CMSD Leaders Pledge to Repair Hunt Campus
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ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 75 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 26, 2019 CMSD leaders pledge to repair Hunt campus Some R.E. Hunt Museum artifacts damaged, destroyed Columbus Success Academy classrooms BY MARY POLLITZ devastated large sections of 20th Street are exposed after a [email protected] North where the school is located. tornado tore the roof CMSD Superintendent Cherie Labat off the former Hunt Crews of Columbus said although the first floor is “pretty High School building. Municipal School District much intact,” it was the east side of the Columbus Munici- employees and volun- second floor that had the roof torn off, ex- pal School District Superintendent teers have already begun posing classrooms to outside elements. cleaning up a former high Cherie Labat said the By Monday, CMSD relocated the 25 district plans to repair school partially destroyed students now enrolled in the success damage after receiv- by the EF-3 tornado that academy — the district’s alternative ing a report from the ripped through the city Labat school — to a isolated hallway at Co- insurance company. Saturday. District officials lumbus High School. Labat said city She added at least said they plan to repair and rebuild. officials, CMSD custodial staff, citizens eight classrooms and several administrative Columbus Success Academy, former- and other volunteers helped move desks, offices were destroyed ly Hunt High School, lost its roof and 12 chairs, tables and instructional materi- on the east side of of its upstairs classrooms in the storm, als to CHS Sunday afternoon. the second floor. which touched down just after 5 p.m. and See HUNT, 6A Courtesy photo/Steven Perkins City to coordinate Mildred’s wild ride Northside resident escapes SUV disaster caught in Saturday tornado assistance at Trotter Center will be ‘one- stop shop’ for those in need, volunteers DISPATCH STAFF REport Mayor Robert INsidE Smith and his office ■ OUR VIEW: will open a disaster Residents assistance center at should be wary Trotter Convention of con men contractors. Center in wake of Page 4A damage from the EF-3 tornado that hit Columbus Saturday. City Public Information Officer Joe Dillon said the center will open its doors at 11 a.m. Wednesday but will remain open for at least the next two weeks and possibly lon- ger. The center is acting as a head- quarters to orchestrate support See ASSISTANCE, 3A Slim Smith/Dispatch Staff Mildred Brook’s badly damaged Mercury Mountaineer rests at an odd angle on Railroad Street in Columbus Sunday morning after she was caught driving home by Saturday’s EF-3 tornado. Brooks miraculously escaped uninjured. The same could not be said of her SUV, which sustained extensive damage, including being skewered by a 2-by-4 through the grill. RESTAURANT TAX BY Slim SmitH ‘I’m blessed to be here. It’s Restaurant tax [email protected] s much as she likes the fish sandwich at Skeet’s by nothing but the grace Hot Dogs, Mildred Brooks admits it wasn’t worth of God that I’m here.’ returns March 1 A the trouble early Saturday evening. A short drive — only about a mile from her home to Mildred Brooks No petition filed the restaurant — became Mildred’s Wild Ride and a part of the folklore of the Columbus Tornado, an EF-3 to force 2-percent sales twister that ripped through the city shortly after 5 p.m. there was a tornado warning,” Jerrie said. “I told her “It was just a normal Saturday, running errands and maybe she shouldn’t go, but she said it was just down tax to public vote things,” said Brooks, who lives with her husband, Jerrie, the road and she would be right back.” on Third Street North right next door to Mildred’s mom. “I was never afraid of storms like some people,” Mil- DispatCH StaFF REport “We had been to Marvin’s that afternoon and bought dred said. “Lightning scares me, but storms didn’t.” a rug for the house, then I went over to Dollar General So Mildred got into her Mercury Mountaineer and Restaurants in Columbus for a few things,” said Mildred, 55. “When I got back headed north on 14th Street, turned right on Seventh will begin collecting a 2-percent home I told Jerrie I was going over the Skeet’s to get a Avenue, left on Railroad Street and right again on 14th restaurant sales tax on March 1. fish sandwich.” Avenue, pulling into the drive-through at Skeet’s as the No petition was submitted to Jerrie wasn’t sure that was such a good idea. sky darkened and the wind began to howl. City Hall by Friday’s 5 p.m. dead- “Right when she was saying that, it came on TV that line that would have forced the See BROOKS, 3A tax to a public vote. Though city See RESTAURANT TAX, 6A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC 1 What phrase did running back Rod MEETINGS Today Mar. 4: Lown- Smart have on his Outlaws jersey ■ Water’s impact: Mary during the XFL’s only season in 2001? Love Tagert speaks at des County 2 Scientology’s world headquarters is Supervisors, 9 located in what Florida city? 5 p.m. on “Mississippi: 3 What is the given name of the enter- Shaped by the Past, Mold- a.m., County tainer known variously as Puff Daddy, ing for the Future” at the Courthouse Swayze Berry P.Diddy, Puffy and Diddy? Columbus-Lowndes Public Mar. 5: Colum- 4 What university did Bill and Chelsea Fourth grade, Heritage Library. A look at water’s bus City Council Clinton both attend? impact on the nation’s regular meeting, 5 Who was just 21 years old when he history, culture, arts and 5 p.m., Munic- High Low choreographed “Bring in ‘Da Noise, development. Free. 65 48 Bring in ‘Da Funk”? ipal Complex Partly sunny ■ Howard Lecture Answers, 6B Courtroom Full forecast on Series: The Diane Mar. 7: Colum- page 2A. Legan Howard Art History bus Municipal Lecture Series at The W School District presents Elise Lawton INSIDE Smith of Millsaps College Board regular meeting, 4 Classifieds6B Health 6A speaking on “Radical Mu- Comics 5B Obituaries 5A seum Architecture” at 6 Jeff Anderson and Lynn Mullins showed up p.m., Brandon Crossword 4B Opinions 4A p.m. in The W’s Summer to a Community Benefit Committee event on Central Ser- 139TH YEAR, NO. 297 Dear Abby 5B Hall. Free. Northside on Monday. vices DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com SAY WHAT? DID YOU HEAR? “If they’re dealing fentanyl ... they’re just pumping poison out into the streets.” R. Kelly leaves jail after posting Dean Palozej of Connecticut. Palozej, who lost his son to a overdose, believes dealers who peddle drugs that kill should $100,000 in sex abuse case Tuesday be locked up, possibly for the rest of their life. Story, 5A. Singer-songwriter was arrested on 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse A THOUSAND WORDS BY DON BABWIN The black van that took AND MICHAEL TARM the entertainer away from The Associated Press the jail stopped in the park- ing lot of a large downtown CHICAGO — R. Kelly McDonald’s. He did not walked out of a Chicago immediately emerge, but jail Monday after posting some members of his en- $100,000 bail that allows tourage stood outside the him to go free while await- vehicle and a dark-colored ing trial on charges that he Mercedes-Benz parked sexually abused four people dating back to 1998, includ- next to it. ing three underage girls. The McDonald’s, a pop- Hours earlier, the R&B ular tourist attraction, was star pleaded not guilty to the known as Chicago’s Rock allegations after spending ‘n’ Roll McDonald’s before the weekend behind bars. being remodeled and los- He said little during the ing its music theme. brief arraignment, telling The recording artist has the judge only his name. His been trailed for decades by lawyers spoke on his behalf. allegations that he violated The singer-songwriter underage girls and women was arrested Friday on 10 and held some as virtual counts of aggravated sexual slaves. Kelly has consistent- abuse. A judge set bond at ly denied any sexual mis- $1 million, meaning Kelly conduct, and he was acquit- had to post 10 percent of ted of child pornography that amount to be released. charges in 2008. Court records show a Attorney Michael Av- 47-year-old woman from enatti, who said he rep- the Chicago suburb of Ro- resents two Kelly accusers, meoville, Illinois, posted the said his legal team gave $100,000 bail and identified prosecutors a second video herself on the bond slip as Monday that shows Kelly “a friend” of Kelly, accord- sexually abusing a minor. ing to the Chicago Tribune. Avenatti previously gave Kelly will be forbidden prosecutors video evidence from having any contact that he said showed Kelly Courtesy photo/Steven Perkins A house in the Memphis Town community in central Columbus came to rest almost 20 feet from its foundation with females younger than having sex with an under- as the result of Saturday’s EF-3 tornado that ripped through the city. It is not known if the house was occupied 18. age girl. at the time of the storm. CONTACTING THE DISPATCH Office hours: Main line: n 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Fri n 662-328-2424 HOW DO I ... Email a letter to the editor? Rivers rising in the South n [email protected] Report a missing paper? n 662-328-2424 ext.