ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY THURSDAY | JANUARY 18, 2018 CMSD board chooses superintendent search firm “We felt that Mississippi in Mississippi schools and had Mississippi School Boards Association’s School Boards Association, af- comparable cost estimates. process expected to take about 3 months ter the transaction of working MSBA, Spears said, has a through and successfully se- baseline cost of roughly $11,500. BY INDIA YARBOROUGH After nearly an hour of dis- lecting a candidate for super- Additional costs, which Spears [email protected] cussion, the four board mem- intendent, would have ongoing estimates to reach around bers present at the Wednesday dialogue, ongoing training and $5,000, will accrue for advertis- The Columbus Municipal morning meeting — Fredrick things that might help us contin- ing, attracting candidates and School District Board of Trust- Sparks, Josie Shumake, Currie ue to build more strength here interviewing. Spears Waldrop ees voted Wednesday to hire Fischer and board president in the district,” Spears said. Spears said CMSD’s new the Clinton-based Mississippi Jason Spears — had narrowed Boards Association was a bet- He noted the two final firms superintendent will begin no School Boards Association to their consideration from six ter choice for the district than under consideration had the later than July 1, replacing Phil- conduct the district’s next su- search firms to two, ultimate- Performance Based Education most experience searching for lip Hickman, who was hired to perintendent search. ly deciding Mississippi School Consultants, Inc. and placing superintendents See CMSD, 8A Caledonia WEATHER ROCK students return to school mourning two of their own Principal: Counselors will be available for students following weekend wreck BY SLIM SMITH [email protected] In his 41 years at Caledonia Elementa- ry School, Principal Roger Hill has had his share of days when he dreaded go- ing to school. During those four Hill decades, the first day of school after the tragic death of a stu- dent has always been a tough day for stu- dents, teachers, staff and administration. Today is one of those days. Wright “It never gets any easier,” Hill said Wednesday. Today is the first day students at the elementary school will be in class since the deaths of two of their classmates — 9-year-old Da- kota Barnett and 10-year-old Ray- mond Karr Jr. Deanna Robinson/Dispatch Staff The cousins were killed after Lucas Weathers repairs “Nature’s Weather Rock” at Lake Lowndes State Park this morning. Weathers has worked at the park a Sunday morning car crash that for five years. “I enjoy working here because nature is beautiful and I’d rather be outside enjoying God’s handiwork than be See CALEDONIA, 3A inside a cubical or any building,” Weathers said. Roundabout, crosswalk concept SLICK SIDEWALKS: Starkville State Farm agent Brian proposed for Main St. intersection McCaskill pours out An early draft a bag of salt onto If approved, project the front parking lot of the new im- outside the busi- could last through provement plan, ness on Highway created by city 12 Wednesday. The June 2020 engineer Kev- high temperature for in Stafford of today is forecast to BY INDIA YARBOROUGH Ne el - S ch a f fe r, be 40 degrees with [email protected] includes a pedes- Stafford a low of 16 degrees. trian crosswalk By the weekend, The city has adopted a modi- temperatures should across Main Street near Har- be up in the mid- fied plan for downtown improve- vey’s restaurant and a round- 50s. ments to pedestrian accessibili- about at Main Street’s Second Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff ty and traffic flow. See INTERSECTION, 8A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC 1 To whom did Peter Abelard famously MEETINGS Friday Jan 22: write? ■ Eye Opener in West Point: The West Point Growth 2 What pigment in the skin increases Columbus- Alliance invites the public to a morning Eye Opener with exposure to sunlight, producing Lowndes of coffee and networking from 7:15-8:30 a.m. at the a tan? Convention and Louise Campbell Center for the Arts, 235 Commerce 3 What feature did the Humpty Dump- Visitors Bureau, ty pinball machine introduce in 1947? St. in downtown West Point. For more information, call 4 p.m., CVB Maria Lugo 4 The series of volcanoes known 662-494-5121 or email [email protected]. as the “Ring of Fire” surround what headquarters First grade, Caledonia ocean? Jan. 31: 5 What did the American Film Institute Saturday Lowndes County High 40 Low 16 name the best American movie of all ■ Frostbite Half-Marathon: This half-marathon ben- Supervisors, 9 time? efit for the Starkville Fire Department includes a 10K a.m., County Sunny Full forecast on Answers, 8B and 5K begins and ends on Starkville’s Main Street. Courthouse page 2A. Races begin at 9 a.m. For more information or to Feb. 6: Colum- register, go to frostbitehalf.com before Jan. 18. Medals bus City Council, awarded at noon. 5 p.m., Munici- INSIDE ■ Souper Bowl: Starkville eateries vie for “best of” pal Complex Business 4A Dear Abby 7B votes with signature soups from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Feb. 20: Colum- Classifieds8B Obituaries 5A Main Street downtown. Advance tickets are $15 adults; bus City Council, Comics 7B Opinions 6A $5 children, through a link at starkville.org. Tickets are Kaleb Dent plays drums in 5 p.m., Munici- 138TH YEAR, NO. 264 Crossword 6B $20 day of. Call 662-323-3322 for more information. a band. pal Complex DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2018 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com DID YOU HEAR? SAY WHAT? “We all knew we needed to step up.” Alabama freshman John Petty, talking about Arizona’s GOP senators denounce his team’s 76-71 victory against No. 17 Au- Trump attacks on news media Thursday burn on Wednesday night. Story, 1B. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders called Sen. Jeff HOUSAND ORDS Flake’s criticism hypocritical A T W BY MATTHEW DALY tually oppressive regime” The Associated Press during a visit to Cuba. “He’s not criticizing the WASHINGTON — president because he’s President Donald Trump’s against oppression,” Sand- use of the terms “fake ers said of Flake. “He’s news” and “enemy of the criticizing the president people” is “shameful” and because he has terrible reminiscent of words in- poll numbers. And he is, famously used by Soviet I think, looking for some dictator Josef Stalin to de- attention. I think it’s unfor- scribe his enemies, Repub- tunate.” lican Sen. Jeff Flake said The White House pro- Wednesday. In a speech on the Sen- vides access to the news ate floor, Flake, of Arizona, media every day, Sanders called Trump’s repeated said, noting that she was attacks on the media “re- answering questions at a pulsive” and said Trump daily briefing. Trump rou- “has it precisely back- tinely answers reporters’ ward.” Despotism is the questions, she added. enemy of the people, while “To act as if we’re any- a free press is the despot’s thing but open to that enemy and a guardian of back-and-forth exchange democracy, Flake said. is utterly ridiculous,” she Flake, a frequent said. Trump critic who is re- Flake has said he is not tiring this year, said that comparing Trump to Sta- when Trump calls news lin, who was responsible stories he doesn’t like for the deaths of millions, “fake news,” he “should be but said Trump’s use of the figure of suspicion, not a term favored by Stalin, the press.” “enemy of the people,” is White House press sec- chilling. retary Sarah Huckabee “This alone should be a Sanders called Flake’s crit- source of great shame for icism hypocritical, “consid- us in this body, especially ering he’s the one that was for those of us in the pres- recently defending an ac- ident’s party,’” Flake said. CONTACTING THE DISPATCH Office hours: Main line: Deanna Robinson/Dispatch Staff n 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Fri n 662-328-2424 Dayton Watkins, 6, throws a football while visiting his uncle in New Hope Sunday afternoon. “I’m going to play HOW DO I ... Email a letter to the editor? football for Mississippi State when I go up,” he said. His parents are Will and Rachel Watkins. n [email protected] Report a missing paper? n 662-328-2424 ext. 100 Report a sports score? n Toll-free 877-328-2430 n 662-241-5000 n Operators are on duty until Submit a calendar item? 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. n Go to www.cdispatch.com/ At least 10 deaths from snow, Buy an ad? community n 662-328-2424 Submit a birth, wedding Report a news tip? or anniversary announce- ice and record cold in South n 662-328-2471 ment? n [email protected] n Download forms at www. Though skies were sunny and bright folks I center punched a County, the thermometer cdispatch.com.lifestyles pine tree,” he reported. reading 7 degrees. in many places, temperatures A spokesman said Earn- “I probably had four Physical address: 516 Main St., Columbus, MS 39701 hardt was not hurt and layers on and then in- remained below freezing throughout his pickup had only minor sulated coveralls and a Mailing address: P.O. Box 511, Columbus, MS 39703-0511 damage. heavy coat on over that. I Starkville Office: 101 S. Lafayette St. #16, Starkville, MS 39759 Wednesday in much of the South Though skies were made it OK except for my sunny and bright in many toes,” he said.