SPORTS COOK OF THE WEEK LADY WARRIORS NEVER GAVE UP SPEARS ENJOYS IN TOUGH LOSS AT FOR TITLE TIME WITH HORSES Basketball — Page 2B Dawn Spears — Page 1B Established 1881 — Oldest Business Institution in Neshoba County Philadelphia, Mississippi Wednesday, March 10, 2021 140th Year No. 10 **$1.00 COURT IN SESSION 2 plead guilty in pond murder By STEVE SWOGETINSKY In the plea last week, Braxton was sentenced to The accessory cases Kilgore said of the case tenced to drug court; [email protected] Tyrone Braxton, 24, and Joan- 20 years in the custody of the against Barfield and Thomp- against Kelly. • James Clingan, 26, plead- na Brook Gilmer, 26, both of Mississippi Department of son are still pending, Kilgore “They will need some time ed guilty to business, burglary, A man and a woman plead- Neshoba County were sen- Corrections. Gilmer was sen- said. to investigate and figure their burglary of a shed and burgla- ed guilty to manslaughter last tenced. tenced to 12 years. “Braxton and Gilmer both job out. We don’t have a time- ry of a camper; sentenced to week in connection with the The case was made a capi- Houston’s family had pleaded guilty to manslaugh- line. We are hoping to do it in 14 years in the custody with Hope pond murder last year. tal case because of an underly- reported him missing Oct. 23, ter,” Kilgore said. “The third July … for that trial.” the Mississippi Department of A third defendant, James ing charge of kidnapping. 2019. defendant is going to trial. Circuit court is currently in Corrections (MDOC); Walter Kelly, is scheduled for Houston had died by suffoca- Of the original nine There is a motion to bring a dual session in Philadelphia • Austin Jarriel, 21, pleaded trial on capital murder charges tion before being dumped in charged, a grand jury later in the state group, Capital and Decatur. guilty to possession of syn- this summer, according to Dis- the pond, according to offi- returned five indictments — Defense, through the state Kilgore reported the fol- thetic marijuana and guilty to trict Attorney Steven Kilgore. cials. three capital murder defen- Public Defenders Office, Kil- lowing people who pleaded possession of cocaine. Sen- In all, nine people were In a plea bargain with the dants — Braxton, Gilmer and gore said. guilty and their sentences: tenced to three years in the arrested and charged after the District Attorney’s Office, Kelly — and two for accesso- They are brought in any- • Patrick Atkinson, 40, custody of MDOC; body of Demarcus Houston both were allowed to plead ry after the fact of capital mur- time there is a death penalty pleaded guilty burglary of a • Michael Wilson, age was found Oct. 20, 2019, guilty to the manslaughter der — Justus Barfield and Ian case. “As of right now, we are camp house, and burglary of a unavailable, pleaded guilty to weighted down in a pond. charges. Caleb Thompson. seeking the death penalty,” storage shed. He was sen- See COURT, page 2A COVID-19 Mayor walks back mandate By SCOTT HAWKINS [email protected] Philadelphia Mayor James A. Young said he misspoke last week in issuing a new mask mandate for Philadelphia after the governor lifted the state mandate. “It really was not a mandate and was basically a strong empha- sis from me to keep the mask- wearing going but leave it up to individuals and businesses to decide whether to wear a mask,” Young said Tuesday. “It is just my strong recommendation for that.” Meanwhile, the state opened up vaccinations for any 50 and over. The mask recommendation from the mayor will be in place through the end of April, but Young said he will look at it again Neshoba County School District Superintendent Lundy Brantley will be among the pieces of equipment used in the new Innovation at the end of March, Young told shows off a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) laser cutter, which Lab for welders to make things like fire pits. the Democrat on Friday. Young said the mask recom- mendation carries no force of law, has no paperwork and is not a legal Neshoba Central builing Innovation Lab document but rather his recom- mendation. By JOHN LEE campus between the main high school building Anderson is looking forward to the 3D printers Young said the number of [email protected] and the agriculture building. the lab will have as well, and what her students COVID-19 infections is decreas- “These are wonderful students who are eager can do with them to improve life in the class- ing in the city and Neshoba Coun- Instructor Sedera Anderson can’t wait to to learn, and I am eager to be right there with room. ty but now is not the time to let the experience and to teach the new technology them as they do,” Anderson said. “This new lab “The sky is the limit on what they can make,” mask-wearing go. that’s coming with the Neshoba Central High is going to provide them with so many new Anderson said. “They can make things like tools, “We need to let more people School Innovation Lab this spring. opportunities.” cups and more. The more we can get them get vaccinated, and a mask (rec- Anderson, who has been teaching at Neshoba The I-Lab aims to design a space for students exposed to new technology and get them national ommendation) is a simple thing Central for 20 years, said every day is a new to study and practice welding, carpentry, engi- industry certified, the more job opportunities we can do until it is over,” Young challenge, and she is continuously learning along neering, physics, agriculture and digital media to they’ll have.” said. “The virus is too dangerous with her students as they are exposed to updated collaborate on projects they are interested in cre- Lundy Brantley, superintendent of the Nesho- to play with.” technology and ideas. ating. ba County School District, said the overarching Young said if some people The I-Lab, as it is known, will be located in Along with the welding machines and blue- goal of the project is for students to bring an idea choose not to wear a mask, people the former ROTC facility on the east side of the print printers that will be coming to the I-Lab, See LAB, page 2A See MASKS, page 2A FOUR DECADES OF TEACHING Retired PHS teacher dies in Highway 19 crash By DUNCAN DENT dents were remember- Southern College). Upon [email protected] Mowdy, 78, died in ing Ms. Mowdy on graduation from USM, she a three-car crash on Facebook Monday. obtained a master’s degree Barbara Ann Mowdy, who Highway 19 just “She taught ‘old from Mississippi State Uni- spent nearly nearly four south of Bethsaida school’ mathematics versity. decades as an educator, — Sunday evening, (Algebra, Trig, Geom- She began her long career more than two of them as a according to the Mis- etry, Adv. Math) and as an educator in 1965 in Long math instructor at Philadelphia sissippi Highway the learning disci- Beach and spent the last 23 High School — will be laid to Patrol. plines that were need- years of her career as a math rest this afternoon following a A visitation is Barbara Ann ed not only in math instructor at Philadelphia High fatal car crash Sunday scheduled from 11 a.m. but in life,” said another School where she retired in evening. to 1 p.m. today Mowdy PHS graduate and 1993. “I attribute much of my (Wednesday) at Philadelphia native the After PHS, she went on to professional success in life to McClain-Hays Funeral Home Rev. Hubert Yates, state direc- serve as an adjunct faculty Ms. Barbara Mowdy,” said with a graveside service fol- tor of Disaster Relief Min- member at East Central Com- PHS graduate and Philadel- lowing at 1:30 p.m. at the istries for Mississippi Baptists. munity College from 1991 phia native David Bridges, Bethsaida Baptist Church Ms. Mowdy was born on until her final retirement in associate professor of Cemetery. March 2, 1943, and lived most 2004. mechanical engineering at Mowdy, 78, died after her of her life in Neshoba County. “Miss Mowdy truly had a Texas A&M University-Cor- Ford passenger vehicle was She graduated from the love for teaching, whether at pus Christi. “She was an struck by two vehicles as she Neshoba County Schools and school in the classroom, or at Celebrating Dr. Seuss Week excellent teacher, and those was apparently preparing to went on to earn a bachelor’s home, assisting her multiple 2019-2021 Choctaw Indian Princess Elisah Monique courses prepared me well for make a left turn onto a county degree from The University of nieces and nephews and great all of the math I would later road. Southern Mississippi (former- Jimmie visited Tucker Elementary and read to students take at the college level.” Many other former stu- ly known as Mississippi See MOWDY, page 3A as part of Dr. Seuss Week at the school. OPINION JUST AMONG FRIENDS OPINION Rich Lowry PAGE 4A Marianne Enochs PAGE 1B Patrick Buchanan PAGE 4A 2A, The Neshoba Democrat, Philadelphia, Miss., March 10, 2021 UV lights installed in Philadelphia schools By AMELIA HENSON ing and require no maintenance. Special to the Democrat Superintendent of Education Dr. Lisa Hull stated that this is Philadelphia Public School one way the school district is District installed 175 ultraviolet taking precautions to prevent lights to help prevent COVID- COVID-19. 19. “After implementing our Engagements & Weddings Maintenance Supervisor cleaning and sanitizing proto- Terry Watkins explained the cols and procedures last sum- There is no charge for engagement and wedding process of the iWave-R Resi- mer, we knew the next step was announcements.