ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY THURSDAY | JANUARY 4, 2018 Starkville teacher arrested for child enticement to produce visu- unconfirmed reports he was es- Wednesday that McBeath is Columbus resident taught science at al depiction of corted from Armstrong Middle no longer employed with the sexual conduct. School during school hours. school district. She said Mc- Starkville’s Armstrong Middle School The Dispatch At the time, SPD couldn’t con- Beath was hired last summer to BY ALEX HOLLOWAY SPD, with assistance from has submitted a firm a response to the school. teach eighth grade science and [email protected] the U.S. Marshal Task Force, public records Starkville-Oktibbeha Consoli- was in his first semester on the arrested 37-year-old Lacey Mc- request for the dated School District declined faculty. Starkville Police arrested affidavit on Mc- to comment, citing the matter McBeath is out of the Oktib- Beath, of Columbus, on felony a former Armstrong Middle Beath’s arrest. McBeath as a personnel issue. beha County Jail after posting School science teacher Wednes- warrants issued for enticement The Dispatch SOCSD Public Informa- $50,000 bond. He’s next sched- day for allegedly attempting to of a child to meet for sexual pur- requested information about tion Officer Nicole Thomas uled to appear in court on Feb. entice a child. poses and enticement of a child McBeath on Dec. 13, 2017, after confirmed to The Dispatch on 12. SHOWING HIS MOVES Fire destroys Holly Hills home in Columbus No one injured in the blaze; home was in the process of being renovated BY ISABELLE ALTMAN [email protected] A house on Holly INSIDE Hills Road was destroyed ■ PHOTO: Wednesday night when a fire See a photo of engulfed the entire building. the house fire. Page 8A Firefighters with Co- lumbus Fire and Rescue re- ceived a call about the fire at about 5:30 p.m. By the time they arrived at the home, which was at the end of Holly Hills Road off Highway 45, the house was fully involved with flames leaping into the air and catching surrounding trees on fire. No one was in the home when the fire started, nor did anyone live in the house, CFR Public Information Officer Anthony Colom said. The home’s owner, Joseph Thompson, said he had been in the process of renovating Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff it. Camarion Conner, 7, spins a basketball on his finger on Short Third Street Wednesday. “I like to play basketball outside with my friends,” Conner said. “I got a two-wheel bike for Christmas. I’ve been riding since I was 5,” he added. Camarion is “I was about ready to move back in there,” the son of Shiana Grandberry and Chris Conner of Columbus. he said. He said his family moved into the house in 1944, where he lived for several years before he moved to a different part of Columbus. He’s been in-and-out of the house ever since, he said. Starkville man accused of sexual battery of child Thompson had been working in the house ual battery of a juvenile. davit in the case, but it earlier in the day and had built a fire in the fireplace. He said he made sure he put it out, Johnny b. Harris has been Police arrested Johnny B. Harris, was not available in the using five gallons of water, but thinks he possi- 60, on Tuesday on the felony warrant. municipal court clerk’s released from Oktibbeha bly missed a spark which caught after he left. Starkville Police Department Public office by press time. County jail on bond Information Officer Brandon Lovela- “Lot of blood, sweat and tears in that old dy confirmed the alleged victim is a Harris has been re- house,” he said. DISPATCH STAFF REPORT juvenile but released no other details. leased from Oktibbeha Firefighters battled the flames more than The Dispatch has submitted a pub- County Jail after post- an hour. Colom said Wednesday firefighters A Starkville man is accused of sex- lic records request for the arrest affi- ing $50,000 bond. Harris didn’t yet know the cause of the fire. New police chief wants to make Columbus model city the December retirement of Shelton discusses vision of implementing former chief Oscar Lewis. Shelton said his first priori- community policing department-wide to ty will be to recruit more offi- Kiwanis Club cers and work to retain them. The city is budgeted for 70 Police Chief BY ISABELLE ALTMAN law enforcement agencies in officers, and Shelton plans to Fred Shelton [email protected] the state. keep the number between 67 speaks at Ki- Shelton spoke with Kiwan- and 70. Right now, the depart- wanis Club’s At Fred Shelton’s first pub- is Club Wednesday at Lion ment has 63 officers. weekly meet- ing Wednes- lic appearance after being Hills Center, where he called Shelton added that half of appointed chief of Columbus day at Lion it a “life dream” to be chief. the department was hired in Hills Center. Police Department, he laid out Shelton has worked with CPD the last two years. He plans to He laid out his vision for transforming the more than 30 years, serving use that to his advantage. plans for a department into one which is the last two as assistant chief. “We have a young depart- more commu- as concerned with preventing Columbus City Council unani- ment,” Shelton said. “We want nity-minded crime as solving it and which mously appointed him chief at to mold them and shape them police force Luisa Porter/Dis- will be an example for other its Tuesday meeting, following See SHELTON, 8A patch Staff WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC 1 Who rules the Neighborhood of Make-Be- MEETINGS Today Jan. 4: Cale- lieve on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”? ■ Exhibit reception: The Columbus Arts donia Board of 2 What legendary Swiss hero was forced Council hosts a reception from 5:30-7 p.m. to use crossbow to shoot an apple off his opening an exhibition of 2D and 3D expressive Aldermen, 6 son’s head as punishment? p.m. Town Hall 3 What 1993 Robert Altman film was experiments by Joe MacGown of Starkville at based on nine short stories and a poem by the Rosenzweig Arts Center, 501 Main St. Free Jan. 8: Columbus J.R. Dowdle Raymond Carver? to the public. For more information, contact the Second grade, Annunciation 4 What land mass broke up to create CAC, 662-328-2787. Municipal Earth’s continents? School District 5 In most modern decks of playing cards, Board of which king does not have a mustache? Saturday, Jan. 6 High 36 Low 14 ■ Art showing: A showing of original artwork Trustees, 6 Sunny by Andre Ray begins at 6 p.m. at Beans & p.m., Brandon Full forecast on Answers, 8B Cream, 60 Brickerton St., Columbus. Open to Central Services page 2A. the public. Jan. 12: INSIDE Lowndes DISPATCH OFFICES County School Business 4A Dear Abby 7B District Board Classifieds8B Obituaries 5A ■ The offices of The Dispatch will be closed Quantavis Snell works at of Trustees, 11 Comics 7B Opinions 6A Friday from 1:15-2:30 p.m. for a company-wide Walmart. a.m., District 138TH YEAR, NO. 252 Crossword 6B meeting. offices DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com DID YOU HEAR? New 4-D film unveiled for tourists at Mount Vernon Thursday THE ASSOCIATED PRESS tion, replacing the film that had been shown since A THOUSAND WORDS MOUNT VERNON, the theater first opened in Va. — Visitors to George 2006. Washington’s Mount Ver- Mount Vernon says the non estate will see a new 105-seat theater, which fea- 4-D film depicting the tures 4-D effects like fall- Founding Father’s role in ing snow and wafting fog, the American Revolution. is one of its most popular The estate has re- attractions. opened its Revolutionary More than 100 re-en- War Theater after a $2 mil- actors participated in pro- lion renovation. duction of the new film at A new 17-minute film locations throughout Vir- accompanies the renova- ginia. Mike Tyson breaks ground on California marijuana ranch THE ASSOCIATED PRESS north of Los Angeles. Partner Robert Hick- CALIFORNIA CITY, man tells the website that Calif. — Former heavy- the undeveloped lands are weight champion Mike primed to be cultivated Tyson is becoming a Cali- and that Tyson Ranch will fornia marijuana entrepre- be an oasis. Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff neur. In a video of the event, Columbus City worker of 11 years Eric Bryant places one of many Christmas trees found on residence curbs in TheBlast.com reports a pile at the city yard off Bell Avenue Wednesday. “We are starting to pick them up this week, I know there will California City Mayor Jen- be lots more,” he said. “Just put your tree on the curb outside your home and we will come pick it up for you,” that Tyson and partners nifer Wood thanks Tyson he added. on Dec. 20 broke ground for his commitment to the on a plot for a cannabis community, saying the in- resort in California City, dustry will provide medi- a remote Mojave Desert cal marijuana to people in town that’s about a 110- need, revenue, jobs and mile (177-kilometer) drive income for residents. Storm slaps coastal South with most snow in nearly 3 decades BY RUSS BYNUM downtown squares and CONTACTING THE DISPATCH The Associated Press collected on branches of burly oaks for the first Office hours: Main line: SAVANNAH, Ga.