ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 75 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 State flag: Magnolia could replace old rebel symbol If voters accept the design on the November ballot, it will become the new state flag; if they reject it, the design process will start anew BY EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS sign that featured a shield with and Mississippi will remain a state The Associated Press wavy lines representing water. without a flag for a while longer. “We’ll send a message that we The commission decided JACKSON — Mississippi vot- live in the future and not in the Wednesday that leading to the No- ers will decide whether to accept past,” former Mississippi Supreme vember election, it will promote a new state flag with a magnolia to Court Justice Reuben Anderson, the magnolia flag by calling it the replace an old one legislators re- the flag commission chairman, “In God We Trust” flag. tired under pressure because it in- said after the vote. “More than any other time in cluded the Confederate battle em- The single design will go on our country, we need the mercy blem that’s widely seen as racist. the November ballot. If voters ac- and grace of God,” said commis- A commission voted 8-1 Courtesy image/Mississippi Department of Archives and History cept the design, it will become the sion member TJ Taylor, who is an The State Flag Commission chose “The New Magnolia” de- Wednesday to recommend the new state flag. If they reject it, the attorney and policy director for the sign on Wednesday as the candidate for a new flag. Voters will magnolia over one other final de- design process will start anew — See STATE FLAG, 3A decide whether they approve the design on the Nov. 3 ballot. BUSINESS MOVES CALEDONIA SENIOR CLASS PARADE WITH MARY Friendly City Books prepares for opening PLUS: The Ranch House Diner has new owner BY MARY POLLITZ [email protected] riend- ly FCity Books hopes to open in Columbus in Novem- ber. Emily Liner, a 2004 Mis- Mary Pollitz sissippi Antranik Tavitian/Dispatch Staff School for Members of the Caledonia High School senior class of 2021 drive through downtown Caledonia for a senior parade on Mon- Mathematics and Science alumna, day. Lowndes County School District students started back this week. lived in Washington, D.C., for more than a decade before deciding to move back to the Friendly City. For a few years, Liner has re- turned to the Mississippi Univer- sity for Women campus to teach at Governor’s School. While in town SMART serves as some residents’ sole last year, she realized she wanted to open an independent bookstore in the Friendly City. means of transportation during pandemic “Last year when I was here, I ic, “we know those people realized that there wasn’t an inde- Bus system recently added two stops on Louisville have no other transporta- pendent bookstore, but I was look- tion options,” Dumas told ing for a local store to support,” Street, considering one on Garrard Road The Dispatch. Liner said. “I started to talk to BY TESS VRBIN SMART expanded friends in the area, and when the The Mississippi State University [email protected] from MSU’s on-campus Books-A-Million did finally close campus closed in March, but SMART buses — which are free to ride — still transit system in 2014 in May it kind of felt like a sign.” The Starkville-MSU Area Rapid carried 14,500 riders between March and began offering buses As of now, Liner is fine-tuning Dumas Transit bus system has seen more than 15 and Aug. 8, Jeremiah Dumas, MSU’s and routes in the city. The location details for her brick-and- 4 million riders since it began in 2013, director of parking and transit services, program is funded primarily through a mortar book shop and hopes to and the COVID-19 coronavirus pan- told Starkville aldermen at their Tues- Federal Transit Authority grant, and open downtown near Fifth and demic has highlighted how necessary day meeting. Starkville and Oktibbeha County con- Main streets. public transportation is for some area Since going out in public has been tribute $50,000 each. For now, she is also building residents, local leaders say. largely inadvisable due to the pandem- her inventory to start an online See TRANSPORTATION, 6A bookstore that will be running by Oct. 1. “For a lot of folks, when they have a book specifically in mind, they’ll go to Amazon and buy a book,” Liner said. “What I would Oktibbeha supes disqualify election commissioner candidate like to do is recreate the experi- tee ballot in November 2018 ence of discovering new books that Establishment of residency within two years left ‘gray area’ maybe you didn’t know about.” meant she would not meet For Liner, and many other avid BY TESS VRBIN trict 3 election commissioner ning to challenge Republican the requirement of living in readers, there’s just something [email protected] after the incumbent ques- incumbent Myles Carpenter. Oktibbeha County for a full about shopping locally for a book. tioned his opponent’s time as His Columbus-based attor- two years before the 2020 She said there’s a lot of creativity Oktibbeha supervisors a permanent resident of the ney, William Starks, told the election. Election day is Nov. and artists in the Columbus area, voted 3-1 in a special-call county. board of supervisors that 3 this year, and in 2018 it was and she hopes to bring an addi- meeting Wednesday to dis- Catherine Van Halsema, Van Halsema’s decision to Nov. 6. See BUSINESS, 6A qualify a candidate for Dis- an independent, was run- vote in Indiana via an absen- See SUPES, 3A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC 1 Which substance was used as binder for MEETINGS the mortar used in the Great Wall of China — Sept. 8: Lowndes animal fat, beer, sticky rice or tree resin? County Board of Su- 2 According to the proverb, what breeds pervisors meeting, contempt? 9 a.m., Lowndes 3 In 1971, astronaut Dave Scott left a small County Courthouse, metal sculpture on the Moon that depicts facebook.com/ Abi McDow what — a Coke bottle, an astronaut or a LowndesCounty- Fourth grade, Heritage globe? 4 What championship tournament is played Mississippi/ by the November Nine and won at the final Sept. 8: City of High 94 Low 72 table of the Main Event? Columbus budget 5 Firenze is the Italian name for which public hearing, 5 Clouds and sun Tuscan city? Full forecast on Answers, 6B p.m., Columbus page 3A. Municipal Complex, facebook.com/City- ofColumbusMS/ INSIDE Sept. 8: Columbus Business 5B Dear Abby 4B Municipal School Classifieds6B Obituaries 5A Kalev Robb, a junior at Mississippi District, 6 p.m., Comics 4B Opinions 4A State, is studying mechanical Brandon Central 141ST YEAR, NO. 150 Crossword 6B engineering and is from Meadville. Services DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com Biden: Trump ignores pandemic, stokes unrest, solves neither ‘We need emergency support funding for our Biden raises over $360 million in August BY BRIAN SLODYSKO schools — and we need The Associated Press it now. ... Not whipping WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden raised $364 million in August, a record sum that will give him ample up fear and division — resources to compete in the final two months of the campaign against President Donald Trump. not inciting violence Biden struggled to raise money early in the primary. But since he became the presumptive nominee in the spring, money has poured into in our streets.’ his campaign. In July, he all but closed the huge cash-on-hand advan- tage enjoyed by Trump, who held $300 million in reserve. BY BILL BARROW Biden’s August total, which was announced on Wednesday, speaks to AND WILL WEISSERT the enthusiasm among Democrats to oust Trump from office. The Associated Press The flood of new contributions came from grassroots supporters, as W IL MINGT ON, well as deep-pocketed donors, and should alleviate any lingering con- Del. — Joe Biden is cern over whether Democrats will be able to inundate the airwaves in calling the struggle key states. to reopen U.S. schools “These numbers humble me,” Biden wrote in a message to support- amid the coronavi- ers. “Even in a global recession, working families set aside some money rus a “national emer- to power this campaign, and a little bit added up in a big way.” gency” and accusing President Donald declared, should be able to lead and lawless cities from taking Fed- Trump of turning his Biden through multiple crises at the same eral dollars while they let anarchists back to stoke passions instead about time. harm people, burn buildings, and unrest in America’s cities. “Where is the president? Why ruin lives and businesses.” To that The Democratic presidential nom- isn’t he working on this?,” Biden end, he signed a memorandum di- inee’s broadsides came a day ahead asked. “We need emergency sup- recting agencies to review federal of his own trip to Kenosha, Wiscon- port funding for our schools — and funding sent to Seattle, New York sin, where Biden said he wants to we need it now. Mr. President, that is City, Washington and Portland, Or- help “heal” a city reeling from anoth- your job. That’s what you should be egon. er police shooting of a Black man. focused on — getting our kids back The opposing Biden and Trump The wounding of Jacob Blake and to school.