T HE C OMMERCIAL D ISPATCH WWW.CDISPATCH.COM ▲ COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI ▲ 130TH YEAR, NO. 222 ▲ $1.00 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009 HOME DELIVERY 328-2433, TOLL-FREE 877-328-2430 ■ ADVERTISING 328-2427 ■ CLASSIFIED 328-8484 ■ NEWS TIPS 328-2471 TODAY’S DISPATCH Inside Five Questions Weather Quotable Index 1 What U.S. state requires film crews to be blessed by a local priest before they can begin shooting? 2 What secondary title did the Miss America pageant axe in 1974, for being too much like a popularity contest? 3 What month features the Sap Moon? 4 What video series for toning the posterior earned fame for fit- ness expert Tamilee Webb? 5 What attacked three folks on Waveland, Fla., beaches in 2001, for the first time in St. Lucie County history – dolphins, otters or sea turtles? Answers, 12B Calendar Friday ■ Ninth annual Possum Town Grand Prix SLM $2,000 plus NeSmith Fall Nationals. For more informa- tion, call Columbus Motor Speedway at 662-241-5004. Sunday ■ Deborah Johnson, author of “The Air Between Us,” is the featured author at the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau’s “No Dead Authors” series of book readings and signings at 2 p.m. at the Tennessee Williams Welcome Center, 300 Main St., in Columbus. Refreshments will be served. Info: Adele Elliott, 662-241- 9931. Monday ■ The MSU Symphony Orchestra presents its first concert at 6:30 p.m. in McComas Hall on the MSU campus. Free to the public. Info: 662-325-3070. Monday through Tuesday ■ The 37th annual Mississippi State University Holiday Bazaar features more than 100 ven- dors from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. both days at the Joe Frank Sanderson Center on cam- pus. Info: Campus Activities Board, 662-325-2910. Hannah Crowley, third grade, Caledonia Holiday gifts Gift ideas for an avid mobile phone user. Page 7B Abby 9B Classifieds 10-12B Comics 9B Obituaries 5,11,12A Opinions/Letters 4A Weather 2A You bank on any friendship where interest is paid. Tonight: Clear, low 36 Tomorrow: Sunny, high 56 More weather, 2A BY TIM PRATT Dispatch Starkville Bureau [email protected]STARKVILLE — The wife of a hunter found dead Sunday morning in western Oktibbeha County was arrested Wednesday for her husband’s murder. Verina Marie Childs, 37, of 3875 Jeff Peay Road in Oktibbeha County, was arrested by the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department and was being held Wednesday afternoon at the Oktibbeha County Jail on a $125,000 bond. A preliminary hearing will be set at a later date. Childes and her hus- band, Douglas Marion Childes, 32, were hunting together off Hawkins Road, not far from the Choctaw County line, shortly after 7 a.m. Sunday when other hunters in the area heard a BY JASON BROWNE [email protected]Approximately 50 Mississippi University for Women students walked silently across campus Tuesday before standing arm-in-arm in front of Callaway Hall and Columbus Hall. It was a show of solidarity in protest against a proposed merger, which would see the state’s smallest public uni- versity merged with its largest, Mississippi State University. The symbolic wall of people was the stu- dents’ way of blocking entrance to their school while drawing attention to their disapproval. “They ask the board what they think. They ask teach- ers. They ask state officials. They ask school officials. Silent protest speaks volumes MUW: Students march to show disapproval of merger plan Kelly Tippett/Dispatch Staff Mississippi University for Women students line up in front of Callaway Hall on Tuesday in a silent protest over plans to merge MUW with Mississippi State University. See MUW, 3A V. Childs DEAD HUNTER’S WIFE ARRESTED FOR MURDER SHOOTING: Couple had been hunting together Sunday when others nearby heard shot See MURDER, 10A HAPPY THANKSGIVING Hundreds of bargains, free local shopping guide inside Former restaurant now cluster of ‘creative offices’ Business, Page 9A LEE, PATTERSON two players from area in Egg Bowl Sports, Page 1B BY KRISTIN MAMRACK [email protected]After a dozen residents spoke Tuesday during a public hearing on a pro- posed smoking ban, the Columbus City Council is expected to vote on a ban Dec. 1. The majority of those who spoke Tuesday were opposed to a ban; although, several busi- ness owners asked for a complete ban, if one is enacted at all. “We’ve been through this,” said John Bean, a stockholder in The Eat With Us Group, which owns several restaurants — including Harvey’s, Sweet Peppers Deli and The Grill — in Columbus, as well as restaurants in Starkville and Tupelo, which both have city smoking bans. “As a busi- ness owner, I’m opposed to this ordinance. “I also understand these things are happen- ing, happening every- where,” he continued. “(Starkville’s ordinance, which allows smoking on restaurant patios) manip- ulated the market and allowed some restaurants and bars in town to have an advantage over others. I have one of those (restaurants with no out- side patio section), and it very adversely affected that business. In Tupelo, they have a 100-percent ban in all places. I think restaurant and business owners would tell you it’s fair to everyone.” Asking the council to “ban smoking 100 per- cent in all public places,” Bean said doing so would ensure a “level playing field for everyone.” The ordinance, pro- Council to vote on smoking ban next week PUBLIC HEARING: Residents speak out against ban; some want stricter rules BY KRISTIN MAMRACK [email protected]Columbus retailers are ready for what they hope is their biggest shop- ping weekend of the year, and city officials are encouraging residents to shop locally in this gift-giving season. “The city benefits greatly from residents and visitors shopping in Columbus, because of the 7-percent sales tax revenue it generates,” said Columbus Mayor Robert Smith. “That 7-percent amount goes to the Mississippi Tax Commission and they send us back 18.5 percent. In other words, the city gets 18.5 cents on every dollar generated from sales tax collected within the city limits. “In Mississippi, counties get no sales tax, just cities,” he added. “And for most towns and cities in this state, sales tax revenue received back from the state represents 40 ‘There’s a reason they call it Black Friday’ HOLIDAY SHOPPING: Local retailers expect big crowds INSIDE ■ OPINION: Give thanks for our retailers, and shop locally. Page 4A See SHOPPING, 3A See COUNCIL, 10A ■ The Dispatch offices will be closed today. ■ Golden Triangle Waste Services will not pick up today for the holiday. Regular services will resume Friday, and today’s pickups will be picked up Saturday. ■ Columbus Light and Water and 4-County Electric Power Association will be closed today and Friday. ■ The Columbus-Lowndes Development Link will be closed today and Friday. ■ Columbus Public Library will be closed today through Saturday. ■ Lowndes County offices will be closed today and Friday. ■ City of Columbus offices will be closed today and Friday. ■ Banks: All area banks will be closed today. ■ Columbus post offices will be closed today. The U.S. Postal Service will not deliver mail today, but will resume services Friday. THANKSGIVING CLOSINGS
Transcript
THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
WWW.CDISPATCH.COM s COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI s 130TH YEAR, NO. 222 s $1.00
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
HOME DELIVERY 328-2433, TOLL-FREE 877-328-2430 n ADVERTISING 328-2427 n CLASSIFIED 328-8484 n NEWS TIPS 328-2471
TODAY’SDISPATCH
Inside Five Questions Weather
Quotable
Index
1 What U.S. state requires filmcrews to be blessed by a localpriest before they can beginshooting?2 What secondary title did theMiss America pageant axe in1974, for being too much like apopularity contest?3 What month features the SapMoon?4 What video series for toningthe posterior earned fame for fit-ness expert Tamilee Webb?5 What attacked three folks onWaveland, Fla., beaches in2001, for the first time in St.Lucie County history – dolphins,otters or sea turtles?
Answers, 12B
CalendarFridayn Ninth annual PossumTown Grand Prix SLM$2,000 plus NeSmith FallNationals. For more informa-tion, call Columbus MotorSpeedway at 662-241-5004.
Sundayn Deborah Johnson, authorof “The Air Between Us,” isthe featured author at theColumbus Convention andVisitors Bureau’s “No DeadAuthors” series of bookreadings and signings at 2p.m. at the TennesseeWilliams Welcome Center,300 Main St., in Columbus.Refreshments will be served.Info: Adele Elliott, 662-241-9931.
Mondayn The MSU SymphonyOrchestra presents its firstconcert at 6:30 p.m. inMcComas Hall on the MSUcampus. Free to the public.Info: 662-325-3070.
Monday through Tuesdayn The 37th annualMississippi StateUniversity Holiday Bazaarfeatures more than 100 ven-dors from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.both days at the Joe FrankSanderson Center on cam-pus. Info: Campus ActivitiesBoard, 662-325-2910.
Hannah Crowley, third grade,Caledonia
Holiday giftsGift ideas for an avid mobilephone user. Page 7B
Approximately 50Mississippi University forWomen students walkedsilently across campusTuesday before standingarm-in-arm in front ofCallaway Hall and ColumbusHall.
It was a show of solidarityin protest against a proposedmerger, which would see thestate’s smallest public uni-versity merged with itslargest, Mississippi StateUniversity. The symbolicwall of people was the stu-dents’ way of blockingentrance to their schoolwhile drawing attention totheir disapproval.
“They ask the board whatthey think. They ask teach-ers. They ask state officials.They ask school officials.
Silent protest speaks volumesMUW: Studentsmarch to show disapproval ofmerger plan
Kelly Tippett/Dispatch Staff
Mississippi University forWomen students line up in
front of Callaway Hall onTuesday in a silent protestover plans to merge MUW
with Mississippi StateUniversity.
See MUW, 3A
V. Childs
DEAD HUNTER’S WIFE ARRESTED FOR MURDERSHOOTING: Couple had been hunting together Sunday when others nearby heard shot
See MURDER, 10A
HAPPY THANKSGIVINGHundreds of bargains, freelocal shopping guide inside
Former restaurantnow cluster of ‘creative offices’
After a dozen residentsspoke Tuesday during apublic hearing on a pro-posed smoking ban, theColumbus City Council isexpected to vote on a banDec. 1.
The majority of thosewho spoke Tuesday wereopposed to a ban;although, several busi-ness owners asked for acomplete ban, if one isenacted at all.
“We’ve been throughthis,” said John Bean, astockholder in The EatWith Us Group, whichowns several restaurants— including Harvey’s,Sweet Peppers Deli andThe Grill — in Columbus,as well as restaurants inStarkville and Tupelo,which both have citysmoking bans. “As a busi-ness owner, I’m opposed
to this ordinance. “I also understand
these things are happen-ing, happening every-where,” he continued.“(Starkville’s ordinance,which allows smoking onrestaurant patios) manip-ulated the market andallowed some restaurantsand bars in town to havean advantage over others.I have one of those(restaurants with no out-side patio section), and itvery adversely affectedthat business. In Tupelo,they have a 100-percentban in all places. I thinkrestaurant and businessowners would tell you it’sfair to everyone.”
Asking the council to“ban smoking 100 per-cent in all public places,”Bean said doing so wouldensure a “level playingfield for everyone.”
The ordinance, pro-
Council to voteon smokingban next weekPUBLIC HEARING: Residents speak outagainst ban; some want stricter rules
Columbus retailers are ready forwhat they hope is their biggest shop-ping weekend of the year, and cityofficials are encouraging residents toshop locally in this gift-giving season.
“The city benefits greatly from
residents and visitors shopping inColumbus, because of the 7-percentsales tax revenue it generates,” saidColumbus Mayor Robert Smith.“That 7-percent amount goes to theMississippi Tax Commission andthey send us back 18.5 percent. Inother words, the city gets 18.5 centson every dollar generated from sales
tax collected within the city limits.“In Mississippi, counties get no
sales tax, just cities,” he added. “Andfor most towns and cities in thisstate, sales tax revenue receivedback from the state represents 40
‘There’s a reason they call it Black Friday’HOLIDAY SHOPPING: Local retailers expect big crowds
INSIDEn OPINION: Give thanks for our retailers, and shop locally. Page 4A
See SHOPPING, 3A
See COUNCIL, 10A
n The Dispatch offices will be closed today. n Golden Triangle Waste Services will not pick up todayfor the holiday. Regular services will resume Friday, andtoday’s pickups will be picked up Saturday.n Columbus Light and Water and 4-County ElectricPower Association will be closed today and Friday.n The Columbus-Lowndes Development Link will beclosed today and Friday.n Columbus Public Library will be closed today throughSaturday.n Lowndes County offices will be closed today and Friday.n City of Columbus offices will be closed today andFriday. n Banks: All area banks will be closed today. n Columbus post offices will be closed today. The U.S.Postal Service will not deliver mail today, but will resumeservices Friday.
THANKSGIVING CLOSINGS
Thursday
Alex Brandon/APPresident Barack Obama, right, with daughters, Sasha Obama, 8, Malia Obama, 11, reacts with WalterPelletier, chairman of the National Turkey Federation, as Malia reaches to pet a turkey, Courage, the daybefore Thanksgiving, during a ceremony in the North Portico of the White House in Washington, Wednesday.
A Thousand Words
PEOPLE IN THE NEWSRoman Polanski was granted$4.5 million bail Wednesday,clearing the way for the fugi-tive director to move withindays from aSwiss jail tohouse arrestand electronicmonitoring athis Alpineresort chalet.The SwissJusticeMinister saidshe saw no reason to appealthe surprise decision by theSwiss Criminal Court. Polanskiwould have to remain inSwitzerland as authoritiesassess whether to extraditehim to the United States forhaving sex in Los Angeles in1977 with a 13-year-old girl.Ministry Spokesman FolcoGalli said the final decision ontransferring Polanski to his
chalet in the Swiss resort ofGstaad would be made “quickly.”
The widow of Sen. Edward M.Kennedy told Oprah Winfreyin an interview broadcastWednesday that even as herhusband knew he was dying ofbrain cancer he had been “intraining” to make sure he hadenough strength to attendPresident Barack Obama’sinauguration. In the mostextensive interview since herhusband’s death in August,Vicki Kennedy said she would-n’t try to run for her husband’sformer U.S. Senate seat anddescribed how he battled braincancer — but she would nottalk about the last thing hesaid to her before dying.“I think I’ll just keep that oneto myself,” she told Winfrey on“The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
SAY WHAT?“It turns out the wife was the one who shot him.”Oktibbeha County Chief Deputy George Carrithers,
on a woman arrested in her husband’s shootingdeath while the couple was hunting. Story, 1A
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WEATHER REPORTTONIGHT
Low: 36°
Clear
56° 34°
Breezy withsunshine
57° 35°
Mostly sunny
62° 41°
Sunshine andpleasant
SUNDAY
61° 51°
Mostly cloudy
MONDAY
59° 47°
Cloudy with achance of rain
THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAYFIVE-DAY FORECAST FOR THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE AND SURROUNDING AREA
ALMANAC DATA MISSISSIPPI WEATHER TOMORROW LOCAL WEATHER WORLD CITIES
REGIONAL CITIES
WEATHER TRIVIA™
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MOON PHASES
SOLUNAR TABLES
Temperature
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PrecipitationYesterday .............................. 0.00"Month to date ........................ 0.63"Normal month to date ............ 4.05"Year to date ........................ 66.30"Normal year to date ............ 49.90"
WEATHER HISTORYThe Great Appalachian Storm of 1950began Nov. 25. Wind gusted to 76 mphat Central Park in New York City andpast 100 mph in New England. West ofthe storm, the temperature sank tozero in Nashville, Tenn.
THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com2A THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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Polanski
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/APThe National Thanksgiving Turkey, Courage, waits to be pardoned by President Obama, in a ceremony in theNorth Portico of the White House, in Washington, Wednesday.
They ask teachers. Theydon’t ask students. This isour way of saying somethingwithout being asked,” saidLizzie Locker, a sophomorecreative writing major andorganizer of the protest.
While it may be unlikelylegislators in Jackson willtake notice of 50 studentsstanding in a line inColumbus, Locker said theprotest also was aimed at herfellow MUW students.
“There are a lot of stu-dents who still don’t evenknow what’s going on. A lotof us just live in our littlestudy-and-work holes anddon’t even think about it.And that’s how it should bein college. You shouldn’thave to worry about yourschool being absorbed bysomething else,” she said.“We need to make sureeverybody on campusknows what’s going on andwhat they can do to stop it.”
Merger won’t flyStopping the merger may
not be necessary as a num-ber of influential state legisla-tors have publicly opposedGov. Haley Barbour’s pro-posal to merge MUW withMSU as well as his proposalto merge the state’s histori-cally black colleges —Jackson State, Delta Stateand Mississippi Valley State.Legislators have told MUWPresident Dr. ClaudiaLimbert merging was off thetable, Limbert said Sundayduring a Friends of the Wmeeting.
But students, faculty andalumni aren’t relaxing. TheFriends of the W, a non-affili-ated alliance of alumni
groups, is hoping to helpMUW raise $3 million to off-set state budget cuts andnever again face merger orclosure.
Students are speakingout, too, to explain what’s atstake if MUW loses its inde-pendence.
“We have world-renowned nursing and edu-cation programs,” said sen-ior education major LauraWhite. “In Mississippi, youcan get a job in educationjust for being a W grad. Youcan’t get that anywhere else.You can’t go to MississippiState and get a job becauseyou’re a Mississippi Stategrad.”
A follow-up event, W Dayat the Capitol, is planned forJan. 11 in Jackson, Whitesaid.
Counting the costsAutumn Mason, a fresh-
man speech pathology stu-dent, is concerned the mone-tary benefits being touted byBarbour — $35 million insavings by 2012 — won’t jus-tify the losses to MUW.
“One of the great thingsabout MUW is it has a uni-versity education with a com-munity college price, whichmakes it much more avail-able to many students whowouldn’t have been able togo to college,” said Mason.“When they merge, it wouldmean that price we have nowwould go up to level out whatthey have at MSU.”
Resident tuition in 2010for MUW will be $4,423, thelowest among state schools.Tuition at MSU will be astate-high $5,150.
Mason also expressed
concern scholarships avail-able to MUW students wouldbe lost in the merger. ShirleyBoudreau, a senior studioarts student who attendsMUW along with her daugh-ter, April, expressed similarconcerns.
“There are more scholar-ships here and more activi-ties I can be a part of. And it’seasier to blend in with theyounger kids here. That’sjust one of those things youcan’t get at a larger school,”she said.
Tuition concerns, identitycrisis
Michelle Johnson, a sen-ior psychology student, isable to pay her own tuitionand doesn’t want that tochange.
“Honestly, I’m not readyto pay more tuition eachsemester. I get no financialaid from the school, yet I’mwilling to stand here and saythis is my home. If we aremerged with another school,I think of it like we will beeaten by another school,because it just won’t existanymore,” said Johnson.
MUW students likely willface a tuition increaseregardless. Limbert told theFriends of the W Sundayimmediate increases inenrollment and tuition likelywould not offset the budgetcuts.
If the money cannot beraised, according to Limbert,merger might be theschool’s only option, result-ing in a shuffling of adminis-trators and academic pro-grams.
Sophomore family stud-
ies major Stacey Jones saysthat could cost MUW to losesome promising young pro-grams.
“Some of the programshere are just starting todevelop. Like the counselingprogram is starting tobecome very well developed.I’m scared if we merge withState the counseling centermight be moved over thereand the administrator wouldhave to follow their rules,”said Jones.
Amber Parker, a seniorcommunication major, isconcerned the W’s commu-nication program will beabsorbed into MSU’sbecause MSU has moremoney and equipment. Inaddition, she said, MUW, aswell as the three HBCU’sstand to lose their identity inmergers.
Its own niche“We’re going to lose a lot
of good quality students whochose those institutionsbecause they have their ownniche. With eight public uni-versities, each one has itsown niche to separate it fromother schools in the area,”said Parker.
One of the unique pro-grams which could be on the
chopping block at MUW isthe Hearin LeadershipProgram, since MSU alreadyhas its Day One LeadershipProgram.
“This university haseverything that makes usbetter citizens and leaders,”said Emily Sullivan, a senioreducation student andHearin participant. “All thesegreat leaders, when theyleave here, impact their grad-uate schools.”
For senior educationmajor April Boudreau,there’s no more reason tomerge MUW and MSU thanany other two state schools.MUW’s tradition make itworth maintaining independ-ently, she said.
“There’s somethingabout the W that people hold
with pride. I want to be ableto have that. I want my kidsto be able to have that, andfuture generations,” shesaid. “They could do somany other things. Theycould combine State and OleMiss. If they said that, let’ssee what would happen.Let’s see how many protestswould go on.”
If merger talks persist,MUW students say there willbe more protests, and theyhope to get more students onboard.
“We had a pretty goodturnout today,” said sopho-more history major AudreyAvery of the protest march.“But if there’s another one, itshould be 10 times this.”
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009 3A
ONLINE CRIME NEWSSee a gallery of local mug shots, crime trends and
other law and order news at cdispatch.com/crime.
DISPATCH E-EDITIONGet a full, printable electronic version of The Dispatchevery day. Go to cdispatch.com/eedition.
“It’s the best thing I have ever done!”
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MUWContinued from Page 1A
ShoppingContinued from Page 1A
percent to 50 percent (of thecity’s budget). It is about 46to 47 percent of our budget;that’s our main source ofrevenue.”
“It’s a well-known factthat every dollar spent local-ly turns over, or multiplies,seven times,” explainedMelissa Cook, vice presi-dent of the chamber divisionof the Columbus-LowndesDevelopment Link. “Inother words, seven differententities or individuals touchthat dollar and spend it,whether it be on food, gas orwhatever. It pumps muchneeded revenue back intothe local economy. Thisallows local businesses to beable to continue to operateand provide us with shop-ping opportunities. It justmakes sense to shop local-ly.”
Local retailers, expectingbig crowds, are out to proveshopping opportunitiesabound in Columbus, asthey hold big after-Thanksgiving sales thisweekend.
“We expect a big crowd,”said Takiesha Prude, man-ager at Old Navy, notingjeans at the retailer, which isholding a three-day sale, arepriced at $15 and up.
“Our Christmas OpenHouse was so successfulthat I feel sure we’re goingto get swamped,” saidGloria Herriott, owner ofHollyhocks Gift Shop, indowntown Columbus. “So, Ihired extra help. We arehaving secret sales, andthere will be a lot of in-housespecials and sampling offood, so people can get
ready for the holidays.“There’s a reason they
call it Black Friday,” shecontinued, referring to day-after-Thanksgiving salesand noting Hollyhocks willbe open from 10 a.m. to 5p.m. Friday and Saturdayand every Sunday untilChristmas. “It is the day tra-ditionally where we get intothe black. That is the turn-ing point for us; fourth quar-ter is where we actuallymake money.”
“We expect a good crowdafter Thanksgiving,” saidSarah Barefield of ThePurple Elephant, which alsois located in downtownColumbus. “We’ll have apercentage off of ourChristmas items, so weexpect a good weekend.”
“We expect hugecrowds,” said Mike Law, themanager of JC Penney,
which is in Leigh Mall andwill be open from 4 a.m. to11 p.m. Friday. “We’reexpecting a good turnoutfor the weekend, particular-ly Friday. Everything’s onsale, just about, and we’llhave special prices up untilabout 1 p.m. (Friday).
“We feel like it’s going tobe pretty similar to lastyear,” he added. “We had abig crowd at 4 a.m. and itusually stays real, real busyup until about 2 p.m. Then,it’s steady for about the restof the day.”
“We are getting all themerchandise out of thestockroom, into the aislesand the departments,” Belkmerchandise coordinatorCindy Parker said Mondayof the store’s efforts prepar-ing for the big shoppingweekend. “We’re double-checking schedules, and
we’re all working 14-hourshifts.
“Hopefully, we will have agreat turnout,” she said, not-ing employees of Belk,which will be open from 4a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, willgive away Belk gift cards,one of which will be worth a$1,000 shopping spree, from4 a.m. to 5 a.m. Friday.“Business has been greatthis month.”
“Usually, we have a goodcrowd,” said Joanne Beaty,co-owner of The FashionBarn, located in downtownColumbus. “In the past,we’ve had good days onFriday and Saturday (afterThanksgiving) and weexpect to do the same thisyear. We’ll have a good saleand we do offer lay-a-way(plans); we’ve noticed a lotmore people using lay-a-way.”
“The greatest induce-ment in sales for us is a dropin the temperature, so we’reexpecting a really great day,since Friday and Saturdayare all supposed to be below60 degrees,” said LexJackson, manager of Reed’sof Columbus, located offHighway 45 North. “Wecan’t fight the Wal-Marts, K-Marts, Belks, price-wise,but we have some specials.Basically, we try to havemerchandise keyed intowhat people want.”
“I expect a big crowd,”said Linda Stokes, managerof The Shoe Dept., locatedin Leigh Mall. “We’re open-ing at 6 a.m. We’re going tohave several differentshoes, some purses, onsale.”
Kelly Tippett/Dispatch StaffShelley Merideth and Ruby Brooks prepare sale signsat Fashion Barn in downtown Columbus.
WEST POINT —Another job may soonbe open in West Pointafter an office managerat the Water and LightDepartment was sus-pended indefinitelyMonday.
Sources speaking onthe condition ofanonymity reported JanWray was suspendedafter her husband, BillWray, owner of Bumper2 Bumper Auto Parts,was witnessed driving acity vehicle as the twotraveled last week to anout-of-town softwareworkshop. Only cityemployees are allowedto drive city vehicles.
Mayor Scott Ross andCity AdministratorRandy Jones both wouldnot comment on thematter as it concernscity personnel.
The Wrays have beenat odds with city offi-cials in the past. In Apriland May of this year,Clay County CircuitCourt ordered WestPoint to pay the Wrays$7,500 in reimburse-ment and attorney’s feesafter the city undertooka clean-up project of BillWray’s business in 2006.Old cars and variousitems were removedfrom the Bumper 2Bumper parking lotwithout Bill Wray’s con-sent.
During the hearing,Wray claimed the cityclean-up panel’s warn-ings to remove certainitems from the front ofthe business were“vague and contradicto-ry.”
Bumper 2 Bumperwas also forced to com-ply with a city sign ordi-nance banning portablebillboards from parkinglots. A billboard current-ly displayed in the frontwindow of Bumper 2Bumper reads: “What
would happen if I got aDUI, Mr. Mayor,” a ref-erence to rumors Rossevaded a DUI charge.
Jan Wray is the sec-ond Water and Lightemployee to land introuble in recent weeks.Light DepartmentInterim SuperintendentShasta Plunkett wascleared of charges ofdisturbing the peaceOct. 27 in West PointMunicipal Court.
West Point employee onleave for misuse of city car
Sources speakingon the conditionof anonymityreported Jan Wraywas suspendedafter her husband,Bill Wray ... waswitnessed drivinga city vehicle.
For many, this long week-end is about family andfriends, turkey and football,and most of all, gatheringaround a table and givingthanks.
It’s also about shopping.Black Friday isn’t actuallythe busiest shopping day ofthe year — the Saturdaybefore Christmas typicallyearns that honor — but it’sthe traditional kickoff of theChristmas shopping season.It’s opening day at the box office. It’s theceremonial first pitch.
Shop owners are watching that firstpitch of the season very carefully.They’re looking for George W. Bush inYankee Stadium after 9/11. They want tosee us collectively thumb our noses tohardship, stride to the mound with confi-dence, wind up and deliver a perfectstrike.
Yet many experts expect our ball tofall short of the plate.
According to several polls out there,most of us plan to spend about the samethis year as last. This year’s NationalRetail Federation’s forecast said as much.Locally, shoppers The Dispatch talked toduring open house sales in Columbus afew weeks ago said the same thing —this Christmas will look a lot like last
year’s.Even so, we may see
more crowds on BlackFriday this year. Why?Because shoppers are get-ting more and more thrifty.We’re sniffing out deals.Marketers call us “thriftyresearchers” — a consumersegment that has grownabout 30 percent nationwidejust this year. We’re the folkswho actively seek out bar-gains. We may be buying
with cash, but we’re getting the most forour buck.
And when do the best deals of theyear kick in? Black Friday.
If you felt your old hernia open upwhen you picked up the paper this morn-ing, you know what we’re talking about.(OK, the papers aren’t as thick as theyused to be, but everything is relative.)Deals are all over the place.
Locally, retailers are hoping BlackFriday won’t lead to a blue Christmas.And, as a city, we can hardly afford one.
The state Tax Commission hasreturned less sales tax money to the citythis year, so far, than it has in the lasteight. We’re on track for the worst earn-ings year since 2001. Just comparing thisyear to last, through October, we’vespent $39 million less at Lowndes County
businesses (an 11 percent decrease).What can we do? Many households
have no choice but to spend less. We’reno different — that was an easy decision.Since we have kids, the tough part ispulling them onto the lap and explainingwhy Santa will be dropping off fewerpresents. “You see, Santa was overinvest-ed in bank stock. He thought Citi wasgoing under, and he sold at the bottom.Santa’s workshop is a toxic asset. Theelves got downsized; those left are doingmore with less. So, don’t look for thatiPod Touch.”
What we can do, though, is shoplocally when we do spend.
We have much to be thankful for inColumbus, retail-wise. We have lots ofgreat locally owned specialty shopsdowntown, along Highway 45, and else-where that could use our love. We havean Old Navy and a Belk’s and a Reed’sand a Penney’s. We have a Sears and acouple of Fred’s, and of course, a Wal-Mart. We have a lot of options for cityour size.
And we have a hunger for deals.They’re out there. Especially on Friday.
Let’s all be thankful for that, and let’sshop in Columbus. Because we’re all sit-ting around the same table.
Steve Mullen is managing editor of TheDispatch. Reach him at [email protected].
Another November,another year ofThanksgiving memories.Should I be thankful or dis-appointed that nothing outof the ordinary or evendownright weird happenedthis holiday?
Most of myThanksgiving holidays havegone off without a hitch.But a few have been reallulus. Take my most memo-rable Thanksgivingmoment.
Actually, it happened the nightBEFORE Thanksgiving. I was in myhouse, sitting on the couch watchingtelevision. Suddenly my son – a teenag-er at the time – shot through the doorwith a look of utter terror on his face.
“Oh, this CAN’T be good,” I thoughtto myself. No sooner had the thoughtformulated than a guy I didn’t knowfrom Rudyard Kipling shot through thedoor, dead on the heels of my son. Hewas wearing a white T-shirt; blood-stains dotted the back. Unknown guyshut the door and he and my sonquickly bolted it, just in time to avoidletting some other unknown guy in.
From my son and the bleedingunknown guy I soon learned what hadhappened. My son and a buddy werestanding on our front porch chatting.(“Kickin’ it” is the proper slang term.)Unknown guy ran on to my front lawn,with a knife-wielding maniac close onhis heels. Knife-wielding maniac startsstabbing unknown guy ON MY FRONTLAWN. Figuring nothing good couldpossibly come from this situation, myson’s buddy bolted. My son decided itwas best to probably spend the rest ofthe evening indoors. Unknown guy
sees the open door as ameans to salvation.
My wife and I called 911and then applied anythingwe could find to put directpressure on unknown guy’swounds. Paramedics arrivedand took over. Cops arrivedand took unknown guy’sstatement, urging him tocooperate with police andnot to take matters into hisown hands and seekvengeance on knife-wielding
maniac.Thanksgiving dinner the next day
passed with me occasionally and nerv-ously glancing at the front door. I’vekept a firearm handy in my house eversince that incident.
The strangest Thanksgiving momentoccurred a few years. It actually hap-pened about a week beforeThanksgiving. I was driving a friend toDetroit to attend her mother’s funeral.We were driving west on I-70 inMaryland when we saw a turkey run-ning east on our side of the road.
And I’m talking BOOKING. Thiscritter was the Usain Bolt of the turkeyworld. He sure as heck was thesmartest. I figured the gobbler had puttwo and two together, figured out whatwas about to happen to him in about aweek’s time and decided to jet.
“It’ll happen to the rest of youturkeys,” I pictured the roadrunnerwannabe saying, “but it ain’t happeningto me.”
If my friend and I didn’t have impor-tant and pressing business in Detroit, Iswear I would have turned the cararound and followed the turkey to seewhere he ended up. How desperatewas he?
He was headed to a city nicknamed“Bodymore, Murderland” to make hisescape.
In “the weirdest thing I’ve evergiven thanks for” category, rap musicwould win hands down.
You read that correctly: the soon-to-be 58-year-old man likes rap music.And I like it for a reason.
Rap helped kill disco. I owe rappersand rap music a debt I can never repay.Yes, I know many in my generation putdown rap music – especially gangstarap – but if the genre helped kill disco,it can’t be all bad.
And there are other genres of rapbesides gangsta (which I’m NOT a fanof, by the way). There’s even gospelrap. Yeah, I know, it sounds like an oxy-moron. Kind of like “good discomusic.” Let’s not condemn an entiregenre of music just because of one neg-ative offshoot.
I say it’s possible to like rap whilehaving a total disdain for gangsta rap.In fact, I cite gangsta rap as one of thethree factors in the decline of black stu-dent achievement. From the 1960s toaround 1988, experts agree theachievement level of black studentsincreased dramatically, with theachievement gap between black andwhite students getting narrower. Thenit stopped.
I’ve blamed gangsta rap, the crackcocaine epidemic and the frighteningobsession too many young black menhave with the movie “Scarface” for thedecline. Yes, I know it sounds silly, andI’ve been told so.
But that’s my theory, and I’m stick-ing to it.
Kane is a self-syndicated columnistwho lives in Baltimore. His e-mailaddress is [email protected].
Opinion THE
AMERICAN HISTORY EDITOR’S VIEW
READER COMMENT
THANKSGIVING MEMORIES
BIRNEY IMES SR. Editor/Publisher 1922-1947BIRNEY IMES JR. Editor/Publisher 1947-2003BIRNEY IMES III Editor/PublisherPETER IMES Operations ManagerSTEVE MULLEN Managing EditorTERRI COLLUMS Business ManagerBETH PROFFITT Ad DirectorJEFF LIPSEY Production ManagerJERRY HAYES Pressroom SuperintendentDISPATCH
4A THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
This is the proclamation which set theprecedent for America’s national day ofThanksgiving.
Sarah Josepha Hale, a prominentmagazine editor, wrote a letter to Lincolnin 1863 urging him to have the “day ofour annual Thanksgiving made aNational and fixed Union Festival.” Shewrote, “You may have observed that, forsome years past, there has been anincreasing interest felt in our land tohave the Thanksgiving held on the sameday, in all the States; it now needsNational recognition and authoritive fix-ation, only, to become permanently, anAmerican custom and institution.”
According to an April 1, 1864, letterfrom John Nicolay, one of PresidentLincoln’s secretaries, this document waswritten by Secretary of State WilliamSeward, and the original was in hishandwriting.
A proclamation by the presidentof the United States of America
The year that is drawing towards itsclose, has been filled with the blessingsof fruitful fields and healthful skies. Tothese bounties, which are so constantlyenjoyed that we are prone to forget thesource from which they come, othershave been added, which are of soextraordinary a nature, that they cannotfail to penetrate and soften even theheart which is habitually insensible tothe ever watchful providence ofAlmighty God.
In the midst of a civil war ofunequaled magnitude and severity,which has sometimes seemed to for-eign States to invite and to provoketheir aggression, peace has been pre-served with all nations, order has beenmaintained, the laws have been respect-ed and obeyed, and harmony has pre-vailed everywhere except in the theatreof military conflict; while that theatrehas been greatly contracted by theadvancing armies and navies of theUnion.
Needful diversions of wealth and ofstrength from the fields of peacefulindustry to the national defence, havenot arrested the plough, the shuttle orthe ship; the axe has enlarged the bor-ders of our settlements, and the mines,as well of iron and coal as of the pre-cious metals, have yielded even moreabundantly than heretofore. Populationhas steadily increased, notwithstandingthe waste that has been made in thecamp, the siege and the battle-field; andthe country, rejoicing in the conscious-ness of augmented strength and vigor,is permitted to expect continuance ofyears with large increase of freedom.No human counsel hath devised norhath any mortal hand worked out thesegreat things. They are the graciousgifts of the Most High God, who, whiledealing with us in anger for our sins,hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and properthat they should be solemnly, reverent-ly and gratefully acknowledged as withone heart and one voice by the wholeAmerican People. I do therefore invitemy fellow citizens in every part of theUnited States, and also those who are atsea and those who are sojourning inforeign lands, to set apart and observethe last Thursday of November next, asa day of Thanksgiving and Praise to ourbeneficent Father who dwelleth in theHeavens. And I recommend to themthat while offering up the ascriptionsjustly due to Him for such singulardeliverances and blessings, they doalso, with humble penitence for ournational perverseness and disobedi-ence, commend to His tender care allthose who have become widows,orphans, mourners or sufferers in thelamentable civil strife in which we areunavoidably engaged, and ferventlyimplore the interposition of theAlmighty Hand to heal the wounds ofthe nation and to restore it as soon asmay be consistent with the Divine pur-poses to the full enjoyment of peace,harmony, tranquillity and Union.
In testimony whereof, I have hereun-to set my hand and caused the Seal ofthe United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, thisThird day of October, in the year of ourLord one thousand eight hundred andsixty-three, and of the Independence ofthe Unites States the Eighty-eighth.
By the President: AbrahamLincoln
William H. SewardSecretary of State
Be thankful, shop local
Steve Mullen
Thankful for gangsta rap
Greg Kane
America’snational dayof Thanksgiving
The messages below are excerpts fromreader comments posted at the end of on-line reports at www.cdispatch.com.
The gulf between town and tower -11/23/2009
Dave: Yes, the towns people betterwake up. If one looks at the pendingbudget cuts I am afraid The W campuswould be like the ugly step child forMSU and be forgotten. (Think MaryHolmes in West Point) Remember once aclosure or merger happens there is nogoing back!
pam: As a “W"grad-’75 I am totally dis-appointed to see what is happening inColumbus concerning the school. On arecent visit to the area- my first in 30years- I was appalled at the lack of con-cern from local citizens and shop ownersin downtown when I asked about whatwas happening at my school. They didn’t
seem to care. Regardless of whom orwhat they support they need to unite tosave this school. … Where is the othersupport ? Why aren’t the city leadershaving planning sessions with legisla-tors...why aren’t the Main Street peoplehanging signs of support, where are thebillboards on 45 that would support andpromote the school, who is going tocome up with a “slogan” that everyone(including the feuding alums) can use toshow support to the ENTIRE state? Getoff your behinds Columbus … you (thecity) will be the “biggest loser.”
Birney Imes: Georgia school offersexample for MUW - 11/21/2009
Jekyll Man at 11/23/2009: Apples andOranges - As an alum of MSU - andGC&SU - and with a “W” alum as my bet-ter half, I can really say there really is nocomparison between the W and GC&SU.
I also happened to be on the campus ofGC&SU in the mid-90s when the resur-gence there began and had Dr. Wilson asmy thesis adviser.
The Georgia Board of Regents madethe decision in the 1960s to change thefocus and mission of GC when theychanged the name. The IHL and the MSLegislature - have not changed the nameor the mission (and hopefully will not).Why not compare The W to a successfulwomen’s university like Texas Westernto show what the W could be?
Birney Imes replies: Texas Woman’sUniversity is often mentioned as a modelfor The W by those opposing name andmission change. I’m not sure why as thereare significant differences: TWU has thebenefit of having campuses in Denton,Dallas and Houston, all metropolitanareas, and male enrollment at the school isonly 5 percent.
From our Web site
OBITUARY POLICY: Obituarieswith basic information includ-ing relatives, visitation andservice times, are providedfree of charge. Extended obit-uaries with a photograph,detailed biographical informa-tion and other details familiesmay wish to include, are avail-able for a fee. Obituaries mustbe submitted through funeralhomes. Free notices must besubmitted to the newspaperno later than 3 p.m. the dayprior for publication Tuesdaythrough Friday; no later than4 p.m. Saturday for theSunday edition; and no laterthan 7:30 a.m. for theMonday edition. Incompletenotices must be received nolater than 7:30 a.m. for theMonday through Friday edi-tions. Paid notices must bereceived by 3 p.m. for inclu-sion the next day; and onFriday for Sunday or Mondaypublication. For more informa-tion, call 328-2471.
Helen NaugleATLANTA, Ga. — Dr.
Helen Bernice HarroldNaugle, 89, died Nov. 20,2009, in Atlanta.
Graveside service areSaturday at 2:30 p.m. inGreenwood Cemetery inWest Point.
Mrs. Naugle was bornAug. 11, 1920, in WestPoint to the late NancyHelen Weddle Harroldand Judson NixonHarrold. She was the firstfemale professor at theGeorgia Institute ofTechnology where shewas recognized withnumerous awards. Sheserved as head of theRegents exam committee,the Rhodes Scholarsearch committee andpresented at internationalconferences. She was amember of St. JohnUnited MethodistChurch.
She was preceded indeath by her parents.
She is survived by herhusband, Jefferson B.Naugle; sister, Ida JudsonHarrold Wilkerson;daughter, Helen NaugleDeibler; four granddaugh-ters and two great-grand-children.
Memorials may bemade to St. John UMC orGeorgia Tech WesleyFoundation.
James HollingshedSTARKVILLE —
James Lee Hollingshed,66, died Nov. 22, 2009, atVeterans Affairs MedicalCenter in Birmingham,Ala.
Services are Friday at2 p.m. at First BaptistLongveiw Church withthe Rev. Larnzy Carpenterofficiating. Burial will fol-low in the church ceme-tery. Visitation is todayfrom 1-6 p.m. at WestMemorial Funeral Home.West Memorial FuneralHome is in charge ofarrangements.
Mr. Hollingshed wasborn in 1943 in OktibbehaCounty. He was of BaptistFaith.
Laura RichSTARKVILLE — Laura
B. Rich, 88, died Nov. 18,2009, at her family home.
Services are Friday at11 a.m. at Second BaptistChurch with the Rev.Riddley Rich Jr. officiat-ing. Burial will follow inRest Haven Cemetery.
Visitation is today from4-6 p.m. at West MemorialFuneral Home. WestMemorial Funeral Homeis in charge of arrange-ments.
Mrs. Rich was born in1921 in OktibbehaCounty. She was a home-maker and of Baptist faith.
Neily LedbetterWEST POINT —
Neily F. “Pete” Ledbetter,78, died Nov. 23, 2009, atthe Specialty Hospital ofMeridian.
Services wereWednesday at 10 a.m.Calvert Funeral HomeChapel with the Bro.Jonathan Childress offici-ating. Burial followed inMemorial GardenCemetery. CalvertFuneral Home of WestPoint is in charge ofarrangements.
Mr. Ledbetter wasborn June 5, 1931, inNashville, Tenn., to thelate Ferrell LeeMcPherson Ledbetter andNeily Taft Ledbetter. Hewas a supervisor for 17
years with Bryan Foods,then he worked as a salesrepresentative for VeeChemical Company for 20years. He was a memberof West End BaptistChurch and he was a vet-eran.
He was preceded indeath by his parents.
He is survived by hiswife, Doris M. Ledbetter,of West Point; daughters,Debbie L. Turman, ofWest Point, Kim White,of Cedar Bluff; son,William F. Ledbetter, ofWest Point; and twograndsons.
Pallbearers were JeffCartee, Terry Martin,Mike Weeks, TimBoatner, Justin Atkinsonand Wayne Crosswhite.
Memorials may bemade to DiabetesFoundation of Mississippi,800 Avery Blvd., Suite100, Ridgeland, MS 39157-5225.
Peter HodoPeter Hodo Jr., 82, died
Nov. 23, 2009, at his resi-dence.
Services wereWednesday at 1 p.m. atFirst United MethodistChurch with the Rev. DonBishop officiating. Burialfollowed in AmoryMasonic Cemetery.
Mr. Hodo was bornJune 13, 1927, in Amoryto Peter Thomas Hodoand Nona Mary Seay. Heretired as chairman of theBoard of First NationalBank in West Point in1997 after having servedas President. He wasactive with the West PointMunicipal School Districtboard for almost 20 years,and was active in serviceto his church.
In addition to his par-ents, he was preceded indeath by his sister,Frances Hodo Pierce.
He is survived by hiswife, Patsy MilsteadHodo, of West Point; sons,Peter Thomas Hodo III, ofWest Point, PatrickWilliam Hodo, of
Hattiesburg; sisters,Carolyn Hodo Cope, ofJackson, Winnie HodoFrey, of Lansing, Ill., GailaHodo Williams, ofHamilton; and four grand-children.
Pallbearers were PeterThomas Hodo IV, MarkHazard, Sonny Jameson,Billy Milican, KyleChandler, Steve
McKinney, BudTumlinson and JimHelveston.
Memorials may bemade to the First UnitedMethodist Church, P.O.Box 293, West Point, MS39773 or the Bryan PublicLibrary at P. O. Box 675,West Point, MS 39773.
Sadie SteelSadie Steel, 95, died
Nov. 24, 2009, in Steens. Arrangements are
incomplete and will beannounced by Lee-SykesFuneral Home ofColumbus.
THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009 5A
Bob BooneBobby Sam "Bob" Boone, age 74, of
Columbus, MS, died November 23, 2009, at hisresidence. Funeral services will be Friday,November 27, 2009, at 10:00 AM at FairviewBaptist Church with Rev. Mickey Dalrymple,Rev. Sammy Crawford, and Rev. Tommy Gillonofficiating and Gunter & Peel Funeral Homedirecting. The body will be at the church onehour prior to the service. The interment willimmediately follow at Pine Grove Cemetery inPickens County, AL. Visitation will beThursday, November 26, 2009, from 6:00-8:00PM at Gunter & Peel Funeral Home.
Mr. Boone was born July 12, 1935, inHaywood County, NC, to the late Columbus T.and Ethel Angeline Cope Boone. He moved toColumbus from Toleda, WA in 1979 to helpbuild the Weyerhaeuser plant in Columbus. Mr.Boone worked in management for 30 yearsbefore he retired in 1991 after 36 years of serv-ice. He continued to work as a consultant forthe next nine years. He attended FairviewBaptist Church and was preceded in death by ason, Earl Craig Boone.
Survivors include his wife, Edna Booneof Columbus, sons, Donnie Jones of Columbus,Raymond Scott Boone (Lindy) of Toleda, WA,and Daniel Kim Boone (Stephanie) of SilverLake, WA, daughters, Ceal Pate (Joe) ofGreenwood, MS, Yolanda Sue Murray (Paul) ofKelso, WA, and Barbara K. Tobias of Toleda,WA, brother, Edwin Roger Boone (Dottie) ofLongview, WA, grandchildren, Leah, Christina,& Heather Pate, Joshua Jones, Cindal & NickTobias, Raymond, Nesha, Kelcee, Alinia, &Tyrah Boone, Mandy, Nathan, & RussellWilliamson, great grandsons, Sayre & HarleyWilliamson, and a number of nieces andnephews.
Pallbearers will be J. B. Cox, WayneWest, E. C. Patterson, Ed Atkins, Ray Crane,Ralph Taylor, and Tim Cox. Honorary pallbear-ers will be friends, the Friendly City GoodSams, coworkers at Weyerhaeuser, Dr. WalterCosby, Dr. Rob Jones, and Dr. John Whitecar.
Memorials may be made to FairviewBaptist Church 127 Airline Rd. Columbus, MS39702 or Baptist Memorial Hospice ProgramP.O. Box 1307 Columbus, MS 39703.
View all Gunter & Peel obituaries and sign the guestbook online
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Ethel Esther TroskeyEthel Esther Troskey,
age 84, died Tuesday,November 24, 2009 at herresidence in Columbus,MS. Services will be heldFriday, November 27 at2:00 pm at Central UnitedMethodist Church withRev. Curtis Petrey ofPetrey, AL and Rev.
Jonathan Speegle of Columbus officiating.Burial will follow at Friendship Cemetery.Visitation will be held Thursday, November 26from 5 until 7 pm at Memorial Funeral Home.Mrs. Troskey was born on April 3, 1925 inClinton, Indiana to the late Andrew BentonGunnoe and the late Anna Gunnoe Pepelea.Esther met her husband-to-be, Francis ThomasTroskey, in high school. They married while hewas in the Navy at the end of WWII. They hadthree children, Gene Thomas, Janet Marie, andPhilip Andrew. During the course of her life,Esther worked at two defense plants duringWWII, was the secretary to the President ofHanover College, and, later, worked as a secre-tary at Mississippi State University. Whileworking at MSU, she earned a Bachelor’sDegree in Sociology. She was the owner/man-ager of two bicycle shops, one in Columbusand one in Starkville, and is still known as the“Bicycle Lady.” Later, she became the secre-tary for her husband’s business, “FrankTroskey, Forest Manager and Consultant.”Esther participated as a volunteer in variousorganizations throughout her life: Cub Scouts,the Pink Lady organization at Baptist MemorialHospital in Columbus, Contact Crisis Center,and adult literacy. She was a fervent Christianand was a member of Central United MethodistChurch for many years. Esther had a very fulllife. She had the companionship of her husbandfor over 62 years, and had a loving, caring rela-tionship with her children, family members,extended family, and friends. She did work thatshe enjoyed and was fortunate enough to travelextensively. She was well-loved by all whoknew her and was an unofficial wise counselorto more than a few troubled people. In additionto her parents, she was preceded in death bythree brothers, and one sister. She is survivedby her husband, their three children, ten grand-children, and four great-grandchildren, onebrother, Dr. Charles Gunnoe of Corona,California, and one sister, Mabel Pugh ofClinton, Indiana. Pallbearers will be relativesand other loved ones. In lieu of flowers, we askthat memorials be made to Central UnitedMethodist Church, 1201 College Street,Columbus, MS 39701, or Palmer Home forChildren, P.O. Box 746, Columbus, MS 39703or The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 8, Columbus,MS 39703.
Expressions of Sympathy May Be Left At
www.memorialfuneral.net
James E. ChandlerJames E. "Jim" Chandler, age 75, of
Warsaw, IN, formerly of Columbus, MS, diedNovember 23, 2009, at Kosciusko CommunityHospital in Warsaw, IN. Graveside serviceswill be Saturday, November 28, 2009, at 10:00AM, at Rowan Cemetery in Steens with mili-tary honors and Gunter & Peel Funeral Homedirecting. Visitation will be Friday, November27, 2009, from 5:00-8:00 PM at Gunter & PeelFuneral Home.
Mr. Chandler was born March 13, 1934in Columbus, MS to the late James Alfred andSue L. Cain Chandler. He had lived in Warsaw,IN, for the past 49 years and was a retired semitruck driver for Stump's L. P. Gas of Pierceton,IN. Mr. Chandler served in the Army NationalGuard of Mississippi and honorably dischargedin May of 1955. He was also a member of theNorth Webster American Legion Post #253 andthe Warsaw Moose Lodge. Mr. Chandler waspreceded in death by his first wife, Mary BellMcCool Chandler.
Survivors include his wife, JerryChandler of Warsaw, IN, son, Buddy Chandler(Patti) of Pierceton, IN, daughters, MaryConway (Jim) of North Webster, IN, KathyHutchins (James) of Duncanville, AL, AnitaStump (Jack) of Silver Lake, IN, and ConnieChandler of Pierceton, IN, sister, Essie Masonof Gordo, AL, 14 grandchildren, 24 great grand-children, and 11 great great grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to theSalvation Army 501 Arthur St. Warsaw, IN46580.
View all Gunter & Peel obituaries and sign the guestbook online
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Compliments ofLowndes Funeral Home
www.lowndesfuneralhome.net
John “Huey” SandersJohn Hughlett Sanders, 55 of Columbus,
MS passed away Monday, November 16, 2009at Baptist Memorial Hospital –GT, Columbus,MS.
A memorial service will be held at a laterdate.
Mr. Sanders was born January 25, 1954 inGrenada, MS to the late John Sanders andDoris Cunningham Sanders. He was a residentof Columbus, MS for the past 15 years havingmoved from Grenada, MS. Mr. Sanders was atruck driver, loved his family and music. Inaddition to his parents he is preceded in deathby his wife, Loretta “Jan” McGonagill.
Mr. Sanders is survived by his sons –Sean Sanders, Grenada, MS; Levi McGonagillRodgers, Columbus, MS; mother-in-law HelenWheeler, Columbus, MS; sister-in-law,Melinda Sams, Columbus, MS; brother-in-law,Chris (Alicia) McGonagill, Calhoun City, MS;nieces, Heather Williams, Holley McGonagill,Anna Grace McGonagill; nephews, BlakeWilliams, John Thomas Sams and PatrickMcGonagill.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may bemade to the Levi McGonagill Rodgers benefitaccount, c/o Melinda Sams, 168 Delwood Dr.,Columbus, MS 39702.
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STARKVILLE — JimLytle can’t help but get alittle teary-eyed when hetalks about his new busi-ness, MediagraphixPhotography, on NorthJackson Street.
Lytle for years servedas chief photographer atMississippi StateUniversity’s Office ofA g r i c u l t u r a lCommunications. He alsohas shot for TheAssociated Press for morethan 20 years.
But Lytle’s dream hasalways been to open hisown photo gallery and stu-dio. These days, he’s liv-ing that dream.
M e d i a g r a p h i xPhotography is one of ahandful of businesseswhich opened recently in“The Studios on NorthJackson,” located in the1000 block of NorthJackson Street.
“In the back of mymind I’ve always wantedto do this,” Lytle said witha smile from his new stu-dio space. “I neverbelieved, never dreamed,that this could everbecome possible. Youknow, this truly is a life-long dream.”
Robbie Coblentz, presi-dent of Broadcast MediaGroup, purchased the oldBlack Eyed Pea restau-rant and divided the 9,200-square-foot building intothree “creative offices.”
Lytle andM e d i a g r a p h i xPhotography occupy thesouthernmost end; themiddle area containsBroadcast Media Group’sproduction offices, includ-ing three state-of-the-art
high definition video-edit-ing bays, an 850-square-foot studio and mass DVDduplication equipment,plus conference areas andoffice space. Coblentzmoved his office to TheStudios on North Jacksonfrom his old buildingdown the street.
The northern spacecontains six individualoffices Coblentz is rentingto individual businesses.Three tenants rent thespace so far, including astart-up company whichoffers high-quality work
clothes. Jobman Workwear is a
company which is basedout of Sweden, but Charlieand Kathleen Grif finrecently opened a U.S.office in The Studios onNorth Jackson. The cloth-ing, which includes pants,jackets, long-johns and
other items, is designedfor the working man,Kathleen Griffin said.
“We’re real excitedabout getting this up andrunning in the U.S.,” shesaid. “This is a brand newthing.”
Griffin also commend-ed Coblentz for the workhe’s done to rehabilitatethe building. The struc-ture was built in the early1950s and first served as acar dealership. It hassince been a truck repairshop, a nightclub, arestaurant and a commu-nity counseling center.
Coblentz estimated heput a “a couple hundredthousand” dollars worthof work into the building.Griffin and the other ten-ants appreciate the hoursCoblentz and his wife,Bonnie, spent renovating
the building this summer. “I think it’s a real asset,
not only for Starkville, butfor this area of NorthJackson,” Griffin said.
The north side of townis often seen as underde-veloped and neglected,Coblentz said. He lives inPlantation Homes, downthe street from TheStudios on North Jackson.He wanted to change whathe called an “eyesore”into state-of-the-art work-space.
“Bottom line is that wetook a vacant and under-utilized building, investedin a significant rehab and
are housing five business-es, two of them (Jobmanand Mediagraphix) start-ups,” Coblentz said. “Weare cleaning up a cornerthat has been neglectedand creating a new profes-sional work space. On topof that, we have installedstate-of-the-art video pro-duction suites alongside anew video studio and pho-tography studio. All thishappening in the middleof a recession.”
Main Street Arts alsoplans to relocate from itsdowntown location to TheStudios on North Jackson,owner Linda Wade said.
THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009 9A
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Q:I am about to fly on a commercial flight for the first time in my life. What do I need to do to make the trip easier?
Congratulations on taking a big step towards traveling on the safest mode of transportation there is. Here are a few hints from some seasoned travelers:1. Use the internet to save money. Most airlines now offer discounts for using the online system for everything from making a reservation to checking in for your flight.
2. Pack smart--you are allowed one small carry-on bag and one personal bag (purse, laptop, etc). Other bags must be checked and not exceed 50 pounds. Check the airline website for size and costs for checked baggage.
3. Arrive a minimum of one hour prior to your flight (an hour and a half at larger airports). Most airports stop checking baggage 30 minutes prior (45 minutes at larger airports) and the gate closes 10 minutes prior to departure so the crew can get the engines started and depart on time.
4. Know what you can bring through security, especially for liquids. www.tsa.gov has a list of approved items and good information on items such as medicines, baby formula, etc.
5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you fly out of a smaller airport such as GTR, the people at the airport can help answer any questions you have.
Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Golden Triangle Regional Airport!
Tim Pratt/ Dispatch StaffJim Lytle discusses his new studio and gallery space with friend Valerie Phillips lastweek during an open house at Lytle's business, Mediagraphix Photography. Thebusiness opened in The Studios on North Jackson — a project spearheaded byRobbie Coblentz, president of Broadcast Media Group.
BUSINESS: Formerrestaurant now acluster of ‘creativeoffices’ for smallbusinesses
Courtesy Photo
The exterior of The Studios on North Jackson is shown.
Courtesy Photo
In the seating area of The Studios on North Jackson isRichie Davenport, in the foreground, Charlie Griffin andOlof Almstrom, right.
MarriagesNov. 17-24n Trent Lenard Ivy and PeggyDenise Robinsonn Rodney Lamont Sherrod andTanoya McKeesha Wilsonn Charles Henry Jones andBeverly Jean Atkins
Divorces Nov. 17-24n Jeffrey Lee Montgomery andTracy Harper Montgomeryn Linda Faye Lathan Walkerand James Monroe Walkern Cassondra McGrawGalloway and James ThomasGallowayn Sherman Jennings andShundra Jenningsn Marvin Murray and TerrilynMurrayn Linda Hill and Landry Hill
“In the back of my mind I’ve alwayswanted to do this. I never believed,never dreamed, that this could everbecome possible. You know, this trulyis a lifelong dream.”
Jim Lytle owner if Mediagraphix Photography
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON —Toyota Motor Corp. saidWednesday it will replaceaccelerator pedals on about 4million recalled vehicles inthe United States becausethe pedals can get stuck inthe floor mats, another blowto the reputation of theworld’s largest automaker.
Toyota said dealers willoffer to shorten the length ofthe gas pedals by about 3/4inch beginning in January,as a stopgap measure whilethe company developsreplacement pedals for theirvehicles. New pedals will beinstalled by dealers on arolling basis beginning inApril, and some vehicles willhave brake override systemsinstalled as a precaution.
Toyotareplacing4M gaspedals thatcould jam
posed by Ward 3Councilman Charlie Box,bans smoking in “allenclosed public places,”including restaurants.
However, the ordinance,which largely is modeledafter a Tennessee state law,allows smoking in “age-restricted venues,” or bars,restaurants and other estab-lishments which only allowpeople age 21 or over toenter, and “private clubs,”which restrict access to thegeneral public.
As written, the ordinanceallows businesses withthree or fewer employees todesignate enclosed smok-ing rooms, inaccessible tothe general public.
Additionally, exemptionsare provided for “non-enclosed areas of publicplaces, including, open-airpatios, porches or decks.”
“I’m in favor of a smokingban, but in no way in favor ofthe ban as it’s written,” saidWilliam “Bart” Lawrence, aco-owner of The PrincessTheater. “I believe the onlyway for this to be fair is if itis across the board. I don’tbelieve anything good cancome from loopholes and
exceptions.”
A decision for the business owners
“Most business ownersfeel like it’s a decision forthem,” said Clyde Rhea, anon-smoker who also is aco-owner of Sey’s SportsBar and Grill. “I think theyshould have a right to maketheir decision, without thegovernment, on their own.People should have enoughsense to know whether theyshould or should not (fre-quent or own a smokingestablishment). That beingsaid, it seems the ordinanceis inevitable. But I was goingto thank you for having theforesight to not have a rub-ber-stamp ordinance. Ithank you for giving Sey’sthe option to be age-restrict-ed.
“A sports bar like ours isdifferent from a regularrestaurant,” he continued.“Someone comes to a placelike ours to watch a ballgame or to sing karaoke andthey’re going to stay a while.If they’re a smoker, they’renot going to stay. It will put abusiness like ours out ofbusiness; that’s a fact.”
“I’m opposed to any ordi-nance banning smoking,because I feel like the cus-tomers and business own-ers should decide that,” saidCarl Hogan, who also is aco-owner of Sey’s SportsBar and Grill. “It should notbe forced on them.”
“To sit back and try toconvince yourselves it does-n’t have an effect on theeconomy is to fool your-selves,” he added, showingthe council data he said sup-ported restaurants and barsin California and otherstates were hurt by smok-ing bans.
Petition of ‘discontent’Hogan also presented a
petition with 428 signaturesof residents expressingtheir “discontent” over theproposed ban.
“The decision should beleft solely to the proprietor,”he said, noting he signed athree-year lease for Sey’sbased on the failure of theprevious ordinance to pass.“But if it’s passed, (the ban)should be the same as thosein Tennessee. Withoutsmoking, we will not sur-vive.”
“I can’t see why theycan’t just leave it the way itis,” Kenny Wiggins said ofColumbus not having asmoking ban. “If peopledon’t allow smoking, theyhave a sign (prohibitingsmoking). And people (whoare bothered by smoke),they don’t have to go there.I think you’d be better off toleave it the way it is.”
“I feel if there’s going tobe a ban, it should be 100percent across the board,”said Brian Roberts, a co-owner of The PrincessTheater. “It should be in full,so no one has leverage overanother. All of us shouldhave to obey the same rulesand there should not be anage restriction that changesit.”
Columbus versusStarkville
“You’ve got to step intothe 21st Century,” BobMcGrath, a resident whomoved to Columbus fiveyears ago, told the council.“This is ridiculous. Moststates have gone no-smok-ing. Restaurants have, and Idon’t see where it’s affectedtheir business.
“All things being equal,five years ago, if Starkville
were non-smoking, Iwould’ve moved there,” hecontinued. “As new execu-tives come in, they’re goingto have a choice betweenColumbus and Starkville toreside and, believe you me,we’re going to suffer. Forthe benefit of the generaleconomy, we need to pass asmoking ban. The vastmajority of folks want it non-smoking.”
“I respect others thatdon’t smoke, but I ask itshould be the owner’s rightwhether to allow smoking,”said Ronald DarnellClowers.
Past effortsSusan Mackay, who for-
merly served as Ward 2councilwoman and spear-headed earlier efforts forthe council to enact a smok-ing ban, said she’s “for anall-out smoking ban.”
About two years ago, thesitting council and an inter-governmental relationscommittee of city and coun-ty officials considered asmoking ban, but the matternever went to a vote.
“I think it’s very impor-tant,” Mackay explained. “Isuffer from asthma, and theonly thing that brings it outis smoke. I would like to go
sit at Sey’s and talk tofriends, but there’s no way Ican go into that establish-ment at all. It is a quality-of-life issue, and quality of lifeis very important to all of us.It is important to our com-munity.”
“People smoke,” notedHelen Willis. “They maketheir choices; they under-stand the pros and cons of it.All of the people seem pret-ty content (without an ordi-nance). Don’t take a per-son’s civil rights away, achoice to make that decisionon our own. We send peopleto the military to die for ourrights, and we’re trying togive them away. The ban, tome, is ridiculous.”
Health concerns“I have serious health
issues, and it’s unfortunate Ihaven’t found that manyplaces in Columbus thatdon’t allow smoking,” saidAnne Allen. “I don’t haveany problem with peoplehaving a right to smoke, aslong as it doesn’t interferewith my right to breathe.I’m sure there are lots ofsmokers who aren’t awarethey make someone sick. Asmoking ban would be a giftto those of us who havehealth problems.”
THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com10A THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
602 Main Street, Columbus, MSwww.columbusfumc.org • (662) 328-5252
First United Methodist Church2009 Advent & Christmas Schedule
“HANGING OF THE GREENS” SERVICESunday, November 29 at 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary.
LIGHTING OF THE CITY TREE, CHRISTMAS CAROLS & WASSAIL FESTFriday, December 4 beginning at 5:00 p.m.Next to the Tennessee Williams Welcome Center.FUMC Elementary Singers will be singing at the tree lighting; FUMC’s Chancel Choir will be caroling.
CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PROGRAMSunday, December 6Dinner will begin at 5:00 p.m. in the Artz Fellowship Hall with the program immediately following.
MESSIAHTuesday, December 8 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. at Annunciation Catholic Church.
93RD ANNUAL WHITE CHRISTMAS PAGEANTSunday, December 13 at 5:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary.
“DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?” CHRISTMAS CONCERTFeaturing, Christian recording artists, Todd Agnew, Rush of Fools & Meredith AndrewsThursday, December 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Artz Fellowship Hall.Tickets are $10.00 in advance and are available at the First United Methodist Church offi ce.Sponsored by the United Methodist Men.
FIRST METHODIST’S CHRISTMAS CONCERTSunday, December 20 during the 11:00 a.m. Worship service in the Sanctuary.
CHRISTMAS EVE WORSHIP SERVICEThursday, December 24 at 5:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27TH WORSHIP SERVICEONE Worship service at 10:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary.No Sunday School or evening programs.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 3RD WORSHIP SERVICEONE Worship service at 10:00 a.m. in the Artz Fellowship Hall.No Sunday School or evening programs
The race for Lowndes CountyDistrict 1 Justice Court judge wasdecided by four votes Tuesdaynight.
Interim JusticeCourt Judge ChrisHemphill defeatedformer Justice CourtJudge Ron C. Cooke430-426, or 50.2 per-cent-49.8 percent.
Hemphill wondespite carrying just two of sevenvoting precincts and a majority ofabsentee ballots. With all precinctsreporting, Cooke held a nine-votelead before the absentee ballots,which were last to be counted.
“I was behind the whole night.When I lost Columbus High School(precinct) 59-10 I thought that pret-ty much sealed it up,” said Hemphill.
“But my absentee ballots reallycame through.”
Hemphill’s biggest victory camein Caledonia, where he received 57percent of 326 votes, the largestturnout for any precinct. Of a total14,001 eligible voters in the sevenprecincts, just 5.79 percent, or 811voters, participated in Tuesday’srunoff election.
Cooke, who received 405 votes toHemphill’s 322 in the Nov. 3 primaryelection, said he likely won’t ask fora recount unless a procedural mis-take or error is reported.
“At this point, no. Unless some-thing comes to their attention thatmay have been a problem with themachines,” he said of requesting arecount.
Lowndes County Circuit ClerkHaley Salazar confirmed four blankballots were cast, but said blank bal-lots occur in every election, even
back in the days of paper ballots.“It’s not unusual. It is ironic that it
was four and (Cooke) lost by four,”said Salazar.
Voters using the electronic vot-ing machines are given two chancesto review their choices before cast-ing their ballots, she said. Her theo-ry is several people heard of an elec-tion in their district and turned outto vote before realizing they knew ofneither candidate or had no prefer-ence.
Furthermore, Salazar said,Cooke has the right to a box review,which is not unusual in close elec-tions. The blank ballots alone, how-ever, will not prompt a recount, shenoted.
Cooke is satisfied his team didthe best they could and may consid-er running again when the seat isback up for election.
“We were pleased with our
results because we worked realhard. We beat the bushes out there.I was satisfied with what we got. Iwish we got five more,” said Cooke.
Hemphill, who has filled the latePhillip Robertson’s term for the pastyear, will return to court Monday.
“I just feel blessed. The voters ofDistrict 1 have put their trust in me.I give all glory to the Lord. I’ve gotcourt Monday morning, I’m told,and I’ll be there serving the people,”he said.
The special election was held tofill the judge’s seat left empty whenRobertson died in November 2008.Hemphill was appointed byLowndes County supervisors to fillthe seat in the interim.
Precincts participating in theTuesday election were Caledonia,Steens, Immanuel, Airbase, LeeMiddle, portions of Columbus Highand portions of Brandon.
Hemphill wins judge race by four votes; Cooke won’t seek recount
Hemphill
James RobbinsMACON — James K.
“Jimmy” Robbins, 79, diedNov. 23, 2009, at WinstonCounty Medical Center inLouisville.
Services are Saturdayat 10 a.m. at MaconIndependent MethodistChurch with Bro. GaryShelton officiating. Burialwill follow in Odd FellowsCemetery.
Visitation is Fridayfrom 6-8 p.m. at CockrellFuneral Home of Macon.
Mr. Robbins was bornAug. 18, 1930, in Macon tothe late James Ward andBessie RebeccaThompson Robbins. Heworked at the MaconBeacon as printer andpublisher until his retire-ment. He was a memberof the Macon IndependentChurch. He was a mem-ber of Macon MasonicLodge No. 40 F and AMand served as grand mas-ter.
He was preceded indeath by his parents.
He is survived by hiswife, Patricia Robbins;stepmother, NannieGeorge Robbins; daugh-ter, Rebecca RobbinsSims; sons, Jeff Robbinsand Jim Robbins; and twogranddaughters, all ofMacon.
Daisy BurginDaisy Burgin, 81, died
Nov. 19, 2009, at her resi-dence.
Services are Friday at 1p.m. at Carter’s FuneralChapel with MinisterMickey Watson officiating.Burial will follow in BrickChurch Cemetery.
Mrs. Burgin was bornJan. 22, 1928, in LowndesCounty to the late GraceWallace.
In addition to her moth-er, she was preceded indeath by her husbands,
Fred JenkinsSr., andGeorgeBurgin;sons, BrianJeffersonBurgin,DavidJenkins andTroy Burgin; and brother,Willie Mitchell.
She is survived by herchildren, Fred Jenkins, ofDetroit, Mich., MaryGrace Burgin and TommieLee Burgin, both ofColumbus, Richard LeeJenkins, of Detroit, MaryJoyce Burgin, ofColumbus, Betty AnnJenkins, of Jackson,Bobby Jenkins, ofColumbus and StanleyJenkins, of Columbus; andbrother, Jimmy Mitchell,of Columbus; severalgrandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Charles SmithCharles Smith, 51, died
Nov. 24, 2009, atSanctuary Hospice inTupelo.
Arrangements areincomplete and will beannounced by Carter’sFuneral Services ofColumbus.
Robert BrandonRobert Brandon, 88,
died Nov. 25, 2009, atNorth Mississippi MedicalCenter in Tupelo.
Arrangements areincomplete and will beannounced by LowndesFuneral Home.
Thomas WallaceCARBON HILL, Ala. —
Thomas Wallace, 60, diedNov. 20, 2009, at ConsultAmerica of Carbon Hill.
Services are Saturdayat 1 p.m. at Otts FuneralHome Chapel with ElderJoe Mack Bankhead offici-
ating. Burial will follow inFairview Cemetery.
Visitation is Friday 6-8p.m. at the funeral home.
Mr. Wallace was bornMarch 25, 1949, in LamarCounty, Ala., to the lateFoster Lee Wallace Sr. andJanie Lee FlemmingsWallace. He was a mem-ber of the Roxanna BaptistChurch. He previouslyworked at Winfield CottonMill and Webster AuctionCompany.
In addition to his par-ents, he was preceded indeath by his brother,Charlie Wallace; stepmoth-er, Anice Wallace; andstepsister, MicheleSwanigan.
He is survived by hisdaughters, Kiki PhusheaThomas, of Birmingham,
Ala., and AdriannaWallace, of Columbus;brothers, Foster WallaceJr., of Guin, Ala. and twostepbrothers; sisters,Brenda Sullivan, ofBeaverton, Ala., and twostepsisters.
Ruth DuckworthREFORM, Ala. — Ruth
Gray Brown Duckworth,91, died Nov. 22, 2009, ather family’s home.
Services are Saturday at11 a.m. at Skelton FuneralHome Chapel with the Rev.Ralph Smith officiating.Burial will follow in UnityGrove Methodist ChurchCemetery in Palmetto.
Visitation is Friday from6-8 p.m. at the funeralhome.
Mrs. Duckworth was
born Oct. 17, 1918, to thelate Wilson and MinnieThomas Brown. She was amember of FriendshipBaptist Church and a mem-ber of the Rachel ChapterNo. 145 Order of EasternStar. She was a retiredemployee of Westinghousein Reform.
In addition to her par-ents, she was preceded indeath by her husband, SamJ. Duckworth; son, SamDuckworth Jr.; and grand-daughter.
She is survived by herdaughters, Diane Allen, ofWhitinsville, Mass., andMarilyn Driver, of Gordo,Ala.; sons, ArthurDuckworth, of Palmetto,Ala., and Jerry Duckworth,of Ethelsville, Ala.; brother,Preston Brown, of Navarre,Fla.; ten grandchildren and
15 great-grandchildren. Pallbearers are Brian
Duckworth, T. J.Duckworth, Billy Curboy,Chris Curboy, ToddDudley, Jonathan Pate andJeff Wynne.
Memorials may bemade to Alabama Schoolfor the Blind, P. O. Box,698, Talladega, AL 35161 inmemory of Amanda Driver,or to Hospice of WestAlabama, 3851 Loop Road,Tuscaloosa, AL 35404.
ObitContinued from Page 5A
THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009 11A
327 Hwy. 12 W., Starkville • 411 W. Main St., West Point
(Agent Name)(Street, City, State)Call (Phone No.)for your free quote.
www.shelterinsurance.com
This Thanksgiving...
Priscilla King940 Tuscaloosa Road
Columbus, MS662-328-9988
Burgin
See OBITS, 12A
After-school fun:Boys and Girls Club
244-7090
ObitsContinued from Page 11A
Rosie ReedWEST POINT — Rosie
M. Reed, 54, died Nov. 21,
2009, at Central MississippiMedical Center in Jackson.
Services are Saturday 1
p.m. at Mt. Pisgah MBChurch in with PastorMary Kyle officiating.Burial will follow in TibbeeCemetery.
Visitation is Friday from4-6 p.m. at Carter’s FuneralHome in West Point.
Flowers may be deliv-ered on Friday after 1 p.m.
Carter’s Funeral Homeof West Point is in chargeof arrangements.
William DavidsonWEST POINT —
William L. Davidson, 72,
died Nov. 20, 2009, atNorth Mississippi MedicalCenter in West Point.
Services are Saturday at3 p.m. at Town Creek MBChurch with Dr. CharlesDavidson officiating. Burialwill follow in the churchcemetery.
Visitation is Friday from3-6 p.m. at Carter’s mortu-ary Service Chapel.
Mr. Davidson was bornMay 23,1937, to the lateFred and Ethel Lee Gilliam-Davidson.
In addition to his par-
ents, he was preceded indeath by his son, WilliamEarl Davidson; sister,Dorothy Jean Davidson;brothers, James Davidson,Willie Davidson, WoodrowDavidson and Robert LouisDavidson.
He is survived by hisson, Dr. Charles Davidson,of West Point; daughters,Tina Smith, of Woodland,and Angela Davidson, of St.Louis, Mo.; brothers, JoeDavidson, of St. Louis,Arnold Davidson andSterling Davidson, both of
Woodland; 12 grandchil-dren and six great-grand-children.
Johnny ChandlerWEST POINT —
Johnny Chandler, 81, diedNov. 19, 2009, at West PointCommunity Living Center.
Services are Saturday at11 a.m. at Carter’sMortuary Services with theRev. Jerome Gill officiating.Burial will follow in Poole’sMemorial GardensCemetery.
Visitation is Friday from3-6 p.m. at the funeralhome.
Mr. Chandler was bornSept. 22, 1927, in MorganCity to the late MarionChandler and Lue BerthaChandler. He was retiredfrom public work of the cityof West Point.
In addition to his par-ents, he was preceded indeath by his wife, JannieMae Chandler; brothers,Richard Chandler, WillieChandler, and M. C.Chandler; and sister, LilaJohnson.
He is survived by hisson, C. D. Chandler, ofWest Point, daughter,Bonnie Lee Chandler; twograndchildren and fourgreat-grandchildren.
THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com12A THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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BY SETH BORENSTEINAP Science Writer
WASHINGTON —Cutting global warming pol-lution would not only makethe planet healthier, it wouldmake people healthier too,new research suggests.
Slashing carbon dioxideemissions could save millionsof lives, mostly by reducingpreventable deaths fromheart and lung diseases,according to studies releasedWednesday and published ina special issue of The LancetBritish medical journal.
Global and U.S. healthofficials unveiled the resultsas they pushed for healthissues to take a more promi-nent role at upcoming cli-mate change negotiations inCopenhagen. Also onWednesday, PresidentBarack Obama announcedthat he would go toCopenhagen at the start ofinternational climate talks.U.S. health officials said thetiming was not planned.
“Relying on fossil fuelsleads to unhealthy lifestyles,increasing our chances forgetting sick and in somecases takes years from ourlives,” U.S. Health andHuman Services SecretaryKathleen Sebelius said in atelecast briefing from herhome state of Kansas. “Asgreenhouse gas emissionsgo down, so do deaths fromcardiovascular and respirato-ry diseases. This is not asmall effect.”
Sebelius, British healthofficials, United NationsSecretary General Ban Ki-Moon and the head of theWorld Health Organizationall took part in briefingsbased in Washington andLondon.
The journal Lancet tookan advocacy role in commis-sioning the studies and tim-ing their release before theCopenhagen summit, but thescience was not affected bythe intent, said journal editorDr. Richard Horton.
Instead of looking at thehealth ills caused by futureglobal warming, as past stud-ies have done, this researchlooks at the immediate bene-fits of doing something aboutthe problem, said LindaBirnbaum, director of theU.S. National Institute ofEnvironmental HealthSciences. That agency helpedfund the studies along withthe Wellcome Trust and sev-eral other international pub-lic health groups.
