIPMENT: retardant coveralls, $50;
662-327-9463. BG 55 Hand held blower
LAMAR CO., AL−80 ACRES $50. polypro col weather under
hunting land, north of garment, $18;
PART TIME mature person FS 55RC Grass Edger $50. OCP T−shirts, $5.
for retail store. Sales ex- Millport. $585 per acre. HS 45 Hedge Trimmer $50.
Call for more info, Call 662.769.1889
perience a plus, computer 662−368−6779.
skills and very flexible 205−695−2248 or
Sporting Goods
Sudoku
205−799−9846.
hours. Email resume to YESTERDAY’S ANSWER
job115@cdispatch.com
ED SANDERS GUNSMITH Vehicles
Sudoku
Sudoku is a number- Yesterday’s answer
Open for season!

Merchandise
RETAIL STORE needs entry Tue−Fri: 9−5 & Sat: 9−12
level employee. Part time, Over 50 years experience! Ads starting at $12 placing puzzle based on
flexible hours, ideal for Repairs, cleaning, refin− Sudoku
a 9x9 gridis witha several
num- 6 2 4 1 9 5 7 8 3
local college student. ishing, scopes mounted & Trailers & Heavy Equipment ber-placing
given numbers.puzzleThe object 1 9 7 8 3 2 6 4 5

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

Email letter of introduction Ads starting at $12 based onthe a 9x9
or resume to
zeroed, handmade knives. is to place numbers 5 3 8 4 6 7 9 1 2
job114@cdispatch.com Bargain Column
Located: Hwy 45 Alt, North
of West Point, turn right on
JD D110 42" Lawn Tractor grid
1 to 9with
in theseveral
empty spaces 7 4 9 2 1 3 5 6 8
$800.
Yokahama Blvd, 8mi & turn given
so thatnumbers.
each row, eachThe 2 8 1 6 5 9 4 3 7
WEATHER TECH liners for left on Darracott Rd, will 6’ x 10’ Carry−On Trailer, object
column and each 3x3 the
is to place box 3 6 5 7 8 4 1 2 9
Rentals numbers
contains the1same to 9 number
in
Ford Taurus. Full set, front, see sign, 2.5mi ahead fully lighted, high sides
back & trunk. $50. shop on left. $1,000. 662−368−6779. the empty spaces so 9 5 6 3 2 1 8 7 4
662−368−6779 662−494−6218. only once. The difficulty 4 1 2 5 7 8 3 9 6
that each row, each
level increases from
Ads starting at $25
Did you Read local.
column and each 8 7 3 9 4 6 2 5 1

?
Monday
3x3 boxtocontains
Sunday.
know
Difficulty Level 11/25

Apts For Rent: West the same number only once. The difficulty level
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increases from Monday to Sunday.

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Apartments & Houses
In 2014, The
1 Bedrooms Dispatch 1 Carpool
2 Bedroooms
3 Bedrooms from home with started
Lowndes Karaoke
Furnished & Unfurnished
1, 2, & 3 Baths
the Classifieds. County
Lease, Deposit Imagination 2 Prince
& Credit Check Library, a Harry
viceinvestments.com non-profit
327-8555 that promotes
3 Nine
Apts For Rent: Other early
childhood
literacy. 4 Notebooks
The
ads.cdispatch.com Dispatch 5 Trader’s
Joe

The Military Square

Apartments are now
accepting applicants!
We have 1, 2, and 3
bedroom units available.
All apartments are newly ACROSS
remodeled, and include:
New Washer/Dryer, New 1 Counterfeit
Refrigerator, New A/C Unit! 5 Wild party
10 Fixed a chair
We also offer rent seat
discounts for:
−Active Military 12 Edmonton
−Veterans player
−Seniors 13 Trig topic
Call us at: 662−205−0005
14 Silly
15 “The Simp-
COLEMAN sons” bartender
RENTALS 16 Plymouth
TOWNHOUSES & APARTMENTS colonizer
1 BEDROOM 18 Steal
20 Cow call
2 BEDROOMS
21 “Lonely Boy”
3 BEDROOMS singer
LEASE, 23 Mess up
© The Dispatch

24 Tear 45 Prom crowd 22 Studio

DEPOSIT 46 Sea dogs workers
26 Some wines
AND DOWN 24 Watch recipi-
28 Comfy room
CREDIT CHECK 29 Fill com- 1 Rascal ent, perhaps
pletely 2 Vietnam’s 25 Surround
662-329-2323 31 Series-ending capital 27 Twisty fish
abbr. 3 Brat’s opposite 28 Leave
2411 HWY 45 N 4 Singer Tillis 30 Orangutan,
32 Bed item
COLUMBUS, MS 36 Exercise 5 Seethe e.g.
system 6 Cod kin 33 Tadpole, e.g.
Houses For Rent: North 7 Worried 34 Weasel’s
39 Had a ban-

Service Directory
COLONIAL TOWNHOUSES. quet 8 Members of cousin
2 & 3 bedroom w/ 2−3 40 Kitchen the graduating 35 Garden pests
bath townhouses. $650 to
come-on class 37 Hymn closer
$750. 662−549−9555. 9 Quake 38 Skin art,
Ask for Glenn or text. 41 Rich dessert
43 Stopwatch 11 Relies slangily
Mobile Homes for Rent
Promote your small business starting at only $25 button 17 Tick off 42 Bran choice
44 Was frugal 19 Team sup-
3BR/2BA MH in New Hope.
$650 dep + $650/mo. No Building & Remodeling General Services General Services Lawn Care / Landscaping porter
pets, quiet area. Leave full
name & message, SUGGS CONSTRUCTION A & T TREE SERVICES TERRA CARE
205−712−6697. CO. Building, roofing, Bucket truck & stump LANDSCAPING L.L.C.
remodeling, & home repair. removal. Free est. Phone: 662−549−1878
Rooms For Rent Licensed & Bonded. Serving Columbus Landscaping, Property
662−242−3471. since 1987. Senior Clean Up, Plant Care,
ROOM FOR RENT, FULLY citizen disc. Call Alvin @ Bush Hogging,
Carpet & Flooring 242−0324/241−4447 Herbicide Spraying
FURNISHED, WEST POINT.
Includes appls, furn & util. "We’ll go out on a limb for
$400 per month. you!" Painting & Papering
No deposit.
662−295−4701. QUALITY PAINTING.
DUMP TRUCK HAULING. Ext/Int Painting.
Slag − $400 Sheet Rock Hang, Finish &
Clay Gravel − $250 Repair. Pressure Washing.
Available for hauling any Free Estimates. Ask for
It’s a classified materials. Filling in
swimming pools.
specials! Larry Webber,
662−242−4932.
rule-of-thumb: **HOLIDAY SPECIAL** Columbus. Call Walter,
662−251−8664.
4 ROOMS − $100 Lawn Care / Landscaping SULLIVAN’S PAINT
We tell readers 1 Room − $50
2 Room − $70 JESSE & BEVERLY’S
SERVICE
Special Prices.
what they need 3 Rooms − $90
Carpet−Rugs−Tile−Cars
WORK WANTED: Licensed
& Bonded. Carpentry, minor
LAWN SERVICE
Mowing, cleanup, tree
Interior & Exterior Painting.
662−435−6528
electrical, minor plumbing,
to know to buy DAVID’S CARPET &
UPHOLSTERY insulation, painting, demo−
lition, gutters cleaned,
cutting, landscaping,
sodding & bush hogging.
Don’t have time
CLEANING 662−356−6525
what they need. Call for more info!
662−722−1758
pressure washing, land−
scaping, cleanup work.
to cut your lawn?
662−242−3608. ads.cdispatch.com Find help here!