BROWNING ON BUSINESS Inside, See page 4A ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 12, 2015 Person of interest detained for store robbery Sprint Mart at 2021 Military At approximately 9 a.m. Triangle Wednesday. Neither Kidnapped clerk taken to West Point, where Road, according to CPD and Wednesday, authorities identi- was injured. She said it was un- convenience store manager Ash- fied a person of interest in West determined if the suspect was police located her at a local business ley Waddell. A male suspect took Point and took that person into armed, but all signs indicated BY ANDREW HAZZARD one of the store clerks hostage. custody. that he was. [email protected] vestigation of a robbery and kid- West Point police officers Waddell told The Dispatch Authorities declined to re- napping at a local convenience found the kidnapped clerk at a both clerks working at the time lease the name of the suspect by The Columbus Police De- store Wednesday morning. store in West Point, according were female and both received press time today. partment has taken a person of The incident took place at to a statement from CPD Capt. medical check-ups at Baptist The investigation is ongoing, interest into custody in the in- about 4 a.m. Wednesday at the Brent Swan. Memorial Hospital—Golden according to Swan. CAFFEINE QUEEN Flag order slips through cracks region wide Few entities knew to fly flags at half-mast for Nunnelee BY ZACK PLAIR [email protected] Sometimes things just slip through the cracks. Such was the case for most local govern- ments in the Golden Triangle when it came to Gov. Phil Bryant’s order to lower flagsNunnelee to half-mast in memo- ry of late Mississippi Congressman Alan Nunnelee, who died Friday. Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff The governor ordered flags at Beans & Cream employee Amy Salyer whips up a white chocolate mocha for a costumer this morning. After more than six years as a barista, Salyer is a professional “caffeine queen.” public buildings lowered to half-mast from Friday until sunset on Monday. On Tuesday, The Dispatch report- ed that Columbus City Hall inadver- tently failed to comply with the order but that flags flew at half-mast at most other facilities throughout the CalStar moving more production to Lowndes Co. city. Turns out, the city of Columbus may have been the Golden Triangle Brick, masonry company will eventually employ about 60 demand for a new line of decorative trim government most compliant with the cast stone products, according to the order. BY WILLIAM BROWNING Global Industrial and Aerospace Park in press release. City buildings in both Starkville [email protected] July. The move the company is making Candi McDonough, a company spokes- and West Point failed to lower flags from a pilot plant in Wisconsin to Lown- person, told The Dispatch on Wednesday Monday, and Lowndes County Ad- CalStar Products, a North Caroli- des County will result in “increased ca- that when the Lowndes County plant ministrator Ralph Billingsley said na-based brick and masonry products pacity and a larger geographic footprint” reaches full-capacity it will employ “up- flags at the Lowndes County admin- manufacturer, announced this week that for its products, according to a press re- wards of 60 people.” istration building also flew at full- it is moving production efforts from a Wis- lease. CalStar currently employs about 30 mast. consin site to its Lowndes County facility. The company said it will also be add- people in Lowndes County. “I did not get the directive that we CalStar began operations at its ing additional curing capacity to its Lown- The shift from Wisconsin begins im- were doing that,” Billingsley said. 100,000-square-foot plant in the GTR des County site in order to keep up with mediately, according to the company. See FLAGS, 8A With Stewart leaving Daily Show, Molpus recalls his ‘15 seconds’ BY SLIM SMITH reasons that were totally erately lost or destroyed ation. “It turned out to from friends and asso- [email protected] undeserved two years by Molpus in 1995. In be a long weekend for ciates who recognized ago. 2013 it was discovered me and I think it’s fair how unfairly he had been ith the exception On his Feb. 22, 2013, the U.S. Department of to say I was more than a treated. of five days in show Stewart lampooned Archives never received little miffed. What hurt “Looking back now, 2013, Dick Mol- W the state of Mississippi the ratification papers in the most is that what he one of the things I real- pus has always been a big fan of Jon Stewart. about a recent news 1995. When Secretary of was accusing me of was ized is the enormous au- So when Stewart, the Molpus Stewart item that revealed that State Delbert Hosemann so totally different than dience he had, especially host of Comedy Central’s Mississippi had finally re-submitted the paper everything I stood for among younger people. The Daily Show, an- him,” Molpus said. ratified the 13th Amend- in 2013, the news caught and had been doing for The under-35 population nounced Tuesday he was Molpus, Mississippi’s ment, which abolished Stewart’s attention and so many years. It was a may not know who Brian leaving the show after Secretary of State from slavery in 1865. Stewart Molpus was soon the butt bitter pill, for sure.” Williams is, but I assure 16 years, Molpus was 1984 until 1996, found asserted, incorrectly of Stewart’s sharp satire. Almost immediate- you, they know Jon Stew- saddened by the news. himself on the sharp as it turned out, that “I couldn’t believe it,” ly after the program, art. I got emails from 20 “I know I had my 15 end of Stewart’s legend- the state’s ratification said Molpus, who was Molpus began getting countries, 400 emails seconds of fame with ary biting wit, and for papers had been delib- floored by the insinu- emails and phone calls See MOLPUS, 8A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC MEETINGS 1 What state boasts the easternmost Today: Starkville Board of Today, Feb. 12 Aldermen, 4 p.m., Renasant desert in the U.S.? ■ Boys and Girls Club: Charity 2 Who was one of the founding mem- Bank conference room bers of the little-known British rock fundraiser with coach Jackie Feb. 13: Lowndes County band Ugly Rumours? Sherill. Silent auction at 6 p.m., Supervisors, County court- 3 What musical is based on the play dinner at 7 p.m. $30 for individ- house, 9 a.m. “Pygmalion”? uals, $15 for children, $50 for Feb. 13: Lowndes County 4 What common tool might have a Kaselyn Harcrow couples. EMCC Lyceum auditori- School Board, 11 a.m. claw or a peen? um. For information, 244-7090. Kindergarten, New Hope 5 What computer company made its Feb. 17: Columbus City first big break into the arcade game Council, Municipal Complex, High Low market with “Donkey Kong”? Friday, Feb. 13 5 p.m. 45 24 March 2: Lowndes County Sunny and chilly ■ Big Band: Gill Harris and the Answers, 8B Supervisors, County court- Full forecast on Big Band Theory present music page 2A. and dancing at Trotter Convention house, 9 a.m. Center, 8 p.m. Table seats $30 in March 2: Columbus-Lown- advance at the Rosenzweig Arts des Recreation Authority Center, 501 Main St., 662-328- Board, CLRA Administration INSIDE 2787. ($35 at door). Reserved Building, 6 p.m. tables for 10, $240. (For precon- March 3: Columbus City Classifieds7B Obituaries 5A cert dinner reservations at The Council, Municipal Complex, 135TH YEAR, NO. 286 Comics 6B Opinions 6A Southern call 662-364-3021.) Cara Prather lives in West Point. 5 p.m. DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com SAY WHAT? DID YOU HEAR? “Any time you are at a program like Mississippi State, there’s going to be high expectations from the fans, from the media.” MSU senior shortstop Seth Heck, talking about the Thursday expectations for this season. Story, 1B. A THOUSAND WORDS AP Photo/A&E Networks, Gurney Productions This photo provided by A&E Networks shows, from left, Jep Robertson, Si Robertson, Jase Robertson and Wil- lie Robertson of A&E’s “Duck Dynasty.” Unlikely new musical tells ‘Duck Dynasty’ family’s tale THE ASSOCIATED PRESS “If theater people are storytellers, God knows LAS VEGAS — It’s all we don’t only tell stories seemed like one big un- about people we agree likely mashup: the Deep with,” David said. South, God-fearing family The man behind the of A&E’s “Duck Dynasty” musical “Jersey Boys,” turning their tale into a his Dodgers Theatricals song and dance musical group and music executive on stage in Sin City. Tommy Mottola teamed Even Broadway pro- up with the “Ducks” to ducer Michael David has bridge two worlds. been on the receiving end There certainly will of inevitable surprise and, be beards. And the usual sometimes, concern when family antics seen on the people learned of his in- show. But there will be no Mark Wilson/Dispatch Staff volvement in the “Duck do-si-doing around any of Vultures soar high over Columbus on a sunny Friday afternoon. Commander Musical.” the controversy involving What were thespian the family on “Duck Dy- blue-staters doing getting nasty,” cable’s highest-rat- involved with duck-hunt- ed reality show. ing entrepreneurs from a The good, the bad and Lawyer: ‘American Sniper’ said ex-Marine ‘straight-up nuts’ decidedly red state? Espe- the in-between are all said cially duck-hunting entre- to be part of the 90-minute BY JAMIE STENGLE Erath County District preneurs whose patriarch retelling of the Robertson The Associated Press Attorney Alan Nash de- has been quoted vilifying family’s rags-to-riches sto- scribed the 27-year-old homosexual behavior.