Argument Heats up Over Guns in Courthouse
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ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY WEDNESDAY | AUGUST 30, 2017 Argument heats up over guns in courthouse Chancery judges back a ban; NRA, AG’s Office claim enhanced INSIDE ■ OUR VIEW: There is no place for concealed carry permit holders can bring them guns in our courthouses. Page 4A BY ISABELLE ALTMAN June 2016 arguing three local Association of America. essence making the courtroom [email protected] judges had violated state law Chancery judges in the 14th by passing an order banning Chancery Judicial District Jim the courthouse,” said Davidson, Local chancery court judges guns from courthouses in their Davidson, Kenneth Burns and who drafted the order. face a challenge in the Missis- seven counties — including Dorothy Colom signed the or- “You can’t separate the court- sippi Supreme Court over the Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay and der banning guns in 2011 after Ward Davidson room from the courthouse,” he right of citizens with enhanced Noxubee. As the case waits for the Legislature passed a law al- eight hours of firearms training said. “You can’t have people concealed carry permits to take the Supreme Court’s ruling, lowing citizens with enhanced in Mississippi. with guns roaming those halls, weapons into a courthouse. more parties are weighing in concealed carry permits to take The judges’ order redefines no matter how well intentioned Firearms instructor Rick on both sides of the argument, firearms into courthouses. the boundaries of the court- they are. It’s just setting people Ward, of Collins, filed a peti- from chancery judges around Citizens with enhanced per- room and bans guns within 200 up for disaster.” tion with the Supreme Court in the state to the National Rifle mits must complete at least feet of courtroom doors — “in See GUNS, 6A West Point Locals ramp up for Harvey relief police still searching for armed robbers One Stop on Highway 45 South Alternate robbed Monday night BY ISABELLE ALTMAN [email protected] Officers with the West Point Po- lice Department are investigating a Monday night armed robbery. WPPD officers received the call about the robbery at One Stop on Highway 45 South Alternate at about 9:30 p.m., according to a press release from the department. Store surveillance footage shows three suspects with white T-shirts covering their faces entering the store, the press release said. One of Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff the suspects held a black semi-au- Starkville resident and Southwire employee Larry Moore opens the doors to the Project Gift truck for donations to Hurricane tomatic pistol and acted as a cover Harvey relief efforts this morning in the Starkville Walmart parking lot. Southwire is among many area organizations collecting while the other two took the cash aid for victims of Hurricane Harvey, which devastated the Texas Gulf Coast over the weekend. register. The suspects then left the store and ran around the building’s Relief agencies seeking cash donations for Harvey victims; lumbus’ Red Cross and northeast corner. member of its Disaster The press release said the sus- Southwire collecting supplies at Starkville Walmart Assessment Team, said pects all wore dark shirts and pants money is the most effec- BY ALEX HOLLOWAY Texas, has dumped more than 50 inches tive aid in the immediate but that each wore different colored [email protected] shoes: one wore black shoes, anoth- of rain — nearly as much as the Golden aftermath of a natural di- Triangle receives in a year — on south saster. er red and black retro Jordan’s and Relief agencies are seeking mostly the third white and black Jordan’s. monetary donations to help victims in Texas. The storm has killed at least 15 “Right now, the most Longo Investigators have asked anyone the wake of historic flooding Hurricane people, and The New York Times re- important thing that’s with information on the robbery to Harvey left behind in the Houston, Tex- ported Wednesday morning that local needed is dollar donations,” Longo said. call WPPD at 662-494-1244 or the as, metro area. officials in Texas have said 30 people “The recovery is what’s really going to Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at Harvey, which made landfall Friday have died. cost people.” 1-800-530-7151. southwest of Houston near Rockport, Linda Longo, a volunteer with Co- See RELIEF EFFORTS, 6A Phase 1 of amphitheater complete City looks to raise up city takes over the venue, which is located on the Phase 1 of the Sen. to $2.5M for second phase west bank of the Tombig- Terry Brown bee River at the Columbus Amphitheater BY SLIM SMITH Riverwalk. has been [email protected] “We’ll be testing all the completed. systems next week to make The city of If there were keys to the Terry Brown sure everything’s ready to Stafford Columbus Amphitheater, the city of Columbus go,” Stafford said. “What is looking to would be getting them next week. you have is basically the same thing as raise up to $2.5 million With the $3-million first phase of the across the river (an existing outdoor for the sec- project completed, City Engineer Kev- stage under the Old Highway 82 bridge ond phase. in Stafford said all that remains is a fi- with grass seating). It’s just bigger, less Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff nal punch-list walk-through before the See AMPHITHEATER, 6A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC MEETINGS 1 In which ocean would you find the Friday Sept. 5: Cale- Azores plateau? ■ Black Prairie Blues Festival: West Point’s 2 Which U.S. comedy show is featured 22nd annual blues fest features Big George donia Board of on the YouTube channel SNL? Aldermen, 6 3 Which German piano manufacturing Brock, Victor Wainwright and the Old Memphis company was established in 1835 Kings beginning at about 6 p.m. at Mary Holmes p.m., Town Hall and is still in family ownership? College (gates open 5:30 p.m.) Tickets to the Sept. 5: Madalyn Holcomb 4 What type of fish spawn were re- indoor concert are $20 in advance at black- Columbus City leased into tributaries of the river Elbe First grade, Annunciation prairiebluesfestival.com, the Growth Alliance Council, 5 p.m. in 1998 in the hope they would return (West Point), the Columbus Arts Council or Jack City Hall four years later? Forbus Insurance (Starkville); $25 at the door. Sept.8: Lown- High Low 5 Which rock musical features music Barbecue, T-shirts, CDs (but not alcohol) will 76 72 from a concept album by the band des County Chance of t-storms Green Day? available for purchase. Small coolers allowed. School District Full forecast on Visit the website for information. Answers, 6B board, 11 a.m., page 2A. ■ Night Market: The Greater Starkville Devel- District Office opment Partnership hosts its second annual INSIDE Night Market from 7-9 p.m. at Fire Station Park, Sept. 11: 503 E. Lampkin St., Starkville. Dining, live Columbus Mu- Classifieds5B Food 7B music and shopping with artisans and pop-up nicipal School Comics 4B Obituaries 5A shops. Food Tasting Band, $15; Food and Bev- District board, Crossword 6B Opinions 4A erage Tasting Band, $25. For more information, 6 p.m., Brandon 138TH YEAR, NO. 146 Dear Abby 4B NATS 7A contact the GSDP, 662-323-3322. Lloyd Tyler Bell likes football. Central Services DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2017 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com DID YOU HEAR? Posts, tweets spread widely as the Harvey missing are sought Wednesday No official number of the unaccounted- AFTER ALL THESE YEARS for had been released Tuesday night The New Hope High School Class of 1972 celebrated a 45th reunion in Columbus the weekend of Aug. 19. BY ANDREW DALTON above their heads as the Scene&Seen The Associated Press water rose to their chests and a current pushed them Photos with pleas for along. help in finding the missing “It was raining bad, from Tropical Storm Har- and the water was high,” vey are being posted, cut- the mother, Bajauh Henix, and-pasted and retweeted said. by thousands of people They handed the baby as desperate family mem- off to a police officer on a bers seek loved ones who personal watercraft, who they fear might be dead, took the infant to higher but may only have a dead ground and handed her phone. to a family in a black pick- No official number of up truck, said Kennesha the unaccounted-for had Grand, the girl’s grand- been released Tuesday mother. night amid the vast uncer- But when Grand and He- tainty of the storm’s fourth nix reached the area where day, with authorities saying the child was supposed to the 18 deaths confirmed so be, no one there who knew far could surge in the days her whereabouts. to come. Once they reached a Pictures and pleas for shelter, they posted photos dozens of toddlers, broth- of the baby on Instagram ers and grandfathers are and elsewhere. “Every- circulating on Instagram, one started posting, and it Facebook and Twitter. started spreading,” Grand Joy West, Barbara Vanlandingham, Claudia Harcrow and Beverly Sullivan The posts appeared to said. be getting results, though After nearly four hours, not always good news. the mother got a phone “Pleaseeeee,” read the call from a family. They Instagram posting seeking had Paige, who was re- 8-month-old Paige Booth, turned by a police officer, showing the baby sitting completely unfazed by the on a couch with a pacifier. ordeal.