Sam Allison Hired As LCSD Superintendent Longtime New Hope Middle School Principal Will Start New Job Jan
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ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 75 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 19, 2019 Sam Allison hired as LCSD superintendent Longtime New Hope Middle School principal will start new job Jan. 1 The Dispatch in a INsidE phone interview ■ OUR VIEW: Allison takes over BY ZACK PLAIR Wright, who has served eight “It was a tough decision,” following Mon- a successful district with room to improve further. Page 4A [email protected] years via public election. Wright board member Jane Kilgore day’s decision. will remain superintendent un- said after the meeting. “It took “This is home, New Hope Middle School til his term expires Dec. 31. a lot of soul searching, and we and this is where including length and salary Principal Sam Allison will get a The board chose Allison took this obligation very seri- I’m going to be. — Monday night, saying they big promotion Jan. 1. I’m looking for- will meet with Allison within from among three finalists, ously. … The board is behind Allison After a more than two-hour all of whom were interviewed Mr. Allison.” ward to leading the next week to finalize those. executive session Monday in a closed meeting last week. Allison has been principal at the district and continuing to Board member Brian Clark night, Lowndes County School Other finalists were LCSD As- NHMS since 2006, following a empower people to do the work said he also wanted to use that District’s board selected Alli- sistant Superintendent Susan two-year stint as assistant prin- they do every day, whether it’s time to explain to Alison why he son as the next superintendent. Johnson and Starkville-Oktib- cipal there. The New Hope na- teachers, administrators or was selected. He will become the district’s beha Consolidated School Dis- tive began his teaching career staff.” Among those reasons, Clark first board-appointed superin- trict Deputy Superintendent in Alabama in 1993. Board members did not said, is NHMS’ improvement tendent and will succeed Lynn Christy Maulding. “I’m ecstatic,” Allison told release contract specifics — See ALLISON, 6A Legislators: Mississippi Suspect hasn’t prioritized education in custody after Sunday stabbing Man charged with aggravated assault; victim treated at hospital DISPATCH STAFF REPORT A Columbus man has been arrested for a reported stabbing Sunday afternoon. Issac U. Brown, 56, was charged with aggravated assault, according to a Co- lumbus Police De- Brown partment press release. Brown is accused of stabbing another man on Peach Street during an argu- ment. The victim was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Trian- gle, treated for non life-threatening injuries and released, Police Chief Isabelle Altman/Dispatch Staff Fred Shelton said. Area resident Roger Burlingame, left, speaks with Rep. Kabir Karriem (D-Columbus) while Rep. Cheikh Taylor (D-Starkville) Brown and the victim knew each looks on after the Chamber of Commerce’s annual Education Town Hall at the Courtyard Marriott in Columbus Monday night. other, Shelton added. Karriem and Taylor were two of four legislators who, along with representatives from Columbus and Lowndes County school Brown is in custody at Lowndes districts, answered questions about education posed by community members who attended the town hall. County Adult Detention Center. His bond had not been set as of Monday Local lawmakers talk funding, other afternoon. education issues at Monday’s Town Hall BY ISABELLE ALTMAN tion and state testing for [email protected] K-12 students, and especial- ly whether the Legislature Okt supes weigh Funding, whether for would fund educational pro- pre-kindergarten programs grams once the 2020 ses- or for the Mississippi Ade- sion begins. joining Tombigbee quate Education Program Each legislator present (MAEP), was the primary said they felt education topic of concern at the Co- River Valley District has not been a priority in lumbus Lowndes Chamber the Legislature, pointing BY Tess VRBIN of Commerce’s annual Ed- [email protected] ucation Town Hall Monday out lawmakers have only twice fully funded MAEP, night. STARKVILLE — Oktibbeha a formula the state uses to The 60-plus attendees supervisors decided Monday to who crowded into the Cas- allocate funds to public ed- ucation, since it was imple- further research membership in tleberry Ballroom at the the Tombigbee River Valley Wa- Courtyard Marriott had mented in 1997. Isabelle Altman/Dispatch Staff ter Management District before the opportunity to ask edu- “You look at the num- Larry Swartz speaks with Columbus Municipal School District cation-related questions to bers, we’re constantly Board of Trustees president Jason Spears following an Edu- choosing whether to join. fighting for 47th, 48th, cation Town Hall put on by the Columbus Lowndes Chamber The board voted in September the panel of four legislators of Commerce in the Courtyard Marriott in Columbus Monday as far as being the worst to agree that the county would ben- and three representatives night. Taylor was one of a panel of seven legislators and area from area school districts. state for public education,” education officials who attended the forum to answer ques- efit from joining the Tupelo-based Questions touched on top- said Rep. Cheikh Taylor tions from the community about education issues the Legisla- state agency, which does flood con- ics such as virtual educa- See TOWN HALL, 3A ture will face in the 2020 legislative term. See SUPES, 3A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC 1 What explodes to produces a MEETINGS Today Today: supernova? ■ Winter recital: Mississippi University for 2 What standard ingredient does Women Department of Music presents a free Columbus City pizza bianca omit? Council regular 3 What national capital is called winter recital at 7:30 p.m. in Poindexter Hall on Krung Thep in its native language? campus. For more information, call 662-241- meeting, 5 4 What catchphrase does Project 6399. p.m., Municipal JR Dowdle Runway’s Tim Gunn use to motivate Complex contestants? Fifth grade, Annunciation 5 What organization created in the Wednesday Courtroom wake of World War I was the precursor ■ Benefit luncheon: The Lowndes County Nov. 21: High Low to the United Nations? Circuit Clerk’s office hosts a luncheon and bake Columbus Light 68 38 sale starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Lowndes Sunny and Water utility Answers, 6B County Courthouse, to benefit a medical fund Full forecast on meeting, 12 for Fannie Brewer, who is battling cancer. page 3A. p.m., CLW office Stacee Bonner lives in Starkville building Thursday but commutes to Columbus each Dec. 2: INSIDE ■ Senior Citizens Thanksgiving Luncheon: day to teach at Columbus Middle Lowndes County Classifieds6B Health 6A Columbus Mayor Robert Smith hosts the 13th School and work for Boar’s Head at Comics 5B Obituaries 5A annual free seniors’ luncheon at Trotter Con- Kroger. Bonner attends Kingdom Vi- Supervisors, 9 Crossword 4B Opinions 4A vention Center at 11 a.m.-1 p.m. For more infor- sion International Church and likes a.m., County 140TH YEAR, NO. 215 Dear Abby 5B mation, call 662-328-7021 or 662-327-4935. to spend time with her family. Courthouse DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2019 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com HOLIDAY ART CONTEST WINNERS Trump backing off banning vaping flavors popular with teens Polling data shown to the Trump indicates e-cigarette users could abandon him if he followed through with the ban THE ASSOCIatED PRESS WASHINGTON — When Pres- ident Donald Trump boarded Air Force One to fly to a Kentucky cam- paign rally two weeks ago, a plan was in place for him to give final ap- proval to a plan to ban most flavored e-cigarettes. By the time Trump landed back at Joint Base Andrews outside Wash- ington a few hours later, the plan was off. And its future is unclear. Jennifer Mosbrucker/Dispatch Staff From left to right, Jasmine Dozier, Ryan Wesley Rigdon, Joshua James, Ruby Beck, Andrew Bradberry, Presley Boutwell, Gracie For nearly two months, momen- Edwards, Chaney Custard, Columbus Main Street President Shannon Bowen and Abby Edwards smile for the camera after the tum had been building inside the children were awarded their prizes for placing in the Columbus Main Street Holiday Art Contest on Monday at the Commercial White House to try to halt a youth Dispatch. Winners received cash prizes and will have the opportunity to act as junior marshals of the Columbus Christmas vaping epidemic that experts feared Parade. was hurting as many as 5 million teenagers. Both first lady Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and senior adviser, pushed for the ban, which was also being championed internally by White Chick-fil-A halts donations to three House counselor Kellyanne Con- way, who has taken the lead on some public health issues. groups against gay marriage But as Trump sat surrounded by political advisers on the flights THE ASSOCIatED PRESS company said in a statement. for sports camps for underserved youth to and from Lexington, he grew re- Chick-fil-A President Tim Tassopou- and $165,000 to the Salvation Army to luctant to sign the ban, convinced Chick-fil-A is ending donations to los said the company — which is closed buy Christmas gifts for needy children. three groups that oppose gay marriage it could alienate voters who would on Sundays — will still consider dona- The foundation also gave $6,000 to the be financially or otherwise affected in an effort to halt protests and broaden tions to faith-based groups. The compa- Paul Anderson Youth Homes. its customer base. by a vaping ban, according to two ny wouldn’t say whether it will consider Chick-fil-A’s decision to no longer sup- But the move has angered some of the White House and campaign officials an organization’s position on gay rights port the groups angered some conserva- fast food chain’s fans.