Win $350! Play CASHWORDS, See page 5A ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI C DISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY MONDAY | JUNE 29, 2015 New director comes to Salvation Army ture was taken, their hands stayed After two years in the clasped as they walked inside. Delta, new leader ready They are a team. Alan — the official new director to help Columbus of Columbus’ Salvation Army — preaches on Sundays and handles Alan Phillips, and BY GINGER HERVEY the fundraising so Cheryl “can go his wife, Cheryl, [email protected] out and do the programs she wants pose in front of to do,” he said. “Cheryl works the the Salvation’s When they went to have a photo- operations side, organizing the min- Army sign on Main graph made recently, Alan and Cher- Street in Colum- istries with the community. bus. Alan Phillips yl Phillips simultaneously reached They met in seminary school in is the new direc- for the other’s hand, without any Atlanta, “fell in love, got out during tor of Salvation prompting. the summer and came back the next Army, replacing They stood beaming by the Sal- year as a married couple,” according Eric Roberts, who vation Army sign in their matching to Cheryl. For the last 25 years they has moved onto Alabama. officer uniforms, and after the pic- See SALVATION ARMY, 3A Ginger Hervey/Dispatch Staff ALL SMILES Caledonia launches new town website New community center accommodates 200 BY ANDREW HAZZARD [email protected] Caledonia residents and non-res- idents alike looking to learn about their local government and town can now do so from the comfort of their homes. The town’s new website — cale- doniams.org — launched Friday. It gives citizens an opportunity to con- tact their elected and appointed offi- cials, in addition to providing public event and meeting notifications. Alderman Mitch Wiggins, who has been working to make the web- site a reality for more than a year, said there are still improvements to be made. Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff Raziya Davis, 3, swings at Lee Park with the biggest grin Tuesday. Her aunt, Autumn Davis, who swings next to her and said her “It’s just in the infant stages,” family comes to the park everyday in the summer for fun and a picnic. Raziya is the daughter of Alexis Davis and Gerald Sharp, Wiggins said. “We’re looking for- of Columbus. ward to getting feedback from the public.” The site includes a message from Mayor Bill Lawrence, contact infor- mation for the town’s alderman, mar- shal, parks and water departments, Wait joins Dispatch staff as new MSU reporter and information on Caledonia Days. department and prep sports. News. He was the MSU The website’s calendar is present- New sports reporter will “I am excited and thrilled to be join- beat writer for the SDN ly bare, but Wiggins said he will be filling out the site with more infor- ing The Commercial Dispatch and stay- since November 2012. mation. focus on MSU athletics ing on the Mississippi State beat,” Wait Born in Oxford, Wait “This is not the end of it, it’s just said. “I look forward to what the future grew up in Etta, and went DISPATCH STAFF REPORT the beginning,” Wiggins said. holds and I know I will continue to prog- on to play basketball and ress and mature as a human being and baseball at West Union The Commercial Dispatch is an- a writer/reporter. I want to thank Adam High School. Community Center opens nouncing the hiring of Ben Wait as its Wait Minichino, (managing editor) William He worked in a variety The new Caledonia Community new Mississippi State beat writer. Browning, and (general manager) Peter of roles in the MSU athlet- Center opened its doors last week, Wait, a 2011 graduate of MSU, starts Imes for the opportunity.” ic department and in the school’s media too. today as The Dispatch’s third full-time Wait comes to The Commercial Dis- relations department before graduating Located on the corner of Cedar member of the sports department. He patch after spending nearly four years from MSU with a degree in sports infor- and South streets, the center has will focus on covering the MSU athletic as a sports writer at the Starkville Daily See WAIT, 3A See CALEDONIA, 3A Analysis: Confederate emblem affects Miss. election dynamic Old South. The governor’s answer was idents who don’t like the flag, Mississippi has the only state flag that In late De- a quick and unequivocal no. He Bryant replied with a chuckle: includes the Confederate battle flag cember, Bryant said the banner does not hurt “There are people in the state sat down with Mississippi’s image. who are taxpayers that don’t BY EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS Bryant’s agenda entering this The Associat- “I’ve been all around the like a lot of things.” The Associated Press election year. ed Press for an world — literally, all around the Mississippi has the only Debate is unavoidable now, interview about world. And not once have I had state flag that includes the Con- JACKSON — The racially federate symbol. The design because the massacre of nine his priorities for Bryant a world leader — consul gener- sensitive topic of the Confeder- worshippers at a black church the 2015 legisla- al, prime minister — say, ‘We’re has been used since 1894, and ate battle emblem on the Mis- in South Carolina has prompted tive session. He offended,’ or, ‘We don’t like your was affirmed by a nearly 2-to-1 sissippi flag was clearly was people to re-examine the prom- was asked if he sees a need to state flag,’” Bryant said. margin of voters in a 2001 state- not on Republican Gov. Phil inence given to symbols of the change the state flag. Asked about Mississippi res- See FLAG, 3A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC MEETINGS 1 What is the most popular blogging July 7: Columbus City Coun- Thursday, July 2 cil, Municipal Complex, 5 p.m. network on the web, with 60 million ■ Opening reception: The Columbus Arts websites? July 13: Columbus Munici- 2 What traditional heavy wool fabric is Council hosts a free reception opening an pal School District Board of named for a city in Belgium, in which exhibit by Clarksdale native Bradley Gordon Trustees, Brandon Central it was created? from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Rosenzweig Arts Offices 6 p.m 3 Introduced in 1967, what was Center, 501 Main St. The Oxford-based July 16: Columbus City Light Sophia Starks originally called Pringles Newfangled artist who specializes in painting animals Potato Chips? and Water, CLW boardroom, Second grade, Heritage Aca. studied in Taiwan and Japan. For more in- noon 4 What has the highest gross domes- formation, contact the CAC, 662-328-2471. tic product in the world? July 21: Columbus City High Low 5 What was the first toy to be adver- Council, Municipal Complex, 92 71 tised on TV, in 1952? 5 p.m. Sunny Saturday, July 4 June 30: Lowndes Supervi- Full forecast on Answers, 6B ■ Fireworks on the Water: This major page 2A. Fourth of July celebration from 5-10 p.m. sors, Courthouse, 9 a.m. at the John C. Stennis Lock and Dam East August 4: Columbus City Bank, Columbus, features live entertain- Council, Municipal Complex, 5 p.m. ment, food, children’s area and a fireworks Lakenya Smith lives in show. Free to the public. Bring lawn chairs August 10: Columbus Mu- INSIDE Columbus and loves to nicipal School District Board or blankets. For more information, contact cook. Classifieds 5B Obituaries 5A the Convention and Visitors Bureau, 800- of Trustees, Brandon Central 136TH YEAR, NO. 93 Comics 4B Opinions 4A 327-2686 or 662-329-1191. Offices, 6 p.m. DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com SAY WHAT? DID YOU HEAR? “Now I don’t have to bust my butt and overdrive the car every week in order to get wins.” La. movie credit cap may Kyle Busch, who earned his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series send business to Ga., Miss. victory in 35 races Sunday. Story, 1B. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Monday we could surpass that,” he said. BILOXI — Louisiana’s The Bruce Willis film new cap on film tax cred- “Precious Cargo” wrapped its could send more movie recently after shooting A THOUSAND WORDS business to Georgia and across South Mississip- Mississippi, says the Mis- pi, and “Astronaut Wives sissippi Film Office’s Gulf Club,” which had scenes Coast project manager. on local beaches and at As one of the top film the classic ‘50s diner in locations outside of Califor- Gulfport’s Triplett-Day nia, Georgia is likely to get Drugstore, is on television some of the business that Thursday nights. might otherwise have gone The movie industry to Louisiana, sometimes draws excitement in a local called “Hollywood South,” community and Webb said Bill Webb said. the effect lasts beyond the Georgia already has production. In Canton, fans crew, equipment and pro- tour sites where the movie duction facilities, Webb told “The Help” was filmed, and The Sun Herald. he said other film sites are But, he said, “We should just as popular. see some additional action.” “People want to see A new state law puts a where a John Grisham mov- $180 million annual cap on ie was shot,” he said. the amount the state can The film office staff is pay for film tax credits for working with production the next three years.