Brewer Dies at 83 Former Ole Miss Coach Was Beloved Athlete, Coach at Lee High School
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ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI C DISPATCHHE.COM OMMERCIAL ISPA50 ¢tc NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOMEH DELIVERY T C ONDAY AY D M | M 14, 2018 Local sports legend Brewer dies at 83 Former Ole Miss coach was beloved athlete, coach at Lee High School BY SLIM SMITH remembered something from [email protected] the day after Brewer was fired at Ole Miss. illy Brewer, who made a “The day after he got fired, habit of getting what he the headline in the Clarion Bwas never really supposed Ledger said, ‘Dog Gone,’” Grif- to have and going places where fin recalled. “That was Billy’s he was never supposed to go, is nickname, ‘Dog.’ I’m not sure coming home. exactly how he got that nick- Most widely remembered for name, but I always took it to be his 11 seasons as the football short for ‘under-dog,’ because coach at Ole Miss, Brewer died that’s what Billy always was.” Saturday in Memphis at age 83, Indeed, those most famil- almost 46 years after leaving his iar with Brewer’s life find his hometown of Columbus, where achievements all the more re- he remains a legend as both a markable for the odds he defied player and coach at Lee High along the way. School. Although he remained in The player Oxford after being fired as the Brewer grew up poor and Rebels’ coach in 1993, Brewer hungry in a part of town where maintained close ties with many his closest neighbors and first of his former teammates, fellow playmates where the black kids coaches, players and friends along 14th Street North. Brewer in Columbus. When his wife of later said those experiences — 51 years, Kay (Gunter) Brewer he was the only white kid who died in 2010 and was buried at played football on a sawdust Friendship Cemetery, there was field near the town’s creosote never any real doubt that he plant — helped him relate to the would return some day. black athletes he would eventu- On Sunday, a private family ally recruit and coach. service will be held for Brewer Little more than a street at Gunter-Peel Funeral Home, urchin, Brewer barely made followed by his burial next to it out of junior high, landed a his beloved wife. scholarship at Ole Miss, then a News of Brewer’s death football power, despite his small spread quickly Saturday, evok- frame (5-foot-10, 150 pounds) ing memories and stories of where he excelled as a defensive Ole Miss Athletic Media Relations Brewer’s more than 65 years in back, then landed his first head Homer E. “Billy” Brewer, 83, who played on three of Johnny Vaught’s greatest teams at Ole Miss sports, as a player and coach at coaching job at Lee High with- and then returned years later to become the Lee High and Ole Miss. out any coaching experience or second winningest head football coach in school Frank Griffin, who met Brew- even a college degree. history, passed away late Saturday afternoon at er when the two were in the He was selected as the Ole Tresevant Manor in Memphis, Tennessee, follow- eighth grade and played sports Miss coach despite having no ing a brief illness. together for the next five years, See BREWER, 3A Cadence announces merger with State Bank Financial Corp. Jessica White, left, banks’ boards on Sunday. Cadence and Carley D eal valued at $1.4 announced the merger with a press Hood eat crawfish billion creates bank with release that noted the merger will while sit- create a regional bank organization ting on the more than 100 locations with about 100 branches in Alabama, steps over BY ALEX HOLLOWAY Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Ten- looking the nessee and Texas. Cotton Dis- [email protected] trict during Cadence has several locations the 2018 Cadence Bancorporation is merg- throughout Mississippi, including King Cotton ing with State Bank Financial Corpo- in the Golden Triangle. State Bank, Crawfish ration in a deal valued at roughly $1.4 according to the company’s website, Boil com- billion. has Mississippi locations in north- petition Friday. The deal, according to a Reuters west, central and south Mississippi. Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff report, received approval from both See CADENCE, 6A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS C ALENDAR LOCAO L F LKS PUB LIC 1 What are the two decks of MEETINGS Today May 15: cards in classic Monopoly? ■ Road Dawgs Tour: Join the Oktibbeha MSU Alumni Associa- 2 What U.S. state hosts Dry Lowndes County tion Chapter, MSU Head Football Coach Joe Moorhead and other Tortugas National Park? Supervisors, 9 3 What gooey honor is bestowed guests for a social and breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and program at 8 a.m. at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex, 100 Championship a.m., County upon unsuspecting celebrities Courthouse at the annual Nickelodeon Kids’ Way on campus. Cost is $15. Register/get advance tickets at May 15: City Cejay Young Choice Awards? starkvilleroaddawgs.eventbrite.com. For information, email okta- 4 If you are lucky enough to have [email protected] or call 662-312-2599. Council, 5 p.m., Kindergarten, Caledonia lunch with FLOTUS, who are you Municipal Com- sharing a meal with? plex High 93 Low 65 5 What politician published the TO P OF PAGE May 22: CMSD memoir “Going Rogue” in 2009? special board Intervals of cloud and sunshine Full forecast on Answers, 6B FIRST FARMERS’ MARKET: Landon Bowen, 8, waits meeting, 9 a.m., page 2A. on a breakfast taco during Columbus Hitching Lot Courtyard by Farmers’ Market Saturday. The chef is Isabel Vanagas Marriott, 1995 from Hamilton who makes steak, chicken, and chorizo Jasmyn Webb works 6th St. N. tacos and tameles for local shoppers. “I love to cook at Sonic, enjoys playing June 4: Lown- INSIDE and share food. My daughter likes to share sometimes softball, and will soon be des County Classifieds6B Dear Abby 5B too,” she said. Landon is the son of Shannon and Clay attending Alcorn University Supervisors, 9 Comics 5B Obituaries 5A Bowen from Columbus. For more photos see page 2A. to study biological health a.m., County 139TH YEAR, NO. 55 Crossword 4B Opinions 4A Photo by Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff. sciences. Courthouse DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A MONDAY, MAY 14, 2018 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com SAY WHAT? DID YOU HEAR? The experiences earned by this team will hopeful- ly pay off in this regional.” Mississippi State softball coach MSU coach Vann UN health agency Stuedeman, on her team getting invited to play in aims to wipe out Monday the NCAA tournament. Story, 1B. transfats worldwide THE HITCHING LOT FARMERS’ MARKET World Health Organization: Transfats, commonly found in baked and processed foods, lead to the deaths of more than 500,000 people from heart disease every year THE ASSOCIatED PRESS 500,000 people from heart disease every year. LONDON — The Several countries in- World Health Organiza- cluding Denmark have al- tion has released a plan ready virtually eliminated to help countries wipe out transfats by introducing le- transfats from the global gal limits on the industrial- food supply. ly-produced oils. Transfats In a release issued are also naturally found in Monday, the U.N. health meat and dairy products. agency said eliminating Dr. Tom Frieden, a for- transfats is critical to pre- mer director of the U.S. venting deaths worldwide. Centers for Disease Con- WHO estimates that eat- trol and Prevention, called ing transfats — commonly transfats “an unnecessary found in baked and pro- toxic chemical that kills,” cessed foods — leads to noting that New York got the deaths of more than rid of it a decade ago. Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff Henry Danner picks up Parker Speed, 20 months old, and sets him in the back of his pickup truck at the Hitch- ing Lot Saturday. The Columbus Hitching Lot held its first summer Farmers’ Market Saturday, where Danner and Speed’s parents both had booths. Parker is the son of Luke and Sarah Speed of Ethelsville, Alabama, and Danner lives in Hamilton. Help us help them, The Humane Society 662 327-3107 CONTACTING THE DISPATCH Office hours: Main line: n 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Fri n 662-328-2424 HOW DO I ... Email a letter to the editor? n [email protected] Report a missing paper? n 662-328-2424 ext. 100 Report a sports score? Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff n n 662-241-5000 Annie Love from Crawford enjoys a strawberry Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff Toll-free 877-328-2430 smoothie during the Hitching Lot’s first summer Claire Bingham, 6, smiles behind her little sister Elliot n Operators are on duty until Submit a calendar item? Farmers’ Market Saturday. “I’m taking a break from Bingham, 3, while she holds up a jar of strawberry jam 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. n Go to www.cdispatch.com/ selling at my booth to see everyone else’s art and that she picked out form a vendor at the Hitching Lot’s community produce,” she said. Annie sells salsa, beets and first summer Farmers’ Market Saturday. Claire and Elliot Buy an ad? 100% soy candles made at her Love Family Farms in are the daughters of Hillary and CJ Bingham of the Co- n 662-328-2424 Submit a birth, wedding Crawford. lumbus Air Force Base. Report a news tip? or anniversary announce- n 662-328-2471 ment? n [email protected] n Download forms at www. cdispatch.com.lifestyles Physical address: 516 Main St., Columbus, MS 39701 Mailing address: P.O.