State Makes Case for Capital Murder
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY WEDNESDAY | AUGUST 31, 2016 State makes case for capital murder MUW: Flag the car while the other Defendant accused of killing disabled cousin three suspects went to removal will Eddie’s house to rob BY ISABELLE ALTMAN Bankhead, who was shot in his home [email protected] him. It was only after on College Street on July 11, 2011. Ed- the robbery that Ross die Bankhead, 35, had a severe phys- A witness in a Lowndes County cap- learned Eddie Bank- be permanent ical disability that restricted him to a ital murder case was cross-examined head had been shot. walker. But defense attor- for about 30 minutes in court Tuesday Bankhead when his testimony did not match four In Bankhead’s trail, which began ney Mark Williamson State flag taken down previous statements he had given to Tuesday, Ross testified he and the de- pointed out Ross had in July to accommodate police. fendant, along with two other suspects never mentioned a robbery in state- Derrick Bankhead, 39, and Mi- drove to the victim’s house on July 11, ments made to the police between July construction project chael Ross, 36, are both charged with 2011, with the intent to rob Eddie of 2011 and February 2014. capital murder in the death of Eddie cocaine. Ross testified he remained in See TRIAL, 3A BY SLIM SMITH [email protected] The Mississippi flag has been taken down at Mississippi University for COMING IN FOR A LANDING Women, but the timing of its removal may have had more to do with construc- tion than Reconstruction. The flag was removed Borsig from its location at the main entrance of the uni- INSIDE versity in July as part of ■ OUR VIEW: a construction project, Leaders and MUW President Jim Bor- followers. Page 6A sig confirmed Tuesday. “Anyone who is famil- iar with our campus knows that there has been quite a bit of conges- tion at our main entrance,” Borsig said. “In the spring, we started a master plan for the north part of the campus and we identified the need for a pull-out lane See MUW, 8A Walmart robbery suspect in custody DISPATCH STAFF REPORT A suspect in an attempt- Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff ed armed robbery is in District 3 Lowndes County rural firefighters watch as the North Mississippi Medical Center Careflight helicopter lands custody after she turned Tuesday at the station in New Hope. The station hosted a helicopter landing safety class for county first responders. herself in to authorities on Monday. Columbus Police De- partment was searching for Elboni Glenn, 20, of Columbus, for her sus- Glenn pected role in an Aug. 4 Holloway faces no additional disciplinary action robbery attempt in the Walmart parking lot on Highway 45. Trustees will move forward with $12.5M tive session Tuesday night, the school Police alleged that Glenn used a rifle board said it respected the judicial pro- during the attempted robbery of a female partnership school bond this fall cess, noted the conviction “is separate customer who was returning to her vehi- from the board’s personnel decision” cle. No one was injured in the incident. BY CARL SMITH of Trustees outside of and said it would not revisit August’s Glenn appeared before Municipal [email protected] last year’s two-week decision to suspend the school super- Court Judge Rhonda Ellis on Tuesday for suspension after he was intendent for 10 days without pay. one count of armed robbery. Ellis set her Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated SOCSD Board of Trustees Pres- convicted of two counts Holloway bond at $100,000. School District Superintendent Lewis of simple assault Friday. ident Jenny Turner said the school Glenn is still in Lowndes County Holloway will face no additional disci- In a prepared state- board “stands by the decision” it made Adult Detention Center as of this morn- plinary action from the SOCSD Board ment released after a two-hour execu- See HOLLOWAY, 3A ing, according to jail personnel. Interim Chamber head tells Rotarians Bill Walker shows his faith in fellow Rotary about Lowndes Young Leaders members by participating in a “Is this too high?” James highlights program trust fall during Walker asked as the gath- Lisa James’ talk growth, experiences ered Columbus Rotary at the Rotary Club members looked on. meeting at Lion BY ALEX HOLLOWAY “Do I need to come down Hills Tuesday [email protected] a little bit?” afternoon. A few moments later, James, interim Bill Walker expressed a few reserva- Walker fell safely into the president for the tions as he stood atop the ladder. James volunteers’ arms. Columbus-Lown- Walker, a member of the Lowndes Lisa James, interim des Chamber of Commerce, Young Leaders board, was on top of president and director of programs spoke on a step ladder with his back turned to and events for the Columbus-Lowndes Lowndes Young six volunteers who waited, arms inter- Chamber of Commerce, said the trust- Leaders. locked, to catch him. See ROTARY, 8A Deanna Robinson/Dispatch Staff WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC 1 Who was the first player to break affected by recent flooding. MEETINGS Thursday For more information, contact Sept. 6: Colum- the NHL single season 100-point ■ Gallery reception: The Co- mark? CLRA, 662-327-4935, or Bon- lumbus Arts Council hosts a bus City Council, 2 Who wrote “A Streetcar Named nie Partridge, 662-769-7707. Courthouse, Desire”? free reception 5:30-7 p.m. for 3 What is the capital of the Ivory an exhibit by Studio 206, fea- 5 p.m. Coast? turing area artists Patti John- Friday Sept. 6: ■ Black Prairie Blues Zykeriya Sherrod 4 What bodily fluid is collected in a son, Judy Howle, Kevin Voller, Lowndes County lachrymatory? Festival: Stormy Monday, Kindergarten, West Lowndes Ann Chilcutt, Selden Lambert Supervisors, 5 Who is the patron saint of music? and Debbie Alexander, at the Lightnin’ Malcolm and Jarekus Courthouse, Singleton entertain at this Answers, 8B Rosenzweig Arts Center, 501 9 a.m. High 96 Low 72 Main St. For information, call indoor blues festival on the Sept. 15: Mary Holmes College campus Chance of t-storms 662-328-2787. Lowndes County Full forecast on ■ Zumba for Louisiana: The in West Point. Gates open 6 Supervisors, page 2A. Zumba family of the Colum- p.m. Tickets $20 advance at Courthouse, bus-Lowndes Recreation the Columbus Arts Coun- 9 a.m. Authority hosts a “Zumba for cil, Jack Forbus Insurance Louisiana” fundraiser at 6 (Starkville) or the Growth Alli- Sept. 20: INSIDE p.m. in the East Columbus ance (West Point). Or order at Columbus City Gym, 222 Lawrence Dr. Mone- wpnet.org/index.php/attrac- Council, Munici- Classifieds7B Obituaries 4A tary donations of any amount tions/howlin_wolf/blues_festi- Brandy Richards, of Colum- pal Complex, 137TH YEAR, NO. 146 Comics 6B Opinions 6A are welcome to assist families val. $25 at the door. bus, works at TJ Maxx. 5 p.m. DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com DID YOU HEAR? Intoxicated in the air: Drunk pilots make news but are rare Wednesday Each day, 90,000 flights around the YEAR OF THE GOOSE A community-wide picnic on the S.D. Lee Home grounds Aug. 26 world carry more than 8 million people celebrated Edwina Williams’ 30th anniversary as Mother Goose at the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library. BY SCOTT MAYEROWITZ arrested — as they pre- Scene&Seen AND DAVID KOENIG pared to fly 141 passen- AP Airlines Writers gers from Scotland to the United States. NEW YORK — Every But don’t think this will few months, a pilot some- end the pilots’ careers. where in the world is United has removed stopped before a jet takes both men from flying du- off because of suspicion ties — for now. of drunkenness. It makes Many pilots caught headlines and gives ner- vous travelers another drinking on the job have reason to avoid flying. later returned to the Despite their notoriety, skies. such cases are extremely The United pilots, Paul rare. Brady Grebenc, 35, and Each day, there are Carlos Roberto Licona, 90,000 flights around the 45, were released on bail world, carrying more Monday. Grebenc, from than 8 million people. And Columbus, Mississippi, the overwhelming majori- and Licona, from Humble, ty of pilots in those cock- Texas, made no plea and pits are sober. are free until a later court “Pilots take being fit hearing. to fly seriously and act The Federal Aviation accordingly,” says former Administration has a pro- US Airways pilot John cess that allows recover- M. Cox, now CEO of the ing alcoholics back in the consulting firm Safety Op- cockpit if they pass a med- erating Systems. “Pilots ical evaluation and stay know they are one of the clean during monitoring most carefully monitored for the next five years. professions and therefore, Since the union-backed are very conservative.” program started in the There are occasional 1970s, about 5,300 pilots lapses. The latest inci- — more than 100 a year dent occurred Saturday — have gone through Emeri Carr, Komisty Harris, Todd Harris, Londyn Jefferson and Brianna Harris morning when two United rehab and regained their Airlines pilots were pulled licenses, according to a from their flight — and program official. 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? n [email protected] Report a missing paper? n 662-328-2424 ext.