CPD Gets Active on Twitter
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BROWNING ON BUSINESS Inside, See page 4A ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI C DISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY THURSDAY | DECEMBER 3, 2015 CPD gets A road back active on Twitter Department using account for crime, other updates BY ALEX HOLLOWAY [email protected] The Co- lumbus Police Department is making heavy use of its Twit- ter account two weeks after it went live. Since Nov. Shelton 23, when the account — @ INSIDE Columbus_ ■ OUR VIEW: CPD’s Twitter MS_PD — went account shows live, the depart- commitment ment has post- to transparen- ed 42 “tweets.” cy. Page 6A CPD uses the social media tool to provide the public updates on reported crimes, accidents, street closures and officer presence. Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff CPD Interim Chief Fred Columbus resident Charlie Allen graduated from the Columbus Municipal Drug Court in October of 2014. Shelton said two city IT De- partment employees currently operate the account. “They send a proof to me and let me look at it and make Drug court emphasizes rehabilitation sure it fits the guidelines of what we want to share,” Shel- See TWITTER, 8A Non-violent offenders get treated for addiction, have charges dismissed Sheriff’s office if successful BY ISABELLE ALTMAN searches for [email protected] harlie Allen said the pole came east Columbus out of nowhere. C He was driving on Highway 82 one night when he collided with a shooter power cable pole at an intersection. Allen was charged with driving Gunshots rang under the influence. It was his first offense — and his last, he said, out about 2 p.m. thanks to drug court. For people like Allen, who are Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff Wednesday Judge Marc Amos presides over Columbus Municipal Drug Court recently while charged with non-violent, often drug court coordinator Leonardo Dismukes speaks to participants. “(There’s drug-related misdemeanors and been) this move for drug courts and alternative sentencing and something oth- DISPATCH STAFF REPORT sometimes felonies, drug courts er than prison,” Dismukes told The Dispatch. “This is the answer. This is it.” are an alternative to jail time. The Authorities are searching Columbus Municipal Drug Court, control over his life. Now he does not influences charges or who shoplift to for a man or women who al- which began in 2007, takes a few drink at all. pay for drug habits. The participants leged fired a gun several times dozen participants every year and “All I can say is I appreciate drug have to agree to the program. Dis- Wednesday in a Lowndes focuses on rehabilitating them and court,” he said. “I really do.” mukes stressed that if a participant County residential neighbor- changing their lifestyles to prevent does not want to be there or does not hood. them from accumulating further ■ ■ ■ think he or she will get anything out Capt. Ryan Rickert with the charges and getting jail time. of it, then the program will not work. Lowndes County Sheriff’s Of- Allen said he drank a lot before he Drug court participants can be Based on the participant’s assess- fice said deputies were in the became a participant in drug court, referred by city prosecutors, other ments, Dismukes and the rest of the area around Brooks Road, just and he didn’t think anything of it. He attorneys and law enforcement offi- drug court team determine whether off of Lehmberg Road, about 2 would drink with friends and drank cers. The drug court team then does the participant needs inpatient treat- p.m. on an unrelated call when before and after work. Sometimes several assessments to ensure that ment, part of which the Mississippi they heard gunshots. he would wake up and drink a beer the offender in question is right for Department of Vocational Rehabilita- The sheriff’s office, Rickert before breakfast. the program, according to Leonardo tion may pay for, Dismukes said. Cur- said, is trying to determine “What kind of combination is Dismukes, the court’s coordinator. rently there are four participants in who the shooter was and if that?” he wonders now. Typical participants in the Colum- the Columbus Municipal Drug Court there is a victim. It took an accident, a D.U.I. and a bus Municipal Drug Court are peo- who are in in-patient therapy. Rickert said no law enforce- year in drug court to help him regain ple who have two driving under the See DRUG COURT, 8A ment officers were fired upon and no law enforcement offi- cers were injured. WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC 1 Whose alter ego was The Big O? MEETINGS Today Dec. 7: Lowndes 2 Who was the Greek god of dreams? ■ Exhibit reception: The Starkville Area Arts 3 What do the numbers on a standard County Super- Council hosts a reception for its annual Holiday die add up to? visors, Court- Showcase, 5:30-7 p.m. at the Greater Starkville 4 Who was the first woman to be house,9 a.m. Development Partnership, 200 Main St., Starkville. awarded the Distinguished Flying Dec. 8: West Work by 15 area artists is featured. For more infor- Cross medal? Point Board of mation, contact the SAAC, 662-324-3080. Hailley Ingram 5 John Harrington invented what? Selectmen, West Third grade, West Lowndes Point City Hall, 5:30 p.m. Answers, 8B Friday High Low ■ Wassail Fest: Downtown Columbus is filled Dec. 11: 54 31 Lowndes County Sunny with holiday festivities as merchants court your School Dis- Full forecast on vote for best wassail from 5-8 p.m. Music, in-store trict Board of page 2A. demos, promotions and more. For more informa- Trustees, District tion, contact Main Street Columbus, 662-328- Central Office, 6305. 11 a.m. ■ Wassail at The W: Wassailing continues at Mis- INSIDE sissippi University for Women’s Pohl Gymnasium from 8-10 p.m. Highlights include carriage rides, Classifieds7B Obituaries 5A indoor ice skating area, a Snow Queen, crafts, Amanda Sykes works at the Glam 136TH YEAR, NO. 227 Comics 6B Opinions 6A refreshments and more. Station and Spa in Columbus. DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com SAY WHAT? DID YOU HEAR? “I think we’ve made a ton of improvement since the Miami game, but we’ve still got a long way to go.” Mississippi State men’s basketball coach Ex-wife says Colorado suspect Ben Howland, following his team’s 86-73 victory vandalized another clinic Thursday against Texas Southern. Story, 1B. ‘He was always plotting revenge CHRISTMAS PARADE MINI GRAND MARSHALS against people he felt did him wrong’ BY BRUCE SMITH parts” after his arrest. AND SADIE GURMAN Colorado Springs police The Associated Press have refused to disclose a motive for Dear’s violence, CHARLESTON, S.C. — but there’s mounting evi- The man accused of killing dence that Dear was deep- three people at a Colorado ly concerned about abor- Planned Parenthood clinic tion. left a decades-long trail of Dear’s ex-wife, Bar- broken marriages, scant bara Mescher Micheau, social connections and a told The Associated Press reputation for religious on Wednesday that her zealotry that didn’t match former husband came his yen for gambling and home one day bragging extramarital affairs. about gluing the doors New court documents of a clinic. Micheau, who and interviews reveal lives in Moncks Corner, Robert Lewis Dear as an South Carolina, said Dear occasionally violent, fun- never talked much about damentalist loner who was Planned Parenthood, al- known to nurse a grudge. though “obviously he was He had one for at least 20 against abortion.” years against abortion pro- “He was always plotting viders, going so far as to revenge against people he put glue in the locks of a felt did him wrong and you clinic in Charleston years know it didn’t take much earlier, a common protest for him to feel like some- technique among activists body did him wrong,” Mi- trying to shut down abor- cheau said. “So he would tion clinics. spend a lot of time trying William Browning/Dispatch Staff But still unknown is to get back at people, try- The mini grand marshals for this year’s Columbus Christmas Parade were announced Wednesday. Local chil- dren created pieces of art in a competition and the winners were chosen to ride in Dec. 12 parade. Main Street what caused Dear, 57, to ing to figure out ways to Director Barbara Bigelow said Thursday that out of 800 entries in the third annual art contest, nine students escalate from petty van- get back at people.” in kindergarten through fifth grade were chosen for their Christmas-themed art. Winners in the kindergarten dalism to the fusillade he Micheau was Dear’s through first-grade division are Ashton Hays, first place, Madison Jackson, second place, and Marleigh Ellis, is accused of unleashing second of three wives, and third place; in the second- through third-grade division are Avery Johnson, first place, Ember Marina Hall, sec- at the Colorado Springs of- in the affidavit she filed to ond place, and Mirah Amro, third place; and in the fourth- through fifth-grade division are Seth Johnston, first fice, where a law enforce- divorce him in 1993, she place, Santoria Malone, second place, and Jeremiah Linebarker, third place. ment official said he ram- described him as angry bled about “no more baby and isolated. CONTACTING THE DISPATCH Office hours: Main line: 14 dead, 17 wounded in Calif. shooting n 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Fri n 662-328-2424 HOW DO I ..