Longtime State Legislator, Veterinarian Passes Away at 87 Canon’S Legacy Includes Leadership of 1987 Highway Program
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ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY MONDAY | JULY 30, 2018 Longtime state legislator, veterinarian passes away at 87 Canon’s legacy includes leadership of 1987 highway program BY SLIM SMITH [email protected] re there cigars in heaven? There probably are now. A It’s hard to imagine Bill “Doc” Canon, who passed away this weekend at age 87, without the stub of a cigar clenched in his jaw as he went about his business. “You hardly ever saw him without that cigar,” said Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant, who had known Canon since he was just a kid. “He was just a prince of a fellow and a gentleman, just an all-around great guy. When he first ran for Senate, I made yard signs for him and so on. We go way back.” Canon grew up in Vaiden, but after studying veterinary medicine first at Mississippi State, then at Auburn, he set up practice in Columbus, where he specialized in treating livestock. An independent voice Canon entered state politics in 1976, winning a seat in the Mississip- pi House as a Democrat. He served just one term in the House, however, before running for state Senate. Rep. Jeff Smith, who had known Canon since the mid-1960s, said the reason for the change was simple. “(Canon) told me he was going to run for the Senate because he wasn’t Dispatch file photo one of Buddy’s boys and he would Bill “Doc” Canon is pictured during a 2014 debate between District 17 Senate candidates at Mississippi University never be able to do anything in the for Women’s Poindexter Hall in this Dispatch file photo. Canon, who passed away this weekend at age 87, studied House because of that,” Smith said. veterinary medicine at Mississippi State University and Auburn University and opened a practice in Columbus where The “Buddy” Canon referred to he specialized in treating livestock. He also served one term in the Mississippi House before running for the state was Buddy Newman, the long-time Senate, where he served from 1980 until 2003. speaker of the House who ran the Canon served in the Senate from mistaken for a lack of commitment, 1987 Highway Program, an aggres- chamber with an iron fist. Meekly 1980 until 2003. sive project to build four-lane high- taking orders wasn’t Canon’s style, however. said Sen. Hob Bryan of Amory, who Smith said Canon took his work ways throughout the state funded by served alongside Canon for 20 years Highway legacy in Jackson very seriously. a 5-cent per gallon increase in the in the Senate. Smith said Canon was noted for “He almost never missed a state’s fuel tax. “Bill was in the Senate back when his dry sense of humor. That was evi- session,” Smith said. “His record Prior to then, excluding federal people made up their own minds,” denced in 1993 when Canon switched of attendance is legendary. He was interstate highways, there were just Bryan said. “It’s not that he was op- to the Republican Party. always there. That sounds silly, but two major four-lane highways in the posed to the leadership, but he wasn’t “He kept complaining that he nev- members of the Legislature miss a state. As a result of the Legislature’s hesitant to raise issues that weren’t er got the Cadillac he was promised lot, because of jobs or whatever. Not $1.3 billion highway program, the necessarily ‘with the program.’ He after he changed parties,” Bryan Dr. Canon. He never missed.” state built more than 1,000 miles of was a good independent voice in the said. Probably the most important four-lane highway statewide. Senate.” His sense of humor was never legislation Canon worked on was the See CANON, 6A Police launch Ex-middle school teacher indicted for child exploitation Higgins pleads guilty to armed robbery in separate case pened. District officials con- formal search firmed after his arrest that BY ALEX HOLLOWAY ment of a child to meet for to the indictment, occurred he no longer works for the [email protected] sexual purposes and entice- between Nov. 1, 2017 and Starkville-Oktibbeha Con- for missing man ment of a child to produce Dec. 19, 2017. solidated School District. A former a visual depiction of sexual The report says McBeath McBeath is out of jail on a BY ALEX HOLLOWAY A r m s t r o n g $50,000 bond. [email protected] conduct. texted the student about Middle School Grand jurors indicted “possibly meeting up in his Starkville police teacher has McBeath for enticement of classroom, his truck, or the Armed robbery plea are now formally been indicted a child, according to a doc- field house for sexual rela- K e n y o n investigating the for exploita- ument filed Thursday in tions.” M o n t r e l l whereabouts of a tion of a child Oktibbeha County Circuit The report further states Higgins, 22, missing Starkville after texting McBeath Court. that the victim believed Mc- pleaded guilty man after a missing a student to According to an incident Beath got her phone number to charges of person report was meet for sexual purposes. report in McBeath’s circuit by going through her phone aggravated filed with the depart- Starkville police, with as- court file, a SPD officer re- while she was charging it in assault and ment over the week- Ward sistance from the U.S. Mar- sponded on Dec. 14 to re- his classroom. armed rob- end. shal Task Force, arrested ports of inappropriate text McBeath was an eighth- bery. Higgins SPD Public Information Officer 38-year-old Lacey McBeath, messages McBeath was grade science teacher in his According Brandon Lovelady confirmed the of Columbus, in January on sending to a female AMS stu- first semester at the school to court documents, Higgins See MISSING, 6A felony warrants for entice- dent. The texting, according when the incident hap- See INDicTMENTS, 3A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC 1 Which sport is not part of the Sum- MEETINGS Thursday through Sunday Today: Colum- mer Olympics — badminton, bowling, ■ Artesia Days: This summer festival handball, sailing or table tennis? bus Municipal includes an Aug. 3 block party with entertain- 2 What is both a national park and a School District ment, motivational speakers, dance teams 1973 movie starring Sissy Spacek and public hearing on and more from 6 p.m.-midnight. On Aug. 4, Martin Sheen? school budget, 3 What 2004 movie character stores opening ceremony is 2 p.m., followed by a 5:30 p.m., tater tots in his pants? cake walk, face painting, cartoon characters, Jason Bush Brandon Central 4 What Disney character appeared in gospel music and blues that evening. A base- Second grade, Caledonia the Forest Service’s fire-prevention Services ball game Aug. 5 begins at 2 p.m. For informa- campaign before Smokey Bear? July 31: Lown- tion, call Artesia Town Hall, 662-272-5104. High Low 5 What James Joyce novel begins with des County 91 71 a “moocow” meeting a “nicens little Chance of a p.m. t-storm Supervisors, 9 boy named baby tuckoo”? Saturday, Aug. 11 a.m., Courthouse Full forecast on page 2A. Answers, 6B ■ Sizzling Second Saturday: The Hitching Aug. 8: Colum- Lot Farmers Market celebrates a Back to bus Municipal School Bash from 7-10 a.m., with music by School District Melvin Mordecai, Mother Goose and a visit Mercedes Markray is a board review INSIDE from The W’s Project CHEW food truck, plus manager at Ulta Beauty meeting, 11:30 Classifieds6B Dear Abby 5B fresh produce, baked goods and crafts at Sec- and likes making people a.m., Columbus Comics 5B Obituaries 5A ond Avenue and Second Street North. Contact feel good about themselves Success Acad- 139TH YEAR, NO. 119 Crossword 4B Opinions 4A Main Street Columbus, 662-328-6305. “inside and out.” emy DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A MONDAY, JULY 30, 2018 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com SAY WHAT? DID YOU HEAR? “We wind up having good runs, and I’m up in the points. The points will mess with you if you get to chasing them.” ‘Mission: Impossible — Steens native Lee Ray after winning his 11th feature of the Fallout’ shoots to No. 1 Monday season Saturday at Magnolia Motor Speedway. Story, 1B. BY LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer Estimated ticket sales for Friday LOS ANGELES — After A THOUSAND WORDS six movies, 22 years, count- through Sunday less bruises and a bro- 1. “Mission: Impossible ken ankle, Tom Cruise’s — Fallout,” $61.5 million death-defying “Mission: Im- ($92 million international). possible” stunts continue to 2. “Mamma Mia! Here pay off at the box office. We Go Again,” $15 million “Mission: Impossible ($26.6 million international). 3. “The Equalizer 2,” $14 — Fallout” easily took the million ($1.9 million interna- No. 1 spot on the domestic tional). charts this weekend. Para- 4. “Hotel Transylvania mount Pictures estimates 3: Summer Vacation,” that it earned $61.5 million $12.3 million ($31 million from 4,386 North American international). theaters. 5. “Teen Titans Go! To the Not accounting for in- Movies,” $10.5 million ($1 flation, it’s a best for the million international). 6. “Ant-Man and The long-running franchise, Wasp,” $8.4 million ($11.5 which has grossed $2.8 bil- million international). lion worldwide, and one of 7. “Incredibles 2,” $7.2 Cruise’s biggest too (just million ($20 million interna- shy of “War of the Worlds’” tional).