ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY THURSDAY | JUNE 14, 2018 MDPS pays $500K in Kersh case cident on May 7, Patrol cruiser. She was 22. ‘Kaelin Kersh Act’ will take effect July 1 2017. The crash Kyle Lee, the MHP trooper In an agreed final judgment, BY ALEX HOLLOWAY Mississippi 16th Circuit happened shortly who collided with the Corolla, Coleman ordered MDPS to pay [email protected] Judge Lee Coleman ordered the before 1:30 a.m. was responding to another call $500,000 — the maximum re- at the intersec- of a car that left the road. Kersh covery allowed against a gov- department to pay the amount The Mississippi Depart- tion of Mayhew was the only fatality. Alexander ernmental entity under the Mis- in the case of Tanequa Alexan- ment of Public Safety has paid Road and High- and Collier were hospitalized sissippi Tort Claims Act. $500,000 to the Oktibbeha der v. Mississippi Department way 182. The car after the crash. Oktibbeha County Circuit County Circuit Court to be given of Public Safety v. Noel A. Col- in which Kersh Kersh Kersh’s death came shortly Court received the money from to the victims of a fatal May 2017 lier and the estate of Kaelin G. was a passenger, a 2002 Toyota after she graduated from MSU the Mississippi Tort Claims accident involving a highway pa- Kersh. Corolla, was hit while attempt- with a degree in Kinesiology, Board on June 6, according to trolman and a former Mississip- The litigation was spawned ing to turn onto the road by an on May 5. She was a track and court documents. pi State University athlete. from an early morning car ac- eastbound Mississippi Highway field athlete for the university. See KERSH, 3A Senator’s son ‘A different world’ to spend three years in prison for robbery Colton Younger pleaded guilty in Clay County Circuit Court DISPATCH STAFF REPORT The son of a state representative will spend three years in the Mississippi De- partment of Correc- tions after pleading guilty to robbery. Colton Younger, 25, entered an open Younger plea to robbery in Clay County Circuit Court earlier this week. A special judge, Mark Duncan of the Eighth Circuit Court District, sen- tenced Younger to eight years in prison with three years to serve, five suspended and five years Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff Nakeria Burton, 13, and Ellen Taylor, 14, eat watermelon during lunch at Camp Pratt Wednesday. Both girls are post-release supervision. campers at Camp Rising Sun, an annual camp for children who have been diagnosed with or are in remission from Younger’s father is Sen. Charles cancer. The program allows kids to do traditional summer camp activities with others with similar medical experi- Younger of Columbus. ences. Burton is from Sardis and Taylor is from Olive Branch. Colton Younger was indicted in April 2016. He is accused of rob- bing a Fast Break convenience store on Highway 45 on Dec. 21, Camp Rising Sun makes place for kids with cancer 2015. Court documents said Colton See YOUNGER, 6A BY ISABELLE ALTMAN been diagnosed with cancer. He and kids, all the counselors, everyone [email protected] the friend had so much fun, they involved are all special.” went back every summer until they The camp is specifically for chil- When Andy Miller was 8 years were 17, and Miller kept attending dren from Mississippi, Alabama old, he came home from his first as a counselor — even after mov- and Tennessee who have been diag- year at Camp Rising Sun, sat on the ing to Houston, Texas. This year, nosed with or are in remission from MSU wide receiver swingset in his backyard and cried he brought his wife Kristen Miller, cancer. It’s just like a regular camp, because he had to leave camp. who is attending for the first time. with the kids trying their hands at suspended indefinitely The Meridian native had attend- “There’s really no other place archery, horseback riding, water ed the camp at Camp Pratt in Lown- like this camp,” Andy said. “The sports and arts and crafts. At night, after arrest des County with a friend who had love that’s here is amazing. All the See CAMP RISING SUN, 2A Todd charged with simple assault following alleged fight at party Looking out for ‘Number One’ DISPATCH STAFF REPORT Benefit Committee helping man who A Mississippi State Bobby Wilson sits wide receiver is sus- on his front porch pended indefinitely refuses to let disability slow him down at 10th Avenue and 18th Street after his arrest Tues- BY HANNah GRECO lawn mower once a week North on Tuesday. day for simple assault. [email protected] and tends to the yard at his The Community Head football church — Stephens Chapel Benefit Commit- coach Joe Moorhead Thirty years ago, Colum- Baptist Church — located tee is hosting an confirmed the disci- Todd bus resident Bobby Wilson three blocks from his home at event on Saturday, pline in a brief state- was diagnosed with diabetes. 10th Avenue and 18th Street to raise money to ment Wednesday afternoon, which complete wheel- In 2002, the disease caused North. closely followed a press release Ok- chair-accessible his left leg to be amputated. “He’s always been involved renovations to his tibbeha County Sheriff’s Office is- Despite that obstacle, (with the church),” said the aging home. sued with details of the incident that Wilson gets on his riding See WILSON, 6A Hannah Greco/Dispatch Staff See TODD, 6A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC 1 The Indian film industry known as MEETINGS Friday June 18: Bollywood originated in what city? ■ Summer Safety Jam: This event from 4-6 p.m. 2 Who has not played a vampire on Lowndes County at Columbus’ Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, film — Tom Cruise, Robert Pattinson, Supervisors, 9 321 Forrest Boulevard, includes self-defense Keanu Reeves or George Hamilton? a.m., County demos, bike helmet give-aways, a bike drawing 3 Lewis “Scooter” Libby was sen- Courthouse and food. Columbus Police will also tag bicycles tenced to 30 months in prison for June 18: CVB, 4 Madison Smith lying about his role in the leak of what with IDs. CIA operative’s identity? p.m., CVB office Second grade, Heritage 4 What state is home to the American June 19: City Hop Museum — Kansas, Oklahoma or Thursday, June 21 Council, 5:30 High Low Washington? ■ Sounds of Summer: Big Hoss and The Little p.m., Municipal 89 69 5 What’s the ailment conjunctivitis Complex Chance of t-storms Joes entertain from 7-9 p.m. at the Columbus Riv- more commonly known as? June 21: CLW Full forecast on erwalk for Sounds of Summer. Bring lawn chairs or Answers, 6B Board of Trust- page 2A. blankets for this free concert. No coolers or pets. ees, noon, CLW Food and drink vendors will offer concessions. headquarters Presented by the Columbus Lowndes Chamber of INSIDE Commerce and Main Street Columbus. Taylor Scott works at Business 5B Dear Abby 4B ■ Downtown at Sundown: Starkville’s free sum- the YMCA summer camps Classifieds6B Obituaries 5A mer concert is 7-9 p.m. at Fire Station Park. Bring and likes to read. She is Comics 4B Opinions 4A lawn chairs and blankets. No coolers. Food and currently reading “Wonder- 139TH YEAR, NO. 81 Crossword 2B drink vendors will be on site. struck.” DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2018 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com SAY WHAT? DID YOU HEAR? “The sky is the limit for this kid. He has all the potential in the world.” St. Paul raccoon set free Noxubee County football coach Tyrone Shorter on Kyziah Pruitt’s verbal commitment to play after scaling 25-story tower Thursday at Mississippi State University. Story, 1B. Raccoon’s adventures caused a stir on social media as it scaled the tower Tuesday in Minnesota BY STEVE KARNOWSKI climb was livestreamed The Associated Press by several broadcasters. Valdivia said her mother- MINNEAPOLIS — A in-law saw it on the news raccoon that became an in Chile. internet sensation by scal- The animal made it to ing a 25-story office tower the roof early Wednesday, in downtown St. Paul was where traps baited with safely trapped Wednesday cat food were waiting. The and released back into the raccoon, a female, was re- wild. leased later in the day and The raccoon looked a scampered into a wooded bit bedraggled but healthy area on private property after it was caught before near the Twin Cities sub- dawn atop the UBS Pla- urb of Shakopee. za. Technicians took the Minnesota Public Ra- caged raccoon down a dio, which broke the story freight elevator to a truck, and closely followed the according to Wildlife Man- raccoon’s climb from its agement Services, which headquarters less than a provides animal control block away, branded the services for St. Paul. animal #mprraccoon. “It’s definitely a healthy Among those riveted Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff raccoon. It’s in good con- was Suzanne MacDonald, Camp Rising Sun campers Olivia West, 9, left, and Keionna Livingston, 9, sing and clap during the camp chant dition. It’s eating normal- a raccoon behavior expert and prayer before lunch in the dining hall Wednesday. Olivia is the daughter of Kristina and Kevin Whitaker of ly,” said Christina Valdiv- at York University in To- Shannon. Keionna is the daughter of Tiara and Keith Livingston of Memphis, Tennessee. ia, the company’s general ronto. manager, who accompa- “Raccoons don’t think nied the technicians to the ahead very much, so rac- Camp Rising rooftop.