COLUMBUS MAN ROBBED, ATTACKED WITH PEPPER SPRAY Inside, See page 3A ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI C DISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 27, 2016 Magby bridge on Lehmberg closing Courtesy photo/Jeopardy!®Productions Inc. Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, left, stands with Michael Sieja, a computer science major at Mississippi State University. Sieja will ap- pear on the popular game show on Feb. 3. MSU student to appear on Jeopardy Huntsville native excited to represent family, MSU on Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff Columbus leaders have announced the Magby Creek bridge on North Lehmberg Road will close for a month Mon- popular game show day. The bridge, which was constructed in 1988, is in need of repair. BY SAM LUVISI Portion of N. Lehmberg [email protected] Mississippi State University fans of the Road will close for a game show “Jeopardy!” will have one of their own to root for in the show’s upcom- month starting Monday ing 2016 “Jeopardy!” College Championship round of episodes early next month. BY ALEX HOLLOWAY Michael Sieja, a sophomore computer [email protected] science major from Huntsville, Alabama, Columbus is bracing for a “major won the spot competing among 15 other disruption” to traffic in east Colum- students for a $100,000 prize after a former bus as the city closes a portion of teacher informed him in September that the North Lehmberg Road for emergen- show had an online test and was looking for cy repairs. participants. After successfully completely The road will close at 6 a.m. Mon- a 50-question test (with about “10 seconds” day at the bridge over Magby Creek to answer each one, he said), Sieja said he near Dutch Village. Mayor Robert was thrilled to discover he had earned a Smith said the closure will last for at spot on the show he’s been watching since least a month. he was a child. Approximately 9,200 vehicles trav- “I’ve watched it for a really long time,” he el North Lehmberg Road each day, Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff told The Dispatch. “I always watched it at Columbus officials are asking members of the community who routinely according to the Mississippi Depart- dinner or with my parents, and have always cross over Magby Creek bridge along North Lehmberg Road to plan alter- enjoyed shouting out the answers.” ment of Transportation. nate routes. The bridge will close Monday for a month. An inspection found severe rust Sieja is scheduled to appear Feb. 3 on the quarterfinals broadcast of the long-running deterioration near the water line on ed designing some drawings where repairs from its general fund. television game show. The championship some of the bridge’s pilings. Smith we can start taking quotes,” Smith Smith encouraged citizens to be- round runs Feb. 1 through Feb. 12. The win- said he and his staff made the de- said. “Hopefully, within a month’s gin planning detour routes to use ner also secures a bid in the next “Jeopar- cision to close the bridge Tuesday time, it’ll be back to where the citi- while the bridge is closed. Traffic will morning. Smith said the city will pour zens can use it again.” be detoured to West Lehmberg in dy!” Tournament of Champions. concrete around the pilings while the The bridge was built in 1988. The both directions and also along Gard- The show paid the airfare for Sieja’s week- road is closed. city doesn’t yet have a price estimate ner Boulevard. long trip to Los Angeles, California, which “Our engineers have already start- for repairs. The city will pay for the See BRIDGE CLOSURE, 8A See JEOPARDY, 8A Shelton: Officer pay a roadblock to fully staffed department Interim chief vows to stay in Columbus, INSIDE ■ SLIMANTICS: One police de- partment, two views. focus on communication with citizens PAGE 6A BY ISABELLE ALTMAN The police force currently Fred Shelton, [email protected] has 54 officers and is bud- Part of the reason it has the interim chief of police geted for 67. Shelton said the been understaffed is because At the weekly Columbus with the Co- of pay, Shelton said. No offi- Rotary luncheon at Lion Columbus City Council plans lumbus Police Hills Tuesday, Interim Police to increase the department’s cer works just for the money, Department, speaks to the Chief Fred Shelton talked budget so it can have a force Shelton said, but officers still of 77, so Shelton says the de- have more of an incentive to Columbus about the difficulty of keep- Rotary Club on ing officers in the Columbus partment has plans to hire work for the county, where Tuesday. Police Department. about 23 more officers. See SHELTON, 8A Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC MEETINGS 1 Which composer is known as the Thursday Father of the String Quartet? ■ MSU Jazz Band: The Mississippi State Jazz Band Feb. 1: Lowndes 2 What is Dorothy’s last name in “The Wizard of Oz”? performs in McComas Theater on campus at 6:30 p.m. County Supervi- 3 In which sport would you use a Free to the public. For more information, contact the MSU sors, Courthouse, dagger and a trapeze? Department of Music, 662-325-3070. 9 a.m. 4 Who was the first American to win Feb. 2: Columbus Colin Cunningham the Nobel Prize in Literature? Sunday City Council, Mu- 5 In which European country is Bal- nicipal Complex, Second grade, Heritage ■ Sundays at the Center: The West Point/Clay County moral Castle located? 5 p.m. Arts Council presents The State Singers of Mississippi Feb. 8: Colum- Answers, 8B State University at 2 p.m. at the Louise Campbell Center High Low bus Municipal 51 27 for the Arts, 235 Commerce St., West Point. Free and open Mostly sunny School District to the public. Call 662-494-5678 for more information. Full forecast on Board of Trustees, page 2A. Brandon Central Tuesday, Feb. 2 Offices, 6 p.m. ■ Ida B. Wells program: The Columbus-Lowndes Public Feb. 12: Lowndes Library, 314 Seventh St. N., presents the program “Ida B. County School INSIDE Wells: The Mother of the American Human Rights Move- District Board of ment,” with C. Sada Turnipseed at 5:30 p.m. in honor of Trustees, District Classifieds7B Obituaries 4A Black History Month. Free. For more information, contact Central Office, 11 136TH YEAR, NO. 273 Comics 4B Opinions 6A the library, 662-329-5300. Jenny Vega loves the arts. a.m. DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com DID YOU HEAR? Abe Vigoda, sad-eyed character actor, dead at 94 Wednesday BY HILLEL ITALIE SURREALISM ON DISPLAY AP National Writer A public reception Jan. 21 opened the “Luso-American Surre- alism from the 21st Century” exhibit at Mississippi State’s NEW YORK — Char- Cullis Wade Depot Art Gallery. acter actor Abe Vigoda, Scene&Seen whose leathery, sad-eyed face made him ideal for playing the over-the-hill detective Phil Fish in the 1970s TV series “Barney Miller” and the doomed Mafia soldier in “The God- father,” died Tuesday at AP Photo/Peter Kramer, File age 94. In this 2011 file photo, Vigoda’s daughter, Car- actor Abe Vigoda arrives at ol Vigoda Fuchs, told The the 2011 TV Land Awards Associated Press that Vigo- in New York. da died Tuesday morning ing actor in the New York in his sleep at Fuchs’ home theater and in television in Woodland Park, New until Francis Ford Cop- Jersey. The cause of death pola cast him in the 1972 was old age. “This man was Oscar-winning “The God- never sick,” Fuchs said. father.” His death brought to Vigoda played Sal Tes- an end years of questions sio, an old friend of Vito on whether he was still Corleone’s (Marlon Bran- alive — sparked by a false do) who hopes to take report of his death more over the family after Vi- than three decades ago. to’s death by killing his Though Vigoda took it son Michael Corleone (Al in stride, the question of Pacino). But Michael an- Jonathan Smith and Hunter Smith whether he was dead or ticipates that Sal’s sugges- alive became something of tion for a “peace summit” a running joke: There was among crime families is a even a website devoted to setup and the escorts Sal answering the much-Goo- thought were taking him to gled question, “Is Abe Vi- the meeting turn out to be goda dead?” (On Tuesday, his executioners. it had been updated with “Tell Mike it was only “Yes,” with the date of his business,” Sal mutters to death.) consigliere Tom Hagen, Vigoda worked in rela- played by Robert Duvall, tive obscurity as a support- as he’s led away. CONTACTING THE DISPATCH Office hours: Main line: Alex Bostic and Neil Callander Matthew Rogers and Shannon Shepherd n 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Fri n 662-328-2424 HOW DO I ... 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