NO. 20 LSU 23, MSU 20 Comeback falls short for Dogs Sports, 1B OTHER SCORES #1 Alabama 48, #19 Ole Miss 43 #16 Georgia 28, Missouri 27 #19 Texas A&M 29, Auburn 16 Troy 37, Southern Mississippi 31 Grambling State 35, Jackson State 14 ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI C DISPATCH.COM FREE! SUNDAY | SEPTEMBER 18, 2016 Federal judge rules Boykin civil case will go on whatever way she wants to han- When the city council fired Motion denied to delay suit until after criminal case dle it.” him two weeks later, it cited Boykin shot Ball at about 10 Boykin also had an unautho- BY ISABELLE ALTMAN Boykin claimed he was acting Aycock denied p.m. Oct. 16 following a traffic rized passenger riding with [email protected] in self defense when he shot the motion Thurs- stop in East Columbus. Ball, a him in his patrol car the night Ball. day, according to passenger in the vehicle that of the shooting and he violated A federal judge has denied A Lowndes County grand documents filed was stopped, fled on foot and the city’s social media policy by former Columbus police officer jury later indicted Boykin on a with the U.S. was found minutes later bleed- making derogatory posts about Canyon Boykin’s request to de- manslaughter charge for Ball’s District Court of Boykin lay a civil suit he filed against ing from two bullet wounds African Americans, women and death, and the former officer Northern Missis- with marijuana and a 9 mm disabled people after the inci- the city until after his man- pleaded not guilty in circuit sippi. pistol near his body, according dent. slaughter charge goes to trial. court on Sept. 9. The same day, One of Boykin’s attorneys, to the CPD. The gun had been Boykin claimed in his lawsuit Boykin filed a wrongful ter- Boykin’s attorneys filed a mo- Jim Waide of Tupelo, did not reported stolen from a police of- against the city that he shot Ball mination lawsuit against the tion for a temporary stay on his critique the ruling when The ficer’s home. only after Ball pointed a gun at city after he was fired from the wrongful termination suit so Dispatch contacted him on Sat- Neither Boykin nor the two him. Waide argued the city only Columbus Police Department that his legal team could focus urday. police officers he was with fired Boykin because he was a following his shooting of Ricky on the criminal case. “She’s a judge,” Waide said turned on their body cameras white police officer who shot a Ball in October 2015. In his suit, District Judge Sharion of Aycock. “She can handle it before or during the incident. black man. Starkville Full-time volunteers make difference in community Dispatch hires second reporter DISPATCH STAFF REPORT The Dispatch is add- ing a new reporter to its Starkville bureau. Josh Starr will start on Monday primarily cov- ering education, crime and courts in Oktibbeha County. He will join Carl Smith, Starr a three-year veteran Dis- patch reporter in Starkville who will continue covering local government. Both reporters will also write fea- tures and perform other general assign- ment duties. Starr earned his journalism degree in May from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. He was born See DISPATCH, 3A Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff AmeriCorps VISTA Etricia Easley speaks on the phone in her cubical at Contact Helpline Thursday. Vista volunteers often WTVA files open work 40 hours per week at area nonprofits. VISTA program gets TA, a national program nonprofits, all for a small monthly sti- meetings complaint that pays volunteers a pend. volunteers to nonprofits, stipend to work full-time It’s also how Aislinn Noltie became a with nonprofits, often VISTA volunteer for CAC. against Lowndes Co. impoverished areas in impoverished areas. “It’s hard work,” she said. “It’s not an Representatives of the easy job but it is fulfilling. Being able to BY ZACK PLAIR BY ISABELLE ALTMAN program told her she help your fellow community members [email protected] [email protected] could get a grant for 10 is a really good feeling.” positions in the area, not Sweeten- Now Noltie is the VISTA coordinator The news director for the Tupe- Four years ago, Tina Sweet- just one. Lunsford lo-based WTVA television station en-Lunsford, executive director of the That’s how nonprofits in the Golden Triangle. She works with has filed an open meetings complaint Columbus Arts Council, had a prob- in the Golden Triangle got full-time vol- VISTA volunteers, recruiting them for against Lowndes County with the Mis- lem. She had a volunteer working 40 unteers to help with everything from the program and training them once sissippi Ethics Commission. hours a week...for no pay. recruiting part-time volunteers to writ- they’ve found positions at nonprofits. See COMPLAINT, 6A She reached out to AmeriCorps VIS- ing grants and networking with other See VISTA, 6A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC MEETINGS 1 Where in a cell does protein synthe- Today and Tuesday through Saturday, sis occur? Sept. 20: 2 What does POTUS stand for? Sept. 20-24 Starkville Board 3 How many ridges does a U.S. dime ■ “The Cemetery Club”: Starkville Community of Aldermen, City have? Theatre presents this dramatic comedy about Hall, 5:30 p.m. 4 In which U.S. state was Microsoft three Jewish widows who visit their husbands’ Oct. 3: Oktibbe- founded? graves monthly. When they meet a widower at 5 What kind of doctor was Doc Holl- ha County Board Cristin E. Coleman the cemetery, new dynamics unfold. Shows are iday? of Supervisors, Second grade, Stokes-Beard today at 2 p.m. and Sept. 20-24 at 7:30 p.m. chancery court- Answers, 6D at Playhouse on Main, 108 E. Main, Starkville. house, 9 a.m. Tickets $15 adults; $10 students. Limited High 87 Low 71 Oct. 4: Chance of t-storms seating. Reserve tickets through the box office, Starkville Board Full forecast on 662-323-6855. INSIDE of Aldermen, City page 2A. Classifieds5D Hall, 5:30 p.m. Comics Insert Monday, Sept. 19 ■ Hazard Lecture Series: As part of this Oct. 11: Crossword 6D Starkville-Oktib- Dear Abby 2D series’ 25th anniversary, Margaret Mary Henry Lifestyles 1C speaks on “A Window on Russia: A Local Schol- Shelby Stevenson is the beha Consolidat- Obituaries 7A ar Reports” at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Academy business manager at Greater ed School Dis- Opinions 4,5A Elementary Student Activity Building, 623 Starkville Development Part- trict, Greensboro Scene & Seen 1D Willowbrook Road. Free to the community. nership. Center, 6 p.m. DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2016 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com DID YOU HEAR? SAY WHAT? “He owes an apology to President Barack Obama ...” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump’s admission that he now be- Investigator: Suspect lieves Barack Obama was born in the U.S. Story, 8A. confessed to killing 2 nuns Sunday 46-year-old of Kosciusko is charged with capital murder in two deaths BY EMILY days before the slayings. WAGSTER PETTUS He testified that he was not The Associated Press in the room when Sanders confessed, but Sanders’ DURANT — A man questioning by other in- charged with killing two vestigators was captured nuns confessed to inves- on an audio recording. tigators that he went into “He did acknowledge their home, struggled with killing Paula Merrill and them, stabbed them to Margaret Held,” Oliver death and stole their car, a state law enforcement testified. agent testified Friday. Sanders told investiga- Rodney Earl Sanders, tors that he went through 46, of Kosciusko, Missis- the back door of the sis- sippi, is charged with cap- ters’ home, uninvited. ital murder in the slayings Sanders said Merrill saw of Sisters Margaret Held him first before a struggle and Paula Merrill, both 68. took place with both wom- Their bodies were found en, Oliver testified. Aug. 25 after they failed to Oliver also said Sand- show up at the health clin- ers told officers that af- ic where they worked as ter stabbing the women, nurse practitioners in one “He washed himself up Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff because his hands were GO LONG: Drake Shaw, 11, throws a baseball back and forth with friends on the Columbus Christian Academy of the poorest counties in football field during halftime Friday. Drake is the son of Amy and Robbie Shaw of Columbus. the nation. sticky.” Sanders was arrested One of Sanders’ de- Aug. 26. Dressed in an or- fense attorneys, Richard ange prison jumpsuit, he Carter III of Kosciusko, sat quietly by his defense asked Oliver if Sanders ASK RUFUS attorney Friday as Missis- had revealed a motive for sippi Bureau of Investiga- the alleged crime. Oliver tion agent LeCarus Oliver said he had not. Intruders in the Chickasaw Nation testified just a few feet Friday’s hearing was to away. determine whether there t’s inter- the long of intruders from the Oliver said Sanders is enough evidence against esting how and steady Chickasaw lands. A July had been staying in a shed Sanders to send the case Iprojects friendship 2, 1816, letter to Andrew across the street from the to a grand jury, which will and research subsisting Jackson said some of sisters’ home for three consider indictment. often end between our the Chickasaw lead- up overlap- nation and ers lodged complaints ping. The our American against Cocke that he CONTACTING THE DISPATCH celebration of white breth- was not diligent in re- Mississippi’s ren.” After moving the intruders.