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ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY FRIDAY | JUNE 23, 2017 CMSD won’t ask for millage increase for FY ‘18 Business administrator: Bond refinance, budget proposal. nancing the construction bond board of trustees president Ja- “We’ve got a for Columbus Middle School, son Spears. This came after the position cuts should provide enough savings significant defi- the district is opting to delay district proposed a 6.1-mill tax cit that we had the principal payment and ob- increase that garnered exten- BY INDIA YARBOROUGH for the 2017-18 budget year, to face to try to tain a lower interest rate that sive public criticism and did not [email protected] which begins July 1. get our budget could save the district an addi- come to fruition. Specifically, Holmes said the to balance and tional $300,000 over the next Bond refinancing and po- Columbus Municipal School district plans to defer roughly Holmes be in a favorable five years. sition cuts would allow the District does not plan to ask for $507,000 in debt by refinanc- position,” Holmes According to Holmes, district to avoid pulling from a a property tax increase next fis- ing a 2009 construction bond. said. “With that came some CMSD expects to spend about now roughly $3 million reserve cal year. CMSD has also cut 32 parapro- drastic measures that we had $41.2 million in FY 2018, about savings fund or asking for a tax Instead, CMSD business fessional positions, she said, to take, and one of those was $3 million less than FY 2017 ex- millage increase. administrator Tammie Holmes which will save the district closing of vacancies and actual penditures. “I feel comfortable with (the told the board of trustees at a about $1.1 million next year. cutting of positions to accom- For FY 2017, the district had current budget plan),” Spears public hearing on Thursday a Holmes delivered the news modate the shortages that we to dip into savings to cover its said. “Certainly we need to con- pair of cost-cutting measures during a public hearing at will see from federal revenues increased budget. It pulled tinue working at the board level should create adequate savings Brandon Central Services that and from the state department.” $1.2 million from a $4.25 mil- to get the refunding option done to balance the district’s budget included the district’s FY 2018 Holmes said through refi- lion savings pool, according to See CMSD, 3A TAKING A BREAK Fireworks on the Water set for July 1 Annual event expects to draw 10,000 spectators to Lock and Dam BY ALEX HOLLOWAY [email protected] Event organizers are encouraging peo- ple to make plans to go to the Lock and Dam on July 1 for the annual Fireworks on the Water. Columbus-Lown- Carpenter des Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Direc- tor Nancy Carpenter said the event gates will open at 5 p.m. The free show is presented by the city of Columbus, Lowndes County, the U.S. Army Corps of En- gineers, Columbus Air Force Base and Visit Columbus. Carpenter said this year’s event is expected to cost about $50,000, which is fully supported by commu- nity sponsors. She said the event has sponsorship from more than 25 community entities and about 15 in- kind sponsors. “It is taking the entire communi- Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff Harrison Clayton, 13, cheers his father, Ronnie Clayton, outside of their family eatery, Brother’s Keepers Bar-B-Que, while ty to bring this together,” she said. they take a break from cooking and serving on Thursday. Harrison has been helping out for the seven years since they “We are very grateful both for the opened. “I love everything about it,” he said. Harrison is the son of Ronnie and Mona Clayton. See FIREWORKS, 8A Court clears Mississippi LGBT objections law; appeal likely 5th Circuit panel: Plaintiffs failed Carlton Reeves had ruled the law is constitutional. INSIDE and cannot be altered. It that the law unconstitu- It said plaintiffs failed ■ SLIMANTICS: When a win would allow clerks to cite to prove they would be harmed by law tionally establishes pre- to prove they would be is really a loss. Page 6A religious objections to ferred beliefs and creates harmed by the law, “but recuse themselves from BY EMILY services to same-sex cou- unequal treatment for the federal courts must Championed and issuing marriage licenses WAGSTER PET TUS ples, but opponents of the LGBT people. His ruling withhold judgment unless to same-sex couples, and The Associated Press signed in 2016 by Repub- law immediately pledged prevented the law from and until that plaintiff lican Gov. Phil Bryant, would protect merchants JACKSON — A federal to appeal. taking effect last July. comes forward.” it aims to protect three who refuse services to appeals court said Thurs- A three-judge panel of The law does not take Legal experts said beliefs: marriage is only LGBT people. It could af- day that Mississippi can the 5th U.S. Circuit Court effect immediately. Plain- the law, which started as between a man and a fect adoptions and foster enforce a law that allows of Appeals reversed a tiffs are allowed time to House Bill 1523 , is the woman; sex should only care, business practices merchants and govern- judge’s decision that had appeal. broadest religious-objec- take place in such a mar- and school bathroom pol- ment employees cite re- blocked the law. The 5th Circuit panel tions measure enacted by riage; and a person’s gen- icies. ligious beliefs to deny U.S. District Judge did not rule on whether any state. der is determined at birth See LGBT, 8A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC zelwood and John Wells MEETINGS 1 Which American author created the Today Kinte Foundation in 1972 to store at 2 p.m. at the Louise June 30: Lown- genealogical record? (rescheduled) Campbell Center for the des County Board 2 Which everyday drug was first de- ■ Why We Call it Arts, 235 Commerce of Supervisors, veloped by the Bayer pharmaceutical Soul Food: Brinda Wil- St., West Point. Free. 9 a.m., Lowndes company in 1899? lis’ presentation “Why Visit wpccac.com. County Court- 3 Of which cerebral game was Vera We Call it Soul Food” house Hank Baucom Francevna Menchik Stevenson world champion in the early 1920s? at the Columbus-Lown- Thursday, June 29 July 5: Cale- Kindergarten, Annunciation 4 In which Asian country would you des Public Library has ■ Sounds of Sum- donia Board of find the Irrawaddy river? been rescheduled for mer: Deacon Jones Aldermen, 6 p.m. High Low 5 By what name was Australian sopra- June 30 at noon due and the Late Night Town Hall 82 75 no Helen Armstrong better known? to inclement weather. Chance of t-storms entertain at this free July 14: Lowndes Call 662-329-5300 for Full forecast on outdoor concert at the County School Answers, 8B more information. page 2A. Riverwalk from 7-9 District Board p.m. Food and cold of Trustees, 11 INSIDE Sunday beverages are available a.m., 1053 Hwy. ■ West Point exhibit: for purchase. Bring 45 South Classifieds8B Obituaries 5A The West Point/Clay lawn chairs or blankets; August 8: Cale- Comics 6B Opinions 6A County Arts Council no pets or coolers. For donia Board of Crossword 5B Religion 7B hosts the opening of an more information, call Aldermen, 6 p.m. 138TH YEAR, NO. 89 Dear Abby 6B exhibit by Richard Ha- 662-328-6305. Nathan Hall, 3, lives in Steens. Town Hall DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2017 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com SAY WHAT? DID YOU HEAR? “He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever shared a field with. He was very deserving of the opportunity.” Juror: Panel was concerned Former Mississippi State baseball player Cody Brown about ‘politics’ of Cosby’s case Friday talking about former MSU catcher Josh Lovelady. Story, 1B. Mistrial declared smoking gun, nothing.” In reality, prosecutors re- Saturday after opened the investigation in 2015 after the public release A THOUSAND WORDS 52 hours of of a deposition that Cosby gave in 2005 and 2006 as deliberations part of accuser Andrea Con- stand’s lawsuit against him THE ASSOCIATED PRESS — testimony that hadn’t been offered when anoth- PITTSBURGH — A ju- er district attorney passed ror in Bill Cosby’s sexual on the case in early 2005. assault trial said Thursday Prosecutors used Cosby’s that some jurors were con- deposition as evidence at cerned that prosecutors the criminal trial. waited 10 years to charge The juror spoke to the him, expressing suspicion AP on the condition of ano- that politics had played a nymity to discuss the sensi- role in the case. tive deliberations. The juror told The Asso- Constand, a former Tem- ciated Press that the panel ple University employee, was almost evenly split in its told jurors Cosby gave her deliberations, with a similar pills that made her woozy number of jurors wanting and then penetrated her to convict the 79-year-old with his fingers as she lay entertainer as acquit him paralyzed on a couch, unable on charges he drugged and to tell him to stop. Cosby has molested a woman at his said his encounter with Con- Philadelphia-area home in stand was consensual. 2004. Constand, now 44, ini- He was the second juror tially went to police about a to speak out after the jury year after she said Cosby as- deadlocked in the case.

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