ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 75 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY THURSDAY | AUGUST 1, 2019 $11 million 2010 MAKING $10 MILLION DISAPPEAR Athletic spending, declining enrollment tank EMCC fund balance BY MARY POLLITZ EMCC President Scott Alsobrooks and two of [email protected] the school’s board members confirmed those fig- ures are accurate. Leadership at East Mississippi Communi- It’s still unclear whether the fund balance will ty College is scrambling to reverse nearly decrease further for Fiscal Year 2019, which end- a decade’s worth of deficit spending that ed June 30, because Alsobrooks said EMCC is still has tanked the school’s general oper- receiving invoices that will be billed to that fiscal ating fund balance. year. However, he hopes cost-cutting measures Documents provided to The the school put in place after his arrival as presi- Dispatch on Wednesday show dent in January will assure at least a break-even EMCC’s general operating year. fund balance has fallen Those cost-cutting measures included leaving more than $10 million non-vital positions vacant after employee attrition since Fiscal Year 2010 though retirement or resignation, he said. — from roughly $11 “We’re hopeful that we don’t (end up in the million to only red),” Alsobrooks said. “We may not end up in $710,844 by the the red. I will know that in the coming weeks. ... end of June But, it’s looking very positive. ... We may be in the 2018. red, but just slightly, and hopefully not as much as we have in years past. They’ve run some mighty large deficits.” Still, the board-approved Fiscal Year 2020 budget, a copy of which a board member provided The Dispatch on Wednesday, shows the school plans to pull almost $1.9 mil- lion from various reserve funds to balance costs and revenue. See EMCC, 6A $710,000 2018 EMCC FUND BALANCE: The above graphic shows East Mississip- pi Community College’s fund balance over a 10-year period from 2009 to 2018. EMCC Enrollment EMCC Operating Profit/Loss 5,600 $2,000,000 5,400 $1,000,000 5,200 5,000 $0 4,800 -$1,000,000 4,600 4,400 -$2,000,000 4,200 4,000 -$3,000,000 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Lowndes County Citizen comment on EMCC District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks, right, argues with citizen sparks heated exchange Boomer Brown during Wednesday’s board of Brooks: ‘I’m insulted Private citizen Boomer Brown supervisors meeting addressed the board of supervi- at the Lowndes County by the fact that you sors during its regular meeting Courthouse. Brown Wednesday after he said he at- appeared before the board and asked them would walk in here’ tended two EMCC board meet- ings. He claimed the Lowndes to fire the Lowndes BY MARY POLLITZ County-appointed [email protected] County-appointed members, who board members of the were present at the supervisors East Mississippi Com- District 4 Supervisor Leroy meeting, acted “childish” and munity College board. Lowndes County deserved bet- Brooks said he was Brooks had choice words for a citi- “insulted” Brown would zen demanding the board remove ter. After Brown read his speech, request that and called the Lowndes County appointees Brooks quickly introduced him- him “out of order.” on the East Mississippi Commu- self to Brown and proceeded to Mary Pollitz/Dispatch Staff nity College board of trustees. See SUPes, 3A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR COMING SUNDAY PUBLIC MEETINGS 1 What toy did an engineer invent in 1943 while Today experimenting with springs? Aug. 5: Lowndes ■ Sounds of Summer fina- 2 What U.S. state touches an ocean and two County Supervi- le: Keith and Margie Brown Great Lakes? sors, 9 a.m., Coun- 3 What Disney World attraction added Captain entertain from 7-9 p.m. at Barbossa, Davy Jones and Captain Jack Spar- Columbus’ last Sounds of ty Courthouse row to its lineup in 2006? Summer of 2019. Bring Aug. 6: Columbus John Aiden Hill 4 What U.S senator set the record for longest City Council regular filibuster — against the 1957 Civil Rights Act — lawn chairs or blankets to Second grade, Heritage three decades after fathering a daughter with a the Riverwalk for this free meeting, 5 p.m., 16-year-old African American girl? concert (no coolers or pets). Municipal Complex High 91 Low 70 5 What teaching method includes a large oval Concessions available. 662- Courtroom table where up to 12 students and a teacher 328-6305, 662-328-4491. Aug. 15: Lowndes Partly sunny, chance t-storms discuss various subjects? Full forecast on Answers, 6B County Supervi- page 2A. Today through Sunday sors, 9 a.m., Coun- ■ Artesia Days: Festivities ty Courthouse INSIDE in downtown Artesia include Aug. 15: Colum- a health fair, live music, bus Light and Business 4B Dear Abby 4B Classifieds6B Obituaries 5A stickball, dance teams, Don’t miss The Dispatch’s Voter’s Water utility meet- Comics 4B Opinions 4A speakers, baseball, more. Guide, with candidate profiles and ing, 12 p.m., CLW 140TH YEAR, NO. 122 Crossword 6B 662-272-5104. precinct info, in Sunday’s paper. office building DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2019 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com SAY WHAT? DID YOU HEAR? “The landscape and the opportunities for safe linkage between drug supply chains has changed.” Unopened 1987 Nintendo video HHS Secretary Alex Azar on the U.S. setting up a game could sell for $10,000 Thursday plan to import medicine from Canada. Story, 5A. “To find a sealed copy ‘in the wild,’ so to speak ... is both an unusual and A THOUSAND WORDS rather historic occurrence” Valarie McLeckie, video game consignment director at Heritage Auctions THE ASSOCIatED PRESS usual and rather historic occurrence,” she said. “We RENO, Nev. — An feel that the provenance unopened copy of a 1987 will add a significant pre- cult-classic video game mium for serious collec- that a Nevada man found tors.” in the attic of his child- Wata Games, a video hood home is expected to game grading service, sell for up to $10,000 at an gave Amos’ copy a rating online auction. of 8.0 on a 10-point scale. The boxed game car- Amos said no one in the tridge of Nintendo’s “Kid family has a recollection of Icarus” was still in the bag purchasing the game, but with the receipt for $38.45 the Dec. 8, 1988, purchase from J.C. Penney’s catalog date hints it may have department three decades been intended as a Christ- earlier. mas present. Scott Amos of Reno told “I can remember the the Reno Gazette Jour- game. My neighbor down nal he initially thought it the street had it. I remem- might be worth a couple ber it being hard, and I hundred dollars. was never that good of a But Valarie McLeckie, gamer guy,” he said. “All video game consignment the family has been trying director at Heritage Auc- to come up with a hypoth- tions, says it’s one of the esis ... (My mom) thinks hardest Nintendo titles to she put it there and never find in sealed condition. got it back out, and then it She says there are fewer ended up in the attic.” than 10 in the hands of vin- The game, based loose- tage game collectors. ly on Greek mythology, “To find a sealed copy follows a cupid-like protag- ‘in the wild,’ so to speak, onist named Pit attempt- not to mention one in ing to rescue Palutena, such a nice condition and the goddess of light, who one with such transparent is imprisoned by the evil provenance, is both an un- Medusa. 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