SPORTS, 1B FOOD, 5B Crimson Uprising West Be my (savory) Alabama Releford’s last-second news: Valentine shot sends Alabama past Page 4A Move over chocolate — Ole Miss in Southeastern there’s more than one Conference play way to celebrate ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM FREE! WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 12, 2014 Major Oktibbeha Co. cocaine ring busted charged with three counts of charged with possession of co- bling operation. Five arrested in ‘Operation Queen Bee’ sale of cocaine and conspiracy caine and conspiracy to distrib- Operation Queen Bee also re- BY SARAH FOWLER eration Queen Bee, focused on to distribute cocaine. Calvin ute cocaine. Timothy Gilliam, sulted in the seizure of approx- [email protected] a group of Starkville-based co- Baskin, 43, of West Point, was 39, of Ecru, was arrested and imately 23 ounces of cocaine caine distributors who provided arrested and charged with pos- charged with possession of co- worth an estimated street value A major cocaine ring based narcotics to the northern half of session of cocaine, possession caine and conspiracy to distrib- of $66,000. In addition to the co- out of Oktibbeha County has the state. Five people were ar- of MDMA (Molly), conspiracy ute cocaine, and Debra Walker, caine, law enforcement seized been dismantled, according to rested and more arrests are ex- to distribute cocaine and pos- 57, of Starkville, was arrested $40,000 in cash, seven vehi- the Mississippi Bureau of Nar- pected, according to the MBN. session of a firearm by a convict- and charged with possession of cles, six firearms, three money cotics. Sherita Garth, 37, of ed felon. Dashiki Townsend, 31, a firearm by a convicted felon counters and paraphernalia. The investigation, called Op- Starkville, was arrested and of West Point, was arrested and and running a large-scale gam- See COCAINE, 8A Chism, Ellis support ALABAMA WOMAN DIES IN ROLL-OVER Holloway’s early transition to conservator Starkville-Oktibbeha school consolidation bills remain unchanged this week BY CARL SMITH [email protected] Two Oktibbeha County representa- tives say they favor the original language of local school con- solidation bills that called upon Starkville School District Su- perintendent Lewis Holloway Holloway to lead the county school district in July. As originally filed, HB 833 and SB 2813 called for Holloway’s early appointment as Oktibbeha Coun- Micah Green/Dispatch Staff ty School District conservator and An employee with Auto Mart LLC cleans up scattered items from a white Jeep Wrangler 4x4 after it plummeted down an embank- ment at the Lee Stokes exit on Highway 82 on Tuesday morning. The driver, identified as Tara Pugh of Reform, Ala., was ejected gave him the power to issue notes when the vehicle rolled over. Pugh was transported to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle where she died shortly after 11 that would finance school repairs in a.m. from injuries to her chest and upper body. both districts before state-mandat- ed consolidation occurs in 2015. ing to Lowndes County Corner Greg Two bill substitutes were intro- Mother of two was traveling on icy Hwy. 82 Merchant. Her cause of death is due to duced last week which state the injuries to her upper chest and body. county system shall remain under BY SARAH FOWLER Tuesday morning when her 2000 Jeep It is unclear if Pugh was wearing her [email protected] Mississippi Department of Edu- Wrangler left the roadway after cross- seatbelt at the time of the accident, but cation control until June 30, 2015, ing an icy bridge, according to the Mis- Merchant said, “it doesn’t appear that Icy road conditions are to blame for without explicitly calling for a new sissippi Highway Patrol. she was.” conservator. a single-car accident that claimed the The Jeep rolled over, ejecting Pugh, Pugh was heading to Columbus for Local Reps. Gary Chism, life of a young mother Tuesday morn- before stopping at the bottom of the a doctor’s appointment. She leaves be- R-Columbus, and Tyrone Ellis, ing. embankment. Pugh was transported hind a husband and two children under D-Starkville, both said they support Tara Pugh, 37, of Reform, Ala., was from the scene via ambulance to Bap- the age of 10. the bills as originally written and driving west on Hwy. 82 near Lee- tist Memorial Hospital-Golden Trian- Skelton Funeral Home in Reform is See CONSOLIDATION, 8A Stokes Road at approximately 8:45 gle. She died just after 11 a.m., accord- handling the arrangements. Mississippi House passes new road bill honoring Zacharias Hood again pushing for Hwy. 25 designation honoring the Oktib- Department of Trans- lis A. Gra- ONLINE beha Coun- portation would erect ham-Ste- ■ ROAD BILL: ty-Winston and maintain signage ven B. View House Bill long-serving MSU president County line along and approaching M o s s 615 at cdis- patch.com. BY CARL SMITH the Senate and signed by State University presi- to be re- the highway leading to Memorial [email protected] Gov. Phil Bryant, would dent. named the Starkville. Highway.” Dr. Donald A portion of Hwy. 9 in The bill’s chief author, honor Donald Zachari- The legislation, HB The Mississippi W. Zachari- Choctaw County, from Rep. Joey Hood. R-Acker- Zacharias House of Representa- as by naming a portion 615, calls for the portion as Memori- the Choctaw-Webster man, attempted to pass tives passed a bill Tues- of Hwy. 25 after the of the highway that inter- al Highway. line to Ackerman, would similar legislation last day that, if approved by long-serving Mississippi sects with Old Hwy. 25 to If adopted, Mississippi be designated the “Phyl- See ZACHARIAS, 8A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC MEETINGS 1 What nickname is attached to the Thursday, Feb. 13 Feb. 14: Lowndes County circle of volcanoes around the Pacific ■ Titans’ Herman Boone: Missis- Board of Supervisors, Court- Basin? sippi University for Women’s Gordy house, 9 a.m. 2 What Queen hit did Sylvester Honors Series welcomes Coach Feb. 18: Columbus City Stallone nearly use for the “Rocky III” Herman Boone, an inspiration for the Council, municipal complex, theme son? movie “Remembering the Titans,” at 5 p.m. 3 What is the largest humanitarian 6 p.m. in Limbert Assembly Room in Feb. 18: Columbus Munic- AJ Rice network in the world? ipal School Board, Central First grade, West Lowndes Cochran Hall on campus. For more in- 4 Who was famous for saying: “All you formation, contact Dr. Thomas Velek, office, 6 p.m. need to fly are lovely things and fairy [email protected], 662-241-6850, Feb. 18: Starkville Board of High 38 Low 31 dust?” or visit web2.muw.edu/index.php/ Aldermen, City Hall Court- Rainy 5 How many carats is pure gold? en/main-honors/. room, 5:30 p.m. Feb. 27: Clay County Board Full forecast on Answers, 10B ■ Chamber music: A Mississippi page 2A. State faculty recital features Shandy of Supervisors, Courthouse, Phillips on violin, Sheri Falcone on 9 a.m. clarinet, Denise Rowan on bassoon Mar. 3: Lowndes County and Rosangela Sebba on piano at Board of Supervisors, Court- INSIDE 7:30 p.m. in the Giles Architecture Charles Wilson is a blues house, 9 a.m. Building on campus. Free to the pub- recording artist from Chicago. He Mar. 3: Clay County Board Classifieds 9B Obituaries 5A lic. For more information, contact the has lived in Columbus for one of Supervisors, Courthouse, Comics 8B Opinions 6A Department of Music, 662-325-3070. year. 9 a.m. DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2014 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com DID YOU HEAR? Wednesday SOCCER Family and friends bundled up to watch soccer at Heritage Acade- Scene&Seen my Monday afternoon. AP Photo/Richard Vogel Flowers and a stuffed animal are left at the hand and foot prints for Shirley Temple Black at the TCL Chinese Theatre in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles on Tuesday. Celebrities react to Shirley Temple’s death BY DERRIK J. LANG cisco at age 85. The cause of AP Entertainment Writer death was not disclosed. Margaret O’Brien, a fel- LOS ANGELES — The low child star during the praises of Shirley Temple same era, reminisced about are being sung by celebri- her unique bond with Black. ties across Hollywood who The “Meet Me in St. Louis” remembered her as Ameri- actress said she and Black ca’s prolific little darling. were able to communicate For the fifth time in about an experience “that its history, the Chinese we couldn’t share with oth- Theatre planned to dim ers.” the lights in its famous “Although there were pe- forecourt, which features riods of time that we would Temple’s little hand- and not be able to speak, we ex- footprints, in tribute to the changed Christmas cards star of such films as “Curly every year and tried to keep Top,” “Heidi” and “The Lit- in touch,” said O’Brien. “It tle Colonel.” has hit me hard to think that Temple, known in her she isn’t going to be avail- other life as Shirley Temple able to call on for advice or a Black, died Monday night cheerful word. I, as so many at her home near San Fran- others, will miss her.” Abby Asadi, Evie McIntyre, Margaret Lebrun, Mary Gardner, and Mixson Bateman 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.