ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 Leigh Mall parking lot repaving project begins and includes a large portion of the On Aug. 9 the city sent a letter Three-phase, $1M parking lot behind Hardee’s, be- to the owners that stated the con- project aims to fix gan Thursday. dition of the parking lot had be- “This has been a long time com- come a safety issue the city could code violations ing,” said Councilman Bill Gavin no longer ignore, according to of Ward 6, where Leigh Mall is Columbus Public Information Of- BY SLIM SMITH located. “I met with the owners ficer Joe Dillon. [email protected] back in April and they assured In that letter, the city pointed me at that time there would be out 51 areas on the property that Work has begun on a long-await- some paving going on. They said were code violations, most of them ed repaving project in the Leigh the timeframe for that would be in potholes, and asked the owners to Mall parking area. September or October, so it looks begin the necessary repairs. Columbus officials say Secu- like they are following through on “We are very thankful for the rity National Properties, which what they told me.” work that is being done by the owns Leigh Mall, will invest more The condition of Leigh Mall, owner of Leigh Mall,” Mayor and in particular its parking lot, Robert Smith said in an email to- Deanna Robinson/Dispatch Staff than $1 million in a three-phase Paving crews continue mill work today on a section of the project that will take about a year has been a point of contention be- day. “The mall is a very valuable Leigh Mall parking lot that will be part of a $1 million year- to complete. Mill-work on the first tween city leaders and the proper- member of our retail community long repaving project. City officials say the project will be phase, which will cost $225,000 ty owners for years. See LEIGH MALL, 3A completed in three phases. HAVING A BALL CPD seeking armed robbery suspect Incident reported at Dollar General on Military Road DISPATCH STAFF REPORT Columbus police are searching for a suspect in a Friday night armed robbery. The suspect allegedly entered the Dol- lar General on Military Road just before store closing at 10 p.m. and demanded money, city Public Information Officer Joe Dillon said. The suspect is a black male who was dressed in all black with something covering his face, Dillon said. Dillon said suspect left the store on See ARMED ROBBERY, 3A Man accused in 2 store robberies DISPATCH STAFF REPORT Luisa Porter/ Dispatch Staff Capt. Roy King walks with his wife, Clare King, on their way to the Columbus Air Force Base 69th Birthday Bash celebrating STARKVILLE — at the Trotter Convention Center Saturday evening. The couple is originally from Michigan and has been at CAFB for almost A Starkville man was a year. charged with two felony counts of robbery after allegedly robbing two convenience stores. Starkville police arrested Antonio N. Payne, 44, after the Payne Seventh Avenue ditch project suspect turned himself in Saturday night, according to police department Public Information Officer awaits environmental clearance Brandon Lovelady. Police say Payne robbed a Murphy’s USA gas station on Greenfield vert near Maranatha Faith Center to a Highway 12 between 10 and 11 p.m. Fri- Set to remove creosote Environ- separate culvert were Seventh Avenue day and the South Jackson Street Sprint m e n t a l North connects to Propst Park. He said Mart between 7 and 8 a.m. Saturday. chemical from former Multistate the project calls for installing a box cul- Payne was unarmed during the al- Trust, said vert along the ditch. leged incidents, Lovelady said. He said Kerr-McGee site the proj- “That big, ugly open ditch will com- he didn’t know if anyone was hurt at ei- ect will pletely go away,” Eastman said. “That ther location. BY ALEX HOLLOWAY address a box culvert will fill it in, and we’ll cover Payne was booked in Oktibbeha [email protected] ditch on Gorton Eastman it with grass.” County Jail, and his initial appearance S e v e n t h Columbus Mayor Robert Smith told in Starkville Municipal Court is sched- A major ditch project related to the Avenue North that flows from the site members of the Columbus Rotary Club uled for 6 p.m. Monday. His bond has former Kerr-McGee plant should be of the old Kerr-McGee site on 14th Av- last week the project should cost about not yet been set. underway by the end of the month. enue North. $2.3 million. Gorton was hesitant to Anyone with information about these Lauri Gorton, director of environ- J5 Broaddus Senior Project Manag- confirm that number because she said or other crimes is asked to call SPD at mental programs/senior strategist and er Robyn Eastman said the project will 662-323-4131 or the Golden Triangle project manager for Columbus with the address 935 feet of ditch from a box cul- See SEVENTH AVENUE, 3A Crime Stoppers at 800-530-7151. WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC MEETINGS 1 What was the first ship to ever use Today and Tuesday the SOS signal? Today: Columbus 2 How many ridges does a U.S. quar- through Saturday, Sept. 20-24 Municipal School ter have? ■ “The Cemetery Club”: Starkville Community District Board of 3 Who was Miss Hungary in 1936? Theatre presents this dramatic comedy about Trustees, Brandon 4 What is the name of Superman’s three Jewish widows who visit their husbands’ Central Services, birth mom? graves monthly. When they meet a widower at noon Chloe Bruce 5 In which year was the New York City ballot founded? the cemetery, new dynamics unfold. Shows are Sept. 20: Kindergarten, New Hope today at 2 p.m. and Sept. 20-24 at 7:30 p.m. Columbus City Answers, 6B at Playhouse on Main, 108 E. Main, Starkville. Council, Municipal High Low Tickets $15 adults; $10 students. Limited seating. Complex, 91 64 Reserve tickets through the box office, 662-323- Chance of t’storms 5 p.m. 6855. Full forecast on Sept. 21: Co- page 2A. lumbus Lowndes Today Counter Emergen- INSIDE ■ Hazard Lecture Series: As part of this series’ cy Management, 25th anniversary, Margaret Mary Henry speaks on 515 Second Ave- Classifieds5B Education 6A “A Window on Russia: A Local Scholar Reports” nue N., 3 p.m. Comics 4B Obituaries 5A at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Academy Elementary Demetrius Jefferson, Crossword 6B Opinions 6A Student Activity Building, 623 Willowbrook Road. of Columbus, is a stay at Dear Abby 4B Prep Page 2B 137TH YEAR, NO. 161 Free to the community. home mom. DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com SAY WHAT? DID YOU HEAR? “You have to wonder how many people could have been hurt.” ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Veep’ Mayor Christian Bollwage of Elizabeth, New Jersey, on take top honors at Emmys Monday bombing devices found near a train station. Page 5A. BY LYNN ELBER one to claim most prime- AP Television Writer time series awards ever. The Emmys proved LOS ANGELES — more adroit than the Os- A THOUSAND WORDS “Game of Thrones” con- cars at recognizing and quered the Emmy king- honoring diversity in Hol- dom Sunday, honored as lywood’s top ranks, with top drama for the second trophies going to minori- consecutive year and be- ty actors and behind-the- coming the most honored scenes artists including prime-time TV series ever writers Aziz Ansari and on a night of surprises and Alan Yang of “Master of sharp political jabs. None.” “Veep” repeated as best But Viola Davis of “How comedy series and its star, to Get Away with Murder” Julia Louis-Dreyfus, won failed to repeat her 2015 a record-breaking sixth Emmy as best comedy best drama actress win, actress. Jeffrey Tambor’s the first for a woman of trophy as top comedy ac- color. tor for “Transparent” also Tambor, who plays a was his second. transgender character on But the top drama act- “Transparent,” called on ing trophies were far from Hollywood to make him predictable: Rami Malek the last non-transgender of “Mr. Robot” and Tati- actor to get such a role. ana Maslany of “Orphan A shaking Louis-Drey- Black” were the winners, fus ended her speech by both overcoming heavy- dedicating the trophy to weight competition. her father, who she said “Oh, my God. Please died Friday. Before that, tell me you’re seeing this she honed in on GOP con- too,” said a stunned Malek, tender Donald Trump’s who plays an emotionally campaign. troubled engineer caught “I’d also like to take this up in a dangerous hacking opportunity to personally conspiracy. apologize for the current “Games of Thrones,” political climate,” she said. the fantasy saga based on “I think that ‘Veep’ has torn George R.R. Martin’s nov- down the wall between els, received a total of 12 comedy and politics. Our awards Sunday and at last show started out as a polit- weekend’s technical arts ical satire but it now feels ceremony for a cumulative more like a sobering docu- 38, besting “Frasier” by mentary.” CONTACTING THE DISPATCH Office hours: Main line: n 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Fri n 662-328-2424 HOW DO I ..