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PUBLIC MEETINGSAug. 3: Lowndes County Board of Su-pervisors meeting, 9 a.m., Lowndes County Courthouse, facebook.com/LowndesCounty-Mississippi/Aug. 4: Columbus City Council, 5 p.m., Municipal ComplexAug. 16: Lowndes County Board of Su-pervisors meeting, 9 a.m., Lowndes County Courthouse, facebook.com/LowndesCounty-Mississippi/

Antranik Tavitian/Dispatch Staff

BY TESS VRBINtvrbin@cdispatch.com

Mark Alexander Sr. was planning a trout fishing trip to Tennessee with a friend a couple years ago and found it a labor-intensive process that he thought should be easier and faster.

“I had to get on the web and go through all these websites,” he said.

“And I’m fairly technically savvy, but it took a long time to go through, identify maybe three that I wanted to check out, then had to personally call them on the phone and talk to them, then go through the process of booking (one of them). I probably made 10 or 12 phone calls to the three I decided on.”

He told his son, Mark Alexander Jr., and their friend Wade Leonard that there should be an app where travelers can find, rate, review and book any kind of outdoor experience quickly and easily.

“When they brought the idea to me, I just assumed there was something like this already out there,” Leonard said. “We looked and looked and looked, and

Columbus-based outdoor travel app sees immediate popularityBusiness COO: ‘Despite COVID-19, or maybe because of it, people are ready to get outside’

From left, Wade Leonard, Mark Alex-ander Sr. and Mark Alexander Jr., shown Wednesday afternoon at the Columbus Riverwalk, created the GlobalOutdoors app to make finding and planning outdoor activities easier and simpler. Alexander Sr. is the president of GlobalOutdoors, Alexander Jr. is chief operating officer and Leonard is chief tech-nical officer. All three are Columbus natives and residents.

BY ISABELLE ALTMANialtman@cdispatch.com

Ten percent of the deaths in the United States this year have been related to COVID-19 coro-navirus.

That was just one of many numbers Dr. Lee Richardson, an emergency room doctor at Baptist Memorial Hospi-tal-Golden Triangle, doled out when he spoke about the ongo-

ing pandemic to the Columbus Exchange Club at their weekly meeting Thursday. Members had the chance to ask Richard-son questions ranging from the accuracy of COVID-19 tests — false negatives are more com-mon than false positives — to how the pandemic will affect the next flu season and wheth-er young children can pass the

disease to older people.“I think we can all agree that

2020 has gone viral faster than anyone thought it would,” he said.

Since the first diagnosis of the virus in Seattle on Jan. 20, millions of people throughout the United States have caught the virus and more than 130,000 have died from it, he said —

roughly the same number as have been killed by pneumonia.

Cases also continue to rise in the state. As of Wednesday evening, there are more than 48,000 confirmed cases and 1,436 deaths, according to Mis-sissippi State Department of Health’s website. Hospitaliza-tions across the state have rap-

‘Everybody knows somebody that has had coronavirus’Baptist doctor answers questions about COVID-19 at meeting with Exchange Club

West Point to host national shooting competition

BY BEN PORTNOYbportnoy@cdispatch.com

WEST POINT — Elite sport shoot-ing is coming to the Golden Triangle this weekend.

Beginning Friday and concluding Sun-day, Prairie Wildlife in West Point will host the U.S. Helice Association Na-tional Championships with shooters from around the country descend-ing on the Golden Triangle.

“It makes you feel good,” Prairie Wildlife Estate Manager Bennie At-kinson told The Dispatch of hosting the event locally. “It validates what you’re doing.”

Helice developed in England out of box bird pigeon shooting, accord-ing to Atkinson. Shooters are posi-tioned facing toward a field in which plastic targets called ZZ birds are launched into the air by oscillating electric motors that send the tar-gets at high speeds. Participants are allowed two shots to hit each respective target and only receive points if the center portion of the ZZ birds, known as a witness cap, is dis-lodged from the wings within a cer-tain fenced area otherwise called the ring. Each shooter is given 15 birds to shoot and a perfect score is 30.

See OUTDOOR APP, 6A

See RICHARDSON, 3A

BY SLIM SMITHssmith@cdispatch.com

WEST POINT — When Gov. Tate Reeves vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have made up to 2,000 nonviolent offenders eligible for pa-role earlier this month, family mem-bers of those inmates set aside their

disappointment to search for other options.

On the front lawn of a small West Point home Thursday, family mem-bers of four nonviolent offenders — serving a collective 170 years without the possibility of parole for offenses ranging from possession of methamphetamine precursors

to writing bad checks — gathered along with NAACP representatives from Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay and Noxubee counties to make a public plea to the three District 16 circuit court judges.

Senate Bill 2123 would have made nonviolent offenders sen-tenced to mandatory sentences, in-cluding those convicted as habitual offenders, eligible for parole after serving 25 percent of their sentenc-es. Reeves vetoed the bill saying it went “too far.”

The only option now available

Local activists, families ask judges to consider parole for habitual offenders with nonviolent felonies

Governor vetoed law that would have made 2,000 prisoners eligible for parole after serving 25 percent of their sentences

Antranik Tavitian/Dispatch StaffAnthony Swift of the Clay County NAACP speaks about how Mississippi’s House Bill 585 would allow the four people who are currently incarcerated, whose photos are held by family and NAACP representatives, to be eligible for parole in West Point on Thursday. The bill gives judges the authority to recommend those habitual offenders convicted of nonviolent felonies to parole boards. Family members of four such offenders are asking local circuit court judges to make those recommendations for their loved ones.

COMING SUNDAY

Sunday’s edition of The Dispatch will include two special sections: Back to School and Insight magazine, a resource for residents and newcomers to the Golden Triangle.

See PAROLE, 3A

Visitors invited to U.S. Helice Association National Championship at Prairie Wildlife this weekend

See COMPETITION, 6A

Atkinson

The DispaTch • www.cdispatch.com2A FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020

BY LEAH WILLINGHAM Associated Press/Report for America

JACKSON — Cases of coronavirus in Mississippi are growing fastest among teen-agers and people in their 20s, fueled by outdoor get-togeth-ers and people going to bars or attending summer sporting events, the state’s top health of-ficial said Thursday.

“I am worried about some of the over-exuberance of some of the summer sports stuff,” said the state health officer, Dr.

Thomas Dobbs. “I think it’s a little bit reckless, to be quite honest.”

Although many young peo-ple are asymptomatic, that pop-ulation has been passing the virus onto parents and grand-parents through community transmission, which has con-tributed to higher numbers of new cases of the virus and hos-pitalizations, Dobbs said.

Gov. Tate Reeves on Thurs-day said he expects to impose more restrictions on bars and expand his mask mandate by

the end of the week because of increasing cases of coronavi-rus in Mississippi. He has not said anything about placing restrictions on summer sports.

“We want to make sure that we limit the ability of those age groups where the virus is spreading the fastest to contin-ue that,” Reeves said. He said he will not be shutting bars down completely, as state lead-ers in Texas and Florida have done.

Reeves has mandated that people who live in 23 counties

with the highest number of coronavirus cases wear masks in public places. He said num-bers of new cases have gone down in several counties since the mask mandate, which he described as “not a sign of suc-cess, but a sign of hope.”

The governor said he’s dis-couraged by the apathy that he sees around social distancing and wearing masks, especially in young people.

“There were times in this pandemic when fear was real-ly over the top,” he said. “Now, the pendulum has really swung it seems in which we have too many people acting as if this virus doesn’t exist, being care-less. They are acting as if they are only worried about them-selves. ‘They can beat the virus

and so why does it matter?’ “Reeves is expected to an-

nounce the new restrictions Friday.

Mississippi has a population of about 3 million. The Health Department said Thursday that the state has had at least 48,053 confirmed cases and at least 1,436 deaths from COVID-19 as of Wednesday evening. That’s an increase of 982 confirmed cases and 13 deaths from numbers reported the day before.

At least 3,272 cases of the virus have been confirmed in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, with at least 671 virus-related deaths in those facilities, the department said.

Doc: Spread of virus fueled by summer sports, trips to bars‘There were times in this pandemic when fear was really over the top. Now, the pendulum has really swung it seems in which we have too many people acting as if this virus doesn’t exist, being careless.’

Gov. Tate Reeves

BY MICHAEL R. BLOOD AND EMILY SWANSON The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Three out of four Amer-icans, including a major-ity of Republicans, favor requiring people to wear face coverings while out-side their homes, a new poll finds, reflecting fresh alarm over spiking corona-virus cases and a growing embrace of government advice intended to safe-guard public health.

The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research also finds that about two-thirds of Amer-icans disapprove of how President Donald Trump is handling the outbreak, an unwelcome sign for the White House in an election year shaped by the nation’s battle with the pandemic.

More than four months

after government stay-at-home orders first swept across the U.S., the poll spotlights an America in-creasingly on edge about the virus. The federal government’s response is seen as falling short, and most Americans favor con-tinued restrictions to stop the virus from spreading even if they might ham-string the economy.

Support for requiring masks is overwhelming among Democrats, at 89 percent, but 58 percent of Republicans are in favor as well. The poll was conduct-ed before Trump, who for months was dismissive of masks, said this week that it’s patriotic to wear one.

“Not wearing a mask, to me, poses a greater risk of spreading the COVID,” said Darius Blevins, a 33-year-old Republi-can-leaning independent from Christiansburg, Vir-

ginia, who works in bank operations. Blevins said he wears a mask in public because “it’s much more effective than not wearing the mask.”

It’s an opinion echoed by data analyst James Shaw, an independent who tilts Democratic. “If you understand the facts, there is really no issue,” said Shaw, 56, of Noble, Il-linois. “The data is crystal clear.”

For months health of-ficials have said several simple steps could save lives — washing hands frequently, staying away from crowds, especially while indoors, and pulling on a mask when heading out to the supermarket, the office or a restaurant. And despite heated rhet-oric about masks in some corners, 95 percent of Democrats and 75 per-cent of Republicans said they’re wearing face cov-erings when leaving the house. Overall, 86 percent of Americans say they’re doing so, compared with 73 percent in May.

Poll: 3 in 4 Americans back requiring wearing masksSurvey also finds about that two-thirds of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the outbreak

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON — The nation got another dose of bad economic news Thursday as the number of laid-off work-ers seeking jobless bene-fits rose for the first time since late March, intensi-fying concerns the resur-gent coronavirus is stall-ing or even reversing the economic recovery.

And an extra $600 in weekly unemployment benefits, provided by the federal government on top of whatever assistance states provide, is set to ex-pire July 31, though this is the last week recipients will get the extra funds. It is the last major source of economic help from the $2 trillion relief package that Congress approved in March. A small busi-ness lending program and one-time $1,200 payment have largely run their course.

With the count of U.S. infections passing 4 mil-lion and the aid ending, nearly 30 million unem-ployed people could strug-gle to pay rent, utilities or other bills, and econo-mists worry that overall consumer spending will drop, adding another eco-nomic blow.

“I’m going to be broke,” said Melissa Ben-nett, who was laid off from her job at a vacation time-share in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. “I’ll be broke-broke. I want to go to work, I want health in-surance, I want a 401K. I want a life; I have no life right now.”

Without the extra un-

employment benefits, Bennett will receive just $200 a week, and she’ll have to decide whether to pay her mortgage or her utilities first.

More than 1.4 million people applied for job-less benefits last week, the Labor Department said Thursday, up from 1.3 million the previous week. That is the first in-crease since March and 18th straight week that it has topped 1 million. Before the pandemic,

applications had never exceeded 700,000. An additional 975,000 peo-ple applied for aid under a separate program that has made self-employed and gig workers eligible for the first time.

The news sent stocks slumping on Wall Street, with the S&P 500 record-ing its worst loss in nearly four weeks. Uncertainty across markets helped gold touch its highest price in nearly nine years.

Jobless claims rise as cutoff of extra $600 benefit nears

SOLUNAR TABLEThe solunar period indicates peak-feeding times for fish and game.

Courtesy of Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks

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The DispaTch • www.cdispatch.com FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020 3A

RichardsonContinued from Page 1A

idly increased, from 603 at the beginning of July to 950 now.

But Richardson came armed with even more lo-calized data: Information from Lowndes County and Baptist’s Emergency Room.

“It does seem to be growing,” he said, adding that currently in Lowndes County there is a rate of 38 cases per 100,000 peo-ple.

But as of right now, there is not a shortage of hospital beds, at least in Columbus, Richardson said. He added many of the COVID-19 cases at BMH-Golden Triangle are coming from other hospitals in the Baptist Memorial Health Care system, such as the one in Jackson.

“If we didn’t have to take cases from out of the county, we wouldn’t have a crunch at all,” he said. “We have a very little crunch now.”

Columbus’ hospital has not had to end elec-tive surgeries, like other hospitals have, he said. That’s a good sign not only because it means there ar-en’t too many COVID-19 patients that the hospital can’t take other patients, but elective surgeries are a source of revenue for the hospital.

Other hospitals, though, are running out of room.

“The day before yes-terday, Jackson had 272 (intensive care unit) beds,” he said. “They had two open. Forty percent of them are COVID posi-tive, 60 percent are not.”

It’s actually not that unusual to have that many people in an ICU, he said — it’s just unusual for that many of them to be carry-ing the same disease.

The other problem with that is COVID-19 pa-tients can stay in the hos-pital anywhere from six to 41 days, he said.

“They stay in the hos-pital for a long time, tying up an ICU bed for a rath-er extended period,” he said. “That seems to be more the problem. It’s not how many, it’s once we

get them, we don’t move them. They stay there for a while.”

About 50 percent of COVID-19 positive peo-ple admitted to the ICU — which Richardson stressed is a very small percentage of people who actually get the virus — end up on ventilators.

“If you get on the ven-tilator, that’s bad,” he said. “... Probably around 75 percent of folks we’re putting on ventilators now don’t come off alive. That compares with 40-50 percent of the people with put on ventilators with pneumonia.

“Probably by now everybody knows of somebody that has had coronavirus,” he added. “Probably everybody knows somebody that’s actually died from coro-navirus.”

Facts and figuresNearly half the deaths

in the United States have been people 80 or older, he said; 25 percent have been 70-79; 17 percent have been 60-69 and 8 percent have 50-59. The older you are, the more likely you are to die from the disease. Mississippi has had no deaths under the age of 18.

“This is an older per-son’s problem, basically,” he said.

He said one recent study in South Korea suggests that most chil-dren under 10 don’t even transmit the disease to older people, much less become ill from it them-selves.

That said, Richard-son cautioned, teenagers and young people are extremely likely to pass the disease on to older friends, relatives and peo-ple in their communities.

The disease has also ravaged nursing homes and assisted living com-munities, he said. Ten of the 19 deaths in Lowndes County have been individ-uals living in residential care facilities.

He echoed advice from health experts around the state and the country: Wear a mask and wash

your hands.Richardson also brief-

ly discussed vaccines, of which three are currently in the works. Typically it takes two years to develop a vaccine for a disease — “and that’s pushing it,” he said — but this one may come out more quickly.

He stressed that while this strain of coronavirus is new, the virus itself is not, and it has never been much of a problem before.

“Coronavirus has been around for thousands of years,” he said. “We’ve never developed a vac-cine in the past because it mutates so fast, and it was so benign that it was never worth fooling with because once you devel-op a vaccine … the virus would have mutated out of it so it wouldn’t be af-fected.

“There are some folks that are saying this is go-ing to be like the flu,” he added. “A yearly thing, and we’re going to have yearly vaccines like the flu. It may be.”

However, he warned, people over 65 who con-tract COVID-19 have al-most five times as high a chance of dying as if they catch flu, he said.

He added he thinks the pandemic will result in more people being aware of their health and simple preventative mea-sures, such as frequent handwashing and making sure to get a flu shot ev-ery year. He said even at

Baptist’s ER, doctors are now washing their hands in front of patients.

“I think this is going to change the way we do a lot of things,” he said.

Isabelle Altman/Dispatch StaffColumbus Exchange Club member Barbara Bigelow speaks to Dr. Lee Richardson, a doctor with Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle’s Emergency Room, after a club meeting at Lion Hills Center Thursday. Richardson spent about 30 minutes doling out facts and answering questions about COVID-19 coronavirus at the meeting.

ParoleContinued from Page 1A

comes from legislation passed in 2014, one those who gathered Thursday say is rarely imple-mented in District 16.

“The Legislature came up with SB 585 a while back that gives the sentencing judge authority to make parole rec-ommendations,” said Antho-ny Swift of the Clay County NAACP. “That’s why we’re here today. Our judges for 16h Dis-trict aren’t doing that. We’ve had 87 people file petitions for parole recommendation which have been denied by Judges Lee Howard, Jim Kitchens and Lee Coleman. We want to know why and what we have to do.”

During Thursday’s press conference, family members and NAACP representatives held large color photos of the Golden Triangle natives, all convicted as habitual offenders, who they believe should be rec-ommended to the parole board by the judges — Paul Houser (60 years, possession of meth-amphetamine precursors), Tim-othy Fulks (60 years, sale of co-caine/mariuana), Zakya O’Neal (20 years, uttering forgery) and Willie Jackson (30 years, sale of cocaine).

All four have served more than 25 percent of their sentenc-es.

In three of the cases, offens-es committed when the offend-ers were teenagers were used to try them as habitual offenders.

Houser was first convicted for meth possession at age 19, serving six months. He commit-ted his second offense 20 years later. His third offense, posses-sion of meth precursors in 2007, made him eligible to be prose-cuted as a habitual offender.

“Because of the length of his sentence, he doesn’t get the chance to go on work release or go to a satellite facility,” said his son, Dusty Houser. “He’s in there with the hardened crimi-

nals, murderers. We’re talking about somebody who is a non-violent criminal. He lays on his (bunk) 24/7 because he said if he gets up, they’re liable to beat him because of the gangs and violence there.”

Henry Smith, who has been Fulks’ stepdad since Fulks was 4, said he questions the fairness of Fulks’ 60-year sentence.

“He sold a rock of cocaine and a small amount of marijua-na, about $40 worth,” Smith said. “For that, he got 60 years because he had a charge from something he did as a teenag-er and later, a burglary charge. There are people who are kill-ing people that don’t get 60 years and they have a chance at parole. It’s not fair.”

Judge Jim Kitchens said cases pursued under habitual offender statutes are fairly rare.

“It’s uncommon for the state to sentence people as habitual offenders,” Kitchens said. “ The new district attorney (Scott Co-lom) doesn’t hardly ever use the habitual offender statutes

on someone who is there for their third offense and, quite frankly, neither did Forrest (All-good) before him. A lot of times it would be their fourth or fifth felony before Forrest would use the habitual offender statute.”

Kitchens said he and his fel-low District 16 judges, rarely grant petitions for parole rec-ommendations by habitual of-fenders.

“I routinely get people who I have sentenced as a habitual offender, “Kitchen said. “ I will look at what they did and look at their record and their plea agreements. I have typically not recommended that they be released.

“I’ve had one or two, in four or five years — two I think that were very sick and probably go-ing to die and weren’t convicted of violent crimes and let them out,” he added.

Swift said judges should de-fer to the parole board in these cases.

“Judges ought to be willing to approve these petitions,”

Swift said. “It should be up to the parole board, to decide if they think he’s going to be a law-abiding citizen. They do that by looking to see if he has any rule violations or past con-duct and things like that. The judge has no way of knowing that because he’s sitting on the bench.”

Dusty Houser doesn’t under-stand why his father faces what

is essentially a life sentence.“For my dad, it’s an addic-

tion problem,” Dusty Houser said. “But they’re not trying to rehabilitate him. They’ve pretty much locked him up and thrown away the key. He would be 104 years old when his sentence is over.

“He’ll die in prison,” he con-tinued. “For what? Precursors. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Antranik Tavitian/Dispatch StaffDrawings by Timothy Fulks, a man who is currently serving a 60-year sentence, are set out during a press conference on Thursday in West Point. Fulks started drawing when he was around 16 years old, according to his family members.

Antranik Tavitian/Dispatch StaffDusty Houser, son of Paul Houser who was sentenced to 60 years, speaks about his father during a press conference on Thursday in West Point. He recalled an event during his childhood when Paul rescued him from an overturned boat and dragged him about 10 miles up a river to safety. “He’s my hero,” said Dusty.

4A FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020

OpinionPETER BIRNEY IMES Editor/PublisherBIRNEY IMES III Editor/Publisher 1998-2018BIRNEY IMES JR. Editor/Publisher 1947-2003BIRNEY IMES SR. Editor/Publisher 1922-1947

ZACK PLAIR, Managing EditorBETH PROFFITT Advertising DirectorMICHAEL FLOYD Circulation/Production ManagerMARY ANN HARDY ControllerDispatch

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THE NATION

LOCAL VOICES

Pandemic lessons from SocratesT his fall, students

around the country will read — as gen-

erations before them have - Plato’s account of the trial and death of his beloved mentor Socrates. This text remains timeless for its treatment of perennial issues confronting humans, perhaps the most pertinent of which for our times con-cerns Socrates’s attachment to what he saw as the good life. Having been found guilty of corrupting the youth and im-piety by a jury of 501 of his peers, Soc-rates refuses the offer of assistance from his friends to break out of jail and seek exile outside Athens. For Socra-tes, life is simply not worth living if he cannot pursue justice and wisdom, both of which he deems impossible if he disobeyed the ruling of the jury and fled his homeland.

More than 2,000 years later, while many may not relate to the substance of Socrates’s view of the good life, the idea that there is more to life than our existence as a biological species still rings true. We rightly pride ourselves on our scientific, cultural, artistic,

and sporting achievements that quite simply make life worth living. And so at this time of pandemic, it is un-derstandable that we would want to return to them as quickly as possible. As much as we may adapt to life under quarantine and try to make the most of its upsides, prolonged social and physical isolation is neither desirable nor sus-tainable.

Socrates was convinced that attempting to preserve his life by breaking out of jail would under-mine his chances of leading a good life. Today, we face a situation with some similarities to his but also a key difference. Like him, we all undertake (different) risky activities in pursuit of what we each see as a good life, agreeing that simply trying to stay alive is no life at all. Also like him, we understand the importance of social interaction to human flourishing in its all its many shapes and colors. Finally, our condition resembles that of Socra-tes in that, as much as we might wish that life would be as it was before the trial/pandemic, we see that it cannot

be so. Indeed, Dr. LouAnn Woodward, the vice chancellor of the University of Mississippi Medical Center recently warned that “things are not normal, and we can’t behave as if they are, be-cause we’re fooling ourselves and the numbers are showing that what we’re doing now is not working.”

This fall semester our universi-ties plan to open to give students the college experience that is so integral to the good life of our society. But the measures that will be put in place to mitigate the risk of infection will make that experience almost unrecog-nizable to previous cohorts. Even if they succeed in mitigating the risk of virus transmission in classrooms and lecture halls, in a matter of weeks Mississippi’s college towns are about to receive tens of thousands of people in the age group that has the high-est infection rate. No doubt many students will act responsibly. But for some, the lure of social gatherings and close contact with friends will prove too strong. Of course, there is only so much that universities can do to encourage responsible behavior off their campuses. However, public uni-versities and their Board of Trustees are acting irresponsibly by encourag-

ing so many students to return this Fall under the pretense of a possible of having a ‘traditional college experi-ence’.

Fortunately, our situation diverges from Socrates’s in one key respect. Unlike Socrates, by temporarily prior-itizing life over the good life and doing all we can to keep our communities safe and healthy, we need not forego the good life once and for all; rather we would secure life for a time when all might once again pursue the things that make it worth living. For this rea-son, we need to accept that, while far from ideal in terms of the experiences and interactions it facilitates, univer-sities should offer the maximum possi-ble number of courses online, reserv-ing face to face encounters for clinics, labs and other ‘hands on’ classes that genuinely cannot be delivered other-wise. Socrates is revered for putting a life of wisdom and justice ahead of mere biological life. Posterity will look less kindly on us if we jeopardize life unnecessarily through an impatient and premature return to our version of the good life.

Dr. James Chamberlain is an as-sistant professor of political science at Mississippi State University.

Smaller big cities can be better citiesI t was a bittersweet evening in

Manhattan. Parisian-level charm had descended on what used to

be traffic-snarled streets of the fancy Upper East Side. Planters holding dramatic greenery set off outdoor din-ing areas spilling into former parking spaces. Waiters happily greeted the sort of stylish patron no one had seen for a while.

Sadly, though, the surrounding streets ached at the sight of so many blank storefronts. Some had signs promising to be back. The heartbreak-ers posted notices saying “Goodbye, and thank you for our 30 years in business.” Even the restau-rants with full tables were hurting because they still aren’t allowed to serve indoors.

Many of these establishments also thrived on tourists, of which New York had 65 million in 2018. With museums and theaters still closed, tourists are few.

Where does a city dependent on culture and old-fashioned commerce go from here? New York will come back. It rose from the ashes of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center — and there’s no vaccine against terrorism.

But as this urban economy slowly awakens from its virus-in-duced coma, many are wondering whether a revived version can also be an easier place to live. By easier, they mean smaller and less congested, less expensive and less geared toward the comfort of the 0.0001 percent.

Most eyes are dry at the fact that zillion-dollar apartments in the ugly new supertalls are empty for lack of plutocrats to live in them 10 percent of the time. These buildings typically replaced five-story walk-ups that were home to working people.

In New York, as in other hot cities, real estate barons had been given license to stomp on the locals’ quality of life. Before the pandemic, for example, the commercial area around Grand Central Terminal had gotten so crowded that pedestrians were pushed off the sidewalks at rush hour. The mayor had the bright idea of removing all seats in a subway line serving Grand Central so they could stuff more people in the cars. The city in its wisdom then rezoned the neighborhood to allow bigger office towers housing 28,000 more workers.

If waves of office workers can now work from home, who is going to fill these new cubicles? Let the developers figure that out.

And who is going to live in the apartments of those who leave town? New Yorkers who will benefit from falling rents and lower asking prices.

Rents are reportedly coming down in nearly all the super-ex-pensive cities, including San Francisco, Boston and San Jose. In New York, the sharpest drops have been at the luxury end of the market, the result being better deals for what’s left of the middle class.

A millennial friend, a son of the Bronx, expressed quiet satis-faction that many of the hipsters who had piled into his Brooklyn neighborhood for “the scene” had left town for good. In John’s view, they weren’t tough enough to do an apartment lockdown with no escape to bars and clubs. They weren’t real New Yorkers feeling bound to community but seekers of entertainment.

Now, one can understand young families yearning for cheaper housing with a private backyard. This big country has become even bigger for those who can work from anywhere. And life can be sweet in our smaller towns and cities.

Shrinking superstar cities could pose a problem for the federal tax coffers. Ten American cities account for a third of the nation’s economic output. The New York metropolitan area alone generates more economic activity than does Australia.

Back on the street level, landlords can fill their empty store-fronts the old supply-and-demand way: by lowering the rent. In doing so, they can also welcome back the smaller retailers who were previously priced out.

In sum, the pandemic can help big cities return to their more livable former selves. If becoming smaller also makes them more affordable and less stressful, where is the problem?

Froma Harrop, a syndicated columnist, writes for the Provi-dence (Rhode Island) Journal. Her e-mail address is fharrop@gmail.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Voice of the peopleComments on masks and rights

Mask wearing is uncomfortable. The care of masks can be onerous. They are, to most of us, a pain in the anatomical parts. Once enough data were gathered and analyzed, doctors and research scientists came to agree that wearing masks dramatically reduced the radius of aerosols people expel as they breathe and talk; especially when they cough or sneeze. Except for rare N95 masks that block 95 percent of particles while inhaling, masks do not protect the wearer; they protect the people around the wearer. If somebody is unmasked, he is sending his droplets, perhaps full of viruses, at you (President Trump has announced that wearing masks is “patriotic”).

Armed with this knowledge, mayors of large cities and governors of States with large cities ordered everyone to wear masks, since populations in large cities are concentrated and thus more at risk of infection from aero-sols. They also ordered social distancing, and closed venues that crowd people together. Prison populations, even more concentrat-ed, are even more at risk. Wardens released many non-violent criminals, with approval from their governors, to reduce their density.

Mayors and governors are political ani-mals, nearly all of them very good ones, or they would not hold their offices. None of them issued their health-related orders light-ly. They know that they risked their political lives. Certainly none of them issued these orders in a frivolous exercise of power. That would be the shortest possible route to losing that power. Calling them “power-hungry” and “having a field day” as Mr. Lollar has done in his letter of 7/21 strikes me as bizarre. The only people I see having a field day are wear-ing helmets and vests and giving orders to “Light ‘em up!” at people far from any action, standing on their own porches.

As far as our rights are concerned, our government has repeatedly issued orders temporarily (sometimes permanently) lim-iting our choices. Rationing during WWII comes to mind. Restricting passports to selected counties. Requiring us to drive on the right side of the road. Seat belts. Air bags. Minimum ages for cigarettes and alcohol. Drug use. Phoenix prohibits hitching cam-

els in town. Some of these are designed to reduce mortality, as are the health-related orders today. None of this threatens our freedoms, certainly not in any new way. I think it is much more likely that the “surge” and its attendant violence may lead to a time when “government comes to get your gun and denies your freedom of speech” (quoting the same letter) than the pandemic orders.

Bill GillmoreColumbus

A question on cemeteriesI have a question which I would like my

friend, and local historian, Mr. Rufus Ward, to address. If Sandfield and Friendship Cemeter-ies still hold the bodies of Union soldiers (and they do) then why aren’t they both designated as national cemeteries?

Jim TerryColumbus

In response to ‘Biden calls Trump country’s first racist president’

I agree with Biden: Being a racist got Trump elected. Trump’s niece Mary, in her book about Trump, gives several examples during his growing up, that would make him a racist.

Even during his campaign, he used lots of racist remarks, as he has being president. The racist organizations just love Trump and throw their support behind him as proof.

Our religious leaders who helped Trump get elected may not answer for it now, but will one day.

Mary, in her book, says the religious lead-ers backing Trump blows her mind, that he has no Christian principles. None.

They, along with the Republicans, who ab-solutely refuse to hold Trump accountable for his lying (pathological) and other wrong do-ing, will pay dearly for it in the 2020 election.

But Trump is right when he says if the Re-publicans lose this election, it will be a long time before they win another one.

But coming from him, because he is a propagandist, that’s propaganda.

But in real life, it’s the truth.Trump is all they have.

James HodgesSteens

James Chamberlain

Froma Harrop

The DispaTch • www.cdispatch.com FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020 5A

RELIGIOUS BRIEFSMississippi State School Ministry

Mississippi State School of Ministry will be taking ap-plications for enrollment into their online degree granting program. Earn your Certifica-tion, Associates, Bachelor, Master and Doctoral Degree in Religious Studies. We are an accreditation School of Minis-try authorized through State of Mississippi and Federal Government. Our degrees are for ecclesiastical purposes only. We accept transcripts and your life experience also can also be used for degree granting purposes. For further information feel free to call 662-425-8443

CANCELED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE Forgive and Live

Forgive and Live meets from 6-7 p.m. every second and fourth Tuesday of each month in the downtown YMCA Board Room and every third Wednesday at Vibrant Church Cafe. Inquire and seek infor-mation to succeed spiritually, physically and financially and be eager to be a blessing to the community, churches and families through the Word of God. The public is invited to attend. For more information, call Pat Fisher Douglas, 662-251-5899.

Fellowship Dinner, Youth Service

Pleasant Ridge Faith Cen-ter, 923 Ridge Road, hosts a fellowship dinner and youth service every third Sunday.

Gospel Book ClubFriendship M.B. Church,

1102 12th Ave. S., invites the public to join its Community Gospel Book Club from 6-7 p.m., on the fourth Friday of each month, to study and share views of the Holy Bible. Open to all ages and ethnic-ities. For more information, call Barbara Mattison or Lillian Murray, 662-570-5595.

Grief Support GroupThe Oil of Joy for Grief

and Mourning offers a grief support group at 6 p.m. every second Thursday of the month at United Christian Baptist Church, 232 Yorkville Road East. “Making your grieving journey easier.” For more in-formation, call 662-327-0604 or e-mail unitedchristian@cableone.net.

Celebrate RecoveryThe Assembly Church,

2201 Military Road, and Meadowview Church, 300 Lin-den Circle in Starkville, host Celebrate Recovery at 6 p.m. every Sunday at The Assembly Church (next to Lowe’s) and

at 6 p.m. every Tuesday at Meadowview Church. Get help, healing and support for any habit, hurt or hang-up using the Christ-centered 12 steps.

Prayer for YouthEvery second and third

Saturday, Pleasant Ridge Faith Center hosts a prayer for the youth from 2-3 p.m.

Prayer, Free CoffeeMount Zion Missionary

Baptist Church, 2221 14th Ave. N., hosts free coffee and a prayer community outreach service from 8-9 a.m. every fifth Saturday. For information, contact Jesse Slater, 662-328-4979.

Radio Program Apostles Patrick Perkins

invites the public to tune in to WTWG, radio 1050 AM for Per-fecting the Saints Broadcast, Wednesdays 8:30 a.m.

Women Prayer,Worship Service

Church of the Eternal Word, 106 22nd St. S., holds a prayer and worship service every Thursday from 5-6 p.m. Call Marie Nabors, 662-549-4322 or 662-329-1234, for prayer requests.

Prayer MinistryNew Beginning Everlasting

Outreach Ministry invites the public to call in with their prayer requests at 662-327-9843.

Prayer ServiceChurch of the Eternal

Word, 106 22nd. St. S., Co-lumbus, holds prayer service Thursday nights 5-6 p.m. Contact Marie Nabors, 662-549-4322. Church service times: Sunday school 10 a.m.; Sunday worship 11:15 a.m.; Tuesday Bible study 7

p.m. For information, call Pas-tor District Elder Lou Nabors, 662-329-1234.

Fitness Transformations

The Transformational Church, 2301 Jess Lyons Road, hosts boxing lessons Mondays and Wednesday from 5-7 p.m., weight-loss boot camp Tuesdays and Thursdays 5-7 p.m. and both on Saturdays 9-11 a.m.

Youth FellowshipThe Transformational

Church, 2301 Jess Lyons Road, hosts Youth Fellow-ship from 7-8:30 p.m. every Tuesday. Games, prayer, service, food, and more. Transportation available. For information, call Iris Rober-son, 662-295-7456.

Send in your church event!

Email editorialassistant@

cdispatch.comSubject:

Religious brief

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama stepped up their attacks on Presi-dent Donald Trump and defended their time in the White House in a new video showing their first in-per-son meeting since the coronavirus outbreak began.

The 15-minute video, posted on-line Thursday, is the latest effort to get the former president more involved in the 2020 campaign as his former vice president tries to rebuild Obama’s winning coalition. Obama has promised an active role on the campaign trail this fall.

The former White House part-ners used an interview-style conver-sation to amplify Biden’s arguments against Trump, with Obama em-phasizing Biden’s experience and personal attributes. They pointed to their administration’s 2010 health care law and blamed Trump for stoking division among Americans. They also were sharply critical of

the Republican president’s efforts to combat the coronavirus, which has killed more than 140,000 Amer-icans.

“Can you imagine standing up when you were president and say-ing, ‘It’s not my responsibility, I take no responsibility’?” Biden said, of-fering a line of attack similar to his recent campaign speeches when he asserted that Trump “quit” on the country and has “waved the white

flag” in the pandemic.“Those words didn’t come out of

our mouths while we were in office,” Obama replied. Trump slammed the pair Thursday afternoon in a Tweet, accusing them of doing a “terri-ble job” in office and allowing his election. The Republican National Committee issued a scathing as-sessment of “slickly produced, sub-stance-free love fests,” dubbing the effort “Biden and Obama’s fiction.”

Obama blasts Trump, praises Biden in new 2020 campaign video

Trump calls off Florida segment of GOP ConventionTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Bowing to the coronavirus threat, President Donald Trump has scrapped plans for a four-night Republican National Convention celebration in Florida that had been set to draw more than 10,000 people to a pandemic hot spot to mark his renomination.

Trump had already moved the convention’s public events out of North Carolina because of virus concerns. But the spiking virus shifted to the South, too, and the planned gathering in Jacksonville increasingly ap-peared to be both a health and political risk. Trump and his advisers feared that going forward with big parties and “infomercial” program-ming in Florida would ultimately backfire on the president.

The DispaTch • www.cdispatch.com6A FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020

Outdoor appContinued from Page 1A

while there are websites for fishing and hunting all over the place, or (sites) where you could find some information about hiking, nobody was try-ing to aggregate every-thing you can do outside.”

Their solution was GlobalOutdoors, a project a few years in the making. The app and website have been up and running for about nine months, but the three started official-ly promoting it on social media last week.

Alexander Sr. is the president of GlobalOut-doors, Alexander Jr. is chief operating officer and Leonard is chief tech-nical officer. All three are Columbus natives and residents, with the GlobalOutdoors office on Fifth Street North.

The app has about 1,000 users and 11,000 lo-cations globally, with a fo-cus on the western hemi-sphere and most of them in Florida at the moment. Experiences can range from hunting and fishing to “whale-watching or hot-air ballooning,” Alex-ander Sr. said, and rates and reviews of all of these experiences make it eas-ier for people to choose their activity and location.

Launching during a pandemic

The app is completely free to use and has seen an increase in usage over the past month and a half — most likely due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, because peo-ple are tired of staying at home, Alexander Jr. said.

Different states had different travel restric-tions, which caused some confusion for app users during the stay-at-home orders in March and April. Now, Alexander Jr. said he has spoken with several travel outfitters

nationwide that are “all working around the clock to make up for the pent-up demand” and the app’s us-age indicates that as well.

“There are many things that can be done outdoors while being safe,” Alexander Jr. said. “People are coming around to that idea.”

GlobalOutdoors kept its social media market-ing to a minimum during the stay-at-home orders. Then Leonard and the Alexanders started mar-keting outdoor experienc-es that required minimal travel and could be done alone or with family. As states loosened travel re-strictions, the team grad-ually promoted experi-ences in states that were allowing both business operations and interstate travelers, Alexander Jr. said.

“Despite COVID-19, or maybe because of it, people are ready to get outside and do things,” he said.

App functionsIn addition to writing

reviews and contributing to forums about outdoor experiences, users can find activities in their im-mediate vicinity tailored to their interests with the press of a button, a feature Leonard said will be added in the next few weeks.

“Say you went to see your in-laws in Hatties-burg and you don’t have anything to do that after-noon, you could use that tool and it could show you canoeing on the (Leaf) River,” Alexander Sr. said.

Users can also book trips directly through the app and exchange mes-sages with trip outfitters. Another upcoming fea-ture is the ability to find websites to buy any spe-cialized clothing or equip-

ment necessary for a trip.The option to buy

travel insurance, in case something forces a trip to be canceled — “like a pandemic,” Alexander Sr. said — is not yet available on the app but will be.

The team hopes to eventually add a fee-based concierge service to the app in order to help users get hunting licenses or other necessary tools for a trip, Leonard said.

The app is meant not just to make travelers’ ex-periences easier but also help outfitters and busi-ness owners boost their own profiles, especially since most do not have an online presence, he said.

“The system was de-signed so it would be as simple as possible for someone to create a GlobalOutdoors page,” Leonard said. “(We say) if you can start an email account, you can start a GlobalOutdoors page, and that’s true whether you’re the biggest lodge in As-pen, Colorado, or some-body with some property in your backyard and you want to make a little mon-ey letting people fish on your land.”

“Or start doing float trips right here on the (Tombigbee) River,” Alex-ander Sr. added.

‘Any kind of outdoor experience anybody has’

The Jackson-based software company Life-Cycle Solutions helped develop the app, and Brandon-based Addison Hall Designs worked on the aesthetics of the app, which Leonard said the team is proud of.

The co-founders all agreed it was important for developers and de-signers to understand their reasons for creating the app.

“How many people

have we talked to about this socially and profes-sionally? Thousands?” Alexander Sr. said. “Has anybody said, ‘That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard of?’ No, with-out exception, they all go, ‘That’s a really good idea.’”

The app is currently holding a free trip give-away, and winners will be able to choose from eight trips all over the country, such as fly fishing in Wyo-ming, white-water rafting in Montana, deep sea fish-ing on the Gulf Coast and sailing in Miami Beach, Florida.

“You can enter as many times as you want, and you just have to write as many reviews as you want,” Alexander Jr. said. “Once we get the next 1,000 reviews, we’re going to randomly start drawing winners.”

As far as their own outdoor interests, the Alexanders are avid fish-ermen, while Leonard de-scribed himself as “more of a hiking and looking at stuff kind of guy.” He frequents the Columbus Riverwalk, and he and his family recently hiked some trails at the Great Smoky Mountains Na-tional Park in Tennessee, he said.

“It was really wonder-ful, especially since it’s a place where you can feel responsible because you’re outside during (the pandemic) as opposed to being packed in with a bunch of other folks,” Leonard said. “As soon as we got done, I reviewed the trails on GlobalOut-doors. It’s important to note that while there are certainly places we want people to book through the app, we want any kind of outdoor experience anybody has to be put on there.”

CompetitionContinued from Page 1A

“It’s kind of like skeet on steroids,” said Stephen Imes, one of the men in-volved with the development of the Black Prairie helice fields at Prairie Wildlife. Imes is uncle to Dispatch pub-lisher Peter Imes.

This weekend’s championships are the latest stop for shotgun shooters hop-ing to earn a spot on the U.S. National Helice Team. In order to be selected, shooters must reach a certain score each year at multiple rings at multiple venues. Those that finish in the top three in each of the six age groups across the country then receive spots on the national team.

Among those competing for the cov-eted selections are 2017 World Helice champion Shea Self, current world and European champion Mimi Wilfong and former national champion Derrick Mien.

“It means a lot to us,” Imes told The Dispatch of bringing in world class com-petition. “We have a lot of good shoot-ers. We have a lot of national champion shooters and we have a lot of people who have made the United States helice team which goes overseas most years and competes in world championships.”

Beyond the actual competition, this weekend’s national championships are a premier chance for organizers at Prai-rie Wildlife to build a following for their young business. One of just three helice facilities east of the Mississippi River ac-cording to Imes, Prairie Wildlife opened within the past three years and brands itself as a conservation-driven sporting estate in which patrons can partake in hunts, clat shoots, corporate outings and more.

It has also previously been given the

prestigious Orvis Wingshooting Lodge endorsement for what Orvis describes as “unparalleled service, respect for natural resources and experienced, professional staff.”

“I’ve been shooting all my life, (but) not competitively,” Imes explained of how helice was brought to West Point. “I shot (helice) about 25 years ago and then I saw it about three years ago, four years ago, and decided to pursue it and build a ring in this area. It’s kind of like that old saying, ‘If you build it, they will come.’”

Fans who wish to attend this week-end’s event will be allowed free admit-tance. Masks are not required but are suggested, while hand sanitizer stations have been installed on the grounds.

“If you want to come out and watch, just come to Prairie Wildlife and we’ll get you down here if you want to observe,” Imes said.

Antranik Tavitian/Dispatch StaffDavid Snowden from Little Rock, Arkansas, fires at clay helice targets during a practice round at the US National Helice Championship on Thursday, at Prairie Wildlife in West Point. The five day event will bring together shooters from all around to participate in helice, a sport similar to shooting skeet, but much less predictable. “This is the purest form of shooting,” said David Tribble, who’s on the US team FITASC Veterans Team.

Antranik Tavitian/Dispatch StaffDavid Tribble catches a shell during a practice session at the US National He-lice Championship on Thursday at Prairie Wildlife in West Point. Tribble, who’s full-time job is in tax software in Atlanta, traveled to Mississippi to shoot in five day USHA National Tournament.

SECTION

BSPORTS LINE662-241-5000Sports

THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020

GIRLS SOCCER

CCA PREPARING FOR ANOTHER ‘GREAT YEAR’

Antranik Tavitian/Dispatch StaffFrom left, Ada Farlow, Mckenzie Kain, and Cassie Carter watch on during a soccer practice session on July 16 at Columbus Christian Academy.

BY THEO DEROSAtderosa@cdispatch.com

STEENS — Taylor Tipton knows how much her senior soccer season at Columbus Christian Academy means to her.

She also knows how painful it would be to see it taken away.

“It’s like the one thing you want to go out strong in,” Tipton said. “Not being able to would be soul-crushing.”

If the season were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it would bring about a feel-ing similar to the one the Rams had when they were eliminated by Manches-ter Academy in the MAIS Division III quarterfinals last October. Columbus Christian fought until the Rams’ reserves ran thin — the team played with just one substitute — and Manchester scored the only two goals of the match in the final five minutes.

The loss was heart-breaking, Tipton said, but it was still history for her

and her teammates.“We were all excited

because that was the first time in CCA girls history that we made it that far,” she said.

With a plethora of se-niors — first-year coach Mary Margaret Swain and senior defender Olivia Mascarenas both estimat-ed that the roster features eight or nine — Tipton and the Rams hope to make it even further this fall.

“I think it’s going to be a great year,” Tipton said. “We’ve all grown up with each other. We’re all ready to get the season started and win some games.”

Mascarenas said the Rams are certainly “con-nected,” having gone to school together since they were in third grade and CCA was called Im-manuel Christian School. Tipton said that familiari-ty has bred fluidity on the field.

“It’s great because we can trust each other,” Tip-ton said. “We know what

See CCA, 2B

MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL

How Mississippi State is tapping into Florida for 2021 and 2022BY BEN PORTNOYbportnoy@cdispatch.com

STARKVILLE — Mis-sissippi State has gar-nered a Sunshine state of mind on the recruiting trail in recent months.

Less than a week af-ter the Bulldogs earned a pledge from three-star linebacker Timar Rogers, MSU now has two players from Florida amongst its 11 commitments in the class of 2021. And while Florida boasts a fertile recruiting ground, it’s a state staffers in Starkville have had little success re-cruiting until recently.

Under Joe Moorhead’s tenure at MSU, the Bull-dogs never signed more than a single recruit from Florida in either of the 2018 or 2019 classes. The 2020 class, which was largely compiled by Moor-head’s staff, boasted one Florida native in three-

star defensive end Jamari Stewart, but he was added after Leach took over.

Before Moorhead, Dan Mullen had comparable success in the Sunshine State. Mullen never en-rolled more than one Florida player in any of his first seven classes — including three years in which none were signed. Following the string of success MSU enjoyed be-tween 2014 and 2015, the Bulldogs did bring in five players from Florida be-tween the 2016 and 2017 classes, but that momen-tum came to a lull after Mullen, ironically, took the head coaching job at Florida.

As for Leach, he signed 11 players from Florida between the 2014 and 2019 classes during his time at Washington State compared to Mul-len’s eight.

“Get the best ones clos-

est that you can and then extend it out as you have to, but don’t ignore real quality guys who are real-ly interested in your pro-gram,” Leach said of his recr u it ing philosophy in February. “Sometimes a relative went there, sometimes a guy is just c u r i o u s , sometimes someone really likes a major there, that type of thing, but no matter where they’re at, if they’re really interested in you, I don’t think you’d ignore them.”

Part of the explanation for MSU’s recent dip into Florida is the connec-tions on the new coach-ing staff. Early in his career, Leach recruited the state while an assis-tant for Hal Mumme at Iowa Wesleyan and later

Valdosta State, a Division II school less than a half-hour drive from the Flor-ida border in southern Georgia.

Outside receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. also spent time as a graduate assistant in Gainesville during the mid-1990s and recruited the state while an assis-tant for his father and longtime Florida coach Steve Spurrier at South Carolina.

“Georgia can’t take everybody in Georgia and Texas, and Texas A&M can’t take all the good players in Texas,” 247sports Director of Re-cruiting Steve Wiltfong told The Dispatch in April. “There’s so many good players, and if you evaluate well you can really become a good football team re-cruiting those three states (Georgia, Texas and Flor-ida).”

Boasting a breadth of connections to Florida, MSU’s 2021 and 2022 class could have a certain flare for the state. Rogers and high school teammate My-zell Williams out of Deland are already on board amongst the 2021s. MSU has also offered 39 Florida prospects in the 2021 class and another 14 in the class of 2022. By contrast the Bulldogs have offered 21 players from Mississippi in the 2021 class and 10 in 2022.

As for actual prospects who could add to MSU’s impending classes, the Bulldogs have been heav-ily involved with 2022 safety Jaydon Hodge out of Forest High School in Ocala. MSU is also in the running for 2021 offensive guard Kimo Makaneole.

This isn’t to say MSU is simply going to abandon recruiting Mississippi and that the Bulldogs will

suddenly have an influx of classes comprised ex-clusively of Florida prod-ucts. Rather, Leach noted that he and his staff’s past stops would allow MSU to recruit more nationally and thus far, that’s come to fruition.

“The good news is there’s talent every-where,” MSU safeties coach and former Texas recruiting coordinator Jason Washington told The Dispatch in Febru-ary. “And these kids are getting out and going different places, and so when they step on cam-pus, we want to make this feel like home for them and gain a relationship and a love for our coach-es and the players that are around here and the city of Starkville. From there, shoot, sell every-thing else and give them a goal and a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Leach

Baseball, soundtrack of summer, is back — sort ofTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Herb Vincent clos-es his eyes and drifts back a half-century, to his boyhood bedroom in North Little Rock, Ar-kansas. He’s 9, trying to stay awake deep into the night, the transistor radio tuned to distant KMOX in St. Louis, listening to Car-dinals baseball.

Bob Gibson’s shutouts, Lou Brock’s stolen bases and Joe Torre’s slugging made for sweet dreams. What he heard in-be-tween pitches sounded even better.

“The muffled murmur of the crowd,” said Vin-cent, the associate com-missioner of the South-eastern Conference. “It was like the soundtrack of the summer.”

“I can hear it right now. You can make out a voice sometimes, maybe a pea-nut vendor or a yell,” he

said. “It’s soothing, it’s reassuring.”

Probably speaking for fans all over these days, he added: “I don’t know what it’s going to sound like this year.”

No one does, really.Major League Baseball

began its most bizarre season ever Thursday night, a 60-game sprint rather than the tradition-al 162-game marathon, a skewed schedule cut and carved around a coronavi-rus pandemic that threat-ened to silence the bats and balls all year.

A different model than the NBA and NHL, too. Rather than keeping play-ers and club personnel sealed in a bubble envi-ronment, baseball teams will fly around the coun-try, raising more health concerns.

Still, that didn’t pre-vent young Washington star Juan Soto from test-

ing positive for the virus. He was absent when the World Series champi-on Nationals hosted the New York Yankees in this year’s delayed opener.

With COVID-19 cases trending higher in every state with an MLB team except Arizona, a most fit-ting person threw out the ceremonial first ball in Washington: Dr. Antho-ny Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert.

“I used to play base-ball as a young boy,” the 79-year-old Fauci told CNN. “I hope I don’t bounce it too much.”

He did, and way wide, not that anyone heckled him. Moments later, Yan-kees slugger Giancarlo Stanton hit the first home run of the season, a quiet shot off Washington ace Max Scherzer.

Fans weren’t be per-mitted at Nationals Park or at Dodger Stadium

when Los Angeles played San Francisco — or at any field. While some teams expressed hope of allowing spectators at some point, Miami Mar-lins CEO Derek Jeter said skip that idea.

“I think it would be ir-responsible to even think about that right now when you look at the numbers in South Florida,” the Yankees great said. “At this particular time we’re not thinking about bring-ing fans back.”

Leaving them to their own devices.

Whether you’re a two-screen fan tracking every four-seam fastball on your iPhone while instantly up-dating VORP and WAR stats on your tablet, or merely checking the next-day boxscore of your local team in the news-paper, make no mistake: This will look, sound and be odd from the start.

“Going to be 2020 coronavirus baseball,” Yankees star pitcher Ger-rit Cole said.

Instead of actual fans, cardboard cutouts of their heads will fill many seats - Fox will fill stadi-ums with virtual fans for their national broadcasts. Players must stay socially distanced in the dugout, scattering into the stands if necessary. Some stars, like San Francisco catch-er Buster Posey, aren’t playing at all because of health risks to themselves and their families.

Social justice also comes to the middle of the diamond. A Black Lives Matter stencil will ap-pear on pitcher’s mound across the majors during the opening weekend.

Plus a few new rules. Extra innings will begin with an automatic runner on second base, just like softball games in Central

Park.And hours before

the first pitch, MLB an-nounced it would expand the playoff field this year, from 10 teams to a whop-ping 16 of the 30 clubs.

Still, to fantasy leaguers who’ve had their lives disrupted without a daily fix of games and more casual viewers who might catch an inning be-tween their late-night TV news and a “Law & Or-der” rerun, zany baseball is better than zero base-ball.

“I just can’t wait for the games to begin -- for the story of this strange season to move forward from beginning to middle to end -- so there is some semblance of everyday life returning,” noted historian Doris Kearns Goodwin wrote in an email to The Associated Press.

See BASEBALL, 2B

The DispaTch • www.cdispatch.com2B FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020

our weaknesses and strengths are, and we’ve built off of each other. I’ve played with them for three years now, and I know what each of them can do and what they can’t.”

Swain is still figuring that out af-ter taking over the head coaching job from Jason Barlow in mid-June. The former New Hope standout went on to play at Itawamba Community Col-lege, and she wasn’t even looking for a coaching job before CCA reached out to hear.

Swain, who coached travel soccer with Columbus United Soccer Club, was happy to get on board, and she’s seen the same talent her players have so far.

“I’m looking for it to be a pretty good season,” Swain said.

Tipton said Swain has already brought the team together and made

its players stronger, and Mascarenas agreed with the sentiment.

“She seems like a really good coach, so I’m excited for this year,” Mascarenas said.

She and junior Chloe Harper are set to make a difference as defenders for the Rams, while senior Lily Barlow will hold down the goalkeeper posi-tion.

“I think we’re really good at de-fense,” Mascarenas said.

This fall, CCA’s schedule includes Kirk Academy, Lee Academy and, for the first time, Magnolia Heights. The Rams will also play Heritage Acade-my twice, inviting a challenge for Tip-ton, who’s never defeated the Patriots in her high school career.

“That’s one team I really want to beat,” Tipton said.

Of course, because of the pandem-

ic, that might not happen. Although the MAIS has yet to issue any ruling on the delay or postponement of fall sports, Tipton said she and her senior teammates are all worried they may be deprived of one last season.

But, Tipton said, “(a)s long as we get to play, I think we’ll be fine with whatever outcome happens.”

She and the Rams are still prepar-ing to take the field together for one last special season.

“We’ve been through a lot togeth-er, and I think this year, it’s going to be super hard since it is our last year, but I think that we’re going to grow stronger together and finish the sea-son off strong,” Tipton said. “I know these ladies, and they are HARD to put down. They are consistent, and I love them.”

CCAContinued from Page 1B

“And then I will leave to you and the experts to figure out the hard stuff - - asterisks, etc., etc. - - while I revert to my seven year old self, just happy to follow each game!” she said.

Los Angeles ace Clayton Ker-shaw had hoped to take part, but he was scratched from the opener at Dodger Stadium because of back issues. And the Arizona Diamond-backs announced a Venezuelan scout who worked in the Dominican Republic had died of COVID-19.

When every team swings into ac-tion, all sides were hoping for some-thing resembling normalcy.

As much as the action, it’s the timeless rhythm of the game that attracts many. Without getting too James Earl Jones-ish from the “Field of Dreams” cornfield, the game’s soundtrack is a key piece of the sport’s fabric.

Which is why baseball is provid-ing stadium sound engineers with

about 75 effects from its official video game -- MLB The Show -- to amplify the atmosphere, both at the ballpark and for broadcasts.

A mixed bag, so far.All fine with “Take Me Out to the

Ball Game” during the seventh-in-ning stretch at empty Yankee Sta-dium during a recent exhibition game. But the familiar rustle of fans at Oracle Park in San Francis-co came across more like a bunch of bees buzzing and scared off seagulls that often perch in the up-per deck.

Patrick Corbin said it sounded a little more realistic at Nationals Park. Sort of.

“But then you look in the stands and no one’s there, so that’s always a little strange,” the Washington pitcher said.

Broadcasters are dealing with the same scenario.

“We are not looking to fool any-body. We realize there’s no fans

there,” ESPN producer Mark Gross said.

But adding a little artificial crowd noise “below the announc-ers just seems to make it work and doesn’t sound quite so hollow when we are doing the games.”

Added former star-turned-ESPN announcer Alex Rodriguez: “The abnormal has become the normal.”

“It’s a year of adjustments, and I think baseball becomes the com-fort food that Americans and people in this country want right now,” he said.

Makes sense to the 59-year-old Vincent. Living and working around Birmingham, Alabama, he’s eager to root for the Cardinals.

And to hear a most comforting echo.

“That sound between a 2-0 and a 2-1 pitch. In the fourth inning. On a Wednesday night in June,” he said. “It’s that sound, it’s the summer sound.”

BaseballContinued from Page 1B

Cole, Stanton lead Yanks past Nats 4-1 in stormy MLB opener

WASHINGTON — The pandem-ic-shortened Major League Base-ball season finally started Thursday night, with zero fans, Nationals star Juan Soto sidelined by COVID-19 and a 4-1 storm-halted victory for the New York Yankees over reigning champ

Washington behind Gerrit Cole, Gi-ancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge.

What began as a muggy, cloudy evening, with the temperature around 90 degrees, turned into a serious downpour, replete with rum-bles of thunder, flashes of lightning and swirls of wind, prompting a de-lay in the top of the sixth inning.

After waiting 1 hour, 58 minutes — 15 minutes more than were played — the game was called off and goes into the books as a win for New York.

Three-time Cy Young Award win-ner Max Scherzer (0-1) had struck out 11 and was still in the game for the Nationals when action stopped, his pitch count nearing 100.

The DispaTch • www.cdispatch.com FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020 3B

AREA OBITUARIESGloria Davis

COLUMBUS — Glo-ria Jean Roby Davis, 68, died July 18, 2020, at Baptist Memorial Hos-pital-Golden Triangle.

Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Satur-day, at Harrison Grove M.B. Church Ceme-tery, with the Rev. Billy Goodwin officiating. Visitation is from 2-5 p.m. today, at Carter’s Funeral Services. Car-ter’s Funeral Services of Macon is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Davis was born Nov. 2, 1951, in Macon, to the late Eddie Roby and Sue Willie John-son. She was formerly employed with Tyson Foods and Sanderson Plumbing and was a member of Hopewell M.B. Church.

In addition to her parents, she was pre-ceded in death by her siblings, Willie Mae Roby, Lonnie Smith, Juanita Roby, Eddie Lee Roby and Bertha Foote.

She is survived by her daughter, Brenda Roby; siblings, Annie Pearl Davis, Bessie Roby, Ruby Jean Brew-er, Eddie Roby, Jessie Roby, Doris Roby and Ora Lewis Roby; six grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.

Willie HowardCOLUMBUS — Wil-

lie Mae Howard, 83, died July 15, 2020, at her resi-dence.

Grave-side services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, in Motley Cemetery, with Michael Love officiating. Visitation is from 2-5 p.m. today, at Carter’s Funeral Ser-vices. Carter’s Funeral Services of Columbus is in charge of arrange-ments.

Mrs. Howard was born June 21, 1937, in Columbus, to the late Henry Perkins Sr. and Minnie Mason. She was formerly employed as a custodian with the Columbus Public School System.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Howard Sr.; son, Larry Howard; and siblings, Charles Perkins, Henry Perkins Jr., Percy Perkins, Tommy Lee

Perkins, Ella, Patricia and Verdine.

She is survived by her children, Joseph Howard Jr., Elaine H. Sherman and Marshall Howard; siblings, How-ard Perkins, Matthew Perkins, Patrick Per-kins and Joe Mason; eight grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and great-great-grand-children.

Marilyn DavisSTARKVILLE —

Marilyn Davis, 56, died July 18, 2020, in Mead-ville.

Graveside funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, in Sixteenth Section Cemetery. Visitation is from 1-6 p.m. today, at West Memorial Funeral Home. West Memo-rial Funeral Home of Starkville is in charge of arrangements.

She is survived by her children Avis Mc-Neal, Tameaka Davis, Bruce Davis and JW Brewer; siblings, Mary Williams, Melvin Davis, Patricia Davis, Pamela O’Bryant, Matilda Da-vis, Fred Rice, Marvin Davis, Latasha Addison and Kimberly Baskin.

Billy ConnerNOXUBEE COUN-

TY — Billy Wayne Conner, 53, died July 16, 2020, at University Medical Center of Jackson.

A private family only service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, at Providence MBC, with Willie Ivy officiat-ing. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Private family only visitation is from 2-5 p.m. today, at Carter’s Funeral Services. Car-ter’s Funeral Services of Macon is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Conner was born Oct. 25, 1966, in Noxubee County, to the late Sanders Conner and Otha Conner. He was formerly employed with Trailboss Trailers and was a member of Providence MBC.

He is survived by his children, Brandie Con-ner, Brandon Conner, Tyler Conner and Zyler Conner; siblings, Frank Conner, Lula Freeman, Mary Luster Chandler, Lois Giles, Josh Conner and Teretha Conner; and one grandchild.

Joyce BlairSTARKVILLE —

Joyce Minor Blair, 77, died July 16, 2020.

Funeral Services will be at 11 a.m. Sat-urday, at Beth-el M.B. Church. Burial will follow in Blair Ceme-tery. Visitation is from 3-6 p.m. today, at West Memorial Funeral Home. West Memo-rial Funeral Home of Starkville is in charge of arrangements.

She is survived by her children, Reloyce Rush, Janet Kane, Pansy Robinson and Calvin Blair; and sister, Catherine Minor.

Debra RichardsonSTARKVILLE —

Debra “Debbie” Good-win Richardson, 61, died July 21, 2020.

Graveside ser-vices will be at 6 p.m. Sunday, in Memorial Garden Park.

Mrs. Richardson was born July 27, 1958, in Hattiesburg, to the late Don and Anita Goodwin. She was a graduate of Winston Academy. She was formerly employed with Zapata Gulf Marine Corporation and Mississippi State University.

In addition to her parents, she was pre-ceded in death by her brother, Dough Good-win. She is survived by her son, Adam Rich-ardson; sister, Betty Goodwin; and one grandchild.

Sylvester WalkerMACON — Sylves-

ter Walker, 79, died June 25, 2020, at Dugan Methodist Senior Service. Graveside services are at 11 a.m. today, in New Hope Ceme-tery, with Kori Bridges officiating. Visitation is from noon-5 p.m. today, at Lee-Sykes Funeral Home Chapel. Lee-Sykes Funeral Home of Macon is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Walker was born June 15, 1941, in Noxubee County, to the late Archie and Ella William Walker. He was formerly employed as a heavy machine operator and a member of New Hope UNM Church.

In addition to his parents, he was pre-ceded in death by his siblings, Otis Woods, Archie Walker Jr., Preston E. Walker, Sim Williams Walker and Roosevelt Walker.

He is survived by Lucy B. Walker; chil-dren, Miranda Carter and Derrick White; three grandchildren; and two great-grand-children.

Pallbearers will be Willie Pippin, Eddie B. Pippin, Curtis King, Terrance White and Maurice Sanders.

Roxane WashingtonCOLUMBUS — Rox-

ane O. Washington, 50, died July 15, 2020, at Baptist Memorial Hospi-tal-Golden Triangle.

Grave-side funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, in Union Chapel Church Cemetery. Visitation is from noon-5 p.m. today, at Lee-Sykes Funeral Home Chapel. Lee-Sykes Funeral Home of Columbus is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Washington was born Sept. 16, 1969, in Winston County, to the late Jannie E. Overstreet and Robert Colter. She was a graduate of Louisville High School and was formerly employed with Golden Triangle Planning and Development. She was a member of Sweeten Water COGIC.

In addition to her parents, she was pre-ceded in death by her son, LaCarlton Mitch-ell; and stepfather, James A. Jones.

She is survived by her son, Zachari-ah Washington; and siblings, Charles R. Overstreet, William Overstreet, James Overstreet, Robert Col-ter Jr., Deloise Warren, Regina Overstreet, Jennifer Paten and Amy Colter.

Gerald DarrellCOLUMBUS — Ger-

ald Norman “Jerry” Darrell, 81, died July 22, 2020, at Baptist Me-morial Hospital-Golden Triangle.

A graveside ser-vice will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, in Pleasant Hill Baptist Church

Cemetery, with Caro-lyn Hulen officiating. Memorial Gunter Peel Funeral Home and Cre-matory College Street location is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Darrell was born May 1, 1939, in Nash-ville, Tennessee, to the late Roy and Bonnie Moore Darrell. He was formerly employed with Colonial Baker and Roadway Express.

In addition to his parents, he was pre-ceded in death by seven sisters; and three brothers.

He is survived by his wife, Linda Pickel Darrell; children, Ger-ald Kevin Darrell, Sean Jeffery Darrell, Roy Chadwick Darrell and Jerry Shane Darrell; sister, Marcia “Tweety” Blazer; nine grand-children; and eight great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Kevin Darrell, Sean Darrell, Chard Darrell, Shane Darrell, Noah Darrell and Douglas Darrell.

Flora BrewerCOLUMBUS —

Flora May Brewer, 63, died July 23, 2020.

Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Carter’s Funeral Services of Columbus.

Jennie HortonMACON — Jennie

Horton died July 22, 2020.

Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Carter’s Funeral Services of Macon.

James HunterBROOKSVILLE —

James Earl Hunter, 60, died July 20, 2020.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Sat-urday, at Lee-Sykes Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow in Union Ceme-tery. Visitation is from noon-5 p.m. today, at the funeral home. Lee-Sykes Funeral Home of Columbus is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Hunter was born July 28, 1959, in Brooksville, to Emma L. Hunter and the late James Earl Hunter Sr. He was a member of Canaan Missionary

Baptist Church. In addition to his fa-

ther, he was preceded in death by his brother, Roy Lee Hunter.

In addition to his mother, he is survived by his children, James Earl Hunter III and Ta-mara Hunter; siblings, Von Hunter, Tony Hunt-er, Gloria Connally and Doris Wright; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Jody NightingaleWEST POINT —

Jody Ann Nightingale, 44, died July 21, 2020, at her residence.

Funeral services will be Saturday, at West Point Mennonite Church, with Errol Wedel, Mark Koehn and Brad Wedel offici-ating. Burial will follow in West Point Memori-al Gardens. Robinson Funeral Home of West Point is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Nightingale was born July 28, 1975, to Judy Nightingale and the late Richard Nightingale. She was a graduate of West Point Mennonite School. She was formerly employed as a teacher with Red River Menno-nite School, a cook at Nightingale’s Pantry and General Store and a cook at Oakwood kitchen.

In addition to her mother, she is sur-vived by her siblings, Tamara Koehn, Tyson Nightingale and Rox-anne Toews.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ATLANTA — The nation paid its final respects Thursday to the Rev. C.T. Vivian, a pioneer of the Civil Rights Movement who helped end segregation across the South and left an abiding imprint on U.S. his-tory.

Vivian, a close ally of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., was mourn-ed by civil rights icons along with

TV personality and author Oprah Winfrey and baseball legend Hank Aaron — both of whom delivered remarks via pre-recorded video — during a funeral at Providence Mis-sionary Baptist Church in Atlanta. Vivian died July 17 at age 95.

“C.T. was truly a remarkable man, a man whose physical cour-age was exceeded only by his moral courage, whose capacity for love

overwhelmed incredible hatreds, whose faith and the power of non-violence helped forever change our nation,” former Vice President Joe Biden said in a video tribute aired during the service.

“In Illinois, and in Tennessee and Florida, and Mississippi — in the north and in the south — CT was there fighting to turn us back toward justice,” Biden added.

Vivian remembered as courageous, humble Civil Rights warrior

Howard

Conner

BY ALAN FRAM The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Rep. Al-exandria Ocasio-Cortez’s out-rage over a Republican lawmak-er’s verbal assault broadened into an extraordinary moment on the House floor Thursday as she and other Democrats assailed a sexist culture of “ac-cepting violence and violent lan-guage against women” whose

adherents include President Donald Trump.

A day after rejecting an offer of contrition from Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., for his language during this week’s Capitol steps con-frontation, Ocasio-Cortez and more than a dozen colleagues cast the incident as all-too-com-mon behavior by men, including Trump and other Republicans.

“This issue is not about one incident. It is cultural,” said Oc-

asio-Cortez, D-N.Y., calling it a culture “of accepting a violence and violent language against women, an entire structure of power that supports that.”

The remarkable outpouring, with female lawmakers saying they’d routinely encountered such treatment, came in an election year in which polls show women leaning decisively against Trump, who has a histo-ry of mocking women.

“I personally have experi-enced a lifetime of insults, rac-ism and sexism,” said Rep. Bar-bara Lee, D-Calif. “And believe me, this did not stop after being elected to public office.”

Trump was captured in a 2005 tape boasting about phys-ically abusing women, and his disparagement of House Speak-er Nancy Pelosi has included calling her “crazy.” In an ap-parent reference to that tape, which drew attention during the 2016 presidential campaign, Ocasio-Cortez said men accost women “with a sense of impu-nity” every day, including when

“individuals who hold the high-est office in this land admit, ad-mit to hurting women.”

She also recalled that last year, Trump said she and three colleagues on the “squad” of progressive Democratic women of color should “go back” to their home countries — even though all but one were born in the U.S. and all are American citizens.

The lawmakers joining Oc-asio-Cortez represented a wide range of the chamber’s Demo-crats, underscoring their unity over an issue that is at once core to the party and capable of ener-gizing its voters.

On House floor, Dem women call out abusive treatment by men‘I personally have experienced a lifetime of insults, racism and sexism. And believe me, this did not stop after being elected to public office.’

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif.

Walker

Washington

Hunter

cdispatch.com

Charlie HolmesVisitation:

Friday, July 24 • 5-7 PMCollege St. Location

Graveside Services:Saturday, July 25 • 11 AM

Canton City Cemetery Canton, MS

College St. Location

Gerald DarrellGraveside Services:Saturday, July 25 • 2 PM

Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Cemetery

College St.

memorialgunterpeel.com

The DispaTch • www.cdispatch.com4B FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020

Comics & PuzzlesDear AbbyDILBERT

ZITS

GARFIELD

CANDORVILLE

BABY BLUES

BEETLE BAILEY

MALLARD FILLMORE

HoroscopesTODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July

24). Your guesses, whims and impulses are so lucky now through mid-August. You’ve an intuition about who you need to know and you’ll confidently put yourself right in the best sorts of social situations and be impressive to the people who can most help you. The best part of the next 12 months is all the love you exchange. Scorpio and Cancer adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 30, 13, 22, 15 and 4.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). The middle ground isn’t so easily found. You first have to go to two extremes to touch the

outlying boundaries. Be patient with yourself. This is a process, and you’re making it up now for the first time.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). There’s an art to envisioning your projects. Think of out-comes that are just beyond the reasonable, so that you’re sure to keep stretching and growing.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). There’s not a whole lot of glory in being in charge right now, but someone has to do it. And because of your strong sense of responsibility, you’re the best one for the job.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Things don’t have to be hard to

correct. “No pain, no gain” is an old way of thinking. Find a painless way and you’ll be doing yourself and everyone around you a favor.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Set a tone of friendliness and compassion. The more inclusive you are, the more people you’ll know. The more people you know, the easier it is to find the right person to solve a problem.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). If you distrust yourself, you’ll be wise. It’s the cocky ones who make mistakes, not you. You’ll evade mishaps because you test yourself, double-check your work and question your own answers and motives.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Following the protocol will absolutely work. You will have no need to go outside of the established rules and manners. If your etiquette is on-point, your results will be, too.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Staying humble is the most important aspect of your game plan. The cosmic omens warn against self-satisfaction. Remain focused on what still needs doing.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). This long-term project does have an end, although that is hard for you to see right now. If you can glimpse it, even for a second in your mind’s eye, you can and will have it eventually.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Avoid shopping as an emotional outlet. Instead of spending money on things and people, spend time on them. The rewards will be so much richer.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Do you feel like you’re being asked to navigate the byzantine inner workings of someone’s impossible-to-under-stand psyche? Perhaps you are, but the choice is yours. Only do it if it interests you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). There really are things that turn out better because you don’t know what to expect and are utterly unprepared. Bias is usually unavoidable, but a lack of assumptions will work in your favor.

SOLUTION:Once in a while

FAMILY CIRCUS

DEAR ABBY: This may seem

strange, but my husband is too nice. His late mother, a domi-neering woman who always got her way, trained him not to have an opinion. Almost ev-erything he says is crafted to be neu-tral so that nobody can possibly take issue with him.

If I ask, “What do you want for dinner?” his reply is, “Whatever you want.” If I ask, “What make of car should we buy?” his reply is, “What kind would you like?” When I give him several choices, he tries to guess what I would prefer. He is a wonderful, kind, sweet man who will do anything for me.

We both have professional degrees and are in our early 30s. He lived with his parents through college. I have been on my own longer than he. I’ve told him I’m not like his mother was, and it’s safe for him to express his opinions. After two years of marriage, although I continue to solicit his opinion, not much has changed.

Abby, I am tired of being in charge of everything. I’m afraid I’ll become like his mother and just do what I want because

consulting him is a waste of time, and hearing an-other “whatever” answer irritates me. I feel like I’m raising a very obedient child. I wanted an equal partner in marriage. How should I handle this? — WIFE, NOT MOTHER

DEAR WIFE: I am guessing you have had more than one conver-sation with your

husband about this. There is a saying, “Give me a child ‘til the age of 7, and he’s mine for life,” which references indoctrination. Your late mother-in-law had her son under her roof for about 25 years, so his personality traits are pretty well cemented in. You might have better luck if you start phrasing your questions differently. (“Do you want chicken or fish tonight?” “Do you want to decide or should I punch you in the nose?”) But if that doesn’t work, you may have to accept the man you married just the way his mother made him.

DEAR ABBY: I am currently living with my fiancee, “Josie.” That we are a same-sex couple was hard for our families to come to terms with. (Mainly Josie’s mother.)

We are now planning a small courthouse wedding with a family dinner to follow a week later. We have made this clear to family and close friends, and nobody has taken issue with it. However, Josie’s mother thinks it “isn’t right” that we are inviting only parents to the cer-emony and not siblings (Josie has one; I have three). She also called Josie crying because Josie and I went dress shopping on our own (spontaneously).

My mother is perfectly happy with all of our decisions and supportive with whatever we decide. How can we get my fiancee’s mother to be more supportive? — WEDDING DRA-MA IN PENNSYLVANIA

DEAR WEDDING DRAMA: It might be helpful to recognize that while your family is more accepting, Josie’s mother appears to be struggling on a couple of fronts. As many moth-ers do, she may have fantasized about a church wedding, helping her daughter select her bridal gown, and having a son-in-law. In a sense, she is grieving the death of her fantasy. Frankly, I feel sorry for the woman. With time, I am sure she will become more accepting and supportive.

You and Josie are about to embark on your lives together. Let your happiness be the beacon that guides her mother to acceptance, although it may not happen as quickly as you would wish.

Dear Abby

BY JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer

NEW YORK — A long time ago in a pre-COVID universe far, far away, blockbusters opened around the globe simul-taneously or nearly so. In 1975, “Jaws” set the blueprint. Con-centrate marketing. Open wide. Pack them in.

Since then, Hollywood has turned opening weekends into an all-out assault. Staggered roll-outs still happen, of course, but the biggest films are dropped like carpet bombs. Anything less risks losing the attention of moviegoers. Global debuts north

of $300 million became com-monplace. Last year, “Avengers: Endgame” made well north of $1 billion in a couple days.

Hollywood has now gone more than four months with-out a major theatrical release. While some films have found new streaming homes, the big-gest upcoming ones — “Tenet,” “Mulan,” “A Quiet Place Part II” — remain idled like jumbo jets on the tarmac. The leading chains are still shuttered. Re-cent coronavirus spikes have forced release dates to shuffle and chains to postpone reopen-ing to August.

Now, movie houses say that

despite far from ideal circum-stances, it’s time for new movies. Four months of near zero reve-nue has brought the $50 billion annual business to its knees. While the beleaguered restau-rant industry still has takeout and airlines continue to oper-ate with masked flyers, the vast majority of U.S. movie theaters haven’t punched a single ticket since March. Some have turned to selling popcorn curbside.

“The problem is, we need their movies,” says John Fithian, president and chief executive of National Association of Theater Owners. “Distributors who want to play movies theatrically, they can’t wait until 100 percent of markets are allowed open be-cause that’s not going to happen until there’s a vaccine widely

available in the world.”“The old distribution mod-

els of big blockbusters,” adds Fithian, “need to be rethought.”

That may mean returning to a more old-fashioned release pattern, opening films overseas first and, in the U.S., opening at different times in different areas. When Warner Bros. ear-lier this week announced it was delaying the release of Christo-pher Nolan’s “Tenet” because of the rise in cases, Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich said the studio is “not treating ‘Tenet’ like a traditional global day-and-date release.”

Right now, the biggest mov-ies are getting further away, not closer. AMC, the world’s largest circuit, on Thursday delayed its reopening from the end of

July to mid-to-late August. Af-ter “Tenet” earlier this week postponed indefinitely, Disney’s “Mulan” followed suit Thursday. Disney also pushed back numer-ous releases, including films in the “Avatar” and “Star Wars” franchises, back by a year.

“A Quiet Place Part II” also joined the exodus Thursday, up-rooting from Sept. 4 to April 23 next year.

Some moviegoers, naturally, don’t anticipate going, regard-less of what comes out. Jeffrey Shaman, an epidemiologist at Columbia University, isn’t plan-ning to go to the movies this year.

“It seems prudent to think that indoors is where the lion share of transmission takes place,” says Shaman.

Movie theaters implore studios: Release the blockbustersHollywood has now gone more than four months without a major theatrical release

Classifieds THE DISPATCH n CDISPATCH.COM n FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020 n 5B

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LEGALS

Legal Notices

The following vehicle has beenabandoned at Shelton’s Tow-ing, 1024 Gardner Blvd.,Columbus, MS 39702.

2011 Lexus 250Vin: JTHBF5C21B5144128

The vehicle will be put up forsale on the 3rd day of August,2020 at 10:00 am at Shelton’sTowing, 1024 Gardner Blvd.,Columbus, MS 39702.

PUBLISH: 7/17 & 7/24/2020

The following vehicle has beenabandoned at Jarrett's Towing,Inc. 5209 Hwy 182 East,Columbus, MS.

2009 FordVIN# 1FMCU03799KA12087

IF THIS VEHICLE IS NOTCLAIMED IT WILL BE PUT UPFOR SALE ON THE 10TH DAYOF AUGUST, 2020 AT 10:00A.M. AT JARRETT'S TOWING,INC. 5209 HWY 182 EAST,COLUMBUS, MS.

PUBLISH: 7/24, 7/31, &8/7/2020

STATE OF MISSISSIPPICOUNTY OF LOWNDES

NOTICE OF SALE

WHEREAS, the following ten-ants entered into leases withFRIENDLY CITY MINI-WARE-HOUSES for storage space inwhich to store personal prop-erty and

WHEREAS, default has beenmade in the payment of rentand FRIENDLY CITY MINI-WARE-HOUSES pursuant to saidLeases is authorized to sell thepersonal property to satisfy thepast due and any othercharges owed to it by the fol-lowing tenants.

NOW THEREFORE, notice ishereby given that FRIENDLYCITY MINI-WAREHOUSES will of-fer for sale, and will sell at auc-tion to the highest bidder forcash all personal property instorage units leased by the fol-lowing tenants at FRIENDLYCITY MINI-WAREHOUSES 308Shoney Drive Columbus, MS,at 8:30 am on the 7th day ofAugust, A.D. 2020 and will con-tinue to all FRIENDLY CITYMINI-WAREHOUSE locations inthe following sequence: 903Alabama Street, Columbus,MS; 44 Beatty Road, Colum-bus, MS; 4504 Highway 69South, Columbus, MS. All auc-tions are with reserve andtherefore all units can be with-drawn from the sale at anytime by the auctioneer/ man-ager.

Title to the personal property tobe sold is believed to be good,but at such sale, FRIENDLYCITY MINI-WAREHOUSES willconvey only such title as is ves-ted in it pursuant to its leasewith the following and its al-lowed under Mississippi CodeAnnotated Section 85-7-121 etseq (Supp 1988).

Lindsey G. Montgomery- N125

Heather K. Christopher- N 251

Alesia B. Epps- N50

Marquise Crosby- N243

Onterrio Lowery- N34

Doris Jones- N245

Kitty Davis- N64 & N65

Austine Lee Glorioso- N257

WITNESS MY SIGNATURE onthis the 9th day of July, A.D.2020.

FRIENDLY CITYMINI-WAREHOUSESBy: C.H.L.

Publish: 7/10, 7/17,7/24/2020

Legal Notices

STATE OF MISSISSIPPICOUNTY OF LOWNDES

NOTICE OF SALE

WHEREAS, the following ten-ants entered into leases withFRIENDLY CITY MINI-WARE-HOUSES for storage space inwhich to store personal prop-erty and

WHEREAS, default has beenmade in the payment of rentand FRIENDLY CITY MINI-WARE-HOUSES pursuant to saidLeases is authorized to sell thepersonal property to satisfy thepast due and any othercharges owed to it by the fol-lowing tenants.

NOW THEREFORE, notice ishereby given that FRIENDLYCITY MINI-WAREHOUSES will of-fer for sale, and will sell at auc-tion to the highest bidder forcash all personal property instorage units leased by the fol-lowing tenants at FRIENDLYCITY MINI-WAREHOUSES 903Alabama St. Columbus, MS.Auctions will begin at 8:30A.M. on the 7th day of August,A.D. 2020 at 308 ShoneyDrive, Columbus, MS and willcontinue to all FRIENDLY CITYMINI-WAREHOUSE locations inthe following sequence: 903Alabama Street, Columbus,MS; 44 Beatty Road, Colum-bus, MS; 4504 Highway 69South, Columbus, MS. All auc-tions are with reserve andtherefore all units can be with-drawn from the sale at anytime by the auctioneer/man-ager.

Title to the personal property tobe sold is believed to be good,but at such sale, FRIENDLYCITY MINI-WAREHOUSES willconvey only such title as is ves-ted in it pursuant to its leasewith the following and its al-lowed under Mississippi CodeAnnotated Section 85-7-121 etseq (Supp 1988).

Mandy Brackin- E485

Lance Lejeune- E225

Coty Grant- E202

Shannon James Kennedy- E316

Terry Courington- E217

Johnny Latham- E356

Jonathan Doss- E214

Monique Chatman- E2

Quaneisha Aaron- E240

Oscar Taylor Jr.- E95

WITNESS MY SIGNATURE onthis the 9th day of July, A.D.2020.

FRIENDLY CITYMINI-WAREHOUSESBy: C.H.L.

Publish: 7/10, 7/17,7/24/2020

IN THE CHANCERY COURT OFLOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-SIPPI

IN RE: ESTATE OF PATRICIANORRIS HARRIS, DECEASED

JOHN G. HARRIS, EXECUTOR

CAUSE NO.: 2020-0129-RPF

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

STATE OF MISSISSIPPICOUNTY OF LOWNDES

Letters Testamentary havebeen granted and issued to theundersigned upon the Estate ofPATRICIA NORRIS HARRIS, De-ceased, by the Chancery Courtof Lowndes County, Missis-sippi, on the 14th day of July,A.D., 2020. This is to give no-tice to all persons havingclaims against said estate toProbate and Register samewith the Chancery Clerk ofLowndes County, Mississippi,within ninety (90) days fromthis date. A failure to so Pro-bate and Register said claimwill forever bar the same.

This the 14th day of July 2020.

John G. HarrisJOHN G. HARRIS

PUBLISH: 7/17, 7/24 &7/31/2020

Legal Notices

STATE OF MISSISSIPPICOUNTY OF LOWNDES

NOTICE OF SALE

WHEREAS, the following ten-ants entered into leases withFRIENDLY CITY MINI-WARE-HOUSES for storage space inwhich to store personal prop-erty and

WHEREAS, default has beenmade in the payment of rentand FRIENDLY CITY MINI-WARE-HOUSES pursuant to saidLeases is authorized to sell thepersonal property to satisfy thepast due and any othercharges owed to it by the fol-lowing tenants.

NOW THEREFORE, notice ishereby given that FRIENDLYCITY MINI-WAREHOUSES will of-fer for sale, and will sell at auc-tion to the highest bidder forcash all personal property instorage units leased by the fol-lowing tenants at FRIENDLYCITY MINI-WAREHOUSES 44Beatty Road, Columbus, MS.Auctions will begin at 8:30A.M. on the 7th day of August,A.D. 2020 at 308 ShoneyDrive, Columbus, MS and willcontinue to all FRIENDLY CITYMINI-WAREHOUSE locations inthe following sequence: 903Alabama Street, Columbus,MS; 44 Beatty Road, Colum-bus, MS; 4504 Highway 69South, Columbus, MS. All auc-tions are with reserve andtherefore all units can be with-drawn from the sale at anytime by the auctioneer/man-ager.

Title to the personal property tobe sold is believed to be good,but at such sale, FRIENDLYCITY MINI-WAREHOUSES willconvey only such title as is ves-ted in it pursuant to its leasewith the following and its al-lowed under Mississippi CodeAnnotated Section 85-7-121 etseq (Supp 1988).

James Allison- B63

Tansley Mason- B40 & B45

Kayla Kunz- B39

WITNESS MY SIGNATURE onthis the 9th day of July, A.D.2020.

FRIENDLY CITYMINI-WAREHOUSESBy: C.H.L.

Publish: 7/10, 7/17 &7/24/2020

STATE OF MISSISSIPPICOUNTY OF LOWNDES

NOTICE OF SALE

WHEREAS, the following ten-ants entered into leases with J& J Mini Storage for storagespace in which to store person-al property and

WHEREAS, default has beenmade in the payment of rentand J & J Mini Storage pursu-ant to said Leases is author-ized to sell the personal prop-erty to satisfy the past due andany other charges owed to it bythe following tenants.

NOW THEREFORE, notice ishereby given that J & J MiniStorage will confiscate after Ju-ly 31st, 2020 & sell for cashall personal property in stor-age units leased by the follow-ing tenants at J & J Mini Stor-age:

Candie DiggsUnit A24

Michael MurphyUnit C3

Wanda HambyUnit C5

Sandra LipseyUnit D5

Mark FradyUnit D12

WITNESS MY SIGNATURE onthis the 17th day of July, 2020.

J & J Mini StorageBy: A.D.

PUBLISH: 7/21 & 7/24/2020

Legal Notices

IN THE SPECIAL COURT OF EM-INENT DOMAINLOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-SIPPI

COLUMBUS REDEVELOPMENTAUTHORITY PLAINTIFF

VS.

MARY HARGROW, ET AL. DE-FENDANTS

NO. 2020-0006-ED2

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION

TO: MARGIE WATSON, JAMESEARL HARGROVE, PAUL HAR-GROVE, MARLON VASHON JAM-ISON, RAYMOND ALEXANDER,BENNIE COLBERT, JR., ANDBRITTANT ALEXANDER, THEUNKNOWN HEIRS-AT-LAW ANDDEVISEES OF JUNIOUS HAR-GROVE, DECEASED, THE UN-KNOWN HEIRS-AT-LAW AND DE-VISEES OF LULA D. HAR-GROVE, DECEASED, THE UN-KNOWN HEIRS-AT-LAW AND DE-VISEES OF JOSEPH HAR-GROVE/HARGROW, DE-CEASED, THE UNKNOWNHEIRS-AT-LAW AND DEVISEESOF ANNIE B. HARGROVE, DE-CEASED, THE UNKNOWNHEIRS-AT-LAW AND DEVISEESOF GENEVA HARGROVE, DE-CEASED, THE UNKNOWNHEIRS-AT-LAW AND DEVISEESOF ANNIE B. HARGROVE, DE-CEASED, THE UNKNOWNHEIRS-AT-LAW AND DEVISEESOF ROSETTA HARGROVE-ALEX-ANDER, AND ALL PERSONS ORENTITIES HAVING OR CLAIM-ING A LEGAL OR EQUITABLE IN-TEREST IN CERTAIN REALPROPERTY, BEING LOT 4 OFSQUARE 34, FISHERMANS AD-DITION, NORTH OF MAIN, LOC-ATED AT 617 4TH STREETNORTH, COLUMBUS, MISSIS-SIPPI

You have been made Defend-ants in a lawsuit filed in thisCourt by the Columbus Re-development Authority to con-demn by eminent domain cer-tain real property, being Lot 5of Square 34, Fishermans Addi-tion, North of Main, located at617 4th Street North, Colum-bus, Mississippi. The propertyis necessary to renew and re-development blighted condi-tions in accordance with theUrban Renewal Plan (BurnsBottom) of the City of Colum-bus, Mississippi.

You are summoned to appearand defend against theAmended Complaint filedagainst you in this action at9:30 o’clock a.m. on the 9thday of September, 2020, in thesecond floor courtroom,Lowndes County Courthouse inColumbus, Mississippi, and incase of your failure to appearand defend, a judgment will beentered against you for themoney or other things deman-ded in the complaint or peti-tion.

You are hereby further givennotice that not less than ten(10) days prior to the date ofthe trial, you are required to filethe Statement of Values pursu-ant to Miss. Code Ann. §11-27-7, which shall be treated aspleadings in this action. Thedate of the filing of this law-suit is the 14th day of Febru-ary, 2020, and the name andaddress of the attorney for thePlaintiff is Martha Bost Stegall,P. O. Box 7120, Tupelo, Mis-sissippi 38802. Other than theStatement of Values you arenot required to file an Answeror other pleading but you maydo so if you desire.

Issued under my hand and theseal of said Court, this 21stday of July, 2020.

TERESA BARKSDALE, CLERKSPECIAL COURT OF EMINENTDOMAIN,LOWNDES COUNTY, MS

BY: Ann Marie Langford, D.C.

Publish: 7/24, 7/31, 8/7,2020

Legal Notices

IN THE SPECIAL COURT OF EM-INENT DOMAINLOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-SIPPI

COLUMBUS REDEVELOPMENTAUTHORITY PLAINTIFF

VS.

MARY HARGROW, ET AL. DE-FENDANTS

NO. 2020-0007-ED2

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION

TO: BENNIE COLBERT, JR.,BRITTANY ALEXANDER, THEUNKNOWN HEIRS-AT-LAW ANDDEVISEES OF JUNIOUS HAR-GROVE, DECEASED, THE UN-KNOWN HEIRS-AT-LAW AND DE-VISEES OF LULA D. HAR-GROVE, DECEASED, THE UN-KNOWN HEIRS-AT-LAW AND DE-VISEES OF JOSEPH HAR-GROVE/HARGROW, DE-CEASED, THE UNKNOWNHEIRS-AT-LAW AND DEVISEESOF ANNIE B. HARGROVE, DE-CEASED, THE UNKNOWNHEIRS-AT-LAW AND DEVISEESOF GENEVA HARGROVE, DE-CEASED, THE UNKNOWNHEIRS-AT-LAW AND DEVISEESOF ANNIE B. HARGROVE, DE-CEASED, THE UNKNOWNHEIRS-AT-LAW AND DEVISEESOF ROSETTA HARGROVE-ALEX-ANDER, AND ALL PERSONS ORENTITIES HAVING OR CLAIM-ING A LEGAL OR EQUITABLE IN-TEREST IN CERTAIN REALPROPERTY, BEING LOT 4 OFSQUARE 34, FISHERMANS AD-DITION, NORTH OF MAIN, LOC-ATED AT 617 4TH STREETNORTH, COLUMBUS, MISSIS-SIPPI

You have been made Defend-ants in a lawsuit filed in thisCourt by the Columbus Re-development Authority to con-demn by eminent domain cer-tain real property, being Lot 4of Square 34, Fishermans Addi-tion, North of Main, located at617 4th Street North, Colum-bus, Mississippi. The propertyis necessary to renew and re-development blighted condi-tions in accordance with theUrban Renewal Plan (BurnsBottom) of the City of Colum-bus, Mississippi.

You are summoned to appearand defend against the com-plaint or petition filed againstyou in this action at 9:30o’clock a. m. on the 9th day ofSeptember, 2020, in thesecond floor courtroom,Lowndes County Courthouse inColumbus, Mississippi, and incase of your failure to appearand defend, a judgment will beentered against you for themoney or other things deman-ded in the complaint or peti-tion.

You are hereby further givennotice that not less than ten(10) days prior to the date ofthe trial, you are required to filethe Statement of Values pursu-ant to Miss. Code Ann. §11-27-7, which shall be treated aspleadings in this action. Thedate of the filing of the Com-plaint herein is the 18th day ofFebruary, 2020, and the nameand address of the attorney forthe Plaintiff is Martha BostStegall, P. O. Box 7120, Tu-pelo, Mississippi 38802. Oth-er than the Statement of Val-ues you are not required to filean Answer or other pleadingbut you may do so if you de-sire.  Issued under my hand and theseal of said Court, this 21stday of July, 2020.

TERESA BARKSDALE, CLERKSPECIAL COURT OF EMINENTDOMAIN,LOWNDES COUNTY, MS

BY: Ann Marie Langford, D.C.

Publish: 7/24, 7/31, 8/7,2020

IN THE SPECIAL COURT OF EM-INENT DOMAINLOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-SIPPI

COLUMBUS REDEVELOPMENTAUTHORITY PLAINTIFF

VS.

VANESSA BREWER, ET AL. DE-FENDANTS

NO. 2020-0008-ED2

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION

TO: HERBERT KING

You have been made Defend-ants in a lawsuit filed in thisCourt by the Columbus Re-development Authority to con-demn by eminent domain cer-tain real property located inBlock 2, Square 34 North ofMain, Columbus, Mississippi,and being Lowndes tax parcel61W080008000, located at605 4th Street North, Colum-bus, Mississippi. The propertyis necessary to renew and re-development blighted condi-tions in accordance with theUrban Renewal Plan (BurnsBottom) of the City of Colum-bus, Mississippi.

You are summoned to appearand defend against theAmended Complaint filed inthis action at 9:30 a. m. on the17th day of September, 2020,in the second floor courtroomof the Lowndes County Court-house in Columbus, Missis-sippi, and in case of your fail-ure to appear and defend, ajudgment will be enteredagainst you for the money orother things demanded in thecomplaint or petition.

You are hereby further givennotice that not less than ten(10) days prior to the trial dateof September 17, 2020, youare required to file the State-ment of Values pursuant toMiss. Code Ann. §11-27-7,which shall be treated aspleadings in this action. Thedate of the filing of this law-suit is the 16th day of March,2020, and the name and ad-dress of the attorney for thePlaintiff is Martha Bost Stegall,P. O. Box 7120, Tupelo, Mis-sissippi 38802. Other than theStatement of Values you arenot required to file an Answeror other pleading but you maydo so if you desire.

Issued under my hand and theseal of said Court, this 9th dayof July, 2020.

TERESA BARKSDALE, CLERKSPECIAL COURT OF EMINENTDOMAIN,LOWNDES COUNTY, MS

BY: Ann Marie Langford, D.C.

Publish: 7/17, 7/24,7/31/2020

Legal Notices

IN THE SPECIAL COURT OF EM-INENT DOMAINLOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-SIPPI

COLUMBUS REDEVELOPMENTAUTHORITY PLAINTIFF

VS.

VANESSA BREWER, ET AL. DE-FENDANTS

NO. 2020-0008-ED2

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION

TO: HERBERT KING

You have been made Defend-ants in a lawsuit filed in thisCourt by the Columbus Re-development Authority to con-demn by eminent domain cer-tain real property located inBlock 2, Square 34 North ofMain, Columbus, Mississippi,and being Lowndes tax parcel61W080008000, located at605 4th Street North, Colum-bus, Mississippi. The propertyis necessary to renew and re-development blighted condi-tions in accordance with theUrban Renewal Plan (BurnsBottom) of the City of Colum-bus, Mississippi.

You are summoned to appearand defend against theAmended Complaint filed inthis action at 9:30 a. m. on the17th day of September, 2020,in the second floor courtroomof the Lowndes County Court-house in Columbus, Missis-sippi, and in case of your fail-ure to appear and defend, ajudgment will be enteredagainst you for the money orother things demanded in thecomplaint or petition.

You are hereby further givennotice that not less than ten(10) days prior to the trial dateof September 17, 2020, youare required to file the State-ment of Values pursuant toMiss. Code Ann. §11-27-7,which shall be treated aspleadings in this action. Thedate of the filing of this law-suit is the 16th day of March,2020, and the name and ad-dress of the attorney for thePlaintiff is Martha Bost Stegall,P. O. Box 7120, Tupelo, Mis-sissippi 38802. Other than theStatement of Values you arenot required to file an Answeror other pleading but you maydo so if you desire.

Issued under my hand and theseal of said Court, this 9th dayof July, 2020.

TERESA BARKSDALE, CLERKSPECIAL COURT OF EMINENTDOMAIN,LOWNDES COUNTY, MS

BY: Ann Marie Langford, D.C.

Publish: 7/17, 7/24,7/31/2020

STATE OF MISSISSIPPICOUNTY OF LOWNDES

NOTICE OF SALE

WHEREAS, the following ten-ants entered into leases withFRIENDLY CITY MINI-WARE-HOUSES for storage space inwhich to store personal prop-erty and

WHEREAS, default has beenmade in the payment of rentand FRIENDLY CITY MINI-WARE-HOUSES pursuant to saidLeases is authorized to sell thepersonal property to satisfy thepast due and any othercharges owed to it by the fol-lowing tenants.

NOW THEREFORE, notice ishereby given that FRIENDLYCITY MINI-WAREHOUSES will of-fer for sale, and will sell at auc-tion to the highest bidder forcash all personal property instorage units leased by the fol-lowing tenants at FRIENDLYCITY MINI-WAREHOUSES 4504Highway 69 South, Columbus,MS. Auctions will begin at 8:30A.M. on the 7th day August,A.D. 2020 at 308 ShoneyDrive, Columbus, MS and willcontinue to all FRIENDLY CITYMINI-WAREHOUSE locations inthe following sequence: 903Alabama Street, Columbus,MS; 44 Beatty Road, Colum-bus, MS; 4504 Highway 69South, Columbus, MS. All auc-tions are with reserve andtherefore all units can be with-drawn from the sale at anytime by the auctioneer/man-ager.

Title to the personal property tobe sold is believed to be good,but at such sale, FRIENDLYCITY MINI-WAREHOUSES willconvey only such title as is ves-ted in it pursuant to its leasewith the following and its al-lowed under Mississippi CodeAnnotated Section 85-7-121 etseq (Supp 1988).

Devin Williams - H45

Stacy Norris - H64

Dewayne Edward Roby - H55

WITNESS MY SIGNATURE onthis the 9th day of July, A.D.2020.

FRIENDLY CITYMINI-WAREHOUSESBy: C.H.L.

Publish: 7/10, 7/17 &7/24/2020

Legal Notices

IN THE CHANCERY COURT OFLOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-SIPPI

IN THE MATTER OF THE ES-TATE OF IMOGENE JAMES, DE-CEASED

CAUSE NO: 2020-0115-JNS

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPILOWNDES COUNTY

Letters Testamentary havebeen granted and issued to theundersigned upon the Estate ofImogene James, deceased, bythe Chancery Court of LowndesCounty, Mississippi, on the2nd day of July, A. D., 2020.This is to give notice to all per-sons having claims againstsaid estate to Probate and Re-gister same with the ChanceryClerk of Lowndes County, Mis-sissippi, within ninety (90) daysfrom the first publication dateof this Notice to Creditors. Afailure to so Probate and Re-gister said claim will foreverbar the same.

This is the 14th day of July,2020.

/s/JEFF JAMES, EXECUTOR

Steven R. McEwenMcEwen Law FirmP. O. Box 709Columbus, MS 39703

PUBLISH: 7/17, 7/24 &7/31/2020

IN THE CHANCERY COURT OFLOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-SIPPI

IN RE: ESTATE OF MARY BETHCOOPER WALDEN, DECEASED

SHANDA BETH WALDENSLOAN, EXECUTRIX

NO. 2020-0125-F

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Letters Testamentary havebeen granted and issued toShanda Beth Walden Sloan, Ex-ecutrix of the Estate of MaryBeth Cooper Walden, de-ceased, by the Chancery Courtof Lowndes County, Missis-sippi, on the 30th day of June,2020. This is to give notice toall persons having claimsagainst said estate to Probateand Register same with theChancery Clerk of LowndesCounty, Mississippi, withinninety (90) days after the firstpublication of this Notice toCreditors. A failure to so Pro-bate and Register said claimwill forever bar the same.

/s/ Shanda Beth Walden SloanShanda Beth Walden Sloan, Ex-ecutrix

OF COUNSEL:M. Jay Nichols, MB # 10066The Nichols Firm, PLLCPost Office Box 1081Columbus, MS 39703-1081(662) 243-7330jnichols@thenicholsfirm.net

PUBLISH: 7/17, 7/24 &7/31/2020

IN THE CHANCERY COURT OFLOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-SIPPI

IN RE: THE ESTATE OF ROBERTLEE LOFTIS, DECEASED

ROBERT A. LOFTIS, ADMINIS-TRATOR

CAUSE NO.: 2020-0108-PDE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

STATE OF MISSISSIPPICOUNTY OF LOWNDES

Letters of Administration havebeen granted and issued to theundersigned upon the estate ofROBERT LEE LOFTIS, de-ceased, by the Chancery Courtof Lowndes County, Missis-sippi, on the 14th day of July2020. This is to give notice toall persons having claimsagainst said estate to Probateand Register same with theChancery Clerk of LowndesCounty, Mississippi, withinninety (90) days from this date.A failure to so Probate and Re-gister said claim will foreverbar the same.

This the 14th day of July 2020.

Robert A. LoftisROBERT A. LOFTIS

PUBLISH: 7/17, 7/24 &7/31/2020cdispatch.com

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SudokuSudoku is a num-ber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty spaces so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level increases from Monday to Sunday.

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Legal Notices

IN THE CHANCERY COURT OFLOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-SIPPI

IN THE MATTER OF THE ES-TATE OF SHEILA G. TERRELL,DECEASED

HARRY CLAY TERRELL, IV, EX-ECUTOR

CAUSE NO. 2020 – 0124

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Letters Testamentary havebeen granted and issued toHARRY CLAY TERRELL, IV, Ex-ecutor of the Estate of SHEILAG. TERRELL, deceased, by theChancery Court of LowndesCounty, Mississippi, on the30th day of June, 2020. This isto give notice to all personshaving claims against said es-tate to Probate and Registersame with the Chancery Clerkof Lowndes County, Missis-sippi, within ninety (90) daysfrom this date. A failure to soProbate and Register saidclaim will forever bar the same.

THIS the 8th day of July, 2020.

/s/ Harry Clay Terrell, IVHARRY CLAY TERRELL, IV, Ex-ecutor

PUBLISH: 7/10, 7/17 &7/24/2020

IN THE CHANCERY COURT OFLOWNDES COUNTY, MISSIS-SIPPI

IN THE MATTER OF THE ES-TATE OF SUE MCKISSACK, DE-CEASED

CAUSE NO: 2020-0121-DE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPILOWNDES COUNTY

Letters Testamentary havebeen granted and issued to theundersigned upon the Estate ofSue McKissack, deceased, bythe Chancery Court of LowndesCounty, Mississippi, on the14th day of July, A. D., 2020.This is to give notice to all per-sons having claims againstsaid estate to Probate and Re-gister same with the ChanceryClerk of Lowndes County, Mis-sissippi, within ninety (90) daysfrom the first publication dateof this Notice to Creditors. Afailure to so Probate and Re-gister said claim will foreverbar the same.

This is the 14th day of July,2020.

/s/STEVE MCKISSACK, EX-ECUTOR

Steven R. McEwenMcEwen Law FirmP. O. Box 709Columbus, MS 39703

PUBLISH: 7/17, 7/24 &7/31/2020

Booze Legal Notices

Legal Notice of Trans-fer Application

We the members ofSweet Gum Invest-ments, LLC intend tomake application fora transfer of a Pack-age Retailer permit asprovided for by theLocal Option Alcohol-ic Beverage ControlLaws, Section 67-1-1,et seq., of the Missis-sippi Code of 1972,Annotated. If granteda transfer from ATCOHoldings, LLC doingbusiness as Wines,Etc. who is operatingat 1819 Highway 45N. in the city ofColumbus in thecounty of Lowndes.

We propose to oper-ate under the tradename of Wines, Etc.located at 1819 High-way 45 N. in the cityof Columbus in thecounty of Lowndes.

The names, titles,and addresses of themembers of theabove named busi-ness are:

Carrie M. BaucomManaging Member125 Callaway DriveColumbus, MS39701

James L. Baucom, IIManaging Member125 Callaway DriveColumbus, MS39701

If any person wishesto request a hearingto object to the issu-ance of this permit, arequest for a hearingmust be made in writ-ing and received bythe Department ofRevenue within (15)fifteen days from thefirst date this noticewas published.

Requests shall besent to:

Chief Counsel, LegalDivisionDepartment of Reven-ueP.O. Box 22828Jackson, MS 39225

Date of first publica-tion: 7/24/20

This the 22nd day ofJuly, 2020.

PUBLISH: 7/24 &7/26/2020

Booze Legal Notices

Legal Notice of Trans-fer Application

We the members ofSweet Gum Invest-ments, LLC intend tomake application fora transfer of a Pack-age Retailer permit asprovided for by theLocal Option Alcohol-ic Beverage ControlLaws, Section 67-1-1,et seq., of the Missis-sippi Code of 1972,Annotated. If granteda transfer from ATCOHoldings, LLC doingbusiness as Wines,Etc. who is operatingat 1819 Highway 45N. in the city ofColumbus in thecounty of Lowndes.

We propose to oper-ate under the tradename of Wines, Etc.located at 1819 High-way 45 N. in the cityof Columbus in thecounty of Lowndes.

The names, titles,and addresses of themembers of theabove named busi-ness are:

Carrie M. BaucomManaging Member125 Callaway DriveColumbus, MS39701

James L. Baucom, IIManaging Member125 Callaway DriveColumbus, MS39701

If any person wishesto request a hearingto object to the issu-ance of this permit, arequest for a hearingmust be made in writ-ing and received bythe Department ofRevenue within (15)fifteen days from thefirst date this noticewas published.

Requests shall besent to:

Chief Counsel, LegalDivisionDepartment of Reven-ueP.O. Box 22828Jackson, MS 39225

Date of first publica-tion: 7/24/20

This the 22nd day ofJuly, 2020.

PUBLISH: 7/24 &7/26/2020

EMPLOYMENTCALL US: 662-328-2424

General Help Wanted

AAJJAANNTTAA CCOONNSSUULLTTIINNGGHHaazzMMaatt MMaannaaggeerrCCoolluummbbuuss AAFFBB

REQUIREMENTS:*HazMat Experience

*SDS Knowledge*HazMat Tracking

*EESOH-MIS System*HazMat Training

Call: Victoria484-983-2288

TTHHEE CCOOMMMMEERRCCIIAALLDDIISSPPAATTCCHH seeks a motiv-ated, contracted carrier forthe Brooksville & Maconarea. Excellent opportunityto earn money for college.Must have good transporta-tion, valid driver's license& insurance. Delivers onSunday morning and Mon-Fri afternoons. Apply at TheCommercial Dispatch, 516Main Street in Columbus.No phone calls please.

General Help Wanted

AARREEAA BBUUSSIINNEESSSSis seeking a mature,

motivated person whoenjoys interacting withpeople, being outdoorsand multitasking. Skillsrelated to maintaining

equipment and/or farmwork are desired but not

required. Person needs tobe flexible enough to pitchin where ever needed but

also keep their coreresponsibilities in mind.

If you enjoy a different ex-perience on the regular,meeting new people and

believe in customersatisfaction this job might

be for you.Please submit resume to:

Blind Box 675 c/o TheCommercial Dispatch

PO Box 511Columbus, MS 39703

MMOOUUNNTT TTRRUUCCKKIINNGG is hir-ing a flatbed driver in theColumbus area. Family-owned. Get more out yourcheck & more home time.We work for you!*Home every weekend*50 cent a mile *1099Tyrone Washington901-230-4659mounttrucking@yahoo.com

SSEERRVVIICCEE TTEECCHHNNIICCIIAANN forlocal pest control company.Applicant must be organ-ized, dependable, work wellwith the public, and havegood driving record withvalid driver's license.Drug test required.Apply at 107 Gardner Blvd.No phone calls.

RENTALSADS STARTING AT $25

Apts For Rent: North

FOX RUN APARTMENTSfoxruncompany.com1 & 2 BR near hospital.$595−$645 monthly.Military discount, pet area,pet friendly, and furnishedcorporate apts.24−HOUR PROFESSIONALGYM. ON SITE SECURITY.ON SITE MAINTENANCE.ON SITE MANAGEMENT.24−HOUR CAMERASURVEILLANCE. Benji &Ashleigh, 662−386−4446.

Apts For Rent: West

VIPRentals

Apartments & Houses

viceinvestments.com327-8555

1 Bedrooms2 Bedroooms3 Bedrooms

1, 2, & 3 BathsLease, Deposit& Credit Check

Furnished & Unfurnished

Apts For Rent: Other

Apts For Rent: Other

COLEMANRENTALS

TOWNHOUSES & APARTMENTS

1 BEDROOM2 BEDROOMS3 BEDROOMS

LEASE,DEPOSIT

ANDCREDIT CHECK

662-329-23232411 HWY 45 N

COLUMBUS, MS

© Th

e Disp

atch

Houses For Rent: North

HOUSE FOR RENT

2−3 Bedroom w/ 1.5 BathFenced in yard. $675.

662−549−9555.Ask for Glenn or text.

HOUSE FOR RENT.

56 Mason Dr. No HUD. Nopets. 3BR/1.5BA. Asking$760/ per month. Dep.$760. 662−549−9298.

Houses For Rent: West

1187 MOTLEY Rd.

2b/1ba. Nice quiet area. 8−10 min from downtown.References required. Call662−497−4428 or 662−361−1483.

Mobile Homes for Rent

3BR/2BA Trailer, NewHope school dist. $650/mo & $650 dep. No pets,no drugs, no partying. Callb/w 10a−9p. 662−386−4292. NO TEXT MGS.

RV/MOBILE HOME SITE

East or West Columbus ornear CAFB, Caledoniaschools. 601−940−1397.

REAL ESTATEADS STARTING AT $25

Houses For Sale: New Hope

HILLCREST SUBDIVISION

NEW HOPE SCHOOLS

Brand new & move−inready! 4 Bed, 2 Baths,Granite, tile hardwood &more. Historically low

interest rates. Call Emily C.Moody, 662−574−3903,

662−328−0770.Long & Long Real EstateBuilder/Broker/Owner

Lots & Acreage

1.75 ACRE LOTS. Good/Bad Credit Options. Goodcredit as low as 20% down,$499/mo. Eaton Land,662−361−7711.

LOWNDES COUNTY, MS:

36 ACRES ON GATLIN RD.

Excellent timber & buildingsites. $72,000. For moreinfo, call 205−799−9846or 205−695−2248.

GARAGE SALES TWO FREE SIGNS

Estate Sales

36 Honeysuckle Lane.Chairs, recliners, barstools, dishware, sizes14−18 womens shoes& clothing, antiqueglassware, antiquedolls, music boxes anddecorative items. Youwon’t want to miss thisone! Sat, 8:30−2:30pm662−364−3259

Garage Sales: East

617 SYCAMORE Shop SaleFri. 1p−6p & Sat. 7a−12p.15 passenger van tire, newvanity, tools, cooking pots,pans & a lot of misc. stuff.Come browse!

MERCHANDISEADS STARTING AT $12

Appliances

CENTRAL AC UNIT. Onlyused 1 day, too small forspace. Revolv brand, 2.5btu, 208−230 voltage.$900. Crawford, MS.662−497−2754.

Bargain Column

FOR SALE: Roll Top deskin good condition. 33"wide by 60 " long. $75.00.Call (662) 352−4776.

General Merchandise

For Sale: King size sheetsets: 2 flannel @ $15.00each, 4 cotton sets at$5.00 set. Extra pillowcases and sheets free. 3Nintendo DS games $5.00.Wii Sports edition, newcondition $50.00.662−570−1730

Lawn & Garden

XMARK 52" cut mower

with mulch attachments. 1Stihl gas sting trimmer. 1Still gas blower. 1 mojack.$4000. Call Mr. Pitts662−328−8694.

VEHICLESADS STARTING AT $12

Motorcycles & ATVs

2005 HONDA 250 REBEL

Black, red, and gray.1,428 miles. $1500.662−364−0120.

COMMUNITYADS STARTING AT $12

Good Things To Eat

CANNING TOMATOES,

$15/box, gone soon. Peas& okra coming soon. 662−251−1000 or 662−855−0085.

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