ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI C DISPATCH.COM FREE! WEDNESDAY | JULY 19, 2017 Contractor to install sump pump at SPD Fix is at no cost to city; Perkins insists water and Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins’ tract, Perkins said, included the attention. entire demolition and renova- issue addressed before new facility opens Although the area affected tion of the old city hall on East by flooding is a crawl space for Lampkin Street, and the base- BY DEVIN EDGAR the progress of the $5.4 million mechanical infrastructure and ment space affected would not [email protected] project downtown. is not meant to house any city be excluded. Aldermen unanimously vot- staff members, Perkins called “This is not easy money, and Starkville Police Depart- ed Tuesday to put Weathers un- for a delay until all water seep- the governing body is going to ment renovation contractor der a separate contract for the age and flooding issues were make sure that this money is Weathers Construction Inc. installation, which includes a Perkins Nichols completely eradicated and said spent appropriately and that the will install a sump pump at no 12-month warranty on all labor headquarters was postponed taxpayers would get the “most contractor gets it right prior to extra cost to the city as a way and material costs. last month after a subcontractor of the money” funding the proj- accepting the building,” Per- to address a water seepage is- SPD’s original unveiling and brought the issue of basement ect. kins said. “We just need some sue that continues to plague formal dedication for the new flooding to Ward 6 Alderman The original project con- See SPD, 3A Second Baptist trustees gain A house with a ‘story behind it’ access to offering funds Judge does not hold pastor, head deacon in contempt of court BY ISABELLE ALTMAN [email protected] A judge has re- stored the Second Baptist Church board of trustees’ and finance commit- tee’s access to offer- ing collections. Circuit Judge Jim Kitchens ordered Kitchens the church’s deacons to turn over the offering funds to those bodies during a court hearing Tuesday in Oktibbeha County. He did not, however, find pastor Joseph Stone Jr. or Head Deacon Terry Miller in contempt of court for withholding the funds. Kitchens’ order also capped two days of hearings in a lawsuit trust- ees filed in December 2015 against Stone, Miller and contractor Don- ald Crowther involving payments made to Crowther for a new sanc- tuary that’s yet to be built. See CHURCH, 3A Wiggins wins Caledonia election by one vote Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff The Haven, on Second Avenue North, is one of the city’s oldest houses. It was the home of freed slaves Thomas and Isaac Affidavit counted this Williams in the 1840s. It’s the only known house in Columbus commissioned by and for freedmen in pre-Civil War Columbus. morning broke a tie BY SLIM SMITH House built by and for freed slaves for sale in Columbus [email protected] BY ISABELLE ALTMAN INSIDE rooms that have a character and a [email protected] Mitch Wiggins ■ OUR VIEW: House offers an enigmatic story behind it,” Beard said. is the new mayor of footnote to antebellum history. Page 6A And that story is unique, he said. Caledonia. The Haven is the perfect place for Outdating many of the local Greek A lone accepted someone who wants a house with a revival-style antebellum homes built story behind it. ter and sitting on a hill which, 170 affidavit ballot today by white planters, The Haven was So says John Beard, a Realtor and years ago when the home was new, put the former alder- commissioned — and possibly actu- antiques collector who is working to would have overlooked downtown ally built by — brothers Thomas and man over the top, by a sell the cottage on Second Avenue antebellum Columbus. Isaac Williams, freedmen of color. 199-198 margin, as he Wiggins North, nestled in a shady lot just “It would do for someone who defeated incumbent across from Trotter Convention Cen- loves old historical homes with See THE HAVEN, 4A Bill Lawrence. See CALEDONIA, 8A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC 1 Measured by land mass, what is the MEETINGS Thursday July 20: largest country in the world? ■ Sounds of Summer: Swing Shift entertains at final 2 In English music, what name was Starkville-Oktib- free Sounds of Summer concert of 2017 from 7-9 p.m. at given to short songs for 3 or 4 unac- beha Consoli- the Columbus Riverwalk. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. companied voices and groups which dated School Cold beverages and food available for purchase. No pets performed them? District Board 3 Which field marshal commanded the or coolers. For more information, call 662-328-6305. of Trustees, 6 Farrell Wigul British forces in France during most of World War I? p.m., Greens- First grade, Annunciation 4 According to the Bible, where was Friday boro Center the Tower of Babel? ■ Disney animator: Emmy-winning Disney animator and July 24: Oktib- High Low 5 To which family of fish does the bib Starkville native Andy Harkness signs copies of his book beha County 94 74 or pout belong? “Bug Zoo” at 10 a.m. the Starkville Public Library. Chance of t-storms Board of Su- Answers, 8B Full forecast on pervisors, 5:30 page 2A. July 20-22 and 26-29 p.m., county ■ SCT: Unplugged 3: Starkville Community Theatre courthouse INSIDE presents a showcase of music from the ’70s to today July 28: with a diverse group of area singers and musicians. Starkville Board Classifieds7B Obituaries 5A of Aldermen Comics 4B Opinions 6A Performances are 7:30 p.m. each night at the Playhouse Crossword 8B NATS 7A on Main, 108 E. Main St., Starkville. Tickets are $25 Lucia Luck is a sopho- work session, Dear Abby 4B Scene & Seen 2A and support SCT. A dessert reception follows. Limited more elementary education 11 a.m., City Food 5B seating; make reservations at 662-323-6855. major at MSU. Hall DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com DID YOU HEAR? Railroad to pay $3.9M for train death of film worker Wednesday Jury: CSX Transportation shares in the TOWNSEND BLUES FESTIVAL blame for freight train collision even The OSS (“Original Southside”) group celebrated the annual though film crew was trespassing Scene&Seen Townsend Blues Festival on the first weekend of July in Columbus. BY RUSS BYNUM vent this tragedy,” Jones’ The Associated Press parents, Richard and Eliz- abeth Jones of Columbia, SAVANNAH, Ga. — A South Carolina, said in a railroad owner plans to ap- written statement. peal a jury’s decision that A spokesman for the it must pay $3.9 million Jacksonville, Florida-based to the family of a movie company, Rob Doolittle, worker killed on a Georgia said CSX plans to appeal railroad trestle in 2014, a the jury’s decision. spokesman for the compa- “CSX is deeply sympa- ny said. thetic to the terrible loss The jury in Savannah suffered by the family of decided in a civil verdict Ms. Sarah Jones, but re- Monday that CSX Trans- spectfully disagrees with portation shared in the the conclusions reached blame for the deadly by the jury today,” Doolit- freight train collision even tle said. though the film crew was The film’s director, Ran- trespassing. dall Miller, served a year in The parents of Sarah jail after pleading guilty to Jones sued CSX in Cha- involuntary manslaughter tham County State Court, and criminal trespassing saying the railroad shared charges. Jones’ parents blame for their daughter’s said CSX also failed to take death. The 27-year-old precautions that could camera assistant died in have averted the crash on the crash Feb. 20, 2014, a trestle spanning the Alta- Pat Hubbard, Sylvia Payne, Mary Orr and Margarette Burks Fearington during the first day of maha River near Jesup in shooting “Midnight Rid- southeast Georgia. er,” an ill-fated movie Jones’ family also had about Gregg Allman of the sued Miller, his fellow Allman Brothers Band. production managers and “This trial disclosed a several other defendants. number of exceptionally All of them except for CSX poor judgments and ig- settled or otherwise re- nored opportunities by solved their cases out of CSX Transportation to pre- court. 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? 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