ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 13, 2013 CVB, festival organizers remain at impasse The guidelines, which were ey can be spent, tourism grants, Tuesday’s meeting produces no solution approved by the CVB board of capped at $15,000, carry a stipu- to dispute over new grant guidelines trustees in August, have been lation that no more than 25 per- the subject of discussion for sev- cent of the money can be used BY JEFF CLARK tival organizers. eral months as some festival or- for entertainment. Some festival [email protected] But the only decision to come ganizers have protested the new organizers feel that condition is out of the meeting was to sched- stipulations attached to CVB unreasonable because entertain- The debate over the Colum- ule yet another meeting. funding for festival and quality of ment often represents the great- bus-Lowndes Convention and The next special meeting to life events. est cost they incur. The festival organizers’ un- Visitors Bureau’s festival grant deal with the seemingly unend- While grants for quality of life Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff guidelines continued Tuesday ing dispute is scheduled for Feb. events, capped at $8,000, have offi cial spokesperson, District CVB board member Mark with a special meeting with fes- 20 at 9 a.m. no stipulations on how the mon- See CVB, 8A Castleberry. Colom trial Shrove Tuesday pancakes begins with offi cers’ testimony BY SARAH FOWLER [email protected] The trial of a man from a prominent Co- lumbus family is underway in Lowndes County Cir- cuit Court. C h a r l t o n Colom Aaron Colom, 35, is charged with posses- sion of a weapon by a con- victed felon. After a motion hearing Tuesday morning Judge Jim Kitchens moved that Colom be tried as a ha- bitual offender. Colom is the nephew of Columbus attorney and businessman Wilbur Colom. He was arrested and charged with the felony pos- session of cocaine in 1999 Luisa Porter/ Dispatch Staff in Lowndes County. He was Hannah Brady, 10, eats pancakes in the Mardi Gras-themed dining hall of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Columbus, Tuesday, during indicted and sentenced to their annual pancake supper to commemorate Shrove Tuesday and to kick off the Lenten season. Hannah is the daughter of John and serve fi ve years with the Jennifer Brady of Columbus. Mississippi Department of Corrections. In 2009, he was convicted on one count felo- ny sale of cocaine in Tippah county and was again given a fi ve-year sentence. If convicted as a habitual Obama: Nation stronger, GOP should back his plans offender, Colom would not be eligible for parole or ear- BY JULIE PACE prepared to build on it as he embarks on ly release. He faces up to a AP White House Correspondent STATE OF THE UNION four more years in offi ce. 10-year prison sentence if “We have cleared away the rubble of cri- WASHINGTON — Uncompromising defi cit “even worse” than the unpalatable convicted. and politically emboldened, President deals Washington had to stomach during sis, and we can say with renewed confi dence Testimony began Tues- Barack Obama urged a deeply divided Con- his fi rst term. that the state of our union is strong,” Obama day afternoon as law en- gress Tuesday night to embrace his plans to In his fi rst State of the Union address said in an hour-long address to a joint ses- forcement offi cers testifi ed use government money to create jobs and since winning re-election, Obama conced- sion of Congress and a television audience to the events that lead up strengthen the nation’s middle class. He ed economic revival is an “unfi nished task,” of millions. See COLOM, 8A declared Republican ideas for reducing the but he claimed clear progress and said he See OBAMA, 8A Insurance Commission spokesman lays blame on Governor BY JEFF CLARK was his responsibility to set up the ex- [email protected] Mississippi’s failure to establish health insurance change in an effort to provide Mississip- pians with the best health-care options Although state insur- exchange could be costly, Ammerman tells Rotarians available. ance commissioner Mike Under the Affordable Care Act, any Chaney was unable to federal government’s decision to reject and Gov. Bryant over the plan. Bryant attend a Tuesday meet- Chaney’s state-run health insurance had sought to block Chaney’s plan by state that chooses not to set up its own ing with the Columbus exchange. arguing that the state’s constitution lim- health insurance exchange would have Rotary Club, his proxy, “I have two words for why the ex- ited that power to the governor alone. an exchange set up by the federal gov- former Commercial Dis- change failed,” Ammerman said. “Phil Bryant has stated he will not set up a ernment. patch editor and current Bryant.” state exchange, presumably in an effort Chaney was told there still exists Ammerman insurance department Last week, federal offi cials reject- to fi ght implementation of the Patient another option, a health care exchange spokesperson, Joseph ed Chaney’s application for a state-run Protection Affordable Care Act in Mis- that would be a joint effort by the state Ammerman had some harsh words exchange because of a disagreement sissippi. Although himself opposed to and federal government. for Gov. Phil Bryant for his role in the between the insurance commissioner the Affordable Care Act, Chaney said it See ROTARY, 8A WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS 1 Anzac Day, in Australia and New Zea- gala of “decadent desserts, land, commemorates the date of the Today through fabulous fl owers, magical music bloody 1915 landing on what Turkish Saturday, Feb. 13-16 and wonderful wine” benefi ting peninsula? ■ “The Fantasticks”: the Stephen D. Lee Founda- 2 What rock group was behind the Starkville Community Theatre tion will be held at Errolton, infamous “Mudshark Incident” at presents Broadway’s lon- the home of Keith and Gaines Seattle’s Edgewater Inn in 1969? McKenyie Ellis gest-running musical at The Gaskin in Columbus. For ticket 3 Who fi rst formulated the periodic Playhouse on Main, 108 E. Main information, contact Eulalie Sixth grade, Heritage table while writing the landmark 1870 St., Starkville. All performanc- Davis, 662-328-3088. chemistry textbook Principles of es are at 7:30 p.m. Paula ■ Klionsky concert: Pianist Chemistry? High 51 Low 32 Mabry directs. Tickets are $15 Elena Klionsky performs at 7:30 4 Perfecto, torpedo, and parejo are all Clouds clearing and colder for adults; $10 for students. p.m. in the Kossen Auditorium in shapes of what? Full forecast on Seating is limited; advance Poindexter Hall on the campus page 2A. 5 Who plays their home games in the reservations are strongly recom- so-called Dean Dome? of Mississippi University for Answers, 9B mended. For more information, Women. The free concert, spon- contact the SCT, 662-323- sored by the Leslie F. Threadgill 6855. Lecture and Artist Series, is one INSIDE of many events during the inau- Larry Cunningham is a branch manager at Express Check Ad- Classifi eds 8B Obituaries 5A Thursday, Feb. 14 gural celebration of Dr. James ■ Valentine Party: A Valentine Borsig, 14th president of MUW. vance. 133RD YEAR, NO. 287 Comics 7B Opinions 6A DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2013 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com DID YOU HEAR? Grammy gatecrasher says stunt was ‘spontaneous’ Wednesday THE ASSOCIatED PRESS microphone Sunday night before Adele accepted her EVENING WITH ANGELA BROWN LOS ANGELES — The Celebrated operatic soprano Angela Brown mingled with con- award. He only got a few cert-goers after her performance at Mississippi University for man who was arrested af- words out before Jennifer Women Friday. The event was presented by the Columbus Arts ter attempting to upstage Lopez shooed him away. Scene&Seen Council. Adele at Sunday’s Gram- “It was spontaneous,” my Awards has a new mes- Sediuk said in a telephone sage for the singer: “Help interview Tuesday. “It was me.” not planned of course” Vitalii Sediuk says his He said he realizes now appearance onstage at the that he may be banned Grammys was a sponta- from covering award neous event and that he shows, which would be is only now realizing that problematic for a reporter it might have legal con- who’s already got a reputa- sequences for him. The tion for awkward celebrity Ukrainian journalist, who encounters. Last year, Will did not have a ticket to the Smith slapped Sediuk, 24, awards show, spent sever- after he tried to kiss him al hours in police custody on a red carpet, and he before being released with drew Madonna’s ire a year a trespassing citation and a earlier by presenting her March 4 court date. a bouquet of flowers she Sediuk briefly took the hated. Angie Knight and Joseph Merideth Marilyn Norris, Angela Brown, Beverly Norris SNAP JUDGMENT: ONLINE POLL What are you planning for Valentine’s Day? Dining out (23) 46% Flowers (4) 8% Candy (7) 14% Card (15) 30% Jewelry (1) 2% Vote on today’s poll at cdispatch.com CONTACTING THE DISPATCH Office hours: Main line: Jane Lee, Angela Brown Savanah Lawson, Jeanette Basson n 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Fri n 662-328-2424 HOW DO I ... Email a letter to the editor? 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 General Electric gets out of the TV biz n Operators are on duty until Submit a calendar item? 6 p.m.