ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY TUESDAY | JULY 7, 2015 FIELD OF GOLD Luke Bryan concert coming to Lowndes Co. Country singer bringing ‘Farm Tour’ to area farm BY GINGER HERVEY [email protected] Country sing- er Luke Bryan will perform in Lowndes Coun- ty this fall as part of his 2015 farm tour. The singer’s website lists the concert venue as Starkville, but locals will know the area as a lit- Courtesy photo/Keith Hinkle tle farther south Luke Bryan is pictured and east: Holt- in 2010 at the 45th camp Farms is Annual Academy of Mark Wilson/Dispatch Staff near Artesia, on Country Music Awards. Perry Brown walks through a field full of sunflowers Monday afternoon behind his business, Progressive Home Builders, the Oktibbeha located along Highway 12 East in Steens. County line. The concert will take place Oct. 7. This is Bryan’s seventh annual farm tour, where the singer’s staff partners with smaller farming communities to put on the concerts. Lowndes Co. supes restructure USDA loan Bryan’s staff notified Lowndes Coun- ty Sheriff Mike Arledge in April that $11,860 less in interest they were interested in having a concert Move, supervisors say, will save county roughly $2M payments by accepting in the area. The venue was selected be- cause it is close to a college town but still by SLIM SMITH the Trustmark propos- The existing loan will be divided in the country, according to Arledge. [email protected] al. Under the agree- into two bonds — a $3 million bond Previous farm tour concerts have ment, the county will for 15 years and a $10 million bond drawn crowds of 20,000 or so, Arledge Lowndes County supervisors on pay $844,650 in inter- for 12 months. Two banks — Regions said. Monday approved a proposal to re- est. structure a $13 million U.S. Depart- and Trustmark — bid on the bond “They’re doing it on a Wednesday The USDA loan was ment of Agriculture loan that will save purchase, with Trustmark offering a Sanders night and I think the reason for that the county approximately $2 million slightly lower interest rate — 2.717 to part of a matching grant is they want to manage the size of the over the life of the loan. Region’s 2.8 percent. to improve infrastructure at the coun- crowd,” he said. “There’s basically one “Basically, it’s like a home-owner Consultant Steve Pittman recom- ty’s industrial park. The county’s 45 way in and one way out and part of the refinancing a house from 30 years to mended the board accept Trustmark’s percent match will be paid by in-lieu way, it’s a gravel road. So they want to 15,” Board President Harry Sanders proposal and provided a spreadsheet payments from industry, Sanders make sure they can manage the traf- said. that showed the county would pay said. See TOUR, 6A Columbus pets took Fourth of July well — this year While few strays brought years, we get a lot of dogs turned in, either in wake of firecrackers, by residents or animal PORTRAITS control officers, and WHILE humane society still in calls from pet owners PASSING wanting to know if their THROUGH: Dr. Joe busy season dogs have been turned McKeev- Johnwick in to us. Some years, er, former BY SLIM SMITH we don’t see much at minister at [email protected] all. You never know.” First Baptist This Fourth of July did not produce Church in See Dick light the firecracker. See Columbus, Jane light the bottle rocket. much of an onslaught. “We only had one stray turned in, was in town Bang, goes the firecracker! this morning Whooosh, goes the rocket! and we don’t know if that was because and stopped See Spot run! of fireworks or not. There’s no way to by The Dis- Each Fourth of July and New Year’s tell,” Johnwick said Monday. “We’ve patch office. Eve, humane societies brace for an up- had a couple of calls about missing He drew a tick in arrivals of frightened dogs who dogs. Other than that, it’s been a pret- portrait of MacKenzie have escaped their homes because of ty normal day.” Animal controls made no drop-offs Neal, a cus- fireworks. tomer service “It’s funny,” Karen Johnwick, di- at CLHS on the Fourth of July or Sun- representa- rector of the Columbus-Lowndes Hu- day. tive. mane Society, said Monday. “Some See PETS, 6A William Browning/Dispatch Staff WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC MEETINGS 1 In what movie did Twilight star Kristen Thursday Today: Columbus City Stewart make her film debut playing Council, Municipal Complex, ■ Sounds of Summer: Johnny Jodie Foster’s daughter? 5 p.m. Coleman and Swing Shift entertain 2 Which two presidents died July 4, July 10: Lowndes County at this free summer concert at the 1826, on the 50th anniversary of the School District Board of signing of the Declaration of Indepen- Columbus Riverwalk at the west dence for the United States of America? end of Main Street from 7-9 p.m. Trustees, District Central Office, 11 a.m. Aidan Wedel 3 Who are the two father/son duos who Bring lawn chairs or blankets to have each scored 200 or more NHL July 13: Columbus Munici- Third grade, Caledonia enjoy the show. Food and cold bev- goals? pal School District Board of 4 What song by the Beatles, originally erages available for purchase. No Trustees, Brandon Central High Low titled “Scrambled Eggs,” has become pets or coolers, please. For more 94 71 the most recorded song of all time? information, contact Main Street Offices 6 p.m. Mostly sunny 5 Where was Massachusetts native Columbus, 662-328-6305. July 14: West Point Board of Full forecast on Katherine Lee Bates when she wrote Selectmen, West Point City page 2A. the lyrics for “America the Beautiful” in Hall, 5:30 p.m. 1893? Thursday through Saturday July 15: Lowndes County Answers, 6B ■ Crawford Cotton Boll Festival: Live entertainment, speakers, a Board of Supervisors, Court- INSIDE step show and more are part of house, 9 a.m. this event held in Crawford. For Dianne Webber lives in July 16: Columbus City Light Classifieds5B Obituaries 5A more information, call 662-272- Columbus and is a teacher at and Water, CLW boardroom, 136TH YEAR, NO. 100 Comics 4B Opinions 4A 5164. New Hope High School. noon DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com SAY WHAT? DID YOU HEAR? “I always wanted to go there (MSU), but even if it didn’t happen, I just wanted to play basketball.” Lawyers: Cosby’s drugs-sex Former Madison Central High School standout and Louisi- ana Tech men’s basketball player Xavian Stapleton, who admission could help women’s suit Tuesday has transferred to Mississippi State. Story, 1B. ‘If today’s report is true, Mr. Cosby admitted under oath 10 years ago A THOUSAND WORDS sedating women for sexual purposes’ BY MARYCLAIRE DALE lar story?” The Associated Press The AP had gone to court to compel the release PHILADELPHIA — Bill of a deposition in a sexual Cosby’s admission that he abuse lawsuit filed by for- obtained quaaludes to give mer Temple University em- young women he was pur- ployee Andrea Constand suing for sex could bolster — the first of a cascade of defamation claims lodged lawsuits against Cosby that by his accusers, the wom- have severely damaged his en’s lawyers said after The image as doting TV dad Associated Press reported Dr. Cliff Huxtable on “The on newly released court Cosby Show” from 1984 to documents. 1992. Cosby in sworn testi- His lawyers objected to mony unsealed Monday the release of the material, admitted that he gave the arguing it would embarrass now-banned sedative to at him. Ultimately, a judge least one of his accusers seized on Cosby’s public and to unnamed others. His moralizing as he unsealed lawyer interfered before he portions of the deposition could answer deposition that had been filed in court. questions in 2005 about “The stark contrast be- how many women were tween Bill Cosby, the pub- given drugs and whether lic moralist and Bill Cosby, they knew about it. the subject of serious al- “If today’s report is true, legations concerning im- Mr. Cosby admitted under proper (and perhaps crim- oath 10 years ago sedating inal) conduct, is a matter as AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza women for sexual purpos- to which the AP — and by es,” said Lisa Bloom, attor- extension the public — has ABOVE: In this slow ney for model Janice Dick- a significant interest,” U.S. shutter speed picture, inson, who contends she District Judge Eduardo Ro- revelers participate was drugged and raped. breno wrote. in the running of the “Given that, how dare he Cosby, 77, has been ac- bulls of the San Fermin publicly vilify Ms. Dickin- cused by more than two festival in Pamplona, son and accuse her of lying dozen women of sexual Spain, today. RIGHT: A when she tells a very simi- misconduct. reveler falls while oth- ers run with a fighting bull during the running of the bulls of the San CONTACTING THE DISPATCH Fermin festival in Pam- Office hours: Main line: plona, Spain, today. n 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Fri n 662-328-2424 People from around the world turned out here to HOW DO I ..