ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI C DISPATCH.COM FREE! THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 Murder suspect: ‘Wrong place at wrong time’ Chief Selvain Mc- faces run past him into the vic- State rests in capital murder case; defendant doesn’t testify Queen — who tim’s house. was a lieutenant “When I saw them, I threw BY ISABELLE ALTMAN disabled cousin, Eddie Bank- tellectual disability. at the time — in my hands up and took off,” the [email protected] head, 35. The defense opted Bankhead and three others which he said defendant said in the video. not to put any witnesses on the are charged in the death of Ed- A Lowndes County jury will he did not par- Bankhead said he ran to his stand. die Bankhead, who was shot in likely begin deliberating the ticipate in the niece’s house on 19th Street Closing statements are his College Street home during capital murder case of a Colum- Bankhead robbery. Instead, and no one was home. Michael bus man today. scheduled to begin in circuit an armed robbery. Bankhead told Ross, 36, another suspect in the The state rested its case court this morning. Though it In court Wednesday, the police he hap- case, then picked him up in a Wednesday afternoon against is a capital murder case, Dis- state showed the jury a video of pened to be at the house where car. Two other suspects, Omar 39-year-old Derrick Bankhead, trict Attorney Scott Colom said Derrick Bankhead’s statement the robbery took place and that Beard, 33, and Cortez Williams, who is charged in the July 2011 Bankhead is not eligible for the after the shooting to former he ran when he saw two armed 31, were in the car at that time. shooting death of his physically death penalty because of an in- Columbus Police Department men with bandannas on their See TRIAL, 3A Starkville Night Market Communiversity work about to begin set for Friday First-time event transforms traditional farmer’s market into an urban, pop-up shopping experience BY CARL SMITH [email protected] Almost 30 retailers and in- dependent vendors will offer a variety of goods and wares during Friday’s Starkville Main Street Association-spon- sored Night Market, while seven area restaurants and distributors will provide sam- plings of locally sourced foods Prather and signature cocktails. The night offering of the Starkville Com- munity Market, scheduled from 7-9 p.m. at Fire Station Park, is the Greater Starkville Development Partnership’s first ever attempt Courtesy photo/PryorMorrow to transform the traditional farmer’s market This rendering shows a proposed showroom area within East Mississippi Community College’s Communiver- into an urban, pop-up shopping experience. sity. Construction will soon begin on the project. While event goers can enjoy offerings from participating retailers, artisans and formation release year,” Miller said. “Hopefully be- independent shopkeepers, they can also Bidding process near, from the Colum- fore the end of the calendar year, purchase a $15 armband to partake in food bus-based Pryor- folks will see a lot of activity at the tastings from local restaurants that will have construction work Morrow architec- construction site.” booths on-site. A $25 armband will give shop- ture firm. Bids Miller said the project should pers unlimited tastings from those restau- expected for fall will be opened on have about a two-year construc- rants as well as wine, beer and cocktails. BY ALEX HOLLOWAY Oct. 6, and EMCC tion period. He said EMCC hopes Jennifer Prather, the Partnership’s spe- [email protected] Vice President for to have it open by fall 2018. cial events coordinator and SCM manager, Miller Administration The Communiversity, formally said the event is expected to draw a large Work on the East Mississippi known as the Center for Manu- crowd, as many people on social media are Paul Miller said a Community College’s “Communi- facturing Technology Excellence sharing information with their friends and construction contract should be versity” should begin this fall, if saying they’ll attend. awarded shortly after. 2.0, will host manufacturing and everything goes as planned. “I think the night market really appeals “That means we’ll be breaking technical training-based pro- to a number of people, and it will definitely Bid advertisements go out ground hopefully before the hol- grams at a 30-acre site on High- give the opportunity to out-of-town folks to today, according to a project in- iday season begins this calendar See COMMUNIVERSITY, 8A experience Starkville’s creativity and cul- See NIGHT MARKET, 8A Plum Creek Environmental celebrates expansion West Point Mayor Rob- State, local officials Environmental Technolo- the TV and in the newspapers, bie Robin- gies, was speaking at a Gold- and it’s always this big corpo- son, Plum praise company’s en Triangle Development ration,” Wamble said. “This is Creek Envi- LINK-hosted event to for- surreal to me. But why not? ronmental move to West Point mally announce his company We’ve been here a while and Technologies moving to a new facility in we pay taxes and shop here President Jim Wamble BY ALEX HOLLOWAY West Point. and employ people. and Gov. [email protected] In an event that featured “Why not us?” Wamble Phil Bryant Gov. Phil Bryant, Wamble asked again. “Who says it speak after Jim Wamble could scarce- said it was hard to believe his can’t be?” a LINK event ly contain his awe before the company, founded in 2009, Plum Creek employs 43 Wednesday crowd at the Ritz Theater and had come so far. Plum Creek people, Wamble said. He said to announce Convention Center in down- those jobs will move to West Plum Creek’s is moving to West Point be- move to town West Point. cause it’s outgrown its Colum- Point, with plans to add 50 West Point. Wamble, president of Co- bus facility. more over the next two years. Alex Holloway/Dispatch Staff lumbus-based Plum-Creek “We’ve seen this before on See PLUM CREEK, 3A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC 1 Who was the only British Prime Min- affected by recent flooding. MEETINGS Today For more information, contact ister to have been assassinated? ■ Gallery reception: The Co- Sept. 6: Ok- 2 What is 1/100th of a carat weight CLRA, 662-327-4935, or Bon- lumbus Arts Council hosts a tibbeha County of a gemstone called? nie Partridge, 662-769-7707. Board of Super- 3 For which show did John Larro- free reception 5:30-7 p.m. for an exhibit by Studio 206, fea- visors, county quette earn three consecutive Emmy courthouse, Awards for Supporting Actor? turing area artists Patti John- Friday ■ Black Prairie Blues 5:30 p.m. Laura Beth Hines 4 Who was the first African American son, Judy Howle, Kevin Voller, to win an Academy Award? Festival: Stormy Monday, Sept. 6: Pre-K, Heritage Ann Chilcutt, Selden Lambert 5 Which football player was known as and Debbie Alexander, at the Lightnin’ Malcolm and Jarekus Starkville Board The Galloping Ghost? Rosenzweig Arts Center, 501 Singleton entertain at this of Aldermen, City Hall, 5:30 p.m. High 94 Low 74 Answers, 8B Main St. For information, call indoor blues festival on the Mostly sunny 662-328-2787. Mary Holmes College campus Sept. 13: Full forecast on ■ Zumba for Louisiana: The in West Point. Gates open 6 Starkville-Oktib- page 2A. Zumba family of the Colum- p.m. Tickets $20 advance at beha Consoli- bus-Lowndes Recreation the Columbus Arts Coun- dated School Authority hosts a “Zumba for cil, Jack Forbus Insurance District Board Louisiana” fundraiser at 6 (Starkville) or the Growth Alli- of Trustees, INSIDE p.m. in the East Columbus ance (West Point). Or order at Greensboro Gym, 222 Lawrence Dr. Mone- wpnet.org/index.php/attrac- Center, 6 p.m. Classifieds5B Obituaries 5A tary donations of any amount tions/howlin_wolf/blues_festi- Nancy Smith, of Colum- Comics 6B Opinions 6A are welcome to assist families val. $25 at the door. bus, works at Krispy Kreme. DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com SAY WHAT? DID YOU HEAR? “I’m happy he’s playing on our defense, and he’s a valuable guy to our team. I hope he keeps improving.” Some civil rights sites at Mississippi State defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon, risk of being lost to history Thursday talking about senior Torrey Dale. Story, 1B. ‘There are a lot of sites that should be recognized and remembered A THOUSAND WORDS because they tell our story’ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS lation will be majority-mi- nority by mid-century, ALBUQUERQUE, highlighting a need to cov- N.M. — A once-thriving er all history. all-black settlement in the “I think generally we New Mexico desert is a need to be more inclu- ghost town that rarely ap- sive,” said Rita Powdrell, pears on maps. Tour buses president of the African pass but never stop at a American Museum & Cul- Houston building where tural Center of New Mexi- Latino activists planned co. “There are a lot of sites civil rights events. Motels that should be recognized that welcomed minori- and remembered because ty motorists along 1950s they tell our story.” Route 66 sit abandoned. In Alabama, for exam- From a Civil War bat- ple, tourism officials invite tlefield where Hispanic visitors to experience such Union soldiers fought to places as the University of birthplaces of civil rights leaders, sites linked to the Alabama’s Foster Audito- nation’s struggle for racial rium, where Gov.